Impact Wrestling Musings 15/10/2011

- This week's show started off with a fairly by the numbers promo from our World Heavyweight Champion, Kurt Angle. Absolutely everything that you would expect from a go-home show leading into a PPV. Bobby Roode did much the same, while putting over all his virtues to win fan support this one last time.

- Having a "dominant" heel like Samoa Joe go on a year long losing streak just flat out doesn't make sense to me. Fans still want to chant "Joe's gonna kill you!" in every single match of his, yet TNA continue to book him looking weak and ineffective, completely defeating the point. I know they want Crimson and Matt Morgan to become bankable stars, but it shouldn't come at the cost of Joe's credibility.

- While I was somewhat interested in the addition of a female component to Ink Inc, TNA just devoted a fair amount of airtime to a feud that got bumped from the Bound for Glory card. Admittedly, they filmed this episode weeks ago and had yet to make the final decision, but someone must've had an inkling (pun intended *snigger*).

- Is it just me or has the recently flourishing X Division grown stagnant again? Everything always seems to come down to the same four men of Austin Aries, Brian Kendrick, Kid Kash and Jesse Sorensen. While all talented, it's the same combinations week in, week out and I'm quickly losing interest. In my opinion, they need to keep the X Division Title on Aries and move on to a fresh opponent that can bring something new to the table, because the Wizard of Odd ain't cutting it.

- The Knockouts promo was hilarious for two reasons - Karen Jarrett trying to be clever through rhyming (what is she, Etrigan the Demon?) and Velvet Sky needing to stand on tippy toes to get into Karen's eyeline!

- AJ Styles cut a very cool backstage promo, which added much needed depth to his feud with Christopher Daniels. Before this, their interactions had been abit shallow, but I really liked the idea that the feud had spilled over into their family life and now the wives weren't talking or the kids playing. Also, on an unrelated sidenote, Hulk Hogan has been running his mouth in interviews, claiming AJ Styles is a lost cause. I would like to refute this vehemently! The only major angle Hogan has thrown Styles' way in the entire time he's been there was playing Ric Flair Junior, which was disasterously miscast for a fan favourite family man like AJ. He proves every week that he's a top guy and deserves a mainevent spot, but is constantly held back because Hogan isn't looking for a wrestler as his next big thing. What a douche...

- Who the hell booked Ken Anderson vs Scott Steiner? I mean, I can just about tolerate Anderson in the ring, but Steiner is way past his prime and looks on the verge of keeling over in the ring with every passing match. Hell, I think it even inspired a few BORING chants from the live crowd. If TNA ever need to cut some fat and shore up their bottom line, let Steiner go and nobody would miss him, I guarantee it. I suppose the major moment from this segment was Abyss' screwup and subsequent beatdown from Immortal. I'm loathe to see anyone in Immortal, but with them losing yet another vital piece of the puzzle in Abyss, just who the hell is going to be left backing up Hogan and Bischoff.

- I really hope they don't have James Storm turn on Bobby Roode because Kurt Angle put doubt in his mind. Just because one guy is finding singles success, doesn't mean he immediately needs to feud with his former partner! Bound for Glory should end with Beer Money standing triumphant, hand in hand, ala Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania. But otherwise, Roode had an impressive display in his handicap match, even coming out the victor. The hero's journey of Booby Roode remains one of the best stories TNA has ever told. Just don't mess it up with the ending, okay?

- In an effort to get Jeff Hardy over with the fanbase again (not that he needed it), he saved Beer Money from a beatdown. A cliche move, but a neccessary one if they ever want Hardy to be useful again. Saying that, I'm utterly confused by his backstage confrontation with Jeff Jarrett. Neither of them are booked for the PPV, so frankly I don't even see the point of them being there, let alone making noise about them being in the building. What this says to me is that Hogan and Sting are going to make for such a piss poor showing, that interference from Hardy and Jarrett will most likely salvage the whole affair. Am I getting warm?

- The closing contract signing between Sting and Hogan was downright terrible. They both looked completely disinterested, lacked any intensity whatsoever and even when it came to the traditional upturning of the table, Hogan did it in such a lazy manner, I actually laughed. The man has absolutely nothing left to offer the company and he knows it. The fact he's just had a contract extension for another two years must be a vain cash grab because it's certainly not that he wants to be there. The ultimate insult being that we've probably seen every move Hulk has left in his repetoire. He'll smack Sting with a chair, "punch" him a few times, back him into a corner, choke him with his foot and that's pretty much all he'll be able to do. Thank god there's a worthwhile mainevent in Kurt Angle vs Bobby Roode, as if this PPV was being sold soley on the merit of Hogan and Sting, TNA would be in serious trouble.