TNA Impact results and reactions from last night (Jan. 24): No direction

TNA Impact Wrestling returned to Spike TV last night (Jan. 24, 2013) with a live show featuring Tazz speaking out for the first time since joining Aces and 8s and Jeff Hardy defending his heavyweight championship against Christopher Daniels.

And the same old same old.

Click here to get full results and the running live blog. Now let's get right to reactions from the show.

• I try never to harp on physical appearance in pro wrestling because if someone is good enough, it won't matter. But Tazz just looks way out of place in Aces and 8s. The short and stocky look can work in the right situation but he's a 40+ real old announcer who brings next to nothing to the table. It seems like they just wanted to get the group a good promo guy but he's even lacking in that respect. All he really said last night was that he wanted to hook up with a higher power and screw you. That doesn't explain why he got together with the group and turned the way he did. It makes no sense. Why did he screw over Bully and why are they feuding now? None of this was explained.
• I'm almost never a fan of short, transitional title changes but why not have Christopher Daniels win the title from Jeff Hardy last night? Hardy can't go on the tour of the U.K. and he was actually knocked out on an injury angle with Aces and 8s just to explain away his absence. Why couldn't he drop the belt for a month and then gain it back at Lockdown or something? Daniels absolutely deserves to carry the strap for a while and Hardy will just be hanging around back doing what? Pre-tapes? Think of how much better that match would have been last night had they did a title switch. It was already a great main event, this would have knocked it out of the park.
• Velvet Sky has improved greatly and Tara gave her a fine match. This shit with Jesse is just grating, though, and not in the way that makes me want to see him get beat either.
• Joseph Park might be the most captivating character in all of pro wrestling. He is the truest of the true babyface because he makes you want to see him succeed. It's impossible to watch him and not want to see him do well. He's awesome at playing the bumbling fool who is just giving it his darnedest try and it's going to be that much sweeter to see him actually put it all together. I hope Abyss stays gone forever.
• Kenny King downgrading to a feud with Zema Ion? Yeah, no thanks.
• Just as Park makes you want to see him succeed, Bully Ray did an outstanding job of making me want to watch him get vengeance against Aces and 8s. The storyline still sucks but holy shit, this guy can perform. He had me wanting blood by the time he was done with his promo, and that's how I was supposed to feel. He and Sting even had me shouting that Hulk Hogan needs to lift the suspension, even if it's a ridiculous premise and the entire thing is just dumb.
• Why isn't "Brooke Hogan thighs" a thing here on Cageside?
• Mr. Anderson: Still the most annoying character on television.
• Austin Aries and Bobby Roode continue to outdo themselves. They've found a way to put each other over while putting each other down in the most hilarious ways imaginable and we still get to see them do their thing in the ring. We literally couldn't ask for anything more out of these two. They might be better than Kane and Daniel Bryan and that's saying a lot.

This show had its bright spots -- all the usual suspects were on point -- but this Aces and 8s thing is just beyond ridiculous now. Once the words "higher power" are uttered, you know it's only going to crash and burn.

As if it wasn't already.

Grade: C-

That's it from me, Cagesiders. Now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below with all your thoughts on last night's show. What did you think?