AJ Styles and Austin Aries remain the only real reasons to watch TNA Impact. Although the Knockouts Division and Tag Team Division have the potential to get spicy fast, the boring Main Event Mafia vs. Aces and Eights angle continues to bog down the company.
Check out our weekly TNA Impact Power Rankings to see who else has the potential to make the show more than a mediocre cavalcade of talented performers consistently undermined by poor writing.
5: Gunner and James Storm: Why would Gunner and Storm make the Power Rankings when they lost to the much younger and inexperienced team of Garret Bischoff and Wes Brisco? That’s easy. Because for the first time in months, the Tag Team Champions are now engaged in a real feud and will be featured on the show with much more regularity. That is a long-term win.
4: Main Event Mafia: Sting’s win over Bully Ray keeps the faction relevant, but they are in desperate need of something. Magnus’ match with Bobby Roode has the potential to make the young Brit relevant, but it’s not enough. At this point, they miss Kurt Angle and are simply boring.
3: Aces and Eights: Bully Ray said in the show’s opening segment that the club would win all of their matches. While Mr. Anderson didn’t win the 20-point Bound for Glory Series guantlet match and Bully Ray was defeated by Sting in a non-title bout, Wes Brisco and Garret Bischoff defeated TNA Tag Team Champions James Storm and Gunner, while Mike Knox got the DQ win over Chris Sabin. Regardless of their inner squabbles, the club remains the top faction in the company.
2: Austin Aries: “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” came up short in the Impact gauntlet match for 20 points in the Bound for Glory Series, but AJ Styles’ announcement that he will face Aries at No Surrender gives Aries a push back into World Title contention. Even if Aries can’t beat Styles at No Surrender, he’ll be in the ring with the best worker in the company. That’s exactly where he needs to be at this point in his career.
1: AJ Styles: The Phenomenal One’s win in the 20-point Bound for Glory Series gauntlet match earned him the #1 position in the series and the chance to pick his opponent for No Surrender. Styles picked Austin Aries in what will easily be the best match on the No Surrender card. Thought Styles was finished a few months ago? Think again. His push to get in World Title contention started this week.
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