By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

IMPACT HITS

Four Way X-Division Match: A good Impact got off to a good start with this fun fast paced 6 minute fatal four way X-Division Title match. I'm not sure why this match was happening (more later), but it was enjoyable to watch. 6 minutes isn't very long, but it was longer than many Impact X-Divsion matches (which often only go about 3 minutes) and it was certainly longer than the vast majority of the Raw matches from this week. The match had an interesting dynamic with The Motor City Machine Guns working together while Sanjay Dutt and Sheik Abdual Bashir tried to work together. It was good foreshadowing for Jim Cornette's announcement later in the show.

Cornette's Announcement: After last week's challenges from Team 3D, I was not looking forward to Brother Ray vs. Sting and Brother Devon vs. Kurt Angle. I am more intrigued by the fatal four way that Jim Cornette announced this week. I don't think it is a great idea, but it is a better idea than the two singles matches. Having Team 3D momentarily in the main event World Title picture is ok, and they are doing a good job teasing dissension between Sting and Angle. But, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe need to get back to being the focus of the Frontline soon.

Beautiful People Destroy "Palin": After weeks of looking like fools in a very poor storyline, it was good to see Angelina Love and Velvet Sky get some edge back in a brutal beating of the Sarah Palin impersonator. They still have so much potential to be a top act in TNA, and this was a good first step in rebuilding the team.

Mic Work: No individual promo or interview stood out as being a Hit this week, but over all, the mic work was solid to good throughout the show. Angle gave a solid promo. Sting was strong on the mic as well, both in addressing Angle in the ring, and in his later interview with Jeremy Borash. Petey Williams delivered well in his short promo about Scott Steiner. Steiner was amusing in calling Petey "Make Believe Muscle." The in ring interview with Matt Morgan and Abyss was silly in a number of ways, but Morgan was better than usual on the mic and Abyss had some funny lines about seeing a therapist together. The one thing missing was a promo from AJ Styles setting up the main event.

Angle vs. Styles: Speaking of the main event, Angle vs. Styles in a tables match was entertaining to watch. Angle and Styles work well together in the ring. It was nice to see the video package of their feud going back to the Team Angle days. This could have been saved for a PPV, but it worked well as Styles will not be wrestling Angle again for awhile (assumption on my part), plus they have wrestled at PPVs before. Therefore, they weren't giving too much away for free. The match had good back and forth action, with some nice table teases. It went 12 minutes which could have been longer, but was a decent length. It was also an unexpected surprise that nobody interfered.

IMPACT MISSES

Why Are These Matches Happening?: The wrestling quality of Impact was solid this week. However, there were three matches that need some explaining. Why did these matches happen? Why were the stipulations used for these matches? Couldn't the TNA bookers have come up with better ideas for these matches? I will attempt to address these issues using the never-before-used-in-a-Hits-&-Misses-article device of the bullet point:

•Dutt vs. Bashir vs. Shelly vs. Sabin: As I said above, this was a fun match, but why did it happen? Alex Shelly just went through an eight man tournament to earn the X-Divsion Title. He beat Chris Sabin in the finals, so why was Sabin getting a Title shot? What had Bashir or Dutt done to earn a Title shot? Why did Shelly have to defend the Title for the first time in a fatal four way? He had the disadvantage in his first Title defense. Why not start something for the Title by making a three way (or a four way with another wrestler taking Shelly's place) for the #1 Contendership?

•Young & Williams vs. Steiner & Booker T: I have no problem with the fact that this match took place. It made sense given what happened last week, and the fact that TNA is presumably setting up Steiner vs. Williams at the next PPV. However, why was this match an elimination match? You don't see elimination matches very often when there are four wrestlers on each team, and they did it for a match with only two? That made no sense. Whose decision was it? There has to be more than just a behind-the-scenes reason why a match gets a stipulation. Couldn't the match have worked just as easily if Steiner and Booker had taken Eric Young out of the match early, making it a handicap match?

•Abyss & Morgan vs. Beer Money Inc.: Beer Money should be focusing on the #1 contenders to their Tag Team Titles, so I have a slight issue with having this match in the first place. But, my real issue is why was this a first blood match? What was the point? Had their feud escalated to the point where drawing blood to win was needed? Why would Morgan wait to bash Abyss? What if the match had ended before he had that chance? He got knocked in the head with a belt which could have cut him open, ending the match. He was scripted to look like a dope. Make it a regular match. TNA had a perfect scenario set up for the match. Morgan had been hesitant to let Abyss wrestle in their last match, so this week as an "apology" he would let Abyss handle the majority of the match, eventually getting beat down by Beer Money. Then Morgan could have "made the save" only to turn on Abyss at that point. That would have been more logical, and wouldn't have wasted a stipulation like first blood. These stipulations watered down the tables stipulation for the main event, which was the only gimmick that fit in the context of a storyline.

Still Too Crammed: After having a few weeks where Impact felt less rushed and crammed with content, TNA got back to business as usual this week with an overcrowded show. There were two two-segment matches that really helped lessen the cramped feel of the show. But, they only helped so much. There was still too much happening. There were too many short scenes and video packages. It wasn't as bad as it used to be, but after better recent pacing, it was disappointing to see the show go in the wrong direction this week.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and TNA Impact each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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