10 Ways I'd have changed Slammiversary 10
So the 10th anniversary of Slammiversary has come and gone. By now everybody should know the results and I don't think I'll be giving any spoilers. I always wait to talk about a show at least a week or so after it's aired so we can all catch up and if there were any unfortunate souls that didn't get to catch it, they won't catch the spoilers from me. 10 years for a wrestling company that most said wouldn't last 10 minutes is impressive. They told this event would also be impressive and in some ways it was, but in the spirit of the 10 years I've devised a list of 10 ways it could have been better. Don't misunderstand me I am not saying it was a horrible show and they got nothing right all I am saying is that this is my opinion and in my opinion there was room for improvement. In no particular order here are my thoughts.
1.) Jeff Jarrett for the hall of fame. You heard who Sting had to thank for his induction on Impact? Jeff and Jerry Jarrett. Remember why? For founding the company. To some casual fans TNA started with Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter but the super fans amongst us remember Jeff Jarrett running things. Being the world champion so many times and for so long because let's be honest he just didn't have the talent to carry the company or the belt at that time. He gave everything had had so these wrestlers could have a job. Everything he had so these guys would have a home for their families and food on their plates. It's easy to hate on Jeff Jarrett and yeah I'm not his biggest fan but even I can set personal feelings aside and admit respect when it's due and I respect Jeff Jarrett for all he's done for TNA. I don't think running a wrestling (or any other kind) of company is easy and if anyone thinks it is, I challenge them to run a wrestling promotion like Jeff Jarrett did and please inform me how easy it is. Sting is a great talent and has done a lot for TNA. At times he has had to carry the company on his back and he's always done it with a smile on his face and that kind of old school professionalism which is becoming a dying art. Simply put it should have been Jeff Jarrett in that position not the Stinger and if it HAD to be the Stinger why couldn't we have had more than entrant in it's inaugral year.
2.) "It's not about weight limits, it's about no limits" for a long time this was the mantra of the X-Division. The division that put TNA on the map. People would come to TNA for the stars they knew but stick around for the high-flying antics of a Jerry Lynn or an A.J. Styles or Christopher Daniels etc. And on the biggest night in the company's history the one division that TNA truly owes a big thank you is rewarded with just one match on the card. Yes it was for the title, and you bet your ass it was the best damn match of the night, but so what? If there was ever a night for the Ultimate X to reappear, this was it. Where was our Low-Ki, Elix Skipper, Jerry Lynn, Amazing Red, Curry Man, Rodrick Strong, Jimmy Rave, Brian Kendrick and even frickin Shark Boy? For this one night of the year when the company could say thank you to these guys (and so many more I can't even think of right now) these guys aren't even mentioned. A bigger X-Division presence was definitely the kick in the pants this show needed. Hell I'd have marked out to see the Naturals again.
3.) How about for the main event where Bobby Roode beats Sting...again...and on the night where Sting is inducted into the hall of fame no less, how about for the first time in TNA history we have a main event unlike any we've ever seen before. Slammiversary for the longest time was known primarily for it's main event. The King of the Mountain match, the match which gave Jeff Jarrett his nickname. How about for the 10th anniversary, we have what I like to call the "King of the Mountain All Stars" match. You have your ladder, and your penalty box and Bobby Roode with his title and all of his combatants for this night are former King of the Mountain winners. Guys like Jeff Jarrett, Raven, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, hell even A.J. Styles who never won the match still had some awesome highlights in that match. You want to play up like you want Roode to lose his title? Stick him in a match he's never won (and yes he has competed in before) against all former winners of said match OH and in this match the champion has only ever retained his title once in it's history.
4.) In the vein of one night only, bring back the six sided ring. Enough said.
5.) Note to the Impact Wrestling match makers, Hernandez vs Kid Kash is NOT an old school match. Amazing Red vs Jerry Lynn, that would be an old school match for TNA. Raven vs Erik Watts that'd be an old school match. Hell I don't even think it would get much more old school than Ken Shamrock vs Scott Hall. Just saying go back and watch your tapes from year one, watch the matches that worked and the matches we remember and then give us one of those. But two guys we've been watching on television for the last year does not an "old school" match make unless "old school" refers to 5 months ago.
6.) Biggest night of the year all of the titles need to be defended. There is no excuse otherwise.
7.) Don West should have been on commentary. There is no good reason not to. I'm not saying exclude Taz because that's simply not fair to him either but we could go WCW for a night and have all 3, with Taz, D.W. and the prof.
8.) The main event should have been more over the top. Now Roode and Sting are two of the best workers in TNA right now and they always deliver the goods. But we've seen this match quite a bit this year already and in no way did they try to dress it up and make it look snazzy. Same two guys, same 4-sided ring, same outcome. Give me a ladder. Give me some tables. Give me no disqualifications. Give me a heel turn somewhere. Give me some funky stipulations to make every pin cover mean something. Alas it was not to be.
9.) One sentence on every Impact about the hall of fame is not enough of a big deal for me. It felt like an afterthought, or like someone was reminding me to pick up the milk on my way home from work. If you want to start something new like a hall of fame, an idea I applaud, and you want it to be a big deal, then make it a big deal. Jam it down our throats and remind us constantly. Don't mention it once so when Dixie Carter comes out on the show we go "oh yeah I think I heard something about this" instead of "right this is why I tuned in!" which I imagine should be the reaction you'd want from at least a portion of your audience.
10.) More retrospective moments. Most of these only aired on television and I think I missed a chunk of them, they should have saved all 10 for the pay per view. On top of that we should have done more with the look back. Let's remember great guest stars like Chris Rock and Toby Keith. Let's remember our first world champion. Let's remember the contributions from wrestlers no longer with us like Christian, Ron Killings, The Naturals, Jerry Lynn, Low-Ki, Amazing Red, Chris Harris (say what you want but America's Most Wanted IS TNA history), Awesome Kong, Scott D'amore and whichever members of Team Canada aren't still around like Johnny Devine. You want to have a look back kind of a show, then let us come up with some moments and memories that make us go "holy shit I haven't thought about that moment in a very long time". Or at least can make the newer fans go "holy shit when did THAT happen?!" and then want to go out and learn more about the company.
These are just my thoughts and opinions. I welcome to hear yours. Send me a message, send me an email, reblog me, comment to me, I welcome all feedback, questions etc. I'm no insider, I'm just a fan and these are just how I feel.