TNA Impact Wrestling Review - March 14, 2013

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Effective opening segment with Aces and Eights attacking Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. It put good heat on the villainous stable and saved the World Tag Team Championship match for a later date. Bully Ray offered some explanation for why he turned heel at Lockdown, but not much. Regardless, it was a strong promo and it's been awhile since we've heard one of Ray's classic heel promos.

Good match with Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky and Mickie James defeating Gail Kim and Tara. Once again, the focus was on the tension between Kim and referee Taryn Terrell, but the match itself was still well-wrestled. It was also nice to see James again, who hasn't been seen on television in several months. I'm not sure who enters the title picture at this point, but the Terrell-Kim feud has shown promise in recent weeks.

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Painless match with Rob Terry defeating Robbie E. It lasted a mere minute, but it was kept short and sweet, which is the important thing. Terry looked dominant and the decisive victory will only help establish him as a singles star.

Brief match with James Storm defeating Daniels. These two have had much better matches in the past, but the action was fun while it lasted. It was hindered by the fact it was kept so short, but they made the most of the time they were given. AJ Styles' returning to aid Storm only to attack him was very well done. This was extremely intriguing and leaves viewers with a lot more questions than answers.

Nice segment featuring Matt Morgan and Joseph Park. The most intense we've ever seen Morgan in months and Park played the sympathetic babyface role well. Sure, the Carbon Footprint spot was botched, but the rest of the segment was good enough to the point where I didn't even mind it.

Great match between Sting and Austin Aries. As much as I don't like Sting competing nowadays, this was easily one the best matches I've seen him have in quite awhile. They developed awesome chemistry with one another and delivered at a nice, consistent pace. I'm content with the non-finish because it protects both guys and furthers Aces and Eights' feud with Sting.

Solid segment to close the show with Aces and Eights attacking members of the TNA roster. The brawl dragged on a bit longer than it needed to, but it served its purpose in putting heat back on Aces and Eights. They've been booked so poorly for so months that it's going to be difficult to rebuild them, but this was a step in the right direction. I just hope that this doesn't lead to Bully Ray facing Hulk Hogan at Slammiversary, which would be an absolute disaster.

Overall, a great edition that was definitely enhanced by the hot Chicago crowd and the fresh feel of the show. It featured fallout from Lockdown, but also furthered a number of story-lines as well. This show was all about Aces and Eights, which is pivotal if they're going to be rebuilt as a dominant faction. I couldn't be happier that TNA finally moved out of the Impact Zone and the rest of their shows on the road should be exciting.