My Impact Wrestling, 1st November 2012 Recap

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Joseph Parks explained that under the rules of Open Fight Night (where anyone can challenge anyone else to a match and they must accept) he found a loophole where he was allowed to compete and gain revenge on a member of Aces & 8s after they kidnapped him. Sure enough members of the gang came out, but as they attempted to take out Parks together Kurt Angle raced out and began attacking them.

Unfortunately the numbers were too much for Angle so Sting came to his aid. Oddly Parks just stood there as they took down Angle too, even though he was desperate to get his hands on them a moment ago. Sting then promised that one member of Aces & 8s would have their mask take off that night. 

Magnus challenged Samoa Joe to a Television Title match, claiming that Joe wasn't the right image to represent the strap.

Samoa Joe (c) won via disqualification versus Magnus, therefore retaining the TNA Television Championship. It was an enjoyable enough match up, with a blistering start by Joe. The DQ came after the challenger struck the champ with a wrench to cause the DQ. Understandably it wasn't allocated too much time as it was a stepping stone for their No DQ rematch for the title that Joe challenged Magnus to afterwards backstage. 

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian claimed that they were the uncrowned Tag Team Champions and announced a premature title victory at Turning Point against Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. They also went on to challenge Spanish commentators Héctor Guerrero and Willie Urbina, using a few latino puns to goad them into the ring. But the match never happened as Daniels and Kaz just attacked both men until Chavo and Hernandez came to their aid and chased them off. Daniels and Kaz are on great form at the moment, both in the ring and on the mic. 

Zema Ion defeated Gut Check challenger Christian York in a mixed bag of a match. York looked decent here and there, but there were too many times where he also looked too slow for the moves he was attempting to pull off and it looked sluggish. Ion was on good form. I'm personally not worried it York gets a contract or not.

Backstage a brawl broke out briefly between Aces & 8s and members of the TNA roster. 'The Stinger' once again reiterated that one of them will be unmasked.

Jesse beat ODB after she'd challenged him to a match. It was a mediocre affair, which was to be expected. To be fair Jesse looked more competent in the ring than I'd expected and worked okay. He grabbed a quick roll up pin for the one-two-three after Tara distracted ODB at ringside. One plus was the crowd reaction, they were certainly behind ODB.

Jeff Hardy bested Robbie E in a decent contest. Both men gave worthy efforts here, and it was a fun watch while it lasted. Afterwards Austin Aries came out and complained that after all his hard work reaching the top Hardy ruined it when he beat him for the World Title. In response Hardy suggested that their rematch be a Ladder match as he brought one out from under the ring. AA didn't seem pleased with the choice.

We were shown footage from the opening of Hulk Hogan's new shop, when Matt Morgan turned up and stole a piece of memorabilia from the wall. Hogan rightfully stood there afraid of the huge guy threatening him, rather than foolishly take on a guy much younger and in better condition.

Bobby Roode complained that he was failed to be chosen or even a choice by Hogan to face Jeff Hardy for the title last week. AJ Styles then joined him and told Roode to stop complaining after having the longest TNA World Title reign in history. He also reminded us of his (horrible) storyline he had involving an alleged affair during Roode's title run, amusingly claiming that it seems to be the it thing at the moment with people called "AJ." Nice. He then went on to challenge 'The It Factor' to a match. Roode declined the offer, then cheap shotted AJ before he managed to make a comeback and chased Bobby out of the ring.

Hogan, accompanied by James Storm, then joined them both and booked Triple Threat involving them all at Turning Point. With the victor becoming the number one contender to the World Title, and whoever's pinned or submitted not receiving a title shot until Bound for Glory next year, which seemed like an unnecessary and silly stipulation. 

Matt Morgan, clad in the previously mentioned robe that he stole from Hogan, warned 'The Hulkster' and TNA management that he wasn't holding back and that he'd make history in said robe. It wasn't a bad promo. Joey Ryan, who'd accompanied him, then called out RVD for a match. 

Joey Ryan beat Rob Van Dam in an average and unmemorable contest. Neither man gave a particularly great display, and it just felt pretty uninspiring. For the finish RVD went for the Frog Splash but missed as Morgan pulled Ryan out of the way, Joey then ran in for a quick pin for the victory. The fans were not best pleased. Morgan then finished off Van Dam with a Carbon Footprint. 

Bully Ray called out Devon for a fight, but before that he wished all the best to everyone suffering in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. As the bout begun, other Aces & 8s members came out which once again began a brawl between them and members of the TNA roster. As the fight ensued Joseph Parks challenged a gang member to a fight in the ring, but was then beaten down and choke slammed through a table set up by Bully earlier. But before that the Aces & 8s member was revealed to be Luke Gallows. This wasn't really a shock as it'd been rumoured for months. Still good to have them unmasking though. 

Overall it was an okay show. No matches were really outstanding or up to the standard we've been expecting from Impact as of late. But at least the stories progressed decently and we had another reveal of an Aces & 8s member, not a shocking one but one at least. 

My Impact Wrestling, 18th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Aces & Eights kicked things off by presenting a live video of their masked leader thanking Devon (who'd been revealed as a member of the group by Hogan at Bound for Glory) for his help in them gaining free access to TNA. Devon himself then joined his fellow members in the ring and explained that when no one else was there for him when he was released from TNA, Aces & Eights were. He went on to also state that his attack on Bully Ray was payback for his betrayal last year.

Sting then arrived, along with a handful of the roster and a brawl broke out between the two groups, with Aces & Eights eventually leaving. Hogan also came out and announced that Devon will face Sting that night, and if he refuses then he'll have to leave the building. There were heavy chants for Bully Ray during the booking. It was an exciting start to the show.

Samoa Joe beat Robbie E in a watchable squash match. While it wasn't anything outstanding, it went the way it should with the superior and larger Joe taking out Robbie with ease.

Backstage during a photo shoot Tara and her partner Jesse (from the American Big Brother, apparently) told the photographer to get lost and then bragged about their celebrity lifestyle. Everything about this storyline and these segments just annoys me, so I suppose the couple are doing their job successfully as heels.

ODB defeated Tara in a largely average affair. There were a few comedy spots here and there involving ODB, including shoving Jesse's head into her chest half way through. She was also distracted by a phone call from her absent husband Eric Young throughout the contest. For the finish ODB barged Tara into Jesse (who was standing at ringside supporting his girlfriend) and then applied the Bam for the one-two-three. This didn't really do any favours at all for the new Knockouts Champ Tara, especially with ODB distracted for a lot of the match. Confusing booking here.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Kid Kash and Gunner in a decent enough tag bout. Hernandez has always benefitted from more limited time in the ring in a tag team, and that was no exception here as he came across very effectively and gave a good display. There weren't any particularly memorable performances but I can't really fault any one.

Next we had Jeff Hardy's World Title win celebration, where he first thanked all his fans that had stuck with him. Former champ Austin Aries then joined him and congratulated him on his win at BFG, and also presented him with some balloons (that ended up floating away) and a plate of cookies (which Hardy tipped out of his hand). Aries went on to take a took at Hardy's new title belt with a replica of his face on the front, and spat on it before making a quick getaway. As usual AA was on solid form on the mic. 

Kurt Angle defeated Christopher Daniels and AJ Styles in a terrific Triple Threat to move forward for a chance at Hardy's World Title. While the match wasn't as exciting or fast paced as I was hoping, the action was faultless, which is hardly unexpected considering the standard of talent in the ring. Angle grabbed the victory after pushing Daniels inadvertently into Styles on the ropes and Angle Slamming him for the winning pin.

James Storm spoke about his brilliant brawl with Roode at Bound for Glory, and how after gaining revenge on his rival his new aim is to win back the World Championship. Bobby Roode soon joined 'The Cowboy' and admitted that he'd finally gained redemption against himself, and that his win moved him way up the ladder in TNA. But despite the victory, Roode claimed that he would always be "the better man." Storm retorted by Last Call Superkicking Roode in the face. It was a decent segment.

Sting won via disqualification versus Devon in a fair main event. The first half was fairly drab for the most part, but luckily the pace picked up and the match had a strong ending as both men put in solid efforts. To be honest I wasn't expecting much from this match, but it was better then expected and I enjoyed it. The DQ came when Aces & Eights members ran in to help their fellow member and started taking out 'The Stinger'. As expected members of the TNA roster also ran out to even the odds and chased away the gang.

Overall it wasn't a bad Impact, nor was it an outstanding one either. There were a few enjoyable match ups and segments but it just wasn't consistent enough throughout the show. My personal highlight was the triple threat between Styles, Angle and Daniels. 

My TNA Bound for Glory 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Rob Van Dam defeated Zema Ion (c) to capture the X Division Championship in a decent enough opener to the show. Ion managed to control most of the match with one of his best showings to date in my opinion. But RVD, unsurprisingly the crowd favourite in Phoenix, managed to make a comeback and hit the Five Star Frog Splash for the one-two-three. While I was hoping Ion would win here as he had a lot more to gain, and it coud've really bolstered the status of the title, he at least managed to look competitive against Van Dam which is something. 

Samoa Joe (c) bested Magnus to retain the TNA Television title in a solid back and fourth bout. I wasn't really expecting anything much from this match to be honest, I thought it'd be okay but nothing special, and I'm certainly glad I was wrong. Magnus pulled out the best performance I've ever seen from him here and proved that he could potentially be one of TNA's top players in the years to come. Of course Joe put in his usual worthy effort and both men provided a title match to be proud of.    

James Storm beat Bobby Roode in a terrific Street Fight. In this dramatic encounter both rivals battled it out as they did not hold back at all, with plenty of weapons used (although not too much to make it overkill) and effective near falls. The fans also voiced their approval throughout. King Mo's involvement was kept very minimal, in fact I didn't really see the point of using him here at all bar the publicity for the event. Even then I don't think it was worth it. 

Joey Ryan defeated Al Snow in an average match up, therefore earning himself a TNA contract. The action was never bad at any point, just quite pedestrian, especially up against the previous bout. Ryan grabbed the winning pin after Matt Morgan made his return and applied a Carbon Footprint to Snow. I was hoping the company were done with the sub par Morgan, ah well.

Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero bested Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, AJ Styles and Kurt Angle to win the TNA Tag Team Championship in an awesome contest. The match started off a little slow (not bad, just slow) and built up to a fast pace and a flurry of insane and exciting moves. I was going to point out Styles as the man of the match, but that wouldn't be fair as all six men put in a display worthy of TNA's biggest show of the year. This is certainly one of my favourite pay-per-view matches of the year so far, thrilling stuff that is definitely worth checking out.

Tara beat Brooke Tessmacher (c) to obtain the TNA Knockouts title. The bout ranged from fair to average, and I have to say that Tessmacher actually impressed me here. She may not still be near the top female talent but she's showed signs of working hard and improving in the ring which I admire, and is something I wish we saw more of from a lot of female pro wrestlers who have managed to coast along for years. Considering all the build up with this feud is seemed to be kept quite brief too.

Afterwards Jesse from Big Brother was revealed to be Tara's secret 'Hollywood' boyfriend. Wow, what a coup for TNA (yes, that was sarcasm don't worry). The crowd amusingly (and fittingly) chanted "Who are you" in response to the reveal.

We were then shown a VT of clips from Sting's TNA Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The scale of it compared to WWE's was pretty clear. While it showed fitting speeches, things like Hulk Hogan wearing a Bound for Glory T-Shirt (yes, really. Way to show some respect by dressing up Hogan) made it feel a little cheap. Or maybe I'm being a bit harsh. 

Before the following tag match, Aces and Eights members dragged in the previously kidnapped Joseph Parks as per the agreement. The reaction from the commentators was mild considering he's been held hostage for weeks.

Aces & Eights beat Bully Ray and Sting in a fair, if quite pedestrian at times No DQ tag match. As per the stipulations Aces & Eights members now have free access in TNA. The match had decent moments, and Bully was on good form, along with Sting he managed to get a healthy reaction from the fans. I was personally hoping with the no disqualification stipulation that it'd be a little more exciting and action packed. For the finish Bully was put through a table for the winning pinfall. 

As the gang celebrated, Hulk Hogan came out and along with his ego ridiculously took out the Aces & Eights members, leaving just one. Hogan and 'The Stinger' revealed it to be none other than the previously fired Devon, much to everyones shock. All three men asked him why as he left. I'm actually quite surprised by the outcome, not so much Devon being a member (although I'll give credit, with his release it was a clever move on the writers part) but the fact that Bully didn't turn on Sting. I personally think Ray would've been the perfect front man for the group, and he's been so effective as a heel. Although I can imagine him being a decent face too, we'll see.

Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a superb main event. In the match of the night both men put on a thrilling display as they fought with everything they had. Pulling out plenty of impressive maneuvers and providing red hot near falls, this was a worthy main event and World title contest. It was a good end to a highly enjoyable show.

The majority of the crowd in Phoenix were behind the defending champ, but as the match went on Hardy's fans were heard too. While like a lot of those fans I was also hoping that AA would retain, I'm interested to see how Hardy's run goes. And to give him credit he's seemed to have sorted himself out over the last year and I hope he keeps it up. 

Overall Bound for Glory was yet another very solid card from TNA, with most matches providing some great viewing and memorable showings from the talent. I was fairly confident the show would live up to the billing, and it exceeded it for me, with my personal highlights being the main event and Tag Team Championship bouts. TNA has for a while now used it's talented roster to it's potential, let's hope it stays that way. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 11th October 2012 Recap

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Austin Aries defeated James Storm in an exciting back and fourth opener to the show. Disappointedly there were a few hiccups here and there, but overall it was enjoyable and you could forgive those minor errors. For the finish Bobby Roode ran in and threw 'The Cowboy' into the ring post before chucking him back into the ring to be Brainbustered and  successfully pinned by AA. The crowd were into the bout from start to finish, which is hardly surprising considering you had the solid Storm and Aries.  

Hulk Hogan and Sting came out and reminded us of what happened last week when they both agreed that 'The Stinger' would team with Bully Ray at Bound for Glory to take on Aces & Eights. The Tag Champions Christopher Daniels and Kazarian then joined them and tried to convince Hogan and Sting to cancel their Tag Team title defence on Sunday so they could use Kurt Angle instead of the untrustworthy Bully.

Bully Ray himself then joined them and admitted that while Angle was a better wrestler, they needed a brawler not a wrestler heading into battle against Aces & Eights. He also convinced 'The Hulkster' to book a match with him and Sting versus Daniels and Kaz to prove that he could be trusted. All men involved in the segment were on good form on the mic.

Hernandez bested AJ Styles in a fair match up. As expected Styles put in a decent effort, while Hernandez was okay. Hernandez grabbed the win with a big shoulder barge after AJ was distracted by Chavo Guerrero at ringside. For me a shoulder barge (even one from the huge Hernandez) seems like a bit of a feeble finisher, especially to put away a former World Champion like Styles.  

X Division Champ Zema Ion rightfully complained that he had no match for BFG, since there was no competition good enough for him. This cued Rob Van Dam's entrance, who then revealed that Hogan had given him the choice of opponent for this Sunday, and guess what? He'd picked Ion. He also sealed his decision with a swift jumping spinning kick to Zema's head. I'm really hoping the X Division strap holder isn't buried at BFG, a win against RVD (even a fluke one) could really help boost him and the title, which both really need at the moment. 

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian won via disqualification versus Sting and Bully Ray in an enjoyable and solid tag bout. Sting and Bully dominated the first third, but the tag champs soon came back and had Sting reeling until he made the hot tag to Bully. 'The Stinger' in homage to Team 3D then ordered him to "Get the table!" So Bully complied and powerbombed Daniels through it for a satisfying and exciting end to the match. 

Brooke Tessmacher beat Gail Kim in a worthy effort by both women. I wasn't expecting anything great here but it proved to be a far better contest then I predicted as both Knockouts provided a fun back and fourth match up. I'll give most of the credit to Kim and her usual solid performance, but Tessmacher looked decent in the ring (bar her botched finisher to Kim) and is showing improvement. Afterwards Tara attempted to apply a Widows Peak to the champ, but Brooke turned it around and instead hit a Tess-Shocker on her BFG foe. To be honest I can't see the Knockout title match on Sunday topping this.   

Backstage Bobby Roode and James Storm began fighting until King Mo appeared from nowhere to split them up. I can't say Mo's adding anything to their BFG match for me personally.

Jeff Hardy won via DQ versus Bobby Roode after 'The It Factor' low blowed Hardy in front of the referee. The main event itself had been a solid one, with a good display from both wrestlers. I wasn't really expecting much less from these two. 

After Hardy managed to thwart a chair shot from Roode (actually the ref grabbed the chair from Bobby, Hardy then applied a Twist Of Fate) Aries joined him with a page from a supposed TNA script with what he was apparently meant to come out and say, but he didn't want to and threw it away.

Aries went on to admit that since becoming World Champion the TNA management had asked him to embrace the fans and act a certain way, they basically  wanted him to be "who he had to be as the World Heavyweight Champion." But he'd finally had enough, enough of being told what to do and enough of the adulation and special treatment Hardy receives form the fans and management. As Jeff went to then leave the ring, AA took him out with his signature Brainbuster. It should be a great match between them at BFG.

Overall it was another solid Impact, with all the matches being worthy efforts, and the worst being watchable at least. The promo from Aries (with his usual high standard mic work) at the end was also a step in making his feud with Hardy a bit more intriguing and personal, which it needed in my opinion. Roll on Bound for Glory, should be a good 'n I reckon. 

My Impact Wrestling, 4th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Mr. Anderson defeated Gunner in a rather pedestrian match up. Both men put on passable performances, but nothing special. Afterwards Kid Kash (who'd come out with Gunner) attempted to take out Anderson, but instead received a Mic Check. Sting backstage was shown keeping a close eye on the bout as he was looking for recruits for his team facing Aces & Eights at Bound for Glory. 

Tara and Gail Kim bested Brooke Tessmacher and ODB in a fair tag bout. The action in the first half was superior to the second, with solid enough interaction between ODB and her two opponents. Unfortunately Tessmacher looked pretty average, not awful by any means, but average. For the finish Tara shoved her partner Kim into the Knockouts Champion and applied the Widows Peak for the one-two-three.   

Al Snow called out former Gut Check contestant Joey Ryan and apologised to him for putting his hands on him and action unprofessionally. The obnoxious Ryan called Snow "pathetic" and claimed that that night was all about him. Snow then presented a contract that had been agreed on for Ryan to join TNA, which he signed. Snow then happily revealed that the contract was actually only for one night at BFG, and it was for a match against him. Ryan was not pleased.

Samoa Joe (c) beat Rob Van Dam to retain the TNA Television title in an enjoyable outing. Both men put in good displays as they battled back and fourth, and RVD gave an effort above his usual standard in TNA. It was revealed later on that Joe will take on Magnus at BFG for his championship.

Backstage Bully Ray challenged Jeff Hardy to a match to prove his worth to Sting to gain a spot on his team. An insulted Austin Aries (who was also standing there) asked why Bully didn't challenge him instead. So to settle things Hardy set up a Triple Threat between them, which Bully agreed to. The slight hints to an Aries heel turn are making things interesting in his feud with Hardy.

Chavo Guerrero defeated Kurt Angle in a decent match up. Although it maybe wasn't as high a standard as I was hoping, it was still enjoyable for the most part and a worthy performance from both men. Chavo grabbed the winning quick roll up pin after Hernandez at ringside distracted Angle. Afterwards AJ Styles also jumped into the ring as all four men argued over the dubious match ending, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian then appeared and seemed to relish the bickering between their four future tag team opponents.

Zema Ion (c) bested Douglas Williams to retain the X Division Championship. The match itself was entertaining while it lasted, it's just a shame it wasn't allocated a little more time to benefit from. Williams as usual was on solid technical form and helped elevate Ion beyond his usual standard performance, not to take away from Ion who I still think could be a very promising talent. For the finish Ion managed to thrust Williams into the ringpost, causing him to damage his arm which the champ jumped on as he forced his opponent to tap to a nicely applied armbar.  

James Storm came out and stated that he intends to prove at BFG against Roode that "I am the better man" and reminded us (even though it'd already been mentioned a ton of times and had a video package) that MMA fighter King Mo will be the special enforcer in their match up as no ordinary official can handle them. Bobby Roode shortly joined 'The Cowboy' and warned that he shouldn't worry about King Mo, but worry about their encounter. He went on to also claim that they won't be having a match at BFG, but a fight that has been building since their days as Beer Money Inc.

He then added that King Mo doesn't concern him, which naturally cued the Bellator fighter's entrance. As the two men faced off Mo eventually had enough and pushed down 'The It Factor' and then joined Storm in the ring for a beer. 

Bully Ray defeated Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries to win a fair Triple Threat match. The bout itself was quite disappointing for me, I was expecting a worthy main event with great action but it just ranged from run of the mill to decent. Maybe my expectations were too high, if it'd been the main event of BFG it would've been far superior I'm sure.

In a messy ending Bully was clearly waiting for Hardy to run in and accidentally strike Aries, but AA turned too soon or Hardy was late (not too sure) and he had to run around and throw Jeff into the World Champion himself, then Bubba Bomb Hardy for the victory.

Hulk Hogan announced that he and Sting had decided to pick Mr. Anderson to team with 'The Stinger' at BFG to face Aces & Eights. But unfortunately for them we were then shown live footage of Aces & Eights taking out Anderson. So Bully Ray once again urged both men to pick him, and after some convincing from Sting Hogan shook Bully's hand on it. I'm betting on Bully turning on Sting at BFG and being revealed as a member of Aces & Eights all along.

Overall it was a okay show, certainly not the best of recent broadcasts but not bad. Most matches were decent enough and the Bound for Glory bouts are being set up nicely. It's also fair enough that they had a title match here but I just wish they'd been setting Ion up for a bigger X Division title match for their biggest event of the year, the title really needs more attention right now. 

My Impact Wrestling, 27th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan kicked things off by announcing a Television title match to determine a champion for the vacant belt, and also explained his disappointment at the former Television Champion Devon's departure from the company and hoped to have him back soon. He also booked Storm versus Roode at Bound for Glory in a Street Fight to finally settle their feud, with MMA Fighter King Mo (yeah, I had to look him up too). Finally he also reminded us of his trip to Aces & Eights clubhouse later on in the show, which cued Sting to come out and confirm that he would be backing 'The Hulkster' up when he visits.

Christopher Daniels defeated Chavo Guerrero and Kurt Angle in a decent enough Triple Threat. Surprisingly there were a few sloppy moments here and there which spoilt the bout a bit, which is something very out of character for these three wrestlers. I was personally expecting more here considering the talent involved, but it was certainly watchable. 

Tara beat ODB in an average Knockouts bout. The match was quite pedestrian from the start and never really engaged me at all. Tara grabbed the one-two-three after pretending that she'd injured her knee (which no one was buying for a second as she was booed in the ring) and catching her opponent out with a roll up pin. As a part of this win Tara became the number one contender to the Knockouts title at BFG.

Samoa Joe defeated Mr. Anderson to win the vacant TNA Television Championship. The match itself ranged from fair to quite drab, the efforts from both men were okay but nothing outstanding and certainly nowhere near the best we've seen from either of them. It just felt very underwhelming considering it was a title match.

Backstage Sting and Hogan were sprayed in the faces with an unknown substance by a mysterious woman and then chucked into the back of a van by members of Aces & Eights. The plot thickens.

As part of the Gut Check challenge, eighteen-year old Evan Markopolous was voted two no's to one yes which means he doesn't receive a TNA contract. I thought he looked okay last week, and the crowd seemed behind him but I agree with the decision not to take him on right now.

Sting and Hogan agreed on a deal with the Aces & Eights leader in their clubhouse that at Bound for Glory they will each pick two men to face each other in a tag match, with the stipulations that if Aces & Eights win then they have free reign of TNA and if Hogan's team is victorious then Aces & Eights will leave forever. Well I certainly can't see the gang leaving just yet so they're going to win, and we should get the first reveal of some of their identities in Phoenix too I reckon. 

Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode and Bully Ray in an enjoyable main event tag contest, and best match of the night. The pace was kept to a nice speed and all four men gave solid displays. The crowd were also eating it up, which is hardly surprising considering the quality of the bout before them. After Hardy tagged himself in and grabbed the win with a Swanton, Aries confronted him about it. This feud needs a bit more hostility to get it going a bit.  

Overall it felt like a sub standard Impact compared to recent broadcasts for me. The standard of action in the ring wasn't as consistent, although fortunately the main event saved it a bit. The storylines progressed okay, but I was never as interested as I have been recently in any of the Aces & Eights segments. Not a bad show but nothing special.  

My Impact Wrestling, 20th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Before the show had begun Shaquille O'Neil informed Hulk Hogan that he would be near the arena if he needed him and had his back regarding Aces & Eights. That was the only appearance he made.

As part of the Open Fight Night Kurt Angle and AJ Styles challenged Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to a match to determine who deserves the next shot at the TNA Tag titles.  Angle and Styles predictably received a good reception.

Kurt Angle and AJ Styles versus Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez ended in a no contest as Christopher Daniels and Kazarian ran in and attacked Chavo and Styles. The match itself had been an entertaining one, with all four men providing good displays throughout with solid back and fourth action. 

Douglas Williams beat Gut Check challenger Evan Markopoulus in a pretty average bout. Williams as usual was on good technical form as he largely dominated Markopoulus. Unfortunately Evan didn't really look like anything special, but saying that I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more offense from the rookie to get a better idea of what he's capable of. I can't see him being kept on.

James Storm called out Roode for a straight up fight, stating that their feud had moved beyond personal and now he just wanted to see him hurt. Bobby Roode came out and announced that he wouldn't fight 'The Cowboy' as he was superior to Storm and that as long as he was around he wouldn't become World Champion again, and left. But unfortunately for Roode Hogan warned him backstage that if he refuses the match (as part of the Open Fight Night you must accept any challenge) then he'll be fired, so the 'It Factor' made his way out gingerly to face Storm. 

James Storm versus Bobby Roode ended in a no contest (two in one night? Is Russo back?) after the referee Brian Hebner realised that he couldn't control the two wrestlers. It wasn't so much a wrestling match as a brawl outside the ring for the majority of the fight, which was enjoyable enough and made sense considering their personal rivalry. The crowd seemed to also be up for it and were firmly lending their support to Storm. The battle continued through the fans and into the back.

Austin Aries explained to Jeff Hardy backstage that although Hardy was after his World title at Bound for Glory he was also after Hardy's admiration and respect that he gets from his fans, along with all his accomplished in his career so far and the only way to get that is by defeating him at BFG. Aries once again came off quit heelish here as he called Hardy's fans "mindless sheep." Not really appropriate for one of the top faces in TNA right now.

Tara claimed that the reason she turned on Tessmacher last week was because she was tired of being all pally pally with her and was reminded from her new, apparently top Hollywood star boyfriend that she is the top female wrestler in the World. She also accused the fans of just chanting for her for her looks. Tara went on to challenge announcer Christy Hemme to a match up. As Tara began getting physical with Hemme, Brooke Tessmacher raced to her aid and chased off her former mentor.

Hulk Hogan decided to make a deal with Aces & Eights that they let the kidnapped Joseph Parks go and he'll go into their clubhouse. The gang's leader appeared on screen and agreed to the deal, he also had a fellow member of the group destroy Park's laptop and crack the lawyer in the head with a hammer. The 'Hulkster' did not look amused.

After a video package for Jeff Hardy played, Aries thanked the producers for playing it right before he made his way out sarcastically, explaining that that kind of attention Hardy receives is exactly what he's after. He also claimed Hardy wasn't the hunter but "the hunted" and wanted to prove that whatever Jeff could do he could do better and called out Bully Ray for a match. Bully said that AA had a lot of nerve calling him out, but was eventually cut off as the World Champion came flying over the top rope at him to start the bout in an impressive fashion.

Bully Ray defeated Austin Aries in a decent enough main event. Bully dominated for the most part, with Aries making a brief comeback towards the end. It wasn't a particularly memorable contest but it was watchable, and both men put in fair efforts. After referee Earl Hebner was struck accidentally, Bully took full advantage and walloped AA with his signature chains to score the winning pin. Afterwards Bully wanted to finish the job and attack Aries with his own title belt, but was chased off as Hardy came to his aid. Could they maybe be setting up a Triple Threat for the World title at BFG?

Overall it felt like a mostly average show, nothing that special to speak of really. Which is disappointing considering the quality of most Impacts recently. 

My Impact Wrestling, 13th September 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries started the show off by explaining just how important his World title was, and how it's significance is why he was targeted by Aces & Eights recently. He added that although they came after him he managed to take out one of their members at No Surrender. He then called out his opponent at Bound for Glory, Jeff Hardy. AA first congratulated his future opponent for getting through both Samoa Joe and Bully Ray in one night, and with a storyline shoulder injury.

Bully Ray shortly interrupted Aries and called both men lucky. AA because he won't have to face him at BFG and Hardy because he supposedly only won because Bully felt sorry for him. The World Champion decided to make Ray put his money where his mouth is and challenged him to face Hardy that night, but Bully backed out.

Zema Ion (c) defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division title in an enjoyable enough bout. Dutt was once again on solid form with his crisp and impressive maneuvers, unfortunately Ion looked quite average again. I was hoping Ion would grow into the role of the X strap holder and up his game when given the chance, but it just hasn't really happened. I hope I'm proven wrong and that he does improve in the future, he has shown glimpses of becoming more engrossing. Zema retained after grabbing the ropes for a cheeky pinfall win.     

Bobby Roode came out and explained that he smashed a beer bottle over Storm's head at No Surrender (thereby costing him the match in the BFG Series) because he felt that 'The Cowboy', who he accused of riding his coattails when they were a tag team, didn't deserve a chance at the World title that he'd once held. James Storm inevitably came out and the two once again began brawling, with Storm gaining the upper hand and dragging Roode outside.   

AJ Styles beat Kazarian in an decent, if a little disjointed at times match up. While the action came fast and for the most part well, there were a few little mistakes here and there. But like I said they were only little and it failed to really spoil the contest. The crowd were also really into and thoroughly behind the face Styles. As per the stipulation put in by Hulk Hogan, AJ and Kurt Angle will receive a shot at the TNA Tag Team titles sometime in the future as a result of Style's win.  

Joseph Parks informed Hulk Hogan in his office that he was very close to "one key piece of evidence" regarding the Aces & Eights case that will be revealed on next weeks Impact. I'm liking Parks in this role, he suits it.

Bully Ray challenged Hardy backstage to put his spot as number one contender at BFG on the line in their match later on, claiming that he didn't have the "balls" to do it. Hardy accepted, as all good guys should.

Hogan stated that the Impact Zone would always be in lockdown mode from here on out  to help capture Aces & Eights. Right on cue members of the gang itself appeared on the big screen and warned Hogan that he'd now locked in all the members with him and he has no way of knowing who they are backstage. 'The Hulkster' looked rather concerned at his plan backfiring.   

Chavo Guerrero defeated Christopher Daniels in a great contest. In Chavo's best match since joining TNA so far both men went back and fourth with perfectly executed moves and at a nice pace. For the finish Guerrero managed to avoid an attempt from Daniels to strike him with his title belt and applied his signature Three Amigos and Frog Splash to have his hand raised.

Tara wanted to officially congratulate her good friend Brooke Tessmacher on toppling her last Sunday and offered to present the Knockouts Championship to her to signify that she was now the top woman in TNA. The divvy Taz piped in with an inappropriate "What are we watching Oprah here?" Granted it maybe was a little too sweet for pro wrestling but he should've just kept quiet, like most of the time. After wrapping the belt on the champ, Tara predictably turned on her and took her out with a Widows Peak. The attack pleased the crowd. It was just a bit too obvious, I personally think the heel turn should've happened slowly in the build up to BFG and then occurred there.

Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray in an intense main event to retain his place as number one contender. In a bout superior to their outing last Sunday, both men gave a solid effort to be proud of and had an electric crowd behind them. It was an enjoyable match from start to finish and a good way to end the show. Although I'm not sure where any of this leaves Bully as far as BFG goes?

Overall it was a solid show with matches that were at the worst decent, which is always a good sign. The advancements in the storylines also made sense (still feel Tara's heel turn was a little early but still) and didn't feel rushed or over the top. TNA is on form right now, I recommend checking it out if you don't normally.

My TNA No Surrender 2012 Recap

Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe to advance in the Bound For Glory Series Final in a solid opener to the show. The pace of the match varied as Samoa Joe would control Hardy slowly in the first half and quicken as there were nice near falls and submission attempts towards the end, and it worked with these two contrasting wrestlers. The quality of the bout was hardly surprising considering the two talents involved, smart choice to start the show and get the crowd going too.  

Bully Ray beat James Storm to advance to the BFG Series Final in a fair match up that was unfortunately tarnished a bit by unnecessary 90s-esque referee bumps. The contest started off fairly uneventful, with Bully building heat by leaving the ring and complaining to the ref constantly. It then hit it's stride as both men went back and fourth and became enjoyable.

Unfortunately we then witnesses three referee bumps in the space of five minutes, which was just overkill and unneeded as Bobby Roode then made his return and cracked a beer bottle over Storm's head and covered him with Bully for the finish. I can obviously understand one referee KO was needed but not three, it just ruined the match a bit for me.   

Brooke Tessmacher (c) defeated Tara to retain the TNA Knockouts title in a largely pedestrian outing. The action wasn't bad, but it did often feel like it was dragging a bit and I don't believe it should have been allocated so much time. It probably would've benefitted more from keeping the decent bits of wrestling condensed. Tara was angered after Brooke caught her with a roll up pin for the victory and abruptly left without congratulating her former student. I'm guessing we'll be seeing a rematch of some kind at Bound for Glory. 

Backstage we had a nice brawl between an arrested Roode and Storm until Hulk Hogan split them up along with more members of security. More pull apart fights should be like this in pro wrestling, where you can really believe in the hatred and heat between the two foes. 

Before his following match Austin Aries explained that there would be no referee and no rules, just a straight up fight between him and the Aces & Eights member who broke his arm. The member eventually arrived and the two began exchanging blows. After a bit of a tedious period in which the Aces & Eights member controlled Aries, the World Champion managed to make a comeback by pouring white powder into the goon's face and upped the pace and managed the gain back the crowd's interest.   

As AA was about to unmask his adversary other gang members made their way out which led to another brawl between both them and members of the TNA roster, who eventually chased off Aces & Eights. Hogan joined everyone and ordered the building to be locked down so they couldn't get away. Bully Ray also informed him that Hardy had been attacked and was badly hurt.

Zema Ion (c) defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division Championship in a very enjoyable contest once it got going. The action started to really flow in the final third with nice near falls and exciting moves, unfortunately the crowd weren't particularly responsive. I guess they were going to struggle to be after the gang fight and BFG Series matches they've just witnessed.

The only downfall of the match for me was that it really highlighted the champ's shortcomings compared to a superior talent in Dutt. Not that Ion's bad but as X Division Champion (especially following Aries) he needs to just up his game that bit more.  

Out in the parking lot we witnessed Hogan ridiculously ordering around the cops that had arrived at the arena. Even demanding that they bring more. Sorry, are we honestly expected to believe that the police force would have this situation on such high priority that they'd send out this many cops because a retired pro wrestler told them to? Who exactly does Hogan think he is? Even for a storyline it just came off as moronic.  

Rob Van Dam beat Magnus in a passable, if quite pedestrian bout. It was watchable, I just never felt myself getting engaged much at any point. RVD did his usual TNA routine while Magnus looked decent enough, not terrible but quite uneventful overall. 

Before their title defense Daniels and Kazarian gave an enjoyable promo about the hardships that Hogan as GM has thrown their way and how they deserve better treatment. At least TNA have these two keeping the tag team division relevant. Obviously nothing against the superb talents that are Angle and Styles but they're not exactly a regular solidified team. 

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (c) defeated AJ Styles and Kurt Angle to retain the TNA Tag Team titles in a terrific match up. For the majority it was a thoroughly enjoyable match with blistering action and effective near falls. All four men gave a display to be very proud of. If I had one little niggle (and it's only a minor one) it's that the bout didn't maybe have to be quite so long. There were a few periods where the fans were loosing a bit of interest while the pace slowed down which was a shame, but otherwise it's well worth checking out if you weren't going planning to watch the PPV.  

Before the BFG Series Final Bully Ray gave a nice speech on the events of the evening and his rise in the singles division over the last year and a half. He went on to claim that while others were "Bound for Glory. I am destined for greatness." And stated that while you may not like him, you have to respect the transition he's made in his career. Which I very much agree with. I'll admit that I never thought his singles career would amount to very much, maybe mid card at the most. But he's become one of my favourite acts in pro wrestling today and a superb singles heel.   

As Bully awaited the injured Jeff Hardy, Hogan instead joined him and asked that if Bully Ray really feels as strongly as he states then he should wait until the next Impact when Hardy's in better condition. This idea understandable irked the fans in attendance who wanted a BFG Series Final match as advertised. Hardy's music then hit once again and he made his way out, clearly still feeling the effects of his attack. 

Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray in a fair match to win the BFG Series Final. Unfortunately the main event was unable to live up to some of the previous bouts of the night but it was still decent enough and had a surprise win that I imagined pleased a lot of fans. Although I was personally rooting for Bully, thought it'd make a lot more sense. Hardy fought back through his shoulder injury like a true heroic face and managed to get through Bully's offense and hit the Swanton Bomb for the one-two-three. The crowd in attendance were very happy with the result.

Overall No Surrender was yet another largely enjoyable and solid pay-per-view from TNA. With engaging matches and relevant story line advancements. And next up is the biggest event for the company of the year, Bound for Glory. If the last few PPV's are anything to go by then it should be a fantastic event.

My Impact Wrestling, 6th September 2012 Recap

Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe in a solid Bound for Glory Series match up. While it wasn't either man's top performance it was a very enjoyable contest with the crowd understandable electrified throughout. Both men gave a display to be proud of. Hardy surprisingly won by forcing Joe to tap out to a headlock/armlock submission hold.

As Joe was being interviewed about the loss after, his former tag partner Magnus interrupted and forgave Joe for his ego and selfishness during their time as a team. He then also attacked Joe's damaged arm from behind after he'd went to walk away. I'm guessing these two could very well battle at Bound for Glory then.

Tara beat Gail Kim in a fair Knockouts bout. Both women provided decent action, especially the almost always on form Kim. It was also more engaging then the lacklustre matches we normally receive from the Divas in WWE right now, and to think these were both former talents there. 

Al Snow called out former Gut Check contender Joey Ryan to the ring and offered him one last shot at getting a TNA contract after months of interrupting the shows as a member of the crowd (with a megaphone, throwing water and punching the Gut Check judges). Snow explained to Ryan that he would have to beat him in a match to earn the contract and slapped him, a shocked Ryan abruptly left the ring and threatened to sue. 

Bully Ray defeated Rob Van Dam in a BFG Series match to qualify for the final four at No Surrender. It was a enjoyable enough outing once it got going. The start was a little drab but both men pulled it out for the final third where the pace and action went up a notch  Bully applied his signature Bubba Cutter as RVD came down for the Five Star Frog Splash to gain the one-two-three. 

As Austin Aries was interrogating an Aces & Eights member backstage, Hulk Hogan (who'd given him permission to do so) received a call from the gang's leader and settled a deal where they would return the member in exchange for a match at No Surrender between Aries and the man who broke his hand. The gang leader agreed to the terms. 

James Storm came to the ring and spoke about his return to TNA after a brief hiatus a few months ago and his quest to reclaim the TNA World title in the BFG Series. He went on to also call out his three possible opponents for the final of the series at No Surrender (as the wrestler who finished first he has the pick of opponent). He chose Bully Ray to face on Sunday (leaving Samoa Joe versus Hardy in the other semi final) after his accusations of 'The Cowboy' being a member of Aces & Eights and after he beat him in last years BFG Series. No Surrender should be a decent event I reckon.

After a series of backstage eliminations, Hogan chose the team of Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to fight for the TNA Tag Team titles on the show. It's not a good sign for the once flourishing tag team division of TNA when all three of the teams up for contention have barely ever teamed together. 

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (c) defeated Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship. While the first half was quite mediocre, the second managed to pick up the excitement and quality and provide a decent enough ending to the title bout. Unfortunately a big let down were the number of sloppy or just strange moments throughout. There were times when Hernandez and Chavo didn't even look like they knew what they were doing next, not exactly the team to be challenging for the titles eh?  

Hogan announced afterwards that at No Surrender Daniels and Kaz would be defending the titles against AJ Styles and Kurt Angle. I know we've already had this bout before but I'm certainly not complaining, should be very good.

Aries dragged his Aces & Eights captive to the ring and called out the gang to come and collect him. After they no showed he began threatening the member again and as he was about to talk Arie's proposed opponent came out and they began brawling as the show went off the air. 

Overall it was an okay Impact, not as entertaining as the last two weeks for me but not a bad show. Quite looking forward to No Surrender on Sunday, if the card and the last two PPV's they've put on are anything to go by then it should be worth watching.

My Impact Wrestling, 30th August 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries came to the ring and demanded that whoever is behind Aces & Eights man up and face him after taking out his right hand on last weeks show. But instead Hulk Hogan and Sting came out to announce that Hogan was back as the General Manager of Impact once again, and asked AA to calm down a little bit. Aces & Eights members then did their usual routine of appearing on the big screen and warning that that they would be appearing on the show that night. It was an okay segment to start the show with, nothing that exceptional.

James Storm defeated Rob Van Dam in a fair Bound For Glory Series match up. The first half was quite drab, with both men just going through the motions. Fortunately it picked up a bit and both wrestlers provided a decent enough bout. 

Much to her dismay Madison Rayne found out that the secret opponent of hers booked by Brooke Hogan was not Tessmacher in a rematch for the Knockouts title but ODB instead. As the Knockouts referee Taryn Terrell turned her back, ODB spat out the contents of her beverage in Rayne's face and picked up the quick win after applying the Bam. ODB's husband Eric Young, and a rather sharp looking EY at that made his return to Impact. But an upset ODB claimed that she no longer recognised her husband, so EY morphed back to his old self and stripped down to his underpants. Not too sure how pleased I am to have him back just yet.

Samoa Joe beat AJ Styles in a BFG Series contest, thereby eliminating Styles from contention of winning the series. It was a predictably solid back and fourth bout, with both professionals putting on trademark terrific displays in the ring. If it were up to me both men would be in the final four of the BFG Series, just swap AJ with RVD.

Gut Check contestant Chris Louie was turned down with two votes of no from Taz and Bruce Pritchard, who went as far to tell Louie that "this business is not for you." That may sound harsh but Louie really didn't look that capable or talented at all in his match last week. Afterwards former GC contestant Joey Ryan once again had a go at the judges with a megaphone in hand, although this time he also threw a drink in Al Snow's face.

Jeff Hardy defeated Kurt Angle in a tremendous BFG Series bout. From start to finish they put in great efforts but the red hot final third of the match alone is worth checking this out for. This also meant the unfortunate elimination of Angle from the BFG Series contest. Again I don't see why RVD is ahead of another superior talent.

As Hogan and members of the roster made their way out, he challenged one of Aces & Eight's men to take on the World Champion Aries in the ring. So they accepted but soon the one on one brawl once again turned into a gang fight between everyone for the second week in a row. Aries was also KO'd by a gang member from behind.

Felt a bit lazy having a very similar ending once again but at least the in ring action managed to save the show. Overall a decent enough Impact this week.   

My Impact Wrestling, 23rd August 2012 Recap

The majority of the TNA locker room came out to the ring, with Sting leading them. 'The Stinger' revealed that he'd asked security to let Aces & Eights right on through so he and the rest of the roster could exact their revenge on the gang. He also called out James Storm after it was revealed last week that he had no affiliation with the group, 'The Cowboy' said that he understood all the suspicions previously aimed at him.

Two members of Aces & Eights then came out to the ring with their hands in the air, but Kurt Angle and Storm didn't care as they beat them down. Sting asked one of them where the rest were, but the beaten doen member just told him that they were all in for a "very painful night." 

TNA Knockouts Champion Brooke Tessmacher thanked Brooke Hogan for righting the wrong from Hardcore Justice where referee Earl Henber's biased officiating caused her to loose the Knockouts title. She then went on challenge her mentor Tara as part of the Open Fight Night to see if she could beat her. Just like last week we also had Taryn Terrell referee the contest.

Tara defeated Brooke Tessmacher in a largely average bout. Fortunately Tara's efforts managed to save the quality of the match a bit, but Brooke made a few sloppy errors early on that as champ she really shouldn't be.

Robbie E defeated Rob Van Dam and AJ Styles in a Bound For Glory Series Triple Threat. It was an enjoyable enough contest, with fair displays from all involved. Although I don't quite understand the point of Robbie winning considering he hasn't got a chance of winning the series now.

Jeff Hardy beat Rob Terry in a passable match up. After interfering in a few of his matches Hardy finally found redemption against Robbie E's bouncer. It wasn't anything that memorable but better than I expected.

AJ Styles came out to find out if the unborn child of Claire Lynch was his or not. But first he apologised for the whole situation to his family and "to my fans who had to put up with this crap," It sounds like he was actually apologising for this whole awful storyline here, which wouldn't surprise me. Kazarian and Christopher Daniels then joined AJ and blamed absentee fathers and reckless men like him for the fall of their countries youth. Daniels also revealed that Claire Lynch wasn't in attendance because due to all the apparent stress caused by Styles she was in a hospital suffering from a placental disruption.

An attorney of Claire's then also joined everyone and read a statement form her client which explained how she, along with Daniels and Kazarian had attempted to blackmail Styles and that she was never in fact pregnant at all. A relieved, but understandably angry AJ then chased off both men that had been conspiring against him. I think I'm as relieved as Styles that this storyline is now finally over!  

Backstage Sting and the returning Hulk Hogan took out another member of Aces & Eights as a few other members of the gang scarpered. The fact that two men that age (and remembering that Hogan has recently had another operation) could take out much younger and stronger guys like that was ridiculous. It's ruining the image of the group. For some reason Hulk was also making some weird snarling noise as he spoke, it just sounded foolish.  

Gunner defeated Gut Check contestant Chris Louie in a terrible contest. Oh boy what to say here...oh yeah, Louie. Was. Awful. He looked slow, sloppy, inexperienced, it was like it was his first ever match in a ring. Just embarrassing. In all the VT's building up to him he was saying how hungry he was for the opportunity and how he needed money for his family, well he didn't show that here. But if TNA were to bring him in (which they won't) then at least he'd make talent like Anderson and Crimson look absolutely amazing. Expect to see it on a Botchamania very soon.

Mr. Anderson beat Bully Ray in a decent BFG Series bout. I wasn't expecting much here but both men put in good efforts and provided an exciting end with effective near falls. During the match up we witnessed more of the roster taking out a few members of Aces & Eights.

Sting once again came to the ring with a group of wrestlers and called out Aces & Eights, who duly joined them. As chaos ensued most of the fight went to the back, which eventually left Aries outnumbered as some of the gang members struck his arm against guard railing in the ring. Bully Ray rushed to his aid and chased them off. As the show finished we saw Aces & Eights leaving on their motorbikes.  

My Impact Wrestling, 16th August 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries kicked off the show by stating that he had officially erased all memories of being called a "fluke" champion after he defended his title successfully against Bobby Roode at Hardcore Justice. He went on to claim that Impact was now his show and that Aces & Eights would no longer hold it hostage. Jeff Hardy then joined the champ and congratulated him on the job he's doing as title holder and also called out Aces & Eights.

Bully Ray followed and once again accused James Storm of being involved in the aforementioned gang, but was soon cut short by AA who then turned it on Bully by accusing him of maybe being a part of Aces & Eights with the way things have worked out.  The members of the gang themselves then appeared on the big screen and warned that they would be making their presence known that night. 

Samoa Joe defeated Magnus in a Bound For Glory Series match up, and an enjoyable one at that. Both men put on a solid display as the former tag team partners went counter for counter. Afterwards a frustrated Magnus struck Joe's arm with a steel chair, so he is a heel then, right? I've not been too sure.

The new Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne came out and gushed about her title victory and called out her partner and referee Earl Hebner to celebrate. Knockouts VP Brooke Hogan then joined them and confronted Hebner about his shady officiating as of late involving Rayne. So because of this she was forbidding him from refereeing any more Knockouts matches, and also informed Rayne that she would be facing Brooke Tessmacher for the title later on. An angered Rayne then retorted by claiming that Brooke couldn't do that and correctly said that she was "riding off the Hogan name," which is true.

Rayne also challenged Brooke to join her in the ring and tell her all the changes she was making to her face, so she did which scared off Madison and Hebner. A couple of members of Aces & Eights then confronted Hogan, but made their escape once a few members of the roster came out to her aid. Among them was Sting, who challenged Aces & Eights to make an appearance next week at the Open Fight Night.

Before their following match, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels agreed backstage that if Styles looses then he'll accept that he's Claire Lynche's unborn baby's father but if he wins then he'll get a paternity test.

AJ Styles beat Christopher Daniels in a great BFG Series contest. These two fail to impress when they're working together, but unfortunately some of the excitement of their matches have evaporated a little over time due to the sheer number of single bouts we've seen them have. Don't get me wrong it was still a terrific display from both wrestlers.

Bobby Roode came to the ring and called Aries a "fluke" once again after claiming that he had rightfully won their match at Hardcore Justice and the wrong call was made after there was a double count out. He also shared more of the blame for his loss onto Aries, Sting and the fans. When he asked himself what was next he stammered for a few moments and then dropped the mic before leaving. I quite enjoyed the promo, and Roode received a healthy heel response from the crowd.   

Brooke Tessmacher defeated Madison Rayne (c) to win the TNA Knockouts Championship, with the TNA debut of Taryn Terrell as the special guest referee. It was a pretty unremarkable and average title bout, which is worrying considering this is supposedly some of the top female talent in the company. I don't believe the inclusion of Terrell is exactly a step in the right direction for the division either, although I'm a fan (for the obvious reasons) she isn't a major female talent in the ring.    

Bully Ray versus Jeff Hardy ended in a disqualification after Aces & Eights attacked both men. The match itself had been decent enough. James Storm (who'd been at ringside to confront Aces & Eights if they turned up) argued with Bully afterwards and went to Superkick him but accidentally struck Hardy instead. As 'The Cowboy' was apologising Aces & Eights began applauding him in the ring, then also took him out. A bit of an odd ending to a fair show.