THE ONE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE
TNA Bound For Glory 2014 Review
JCool: It’s a special night for TNA, as they take their flagship pay-per-view spectacular to Tokyo, Japan. I have to admit there’s a much different intention to this year’s show, as well as a different mood surrounding the event and the company right now. For BFG this year, there was no tournament that set up a major story for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. There is no Tag Team Championship match for the Bro-Mans to surprise and entertain. There are, however, a number of big names from Wrestle-One who are going to fulfill the kind of quality we got from Angle vs.Roode last year. Miz, TNA may be on its last legs or it may be on the cusp of becoming more of an international entity, thanks to its connections to Japan, India, and England. How will Bound For Glory help or hinder the company moving forward?
Mizfan: Even after giving myself a little time to digest the PPV, it’s still really hard to say if it had any impact (ha) at all for the company. While I thought the show itself was very enjoyable as a standalone event, the fact that it has so little overlap with the rest of the company does make it feel like a souped up version of one of those “One Night Only” PPVs that nobody watches. I like the international flavoring, but without enough story to draw people in I’m afraid it will end up being viewed as a non-factor historically, though at the very least it may raise viewership and interest in Japan. But, as I said, if you take the event at face value I think it’s a highly enjoyable night of wrestling.
Kleckamania: Reunited and it feels so good! Reunited cause we understood! Sorry, it had to happen.
JCool: I love that song and don’t be sorry, it’s great to be reunited.
Kleckamania: Gentlemen I am thrilled to be able to discuss this PPV with yourselves, and I personally thought that this was a very sound, smart idea from TNA.
TNA needed a venue that both had a loyal following, and didn't often have opportunities to watch the product live. Holding the event in Japan while partnering with Wrestle-1 was a very smart idea in my opinion.
With an audience that would already be connected through their hometown guys, TNA managed to blend quite well within, and produced what I considered overall to be a highly enjoyable PPV. I was quite skeptical at first, but after viewing it, and then taking time to digest it, I have come to the conclusion that this was a great decision. Granted, it would have been a notch better if congruent with story lines as Miz so eloquently stated, but it still managed to move forward some stories while displaying a very solid in-ring evening (day? Not sure what time it was out there).
I hope some of these talents from Wrestle-1 weren't just one timing for TNA, dudes like Jiro Kuroshio, Minoru Tanaka, and Hijo Del Pantera would be very welcome additions to my TNA viewing experiences! Regardless though I personally enjoyed this PPV.
JCool: Unless there is going to be a continued attempt to include Wrestle-One stars in regular TNA programming, tonight’s card should be less about the greater storylines and more about celebrating high-quality pro wrestling and the stories told by each wrestler in each match. The latter is what I intend to appreciate as I watch the show and I think Kleckamania and mizfan are on board with this too.
Mizfan: Absolutely so, I’ve staked much of my career around these parts on accentuating the positive and I’d say there is plenty to be found here. Though the card is not without its flaws, it still stands up quite well for any fan interested in some unique match ups and exciting encounters.
HIGH FLIERS MATCH
Manik vs. Minoru Tanaka
JCool: JB starts it off right announcing everything professionally, including time limits! This was the perfect choice for an opening match as both athletes moved quickly, flipped and danced around often and hit many of their signature moves. Nice to see Tanaka get the hometown win.
Mizfan: One of the things I appreciated, not just about this match but about the PPV as a whole, was a real return to form from Mike Tenay as “The Professor” of wrestling lore, a skill he doesn’t display as much these days as he concentrates more on selling the story of whatever is going on in front of him. One advantage of a PPV largely free from story is that it freed up Tenay to do what he did best, which is talk about wrestling history. He covered a lot of ground over the course of the broadcast, but hearing him recount during this match how the man under the Manik mask, TJ Perkins, had years ago been mentored by Minoru Tanaka in New Japan was very interesting and even created a subtle story for the match, as Manik has recently been turned to the dark side by his new mentor James Storm. This added to what was already a very nice athletic display, two extremely talented guys being allowed to simply go out and put on a great show. I think it especially highlighted how underused Perkins has been as an in ring performer, something which I hope will continue to change now that his character has more direction under Storm.
JCool: I’ve been impressed by Manik aka Suicide over the past year, but he seems to be coming into a great chapter in his career. Whether he’s wrestling 6 man matches or singles matches, he finds a way to control the spotlight and demonstrate his high-flying, acrobatic prowess in the ring. So you agree on its placement in the card?
Mizfan: The match was one of the better ones of the night and certainly a good choice to start the show, though I would have preferred it was given a little more time (a complaint I have about several of the matches). I also think it might have been better to give Manik the win, to set Storm’s stable ahead and pu Wrestle-1 on the defensive leading into the main event, but it wasn’t a major issue by any means.
Awesomeness Rating: ***¼
Kleckamania: I do mostly agree on your assessment of Tenay's job on commentary in this PPV Miz, however there were a few instances where I think he could have better spent his time calling the match happening in front of him. Not many instances, mind you.
JCool: So Kleck, did you like this as an opener?
Kleckamania: Oh man I think this was such a perfect choice for an opening match. Such crisp, exciting chain wrestling and entertaining sequences. I also loved the little attentions to detail Manik displayed in his slight alterations in attitude/moves since taking on James Storm as a mentor. Going under the ring and coming up from behind early on with the cheap offense was a beautiful touch of color to Manik's already impressive repertoire. He had other instances of aggression throughout which really hit home with me. Little touches like that are not something we often see in current WWE product, character moveset/attitude alterations depending on their mindset/partnering, and is a major aspect that I miss. Kudos to TNA for adding such detailed touches. I was thoroughly entertained by this match, easily one of the 3 best matches of the night. My only gripe was the finish not being the missed Manik spot off the top rope into the quick pin by Minoru Tanaka. That was an awesome spot! And it would have better protected Manik in defeat. Other highlights for me were the Minoru superplex off the top rope, and that beautifully executed brainbuster by the newly edgy Manik!
GRUDGE MATCH
Ethan Carter III (EC3) vs. Ryota Hama
JCool: ECIII is pretty much the top heel in TNA today, and although he’s been undefeated, he is, as he said, ready to become GOLDEN. I think he definitely deserves a title shot and it’s amazing that he hasn’t been there yet. Good call by TNA to slowly build him up to the point where he can be considered worthy of title shots. Hama was absolutely HUGE and I had no idea ECIII was facing a former sumo wrestler. That said, they played a good game with Hama landing some heavy hits, but ECIII using his quickness and sharpness to execute offense.
Mizfan: Hama certainly exceeded my expectations, his enormous size makes you think he’d be hardly mobile but he actually got around quite easily and used his size to nail some impressive spots, particularly standing on EC3’s chest and stomach (OUCH!) and even rolling his massive girth over Ethan’s poor body. The match itself was fine, they both played to their strengths and kept the match short which in this case was probably a good thing as there’s only so much you can do with such a strange pairing, but the clear highlight was, as always, EC3’s character work before the match. Speaking “fluent” Japanese to insult the crowd and chanting for a “HAM SLAM” of the enormous Ryota made me appreciate Michael Hutter even more as he approaches every single thing he does with a creative eye and comes up with something new to rile up the crowd and create interest. He never seems to get lazy and fall back on same old, same old, and continually impresses me by bringing a fresh take to whatever he gets himself involved in. I think it’s only a matter of time, and a short time at that, before we see him fully in the main event picture.
Awesomeness Rating: **½ for the match, **** for the “HAM SLAM” promo.
Kleckamania: So much massive bare ass in this match.... ugh. Forget the Ham Slam promo, what about the little nuances like ECIII doing the Sumo stance to mock Hama pre-match, and his swatting at the refs hand when he was being warned about being out of the ring? Shit I love ECIII for those little touches. So few wrestlers today seem to put that much thought and detail into playing their part, but Ethan does every time out.
JCool: And the crowd responds! That’s what makes it even better… “You can’t wrestle” is met with “Yes, I can”. That’s fresh stuff. His character work is enhanced by the crowd interaction.
Kleckamania: The man is an outstanding heel and is a student of old school technique. Hard not to love when he comes out. The spots of the match for me were ECIII's selling of not being able to slam Hama, with it resulting in him getting squished, and when Hama suplexed ECIII and followed it up with that devastating yet stylish looking forward roll. And despite so much face to ass contact within the match (and not sexy ass. Think Paul Bunyon's golf balls), this was enjoyable and served its purpose on the card, while adding a little more heat to ECIII going forward.
MVP vs Kazma Sakamoto
JCool: MVP’s promo was fantastic, leading into this match, and it was interesting hearing the fans cheer him. He really is quite a legend in Japan eh? Sakamoto had some character, acting arrogantly at times, but MVP’s been in great shape since his injury and his kicks were too tough for Sakamoto
Mizfan: I think legend may be a stretch, but he is certainly well known and liked due to his run with NJPW a couple years ago, and deservedly so. MVP is quite the talent, and he neatly performed a temporary face to make this match work as well as possible. But MVP performing well is no surprise, the real eye opener was Sakamoto getting the chance to show what he can do to an American audience and proving there is quite a bit more to him than the guy that Lord Tensai smacked around a few times. I’ll admit it was a bit jarring to hear Tenay mention WWE and Tensai by name, but I suppose there’s no reason they can’t.
JCool: I’ve always appreciated TNA for recognizing the greater wrestling world, whether it’s things like this, referencing a guy’s career in other places, or tributes to wrestlers who have died. You’re right, Miz, there’s no reason they can’t do it and I hope they keep doing it when providing context for a feud or a new wrestler on Impact.
Mizfan: Either way, Sakamoto definitely went above and beyond my low expectations and these two had a fun match, albeit one that never really jumped into second gear.
Awesomeness Rating: **¾
JCool: I think it got into second gear. Kleck, how about you? Was this match better than 2 and ¾ stars?
Kleckamania: The leap out of the ring, the drive-by kick, gorgeous exploder suplex, a very crisp fisherman's suplex, and a fucking awesomely timed and delivered shining wizard- MVP was the MVP of this match for me. Hot damn did he impress the hell out of me tonight! And as Miz said, what a nice testament to Montavious' versatility to play the slight face in this so well. I was fairly impressed with Kazma's ability and character play, but this match was all about MVP for me.
X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Samoa Joe (Champion) vs. Low Ki vs. Kaz Hayashi
Mizfan: Samoa Joe is a tender subject for me right now, one I intend to expand on a lot in an upcoming solo column so I won’t go overboard here, but suffice to say these days he seems to pick and choose the matches he actually cares enough to make any effort for. Fortunately for the viewers, this is one match he definitely gave a crap about, and he did indeed show a lot of his old fire by tearing into this match with full force. Low Ki is still my most valuable player in the X Division and arguably the best in ring worker in the company, but he was well matched here by Joe, and also by the highly entertaining Kaz Hayashi, of long ago WCW fame but still kicking ass in a big way. This was easily the match of the night in terms of in ring performance I thought, and all three men tore it up for the duration. I think this match is the biggest offender of all in terms of being shortchanged for time, as it could have easily gone over twice the length and maybe even hit MOTY contender status. For an 11 minute match though it was extremely well done, my favorite X Division match of the year.
Awesomeness Rating: ****
Kleckamania: Oh yes do I agree with that last sentiment so much, Miz- this match needed more time to evolve and breathe, as it stood it was my 2nd favorite match of the night, but with more time it easily would have been the top match of the night, and a potential MOTY as my fellow wolf pack member stated.
Let's be honest, Joe often phones his shit in these days (Not Teach! That Joe always kicks ass!) The samoan one, however, has underwhelmed me for nearly 3 years now. This match though, this was what Joe can do when he isn't acting like a sullen child who doesn't like how booking is going. So many awesome chain sequences in here by Joe; the inverted atomic drop, big boot, into the back splash on Kaz; the powerbomb held into the Boston Crab, into the STF on Low Ki- Joe was so on top of his game tonight. I miss this Joe so much!
Spot of the match though easily goes to Low Ki for that springboard into the Warrior's Way on Kaz- holy shit was that an athletic move! Low Ki is like fine wine- the dude has improved with every passing year in the ring, and he is easily one of the most technically proficient guys currently on the roster. I often find myself loving Low Ki matches on TNA, and this was no exception. Joe might have been the MVP of this match, but Ki was not far behind at all. Even Kaz had some nice spots. This is a highly recommended match to check out, and it could have been epic with more in-ring time. As it was though, this was my 2nd favorite match of the night, and only added to an already very solid and enjoyable card.
JCool: Thanks for the shoutout Kleck. Guys, I’m in total agreement with you on this one. Out of all the matches for BFG 2014, I think I’ve settled on this one as my favourite of the night. I really like Low Ki. The way he moves in the ring, his moveset, his energy. The man is a champ...but Joe showed why he is one of the baddest men ever to enter the squared circle. He brought his A game and deserved to retain the X-Division Title. This match was a ball to watch.
LOCAL TALENT MATCH
Andy Wu & Hijo Del Pantera vs Kuroshio Ikemen Jiro & Yusuke Kodama
JCool: Loved the Japanese ring announcing to start this. Wu is quite the flamboyant guy and crowd is definitely into it. Also, nice to have the rampway back again. Why is this missing in America? WOW! Pantera’s somersault splash was massive, even hitting into the guardrail.
Mizfan: I love that you mentioned the raised ramp! I truly love the raised ramp, it’s very distinctive and gives a unique extra platform for creative spots. TNA ran with it for quite a while somewhat recently, but usually it’s nowhere to be seen these days.
JCool: We could start a Twitter petition to bring it back. The vote for the return of the six-sided ring worked, so why not the rampway?! Hehe...anyways...
Mizfan: Now to the match, this was easily the match I was least excited about initially but these four guys certainly impressed to some extent. Far and away the standout of the match, in my eyes, was Jiro Kuroshio and his bizarre antics, not only actually wearing some kind of a suit jacket while wrestling but also playing up the vanity character to the extreme, pausing in mid pinfall to tousle his hair and ensure he looked excellent. The rest of the participants were quick and athletic, but didn’t stand out as much to me. All of them did fine but without any kind of connection to anything it was more of a curiosity match than anything, albeit a fun one.
Awesomeness Rating: ***
Kleckamania: Jiro Kuroshio, and Hijo Del Pantera stole my heart in this PPV. Although there were some moments where Hiro overplayed his narcissistic character traits, he was the absolute charismatic stand out in this match, and even on the entire card, and he was also very deceptively technical and agile in-ring! That standing corkscrew moonsault by Hiro was so fucking impressive! And on the other team Hijo Del Pantera is simply awesome from a technical standpoint.
JCool: From a technical standpoint, this was one heck of a spotfest and I’m completely okay with that. You got some more spots to break down for us?
Kleckamania:That somersault splash onto Kodama into the guard rail spot Teach mentioned was my holy shit moment of the night, and of the match for me, although Hijo's flip dive over the ref landing onto Kodama on the outside of the ring was also an outstanding spot! The tag team 6-1-9 into the tag dropkicks and splashes sequence between Andy Wu and Hijo on Kodama was simply awesome. So many excellent spots and sequences in this match! This match was the MOTN for me, as I was mesmerized by the in-ring action, timing, choreography and agility of all men involved. Context or no this match was fantastic, and a highly recommended view.
KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
HAVOK (Champion) vs Velvet Sky
Mizfan: This is one of few matches that I actually thought was a little long for what it needed to be. What it needed to be was, quite frankly, a squash match, and while Havok certainly looked dominant I think the point could have been made with more of an exclamation with a shorter run time. Velvet Sky is an ace at gaining crowd sympathy and appropriately played the face here, a role which suits her much better than her inexplicable heel run with Angelina Love and one that I hope she soon returns to full time. I also find her to be a little undervalued as an in ring worker, she is certainly nowhere near the level of, say, a Gail Kim, but she is quite adept in the right role and played it reasonably
well here.
JCool: I was going to say TNA should’ve had someone else face Havok, but your argument sold me. Velvet Sky is decent enough and she held her own in this one. This is a match where a story would’ve enhanced the in-ring action, besides Havok intimidating the Knockouts Division into fearing her every move.
Mizfan: I still think a quick smash would have been most effective, but the story of Havok breaking down Sky to the point that she had to submit to a particularly nasty bearhug of all things was not without it’s merits. I will close by saying I quite love Havok and hope she has a reasonable run with the belt before putting over someone deserving, perhaps Taryn Terrell, but not too soon please!
Awesomeness Rating: *¼
JCool: Terrell vs. Havok would’ve been ideal for Bound For Glory. We know Terrell can handle the aggression of Havok and throw it back at her. I’ve a feeling that Kleck is going to have something to say about this since Havok is the reason his favourite Knockout is no longer the champ.
Kleckamania: Havok is a bitch.
JCool: And there it is...
Kleckamania:You guys had to know this tirade was coming. Knocking out my girl Gail like that. Pure dastardly, trifling evil! I will treat you right, Gail. Give me a visit you extremely sexy, awesomely talented lady you. I will nurse you back to health :)
JCool: Little known fact, Kleck has his nursing degree. Hehehe.
Kleckamania: Okay so despite Havok being a big asshole she has the look, ability, and psychology to become an incredibly promising power heel within the Knockouts division. She can wrestle, and has a strong presence. She puts a lid on Velvet's sky, and dominates in the squash match, which was necessary and obvious here. She needs to try and justify to the world why she deserved such a prestigious rub from the legendary hottie Gail Kim. Rotten jerk putting my eye candy out of commission.
JCool: I don’t think she needs to justify anything except why she is a badass Knockouts champion. Are you gonna be alright, Kleck? It might be some time before Gail wears gold.
Kleckamania: I'll get over it guys... just give me some time. Let's just move on... :p
HALL OF FAMERS vs. HALL OF MAIMERS?
Team 3D vs Abyss & Tommy Dreamer
Mizfan: Ha! Much credit to Mr Cool on that “Hall of Maimers” quip above. Unfortunately I’m not sure the thoroughly makeshift team of Dreamer and Abyss really lived up to the title. I must admit I was not particularly taken by this match. I will always give respect to these guys putting their bodies through painful spots, with Abyss easily taking the brunt of most of them (ring bell to the groin and two arms full of thumbtacks come to mind), but when you get four guys known for pushing the limits of hardcore wrestling, I think you have to admit this one underdelivered by a fair amount.
JCool: I begrudingly agree, Miz. As much as I wanted this match to be awesome, it was just okay. There were a few rough spots, but it was hard for me to appreciate Abyss and Dreamer teaming up. It seemed a bit forced. Also, having seen the amazing series between the Hardys, Wolves and 3D just a few weeks earlier, these 4 men were going to be hard pressed to make the match come anywhere close to that kind of quality. Not that it had to be that extreme of a match, but I feel like Team 3D fought this one fairly safely, although they were still able to hype the crowd with their trademark moves and calls. They’re not as young as they used to be and putting their bodies wrecklessly on the line for so many years isn’t something they need to do anymore. They’re TNA Hall of Famers; they’ve got nothing left to prove.
Mizfan: The pace was a bit plodding, and the spots mostly predictable outside the couple mentioned above and Dreamer going through a tiny Japanese table. Overall the match didn’t feel like it had much importance outside of giving Team 3D something to do after their Hall of Fame induction. It certainly doesn’t hold a candle to the stuff the new HOF team had been doing in the tag series airing the previous several weeks on Impact. Again, anytime Chris Park has the guts to stab himself with a thousand tiny needles I’ll give him points for going all out, but really this one could have been a lot better if it didn’t feel like everyone was just kind of taking it easy, or as easy as you can in this kind of match.
Awesomeness Rating: **
Kleckamania: Man did Abyss sell that tack spot beautifully or what?!? That camera shot of his bulging eyes, gaping mouth, and horrified expression was absolutely priceless! Spot of the match.
As Miz said this match was one of the dim spots for the night. I love 3D, Tommy, and very much enjoy Abyss, but this match seemed haphazardly choreographed, rushed, and generic to me personally. Tommy Dreamer gets the award here for going through what I'm guessing is the ten thousandth table of his career, dude eats more wood than Sunny. Dudleys get the win in a forgettable match. I will say though that I never tire of that crisp, always well executed spinebuster of Devon's.
JCool: I wish there was a tribute song to Tommy Dreamer called Ten Thousand Tables...maybe I’ll start writing that, but probably not. It will remain a wish and, folks, we’ve made it to the Bound For Glory 2014 main event. Mizfan, this match features one of your alltime favs, so you get to start.
MAIN EVENT TAG TEAM MATCH
The Great Muta & Tajiri vs James Storm & The Great Sanada
Mizfan: You might expect me to rant and rave about this being the best match ever if you know anything about my Tajiri love (not to mention my Muta love!) but this match did have two issues I want to address right out front. First of all, the match was only about 11 minutes, and unless you have guys who are going to burn through those 11 minutes at lightning speeds I just don’t think you can justify such a short main event, especially one with this much hype. The second is the fact that Muta, though I love him dearly, is over 50 years old, and though he performs very well for his age the unavoidable truth is he struggles a bit to keep up his end of things, so the match was hampered a bit by that as well. In all honesty I always thought this should have been a six man tag match, with Manik joining his new brethren on the heel side and Austin Aries, a frequently recurring side character in this feud, should have been brought in to shore up the Muta/Tajiri dream team and shoulder some of the legwork. Putting that aside though, for what we got I was still pretty pleased with the match as they played to their strengths for the most part and hit all the right notes to make the encounter very memorable. The recurring use of the mist was one of my favorite things, as it’s such a unique and cool move and you rarely get to see it more than once in a while, but this match made frequent and intelligent use of it.
JCool: Yes, yes, yes. It was so neat to see the different mists. Pretty fine trick it is to employ it while wrestling, too.
Mizfan: It was quite the unusual case as three of the four wrestlers have it as an established part of their repertoire, and if you haven’t seen the match I think you’d be amazed at just how many times these guys are able to pull it off in one match. The in ring action was solid throughout besides a few minor slow points with Muta, but it truly picked up at the end as a series of mist attacks and encounters escalated into both Tajiri and Muta blasting a multi-colored dual mist into Sanada’s face as he jumped off the top rope, blinding him and putting him down for the three count. A truly unique experience, and while it’s not completely ideal to have Storm’s group lose a match like this so early in their run I think it was the right choice for the time and place, though I sincerely hope more comes if it in the future. With a longer run time and a couple extra hands it could have been a true show stealer, but as it was, it was a fun match with a fantastic ending.
Awesomeness Rating: ***½
Kleckamania: I am torn here. Like Miz I am a massive Yoshihiro Tajiri mark- always will be one of my favorites, but he had so few spots in this that I was left unfulfilled. Only a hint of the patented kicks, only a tease of the Buzzsaw kick, mixed with no tree of woe/tarantula equals no nostalgia. This made me a very sad Panda.
JCool: Cheer up, Kleck. Didn’t you see him do those on Impact? It’d be great to see him stick around, but now that BFG is over, he may have no reason to return. Still, I was impressed that he was in as good a condition as he was, same for Muta.
Kleckamania: Muta is getting older, but his shape and ability, although obviously dwindling, should be commended. His age and its effect on his stamina was evident here, but there were still some cool spots in this match. The joined mists were awesome in both spots that they occurred, and the mist sequence towards the end was highly entertaining.
Spots of the match were Senada nailing the patented Muta Moonsault on Muta himself, and the mist miss exchange between Tajiri and Senada, leading into the dual misting by Tajiri and Muta to Senada as he came down from the ropes. Senada is the MVP here to little surprise, although it would have been nice for them to cut a little promo time, and increase the actual in-ring time. Not knocking the Cowboy, as this gimmick has legs, but this match needed more Senada/ Tajiri moments to live up to its lofty potential in my mind. It will be interesting to see how James and the Stormers recover from this loss. Hopefully with a statement with an exclamation at the end of it! More Senada and Manik, please!
JCool: I agree with you, Kleck. Those guys should get 15-20 minutes to fly sometime but we may have to wait until the next PPV. Impact only has about 80 minutes to go around and lots of stories to push each week. The conclusion to the PPV was great in that it had a feel good moment, a dramatic twist and another feel good moment. The home team Japanese crew get the win and the fans go home happy, despite the post-match attack by Storm’s stable which was answered by the newly named Hall of Famers. So, folks, some final words on BFG 2014? Much different purpose and feel than 2013.
Conclusion:
Mizfan: Bound For Glory was a fun show this year, but was it an important show? I’m not sure how to answer that. I suppose only time will tell if it helped them further establish an international foothold, but in the short term I think it’s hard to argue that it was. The recent string of extremely good TV main events honestly put this event to shame, and I can’t help but wonder what might have been if they had poured several of those into a more traditional PPV. Putting matches like the recent Bobby Roode/Bobby Lashley title match, the Havok/Gail Kim KO title match, and the show stealing Full Metal Mayhem match on the same card as this X Division match and tag main event, and it could have really produced a PPV to remember and convinced people that the company is indeed on the right track. I believe personally they are, but when outsiders see the company’s self-described “biggest PPV of the year” consists of what are essentially random matches for the most part then it’s not hard to see why many remain skeptical. I understand TNA wants to put a lot of stock into Impact in order to make it the strongest brand possible as they shop for a new TV deal, but I think the balance could have been found a little better here. Would it have been so difficult to build up some kind of Wrestle-1 vs. TNA storyline outside the Storm/Muta conflict? I think something more could have been done, but in the end TNA made the call to put on a show largely outside of their main continuity and even left many of their own top stars at home, as no sign could be seen of Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, world champion Bobby Lashley, tag team champions the Wolves, Eric Young, Magnus, the perennially underrated BroMans, and many others.
So the historical importance of the show is up to debate, and the decisions that made it so can easily be called into question. But, was it an entertaining show? To that I can certainly answer YES, I had a great time watching it live(ish) and would gladly recommend many of the matches to wrestling fans anywhere. So, while it’s far from a picture perfect BFG, and not the one I would have booked, if you take it as it is you’ll get a good show with a lot to offer.
Ah, but what might have been…
Kleckamania: I'd rather look at what was, instead of what might have been- and I think this years edition of BFG was incredibly enjoyable overall. I admit to missing Aries here, and wonder why some of TNA's top guys were left off, however, this card delivered. Aside from a couple matches, the in-ring quality in this PPV was incredibly high, and a casual fan or someone who doesn't normally follow TNA can sit and watch this without feeling out of the loop, while still enjoying it a lot. The little nuances I mentioned above, mixed with the blending of styles and overall well choreographed matches made this a surprisingly brisk 3 hour view.
Fans have no excuse to miss this if they are unsatisfied with current WWE product. TNA is outperforming WWE as of late, and they have been doing so for about a solid half a year now. This is a good PPV to jump in/back in, and if you enjoy wrestling, you won't be disappointed here. I often think rating systems fall short in placing true value to a PPV, although if I had to give one here, I'd say this was a solid 3.55 of 5, with the MOTN being the Wrestle-1 exclusive tag match.
JCool: I’d say that’s a fair rating to give but our words are the most meaningful. BFG 2014 can be rated quantitatively but those numbers won’t capture the descriptions, observations and commentary wrestling writers provide for the events they witness. The matches were each entertaining in their own way and the crowd was consistent in treating the matches with enthusiasm. Like Miz said, some of the excellent matches from Impact over the past few weeks would’ve been amazing in Tokyo, but we would’ve missed out on the Wrestle-One stars, who performed well and who connect closely to the audience. TNA took a risk designing BFG as an international entity, mostly separate of its current storylines. The next step would be to make a more definite link between the two organizations and try this kind of event again down the road. I believe TNA and Wrestle One proved it could be successful, especially as a live event.
Kleckamania: TNA was our mission today. The 3 man wolf pack is attempting to spread the good word about a criminally underrated wrestling promotion. Sure they make mistakes, although lately they are making less than the WWE. And if you give WWE countless chances to regain your interest then why not extend a small amount of such a generous courtesy to a promotion that is currently easily outperforming them?
Well as always I love working with the 2 of you, my TNA enthusiast brothers from other mothers, and sincerely hope it isn't as long of a gap between the next time. Cause...
There's one perfect fit.
And, sugar, this one is it.
We three are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey! :)
Attached Images
bfgmainevent.jpg
(43.2 KB)
bfg2014.jpg
(31.0 KB)