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Final Resolution '08 Preview By Wilkenfeld: A month of questionable Impacts builds to a questionable card
Jan 6, 2008 - 12:50:21 AM |
By Daniel Wilkenfeld: PWTorch Contributor
This card has a few highlights, most notably the tag team and heavyweight title bouts. Overall, however, it seems fairly weak on paper, and I'm not overly committed to shelling out the $40 myself. It comes off one of the weakest months Impact has had since moving to Spike TV, and so the question is whether TNA will continue that trend or try to jumpstart something new. As is my custom, I'm including my wife's picks for no particularly good reason.
Daniel's YTD average: 22/32 = .688
Rachael's YTD average: 12/20 = .600
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Christian Cage
World Heavyweight Championship
Where We've Been:
Two months ago at Genesis Kurt Angle retained his title with the help of AJ Styles and Tomko, formerly members of Christian's Coalition. Since then Christian and Angle have butted heads over control of the lackeys, culminating in a hastily formed and just as hastily disbanded super stable that combined the Angle Alliance with the Christian Coalition. Since then, Tomko has washed his hands of the whole affair, but AJ Styles has been unable to make a decision as to whom to follow. He's declared that his choice will be clear at the PPV. Much to my surprise, Christian has not actually turned face, and has retained a tweener status at best.
Where We're Going:
If this show is worth getting, this match is the reason why. Christian tends to be about as good as the person he's wrestling, and Kurt Angle is Kurt Angle. I'm a little concerned about how the crowd will react to a heel/tweener match, but I'm pretty confident that they'll just pretend Christian's face. Storyline wise it makes the most sense for AJ to align with Christian—he has essentially no history with Angle, and has effectively been a face since he and Tomko went up against Team Pacman in October. AJ siding with Angle would make him seem almost diabolical, which just doesn't seem to be in the cards character wise. He could also stay unaligned, but since they already went that route with Tomko it seems like AJ should do something else. Also, a Styles-Angle feud is something I could really get behind. If Angle fends off Christian, there aren't a lot of people left for him to fight—Joe is occupied, Tomko isn't quite ready for the big time, and they don't want to risk a backlash for over pushing Booker. On the other hand I don't see much by way of future programs for Christian either, so that's something of a wash.
Official Pick: Christian. I've actually changed my mind since I made this pick, as I think they're going to go with Angle vs. Booker next month for the title. That being said, I hate changing my pick, so I'm going to go with what I hope—Impact could really use a jumpstart, and a title change would be a decent place to start.
Rachael's Pick: Christian.
AJ Styles & Tomko (c) vs. Kevin Nash & Samoa Joe
Tag Team Championship
Where We've Been:
There's actually a nice plot behind the team of Nash & Joe, which regrettably TNA rushed in last week's broadcast. Last month when Scott Hall no-showed Joe went on a tirade against Hall & Nash, about which Nash seemed rightfully upset. After a one-week hiatus where they couldn't figure out how to incorporate that promo into the plot they decided to stress that Joe is angry and kind of whiny. It's not the direction I would have gone with the most over man in the company, but at least it was something. This past week he demanded to know why he wasn't getting title shots when people like Hall & Nash could just waltz in and get them without beating anyone. Apparently while I wasn't looking Hall & Nash were booked for a Tag Team Championship match, only to have Scott Hall somehow bail again. Anyway, Cornette had the idea of putting Joe in to replace Hall, and so we have our odd couple tag team de jure. In TNA's defense, it should be noted that I think this is only the third time in their five year history they've run a variant of this angle, as opposed to WWE's weekly use of the mismatched tag team. This past week Nash also tried to make peace with Joe by eliminating himself from a match to determine the meaningless "rankings" for the heavyweight division. For the Styles & Tomko side of things see the notes on the main event.
Where We're Going:
As odd couple tag teams go, Joe & Nash have the potential to be fairly entertaining. Joe is good on the mic and Nash is great, and they have such contrasting personalities they should be a treat to watch. They could feud with pretty much anyone, though the Rock & Rave Infection's second place finish in the tag team rankings gauntlet makes me think that they might be in line for a push.
Official Pick: Joe & Nash. With the dissolution of Christian's Coalition it's time for Styles and Tomko to go their separate ways.
Rachael's Pick: Styles & Tomko. If Styles declares his independence from any leader, he and Tomko could go into business for themselves.
Gail Kim (c) vs. Awesome Kong
Street Fight for the Women's Championship
Where We've Been:
In Awesome Kong's debut in October she defeated Gail Kim. However, at Bound for Glory she was ganged up on in and eliminated from the gauntlet to determine the first women's champion, a title which Gail Kim went on to win. Since then Kong has been gunning for the title, and decimating everyone in her path. She finally got her title shot at Turning Point, but after a decent wrestling match she lost control and got disqualified. This month they're doing it again, but with no disqualifications.
Where We're Going:
No matter who comes away with the title, ODB is clearly in line for a shot. She has a non-title win over Gail Kim, and this past Thursday outlasted Awesome Kong to become the top ranked female contender in the company. That actually isn't very helpful for predicting a winner, however. ODB is technically heel, but the crowd loves her unique character and eminently chant-able name.
Both Picks: Gail Kim. Awesome Kong's done her thing, and it's time for someone to slay the dragon. The lack of disqualifications will allow Kim to throw the kitchen sink at Kong and win without taking away from the latter's heat.
Team 3D & Johnny Devine vs. The Motor City Machine Guns & "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
Ultimate X Match for possession of the X Division Championship
Where We've Been:
Team 3D went on a demolition derby in late September to get a shot at the Tag Team Championship. Unfortunately for them two of the people they messed with were Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, who returned the favor by costing them their high profile match at Bound for Glory against the Steiners. They had a match at Genesis, which The Motor City Machine Guns pulled out in what at the time appeared to be an upset. Since then Team 3D has sold utter disdain for all things X Division, presenting them as a bunch of wannabe's who can't really wrestle and just flip around. They stole the X Division Championship from Jay Lethal, who seems to have accepted the challenge of winning it back rather than simply having it seized on his behalf. Along the way Johnny Devine betrayed the X Division and sided with Team 3D, apparently on the grounds that he had nothing better to do. They had a tables match last month which Team 3D stole when they reversed the prone bodies of Lethal and Devine to make it seem like Devine had put Lethal through a table when the opposite had occurred. On Impact a few weeks back they had a pole match to determine the stipulation for their contest this month, which the Motor City Machine Guns won with the help of their midget doppelgangers (don't ask). That made the confrontation at Final Resolution an Ultimate X match. To even the odds a little, on this past week's Impact Team 3D caned the hands of Shelley and Sabin to make it harder for them to grab the ropes.
Where We're Going:
Ultimate X matches tend to be fairly hit-or-miss affairs, and with Team 3D involved and the Guns selling injuries I'm not overly optimistic. Either way, I would think Jay Lethal should get his belt back so he can defend it at some point in the near future. The X Division is in shambles and could really use a champion right now, which is a role Lethal could ably fill if he didn't have this other stuff to occupy his time. Of course I said roughly the same thing last month, so who knows?
Official Prediction: Jay Lethal & The Motor City Machine Guns. At some point they have to get the X Division going again—don't they?
Robert Roode & Ms. Brooks vs. Booker T & Sharmell
Where We've Been
Last month Christian Cage convinced Robert Roode that Booker T was taking his spot. Despite Roode's turning on Cage, the feud with the Bookerman seems to have stuck. The situation was exacerbated when Sharmell came out to object to Roode's treatment of Ms. Brooks in what was legitimately a somewhat nice moment. Roode asked for a mixed tag match, and while Booker was hesitant Sharmell acquiesced because she wanted to slap Roode around. Ms. Brooks has expressed her desire not to be in this match, as she has no problem with either Sharmell or Booker T. Also, for some reason, Karen Angle is upset at Sharmell. I don't care why. Neither should you.
Where We're Going:
I think the Sharmell-Karen Angle feud has got to spill over into Kurt vs. Booker, or else what's the point of it? That means I think Karen gets involved here. On the other hand, I don't really see Booker losing at this stage in his career, especially if he's about to be pushed back into the main event. So I'm thinking that Karen will interfere but Sharmell and a disobedient Ms. Brooks will take her out.
Both Picks: Booker T & Sharmell. TNA likes keeping their new stars undefeated for a while.
Abyss vs. Judas Mesias
Where We've Been:
Please don't make me say it. This is actually a long-standing feud, but it's been really bad. If you saw Paul Bearer messing with Taker and then bringing out Kane before WrestleMania XIV, this is pretty much the exact same thing, only with more fake blood and a still undisclosed secret that no one wants to know.
Where We're Going:
Abyss always stays in feuds for approximately six months after the last person stopped caring. If you don't count the stretch Mesias was out injured, that means this feud has about four months to go. Also, they haven't had a gimmicky match with thumbtacks and glass yet, so that's still got to happen. So whoever wins this, expect more of the same next month with added stipulations thrown in.
Official Pick: Abyss. I'm thinking this month Abyss wins, next month Mesias wins in a street fight, and two months from now Abyss win in a coffin-on-a-pole-in-a-hole-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea match. It doesn't really matter though.
Kaz vs. Black Reign
Where We've Been:
I have to go back and check, but I think in my column a month ago about Eric Young I called Kaz's fall back into the mid-card almost to the day. Anyway, Black Reign put a bag with a rat on Kaz's head, because that's the sort of whacky thing Black Reign does. Kaz then attacked Dustin Rhodes, who apparently had no knowledge of his alter ego's doings. For some reason no one bothered to show him the tape of Black Reign's actions, as a week later he was still demanding an apology for what he perceived as an unprovoked attack.
Where They're Going:
This matters even less than the last match. I do have to say that the only logical payoff to the Black Reign angle is to have Dustin Rhodes turn out to have been faking all along, which means that will most definitely not be what they do. I would guess this "feud" has another month on it, probably with Rellik and a player to be named later thrown in.
Both Picks: Kaz. There's no way Kaz has fallen to the point where he loses to Black Reign, is there?
LAX vs. The Rock & Rave Infection (w/Christy Hemme)
Where We've Been:
This feud started when, after a random match on Impact, Christy Hemme was attacked by the mysterious member of the Latino Nation who we're just calling "Melly Shartinez." My wife, to her credit, figured out that the new member was a woman approximately .8 seconds after her debut, a belief that was seemingly confirmed when Christy Hemme started complaining about how outrageous it was that a man had hit her. I think these two teams are even at one match apiece, but I could be wrong.
Where We're Going:
At some point they've got to take the mask off the mystery member, and now is as good as time as any. It seems a reasonably safe bet that it's Latina Knockout Shelley Martinez under there; the real question is whether she can cut a promo. If so, then hopefully LAX will be back on the top of the card where they belong. If not, here's hoping that she looks hot enough that it won't matter. Part of me thinks that the Rock & Rave Infection will be the first in line to challenge Joe & Nash, but I hope I'm wrong about that.
Official Pick: LAX. Despite my nagging suspicion that Rock & Rave are about to get a push, there's no way they deserve another win over LAX. Also one would think that Christy's interference would be negated by Melly Shartinez.
Rachael's Pick: LAX. Technically I forgot to ask her about this one because I didn't realize it was a match, but she always picks LAX.
James Storm vs. Eric Young
Drinking Championship Series
Where We've Been:
Storm and Young shared a beer after their match in the Fight for the Right Tournament, which led to them becoming drinking buddies. James Storm showed up at Genesis with a custom made World Drinking Championship, which Young then claimed after Storm collapsed while attempting to drink whiskey from a funnel. After Young successfully defended his title in a drinking contest on Impact, Storm decided things weren't so funny anymore and busted a beer bottle over his head. Young won their match at Turning Point after Storm was distracted by his bottle, in what I (seemingly uniquely) felt was a solid contest. This month they're having a best of three drinking contest, featuring games Storm is apparently making up as he goes along.
Where We're Going:
After a brief stint in the main event last month, Eric Young seems to have returned to his lowly antics. Unlike most Internet writers, I think this is extremely regrettable, and hopefully only temporary. In the mean time, he seems destined to be mired in this garbage for a bit longer, in a waste of both his and Storm's considerable talents.
Official Pick: Eric Young. If Storm wins it's over, and I'm guessing they'll want another month out of this.
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