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The Specialists
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 8/21 TNA IMPACT: What I noticed on the show that you might not have
Aug 21, 2008 - 10:31:00 PM


By Curtis Shanks, PWTorch Specialist

Welcome to the TNA Impact edition of Under the Microscope. My name is Curtis Shanks and I am here to review all those little observations and tidbits you may have missed. This is not a detailed recap of the show, but a review for those of you that saw the show but didn't actually "watch" it. After last week we know that Sting's biological clock is ticking, Samoa Joe is yelling, A.J. Styles is a gold medal holder and Booker T is drinking on the job. But what else is there to notice? Let's see what we can spot. Cue the opening pyro.

The opening bumper video of the show is the first without Tomko's tattooed back in it. Looks like he's been replaced in the video by a shot of Matt Morgan.

During match introductions, Eric Young and B.G. James came out to Young's music and pyro. But if you look close, the video screen above the entrance ramp switched after the pyro from Young's video to B.G's video.

Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley both wear armbands with 1967 written on them, which is also the title of their intro song. The Motor City Machine Guns hail from Detroit, and this year has historical significance for the city. A riot broke out in Detroit during '67 and garnered national attention, with dozens being killed. Sabin and Shelley were both born much later than this date, so hard to tell if this is what they are referencing. Sabin and Shelley formed the Guns in Japan wrestling for ZERO1 and wrestled as the Murder City Machine Guns in Ring of Honor.

Jobber Frankie Capone is actually a former WWE developmental wrestler. Capone wrestled in Deep South Wrestling a couple years ago under his real name, Francisco Ciatso, before being renamed Frankie Coverdale. Along with DSW, Capone has wrestled for NWA Florida and made appearances in Full Impact Pro.

When was the last time Abyss actually had a match in TNA? That would be back in February when he defeated Judas Mesias at Against All Odds. After disappearing for three months, Abyss has returned, but has yet to do anything but a handful of run-ins. I wish I had a job where I could disappear for three months without risk of being fired. Actually, maybe Abyss was fired and TNA just hasn't told him, thus the reason they don't book him in any matches. It's the classic "Milton" method from Office Space. Fire him, don't tell him, stop his paychecks and things will work themselves out eventually.

Could Kevin Nash be sending a subtle message to Triple H? During his sit down interview with Mike Tenay, Nash donned a Thor t-shirt. Thor is a Marvel Comics character being made into a movie set for release in 2010. What's the connection? One rumored name being thrown around to play the part of Thor is none other than Triple H.

Looks like this is the last we'll see of Gail Kim tonight after reports of her departure. I know the Knockouts title is a relatively new title, but Gail is still the only person to hold the Women's title (or it's equivalent) in both WWE and TNA. Gail Kim is one of the best female workers out there and will be missed on TNA. Here's to hoping we see her wrestling on TV in some way in the not too distant future.

After the draft, it appeared that Raw was going with a youth movement. C.M. Punk, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase and even Lance Cade are getting pushes. But what about the TNA youngsters? The two youngest members of the TNA roster are Consequences Creed at 21 and Taylor Wilde at 22. Creed is in the midst of a big push with X Division title shots tonight and at the last PPV, as well as a main event slot vs. Booker T on a recent Impact. Taylor is Knockouts Champion, dethroning the unstoppable Awesome Kong.

Super Eric has (unfortunately) formed the Prince Justice Brotherhood with Curry Man and Shark Boy. This may be a reference to Abyss, who wrestled as Prince Justice on the independent scene before coming to TNA. Abyss even held the NWA Wildside Heavyweight title for a summer using this moniker. TNA could have gone another route and made this storyline even more eye-rolling. How about naming them the Princes of Brotherhood and Justice, or PB&J for short? Sandwiches of justice unite! Thank you Kris for helping to spot that acronym.

Sounds like the audio guy fell asleep on the job tonight. After Kong's victory, her music hit and continued through a couple loops. Through the post-match beat down, the confrontation with Gail's sister, the run-in by ODB and Roxxi, and even the backstage shot of Kurt Angle, Kong's music continued to play.

It does not look like Kurt Angle was busted open tonight from the guitar shot. If he would have been, that would have made it three straight episodes of Impact where Kurt Angle bled in the main event, none of them blade jobs. A PPV and two editions of Impact have now hinted at the return of Jeff Jarrett. But throughout all of this, Mike Tenay and Don West have yet to actually say the name Jeff Jarrett.

Tonight's notable MIA's: Team 3D, Homicide (injured), Sting and Jim Cornette.

Numbers crunched harder than an unprotected chair shot to the head: One knack on TNA has been that they swoop in and pick up any and every WWE cast-off and place them on TV. But what do the numbers say? Out of the 33 male wrestlers currently in TNA, only 13 have been employed by WWE at one point in time. The females are a little more even, with six homegrown and seven WWE castoffs (although many were only in developmental). Why not throw in the referees for good measure. Out of five, Earl Hebner is the only one with past WWE experience.

Curtis Shanks is a self-described wrestling nerd. Who else would lay claim to keeping up-to-date on the title histories of over 40 independent and foreign promotions? In the words of Adrian Monk, "It's a blessing…and a curse." Feedback is welcome as Curtis encourages anyone with questions or comments to e-mail him at curtisshanks.torch@gmail.com.


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

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MORE "The Specialists" ARTICLES
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Greed Is Good For PPV Business (Just Not For You), Jericho vs. Undertaker, Punk vs. Scott Armstrong, Batista vs. My Boredom
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: WWE's Even-Steven booking isn't elevating younger stars, just benefiting Triple H
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
PARKS BLOG: Chris Jericho should know better
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/5: TNA = The Office, What Vince Russo was thinking during Dixie Carter's speech, Desmond Wolfe and Duran Duran, Highlander spotting, Numbers - Titleholders since 1990
11/3 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Goldust vs. Regal, Ryder's POV, Burchill - Hurricane
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Chris Jericho Should Drink Some Shut Up Juice, Zack Ryder Fantasizes About Mrs. Potato, Vance Archer - Who Wants to Get Infected Tonight?, I Love TNA!
11/2 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Miz vs. Bourne, Raw's Got Talent, Kofi - Orton, Cena vs. Jericho vs Show
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HITS & MISSES - TNA IMPACT 10/29: Hulk Hogan the good and bad, Styles Stalker Angle, TNA's handling of Chris Sabin's injury, Title Name change
10/30 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Grisham & Striker, Mysterio - Batista, Kane vs. Jericho
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Is Hulk Hogan a difference-maker for TNA or just another addition to the aging roster?
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES, AND MANIA: Top Five Best Hell in a Cell matches and why they worked - HBK vs. Taker, Batista vs. Triple H
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Smackdown: WWE Gives Into Matt Hardy's Demands to Showcase Acting Ability, Scott Armstrong's a Hulkamaniac, Rey and Big Dave Have a Moment
10/29 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Swagger vs. Primo, Cryme Tyme & Truth vs. Hart Dynasty & Knox
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: Kurt Angle Is Fine, Ladies And Gentlemen...and we guess Chris Sabin too, plus more Humble Hero Hulk Hogan Hogwash!
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 10/29: TNA defends Chris Sabin injury, Prince Justice flashback, Qualifications for Legends Title shot?, Numbers - Hulk Hogan's age vs. TNA roster
PARKS BLOG: WWE is still relevant (to kids, at least)
10/27 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Abraham Washington Show, Shaemus vs. Benjamin, Christian vs. Tatsu
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Hogan & ECW: Why Hogan Joined TNA, New Announcer Bryon Saxton Doesn't Want To Wake The Baby, Tatsu Is Annoyingly Adorable

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
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Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling for October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Polls OPEN for best/worst in pro wrestling from the month of October (Part 2 of 2)
WWE News
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Torch Talk Daily with ERIC BISCHOFF: Could Bret Hart have been better utilized in WCW after strong initial PPV business?
WWE News: "Target" of Chris Jericho's drunken slur turns the incident into a joke (w/VIDEO)
TNA News
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
TNA News: Next week's TNA Impact - Sting reappearing to talk Hulk Hogan, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe
TNA News: Watch TNA president Dixie Carter's "Love it or Leave It" speech to the roster from Impact (w/VIDEO)
ROH News
11/7 ROH in Edison, N.J. results (live reports wanted)
ROH News: Jim Cornette officially begins as ROH executive producer at today's ROH TV tapings (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Ring of Honor receives positive press for ROH TV taping this weekend
Other News
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Hogan News: Can Hulk Hogan wrestle again? Hogan needs help walking during TV interview (w/VIDEO)
DGUSA News: Gabe Sapolsky predicts the wrestling industry will die without new TV wrestling stars
PPV Reports
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
CALDWELL'S WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS PPV REPORT 10/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Cena vs. Orton, Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown
TV Reports
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/6: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/5: Caldwell, Donofrio, Parks rate and review
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Batista vs. Hardy
Arena Reports
11/6 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series continues, Strong-Richards, Omega-Hero
11/5 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series announced, Aries defends title in four-way
11/6 WWE in Brussels: Undertaker vs. Punk casket match, Christian vs. William Regal, Cryme Tyme vs. Hart Dynasty, of course
MMA / UFC Coverage
Strikeforce News: Fedor vs. Rogers Fight Results - Exciting fight lives up to expectations live on CBS
FEDOR VS. BRETT ROGERS - Keller's detailed report, analysis, star ratings of CBS live MMA fight card (redirect)
FEDOR vs. BRETT ROGERS on CBS Saturday Night - Torch Team Coverage (redirect)
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #4: In 1993, after Hogan first left the WWF, he had a lot of career choices
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #3: Hogan's autobiography review - insight into his world
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! McNEILL Previews TNA Bound for Glory 2009
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
RADICAN: Wolfe-Angle follow up displays typical warning signs of danger from creative standpoint
RADICAN: TNA finally straps a rocket on the right ass
The Specialists
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Greed Is Good For PPV Business (Just Not For You), Jericho vs. Undertaker, Punk vs. Scott Armstrong, Batista vs. My Boredom
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: WWE's Even-Steven booking isn't elevating younger stars, just benefiting Triple H
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #2: "I spent more money on Vince every year than anything else and he does not even care about me or the people like me!"
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #1: Outrage expressed over WWE's latest PPV price raise - could the backlash cause WWE to second-guess decision?
TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV"
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
Torch Flashbacks
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about Eric Bischoff, the demise of WCW
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Ric Flair
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Vince Russo
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11/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Why Vince McMahon said WWE isn't a family business, Hulk Hogan-TNA analysis, Dixie Carter's last-gasp speech (65 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1115_16 (31 pages!): Hogan-Bischoff-TNA Deal Covered In-Depth - Keller, McNeill, and Powell, plus six pages of Eric Bischoff Torch Talk, and much more
Torch Trivia
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TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
INSTANT POLL: How will WWE's price raise to $4.95 per PPV affect you?
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/5 Impact if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
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Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart