My TNA Hardcore Justice, 22nd August 2013 Recap

The reformed AJ Styles leaps at the now fired Devon. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson exchanged a few concerned words backstage, with the former asking why he wasn't informed about Tito Ortiz joining Aces & 8s and why the World Champion hadn't been returning his texts or phone calls. The Aces leader responded by telling Anderson to worry more about getting his own business in order.

Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (or the Extraordinary Gentlemen's Organisation as they're now called) came out and first congratulated Bully on obtaining the World Title last week, but also warned him that he has a target on his chest and one of them will be facing him come Bound for Glory as they've intelligently teamed up to help each other in the BFG Series. 

Just as Roode then asked Austin Aries to also team with them (which would be another great acquisition) the tag champs James Storm and Gunner joined them. 'The Cowboy' warned Daniels and Kaz not to trust Roode as he'll turn on them as soon as they've played their part just like he did with him. 'The It Factor' claimed that Storm was just jealous, which he denied and then challenged them to a match right there and then and with the help of Gunner sent them out of the ring to get things kicked off.

Bobby Roode and Kazarian defeated James Storm and Gunner in a solid tag bout. It wasn't too long but maybe that was a positive since you were constantly engaged by what was happening. It was simply a fun watch and a lively start to the show. 

Manic pinned Sonjay Dutt in a decent encounter. Both men delivered fine efforts, but I admittedly found the match lacking a little something. Maybe that's just me being fussy. I am relieved to see they've switched X Division back to one on one bouts too, it never made any sense to me having three-ways all the time, it grew tiresome.

Joseph Parks bested Jay Bradley, Christopher Daniels and Hernandez in a Bound for Glory Series Street Fight. It was an entertaining outing on the whole, and I'm very thankful for the Street Fight stipulation as it would've probably been fairly pedestrian otherwise. Austin Aries appeared to have joined the Extraordinary Gentlemen's Organisation as he high fived the trio, but then quickly turned and brainbustered Daniels before leaving.

Parks gained the victory after having one of his aggressive turns after seeing his own blood, Black Hole Slamming Bradley for the one-two-three.

New TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray came to the ring to boast that after winning back the strap and having Tito Ortiz by his side everything was now right again in TNA. He went on to also bring out his partner Brooke, but it turned out not to be Brooke Hogan (who has now been let go from the company) as we were led to believe, but Brooke Tessmacher, or "hot Brooke" as Bully referred to her. Just before the champ had Tessmacher suck his wedding ring from his finger he asked "does anybody doubt that Bully Ray can ever be stopped?"

Gail Kim beat ODB in a fair contest. The action was pretty stellar for the majority, and although it wasn't up to the standard of recent matches involving James, Kim and Terrell it was still superior to anything you'll get from the female talent on the main WWE roster right now. 

Before the main event, where the man pinned or submitted is fired from TNA, Mr. Anderson offered the one-man short Main Event Mafia the chance to pick someone to lay down and be terminated. Of course the Mafia flat out refused. AJ Styles then strolled out, only to have his older music hit and revert back to his 'Phenomenal One' persona and join the MEM. It was a cool moment and he received a healthy pop for it. 

Main Event Mafia (Sting, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Magnus and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) defeated Aces & 8s (Devon, Mr. Anderson, Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Knox) in a five on five tag bout, and as a result of being pinned by Styles, Devon was fired from TNA. 

It was a pretty enjoyable main event, with constant action in and around the ring to keep you interested. The only let down were the displays of the more limited wrestlers involved, such as Bishcoff and Brisco. There were certain periods that were a little more drab too but on the whole it was a watchable affair.

Overall it was a decent enough show, it wasn't as exciting or memorable as last week's other special Hardcore Justice edition of Impact but it wasn't a bad show by any means. There were no bouts that fell below average and we had some nice progression in storylines with Brooke Tessmacher joining up with Bully and Devon being terminated (although does anyone really care too much about that?). My highlights were the main event, the street fight and Storm and Gunner versus Roode and Kazarian. 

My TNA Hardcore Justice, 15th August 2013 Recap

Kazarian bested Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries and AJ Styles to win a four-way Bound for Glory Series Ladder Match. It was an entertaining start to the special edition of Impact, and a smart choice to get the crowd going with exciting action from the get go. Every wrestler delivered here, but if I had to pick a standout performer I'd go with Aries.

Kaz managed to grab the twenty points with the help of his associates Bobby Roode and Christopher Daniels, with the former handing him an appletini to throw in Hardy's face on the way up the ladder and Roode preventing Hardy from climbing up moments before. 

Dixie Carter, accompanied by the Main Event Mafia (Sting, Samoa Joe, Magnus and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) expressed her and the other men in the rings support for Kurt Angle, who after another drink driving incident recently has wisely entered into rehab.

Some members of Aces & 8s then joined the MEM, with Mr. Anderson cockily reminding them that they're currently a man down for their five on five contest next week, with whoever's pinned or submitted being terminated from TNA. Magus retorted by claiming that they won't struggle to find a replacement for Angle. Things inevitably turned ugly as Aces then beat down the Mafia unit, standing tall in the ring.

ODB beat Gail Kim and Mickie James (c) in a Hardcore Three Way to obtain the Knockouts Championship. The bout had enjoyable moments, and it was lively for the majority but it admittedly failed to leave the same impression as Kim and Terrell's stipulation match ups in the past. 

'Rampage' Jackson, along with Samoa Joe, came out and admitted that he was sad at the reaction of some of the MMA fans when he came to TNA, reminding them that he started out wrestling in high school and has always been a pro wrestling fan. He then went on to call out his future opponent in Bellator (which they mentioned more than once) Tito Ortiz and asked him to join the MEM. He was forced to do so after Sting failed to convince Aries to join them earlier.

But before Tito could answer Bully Ray marched out and boasted that if he didn't have a title match later he would've "beaten the piss" out of them. Bully's promo was the only entertaining part of the segment.  

Bobby Roode outdid Magnus, Samoa Joe and Mr. Anderson in a BFG Series Tables Match. It was a solid affair, with worthy efforts all round. It may not have been as enthralling as the opener but it was more well planned out and didn't feel so rushed. Much like the aforementioned match up the victor had some outside help in the form of Daniels and Kazarian, who aided Roode in powerbombing Magnus through a table.

Bully Ray pinned Chris Sabin (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match. It was an engaging main event and superior to their first title clash, although unfortunately much like their last encounter it also had a finish that wasn't particularly satisfying at all. Mr. Anderson blocked off Sabin as he was about to escape through the door, so 'Rampage' and Ortiz came out to move the Aces VP along, only for Tito to then crack Jackson with a hammer. Bully then powerbombed his rival for the one-two-three and the strap.

I'm struggling to see the point of Sabin's title reign at all to be honest. It's always nice to see the hard working, talented wrestlers given their due, but his rise was not strong enough (unlike Aries' one last year) and his reign lasting less than a month isn't going to fill fans with real belief in him. But putting all that aside both men did a fine job in the main event.

Overall it was an eventful and fun show for the most part, despite an iffy end for myself. My highlights were the main event, Bully's mic work and the Ladder and Tables matches.  

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 1st August 2013 Recap

We witnessed Taz being told by security that he couldn't enter the building under strict orders from Hulk Hogan. The furious announcer stormed off, claiming that he'll have their jobs for doing that to him.

Austin Aries came to the ring and first congratulated the new World Champion Chris Sabin, also warning him that everyone was now gunning for his strap, especially himself. When speaking about his opponent that night, AJ Styles, he stated that Styles was the man that carried the company for a decade, while he would be the one to carry TNA for the next decade. 

Bobby Roode then joined his former tag partner and boasted that he's going to get back on track with the Bound for Glory Series (the 'It Factor' has failed to score any points as of yet) and bring back his glory period of being the longest reigning World Champion in the company's history. Aries responded by telling Roode that he hopes he does get to the finals so he can beat him once again.

Bobby Roode pinned Hernandez in a decent Bound for Glory Series encounter. You're never going to get an amazing singles bout with Hernandez let's be honest, but he still has some impressive moves and him and Roode (who was on good form) worked well together here.

Much like at Destination X Roode snapped (this time after failing to get the three-count after low blowing his opponent), chucking chairs into the ring, but this was a distraction for the referee as he then cracked a beer bottle over 'Super Mex's' head for the one-two-three as the ref was removing the chairs. It did look daft that the ref failed to see any of the many bits of shattered glass in the ring though.

Joseph Parks bested Jay Bradley in a rather pedestrian and unmemorable BFG Series outing. Under the advice of Eric Young, Parks wore a protective head mask to prevent any possible bleeding and him turning all Jekyll and Hyde and attacking an official like he had before when facing Jeff Hardy. The match wasn't bad, but it failed to gain my interest with pretty drab action. 

Chris Sabin defeated Manic in a stellar contest. As expected there was a fast pace throughout, with well executed sequences and exciting wrestling. Afterwards Bully Ray crept in and began beating down both men, but Sabin managed a comeback and sent Ray packing with an enziguiri. 

ODB versus Gail Kim ended in a double count out after both women continued their fight on the outside, forgetting about the count. The bout itself had been fair, nothing that exceptional, and certainly not up to Kim's recent match ups with James and Terrell lately. 

Austin Aries beat AJ Styles in a gripping BFG Series match up. Both men delivered top quality performances here, with tremendous wrestling and effective near falls and submission attempts that had you glued to the screen. One of the finest televised bouts from TNA this year so far for me, so if you wouldn't normally watch Impact then at least check out this bout. Aries gained the winning pinfall after Styles hit him with a Pele Kick, causing the victor to collpase on the exhausted Styles with his arm covering him.

The Main Event Mafia (Sting, Kurt Angle, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, Samoa Joe and Magnus) asked Aces & 8s to join them so they could present their offer that they "couldn't refuse." So sure enough some of the gang's members came out, including Mr. Anderson who accused them of being "cheaters" and claimed that was the only reason Sabin was champ.

Angle retorted by finally revealing the mysterious deal of theirs, which was to have a five on five contest at Hardcore Justice and the man who is pinned or forced to submit will have to leave the company. After a brief scrap between the factions, an irate Anderson accepted the match. The lights then went out and the mysterious person behind the August 1st warning was revealed to be Tito Ortiz.

I'll be frank, like many fans I was deeply disappointed and just confused by this. I understand the deal between TNA and Bellator MMA but I don't find these acquisitions appealing at all. I was fairly optimistic when 'Rampage' came in, but to be honest he hasn't exactly set the world alight in TNA. Using a pro wrestling company to promote upcoming MMA events just doesn't work for me, and is taking up time from the actual pro wrestling. I'm an MMA fan but there's no place for it there unless the fighters have trained for pro wrestling and aren't still fighting elsewhere. That's just my opinion.

My TNA Destination X, 18th July 2013 Recap

All hail Sabin. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

World Champion Bully Ray opened Destination X by claiming that the challenger to his title later in the show, Chris Sabin, had no shot against him. He also boasted that it was the perfect night to end Main Event Mafia and that he was the "most hated man in pro wrestling, and that's just the way I like it!" 

Bully went on to call out his wife Brooke Hogan, who told him to "move on" like she now had, but he couldn't accept that. So the champ's furious father-in-law Hulk Hogan stormed out and told Bully that "enough was enough" and walked away with his daughter. As Bully continued to yell at them Kurt Angle and the rest of the Main Event Mafia appeared on the big screen and warned Ray that they'll be bringing the fight to Aces & 8s very soon.

Austin Aries pinned Bobby Roode in an enthralling Bound for Glory Series encounter. As usual these two worked brilliantly together, putting together exciting sequences and effective near falls. I don't think I could ever get tired of watching them go at it (mind out of the gutter). Afterwards a furious Roode, who has failed to obtain a single point in the series so far, began chucking around various items at ringside. 

Sonjay Dutt bested Homicide and Petey Williams in an entertaining three-way contest. In traditional X Division-style the match was fast paced with innovative wrestling from the get go, and to be honest with this level of talent (and three of my personal favourites from the X Division's past) the quality of the match was never really in doubt. As a result of the win Dutt qualified for the three-way Ultimate X match to crown a new X Division Champion next week.

Manik beat Kenny King and Chavo Guerrero in a largely enjoyable three-way to qualify for the X Division Title match. Although it wasn't quite as exciting as the previous affair it was still a fun watch.

The Main Event Mafia (Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Magnus and Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson) came to the ring and asked Aces & 8s to join them so they can settle things and finally rid the company of the gang that's been terrorising them since last year. But instead Mr. Anderson appeared on the big screen and goaded them into coming backstage to confront them.

So after the MEM began tangling with Aces backstage they were locked in a room so Bully Ray was able to crack Angle against a wall and then throw him into the back of a truck and send him on his way.

Greg Marasciulo outdid Rubix and Rockstar Spud in another stellar three-way to qualify for the X Division Title match. All three men provided worthy efforts, and although he still may have a bit of work to do in the ring, Rockstar Spud certainly showed character here. I'm glad to see Marasciulo (formerly Trent Barreta in WWE) appear in TNA. I always felt he was a solid talent and hope he's given more of a chance to show what he can do.

The charismatic Knockouts Champion Mickie James presented a VT of highlights from a gig of hers in Tennessee last week, renaming it "Mickie City." However she was soon interrupted by the number one contender to her strap Gail Kim, who called the champ "delusional" for believing that people were paying more attention to James' music than her Ladder match against Terrell last week. 

After a few more exchanges the two began attacking each other until they were separated by referees. As the two top female talents in the company I'm very much looking forward to their title clash. I'm also still really into James' new obnoxious heel persona, she's pulling it off well. 

Chris Sabin pinned Bully Ray (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an eventful main event. The action was solid, with Bully logically targeting the formerly injured knee of the challenger and dominating for the majority, and the fans were very much into it.

While I did enjoy the outing, the outside interference between Aces and the Mafia did feel like overkill and spoil it a bit for me. Towards the end after the referee was KO'd by accident (which looked daft) the two factions faced off and brawled in the ring and ended up travelling down the ramp to the back. Meanwhile Bully had been handed a hammer, but Sabin managed to snatch it and crack the champ in the head as he went for a powerbomb and grabbed the momentous winning pinfall.  

Last year when Aries won it felt even more satisfying to me, maybe it was the build up and Aries' record-breaking X Division Title reign leading up to it, but I reckon it was due to his cleaner and more defining victory. Don't get me wrong I'm still excited by Sabin winning the strap as a big fan of his, and it certainly makes things interesting, but I just wish they'd had a simpler one on one match with the Mafia erasing Aces from the equation like they promised to last week.    

Overall it was a solid show, with not one bout failing to entertain and some enjoyable segments. My highlights were James' promo, Dutt versus Homicide versus Williams, the main event and Aries versus Roode. It didn't quite live up to last years Destination X but for an Impact broadcast it was a very satisfying and memorable show.  

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 11th July 2013 Recap

The new Main Event Mafia are forming nicely. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

World Champion Bully Ray, accompanied by his fellow Aces & 8s members, addressed the new X Division Champion Chris Sabin, who he warned would be wise not to cash in his strap for a World Title opportunity at the special Destination X edition of Impact Wrestling next week, adding that he was a "bad, bad man." He also went on to reject the Main Event Mafia's match proposal, saying that they only did things on their own terms. 

The Mafia themselves then appeared, with Kurt Angle informing Bully that next week they will systematically take out every Aces members so the champ would be all on his own when he defends his strap.

AJ Styles and Samoa Joe defeated Joseph Parks and Jeff Hardy to qualify for the Bound for Glory Series Joker's Wild Gauntlet (bit of a long name, right?) later that night. The bout itself was an enjoyable one, although maybe a little disappointing considering most of the talent involved, I'd personally liked to have seen it given some more time. Samoa Joe caught Parks in a rear naked choke for the submission victory. 

Magnus and Mr. Anderson bested Hernandez and Jay Bradley to qualify for the BFG Joker's Wild Gauntlet in a passable tag contest. To be fair it was pretty unremarkable for the most part, and for some reason Anderson kept refusing to tag in, even though he had nothing to gain from screwing Magnus over here and everything to gain from winning. No logic. But despite that Magnus managed to catch Hernandez in a roll up for the one-two-three after Bradley accidentally grabbed his partner's leg without looking. 

Kazarian and Bobby Roode beat Austin Aries and Christopher Daniels to qualify for the BFG Joker's Wild Gauntlet in a terrific tag outing. All four men gave stellar displays in the match of the night here, especially Aries who was on great form. The added intrigue of tag partner vs tag partner also added another interesting element to the bout. Kaz grabbed the victory with a small package on Daniels without realising he was pinning his Bad Influence compadre.  

Backstage Mr. Anderson was voted in favour against Doc by fellow Aces members to become the new Vice President for the gang.

Gail Kim defeated Taryn Terrell in an entertaining Ladder match to become number one contender for the Knockouts Title. Much like their previous Last Knockout Standing encounter both women provided worthy efforts and although it wasn't always technically sound (and maybe slightly sloppy on occasions) it was a fun watch and certainly stands out from most female wrestlers matches in the US. 

Magnus outdid Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, Mr.Anderson, AJ Styles and Kazarian to win the BFG Joker's Wild Gauntlet. As a result of the victory the leader of the BFG Series earned himself twenty-five more points. The contest itself had been a decent one, with fine outings for most of the wrestlers, but the most engaging period was the final sequence between Magnus and Roode where the Englishman managed to gain that all important pinfall. 

Hulk Hogan introduced the X Division Champion Chris Sabin, who was about to hand over his belt in return for a World Title match but was interrupted by said champion, Bully Ray. Bully warned Sabin once again that he would regret cashing in the strap, but Sabin stood up for himself and admitted that while he's always considered the underdog he's come back from a potential career-ending injury and this was his dream and he wasn't going to be intimidated by him.

After handing over the belt and making their Wold Title clash next week official, Bully had Aces & 8s come out to put the fear into Sabin and teach him a lesson, but the Main Event Mafia decided to back them up, with Sting announcing Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson as their latest addition. I think that's an interesting acquisition for the MEM, and hopefully this will mean more regular appearances from Rampage too, I could see him flourishing on the mic given more of a chance. 

Overall it was a satisfying show for the most part, with only the Hernandez and Bradley versus Magnus and Anderson letting it down a bit, but even that wasn't terrible by any means. The announcement of Rampage joining the Mafia was intriguing too, and most of the match ups were solid encounters so I'm very pleased with Impact this week. Now onto Destination X, which should be a fun show.  

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 27th June 2013 recap

Magnus drives Roode into the mat on his way to victory. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Sting introduced his first member of the new Main Event Mafia, Kurt Angle, who explained that they'd brought back the group to destroy Aces & 8s and strip Bully Ray of the World Title, claiming that the gang had gone too far. Angle also announced that their latest member will be unveiled later on.

Backstage Bully Ray, with the aid of Mr. Anderson and Doc, warned X Division Champion Chris Sabin that he better not cash in his strap for a World Title shot at Destination X next month, or he'd be sorry. 

Suicide bested Chris Sabin (c) and Kenny King to obtain the X Division Championship in a largely entertaining Triple Threat contest with a confusing ending. Personally I felt the match could've been shortened a bit, condensing the fast action and cutting some of the awkward periods would've definitely benefited things here, otherwise it was a fun outing.

Suicide grabbed the dubious win by pinning King while holding ono the ropes. Afterwards Hulk Hogan then came out and revealed that wrestler TJ Perkins who normally portrays Suicide was jumped in the back and someone else was in the costume. So rather than restart the match or void it, Hogan demanded that the wrestler reveal their identity, but instead the new champion legged it out of the ring. 

Adam Ohriner pinned Ryan Howe in a Gut Check Challenge match. Both men still looked fairly inexperienced, but they gave fair efforts. Ohriner is probably best known as Zack Ryder's occasional guest on his 'Z! True Long Island Story' show. On his way in Howe played his electric guitar, which the fans began to quickly loose interest in. His VT seemed to be more about him talking about music than pro wrestling.

Mickie James (c) beat Velvet Sky to retain the TNA Knockouts Title via submission with a deathlock. The match itself varied in quality, but overall it was a rather average affair. Like the three-way earlier in the night I think this bout would've benefited from being a little shorter in length. There were more than a few sloppy moments too which was disappointing from two performers with this much experience. Afterwards a heartbroken Sky could barely talk when interviewed.  

Magnus defeated Bobby Roode in a solid Bound for Glory Series encounter. It started off a little slow but once the two got going it quickly became an engaging back and fourth contest, with effective near falls and smooth wrestling. It's looking more and more likely that Magnus will be the eventual winner of the BFG Series this year.

James Storm, accompanied by fellow Tag Team Champion partner Gunner, was giving a speech on being the champs when Robbie E and Jesse interrupted him and announced themselves as a new team called 'Bro-mans'. 'The Cowboy' however interpreted this as bromance, and after mocking Tara Jesse leapt for them, so Gunner KO'd him with a single strike. It was a pretty amusing segment, with Storm being his usual charismatic self.   

Samoa Joe forced Mr. Anderson to tap in a BFG Series match up. It was a passable bout, nothing outstanding to be found but it was watchable. Doc and Knox ran down towards the end to distract Joe, but Sting and Angle decided to even things up and chased off the Aces members. They then revealed that Joe was the latest MEM acquisition. So far I'm really liking the look of the brand new Mafia, some strong and interesting members.

Hulk Hogan, and shortly Bully Ray too, both demanded that the mysterious new Suicide reveal his identity to them. So finally he did, and it was none other than the same man that cashed in the X Division strap last year to win the World Title, Austin Aries. Admittedly I was a bit frustrated at the booking of Sabin loosing the belt in that fashion, but looking forward the prospect of Aries facing Bully does seem a lot more appealing to me.

It was a nice end to a decent enough Impact, and one that will have me interested in where this all leads next week. My highlights elsewhere for the show were Magnus versus Roode, the X Division three-way and the choice of Joe joining the MEM.  

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 20th June 2013 recap

Hulk Hogan started things off by introducing the twelve men involved in the Bound for Glory Series and revealed that via an online fan vote, Jeff Hardy had the first choice of opponent. After Austin Aries and Christopher Daniels advised Jeff that picking them would be a poor choice, Hardy decided to go for the man that he'd confronted last week and that was Bobby Roode. Things then quickly escalated and all the men in the ring began to brawl. 

Mr. Anderson pinned Joseph Parks in an average Bound for Glory Series bout. The wrestling was fairly clumsy and didn't flow, which wasn't a shock considering who was involved. Anderson grabbed the one-two-three with a Mic Check after Doc struck Parks on the middle rope. Anderson called out Parks as part of the Open Fight Night rules.

Austin Aries defeated Jay Bradley in a decent BFG Series contest after Bradley called him out to make an impact. In Bradley's finest singles match in the company both men gave worthy displays as they went back and fourth, with Aries especially on stellar form as usual. Bradley looked competent enough but he's still severely lacking character.

Christopher Daniels beat Hernandez in an enjoyable BFG Series match up. It didn't really have enough time to leave a lasting impression but it was a fun watch while it lasted, and both wrestlers looked good. Daniels grabbed the win with a BME. 

Magnus bested Kazarian by forcing him to tap to the Texas Cloverleaf in a fair BFG Series encounter. Both men worked well, but it wasn't very memorable or remarkable to be honest. While I'm also appreciating Magnus' clearly hard work to improve himself in the ring, I don't feel that he should win this series as the plan could possibly be, he's not there yet. 

Brooke Hogan held a conference of sorts for the Knockouts division (most of whom were in attendance), where she brought up the fact that even though he was a dude, Eric Young was still one half of the Knockout Tag Team Champions with wife ODB, in response he said that it was national kissing day and snogged his missus before leaving. 

Brooke went on to announce that Velvet Sky had been cleared by her doctor and she would face James next week for the strap. She also booked Gail Kim versus Taryn Terrell in a Ladder match after their successful Last Knockout Standing contest at Slammiversary. Quite looking forward to that one.

Before his following match, AJ Styles explained that he was simply chasing the TNA World Title for the money, not the glory or the fame. He also added that the company was "no place for a hero" and that he was finally doing things for himself. I'm still not completely won over by AJ's new persona, it feels like it's lacking a bit.

AJ Styles versus Samoa Joe in a BFG Series outing ended in a time limit draw. The action was stellar throughout, although it didn't have the same excitement and fast pace a lot of their past match ups have. If I'm going to be really picky than I'd say I was actually a little disappointed here as a big fan of both men.

Jeff Hardy defeated Bobby Roode in a terrific BFG Series contest. Both top talents delivered an engaging back and fourth bout, with solid wrestling and well executed and exciting sequences. Hardy pulled out a quick Twist of Fate after reversing a crossface attempt for the winning pinfall.

World Champion Bully Ray came to the ring and warned every Bound for Glory Series entrant that he will do anything it takes to retain his championship. He then called out his wife Brooke Hogan, but instead Sting joined him and explained that although he can't win he World Title from him (as per the stipulation of their Slammiversary clash) he can still gain retribution.

As an angry Bully called out to his Aces & 8s members, he was soon shown them taken out on the floor backstage on the big screen. So while trying to make a getaway, the champ was then attacked by the second member of the new Main Event Mafia, Kurt Angle. As the show ended Bully was trapped in an ankle lock on the ramp. Angle's unveiling wasn't exactly a big shock, but it makes sense. 

Overall it was a fair show, nothing outstanding but decent enough. My highlights were Daniels versus Hernandez, Styles versus Joe and the very entertaining Roode versus Hardy. I'm hoping that the new Main Event Mafia will work, and lend something worthwhile to the product (and maybe even help elevate up and coming talent) that being said I am glad to see the solid Angle in the group.

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 6th June 2013 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray kicked things off by bragging about defeating Sting at Slammiversary and reminding us of Aces & 8s one year anniversary since debuting at the aforementioned event last year. The champ went on to then claim that after taking out all of the companies heroes, he should be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. GM Hulk Hogan then came out and admitted that Bully did the job in beating 'The Stinger', but then informed him that he would be facing Jeff Hardy in the main event in a Ladder match with a hammer hanging above the ring.

Hernandez pinned Chavo Guerrero in a decent back and fourth Bound for Glory Series qualifying match. It was never anything outstanding but it was a fun watch, with a worthy display from both men.

Devon demanded that Abyss come out to the ring and hand him back his TNA Television Title, complaining that their bout last Sunday was unsanctioned and shouldn't count. But instead Joseph Parks stormed out and after having enough of being bullied by Devon and being robbed of his title match at Slammiversary after being attacked by him, began to beat on his foe. This didn't last long however as Devon cracked a microphone on Parks head and was about to use a steel chair on him when Abyss's music hit, but he failed to show so Devon announced that he was going to go looking for him.   

Samoa Joe beat Robbie in a brief squash match to qualify for the BFG Series. Much like the last time these two fought Joe was dominant and barely sold Robbie's attacks at all, but he looked stellar in the ring as usual.

Jeremy Borash introduced TNA's latest acquisition Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, and after asking him a few questions was interrupted by the future TNA Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Angle warned 'Rampage' that if he wanted to take on the best than he was the top man and they stared off. The segment was okay, the fans seemed enthusiastic for Jackson. After watching him for years in UFC I always felt he probably had the charisma and wrestling background to give pro wrestling a decent go, let's hope I'm right.  

Chris Sabin, James Storm and Gunner bested Kenny King, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a largely solid six-man tag bout. Not as exciting as The Shield's efforts in WWE at the moment but it was an enjoyable affair, and I can't really fault any wrestler's contributions.

Mickie James defeated Taeler Hendrix in a passable, if unremarkable contest. There were many times here that the clearly fake Mickie was congratulating her opponent and shaking her hand, and it just got tedious for me very quickly. Plus the wrestling was all right but nothing special or exciting. For the finish Jame's feigned a knee injury (which was extremely poorly acted) and then suddenly smacked Taeler with an uppercut and applied a dodgy spinning kick that actually connected with the shoulder for the winning pinfall. It was not the champ's finest outing by a long shot.

Backstage Abyss managed to take out the lurking Devon and his Aces accomplice Knox.

Bully Ray versus Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match ended in a no contest after Bully lost hold of the hammer he'd grabbed from above the ring and Hardy threatened him with it, causing the World Champion to leg it from the ring. The match itself had been entertaining at parts, but definitely not on par with their previous clashes. The use of the ladder was decent but pretty uninspiring, which was disappointing for these two talents.

As Bully ran backstage Hulk Hogan was about to sneak up on him with a hammer in hand, but Brooke Hogan screamed for her Dad to stop, causing the 'Hulkster' to halt in his tracks and allowing Bully to sneak away.  

Overall it was a decent, if uninspiring Impact. There were no bad matches on the show but the six-man tag contest was the only one that stood out to me and that'd I'd recommend to fans. It's also hard for me to get excited over Abyss' return, but then I've never been a big fan and found him fairly drab so maybe that's just me. But at least we're getting the set up for the Bound for Glory Series now which I always enjoy.

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 30th May 2013 Recap

No one wants to see that coming at them, poor Roode. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Backstage we witnessed Mr. Anderson attack D'Lo Brown from behind as his Aces & 8s superiors were about to make their way out. Clearly the gang have had enough of D'Lo's mistakes. In the ring World Champion Bully Ray, accompanied by Devon, admitted that his Slammiversary opponent Sting had beaten some of the all-time greats in between the ropes, but this Sunday he couldn't wait to beat 'The Icon' and stop him from ever holding the World Title again. It was solid mic work as standard from the champ.

Sting and Joseph Parks bested Team 3D (Bully Ray & Devon) in a fair tag bout. The start was a bit hectic as all four men brawled outside the ring, it was an entertaining start to the match up. The action in the ring was fine, although there were a few slightly sloppy moments. Sting managed to apply the Scorpion Death Drop on Devon for the one-two-three after Abyss's music hit and distracted Team 3D, 'The Monster' failed to appear though.

TNA President Dixie Carter came out and once again informed us that this Sunday the next inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame will be announced. Aces members Wes Brisco, Doc and Garett Bischoff then joined her, with Garett asking her why she was biased against his gang. Samoa Joe and Magnus then raced out and chased the trio off. An intense Joe also went on to state his frustration at the gang for injuring him for a month and challenged Garett to a match, saying he wanted to see how he tests against a man not a woman.

Samoa Joe versus Garett Bischoff ended in a no contest after Garett helped out his two comrades in beating down Magnus on the outside. Joe then took a dive and knocked over the three foes. Once back in the ring he informed them that at Slammiversary it'll be them three against him, Magnus and the returning Jeff Hardy. The fans were predictably excited by the news, it'll be nice to have Hardy back. 

Gunner, James Storm, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez beat Austin Aries, Bobby Roode and Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) in a stellar eight-man tag outing. Storm failed to participate, due to his leg issues I presume, but every man involved gave worthy displays.

As usual the chemistry between Bad Influence and Roode and Aries was amusing, each tagging themselves in and helping out with their dirty tactics. Gunner gained the win with a torture rack on Aries. It's been a long while since TNA's tag division looked this strong (and WWE's with The Shield and Team Hell No's series), it's refreshing to see. 

The new Knockouts Champion Mickie James came out and expressed how great it felt to hold the strap again after two years, and thanked her fan base. But she then turned her attention to the minority who questioned her win over Sky last week (when she aimed for the former champ's injured leg) and brought out Velvet Sky to address it.

James condescendingly congratulated Sky on her former run as champ and welcomed her rematch whenever she'd recovered. After Velvet asked for her title rematch at Slammiversary, James claimed that due to there already being one Knockouts match there was no room for it, when did this rule come in? Gail Kim then stormed out and once again stated her case for a championship match, even though she's lost most of her bouts over the last few months. In truth it was poor mic work on Kim's behalf. As Gail went to then attack Sky's leg, with James just looking on, Taryn Terrell ran out to her aid and chased her off.  

Chris Sabin and Taryn Terrell toppled Kenny King and Gail Kim in a decent enough mixed tag contest. There were some enjoyable periods between Kim and Terrell, but they were definitely the weaker part of the match compared to King and Sabin's interactions. Afterwards King then smacked Sabin from behind, so Suicide also came out attacked the X Division Champion, with him and Sabin finally having a face off after the masked wrestler picked up King's strap.  

AJ Styles won via disqualification versus Mr. Anderson when Kurt Angle decided to gain some retribution and began exchanging blows with 'The Phenomenal One'. Aces & 8s then marched out and began taking out Angle and Styles, so this cued other members of the TNA roster to join them and start a brawl in and around the ring, ending with Bully and Devon applying a 3D to Sting. It all felt very familiar, but the 3D was a nice touch, would've been even better through a table but that's just me being picky.

The encounter itself between Styles and Anderson was enjoyable at places, but felt like it dragged a bit. If the allocated time had been shortened it would've probably been a more entertaining bout, with each man making the most with their time rather than having to slow it down.

Overall it was a fair, if pretty unmemorable Impact. With the exception of the eight-man tag outing, which was my highlight of the show, there were no exceptional contests, and besides Bully and Jame's mic work there were no remarkable promos either. All that aside, looking at the Slammiversary card it should be a solid show for the most part I reckon. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 9th May 2013 Recap

Sting, accompanied by Kurt Angle, started things off by claiming that he didn't want to wait until Slammiversary to get his hands on Bully Ray so he'd asked for the six-man main event that night pitting him and Angle against three Aces & 8s members. Angle then took to the mic and demanded an answer from AJ Styles on whether he was on their side or not.

Sure enough AJ joined them but he refused to say a word after 'The Stinger' tried to convince him to join them in the main event. A hasty Angle had enough though and screamed at Styles, demanding to know who's side he's on. So AJ had enough and left, but Kurt gave chase and as the two began exchanging punches on the ramp Bully Ray, Devon and Anderson took out Sting. Everything was coming up Aces.  

Mickie James and Velvet Sky bested Tara and Gail Kim in a largely decent tag bout. I feel like a broken record typing this but James and Kim were (as usual) the top performers here, each giving stellar displays. Sky looked quite average as she finished off Tara with the In Yo' Face for the one-two-three. 

Afterwards a frustrated Kim then clotheslined Tara and applied a Figure Four from the outside around the ringpost just like she did to Terrell last week. I wouldn't mind seeing Tara and Jesse turn face actually, could be quite entertaining.  

Aces & 8s made their way to the ring, where Bully reprimanded D'Lo for loosing to Angle in an I Quit match last week, and demanded he hand over his Aces jacket. D'Lo refused and asked for another chance, so a few other members snatched the jacket off of him, with Bully ordering him to sit near the announce desk and watch the following match. Ray's mic work was solid, as standard for him.  

Magnus pinned Doc in a match of two halves. The start was pretty drab and pedestrian, but fortunately the contest picked up and both men gave worthy enough displays as they upped the pace and interest. The finish did look daft however as D'Lo was somehow blinded by an earlier Irish Whip by Magnus into steel steps (how does that work?) and then accidentally pulled Doc's legs near the ropes which allowed Magnus to grab a quick roll up pin for the victory. 

Afterwards as punishment Bully then demoted D'Lo to the gang's lackey and barked at him to leave.

Austin Aries and Bobby Roode versus Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) in a Tag Team number one contenders match ended in a No Contest after special referee James Storm had enough of Aries and Daniels and Last Call Superkicked them both. It was an exciting match for the majority, with crisp wrestling as excepted with this level of talent. The ending was a little strange but a three way between these two teams and the champs does make sense for Slammiversary.

Backstage we witnessed a few Aces members beat down Magnus. The Brit managed to make a brief comeback but it wasn't enough as the gang managed to get him down and ram a trolley of some kind into his head (which happened where we couldn't see it).

X Division Champion Kenny King came out and after bigging himself up,  called out Chris Sabin to tell his story of his recovery from his injury. Sabin explained to King that at this point he had nothing left to lose and would do everything to win back the X Division strap. After the champ feigned some more admiration for his future opponent, he then claimed that even if he hadn't had the two operations on his ACL then Sabin still wouldn't be as talented as him, so Chris retorted with a swift punch to send King packing. It was a nice segment, with King especially oozing confidence on the mic.

Backstage we saw a beaten down Storm on the ground, with Aries, Roode, Daniels and Kazarian all nearby and screaming at each other and officials.

Abyss, Sting and Kurt Angle beat Bully Ray, Devon and Mr. Anderson in a fair main event. Once the bout got going it was enjoyable enough, with nice work from Devon, Bully and Angle. During the match we were shown footage from backstage where various Aces members had been taken out by a mystery assailant which turned out to be Abyss, who Hulk Hogan had called earlier on in the show to help out. 

Abyss made his way down at the end where he clumsily and slowly beat down Bully and also chokeslammed Anderson through a table before Black Hole Slamming and pinning Devon for the win. Compared to Lesnar's awesome attack on 3MB a few weeks back on Raw this looked sloppy. I can't say that he's a welcome return for me, I personally prefer his Joseph Parks alter ego.

Overall it was a decent enough Impact, with not one bad or unwatchable match on the card. My highlights were the tag team bout and Bully and Kenny King's very nice mic work. Unfortunately I still can't say I'm hyped for the Bully and Sting title match at all right now, but at least we should still be grateful for Ray making Aces & 8s interesting at all.

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 2nd May 2013 Recap

Chris Sabin makes his much welcome return. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan kicked things off by calling out Sting and apologising for his behaviour towards 'The Stinger' when he pushed him away, so Sting accepted. As Hogan was about to then name the number one contender to Bully Ray's World title at Slammiversary, Matt Morgan joined the icons  and reprimanded 'The Hulkster' for picking his friend Sting. But Hogan had other ideas and instead booked Morgan versus Sting in the main event to determine the number one contender. I just tend to drift away whenever Hogan grabs a mic by this point.

Chris Sabin bested Sonjay Dutt and Zema Ion in a stellar Triple Threat contest to qualify for an X Division Title match. While all three men gave fine displays here, Dutt was the standout performer for me, with a series of crisply executed maneuvers throughout. Sabin started off a little slow, and oddly looked fairly weak at the start (which is strange for a returning wrestler) but once he got going he didn't miss a beat.

My only gripe with the bout was the unfortunate return of the annoying 'X Division Cam' that's connected to the referee's hat. It moves so fast that it almost gives me a headache and makes me feel a little sick. It's really unnecessary and the sooner it goes the better.  

Rob Terry beat Joey Ryan, Robbie E and Jesse in a Handicap match. As expected it was pretty average for the majority with pedestrian action. But to be fair Terry gave a better effort than normal, although that's still not saying much for the limited Welshman. I would normally mention how damaging this is to the three opposing wrestlers, but to be honest I don't exactly envisage a main event future for any of Terry's foes here.  

Bobby Roode and Austin Aries came out and spoke about how Bad Influence (Christoper Daniels and Kazarian) screwed them out of the tag titles last week, and also claimed that they weren't in the same league talent-wise considering that they've never been World Champions like themselves. Daniels and Kazarian then stormed out and told their future opponents (on next week's Impact) that when it comes to tag team wrestling they don't come close to them.

Finally the tag champs themselves, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez strolled out and informed the two teams that next week their number on contender match will be refereed by James Storm, who also came out and shared some beers with them. It makes a nice change from WWE seeing time and effort put into the tag title scene consistently and not just short periods of time when they can be asked to, and the annoying thing is WWE have no reason not to do the same. 

Kurt Angle defeated D'Lo Brown in an I Quit match that ranged from drab to decent. The first half was pretty dull, with nothing particularly remarkable happening, but fortunately the second half picked up in quality and interest as the two upped their efforts in the ring. Angle managed to force D'lo to scream "I Quit!" after applying the Ankle Lock. Anderson and Doc, who'd been watching from ringside, walked away from their fellow Aces member afterwards.

Angle then called out AJ Styles to confront him about his recent behaviour, and gave him the ultimatum of either joining him and Sting in representing TNA against Aces & 8s, or joining the opposition. Styles has until next week to decide, hopefully we'll finally get an answer then, this has been getting a bit tedious for a little while now.

Taryn Terrell and Mickie James bested Tara and Gail Kim in a fair tag bout. As usual James and Kim were the stand out wrestlers here, giving solid displays. Unfortunately there were fairly average periods here that let it down a bit such as Terrell's hot tag offence, she still has some way to go but she's looking competent enough.

After Taryn rolled up Tara for the one-two-three all four women started to brawl in and around the ring, ending in Kim applying a nice Figure Four on Taryn around the ring post from the outside until she was ordered away by ref ODB and other officials.

Sting beat Matt Morgan after 'The Blueprint' passed out from the Scorpion Deathlock, therefore meaning 'The Stinger' will face Bully at Slammiversary for the strap. It was a pretty average main event, with passable (but forgettable) wrestling, the highlight being a vicious-looking Carbon Footprint from Morgan. Watching an out of shape Sting make his trademark heroic comebacks against the far younger, bigger and more powerful Morgan just looked too hokey and only marred the contest even more.

Afterwards Bully Ray then arrived on the scene with Devon and Anderson and exchanged a few words with his future opponent before the show ended. I can't say this World Championship encounter has me  hyped at all, there were other options available to face Bully, Angle for instance, who would've been a more exciting option. 

Overall it was a passable enough show, but unfortunately most of it that lacked excitement or interest. The highlights for me were the X Division Triple Threat (which really saved the show to be honest) the second half of D'Lo versus Angle and the Aries, Roode, Bad Influence, etc, segment. The rest didn't feel like anything special or essential to watch, and the main event was largely average, which was hardly a shocker. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 25th April 2013 Recap

James Storm started things off by admitting that AJ Styles brought the fight to him in their bout last week, and then went on to call out Aces & 8s after they attacked him after the aforementioned match up. But instead Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) joined 'The Cowboy' and  suggested that the answer to the Aces problem was teaming up to reform Fortune to counter the numbers.

After some heated words Bad Influence then double teamed on Storm and left him lying in the ring for Aces & 8s to finish off. This cued Joseph Parks to race out to his aid, but the numbers soon caught up to him and eventually Bully Ray and Devon went old school as they 3D'd Parks through a table. Bully then took to the mic and claimed that his gang had taken out every "hero" in the company. He also added that Father in law Hogan had until the end of the show to answer his call. 

Taryn Terrell pinned Tara in a fair outing that was hindered by it's duration. While the wrestling was largely stellar from Tara, I could only take so much of watching her dominate Taryn before it became dull. The bout would've benefited by being about half the length it was. 

Rob Terry beat Jesse in an unremarkable affair. Was you expecting anything else from these two? I at least found Jesse quite amusing with his segments with Tara, but he can't really pull it off solo.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Austin Aries and Bobby Roode to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a solid and enjoyable bout from the opening bell. All four men gave worthy displays here, as standard for both teams when they meet.

After Bad influence tried to convince Roode to join up to bring back Fortune prior to the match, Daniels attempted to help Roode but instead struck him by accident and inadvertently aided the champs in retaining the straps. Whoops.

Matt Morgan came to the ring and listed off all the mistakes Hogan had made involving Aces & 8s and then called out the man himself. So sure enough Hogan came out and faced Morgan, who stated that 'The Hulkster' had no heroes left to take down the gang and claimed that he should pick him to face Bully for the World Title at  Slammiversary.

But Hogan refused to give Morgan anything and said that he had to confront the World Champion on his own man to man, although he gave no reason as to why. It was an odd segment, that didn't really achieve anything at all and gave us no answers. 

Velvet Sky (c) bested Mickie James to retain the Knockouts Championship in a passable outing. Certainly not Jame's finest performance, but she worked well here with a limited Sky, who picked up a (story line) knee injury early on.

Mickie's characteristics were quite heelish I felt, as she had no hesitation in going for Sky's injury and smiled as she went for certain attacks, I almost thought she was going to turn after Sky picked up the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin, but she didn't.

Finally Bully and Hogan faced off the ring after the champ had listed off all the men him and his gang had taken out. Ray then told Hogan that he'd finally killed Hulkamania, to which Hogan retorted that it can never die. So in the ultimate sign of disrespect Bully spat in his Father in law's face, which caused Hulk to (slowly) attack the champ and send him packing. 

As various Aces members then surrounded the ring, Sting made his return after turning out the lights. Just as it looked as though the 'Stinger' was going to attack Hogan, he predictably teamed with him to take out and chase off Aces. It was cringe-worthy watching the two older men slowly and completely unconvincingly take the fight to the younger, bigger and stronger wrestlers. But of course Hogan must have his way. It was a poor end to an average show.

Overall it was a largely forgettable and unremarkable Impact, with only one stand out match worth checking out (that being the tag bout) and nothing to get me excited for future storylines. The return of Sting has happened so often that I just have no interest in it at all by this point, and as I've said before (with no disrespect) his retirement should've come a long while ago. A big step down from last week's effort, but at least we have Chris Sabin to look forward to next week.

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 21st March 2013 Recap

Hulk Hogan admitted that he'd never been as badly fooled as he had with Bully Ray joining Aces & 8s. He then called out his TNA "troops" Samoa Joe, Magnus, Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, who suggested a four-way match between them all that night to determine who'll next face Bully for the World Title, which struck me as odd considering Jeff would surely have a rematch anyway? Hogan liked the idea and officially booked the match. 

Bobby Roode and Austin Aries (c) defeated Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a stellar contest. All four men contributed worthy efforts here, providing crisp action for the majority. The champs grabbed the win after Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) ran down and distracted the referee and knocked Chavo off the top rope. They then also took out Aries and Roode with their own straps, I'd certainly be all for a title match between these four.

It was announced that all X Division Title matches in the future will be held under Triple Threat rules. What exactly is the point of this? Surely it will only hinder the division and hold them back?

Kenny King (c) bested Zema Ion and Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division Championship in an exciting Triple Threat bout. It started off a little sloppy but once it picked up there was some terrific sequences from all three wrestlers, especially from the severely underutilised Dutt.

Taryn Terrell admitted that putting her hands on Kim as an official was wrong and she was ready for the consequences. Gail Kim then joined her and claimed that no one messes with her and gets away with it, then asked the Knockouts VP Brooke Hogan to come on out and fire her.

Sure enough Brooke came out and terminated her, but then also signed her on as a member of the Knockouts roster. So Taryn took advantage of this and speared the formerly smug Kim. Bully Ray then confronted his wife Brooke and reminded her that they were still married by signalling to his ring.

Throughout the night we witnessed VT's of Bully explaining the rise of Aces from last year and why certain members such as Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco joined up. It was a nice touch I thought, if not all obvious already.

Matt Morgan pinned Joseph Parks in a mediocre outing. As Morgan dominated the start and toyed with Parks it was all quite drab, and as Joseph made a brief comeback the action was still pretty pedestrian and unremarkable for me. Morgan finally gained the one-two-three after applying a Carbon Footprint. 

Mike Tenay asked AJ Styles to explain his recent actions and respond to the rumours that he'd turned to alcohol and drug abuse recently. But Taz interrupted and offered AJ a spot in Aces from the bottom. James Storm then also joined in and claimed that while his old friend Styles may have changed, he's still the "same old cowboy." But AJ wasn't interested in talking as he failed to utter a single word and simply walked away. It was a fair segment, I'm quite liking the more serious AJ at the moment.

Jeff Hardy beat Magnus, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle in a Four Way to earn a World Title shot. In the terrific main event the wrestling was kept to a constantly quick pace so you were always engaged, with a high standard of display from all four men involved. I was expecting an enjoyable one here and it did not disappoint.

Overall it was a solid show for the most part, with only the daft X Division announcement and average Morgan versus Parks encounter letting it down. Apart from that all the matches were stellar outings, especially the main event. My only other slight issue was the lack of any really decent promos, but I can excuse that for the high standard of wrestling they provided. Once again TNA has trumped WWE this week on television.

My TNA Lockdown 2013 Recap

Bully stands tall as the new champ. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Kenny King (c) defeated Christian York and Zema Ion to retain the X Division Championship in a Triple Threat match. And what a great choice for opener this was, with blistering action and plenty of excitement throughout. All three men looked on top form and provided more than worthy efforts, giving probably their best performances in the company to date.

For me this certainly toppled anything involving RVD and King, and proves that the division didn't need him but the younger, fresher talent to bring back the excitement which the division was built on.

Joseph Parks pinned Joey Ryan in a passable comedy match. There was nothing exceptional here but it wasn't bad, there were some fair moments of wrestling. Parks gained the one-two-three after sitting on Ryan as he went to roll him over for a pin attempt.

Velvet Sky (c) beat Gail Kim to retain the Knockouts Title in a largely pedestrian affair until the final couple of minutes. Kim looked stellar as normal, while Sky looked okay if unremarkable, so also the norm for her. For the finish Kim confusingly pushed and slapped referee Taryn Terrell for counting slow and then dared her to call for a disqualification. Why on earth would Kim call for a DQ when the title was on the line and she was the challenger? It made no sense. Eventually having enough Terrell then snapped and attacked Kim, allowing Sky to apply an In Yo' Face for the win. 

Rob Terry pinned Robbie E in a mediocre outing. The match contained  uninspiring wrestling that was occasionally sloppy at times, which wasn't a shock considering the two talents involved. You wouldn't miss much by skipping this one to be honest.

Austin Aries & Bobby Roode (c) bested Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez and Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a superb three way tag bout. The action was red hot here as all six men kept up a terrific pace throughout with solid wrestling and plenty of excitement. I was trying to pick out a standout performer or two but it was too hard, with every man giving a great effort. Definitely lifted the quality of the event after some lacklustre few match ups.

Wes Brisco beat Kurt Angle in a Steel Cage match. This was actually a lot more enjoyable than I'd anticipated. Kurt as standard for him was on top form, helping Wes to provide a fun first match inside a cage for the night. Brisco looked competent enough here, but clearly still has some work to do in the ring. As usual Angle provided a very memorable moment inside the steel structure in the form of a German Suplex from the side of the cage towards the end.

For the finish D'Lo Brown, the VP of Aces & 8s, cracked Angle from behind after he'd exited the cage (Kurt had accidentally KO'd the referee a few moments earlier) and threw him back him and helped drag Wes out as the ref recovered.

Team TNA (Sting, James Storm, Eric Young, Samoa Joe and Magnus) defeated Aces & 8s (Devon, Doc, Garett Bischoff, Mr Anderson and Knox) in the Lethal Lockdown match. The match got off to a bit of a slow start as each man entered the steel structure, which is understandable. After the last man Sting entered with two dustbins (if you haven't guessed yet, I'm British) full of weapons the bout started to get a bit more interesting.

Each unit took it in turns to dominate, with some nice bits of action here and there. But the biggest highlight of the match (and one I'll always remember) was when Samoa Joe pulled down five stacked men above him (including Garett at the top of the cage) down to the mat, it predictably got a standing ovation from the fans in Texas. Eric Young gained the winning pin after applying a diving elbow drop from the top of the cage, it was a nice finish.

Overall it was an enjoyable enough Lockdown match, but certainly not the best. The removal of the roof from the past (which contained weapons and would be lowered after all men had entered) was a bit disappointing for me, some of the most dramatic moments from previous LL matches happened at the top on the roof (normally involving AJ Styles). But I can't fault the efforts of most men involved, they provided a fun watch.

Bully Ray pinned Jeff Hardy (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage main event. The bout itself was a tremendous one too, with effective near falls and dramatic back and fourth wrestling, plus an ending I very much enjoyed, but I'll get to that in a bit...

Both men gave displays to be proud of and contributed a worthy main event to an otherwise up and down night in terms of quality. During the contest Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff came in, only to be soon chucked out by Hardy and Ray. Later on the rest of Aces also entered the cage, and this was when Devon passed over a hammer to Bully to strike down Hardy with and cover him for the World strap. Now my only gripe with the match itself was Wes and Garett entering it, what was the point? it just made them look weak. I can't fathom any reason or point to it.

Afterwards Brooke and Hulk Hogan (poorly) feigned shock at what they'd just witnessed, with Hulk's expression especially amusing. Bully then explained that he'd used Hulk, "screwed" Brooke and fooled all the fans, and announced himself as the President of Aces & 8s. He delivered the promo brilliantly, and reminded me why I loved him so much as a heel before, calling the Hulkster an "old bastard" and Brooke a "stupid bitch." The fans then began to rain down bottles and cups onto the gang in the cage, it was like a scene from pro wrestling in the nineties, it was a memorable end to the show. 

On the whole Lockdown was a mixed bag of a pay-per-view, with the majority of matches pretty pedestrian and unmemorable. My highlights were the tag team title bout and the main event, both terrific outings with great displays from all involved. The Lethal Lockdown match was also decent at parts, it's just a shame the rest of the card didn't live up to those three. Most importantly the event had a strong finale, leaving me wanting to see more from the solid heel that is Bully Ray and what's going to happen on Thursday night.