TNA Impact vs. WWE Homecoming

If you’ve read my recent articles on the internet then you’re probably rolling your eyes thinking, “oh god, another WWE bash and another TNA praise.” Well, to be honest, you’re right. However, you can’t tell me that WWE’s Homecoming was as entertaining, fun, and had better wrestling than TNA’s Impact? I guess it proves that despite having 3 hours, legends, an iron man match, and being on a new network, doesn’t guarantee entertainment.

Let’s start with Saturday’s TNA Impact on Spike. An hour show, and for only one hour TNA presented 4 matches. Normally it takes the WWE 2 hours to produce 3 matches. However, in one hour TNA gave us AJ Styles, Monty Brown, an X division triple threat, and an ending of surprises. In one hour! That’s baffles me that TNA could pull that off in one hour.

Obviously the highlight of the night was the triple threat X division match. It involved “The Canadian Destroyer” Petey Williams, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin. The match itself should remind your average wrestling fan of the days in WCW and ECW when Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio, Jr, wrestled high risk, and fast paced matches. You’ll NEVER see these matches in WWE, because the so-called “genius” of Mr. McMahon decided to “tone down” the high risks of wrestling. While the match was great, the best part was obviously the finisher when Williams performed what is known as “the Canadian Destroyer.” You’ll just have to see it to believe it. It’s SICK!

TNA made a lot of smart decisions with the first edition of Impact. First, they threw away the idea that Monty Brown turned heel. That was a big no-no to fans of TNA, because Monty needs to be pushed to face Jarrett, but he needs to be a face or, “good-guy,” in order to do it. Second, they brought the “Deadly Brothers” in. And finally, they edited the remarks made by “Brother Ray,” which were derogatory to a certain group of people in “Stamford, Connecticut.”

After I was done watching Impact, I was excited about professional wrestling again. No real disappointments except the Rhino vs. Hardy match was a little slow, but it ended nicely with Abyss and Sabu making their appearances. Also, there was only a glimpse of Raven going crazy backstage, I would have rather see him wrestle a match. Of course, Christopher Daniels made an appearance, but he didn’t wrestle, either.

However, fans of wrestling, including myself, agree that TNA definitely made an impact Saturday. THIS is what real wrestling looks like.

TNA gave me a new acceleration with wrestling that I decided to bite my tongue and watch WWE’s Homecoming. I figure, “hey, maybe now that WWE has some competition, maybe WWE will step up their game a notch.” I was wrong, again.

WWE Homecoming started out with Piper’s Pit with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and his guest, Mick Foley. This segment was pretty much WWE’s formula for success, lots of talking. I respect Mick Foley, and I respect Roddy Piper, but this segment was BORING. Piper comes out and says Mick is the craziest S.O.B. in wrestling. Yeah, and? Then Piper asks Foley when is he coming back to wrestling, blah blah blah, Orton comes out, blah blah blah, legend killer, blah blah blah, RKO’s Piper and Foley, and we’re done. Same crap produced from the WWE.

After Piper’s Pit, the WWE finally did things right with a great match between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels. This was a classic match with the match ending in a draw. I loved this match, and I understood why it was a draw, because Angle and Michaels are so good that there can’t really be a winner. A true classic. Vince should really give these two a raise.

After the Angle/Michaels match, Vince McMahon brought back a lot of nostalgia when he came to the ring and besmirched Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin comes out and great memories begin to surface in my mind. Austin belittles McMahon, McMahon does the trademark gulp, next thing you know Austin stuns McMahon followed by a couple of beers. However, that wouldn’t end there, Shane McMahon came back with his Muhammed Ali impersonation and makes his way to the ring. I marked out for Shane, because I think he should personally be running the WWE’s writing department. However, not even two seconds after he steps in the ring, his butt gets stunned by Austin. Then Stephanie McMahon makes her way to the ring. It’s been a while since we have seen the million dollar princess, but nothing has changed except for her hair and other “assets.” Eventually she gets stunned. Then Linda comes out with that God awful Wrestlemania pop music from the early 90's. Someone needs to give her new music. Austin tries to sweet talk her, and eventually they share a beer together.

I enjoyed this segment. However, one little botch screwed it all up. It was obvious Austin was going to stun Linda McMahon, and he did, kinda. I’m not going to bash Linda or Austin for the botched Stunner, it was quite funny how Linda just fell as if she fainted trying to sell the stunner. The Austin/McMahon’s segment was entertaining, but I felt that it took way too long to come with a conclusion. I’m not kidding it took a half an hour to stun one entire family. Even with Linda, I was thinking, “jeez, stun her already!” There was no need for that segment to take that long.

The Matt Hardy vs. Edge match was another botch match. No, they didn’t botch any moves, I just hated how it ended. Instead of being unpredictable like in most ladder matches, this match was too predictable. I knew that Matt Hardy was going to leave RAW, that was too obvious. Despite that fans, including myself, wanted Hardy to come back, he wasn’t getting a big push and that concluded that Hardy’s time on RAW was over, not to mention it’s kind of hard to call Edge “Mr. Money in the Bank,” when Matt Hardy has the “money.” The match itself was good, but if you compare this match to the cage match or their encounter on RAW where they both fell off the stage, this match was kinda dull. Despite there were some great moves, and great pops, the one key element that made the match turn from a five star classic to a complete disaster is when Matt Hardy was tied in the ropes. Obviously, this was a terrible way to end the match, but it was revolting how Matt just tried to get himself locked in the ropes. I wasn’t upset that Lita held on to Matt while Edge grabbed the briefcase, but this could have been a fast paced, high impact match, and it just turned into crap with a lousy ending. Now that Hardy is going to Smackdown, he may be wishing he did sign with TNA. Oh well, have fun, Matt, being another Smackdown jobber to the likes of Batista and JBL.

After the Hardy vs. Edge match was over, Triple H and Ric Flair faced off with Chris Masters and Carlito. This was my bathroom break, so I can’t really elaborate on this match. The only thing you need to know is Triple H turned on Ric Flair. Did anyone see that coming? I did when the SummerSlam promos started to air a match between Flair and HHH. Was this a Freudian slip from the WWE?

Next was a segment where the “Legends,” or as I call them, “Vince’s trademarks,” were all in the ring. Great wrestlers like Hacksaw Jim Duggen, Ted Dibiase, Dusty Rhodes, the Iron Shiek, and Harley Race were all there. Rob Conway comes out and gets his butt handed to him by Dusty Rhodes and Superfly Jimmy Snuka. Truly a great recognition for the legends.

Here is where WWE Homecoming really “urinated” me off. The Smackdown match. IT NEVER TOOK PLACE! It looked promising as well. Batista, Chris Benoit, and Rey Mysterio vs. JBL, Christian, and Eddie Guerrero. Just when the match was ready to start, Eric Bischoff comes out and tells the wrestlers that “this is RAW, not Smackdown.” Out of nowhere, Bischoff literally turns off the lights and orders a commercial break. The match would never take place.

At this point I was done with WWE Homecoming. I changed the channel. I can’t really say what happened next, and quite frankly I didn’t give a damn either. I watched Monday Night Football instead.

I know that I may be a “mark” for TNA and a “hater” of the WWE, but I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I love professional wrestling. That’s wrestling. Not a bunch of huge guys who take steroids and talk all day.

WWE Homecoming, in my opinion, was a disaster. It was a junk load of WWE insulting the fans’ intelligence again, and Vince McMahon stroking his ego by displaying a message to the crowd. That message was this. “No matter what I produce, the idiotic fans will still watch. I can even turn the lights off and the morons would still watch.”

Bad move, Vince.

TNA is obviously the winner for me. The quick action, and the lack of talking makes TNA an obvious competitor for WWE. TNA should stick with what they are doing and ignore the WWE. It’s obvious that TNA is better than WWE, they don’t need to elaborate on why they are better, they just need to let the action speak for itself.

If you want a soap opera, watch the WWE. However, if you want action, TNA is your answer.

Notice I didn’t mention the Bra and Panties match. Well, that was another bathroom break.

TNA Impact = 8 ˝ out 10

WWE Homecoming = 4 out of 10