TNA Impact Wrestling: Results and Thoughts from a Solid Show

The show opened with the GM of Impact Wrestling Sting heading to the ring. He said that the inmates are trying to run the asylum, but he’s the warden and will regain control.

He called out Bobby Roode and brought up what he did to Dixie Carter as well as A.J. Styles and Jeff Hardy last week. Sting said that things will go his way, not Roode’s.

Rode thought him taking out Styles and Hardy was a great way to close out a television show and wanted a thank you. He wasn’t going to get one.

Bad choices would result in bad consequences in Impact Wrestling.

That brought out Styles and Hardy. Roode’s punishment? A triple threat match with the phenomenal one and charismatic enigma.

I thought this was a good way to open the show. Most guys in charge won’t punishment their talent for wrong doings and I like that TNA is going with that right now with Sting.

I just hope that it carries over when a face does something bad.

We got some footage from earlier with the Knockout’s outside in robes.

Karen’s yelling at them and told them they had to wash cars. She left and Madison Rayne disrobed, and then she yelled at the others to do so.

What has happened to the Knockout’s division? This better be leading somewhere!

Backstage Jeff Hardy says that he and Styles are on the same page when Jeff Jarrett walked up.

We got the same old tired “you screwed up, you don’t belong here” shtick from Jarrett. They brawled and Hardy chased off the founder of TNA.

I really wish this feud would end. While I do like it, it’s growing stale because Jarrett only has one thing to say to Hardy and it’s all he says.

Elsewhere Eric Bischoff tells Bully Ray to get Abyss back on their side. He said he’d figure something out with Scott Steiner.

How has Bully Ray gone from one of the best heels in wrestling to becoming one of Bischoff’s lackeys?

We go back to the Knockout’s outside, who are washing a car in bikinis.

Tara is disappointed in Gail Kim, but Gail responds with “if I had your body at your age I’d flaunt it.” How did Tara respond? She said “I do, I do have a great body.” She then disrobed and started washing the car.

That’s it? I figured Tara would put up a bigger fight than that.

Karen then arrives and is proud. That brought the arrival of ODB and Karen gave her a match with Mickie James. If she can take her out, ODB would get a title shot.

It’s about time ODB gets some television time!

Mexican America vs. Ink Inc. vs. Devon and D’Angelo Dinero: No. 1 Contender’s Match

Devon picked up the win with a spinebuster on Jesse Neal in this good tag match. You may notice I called it “tag match.” Well, that’s what it was.

This was barely a triple threat match as Ink Inc. barely got involved until the end.  

Dinero put on a great performance here. That man should at least be the Television Champion. Devon looked good as well but he only had a flurry offense towards the end.

I actually liked Mexican America here. They didn’t seem useless like they usually do.

Ink Inc. should have stayed at home as they didn’t add a thing to the match.

I was glad to see Devon and D’Angelo Dinero win this match over the other two, though. To me it seems like they’d be the only team right now that could look like a credible threat to the champions.

Mexican America’s title reign was a complete bust and the fans don’t seem to care too much about them. Sarita is drowning as a member of the stable. She’s a great wrestler and needs to get out of there.

While I love the team of Ink Inc. they don’t look like they’d be a credible threat to the much bigger and stronger champions.

I think that these two teams will mesh well together and deliver a great feud with some good matches. Hopefully Devon’s kids can stay out of the way much like they did tonight.

Match Rating: 3/5 for tag-team match, 0/5 for triple threat match

Austin Aries made his way to the ring next and said that he was the “greatest man who ever lived.” He had a plan to revitalize the X-Division and he did that.

The problem was, though, is that he beat everyone and had no competition. That brought out Kid Kash who wants Aries’ head.

Aries would give him a title shot if they shook hands. They did and both went in for a punch. Kash’s must have been a bit stronger as Aries ran off.

Austin Aries has found himself some competition in Kid Kash, a former X-Division Champion from 2003. That may have been eight years ago, but Kash has proven over the past few months that he’s still got it.  

TNA has been building to this feud over the past month or so. They were aligned at one point but Aries would usually walk out on Kash leaving him to fend for himself and even pinned him at Turning Point to retain the X-Division Championship.

When these two have their match it should be quite good.

We get more footage from earlier and it’s Gunner looking for Garret Bischoff. He walked into a gym and started beating up random guys screaming “where’s Garret, where’s Garret.”

What happened to Gunner? He showed so much promise in the Bound for Glory Series and now he’s been demoted to Eric Bischoff’s lackey. It’s a shame.

Backstage A.J. Styles respects the progress Hardy has made. It’s good to see Styles trusting Hardy now.

In the beginning Styles was in the same boat as Jarrett. I personally hope that these two form a team once the feud with Roode is done with.

Elsewhere Sting tells Jarrett that if he interferes in the main event there would be a severe consequence. Jarrett said he may be willing to pay it.

Damn, we’re going backstage a lot tonight.

We’re back with the Knockout’s and they’re stilling washing. This really could have been one segment, two at the most, instead of showing bits and pieces throughout the night.

We go backstage again where Bully Ray tells Steiner that they need Abyss. I didn’t understand a word Steiner said. All I caught was “freaks.”

Mickie James vs. ODB: Street Fight

Mickie James picked up the win when she kicked a chair into ODB’s face.

This was a great match that saw some nice back-and-forth action and was very physical. We saw these two beat the hell out of each other.

Mickie and ODB put on a show for the fans and proved that the Knockout’s division isn't completely dead.

It was great seeing ODB get some television time but I’m not surprised that she lost.

I can’t wait to see Mickie vs. Gail Kim at Final Resolution. It should be a great match as both women are great in-ring performers.

I just hope that once the Karen Jarrett vs. Knockout’s division feud is over and done with that ODB will become something more than a jobber to the main stars of the division.

She’s good in the ring, over with the fans and deserves better than the position she’s in right now.

Match Rating: 4/5

We got an interview with James Storm next. He’s not cleared to wrestle yet but hopes to be soon.

Kurt Angle then arrived and bragged out taking him out. Storm will be there next week to beat his ass.

When it’s all said and done, this will be a great feud and the two will have a phenomenal match.

We’re treated to a video about Bobby Roode next. I was spacing in and out of it but basically his family is disappointed in his decisions.

We then went backstage with Roode and he doesn’t care what they think.

Can we just get to another match?

Robbie E vs. Rob Van Dam: TNA Television Championship

Robbie E picked up the victory when Christopher Daniels hit Angel’s Wings in Rob Van Dam.

This was a decent match but had too much interference from Daniels, Rob Terry and Eric Young.

While I’ve been a fan of Rob Van Dam since his ECW days, I’m glad he didn’t win the title here. Sure, having the title on RVD would bring more legitimacy to it, and his feud with Christopher Daniels would certainly bring some of the spotlight to the belt, but it’s way too soon to take the title off of Robbie E.

Before TNA even considers taking the title off of him they need to let him get away from the comedy and establish himself as a legit champion. This was a step in the right direction but with Eric Young’s interference it’s obvious that their feud is not over yet.

That means the Television Championship will be entangled in the comedy for a little while longer.

I like the fact that Daniels cost Van Dam the match. It really adds to their feud. The Whole F’N Show will definitely be looking for some major revenge at Final Resolution.

Match Rating: 2.5/5

We’re back with the Knockout’s in their bikinis. They started to fight and Gail Kim broke it up with a hose.

As a guy I love it! As a wrestling fan, though, this is insulting. What happened to the division that was miles ahead of WWE’s Divas division?

The Knockout’s are falling fast and Karen Jarrett is killing them. The women of TNA need to band together and rebel.

They need to get rid of Karen so they can get back to doing what they do best, and that’s not parading around in lingerie and bikinis. The Knockout’s need to get back to wrestling!

Bobby Roode vs. A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Hardy

Bobby Roode picked up the win when Jeff Jarrett knocked Jeff Hardy off the top rope.

I thought this was a great match. It was very fast-paced with some great back-and-forth action.

All three wrestlers looked great in the ring and put on a show for the fans! I just wish that TNA cut back on the backstage segments and gave this more time.

Match Rating: 4.5/5

After the match Sting came out and punished Jarrett. He booked him in a match with Hardy inside a steel cage at Final Resolution. If Jarrett wins, Hardy will leave TNA, but if Hardy wins he’ll get a title shot against the winner of the Roode/Styles iron man match.

Karen then came out and yelled at Sting. He said he was going to handcuff himself to her so she couldn’t get involved.

Final Resolution is looking like a great show!

Despite the insane amount of backstage segments I think this was overall a solid episode of Impact Wrestling. It was certainly better than their Thanksgiving special last week.

The Knockout’s street fight and the main event definitely saved the show from all the backstage nonsense. At the same time I suppose it wasn't all nonsense. Most of it was, though.

TNA really needs to cut down on backstage segments. It’s getting really bad.

I can’t wait until next week, though!

Show Rating: 3.5/5