By Will Pruett

- While some people may be disappointed by the lack of a video wall for this show, I loved it. The change of production values helped to highlight the specialness of the setting for this show.

- It is amazing how much better an episode of TNA Impact Wrestling looks and feels when we see 12,000 screaming fans that want to be there instead of under 1,000 non-paying tourists. This crowd made the show.

- I’ve been critical of a large part of Bobby Roode’s heel run, but I must say that he is finding himself nicely with the assistance of Bully Ray. He deserves some credit for faking it until he made it and now he is finally beginning to make it.

- I don’t feel like TNA would have had that problem with Bobby Roode if they went in the more natural heel turn direction (and potentially a slower direction) right after the James Storm title win. If Roode would have had the time to develop into a more paranoid person, then became cocky this all would have felt more natural.

- Nothing is more disappointing that James Storm’s music hitting for a promo, but there being no promo to be found.

- While a four-way title match at Against All Odds does not excite me, from a story-telling standpoint it is definitely better than a three-way. I still don’t like going back to the Storm vs. Roode rivalry in a non-one-on-one format.

- The “Buckingham Brawl” concept was a little silly, but it is one of the better ideas for a gimmick match TNA has come up with on their own. I do question why TNA will not allow Samoa Joe and Magnus to get a true, clean win over Matt Morgan and Crimson. It’s not like the Tag Team Champions are over with the fans.

- For those that were wondering, the London crowd was chanting and cheering more for Joe than for Magnus. This begs the following question: why can TNA not seem to do something with an act that stays over despite how often their booking has sabotaged him in the last seven years?

- Crimson technically lost a match. He was not pinned, but he was on the losing side of things. I cannot think of an act that I dislike watching more in wrestling today.

- Did you hear that silence that Garret Bischoff was greeted with? That is what happens when a wrestling company edits out boo’s from the crowd because the wrestler is not getting over.

- Just in case you did not notice that silence, check out the “boring” chants that the Bischoff combo received. No one cares about this angle and the London crowd was more vocal than the resigned and unexciting Impact Zone crowd.

- I enjoyed the video package for Mark Haskins (who no longer looks homeless). These really do make the talent feel special and give fans a nice opportunity to get to know them.

- Haskins and Austin Aries had a nice, short match that ended in a mildly scary manner. Haskins did not quite pull a Brock Lesnar off of the Shooting Star Press, but it was close. Perhaps TNA should adopt WWE’s policy of banning moves like that unless the talent proves they are more than capable of doing them safely.

- Why did TNA replay the Haskins miss on the Shooting Star somewhere around 12 times? It was not pretty the first time.

- James Storm and Bobby Roode should not have wrestled each other in a singles match on this show. They had a good, electrifying match, but this should have been saved so it had more buildup. I won’t complain about TNA giving it away, but I will complain about it not being announced till the top of the show. This is the money match of the promotion.

- Bobby Roode does a Spear now? Is that a Canadian skill like the Sharpshooter? Is it wrong that I have no idea what Roode’s finisher actually is? He has not won a match with it since somewhere around November.

- Tara and Gail Kim had a preview for their championship match on a crowded show where it was not really highlighted. On top of that, there was a very clunky finish with Madison Rayne getting involved. This was not a good night for the Knockouts.

- Shock of shocks! Garret Bischoff is being trained by Hulk Hogan. The London crowd really enjoyed seeing Hogan, but he does nothing for me in this Bischoff angle. They are trying everything they can to get Garret over, but he lacks the charisma and skill to actually hold up his end. He’s another over-pushed promoters son that wrestling history will not be kind to.

- How exactly is it TNA’s birthright to be great? The company was created because Vince McMahon does not like Jeff Jarrett and wouldn’t hire him in the post-WCW era! That does not exactly constitute greatness.

- Why doesn’t TNA already say they are a big company? Every time they pretend to be “on the cusp” the audience just groans. Hogan made a speech just like the ones he was making two years ago when he first came to TNA. Those speeches did not help the company then and they won’t now.

- Sting rocking the cricket bat instead of the standard baseball bat was a nice touch for the London show.

- James Storm earned a lot of sympathy on this show in both of his matches, but I wonder if this overexposed him. He is definitely the next big babyface in the company, but they need to be careful not to shove him down people’s throats (lest he become Garret Bischoff).

- Storm was also the performer of the night with two very good matches with Roode and Bully Ray.

- What exactly does Star Wars have to do with Impact Wrestling next week? TNA never specified just what that means? Could my nerdiest of dreams be coming true with the 3D release of Episode 1 bringing on some wrestling cross-promotion? That would be the true path to greatness for TNA.

This was a great edition of Impact Wrestling. TNA pulled out all the stops for their largest crowd in history and made one of the best decisions they have ever made when the decided to put it on TV. The product, for one of the first times, really felt major league. There is something to running these large arenas and allowing 12,000 people to electrify the show.

Beyond the atmosphere, even the most “only in TNA” type of moments had their good parts. Sure, we would get tired of this type of atmosphere and settle back into critiquing the show after a few weeks of it, but it was clear that everyone from creative to the performers felt like this was a major deal and stepped up to the plate. Nice work from everyone in TNA.

Let's do some good old fashioned talking about this show! Feel free to email me at itswilltime@gmail.com or to follow me on twitter at twitter.com/itswilltime.

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