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, 8th August 2013 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Backstage Taz, accompanied by some other Aces & 8s members, told Mike Tenay to take the night off so he could take his spot back at the announce desk after being turned away last week. They then made their way out to the ring where Taz also threatened his superior substitute Jeremy Borash, claiming that "this is my desk."

Bully Ray  then stated that he was in a foul mood, not just because of Tito Ortiz's debut last week (I think many fans were in a bad mood after that) but because he and Devon were booked in a tag team match that night against Sabin and a mystery opponent from Main Event Mafia. So soon enough after asking him to come out to sort their contract for the World Title match at Hardcore Justice, Chris Sabin joined Bully and told him that he always believed he could best the former champ and will next Thursday.

Bully soon had enough and asked Hogan to also join them to sign the papers, but it was Brooke not Hulk that came out and read an email from her Dad (who was out of town) that revealed that if Bully fails to win the Steel Cage Match next week, he will not receive another World Championship opportunity. An angered Bully reluctantly signed the contract after being embarrassed by his wife, who claimed that he was "all talk and very little action."

Jeff Hardy pinned Samoa Joe in a decent Bound for Glory Series contest. I was personally expecting a bit more from this match up, but maybe that's just me being a bit picky. On the whole it was a fun bout, with both men on good form as they went back and fourth. Hardy caught Joe in the winning pinfall after Mr. Anderson (who'd provided guest commentary) stood up and distracted the 'Samoan Submission Machine'. 

Mr. Anderson won via DQ versus Magnus in a BFG Series outing. The disqualification occurred when Bobby Roode attacked Anderson with a chair, purposely costing the BFG Series leader Magnus points. It was a fair match, nothing that will leave a lasting impression from either man.

Before Tito Ortiz could explain why he was in TNA, Kurt Angle interrupted him and warned the MMA fighter that although he appreciates what he's achieved, he better respect his space in the company. The brash Bully Ray also came out and told both that he has no respect for them and that he could easily take them out, also ordering Tito to stay out of his way.

James Storm, Gunner and ODB bested Bro Mans (Jesse and Robbie E) and Mickie James in an enjoyable mixed persons tag bout. As usual Storm delivered a stellar display, being the standout wrestler for me here. It's a shame we don't see so much of Storm and Gunner as of late, they always seem to deliver. Afterwards Gail Kim attacked ODB before being escorted away by an official, allowing Mickie to also strike her.

Kazarian versus Christoper Daniels in a BFG Series match ended in a double count out after both men simply stood outside and waited for the count to hit ten. There was a brief period of actual wrestling that was decent enough. Bobby Roode then joined Bad Influence and revealed that they had joined forces to aid each other in making sure one of them win the BFG Series. It's a smart plan, and as a fan of all three it's intriguing too.

Chris Sabin and Kurt Angle defeated Team 3D (Bully Ray and Devon) in a solid main event. Before things got going Sabin pretended that Sting was his tag partner, allowing Angle to sneak attack their rivals. The match started off a little slow, but once it got going it was a fun watch, with effective near falls and even a table thrown in. Towards the end Bully and Devon were about to send the World Champion through a table after they'd 3D'd Angle, but Sabin managed to move out of the way and Bully went charging into it himself. Sabin finally applied a crossbody on Ray for the one-two-three.

Overall it was a fair Impact, not up to the standard of many superior ones this year but it still had some entertaining parts. My highlights were the mixed six-persons tag bout, Hardy versus Joe and the main event. Roode, Daniels and Kaz uniting is interesting too. 

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 1st August 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Hardcore Justice 2012 Recap

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez defeated Kid Kash and Gunner in a fair opener to the show. It wasn't anything particularly special but it was enjoyable enough for the most part and seemed to get the crowd going. Having Chavo challenge for the X Division or Tag Team title (with 'Super Mex') would be an interesting next step for him I reckon. Seeing him take on Daniels and Kazarian would be cool.   

Before the following match we were informed that after being taken out by Aces & Eights, D'Angelo Dinero would not be participating in the bout. Shame it wasn't Anderson instead.

Rob Van Dam beat Magnus and Mr. Anderson in a Falls Count Anywhere match in the Bound For Glory Series. The bout ranged from okay to quite enjoyable, just unfortunate a few sloppy and strange moments hindered it a bit. Magnus also showed a fair bit of character here which was nice, he really has come such a long way since his debut. 

Devon (c) defeated Kazarian to retain the TNA Television Championship in a surprisingly decent title contest. Don't get me wrong I think of both men as good performers but I really wasn't expecting anything special here, but it was a fun match up and I'm glad I was proven wrong. The only let down was Taz's commentary, which was even more inane than usual.

Madison Rayne defeated Brooke Tessmacher (c) to win the TNA Knockouts title. It was a passable match up, which was more than what I was expecting from this to be honest. Still not a big fan of the Earl Hebner and Rayne love story, it's just absurd that they would still have him officiating her matches? It makes no sense.

Bully Ray defeated Jeff Hardy, James Storm and Robbie E in a BFG Series Tables match. The match itself was a mixed bag, there were some exciting moments for sure (superplex/powerbomb spot from the top rope involving three of them, Aces & Eights running in and further hinting at Storm's involvement with them, plus of course the near falls through the tables). But there were also some sloppy moments, such as Robbie E showing his inexperience in this kind of environment as he failed to move a table out of the way in time which caused Bully to just crack the corner. All in all it was quite a satisfying contest. Bully grabbed the victory after powerbombing Hardy through a table in the ring.

Zema Ion (c) beat Kenny King to retain the X Division Championship in a blistering contest. Both wrestlers certainly went for it and their efforts paid off as they delivered a very enjoyable match up.

AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle and Christopher Daniels in a BFG Series Ladder match. And let me just say, what a match. One more time, what a match. Considering the exemplary talent involved it's hardly surprising but this is one of the most superb ladder matches I've seen in a long time, and that's including some great ladder matches. The thrilling action was crisp and delivered perfectly, again something you've just come to expect from these four men each and every time they step into a ring. Styles grabbed the 20 points after a quick springboard onto the ladder and snatched the slip from under Joe's nose, it was flawless. Do yourself a favour and just check out this awesome Ladder match, you won't regret it.

Austin Aries (c) defeated Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a tremendously intense main event. Going into this I wasn't convinced that it could live up to the drama and excitement of their title bout from last month, and although the ending wasn't as understandably thrilling, it wasn't far off of the same standard and both men should be proud that they delivered a true main event calibre contest.

The only thing that hindered it for me was when not one but two referees took bumps, then both counted a double pinfall finish, only to have the match restarted by Earl Hebner. It was completely unnecessary and tainted a bit what had otherwise been a largely enthralling World title match. Again this was a match well worth your time.

On the whole Hardcore Justice was yet again for the most part another highly enjoyable pay-per-view from TNA. The quality and effort from most of the talent involved really paid off. I now wonder how SummerSlam this sunday will compare, hm? And that's coming from someone who normally prefers the WWE product.    

My Impact Wrestling, 9th August 2012 Recap

Bully Ray started off the show by once again accusing James Storm of being the man behind the gang Aces & Eights. James Storm naturally came out and defended himself, claiming that he was "sick and tired" of being accused of this. As things began to heat up between the two, Aces & Eights members appeared on the big screen and warned them that they would be appearing on the show that night.

Rob Van Dam defeated Magnus in a passable Bound For Glory Series match up. It wasn't exactly the most memorable affair but not a bad effort by the two.

Kazarian and Christopher Daniels (c) beat Devon and Garett Bischoff to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship. It was an enjoyable contest with all four men putting on decent displays, even Garett. Putting Garett in a permanent tag team would actually be a very smart move, it hides his shortcomings in the ring just having him in short bursts.

Robbie E bragged that not only is he going to win his Fatal Four Way Tables match at Hardcore Justice, but he's going to specifically put Jeff Hardy through it. As Robbie carried on putting down Hardy, the 'Charismatic Enigma' himself joined him and began taking out both Robbie and his bodyguard Rob Terry. But the numbers came back to haunt Hardy as Terry managed to Powerbomb him through a table they'd set up in the ring.  

Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles in a red hot BFG Series bout. It's hardly surprising how good the match was considering the standard of the talent, but it really was a superb back and fourth contest that's worth checking out.

Brooke Tessmacher beat Gail Kim in a very decent match up. Both women looked solid throughout (as expected with Kim anyway), this might well have been the finest performance I've seen from Tessmacher too. It's just a shame I really can't see her title match on Sunday being anywhere near this enjoyable. Speaking of which, Madison Rayne then joined the champ and snogged love interest Earl Hebner (who will be refereeing their title bout on Sunday) and left. This storyline is just absurd, as if they would have Heber after all this officiate any match involving Rayne? Still, next to the Claire Lynch one this is tolerable.

Sting called out TNA World Champion Austin Aries and Bobby Roode for the contract signing of their title match on Sunday. But Roode had a quarrel with the contract, that being that if he looses he won't receive another title shot as long as Aries is the champion. AA had enough of the whining and offered a verbal deal to Roode that whoever looses on Sunday will not receive a rematch. Roode agreed and everyone shook hands on it, but Roode being Roode decided to also spit water in Aries face before leaving in a hurry. Should be a good match at Hardcore Justice.

Bully Ray defeated James Storm in a solid main event BFG Series bout. It was a surprise win for me, I wasn't expecting Bully to go over against 'The Cowboy', nevertheless it was a good effort by both men and an enjoyable contest. Afterwards Aces & Eights once again appeared on the big screen and warned Bully that they were coming for him this Sunday at the pay-per-view.

Little bit of an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise pretty solid show on the whole.   

My Impact Wrestling, 12th July 2012 Recap

Bully Ray defeated Joseph Parks in an average No Disqualification match, which included thumbtacks, garbage cans, steel chairs and such. It's always going to be hard to put on a decent bout when Joseph Parks (a Lawyer in the storyline who's only ever had one fight in his life) is understandably meant to be purposely bad in the ring. But the match wasn't awful for what it was, just nothing special. Afterwards Parks looked down at his bloody hands and then Black Hole Slammed Bully, much to his own shock. 

Rob Van Dam defeated Samoa Joe in a Bound For Glory Series bout. It was a pretty fair match up, mainly thanks to the efforts of Joe (RVD wasn't terrible by any means, just wasn't exactly on his best form).

Kazarian, accompanied by Christopher Daniels, congratulated AJ Styles on a hard fought victory at Destination X in his superb Last Man Standing match with Daniels. But he also warned him that the situation with Claire Lynch wasn't over, and they brought out Claire herself. As Daniels questioned Claire they were soon interrupted by AJ Styles, who told Claire that she didn't have to explain anything to them. But claire did, as she revealed that AJ was the father of her unborn baby. This whole storyline is about as bad as Claire Lynche's acting skills, I really cannot be asked with it anymore. The sooner it ends the better.

Zema Ion defeated Dakota Darsow in a decent contest. Afterwards the new X Division Champion Ion locked in a submission hold on Darsow's arm, and reminded Jesse Sorensen of how dangerous he was. Hopefully there'll be a few wrestlers who appeared at Destination X signed to TNA contracts.  

The new TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries said what a great week he'd had and what a great moment it was him winning the World title not just for himself or the company, but for the professional wrestling business. He also went on to talk about all the congratulations he received and how TNA is the top wrestling company going today, before former champ Bobby Roode came out. The distraught Roode could barely talk, but managed to call Aries' win a "fluke." AA simply smiled, held up his title belt and said "New. World. Champ."

Brooke Tessmacher (c) defeated Gail Kim to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship. It was a passable title bout, with Kim on her usual solid form. Unfortunately, while she's showed signs of improvement Tessmacher still doesn't look totally convincing to me in between the ropes just yet, definitely not enough to be Knockouts Champion anyway.   

Kurt Angle defeated Mr. Anderson in a BFG Series contest. It was an enjoyable enough match for the most part, although nothing on Angle's intense bout with Samoa Joe last Sunday.   Anderson looked his usual standard self in the ring, nothing spectacular but worked fairly hard.

Backstage Roode demanded that Hulk Hogan give him his rematch against Aries as soon as possible. So Hogan convinced him to call out AA in a match for next weeks Open Fight Night Impact in a non-title bout to prove he's the better man before his World title rematch at Hardcore Justice.

Sting came to the ring and called out Hogan to join him, but Hogan never showed. It was then revealed that Hogan had been taken out in his office by the same men that had attacked Sting last month. As 'The Stinger' went to check on Hogan he was also taken out by the masked attackers. Just who are they, eh? And just how can we thank them for taking out the older, past it wrestlers? Thank you heroes!