By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

IMPACT HITS

No Title: I always hated the ridiculous titles that TNA has been using for Impact for the last several months, so I am pleased to say that this week’s Impact was title-free. I said a number of times about how cheesy the titles were, specifically how they often gave away plot by referencing something that was to happen on the show. The titles were a mistake, reinforcing the scripted and pre-taped nature of Impact. I was glad to see TNA correct that mistake.

6-Man X-Division Match: This was your standard multi-man X-Division spot fest, but it had one slight improvement over the typical formula. That improvement was that it was only two men in the ring at the same time. Eventually, that broke down and we got the typical every man in the ring crazy action, but it was nice that for a good amount of time, the action was more controlled. It was also nice to see an 8 minute match not interrupted by a commercial. There was plenty of fun action during the match. I would rather see a few X-Division feuds built and focused on, than seeing the entire division constantly thrust together in these types of matches, but the match was entertaining enough to get a Hit.

LAX: It was nice to see LAX featured on Impact two weeks in a row. I am not a fan of their paring with Hector Guerrero, but it is good to see them getting a push. Impact featured a good video on the history of LAX, touting their skill and accomplishments in the ring. They also made a statement when Christian Cage & Rhino were brawling with Team 3D. It was good to see LAX get the better of both teams and declare themselves the favorites to win Deuces Wild. Homicide sounded good in that declaration, begging the question of why they need a mouthpiece?

Nash’s Scheming: I forgot to mention last week that I liked the subtle hints that TNA dropped about Kevin Nash wanting to go after Samoa Joe’s World Championship. That continued this week after a strong promo from Joe. Nash talked about the intangible factor that Joe is now bringing to his matches, and that it would take more than strength to defeat him. Then, he pointed to his head, indicating that it will take brains as well. The inference is that he is the one with the brains to do it. I like these subtle teases. I hope it lasts for at least a few months, and that TNA doesn’t have Nash turn on Joe too soon to set up their match. A slow build with hints and teases can be very fun for us wrestling fans to watch.

Closing Sacrifice Video: Impact ended with a good video package hyping Sacrifice. The video was well produced to build anticipation for all the matches at the PPV. I liked the sound bites from some of the wrestlers involved in those matches. That gave a few like AJ Styles and Chris Sabin who hadn’t been on the show a chance to talk about their involvement at the PPV. It was well done and something they could do on the last Impact before each PPV.

IMPACT MISSES

Egotistical 8 Pairings: My problem here is that so far, TNA is going the very traditional route of having rivals as teammates for Deuces Wild. The first pairing was Sting and James Storm who have been feuding the last month. The second pairing was Matt Morgan and Kip James who have been feuding for no apparent reason other than the babyface Morgan randomly beat up the heel James a few weeks back. So far, the two known pairing just happen to be two sets of rivals. What were the chances? I fear that the pattern will continue on Sunday and we will get Robert Roode teaming with Booker T, but I hope I am wrong.

Ring Entrances: When Jim Cornette called the Egotistical 8 to the ring in the opening segment, it was the start of a night when TNA would have way too many ring entrances taking up too much air time. Eight wrestlers came out at that point with separate ring entrances. There were six more for the X-Division match, eight more for the Immunity on a Pole Knockouts match, six more for the second Deuces Wild pairing (at least they hurried this one a bit), and then four more for the Main Event. Add on Sting vs. Storm, and you get a total of 34 ring entrances on one show, which is just too many.

Cornette and the Knockouts: I cringe at every backstage segment featuring multiple Knockouts. They are all so screechy when they get together. It reinforces the notion that none of them are individuals. And in this case, you get the obligatory stripper joke. Actually, you get that joke pretty much in every case. As I keep saying, the division has enough talent that they don’t have to make it sleazy with stripper jokes. I also don’t care to see one of them shaved bald. Cornette claimed that TNA fans were going to pay to see it, but I’m not one of those fans. I don’t care about this match, or the build to it. Scenes like this don’t make me care any more.

Unprotected Chair Shot: I hate to sound like a broken record, but until TNA and WWE get their acts together and totally ban unprotected chair shots to the heads of their wrestlers, I will continue to harp on it. They are not needed in professional wrestling, and the long term health of the wrestlers should be more important to both organizations, and the stupid wrestlers themselves who participate in these spots.

DX References: I thought with the end of the Voodoo Kin Mafia, the stupid DX references would also come to an end. Apparently I was wrong as Kip James cut a long promo claiming he made DX (come on Monty, nobody is buying that), then later, Matt Morgan gave him a crotch chop and used DX’s “suck it” catch phrase. Please stop it! Stop bringing up the glories of your competition. Stop with WWE and WCW and ECW references. Be relevant by blazing your own trail, not by riding the coat tails of a group that hasn’t been relevant in years.

Main Event: This was a disappointing Main Event. What really didn’t work was that Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner had talked in two previous segments about their plan for the match. They were going to do whatever it took to double team Joe to eliminate him from the triple threat match at Sacrifice. Then, they had the match and didn’t do anything to actually follow up on that plan. They double teamed Kevin Nash instead. Don West, in one of his few great points ever on a telecast, pointed out that they needed to get Joe in the ring instead of Nash to execute their plan. But they didn’t. They kept Joe out of the ring by distracting the ref when Nash tried to tag Joe in. How stupid are these guys? The match had a lot of star power, but only went 5 minutes, and most of that was a redundant two on one beating of Nash. It wasn’t a very good match, and it made no sense given the context of the show.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and TNA Impact each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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