TNA Impact 31/5/12: What Worked and What Didn't

After TNA had their Lockdown pay-per-view, I did a small review designed to be short and simple to read. Personally I was very happy with it and wanted to continue doing that style of review for Impact, but a combination of laziness and personal issues got in the way.

But now that TNA is going live, I found a revived interest in making this work, so here it is.

One small change, however—instead of the last page being "what's going to happen next for TNA," I decided just to add some personal thoughts on the program that really don't have anything to do with the review.

Enjoy and please review.

What Worked

-Starting the Show with a match. People have been bitching about TNA starting the show with five to 10 minute promos for so long it's become cliche. Great way to start a big show.

-The opening match. The crowd was super hot, Roode did a fantastic job of making Sting look great early and Sting pulled off some spots that I just couldn't see him doing six months ago. Great opener.

-Bully Ray/Joseph Park promo. I love Bully Ray (he is just fantastic) and I like the fact that Christopher Park is getting some time to do a different character, although I think he would be better as a weaselly heel.

-X Division match. It was short but really sweet, the one good thing about Alex Shelley leaving is the fact that the X Division gets Chris Sabin (the better of the two) and that is a really big boost.

-The Backstage gut check promo. While I think this segment is a good idea to fill some time, it could get old really quick and when you add on the in ring segment it, the whole thing takes up to much time.

-Gut Check in-ring promo. I actually like how this worked out, Joey Ryan came off as exactly the guy you don't want in your company because of his terrible expectant attitude. It also showed that the segment isn't ruled by popular opinion. Taz was the star of this segment.

-AJ vs. Daniels and the ending promo. The match between AJ and Daniels was (as it always is) fantastic and the whole segment after the match really added momentum to to the AJ/Dixie affair angle.

What Didn't

-Sting beating Roode. I know he is "The Icon," but him beating Roode just diminishes Roode's title run and I just don't like it.

-Hulk Hogan coming out after the opening match and not only giving Sting the big title shot at Slammiversary, but calling him Impact's No.1 guy. That goes against everything I want for TNA.

-Crimson's short promo. Overrated, over hyped and a shadow over the character he is obviously ripping off (Goldberg).

-TNA Hall of Fame? The company is only 10 years old and this seems really premature. 20 bucks says it's going to be Jeff or Jerry Jarrett.

-Dixie Carter/Brooke Hogan promo. First of all I have nothing against Brooke Hogan being in the company—if she does well, that's fine, if she doesn't, I will complain. That being said, the promo was far to long for what should have been 5 minutes max and Dixie still isn't good on the mic. Brooke wasn't bad, but there is a lot of work to do.

-Devon vs. Jeff Hardy. This was a nice match but the interference from Robbie E ruined it completely. I understand that you can't have Devon beating Hardy so this was the logical move, but couldn't we have had a "Russo right turn" and had D'Angelo Deniro instead? I'm sick of this fued (and I like Robbie E).

-James Storm's promo. I understand the desire to play up the "James Storm/my faith is shaken" bit, but I have gotten sick of the whole "I'm a rustic cowboy" thing shoved down our throats every other week. Thankfully, this may be the last one.

Final Thoughts

-Eric Young was wearing a lumberjack shirt for the lumberjack match—that's a nice touch.

-TNA is light on heels, they had eight (maybe nine) guys on the "face side" of the lumberjack match and five on the "heel side".

-Chris Sabin was at the lumberjack match. Expect him to get a single's push and fight Austin Aries for the X-Division title and maybe take it from him some time.

-I don't think I have seen Jeff Hardy face Devon since they were both in WWE and in tag teams. This may have been a world first.

-Jeff Hardy and Devon did a variation of both the Hardy's "Poetry in Motion" and the Dudleys handshake/fistbump (I really don't know what to call it). I like that.

-Wasn't Brooke Hogan hotter than that? I expected the girl who ripped her shirt off in the entrance video and that is not who walked out.

-Kurt Angle & AJ Styles are facing Christopher Daniels & Kazarian for the tag team titles at Slammiversary? TNA desperately needs some tag teams.

-Sabin vs. Aries and Daniels vs. AJ? X-Division stars past and present showcased in two great matches. This is TNA.

-Did anyone else notice that Daniels tights were designed to look exactly opposite to AJ's?

-The show was seriously up and down tonight and it didn't have any real rhythm. The moment something good happened something bad was following right behind it. Not exactly a great start to "live Impact" but it will have to do.