My TNA Impact Wrestling, 11th July 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 27th June 2013 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 20th June 2013 recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Impact Wrestling, 21st March 2013 Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA 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 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 TNA Sacrifice 2012 Recap

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian defeated Samoa Joe and Magnus (c) to obtain the TNA Tag Team Championship. It was a good opener to the show and a solid effort from all four men. Although this match wasn't maybe as exciting as I was predicting it was still entertaining from start to finish and worth checking out. I was expecting Joe and Magnus to retain myself, I feel a really long title reign would've been the right step for them but they could very well win the titles back soon and their run was a decent one even if they don't. 

Gail Kim (c) defeated Brooke Tessmacher to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship in a passable contest. Brooke actually looked slightly better here then I was expecting. Kim managed to score the win after pinning Tessmacher with her legs up on the ropes.

Devon (c) defeated Robbie E and Robbie T in an average Triple Threat match to retain the TNA Television title. It was quite a missable match for the most part to be honest, much like most of Devon's Television title reign. the only thing worth noting is that after some arguing during the bout and making up after, it looks as though Robbie T will be turning on Robbie E or vice versa fairly soon. 

Mr. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy in a fair match up. Both men looked solid enough in the ring, although it wasn't going to live up to Hardy's great matches with Angle recently on pay-per-view it was still decent. This was probably one of the better efforts I've seen from Anderson in TNA too. 

Crimson came to the ring and bragged about defeating Matt Morgan by count out on last weeks Impact, he also once again brought a referee into the ring to count to ten, even though he had issued an open challenge and no one had stepped forward yet. Then Eric Young's music hit and he accepted the match up with the undefeated Crimson, which seemed like a popular choice with the fans.

Crimson defeated Eric Young in a mediocre bout. It had a mix of EY's comedy and his wife ODB getting involved in the match, where she was pushed down in the ring by an irritated Crimson. This of course provoked Young to make a (short lived) comeback, only to then be spinebustered by Crimson for the one-two-three.

Austin Aries defeated Bully Ray in a highly enjoyable encounter. Early on AA took a nuts bump as he was big booted from the top rope onto the railing on the outside, you could certainly see the effects of it on his back afterwards. As the face, a role which I believe Aries has taken on brilliantly, he made his heroic comeback and managed to even Brainbuster Bully for a great near fall after Joseph Parks (who'd been in attendance in the crowd for Sacrifice) distracted Ray. As it then looked as though Bully, who I also give a lot of credit for in this match for his role as the aggressive heel, was about to win with a bomb Aries also managed kick out of the nice near fall. Finally AA forced 'Calfzilla' to tap after applying a .

For me the match exceeded my expectations, and these are both two of my favourite things about the company right now. Giving Aries the win was also a smart move I felt, it's already clear how talented he is in the ring and on the mic, but he's also embraced this new persona better then I was expecting and I hope they keep this momentum of his going. As for Ray, I don't think the loss will damage him too much, a feud with Abyss will follow next I reckon.  

Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles in a superb wrestling match, would you expect any less from these two? In the best match of the night and quite possibly the best PPV match TNA have put on this year these two men went back and fourth with smooth and crisp action, with effective near falls a plenty. I honestly struggle to find any issue with this bout, just do yourself a favour and check it out. Angle forced AJ to tap to the ankle lock after Daniels and Kaz distracted him at ringside. 

Afterwards Daniels and Kazarian continued the attack on Styles until Angle beat them off and out of the ring. So I guess he's face again.

Bobby Roode (c) defeated Rob Van Dam in a Ladder match to retain the World Heavyweight title. For a main event ladder match I found it a bit underwhelming to be honest, like most RVD bouts in TNA. Don't get me wrong it was decent at parts, with some hard bumps taken on the steel ladders, it just didn't feel like a main event for a World Championship to me personally. Here's hoping at the much hyped Slammiversary we get a better title bout.

My Impact Wrestling, April 26th 2012 Recap

Backstage on the first ever Impact Wrestling Open Fight Night Hulk Hogan decided to pick Samoa Joe and Magnus to defend their Tag Team titles against an as yet unknown team of his choice. 

Before his title defence Devon explained once again that the TNA Television title will now be defended every week on Impact Wrestling. He then went on to choose former tag team partner (you may remember them, quite famous) Bully Ray. Bully refused to step into the ring with the champ, claiming that as a team he'd already made him a star and he wasn't going to give him that privilege once again by taking him on. But as he was leaving Devon chased him down and beat him back into the ring.

Devon (c) defeated Bully Ray in a fair contest to retain his Television title. It wasn't anything outstanding but it was solid enough, surprised Devon got a clean win over Bully though, considering his position in the company.

Backstage Christopher Daniels and Kazarian attempted to brag with Kurt Angle about his victory over AJ Styles last week, but he wasn't having any of it and warned both of them that he didn't need any help in his future matches (Kaz and Daniels distracted Styles in the bout last week, helping Angle score the roll up pin for the victory). 

Jeremy Borash took advantage of the Open Fight Night and decided to call out Eric Bischoff, who he called the "biggest prick to come along in the company" for many years. Eric obliged to Borash's demands and joined him. JB then went on a quite entertaining rant about Eric, with Bischoff congratulating him on showing some guts. But he had a trick up his sleeve and had Bully Ray low blow JB for him, then had a referee come down to count his pinfall win. 

Anarquia of Mexican America challenged anyone from the back, claiming no one could beat them. So Kurt Angle answered his call, but instead Anarquia then put Hernandez forward to face the Gold Medalist, only this was a ruse for Anarquia to get the upper hand with an attack form behind.

Kurt Angle defeated Anarquia in a brief squash match when he forced him to tap to the ankle lock. 

Al Snow introduced young talent Alex Silva, who was participating in the first ever Gut Check challenge, where he faces a TNA talent and is judged on whether or not he deserves a contract with the company.

Robbie E defeated Alex Silva in an average bout. Silva looked decent at times but also a bit sloppy and out of his depth at others. 

Tessmacher put out a challenge to Gail Kim after pinning her on Impact recently, claiming that she was more than just looks and wanted to prove herself in between the ropes.

Brooke Tessmacher defeated Gail Kim in a fair to mediocre non-title contest. Tessmacher showed signs of improvement in the ring, unfortunately I'm still not totally convinced by her yet.  

Hulk Hogan announced that Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson would be receiving the Tag Team title shot over Kazarian and Daniels. A choice which made no sense whatsoever. Why would you choose a pairing that were arguing only last week over the cohesive unit of Kaz and 'The Fallen Angel', and a heel cohesive unit at that to face the popular pairing of Joe and Magnus?   

Samoa Joe and Magnus (c) defeated Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy to retain the TNA Tag Team title. The main event itself was an enjoyable contest, with all four men looking solid in the ring and putting on a good display. The result made logical sense too. Afterwards the understandably angered Kazarian and Daniels took out the champions from behind, to most likely set up what should be a very good title match at Sacrifice.

Ric Flair introduced Eric Bischoff out to the ring for the celebration of his career along with Bully Ray, Gunner, Kazarian and Daniels. Flair went on to drivel (doesn't sound like him, eh?) about how much Bischoff has meant and done for the company, which isn't anything at all in terms of actually improving it as a product. They also handed over a Rolex watch as a parting gift.

Garet Bischoff then interrupted the proceedings, claiming that he, along with Jeremy Borash, Austin Aries, the Motorcity Machine Guns and RVD, also got Eric a parting gift. But unfortunately for him it was an induction into the shed of shame. After grabbing hold of his dad, Garet proceeded to put him into the shed (which was actually a portable  toilet) and turned it on its side, covering Eric in excrement.   

My TNA Lockdown 2012 Recap

First of all, I apologise for this recap being a bit late. I have other stuff to attend to, you know? So we good? Cool.

Backstage Garett Bischoff asked the other members of his team to allow him to be the first entrant into the Lethal Lockdown match due to his determination to prove himself to them all, so they accepted his decision.  

Gunner and Garett started off the Lethal Lockdown with half decent exchanges. Gunner did well considering he had to work with the inexperienced Garett. Bully Ray then entered the fray, where he and Gunner just knocked about their opponent and genrally wasted time until Austin Aries joined them (to a solid reaction from the fans). Fortunately Aries upped the pace and quality of the bout briefly before Bully took the offence to him. Kazarian was next in, sporting a now shaved head. The time then just dragged a bit as Eric Bischoff's team slowly kept Garett and Aries down with strikes.

AJ Styles then entered the cage and managed to get the crowd excited once again with some of his signature maneuvers. Unfortunately this was short lived as Eric's team nonsensically managed to get the upper hand once again, even though the teams were now even. Garett's team should've used AJ's momentum here and started to gain the upper hand before the next participant Christopher Daniels entered and once again helped out his fellow heels in taking control. Mr. Anderson then entered and clumsily clobbered the other team. 

Strangely Eric Bischoff then gave his team the edge once again as he came in, even though Ric Flair had been named the fifth member of the unit on Impact. Bischoff held back his son as Bully Ray applied some nasty looking chops. Rob Van Dam was the final entrant as he performed his usual routine of moves that he has done for pretty much every match since joining TNA. The roof of the cage then lowered and Garett's team began taking out Eric's with various weapons attached to it. Shortly after things started to become even again as the wrestlers started performing their signature moves on each other for the strongest part of the match. 

As Garett then had Daniels down for a pin his father halted it and whipped him with a kendo stick multiple times. Of course he then made a heroic comeback and smashed his Dad in the head with a prop guitar for the one-two-three and a well received win by the fans in attendance. Not by me so much unfortunately, if it were my choice I wouldn't have either Bischoff in TNA. Overall it wasn't the greatest Lockdown match by a fair distance, but it had it's moments towards the end as the pace picked up and the moves went beyond simple strikes. 

Samoa Joe and Magnus (c) defeated Motorcity Machine Guns to retain the TNA Tag Team titles in one of the best tag bouts I've seen in a while. Both teams looked solid here and presented a thoroughly enjoyable match from start to finish, with plenty of nice double team moves. My only gripe was with the quiet fans during it, although I guess they were maybe confused as to who they were meant to be cheering for.

Devon (c) defeated Robbie E to defend his TNA Television Championship in a mostly average contest. Both guys looked decent enough, it just wasn't a match that blew me away. Afterwards Robbie T entered the cage and beat down Devon. 

Gail Kim (c) defeated Velvet Sky to retain the TNA Knockouts title in a solid enough encounter. As ever Kim clearly put in her all and wanted to give everyone a worthy title match, and fortunately Sky looked like she also had the same mindset and put in a performance above her usual standard. Kim gained the win with a roll up pin that the referee should've counted faster on, it wasn't believable that Velvet wouldn't have kicked out quicker.

A suited up Ric Flair entered the cage and expressed his anger at Hulk Hogan not leaving him alone and helping end Eric Bischoff's career. Hogan then joined 'The Nature Boy', who claimed he didn't like the way he was running Impact Wrestling. After some more exchanged words Hogan had enough and punched Flair. I'm not quite sure what this segment was meant to achieve, if anything. Hopefully we won't have to witness these two in the ring together again.     

Crimson defeated Matt Morgan in a fair match. Morgan had the majority of the attack going but got his leg caught up on the ropes, allowing Crimson to escape from the cage for the win. Judging by the finish I'm guessing this drab feud will continue.  

Jeff Hardy defeated Kurt Angle in a thrilling match that lived up to the billing. As expected this was a special bout, but what else would it be with these two involved, and inside a steel structure? I'll admit I wasn't too sure how serious Angle's injury was going into this, so I was predicting him having to take it a little easier then usual, but he certainly didn't let up and both men gave a great performance. 

For a mental and exciting finish Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb from the top of the cage onto Angle for the pinfall victory.  

ODB and Eric Young (c) defeated Rosita and Sarita to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team titles. The match was a largely drab and forgettable affair, with EY remaining on the ropes while his newly wed bride took care of the Mexican America members. 

Bobby Roode (c) defeated James Storm to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a heated and worthy main event. Both men have proven to me since disbanding Beer Money that they are just as effective in the singles division and are two proud performers who went out to put on a World title match that people would remember, and they succeeded. 

Now as much as I enjoyed the bout, the result was once again the completely wrong one just like back at Bound For Glory, the fans were screwed. After a brilliant build up for the hometown hero and in form Storm to finally be the man to end Roode's title run, they have him Last Call Superkick the champ out of the cage and give him another screwy win. This was the perfect opportunity for the run to end, everything was set just right, I just cannot fathom why the writers decided to have Roode the victor here.

My Impact Wrestling, March 1st 2012 Recap

Kurt Angle started off Impact by explaining the reasons he attacked Jeff Hardy a couple of weeks ago. The reasons included Hardy's appearance, the fans preference of him (including Angle's own son), among others. Angle then called out Hardy, who obliged to the request. The Olympic gold medalist challenged Jeff to a match atVictory Road, which he accepted in the form of a beat down on Angle. Although Taz described it as "Hardy just exploded all over Kurt Angle" I'm not going to even touch that...   

Backstage during an interview with TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode, fellow champion Austin Aries interrupted and explained to Roode what many things they have in common, including the fact that they both have quarrels with Sting. It's a very refreshing change to see the charismatic and talented Aries finally getting the attention he has earned by being associated with the World champion. 

AJ Styles before his Gauntlet match up, said that if he wins then Christopher Danielsand Kazarian must reveal the truth behind Daniels' mysterious hold over Kaz and his turn on his former Fortune partner. Kazarian accepted on Daniels behalf. This storyline has been dragged on for too long now, I'm sure most fans have already lost interest.  

Kazarian defeated AJ Syles in the Gauntlet Match after Kazarian raced into the ring and applied a Fade To Black to AJ, causing Daniels to be disqualified but gaining him the one-two-three over Styles. The bout itself had been an exciting and heated contest between Daniels and AJ, a lot more entertaining then their last few battles in TNA. 

Backstage TNA Knockout Champion Gail Kim revealed to her tag partner (and number one contender to her Knockout Title) Madison Rayne that she had gotten her a "gift" in the form of a match with ODB. What a friend, huh? Rayne was not impressed.  

ODB defeated Madison Rayne in a mediocre match which did nothing at all to help promote the number one contender to Kim's title. It was a waste of time to be honest, except only to further emphasis the crumbling of Rayne and Kim's partnership.

Backstage Ric Flair warned Garet Bischoff that he has one week left to officially retire from professional wrestling, or else. Garet is still, after all Flair, his Dad and Gunner have done to him, humble and respectful to Flair. It just makes him look a bit pathetic to be honest.

Bobby Roode, accompanied by Austin Aries and Bully Ray, told Sting that there would be no match between them at Victory Road because "I'm done." Bully Ray then blamed Sting for NFL Player Brandon Jacobs physical attacks on him, thereby causing Ray "the biggest embarrassment of my career." Aries accused Sting on the mic of being"jealous" of all three of them and their abilities and blamed him for not being booked in a single main event on Impact, which I actually agree with he does deserve that spot. As a form of protest all three men then sat in the ring, that was until 'Stinger' suddenly appeared in there with them after the lights went out.

Sting warned Aries and Roode that if they are indeed "done" with the company then they'll both be stripped of their respective titles. He also decided to grant Aries his wish and booked him in the main event with Roode and Bully, where they would take on the TNA Tag Team Champions Samoa Joe and Magnus, along with the World Title number one contender James Storm.       

Zema Ion defeated Shannon Moore in a solid enough match up, not a classic by any means. Ion is certainly showing plenty of personality and getting the right reaction from the fans, I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.

Velvet Sky and Mickie James defeated Angelina Love and Sarita in a match which ranged in quality. It started off rather drab until the underutilised Sarita (standout performer of the match for me) picked up the pace and provided some nice action with James. Velvet picked up the win after hitting Love with the In Yo' Face.   

Unfortunately during the said tag team bout Mike Tenay kept annoyingly plugging TMZ during the match too, which just got on my nerves. I have no quarrels with advertising being involved with pro wrestling, but just not on commentary during a match.   

James Storm, Magnus and Samoa Joe defeated Austin Aries, Bobby Roode and Bully Ray in a very entertaining and action packed main event tag match. All six wrestlers looked like they belonged in the main event, and you could tell that each of them wanted to put out a memorable performance. Aries gave a solid display and I hope this is a sign of things to come for him, if it were up to me I'd have him drop the title to Ion and then feud with someone like Storm or Hardy to really get his status up.

Afterwards Bully Ray cracked Storm in the face with a steel chair by big booting it. This is most likely leading to a match between them at Victory Road where I imagine Abysswill most likely (unfortunately) return for revenge on Ray.

Overall it was actually a pretty entertaining Impact, with the majority of matches delivering and the storylines progressing nicely. The post Russo era is starting to look positive for the company.  

My TNA Genesis 2012 Recap

Austin Aries (c) retained his X Division Title in the Fatal Four Way Elimination Match against Zema Ion, Kid Kash and Jesse Sorensen. It was a fast paced and entertaining enough opener to the pay-per-view, just let down a bit by the ending sequence. As you expect from the talent involved the action was pretty much non stop throughout, with a healthy dose of near falls and your typically entertaining X Division maneuvers. Austin Aries won after Sorensen (who was on top rope) had been distracted by an sore Zema Ion who had refused to leave after being eliminated by Jesse. This allowed Aries to apply his patented Brainbuster to Sorensen from the middle rope for a nice finisher to the match.
I personally felt it was a big mistake having Ion remain hidden at ringside from when he was eliminated, it just made it obvious to everyone (well if you're a wrestling fan you should've realised) that Ion was going to interfere and cost Sorensen the match. They should've had Ion go to the back after he'd been pinned, then had a lengthier period of Aries and Sorensen going at it with each of them pulling out their signature moves for near falls. Then when it looked like Jesse was going to the top rope for the win, Zema could've raced out to distract him as more of a surprise.      
Devon defeated D'Angelo Dinero in an average but occasionally heated bout. During the match up 'The Pope' called in Devon's two sons Terrence and Terrell and asked them to look at their beaten down father on the ground. They both clearly looked uncomfortable at the sight of this (even though they'd previously attacked their Dad with a steel chair with no quarrels strangely) so Dinero threw one of them out (I forget, they're twins remember?) and slapped the other. This gave Devon time to recover enough to make his heroic comeback and avenge his sons by defeating 'The Pope' one-two-three. Afterwards Devon also made up with his twins sons.
To quote The Miz, really? Really? I just feel like this storyline was ended far too soon. Dinero could've had Terrence and Terrell as his backup for a long while before they eventually turned on each other. All the build up to them turning on their own Father, only to have them then suddenly turn back once again this quickly. Cheers, Russo.  
Well that makes two finishes that were pretty weak in my view, let's see how the rest panned out then...
Gunner defeated Rob Van Dam in a passable but ultimately forgettable (usual for these two nowadays) bout. The match was back and fourth until Ric Flair (who'd accompanied Gunner) distracted the referee towards the end, allowing Gunner to DDT Van Dam onto some flooring he'd exposed on the outside and roll him back into the ring for the pinfall victory. It's quite a big win for Gunner, maybe TNA have big future plans for him? Not sure why, Gunner isn't bad, I just don't see anything particularly spectacular about the wrestler to be honest. But hopefully he'll prove me wrong. Afterwards RVD had to be stretchered out.
Okay, this ending I could get behind a bit more then the previous two if they really sell this RVD injury for a realistic length of time. It'll certainly make the fans take Gunner more seriously to take out a big name like Van Dam and only enhance his character.
Gail Kim (c) won via disqualification against Mickie James to retain her Knockouts Championship in a solid enough bout that just felt a little sloppy at places and an ending that gave it a bit of a tainted feel. Before the match began Velvet Sky had suggested to Sting backstage to add what she called a 'Velvet Touch' by having Madison Rayne locked inside of a cage for the duration of the title match to halt any interfering she may have planned, which 'The Stinger' agreed to. But towards the end Rayne threw down some knuckle dusters for Kim to use which the referee spotted. When he left to discard them Madison threw down another pair for the champ, but James thwarted the attempt and kicked her in the gut. Then, for a completely stupid and baffling finish (welcome to todays TNA folks!) James decided to use the knuckle dusters herself on Gail Kim right infront of the ref. Once again, really?
Abyss defeated Bully Ray in a surprisingly awesome Monsters Ball Match. The action and hardcore spots were constant but unlike many TNA hardcore match ups where they're just spot after spot for the sake of it, the action here was well planned out and not too over the top. The crowd in attendance certainly voiced their appreciation for it also. Abyss pinned Ray after Black Hole Slamming him onto a barbed wire table, although that wasn't as bad as Abyss being sandwiched between two barbed wire tables and then having Bully Ray come crashing down on top of him earlier on.
Matt Morgan and Crimson (c) defended their TNA Tag Team Titles against Samoa Joe and Magnus. The match up was mediocre for the most part, although there were moments of solid sequences in there. The most entertaining part for me was when the crowd began to chant  "We want Morgan!" with other fans then responding back with"No we don't!" Very funny. During the match we were also shown backstage footage of Bully Ray attacking Abyss.      
Kurt Angle defeated James Storm in the match of the night. From start to finish the bout was enthralling and technically superb. Certainly their best match together too in my opinion. The finish came after Angle low blowed Storm after using the referee to protect him from a Last Call Superkick, and applying his own superkick for the pin.
Tenay in his trademark move sent us backstage where someone queried a bloodied Bully Ray to Abyss' whereabouts. Ray answered with "I don't know. Where's he at?"
Jeff Hardy won via DQ against Bobby Roode (c) in a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. This was very almost match of the night, the structure and pace were brilliantly executed. Both men put in a very good effort and worked hard to provide a worthy main event. For the finish Roode purposely low blowed referee Hebner to avoid loosing his World Title.
The crowd, which had been thoroughly into the bout, chanted "We want Sting!" after the finish. I don't blame them, it did feel like a bit of a let down after such a solid match. I can excuse one or two finishes of this fashion on a TNA pay-per-view card (it's come to be expected from that muppet Russo) but for the majority of the matches to end on screwy finishes is just inexcusable really. It's a shame, but I'd add that the last two matches are still worth checking out along with the Monsters Ball.