Feast or Fired

[Hanley!]

Apparently this happened again this week on Impact, so I just wanted to complain about it. Not the match that happened this week - which I didn't watch - but the gimmick itself. And the fact that they're still using it after all these years.

This is just a terrible match stipulation. A huge amount of people compete in a briefcase on a pole match (which is an awful gimmick in itself). Except there is a briefcase on four different poles so the match has four winners. And one of the winners of the match gets fired. None of the losers of the match suffer any punishment at all. But one of the winners gets fired.



It's a stupid gimmick already, but it's also kinda kayfabe breaking for me. Would wrestlers really want to risk a 1/4 chance of getting fired? Just in case they get a shot at a title? Why not wait and try to earn a shot in a different way? It's not like they're all that hard to come across in TNA. I just don't buy that the entire TNA roster is this reckless. Especially the more main event guys. They probably don't want to contend for the X division title or the tag titles anyway, so there's only a 1/4 chance they actually get what they want.

Also it's ridiculously contrived that the X-Division performer always gets the X-Division title shot.



What's worse about this gimmick though, is that they're still running with it. I'm pretty sure it's brought the company nothing but bad publicity. I don't think there's a fan on earth who has ever given them truly positive feedback about this concept. I'm not sure the concept has ever resulted in a title change (at least not an important one). And no memorable or entertaining stories have come from the briefcases. This has been a failure every single time. Why are we still focusing on this Russo garbage?

I mean they've even retired the King of the Mountain match at this point, and while that was convoluted, it was fan-fucking-tastic compared to this shit.

This is TNA's answer to Money in the Bank, which I also have problems with. But Money in the Bank at least tends to make for an entertaining (sometimes extremely entertaining) match. And the briefcase usually provides for a major moment at some point over the following year. Neither has ever been true for Feast or Fired.

Stop using this concept, TNA. You're embarrassing yourselves.

[Westcoastvibes]

I don't find it that bad, the idea that they are willing to put their job on the line for a title shot gives the impression that the titles mean something.

The match itself was not bad but the reveal of the contents was horrid. The fact that they pawned the fired outcome onto a knockout who was not in the match was classic Russo swerve and just stupid.

[Hanley!]

I don't find it that bad, the idea that they are willing to put their job on the line for a title shot gives the impression that the titles mean something.

It'd be fine if it was a match where the loser was fired and the winner earned a title match. If they were betting on their own talents to secure their career I think it would work. But the fact that you can be the best in the match and still get fired seems way too much. It's not logical.

[Hanley!]

I don't find it that bad, the idea that they are willing to put their job on the line for a title shot gives the impression that the titles mean something.

It'd be fine if it was a match where the loser was fired and the winner earned a title match. If they were betting on their own talents to secure their career I think it would work. But the fact that you can be the best in the match and still get fired seems way too much. It's not logical.

[Westcoastvibes]

I don't find it that bad, the idea that they are willing to put their job on the line for a title shot gives the impression that the titles mean something.

It'd be fine if it was a match where the loser was fired and the winner earned a title match. If they were betting on their own talents to secure their career I think it would work. But the fact that you can be the best in the match and still get fired seems way too much. It's not logical.

I see what your saying, it would be like having a whc match were the winner gets fired and the loser keeps the title.

I don't really have a counter argument besides the title shot being portrayed as so important that they would take a chance at being fired for it.

It might be a better gimmick if it was a fatal four way style match were the actual titles are up for grabs and one gets canned. At least you would be taking a chance for an actual title and not just a chance at the title. Although, limiting it to a fatal four way would make the outcomes predictable

[Hanley!]

^^ Well they did something a bit similar to that when they had a triple threat #1 contenders match in TNA where the winner gets a shot at the title, but the loser couldn't get a chance at the title for a full year. I thought that dynamic worked quite well and the match itself was unpredictable.