TNA Impact results and reactions from July 25 in Louisville

TNA Impact came waltzing back into our lives last night (July 25, 2013) from Louisville, Kentucky, featuring all the fallout from last week's Destination X show that featured Chris Sabin's heavyweight championship win and the Main Event Mafia running off the Ace's and 8's.

I'm C.J. Tuttle and last night I watched TNA for the first time in over two years. This has been a self imposed TNA fast, but I know you don't blame me. Anyways, I am looking forward to watching with an open mind.

I am also proud to be a new member of SB Nation/Cageside Seats and look forward to interacting with all of you on a regular basis.

Now onto my TNA stream of consciousness:

• I see TNA still loves stables, this has always been a problem with the promotion and it's disheartening to see the show opened up with a bunch of veterans (being complementary) talking about a feud with -- wait for it -- another stable.

• Last time I saw Chris Sabin, he was doing this: Watch

• What is the Main Event Mafia's incentive for having Chris Sabin's back? I enjoy seeing Rampage in the ring with these guys, I think he will learn a lot about getting heat from the group he is with.

• I do not buy Bully Ray as a big time player. I know I may catch some heat for saying this but his tenure as Bubba Ray Dudley is what I see when he is onscreen.

• When Bully Ray's lawyer said he would "crush Impact Wrestling" it made me chuckle. Talk about plucking a real life topic and giving it a pro wrestling spin.

• Jeremy Borash and Taz feud in the works?

• Repackaged A.J. Styles looks like an emo band member with painted fingernails. Hard to see this version after his title reign with Flair.

• Manik is the poor man's version of Sin Cara. At least he doesn't have sh*tty lighting. I like the emphasis on the X-Division, makes me pine for a cruiserweight division in WWE.

• TNA is the king of changing title belts.

• If the show isn't live, why call it Impact Live? TNA fan's in the audience seem completely oblivious to just about everything going on. They also wear more WWE shirts now than ever before.

• Sonjay Dutt's moonsault off the X-Division structure was clean. Come to think of it, majority of his offense was very well done. Manik took a nasty bump on the ramp, then for some reason Earl Hebner came down to check on him. Weird.

• Know what was even weirder? Manik hanging awkwardly next to the X-Division belt for like ten seconds, then grabbing it after Trent Baretta fell -- not even going to try and spell his new name.

• TNA One Night Only. They are bringing back EVEN OLDER GUYS? Don't they all already wrestle?

• The image of the wrestlers on top of the structure is something they should save for the 13,000 people ordering the pay per views.

• Still really enjoy the Jason Hervey style of backstage promos TNA uses.

• Am I supposed to be eagerly anticipating Hulk Hogan' s "decision" on the World Title situation for two hours?

• The Bound for Glory series reminds me of the period of time when TNA was letting the fans vote for who was going to get title shots. This was short lived to say the least.

• Mr. Anderson wrestling in jeans makes me think of wrestlers in WWE participating in a street fight -- not a good look.

• Email me: Who's finisher is better, Miz's or Mr. Anderson's?

• Wait is Velvet Sky in Ace's and 8's or does she just dress like she is? Mickie James and Gail Kim can still go in the ring. There is a real discrepancy with the females in TNA and WWE. Okay, never mind, Brooke Hogan just ruined everything.

• Dixie and Hulk were trying way too hard in their backstage segment. I expect this from Dixie but not from Hogan.

• Jeff Hardy still invokes a big response from the crowd, but it's hard watching him waste away in TNA.

• Decent match from Styles and Hardy. Was surprised to see Hardy tap cleanly. Hard to live up to some of their prior classics, but was passable. Another issue is TNA gives away so many prime match ups on free television. This match should have felt special but this wasn't the case.

• Bully Ray gets the "you're annoying" type of heat. Cannot believe they are closing the show with this segment, why not throw on the X-Division match last or Hardy vs. Styles?

Well should I be impressed? For a company with as many issues as TNA I truly would expect something better from their weekly television show. Everyone is going through the motions and collecting a (late) paycheck.

The storylines revolve around a Bound for Glory series that is vague to the occasional viewer -- two stables that hate each other to hate each other and leadership that is hard to buy into with all the backstage drama we hear about on a regular basis.

Grade: D+

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