The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
My Weekly TNA (4/18) Notebook
The Kingfish Arnie Katz delves unto topics inspired by the 4/17 episode of iMPACT.
Positioning the New Champion
Samoa Joe’s message is a lot different now that he has the TNA World Heavyweight Championship belt slung over his broad shoulder. His promo at the top of the 4/17 episode of iMPACT placed him as the representative of the fans, versus the self-centered and narcissistic Scott Steiner.
This may undercut some of Samoa Joe’s cult following, but it’s a necessity if he is to gain the mass following a world champion must command. WWE did something similar with Edge, who lost a lot of his humorous side enroute to becoming a member of the promotion’s main event group.
The change also works nicely with Kurt Angle, who’ll fight Joe in two weeks. The current Angle character is the diametric opposite of Joe’s populist stance.
The X Division Gets a New Champion!
You can quibble about the pace, but the plot that transferred the gold to Petey Williams and, presumably, set up a rematch at Sacrifice was classic booking. Scott Steiner gave Petey Williams the suitcase – and won’t you be glad to see the last of that? — and Maple Leaf Muscle cashed it in right after Jay Lethal beat Johnny Devine in a hard-fought match.
I like the idea of Lethal surrendering the belt to Williams, because the hero is always more exciting as a challenger. It also gives bookers some additional alternatives, like the champion getting beaten badly but keeping the title on a DQ.
Team 3D at Odds?
In a symmetrically booked match, Rhino accidentally blasted his partner Christian Cage with a Gore, but Devon’s accidental attack on Ray negated that and gave the babyfaces the win.
After the match, Rhino and Cage disappeared so that Brother Ray and Brother Devon could fight, verbally and physically, in the ring. (Let’s leave the inadvisability of again feuding Cage and Rhino for another time.)
As a wrestling fan who still clings to a few memory brain cells, I have been here before. The brothers feuding is like Ric Flair mounting the top turnbuckle. It promises a lot, but somehow it never quite delivers.
Of course, Ric Flair did climb the ropes and actually do something in his final match. Now that that has happened, might we not also see a storyline in which Ray and Devon actually do feud? Because I tell you, I am pretty tired of spats that lead absolutely nowhere and I bet I’m not the only one.
That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column.
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(4/18/08)
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