TNA Impact 6/21/12: What Worked and What Didn't

Tonight on Impact we get treated to the Bound For Glory Series, Gut Check, Open Fight Night, Dixie Carter explaining the AJ scandal and Austin Aries chooses whether he will drop the X-Division title to challenge Robert "Bobby" Roode.

TNA has built up this night quite a bit with promises of at least two big announcements and a number of big matches. The only question is can they retain their recent great form and produce an Impact to remember?

What Worked

Opening Segment - That was a twist I never saw coming and I applaud TNA for actually selling me on the idea of Austin Aries just dropping the X-Division title. Hogan and Aries have some great chemistry on the mic (as we saw last week) and Bobby Roode interrupting and insulting the entire X-Division was just icing on the cake. Anderson coming out was a little odd but since it led into the next match, it's okay.

Daniels vs. Anderson - It was a decent match, but it was only three minutes long and this whole time limit thing is going to get old fast.

Dixie/AJ Backstage Segment - This kind of little backstage segment has really sold me on the Dixie/AJ angle. I was so sure when this started that it was just going to be some big misunderstanding but this kind of thing makes me doubt that. After all, if AJ and Dixie were completely innocent, surely they would have explained it by now, right?

Knockouts Backstage Sit Down - I really like the whole backstage "talk to the talent" thing TNA have been doing (It allows you to understand why management does what they do) and so help me God I am actually warming up to Brooke Hogan.

Brooke did stumble over her words at times, but there is a learning curve and it was certainly better than her debut promo. The whole thing could have been done in just one segment, but doing it like this makes the title feel more important.

Magnus vs. AJ Styles - The match was short (like all BFG matches are going to be) but it furthered the AJ/Dixie saga nicely and got one of their best young wrestlers a win over the face of the company. It did feel like more of a segment than a match, though. The promo from Magnus beforehand was really good as well.

Gut Check - I will sum this up simply; IF TNA MANAGEMENT DOESN'T SIGN TAELER HENDRIX, THEY ARE IMBECILES. Good in the ring and in her promo, she has everything you want in a prospect.

Samoa Joe vs. James Storm - Good match that established Storm as the front runner early. Still a bit short for a match between these two, but it was the best match yet.

Miss Tessmacher vs. Mickie James -Nice little title match which teased the heel turn of Mickie James a little more; I just hope TNA doesn't change their minds halfway through.

Jeff Hardy vs. RVD - Normally a five-minute main event would be an instant no from me but I liked this little spot fest. I must admit the moment RVD tried the 450 splash, I was sold.

What Didn't

BFG Ten Minute Time Limit - I really don't understand this idea; how are Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles (as an example) supposed to have great matches when they are limited to 10 minutes? It also results in a lot of matches thrown at us far too quickly.

Robbie E vs. Kurt Angle - This was just a squash match and really established why Robbie E shouldn't be in the BFG series. The only plus is that Angle looked so dominant.

Lack of TV Title Match - Defended every week, that was the promise Hulk Hogan made everyone a couple of months ago, but I saw neither hide nor hair of Devon at Impact.

Dixie Carter's Mic Work - I know I am beating a dead horse here, but she just can't do it. It was full of emotion but she just doesn't have the skill base to work in emotion.

Final Promo - Did that feel like a cop out to anyone else? A woman no one knows existed somehow befriended AJ and Dixie and had them help her into rehab with absolutely no one else finding out? Seriously, if this all happened why didn't Serge know?

Apparently, this girl is a lifelong friend of Dixie Carter but Dixie can't tell her husband that her friend is going into rehab? This was just a garbage idea and not even AJ's beat down of Kaz and Daniels could save the segment.

If this was a true story, then TNA should be disgusted by themselves for using this woman's problems to their own gain. If this was all made up, then someone needs to be blamed for this Mass Effect 3 (If you are a gamer you get this; if not, then don't worry) sized stuff up.

Random Thoughts

-Are we really going to open the show with Aries' decision? Nice.

-A female gut check competitor, I expected that they would do a tag team first, but you will get no complaints from me.

-So we are going to get no mention of what happened to Sting, Sting's condition, who those guys were or how three men managed to assault someone for five minutes in the ring with nobody trying to stop them?

-TNA have actually sold me on the idea of the X-Division champ dropping the title and not only that they also sold me on the idea of it happening every year. Bravo, TNA.

-Christopher Daniels is really downing the Appletinis.

-I love that TNA keeps Joseph Park in the crowd and doesn't just expect us to believe that he stays backstage every week.

-All BFG matches are now 10-minute time limit matches? Shouldn't that have been mentioned last week in the 12-minute battle royal? I'm sure it adds to the psychology of the matches, but five minutes is not enough for a quality match between guys like AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels.

-Remember when Brooke Hogan debuted and she was neon orange? Well this week is the first time I can say she honestly looked good.

-Diagnosed with Cancer at 21? TNA are going to sign Taeler Hendrix no matter how good she is in the ring.

-Is Magnus heel again?

- JB just said Taeler Hendrix is from Boston when she said she was from Newport not 20 minutes ago.

-First Magnus now Tara? When did these people turn heel?

-Oh god, Samoa Joe has gone back to his "Nation of Domination" shorts.

-James Storm just sprayed Earl Hebner in the face as Earl was raising his hand and Storm didn't realize it.

-Abyss just gave some girl in the front row a heart attack, her expression (and that of her friend) was absolutely fantastic.

-There was a sample of Montgomery Gentry's new video clip and while I am not a big fan of theirs, the guitar intro was brilliant.

-Looks like a heel turn for Mickie is all but confirmed after her match with Tessmacher. She needed a gimmick change more than John Cena.

-My exact reaction from RVD's 450 attempt (in my head) "OK RVD is going to try and hit the frog splash but it's too early so he's gonna miss....WTF I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM DO THAT BEFORE!".

-Seriously, bring out a random person and make AJ and Dixie look like saints again? That's crappy on so many different levels.

-Daniels looks pissed but Kaz looks confused, which means everything that woman said is true and Daniels has been playing everyone. Which means Kaz will be a face again. I hate writers sometimes.