I haven't been watching iMPACT, but you're description(s) of the Jackson James storylines is starting to remind me of retread Eugene.

Finally some wrestling (and very good wrestling too!) on the show and less talk.

I think TNA needs to break up Beer Money in the future and give Roode a big singles push. He has major star potential. I wouldn't mind seeing the belt back on Joe at sometime either. Hardy and Anderson don't do it for me.

I doubt Morgan will be winning the belt, although I would love to see it.

Kev, as always I love the review and after watching the show (it's on two day delay in Aus so I get to read your review before I watch it) I agree with most of it but I do have a couple of little picks. The whole thing with Morgan, Rhino, Anderson etc would've been better left as a point to go out on, it would've set up the PPV better. The bigger issue is Morgan getting busted open. It did nothing for me for the simple reason that every other week someone on TNA gets busted open. Blood should be used judiciously and sparingly to add to the intensity of the moment. After seeing it all the time it loses its impact. Granted it was Morgan this time rather than Flair doing his normal blade job (and he should be ashamed, he's become such a sad parody of himself that every appearance diminishes his legacy that little bit more) but still, I was left thinking, "oh, another TNA guy bleeding, big deal." Of course WWE has gone too far the other way but that's another story. Having said that I still enjoyed this show more than some recent episodes. Just my two cents worth.

I'm hoping that Anderson's involvement as the guest ref means there's no chance of the predictable "ref screws Morgan, joins Immortal" scenario. If Anderson sides with the guys that gave him a concussion, even if he was "in on it from the beginning", it will stretch the boundaries of wrestling logic even further. But, with Vince Russo, you can never be sure. I wonder if he swerves as much when he's driving as when he's booking.

Question: Does anyone take this crap that TNA is trying to force-feed us seriously?

Kev, I'm sure you were distracted, a bit, during the 3 way divas match but, this week Serita pinned Angelina, not Madison. Was really hoping that Mickie wouldn't have been able to keep that dress up and, finally, where do you think the story line between Love and Katie is going. BTW, did any of the guys wrestle Thursday.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Yep, you're right that it was Love who was pinned, not Rayne. I fixed it.

Real decent show. the 4-team match was really a two matches in one with Ink versus Beer Money and MCMG versus Gen Me. It was great action but a dumb concept. Angelina's body-fat has to be 1% at this point. I'm okay with the Sarita push but I didn't like that they had her steal the victory because she had no spots in the whole match. I'm never real happy with wrestlers being sngers on the show (Michael Hayes and Jericho included) but if they're going to do it then please have the acoustics set for the TV show. You could hardly hear Micki or make out the lyrics. Do it well, or don't do it at all. BTW, "Bad Street USA" had a "catchy melody and was easy to dance to. Dick, I'll give it an 85!" (With apologies to rate a record American Bandstand, 1957-1998.)

I also remember the concert angle being done in the WWE once. If memory it was in 2002 when Chris Jericho was performing with Fozzy and then Ric Flair attacked Jericho and destroyed the set.

I like the Tara-Mickie James build up. It reminds me of the good old days of Georgia Championship Wrestling days.

Am I the only one concerned about the KISS reference by Devon? The last time KISS was mentioned on a show run by Vince Russo, The Demon appeared. I'm just hoping that history doesn't repeat itself.

Eric Young is TNA's Hornswaggle.

I'm surprised that Ric Flair didn't blade himself at the announce table. I was waiting for it to happen.

How does Morgan end up looking naive for not seeing a nonsensical heel turn? What possible reason would Anderson have to side with Hardy other then Russo being a moron who loves double crossing swerves?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Well, Anderson does refer to himself as an a**hole. I wouldn't say he's the most trustworthy guy. He even alluded to the fact that he wasn't thrilled that Morgan took his spot against Hardy after he was injured.

That was the most decent Impact I've seen in weeks, though I'm asking myself: When did "Hardcore Country" become a hit single as the announcers kept saying? I thought having Young out during Mickie/Tara segment was pretty darn funny... though maybe it doesn't take much to amuse me.

Speaking of amusing, was when Jay "Fist Pumped" Robbie E. though that segment was just way too long just to get to the payoff. For whatever reason, the crowd seemed in the the whole thing from the start.

No it's just not you, Kev. My sis and I have been saying for a while that Love's in serious need of a sandwich.

As for Anderson, here's my logic on the whole thing. When he came out, I didn't like the way he was swinging that pipe everywhere. His promo came off a little shady. The only reason Anderson would swerve on Morgan is that he lost his title shot because of Hardy. It would only be fitting in his mind that he would be the one to defeat him for the belt. Hardy's victory will probably come off as some kind of "mistake" on Anderson's part, keeping his character in the shade of grey. That's gotta make some sense. Right, Kev?

I agree that you can just smell the swerve of Anderson turning on Morgan at the PPV. Hopefully it doesn't happen, as I think Morgan winning the title and he and Anderson fighting off Immortal for a few months while their personal issues and competitiveness with each other boils over would be a great program. Sad that it most likely won't happen.

Kevin it is your blog and your opinions, that and the hundreds of minions that blindly follow you but seriously you are now calling out TNA for "ripping off" a WWE angle? C'mon really? All wrestling is the "ripping off" of somebody else's angle. It's a simple structure base,set upon simple foundations,wrestling "angles" have been going on for a 100 years, what exactly defines "NEW" to you? Just like Rock-N-Roll everything is a build from it's roots re: the blues,why would you expect wrestling to be different? The only new things are the truly ridiculous re: the birth of the hand in WWE. So please give it a rest, I know it is impossible for you to go through an entire post without criticizing TNA,I know you are the BIGGEST WWE mark south of VKM in Conn. but even you knew that the Anderson ref angle was good and a surprise,you didn't see it coming and neither did anyone else. TNA did a very effective job of keeping Anderson out of the limelight and out of mind and then poof here he comes pipe in hand and funny as ever. How this plays out is anyone's guess, but on Thursday it played out damn good, so how about when you think something is good from TNA you don't bend over backwards every single time to find a way to bury them. Are you afraid they may become a threat to your precious WWE? Impossible that they ever will so let it be,when they do something good how about you say so and leave it go. You have plenty of opportunities given to you to bash them no need to make them up when the actually do something good. You claim to long for the old territory days, I say that is BS,you would be trashing the hell out of World Class,Florida,and the AWA to name a few yet claim to "love that era". TNA doesn't have close to the resources of WWE and their publicly traded company, they err all the time but I would rather watch them screw up than have Vince cram his "roided up meatheads" on me every week. I watch WWE and enjoy some parts of the show but the constant over the top EYE CANDY, be it the men or the women is a bore, and has been for many many years. AWA had some of the greatest talents and angles on and off for years,yet the also had plenty of the worst,so does the WWE,so does TNA,so did World Class, and so on and son on. It's the old underwear analogy throw it up against the wall if it sticks,well you know the rest. TNA is far from prefect but I will take their product any day of the week over the WWE, the Anderson angle is great,the concussion angle even better,what a revelation an athletic organization actually attacking a major sports issue head on (so to speak),with the old school doubters calling victims cowards and sissy's (Flair etc) to the new school athletes telling us to wake up and smell the coffee (Anderson-Morgan)this is an issue long overlooked in sports and although this is being treated as a "wrestling angle" it is the tongue and cheek type of bringing these things to the public conscience that makes folks think about them and change their way of thinking I say BRAVO and good work. Give these guys 1/2 the damn chance you afford WWE every single week, if possible or simply continue to dog them every chance you get and watch the next WWE wrestler die his early death.

RESPONSE FROM KE: When TNA began the concussion angle I wrote: "I like that TNA is doing a story line on the hot button issue of concussions in sports, and I have no problem with heels such as Bischoff, Flair and Jarrett making light of Anderson’s condition to get heat." So your contention that I always criticize TNA and am the "BIGGEST WWE mark" (you should read the latest Smackdown entry) is way off base.

As for your point about angles being ripped off, I agree that there's nothing wrong with taking an old angle and putting a new spin on it, but the casket stuff with Pope and Abyss does not fit into that category. What does a casket have to do with Pope and Abyss?

Kev, during the 3D segment, Brother Ray brought Taz into it when he stated Taz helped them out. At least Taz admitted he was washed up or something to that effect. We'll see what develops.

I am basically a fan of the direction TNA is going these days, and Impact (Plus a little of Reaction) is the only wrestling program I watch these days.

Having said that, there were a few low moments this week:

1. After chasing people with a thick steel pipe, Mr. Anderson complains about getting hit with a chair crossing the line? And he's a face?

2. Eric Young's character is horrible. Note I said his character, not the wrestler. I liked his more serious heel character where he was part of the Wolfpac and the World Elite. Either go back to that, or adapt his face character to be more serious. Orlando Jordan can just be cut and stay off my television forever.

3. Mickie James' singing is atrocious. It might be the worst wrestling singing performance ever, apart from the intentionally bad performances some wrestlers have done to get over as heels. I'd say she is about the third best muscian on Impact, behind Eric Bischoff, who plays a mean Mexican guitar, and Jeff Jarrett, who I know actually doesn't sing or play the guitar he carries, but is probably still better than Mickie James.

The other thing that would bother me a little bit I think if I were in TNA creative is that the matches they've built really well these last few weeks and months are Hardy versus RVD for the title and Kurt Angle versus Jeff Jarrett, two matches I've love to see, but they are trying to sell a PPV with Hardy versus Matt Morgan and JJ versus Somoa Joe. Kind of odd, though I've got to give them credit for long-term build, I suppose.