By Will Pruett

- The first thing the wrestling fans hope to see when a wrestling TV show starts is probably wrestling or at least wrestlers. Dixie Carter was once again called upon this week to attempt to act and start the show. It did not work well.

- Bobby Roode was really good in the opening segment. His promo style has evolved quite a bit since his heel turn and he is shining when given extended time to show it. It is sad that nothing he says has any credibility when he steps into the ring, but he talks a very good game.

- Does anyone else find it odd that Robert Roode became Bobby Roode when he turned into the suit-wearing heel?

- It worries me that instead of chanting for James Storm during Bobby Roode's promo, the fans chanted for Dixie Carter. It may make her feel better as she sits backstage at the show, but it doesn't get a new star over.

- James Storm is super into challenging other wrestlers to handicap matches. It is supposed to make him look courageous, but most fans probably see it as a stupid move.

- Madison Rayne has a crown again and suddenly her theme music makes sense.

- Velvet Sky did not look horrible in the ring, but I wonder how much of that was clever editing and how much was her actual skill. With so many talented and capable women sitting on the preverbal bench in TNA, why is the woman that probably has less wrestling talent than any of the others being pushed.

- Did Velvet Sky get a Knockout's Championship rematch? No one will ever care to attempt to remember.

- There was a segment on a wrestling show where two characters who do not wrestle sat in a park and talked about their problems. This would be boring on a TV show centered around people talking out their issues, but it is extra boring in the context of wrestling. These segments prove that authority figures are absolutely pointless in TNA. How many have we seen in the last four years? How has the show changed because of them?

- Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter are bad actors. This also made the park bench segment a waste of time. Nothing was accomplished in it. They had almost the exact same discussion (only abbreviated) in the ring later in the show.

- Kurt Angle's promo ability has become progressively worse as his career matures. I expect this as careers wind down with wrestling ability, but Angle is simply unbelievable in front of a microphone or camera.

- Austin Aries promo and (what I assume was a) babyface turn was very well done. Aries is a definite star in TNA and was given a chance to shine. The transition from his heel character to a babyface coming to aide another wrestler in need was still in the wheelhouse of the A-Double character. I question whether is was wise to turn him right now, but with the fans warming up to him, TNA may not have had a choice.

- Crimson and Matt Morgan still cannot figure out how to punch each other. Their short encounter was fine for what it was and I assume the count out was supposed to necessitate the cage, I don't believe they have chemistry. I'd rather see them kept apart permanently than feuding again.

- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Joseph Parks' cards become little miniature versions of Abyss and end up eating everyone they were presented to.

- Why was Mr. Anderson, a wrestler who has just returned as a babyface after a long period of character turmoil, put in a match with the most popular babyface in TNA? You cannot tell me that there was not a single extra heel that could have filled that role. Why not truck Gunner out there and have him beat Hardy by nefarious means?

- Jeff Hardy pursuing a rematch with Kurt Angle is an entertaining story, but it exposes the fact that TNA tells a very limited number of stories. When it comes to match finishes, TNA is not a creative company.

- James Storm's theme music is still the best theme music in TNA. I will never get tired of screeching "Johnny Cash Listening" along with it.

- I wish I had had the forethought to have my wedding in a steel cage.

- Eric Bischoff is doing a disservice to himself and his son. The heat that Bischoff can draw could be used to get another main event babyface over. The decision to use Garret in the role, while satisfying for Bischoff, is a mistake. He lacks the talent to support such a heavy burden.

- I don't deny the equity that TNA has built up in many of their main event stars, but that equity has not transferred to Garret in his brushes with them. Pairing him with Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan and Sting has done nothing for him.

- The training packages for Lockdown will probably be the best part of the next few weeks. I love the use of old footage and the decision to highlight these wrestlers as homegrown TNA talent. This is what we all hoped for when this feud started and TNA is finally getting around to delivering it.

- Austin Aries seemed like a natural fit with James Storm. I appreciated their interactions. I also appreciated the way the announcers highlight the turn from Austin Aries. This match did a nice job hammering home that Aries was still the same guy, but was now a good guy.

- The involvement of the beer bottle in the finish of this match leads me to believe the we will see the beer bottle again in Storm vs. Roode at Lockdown.

- I enjoyed the tag team match, but this show once again suffered from a lack of clean finishes. Why would a referee allow a wrestler to spit beer at their opponent? Wouldn't that mean an automatic disqualification?

- Aside from one exception (Austin vs. McMahon), all of the best stories ever told in wrestling have not involved an on-air authority figure.

- Hulk Hogan's decision segment was more pandering to the egos of Carter and Hogan than an actual meaningful wrestling segment. What changes in TNA with a new authority figure? We have seen them come and go for ten years and they are never the ones that produce change.

- The cavalcade of babyfaces trying to convince Hogan to become an authority figure just further reinforced that Hogan is far above the rest of the roster. With even James Storm bowing to his might, he solidified his role as the number one babyface, even though he cannot wrestle.

- Instead of being given the ball, Storm is being crippled by the drama at the top of the card, where apparently only authority figures can go.

This was a middle of the road Impact. It wasn't the outright offensive droll that last week provided, but the show is still showing signs of regression. The turn of Austin Aries can freshen things up, but I hope it does not weaken the character. James Storm's push into Lockdown is an enjoyable viewing experience, even if it is hardly the focus of the main event scene.

All of the Hogan and Carter drama drives me absolutely insane. I fail to see how any of it will matter in the long run. Wrestling shows happened before General Managers existed and they worked just find. Currently creative teams are at too dependent on the crutch that authority figures have become. It is time to be truly creative and give us some wrestling without authority mucking things up.

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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