TNA Impact Hits

Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson and D'Angelo Dinero: The length of the match was a letdown, but they told the stories they needed to heading into Sunday's pay-per-view. A little more action would have been nice, but we did get a lengthy elimination match leading into the main event, so I won't complain too much. The fighting amongst the contenders was predictable, yet was logical and necessary. I also liked the way it carried over to the beginning of TNA Reaction.

Fortune vs. EV2: A strong elimination match. I could have done without the Super Tommy moment at the end of the match where he pinned both members of Beer Money, and I would have preferred to see more Sabu. Ultimately, though, it was an entertaining match that set up Dreamer vs. Styles nicely, and give a minor push to Sabu vs. Douglas Williams. I'm surprised they're not making more of a fuss over Williams vs. Sabu because that match would have been much more appealing with proper buildup.

Brian Kendrick: I didn't care for Kendrick's babyface work in TNA because he was still trying to play the same deep thinking character he played as a heel. It clicks as a heel, but not so much as a babyface. However, I think they found the right role for him. He was acting like he was in awe of EV2 at one point, and then flashing a sadistic smile before drop kicking the referee and getting himself disqualified later in the show. An unpredictable character is perfect for Kendrick.

Motor City Machine Guns and London Brawling verbal exchange: It wasn't great, but I'm just happy to see these four wrestlers get some mic time. The Guns need time to get their personalities over, and Wolfe and Ringo, er, Magnus are both good talkers.

Overall show: A minor hit. The show logically focussed on setting up the pay-per-view matches. They did the best they could, but No Surrender lacks a true main event. Angle vs. Hardy would pass, but there's something about it being a semi-final match that makes it seem less important. For that matter, it doesn't help that Angle's retirement stipulation is still in play. They could have worked that to their advantage by having Hardy deliver the mission statement that he was going to retire Angle on Sunday, and had Angle put over the fact that it could be his final match. As it stands, the stipulation is just something they mention every once in a while rather than a major part of Angle's storyline.

TNA Impact Misses

Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett: After several teases for the match that resulted in beatdown angles, they finally delivered an actual match that lasted all of three minutes. The cheap finish makes sense from a storyline standpoint, but I simply have no interest in seeing these two work a program together. Furthermore, I'm disappointed that Samoa Joe is somehow caught up in this mess rather than being booked in matches where he and the right opponent can tear the house down. I wonder if Joe is involved because they plan on working in the forgotten kidnapping storyline into the "they" saga?

Stevie Richards vs. Abyss: I question the logic of having the heel monster lose even in such a fluky manner. I could see if they were really trying to make a younger wrestler, and I know they are shorthanded with EV2 due to Sandman, but I don't think they picked the right guy to give the win to. Abyss got his heat back afterward, but the unstoppable monster hasn't looked so unstoppable lately. By the way, why did all the babyfaces who were pissed at Abyss for attacking Rob Van Dam just stand there and let Abyss talk during the opening segment?

Madison Rayne and Biker Chick vs. Angelina Love and Velvet Sky: There was a fun moment where Rayne was sandwiched between Love and Sky (get your minds out of the gutter). The finish of the match was clunky and could be seen coming a mile away. The big reveal of Tara as the mystery biker chick was no surprise to many viewers, but at least the big helmet and the bike are gone. More importantly, I'm happy to see Tara back in TNA. She's a good worker and the Knockout division desperately needs more of them.

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