This article includes both a review of TNA’s latest edition (September 2nd) of Impact (Questions And Comments), and a look at the finalized card for TNA’s upcoming pay per view.  This is the “go home” card, so let’s see how they finished things out prior to No Surrender.

Am I the only one who doesn’t see such a huge “controversy” over TNA booking a tag match with the semi-finalists from the World Title tournament?  Sure, they’re probably not going to want to get along, but wouldn’t they want to get a chance to get into the ring against someone whom they might meet in the finals, either to weaken them or get more familiar with their in-ring style?

Isn’t it nice that Abyss finally dispelled the rumor that neither Fourtune nor EV 2.0 is his “they” that he’s been referencing?  I never believe it, but I was tired of hearing people just assume that one of those two squads was his “they”.

Why would you cut to a commercial just when someone finally attacked Abyss?  Isn’t that an inadvisable thing to do while Ayss is holding his nail-laiden club?

If you had to rank the entrances of all the competitors in professional wrestling, wouldn’t you have to say that the Beautiful Peoples’ entrance as being better than Undertaker’s?  Velvet Sky crawling between Angelina Love’s legs… then the moment after they step over the middle rope… Gotta love this non-PG wrestling show.

Hasn’t it been too long since someone used a riding crop in professional wrestling?

Tazz just referred to a motorcycle helmet as being big like an engine… couldn’t he pick an item that someone in the history of the world might’ve actually used as a weapon to hit someone with… or even something that we could relate to as a possible weapon?

Are the TNA announcers and The Beautiful People the only people watching Impact who didn’t know that the motorcycle bodyguard chick was actually Tara?

Is TNA going to completely ignore the history between Stevie Richards and Abyss?  Dr. Stevie is how Stevie Richards actually made his TNA debut, and it wasn’t all that long ago!

As this show was taped over a week ago, is there any excuse for not having good camera angles on things?  With the REACTION program after the weekly Impact being of such quality, I don’t see why they couldn’t do better here.

If Abyss’ “they” are going to debut at Bound For Glory on October 10th, 2010, why are the announcers so worried about the fact that they can’t figure out their secret identities now?  I can understand speculating, but anything more than that is a waste of time.

Stevie Richards beating Abyss in this match with the slight distraction is an example of good booking.  It doesn’t make Abyss look that weak, and it gives a little more credibility to an EV 2 member who could’ve been seen as a jobber.  Six weeks from now, no one is going to remember this match unless they build an angle out of it.

Why did Brian Kendrick show up to help Stevie Richards?  Hopefully we find out by the end of the night.

Why does a group called FOURtune have six (active wrestler) members?  {AJ, Kaz, Beer Money, Matt Morgan, Doug Williams}  It would be okay if they were called “Fortune”, but the modified spelling and the jumbotron image using the number 4 prominently makes it pathetic that the group has 6 members.

It’s even worse when Tommy Dreamer says “the four of us against the FOUR OF YOU”.  Which 4 is he talking about?

Jeff Jarrett wants Samoa Joe to help him out against Nash and Sting, because apparently Joe didn’t make his point clear enough last week.  Is it bad that TNA has built up a reputation of doing things so illogically that I actually expect that Joe is going to end up helping Jeff Jarrett before the night is over, or at least by the time the weekend is done (with the pay per vew happening on Sunday night)?

Wouldn’t it be more effective to have Nash and Sting do something to piss off Samoa Joe, maybe by giving him a warning not to get involved in their business?  We don’t need the same Jarrett / Joe segment two weeks in a row.

Who do Nash and Sting expect will show up at their match?  I’d hope they don’t think Joe is going to show up.  There hasn’t been a bit of a hint of Joe being interested in helping out Jarrett.  If no one interferes on Double J’s behalf, then that segment was wasted time.

Why does Jeff Jarrett care so much about Nash and Sting tearing down TNA when Fourtune and EV 2 are running wild?

Hulk Hogan starts to show up, and before he can get to the ring, Samoa Joe shows up.  WHY does he show up?  I guess we’ll have to wait to find out, bu illogical booking strikes again.

Exactly how many “wanker” tag teams have been placed in front of London Brawling (Magnus and Desmond Wolfe) to make them worthy of being the #1 contenders to the tag titles?

Does it bother anyone else that the Motor City Machineguns are called MMG instead of MCM? When it’s just the IWC using the acronym, I don’t care as much, but when it starts showing up on TNA shirts, it’s a little annoying.

With a team that has as little experience and clout in TNA as London Brawling has, did they really need to setup the idea that Chelsea isn’t very happy with them?

THE Brian Kendrick is a little out of his mind, his recent promos he has given haven’t made much sense, and now he steps up to help out EV 2.0 and he’s the one making a reasonable argument for his inclusion?  I guess they can do this with small characters like Kendrick who barely ever show up.

Is it a coincidence that TNA is doing an elimination tag match less than a month after WWE does it twice (SummerSlam and recently on RAW)?

Since Doug Williams is wrestling sabu at the pay per view, wouldn’t it have made sense for Douglas Williams to be part of this match instead of Kazarian to gives us a little preview of things to come on Sunday? Or even replace one of the members of Beer Money.

Why would Fourtune want to single out Brian Kendrick just because he doesn’t have as much chemistry with Dreamer and/or Rhino?  Wouldn’t they have been smarter to go after Dreamer or Rhino, so as to leave a duo in EV 2 that doesn’t have chemistry?  I guess that would be too logical.

How great was the way James Storm took the Gore from Rhino?

Why would Rhino want to leave Tommy Dreamer alone in the ring to face a three-on-one just because Abyss showed up at ringside?  Now Dreamer has to beat Beer Money (the former tag team champions) and AJ Styles (the former World Champion)?  Would there be a worse trio to have to face like this?  How much credibility does Beer Money lose if Tommy dreamer wins this match?

Whoa, Tommy Dreamer eliminates both members of Beer Money in the course of 30 seconds?  Maybe Dreamer and Rhino should be a tag team and see how they can do in the division.

How awesome was it the way AJ Styles flipped up and got a flying armbar on Tommy Dreamer?

I prefer the “face” version of AJ Styles, but does anyone else like the idea of AJ using the finishing combo of a thumb to the eye followed by the Pele Kick to end matches?

Did anyone else forget that there was a main event tag team match coming in the main event with the semi-finalists in the World Title tournament?

How much cooler do The Pope and Ken Anderson look now that they’re in TNA instead of WWE?  Their in-ring styles are more entertaining, too.

For the second week in a row, someone else knocks out an opponent and The Pope sneaks in and steals the pinfall.

Given the aftermath brawl between Pope and Ken Anderson, how good could their match be on Sunday Night?  Almost makes me want to order the pay per view.  Hardy vs Angle should be good as well.

TNA No Surrender Preview

Grudge Match
Velvet Sky vs Madison Rayne
Personally I don’t know why this isn’t a tag match featuring Angelina Love with Sky and then Tara with Rayne.  It’s a great opportunity to build both combinations into respected teams in the Knockouts Tag Division.  While I’m fairly certain they’ll have the tag match at next month’s Bound For Glory, I don’t see any reason why there couldn’t have been a dusty finish to a No Surrender tag match, giving more heat to the Bound For Glory rematch.
Grade: C
Continuing the feud but missing an opportunity to grow a division.
Prediction: Madison Rayne wins

Falls Count Anywhere
Abyss vs Rhino
I like Rhino, always have since I first saw him in ECW a decade (or more) ago, but he wasn’t exactly near the top of the card when TNA decided to stop booking him, and he isn’t the top guy in EV 2.0 right now.  De-push for Abyss after the strong angle against RVD.  Still, these two guys are great brawlers, so it could be a fairly decent match.
Grade: B-
TNA needs a hardcore division.
Prediction: Abyss wins

X Division Title
Sabu vs Douglas Williams (c)
Jay Lethal is the number one contender for the belt, but he gets passed over for the sake of EV 2.0 battling Fourtune.  This could be a fairly good match, since Sabu is innovative and Douglas Williams is one of the very best in TNA at technical wrestling.  At least the belt has been made to seem important this month.
Grade: B
Extending a reign with a match that helps continue a bigger feud.
Prediction: Douglas Williams keeps the belt for the big ppv showdown with Jay Lethal on October 10th.

Tag Team Match
Kevin Nash & Sting vs Jeff Jarrett & Samoa Joe
So two weeks in a row, Samoa Joe tells Jeff Jarrett that he’s not interested in getting involved in Jeff’s business, then he shows up and helps Jeff out for reasons we’ve not yet been told.  Now it’s a tag match at the pay per view?  Okay…
Grade: C
At least it gets Samoa Joe on the card, and the guys who still like Nash / Sting / Jarrett will get to see one of TNA’s better young talents.
Prediction: Sting & Nash win, giving Joe reason to hate somebody enough to have a pay per view match at Bound For Glory.

I Quit Match
AJ Styles vs Tommy Dreamer
If AJ Styles can’t be in the world title tournament, at least he’s get the chance to wrestle a guy who is good at making battles heated and is being considered the lead guy for EV 2.0.  What happened to the Kaz / AJ tension?  Why isn’t AJ at least a semi-finalist for the World Title tournament?  At least AJ is helping keep this EV 2.0 / Fourtune angle in the limelight.
Grade: C
Top TNA Talent in an angle which isn’t anywhere near the World Title.
Prediction: Tommy Dreamer wins and keeps the hopes of Ev 2.0 alive, frustrating the IWC in the process.

World Tag Titles
London Brawling (Wolfe & Magnus) vs Motor City Machineguns (Sabin & Shelley)
The best tag team in the business takes on a pairing which includes one of the most underutilized talents in TNA (Desmond Wolfe) and a retooled Magnus who was drownding in his previous gimmick.  They nearly cut the legs out from underneath London Brawling on Impact though.
Grade: B+
Where did all the other tag teams go?  London Brawling losing this attempt isn’t going to help build them up at all, and it’s way too early for MCMG to lose the belts.
Prediction: Motor City Machineguns roll to a successful title defense.

TNA World Title Tournament Semi-Finals – Match A
Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy
Two established veterans on the same side of the bracket in a match which Kurt Angle basically can’t lose.  There’s no way he’d retire prior to Bound For Glory.
Grade: B
Should be a good match and I can’t say that I remember ever seeing it happen before.
Prediction: Kurt Angle, no doubt about it.

TNA World Title Tournament Semi-Finals – Match B
Mr Anderson vs The Pope
Two talents who were underutilized when they were in WWE are now one step away from main eventing the biggest TNA pay per view of the year with a vacant World Title on the line.  Very exciting time in TNA.  That’s not even mentioning their history with one another, given that Mr Anderson is the one who put Pope out of action for a couple months with an arm injury.
Grade: A-
Hopefully this is the main event of the pay per view.  Angle vs Hardy is too predictable.
Prediction: The Pope keeps pimpin’ into the finals.
If they don’t setup The Pope vs Kurt Angle, they’re missing an opportunity.  We’ve already seen Ken Anderson vs Kurt Angle happen quite a few times, and I think it’s too soon to put the belt on Mr. Anderson.