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I think the dip might have also have something to do with how hard they pushed that Lethal was challenging Senshi. They built Senshi up a bit on the way to the title, but since the win, he's been an afterthought. That, combined with the fact that people don't know anything about Lethal other than the fact that he is the youngest guy in the company made that a match that casual Impact viewers (which I think we can safely define now as the difference between the .8 they get no matter when they air and the 1.2 they've topped out at) could skip. Had they maybe ended last week's show with Lethal going into Sting's dressing room and had Borash speculate that maybe he'd challenge Jarrett, they might have done a little better. I like the storyline the match told and the way they set it up made sense, but it might have hurt the rating a bit too. Just a thought.

I don't think the tapings are done yet, but here's early results from this week's show: credit: WO I think Jarrett and Lethal should be a fun match and I love the pairing of LAX and Styles and Daniels. Rhino and Joe should be a great TV main event, but there's no way that match has a finish. I'm guessing it ends in a big schmooz when Steiner and Brown run-in, leading to a big tag match the next week on Impact.

From Meltz: That's a shame since last night's show was so good and prominently featured some fresh talent. Is the difference smarks tuning out because it looks like Jarrett's keep the belt for a little while?

I don't know if I missed this announcement last night, but TNA has Sabin and Nash listed on the Hard Justice PPV section in an X Division #1 Contender's match.

I can't believe I forgot about that. That was one of my favorite heavyweight matches they ever aired on FSN. Garza was in the middle of a big push, having won matches on the past 2 PPVs.

IIRC, the only title match they ever aired on FSN was against Monty, which was a pretty good match. Jarrett's other matches during the era were treated as total squashes, and didn't even get the "can the kid do it" treatment from Tenay. Mostly during those matches, Tenay just talked about Jarrett's angle for the next PPV.

That was an energetic a squash as I'd ever seen. Best TNA squash since Monty pounced that jobber 3 times on the first primetime special.

Wow...after all they did to set that up to be a big surprise, Borash totally undersold it.

It seems like making Joe the number 1 face is the plan, which is the only reason I think he should go over Jarrett instead of Sting.

I'd normally agree with you BPS, but TNA basically ignored the outcome of that match, focusing on A) the fact that Joe abandoned Sting during the beatdown and B) Joe's interaction with Steiner. I don't think if Tenay every once said on Impact that Joe pinned Jarrett, and I'm certain they didn't run any highlights.

Notes from Mike Johnson: Using the cage to what should be the Sting/Jarrett blow off makes sense, but with them having established LockDown as a gimmick PPV, i dunno if they should it outside of that show. And while the Dutt thing makes sense, it sounds like something Jarrett would tell him to make him feel better for not getting a push.

For some reason, I'm really excited about seeing Kazarian and Bentley team again. Almost like the NAO when they first formed, they were two guys weren't over at all as singles who clicked as a team. Even after not being impressed with Kazarian's match with Senshi at the PPV, I'm looking forward to this match tonight. Any word on if they'll have Traci with them, or are they saving her for Bobby Roode's big solo push?

I like Joe/Jarrett and Sting/Christian as the top two matches for BFG. Other than that, I don't know what direction they'll go. Obviously, Rhino's got to have a big match since it'll be his homecoming, so maybe they'll blow off his feud with Monty is some gimmick match. I could see Styles and Daniels facing Kazarian and Bentley, or the Naturals. Outside of that, who knows?

I just got a chance to see this show and IMO it was just kinda there. It reminds me alot of Hard Justice last year, which was another TNA show I felt was kinda flat. The only things that I really were the LAX/Dutt and Killings match and the Team Canada segment. The tag match had a lot of energy and made me a fan of Homicide and Hernadez (I've never seen either outside of TNA, so I didn't really know what they could do). I hope they get a nice push in the tag division. I thought that TC thing dragged a bit, but Eric Young played his role to perfection and Scott D'Amore was a good enough prick to make it work. I think Young's face turn has a ton of potential. I almost wish they had a mid-card belt he could eventually win. Also, Rhino and Monty's angle felt like a big deal, but ended too quickly to amount to anything and the Nash deal wasn't as fun as last month's match, IMO. The 4 way was a decent match, but it definitely wasn't enough to save this show. It seemed like something was missing from the match....I don't know if they were pressed for time or what, but Sting's comeback sequence seemed incredibly rushed. The crowd didn't even really have a chance to pop for it. Everything else felt like it should have been on Impact. Overall, I'd say Victory Road was disappointing show, but I didn't really expect much from the line-up going in, so we'll just say it was middle of the road. This show's deficiencies stand out more, though, following the really well-built (and pretty decently executed) Slammy PPV last night. Hopefully they kick it into high gear as they beginning the long build to Bound for Glory.

It's been building since January. They can devote some time to the pairings that are just starting, like Styles and Daniels vs LAX or Rhino, Joe and Monty, because, in theory, the fans already wanna see Sting kick Jarrett's ass.

I'm thinking they'll start by traveling with the big shows, which would be a good way to distinguish them from the others. I don't know if the ECW Arena will look good on TV (can handle a PPV anymore), but I'm thinking Philly gets LockDown and Nashville gets Slammiversary. Whatever their fourth big show is (they haven't realized established it yet) will probably go to Vegas, since they've had a hard-on for running there since they first started talking about doing the 3 hour show with Hogan.

The non-kayfabe reason for the decision might have had something to do with that fact that both are recently removed from the TNA doghouse, though the Nats were headed there too over the haircuts. IIRC, Bentley had heat for missing a few house shows, which is why he was on TV, and Kazarian had been trying to get back in for awhile, but TNA decided to focus on the guys that stuck around. During the PPV, Tenay keep saying how much the bar had been raised since Kazarian came back, which I don't remember him doing when Senshi came back a few months earlier. That told me Kazarian wasn't in line for a big push.

I agree that it doesn't make sense for Christian to help Jarrett retain. He's entire time in TNA he's been talking about Jarrett being played out. I think we'll see Christian help Sting win, then decimate him either during the celebration, or Impact the next week.

ratings, from PWI: I'd say this little dip could be blamed on a pretty weak main event, which was even more obvious following the big tag match the week before.

doesn't the winner get the shot at next month's PPV?

I really thought TNA should have hyped their primetime special as a clash of the champions type deal. Maybe if they end up with regular live 2 hour shows they can do that now. Impact going live would be interesting, but they'd have to change the timeslot first.

From Mike Johnson:

To shift gears a bit, anyone else think Lethal's challenging Jarrett next week instead of Senshi? I know they were pushing that Lethal would go for the X-title, but if that were the match, I think they would have confirmed it. I'm almost sure they'll go for the plucky underdog match next with Jarrett, which gives them a title match on TV to draw with and makes sense since Jarrett's not defending the title on the PPV. And, IIRC, Lethal and Jarrett worked together on the NJ house show last month and reportedly had a decent match.

Shouldn't that promo have aired before Devine started hanging around in a Shelley t-shirt?

Two straight squashes was NOT the way to follow on the hot start with Rhino's awesome promo. Here's hoping this AJ/Daniels-Shelley/Devine matches picks things back up.