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, 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, 14th March 2013 Recap

It was as great as the photo suggests. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Before the following tag team title match could begin, Aces & 8s raced out and attacked Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. Devon then told all the fans to shut up and introduced the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Bully Ray. Bully spoke about how proud he was of his fellow Aces members and how he fooled Hogan, Brooke and the fans for nine months. He also added that in one night he'd accomplished what the NWO never had. It was a decent start to the show, with the always solid Chicago crowd getting into it.

Velvet Sky and Mickie James bested Tara and Gail Kim in a largely enjoyable tag bout. Every performer gave a worthy display here. Referee Taryn Terrell was once again pushed to breaking point by Kim and slapped her in the face, shortly after Sky managed to apply an In Yo' Face on Tara for the one-two-three.

Rob Terry pinned Robbie E in a pretty worthless outing. The only positive was how brief the match was kept, the wrestling was just very mediocre, Terry even seemed to struggle applying a spinebuster at the end. Afterwards Terry then began dancing...badly. It was just awkward. And why is Rob announced as haling from New Jersey? He's from Wales?

Hulk Hogan blamed Sting backstage for trusting Bully and therefore helping Aces gain the upper hand, claiming that he never trusted him. Didn't Hogan walk his daughter down the aisle to marry the guy and admit that the only reason he wasn't sure of him was because he didn't like the idea of Brooke being with a pro wrestler, not who he actually was? TNA defies logic. Sting then begged Hogan not to fire Aces & 8s, and stated that he had a plan for them. But Hulkster wasn't having any of it and told him to get out, adding that "You make me sick." Harsh words, eh?

Backstage Austin Aries and Bobby Roode rubbed in how Sting was wrong about Bully Ray and how it was all his fault right to his face. So 'The Stinger' retorted by challenging Aries to a match later on.

As AJ Style's music hit for his return, there was no sign of the man himself, so Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) came out dressed as Chicago's own Legion of Doom and claimed that it wasn't the first time Styles had let down his fans. They also announced their tribute as "throwback Thursday" and stated that LOD were just fake tough guys, unlike them. Daniels also added his own funny twist on the legendary tag teams famous line with "Ooooooh what a tush!" As usual Bad Influence were on great form.

James Storm then joined the duo and reminded them that LOD were a fair bit taller and bigger than them, and were also a lot more over. He then went on to challenge one of them to a match right there, deciding on Daniels after flipping 'The Fallen Angel' into the ring.

James Storm defeated Christopher Daniels in a solid encounter. Not either man's finest contest but a fun one nonetheless, with nicely executed action. Afterwards as Kaz and Daniels began beating down 'The Cowboy', a worse for wear looking AJ Styles appeared and chased them off, only to then turn on Storm by clotheslining him. 

Backstage we witnessed various Aces & 8s members taking out Kurt Angle, a target they'd anonymously picked out at random earlier.

Joseph Parks came out and told the fans that standing in the ring in his home town of Chicago was the proudest moment of his life. Matt Morgan then joined him and accused Parks of being the biggest mistake that Hogan ever made, and that he planned to eliminate all the errors of the Hulkster. But Parks refused to leave and claimed that in Chicago no one backs down from a fight and challenged Morgan to one. An amused 'Blueprint' told Parks that they'll fight when he wants to, then applied a Carbon Footprint, announcing that they'll have a match next week. 

Sting versus Austin Aries ended in a No Contest after Aces & 8s ran in and took out 'The Stinger'. The match itself had been a very entertaining one, and far better than I was expecting. I was predicting a fair contest here, nothing much, but both men gave great efforts and provided a fun watch from the opening bell. This is one of Sting's finest single bouts in a long while. After Aces beat down Sting (Aries had made a quick getaway) Bully demanded Hogan come out and dared him to fire them. 

Sure enough Hogan came out, but instead announced that he had convinced all the wrestlers in the back to band together to take out the gang. As members of the roster ran out, including former champ Jeff Hardy, they were not enough as Aces also eventually took them out. What's Hogan going to do now?

Overall it was a decent enough Impact, with almost all the matches providing stellar action and some nice progression in the Aces & 8s and TNA feud, with Bully injecting some much needed interest back into the gang as the top heel in the company. Actually, bar the Robbie E versus Terry match I liked all of the show really. My personal highlights were the Bad Influence promo ("Oooooh what a tush!" I will forever remember) Daniels vs Storm, Styles' return and the enjoyable main event.  

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.  

My Impact Wrestling, 17th January 2013 Recap

The always-entertaining Bad Influence mock Hardy's fan base of 'Creatures'. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

World Champion Jeff Hardy kicked off the show, oddly receiving chants of "You still got it" after mentioning the great Triple Threat he participated in at Genesis, when did Jeff 'loose it' exactly? After then thanking the fans for their support and claiming that he was after a fight to keep his momentum going, Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) joined him,  with Kaz reminding Hardy that he'll be defending his strap against his tag partner next week, and Daniels calling all of the champ's fans losers.

In retaliation Hardy then began to attack the duo, but soon fell victim to the numbers game, that is until James Storm predictably ran out to his aid and after scaring Bad Influence off challenged them to a tag match right there and then. Daniels and Kaz refused, but where then dragged into the ring and the bout begun.

Jeff Hardy and James Storm defeated Bad Influence in a solid tag team contest. I mean, with these four talents it's hard to go far wrong, right? All four men gave solid displays and kept a nice fast pace going, especially in the exciting final few minutes. Hardy applied the Twist of Fate to Kaz to gain the one-two-three for a popular win.

His future opponent Daniels then snuck in from behind and gave the champ a nicely executed Angles Wings onto his own title belt and laid cockily on top of him. It was a nice image and set up into their title clash, where I see a possible DQ happening which will hopefully lead into a World Championship match at Lockdown, which would be superb I reckon. 

Bryan Cage was first eliminated during the Gut Check segment, leaving the man he lost to last week, Jay Bradley to be judged on whether he deserves a TNA contract. The three judges voted two to one in favour of Jay. With the exception of Christian York, the lack of Gut Check winners of TV each week has diminished the effect and meaning of the whole thing for me.

Kenny King beat Christian York in a largely pedestrian outing. The action was fair, not bad, but also nothing that special. Their match up last Sunday was definitely more enjoyable and engaging. King grabbed the win after a cheeky roll up where he grabbed York's trunks.

Sting called out his good friend Hulk Hogan and asked him what it will take for him to accept Bully and his daughter Brooke's relationship. Hogan explained that there was something about Ray that he didn't trust, that seemed off, so he'll never accept him.

Velvet Sky bested Gail Kim in a number one contenders match to the Knockouts Title. It was a largely decent outing, with stellar work from Kim as she dominated for the most part and an above average effort from Sky (compare to her usual standard). Once again referee Taryn Terrell played a part in Kim's loss as she halted a pin when Sky managed to get her leg under the ropes. As Kim argued with the ref, Sky managed to recover and get in a few offensive moves, including an In Yo' Face for the win. Seems like their setting up a match between Terrell and Kim. I don't remember Terrell being that great in the ring to be honest, I think they should just leave her as a good-looking official.

A suited up Bobby Roode and Austin Aries came out and stated that the only celebration that should be happening rather than the wedding was for them. They went on to also criticise the current crop of champions in the company, claiming that since they'd lost their respective straps it's gone downhill. Tag Champions Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez soon joined them and objected to the claims being made against the title holders of the TNA. After AA and Roode then mocked their race, calling them the caterers, Chavo and 'Super Mex' retorted by chasing them out of the ring. I'm certainly all for a tag team title match between these four, could be great.

After Sting had another word with Hogan backstage, 'The Hulkster' admitted that he had no issue with Bully Ray, but that he objected to the wedding because he didn't want his daughter being involved with a business that had brought some hard times to him. Sting simply told him to do the right thing.

As the wedding ceremony began, Hogan then appeared and walked Brooke down the aisle. The ceremony progressed nicely, but after Bully and Brooke said their "I do"'s, Taz suddenly interrupted and asked if Ray really knew what he was doing. He then took off his blazer to reveal an Aces & 8s waistcoat underneath. This cued other Aces members to enter the ring and take out everyone bar Brooke. So out of all the potentially interesting and exciting members we could have joining the gang, we have Taz? No doubt we'll get some weak reasoning from the commentator next week as to his switch. Disappointing finish to the show, I was personally expecting Brooke or Bully to turn, either would've been more entertaining.
Overall it was a fair Impact, not one of the best as of late. The tag team match was definitely the highlight, providing a solid encounter. The Kim versus Sky bout was also decent enough, the rest of the show was just quite run of the mill and forgettable to be honest. Taz turning, as I mentioned, was a big disappointment, considering the potential candidates (Styles? Bully? Even Brooke, as bad an actress as she is). 

My Impact Wrestling, 3rd January 2013 Recap

Jeremy Borash announced via an online poll that Jeff Hardy had been named the 'TNA wrestler of the year'. Soon into Hardy's acceptance speech Bobby Roode interrupted him and berated the World Champion for caring about the fans opinion as much as his title belt, stating that it meant everything to him when he held it. Austin Aries (my personal TNA wrestler of the year) then also chimed in and called the whole contest "rigged" as he felt after his top PPV performances and record-breaking X Division title run he deserved the accolade of wrestler of the year.

Hardy then settled things by challenging both men to a Triple Threat for the title at Genesis to prove he was the better man. Aries and Roode decided they'd then had enough of the 'Charismatic Enigma' and began attacking him, but Jeff soon turned the tables and managed to take out both men.  

James Storm defeated Kazarian in a decent contest with a great finish. Both men gave fine displays here for the most part as they went back and fourth, with an excited crowd to help boost the atmosphere. For the finish Storm executed a superb Last Call Superkick to Kaz as he came off the top rope, it looked tremendous and had the fans on their feet.  

In the Aces & 8s headquarters Mr. Anderson agreed to help out the gang, but warned them that they'll have to show no fear when Sting returns that night. Doc then came out to the ring by himself and demanded that 'The Stinger' come on out. But there was no sign of Sting, and all Doc received was a black baseball bat fall to the ring in front of him. 

Christian York bested Kid Kash to advance in the X Division Title tournament. The bout itself was a bit of a mixed bag, with decent moments of action here and there but signs of sloppiness and nerves from York still. I just feel that York's a bit overrated by many fans, he shows moments of promising ability in the ring but he's still coming across as a bit of an amateur and slow to me, which isn't good enough for someone with as many years experience as him.

Matt Morgan announced on the way to the ring that he'd picked up an injury doing weights in the gym, so instead Joey Ryan was taking his place in the following match against Hernandez, much to Ryan's surprise.

Hulk Hogan apologised for not appearing on last weeks Impact, then went on to call out Brooke Hogan and Bully Ray to sort things out after seeing them kiss. He accused Bully of breaking the code among pro wrestlers by being involved with his daughter and then indefinitely suspended him without pay and demanded that Brooke leave the ring also. The storyline's taken an interesting turn.   

Mickie James and Brooke Tessmacher beat Tara and Gail Kim in a largely average tag bout. It wasn't a bad match, there was just nothing exceptional about it at all. Mickie James was the only stand out performer with a worthy display here, while Tara, Tessmacher and Kim were disappointedly pedestrian. 

Before the main event cage match begun, Doc attacked Kurt Angle and dragged him away, then locked Samoa Joe inside with Devon and a masked Aces & 8s ally. 

Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe defeated Devon and the masked Aces & 8s member in a Steel Cage match. The first third was fairly drab as Devon and his fellow gang member began beating on Joe, but once Angle managed to make a comeback and open the cage door after beating it off Doc, the main event picked up and started to gain some excitement. Angle as usual was on good form as he began throwing around and taking out his two opponents, Joe also looked decent here, Devon and his ally gave fair performances. Angle grabbed the win after applying an Angle Slam.

Afterwards a swarm of gang members ran into the steel structure and began taking out Joe and Angle. But predictably Sting then made his return and took out all the Aces & 8s goons with his signature baseball bat. Considering the build up to his return, it all felt rather anticlimactic to me. He just strolled down in his T-Shirt, without any music or at least the lights going out, and the way he was able to take out all those men looked ridiculous, like they wouldn't be able to take down the far older 'Stinger'? Disappointing return for me, but then I wasn't that hyped to begin with. I still feel he would've been better off retiring two years back.

Overall it was a largely pedestrian Impact for me. Storm versus Kazarian and the second half to the main event were the highlights, other than that I didn't really get that into the show. At least we had some nicely executed progressions in the Hogan Bully Ray storyline and World Title picture.

My Impact Wrestling, 27th December 2012 Recap

Kazarian and Daniels on great form as standard. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Bully Ray came to the ring and as part of the Open Fight Night rules asked Hulk Hogan to come out to talk, which he was obliged to as part of OFN. But instead daughter Brooke Hogan joined Bully and quietly informed him that her Dad was aware of their relationship. The fact that Ray feigned shock just seemed stupid, I mean they were both kissing out in the clear open in the parking lot on last weeks show when 'The Hulkster' spotted them. 

Austin Aries challenged Bobby Roode to a match in the main event to finally settle things after each man had screwed each other over in World Title situations over the past two weeks. He also claimed that as the top two wrestlers going it was suitable that they'd have the final televised TNA bout of the year.

An angry Samoa Joe called out a masked member of Aces & 8s that attacked him previously to a match up, and threatened to unmask him too. 

Samoa Joe defeated the Aces & 8s member via submission in a passable, if uninspiring contest. The action was okay but nothing special or particularly exciting. As Joe began to unmask his opponent, other gang members raced out so he decided to leave it for now and left.

Robbie E challenged Jesse to a 'Bro Off', which consisted of simply dancing awfully or posing to their entrance themes. Robbie E announced himself the winner after Jesse broke the rules by not saying "Bro"  and by using Tara and not "putting bros before hoes." But it wasn't over as Robbie T then also danced/posed to the music and walked off leaving a shocked Robbie E. It was a bad segment all round to be honest, it wasn't funny and the dancing wasn't remotely decent. I didn't personally find any amusement here at all, and I normally don't mind the duo of Tara and Jesse. 

Rob Van Dam ridiculously stated that his efforts had "elevated the X Division to a whole new level." Please tell me doesn't actually believe that, right? RVD hasn't done anything close to what Aries did for the division, he gives average efforts most weeks and still thinks of himself as one of the top talents in the company. He went on to then challenge Christian York to a match, much to the surprise of Kenny King.

Rob Van Dam defeated Christian York in a fair contest. While York pulls out a few exciting moves in his match ups, he does still have a tendency to be a bit clumsy here and there, and I wouldn't have believed that he's had sixteen-years experience in pro wrestling if Tenay hadn't mentioned it. Overall the bout was decent enough, nothing exceptional about it. 

Christopher Daniels as usual was on great form on the mic as he mocked the fans and named his rear the one that "makes the girls cheer." He also went on to introduce AJ Styles for one final match, but it was of course a hoax as Kazarian came out dressed as 'The Phenomenal One' and did an amusing impression of him as he claimed that Daniels was superior in every way. Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez then joined them and called the duo a pair of clowns and challenged them to a tag match.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Bad Influence (Daniels and Kazarian) in a solid tag bout. All four men gave good displays here and finally provided a very enjoyable match for the night. It's also nice to see the tag champs back on our screens, it's felt like a while since they've been there.

Gail Kim boasted about her memorable Knockouts Title reign (longest in company history) and also challenged Brooke Tessmacher to a match as a bit of retribution for ending said reign. I do miss Kim as champ I have to say, for me she's the top female wrestler in TNA.

Gail Kim defeated Brooke Tessmacher in an intense back and fourth outing. I wasn't expecting anything special here but it was a very pleasant surprise as both wrestlers provided a great Knockouts match up. Tessmacher looked good throughout and put on one of her top performances to date, Kim was also on her usual stellar form. Good stuff here and worth a watch, miles better than any Divas contest you'll get nowadays.

Austin Aries versus Bobby Roode ended in a No Contest. It was a fun main event for the most part, with Aries and Roode each applying their own underhanded, heel-tactics throughout. It's a shame there wasn't more wrestling though, considering the high standard of matches they've put on before. The match ended when referee Earl Hebner screamed at both to stop ignoring the rules, so the competitors decided to kick Earl and chuck him out of the ring. Jeff Hardy then appeared from behind and took both men out.

Overall it was a largely average Impact, with the first half of the show providing quite pedestrian entertainment. Fortunately the Daniels and Kazarian segment was as usual solid, and their following tag bout, Kim versus Tessmacher and most of the main event were also decent to very enjoyable match ups. 

My Impact Wrestling, 20th December 2012 Recap

Aries controls Hardy in a great main event title clash. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Devon (c) bested Kurt Angle to retain the Television Title in an average opener. Unfortunately there was just too much happening and they never had a chance to really put on a substancial contest. Angle looked solid as usual, but again there wasn't much time and too many distractions that marred things. Samoa Joe, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff all came down to ringside and began brawling with Aces & 8s members, then once again later on, which was a bit overkill for my liking. The second time as the referee was distracted a masked gang member whacked Angle with a kendo stick, allowing Devon to gain the one-two-three.

Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan beat Rob van Dam and Kenny King in a fair tag bout. King was the standout performer here, with the only memorable display. RVD also looked decent, but nothing outstanding. Ryan again failed to really impress me in the ring at all, and Morgan was his usual pretty drab self. For the finish King decided he'd had enough of Morgan and left RVD to have a Carbon Footprint applied by 'The Blueprint', with Ryan then pinning him.

Hulk Hogan claimed that 2012 had bee a great year for the company, and also announced that the online voting for TNA wrestler of the year was now open. Devon and Aces & 8s members soon joined 'The Hulkster' and stated that 2012 will only be remembered as the year "Aces & 8s were born" and 2013 as the year they were all revealed and unmasked, and when Hogan was in TNA no longer. But as they approached the ring Bully Ray ran out to Hogan's aid and chased them off, but Hogan still refused to acknowledge or appreciate Bully's help.

Kazarian brought out tag partner Christopher Daniels and as a Holiday treat arranged for Santa Claus to join him and ask what he wanted for Christmas this year. So after giving it much thought, Daniels asked for presents for AJ Style's kids as they'll be struggling at the moment. As usual Daniels and Kaz were on great form, especially the hilarious Daniels who when asked if he'd been good or not gave a priceless smug look to the camera. James Storm the also joined them and defended the Christmas season and what it means to children and super kicked Santa after failing to guess what he'd asked for Christmas last year. It was a fun segment all round.  

Tara (c) beat Mickie James to retain the Knockouts Championship in a passable contest. Decent enough displays from both women but nothing outstanding, I actually found myself loosing interest towards the end too. Tara gained the win after boyfriend Jesse distracted James, allowing her to grab a quick pinfall win.

Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Title in a solid main event. Once again these two worked brilliantly together, with great chemistry. Although not as exciting as their previously tremendous bouts, it's very hard to fault either man's efforts here. Worthy World Championship contest and the highlight of the night for sure. The finish came when Bobby Roode gained some revenge by attacking Aries which allowed Hardy to apply a Twist of Fate for the important victory. 

In the parking lot Hogan spotted Bully Ray and daughter Brooke Hogan making out. Hogan simply drove away, while the interviewer pricelessly exclaimed "Oh, shit!" An amusing end to the show. 

My TNA Final Resolution 2012 Recap

Daniels applies the match-winning Styles Clash. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

James Storm asked that Bobby Roode come on out to get his comeuppance after clearly paying Aces & 8s on last weeks Impact to attack both him and Hardy in the ring. But instead Kazarian joined 'The Cowboy' and accused him of being the biggest whiner in the company after AJ Styles and an alcoholic. Storm retorted by mocking Kaz a bit and then challenging him to a fight right there and then, so a referee made his way out and a brawl began. It was a fun start to the show, with the crowd eating up every word Storm had to say.

James Storm defeated Kazarian in a decent enough encounter. The action was solid for the most part, my only issue was the time allocated and the lack of it. I feel these two deserved a bit more to really deliver a more memorable match up.

Rob Van Dam (c) beat Kenny King to retain the X Division Title in a match that ranged from fair to average. Unfortunately too many sloppy moments spoilt the contest for me a bit, there were a few nice sequences between the two but it wasn't anything special. Leading into it I was actually expecting more, which is rare for me with a Van Dam match nowadays. At least the crowd in attendance seemed to like it with scattered chants of "This is awesome!" Easily pleased fans I guess.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) won via DQ versus Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan, thereby retaining the TNA Tag Team Championship. The bout was largely passable, with solid enough wrestling but nothing that inspiring. Chavo and Hernandez gave the top displays here. The disqualification came after Morgan dragged the referee from out of the ring after Chavo had applied a Frog Splash to Ryan.

Austin Aries bested Bully Ray in a highly enjoyable contest. Both men gave terrific efforts here and clearly wanted to steal the show, especially Bully who gave one of his finest performances I've ever seen in a singles match. For the finish Hulk Hogan had to drag away daughter Brooke, who'd ran down to check on a bloodied Bully, which then gave Aries a chance to low blow Ray and grab the one-two-three. I have a feeling that AA and Brooke are having a fling and secretly plotting against Hogan and Bully here, just a theory.

Tara (c) beat Mickie James to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship in a worthy effort by both women. As expected with these two the action was above average from what you get from most female wrestlers nowadays in the US, as they actually take real pride in their craft and have worked hard on it over the years. Next up for Tara is the makeup covered Velvet Sky, so expect the quality to drop.

Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff beat Aces & 8s (Devon, Doc and two unknown members) in an eight-man tag match that didn't really get going until later on. For the majority it was a pretty lacklustre outing, with disappointing action that wasn't particularly engaging at all.

It wasn't until Joe made a hot tag to Angle that things livened up and all eight men scrambled in the ring, applying their respective signature maneuvers. As Doc then went for Angle with a hammer Garett jumped in to stop him, and Wes then clumsily speared a masked gang member out of the ring, which I'm sure will turn out to be a save as surely Wes is a member of the Aces & 8s too.

Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles in a terrific back and fourth match of the night. As standard with these two the action was technically faultless, with great sequences and drama to be had. Unfortunately my only gripe was the slight lack of intensity and heat, which I can only put down to the sheer number of times we've seen these two face each other.

I'm not having a go at either man, their matches have always been entertaining, but there's only so much of a good thing that you can take before you start to loose interest, and the lack of enthusiasm from the fans in attendance was also proof of that here. That could also be down to the fact that it's hard to believe that this really is their final ever encounter, I mean, we've heard that before. Daniels gained the victory by applying Styles' own finisher the Styles Clash after AJ took a dangerous fall from the top rope. 

Jeff Hardy (c) bested Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an intense and enjoyable main event. Both wrestlers worked hard and it certainly paid off as they delivered a worthy World title match, battling back and fourth with effective near falls and an excited crowd. While the build up wasn't anything outstanding I predicted that it'd be a good contest at least, which it was. During the bout Aces & 8s made their way out, but just stood there. After the bell rang they then proceeded to take out Hardy and an infuriated Roode, who had presumedly paid them off to help him win the strap.

Overall Final Resolution was a successful event, with a few match ups that were really memorable but most that I could give or take. The main event, Daniels vs Styles and Bully Ray vs Aries were the highlights for me, providing high quality bouts that you've come to expect from TNA pay-per-views over the last few months. The rest of the card was still decent enough and I couldn't call one match bad, so I can't complain. 

My Impact Wrestling, 6th December 2012 Recap

Bobby Roode, Kazarian and Christopher Daniels each took a turn to brag about their predicted upcoming victories at Final Resolution this Sunday, with Daniels also calling out AJ Styles, who made his way to the ring. Styles claimed that even on his worst day and Daniel's best, he's still better than him in the ring. 'The Fallen Angel' retorted by simply calling AJ a "looser" with his recent records, with no one to blame but himself.

This prompted an angered Styles to begin attacking Daniels, which of course led to a three on one attack until Jeff Hardy and James Storm came out to save their tag partner for later on. It was a fair segment to start the show, nothing outstanding or that original.

Devon defeated Samoa Joe (c) to obtain the TNA Television Championship in a passable title contest. The action was solid enough throughout and it was a fair effort from both men, although certainly neither ones finest, it just never really got that engaging. For the finish Doc struck Joe with a hammer while the referee was distracted, allowing Devon to grab the one-two-three and the strap.   

Mickie James thanked all her friends, family and fans for their support during her absence and also promised to win the Knockouts Title this Sunday. The champ herself Tara and partner Jesse then joined her and bragged about the amazing year she'd had, but was soon interrupted by the returning Velvet Sky. Sky received a healthy response from the fans, and warned both ladies that 2013 will be her year as Knockouts Champion. I feel the return of Sky overshadowed Mickie's title challenge personally, and think it should've waited until after Final Resolution where it would've had more impact without everything else going on between Tara and James.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Robbie E and Robbie T in a largely average tag bout. The first two thirds were pretty pedestrian really, with nothing that special from all four men. Fortunately the final few minutes picked up the pace and excitement and it was a fun finish. Afterwards Matt Morgan then attacked both Chavo and Hernandez while his tag partner Joey Ryan cockily predicted their title victory this Sunday.

In an awful piece of production Chavo and Hernandez were then cut off by Kurt Angle's entrance music as they were giving a promo backstage. There's no excuse for something that foolish happening, and what makes it worse is it isn't the first time it's occurred in TNA.

Kurt Angle won via disqualification versus Doc after other members of Aces & 8s ran in to take out Angle. The match itself was a mixed bag, with quite a few sloppy moments (which is out of character for an Angle bout) but a decent enough second half to help salvage it a bit. On the whole it was fairly unmemorable really. Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Samoa Joe all raced out to Angle's aid and chased off the gang members, which prompted Angle to challenge Aces & 8s to an eight-man tag match at Final Resolution between them four and any four members of their group.  

Kenny King bested Zema Ion and Kid Kash in a terrific Triple Threat match to become number one contender for the X Division Title. The displays from all three men were solid and they clearly went out to deliver the top match of the night, which instead turned out to be the main event, but I'm getting to that in a bit. The action came fast and brought plenty of excitement, which is exactly what the X Division should do. 

Bully Ray once again demanded that Hogan put him and Aries together in a match, and wouldn't leave until he received it. Austin Aries then came out and accused Bully of pretending he wanted to face him for the sake of his love interest Brooke Hogan, and sat comfortably in a chair until Hulk Hogan joined them and eventually decided to put Bully and AA in a match at Final Resolution after being convinced by his daughter Brooke.

Jeff Hardy, James Storm and AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Bobby Roode in a terrific six-man tag contest. I really can't think of a fault with the match here, the action was just solid throughout and everyone involved deserves credit, especially Styles who was superb. Great way to end the show on a strong outing like this.

Impact was for the most part was pretty average and forgettable for me. The tremendous main event and Triple Threat match ups managed to make it worth watching, so I certainly can't fault the entire show. At least the lead ups to Final Resolution made sense, even if I'm not particularly that excited for it, which is a poor sign for a show that's meant to encourage you to purchase the PPV.

My Impact Wrestling, 29th November 2012 Recap

Hulk Hogan demanded that Bully come out and explain to him what's going on between him and his daughter Brooke. Sure enough Bully Ray did, and stated that he was the "number one man" in his daughter's life. Brooke Hogan also joined them and was warned by her father that he never wanted to see her involved with a pro wrestler "especially him." Austin Aries of course couldn't resist getting involved and berated Hogan on the big screen for dealing with family issues in public rather then managing the show.

Mickie James defeated Gail Kim in a largely solid encounter. Comparing the standard of wrestling here to anything the current female performers in WWE have to offer is really quite startling. And the frustrating thing is that there's no excuse for WWE not to bring in some far more talented wrestlers for the Divas division, they had both these women under contract at one point.

Bobby Roode claimed that Hardy failed to impress him after barely beating Gut Check winner Christian York last week. York himself then joined 'The It Factor' and gave him a slap for disrespecting him, followed by a challenge of a match which Roode accepted.

Bobby Roode bested Christian York in a highly enjoyable contest. Both men put in great efforts here and provided an engaging watch from start to finish. I actually enjoyed this more than York's bout with Hardy last week, he's looking better each time we see him. For the finish York almost caught Roode out with a nice near fall from a roll up, but then had the crossface applied and was forced to tap.

Afterwards as 'The It Factor' was about to strike York with a steel chair, his Final Resolution opponent Jeff Hardy raced out and chased him off. They should have an entertaining World Title match next Sunday, although I still personally would've rather seen Storm face Hardy.

James Storm and AJ Styles beat Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a tremendous tag match. All four men gave top displays here, with crisp action at a healthy pace. For me Daniels and Kaz are the most consistent tag team in the ring going today, plus their promos are always entertaining. Afterwards Storm warned AJ about loosing his head during the match and being a bit sloppy, could a heel turn be on the cards for Styles?

Matt Morgan bested Douglas Williams in a drab squash match. Morgan was also cheered on at ringside by tag partner Joey Ryan, who gave a decent introduction to 'The Blueprint' beforehand. 

After receiving two "Yes" votes Wes Brisco was handed a TNA contract. An emotional Brisco celebrated with Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff after, it seemed genuine, although it seems too obvious that both him and D'Lo (who stood in for Al Snow after he mysteriously disappeared and never turned up to the show) are members of Aces & 8s. If that's the case then it was a good bit of acting of Brisco's part.

Austin Aries versus Rob Van Dam (c) for the X Division Championship ended in a disqualification. The bout itself had been good for the most part, with some nice sequences between RVD and Aries. Unfortunately a few sloppy moments let it down a little, but otherwise it was fine, and one of RVD's best matches in a while. The DQ came after Bully Ray ran in and began attacking AA, which then led to a stare down between him and Hogan. 

Overall it was a solid Impact, and the best wrestling broadcast this week. Based on match quality alone it was very good, with only the drab Morgan versus Williams bout letting it down. Unfortunately we didn't receive any answers or development in the Bully Ray/Brooke/Hulk storyline, but I'm enjoying the slow breakdown of Styles, and as usual Daniels and Kazarian were great on the mic. Highlight of the show was definitely the terrific tag team match, great action throughout. Big step up from last weeks average broadcast.

My Impact Wrestling, 22nd November 2012 Recap

AJ applies the always impressive Pelé Kick for the win. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Wes Brisco defeated Garett Bischoff in a Gut Check Challenge match up. The bout itself was mediocre for the most part really, and quite drab. Both men looked okay in the ring, but nothing inspiring. But despite all of the negatives the crowd at least seemed to be into it, mainly based on the surname value of Wes I'd guess. After Wes grabbed the win an elated Kurt Angle ran into the ring to celebrate with him.

Joey Ryan challenged one half of the tag team champions Chavo Guerrero to a match as part of Open Fight Night. He explained that it was to earn himself and Matt Morgan a shot at the tag straps, so Hogan couldn't split them up. 

Chavo Guerrero won via disqualification versus Joey Ryan in a largely pedestrian contest. Again it was a match that just wasn't that engaging. Chavo put in a decent enough display but Ryan is still looking pretty average for the most part, not bad, just average. 

Former Gut Check winner Sam Shaw (who I honestly can't even remember, which is not a good sign for any wrestler) challenged the first ever GC winner Alex Silva, who showed a bit more attitude and character as he came down to the ring.   

Sam Shaw bested Alex Silva in a bout that didn't pick up until the final couple of minutes. Like I mentioned, Silva showed more character here during the contest as he beat on Shaw, but the action wasn't anything special. And on the flip side while Sam didn't show much charisma, he did look good as he made a comeback and planted a top rope leg drop to Silva for the one-two-three.

In a popular decision Christian York called out a man he admired, Jeff Hardy to a match up.

Jeff Hardy defeated Christian York in an enjoyable encounter. I have to be honest, I didn't really get what the fuss was about with York back in his Gut Check match, but here he looked decent and was able to look genuinely competitive against Hardy, so I give him credit. In a smart booking move York controlled most of the contest, with the World Champion obviously gaining the win after making a late comeback. Paul Heyman once said that a successful match will push both wrestlers involved, and that's what happened here.

Afterwards the number on contender to Hardy's title Bobby Roode snuck out and spinebustered York and speared Hardy to send a message to his future opponent.

Tara beat Taeler Hendrix in a mostly sub par bout after Hendrix challenged the Knockouts Title holder. Unfortunately while Taeler has the likable personality she's still unpolished in the ring and has work to do, but the potential is certainly there for her. The action here was just average and never went beyond that.

Eric Young pinned Jesse in a Triple Threat involving Robbie E also. The comedy match was okay for what it was, and I never expected much from it anyway. As per the stipulation a grumpy Jesse had to wear the annual turkey costume as part of the Thanksgiving theme. Afterwards however the amusement stopped as Aces & 8s took out Eric Young as a handcuffed ODB was forced to look on. Hopefully this will mean the return of a more serious EY, I always preferred him like that.

The always entertaining duo of Christopher Daniels and Kazarian explained that Daniels had challenged AJ Styles to a match at Final Resolution so he could be there for a 'friend'. Kaz then went on to challenge Styles to a match that night. 

AJ Styles defeated Kazarian in the match of the night. It's hardly surprising considering the talent that this was a solid outing from the get go, although I've seen more exciting bouts involving these two. Nevertheless it was a fun enough watch.

Austin Aries claimed that the management in the back and certain influences in TNA had been holding him back and stacking the deck against him. And for this he blamed Hogan, more specifically, Brooke Hogan, who he then called out as part of Open Fight Night. Aries went on to expose a supposed secret relationship between her and Bully Ray, and amusingly added that she didn't "have to settle for a turkey" when he had "all the stuffing you need." This prompted an angry Hogan and Bully Ray to come out to Brooke's defence, and then give each other puzzled looks to end the show.     

Overall it was a pretty mediocre Impact, and one of the poorest for a long while. Most matches were average at best, with the exception of Styles versus Kazarian and Hardy versus York, and no storylines made much significant progress either. At least the always on form Aries and Daniels managed to provide entertaining promos. 

My Impact Wrestling, 15th November 2012 Recap

Wallop! Storm applies an impressive kick to Roode in a solid main event. 

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

James Storm thanked all his friends, family, fans and people that didn't think he could do it for spurring him on to become number one contender to the World Title at Turning Point. Soon after Booby Roode joined 'The Cowboy' and toasted to his victory with a couple of beers and thanked him for beating AJ Styles last Sunday (the wrestler pinned or made to submit in the bout doesn't receive a World Title shot until Bound for Glory next year due to the stipulations).

He also went on to claim that Storm won the match off of his own hard work, and that he's going to fail miserably against Hardy in their title match. Storm simply retorted with a few punches and chased off 'The It Factor'. Storm challenged Roode to a match, but Roode would only accept only if he put his number one contendership on the line, so a furious Storm agreed.

Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Kid Kash to retain the X Division Championship in quite a sloppy encounter. There were decent moments here and there provided from Kash for the most part, including a nicely executed hurricanrana to the outside. 

Jesse beat Eric Young in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match up. Jesse actually looked okay here as he gave his best display to date. He looks as though he's actually been working hard to improve himself, although there's still a fair way to go for him. Jesse grabbed the win after a distraction from Tara and ODB when they began brawling on the outside. 

Joseph Parks begged Hulk Hogan for another chance at Aces & 8s, but Hogan was adamant that he shouldn't ever be stepping in the ring again. In response Parks announced that he was going to leave to be trained properly in the ring and return ready for action.  

Before his following Television Title match Magnus was taken out by members of Aces & 8s, including Doc who once again attacked his victim using a hammer. Before Devon could strike with a baseball bat Bully Ray raced out and chased off the gang members. It seemed silly that it would take so long for anyone to come to Magnus' aid, they beat him down for a while here. To his credit Magnus did sell the attack quite well. 

Backstage Austin Aries encountered his former opponent Jeff Hardy and admitted that he put on a great performance against him in their Ladder match, but that he was forced to to beat a top wrestler such as himself. He also claimed that he raises the performance of any man he steps in the ring with, which is actually true for the most part. We then heard a strange inner monologue from Hardy after AA left, I'm still not sure how I feel about these. It just felt a bit out of place and too unreal for this particular segment, especially after quite an honest speech from Aries. 

Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff bested Devon and a unknown member of Aces & 8s in a fair to average tag bout. Angle as usual was on good form, but most of the match just wasn't anything that special and felt more like filler for me, plus all the distractions hindered it a bit. Angle grabbed the win with a quick schoolboy after Wes Brisco ran down and went for Doc at ringside.

Mickie James bested Gail Kim, ODB, Madison Rayne and Brooke Tesmacher to win a Knockouts Battle Royal to earn a Knockouts Championship match. It was a decent effort from most involved, and it was especially nice to see the talented Kim and James in action again, it feels like it's been too long.

Aces & 8s informed Doc that he was out of the gang after some deliberation. But this turned out to be a joke as they handed him back his leather waistcoat at the door. It was a strange storyline this, and I'm not sure what it was meant to gain exactly.

A sour AJ Styles came out and spoke about all the bad luck he'd had over the last year, including being accused of being a father to a "crackhead's" child, loosing in the Triple Threat last Sunday and coming close to winning the BFG Series but just missing out. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian then joined him and claimed that all his issues this year were his very own fault, and called him a "complete and utter failure."

Styles responded by challenging Daniels to a match. Daniels accepted, stating that now was the perfect time to face AJ. It was a decent segment, and more proof that Daniels and Kaz are one of the best acts going in the company today.

Bobby Roode defeated James Storm to earn number one contendership for the World Title in an enjoyable main event. Both men put in solid efforts and provided a worthy main event calibre match up as they battled back and fourth. Earlier in the contest Roode exposed the top turnbuckle in the ring, which later came into play as he slammed Storm's head into it and scored the one-two-three with a quick roll up. I think the crowd were as surprised as I was as they went pretty quiet after Roode won. An unexpected win, especially considering Storm's current momentum. Roode versus Hardy should still be a good bout anyway.  

Overall it was a mostly watchable show, with a few unmemorable bouts but a solid main event and entertaining segment between Styles, Daniels and Kaz. Unfortunately a lot of what happened also felt more like filler to me, what was the point of Doc having his membership up for debate? I would've rather had another match in that time.