Greg Parks, Torch Columnist (6.0)

While there still was a lot going on in this show, it didn't feel as frenticly paced as past shows. And the stuff that happened here did feel more important as well. I think they began using the veterans in the right way here, spotlighting some of the younger talent in the meantime. The Jeff Jarrett-Hulk Hogan backstage segment was as well acted as a Middle-School play, but at least the lines were drawn and the characters were clear.

I've never seen a promotion rely on hyping bringing in a HUGE new face that will shake the wrestling foundation to its very core as often as TNA has. And they're doing it again for the next PPV. The Nasty Boys' attack on Team 3D in the locker room was comical. I was happy Tomko was finally revealed as the mystery assailant of AJ Styles, in an angle that has long overstayed its welcome.

Curtis Shanks, PWTorch.com Contributor (7.0)

January 4 was a big day for TNA, as they put on an epic show that had the wrestling world talking. Everyone was expecting a huge sophomore slump in the Bischoff/Hogan era, but I actually enjoyed this show. There were some bad segments (Nasty Boys, Sean Morley), but the majority of the show was strong. I loved the refusal of the handshake by A.J. Styles and Flair's mysterious involvement to close the show. That sets up a storyline question that will entice some into purchasing the PPV, as Angle and A.J. shaking hands as the last image was not enough to entice interest.

Generation Me had a strong showing with some great in-ring moves. Here's hoping their defeat of the Guns doesn't mean they are the new Guns - gifted, extremely athletic talents who are treated as nothing more than low to mid carders. If you didn't watch the match closely, you could swear it was the Naturals in there facing the Guns this week. Eric Bischoff was great this week. The lines may not look great on paper, but he is a genius at delivering them in his tweener role.

Sean Morely obviously hasn't been relevant in a long time. He gave his same Val Venis promo, but the crowd shots of the females showed boredom and disinterest rather than the lust we saw ten years ago during those same shots. I like the heel Bobby Lashley much better than the face, but I'm not sure the storyline is right. Hogan is bragging about TNA being the place where all the big names want to be. But Lashley is being highlighted as a character that doesn't want to be there and is trying to get out of his contract?

While this show was good for my viewing pleasure, it may not be great for PPV buys. TNA has a lot going on right now and couldn't properly hype their PPV. Other than Beer Money vs. The Band and the world title match, all the matches were either announced at the last minute or drastically under-hyped. Most matches got nothing more than a quick mention during the hard sell. Maybe buys will surprise as the Hogan promise of a "big acquisition" may lure some into buying the show.

Daniel Wilkenfeld, PWTorch.com Contributor (4.0)

This show started really well. After that, it sucked. I mean it was actively counterproductive. It seems like the people who want to make TNA into WWE are getting pushed as faces, and everyone else is a heel. Jarrett inexplicably hates the young talent after saying THE EXACT OPPOSITE THING LAST F'ING WEEK. AJ Styles, the epitome of all things TNA, is inexplicably grumpy. And I really think I could ignore all of that happily if it weren't for the fact that we're seemingly expected to cheer the man who wants to start TNA films. No way, I'm done. In addition, having Joe lose in three minutes is quite possibly the most baffling booking decision since Jesse Neal pinned Hernandez — they really couldn't find another five minutes somewhere in the show? I have a long list of places they could have looked.

Really, the only things this show did right were the Bischoff/Band ambiguity, Angelina Love returning, the first AJ-Angle segment, and the debut of Generation Me (though even then I would have had another team do the job—Team 3D, I'm looking in your direction here). I'd say this was the sharpest drop off in quality this show has ever had, but then I remember the Nash-hosted Impact a few weeks back. Maybe they have some sort of rotating writing gig, and now we got stuck with whoever penned that piece of garbage? I hope so, cause that means we have to deal with this at most once a month or so.

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