Impact Reactions: The Not-So-Great Muta

Television Champion Eric Young garnered one of his biggest wins in recent memory on Impact Wrestling last night, defeating the #1 contender to the World Title Mr. Anderson.  Young donned the ring attire of the legendary Great Muta for the occasion and was able to best Anderson, who was still dressed as the early 90s version of Sting, with a spurt of green mist and a roll up.  This was easily one of biggest upsets in the history of Impact, and it was pretty entertaining to boot.  Post-match, Gunner attacked the Television Champion, but Sting soon came to the rescue, chasing off Anderson and delivering a Scorpion Death Drop to Gunner.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Young as Muta, especially the green mist, and putting him over Anderson lent a certain unpredictably to the show that I hope TNA can maintain. I dig it.

Meanwhile, the main event saw Scott Steiner & Jeff Jarrett defeat Kurt Angle & Matt Morgan after Steiner hit a low blow and Steiner Flatliner on the Blue Print.  During the course of the match, Karen Jarrett got knocked down the stairs on the set of the Impact Zone, and there appears to be some dispute over who was at fault.  Regardless of who caused the accident, I can tell you this much: I don’t care.  The Jarrett/Angle/Jarrett triangle has been utterly boring for months, and a Karen Jarrett injury twist can’t rejuvenate it.  Boo this feud, boo this angle, and boo TNA for continuing to move in this direction.  The rest of Impact after the jump. 

• Alex Shelley will defend the tag titles at Slammiversary alongside James Storm due to Robert Roode’s injury.  Yawn.  If you’re going to transition Roode into singles competition, there are better ways to do it than this.
• Hulk Hogan announced that Mick Foley is fired.  No segment featuring Hogan and Bischoff is worth writing about.  Moving on…
• ODB and Velvet Sky engaged in a brawl to open the show.  The action spilled from the backstage area to the Impact Zone, with ODB owning the upper hand most of the time.  It was wise not to have an official match decided just yet, as a feud between the two can definitely simmer a littler longer.  I also can’t complain about any segment that ends with Velvet Sky in her underwear.
• Crimson beat Matt Hardy in the first match in which I ever rooted for Matt Hardy.  I don’t like Crimson, and I can’t wait for his streak to end; I don’t care who ends it.  Every Crimson win is a sad one.  After he scored the pin, Samoa Joe attacked the cousin of Amazing Red, only to be speared for his troubles.
• Angelina Love defeated Miss Tessmacher in the match of the night.  I don’t care if they lack the technical prowess of some (all) of the men, Miss Tessmacher was part of this and therefore it was the match of the night.  After the match, Angelina laid into the sexiest lady on television until Winter called her off.  I’m enjoying the whole brainwashing angle, but honestly, everything pales in comparison to Tessmacher.  In the words of Ron Simmons, Damn.
• Brian Kendrick vs Kazarian went to a no contest due to a time limit draw and then because of Abyss’ interference, meaning that we don’t have a clear-cut #1 contender to the X Division Title.  I suppose Slammiversary will host a triple threat between Abyss, Kendrick, and Kazarian, and I can certainly get behind that.  I can’t wait for Abyss to lose the title, and it’s easy to believe that as a possibility in a triple threat match.  Go Kendrick.  Down with the reptilians.
• Bully Ray & AJ Styles engaged in a decent promo, setting up a last man standing match between the two for the pay-per-view.  Hell. Yes.

Not the best Impact, but not a train wreck either.  Hogan & Bischoff need to stop ending the shows, though.