Continuing my miniseries on why TNA is the mess that it is.Think back with me to Destination X 2012 and Aries vs. Roode.  Why was that match special?  Among other reasons, there was one major reason: either guy could win.  So many times in wrestling and TNA in particular, the stories and winners to the matches are very predictable.  This has plagued TNA since about No Surrender 2012.  Let’s think for a minute.

At No Surrender, Jeff Hardy won the BFG Series.  Wasn’t it was pretty obvious that Hardy would win the title?

At Bound For Glory, D-Von was revealed as the first member of Aces and 8’s.  At that point, wasn’t it somewhat obvious that Ray was involved too?  They’ve been together for years and you can’t have one without the other.  Also at Bound For Glory, Hardy won the title to the surprise of very few.

On some episode of Impact, Ray started dating Brook Hogan.  At that point, wasn’t it clear that Ray was going to be the big bad and screw everyone over?

Once Ray won a tournament (which he wasn’t in) to get a title shot at Lockdown, wasn’t it obvious that he would win the title and be revealed as the Aces and 8’s boss?  Again, that’s what happened.

Once AJ Styles became Stinger Styles, wasn’t it obvious he would take the title from Ray and end the reign of terror which wasn’t so much terror as it was boring?  Again, that’s what happened.

The night of Bound For Glory, I said Magnus was going to be Dixie’s man.  Any guesses as to who Dixie’s man will eventually be?

You can see a problem here: TNA is REALLY bad at having their stories go exactly as people say they will.  If I know nearly every step a story is going to take, why would I want to watch it?  There are exceptions to this rule of course, but the majority of the time it doesn’t make for compelling television.

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 21, 2013
Location: Impact zone, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Taz

Usually I start each NXT review by saying Welcome Home but it’s more appropriate in this case. Tonight is the Turning Point special as we return to the Impact Zone in Orlando. The focus tonight is on the tournament with two tournament matches, but we also get Bully Ray vs. Anderson, with the future of aces and 8’s on the line. Let’s get to it.

We open with an Impact365 video of Roode attacking Storm at a bar last night.

We get an opening video recapping both the tournament matches as well as Anderson vs. Ray.

Dixie comes up to Joe in the back and says she’s been watching last week’s show and threatens to fire Joe if he ever takes the same tone that he did last week.

Here’s Dixie to open the show. She plugs an article about her in Sports Illustrated before talking about the disdain she feels for AJ Styles. He’s taken her intellectual property and misrepresented it around the world. There are lawyers around the world ready to shut him down but here’s James Storm for an interruption. Storm says he wants some revenge on Roode but doesn’t think the bullrope he has is going to do enough damage.

He wants to use chairs (Dixie: “No.”), tables (“No!”) and the old woman’s dentures if he can get them out of his mouth. Storm wants it to be a Florida death match but Dixie says the Wheel has spoken. James says that’s cool, because he can call the police and change his minds about filing charges and drop out of the tournament. Dixie still says no, so Storm asks all politely and gets what he wants.

TNA World Title Tournament First Round: Magnus vs. Samoa Joe

Falls count anywhere. Joe pops upon the screen and says he wants to start the fight in the back. Magnus heads backstage and we take a break. This is joined in progress in the back with Joe throwing Magnus through various objects. Apparently that was a replay and we cut back to the stage with Magnus getting two off an elbow drop. They head to ringside with Joe taking over via some right hands before taking Magnus down with a running boot to the face.

Magnus avoids the backsplash though and peppers Joe with forearms and uppercuts. Joe snaps off the powerslam for two but walks into the Michinoku Driver. Magnus loads up the top rope elbow but Joe stops him with a chop. A superplex is blocked and Magnus knees him in the chest to put Joe on the mat. Now the top rope elbow connects for two but Joe kicks away from the Kingsley Cloverleaf. The Rock Bottom out of the corner puts Magnus down on the floor and the suicide elbow takes Magnus out again for two.

The Brit sends Joe into the barricade and pulls out a chair which he wedges between the bottom and middle rope. Joe reverses a whip into the chair and hooks the Koquina Clutch but Magnus rams him back first into the apron. Magnus ducks a charging Samoan to send Joe head first into the chair for the pin at 7:11.

Rating: D+. There were some decent moments in this but for the most part the stipulation meant nothing at all. That ending could have happened just as easily in the ring and the backstage brawl part was nothing special. This would have been much better as a regular match or a No DQ match but it wasn’t horrible.

Here’s Bad Influence to watch the Joseph Park vs. Abyss match.

Joseph Park vs. Abyss

Park says he’s here to face his brother for the first time only, meaning that this is his turning point. Naturally there’s no Abyss, so Bad Influence says Park isn’t a good story of someone coming up from the bottom. He’s a jar of mayonnaise with a law degree and a cheap track suit.

The reason Park’s mom Bernice, his dad Alfredo and his great great grandfather Jurassic aren’t here tonight is because he’s such an embarrassment. Daniels asks if Park wants to fight but thinks we need blood first. Kazarian pours a bucket of red liquid over Park and Daniels asks where Abyss is. Daniels demands that a loser like Park get out of the ring right now and Park walks away very sad.

Gail Kim vs. Candice Larea

Candice is another newcomer and is a good looking blonde. Gail runs her over to start and gets two off a running dropkick in the corner. Larea comes back with a headscissors and a sunset flip before awkwardly running into the corner. Kim forearms her a lot and catches a hurricanrana in a sitout powerbomb for two. Eat Defeat is enough for the pin on Candice at 1:52.

AJ Styles video from his time in Japan.

Anderson promises that Aces and 8’s are done tonight.

Gunner gives Storm a pep talk before his match.

We recap Storm vs. Roode. They were partners for years until Roode turned heel on Storm to win the title. A long running feud and series of matches followed.

TNA World Title Tournament First Round: James Storm vs. Bobby Roode

Florida death match, meaning last man standing. Storm doesn’t want to wait and charge sup the ramp to pound on Bobby with a Singapore cane. Roode makes a quick comeback but gets sent into the steps to stop it cold. They head inside with Storm throwing in a garbage can fill of weapons. Storm hits the corner enziguri but his running neckbreaker is countered with a piece of steel to the head.

Storm comes back by driving the trash can between Roode’s legs and trying a middle rope sunset flip, only to have Roode roll through and kick him in the chest. A catapult into the corner is blocked though and Storm hits a trashcan to Roode’s head twice in a row. Roode is up at 9 but is immediately lifted into the Eye of the Storm which Roode counters into a spinebuster onto the trashcan.

They pound on each other with trashcan lids and both guys go down for a seven count. Roode has a crutch but walks into the Last Call and rolls to the floor. He finds a beer bottle on the floor and smashes Storm in the head but James gets up at nine. Roode clotheslines him down again and hits an Attitude Adjustment through two chairs but Storm is up at nine. Bobby is ticked so he goes under the ring and finds a barbed wire board, which I guess is there just in case a Florida death match broke out. Roode loads up another AA but Gunner comes out to throw in the towel and end the match at 12:00.

Rating: C+. The match was better than a bullrope match would have been but the ending was much more about setting up a future program than the match itself. On top of that, Storm loses in ANOTHER big match which does nothing to help his reputation as a choker. Still though, fun brawl.

Post break Gunner pleads his case but Storm is still furious.

Here are the updated brackets:

Hardy

Roode

Angle

Magnus

Your time wasting segment of the week is a look at Samuel Shaw’s apartment and his artwork. The segment finishes filming and Shaw asks Christy out. She says yes and gives her his number before leaving. Shaw makes sure to straighten the notepad and pens she moved. Apparently he’s OCD.

Ethan Carter III has brought his personal jobbers here again but isn’t facing them again because there’s no challenge. Instead he’s facing a TNA legend.

Ray talks about taking care of Anderson tonight. TNA turned their backs on Anderson a year ago, but after Ray ends his career, he’ll make sure to take care of Anderson’s pregnant wife.

Angle is cutting a promo on Magnus when Dixie Carter summons him to her office.

Ethan Carter III vs. Shark Boy

Shark Boy had announced he was coming back tonight on Impact365 earlier this week. Carter bails to the floor for a chase but still avoids an elbow as they get back inside. The Chummer is countered with ease and the One Percenter is good for the pin at 2:06.

We recap Anderson vs. Ray which stemmed from Ray using the club as a way to get himself over and Anderson not being cool with it. Anderson cost Ray a match against Sting and the Bound For Glory rematch against AJ Styles.

Dixie tells Roode and Angle that they’er going to captain teams in an eight man elimination tag match next week.

Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray

No DQ and it’s career vs. Aces and 8’s. Anderson is in long tights for the first time I can ever remember. The roster comes out to watch the match from the stage. Anderson jumps Ray during big match intros and hits him low while shouting his name a lot. They head to the floor with Ray ramming him into the steps but stopping to breathe a bit. Ray pulls out a table and we take our last break. Back with Anderson being suplexed into the ring and chopped loudly in the corner. There’s a table set up in the corner as well.

Ray takes off the chain to whip Anderson even more but Anderson takes the chain away and gets in a few whips of his own. Anderson loads up a big chained fist but gets sent to the floor instead. Ray pulls back the mats but Anderson backdrops Ray onto the concrete instead.

Knux saves Ray from being piledriven on the concrete but gets piledriven down onto the mats for his efforts. Back inside and Anderson hits the rolling senton but Ray fights out of the Mic Check. A spear puts Anderson through the table in the corner but it’s only good for two. Tazz hands Brooke the hammer but Anderson intercepts it and blasts Ray in the head. The Mic Check ends Aces and 8’s at 13:00.

Rating: C+. Not a bad brawl here but Aces and 8’s hasn’t meant anything in months so this isn’t the biggest deal in the world. I’m glad they’re gone for good and it’s a good feather in the cap for Anderson, but this is hardly some huge moment that changes wrestling forever. Fun match though.

Anderson gets Ray and Tazz’s cuts to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Most of the matches were good but this didn’t feel like anything major at all. The ending was so far overdue that it doesn’t even feel like a big deal anymore, but at least it finally happened. As for everything else…..nothing significant really happened. Two first round tournament matches don’t feel like anything major to me but at least the wrestling was good for the most part. Not a horrible or even bad show, but it’s nothing you need to see at all.

Results

Magnus b. Samoa Joe – Joe rammed his head into a chair

Gail Kim b. Candice Larea – Eat Defeat

Bobby Roode b. James Storm – Gunner threw in the towel

Ethan Carter III b. Shark Boy – One Percenter

Mr. Anderson b. Bully Ray – Mic Check

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This came from a discussion on WrestleZone and me watching the latest One Night Only show.Samoa Joe might be the most overrated guy in TNA at the moment.  Think about this for a minute.

Joe owned the world in 06/07, didn’t win the world title until WAY after his peak and had a forgettable world title reign in the summer of 2008.  What of note has he done since then?  Here are his accomplishments since losing the world title at Bound For Glory 2008, or roughly five years ago:

X-Division Title (50 days)

Tag Titles (91 days)

Television Title (70 days)

Joe also won the Maximum Impact tournament, which was held entirely on Xplosion and was for a world title shot also on Xplosion.  Oh and he won the Deuces Wild tag tournament with Magnus.

On the other hand, here’s another set of accomplishments in roughly the last three years:

Television Title (126 days)

X-Division Title (30 days)

Tag Titles (14 days)

These numbers belong to Robbie E.  Robbie E., the epitome of the comedy jobber, has numbers comparable to Samoa Joe over the last three years, and very easily could surpass him if this tag title reign lasts awhile.  Think about that for a minute.  Robbie E. > Samoa Joe in success.

What has Joe done lately to keep him at the elite level in TNA?  From what I can tell, very little.

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 31, 2013
Location: Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentators: Tazz, Mike Tenay

It’s Halloween night and the main story is the TNA World Champion left in a nice car last week, apparently not wanting to sign a contract and taking the title with him. Since this is TNA, you can see the brackets for the tournament being filled out as we speak. I’d assume we’re heading for a champion vs. champion match because that’s what WWE did a few years ago and if WWE can do it, TNA can as well, albeit with more mistakes and stupidity. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of AJ literally driving away from TNA and Dixie with the title in hand to end last week’s show.

Here’s Dixie to open the show, talking about how she served AJ the world up on a plate but he just walked away with his nose in the air. From here on out, AJ is no longer world champion and is just like everyone else that buys replica belts. The title is officially stripped and the car is a present to AJ for all his work.

Therefore, we need a new world champion so we’ll be holding an eight man tournament over the next few weeks for the vacant title. Seven of the entrants are former world champions, so here are James Storm, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode and Chris Sabin. Everyone gets a video bio of their accomplishments. There’s a spot left so here’s Bully Ray to interrupt.

Before he can say anything though, Dixie announces a gauntlet match for the final tournament spot. Ray gets in the ring and says he’s been forgotten but the fans tell him he tapped out. He blames Earl Hebner and Ken Anderson for the losses, but the lights go out and here comes Anderson. Ken slowly stomps on Ray in the corner as we take a break.

During the break Anderson was taken away by security where Brooke yelled at her. Bully jumps him from behind and whips Anderson with the chain. He yells that Anderson is nothing without the club so stay out of club business.

Garrett Bischoff is asked what he thinks of this and says it’s club business. Knux comes up and says he needs Bischoff’s help in his match tonight.

Tag Titles: Bro Mans vs. James Storm/Gunner

The challengers jump the Bro Mans in the aisle before Gunner sends Robbie into the corner to start the official beating. A splash crushes Robbie and a slingshot suplex gets two. Off to Storm for a double back elbow and a knee drop to give James a two count. Jesse comes in and takes a big chop in the corner to mess with his blood vessels.

Back to Storm who gets two off a back elbow to the jaw followed by Storm getting the same via the Eye of the Storm. Things break down a bit with Gunner being sent out to the floor and Storm backdropping Jesse onto the back of his head. Robbie pulls his partner to the floor to avoid the Last Call before tripping up Storm on a suplex attempt and holding the foot down to give Jesse the pin at 4:15.

Rating: D+. Not much to see here but it’s good to have the Bro Mans get a win like this. They’re the kind of team that is going to have to cheat all the time to keep the belts and it’s just going to make the reaction even bigger when they lose the titles. I’m not wild on Storm and Gunner but they’re good enough for stuff like this.

Sting goes in to see Dixie who is willing to lift the ban on Sting getting a world title shot for tonight only. He can be in the gauntlet but has to start first. Sting leaves without saying yes or no.

We get a recap of Abyss returning last week, leading to Bad Influence dressed up as Sherlock Holmes and Watson. They promise to solve the Abyss mystery and unveil the monster tonight.

Norv Fernum vs. Ethan Carter III

Bernum is the guy Carter squashed at BFG and weighs about 104lbs. Carter tosses him around to start before putting on a standing chinlock. Fernum comes back with some flying shoulder blocks but can’t knock Carter down. Norv scores with a missile dropkick but walks into the bulldog driver (which might be called the 1%) for the pin at 3:10.

Rating: D. Yeah it was a squash, but I’m digging Carter’s character. The turnaround from his character in WWE is reminding me of Rick Rude when he jumped to WCW. In the WWF he was a glorified comedy guy but in WCW he was nothing short of a killer. Carter has gone from Derrick Bateman who was nothing to Carter who looks solid in the ring and has a great look. Well done TNA.

Bobby Roode asks the doctor how Angle can be cleared in just a week. He wants Angle checked again.

Bad Influence run into ODB and Eric, with the latter promising a surprise for them later.

Gauntlet Battle Royal

Sting starts out with Kazarian as this is over the top only with two minute time intervals. They start with a WOO off until Sting rams him into some top turnbuckles. A backdrop puts Kaz down and a suplex does the same. Kaz comes back with some shots to the ribs but can’t put him out in the corner. Knux is in at #3 and we take an early break. Back with Eric Young coming out and no eliminations so far. It’s been way more than two minutes since the break so screw the clock I guess.

Eric cleans house on the heels and pounds away in the corner as Sting gets back up. Kaz pulls at the beard to slow Eric down as Taz rips into Utah and all the wives the people around here have (his words not mine). Knux tries to put Eric out but he “pulls some of the pubic hair out” (again Tazz’s words) to escape. Christopher Daniels is #5 and saves Kaz before he even gets to the ring. Daniels comes in and pounds away on Eric as Bad Influence takes over. Sting suplexes both of them down and we take our second break in than eleven minutes since the opening bell.

Back with Manik in at #6. They’re clearly not doing anything during the break as the guys are in virtually the same positions as when the cameras went off. Manik cleans house and saves himself by headscissoring Kaz down. No eliminations so far and the ring fills up even more with Magnus at #7, the last entrant. Magnus cleans house but gets taken down by a cross body from Knux of all people. Manik escapes a pumphandle slam and catches Knux in a hurricanrana for the elimination.

Kaz hits a springboard elbow to eliminate Manik a few seconds later. Tazz says Aces and 8’s suck. Eric goes up but gets crotched down and kicked in the head by Kaz for an elimination. We’re down to Mafia vs. Bad Influence with Sting clotheslining Kaz down before Magnus hits a Snow Plow on Daniels. Sting gets his eyes raked so the double teaming of Magnus can begin, only to have the Mafia come right back with a clothesline to eliminate Kaz. Magnus sneaks up on Kaz and Sting with a double elimination for the win at 19:40. I’m pretty sure there was no extra action during the commercial though.

Rating: C-. This was pretty lame with just seven people and no real need for the match to go this long. Magnus winning the way he did extends his heel turn a bit more which is the right idea, but I can’t picture him winning the tournament to set up an eventual champion vs. champion match.

Angle has been advised to take the night off but will wrestle anyway.

Dixie has a surprise for us later: the Wheel of Dixie.

Knockouts Title: ODB vs. Gail Kim

ODB spears her down to start and pounds away on the champion in the corner. A splash sets up a Bronco Buster attempt but Gail bails to the floor. Gail loads up Eat Defeat on the floor but gets caught in a fallaway slam instead. ODB looks to go after Gail’s enforcer Lei’D Tapa but gets dropkicked into the announce table instead. There’s the Figure Four around the post as Tenay announces Turning Point for free on November 21.

Back in and Gail puts on a headscissor choke, only to have ODB counter into a half crab. Gail gets to the rope but a Thesz Press gets two for ODB. A front suplex out of the corner puts Gail down but Tapa distracts the referee. Gail grabs a rollup and a rope for the retaining pin at 6:25.

Rating: D+. I am so over the Knockouts as a whole. It’s the same five or so girls having the same feuds with the same dull stories (calling them stories is a stretch. It’s more like Knockout A is champion and Knockout B wins a contenders’ match) resolved in the same dull matches. Nothing to see here and ODB continues to get on my nerves.

Bad Influence has solved the mystery of Abyss.

Back from a break with Daniels and Kaz in the ring to explain their findings. With British accents, Daniels and Kaz say they’ve figured out the on again off again monster Abyss. Apparently it’s under the ring, which is certainly not a ripoff of when Santino dressed up like Sherlock Holmes and was told to solve the mystery of the Raw GM and it wound up being under the ring.

It’s a pumpkin under the ring though, which apparently has more brains than the entire Knockouts roster put together. This brings out Eric Young dressed as Joseph Park in a decent imitation. He has no proof that Halloween is a real holiday but it’s the big guy’s favorite holiday. Eric has a message for bad Influence so he punches them both, earning himself a beatdown. Abyss comes out for the save and crushes Bad Influence before helping Young up in the corner.

Here are the world title tournament brackets.

Hardy

Sabin

Roode

Storm

Angle

Aries

Magnus

Joe

As simple as this sounds, the wheel of Dixie will determine what the gimmick is for Sabin vs. Hardy. It’s Full Metal Mayhem, which is basically TLC.

Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode

This would be the third Bound For Glory rematch of the night. Roode was inducted into the EGO Hall of Fame to mock Angle, but since Angle declined the induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, the whole thing is kind of worthless now. Angle takes him into the corner to start but Roode bails to the floor to escape the ankle lock. Back in and Roode chops away but gets caught in a belly to belly. Roode bails to the floor again and has to rake Angle’s eyes to break up another suplex.

Back from a break with Roode working on the ribs with an abdominal stretch. Angle escapes and puts on Rolling Germans, getting up to about five of them this time. Roode fights up but has to escape the ankle lock. There’s the Crossface but Kurt tries to grab the ankle lock to counter. Roode rolls back and puts the hold on again, only to have to let go to escape a cradle and get it on for a third time. Angle rolls backwards again and puts on the Angle Slam for two but his shoulder is almost gone.

There’s the ankle lock but Roode rolls through into a cradle for tow. Roode comes back with an AA into a neckbreaker for a close two as this starts getting better. Angle gets the ankle lock again with the grapevine but Roode is too close to the ropes. Roode goes up but Angle runs up the ropes for the big Angle Slam for two. Angle stops moving and the match is stopped at 16:23.

Rating: B. Good match for the most part here until the storyline finish, which was again, THE SAME THING WE SAW AT BFG. Is this company really that creatively bankrupt that they can’t come up with something else? Like Roode dropping him in the fisherman’s suplex and Angle being knocked out that way? ANYTHING else? Good match until the ending though.

Angle is shaking badly to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The show wasn’t bad tonight but it was yet another rehash of Bound For Glory with over half the matches being rematches from the PPV. The tournament will help things out but they need something new to light a fire under this company. Maybe the changes behind the scenes will help out but they rarely have before. Not a bad show this week but nothing that set the world on fire.

Results

Bro Mans b. Gunner/James Storm – Suplex reversal to Storm

Ethan Carter III b. Norv Fernum – Bulldog driver

Magnus won a gauntlet battle royal last elimination Sting and Kazarian

Gail Kim b. ODB – Rollup

Bobby Roode b. Kurt Angle via referee stoppage

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Bound For Glory 2013
Date: October 20, 2013
Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, California
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

We’ve finally reached the biggest show of the year and while it hasn’t been the greatest build in the world, the night should have some solid wrestling to make up for it. The main event tonight is the winner of the Bound For Glory Series AJ Styles challenging Bully Ray for the world title. Other than that we have a five way Ultimate X match and potentially the return of Hulk Hogan, who may or may not have signed a new contract. Let’s get to it.

Tag Team Gauntlet

It’s a four team gauntlet match with the winning team getting the tag title shot on the PPV. We start with Bad Influence vs. Hernandez/Chavo Guerrero. The Bro Mans will be fourth due to Robbie E. winning a four way on Impact. Eric Young and Joseph Park will be third due to winning a drawing earlier tonight. Hernandez cleans house to start and Bad Influence bails to the floor. We finally get down to Daniels running into a big boot from Hernandez in the corner and take a quick break.

Back with Hernandez hitting an over the shoulder face plant to stop Kazarian’s momentum, allowing for a double tag to Chavo vs. Daniels. Chavo gets two off a headscissors and everything breaks down. Hernandez runs over Bad Influence and hits the big shoulder to run over Kazarian. Daniels low bridges SuperMex to the floor but walks into Three Amigos from Chavo. Not that it matters though as Kaz comes back in to distract Chavo, giving Daniels a rollup with a handful of trunks for the pin at 7:30.

Young and Park are in next but get jumped on the way in. Park runs over Kazarian and slams him down, only to have Daniels chop block him down to give Kazarian control. Bad Influence double teams the big man as the fans chant for Young. Kazarian can’t quite get a sunset flip but avoids a seated senton from the big guy.

We take another break and come back with Eric getting the hot tag and pounding away on Daniels in the corner. Young flips over the corner and does Daniels’ strut down the apron before coming back for a belly to belly and a near fall. Kazarian makes the save and gets sent to the floor, allowing Daniels to hit a release Rock Bottom but miss the BME. Park hits a Samoan Drop on Daniels to give Young the pin at 16:50.

Bad Influence jumps Park and Young post match and sends Park into the Ultimate X structure. The referee calls for help as Park is injured and Young is out cold in the ring. Here come the Bro Mans with special guest Mr. Olympia Phil Heath. It’s basically a handicap match here with Young getting double teamed for a big, only to make a comeback with right hands and forearms. A slam puts Robbie down and Eric drops a top rope elbow for two. The numbers finally catch up with Eric though and a double flapjack sets up a Hart Attack for the pin and the title shot at 22:00.

Rating: C-. Nothing special here but I liked the length of the match. Far too often in these things the falls last about 2 minutes each and are completely unrealistic when you compare them to normal wrestling matches. Having the shortest be seven and a half minutes made this far better. Also anything that keeps Chavo and Hernandez off my screen is a good thing.

The opening video for the PPV is the usual thing you would expect: talking about how this is the culmination of the entire year and everything leads to this night.

X-Division Title: Samoa Joe vs. Manik vs. Chris Sabin vs. Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy

This is Ultimate X, meaning there are four towers around the ring with ropes connecting them in an X shape. You have to climb up and crawl across the ropes and pull down the belt to win. Manik is defending coming in but Sabin has been in 16 of these matches. Chris bails to the floor to start, only to have Aries follow him out and send Sabin into the structure. Hardy and Manik head outside as well until Sabin goes in, only to be pounded down by the Samoan. Aries comes back in and sends Joe to the floor to take over.

Jeff starts to climb the structure but hops down to the apron, only to pull Aries down a few seconds later. Manik takes Hardy down and slaps a Sharpshooter kind of move on Sabin, only to have Aries make the save. Austin goes up again but Jeff pulls him down and hits a falling powerbomb facebuster (think a powerbomb but falling backwards instead of forward) before pulling out a ladder. Joe dives through the ropes to knock the ladder into Joe, only to be taken down by Sabin.

Manik drops Sabin but here’s Aries with a huge dive of his own to take everyone out. Aries goes for the belt but the champion comes back in for a save. Manik sends Aries to the floor but here’s Sabin almost immediately. Joe sends Aries back in and pounds away on him in the corner but Austin comes right back with a kick to the head. Hardy and Joe take dropkicks in the corner from Aries but Joe escapes the brainbuster. Aries gets caught in a quick spinning joke but Manik is going for the title, only to be pulled down into a low blow from the Samoan.

Sabin dropkicks Joe into the ropes but Jeff comes in with the Whisper in the Wind to put Chris down. Now the ladder is set up in the middle of the ring but Joe slams Jeff’s head into the top to knock him down. Aries dropkicks Joe down but Manik springboards up to the ropes and then the ladder, only to have Sabin shove the ladder and both of them over. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate to take Sabin down but can’t follow up. Sabin sends his girlfriend Velvet Sky in to make the save but it’s just a distraction for Sabin to go up and win the belt at 12:00.

Rating: C+. The match was fun but that’s a pretty lame ending. I know it’s a heel move from Sabin, but it was Hardy that brought the ladder in to start. The ending was really lackluster and the match lacked a lot of the drama that these matches had. I don’t think there was even one near finish which made it feel like it came out of nowhere.

We’re going to be seeing great AJ Styles moments tonight with the fist being Styles winning the first X-Division Title in 2002.

Here’s Bad Influence to fill in some time because there are only six matches tonight. Kazarian says that it’s a shame they’re not on the card tonight. Daniels says they’re the stepchildren of this company despite the fact that they ARE TNA. They beat Chavo and Hernandez earlier, Young and Park are a fisherman and a lawyer so they shouldn’t count, and since this company is obsessed with multiple people in matches, let’s make the tag title match a threeway.

This brings out Eric Young who says he isn’t looking for a fight because he already beat them tonight. He says he’s a scientist and the two of them did something earlier tonight which created a monster. They should run but instead Young gets double teamed. Cue the returning Abyss to clean house. Bad Influence is taken out and Abyss helps Eric up. Remember when Park and Young beat Bad Influence on the preshow? Well they just did it again here, just not in an actual match.

James Storm and Gunner say they’re ready to defend the titles against the jokes that are the Bro Mans.

Tag Titles: Bro Mans vs. James Storm/Gunner

Robbie E. and Jesse Godderz still have Mr. Olympia Phil Heath with them. The champions run the goofs over to start and send them out to the floor so Gunner can backdrop Storm over the top onto the Bro Mans. We officially start with Storm throwing Jesse around with a hiptoss before it’s off to Gunner. An elbow to the face and a slingshot suplex get two each on Jesse before Robbie gets in a shot from the apron to take over. Robbie comes in and pounds away on Gunner before getting two off a dropkick.

Gunner comes back with a jumping knee to the face but Jesse runs in to knock James off the apron. Robbie drags Gunner back into the challengers’ corner before bringing Jesse back in. Gunner comes right back with a quick fallaway slam and the hot tag brings in Storm. James cleans house and gets two on Robbie off a running neckbreaker. The Bro Mans get their act together and load up a double superplex on James, only to have Gunner pull James off into an electric chair.

Robbie is taken down by a front suplex, allowing James to drop a top rope elbow for two. Storm has a nasty cut on the side of his leg and Robbie scores with a quick Edgecution for two. Gunner loads up Robbie in the Gun Rack but Robbie makes the save, only to get caught in a powerbomb. Storm adds a Backstabber but Jesse makes the save at the last second. James hits the Last Call on Jesse but Robbie throws in a title belt for a distraction, allowing the Bro Mans to hit the Hart Attack for the pin and the titles at 11:48.

Rating: C. This was better than I was expecting but it’s not like it means anything long term. The tag division means nothing at all and if time has proven one thing, it’s that one team can hardly ever breathe life back into belts that a company isn’t interested in pushing. The near fall off the superkick was really good but other than that it was your basic tag match.

Video from the Hall of Fame induction last night including Sting with a bare face in a rare sight.

Here’s Sting to induct Angle into the Hall of Fame. Sting talks about how so many people respect Kurt because of what he does in and out of the ring. Kurt comes out and thanks everyone before pausing for a THANK YOU ANGLE chant. Sting says it’s time to induct him, but Angle says that he has to decline. He’s setting a new standard for the industry because what’s he’s accomplished before will be nothing compared to what he has in the future. He’ll join Sting one day though. The fans are stunned and Sting doesn’t look pleased.

AJ Styles won the world title at No Surrender 2009.

Dixie gets a phone call and says she wants all of AJ’s merchandise on sale. Ethan Carter, Dixie’s nephew, comes up behind her for his debut. Apparently Dixie has a match for him tonight and they have a family motto: “The world needs us. We’re the Carters.”

Knockouts Title: ODB vs. Brooke vs. Gail Kim

ODB is defending. Brooke looks GREAT in a leather version of her usual attire. Gail is knocked to the floor to start with Brooke taking over on ODB in the corner. Brooke gives her a Stink Face but ODB pops up and sends her into the corner for a Bronco Buster. Gail comes back in, only to be knocked back to the floor a few seconds later. Brooke works on ODB’s back and gets two off a quick neckbreaker.

Gail pops back up and grabs the figure four around the post, only to have ODB make the save with her chest. ODB chops Brooke but gets rolled up for a quick two. Off to a half crab on Brooke but Gail makes another save. The challengers both go up but have to shove off a double superplex attempt, followed by Gail hitting a missile dropkick on ODB. Brooke adds a top rope elbow (WAY too popular of a move tonight) for no cover.

Back up and ODB gets two on Gail via a delayed vertical suplex. The referee gets taken out as ODB somehow gets both girls up in a fireman’s carry at the same time. Brooke falls off but ODB slams Gail onto her….and here’s Tapa. She runs over ODB and takes her out, only to powerbomb Gail on top of ODB for the pin and the title at 10:33.

Rating: D+. This could have been on any given Impact and that’s the problem with this show: nothing feels special at all so far. Gail is champion again. So? She’s been champion before, just like everyone else in the division. Nothing to see here other than Brooke looking great.

Gail hugs Tapa to reveal a ruse.

The Bro Mans celebrate.

Bobby is shocked at Angle turning the induction down and is going to prove why he’s the better man tonight.

We recap Angle vs. Roode, which is all over Roode being inducted into the EGO Hall of Fame, ticking off now non-Hall of Famer Kurt. This is Angle’s first match back from rehab.

Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode

Angle has a bad shoulder coming in. Feeling out process to start with Angle taking it to the mat but having to bail to the floor to avoid the Crossface. Back in and Angle tries the ankle lock but Bobby rolls through to send Angle back to the floor. Bobby takes over on the floor but Angle takes him down with a suplex. Back in and Roode scores with a quick hotshot to put Kurt back on the floor before going after the neck even more.

Roode takes him back inside and works the neck with clotheslines and shots to the back of the head. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Kurt fights his way up and rolls the Germans for the first time in several months. A belly to belly gets two but Roode armdrags out of the Angle Slam. Roode scores with the spinebuster for two but Angle slips out of a fireman’s carry and grabs the ankle lock.

Bobby slips out of the hold again and sends Kurt shoulder first into the post before loading up the Crossface. Kurt fights up and gets a quick ankle lock, only to have Roode roll over into the Crossface again. Angle almost tape but turns it over into traded rollups for two each. Back up again and Angle tries a clothesline, only to get caught in the Crossface for the third time.

Angle fights up again and gets an Angle Slam for a VERY close two. Both guys are down now with Angle holding his arm. They slap it out from their knees with Angle getting the better of it before grabbing more Rolling Germans. Roode shoves the referee away so he can kick Kurt low to take over again.

Roode busts out an Attitude Adjustment of all things (I’m shocked no one has stolen that move yet) for two but Kurt is able to slap on the ankle lock yet again. Roode tries to kick Kurt away like he did earlier but Angle holds on and hooks the grapevine. Bobby is no Brock Lesnar and can’t make the rope so he passes out, but as the referee lifts the arm it falls onto the rope for the break. Kurt is ticked off so he loads up Roode into a SUPER ANGLE SLAM but he can’t follow up. Roode gets to his feet at nine and falls into a cover for the surprise pin at 21:00.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of match the show needed. Roode winning is the right call and the stuff at the end was really solid. The opening part of the match was dull but at least the right guy won to avenge the loss he had two years ago. Angle didn’t need the win at all so Roode winning is definitely the right call.

Post match Angle still isn’t moving so medics come out to check on him. Angle won’t let them put a neck brace on and gets off a stretcher to walk out on his own.

AJ beat Sting at Bound For Glory 2009.

Bully says tonight is about the Aces and 8’s being reborn. There are a bunch of guys whose faces we can’t see with Ray implying it’s all the old members coming back tonight.

Ethan Carter III vs. Norv Fernum

Carter is former WWE talent Derrick Bateman. Fervum is apparently a local guy and looks to weigh about 150lbs. Carter runs him over to start and forearms his way out of a wristlock. A t-bone suplex takes Fervum down and it’s off to a one arm camel clutch. Norv fights up and hits some shoulder blocks and a pair of dropkicks followed by a top rope cross body for two. Ethan hits a quick Bulldog Driver to end Fervum at 3:28.

Rating: D-. Carter has a good look but this wasn’t needed on a PPV at all. That’s the problem with this whole show as I mentioned earlier: this doesn’t feel like anything special. We’ve had a promo with a return earlier and now an added squash match just to pad in the time. That’s not a good sign at all.

Magnus says this is the new biggest night of his life and he’s not going to leave without until he knocks the door down. He has everything to lose tonight and it makes him feel more dangerous.

We recap Sting vs. Magnus. Magnus blew the BFG Series finals and thinks he can’t do it, so Sting is going to give him a chance tonight.

Sting vs. Magnus

Feeling out process to start with Sting sending Magnus out to the floor in frustration. Back in and Magnus sends him into the corner for some shoulder blocks. We hit a body scissors as Magnus is being rather aggressive here. Back up and Magnus drives in shoulders to the ribs but gets caught in a backdrop so Sting can pound away. There’s a quick Stinger Splash and we’re already in the Scorpion Deathlock less than five minutes in.

Magnus kicks away and a double clothesline puts both guys down. The Brit hits a quick Stinger Splash of his own and gets two off the falcon’s arrow. Sting kicks away from the Cloverleaf and hits another Stinger Splash before putting on the Deathlock again. As usual Sting doesn’t sit down on it at all so Magnus is able to crawl over to the ropes. Stinger Splash number three lands on an uppercut and Magnus hits a Scorpion Death Drop on his own to set up the top rope elbow.

Sting kicks out at two and is able to avoid the second top rope elbow, putting both guys down again. Magnus fires off some hard forearms but Sting says bring it. Sting gets taken down into the Cloverleaf with Magnus actually cranking on the hold….for the submission at 11:02. I NEVER remember Sting tapping before.

Rating: C. Not a great match but the ending couldn’t have been better for Magnus. Sting gave up in the center of the ring without a bit of cheating at all. Good match here and the ending was the perfectly right call, but the match didn’t feel like it had a middle part which hurt it a bit.

Magnus leaves without shaking Sting’s hand.

AJ won the BFG Series this year.

Bully quotes Guns N Roses by saying welcome to his jungle. He doesn’t want AJ to die though. Instead he wants AJ to have to go back to Georgia and tell his family why he lost tonight. More greatness from the champion here.

We recap AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray, which is almost all about AJ vs. Dixie. AJ won the title shot in the BFG Series but the main story is about Dixie Carter not wanting a hick like AJ as the world champion. She’s promised tonight is his last night in the company.

TNA World Title: AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray

This is No DQ and No Countout. AJ’s music is the full dark theme this time and doesn’t break into Get Ready To Fly. After the big match intros we’re ready to go. Ray talks a lot of trash to start and slams AJ down with ease. AJ is thrown around again and his wristlock is broken up by a HARD clothesline. Ray shouts about smelling fear on AJ for years now, which motivates AJ into a dropkick.

Styles hooks the Calf Killer out of nowhere, drawing out Garrett Bischoff for a distraction for the break. It’s going to be one of those matches isn’t it. Garrett slides Ray the hammer but AJ kicks it away and grabs the hammer for himself. Ray blocks it with a chop and hits an even harder one for good measure. AJ says hit me again and Ray is stunned, allowing Styles to fire off some right hands. Ray chops him again but AJ says bring it. AJ goes after the leg but as he goes up, here’s Knux for another distraction. Styles dives at him but gets caught in a chokeslam to give Ray two.

Ray yells at Earl Hebner for the near fall so Earl yells back, only to have Ray miss a shot and take out Knux by mistake. Ray punches AJ down and then kicks him to the floor with the hammer going out too. The champion gets the hammer but AJ kicks him in the head, knocking Ray to the table. AJ grabs the hammer but throws it down and rams Ray into the table instead. Styles loads up a springboard 450 but Ray moves, sending AJ crashing through the table in a SCARY landing.

With Earl seeing if AJ can remember what planet he’s on, Taz hands Ray a box cutter so he can cut up the ring like he did at Slammiversary. The wood under the mat is revealed as AJ is trying to crawl back into the ring. Ray calls for someone to come out to the ring and here comes Dixie. She looks scared but Ray tells her to get a chair. Dixie demands one from security but AJ springboards in with the forearm to drive the chair into Bully’s head.

There’s the springboard 450 but Dixie tells Earl to count slowly. After about 20 seconds Earl gets to two and Ray kicks out. Ray backdrops out of the Styles Clash to send AJ back first into the wood but doesn’t cover. Ray’s middle rope backsplash actually connects but AJ is up at two. The fans aren’t really caring that much about these near falls. Bully blasts him twice in the back with the chair but AJ rolls out of a powerbomb and Peles Ray down. AJ blasts Ray in the head with the chair and there’s the Spiral Tap for the pin and the title at 20:34.

Rating: C. This wasn’t so much about would AJ win but how would he win. I do however have one question: can we PLEASE have a main event not be overbooked? These two have shown they can have a good match together without all the nonsense, but apparently that’s not allowed anymore. It doesn’t work when we saw this at Slammiversary and the luster was kind of gone here. Also, where were the extra Aces that Ray had? Where did Garrett go? At this point though, I’d take anything decent as a main event and that’s what this was: decent but not great.

A long highlight package of the main event and AJ celebrating in the crowd ends the show.

Overall Rating: D+. That’s being really generous too. The main events were decent to good, but this show can be summed up in four words: not bad, seen better. That’s the problem with everything tonight: everything on this show has been done better before. TNA is just such a mess at this point and nothing on here made me want to see what’s happening going forward. AJ vs. Dixie does nothing for me and the reaction to Dixie as the top heel has been bad to say the least.

The build coming into this show was pretty dreadful with almost none of the matches feeling like they meant anything. The X Title and Knockouts Title matches were thrown together, the Tag Title match was literally made tonight and the World Title was secondary to AJ vs. Dixie. The wrestling was passable for the most part but the biggest show of the year should blow the doors off instead of just being passable. This show just didn’t work tonight and I really don’t like where TNA looks to be going in the near or far future.

Also, this sums up TNA right now.  This is during Sting vs. Magnus (thank KJ):

Results

Chris Sabin b. Manik, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries – Sabin pulled down the title

Bro Mans b. James Storm/Gunner – Hart Attack to Storm

Gail Kim b. Brooke and ODB – Kim pinned Brooke after a powerbomb from Lei’D Tapa

Bobby Roode b. Kurt Angle – Roode pinned Angle after Angle hit a top rope Angle Slam

Ethan Carter III b. Norv Fernum – Bulldog driver

Magnus b. Sting – Cloverleaf

AJ Styles b. Bully Ray – Spiral Tap

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of Complete Monday Nitro Reviews Volume I at Amazon for just $4 at:

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Somehow there are only six matches for this thing so either each match is getting twenty minutes or some stuff is being added in.  Let’s get to it.We’ll start with the main event which was made No DQ via Twitter after Impact, because saying it’s No DQ ON THE FREAKING TV SHOW would have been a waste of time.  I’ll go with what should be obvious and have AJ get the title here, but I have a bad feeling we’ll see some screwjob that sees AJ lose when he’s supposed to win.  Yes it would be stupid, but that’s how TNA rolls anymore.

Jeff Hardy to win the X Title.  Hardy doesn’t lose at BFG.
Bobby Roode better beat Angle, or the lesson apparently is work hard to help the company and you get to lose to a guy who can’t stop drinking at work and gets arrested once a year or so.  This feud is going to continue though.

I’ll go with Hernandez and Chavo to win the title shot because these two are the charmed team in TNA for whatever ridiculous reason TNA has.  I have no idea what they see in the pairing because they bore everyone to death.  They’ll win the gauntlet but lose the title match.

Magnus over Sting with him turning heel because if there’s one thing TNA is lacking, it’s a 58th heel in the upper midcard.

Gail wins the Knockouts Title because she has to have it once every few months or the Knockouts Gods will destroy the earth.

Overall, Bound For Glory feels like a very flat show.  There’s nothing on here that sounds like a big match and the entire thing feels like a launching pad into the TNA vs. Dixie story.  I’m convinced Hogan appears at the end to screw over Dixie after she screws over AJ and get the title on Styles, because that’s what the promotion clearly needs: more HOGAN.  I’m not looking forward to this show and it feels like it’s the biggest show of the year because TNA calls it the biggest show of the year.  I was WAY more excited for Slammiversary with its lame main event.  The wrestling should be good but the build has been awful.

Thoughts/predictions?

Impact Wrestling
Date: October 17, 2013
Location: Cox Business Arena, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Taz

It’s the go home show for Bound for Glory and the card is almost entirely set. The focus of the show will likely be just polishing everything up and giving us the hard push to Sunday. Odds are we’ll also get some development on the Dixie Is Evil story which seems to be where we’re headed after the big show. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of last week’s events with Angle returning and Sting angering Magnus by getting the pin in their tag match.

Here’s Dixie to open the show, flanked by two goons with one carrying a briefcase. She talks about being an artist like Michelangelo but she has to deal with a redneck like AJ Styles slinging paint everywhere. This coming Sunday is going to be her masterpiece but she what if AJ doesn’t make it there? The fans chant WE WANT HOGAN as Dixie offers a $50,000 bounty to anyone that can keep AJ out of the main event of Bound For Glory.

This brings out Bully and Brooke with Bully saying that he took out AJ last week so he’d be glad to do it again for the $50,000 (clearly fake money in the briefcase). Cue Magnus to say that 12 men over 3 months fought for a chance to be the #1 contender, but now the title shot might go to whomever takes out AJ Styles tonight.

Magnus starts a Dixie Sucks chant and says that $50,000 is a lot of money to him, but he’ll fight Bully Ray right here tonight for free. Ray praises Magnus and says that Sting believes in him, but Magnus hasn’t proven himself yet. He’s a disappointment, just like everyone else in Oklahoma. Magnus drops him with one punch and Ray bails to the floor. The match is on for later tonight.

Ray gives Bischoff and Knux a pep talk. Things seem to be ok and if Knux needs Ray’s help in his match with Gunner tonight, just throw up the signal.

Christopher Daniels vs. Robbie E. vs. Hernandez vs. Eric Young

The winner of this gets the final spot for his team in the gauntlet match on the preshow with the winning team getting a title shot at the PPV. Robbie and Young get us going but Young tags in Hernandez for the slingshot shoulder to E. Robbie brings in Daniels who has to escape the over the shoulder backbreaker but gets caught in the choke suplex for two. A cheap shot from Robbie takes Hernandez to the floor before he comes in legally and gets two off a middle rope elbow.

SuperMex comes back with a double clothesline to take down Daniels and Robbie, allowing for the tag off to Eric. Daniels and Robbie get in an argument (despite not being a team), allowing Hernandez to do the running clothesline from the ramp. Hernandez misses a splash in the corner and falls out to the floor before Eric suplexes Daniels down. Robbie makes a blind tag in and pins Daniels off the top rope elbow from Young at 5:18.

Rating: D+. This might as well have been a tag match until the ending which is about all you can expect out of something like this. Odds are we’re getting Chavo and Hernandez vs. Gunner/Storm because that’s the least interesting match out of the options available. Nothing match but it wasn’t too bad.

AJ fights off Jesse Godderz.

Here’s AJ to the ring with something to say. He talks about Dixie being desperate by sending everyone after him because she knows he’s winning at Bound For Glory. She’ll pay after the PPV but tonight, he isn’t running and hiding so come get paid. This brings out Knux and Bischoff but AJ jumps them as they come in. This brings out James Storm and Gunner to clear the ring with Storm staring AJ down but letting him go.

Gunner vs. Knux

Bischoff immediately grabs Gunner’s leg to give Knux the early advantage. Gunner comes back with a hard clothesline and pounds away, only to be sent into the middle buckle to stop him cold. Another clothesline puts Gunner down before Knux drives him into the corner. Gunner finally slams him into the corner before a double clothesline puts both guys down. Storm spits beer in Bischoff’s face as Gunner makes his comeback and hits a decent fallaway slam on the big Knux. He can’t hook the Gun Rack so Knux gets two off a cross body of all things. Knux calls for Bully, allowing Gunner to spear him down for the pin at 5:03.

Rating: C-. Knux looked decent here, but why aren’t Knux and Bischoff at least in the gauntlet match on Sunday? It would at least give them something to do and add to the match a bit. A four team gauntlet isn’t much to see but it could be worse I guess. As long as Gunner doesn’t become the 194^th wrestler to use the spear I’ll be ok with him.

Chris Sabin is going for the bounty.

Knux and Bischoff want to know where Bully was. It’s going to be interesting the next time he wants their help.

We recap Lei’D Tapa’s attacks on the Knockouts.

Gail Kim suggests an alliance with Brooke to take care of Tapa but she’s not interested.

Video on the Ultimate X match.

Sabin asks a security guard if he’s seen the not-so-Phenomenal AJ Styles but finds Joe instead. Joe threatens him with violence both tonight and Sunday so Sabin backs away.

Chris Sabin vs. Samoa Joe

Joe takes him into the corner to start but gets poked in the eye to slow him down. A flurry of punches take Sabin down in turn and there’s a running elbow into the standing enziguri. Sabin bails to the floor to avoid the running boot in the corner before firing off chops and punches with Joe selling nothing at all.

Sabin tries to bail but Joe grabs him on the ramp, only to have Chris slam him onto the steel. Joe dives back in to beat the count at nine and catches a charging Sabin in a release Rock Bottom out of the corner. A boot to the chest and the backsplash gets two for Joe but Sabin comes back with a springboard tornado DDT for two. Not that it matters as Joe grabs a quick Koquina Clutch for the win at 5:17.

Rating: C. Nice match here to preview the big title match on Sunday but a bit more high flying would have helped. Granted these aren’t the best choices for flying given that Sabin is a heel and that Joe is fat, but it wasn’t a bad match at all. Sabin is rocking the heel character so at least his world title reign was only mostly worthless.

Post match Aries, Hardy and Manik come in for a big brawl. Hardy pulls in a ladder, allowing Manik to dive onto Aries and Sabin.

Bad Influence goes after AJ but he holds them off with a fire extinguisher.

Ethan Carter III debuts at Bound For Glory.

Bully Ray vs. Magnus

Non-title of course. Feeling out process to start with Magnus grabbing a headlock for early control. Ray shoves him away but gets clotheslined, allowing Magnus to go up top and get crotched as we take a break. Back with Ray throwing Magnus down and posing a lot before missing a big elbow drop. They’re going very lightly here so far.

Magnus wins a quick slugout and clotheslines Bully down to speed things up a bit. A big boot puts Ray down and the top rope elbow gets two. Magnus charges into the referee by mistake so Ray gets the chain, drawing out Sting for the save. The referee throws Sting out, allowing Ray to low blow Magnus for the pin at 10:42.

Rating: D. This was really boring stuff and the ending was never in doubt. Obviously you can’t put anyone over the world champion three days before the biggest show of the year but it did advance the Sting vs. Magnus story a bit more. I’m guessing they were going slowly to avoid any injuries for Sunday, which is a constant problem with go home shows.

Magnus isn’t pleased with Sting but they don’t come to blows.

Post break Magnus yells at Sting for getting in his business. Sting says he’ll be alone on Sunday.

We run down the BFG card.

Here’s Angle with his first comments since being back. Kurt says it’s good to be home before talking about Bobby Roode being great. He even reminds Angle of himself about five years ago. However, Roode is just one of the great ones at the moment rather than being one of the best of all time. When Roode starts messing with Angle’s legacy, that makes it personal. This brings out Roode to says he’s ok with not being Kurt Angle. Roode says he wanted to be Kurt Angle years ago but now, Angle hasn’t done anything at all.

The only thing Roode remembers Angle doing recently was beating Roode two years ago at Bound For Glory. That was Roode’s wakeup call and the reason he won the world title which he held longer than anyone, including Angle. Roode says he’ll win on Sunday but Angle says he’ll make Roode tap. Roode sucker punches Kurt and here’s the rest of EGO to send Angle shoulder first into the post. Angle gets put in the Crossface to damage his shoulder even worse.

Here are Dixie, AJ and Ray for the contract signing. Ray signs and says he’ll keep it simple: AJ can’t beat him no matter what he does on Sunday. He talks about Flair vs. Rhodes from 1985 and the Hard Times that Dusty talked about Flair putting wrestling through. Ray has put wrestling through hard times over the last year by getting rid of Sting, Sabin and Hogan. Ray is going to put AJ on hard times and send him back to the trailer park in Georgia, where AJ’s family probably won’t be waiting. He’s the Darth Vader of professional wrestling and AJ isn’t Luke Skywalker.

AJ says he appreciates Ray’s story but he’s no Ric Flair and AJ is no Dusty Rhodes. This is the future instead of the past and Ray doesn’t deserve to compare himself to Bully Ray. AJ has to win on Sunday because he has nothing to lose. He has to win to make Dixie beg and take everything away from Bully Ray. AJ signs but Ray says he takes it back. He’s not putting the title on the line but he will take the $50,000 right now. Ray swings the chain but gets hit with the briefcase. AJ throws the money at Dixie and her security so a staredown can end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The show did a good job of selling what Bound For Glory has to offer, but the show really doesn’t have a flare to it. This Sunday’s show feels like any other show but it happens to be the biggest show of the year. Nothing on it feels really special and the big moment is going to be what? Hogan returning? After nearly four years of sitting through him, two weeks of no Hogan doesn’t make a return mean anything. Decent show tonight but it doesn’t change how I feel about Sunday at all.

Results

Robbie E. b. Eric Young, Hernandez and Christopher Daniels – Robbie pinned Daniels after a top rope elbow from Young

Gunner b. Knux – Spear

Samoa Joe b. Chris Sabin – Koquina Clutch

Bully Ray b. Magnus – Low blow

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book of Complete Monday Nitro Reviews Volume I at Amazon for just $4 at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: October 10, 2013
Location: Cox Business Area, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

We’re at the finl TV taping before Bound For Glory, meaning we have tonight and next week to go. The main stories coming into tonight are Hogan being gone and AJ Styles challenging Bully Ray for the title in whichever order you pick. Last week saw a lot of the midcard being filled in for the show so perhaps we’ll get even more this week. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Dixie to open things up. She talks about someone leaving last week and how we’re never to mention that person’s name again. Dixie doesn’t need anyone to tell her what to do, not even Stephanie LeVesque or Eric Bischoff. As for AJ Styles, last week he snuck back into the arena after she threw him out, so tonight Bully Ray can put him in any match he wants.

Before Dixie can go anywhere else, here’s Sting with something to say. Dixie sucks up to him a bit before saying that even he is under review at this point. Sting suggested Hogan for the GM spot in the first place and now he’s making matches for Bound For Glory on his own. Therefore, tonight it’s Magnus/Sting vs. Bad Influence and if the good guys lose, neither are on the pay per view. Good luck!

Austin Aries says he’s a professional wrestler and doesn’t need to hide behind a crowd like Jeff does.

Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy

Feeling out process to start with Jeff taking Aries down but not being able to do anything more than that. Aries comes back with an armdrag to take Jeff to the mat, only to have to fight out of a headscissors. A dropkick to the back of Jeff’s head gets two and a bulldog out of the corner gets the same. Jeff comes back with the sitout jawbreaker and a headscissors to send Aries to the outside. A clothesline off the apron drops Aries as we take a break.

Back with Jeff missing a charge in the corner to give Aries his first real advantage. Jeff is sent to the outside for a BIG top rope ax handle to the head to send him sprawling across the floor. Another ax handle sends Jeff into the barricade and we head back inside. Jeff avoids a missile dropkick and starts his comeback, only to get caught in a neckbreaker.

Aries goes up top again and connects with the missile dropkick but its running cousin is countered by Jeff’s raised boots. Jeff clips Aries over but can’t get the Twist. Whisper in the Wind drops Aries but he crotches Jeff to break up the Swanton. A super brainbuster is enough for the pin at 14:18.

Rating: B. Really solid main event style match here with both guys using their big moves throughout because that’s all they could do to hurt the other guy. Hardy losing clean is still a pretty big deal as he’s still the biggest start TNA has, so points to Aries for such a big win. Good stuff here and one of TNA’s best matches in awhile.

Post match here’s Samoa Joe to congratulate Aries on his win. However, there’s some bad news for Aries as well: he’s entering the Ultimate X match at Bound For Glory as well.

The Bro Mans make fun of each other for their bad losses but Jesse says he’s getting rid of their biggest problem next. They TOTALLY get chicks too bro.

Joseph Park and Eric Young are going on a road trip to Bound For Glory. They immediately stop because ODB has a match tonight.

Jesse Godderz vs. ODB

We’re immediately in the comedy match formula as Jesse, Robbie and Eric are shoved face first into ODB’s chest. A rollup gets two on Jesse but Robbie trips up ODB to give Jesse control. Eric and Robbie fight up the ramp and into the back and here’s Lei’D Tapa to run over ODB for the DQ at 2:00.

Tapa lays out ODB with a fireman’s carry into a Stunner.

Knux and Bischoff yell at Bully for ruining the club. Ray blames Anderson for the troubles because Anderson stopped protecting the title. Knux says Anderson didn’t have to piledrive Anderson the stage which Ray seems to agree with. Ray says the two of them can prove how great they are tonight by beating AJ Styles. The lackeys seem pleased.

Magnus thanks Sting for their confrontation last week. Sting says Bound For Glory is the biggest show of the year and it’s been very good to him over the years. This year it’s going to be good to Magnus.

Bad Influence doesn’t like being interrupted (Kaz: “You cannot see the Wizard!”) and insist Roode’s induction into the EGO Hall of Fame will be amazing.

Here are Daniels and Kazarian in powder blue and neon orange tuxedos and top hats respectively. They’re dressed in the colors of the Mafia to show what frauds they are. Speaking of frauds, other Halls of Fame have their own frauds, but EGO isn’t one of them. Therefore, here is the man that once got busy in Tim Horton’s bathroom: Bobby Roode. There’s a big wooden throne for Roode to sit on and a nice portrait of him standing next to it.

Kazarian has slaved over a hot computer all week to produce a video for him. It’s a completely over the top video with various people praising Roode with absolutely no audio editing whatsoever. Not a bit. Daniels says that unlike Sting, Roode deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Roode is indeed the prime minister of suave and debonaire, so please stand for him right now.

Roode thanks Kaz and Daniels but gets all choked up halfway through. There’s one person that needs to be honored above everyone else though: Bobby Roode himself. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame unlike Kurt Angle, who hasn’t done anything at all lately. Where is Angle now? Before Roode can answer that, here’s Angle live in person, looking more chiseled than he has in years. Bad Influence both get suplexes and Roode loses a shoe bailing from the ankle lock. Obviously it’s Angle vs. Roode at BFG.

Roode is furious post break.

Velvet Sky vs. Brooke Tessmacher

Velvet has taped up ribs but still does the bouncing entrance. Sabin blocks the pigeons though. This is for the title shot at BFG, which apparently will involve Gail Kim as well. Brooke goes for the bad ribs but gets taken down by a shoulder block. Velvet stomps her down in the corner but misses a charge, allowing Brooke to fire off a kick to the bad ribs. A Russian legsweep stops Brooke’s comeback but hurts the ribs again. Velvet is sent to the floor for more work on the ribs but comes back with a clothesline and bulldog for two. Sabin offers Velvet some tips, only to cause her to get rolled up for the pin at 3:52.

Rating: C-. Believe it or not this wasn’t too bad. Brooke does her job well enough but she’s out there for her looks and that’s about it. The interesting thing out there was Velvet’s selling, as she did a better job with the rib injury than almost anyone I’ve seen in months. Not a bad match at all.

Ethan promo. He’s still coming.

We run down the BFG card.

Bad Influence vs. Sting/Magnus

If the Mafia loses, they’re off Bound For Glory and lose their contracts. Daniels peppers Magnus with forearms to start but gets caught in a qucik suplex. Off to Sting for a double back elbow to Daniels and a hiptoss to Kaz. We get some miscommunication between Sting and Magnus to give Bad Influence control as we take a break. Back with Bad Influence in control on Magnus and Kaz getting two off a dropkick.

The fans still want Sting but get Daniels driving Magnus down with a knee to the chest for two instead. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Kaz gets two off a slingshot legdrop. He spits at Sting to allow a non-tag change off to Daniels. Off to another chinlock but Magnus fights back with right hands and a running clothesline. Hot tag brings in Sting to clean house before Magnus hits the top rope elbow on Kaz to set up the Cloverleaf, only to have Daniels make the save. Everything breaks down and Sting hits the Death Drop for the pin on Daniels at 11:00.

Rating: C. This was fine but was more about the angle than the match. Magnus being upset by Sting getting the fall due to his own mistake is a fine idea and sets up the PPV match well enough. I’m hoping they put Magnus over at BFG as Sting doesn’t need the win, but there’s a good chance that’s where they’re going.

Dixie offers AJ a big check to walk away but Styles says he can’t be bought and rips up the check.

AJ Styles vs. Knux/Garret Bischoff

Ray takes Tenay’s commentary spot. AJ starts off fast and beats up Bischoff like he’s the son of an executive that has no business being in the ring with a multiple time world champion. AJ drops a knee and pounds away in the corner but Garrett makes a blind tag off to Knux. Styles is dropped throat first over the top rope and catapulted throat first into the middle rope for two. Back to Garrett for a lot of posing and a butterfly suplex for no cover.

Knux comes back in but misses a middle rope legdrop. Everything breaks down and AJ hits the springboard forearm on Knux. After miscommunication from the bikers, AJ gets a very awkward looking rollup (looked like a powerslam minus the power or the slam) for the pin on Garret at 4:43.

Rating: D+. This is a match where the result was never in doubt but that’s the way things should have gone. AJ gets to look good while taking out the champion’s lackeys, setting up BFG a little bit better. That’s what this story should have been the entire time, but if we have to sacrifice a good build for the sake of getting rid of Aces and 8’s then so be it.

Post match Ray comes in and whips AJ with the chain before backdropping him onto the ramp. Lots of trash talk ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was one of their better shows in a good while with a nice mix of action, storylines and comedy. As usual, it’s remarkable how much better things get when there’s no Hogan around for his way over the top drama. It’s also nice to see the PPV main event getting some direct focus which has been lacking for such a long time. Good show this week which is a good sign.

Results

Austin Aries b. Jeff Hardy – Super brainbuster

ODB b. Jesse Godderz via DQ when Lei’D Tapa interfered

Brooke Adams b. velvet Sky – Rollup

AJ Styles b. Knux/Garrett Bischoff – Rollup to Bischoff

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Impact Wrestling
Date: October 3, 2013
Location: Verizon Arena, Little Rock, Arkansas
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

We’re still in Arkansas and the main story is still Dixie Carter vs. Hulk Hogan, despite us only having three more Impacts until the biggest show of the year. Tonight is about Hogan’s decision on whether or not to join Dixie’s side in whatever she thinks she’s doing. If we’re lucky we might even get Bully and AJ in the same ring for the first time for the build to their match. Let’s get to it.

We open with the customary recap of last week’s events.

Here’s AJ to address the crowd. He can appreciate Hogan trying to come out here last week and smooth things over, but then Dixie Carter came out and showed her true colors. AJ isn’t here to talk about Dixie or Hogan though. Instead he wants to talk about his opponent at Bound For Glory. What a refreshing idea. He knows exactly who Bully Ray is: the man that he’ll beat at Bound For Glory for the world title. Styles doesn’t have a contract right now and hasn’t even looked at the world title in over a year. He’s coming to get what’s his at Bound For Glory, but here’s Bully Ray to object.

Bully says Dixie is in AJ’s head because AJ is just hoping to win. If AJ was really in the game, he would know that he’s going to win rather than just hoping. AJ doesn’t have to worry about Dixie in San Diego though, because Bully will give him all he can handle. Look at what Ray has done to people like Hogan, Hardy or D-Von. What do you think he’ll do to a guy like Styles? AJ knows who he is: the man that beat AJ in a last man standing match two years ago. AJ has one thing Ray wants: he wants to take Styles away from the fans. Bully is sick of hearing the fans chant AJ, and there’s the chant again.

Styles says that Bully is just like Dixie Carter, but Ray takes that as a compliment. Dixie is a millionaire and a somebody while Bully is a millionaire and the World Heavyweight Champion. Ray goes OFF on AJ, ranting about how he’s going to beat AJ into the ground and send him back home to his trailer, wife and three kids. AJ thinks Ray is going to get killed in his match tonight against Samoa Joe, which is a surprise to Ray.

Magnus is going to run the EGO gauntlet tonight.

Dixie has AJ escorted out by security but he leaves on his own so he doesn’t have to breathe the same air Dixie is breathing.

Kenny King/Chris Sabin vs. Manik/Jeff Hardy

Austin Aries is on commentary. Manik and King get us going with Kenny taking him into the corner for some choking by Sabin. Chris comes in legally but the double team doesn’t work as King is caught in a springboard hurricanrana to send him into the corner. Off to Jeff to speed things up and hit a middle rope splash on King for two. Back to Manik for something resembling an octopus hold on King before rolling him up for two. King’s cut from last week has busted open again.

King snaps Manik throat first across the top rope before bringing Sabin back in for a basement dropkick. Manik is tied up in the Tree of Woe so Sabin can stand on his crotch for some torture and a two count. Back to King for some right hands before Sabin comes back in for some choking in the corner.

Chris runs into a boot in the corner and a middle rope dropkick (Aries: “Right in the brain stem!”) puts Sabin down. Hardy comes in off the hot tag and cleans house with the sitout gordbuster on King for two. Sabin breaks up the Twist attempt on King as everything breaks down. Manik sends Sabin to the floor and hits his double chicken wing gutbuster on King, setting up the Swanton for the pin at 7:07.

Rating: C+. This was fine and set up whatever match we’re going to see for the title at Bound For Glory. Kenny King doesn’t really fit into the three former world champions against the X-Division Champion but it’s not the worst idea in the world. It could bring some blood into the division which has been anemic for years now.

Post match Sabin goes after Manik but Aries makes the save. Austin asks for a four way match with Manik, Sabin, Hardy and himself for the title at Bound For Glory.

Sting and Hogan have a legends powwow about what Hogan should do. Hulk declares Dixie worse than Bischoff before a girl delivers a gift from Dixie. It’s a watch, the same one that Dixie gave Sting as a retirement gift. Hogan: “She is worse than Bischoff. He never gave me anything.”

We look at EGO jumping Magnus last week. Later in the night Sting asked Magnus what happened. Magnus says they’re in his head and he wants all three of them on his own next week (tonight). He’s icing his knee but says it’s just tweeked.

EGO vs. Magnus

It’s a gauntlet match with Daniels up first. Magnus jumps Daniels in the corner but Chris comes back with elbows to the neck. Daniels gets shouldered down and asks for a breather, only to get kicked in the ribs for his efforts. Chris goes to the throat to slow the Brit down before bulldogging him throat first on the top rope. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Daniels can’t hit Angel’s Wings. Magnus comes back with a clothesline but jumps into the Koji Clutch. He’s right next to the ropes though so Daniels goes up for the BME, only to land on Magnus’ bad leg. The Falcon’s Arrow eliminates Daniels at 3:55.

Kazarian is up next and Magnus doesn’t wait for him to get to the ring. We take a break and come back with Kazarian raking the eyes to escape a press slam. A dropkick puts Magnus down again for two but he comes back with right hands out of the corner. Magnus punches him down and drops the top rope elbow for two. He goes up but gets kicked in the chest, only to roll through Fade to Black into the Cloverleaf for the submission at 12:37 total.

Last up is Bobby Roode but Kaz clips Magnus’ knee and crunches it in between his own legs. Roode goes after the leg as we take a break. Back with Roode still working on the knee like a smart heel would. Roode can’t get a figure four, allowing Magnus to fight up and hit another Falcon’s Arrow for a quick two. He tries the Cloverleaf again but can’t sit down on it like he should.

Bobby punches at the bad leg to escape but gets shoved off during a superplex attempt. Magnus misses the top rope elbow and gets caught in the Crossface. Just as he’s about to make the rope, Roode pulls him back and puts on an ankle lock with a grapevine for the submission at 23:08.

Rating: B-. This match was more long than good but the idea was right. You can’t have Magnus beat all three guys in a row on a bad leg so the ending was the right call. This came off a bit like Benoit vs. Angle at the 2003 Rumble where Benoit didn’t so much get beat as much as he got caught. Very good showing by Magnus here which is what he needed at this point.

Magnus is mad post match but here’s Sting with something to say. The Brit won’t listen to reason so Sting says let’s go to the back and talk about this. Magnus says no with all due respect because he’s had enough. He says everyone in the Mafia sees something in him but it’s not really there. Sting, Joe and Kurt all passed the challenges given to him but Magnus has failed every time.

Sting tries to calm him down but Magnus says he doesn’t need another pep talk. Magnus says this is a results driven business but he’s not getting the results. Sting talks about needing the one big match and he got it with Ric Flair but Magnus cuts him off. He saw the Flair match with his own eyes and has been watching Sting his whole career. Magnus was one step away from Bound For Glory but now who puts him on the map? Sting says he’ll do it at BFG and they shake hands.

Aries has a present for Hogan too: vegan vitamins. Maybe even a prayer or two would help Hogan make the right decision. Aries talks about Hogan doing the right thing over his entire career and says tonight is all black and white.

Video on Hogan’s history in TNA.

Sabin won’t be at ringside for Velvet’s match tonight because he has to focus on his match at Bound For Glory.

We recap the gauntlet match.

EGO celebrates their win by singing their version of Roode’s theme song. They’re happy because Magnus is off somewhere crying. Also Roode is going to be the first inductee into the EGO Hall of Fame with the ceremony next week. It’s going to be a black tie affair with everyone dressed to the nines. Kaz: “Let’s make it to the tens!”

Brooke Tessmacher vs. Velvet Sky

Winner gets a title shot at BFG. Before the match here’s Lei’D Tapa to destroy Velvet so no match.

We get our first clip of Ethan who appears to be at a Hollywood store shopping but doesn’t seem impressed. We can’t see his face.

We recap Gunner and Storm’s run as tag champions.

Bound for Glory card.

Video on Angle’s career.

Samoa Joe vs. Bully Ray

Joe is apparently one of AJ’s Band of Brothers, because if there’s one thing TNA needs it’s another group. They shove each other around to start with Ray running his mouth too much and getting shoved out of the corner. Joe pounds away in the corner but misses a knee drop, only to put on the standing choke. Ray escapes and grabs the chain, only to have Hebner take it away so Ray can hit the Samoan low.

Back with Ray clotheslining Joe down but missing an elbow drop to give Joe a breather. Joe comes back with a kick to the face and a middle rope kick to the chest for two. The referee gets crushed in the corner as Joe hooks up the Clutch. Ray taps but there’s no referee, so naturally he lets go of the hold. Ray gets the chain around his hand and hits a middle rope ax handle, only to get caught for the DQ at 10:20.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and I have no idea what it was supposed to accomplish. Ray taps out and then loses on a DQ, so what in the world does this do for Bound For Glory? Nothing match here which is the last thing they needed to do for the world title match.

Post match Ray shoves the referee and sends Joe into the announce table. He pulls back the mats for a piledriver on the floor but AJ makes the save and celebrates with the fans.

Here’s Dixie to tell us we don’t know anything about business. Hulk Hogan however does know a little bit about it so please come out here and let’s take care of this. Hogan looks annoyed as Dixie says she can take him to the next level. He thanks her for the watch and talks about always wanting to be part of a power couple in this business. While it’s an amazing offer, he’s quitting. Hogan throws down the mic and walks away, leaving Dixie on her knees begging, because you can’t have Hogan on a wrestling show without worshiping him right?

Overall Rating: C-. This show did a good job of filling out the Bound For Glory card, but as usual there’s WAY too much of a focus on Hogan. Ray vs. Styles got its first bit of development and it lasted about five minutes before we got back to Dixie vs. Hogan for the REAL story. Hogan left but I’ll believe it’s for real when he’s not at Bound For Glory or the Impact taping after. Just like lat year the world title isn’t the focus of the show at all but in this case there isn’t another match to focus on which is making these final shows really dull to sit through. The lack of Aces and 8’s helped a bit though.

Results

Manik/Jeff Hardy b. Chris Sabin/Kenny King – Swanton Bomb to King

EGO b. Magnus – Ankle lock

Samoa Joe b. Bully Ray via DQ when Ray hit Joe with a chain

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Impact Wrestling
Date: September 19, 2013
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

We’re officially heading towards Bound For Glory with AJ Styles as the #1 contender to Bully Ray’s title. The main story for tonight though is AJ having something to say to Dixie Carter’s face, which sounds to me like a war is about to start. Other than that we’re likely to get the start of the build towards Bound For Glory, which isn’t really clear aside from the world title. Let’s get to it.

Magnus is annoyed that he lost last week when Roode comes up to say it was all the Brit’s fault. EGO comes in and beats Magnus down.

We recap last week’s events.

Here’s Magnus to get us going. He talks about being sore from the end of the Bound For Glory Series, but the only thing he can think about is EGO. Magnus thinks the crowd wants nothing to do with them because this is Mafia country. He issues an open challenge to Kaz, Daniels or Roode for a fight right now. Kaz hits the ring but gets stomped down into the corner, only to have Daniels come in from behind to start the double team. Magnus fights them both off and stomps Daniels, only to have Roode make it 3-1. Sting and Joe come out for the save, followed by Sting making a six man tag for later tonight.

Video on AJ vs. Magnus from last week.

Chris Sabin congratulates Manik on challenging Hardy while talking down to him at the same time.

Manik vs. Jeff Hardy

Non-title. Sabin and Velvet Sky come out to watch the match. Feeling out process to start with both guys working on a wristlock. They head to the outside with Hardy hitting a clothesline off the apron before missing the slingshot dropkick back inside. Manik drops Hardy into 619 position before hitting a dropkick to the side of the head to take him down. A missile dropkick misses though and Jeff comes back with the Whisper in the Wind for two. Manik hits a fireman’s carry into a kick to Jeff’s head for two of his own but Jeff blocks a neckbreaker out of the corner. There’s the Twist and the Swanton pins Manik at 4:00.

Rating: C. I might be alone in this, but I don’t get the appeal of Manik. He’s not bad or anything but I don’t see the huge appeal of what he does. I won’t say he’s generic in the ring or anything like that, but I’ve yet to be excited when I hear he’s on the card. Also did we really need to see him get beaten clean in four minutes? At least it was to a bigger star though.

Post match Hardy shakes Manik’s hand but Sabin turns heel by jumping Manik from behind.

Dixie has no comment on AJ.

Sabin says Manik is disrespectful and that no one can fill his shoes. He’s going to make the fans respect him.

Knockouts Title: ODB vs. Mickie James

Mickie is defending. ODB easily turns back a sneak attack and pounds away on Mickie but gets dropkicked down for two. Mickie charges into an elbow in the corner but she pulls ODB down off the middle rope to take over. A spear puts Mickie down for two more and there’s the fall away slam to send Mickie to the floor. She wants a timeout but trips ODB up, catching her inside the ring skirt as we take a break.

Back with Mickie getting two off a neckbreaker and catching a charging ODB with a boot to the jaw. A hurricanrana out of the corner is countered into an ODB powerbomb to put both girls down. They slug it out with ODB taking over and putting Mickie down with a clothesline. Back up and a suplex is good for two on the champion but she catches ODB with a spinning kick to the face to take over again. Mickie loads up a tornado DDT out of the corner, only to have ODB counter it into the Bam for the pin and the title at 10:55.

Rating: C-. The match was ok but how many times can we have the same pairings over and over again in this division? Mickie is apparently leaving after this match, so who in the world is ODB supposed to fight now? Velvet? Brooke? Are either of them even active wrestlers at this point?

Eric Young and Joseph Park (sipping chocolate milk) come out to celebrate but the Bro Mans have something to say. Robbie calls it the weirdest threeway in history but Joseph Park goes off on them, saying they’re embarrassments. If he wasn’t wearing a suit right now, he’d be ready for a fight. Eric says he’s not in a suit so let’s have a match.

Eric Young vs. Robbie E

Eric wins in 6 seconds with a rollup.

Robbie wants Park and calls him an unpleasant name, ticking Joseph off. The match is after a break.

Robbie E vs. Joseph Park

Park wins in 6 seconds with a rollup.

The Bro Mans beat up Eric and send Park into the steps, blood is drawn, Park goes Abyss and cleans house. Park really should see a doctor about how easily he bleeds. That can’t be good.

Video on Bully Ray vs. Anderson from last week with Anderson being piledriven on the stage to write him off TV.

We look at AJ vs. Magnus again.

Here are the Aces and 8’s for the first time tonight. Brooke is in chaps, half a swimsuit and is being pulled along by a chain. Not exactly PG but it’s working to say the least. Ray says this is a great night, even though Anderson isn’t there. The champ asks the people if they know who he is. He’s Bully Ray if you weren’t clear, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

Ray says he has to thank someone special, which winds up being Brooke. He couldn’t have kept the title without her but the guys aren’t happy with that idea. Wes and Garrett complain about this because they’ve been with Ray since day one. Ever since Brooke came along, the champ’s priorities have been way out of whack. Ray says he loves Bischoff but shoves him into the corner, telling him to never stand up to Ray again. If they stand up to him again, Ray will slap them in the face.

Knux asks if that goes for him too because he’s been here for a year and a half. Ray has a big mouth and maybe Knux is the man to shut it for him. After a year and a half they had 25 members or so but now it’s just 4. The club is falling apart and for what? Club business? It’s been Bully Ray business for a year because Ray is breaking the first rule of the club: bros before hoes. Ray shoves Knux away but bails when Knux steps up to him.

Sting says the Mafia is down to three with Angle gone and Rampage training, so Magnus needs to stay focused. Joe says it’s time for revenge and Magnus is ready to go.

Chavo Guerrero/Hernandez vs. Gunner/James Storm

If Chavo/Hernandez win, they get a title shot, presumably at BFG. Chavo says he isn’t cleared to wrestle tonight so it’s Hernandez against Gunner instead.

Hernandez vs. Gunner

Hernandez runs Gunner over to start and drapes him ribs first over the top rope. The over the shoulder backbreaker gets two on Gunner and Hernandez hits the run down the running dive from the ramp to the ring for two. Gunner counters a suplex into a slingshot suplex to put Hernandez down again. A slam puts SuperMex down and Sheamus’ Irish Curse (Rock Bottom backbreaker) is good for the pin for Gunner at 4:17.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t awful actually but I have zero interest in seeing Chavo and Hernandez on the same planet, let alone on the same team, ever again. They’re just not interesting at all and they never have been. Nothing much to see here, but it would imply another team gets the shot at BFG, thank goodness.

EGO vs. Main Event Mafia

Daniels pounds away on Joe in the corner to start but charges into a Rock Bottom out of the corner. Off to Kazarian who has about as much luck with Joe chopping him into the corner and walking away from the cross body out of the corner. Magnus gets the tag and hits a modified Hart Attack for two on Kaz. Sting comes in and sends Kaz into the steps as the dominance continues. An atomic drop has Kaz in trouble but EGO double teams to take over as we go to a break.

Back with Sting fighting out of a headlock but getting clotheslined down for two. Daniels hooks a chinlock and stops a Sting comeback, allowing a slingshot legdrop from Kaz to get two. We get the always fun spot of Sting powering over to the corner but EGO distracting the referee so the tag isn’t seen, keeping Sting in trouble. Sting finally gets over for the hot tag and brings in Magnus as house is cleaned.

Sting is back in to take out Bad Intentions with a double clothesline but Roode grabs a DDT to put him back down. Joe comes in with his snap mare to set up Magnus’ elbow for two as Daniels save. I actually thought that was it. Joe hits the suicide elbow to take out Kaz but Daniels’ charge is caught in a Sting backdrop. The Stinger Splash sets up the Deathlock, only to have Roode grab the ball bat. Magnus takes the shot for Sting, allowing Roode to get the pin at 14:30.

Rating: C+. This started off looking like it was a thrown on main event but there were some awesome false finishes in there that had me actually surprised. The two stables fighting up to BFG is better than what it could have been with Mafia vs. Aces, but I don’t like them pushing the idea of Magnus being on a losing streak. That’s a step backwards for him.

Here’s AJ’s big speech to Dixie. He talks about how he’s been here since day one to try to make this an alternative for people who wanted to see wrestling. Then one day Dixie Carter’s dad bought her a wrestling company with no experience or effort at all. Then Dixie started bringing in MMA guys and people who wanted a two year vacation before going back to where they came from.

It’s because of stuff like that that people like Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal and Low Ki aren’t here anymore and it’s why the X-Division guys have all left. Not that it matters as no one in the back respects Dixie anyway. Despite what the internet says, he doesn’t have a contract right now. There’s one guy of the TNA originals left and he’s going to win the world title at Bound For Glory so he can make Dixie Carter beg and then pay.

This brings out a sad Dixie who says AJ must mean everything he says. As president of the company, she has to be accountable to everyone from the investors to the fans to AJ. She owes him an apology….for letting him stay around as long as she did. He’s just a fish in a pond that’s way too big for him and the Phenomenal One is a marketing gimmick she created.

She can’t remember the last five star match AJ had and with everything he’s done in front of and behind the camera, he’s lucky to even be the marginal one. Without Dixie’s dad’s paycheck, AJ would be living in a trailer. She owns the house that AJ Styles built and he’s lucky to have ever played in it. Dixie goes to leave and AJ tells her to put the mic where it belongs. She grabs a headset and says cut off his mic and cut the lights because the show is over at 10:58.

Overall Rating: C. This show started the build for Bound For Glory which is a good thing as there was only one match established. However, the Dixie stuff makes me cringe as it looks like it sets up a power struggle between Hogan and Dixie which is about as uninteresting an idea as I can think of. Still though, some good stuff here tonight mixed with story development is a good thing so this show passes well enough.

Results

Jeff Hardy b. Manik – Swanton Bomb

ODB b. Mickie James – The Bam

Eric Young b. Robbie E – Rollup

Joseph Park b. Robbie E – Rollup

Gunner b. Hernandez – Rock Bottom backbreaker

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