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Top 20 Of 2016
Graphic by Salwinder Singh.
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“It.” “Delete.” “Obsolete.” “The List.” “10.” “The Champ That Runs The Camp.” “Stupid Idiot.” “Glorious.” “Too Sweet.”
The list above describes a fiesta of phrases commonly found in pro wrestling jargon that made 2016 possibly its best year ever.
The one below describes select moments that help seal that argument and make us forget about things like The Titus Brand, The Cruiserweight Division, Raw’s Third Hour, WWE’s overloaded Pay-Per-View schedule, TNA’s X-Division and Matanza Cueto.
If you want to remember that bad stuff, check this out.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 12/29/16: Hardy New Year
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. As this was a “Best-Of” edition, there are no results provided. Cash us ousside, how bow dah?
(Aired 12/29/16)
Hardy New Year
– 2016 was a year for plenty, but for TNA, it was the Hardys’ resurgence upon their “Broken Universe.” In longterm storytelling at its finest, we saw a bold transformation from their classic selves to what we know them as today. This episode looked back on all the big moments that we’ll point you towards – The Last Man Standing match, the “I Quit” match, The Final Deletion, Delete Or Decay, The Great War and Total Nonstop Deletion. The Senor Benjamin/Reby/Broken Matt Hardy/Vanguard 1 cutscene in the Hardy living room set the show’s premise. Reby played a holiday jingle on the piano as Benjamin/Vanguard 1 sipped on “Benjamin’s Famous Coquitos.” Matt even sang a rendition of “The 12 Days Of Deletion.” He was hit with another “pree-muh-nee-shun” that at any given moment, the seven deities would reveal his next child’s gender. Yes. A clip show with purpose.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 12/15/16: Total Nonstop Deletion
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 12/15/16)
Total Nonstop Deletion
– As with the other “Broken Universe”-themed episodes, we got the Senor Benjamin disclaimer not to perform the stunts. We also learned that no droids were harmed in the filming. Whew. How crazy is it that Broken Matt Hardy is this over where they can do a taping from the Hardy Compound? This almost never happened due to timing and legal tie-ups, but now it was real.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 11/24/16: A Broken Thanksgiving
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 11/24/16)
A Broken Thanksgiving
– The opening video recapped last week’s events when TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eddie Edwards challenged The DCC and was joined by Jeff Hardy, one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions. The faces begged management for the match and got their wish in No Disqualification rules. We all remember that classic – Kingston took a fireman’s carry onto the top of two seated chairs, Bram took Edwards out with a Brighter Side Of Suffering off the apron through a table and Hardy was taken out by James Storm with a Last Call superkick as the DCC emerged victorious.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 11/10/16: The Reveal
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 11/10/16)
The Reveal
– The opening in-ring segment with Ethan Carter III, Eli Drake, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eddie Edwards, The Miracle, Maria and Moose was standard as far as what we’ve seen on the mic from all involved here, with the mission to push specific programs. Of course, we knew that Drake would challenge Edwards for the belt later as per his “Bound For Gold” briefcase. We also had Miracle and EC3 in a clash over who was rightful to challenge for the belt next. Everybody spent a good minute to put themselves over before Moose came down to commence the physicality. In the end, it was apparent this was used to hype the match to follow.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 10/27/16: Treat Or Delete
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 10/27/16)
Treat Or Delete
– Nothing screams “Happy Halloween” like a visit to the Broken Hardy Universe. Thank god for this gimmick, because it makes holiday themes fun again. The opening video “documented” a “Hardy All Hallow’s Eve” gathering and a pumpkin patch that Senor Benjamin/Vanguard 1 composed. Broken Matt Hardy had another “pree-muh-neeee-shunnnn” that an outsider would come to the compound and deliver a looming message. Brother Nero also ate magical corn or something to that extent. This was awesome.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 9/22/16: Feeling Grand
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/22/16)
Feeling Grand
– Total Nonstop Action has been more than just the company name. It has been a fair way to describe the slow, yet steady build to Bound For Glory, the biggest show of the year to come on Oct. 2 on Pay-Per-View. The opening video focused on the “Great War” between The Broken Hardys and TNA World Tag Team Champions Decay, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Lashley-Ethan Carter III feud and the Miracle-Moose feud. With 10 days left until BFG, the possibilities were endless.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 9/8/16: Delete Or Decay
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/8/16)
Delete Or Decay
– While TNA still occasionally hands itself to its shortcomings like its portrayal of their slimmer-than-ever X-Division and Knockouts Division, this year has been about the brilliance of the “Broken” Matt Hardy gimmick. Over time, consistent, outlandish-yet-logical storytelling has gotten to include Jeff Hardy (“Brother Nero”), Reby Sky (“Rebecca”) and Maxel Hardy (“King Maxel”) in its own excellent way. The climax of it all seemed to be “The Final Deletion” that only ended up being the beginning to the Broken Hardys’ rise to the TNA World Tag Team Championships against the Champions Decay, as we were know ready for the second installment, appropriately titled “Delete Or Decay.” Just like TFD, we started with a Spanish-led disclaimer from Señor Benjamin about what we’d see unfold. We also were brought back into footage from last week that ended with Rebecca telling Benjamin to “prepare the battlefield for massacre.”
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 9/1/16: An Untamed Wild Animal
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 9/1/16)
An Untamed Wild Animal
– No better way to open the show than with “Broken” Matt Hardy, Brother Nero, Reby at a piano and King Maxel on his own keyboard busting out the “Obsolete” theme song with Señor Benjamin in the background at the Hardy household in Cameron, North Carolina. This was epic in its own way and set up things for later, as Matt had a “premonition” that he saw a member of TNA World Tag Team Champions Decay trespass their household and abduct Maxel and that he and Nero needed to head to the “zone of impact” immediately. Funny.
Notes In Observance – TNA Impact Wrestling 7/5/16: The Final Deletion
By Nicholas Jason Lopez
“Notes In Observance” features random thoughts and analysis on recent television shows. Quick results can be found at the bottom of the post.
(Aired 7/5/16)
The Final Deletion
– If TNA has done anything right in years, it has actually been the pseudo-cinematic feud between “Broken” Matt Hardy (derivative of his “Big Money Matt” character) and Jeff Hardy. To this point, Matt and Jeff had clashed several times with Jeff getting wins, but now Matt was eager for “The Final Deletion” and it was to take place from Cameron, North Carolina. We had to know what we were in for when we saw an old man cutting a disclaimer promo in Spanish not to repeat what we’d see. The opening video was actually kind of brilliant, as it showed Matt and Reby planning a “fiesta” for Maxel and Matt needed the event documented. It was epic, as the old guy was also revealed to be Señor Benjamin, Matt’s gardener.
