TNA Impact 19.1.2011

Mike Tenay and Taz welcome us to Impact Wrestling...

James Storm comes to the ring and says that after his vitory over Kurt Angle last week, he is happy to be the No.1 Contender to the World Title...
Jeff Hardy joins him in the ring and says that after being screwed over by Roode at Genesis as well as last week on Impact, he wants another shot at Roode's

World Title. Storm reminds Hardy that Roode turned his back on him and screwed him out of the World Title a couple of months ago....
Bobby Roode comes to the ring and says that although Storm won the right to face the winner of his match with Hardy last week - as their was no winner in his match, the Title shot that Storm earned is now null and void.   Sting comes to the ring and says that Storm and Hardy will now face each other later tonight and the winner of the match will be the No.1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title....

Gunner cuts a backstage promo. He calls himself a badass for taking out Doug Williams, Jesse Neal and now Rob Van Dam....

AJ Styles Vs Gunner
AJ Styles looked impressive in the ring, as always.
Chris Daniels and Kazarian come to ringside during the match and Kazarian clotheslines Styles behind the referee's back, causing Gunner to get the advantage and the win.  Gunner throws AJ Styles to the outside and tries to DDT him on the concrete, but Styles is able to push him away and escape....

Joe & Magnus are backstage.... they cross paths with Crimson and Morgan...

Bully Ray is backstage with Sting, asking for his shot at the World Heavyweight Title. Sting tells him to make an appointment to talk him about it another time....

Brutus Magnus Vs Crimson
Crimson wins a short match with his "Red Sky" Sit-down Powerbomb.
After the match, Samoa Joe attacks Crimson and both Joe and Magnus beat him down in the ring. Morgan comes to help his partner, but Joe and Magnus manage to leave the champions down in the ring and they strap the Title belts around their own waists.

Eric Young is backstage with ODB and he tries to explain that he can't fight girls. Eric has a match later against Angelina Love.

Garret Bischoff "Rocky" video package airs which shows him sparring and training... This was not good at all. I don’t know if I’m supposed to laugh, if I’m supposed to hate it or if this was some kind of sad, sorry attempt at trying to get Garett over in a serious way….

Backstage from last week, Madison Rayne cuts a promo after the match between Mickie and Gail Kim. She says that she isn't happy about the Steel Cage match with Mickie James that Sting booked her in as punishment for getting involved and costing Mickie The KO Title....

Mickie James is hanging out backstage with Velvet Sky after her match last week and she says that maybe she shouldn't have hit Gail with the brass knucks that Madison threw into the ring.... Mickie thanks Velvet for her help, but she was really hoping it would be the night she would re-gain the KO Title.

Steel Cage Match
Madison Rayne Vs Mickie James
I thought this was a good knockout match.
Mickie won by pinfall after hitting the jumping DDT to finish off Madison.

Austin Aries promo

Austin Aries says that he doesn't need the approval of the fans, he knows he is the best and he wonders if he has to go overseas to find some competition...
Alex Shelley comes to the ring to challenge Aries. It's so great to see Alex Shelley back in TNA! Great promo work by both guys.
I loved this segment and the pay-off is that we will get a great X-Division Title match between two amazing athletes / pro wrestlers.

ODB and Winter brawl backstage. Winter gets the advantage and whips ODB with her belt and chokes her out before leaving...

Angelina Love Vs Eric Young
After Eric Young's hilarious little lock-up with the referee routine, Angelina Love hits Eric with a low blow and gets DQ'd. ODB comes to the ring to help Eric from a 2-on-1 attack by Angelina and Winter and they end up sharing a kiss.
Eric is pretty funny, but this whole segment was obviously more for laughs than anything else. I'm not sure that it did anyone involved much good long-term.

James Storm cuts a backstage promo on right now being his time and he says that he isn't going to let Jeff Hardy get in his way tonight...

Jeff Hardy Vs James Storm
This was a a very good match.
For the finish, Bully Ray came to the ring and beat down both guys as part of the arrangement he has with Bobby Roode (to protect him if he gets a shot at the title in return).  Bobby Roode also comes to the ring and beats down Hardy and Storm with the World Heavyweight Title belt before Impact goes off air....

Overall, I thought this was a  good edition of Impact Wrestling.

I didn't like the "Garett Bischoff is Rocky" videos
I didn’t like the Eric Young / ODB comedy sketches...
TNA need more hours of TV time each week. There was no time to feature an X Division match this week.

There was a couple of good TV matches (The Steel Cage Match and the main event) and a few good, strong promo segments.   It's great to see Alex Shelley back and into a feud with Austin Aries.
It seems like TNA may be building towards a Fatal 4-Way match between Roode, Storm, Hardy and Bully Ray. Bobby Roode is doing such a great job as World Champion.
Bully Ray is awesome every week and credit to Jeff Hardy for having some really good matches in TNA recently, despite being in a lot of back pain.