TNA Impact Hitlist: Hardcore wrestling returns with glass tables, weapons matches, and hardway blood, plus Awesome Kong, A.J. Styles, Kurt Angle

TNA Impact Hits

Gauntlet Weapons Match: Don't get me wrong, I didn't like the gimmicky idea of having the wrestlers bring weapons into the match, but the match was entertaining and was a better main event than TNA generally presents on Impact. I did laugh a few times at some of the absurd moments, particularly when Matt Morgan and Tomko brawled to the back, yet were still allowed to compete in the match as if nothing had happened. Obviously, the highlights of the match were the times when A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle were given one-on-one time. Well, at least until the ladder spot that opened that nasty gash on Angle's head.

LAX and Christian Cage and Rhino vs. Team 3D and James Storm and Robert Roode: Good, nonstop action with all eight wrestlers working rapid fire spots. I didn't care for the post-match angle with the glass table. More on that in a minute.

Sheik Abdul Bashir: The last three weeks of Bashir's videos have arguably been TNA's finest work in the vignette department. I actually enjoyed the first two Bashir vignettes more than the one that aired on Thursday, but he's doing a very nice job on the stick by delivering thought provoking material.

Frank Trigg on Karen Angle's show: Yes, the storyline that Spike TV would ask Karen to interview one of Kurt's friends the week after one of his other buddy's crashed the set was ridiculous, but that doesn't change the fact that Trigg was very good in his role. His smartass comments regarding Karen's lack of support for Kurt was very well done.

Awesome Kong vs. Salinas: Short, effective squash. It's important to make Kong look more dominant than ever now that she lost the TNA Knockouts Title.

TNA Impact Misses

Hardcore wrestling: Did the TNA creative team purchase WWE 24/7 and start watching old ECW footage? Seriously, what inspired this odd step back in time to hardcore wrestling? Did TNA make Hard Justice their hardcore pay-per-view and not bother to tell anyone? Don't they realize that hardcore wrestling—especially their sappy version of it—is passe? Will they ever attempt to deliver a standard pro wrestling pay-per-view that doesn't include a slew of silly gimmick matches?

Glass table spot: The post-match angle with the heels putting Homicide through the glass table didn't do much for me. The glass table should be rolled out once per year to make it seem meaningful. In some ways, they blew this the first time by not having Christian sell the effects by sitting out for several weeks. This time around, they cut quickly to commercial and didn't make much of a fuss over it. Granted, they questioned whether Homicide would be able to compete at the pay-per-view, but they should have done more in both cases to make the table spot seem meaningful. Why not show both wrestlers being stretchered out of the building and then get regular updates on their condition from one of their many backstage personalities?