Photo credit: impactwrestling.com
Aces & Eights kicked things off by presenting a live video of their masked leader thanking Devon (who'd been revealed as a member of the group by Hogan at Bound for Glory) for his help in them gaining free access to TNA. Devon himself then joined his fellow members in the ring and explained that when no one else was there for him when he was released from TNA, Aces & Eights were. He went on to also state that his attack on Bully Ray was payback for his betrayal last year.
Sting then arrived, along with a handful of the roster and a brawl broke out between the two groups, with Aces & Eights eventually leaving. Hogan also came out and announced that Devon will face Sting that night, and if he refuses then he'll have to leave the building. There were heavy chants for Bully Ray during the booking. It was an exciting start to the show.
Samoa Joe beat Robbie E in a watchable squash match. While it wasn't anything outstanding, it went the way it should with the superior and larger Joe taking out Robbie with ease.
Backstage during a photo shoot Tara and her partner Jesse (from the American Big Brother, apparently) told the photographer to get lost and then bragged about their celebrity lifestyle. Everything about this storyline and these segments just annoys me, so I suppose the couple are doing their job successfully as heels.
ODB defeated Tara in a largely average affair. There were a few comedy spots here and there involving ODB, including shoving Jesse's head into her chest half way through. She was also distracted by a phone call from her absent husband Eric Young throughout the contest. For the finish ODB barged Tara into Jesse (who was standing at ringside supporting his girlfriend) and then applied the Bam for the one-two-three. This didn't really do any favours at all for the new Knockouts Champ Tara, especially with ODB distracted for a lot of the match. Confusing booking here.
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Kid Kash and Gunner in a decent enough tag bout. Hernandez has always benefitted from more limited time in the ring in a tag team, and that was no exception here as he came across very effectively and gave a good display. There weren't any particularly memorable performances but I can't really fault any one.
Next we had Jeff Hardy's World Title win celebration, where he first thanked all his fans that had stuck with him. Former champ Austin Aries then joined him and congratulated him on his win at BFG, and also presented him with some balloons (that ended up floating away) and a plate of cookies (which Hardy tipped out of his hand). Aries went on to take a took at Hardy's new title belt with a replica of his face on the front, and spat on it before making a quick getaway. As usual AA was on solid form on the mic.
Kurt Angle defeated Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles in a terrific Triple Threat to move forward for a chance at Hardy's World Title. While the match wasn't as exciting or fast paced as I was hoping, the action was faultless, which is hardly unexpected considering the standard of talent in the ring. Angle grabbed the victory after pushing Daniels inadvertently into Styles on the ropes and Angle Slamming him for the winning pin.
James Storm spoke about his brilliant brawl with Roode at Bound for Glory, and how after gaining revenge on his rival his new aim is to win back the World Championship. Bobby Roode soon joined 'The Cowboy' and admitted that he'd finally gained redemption against himself, and that his win moved him way up the ladder in TNA. But despite the victory, Roode claimed that he would always be "the better man." Storm retorted by Last Call Superkicking Roode in the face. It was a decent segment.
Sting won via disqualification versus Devon in a fair main event. The first half was fairly drab for the most part, but luckily the pace picked up and the match had a strong ending as both men put in solid efforts. To be honest I wasn't expecting much from this match, but it was better then expected and I enjoyed it. The DQ came when Aces & Eights members ran in to help their fellow member and started taking out 'The Stinger'. As expected members of the TNA roster also ran out to even the odds and chased away the gang.
Overall it wasn't a bad Impact, nor was it an outstanding one either. There were a few enjoyable match ups and segments but it just wasn't consistent enough throughout the show. My personal highlight was the triple threat between Styles, Angle and Daniels.
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