The Pope is now the #1 contender for AJ Styles belt and even though I doubt it'll happen I'd love to see him go over against AJ. Pope is a future star, he can talk, wrestle, has the right gimmick, fans like him. Also I see big things for Anderson in TNA.

TNA's got excellent talent, what holds them back at times in their writing team.

Yeah, I'm sorry, but Russo is terrible and seriously needs to go. He stated flat out in an interview, in regards to writing: "There's no room for error. There's no experimenting. There's no trying new things." which is some of the stupidest short sighted bullshit I've ever heard.

Plus, I have no idea how he can have the respect of anyone in the business, when he clearly has no respect for it. I liked a comment I just read the other day from Russo (I wish I could remember where, I'll link it if I can find it), saying the wrestling business has hurt him more than anyone or something to that effect (I guess because he doesn't see his family as much as he'd like). Yeah, tell that to the surviving Von Erichs, I think there are one or two. Maybe Nancy Sullivan's family would like to hear about poor Vince Russo and how his life is ruined by writing for wrestling. You suck at your job but somehow made a lot of money at it...suck it up. No writer with any understanding of wrestling history could ever honestly make a claim like that.

Anyway, yeah, they have great talent, I just have a hard time really watching their shows right now. They can say he's only a part of a team, but he clearly has influence, because Impact at least has Vince Russo's writing style all over it. Something occasionally shines through that he probably didn't have a part in (Styles/Angle, for example), but the crash TV crap is his usual garbage.

Anyway I'll at least check it out some on Monday Nights. I haven't been watching Thursdays, I'm rarely home, but I'm usually home on Monday Nights and i'll flip between that and Raw.

Tonight PPV had his writing style all over it, and it did nothing but get in the way of an otherwise very good show. You got Foley and Abyss fighting you got barbed wire and thumb tacks, what could be better right? But for some reason they throw in this stupid twist where Abyss doesn't want to hurt Foley, and it just killed the entire match, all they had to do was stay out of the way and let those 2 beat each other senseless but they couldn't do that.

Then you have AJ and Joe....awesome match....but for some reason they added an angle where Bischoff was the ref, it made no sense whatsoever.

Then instead of just letting Pope and Anderson tear the house down they have Pope get attacked by The Band before the match, then Pope stumbles down to the ring and gets his brains beat in for 75% of the match, then it finally breaks into a really good match with Pope making the amazing John Cenaish comeback and winning. It didnt hurt either guy in the end but ruined the quality of the match and a Hogan/Cena like comeback doesn't fit with Pope's character.

You can tell this is all Vince Russo cause he always tries way to hard to be shocking. But it rarely makes sense and its so overdone that nothing shocks you anymore.

And Mike Tenay needs to stop using words like "Historic" to describe a match between Team 3D and the Nasty Boys. The Nasty Boys even in their prime weren't really that good, and they only have a job now cause Knobs and Hogan are like best friends. He talks to the audience like their stupid and its annoying.

I always loved Elijah Burke. I still don't know why the WWE would let somehow with his talent go.

Here's the quote:

"I can never take back the years I stole from my own family in favor of writing fake wrestling scripts for human beings who could never have the insight to appreciate what I was attempting to do for them and their families. Yes, perhaps the wrestling business has hurt me more than any other."

Fuck you, you self centered prick.

Thats what is gonna take to turn the tide. Guys like him and Mr. Anderson guys who Vince didn't want and are now pissed off to show him what they are missing out on. Kinda like how WWE did in the late 90's using WWE castoffs like Stone Cold and Mick Foley to turn things around. Getting fired from WCW the way he did was the best thing that ever happened to Austin, he was good before that, but after he became great and I don't think he'd have ever reached his full potential without being pissed off and having something to prove. Obviously there won't be another Stone Cold but TNA's gonna need these young guys to step up. Hogan great as he is won't bring in ratings since he's not in the ring.

Yea..........I'd say he's bitter. Well then.....by all means Russo, take a hike. We'll even let the door hit ya in the ass.

speaking of the Pope, I remember he beat Anderson at AAO to get a title shot. I understand that might be at lockdown? Though then TNA makes a segment with AJ and Flair attacking him and destroying his ankle or what not and then he's been involved with Wolfe since then? I mean it's like Abyss just jumped into Pope's spot. Pope is the #1 contender, shouldn't he get the first shot?

There are two different PPVs coming up. Destination X and Lockdown. Abyss will likely have a shot at Destination X...Pope gets his at Lockdown. It's an odd setup, but as of a month ago TNA was claiming Destination X would be an all X Division PPV. They obviously changed their minds, but already set Pope up for his shot at Lockdown before they did.

It's also possible they want Lockdown to be their Wrestlemania or Starrcade, I have no idea. WWE always tends to have at least one of their title contenders set at the Rumble while other people still get title shots at Elimination Chamber.

Just looked at TNA's website and yes, Styles VS Abyss is confirmed for Destination X, and then presumably Pope faces the winner at Lockdown.

yeah I assumed that, but then ya know the whole beat down with AJ/Flair on Pope makes no sense if he ended up fighting Abyss for the title so obviously Aj is winning and its giving it away. I just think Pope should have gotten the first shot since he did win the right for the #1 contender. How in the world did Abyss jump over Pope for that honor? and maybe Lockdown is their big PPV ( I thought it was slammiversary?) but that still doesn't explain anything storyline wise lol

Well, because they already had Pope/Styles set in stone for Lockdown, because Destination X wasn't even going to be anything but an all XDivision PPV. Pope won his title shot for Lockdown, that's what the #1 contenders match is for.

And while it "gives away the finish", no more than a guy winning the Rumble when his bitter rival is the champion, with the bitter rival defending his title at the February PPV against some random guy who clearly isn't going to win.

Also, it's Russo. I honestly wouldn't put it past him to have Abyss win and either do a triple threat at Lockdown, or hotshot the title back to Styles on Impact the next night. Those wouldn't be the correct moves, but they're possibilities.

Ahh, didn't know that Destination X was supposed to be an all X division PPV. so when they had the tournament it was announced that the winner would get his shot at lockdown?

I'm really looking forward to Pope vs Aj at Lockdown. Also, I known I trash TNA Impact but I don't hate TNA, I think the TNA PPVs are pretty damn good usually. I usually just think Impact makes no freaking sense. but the PPVs again I 75% of the time like them.

Yeah, I think it was. I know as of a month ago they were claiming it would be an all X Division PPV, but they obviously changed their minds on that one. Still, I'm pretty sure at Against All Odds they still thought it would be all X Division.

Thats where the bogus ankle injury comes into play.

Bound for Glory has always been the one they picked for that. The choosing seemed to have no reason though. Its like they random picked one or drew names from a hat and said..ok...this is our Super Bowl.

LOL Yeah I kinda figure that, but he's still fighting in matches on Impact lol so that really don't explain it either.

I love how he can't fight on the show but he's just fine to do a run in even though he's not the guy who eventually ends up saving the day.

And I love how they said he tore his achillies tendon. Thats not an injury you just walk off in a month.