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Either that or Lethal gets the X-title back. You gotta figure they'll want to do a title change on the big show.

I'm actually interested to see where the Joe/Booker/Sting thing is going (and for the first time in months, I've avoided the spoilers), so figured I'd get the discussion going for Impact. Here's the preview: Discuss...

Hmm, that was the first segment in this Lethal/Dutt feud that I think worked the way they wanted it too. It wasn't great, but it wasn't dreadful like the rest of it.

I'm just glad they didn't hold the title up. I missed most of the X-title match b/c I was on the phone. How was it?

I agree. I'm watching the show again and I'm enjoying much more than I enjoyed Slammiversary, which honestly, I fell asleep on. I was tired that day and had to watch the KotM after the show ended (I didn't miss much). I was tired Sunday too, but I wanted to see Booker/Joe, so I stayed up...lol. Seriously though, I think this was one of the better "throwaway" they've done in a long time. Couldn't agree more here either, Red.

Interesting take on the finish from the Torch:

Ok, after sleeping on it, I really feel like I should have hated the main event non-finish, but strangely, I didn't. I usually only order the "big" ppvs (LD, Slammy, BFG), and only get the others when they book a good card. I completely ordered this because I was digging the Joe/Booker build (Full Methal Mayhem helped a lil' too), so I should be all up in arms about them not giving me a finish for my $30. But strangely, I'm not, precisely because I'm digging the Joe/Booker feud. The match felt like a big deal, and for the first time since Angle/Joe in cage, the crowd clearly came to see the main event. They popped in spots all night, but mostly for spots. But when Joe and Booker were out there, they came alive. The reverse reactions gave me a vibe of the old Hart Foundation/USA feuds in the WWE when the Harts would be booed out of the building everywhere they went but Canada, where they'd get heroes' welcomes. It's not something that would work all the time, but here, I think it did. It actually made me want to see Joe kick Booker's ass even more, each time the fans booed him. Even as the beat down got going, I wasn't thinking heel turn, I was thinking good for Joe. They set it up pretty good with everybody doubting him, the people he wanted to be champion of turning on him, etc., etc. I really don't remember the last time the title picture was this interesting, and I can't believe I'm saying about anything involving Kevin Nash. So instead of being upset about the ending, I tried to figure out where they are going next. I wonder if it's gonna be a three-way next month, Joe/Booker with Sting as enforcer (which is what I would do), a tag match or four-way with Nash. IMO, TNA gave themselves a ton of possibilities for a compelling title picture between now and BFG. Clearly, the Joe/Booker program has legs. Usually, a new champions first challenger is one and done (see Abyss and ever other face champion they've ever had), but that's not the case here. Now if TNA did this every month, I wouldn't have been so understanding, but they've had finishes to their main events for months now. If this was one of those deals were there was a screwy finish to every match on the card, I'd call overbooking. But that wasn't the case here either. The only real interference on the card was Frank Trigg, but even that made sense within the context of the story, so no biggie. Going back to my WWE analogy, this reminded me of the Austin/Foley feud right after he won the title for the first time. The first match, they had ended in DQ, which I'm sure people groaned about, and then the next month they had a killer No DQ rematch. But yeah, I ordered the PPV and I haven't ordered Victory Road since the first one, and I don't feel like the ending made the purchase less worthwhile. They are telling an interesting story and I want to see where it goes before I start screaming. But if they hold up the title on Thursday like they always do, then I'll join the chorus. That's my 2 cents on the finish...

With the way they are playing up the Karen-Kurt thing, I think they are going to go with AJ/Angle first. I guess they could be saving that one from BFG or something, but I think they pull the trigger now and then do a long term Tomko/AJ feud. I love AJ as a face, so I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes, but this heel run was the best thing that could have happened to it, as it gave him a personality. Either way, AJ/Angle for 20 mins on PPV gets $30 from me.

From the looks of things last night, Joe/Steiner is where we are headed after Lockdown, and like bps, I'm all for that. Joe/Steiner in 2006 kicked all kinds of ass, to my surprise and everyone else's too. I think that's a good first feud to establish Joe with the belt before an extended feud with Tomko. Hopefully they don't do a one and done deal and they don't make it take a backseat to Angle/Styles either. This month showed that you can promote to top feuds at the same time. Hopefully they do that going forward.

I want to watch the show again before I really talk about it, but I thought it was decent, but not great. This was the first non-road show I got since last Genesis and this was certainly better than that. The matches that were supposed to deliver did for me (3D-MCMGs, Lethal/Dutt, Kaz/Cage) except for Joe and Roode, which was just kinda there IMO. The main event was blah after the pop for Booker and the booking of two heels for the next feud doesn't make any sense. Neither does the thought of Nash chasing Angle for the belt. The angle of 3D stealing the X-D title fits the feud, but how many times can they bury Jay Lethal, who's over despite their best efforts. I'm sure we'll get the obligatory tag match on Impact, maybe even at the next PPV. I do think, though, that Dutt and Lethal can have a long feud that revives the X-D. You saw them play nice at first, and then get a lil' tense before making nice again. I could see them doing a deal where they deal with 3D, Lethal gets the girl to go with the gold and then Dutt snaps and breaks something over his head. Then he does the peace deal where he tries to talk his opponents out of violence but vicious beats them if they don't listen. I could get into something like that. We'll see though.

Preview: Discuss...

It's pretty redundant to call her the TNA Women's Knockout Champion...

Wow, they finally booked the X-division guys to have some balls. Shelley was awesome as the voice of the X-guys, and I'm actually looking forward to the match now.

Tonight's a pretty big show for TNA as they've hyped up the title match for a week, hoping to pop a rating spike. We'll see how that works out, but I figured I'd go ahead and start the discussion. Preview: Discuss...

I only saw the 2nd hour, so I can't comment much on the whole show, but other than the stupidity of the title situation (that maybe I'll figure if the mystery is Booker T instead of Scott Hall), the only thing that jumped out to me from what I saw is that Robert Roode is really growing in his heel role. His promo was exactly the response he needed to not be buried by Fatu's "who the hell are you" promo last week and this is one case where I agree with the dirty finish to protect him, especially since they are planning to put him with Joe. That match also showed me how much better TNA would be with a heel commentator. Christian's interactions with Don West reminded me of Jerry Lawler's back and forth's with Jim Ross or Bobby Heenan's with Guerilla Monsoon. Him openly cheering for the heel was just fun.

If it is Booker T, do they save the debut for the PPV or have Sting announce him before the show?

I just noticed on the TNA live events page, they have location to be announced (which they normally list for road shows) for Turning Point, but Final Resolution is listed as has happening in Orlando. I guess they're going to go ahead a pick up the PPV touring schedule. I could see them going every other month next year with Turning Point, Against All Odds, LockDown, Slammiversary, Hard Justice and Bound For Glory on the road. Other than Hard Justice, those are all usually big shows. I wonder if they'll give TP to Chicago since they moved BFG?

Wow, I can't believe they flipped the title back. I really think they've run all the feuds with Angle that could possibly be interesting. With Sting, there were at least a couple of ways to go. Even if they did put someone like Harris in there and push him to the title, most likely they'd have him win by pinning Nash, who has no rub left to give.

Meltzer says Booker T (and Sharmell) were officially released by the E today. Anybody think one or both might eventually end up in TNA? I'm definitely not the "sign everyone who ever worked Raw type of guy," but I could go for a Booker TNA run. He could be very entertaining and can keep up with the top guys they have in the ring.

Maybe it's just because I want to see the MCMGs on my TV, but I'm really happy they're moving forward with a feud between them and the Dudleys. A) It makes sense that the Guns screwed with the Duds b/c they attacked were randomly, B) heat for the feud for will be off the charts and C) it pretty much guarantees the Guns are done with Xplosion duty (for now at least). I'm all for it. I also like that this show seems to start a new year. The night of champions deal really puts off how different things are now in TNA from before the ppv. I'm still trying to figure out what they do with Joe while Christian and Sting and Angle and Nash fued though, because presumably Joe-Sting is where they ultimately want to (need to) go. I don't think they've done enough to elavate Bobby Roode for anything between him and Joe to not feel like Joe's slumming, kinda like when the Rock was feuding with Billy Gunn in WWE. Also, this show doesn't seem as high speed as the first couple. Maybe they're gradually getting that they finally have their two hours now and can slow down, even if its just a little.

At least it looks like they're going to hype the rematch for a week. I don't think they've done a straight up Sting/Christian match, though they've been involved with each other before. I could see them playing up their background for a month or two feud if they intend to keep the belt on Sting.

Wow, rematches of the top two ppv matches the next two weeks on TV. That's gotta make people who brought the PPV feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm guessing they wanted Christian to be Sting's first challenger to hold off on Sting-Joe, and this is how they wanted to get around the whole Joe making Christian his bitch last night thing.

I could see that too. They set Nash up for the sympathetic babyface return with Angle not thinking he can go anymore (which he probably can't, but that's neither here nor there). I could see them building to Joe and Sting in January or February the way they did with Christian's first win over Jarrett, but if they do, I hope they resist the temptation to turn one of them and do the family stuff. Joe and Sting is the one match I think could work in a Hogan-Warrior hard charging new guy vs established veteran kind of way.

FYI, I found the women's gauntlet on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xQlTyH2skU It's not the match I'd show to convince someone to get the replay, but it's a bone from the show for those of you who missed it.

ok, the site is still down. last night, before the show, Jeremy asked how many people were at their first TNA event and nearly everyone cheered. Then he told them to go to the website, but anyone who took him up on that can't. Got to love it!