By Hubert O'Hearn, Torch specialist

-- 5/21 TNA IMPACT HITS & MISSES

IMPACT HITS

Overall Show: I've just finished watching Thursday's Impact for a second time and I'm pleased to admit that TNA is really on a roll right now. This episode was an absolute blueprint on how to run the last show leading into a PPV. Each match on the Sacrifice card was highlighted and each highlighted in a slightly different way. The Misses, when we get to them, were minor enough that they did not derail an excellent night of wrestling.

Actual Wrestling: There were just four matches on Thursday night - unless you count Mick Foley vs. Rocky Balboa, and I don't - but they were four very good matches. When I saw the three-way tag among Suicide & Daniels vs. Lethal Consequences vs. The Motor City Machine Guns I was worried it would be like too many other cluttered three-ways. But it was a good, enjoyable spotfest that did set up the Daniels vs. Suicide X Division Title fight on Sunday. But the match of the night almost unbelievably was...

Matt Morgan vs. Kurt Angle: Granted, I don't know as I've ever seen Kurt Angle have a bad match, but in taking all of Morgan's offense and selling how much it hurt, Angle has made me eat my words. Matt Morgan impressed me for once. Good for him. It was also a positive how Angle acknowledged at the end that he too was impressed by Morgan. Which was a theme throughout the night of ...

Respect: Sting vs. Eric Young began with EY applauding Sting's entrance and Sting shaking his opponent's hand. Team 3D and Beer Money voiced respect for one another and looked down on the heel British Invasion team for not showing respect. TNA has been carrying on about this respect thing ever since Sting's short-lived heel turn and it never really meant more than a hill of beans until the Team 3D tournament started. Now it's become clear that respect = admiration, albeit begrudging, for one's opponent. Because TNA has erased the lines separating heels from faces for the most part, they can actually put forward this respect attitude. It's different from anything the competition does and it works as it feels 'real' in a sports context.

Kong/Love Contract Signing: Dear God! There's been a Jim Cornette sighting! Call the Enquirer! Seriously, it was good seeing James E. back again and I hope we see more - likely as the eventual arbiter between Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Contract signings are the biggest cliche in wrestling and when I saw the long table I was wondering who was going to leap out from under it. Surprise! No one did! But the Angelina Love foot-in-mouth disease monologue offering Kong a makeover was priceless. Somehow I think Love will retain the Knockout title on Sunday. First, she can talk. And second, the more frustrated Kong is, the more charismatic she becomes.

Foley vs. Rocky Balboa: There will be many a wrestling fan who will have HATED this, um, match particularly as it came at the end of the show. Personally, I thought it was hilarious and the People's Elbow being dropped on "Rocky" was a very nice touch - both subtle and unsubtle simultaneously. It also led to the classic finale of all the main event participants hitting their finishers with one man - Foley in this case - standing tall at the end.

IMPACT MISSES

Jeff Jarrett really CAN'T Sell a Leg Injury: I would have given Samoa Joe's stomping of ol' Double J a Hit, except that Jarrett waltzing out to attack Foley at the end of the show, fresh as a daisy and only lame in his choice of wrestling tights ruined the whole thing. There are a lot of things to admire about Jeff Jarrett, but there are reasons why he was never the main man in any company until he started his own and mentally going to sleep and forgetting he was badly hurt really highlights his flaws as a performer. Little did we know that Foley's comment from a few weeks back ("Jeff can't even sell a fake leg injury,") repeated by Don West on Thursday, would prove sadly prophetic.

A.J. Styles Promo: Damn, you know, as great a wrestler as A. J. Styles is, he sounds incredibly fake when doing a promo. Just so you know, I taught acting for years and I can tell you exactly what A.J.'s doing wrong. He's imitating what he thinks a wrestling promo should sound and look like rather than just believing what he's saying. There have to be a ton of people, actors and such, in the Orlando area who could help him with this. They're easy to find. Usually they're the waiters on the lunch shift at the Olive Garden.

Jenna: Speaking of people who can't do promos, Jenna Morasca makes A.J. look like Al freaking Pacino. I don't know where this sad, sad storyline between Jenna and Sharmell is going to lead, but it won't lead anywhere good.

HIT- Don West: I couldn't end this with the bad taste of Jenna Morasca's storyline in my mouth. Rather, let's and with applause for the minty fresh cynicism of Don West. He's really getting into this grumpy guy who can't admit he's wrong shtick with gusto. Clap clap clap.

Hubert O'Hearn is a new PWTorch Specialist covering TNA Impact with a weekly Hits & Misses column. You can read Hubert's Hits & Misses column and Chris Reed's new TNA Hits & Misses column weekly on PWTorch.com

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