TNA Impact results, recap from last night (Dec. 5): Better than you

TNA Impact returned to Spike TV last night (Dec. 5, 2013) from Orlando, Florida, featuring the semifinals in the world heavyweight title tournament as well as the latest in the AJ Styles saga.

Let's just get right to reactions:

• Bobby Roode and Jeff Hardy did their best to have an awesome match and they absolutely succeeded. I liked the finish for what it was, a nice bump from Roode from the apron through a table down to the floor below. A big spot but nothing too dangerous so as to be reckless like we've come to expect from Hardy matches.
• Ethan Carter 3 is a bad gimmick. The character isn't the worst, the delivery isn't bad, and the wrestling is decent enough, but it's tough to get over with something like this in a company like TNA. Running angles with referees is almost always a bad idea, especially Earl Hebner.
• Rockstar Spud is annoyingly good at what he does.
• Why are there cameras following around Christy Hemme and Sam Shaw while they're out on a date?
• Am I the only one who can't stand listening to Dixie Carter say words like "fired"? Am I the only one who is so absolutely sick and tired of TNA coming up with increasingly insane gimmick matches instead of just running straight singles bouts? Feast or Fired is an interesting enough concept but it loses value just for being done in TNA, thanks to all the other gimmick matches this company has pushed for so long.
• Bad Influence can make anything entertaining, even terribly stupid angles like what we've been given with Joseph Park. Remember when he was actually an interesting, sympathetic character? There's a difference between telling compelling long-term stories and just dragging your feet. Having someone investigate Park's background is actually a good idea, it just took far too long to get to it. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian are perfect for this role and this probably would have been great had they run this months ago.
• I hope WWE can finally sign Sting. He needs to get out of TNA and have that one run with the top pro wrestling company before he finally does retire. It's not that I think he can have great matches or be all that useful, though I think a great story could be told. I just want the guy to get his due one more time before going away. Perhaps that's nostalgia as an old Sting mark, but here's to hoping.
• As in love with the WWE tag team division as I am, I'm as equally underwhelmed by the current TNA tag division. James Storm & Gunner vs. Robbie E and Jesse is a marquee match involving the tag title holders. Yeah. And, really, this current feud is really just a way to get to Storm and Gunner breaking up.
• Gail Kim is better than this. She has no time for your shit.
• Magnus has been given a few separate opportunities now to really get himself over in big matches against the top stars in the company. And each time he's underwhelmed. TNA isn't wrong for pushing him, especially over aging veterans like Sting and Kurt Angle, but it would be nice to feel like he could actually capitalize on that push. Then again, even if he was doing outstanding work, would anyone notice?
• Time to give TNA some credit: The handling of the AJ Styles angle, where the feeling was they could do it better than WWE did with CM Punk in 2011, has been outstanding. Dixie demands he sends the belt back and gets a paper title to represent the paper champion she's hoping to crown. Styles sends a video along touting as much, saying if she wants the real world heavyweight title it will be with the real world heavyweight champion. Remember, WWE did all this in the course of one episode of Raw. An entire tournament and the return of Punk just one week after he left. The problem here is Punk actually signed a new contract with the company. Styles still hasn't done that and negotiations are ongoing, with the latest reports stating the two sides are still far apart on money. So the biggest angle getting the most time features a guy who may not even be with the promotion come early next year. That's not good.

This was your typical TNA show. Some good, some bad, some awful.

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. How did you feel about it?