Welcome.

I’d like to begin with some words on Test. First of all let me just say that I was a Test fan. Yeah, there I said it. I know people this issue and that issue with his matches, but I always enjoyed Test and feel that he was one of those hidden gems, his potential was untapped but there nonetheless. Arriving initially as a member of the Corporation, Test’s first and arguably greatest feud was with Shane McMahon when the latter disapproved of him having a relationship with his sister Stephanie. This culminated with what I believe is a forgotten treasure of a match, when both men faced each other in a No Disqualification match at Summer Slam 1999. Afterwards, Test was able to carry on with his relationship with Stephanie, until Triple H whisked her away as “married” her as part of his feud with Vince. And the rest as they say, is history.

It would be the arrival of new girl Trish Stratus in early 2000 that would bring Test back into the picture, when she recruited both him and Prince Alert to form the tag team TNA. This came at a time when the WWE tag team division was unmatched, with the Dudley Boyz, Hardyz, Edge and Christian and Too Cool already giving fans great entertainment and matches, TNA found themselves as part of a very lively tag team division. The following year was similarly good for Test, he won the European Championship, joined the Alliance during the InVasion angle, and then at Survivor Series 2001, won the Immunity Battle Royal. Meaning regardless of who won the InVasion, he was still guaranteed a job. Even the early days of the Brand Extension offered some entertainment, when he engaged in a feud with returning Mark Henry over who really was the strongest man. This resulted in some entertained skits whereby Test would attempt to out-do Henry by showcasing his own strength, failing, then blaming his shortcomings on random excuses.

However Test, like a number of other wrestlers, fell victim to what I argue was a period during which the WWE experimented with a number of guys, altering their looks, characters and general attitude. For Test, this resulted in short hair, and shorts. Compared with his old look of long hair and trousers, I found his new look to lack the on-screen presence that I felt a 7-footer should have. With Stacy Keibler as his manager, Test found himself looking for a name for his fans. It was decided that they would be called “Testicles,” and looking back, it wasn’t the brightest idea if you ask me. If anything, it made him look ridiculous, for a guy that won every belt bar the “big one,” this stint had to be one of the most unnecessary storylines thrown onto him. My memory’s a bit sketchy, but between this and his departure from WWE, a feud with Scott Steiner was the last major angle in his WWE career.

Test’s one of wrestlers who I think is hard to place, as said, he won every belt bar the WWE Championship, was thought of well enough to be granted immunity at Survivor Series, and character-wise, as a heel, could hold his own against some of the bigger name heels. He was given a strong push during his early years, yet wandered off the radar during his last few years with the company. For me, I would argue that it was a result of an experiment that shouldn’t have been made, there was no need to change his look or have Stacy Keibler go out and find him a fan base, Test already had a character that fans were familiar with, he was well-liked by most fans and for many years was looked on as being part of that next generation of wrestlers that would lead the WWE.

Whatever your opinion of Test, I will miss him. I believe that he was a guy who had more to offer, if only those in charge had let him show it. It was a privilege to see him in the ring, and I hope that his memory will live on.

Now, I’m going to go over some news from recent months first so bear with me.

TNA has made a name for itself largely through the X Division, where the most daring of wrestlers compete and we fans sit in awe. It is TNA’s crown jewel, it’s what makes TNA stand out amongst the rest of the competition, and so I, like I presume many of you, was scratching my head over the releases of Petey Williams and Sonjay Dutt. Now I’ve read and talked with people over why TNA just let these guys go, it truly bewilders me. These guys pretty much define TNA, their style simply cannot be matched by WWE, not only that, but both are superb at not only carrying their matches, but telling us all the story whilst they are within those ropes. i.e: What this match is for, why they are in a feud and what they hope to gain. Matches are about telling stories and these guys told them well. Do I need to mention a certain ladder match between Dutt and Jay Lethal over So Cal Val? A match that pretty much was the match to watch out of an entire PPV card? A match that defined the style of TNA? You know I always found it strange that following that match, Dutt and Val seemed to stay off-screen whilst Lethal went on; I mean following a match with such a twist, Lethal seemed to forget about it all.

Whatever the reasons behind these 2 getting the pink slip, I can’t help but feel that TNA have let themselves down here. They should be fighting to contract these guys and keep them in the ranks. I have to mention both Jimmy Rave and Lance Hoyt here too, yeah the Rock’N’Rave Infection was a bit “Huh?” But these were another duo that could wrestle a good match. TNA needs to remember what gives shape to their product, they have managed to stand-out through the X-Division. The Knockouts have to be the finest addition to TNA yet and, even the Tag Team division has helped showcase just what TNA can do.

TNA has had me pondering exactly what it is that they are doing? At Against All Odds, we had every belt stay in the hands of their defenders. Now, for the most part, this was okay, Shelly would’ve looked ridiculous had he dropped the belt, Angle doesn’t need the Heavyweight title and Beer Money Inc are the still too good to see them drop the belts to someone else yet. But the one belt that got me thinking, was the Women’s Championship. Now I know that Awesome Kong is built as being unrivalled, but really, isn’t it time ODB got a run with that belt? She’s constantly been showcased as the only one who could take Kong down yet the latter retained. ODB is so popular right now, that it makes sense for her to hold that belt, and Kong needs a strong opponent. I’m keen to see how they take Sojo’s new angle of her standing against Kong, but right now ODB is the big face of the Knockouts division and if anyone should have that belt, then its her.

Speaking of Awesome Kong, isn’t it time she had a feud with someone who could win a match against her? Whilst I’d argue that it was right that she kept the belt at Destination: X, we still have a situation whereby none of Knockouts seem that keen to win the belt. I’d love to see Taylor Wilde have another run, or how about Roxxi? Then of course, we have Angelina Love, who, whilst I love seeing as part of the Beautiful People, really is capable of holding her own, so I think it would be nice to see some gold round her waist.

A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe are back, but I’m unsure about their new characters. Call me old fashioned, but seeing A.J. going around and attacking Booker T doesn’t make me feel like cheering for him, he looks more like a thug who’s using sneak-attacks to get back at Booker. I was actually more interested in Booker T’s antics involving him going around looking for his Legends Championship, and I liked how the police referred to him as “Huffman,” rather than Booker T. It made it feel a little more genuine. But now that A.J. has been crowned TNA’s first ever Grand Slam Champion, I feel reassured that TNA hasn’t forgotten about its original stars. Ultimately, I’d like to see the Legends Championship transform into the equivalent of an Intercontinental Championship, I feel that there’s room for another belt and TNA could do with a belt that sits between the TNA Championship and the X Division Championship.

Then we have Samoa Joe and his Nation of Violence, and again I’m unsure about this new character. With baby faces, we often look for a likable trait in them, so having Joe go around threatening Steiner with a knife doesn’t make me feel like cheering for him. It makes him look more like a lunatic.

If there is one area where I feel that TNA is doing great, it’s the TNA Championship. I liked Rhino VS. Sting, and I enjoyed the main event at Against All Odds. But there were those of you who didn’t. However I do feel that with Angle and Sting we have had a strong feud. You do get that sense that they are polar opposites of one and other. Sting sees the MEM as institute devoted to respect whilst Angle uses it to keep him in the main event picture. You also get the sense that they can’t get along, Angle wants it his way and wants Sting out, while Sting sees Angle for what he is. Kurt thinks only about title gold while Sting seeks to instill respect among the ranks of TNA. And they are ready to go at it in the ring. This is what makes feuds strong, when you have the big good guy, and the big bad guy square-off. Again, polar opposites make the best feuds. I suppose that what some of you found with Rhino VS. Sting was that the latter was still seen as a baby face given the aggression shown by his cohorts and his legacy as a good guy. You had baby face VS. baby face, and not many people were sure who to cheer for.

Right now though, Sting and Mick Foley are set to go at it, in the sequel to their match at Beach Blast 1992. I’m really looking forward to this, 2 of my all-time favorite wrestlers, set to go one-on-one in the main event. It’ll also be nice to see Sting feuding with someone other than Kurt Angle, again, like at Against All Odds, I’m glad Sting kept the belt at Destination: X, as Angle really doesn’t need another run with the belt just yet. I’m also guessing that this will also be used as a chance to conclude the feud between him and Jarrett, but who knows?

As a whole, I’ve enjoyed TNA, but I feel that they need to focus themselves. Get some good feuds going with those belts, utilize talent more often, i.e: More of LAX, Mick Foley, Rhino, ODB, Roxxi, Bashir, Eric Young and so on. And understand what the fans look for in TNA, the releases of Williams, Dutt, Rave and Hoyt were not needed, TNA has done a great job of building its own talent who are identifiable with TNA. TNA should be eager to keep these guys as they sell the image the company is keen to promote.

Take care everyone.