The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
My Weekly TNA Notebook
The Kingfish Arnie Katz delves into points raised by the 11/12 iMPACT.
What’s Next for Sting?
Te opening package for the program still shows Sting’s painted face. An announcement on the Turning Point pay per view informed fans that the Icon will speak on the subject on the 11/22 iMPACT.
Will Sting hang ‘em up? I have no inside information, but it does raise the intriguing question: should Sting retire from professional wrestling?
Sting has reached his 50s, an age at which most others have called it quits. Most, but not all. Fit inlay still works creditably and so do a few others. More importantly, Sting is in good shape and has worked less than most wrestlers of the same age. His gimmick, his injuries and his previous retirements have preserved him pretty well.
Sting doesn’t seem to have the same passion for the work that he once possessed, but he still delivers good matches and interviews most of the time. When story support is good, Sting rises to the occasion.
Booking is crucial for Sting. If TNA wants to keep him, they will have to come up with a storyline that involved him in something both he and the fans consider significant.
The Return of Raven
My wife Joyce thought Raven looked terrible on his first show back – until I reminded her of what Raven looked like when he came in the last time. He still doesn’t look in fighting trim, despite the cloaking properties of his extensive costume, but he doesn’t look nearly as ill.
It looks like Raven will work a program against Abyss, who should in the final, decisive match. Raven may have trouble moving the bulky Abyss around the ring, but he will do reasonably interesting interviews and, hopefully, will make the feud more than a lame repetition of Abyss-Richards.
An Invitation to Disaster
The Lethal Invitational got off to an awful start with the match that Black Machismo lost to a plodding, out-of-shape Jim Niedhart. I don’t see how this works out if Lethal doesn’t win some matches, unless this is a convoluted way of ditching the Macho Man imitation.
That’s all for today! I’ll be back on Monday with my recap and analysis of Turning Point on Monday. Hope you’ll join me then – and, please, bring your friends.
— Arnie Katz
Executive Editor
[email protected]
(11/17/09)