1/15 TNA Impact Reax

Eric Gall of Bridgeport, Conn. (6.5): High Point: Rough Cut, Styles vs. Steiner. Low Point: Sting vs. Hernandez. The Knockouts division needs a creative overhaul. The names of every new woman in the company are horrible, and the gimmicks assigned seem totally random. The company's biggest ratings duo (the Beautiful People) have been made to look like total fools in an Adamle-bad angle for a minimal payoff. Roxxi's character seems to be tweaked weekly. They keep giving Taylor Wilde mic time, and she has yet to improve. I think Sojourner Bolt really made the most of her opportunity so far, as she's shown a lot more presence in TNA than she's shown as Josie in Shimmer. SoJo's Rough Cut was satisfying because it helped establish who her character is supposed to be, and it showed that TNA isn't afraid to portray heels in a somewhat sympathetic light. The Rough Cuts are TNA's best vehicle for standing apart from WWE; more emphasis on the "shades of gray" aspect of the company would help brand it more effectively. Good match with A.J. and Steiner, with Petey's run-in showing that the Frontline is starting to turn the tide against the MEM. Foley had a good promo tonight; bad shape or not, Foley makes me want to tune in far more than Sting, Booker, or Angle. In my mind, he's being featured on TV just right.

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (8.0): Best: Ray's promo; Sojourner promo and Rough Cut. Worst: Beautiful People-Palin resolution. I'm giving tonight's show an eight, but not without conflict. The show was entertaining, but with flaws galore. Two of the three cases have essentially been wasted. "Lethal Consequences" were tag champs for three days, and Hernandez gets a lame DQ win without even looking good in the process. It was all about 3D (or Ray's) return. Homicide has the best chance to make his case worth its use, but I'm not trusting anyone in TNA as far as I can throw them. Ray's promo afterward was well done and addressed the issue of Sting's passive behavior in his beat down. It would have been nice to see a Sting follow-up to bolster his position either way and further the Ray-Sting build. The whole Beautiful People-"Palin" situation FINALLY ended...I think. There was finally an explanation for their embarrassment (a Taylor and Roxxi conspiracy). Did Angelina and Velvet sign a contract for a future match? There was no follow-up there. And how in the world could Angelina and Velvet be so dumb as not watch the news to know the McCain-Palin ticket lost the election? Up until this, Beautiful People were built as reasonably intelligent women. Sojourner Bolt turned in a very smooth promo which carried healthy doses of confidence and attitude. The Knockouts match had too many awkward moments to register as a good match. Is it just me, or has Matt Morgan gotten a little bigger since he started as a wrestler? And Shane is a referee again? Thought he was fired as referee and rehired as a wrestler. I just can't see really good things in a Morgan-Abyss match-up. Cornette assuming a management role made sense. Jarrett was off selling his match injuries and Foley was busy with the eventual Steiner-Styles match. Steiner-Styles was overbooked, but at least made a big deal of Petey Williams returning. It's another one of those nights where picky brain clashed with entertained brain. Entertained won the majority of it. [For the Microscope readers, during this episode was a commercial for the Royal Rumble which still included the visuals of Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. ECW showed the commercial with them removed. Something to chew on, maybe?]

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "TNA TV 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.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE PPV REAX #1: "I wanted the biggest event of the summer to end with an exclamation point; it ended with a semicolon and a question"

WWE PPV REAX #1: Battleground finish generates mixed reactions...

WWE PPV REAX #2: In-Person Battleground Report on overall show, reactions, more