The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
My Weekly TNA Notebook
The Kingfish Arnie Katz wrestles with some of the major issues raise by the 10/8 episode of TNA’s weekly TV show.
The Foley-Abyss War
TNA has changed the direction of this feud substantially and has violated its continuity in the process. They did t so cavalierly that it raises the question of how they expect fans to take the show seriously when its creators don’t care enough to tie up lose ends and avoid contradictions.
Though the change was made in ham-handed fashion, the decision to base the fight on gimmick infringement is sound. The original premise, which revolved around a not-very-good poster, simply didn’t have any potential fan interest.
Less praiseworthy is the way Foley summarily ended the Bounty plotline. If he had the power to do this, why didn’t he do it when he and Abyss were friends?
Some would say that having Foley kill the bounty angle was unnecessary. It was already quite dead and ready to be forgotten by all concerned. It led to the lame feud between Dr. Steve and Kevin Nash didn’t exactly enhance it, either.
Kong: Should She Stay or Should She Go?
Rumors of
Awesome Kong going to WWE continue to circulate. Whether or not there’s any basis in fact, it raises some intriguing and provocative questions.
The first one is: should Kong go? Most TNA fans would say “keep her,” but that could be the wrong choice for both the performer and the promotion.
A move to WWE certainly makes sense for Kong. The money would be tremendous and it’s not as though TNA is doing much with her or for her at the present time. By the same token, TNA might find it advantageous to let her go. They haven’t come up with a decent program for Kong in over a year, so why not let her go and apply the money to acquiring and/or keeping other talents.
Another question is: What should WWE do with Awesome Kong if they sign her? WWE has two women who would look creditable against King,
Beth Phoenix and
Michelle McCool. They could give one of the women’s titles to each of them and have Kong conquer each of them in singles matches, maybe both on the same PPV. Then they could have a Unification Three=way in which the winner gets the Unified Women’s World Championship.
There is one factor that might give TNA pause. Losing “the most dominant woman in professional wrestling” would be negative public relations for the company. That’s not enough to keep TNA from pulling the trigger when Kong’s contract runs out.
Bye
Stories are circulating, often citing Booker as the source, that Booker T will return to WWE when his contract expires in November.
This sounds like the right move for all concerned. Booker T arrived in TNA as a star and he will leave as a mid-carder. It is partially the fault of the bookers and writers, but Booker must also accept a portion of the blame. His performances for TNA have been spotty in the ring and downright bizarre at the microphone.
Going to WWE may be just the spark Booker T needs to revive his career for one more major run. WWE could give him strong story support – and jerk the reins a little when Booker gets off the beam with the weird accents and so forth.
That’s all for now. I’ll be back Sunday with a fresh installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising pro wrestling column. I hope you’ll join me then and, please, bring your friends.
— Arnie Katz
Executive Editor
[email protected]
(10/12/09)
