Looking at… TNA Immortal Forever?

Here we go… the long awaited… highly anticipated… Immortal Forever?…

This DVD set chronicles Hulk Hogan’s time with TNA; from the announcement at ‘the world’s most famous arena’ through to the formation and rise to power of the Immortal faction.

The total run time for this set is a few minutes short of 6 hours (which in 2011, is rare for a wrestling DVD to be filled with content!).

Here I will run though the main content of the chapters, my thoughts on the set and finally a selection of stills from the set.

DISC ONE

The Beginning

10-27-2009 – Madison Square Garden

• Hulk Hogan press conference (Impact – October 27, 2009)
• TNA “Staff Meeting” (Impact – November 4, 2009)

1-4-2010

• Hulk Hogan’s Impact Debut (Impact – January 4, 2010)
• Jeff Hardy’s TNA Re-Debut (Impact – January 4, 2010)
• Ric Flair’s TNA Debut (Impact – January 4, 2010)
• Video Package featuring the build to the first Monday night Impact and the Hogan & Abyss vs. Flair & AJ match
• Jeff Jarrett’s Promo with interruption by Hogan (Impact – January 4, 2010)

Factions and Friction

• Video Package featuring the Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett “looser gets fired” match.

The Squared Circle?

• Hogan/Bischoff promo from Genesis 2010 concerning the change from a six-sided ring to a traditional ‘squared circle’.
• Mr Anderson’s debut at Genesis vs. Abyss

Stars Align

• Hogan, Abyss and the Hall of Fame ring…
• Video Package of the March 8 Live Monday Impact (very similar to the one a little while ago!).

TNA Makes the Move

• Abyss & Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair & AJ Styles (Monday Impact – March 8, 2010)
• RVD’s debut with (complete with the beat down by Sting) (Impact – March 8, 2010)

Team Hogan vs. Team Flair

• Lethal Lockdown: Team Hogan vs. Team Flair (Lockdown – April 17, 2010)
• The formation of Fortune (Impact – June 17, 2010)

Sting Takes A Stand

• Hogan and Sting Face off (Impact – May 3, 2010)
• Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett (Sacrifice – May 16, 2010)

“They” Are Coming

• Victory Road #1 contenders video
• Abyss ‘turns’ on Hulk Hogan (Impact – June 24, 2010)
• Abyss and Hulk Hogan face off (Impact – July 1, 2010)

The End of Sting?

• Sting video package from Bound For Glory 2009
• Hogan, Bischoff & Dixie discus firing Sting (Impact – July 1, 2010)
• Sting is ‘suspended indefinitely’ by Dixie Carter (Impact – July 1, 2010

The Road to 10.10.10

• Falls Count Anywhere Match: Rhino vs. Abyss (No Surrender – September 5, 2010)

 

 

DISC TWO

EV2 Invasion

• Hulk Hogan promo following the Abyss vs. RVD Ladder Match plus the Fortune annihilation of EV2 and the Abyss/‘Janice’ attack on RVD (Impact: Whole F’N Show – August 12, 2010)
• Dixie Carter suspends Ric Flair because of his recent actions, however this is overturned by Hulk Hogan (Impact – August 26, 2010)
• Dixie Carter overturns Eric Bischoff decision for a three-way match at Bound for Glory…(Impact – September 16, 2010)
• Abyss uses ‘Bob’ to brand 10-10-10 on a man backstage
• Abyss abducts Dixie Carter (Impact – October 7, 2010)
• Dixie Carter signs a contract to terminate Abyss after Bound For Glory (however actually signs over the company to Hogan/Bischoff) (Impact – October 7, 2010)
• Joined in progress – Monsters Ball: Abyss vs. RVD (Bound for Glory – October 10, 2010)

Bound for Glory

• TNA World Championship Three Way Match: Mr Anderson vs. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy (October 10, 2010) and the reveal of “they”!

The Alliance

• Eric Bischoff talks with Dixie’s attorney (Guy Blake) (Impact – October 14, 2010)
• The newly formed Immortal joins forces with Fortune and Kevin Nash & Sting leave TNA (Impact – October 14, 2010)
• Video Package of the Thanksgiving Impact – Dixie serves Hulk with an injunction.
• Immortal pep talk (Impact – December 23, 2010)
• Eric Bishoff, Ric Flair & AJ discuss the importance of regaining the titles before the Genesis PPV (Impact – January 9, 2011)
• Joined in progress – #1 Contenders Match: Matt Morgan vs. Mr Anderson (Genesis – January 11, 2011)
• TNA World Championship Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Mr Anderson (Genesis – January 11, 2011)

“They” Are Here

• Abyss is warned by Crimson that ‘they’ are coming on February 3 (Impact – January 13, 2011)
• AJ is warned by Crimson that ‘they’ are coming (Impact – January 20, 2011)
• Kurt Angle chokes out Jeff Jarrett, before Immortal makes the save and Abyss gets Janice plated in his back by Crimson (Impact – January 20, 2011)
• Scott Steiner, Eric Bischoff and Immortal in ring promo (Impact – February 3, 2011)
• Fortune turns on Immortal (Impact – February 3, 2011)

Champions

• Joined in progress – TNA World Championship Ladder Match: Mr Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy (Against All Odds – February 13, 2011)

Jeff Hardy vs. Sting

• Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter in ring promo, Hogan revels he won the court hearing and he now has full control of TNA (Impact – March 3, 2011)
• TNA World Championship Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Sting (Impact – March 3, 2011)

I must admit when we first announced this set, I was expecting train wreck; however I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t think this set is one to watch in single sitting, but spread over a few periods it was quite good.

One of the most obvious things you will notice about the set (in the first minute) or even from the trailer, is that the whole set is completely in ‘kayfabe’. I must admit this was a little surprising at first but after a while you really get use to it (and any other way wouldn’t have made sense – as the storyline is still ongoing).

If you are buying this one for some ‘total nonstop action’ wrestling, your probably going to be a little disappointed with only handful of complete matches (If this is the case you should probably check out some of the recent PPV releases: Against All Odds/Victory Road or Lockdown).

Throughout the set (before and after segments) we hear the thoughts of: Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Abyss, Dixie Carter, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Robert Roode, James Storm, Kazarian, Bully Ray, Gunner, Murphy, Matt Hardy and Karen Jarrett.

A couple of other things I noticed about that set is that; firstly references to WWE, WCW and ECW are bleeped (which I though drew more attention to them), however during the segments from Impact ‘WWF’ is mentioned. Also a rather nasty chair shot to the head of Homicide by Jeff Hardy on the Jan 4 Impact is edited while other ‘plunder’ remains intact.

The set did a very good job of its two main aims: pulling the storylines together and providing an extra level of detail to them; which didn’t come across on TV at the time. (An example of this is Eric Bischoff’s references to Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” which has been used by Abyss in recent storylines). In addition the set reinforces the Sting and Hogan feud (which has been bubbling since January 4, 2010 and could very possibly headline this years Bound for Glory!).

My only concern with the set is it’s ‘re-watch-ability’ and how attractive it would be to go back and checkout; next month, in six months, or more than a year away.

Overall (and believe me – I really wasn’t expecting to write this) I would recommend the set. I would especially recommend it: If you are just getting in to TNA, would like to get into the product or have maybe gotten a little lost in the current storylines. If you are one of those people, this DVD will provide a great insight.