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ITT it's 2003: Kamala Live Blogs TNA

King Kamala

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They could've used a midcard title so bad now that Daniels is back. I don't think anyone truly believed he'd do any better with Jarrett than literally everyone else, and Legend is pretty fucked without that feud.
It's kind of nuts that Impact Wrestling is coming up on twenty years and they've never had competent enough booking to have an established secondary title. I guess you could argue it's the X Division but even they've gone through long stretches where that division wasn't very good (including period I'm covering now!)

Another note from the TNA History podcast. Bob Ryder met with the Heel Section to reprimand them for being annoying and derailing the shows. It's hilarious this company was so incompetent that their brass had to take meetings with Jingus' friends (including possibly Jingus himself)
 

Valeyard

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Bull was the big dude who was fucking with Raven for like two weeks. Mystery guy that never went anywhere, I assume because it was the perfect example of them taking any castoff. I love Bull but he would've been a bad pickup, yet still made more sense on its face than Legend. I always feel like I'm hard on Legend (who I'm totally fine with) but he literally meant less than B2.

The X-Division title was at its best when it hovered, I think. To this day the roster has X-type guys at every level on the card, the lighter guys who can rock the workrate belt (which the X Title has really always been). Talk was early on with TNA that they'd end up bringing the NWA North American title with them but it never happened, and by year two they needed it or an equivalent. Booking a midcard title doesn't seem to be hard; at the minimum it's just the one title you can say is truly a prop and use it to give people something else to do. At best it's another floating title that can fit anywhere and in 2003 should've been welded to Kash or Sabin on their way to the top.

I know Ryder and Borash were legit pissed at the Heel Section and wound up driving them off, thus taking away one of the most vocal parts of the show. By modern standards they're total douchechills however then I'd say they were needed. Without them, for instance, Sabin doesn't become a big enough deal. Part of the atmosphere of the Asylum was the fucking weird Sportatorium Meets Hammerstein vibe, though.
 

Lazgistics Supervisor

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Another note from the TNA History podcast. Bob Ryder met with the Heel Section to reprimand them for being annoying and derailing the shows.
...and then they stopped showing up. And TNA had to strike a deal at Universal Studios. Because they didn't like that PAYING FANS were voicing their opinions.
 

King Kamala

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'03 TNA really foreshadowed the problem with annoying modern WWE fans, didn't it? If the fans are annoying and self centered, you're probably giving them good reason to! Best way to address fan criticism is to improve the product not chastise the fans!
 

Epic Springs

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Some people are just marks for themselves and will do anything to be seen or heard on camera (which is the reason Frank the Clown and Brock Lesnar guy became "well known"). Some people are never going to be pleased no matter what.

Obviously, as a promoter, you should listen to your fans but also do what's best for business ultimately even if it means pissing a few off. The heel section shouldn't have been reprimanded when it looks like they were the only real fans of TNA in its inception.

First time I can recall ever really getting annoyed with a crowd was Brooklyn during the Seth/Balor Summerslam match. Fans didn't like the red strap Universal title so they acted up while the two men gave us a clinic. Don't mean to shit on my hometown (hey, I'm from Queens!) but they needed to do better.
 

King Kamala

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I was at that SummerSlam too and that was maybe the most embarrassed I've been to be a part of a wrestling crowd. They ruined a really good match. Mick Foley was pissed too and you know you've messed up when you get the nicest man in wrestling upset IRL.
 

Valeyard

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The most famous Heel Section guy might legit be Jingus. Take that, clowns and Brock guys and that one Green Lantern ROH guy.
 

King Kamala

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I'm glad I've never noticed Jingus in the Asylum. He had to have been one of those dorks giving America's Most Wanted a hard time.

Afaik though, he was one of the Heel Section guys that was a loyalist cause I vaguely recollect him talking about arguing with juggalos in '04.
 

Lazgistics Supervisor

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Was he actually Heel Section, though? I seem to remember him saying that he just knew a lot of them because they were locals at the other shows, not that he was actively with them.
 

King Kamala

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So apparently, there were rumors in late 2003/early 2004 that Rockstar Games wanted to make a TNA game.

I pretty much stopped playing video games around the time PS2 came out but I'd make an exception for Grand Theft Jarrett.
 

Valeyard

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That's some good bullshit. Simpler days.
 

King Kamala

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Blog on hold until I get my tax return in a week or two.

Impact being unable to renew my yearly subscription cause my card is declined (they were trying to charge one I thought I closed nine months ago) though is how ‘03 Jeff Jarrett would want me
 

King Kamala

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OK Laz and Vale, I might not be good at honoring CWM’s board bets but I just got a fat student loan tax return from the Governor and I bought a year long Impact Plus subscription.


Just in time for 20th anniversary of these shows!
 
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