Shore's TNA Impact Hit List: Sting and EC3 impress, as does Sam Shaw and the Knockouts, Bobby Roode and Kurt Angle Hit and miss, while Magnus and company miss on the coronation

By Chris Shore

TNA Impact Hits

Kurt Angle and Gunner vs. Bobby Roode and James Storm: A fun match with an interesting twist seeing Beer Money back together (kind of). Storm the heel and Gunner the babyface hasn't caught on yet but I think it has some potential and is at least a different idea than most people thought for these two. Angle and Roode doesn't set me on fire because it feels like they have done it to death, but they do make a good pair in the ring.

Sting vs. EC3: EC3 has impressed me since debuting and Sting has been on point, most of the time anyway, with this program. It also works to Sting's strengths as the veteran who has been reduced to brawling in the ring. He gets to give Carter a rub and the match doesn't have to be a technical masterpiece to be a success. He wants to slap around the smug kid and that's exactly what should happen. As long as EC3 comes out on top, of course.

Sam Shaw: Shaw's American Psycho character might have potential ultimately, and he was sufficiently creepy enough here to get a Hit (kudos to Christie Hemme too), but I still think they need to do more to make the act make sense for most people. I'm willing to bet the majority of the crowd didn't see the movie and don't get the similarities to the character. I am one of those people, but again, there's plenty of good stuff with this character so far to build on. I would put him in tights though. The street clothes look second rate.

Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne: Even though the match wasn't that impressive, the crowd was hot for Madison (one of the few things they were hot for) and while Kim isn't the best promo either, she draws sufficient heat to make this a Hit. I still don't get the partnership with Lei'D Tapa, but maybe we'll get a good payoff for it.

TNA Impact Misses

Championship Coronation: Go away heat for Dixie and Rockstar Spud flowed over for EC3 and Magnus. Magnus will get good heat after facing AJ next week, but this was not a good moment for him, or anyone involved in this segment. It was flat early, then it got jumbled with both Gunner and Styles showing up, then it tried to turn the corner to interesting, but the people with microphones just aren't good enough on them to make it work well.

I also don't understand Magnus popping off to Dixie. I do like he isn't just rolling over for her, but it seemed out of place and could lead to clunky storytelling down the road if they change him over to a puppet. We'll see how it goes, but it is a clunky start.

Opening Segment: Angle and Roode argue, fight, get pulled apart. Lather, rinse, repeat. As I mentioned in my hits, these two put on a hell of a match most of the time, but the feud between them has gone flat and I don't think they can find the fizz anymore with what they have. They need something to kick start it, but I don’t know what that would be. Perhaps the best bet is to just bail on the feud after their Genesis match.

Bully Ray: Ray's character has all the trappings of a good act, especially considering his talent on the mic, but so far it is a huge miss. I'm not creeped out by him. I'm not intimidated by him. I'm not sure he moves my needle at all. That's the worst thing that can be said about a wrestler and his act. It isn't beyond repair, of course, but seeing him so sporadically needs to end to make this act stick.

Chris Sabin wins X Division Championship: Velvet's timid act is not working after years of watching her not be timid. Sabin's act isn't working for this viewer either. I hate when people thank themselves. No one does that in real life and it just screams fake. Over the top heels can be fun, and work, but Sabin hasn't found the right balance yet.