The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
My Weekly TNA Notebook
The Kingfish Arnie Katz provides insight and analysis based on the 1/15 episode of iMPACT.
Generation Me’s Debut
TNA gave Max and Jeremy a major win over the Motor City Machine Guns in a slam-bang finish to an A- match. That’s huge for an unknown duo and indicates that TNA has plans for Generation Me. The most likely first step will be a program against the Guns, which Shelley and Sabin will win in the long run.
Mike Tenay called the Machine Guns a great X Division tag team. If that’s a tease for a new belt, it sounds like a very good idea. It would certainly be an improvement over the practice of feeding the physically smaller teams to the larger ones.
Nasty, Very Nasty… in 3-D!
While still not holding out much hope for the matches, the out-of-ring dramatics between Team 3D and the Nasty Boys
Not that the storyline isn’t trite. Messing up the locker room and breaking through a door with an ax are classic bits. Team 3-D is usually more creative than this, so maybe there are some innovative twists on the horizon. Let’s hope so.
Angle-Styles II
TNA has taken the high road with this one, though J Styles’ snub of Angle after Kurt made the save was obviously a concession to worries about two babyfaces fighting in the main event.
It’s pretty gutsy of Hogan and Bischoff to schedule the match for Genesis after giving away the first clash on the three-hour iMPACT. Fortunately, Styles-Angle is so good that the fans should be eager to see these two consummate professional wrestlers.
If you’re looking for evidence that things have really changed at TNA, this might be a key point. Angle and Styles will meet in a straight-forward singles match. The “old” TNA might well have turned it into a three-way dance or added some over-the-top stip that would have detracted from the sheer brilliance of these two performers.
He’s Still a Mystery to Me
Just as one mystery man was revealed to be Tomko, Hulk Hogan told fans that there would be another major debut at Genesis. The Hulkster added an exclamation point by teasing that the newcomer would be someone of championship caliber.
There might be another clue in he announcement that Amazing Red will fight a mystery challenger at Genesis. This might be a different individual than the one Hogan described, but it’s more likely that they are one and the same.
If that’s the case, my candidate for the debut is Rob Van Dam. He is worthy of a title belt – ad he could well take one from Red at the pay preview.
The Band of Bros
The Terrible Trio did more than they did on the three-hour extravaganza. Whether Hall and Nash are a viable tag team will be determined at Genesis.
X-Pac or Six-Pac or whatever they want to call him, doesn’t seem involved or interested in he show. Scott Hall is actually doing a lot of the heavy lifting, since Kevin Nash doesn’t seem very fired-up, either.
Nobody Asked Me about TNA, But…
… Wasn’t the unmasking of the man in black about the dullest such revelation you’ve ever seen? At the very least, Styles should have repelled another attack and ripped the mask off Tomko’s face before the big heel turned the tables with an underhanded attack.
… Wouldn’t better costumes help Generation Me? A more colorful presentation seems in line with the characters they are attempting to portray.
That’s all for today, but I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising pro wrestling column. I hope you’ll come back then and, please, tell your friends about the column, too.
— Arnie Katz
Executive Editor
Crossfire4@cox.net
(1/16/10)