TNA badly needs a new announce team for Impact

TNA made its official debut on its new home of Pop TV last night with a live episode of Impact that featured the conclusion of the World Title Series. The show also saw the return of James Storm, who chose money over status, and the big "Miracle" reveal of Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis.

It wasn't a terrible show.

It wasn't a very good show either.

Really, it was an inoffensive two hours of television that did absolutely nothing to make me want to come back next week. I delegate coverage of TNA on this here site, but considering I actually get Pop TV (unlike Destination America) I decided to give the show a chance to see if the fresh coat of paint they were promising would shine it up just nice enough to keep me around.

Nope.

The biggest reason for that isn't Matt Hardy's baby getting far too much camera time (babies have no business on pro wrestling programming, unless they're being punted by Snitsky, of course), or Bennett looking like a Miami detective who is definitely on the take, or Dixie Carter being Dixie Carter. No, the main reason I have no interest in tuning in again is because I want to save my ears from the all out assault they would be under thanks to The Pope and especially Josh Mathews on commentary.

Here's a small sample of Mathews' from last night (you can watch the entire episode here):

That is physically painful to listen to. That voice is as though a small child is making a laughable attempt at putting some bass in their voice to try to sound like an adult. He speaks normal otherwise but when he gets excited, that's what happens and it's utterly unbearable.

Pope spent much of the night talking about sources telling him things and generally adding nothing of value. But Mathews' voice, bad enough on its own, was enough to turn me away for good.