-- 3/4 TNA Impact Reax

Brian Harmon of Saint Paul, Minn. (1.0): This show was horrifying for a multitude of reasons, most of which were captured perfectly by Thomas Starr in his Reax review. But the most difficult part for me was the painful realization that Ric Flair may not be able to deliver anymore. I always saw him as something of a marvel during his last WWE run - the years had left him a shell of his former self, but what was left was still better than two-thirds of the roster. That doesn't seem true now. He seems ill-suited for the "Nature Boy" role that he brought to new heights over so many years. Not only has his age finally caught up to him, but he just doesn't exude the confidence necessary on the mic to be at all convincing as a cocky heel. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be critical of Flair's mic skills. It doesn't help that A.J. Styles seems so badly miscast in this particular persona that he can't pick up any of the slack that makes Flair's weaknesses look so glaring. The brutal fact is that if Ric Flair is going to remain relevant in the current wrestling world, he's going to have to abandon most of the traits that made him so great and completely reinvent himself. I think TNA got it backwards. Instead of having A.J. Styles emulate the old Ric Flair, they should have had Flair emulate the old no-nonsense Styles - having A.J. show Flair that he's still tough enough to win big matches every now and again. While I was never terribly fond of the way that Vince McMahon used Flair at the end, I have to confess that it's probably closer to where Flair needs to be than where TNA has him now. Let's hope that Flair still has the moxxy to see all of this and find a way to rise to the occasion. But for the first time in 30 years, I'm beginning to doubt whether he can.

David Bryant of N.C., Producer and Entertainer (8.0): Best: Hogan's show-closing promo on Flair/Styles. Worst: Bubba The Hate Sponge still exists. Impact has been a rollercoaster. The Feb. 18 Impact was one of the best episodes of the show I've ever seen, the Feb. 25 Impact was flat-out disappointing, and now this episode returned them to being flat out entertaining, I thought. I just hope that March 8 is one of their entertaining weeks. As far as this episode goes, it was hard to pick a favorite moment. The Foley etiquette skits were hilarious! This Thursday was one of the first times I've laughed out loud during a wrestling program in a long time. "To be done quick, eat like Mick!" I'm using that line for something someday. I think the etiquette skits are going to eventually lead Foley into either snapping and going hardcore again or it will lead to turning Foley heel and entering into a feud. Either way, highly entertaining stuff. In the post-show chartroom on TNA's website, people were begging for a Jarrett vs. Eric Bischoff match which would appear to be a good sign for the feud, because it at least has some people caring. I also thought Hogan's segment at the end of the show was pure money: "In four days Flair, blood is going to flow like rain on Monday night." That was a great line. I had a friend tell me on MSN that as much as they love Raw and dislike Impact, they will be watching TNA on Monday night specifically for this match. I don't think Hogan and Flair wrestling on a regular basis would sell tickets, but as a one-time deal, and for an event this big, I think it works. Don't get me wrong, there were bad things on this show as well. Bubba The Hate Sponge is an oxygen thief. Why does he still have a job? And as hard as I'm trying, I just can’t seem to get into the Rob Terry vs. British Invasion feud. The Love vs. Sky interaction was gold. I’m hoping for a strap match at Lockdown.

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio: An incomplete grade, as there was little wrestling, as usual. Best Match: four-corner TNA Title match. Worst Match: Jarrett-Morley garbage match. Let's check out last night's program against the TNA master plan they have been using for a month. By my unofficial count, the show broke down in this way:

-- In-house promos and talking heads ... 9:15
-- Actual match time ... 17:35
-- Brawling and match intros ... 21:25
-- Commercials ... 36:20
-- Promos and backstage ... 39:25

Show hits: The Pope promo, Desmond Wolfe w/Chelsea, Anderson's painful, but spot-on mimicry of Angle's body language and quirks, and the sweet spots by the X Division wrestlers in the eight-man tag. Misses: Morley-Jarrett garbage match - especially Sean's kick to the head that missed Jeff by half a foot, the Bischoff-Jarrett angle, Angelina Love being injured by that unimpressive little pink belt, Flair's chair shot clearly hitting the ring apron and not the Pope's ankle, Hogan Hogan Hogan and the constant attempts to dissuade him from stepping into the ring Monday night, and Abyss needing the ring to be a monster. Where is Father James Mitchell when you need him?

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "TNA TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Impact, click here.

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