Powell's Blog: TNA Impact TV looks more compelling than WWE Raw on paper this week

By Jason Powell

Mark this down because it doesn't happen often - I am looking forward to watching Thursday's TNA Impact Wrestling television show more than Monday's WWE Raw. This doesn't mean I expect Impact to be better than Raw or that I'm doom and gloom about WrestleMania season.

WWE is coming off a flat edition of Raw by WrestleMania season standards, whereas TNA is entering an exciting time in company history. I was not blown away by Sunday's TNA Lockdown pay-per-view. Bully Ray revealing himself as the president of Aces & 8's and capturing the TNA Title was hardly a surprise and it was more of a solid event than truly memorable aside from that show closing angle.

Yet when Lockdown went off the air, it was refreshing to know that TNA won't be following up their big angle that played in front of a big crowd by heading back to the same old dark and and dingy Impact Zone. Just knowing that TNA is taking the show on the road (and starting in wrestling crazy Chicago no less) left me feeling more optimistic.

I am excited to hear Bully Ray's explanation for being the Aces & 8's president despite months and months of seemingly conflicting evidence. I enter this skeptical that the explanation will be satisfying, though if anyone can make some sense of this it is Bully Ray. I am also looking forward to his title reign and seeing Jeff Hardy, with a chip on his character's shoulder, back in chase mode.

I am also looking forward to finding out whether Brooke Hogan will ultimately be revealed as being aligned with her storyline husband. Yes, mark this one down too, I am actually curious to know where things are going with Brooke Hogan. My suspicion is based on the fact that her story would be much more compelling if she turned on her father, whereas I'm not sure what else they could possibly do with her once she finishes sobbing about being taken for a ride by Ray.

The return of A.J. Styles from his Ron Burgundy post news station firing funk is also compelling. I could see a storyline where viewers are left wondering whether Styles will choose Aces & 8's or TNA, and ultimately ending up as the guy who ultimately tries to take down Bully Ray at Bound For Glory.

Meanwhile, Monday's Raw will feature Triple H responding to Brock Lesnar's match demands and a Triple Threat for an Intercontinental Title belt that has been devalued to the point that it means nothing.

If I had to wager, I would put my money on Raw being more entertaining than Impact. It's hard to argue with all of the star power that WWE has to offer during WrestleMania season and the history of the two shows. Thus, the fact that I still find myself more excited to watch Impact this week says a lot about TNA wisely timing their biggest angle to coincide with their move outside the Impact Zone. It also shows that while WWE has so many things working to their advantage, they don't always do a good job of setting the table from one week to the next. Here's hoping both shows deliver.