By Teddy Panagiotopoulos, PWTorch specialist

1/26 TNA Impact Hits & Misses

IMPACT HITS

OPENING SEGMENT: After an effective video package recapping the events of last week's show, Impact opened with a physical backstage brawl between Jeff Hardy and Bully Ray. Backstage brawls such as this should come few and far between and TNA has a habit of pulling the “Brawl card” more often than not, but, in this case, I thought it worked well. It was also logical for Hardy to attack Ray backstage rather than wait for the tag match since Ray cost him a World Title shot on last week's show. While Roode pulling up in his truck precisely when Hardy and Bully made it to the parking lot seemed a bit too convenient, the beat down by Ray and Roode was effective until Storm arrived. Eventually, Sting scared off the heels following some baseball bat shots and the segment ultimately did its job in building up the anticipation for the main event Tables Match.

TARA WINS KNOCKOUTS TITLE SHOT: This was a marginal hit simply because Tara won and it distances Mickie James from the Knockouts Championship temporarily. Otherwise, I didn't think the three-way match was good. It felt as if Tara, Mickie, and Velvet were going through the motions, but the match picked up toward the end and had a creative finish. Also, I did like how Tara showed emotion after winning the match. Those few moments of excitement go a long way in establishing how important it means to challenge for a championship. Then, the follow-up segments with Gail Kim and Tara discussing the future KO Title match were well done. Honestly, I expected Velvet Sky to get the victory to face Kim at Against All Odds, but Tara is a worthy challenger. Although I expect Kim to retain her title until her eventual defense against Mickie at Lockdown, it should be a great match at the PPV.

ALEX SHELLEY vs. ZEMA ION: The backstage promo with Shelley about having ring rust yet being confident in his abilities set a nice story for his match with Zema Ion. While the in-ring action wasn't off the charts, it was solid for the allotted time. The "Hit," though, is more so for the fact Shelley will now face Austin Aries for the X Division Championship at Against All Odds in what should be a tremendous match. I do feel Aries will survive the PPVwith the X Title in his possession, yet the feud will extend for a few more months.

BULLY RAY/BOBBY ROODE BACKSTAGE: It was short segment, yet it delivered. Bobby Roode played the role of concerned champion well, even though it would be wiser to book him as a dominant champion. I also liked the line from Bully Ray stating Roode was the World Champion “for now.” The trust issues between the two continue to be exploited as the weeks go on, which I believe is a good thing because heels should not always get along simply because they are heels. So, it was nice to see them bickering. This subplot of Ray wanting the TNA Title for himself adds intrigue to the Heavyweight Title picture.

STYLES–DANIELS–KAZARIAN: The feud between Styles, Daniels, and Kazarian progressed nicely this week, leading to a match booked for Against All Odds. Following his feud with “Bob” Van Dam, Daniels continues to be a breath of fresh air each week on Impact as he has now transitioned into (another) feud with A.J. Styles. Styles played his role well as he tried to get answers out of Kazarian while Daniels, with his smarmy, arrogant heel persona, prevented Kaz from revealing even the slightest hint of information. Kazarian should also get credit for playing the role of the conflicted best friend. I hope this match at the PPV does not result in a swerve where Kaz and Daniels have been in collusion the whole time. But, unfortunately, I sense a strong smell of "Russo" in this feud.

IMPACT MISSES

TABLES MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT: While the opening brawl was worthy of a hit, the in-ring segment leading to the main event announcement was not. At the start of the show, I was under the impression the Tables Match was already scheduled as the main event given it was promoted on TNA's website all week. But, since it was not, it further established to the audience how Impact is not live. Most fans who watch the product already know it is recorded, but if TNA is trying to build an audience, they must give off the impression that the show is indeed live. Announcing a main event match on the website that isn't officially announced until mid-way through the first hour is inexcusable. Granted, announcing the match on the website will entice viewers to watch, but it just confuses the audience who thought it was already scheduled for the show. Plus, didn't this match already happen last month with Sting in James Storm's spot?

DIRECT AUTO INSURANCE COMMERCIAL: This is a pet peeve of mine that grows by the week. I know it airs during the commercial breaks, but that does not prevent these advertisements from being an humongous miss. I understand Direct Auto Insurance is a paid sponsor of Impact Wrestling and, in turn, TNA has to create some comical advertisement promoting the insurance company. But, when the current World champion, Bobby Roode, is talking about how DAI welcomed him back when he let his policy lapse, it just begs the question of how much money he really makes. For continuity sake, if Eric Young or any mid-card talent were in the same spot, I would not have an issue. And, I know, it's just a commercial, but it makes the World Champion look bad in the process. Whew, glad I got that off my chest.

ERIC YOUNG & ODB vs. ANGELINA LOVE & WINTER: Can someone explain how this match was given the top-of-the-second-hour time slot? Last week, I mentioned if you were a fan of Eric Young, then you would enjoy his gimmick. I also stated how I am a fan of EY, so I generally enjoy his shtick, but both Angelina Love and Winter should not be forced to sell for these shenanigans. They should be involved in the KO Tag Title picture and not bogged down in comedy matches. Usually I am entertained by Eric Young, but not this week.

MATT MORGAN vs. SAMOA JOE: I really liked this match. Samoa Joe and Matt Morgan work well together in the ring and they had a full-fledged, back and forth match that ended surprisingly with a clothesline from Morgan. I also like how a clothesline ended the match because not every match should end with a finishing move. I even liked the post-match attack from Joe and Magnus to continue getting the upper hand on the champs heading into Against All Odds. So, with all those positives, why is this match in the miss column? First, I could be wrong but, I did not recall one ounce of hype for this match at all during the show. Second, the challengers need credibility other than attacking the champions after the match; giving Joe the match victory would have done just that. And, lastly, if Joe and Magnus cannot defeat Morgan and Crimson in singles competition on free television, why should the audience invest money in seeing Joe and Magnus attempt to defeat the champions in a tag team match on pay-per-view?

TABLES MATCH MAIN EVENT: Similar to Morgan vs. Joe, this was not a bad match. But at the same token, it was not a great match. After the backstage brawl to open the show and the subsequent brawl later in the first hour, the “third chapter” (as Mike Tenay referred to it as) felt more of the same. The spot where Bully Ray ended up kicking through the gimmick table was a nice visual, but other than that, there wasn't much to be excited for. Plus, the ending with Storm delivering a top rope elbow on Roode was a re-hash from last month's Tables Match when Hardy and Sting were victorious after Hardy connected with a top rope splash to Roode. Once again, the heels got the upper hand with the post-match attack. Ray sending Hardy through a table to end the broadcast might signify the addition of Bully Ray to the World Title Match, whenever it is officially announced, for Against All Odds. The closing shots of Roode kissing and clutching the World Heavyweight Championship as if it were a newborn baby continues the theme of Roode's obsession with being the Champion.

***

Final Thoughts: Despite the even amount of Hits and Misses, I thought this was a solid edition of Impact. Not having Austin Aries on the program hurt the progression of his feud with Alex Shelley, but if it is to continue past Against All Odds, then it makes sense to limit the physical contact early on. And, I didn't bother mentioning the Bischoff segment because it holds zero interest for me at this point. Otherwise, the show continued to focus on the championship matches for the PPV and, while the show was loaded on content for the two hours, the pacing did not feel rushed. I feel it would be wise, though, for TNA to add a second show to its line-up, even if it airs on their website, because half the roster has seemingly disappeared over the last few weeks.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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