Quick one this week as we look at why TNA screwing up Bound For Glory shouldn’t surprise you.

 

http://www.wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-they-cant-help-it/42428/

Covering two current TNA stories.1. Apparently AJ Styles will be gone for a few more months, defending the TNA World Title around the world.

Translation: Remember that guy we spent most of 2013 building up?  Well you just don’t get to see him anymore but come back later because he might be back then.  Until then, watch a bunch of guys that AJ beat in a competition fight for the other title in his absence!

 

2. Dixie Carter announced a former world champion returning to Impact tomorrow night in Cincinnati.

It would be Pacman Jones, the former tag team champion from several years back.  In other words, instead of bringing in new Knockouts, tag teams, X-Division guys or some fresh faces, TNA feels the better move is to bring back a guy who didn’t wrestle, most people complained about being in TNA the first time, and makes the news for not getting arrested rather than the more traditional opposite.

 

That’s TNA in a nutshell at the moment.  More on their screwups later.

Impact Wrestling
Date: September 12, 2013
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

It’s yet another special tonight with No Surrender, which is a pretty meaningless name since none of the matches have anything to do with surrendering or not surrendering. The card however is pretty big with the semifinals and I believe the finals of the BFG Series. Given hos screwed up this Series has been though, they might find a way to hold the finals of the Bound For Glory Series after Bound For Glory. We also have Anderson challenging Bully Ray for the world title. Let’s get to it.

We see the four finalists arriving before looking at a video of all four guys saying what this means to them.

We also get a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald about fighting families to hype up Anderson vs. Ray.

Here are Ray and Tessmacher to open things up. Ray talks about how his family haven’t been seeing eye to eye as of late and blames it on Hulk Hogan. This brings out Hogan in a blue shirt to talk about quivering livers and thanks SpikeTV for letting us have this big show for free. Hogan says Ray needs to be getting ready for his showdown with Anderson and not even think about Bound For Glory yet. Ray wants Anderson out here right now to say it to his face so here’s Ken, though he passes Hogan’s outstretched arm.

Ray says the Aces and 8’s are stronger than Hogan will ever been. All Anderson has to do is apologize and this all ends. Anderson says Ray is right and that he was out of line…..and he can’t wait to get out of line again tonight. He decks Ray to send him to the floor and says he’ll be the new world champion tonight. Hogan says the title match is a last man standing match for absolutely no apparent reason.

Bound For Glory Series Semifinals: Austin Aries vs. AJ Styles

It’s win or go home here as the points are officially a non-factor now. Feeling out process to start with Aries dropkicking AJ to the floor and dropping him with a top rope ax handle. Back inside and Aries misses a missile dropkick so AJ takes him down with a dropkick of his own. Aries bails to the floor but he avoids a slingshot plancha from AJ. Austin loads up the suicide dive but charges into an AJ forearm to put him down. They head back inside to fight over a suplex and we take a break.

Back with Aries still trying to hit the brainbuster but opting for some shots to the head instead. AJ comes back with some forearms and his AA into a backbreaker for two. Styles loads up the Clash but Aries grabs the rope to escape. Now the slingshot plancha takes Austin out but he manages to break up the Superman forearm, knocking Styles face first into the apron.

Aries loads up another suicide dive but AJ pops back in with the forearm, though Aries stopping in place so the move could connect looked bad. Another Styles Clash attempt is countered into a hurricanrana but AJ gets a boot up in the corner to block a running dropkick. That’s fine with Aries as he hits it in the other corner instead. AJ blocks the brainbuster again but just like the dropkick, the second attempt connects for two.

There’s the Last Chancery but AJ won’t tap so Aries pounds in knees to the head. AJ avoids the 450 but Aries lands on his feet. A running dropkick misses and Aries lands on the ropes, allowing AJ to hit the Pele to stun him. AJ goes to the ropes for a middle rope Styles Clash to send him to the finals at 15:38.

Rating: B+. This was FUN as both guys countered everything until Aries couldn’t get past the huge arsenal of Styles in the end. That middle rope Styles Clash looked great and there was no way he could kick out of it. Aries will have a big match at BFG and he’ll deserve it, but AJ was just a step better here.

Sting gives Magnus a pep talk and the Brit says he’s tired of being the future.

Bound For Glory Series Semifinals: Bobby Roode vs. Magnus

Roode gets a jobber entrance and Magnus is back in the shorts instead of the tights. Bobby must be ticked off at the lack of respect because he jumps Magnus from behind and takes it to the floor to send Magnus into the barricade. Back in and a quick belly to back suplex gets two for Roode and a regular suplex gets the same. We hit the chinlock as this has been one sided so far.

Back up and Magnus blocks an O’Connor Roll and takes Roode down with a forearm. He catches Roode diving off the ropes in a very modified Falcon’s Arrow for two but Roode goes to the eyes. There’s the spinebuster for two on Magnus but the Brit breaks up a superplex and hits the top rope elbow for two. Roode can’t hook the crossface and gets caught in a Texas Cloverleaf but Roode finally makes the rope. Back up and Magnus blocks a fisherman’s suplex into a jackknife cover for the pin at 7:00.

Rating: C. This was ok but nothing more than that. Magnus got beaten up too much in the beginning and it made the comeback better, but Roode tapping out would have been better. Magnus looked like he couldn’t win with a big move and had to steal a win instead of looking dominant. Still though, not bad and it got the job done.

Roode is freaking out when Bad Influence comes in to calm him down. Bobby blames Hogan and says if he can’t go to the finals, no one is.

Hogan gives Manik a pep talk. Manik wants a shot at Jeff Hardy tonight and his wish is granted. Dixie comes in and asks to talk to Hogan alone. Apparently Rampage and Tito are off the show for fear of the November 2 PPV getting messed up.

Ray doesn’t know what’s happening to Aces and 8’s but he thinks the cronies want Anderson to be President and world champion. He yells at Knux, Brisco and Bischoff, saying he did everything and brought Anderson into the fold. Ray thinks they’ll do the right thing and hopes they feel the same way about him.

We recap Anderson vs. Ray, which is due to Ray blaming Anderson for losing the title to Sabin. Ray then said Tito Ortiz was the only man he needed and Anderson was annoyed at Ray acting like a dictator.

TNA World Title: Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray

Last man standing with Ray defending. Anderson jumps Ray on the ramp to start and takes Ray into the ring for a whip into the corner. The champion is sent back to the floor as this is one sided so far. Ray is sent into the announce table and barricade so he hides behind Christy, complete with Hemme’s top opening (it’s similar to Lita’s outfits in the Rated R Superstar era) but the power of tape saving her.

Bully gets in a cheap shot and sends Anderson into the steps before asking Brooke for a chair. It takes forever to get there and Anderson gets in a shot to the ribs to take the chair away. He blasts the champion in the back and pounds him back into the ring. Ray goes up but gets hit low, allowing Anderson to hit a rolling senton. The fans are COMPLETELY behind Anderson here and him telling himself to get the tables makes them cheer even louder. Even Tenay is cheering for Anderson.

Ray takes him down with a boot to the face and gets in a chair shot of his own. The table is set up in the corner as we take a break. Back with Ray yelling at Hebner but Earl yells right back at him, looking like a heart attack is imminent. Ray shoves him into the buckle to knock him out but walks into a Mic Check onto the chair to lay him out. There’s no referee though so Ray gets up and hits a Bully Cutter to lay both guys down.

Cue Bischoff, Brisco and Knux to stare at Ray before stalking Anderson. Before they touch him, Brooke comes in with a low blow. Ray bosses them around and a Shield TripleBomb lays Anderson out. Ray helps Hebner up but Anderson is up at nine. Anderson comes back with right hands but Ray drops him. Why the referee isn’t counting Anderson when he’s down is anyone’s guess. Ray knocks Anderson out with the chain, drawing blood. Anderson makes it up to his feet AGAIN but staggers in front of the table in the corner. A spear through the table is enough to retain the title at 17:30.

Rating: B. This match did something that is the best sign you can have in wrestling: they had me believing that something was possible when there was no way it was going to happen. The crowd was WAY into Anderson here and that’s a good sign for TNA. They need some fresh blood at the top and it’s been awhile since Anderson was up there. Good stuff here but the crowd carried a lot of it.

Anderson is taken out on a stretcher but Ray chases him down and rips the cut off his back. A piledriver on the stage gets rid of Anderson, probably until BFG.

ODB is excited about the change to be Knocked Up Champion next week.

Here are Storm and Gunner with something to say. Storm wants to drink and Gunner wants to fight so why not do both things? James wants some opponents so here are Chavo and Hernandez. Chavo talks about how Storm is the second greatest tag team wrestler in TNA and how Gunner is the second strongest man in TNA. Guerrero wants a match so Gunner accepts it for next week. If the non Champions win, they get a title shot.

Bound For Glory Series Finals: Magnus vs. AJ Styles

Winner gets Bully at Bound For Glory. AJ takes it to the mat with a headlock takeover and does it again since it worked so well the first time. Magnus comes back with a quick suplex and we hit the chinlock. Back up and AJ drop toeholds Magnus into the buckle as Tenay runs down a Bellator card. They slug it out with AJ taking over but Magnus avoids a knee drop. AJ does the same with an elbow drop and gets two off a small package. Cue EGO to attack both guys at about 4:30 to lay everyone out. The bell never rang to end the match. Referee come out to break it up as we take a break.

Back from a break with the two guys slugging it out. No explanation, no restart, no Hogan announcement. Nothing at all as the match just keeps going which is probably the right idea. AJ wins a slugout but Magnus blocks the Superman Forearm before getting two off a Falcon’s Arrow. AJ counters the Cloverleaf into Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate but he has to raise his shoulder to avoid being pinned and the hold is broken.

The Pele gets two on Magnus and there’s the Calf Killer but Magnus hangs on forever and finally makes the rope. Back up and Magnus counters a spinwheel kick into a spinebuster for two. Magnus loads up a superplex but AJ knocks him down three times in a row. The Spiral Tap is enough to send AJ to Bound For Glory at 15:11.

Rating: B. The EGO thing was completely unnecessary but the match was solid either way. Did anyone really think this wasn’t how the Series was going to end though? That’s the one thing TNA needs to work on: telegraphing their major moments. The Series seemed tailor made for Styles to win from day one and that’s exactly what happened. Still though, very good showing from Magnus and that’s what he needed here.

AJ thanks the fans and Magnus, seemingly reaffirming his face status. He got a lot of replies about what he said a few weeks ago, but he didn’t hear from Dixie Carter. Dixie needs to be here next week because AJ has a lot to say to her.

Overall Rating: A-. Questionable ending aside, this was a great show. When TNA cuts out most of the nonsense, they have the ability to put on some very entertaining shows. The problem is most of their regular shows just aren’t that good and you can really see that when they give an effort like they do on these specials. BFG is set though and that’s the good thing, even though the main story has been Hogan vs. Ray for months now.

Results

AJ Styles b. Austin Aries – Middle rope Styles Clash

Magnus b. Bobby Roode – Jackknife pin

Bully Ray b. Mr. Anderson – Spear through a table

AJ Styles b. Magnus – Spiral Tap

 

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 15, 2013
Location: Constant Center, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Tazz, Mike Tenay

This is another special episode with Hardcore Justice. The main event tonight is Bully Ray vs. Chris Sabin for Sabin’s world title inside a cage. We were also supposed to get the Main Event Mafia vs. Aces and 8’s in a loser (of the fall) leaves town match but it was postponed to next week due to “unforeseen circumstances”, whatever that may mean. The show should be fun tonight so let’s get to it.

Bound For Glory Series: Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kazarian vs. AJ Styles

This is for 20 points and it’s a ladder match. The clipboard hanging above the ring has a piece of paper with the number 20 on it. Keeping it simple I guess. Kaz goes to the floor to get the first ladder but the other three block him from coming back in. Aries and Kaz fight for the ladder on the ramp with Austin letting go of the ladder to send Kaz to the floor. A top rope ax handle puts Kaz down but AJ knocks Hardy to the floor as well. AJ dives onto Hardy to take him down again and leave Styles as the only man standing.

Kaz gets in a ladder shot to put AJ down before climbing the ladder. Aries comes back in and crotches Kaz against the ladder, leaving Austin vs. Jeff in the ring. Jeff sends him to the floor but AJ pulls the ladder away for a showdown. Hardy tries a quick Twist of Fate but gets shoved off and sent to the announce table on the floor. Kaz comes back in with a slingshot DDT to AJ but has to have a forearm duel with Aries. Styles dropkicks the ladder into the back of Kaz’s head but Aries backdrops AJ to the floor. The company is living up to its name for a change as this has been nonstop action since the bell.

Aries runs interference to stop Jeff and AJ from going up the ladder before sending Kaz head first into the post. Austin tries a climb but gets pulled down by Hardy and Jeff knocks down the other two as well. Jeff and Austin both go up but Kaz and AJ make the save, sending all four guys down as we take a break. Back with Aries going up but being pulled down by Kaz before he gets too far. AJ stops both of them and hits the springboard forearm to send Austin to the ramp. The ladder appears to be bent or broken.

Kaz brings in another ladder to clean house but can’t climb up fast enough. All four guys go up at the same time and AJ gets his fingers on the contract but Aries shakes everything up with a sunset bomb to Hardy. Kaz and AJ are left alone on the ladder and they fight over a suplex off the ladder. Kaz rakes AJ’s eyes to put him down but Styles shoves the ladder over, putting everyone down again.

Aries hits his running dropkick in the corner on Styles and goes up but Hardy makes another save. Styles pulls Aries off the ladder and loads up the Styles Clash but Kaz pulls in a downward spiral on AJ at the same time. Kaz goes up but it’s Jeff making another save. Aries comes out of the corner with a missile dropkick to take them both down and goes up as well, but here are Roode and Daniels for a distraction.

Styles plays Shelton Benjamin by springboarding up to the ladder but Hardy shoves the ladder over, sending both guys to the floor. Roode pulls Hardy down as Daniels distracts the referee but Jeff kicks him off. Daniels slips the appletini to Kaz and Jeff gets blinded, allowing Kaz to get the win at 17:35.

Rating: A-. This was the simple formula of take four guys and let them dive off stuff for fifteen minutes or so. I’m not big on another faction in TNA because they’re already on overload with them, but at least they’re not involved with the other two. The action here was great though and they couldn’t have picked a better opener.

Chris Sabin talks about enjoying watching Team 3D put people through tables. Tonight though, he’s going to be 3-0 against Bully Ray.

Dixie Carter is in the ring with the Main Event Mafia. She talks about Angle being in rehab and how he’ll be there for an indefinite amount of time. Here are the Aces minus Bully before she can get too far into things though. Anderson talks about how the team only has a week to find a replacement. He talks about how Magnus could be leaving and says Magnus used to be the future.

Magnus says they only have a week to find someone new but they might just pull someone out of the audience. Anderson says tonight is the start of a new era for Aces and 8’s and the brawl is on. The Aces beat the Mafia down with ease and stand tall. That’s rather impressive when you have guys like Brisco and Bischoff on one side and a former MMA world champion on another.

Tito Ortiz is here.

Mickie James vs. ODB vs. Gail Kim

This is a hardcore match and not for Mickie’s title. ODB runs them over to start and hits her chest grabbing splashes on both girls in the corner. Mickie pulls her out of the corner but Gail isn’t interested in an alliance. Gail pounds on ODB as Mickie wedges a chair into the corner. ODB is whipped into said chair and the other girls get a stereo two count. Mickie rolls up Gail for two and they slug it out with until Gail is sent to the floor. Kim sends ODB back inside and goes to look for a weapon but gets a knee from Mickie instead.

James finds a kendo stick from somewhere and cracks ODB over the back before choking Gail with it. ODB comes back in and pounds on them with the stick before pulling one of her two bras out of the top to choke both girls with it. Mickie gets in a shot and puts on the figure four around the post as Gail chokes away but they can’t get along again. ODB gets a shot from the flask and sprays Mickie in the face but Gail breaks up the Bam. Another stick shot misses and ODB hits the Bam on Gail on the chair for the pin at 6:48.

Rating: D+. Did you know ODB was uncouth and does stuff that isn’t proper or whatever you call it? Don’t worry if you don’t because TNA will beat it over your head until you get the idea. The match was nothing special and felt more like a WWE style street fight with the really basic weapons and little more.

Sting yells at the Mafia and suggests Aries as a replacement.

Sting pitches Aries a spot in the Mafia but doesn’t get an answer. Aries does seem intrigued though.

Roode says his plan is coming together.

Sting tells the Mafia that Aries said no. Rampage has an idea and will address it in the ring. Joe goes with him and Magnus has an idea for Sting.

We recap Ray vs. Sabin in a nice, comprehensive video. To be fair though there isn’t much to recap.

Ray is on the phone with someone he calls honey and says this hasn’t been a normal relationship. Tonight is about Ray but next week is about the two of them. “I love you too Brooke.”

Here are Jackson and Joe with something to say. Jackson talks about MMA fans calling him a sellout for coming to wrestling. However now that he’s in the Mafia, he feels like he’s in a family. He didn’t come here to get beaten up though, so now he needs to ask an old training partner for his help. Jackson calls out Tito Ortiz and plugs the Bellator PPV several times. Rampage offers Tito the spot on the Mafia team next week but Ray interrupts (to the wrong music) before we can get an answer. Ray says he’d come in there right now if he didn’t have a title match later tonight. Ray threatens them, Ortiz is held back, that’s about it.

Bound For Glory Series: Magnus vs. Samoa Joe vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Bobby Roode

This is a tables match with the first person to drive someone else through a table getting 20 points. Magnus jumps Roode during his entrance and we start fast. They head inside as Joe and Anderson brawl on the floor with no tables brought in yet. Joe throws the first one in before taking Roode down with a powerslam. Anderson tries the rolling senton on Anderson but Magnus makes the save. The Mafia teams up to clean house but both of them try powerbombs through the table at the same time. Anderson and Roode fight out and turn the table over as we get a makeshift tag match.

Everyone heads to the floor and Joe rings the bell on top of Roode’s crotch. Anderson tries a Mic Check off the ramp through a table but Magnus counters into a failed powerbomb bid. A low blow puts the Brit down and Joe rings the bell again. The pairings switch off and Joe hits the Ole kick minus the Ole on Anderson. Back inside Magnus’ powerslam through the table is escaped and he walks into the Roode spinebuster. Everyone is back inside now and the Mafia is in trouble. Joe is whipped into Roode for a clothesline, sending Bobby to the outside.

Joe hits the suicide dive to take Roode out and Anderson gets caught in a bad looking Snow Plow. The table is set again but Anderson takes Magnus down with the Mic Check. Joe comes back in to chop Anderson and loads up the Muscle Buster but Roode moves the table. Roode sends Joe to the floor and puts Magnus on the table, only to get crotched on the top by the Samoan. Cue Kazarian to distract Joe, allowing Daniels to throw the appletini into Magnus’ face. Roode powerbombs Magnus through the table for the 20 points at 10:20.

Rating: C+. This was fun but ran a bit long. The ending being the same as the first one was fine but it didn’t really surprise anyone. I’m not a fan of the 20 points thing here because it sent Kaz and now Roode from the bottom to the top in one night, basically making whole months worthless.

Anderson and Ray get in an argument over Anderson costing Ray the title. Ray doesn’t know if he can win and Anderson says the club is here to help him. Anderson says he isn’t an enemy but Ray says he doesn’t seem like an ally.

Next week it’s Jay Bradley vs. Hernandez vs. Daniels vs. Joseph Park in a 20 point street fight.

TNA World Title: Bully Ray vs. Chris Sabin

In a cage with Sabin defending and if Ray loses, he never gets another shot at the gold. After the big match intros we’re ready to go. I think it’s pin/submission/escape here but the announcers don’t make it clear. Ray scores a quick slam but Sabin pops right back up. Another slam puts Sabin down even harder but he shoves Ray back. There’s a third hard slam but Sabin comes back with some armdrags and a dropkick to send Ray into the corner. Some forearms in the corner set up a delayed dropkick but Ray sends him onto the top rope. The champion comes off with a cross body for two and dropkicks Ray’s leg out.

Sabin goes up but gets crotched and LAUNCHED into the cage with authority. I’m guessing Bully’s authority but it isn’t really clear. Back from a break with Ray in full control and getting two off a big elbow drop. He shouts at Sabin to hit him in the face and the champion does just that, coming out of the corner with forearms to the face. Ray gets caught in a backslide for two but takes Sabin’s head off to regain control. Bully loads up a huge powerbomb but Sabin slips down into a sleeper, only to have Ray ram him into the cage for the break.

Sabin comes out of the corner with a nice tornado DDT but can’t immediately follow up. They slug it out and the champion gets all fired up by chopping Ray down. He actually hits a Death Valley Driver on the big man but doesn’t cover. Sabin takes Ray’s Aces cut off and whips Ray across the back with it, only to get kicked in the face for two. A Samoan drop gets two on Sabin but Ray gets caught while climbing. Sabin tries a rana out of the corner but drops Ray down on his shoulder, sending Ray across the mat, clutching his shoulder and screaming in pain.

Hail Sabin is countered into a suplex and Ray wants the door open. Sabin tries to slide past Ray but gets pulled back in. Ray misses a charge and sends the referee into the cage, knocking him out cold. Sabin hits a missile dropkick on Ray but there’s no referee to count the pin. Anderson slams the cage door against Sabin’s shoulder but Sabin pops right back up. Anderson: “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” Cue the Mafia for the save but Ortiz hits Rampage with the hammer, allowing Ray to kill Sabin with the powerbomb for the pin and the title at 18:08.

Rating: C+. Good cage match here but you knew the swerve was coming. Ortiz turning (was that a turn? I don’t think he was ever a face to begin with) isn’t really a surprise and it was pretty obvious that Ray was walking out with the gold. It’s a good cage match but the lack of any drama really didn’t help much.

Overall Rating: B. This was a really solid show and with the extra matches that are scheduled for next week it would have been even better. If only there was a way to have all the stuff you get on TV plus a bit more, say on a different night of the week to make it feel special…..nah that would never work. Anyway this was the usual good stuff from TNA when they try and have no Hogans dragging them to a grinding halt. The problem I see for TNA though is they pretty much have three stories going: Ray’s ongoing story, the Series and the Mafia vs. the Aces and 8’s. If you don’t like those, you’re out of luck. Good show tonight.

Results

Kazarian b. AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries – Kazarian pulled down the clipboard

ODB b. Gail Kim and Mickie James – Bam on a chair to Kim

Bobby Roode b. Magnus, Samoa Joe and Mr. Anderson – Roode powerbombed Magnus through a table

Bully Ray b. Chris Sabin – Powerbomb

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