Instant Reaction - TNA Impact 6/6
By Benjamin Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

DVR Guide - What to Watch Later

- Rampage-Angle stare down (Q5)
- Six-Man Tag match (Q6)
- Ladder match main event (Q8)

Overall Score - 6.5

TNA did not design tonight's show to be a real barnburner, instead using it to hype next week's offering and lay the groundwork for feuds that will lead into Bound for Glory. And in this respect, it did its job admirably. While the wrestling tonight started out rough and TNA still refuses to provide any character development for the majority of their roster, they did provide a very good TV main event and did enough to make me want to tune in for next week's show.

The one segment that surprised me in its effectiveness was the stare down between "Rampage" Jackson and Kurt Angle. Admittedly, this could have been done a lot better. The announcers were making this out to be some sort of Austin-Tyson moment, which it was nothing close to. However, if you are going to introduce someone like Jackson into the wrestling scene, this is about the best way to do so - have him say little and put him in a program with one of the most reliable wrestlers in the company. It's simple, yet it encourages fans to pick a side, builds up excitement for their eventual encounter, etc. A really nice way to introduce Rampage to TNA.

Both the Sabin & Storm & Gunner six-man tag match and the main event were solid outings. The former was not as strong of a match, but it did solidify the new champions's positions and got them on television, something that is not always a given. And considering it doesn't seem like they have any future feuds set up yet, tonight was a perfect time to establish the new champs.

The ladder match suffered from one really weird gimmick. I don't even have a problem with the glorified hammer-on-a-pole concept, as the hammer has been a centerpiece of the Aces and Eights for quite some time, and Hogan wanted Bully to be hoisted with his own petard. But, did anyone really understand the rules of the match? How did they win? By hitting someone with the hammer? Or did they have to hit someone with the hammer and then pin them? None of this was explained, and the fact that the match never ended was a big negative as well. Still, the action held my attention with some fun spots. It wasn't a match of the year candidate, but it shouldn't have been. This was simply a good set-up for the teased backstage attack from Hogan, which did a solid job of playing up the Brooke Hogan drama. I'm fine with it as long as they don't drag out a heel turn until Bound for Glory. This story has been drawn out long enough as it is.

The rest of the show was solid, with Mickie James doing a much better job as a tweener this week while still perhaps tipping her hand a bit too much. The two Bound for Glory Series qualifying matches were nothing to go out of your way to see, but they were relatively inoffensive. Joseph Park once again impressed this week with his attack on Devon, once again getting the crowd excited for his actions. They have done a really good job with the Park character and story arc at this point, even if it has been drawn out for too long.

All of this equates to a solid, if unspectacular, edition of Impact. Which is much better than anything the company has produced for the last few weeks. This is the time of year when TNA really gets into their groove with the Bound for Glory Series pacing each week nicely and giving every episode a sense of importance. Here's hoping that they can work their magic a third year in a row, with tonight nicely setting the stage for the future.

Any questions or comments? Feel free to message me on Twitter @BTuckertorch .

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