TNA Impact Hitlist: Kurt Angle vs. Sting in an Empty Arena match, Beer Money's new "loser leaves TNA" gimmick, farewell to Petey Williams, The Governor, Motor City Machine Guns vs. Lethal Consequences

TNA Imapct Hits

Kurt Angle vs. Sting: I didn't care for the non-finish, but I suppose there's no way to have a real finish when there was no referee present for the fight. I enjoyed the brawl. Good intensity from the two wrestlers. More importantly, there was good buildup for this fight, which served as strong hype for their eventual pay-per-view showdown. The creative team did a nice job of focussing on this particular match over the last two weeks and I hope they begin to show similar focus with non-main event performers in the future.

Empty Arena execution: Nice ratings stunt. TNA did a really nice job of making this seem like a big event by having the announcers hype it throughout the show. I groaned when I heard that they had the fans watch the match on monitors set up outside the building, but this worked out nicely, as the various shots of the fans cheering and telling the backstage interviewers which wrestler they were cheering for really added to the match.

Beer Money vs. Petey Williams and Eric Young: Very good match. The "Off The Wagon" challenge could be a ratings draw if they can keep it going long enough. I would actually save it for pay-per-view, though, as it could generate some interest from fans who are curious to find out which wrestler will be leaving the company next.

Petey Williams: Great reaction from the live crowd for Petey's sendoff. I hope it made TNA officials think twice. The X Division needs all the help it can get, and I can't believe they couldn't come up with anything for Williams beyond the silly Little Petey Pump gimmick. The creative team can't come up with anything for Williams? Then maybe it's time for the creative team to go.

TNA Impact Misses

Lethal Consequences vs. Motor City Machine Guns: Good action from both teams. I enjoyed the match because all four guys worked really hard. However, there's no real story to follow between these two teams. The Guns are apparently tweeners, but it seems like fans want to cheer them. Meanwhile, the Lethal Consequences team has been positioned as the babyface team in this feud, yet the fans don't seem to have much interest in them. The live crowds have been cheering the moves the two teams have done in their recent matches, but I don't get the sense that this feud is doing much for either team.

The Governor: The explanation they gave about this character sticking around to mess with the Beautiful People is ridiculous. The idea of a Sarah Palin impersonator appearing on a wrestling show makes TNA look like "Hee Haw." I enjoy Daffney's work and I think she's a solid addition to the Knockouts roster, but the Palin craze is over and this makes it seem like TNA officials are too out of touch to realize it.