It has been a long long time since I’ve sat through an entire episode of TNA Impact Wrestling.  I’ve been keeping up to date through our own reviews, spoilers, and a little bit of their YouTube page.  But dammit this is a geeky site that covers wrestling and its really high time I immerse myself back into it.

I’ll divide the pluses and minuses up into each segment of the show this week.

Kurt Angle’s words for Jeff Hardy

Plus:

While I also tear apart most of Kurt Angle’s anti Jeff Hardy promo the parts about Kurt’s kid were brilliant.  For someone with the ego of Angle to see his son worship someone else, especially someone who he despises, would tear up any father’s heart inside.

Minus:

Kurt Angle, billed as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, gives a list of complaints against Jeff Hardy.  The first one is that Jeff has hair and Kurt does not.  That’s not a strong lead.  That’s not even a strong middle.  Also, most of Kurt’s arguements fall apart with very minimal checking of the facts.  Kurt being a “one woman man” for example.  I’m pretty sure your ex wife is fucking one of your many bosses because of many reasons including not being the only woman.

Gauntlet match:  AJ Styles vs. Daniels and Kazarian

Plus:

Kazarian’s Fade to Black finisher.  Holy fuck.  That is the nastiest move I’ve seen in awhile.  The look Daniels gave and the confusion on his face later on are great.  My theory is that Daniels has created a monster he can no longer control.  Monster heel Kazarian could be very interesting.

Minus:

Much like the Angle stuff from earlier, there is a lack of starting things strong.  The beginning conversation made these three men sound like scorned lovers and not rivals.  I’m into the story by the end of it, but what’s wrong with drawing people into the segment at the beginning of the segment.

Madison Rayne (1/2 Knockouts tag champs) (with Gail Kim – other half Knockouts tag champ and the Knockouts champ)vs. ODB (with Eric Young)

Plus:

YES!  Start hyping your Knockouts again.  Throughout the show the announcers have been hyping that there is Knockout action coming up later in the show.  More later!  Still more!  The Knockouts are flat out better than the Divas (as a unit, there are some good women in WWE just not as many).  Thus they should be pushed more.  More DVDs, posters featuring the work of Scott Blair and Lee South.  Using the term with full irony, respect the Knockouts by pimping them out more!

Also the dueling bitches story between Madison and Gail is pretty great.  All of these “accidents” and “coincidences” seem like nothing on their own but collectively build up a split of a tag team and a future entertaining feud between the two.

Minus:

For this match and segment, none.  Even Eric Young was great in his role.

Velvet Sky fights with Angelina Love and Sarita.

Plus:

The evolution of Velvet Sky.  Talia Madison and even The Beautiful People’s Velvet Sky is not the woman you see on TV today.  One of the best evolutions of a character in recent memory.

Minus:

Whatever the hell Mickie James is wearing.  Its like Apache Chief and The Super Globetrotters produced a child in the back of the WABAC machine.

Bobby Roode, Austin Aries and Bully Ray talk about Sting.

Minuses:

This goes way too long and is also very similar to Johnny Ace bringing out former world champions to say how great he is as a general manager.

No one cares about Bully Ray’s calves.  And they really aren’t that impressive.

Jesse Sorensen segment.

Pluses:

All. He’s alive.  He will heal.  All well wishes to Jesse.

Minuses:

Why didn’t TNA do anytihng for Daffney?

Shannon Moore vs. Zema Ion.

Pluses:

Zema’s look.  This kid will be a star.  Flashy colors, fringe, hair, he puts it all together into a unique look.  Plus he’s not a bad wrestler either and is only getting better.  I wonder why Moore, who also has a very unique look, hasn’t caught on.  I can only assume his height is a disadvantage.

Minuses:

Maybe TNA should wait until Jesse’s recovery is a little further along before booking Zema as a heel who cant care less.  Just in case Jesse faces any setbacks.

TNA Wrestling Matters videos:

Pluses:

Showing great fans, the TNA community, fan service and of course some awesome wrestling.  Good promotional package.

Minuses:

TNA’s biggest flaw is in story line execution.  Not one of these fans said that they love getting wrapped up in the stories.

Sarita and Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky and Mickie James

Pluses:

If you’re going to push the Knockouts, this is a great way to do it.  Every woman in the ring can wrestle and has a very loyal fanbase.  Great booking here.  Also, and I wasn’t sure about this earlier, but Velvet is more brunette than blonde now and this slight change makes for a wrestler to be taken seriously.

Minuses:

Taz called the Knockouts the “sexiest chicks” and Mike Tenay mentions TMZ and celebrity women more than Michael Cole mentions Twitter.  There is a great match going on in the ring.  Pay attention to it!

“Where is Abyss?”

Minus:

The majority of TNA’s audience, contrary to Eric Bischoff’s thoughts, are marks.  Therefore we already know where Abyss has been.

Bobby Roode, Austin Aries and Bully Ray vs. Samoa Joe, Magnus and James Storm.

This is TNA’s main event talent?  Damn.  I mean not a bad damn just a… its not what I expected.  I guess it has been awhile.

Pluses:

Bully Ray and Samoa Joe working hard and close on each other.  I don’t want to say strong style, but there it is.  Its been awhile since I thought of two bruisers hitting each other with everything they got like Thing vs. Hulk but I want to see more of these two brawlers.

Samoa Joe shows what made him great.  I don’t know if he was injured, depressed, frustrated or what but his career was crap for awhile.  Now it looks like that wrestler of old might be back.  I can only hope so.

James Storm’s entrance music is called “Longnecks and Rednecks”.  This is far too clever.

Storm gets the pin on his former tag team partner, and this feud continues.  That is right and the best way to go with it right now.

Bully Ray taking out Storm because he doesn’t want anyone standing in his way as number one contender makes sense.

Minus:

However, why wouldn’t he take out Bobby Roode?  The biggest obstacle in your quest to get the world title is not the other number one contender (or number two), its the guy currently holding the world title.