Watching TNA Impact Wrestling every week is like riding a wave of hyperbole that is remarkably close to a pool of oreo cookies. Even after you survive the nonsense, you still have to break off the cookies to get to the crème filling.
This show continues to show flashes of potential, but is still too much of a mess most of the time to sift through.
This week however, the ride was worth it. The promos were shorter and while some were lackluster, most of them set up the new angles for the next pay per view nicely. This new Sting angle is interesting; does TNA plan to have him become a Joker-like character? Between the laugh and the makeup, this could be the jolt his career needs. At the same time, it could be a disaster that tarnishes his legacy.
TNA also announced a competition for a title shot at the next Bound for Glory, which will involve 12 of the company’s brightest stars. Will it work? Or will it be the next Team Challenge Series? Real wrestling fans know that the results are predetermined, so why waste time with a scoring system?
Ultimately, TNA has to continue to get back to its roots. You don’t need bells and whistles when you have athletes on the roster that they do.
It’s time they begin to realize that more.
With all the matches tonight, it appears that process is slowly beginning.
Matches:
Hernandez w/ Mexican America vs. D-Von: A waste of a match that did nothing but continue to fuel the mediocre angle between Mexican America and D-Von. At the same time, The Pope’s situation with D-Von is puzzling. He helps D-Von in the ring afterward, but costs him the match. Overall, this is a lackluster angle that is being used to simply fuel the card.
Jimmy Rave vs. Austin Aires vs. Kid Kash for a TNA contract: A fast-paced match that wasn’t the X-Division spectacle it could have been. Nevertheless, it served as a more than adequate teaser for Destination X and a nice way to get Airies back in the company.
Velvet Sky and Miss Tessmacher vs. Sarita and Rosita for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Aside from a dangerous standing rolling thunder type move from Rosita that assured her team of the win, this was a decent botch-free match with a solid flow. However, it was more entertaining after the bell, when Jackie made her return to TNA with ODB. Taking out Velvet Skye, it appears their angle is just getting started.
Samoa Joe vs. Rob Van Dam: Best match of the night that was fast-paced and physical until the last minute or so when both wrestlers appeared to be out of gas. Nonetheless, these are the type of matches TNA needs to have every week on Impact.
Gunner vs. Mr. Anderson: A quality match that was well played by TNA. At first, it appeared Gunner was about to be “buried.†Anderson called for the microphone and began to heckle the youngster, but Gunner eventually hit his F-5 finisher for the win. With victories over Sting and Anderson the past two weeks, Gunner, along with Crimson, are two of the company’s brightest young stars.
Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett in a street fight: Angle not only delivered the Angle Slam on a car in the parking lot, but also gave Jarrett a spinebuster on concrete. Gritty and rough in spite of its short length, it appears Jarrett is on his way to Mexico and the angle between him and Angle is far from over.
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