Segment 7: Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
Positives: Hey, look! It’s two really talented wrestlers in a wrestling match devoid of over-complicated stipulations! Kidding aside, these two could wrestle each other on every show for a year and each match would be worth seeing. They can really work holds on the mat, and they understand how to pull off an old-school pace in a way that’s really tense and exciting. Each big spot is built up through exchanges and mat work in a way that keeps the crowd engaged in every move.
Negatives: Another great match between these two with a brutal, brutal finish. As I said in my preview, this feud is built around the fundamental question of wrestling: Who’s the better man? Unfortunately, TNA is refusing to answer that question and keep giving these horseshit finishes rather than putting either man over. The crowd would accept either Angle or Roode winning clean, so it seems pointless, counterproductive, and harmful to the product to continue booking on this tack.
Given Kurt Angle’s medical and personal history, telling a “his body is giving out on him” storyline seems in especially bad taste. Imagine if something did happen to Angle; how would TNA look? It would would seem like they were half-begging for it to happen.
Segment Score: +1*
*(a bad finish, but I can’t turn my nose up at the actual match)
NET +/- SCORE FOR TNA IMPACT WRESTLING 10/31: -1
[…] Says: This angle (ha, get it?) makes me queasy. As I touched on in my +/- review of last week’s Halloween show, TNA is setting themselves up to look really, really bad if something does happen to Kurt Angle in […]