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TNA Impact Reax #2: "TNA has so much talent on its roster right now that it was able to put on a loaded show." Mar 28, 2008 - 11:04:12 AM
Joe Haas of Columbia, Md. - Journalist (8.0): Best Match: Angle sparring vs. Tomko and A.J. Styles. Worst Match: I saw no matches that would warrant being called "worst" although some were better than others. I think TNA delivered a very strong, entertaining show with its first live Impact. Maybe the people who run TNA are listening to Jim Cornette: "Wrestling fans watch wrestling shows to watch wrestlers wrestle." TNA has so much talent on its roster right now that it was able to put on a loaded show, yet still not find time for Kaz, Chris Sabin, or the "Beautiful People." Hopefully, they'll get a strong rating and realize there's no reason to put people like Black Reign out there, or eye-rollingly dumb comedy skits. Maybe they gave away some stuff heading into the pay-per-view, but I think really they set up anticipation in the fans. Last night's main event doesn't make me less likely to buy the pay-per-view even though it's supposed to be the same eight guys. I suspect that's going to change anyway; I think maybe Sting will break off to take on James Storm, and team Cage will have to find a new fourth member. By the way, I've really enjoyed Christian's slow "is he or isn't he" face turn. I hope TNA doesn't spoil it by having Christian swerve his new allies, but that wouldn't surprise me.
Gerald Feinstein of Owings Mills, Md. (3.0): Best Match: Devine vs. Shelley. Worst:Whatever that was with Angle, Styles, and Tomko. I ordered the first five TNA pay-per-views ever and have watched two episodes of Impact since. Obviously, I keep up with the product through the reports on this website. Nothing on this show would inspire me to watch again or more importantly spend money to order a pay-per-view. It comes off as a place for WWE rejects (may as well add the Highlander guy to the roster right now - what an idiot) to go mixed with some good talent that Vince Russo has no idea how to use properly. The production values are terrible. Everything moves way too quickly and nothing can really sink in for the viewer. The sit down with Mike Tenay and Karen Angle was one of the worst three minutes of acting I have ever seen in my life. It was so forced and Tenay's facial expressions are just hideous. Everything I had read has praised the Knockouts divison... WHY??! That match was trash. Maybe it was ODB, because Kong looks like she can get it done in the ring, but other than the finisher, the match stunk. The MMA thing between Angle, Styles, and Tomko was a waste of my time and did nothing to show me that Angle is a badass. The main event was decent when Styles and Christian were in, but other than that nothing stood out. Good for TNA for the shot at live TV, but I feel like I just wasted two hours on absolutely nothing. I must however say that Christian, Styles, Shelley, and especially Tomko need to be in WWE. They are superstars. Random thoughts: Why is Styles booked as such a geeky character when he is a great wrestler? Why in the hell is Kevin Nash in a wrestling ring? What were the results of the last drug tests in TNA? Oh, right. Where were Curry Man and Shark Boy when I hear they are the most entertaining act in TNA?
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (6.0): Best: Angle-Styles-Tomko sparring session Worst: Lethal-Val-Dutt segment. The first live attempt by TNA fell flat based on one thing only: the announcers. The crowd was hot, several of the wrestlers actually seemed inspired by the live feel, the matches didn't feel quite so obviously choreographed, and the build toward Lockdown was the focus for a major majority of the show. But how am I supposed to enjoy wrestling when it's called by two people who have no idea about a volume switch? I suppose a good portion of it could be an acoustical thing, but Don West was squeaking through his commentary. They're filling words that don't need to be filled in, making assumptions that may not gel with reality, and after a while got me to turn on the mute button to watch with closed captioning as my commentary. As for the rest, what is the deal with Petey Williams and this torture stuff? What is this supposed to accomplish that does anything good for Steiner or Williams? And if I'm not mistaken, unless the rules specify differently, the heel team should have lost the main event by disqualification for failure for a teammate to leave ring. Hebner was a total doofus and let 3D doubleteam forever. Oh, what this night could have been. Alas, what a night this was.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "Impact Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on Impact, click here.
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