Powell's TNA Impact Wrestling Hit List: Sting's contract torn up by Magnus, Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode, another X Division Title change, TNA's attorney gets a TV role, Samoa Joe vs. Rockstar Spud

By Jason Powell

TNA Impact Wrestling Hits

Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode: The Hall of Fame storyline was silly and I really didn't need to see a guy with Angle's medical history perform a moonsault off the top of the cage, but this was another good match between two of TNA's finest. As good as Roode is, I wonder if he would benefit from disappearing from television for a couple months and then come back fresh (and without Terry Taylor's old robe). He's a strong heel, but I feel like he has reached that point in his career where he could be an effective no nonsense babyface.

Samoa Joe vs. Rockstar Spud: A showcase match for Joe, who I assume is on the verge of challenging his former tag partner for the TNA Title. I continue to think it would be wise to save Spud's beatings for key moments. He's a pest heel and fans should be begging to see it happen rather than witness it every other week on television.

TNA Impact Wrestling Misses

Sting vs. Magnus: More run-ins and even a ref bump. Earl Hebner stands up to heel wrestlers on a regular basis, but Dixie Carter was somehow able to drag him to the ring and force him to make the three count after the usual batch of run-ins and a ref bump. This didn't feel like a high stakes match. It didn't help that Dixie recently mentioned that it was contract time for Sting, meaning she could have just allowed his contract to expire. And don't even get me started on Sting getting a title match despite the stipulation that he would never get another one again. Anyway, this should have felt like a big deal given what was at stake and it came off like another TV main event.

Austin Aries vs. Chris Sabin: The game of hot potato with the X Division Title continues. The hard work was there and I continue to enjoy the personality that Sabin is showing, but these title changes mean nothing and the bit with Velvet Sky in a cage distracted from the actual match.

Dixie Carter and Creede Williams: It's bad enough that TNA subjects viewers to weekly mega doses of Dixie's bad acting, but now they have the company attorney playing a part too? At this rate, I expect Dixie's beautician and pool boy to play on-air characters. And just when I had my fill of Dixie no more than 15 minutes into the show, they actually felt the need to plug her Twitter address during the opening match. Can't Spike TV just give her a reality show to stroke her ego enough to keep her off their wrestling show? Fortunately, it was Dixie free from that point on.

James Storm vs. Gunner: My favorite part of these two former tag partners fighting over the briefcase that contains a contract for a TNA Title shot is that they both had TNA Title shots on the live events last weekend. Granted, the television audience doesn't know that, but it still made laugh. Listen to the dead crowd during this match. Before anyone in TNA blames the fact that this was the second show of a two-show taping, they have to be honest with themselves and go back and listen to how dead the crowd was at times during last week's show. The same dead crowd clearly woke up for the Angle vs. Roode match.

Abyss and Eric Young: Is this Abyss and Joseph Park thing still going on? No, really, I doze off whenever there is even a hint of them dragging it out yet another week.