Instant Reaction - TNA Impact 6/28
By Benjamin Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

Overall Score - 7.5

While not as newsworthy or exciting as Raw this week (obviously), I thought Impact was still an enjoyable two-hour show tonight. While Aries vs. Roode was put on the backburner for a bit, I thought the other main feuds, such as the Aces & Eights story as well as the BFGS, progressed nicely. The main aspect of the show that confused me was that tonight felt more like Open Fight Night than last week's show. With the X Division backstage segments and the Gut Check portion of the show, I could have sworn that TNA was booking a week in the past. Just an observation, though.

And, just like with previous Gut Checks, this one failed to deliver. I seriously thought that this Shaw guy was simply in there to be a guaranteed "No," especially after his lackluster match with Doug Williams tonight. However, TNA has reaffirmed that the judges have no idea what they're doing, and that the only way to win Gut Check is to be denied a contract. Joey Ryan's continued interruptions are very interesting, but it's a shame that TNA isn't treating the concept with more care. Winning needs to feel special, and it doesn't feel like that at all right now.

The in-ring action tonight was far superior than Raw 1,000. The Knockouts and Gut Check matches weren't too exciting, but at least TNA is getting over the new story with Madison and Hebner rather well. Both Bound for Glory Series matches were very entertaining, especially Storm-Styles. Even with the schmoz finish, the match felt like it had meaning, and for once Tenay did a good job on commentary building up the suspense. And, while I would have rather seen Bully Ray get a win, his match with Angle was another good one. A typical Angle match, sure, but still entertaining.

The Aces and Eights story is still progressing well, but is risking overexposure. That, and I'm not sure why TNA would choose James Storm to be the guy everyone thinks is in cahoots with the group. With all of the turns Mr. Anderson, Kurt Angle, etc. have had within the last few years, Storm seems like a really odd pick, and it makes any segment that talks about it a little awkward. Even using Jeff Hardy in the same scenario would seem more logical - at least his last major heel run would make it seem possible he's aligned with them. Overall, though, I think the story seems to be working out well. The opening segment with Sting was a good way to kick off the main focus of the show.

At the very least, we can all be thankful that Claire's appearance tonight was kept to a minimum. Also, the X Division Title match was another solid match. The Division really needs to develop some new characters, so hopefully a feud with King and Ion can help alleviate some of those issues.

Finally, Chavo Guerrero's return was okay. His promo wasn't too memorable, and I pray that he doesn't re-form Mexican America with Hernandez, but he looks good and the crowd was hot for him. All in all, tonight's show had a few up and down moments that were improved by some entertaining wrestling. The main storylines (sans Claire) are still appealing, but hopefully the Aces will reveal themselves soon. Otherwise, things will get a bit stale. Wait, didn't Abyss come back a few weeks ago? What happened with that?

Any questions or comments? Feel free to message me on Twitter at BTuckertorch.

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