My TNA Impact Wrestling, 27th June 2013 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 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 Impact Wrestling, 21st February 2013 Recap

Aries and Roode desert their tag partners. Gits. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan announced that after a week of deliberation, he decided that Bully Ray will face Jeff Hardy for the World Title at Lockdown. A confused Bully then joined his Father in law, bemused because of the fact that he didn't even compete in a number one contenders match last week. He admitted that there were other men that deserved it more than him at the moment, but nonetheless thanked 'The Hulkster' for the title opportunity. Bully also suggested a six-man tag bout that night pitting him, Sting and Hogan against three members of Aces & 8s, Hulk approved.

Chavo Guerrero, Hernandez, James Storm and Joseph Parks beat Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a fair eight-man tag contest. To be honest I was a little disappointed with this one considering the talent involved, but it had it's entertaining moments so I can't complain too much.

Chavo and Storm were the stand out performers for me, providing the best action in the ring. The arguing between the loosing team was also fairly amusing, with Aries and Roode eventually having enough and storming off when all four egos clashed.

Rockstar Spud pinned Robbie E in a passable encounter. It was pretty forgettable and unremarkable for the most part really, although Spud did show off a few nice moves. The finish came when Robbie T refused to hand over his clipboard to E, which caused Rob to be caught out by Rockstar with a quick roll up pin for the one-two-three.

Taz (who's even worse as a heel commentator, which is saying something) called it a big upset, when was the last time Robbie actually did anything worthwhile? Or ever, for that matter? Afterwards an upset Robbie E slapped T in the face, then wisely legged it away down the ramp. I lost interest in these two splitting up a long, long time ago.

Velvet Sky bested Gail Kim, Brook Tessmacher and Tara (c) to obtain the Knockouts Title in an Elimination Fatal Four Way. The match itself was a mixed bag, and just not consistent enough for me, with no logic in sight. There were some nice moments of action and excitement but the majority of the bout felt a little messy, with average displays from Velvet and Brooke for the most part. 

Ridiculously the women involved would also run in to stop pinfall attempts even though it was an elimination match, huh? Where's the advantage or sense in that? For the finish referee Taryn Terrell forced Kim off of the ropes during a pinfall attempt as she refused to let go, which also confused me, why wouldn't she just let go? This allowed Velvet to then apply an In Yo' Face (worst finisher name ever) for the winning pin and strap.

Samoa Joe won via disqualification versus Garett Bischoff after Wes Brisco ran and began attacking him, but the double team attack was short live as Kurt Angle then chased them both off. The actual match itself had been okay, pretty drab for the most part to be honest, with mostly strikes exchanged between the two. Garett still clearly has a fair way to go in the ring.

Rob Van Dam (c) pinned Kenny King to retain the X Division Championship in a decent outing. Both men gave worthy enough displays, and provided some fun action here. It's definitely not either man's finest efforts but it's a fine enough watch. My only big gripe is RVD retaining yet again, I don't really get the point of their feud if King is never going to eventually win the strap. Their issues have been going on for a long, long time now and it's well overdue that either KK wins the title or RVD moves onto a new challenger.

Aces & 8s (Doc, Devon & Mr. Anderson) defeated Sting and Bully Ray in an average main event. I just failed to find much interest at all in this contest, with passable, if uninspiring wrestling and multiple distractions. Hogan mysteriously failed to turn up for the bout, but was dragged out later on along with his daughter Brooke by more Aces & 8s members, clearly beaten down by the group.

This allowed Doc to finish off Sting for the winning pinfall, and then attack him further with more affiliates. If there was one plus from all this then it was at least making Aces look like a stronger unit again, but I'm still growing very tired of them now, I think they desperately need some more interesting members to rejuvenate them a bit. 

Overall it was a largely average Impact for me, with most match ups being pretty pedestrian and the majority of storylines starting to feel like they're dragging now. To be fair the eight-man bout was watchable, but not outstanding. Hopefully it picks up next week. 

My Impact Wrestling, 10th January 2013 Recap

Crack! Aries ends a great tag match via DQ. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Sting, accompanied by Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, warned Doc that at Genesis this Sunday he'll be coming for him. Joe then also threatened Aces & 8s after their group attack on him in the steel cage last week. Finally Angle took to the mic and called out Mr. Anderson, who stood by as the aforementioned attack from Aces & 8s took place on him and Joe, and demanded to know who's side he's on.

Anderson then joined them and explained that he'd turned his back on them after Sting and the others failed to help him when he was taken out by Aces a couple of months ago. After Angle then gave Ken the choice of either being against them, or with them, Anderson admitted that he'd never liked Kurt much anyway, which prompted the gold medallist to attack him and send him on his way. The best part of the opening segment was Anderson's nicely subtle but effective mic work.

Kenny King defeated Zema Ion in an entertaining match up. Both men looked good here and put in decent displays, with nicely executed and exciting moves to keep the fans going throughout.

Robbie T and Brooke Tessmacher bested Jesse and Tara in a largely pedestrian inter-gender tag bout. Tessmacher looked good enough in the ring, but that was about the only really noteworthy part of the contest. Afterwards Robbie T began dancing with Tessmacher, then laid on a big snog which apparently knocked her off her feet.

Jay Bradley beat Bryan Cage (yes, that was really the name he'd chosen to use) in a fair effort by both men in the Gut Check Challenge. The start was quite dull but once it got going they looked okay, nothing exceptional but competent enough, and better than some of the past Gut Check challengers.

In the Aces & 8s base, Mike Knox was informed that after being unmasked last week he would be given one chance to earn back his spot in he gang.

Joseph Parks called out Hulk Hogan and after completing his time at the OVW training camp begged him for a match against Aces & 8s as retribution for their attack on him, so 'The Hulkster' accepted. Brooke Hogan then joined her dad and asked if he was going to reinstate Bully Ray after he suspended him on last week's show. Hogan simply answered "No" and left his upset daughter. Brooke's acting here was awful, I mean really bad.

Jeff Hardy and James Storm won via DQ versus Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a terrific tag contest from start to finish. I'm a fan of all four men but it still surpassed my expectations with solid wrestling and some red hot action, especially when Hardy made a hot tag to Storm, with 'The Cowboy' on top form as he barraged through his two opponents and then Christopher Daniels and Kazarian who decided to make their way down and interfere.

The disqualification came after Aries struck Hardy with his own title belt across the back of the head. Roode and AA then argued as they both held up Hardy's World Championship strap. I'm predicting a very good Triple Threat for the title this Sunday. 

After Anderson hesitated to enter the ring with Angle, Mike Knox appeared and cracked Kurt with a hammer and legged it once Samoa Joe, Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco appeared on the scene. As Angle was being stretchered away a livid Sting then stormed out and demanded that Knox enter the ring with him one on one. After fellow Aces members convinced him to take up the challenge, Knox accepted.

Sting defeated Mike Knox in a passable, if quite drab outing. The action wasn't bad at any point, it just never went beyond okay and failed to ever really engage me. You can skip this one.

Afterwards 'The Stinger' was about to deliver some retribution to Knox with his own weapon, until Devon and crew appeared with Brooke Hogan hostage and warned him to halt. This prompted the indefinitely suspended Bully Ray to run out and save Brooke with a chain in hand to back off the Aces & 8s members. Hogan then also came out and accused Bully of being a fake and putting his daughter in harms way. Bully retorted by calling Hogan crazy and admitted that he loved Brooke more than anything else. To prove this Bully then proposed in front of a furious 'Hulkster', with his daughter accepting. Bully went on to convince her to have the wedding live on next weeks show. At least this storyline is progressing a bit more. The hilarious cartoon-face on Hogan alone made this closing segment worth watching. 

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 Impact Wrestling, 13th December 2012 Recap

Hardy takes flight against Aces & 8s. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

An angry Bobby Roode demanded answers from Aces & 8s since they failed to help him win the World Title last Sunday at Final Resolution after he'd paid them to. Devon and a few other gang members soon joined him and explained that a better offer had come along, and refused to tell Roode who from. As Devon and Doc then approached the ring Jeff Hardy and James Storm ran out and chased them off, which to be honest made the gang look pretty pathetic, running scared of only two guys.

Velvet Sky defeated Madison Rayne in a passable Knockouts outing. To give them credit it was actually a lot more competent and fun than I was anticipating, considering both women are not normally as solid as the other female talent on the roster.  

Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff bested Robbie E and Robbie T in a largely pedestrian tag bout. There wasn't anything exceptional about the match, but although I've never been a fan I have to say that Garett is showing signs of improvement in the ring.

We were then shown a VT of the popular Joseph Parks training to become a wrestler in training ground OVW. His persona is such a nice contrast compared to most, with his endearing down to earth qualities. 

James Storm and Jeff Hardy beat Doc and an unknown Aces & 8s member in a solid tag contest. From start to finish the action was on point and engaging, plus the crowd in attendance were thoroughly into it. My only issue was during the match four masked members of Aces & 8s (including Devon) came running in and in a comedy-fashion missed both Storm and Hardy every time and were chucked out by the duo. It just looked foolish for the once formidable and dangerous gang. 

Afterwards Devon then announced that Austin Aries was the man who paid them off to not aid Roode in the World Title match. We then witnessed an infuriated Roode backstage complaining at Hulk Hogan to sort the situation out. Right on cue Aries then called Hogan and informed him that he'll be there later on in the broadcast. 

AJ Styles came to the ring and stated that he was tired of being "the corporate janitor" for TNA and decided enough was enough and that he was going to do "my own thing" from now on and take care of himself. On his way out of the building Dixie Carter confronted him about the speech, only to have AJ throw his T-Shirt at her.

Kenny King defeated Rob Van Dam in a far superior outing to their match at Final Resolution. The action wasn't as clumsy and it was a fun ride from the opening bell. Both men gave great efforts, especially RVD who gave a performance much better and more inspired than he normally does in TNA.   

Bully Ray beat Jesse in a largely average affair. For the most part the upset Bully dominated and took out his frustration on his opponent, but Jesse did have a fair bit of offense in there so at least he wasn't completely squashed. Jesse still has a fair bit of work to do in the ring, but he's looking fairly competent for his amount of experience.

Austin Aries explained that he's been targeting Hogan as of late because he blamed him of pitting him against Aces & 8s with no rewards and then jumping on the "Jeff Hardy bandwagon." Hardy himself then joined AA and said that if he wanted a shot at him all he had to do was ask, then challenged him to a title clash at Championship Thursday next week. But Aries claimed that he only does things on his own schedule, so in response Hardy attacked Aries and applied a Twist of Fate before AA managed to get away. I'm hoping the match happens, they've had great contests so far, although chances are Roode will screw Aries as payback.

Overall it was a pretty unmemorable Impact, with only the Storm & Hardy vs Aces & 8s and King vs RVD bouts bringing anything exciting to the table. I also enjoyed Style's promo and appreciate the new direction he's taking, his slow heel turn has actually made sense. The rest of the show was quite run of the mill for me. 

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, 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, 25th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan gave Jeff Hardy a speech in his office claiming that he'd "raised the bar" after obtaining the World Title at Bound for Glory, didn't he say the same thing to Aries when he won the title at Destination X? It certainly would've been more relevant then. We then heard an inner monologue from Hardy on each of the four possible men he could face for his championship next, it was a little different but I didn't mind it.

Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Zema Ion to retain the X Division Title. It was a fair match up. Ion looked decent and RVD as usual seemed to pull out his standard moves, which was fine. Nothing that special but watchable.

Afterwards Matt Morgan, accompanied by Joey Ryan, took out the champ with a clumsy Carbon Footprint. Morgan then warned Hogan that after wishing for a monster from him, he might just get it. Ryan meanwhile held the X Division strap in Van Dam's face, so I presume he's now next in line for a shot. I'm liking the more serious Morgan just taking out people, although once he steps back into the ring it'll be the same old bland wrestler I imagine. 

Kazarian complained about the unfair treatment him and Christopher Daniels had received from the GM Hogan, claiming that they'd lost the tag team titles "illegally" at BFG. Daniels then accused Dixie Carter of catering to the new title holders Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to gain a larger latino audience, saying that they were typical looking Mexicans with their tattoos and poncho. He also amusingly suggested calling them "dos steriotypicos." It was a great promo from both members of one of the most solid overall tag teams going today.

Chavo and Hernandez then interrupted a petition Daniels and Kaz attempted to get going to gain them a rematch for the championship. Chavo stated that he and Hernandez would welcome a rematch anytime, anyplace, and they then chased the former title holders out of the ring and signed the petition themselves.

After Mr. Anderson was eliminated from a chance at the World Title by Hogan, Austin Aries was there waiting to berate the 'Asshole'. This of course led to a brief fight between the two, with AA eventually challenging Anderson to a match that night. Embarrassingly we then clearly heard the director shouting "Cut" at the end of the segment. Not particularly professional looking, eh?

We were then shown footage of Devon announcing to his fellow Aces & 8s members that they had to take out a random victim that night during the show. So they randomly picked by throwing a dart at a wall with photos of the roster, but we didn't see who their choice was.

Samoa Joe (c) beat Robbie T to retain the TNA Television Championship in a passable, if pretty average contest. The limited Robbie T did his usual move set, while Joe worked well with what he had, eventually locking on the Coquina Clutch after a few attempts to force Terry to tap. In an Undertaker-like fashion Joe rose up after being taken to the mat by Robbie to latch on the submission hold for a nice finish.

Austin Aries defeated Mr. Anderson in a worthy effort by both men. I wasn't expecting an awful lot here but it was quite enjoyable really, not the greatest match but fun enough to watch. The only thing that marred it was the strange ending. Aries would knock Anderson out with an illegal object, only to have Anderson then fall on top of him for a near count, then apply a submission hold when he was already clearly out. It just came across as a bit unnecessary. 

Tara (c) bested Brooke Tessmacher to retain the Knockouts Title in a passable bout.  The action was standard for the most part, but at least there was some heat to the match. Tara grabbed the win after her boyfriend Jesse caused Tessmacher to tumble from the ring and threw her back in to have a Widows Peak applied. Afterwards Brooke Hogan announced that at Open Fight Night next week ODB would be challenging Jesse. His reaction was pretty funny actually.

Bully Ray demanded that Devon come out and explain the real reason that he's joined up with Aces & 8s. So Devon came out and revealed that he joined the gang because they had his back after Hogan and Dixie Carter released him and never contacted him or made any effort to get him back like they had claimed to. He also warned Bully that Aces & 8s plan to get retribution against all of those in the company that have wronged them. 

Bully went on to reveal that after their retirement match last year, backstage Devon asked him why he was so worried "we're rich anyway" and that was why he'd turned on him. After Devon then backed out of a fight right there and then, Bully announced that next week he'd be taking him on in a fight, and also added that Devon has "no balls." The segment was okay, I was maybe expecting a bit more from their first encounter after Bound for Glory.

Hogan announced Kurt Angle as his pick over James Storm to face Hardy in the main event for the title. 'The Hulkster' also said to Storm that he didn't pick him because he had something else big planned for him. So why was he in the running at all if he had other plans for 'The Cowboy'? Where's the logic there?

Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Kurt Angle to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a tremendous main event match. Were you expecting anything less from it? Both men put in great efforts and didn't put a foot wrong. Solid stuff that's worth checking out. Afterwards Aries struck Hardy from behind with his title belt and announced that he would be invoking his rematch clause at Turning Point for the World Championship.  

We then went backstage to see Aces & 8s members attacking and taking out Angle. 

Overall it was a decent enough Impact, my only let down was the quality of most of the matches compared to recent weeks. Fortunately Aries versus Anderson, the entertaining promos from Kaz and Daniels and the brilliant main event helped save the broadcast. Also disappointed in the Bully Ray and Devon encounter, not that it was bad by any means but I was personally expecting more from it myself. 

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.