Impactful Feedback: How Dare You?

Surprise, dorks
Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com

I gotta say, I really enjoyed AJ Styles' return to TNA on Thursday. I haven't seen much of TNA over the last month thanks to work, so I'm not sure how the build was to the big moment, but it did pay off. I might have stretched things out a little further. I think it would be cool to have Styles and Magnus take on the same challengers for a month or two, alternating wins over guys so that they could have both laid claim to being the Champ rather than hotshotting it immediately following Magnus's win.

Regardless, I lost myself in the programming just a little bit when I realized that Styles was back. Then, I realized that I already know the outcome to the storyline. I really didn't feel like it required the 25 minutes that TNA gave it to build up to that ultimate moment, because you already knew what was happening. It was a bit lengthy with what seemed like pointless filler to me, but it is a big angle for the company.

The second minor disappointment was bringing out Gunner to tease cashing in his Feast or Fired briefcase. I get why they did it, but surely there was some other way to get the eyes on the ring and off the crowd so Styles could sneak in. It was also a nice touch because he and Styles are both from Georgia, so the whole "four phone calls from the same area code" angle made you question whether it the absent Champion checking in or not. Again, I missed nearly a month's-worth of programming, so I'm not completely up to date, but I feel like Gunner finalized his heel turn on James Storm. Yet, he teamed with Kurt Angle and then seemingly was "in" on Styles' return angle make him seem like a face.

However, all seemed right with the world when Styles finally burst through the ropes and chased all of Team Dixie out of the ring. I won't lie, I marked out a little bit. Styles even went on to cut a really good promo for his standards, even though it also seemed a bit long. Regardless, I really bought into what he was selling and felt like he was the one true Champion (maybe because he is). He even managed to pull a halfway decent promo out of Magnus (even though I still could have done without him and the microphone) which is a lot to say when guys like Sting and Angle just made Magnus sound like a total moron.

The fan in me then kept hoping that they would make the match for Genesis when it was a live event and that they might scrap what they've already done in tapings, but it was for not. I'll still take what I can get. I can really see this storyline going a lot of different ways. Perhaps TNA is working us more than we think (hopefully). And if they keep running angles like the one that closed this week's Impact, I could see much better of a show for them forthcoming.

As of right now, TNA has managed to reel me in, but I don't have the confidence in them to keep me on the hook. I feel like they've dangled this in front of me just to cut the line and leave the hook in my cheek. I hope this is all an elaborate work because if not, things are going to be thin going forward.