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, 6th June 2013 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray kicked things off by bragging about defeating Sting at Slammiversary and reminding us of Aces & 8s one year anniversary since debuting at the aforementioned event last year. The champ went on to then claim that after taking out all of the companies heroes, he should be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. GM Hulk Hogan then came out and admitted that Bully did the job in beating 'The Stinger', but then informed him that he would be facing Jeff Hardy in the main event in a Ladder match with a hammer hanging above the ring.

Hernandez pinned Chavo Guerrero in a decent back and fourth Bound for Glory Series qualifying match. It was never anything outstanding but it was a fun watch, with a worthy display from both men.

Devon demanded that Abyss come out to the ring and hand him back his TNA Television Title, complaining that their bout last Sunday was unsanctioned and shouldn't count. But instead Joseph Parks stormed out and after having enough of being bullied by Devon and being robbed of his title match at Slammiversary after being attacked by him, began to beat on his foe. This didn't last long however as Devon cracked a microphone on Parks head and was about to use a steel chair on him when Abyss's music hit, but he failed to show so Devon announced that he was going to go looking for him.   

Samoa Joe beat Robbie in a brief squash match to qualify for the BFG Series. Much like the last time these two fought Joe was dominant and barely sold Robbie's attacks at all, but he looked stellar in the ring as usual.

Jeremy Borash introduced TNA's latest acquisition Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, and after asking him a few questions was interrupted by the future TNA Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Angle warned 'Rampage' that if he wanted to take on the best than he was the top man and they stared off. The segment was okay, the fans seemed enthusiastic for Jackson. After watching him for years in UFC I always felt he probably had the charisma and wrestling background to give pro wrestling a decent go, let's hope I'm right.  

Chris Sabin, James Storm and Gunner bested Kenny King, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a largely solid six-man tag bout. Not as exciting as The Shield's efforts in WWE at the moment but it was an enjoyable affair, and I can't really fault any wrestler's contributions.

Mickie James defeated Taeler Hendrix in a passable, if unremarkable contest. There were many times here that the clearly fake Mickie was congratulating her opponent and shaking her hand, and it just got tedious for me very quickly. Plus the wrestling was all right but nothing special or exciting. For the finish Jame's feigned a knee injury (which was extremely poorly acted) and then suddenly smacked Taeler with an uppercut and applied a dodgy spinning kick that actually connected with the shoulder for the winning pinfall. It was not the champ's finest outing by a long shot.

Backstage Abyss managed to take out the lurking Devon and his Aces accomplice Knox.

Bully Ray versus Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match ended in a no contest after Bully lost hold of the hammer he'd grabbed from above the ring and Hardy threatened him with it, causing the World Champion to leg it from the ring. The match itself had been entertaining at parts, but definitely not on par with their previous clashes. The use of the ladder was decent but pretty uninspiring, which was disappointing for these two talents.

As Bully ran backstage Hulk Hogan was about to sneak up on him with a hammer in hand, but Brooke Hogan screamed for her Dad to stop, causing the 'Hulkster' to halt in his tracks and allowing Bully to sneak away.  

Overall it was a decent, if uninspiring Impact. There were no bad matches on the show but the six-man tag contest was the only one that stood out to me and that'd I'd recommend to fans. It's also hard for me to get excited over Abyss' return, but then I've never been a big fan and found him fairly drab so maybe that's just me. But at least we're getting the set up for the Bound for Glory Series now which I always enjoy.

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 Lockdown 2013 Recap

Bully stands tall as the new champ. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Kenny King (c) defeated Christian York and Zema Ion to retain the X Division Championship in a Triple Threat match. And what a great choice for opener this was, with blistering action and plenty of excitement throughout. All three men looked on top form and provided more than worthy efforts, giving probably their best performances in the company to date.

For me this certainly toppled anything involving RVD and King, and proves that the division didn't need him but the younger, fresher talent to bring back the excitement which the division was built on.

Joseph Parks pinned Joey Ryan in a passable comedy match. There was nothing exceptional here but it wasn't bad, there were some fair moments of wrestling. Parks gained the one-two-three after sitting on Ryan as he went to roll him over for a pin attempt.

Velvet Sky (c) beat Gail Kim to retain the Knockouts Title in a largely pedestrian affair until the final couple of minutes. Kim looked stellar as normal, while Sky looked okay if unremarkable, so also the norm for her. For the finish Kim confusingly pushed and slapped referee Taryn Terrell for counting slow and then dared her to call for a disqualification. Why on earth would Kim call for a DQ when the title was on the line and she was the challenger? It made no sense. Eventually having enough Terrell then snapped and attacked Kim, allowing Sky to apply an In Yo' Face for the win. 

Rob Terry pinned Robbie E in a mediocre outing. The match contained  uninspiring wrestling that was occasionally sloppy at times, which wasn't a shock considering the two talents involved. You wouldn't miss much by skipping this one to be honest.

Austin Aries & Bobby Roode (c) bested Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez and Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a superb three way tag bout. The action was red hot here as all six men kept up a terrific pace throughout with solid wrestling and plenty of excitement. I was trying to pick out a standout performer or two but it was too hard, with every man giving a great effort. Definitely lifted the quality of the event after some lacklustre few match ups.

Wes Brisco beat Kurt Angle in a Steel Cage match. This was actually a lot more enjoyable than I'd anticipated. Kurt as standard for him was on top form, helping Wes to provide a fun first match inside a cage for the night. Brisco looked competent enough here, but clearly still has some work to do in the ring. As usual Angle provided a very memorable moment inside the steel structure in the form of a German Suplex from the side of the cage towards the end.

For the finish D'Lo Brown, the VP of Aces & 8s, cracked Angle from behind after he'd exited the cage (Kurt had accidentally KO'd the referee a few moments earlier) and threw him back him and helped drag Wes out as the ref recovered.

Team TNA (Sting, James Storm, Eric Young, Samoa Joe and Magnus) defeated Aces & 8s (Devon, Doc, Garett Bischoff, Mr Anderson and Knox) in the Lethal Lockdown match. The match got off to a bit of a slow start as each man entered the steel structure, which is understandable. After the last man Sting entered with two dustbins (if you haven't guessed yet, I'm British) full of weapons the bout started to get a bit more interesting.

Each unit took it in turns to dominate, with some nice bits of action here and there. But the biggest highlight of the match (and one I'll always remember) was when Samoa Joe pulled down five stacked men above him (including Garett at the top of the cage) down to the mat, it predictably got a standing ovation from the fans in Texas. Eric Young gained the winning pin after applying a diving elbow drop from the top of the cage, it was a nice finish.

Overall it was an enjoyable enough Lockdown match, but certainly not the best. The removal of the roof from the past (which contained weapons and would be lowered after all men had entered) was a bit disappointing for me, some of the most dramatic moments from previous LL matches happened at the top on the roof (normally involving AJ Styles). But I can't fault the efforts of most men involved, they provided a fun watch.

Bully Ray pinned Jeff Hardy (c) to obtain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage main event. The bout itself was a tremendous one too, with effective near falls and dramatic back and fourth wrestling, plus an ending I very much enjoyed, but I'll get to that in a bit...

Both men gave displays to be proud of and contributed a worthy main event to an otherwise up and down night in terms of quality. During the contest Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff came in, only to be soon chucked out by Hardy and Ray. Later on the rest of Aces also entered the cage, and this was when Devon passed over a hammer to Bully to strike down Hardy with and cover him for the World strap. Now my only gripe with the match itself was Wes and Garett entering it, what was the point? it just made them look weak. I can't fathom any reason or point to it.

Afterwards Brooke and Hulk Hogan (poorly) feigned shock at what they'd just witnessed, with Hulk's expression especially amusing. Bully then explained that he'd used Hulk, "screwed" Brooke and fooled all the fans, and announced himself as the President of Aces & 8s. He delivered the promo brilliantly, and reminded me why I loved him so much as a heel before, calling the Hulkster an "old bastard" and Brooke a "stupid bitch." The fans then began to rain down bottles and cups onto the gang in the cage, it was like a scene from pro wrestling in the nineties, it was a memorable end to the show. 

On the whole Lockdown was a mixed bag of a pay-per-view, with the majority of matches pretty pedestrian and unmemorable. My highlights were the tag team title bout and the main event, both terrific outings with great displays from all involved. The Lethal Lockdown match was also decent at parts, it's just a shame the rest of the card didn't live up to those three. Most importantly the event had a strong finale, leaving me wanting to see more from the solid heel that is Bully Ray and what's going to happen on Thursday night.  

My Impact Wrestling, 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, 14th February 2013 Recap

Samoa Joe about to elbow Angle in a solid encounter. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan kicked things off by announcing four matches that night that would determine his choice to face Jeff Hardy at Lockdown next month for the world title. He then went on to also announce a Lethal Lockdown match at the same event (obviously) pitting Aces & 8s against TNA team captain Sting and a unit of his choosing. 'The Stinger' himself then came out warned Aces that he will have retribution.

Magnus defeated Christopher Daniels in a fair outing. Both men looked decent enough, but the match seemed to lack that bit of excitement for me to really get into it. Magnus gave a worthy effort, although he's still nothing exceptional he's continuing to improve which is positive.

Kurt Angle versus Samoa Joe ended in a no contest after Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco ran in and attacked both men, unfortunately for them Joe and Angle fought back and chased them off. The match itself had been a solid one, with both men as usual working well together and providing stellar displays as they fought back and fourth.

Gail Kim, Tara and Jesse bested the Blossom Twins and Party Marty in a largely average mixed-tag bout. The former TNA British Boot Camp contestants the Blossom Twins and Marty had decent moments but still looked a bit too inexperienced in the ring, which obviously brought down the quality of the match up. Kim was the only real standout performer for me, giving a fine display as standard for her.

Afterwards Kim warned Tara that she had what she wanted in the form of the Knockouts Title, and demanded a match for the strap. So Brooke Hogan came out and booked a four-way for Tara's belt next week, including Gail Kim, Velvet Sky and Brooke Tessmacher.

James Storm pinned Rob Van Dam in an enjoyable outing. It started off a little slow but once they hit their stride it became a fun watch, with counter after counter. Storm managed to capture the win after applying a Superkick. 

Before their match up, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries revealed that they intended to win every title in the company to bring back "prestige and honour" to them.

Austin Aries versus Bobby Roode ended in a double count out. After the bell rung the two argued over who should lay down to be pinned. Aries eventually agreed to be the bigger man and laid down, of course this was a ruse as he then went to pin his tag partner which instigated the actual wrestling. The bout itself was an entertaining one, with nice action and amusing bickering between the two, including an Eddie Guerrero-esque moment of pretending the other man had struck him with a chair. 

The count out came after Chavo Guerreo and Hernandez, each wearing a T-Shirt representing the Tag Champions, came out and distracted Aries and Roode, causing them to leave the ring and try (and fail) to beat their opponent to make the count.

As Hulk Hogan was about to announce the number one contender to the World Title, Aces & 8s members made their way out and surrounded the ring. Just then Bully Ray and Sting also joined Hulk to back him up and scare away the gang. It was a poor end to the show, and running away from two elderly men and Bully only made Aces look weak.

Overall it was a fair Impact, with a few solid matches. Unfortunately the show lacked any half decent promos, and the Aces & 8s and TNA feud is loosing serious steam now, I'm struggling to find any interest in a gang that are just looking weaker and weaker. As I said fortunately the Aries versus Roode, Joe versus Angle and Storm versus RVD bouts made up for the weaker rest of the broadcast. 

My TNA Genesis 2013 Recap

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship in a fair opener to the show. It was never anything that special but I can't fault the efforts of all four men, they delivered a decent enough tag bout. Certainly watchable anyway.

Mr. Anderson bested Samoa Joe in a largely drab outing. The last third of the match upped the interest a bit with more technical action from Joe, but for the most part it was pretty pedestrian. Anderson grabbed the win with a Mic Check after Mike Knox distracted Joe from ringside.

Christian York beat Kenny King in an enjoyable contest. Both men went back and fourth with some nicely executed and exciting moves, working well together. And although unfortunately while it was York's best performance I've seen to date he still looked a little sloppy here and there. York grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin, so an upset King decided to pay him back by applying his Royal Flush finisher.

As per the stipulation York then qualified for an X Division Title match straight after against Rob Van Dam, who inappropriately then came swaggering down and showed absolutely no concern for his fallen opponent. If you didn't know TNA any better you'd have presumed he was a heel with the way he acted. He then did admittedly show some worry for York and said that he didn't have to go through with the bout, but the number one contender wanted to go ahead with it.

Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Christian York to retain the X Division Title in a passable match up. Logically Van Dam had the majority of offense against the still-hurt York, who did manage to get in a couple of nice near falls though. Unfortunately a lack of intensity and some some sloppy moments marred the championship clash. Rightfully RVD applauded the efforts of York afterwards.

Devon beat Joseph Parks in an average encounter. It just failed to deliver any excitement or ever really engage me throughout. Parks, portraying a man who just passed wrestling school, was understandably acting amateur, which made sense but also hindered the quality of the match. As part of his act he also transformed into Abyss after seeing his own blood when he was thrown into an exposed corner post, temporarily throwing his foe around. Devon also looked okay but nothing special, afterwards he cracked Parks with a clothesline from behind.

Gail Kim first eliminated Brooke Tessmacher, then ODB and Mickie James, but was finally pinned by Velvet Sky after she applied an In Yo' Face to win the Knockouts Gauntlet to to become number one contender to the Knockouts Championship. It was a controversial win however as Kim's foot was under the rope as the winning pin was counted, I imagine this will set up a Triple Threat for the Knockouts strap.

The majority of the gauntlet was fair viewing, and to be honest much more engaging than anything you'll get from the female talent in WWE right now. The highlight was the period between James and Kim, the most talented Knockouts in my opinion.

Christopher Daniels bested James Storm in a solid bout. It's hardly a suprise that two of the companies best all-round talents pulled out an fun watch, with stellar wrestling from the opening bell. That should really be enough to convince you to check it out. Daniels gained the win (and a World Title match on a later episode of Impact) after Kazarian distracted Storm.

Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan came out and once again announced their wedding that will take place live on Impact Wrestling this Thursday. Bully then also recorded a live video to tweet out of the crowd who the couple had invited to the wedding. That was it, they could've just recapped the proposal from last week's Impact to be honest and saved time.

Before the match even begun, a few Aces & 8s goons beat down Sting before Doc dragged him into the ring for the opening bell.

Sting beat Doc in a brief and unmemorable match up. Nothing about it was outstanding as Sting gave a pretty pedestrian display and Doc was his usual drab-self in the ring. You wouldn't miss much by skipping this one. After the bell rung more Aces members were about to pounce on 'The Stinger' until Bully Ray ran out with his chain in hand and chased them off.

Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Bobby Roode and Austin Aries in an Elimination Triple Threat to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. And what a superb main event this was. Now I was expecting a solid contest here, but it exceeded that as all three men worked very hard to provide a red hot match up, and succeeded. As promised beforehand Aries and Roode attempted to beat down Hardy and eliminate him first, but the resilient champion resisted the dramatic pinfall attempts, eventually rolling to the outside to leave the other two to face each other.

After some nice exchanges Hardy and Aries then managed to score a double pinfall on Roode to send him packing. Shortly after Hardy then applied an insane-looking Twist of Fate on AA through the middle rope, followed by a Swanton for the winning pin. Terrific high note to end the event on, as should always be the case.

Overall Genesis was a bumpy pay-per-view, with the majority of matches being quite forgettable and humdrum, but King versus York, Daniels versus Storm and the main event providing above average and in the case of the Triple Threat, brilliant entertainment. I'm sure Lockdown in March will provide a much more consistent show. Hopefully.

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 TNA Turning Point 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Taz spoke about how proud he was of TNA's support for everyone suffering at the hands of Hurricane Sandy in New York and then introduced radio host 'Buckethead' (no idea who he is either) and Bully Ray. Buckethead urged all the fans to break a Guinness world record for the most simultaneous texts to donate for the  aforementioned cause. He actually did a good job getting the crowd going.

Samoa Joe (c) defeated Magnus to retain the TNA Television Title in a decent match up. Both men gave worthy efforts here, with Magnus giving one of his best (if not the best) displays to date as he went toe to toe with his opponent. There were just a few little moments here and there that spoilt the contest a bit for me, such as the referee not counting when Magnus grabbed the ropes during a submission, and also not disqualifying the challenger when he clearly threw a chair into Joe's head. There was no need for this. Otherwise it was enjoyable enough, but could've been better.

ODB and Eric Young beat Jesse and Tara in an average tag bout. For the most part it was a comedy match understandably, while the action itself was passable, but nothing special. This should lead on to ODB receiving a Knockouts Championship shot. 

Rob Van Dam (c) bested Joey Ryan to retain the X Division Championship in a fair outing. Ryan looked competent for the most part here, although he did mount up a few minor errors. Van Dam looked all right with his standard TNA performance. To be honest I was expecting Ryan to win here, not cleanly but possibly with aid from Matt Morgan at some point. The X Division strap should help enhance up and coming talent, not guys at RVD's level in my opinion. I expect Ryan will obtain it in the near future.  

Doc beat Joseph Parks in a fun at parts match up. While Parks is obviously meant to be constraint in his ring skills due to his attorney persona, he did a good job here anyway and has become one of the most endearing wrestlers in the company. They also planned the match out well and the sequencing made sense. There was a brief period where Parks also managed to tap into another side of himself (namely Abyss, which the goofy Taz accidentally called Parks during the bout) and Black Hole Smalled his foe. But it wasn't to be as Doc applied a Choke Slam later on for the one-two-three.

Afterwards Doc attempted to take out Parks, but Bully Ray came to his former rival's aid and lifted his arm.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Christopher Daniels and Kazarian to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a solid contest. The first third was enjoyable but it was the rest of the match where the pace picked up and we got some great blistering and crisp wrestling. I was expecting a good title clash here but it exceeded my predictions, nice stuff.

James Storm bested AJ Styles and Bobby Roode in a terrific Triple Threat, and match of the night to earn a World Title match in the future. From start to finish all three men gave great efforts and clearly wanted to do everything they could to steal the show in this intense fight. The action came thick and fast and had its fair share of effective near falls too. Unfortunately for Styles as the man who was pinned he will not receive a World Championship opportunity until at least Bound for Glory next year. I still don't feel that this stipulation was necessary. 

Kurt Angle beat Devon in a match that ranged from decent to a bit drab. Unfortunately a few sloppy moments (which is very out of character for an Angle bout) and a bit of a dull start marred an otherwise fine match up. Don't worry if you miss it.

Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries in a Ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. On the whole this heated match up was enjoyable, with impressive stunts and worthy displays from both men. There were a few sloppy moments and clear mistakes, but I could forgive them as it was a fun watch anyway. 

Overall Turning Point was a decent enough PPV, although not up to the standard of TNA's recent efforts. I didn't get the sense that any storylines or feuds made any real progression, or gained more interest. Without any titles changing hands you also couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But the Triple Threat, Tag Team Title and main event bouts were all worth a watch, and if an event has at least three solid match ups then I deem it a success. 

My Impact Wrestling, 1st November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Impact Wrestling, 18th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My TNA Bound for Glory 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Impact Wrestling, 4th October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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