TNA cannot do anything right and this is from a damn avid supporter and a regular viewer for YEARS. Top to bottom, this card sucked. For a first live show? The opening match was passable but what did that victory do for Sting? Gave him another title shot...well why even go through the formality of a contendership match these days? The idea that Sting is still regularly on TV going over guys like the World Champion is making me feel unwell. He's too old, I've stopped enjoying him. Feed Roode mid-card faces, feed his ego, feed his title reign. Hell have him put on epics with X-Division wrestlers but always end up looking dominant. THAT is how you'd build for Storms return because if Roode beats Sting it doesn't feel like a big deal anymore, you can physically SEE Sting is an old man. If Roode loses to Sting? He loses his heat and momentum. Position Roode as the STAR, the FACE, don't keep trying to tell us Sting is the face on iMPACT WRESTLING because people are no longer surprised by Sting or want to see him going forward. Every match looks like it could be his last hurrah.
As for the other main angles...or what there were of them. I mean really, your first live show of a series of live shows and the Attitude Era motto of "anything can happen" doesn't come into the equation once? No title change after a boring TV title match that had a dodgy finish. Brilliant.
Brooke Hogan? Another Garrett or however you spell his name. If they wanted to make the crowd happy, and who knows if it's a work or not, listen to them IN SHOW. It's live, you can be working behind the scenes, and realise that the actual wrestling fans would have POPPED for Joey Ryan being signed and did NOT want to hear Brooke Hogan talk.
As for the final match? They are two good competitors, nothing we haven't seen before, and a weak-ass, audio clip storyline progression was what closed the show? That's your main event? Are you kidding me?
TNA is getting on my nerves. They pepper live audiences with models and actors/actresses so there isn't a live crowd. They do not book sensically, they do not follow through on anything and they do not highlight the X-Division or Tag divisions well enough to capitalise on the talent they have or the entertainment of the matches. (AA might be the exception here). Bye bye casual wrestling fan. They don't sign Joey Ryan, they keep Sting/Hogan in the spotlight, old past it guys are getting the title shots, RVD keeps phoning it in and guys like Anderson and Pope fall of the FACE OF THE EARTH for months at a time. Plus they act shocked when Flair pulls a Flair? See you later internet fan base. On no front do they succeed in engaging with their audience and they need to change things for next weeks show.