Archive for the ‘ TNA ’ Category

Jon’s ‘TNA Impact Wrestling’ 10/10/13 Results + Review – E.G.O. Hall Of Fame, Kurt Angle Returns, Jeff Hardy Vs. Austin Aries

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Cox Business Center (Tulsa, OK)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

With Hulk Hogan gone from the company for the forseeable future it was TNA President Dixie Carter‘s time to take control this week and take control she did, allowing TNA World Champion Bully Ray to book his Bound For Glory challenger AJ Styles in any sort of match he could think of two weeks out from their big encounter. Also on the show Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian‘s induction of Bobby Roode into the E.G.O. Hall Of Fame was cut short when a certain Olympic Gold Medalist (and impending HOFer himself) made his return to the company, Lei’D Tapa set her sights on the Knockouts Champion, the mysterious Ethan was finally revealed (and given a full name), and Jeff Hardy took on Austin Aries.

Read on for results, notes, and a review of this week’s show. For a more detailed recap, check out my coverage over at 411Mania.

Match Results

1. Austin Aries defeated Jeff Hardy via pinfall with a second-rope BRAINBUSTER (14:19).

  • Post-Match: Samoa Joe made his way out and announced he was going to be the fifth entrant in the Ultimate X match at Bound For Glory.

2. *TNA Knockouts Champion* ODB [w/ Eric Young] and Jessie Godderz [w/ Robbie E] fought to a no-contest when Lei’D Tapa interfered (2:08).

  • Post-Match: Tapa attacked ODB, laid her out with the Marc Mero version of the TKO, then posed over her fallen foe with the Knockouts Title in hand.

3. Brooke Tessmacher defeated Velvet Sky [w/ Chris Sabin] via pinfall with a roll-up (3:55).

  • Notes: Sabin distracted Sky, allowing Tessmacher to roll her up for the victory. Tessmacher goes onto Bound For Glory to challenge ODB for the Knockouts Title in a triple threat match (the other participant being Gail Kim because of course).

4. Sting & Magnus defeated Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) when Sting pinned Kazarian with the SCORPION DEATH DROP (10:58).

  • Notes: Sting tagged himself in after Magnus was attacked from behind, going on to win the match for his team. Magnus was not too pleased and his facial reactions reflected that. Since they won their tag team match, their one-on-one encounter at Bound For Glory is back on after Carter threatened to take away earlier in the show if they lost.

5. Handicap Match: AJ Styles defeated The Aces & Eights (Garett Bischoff & Knux) when he pinned Bischoff with a roll-up (4:47).

  • Notes: Bully Ray kicked Mike Tenay off the announce table and joined Taz on commentary for the match.
  • Post-Match: Bully Ray attacked AJ Styles repeatedly with his chain then backdropped him onto the ramp. Ray stood over Styles and repeatedly trash talked him to end the show.

Segments/Etc.

  • Dixie Carter opened the show and refused to mention Hulk Hogan by name after the events of last week. Carter announced that Bully Ray could book AJ Styles is in any match he wanted to, then was interrupted by Sting. Carter threatened Sting’s TNA contract and said that if he and Magnus lost their tag team match tonight against Bad Influence then their singles match for Bound For Glory would be cancelled.
  • Kurt Angle returned to the show after a two month absence, interrupting Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian‘s induction of Bobby Roode into the E.G.O. Hall Of Fame. Angle attacked all three men then challenged Roode for Bound For Glory, which Roode accepted…by challenging Angle for the very same match backstage right after the confrontation.
  • A new promo for “Ethan” played, revealing his face and his full name: Ethan Carter III. He’s played by Michael Hutter, better known to WWE/NXT fans as Derrick Bateman.
  • Dixie Carter offered AJ Styles a check to retire and not wrestle at Bound For Glory. Styles ripped it up and threw it in her face.

*****

TNA Impact Review – 10/10/2013

The Matches

  • Hardy Vs. Aries: As expected these two had a tremendous match and the best match of the show, culminating in a visually great ending spot with the second-rope Brainbuster. Hardy looked legitimately dead after it. After the opening segment crashed and burned it was the pick-me-up match that I needed to get me tuned right back into the show. Samoa Joe coming out after to announce that he was entering the Ultimate X match added a big name to the BFG match but felt so unnecessary as the other four have already been fighting and feuding with one another. Joe feels like a fifth wheel.
  • ODB Vs. Godderz: A do-nothing match meant to kill time until Lei’D Tapa showed up to do her thing. Still had some decent comedy moments though. Godderz is tons better than people give him credit for, and I hope he gets the chance to really show what he can do in the future. Yeah he’s got the vanity muscles a pumpin’ but there’s actual talent behind there too.
  • Sky Vs. Tessmacher: Heel Sabin’s antics aside (his advice to Sky: “step on her throat and crush her neck!”) this match was about as bad as I was expecting it to be, maybe even worse. The offense from both ladies looked embarrassingly weak and half the time it looked like they wrestling the air instead of each other. Why couldn’t have Lei’D Tapa interfered again this week?
  • Styles Vs. Aces & Eights: Luckily this was under five minutes, but still: UGGGHHHHHH. Less said the better. I also don’t like the fact Styles now wrestles in a cut-off t-shirt. It seems lazy of him, but if it turns out he’s just paying tribute to Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia I’ll retract that statement. The post-match beatdown from Bully Ray was brutal in a good way but didn’t get me any more excited for their match heading into the biggest PPV of the year. The focus has been too much on the Styles/Carter feud and since Carter and Ray haven’t even interacted it feels like two different stories at once, with the former mattering way more. I’m sure it’ll be a great match but I’m just not feeling it as the “TNA’s Wrestlemania” main event.

Odds + Ends

  • The E.G.O. Hall Of Fame: An absolutely brilliant segment that might be my favorite segment of any wrestling show this year. Everything about it was perfect, from the ridiculous in-ring setup (complete with a giant wooden medieval throne) to the Bobby Roode induction video (where Daniels dubbed in Roode’s name over existing footage from other HOF videos), to Roode feigning tears at this great honor (hell just watch it already!). Kurt Angle making his return during the segment was a legitimate big moment on the show and although his gay joke was stupid it was great to see him back and kicking ass. This segment was a beautiful build for an Angle/Roode match at Bound For Glory and just tremendous altogether. Seriously, watch it. Words can’t do it justice. It’s a segment for the 2013 highlight reel of professional wrestling.
  • The Opening Segment: Conversely, the opening segment featuring Dixie Carter and Sting was one of the worst segments I’ve seen from TNA this year. Carter, who had been improving her character in recent weeks, completely chucked all of that aside and instead ran through her lines like it was a race, not allowing her big announcements to garner a reaction or really stick in the audience’s mind. Sting didn’t help either, as he barely got a word in edge-wise and ended up screaming them when he did. Just a trainwreck of a segment that had me terrified that this show was gonna break the hot streak TNA was on heading into BFG. I ended up being wrong but it was a legitimate fear as this segment concluded.
  • Ethan Carter III (EC3): Ethan was finally revealed as Ethan Carter III and the former Derrick Bateman is already tremendous in the role. The new cheeseball vignette, which featured a grindhouse-y voiceover touting how awesome he is, was perfect and has me excited for his debut. I wasn’t impressed with what few NXT matches I saw with him but this guy has the other aspects of pro wrestling down to a tee. And with his last name being Carter it looks like he’ll be factoring into the main storylines almost immediately because YAY FAKE NEPOTISM!
  • Road Trippin’ with Eric Young & Joseph Park: A video from “earlier in the day” aired of Eric Young and Joseph Park getting ready to embark on a road trip to Bound For Glory  in San Diego. It was a brief skit, one that was stopped when EY realized his wife was wrestling and he couldn’t leave just yet, but the comedic possibilities of these two road tripping have me giddy. I hope we get a video of their exploits during next week’s show…and as a long-running web series.
  • Lei’D Tapa: Last week Lei’D Tapa “debuted” and was all screaming and weak offense. This week was much better, using a more formidable move to take out ODB and really making a splash. Unfortunately all of her posing with the Knockouts Title didn’t amount to anything as she’s not involved in the title match at Bound For Glory as of yet so it all feels for naught. Here’s hoping she lands in the match next week somehow (or maybe even by beating up Gail Kim and taking her spot the night of the PPV).

Overall Show Thoughts

  • A noticeable dip in quality aside this week’s Impact Wrestling was still a good and entertaining show, making it a hat trick for TNA in recent weeks. Hardy/Aries was the only watchable match on the episode but it was good enough to forgive the others and the stronger than granite E.G.O. Hall Of Fame segment/return of Kurt Angle was such a highlight that it raised the level of quality on the show almost by itself. The impending debut of Ethan Carter III has me excited, as does the prospect of Lei’D Tapa eating the Knockouts division alive. Bound For Glory is looking like a good show on paper thus far, but it still doesn’t have that BIGGEST SHOW OF THE YEAR feel to it yet, especially the main event which feels outshined by Styles’ issues with Carter when it should be focusing on Styles’ issues with Ray. They tried to add some heat with Ray’s end of show attack but it almost feels too little too late at this point. Either way this episode is worth checking out for Hardy/Aries and the EGO Hall Of Fame alone. Can TNA make it four good shows in a row next week? No use breaking the streak during the go-home show of their Wrestlemania.

—–

Be the coolest kid in school by following PWUpdate on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and/or adding us to your circles on Google+. You can also follow Jon on Twitter as well if you so desire.

2013
10/11
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS

































Leave a comment

Jon’s ‘TNA Impact Wrestling’ 10/3/13 Results + Review – Hulk Hogan Says Goodbye, Magnus Runs the E.G.O. Gauntlet, Lei’D Tapa (Re)Debuts

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Verizon Arena (Little Rock, AR)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

After a week of thinking it over, eating vitamins, and saying prayers, GM Hulk Hogan came to IMPACT Wrestling this week to answer President Dixie Carter‘s ultimatum from last week: either join her team or lose his job. In wrestling action Magnus sought revenge against E.G.O. by taking them on in a gauntlet match, Manik and Jeff Hardy teamed up against Kenny King and Chris Sabin, and former Gut Check winner Lei’D Tapa made her return…and mince meat out of Velvet Sky.

Read on for results, notes, and my review of the show. For more detailed coverage check out my report over at 411Mania.

—–

Match Results

1. *TNA X-Division Champion* Manik & Jeff Hardy defeated Chris Sabin [w/ Velvet Sky] & Kenny King when Hardy pinned King with the SWANTON (7:07).

  • Note: Austin Aries sat at ringside for commentary.
  • Post-Match: After Sabin attacked Hardy and Manik from behind Aries made the save then challenged all three to a four-way match for Bound For Glory. Hardy got on the mic and upped the ante, making it an Ultimate X Match for the X-Division Title. So that match is now happening.

2. E.G.O. Gauntlet Part 1: Magnus defeated Christopher Daniels via pinfall with the MICHINOKU DRIVER (3:55).

3. E.G.O. Gauntlet Part 2: Magnus defeated Frankie Kazarian via submission with the CLOVERLEAF (7:42).

  • Post-Match: Bobby Roode made his way out for the final match of the gauntlet, distracting Magnus and allowing Kazarian to clip his knee, the same one they injured during last week’s main event.

4. E.G.O. Gauntlet Part 3: Bobby Roode defeated Magnus via submission with the ANKLE LOCK GRAPEVINE (9:15).

  • Post-Match: Magnus threw a hissy fit prompting Sting to make his way out. After some talking back and forth Sting offered to “make” Magnus by facing him at Bound For Glory the same way Flair made Sting back in ’88. That match is set for the big show.

5. Non-Title Match: Samoa Joe defeated *TNA World Champion* Bully Ray [w/ Brooke Tessmacher] by DQ when Ray hit Joe with a chain (10:27).

  • Post-Match: AJ Styles, who had been kicked out of the building earlier in the night, returned to attack Bully Ray. Atlas Security came out to intervene but Styles ran off and celebrated in the crowd.

News + Notes

  • After a week and a whole night deliberating, including being given a watch and a video package highlighting his entire TNA run, Hulk Hogan concluded the show by quitting the company and refusing to join Dixie Carter‘s new regime. Carter begged him not to go, even holding onto his leg as he walked away. After Hogan escaped through the curtain, Carter yelled at him saying she didn’t need him anyway and that concluded this week’s episode.
  • After their successful Gauntlet Match win, Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian announced to Bobby Roode that they were inducting him into the E.G.O. Hall Of Fame! They celebrated with hugging and singing.
  • A new vignette for Ethan aired, this time showing him from behind as he made his way into a building mocking all of the ladies as he went. He’s supposedly being played by Michael Hutter, whom WWE hardcores may remember as Derrick Bateman.
  • Lei’D Tapa made her re-debut in the flesh this week, attacking Velvet Sky and preventing a #1 contenders Knockout match between Sky and Brooke Tessmacher.
  • A video package aired about the Tag Team Champs James Storm & Gunner to hype them up.

TNA Impact Review: 10/3/13

The Matches

  • Manik/Hardy Vs. Sabin/King: A fun opening match that highlighted the wrestlers they wanted to highlight at the expense of punking out King. It makes sense given the match that was there to set up the 4-way Ultimate X for BFG, but as someone who thinks King could be so much more for TNA it was disappointing in that regard. Oh and Heel Sabin? Awesome as always. Man I love that character.
  • Magnus Vs. Daniels: Too short to really get into but an okay match nonetheless. Wish they were given more time because…
  • Magnus Vs. Kazarian: …the middle match was a sloppy and boring affair. Kazarian seemed off of his game a bit and his dropkicks were landing in very awkward positions. Awkward stuff.
  • Magnus Vs. Roode: Luckily Roode was the ringer here and this was the best match of the three as Roode focused on Magnus’ injured knee from the week before. It was a nice callback and Roode is just great to watch. His use of the Ankle Lock (as well as the E.G.O. segment later) points to a match against Kurt Angle once he’s fully returned to the company. I’m down for that.
  • Joe Vs. Ray: When it comes to terrible main events this was pretty high up there. Largely uninspired and sluggish, it seemed like Joe and Ray were just passing time until the DQ finish/Styles interruption. A match that didn’t need to be this long…or exist really. Disappointing is an understatement.

Odds + Ends

  • Hogan Quits!: The Hogan/Dixie segment to end the show was the big focus throughout the show and one that I was dreading all week and for most of this broadcast. Dixie is getting better in her heel role but is still finding her way and Hogan has been entirely off his game after disappearing for a month (the fact he appears to be gone from TNA for real might be why). Were my fears justified in the end? A little bit. It was largely ridiculous and neither person had the chops to carry the dramatic weight (making it more goofy than serious). So yeah it was awkward and a bit of a pain to get through, but I can’t argue with the result: for now Hulk Hogan is gone from TNA. In the end that’s what really matters and that’s something we should all be celebrating. Pop the champagne!
  • Sting Wants to Make Magnus: The post-gauntlet verbal confrontation between Sting and Magnus had a good idea behind it but I don’t think the execution is going to go quite as TNA planned. Sting wanting to “make” Magnus in the same way Ric Flair made him back in 1988 is cool in theory but to think that those two are the same is insane; Flair was still in his prime in 1988 and was a much bigger name while Sting is a bit over his prime and his star power has…faded a bit. I like the concept of this and this is TNA’s way of making Magnus a big deal heading into 2014 but I don’t know if it’s going to work. Also the Little Rock crowd being absolutely dead for this segment didn’t help either.
  • E.G.O. Hall Of Fame: All signs are pointing towards an Angle/Roode match either at BFG or sometime after; first off Roode dispatched Magnus with his version of the Ankle Lock and then later Daniels and Kazarian announced that they were inducting Roode into the E.G.O. Hall Of Fame in possibly the most fun segment in the past month on Impact. Words cannot do that segment justice, as all three were at their best with Daniels and Kaz singing Roode into the locker room after his victory and Roode celebrating his HOF win like it’s actually the biggest deal ever. If you can search it out, do so. E.G.O. is the best faction TNA has going right now bar none, and I’m all for Angle feuding with them.
  • Styles and Ray Finally Interact: Bully Ray and AJ Styles are main eventing Bound For Glory but haven’t really had much of a verbal confrontation with one another as the former has been busy with The Aces & Eights lately and the latter has been busy with Dixie Carter. This week changed that as the opening segment both men finally verbally sparring with each other to build their match. Ray was the highlight of the segment as one would expect, carrying the bulk of it promo-wise, but Styles held his own and frankly I was just happy to see them finally interact since they are main eventing TNA’s biggest PPV of the year in two weeks and all. Now TNA needs to keep them interacting and messing with each other, or at least finally wrap their side storylines into the match. They are main eventing TNA’s Wrestlemania and it doesn’t feel like it yet.
  • Ethan Rules, Lei’D Tapa…Not So Much: The vignette hyping Ethan this week was tremendous, as he walked through the building making fun of people left and right and being an all-around egotistical jackass. I still have no idea what the character is supposed to be, but I’m excited to find out and I’m already finding him entertaining so that’s a plus. Being excited for a new TNA guy is a rarity so I’ll take it. On the flip side Lei’D Tapa‘s redebut by destorying Velvet Sky was a bit…underwhelming. Sure she became my favorite person of the night by preventing a Velvet Sky/Brooke Tessmacher match from happening (give her a medal for that), but her offense looked weak and her Samoan Drop finish was not the exclamation point it should have been. And Tapa’s decision to scream through the whole thing was very Great Khali-like in a bad way. I’m happy as hell for new Knockout blood but that debut…woof.

Overall Show Thoughts

  • I enjoyed this week’s IMPACT Wrestling a lot more than I probably should have given my criticisms. It was a fun two hour show that did lack a bit in the wrestling department but had some quality segments that made up for it and ended with Hulk Hogan walking out and hopefully never coming back. The card for Bound For Glory was also fleshed out a bit more, with two matches added that I’m actually interested in seeing, and E.G.O. had possibly the most entertaining backstage segment I’ve seen in quite awhile from the company (give them all of the belts). All in all I dug the episode, despite its flaws. That’s two in a row. If TNA pulls the hat trick next week I’m buying a round for everyone on the internet (no I’m not).

—–

For all sorts of nonsense related to pro wrestling, follow the site on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on his Twitter.

2013
10/05
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS



























Leave a comment

Jon’s ‘TNA Impact Wrestling’ 9/26/13 Results + Review – Hulk Hogan Responds to AJ/Dixie Controversy, X-Division Title on the Line, Aces & Eights Lose Another Member

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Verizon Arena (Little Rock, AR)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

This week on IMPACT Wrestling GM Hulk Hogan responded to the blow-up between President Dixie Carter and AJ Styles last week, Manik defended the X-Division Title against Chris Sabin, The Aces & Eights lost yet another member, and Kenny King returned to challenge Austin Aries.

Read on for full results and notes from the show, plus my review. For a more detailed recap check out my coverage over at 411Mania.

—–

Match Results

  1. Eric Young, Joseph Park, & *TNA Knockouts Champion* ODB defeated The Bromans (Robbie E & Jessie Godderz) & Gail Kim when ODB pinned Godderz following a splash (6:23).
  2. Austin Aries defeated Kenny King via pinfall with the BRAINBUSTER (4:54).
  3. Manik (c) defeated Chris Sabin [w/ Velvet Sky] via pinfall with a roll-up to retain the TNA X-Division Title (5:42).
  4. The Main Event Mafia (Sting, Magnus, & Samoa Joe) defeated The Aces & Eights (Knux, Garett Bischoff, & Wes Brisco) when Joe made Brisco tap to the REAR-NAKED CHOKE (10:04).

News + Notes

  • Hulk Hogan attempted to sign AJ Styles to another contract, which he accepted, but Dixie Carter came out and ripped the contract to shreds before shooing Styles out of the ring. After a lengthy diatribe Carter gave Hogan an ultimatum: join Team Dixie or lose his job. Hogan pondered the decision to end this week’s show.
  • Wes Brisco was booted out of The Aces & Eights after taking the loss in the main event. Bully Ray instructed Knux and Garett Bischoff to take his kutte when Brisco refused but they just stood there so Ray attacked Brisco and dropped him with a piledriver. Finally Knux and Bischoff took the kutte off of a lifeless Brisco when Ray threatened to do it again, then Ray forced Knux to be the one to hand it to him.
  • Kenny King ended up sporting a Flair-style crimson mask during his match with Austin Aries.
  • Hype videos played for Lei’D Tapa and someone enigmatically known as “Ethan”.
  • EGO (Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, & Frankie Kazarian) attacked Magnus during the main event, taking him out of the rest of the match.
  • Chris Sabin had a verbal altercation with Austin Aries after Aries’ match, downplaying his World Title win from last year. Aries would then make his way out later in the night to save Manik from a post-match beatdown by Sabin, adding him into the X-Division feud mix.

TNA Impact 9/26/13 Review

The Matches

  • Park/EY/ODB Vs. Bromans/Gail Kim: The only true filler match of the show but it was still an entertaining opener and went on for far longer than I expected (in a good way). Fun stuff from everyone involved (except for Kim who was just sort-of there as the Bromans’ partner since the Knockouts division is next to nothing at this point). EY should wrestle more, dammit.
  • Austin Aries Vs. Kenny King: While only clocking in at just under five minutes Aries and King had hands-down the best match of the night, an exciting back and forth contest that had me on the edge of my seat (or couch as it were). I’ve missed seeing King over the past month and change so I was happy to see him return and he made a statement not only in this match but in the promo beforehand. If there’s one match you should watch from this week it’s this one; again it’s not too long but I assume it’s a teaser for something bigger so I’m pumped to see where it leads. All of the Aries/King matches, please.
  • Manik Vs. Chris Sabin: Not as exciting as I was hoping for but the match was still an entertaining and worthwhile one due to the heel work of Sabin who used Sky as a human shield more than once and just acted like an all-around jackass in the best way possible. This is the Sabin I could see as World Champion. Manik continues to impress as well. The X-Division has life to it! LIFE I SAY!
  • MEM Vs. Aces & Eights: As far as storylines go this was the most important match on the show with big implications but as an actual contest it was…boring. Respect to Sting for “taking the heat” for his team though and suffering most of the beatdown; that’s two weeks in a row where he’s been the one playing the babyface in peril. And when Brisco ended up being the one losing the match for his team I got legitimately happy as he’s been one of the weakest links in The Aces & Eights group since he was unveiled. This match was only worthwhile for the result, so you can skip to the end if you haven’t watched already.

Odds + Ends

  • Dixie’s Ultimatum: The show-ending segment was a bit deflating. It began with Hulk Hogan offering AJ Styles a contract and Styles immediately (and happily signing it), despite the fact that he promised last week to make Dixie pay him tons of money when he won the World Title at BFG. Having him sign a contract this week was ridiculous and made no sense. Then Dixie Carter made her way out, ripped up the contract, shooed Styles out, and made it all about her and Hogan which was a bit…odd. Carter went on to deliver a heel 101 promo, all of the bitchy inflection and “sass neck” to go with it, and gave Hogan the “fall in line or get fired” ultimatum. Carter is getting better at promos, but her delivery in her whole spiel was a bit off and went on for so long that the Little Rock seemed to be turning on it by the end (and so did I). All of this leads into Hogan making the “big decision” next week and frankly…I don’t much care. After a solid episode this show-ending segment killed some of my buzz.
  • Hulk Hogan Has Lost it: Hulk Hogan was in not one but two segments where he botched a bunch of lines and seemed to be either drunk or just lost in his own world. It was tough to watch the man stumble through his promos, especially the first one which acted as a teaser for a segment TNA had already hyped for the past week. I don’t know what the hell is going on with him but lately he’s been worse than usual in the promo department. He was easily the worst part of the show and if you took him out Impact would have been tons better. You can guess which decision I hope he makes next week. Go back to WWE and get some of that legacy money Hulk for you are not doing anything for TNA.
  • Wes Brisco Kicked From the Club: The post-match removal of Wes Brisco from The Aces & Eights was insanely good, with Bully Ray laying him out with a piledriver and forcing his remaining members to remove the kutte and hand it to him. The Aces & Eights continue to implode and it’s a storyline that I’m more invested in that I thought I’d be, even though the most interesting member (Mr. Anderson) is already gone. I’m even okay forgiving the fact that the remaining Aces & Eights outnumber Ray and could just beat him to a pulp whenever they wanted due to numbers alone. That’s a bit of a flaw.
  • EGO Rules: EGO is still a young faction but they have already risen to the top as the best one TNA has going by virtue of their charisma and entertainment value alone. Their backstage promo, which foreshadowed their attack on Magnus, was a work of pure comedy gold with Daniels and Kazarian doing a straight-up movie-style evil laugh and Roode just walking off in disbelief. Best moment of the night.
  • New Talent Hype: TNA aired a video hyping the (re)debut of Lei’D Tapa and another for a man only known as “Ethan”. With the company as a whole desperately needing some new blood I was excited to see that TNA was investing in their future a little bit here; Tapa is especially needed considering how shallow the Knockouts division has become. Pumped to see what these two contribute to TNA…and to find out who “Ethan” is.
  • Kurt Angle to Return at BFG: TNA also used video packages (something they’ve gotten way better at integrating) to announce that Kurt Angle would return from his stint in rehab during Bound For Glory weekend to accept his TNA Hall Of Fame induction and appear on the PPV. Kudos to TNA on not rushing Angle back into the ring and into storylines; despite his personal issues I’m glad he’ll get to accept the HOF induction because frankly the man deserves the sh*t out of it for all he’s done for TNA.

Overall Show Thoughts

  • This week’s episode of Impact wasn’t a wrestling-heavy show, but what action there was entertained and far exceeded expectations (Aries/King!) and the continuation of storylines as well as the creation of new ones were captivating enough to keep me glued to my screen and make the show go by quickly. This was a well put together episode and one of TNA’s better offerings. I’m still not sold on the main story between Dixie and AJ (and I guess Hulk now) but it has a ton of potential so I’m gonna stick with it. If you’ve got this episode on DVR it’s worth a look.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of the pro wrestling news and reviews you could want.

2013
09/27
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS

































Leave a comment

Jon’s ‘TNA Impact Wrestling’ 9/19/13 Results + Notes – AJ Styles Confronts Dixie Carter, New Knockouts Champion, Aces & Eights Dissension Continues

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Chaifetz Arena (St. Louis, MO)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

One week removed from winning the Bound For Glory Series, AJ Styles had some words for TNA President Dixie Carter…and she had some things of her own to say as well. Also on the show X-Division Champion Manik sought to prove himself against Jeff Hardy in non-title action, ODB took on Mickie James for the Knockouts Title, and Gunner took on Hernandez.

Read on for results and notes. For a more thorough report, check out my coverage over at 411Mania.

Match Results

  1. Non-Title Match: Jeff Hardy defeated *TNA X-Division Champion* Manik via pinfall with the SWANTON (4:02).
  2. ODB defeated Mickie James (c) via pinfall with the BAM to win the TNA Knockouts Title (10:54).
  3. Eric Young [w/ Joseph Park & ODB] defeated Robbie E [w/ Jessie Godderz] via pinfall with a roll-up (0:14).
  4. Joseph Park [w/ Eric Young & ODB] defeated Robbie E [w/ Jessie Godderz] via pinfall with a roll-up (0:08).
  5. Gunner [w/ James Storm] defeated Hernandez [w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.] via pinfall with a urinage backbreaker (4:18).
  6. E.G.O. (Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, & Frankie Kazarian) defeated The Main Event Mafia (Sting, Magnus, & Samoa Joe) when Roode pinned Magnus after hitting him with a bat meant for Sting (14:27).

News + Notes

  • AJ Styles cut a worked-shoot promo about how he helped build TNA from day one and Dixie Carter destroyed his hard work by cutting the guys who helped him (Jerry Lynn, Low-Ki, etc.) in favor of MMA stars and other busts. Styles then promised to win the World Title at Bound For Glory as tribute for his fallen brethren. Carter came out and responded to him, turning heel and saying that he never was going to be a top guy and he’s merely “The Marginal One”. Carter then angrily cut the mic and ended the show, with the lights going out in the arena to conclude the episode.
  • The Aces & Eights (Bully Ray, Wes Brisco, Knux, & Garett Bischoff) had an in-ring confrontation with one another, with Ray thanking Brooke Tessmacher and no one else for his win over Mr. Anderson last week. The three other members protested this, with Knux getting right in Ray’s face about it saying that under his leadership the club has gone from 20+ members to four (ignoring Taz, who is also part of the group supposedly). Ray shoved Knux, and Knux charged at him but he and Tessmacher bailed before anything could happen.
  • Chris Sabin also turned heel tonight, attacking Manik after the opening match and cutting a backstage promo about being sick of getting no respect. Sabin promised to take the respect he deserves. Velvet Sky, his girlfriend, was with him during the night but seemed shocked at his actions more than anything.
  • The proposed tag team match between Storm/Gunner and Guerrero/Hernandez was turned into a singles match when Guerrero said he was too injured to wrestle this week.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of the pro wrestling news and reviews you could want.

2013
09/20
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS



































Leave a comment

Jon’s ‘TNA No Surrender 2013’ Results + Review – Winner of BFG Series Decided, Bully Ray Vs. The VP

tna no surrender 2013

Date: September 12, 2013

Venue: Chaifetz Arena (St. Louis, MO)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

The road to Bound For Glory began tonight as the winner of the BFG Series was finally decided after months of competition. The World Title was also on the line as Bully Ray defended the strap against his former Aces & Eights running buddy, and VP, Mr. Anderson. That’s pretty much it.

Read on for full results and notes from the show, plus a review. For complete coverage check out my report over at 411Mania.

Match Results

  1. BFG Series (Semi-Finals): AJ Styles defeated Austin Aries via pinfall with a second-rope STYLES CLASH (14:37).
  2. BFG Series (Semi-Finals): Magnus defeated Bobby Roode via pinfall (6:57).
  3. Last Man Standing Match: Bully Ray (c) [w/ Miss Tessmacher] defeated Mr. Anderson after spearing him through a table to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Title (17:25).
  4. BFG Series (Finals): AJ Styles defeated Magnus via pinfall with the SPIRAL TAP.

News + Notes

  • At the conclusion of the World Title match Mr. Anderson was tended to by officials but before he could be successfully wheeled out on a stretcher, Bully Ray interrupted. Ray removed Anderson’s kutte and his neck brace, then dropped Anderson on his head with a piledriver on the entrance stage. Ray posed over his fallen foe to end that post-match segment.
  • After winning the BFG Series AJ Styles got on the mic and said that he had a bombshell for Dixie Carter next week and urged her to be there to meet him.
  • Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez answered the challenge laid by Tag Champs James Storm & Gunner and got into a verbal sparring session with them leading to a match of some sort next week.
  • Announced for next week’s show: Mickie James will defend the Knockouts Title against ODB.

—–

TNA Impact 9/12/13 Review

What I Liked

  • Bully Ray Vs. Mr. Anderson: Ray and Anderson tore the house down in the unexpected match of the night. Outside of a chair and a table they didn’t rely on props to tell the story and make the match interesting; instead they just attacked each other like they really wanted to kill one another making it an effective brawl and a tremendous match storytelling-wise. The ending sequence, which featured Anderson getting up not once but twice before the count of ten before finally being put away with a spear through a corner table, had me on the edge of my seat in a way that I haven’t felt towards TNA in some time. Having The Aces & Eights turn on Anderson and lay him out with a Triple Powerbomb was a bit lame, and very reminiscent of another faction in another wrestling company, but outside of that there wasn’t anything I disliked about this match. Ray and Anderson sold the feud through their verbal interactions with one another then put an exclamation on it with this brawl. Both men deserve all of the credit in the world for this one.
  • AJ Styles Vs. Magnus: The finals of the BFG Series got off to a rocky start with unnecessary interference (to be talked out in the next part of the review), but afterwards it turned into one hell of a match that featured the return of the Spiral Tap, a move I don’t think Styles has used in many years. The BFG Series this year hasn’t been great but this was a tremendous final to the biggest summer happening in TNA and made me forgive the past sins. This is also one of the best Magnus matches I have ever seen but then again I haven’t seen too many so there’s that.
  • AJ Styles Wins the BFG Series: TNA is known to throw a lot of wrenches into their storylines just to keep viewers guessing. Last year was a perfect example with Austin Aries winning the World Title and turning what we expected to be the BFG Series main event, Storm/Roode, into an undercard contest. TNA almost did the same this year, with Chris Sabin having a brief (and pretty much forgotten already) run as World Champion, but they managed to clear the cobwebs and stuck to their guns and barring any ridiculousness over the next few weeks the long-expected main event of Ray Vs. Styles will headline this year’s BFG. I hope TNA stays the course as this is a match I want to pay for.
  • The Big Fight Feel: With the wrap-up of the BFG Series and a World Title match that had some real story to it, No Surrender felt like the big show it was. The St. Louis crowd did their part as well, popping when the situation called for it and especially being ramped up when Magnus/Styles started. Overall this was an important show that felt important for once.

What I Didn’t Like

  • Burn the Tag Team Division: In between the BFG Series and the main event stood one giant mess that stuck out like the sorest of thumbs: the verbal confrontation between TNA Tag Team Champions GunStorm and the returning team of Chavo & Hernandez. Outside of Chavo’s clever way of backhandedly complementing GunStorm this whole thing felt like a waste of time and set up a match/feud that I have absolutely no interest in seeing play out as both teams are bland and contribute nothing to TNA. It’s time to blow up the tag team division and start over. When THE BRO-MANS are the only team with personality, you have a problem.
  • Goodbye Rampage & Tito: Dixie Carter off-handedly telling Hulk that Rampage & Tito were being taken off of TNA in preparation for their Bellator PPV fight should be good news right? Lord knows I’ve been bitching about their involvement in the main storylines since they first arrived. And yes in a way I’m happy they’re gone but at the same time it also pisses me off that TNA essentially gave them high-profile roles in the show for no reason in the end. All it did was potentially sell Bellator PPVs; it didn’t add to the TNA product, nor did it do much for their bottom line (ratings, attendance, etc.). Bellator essentially used TNA and didn’t give them anything of value and in return we got stuck watching them get integrated into the show only to be pulled right off out of nowhere. It just highlighted what a gigantic waste of time their presence was in the first place and it irks the shit out of me as someone who tries to stay on the TNA bandwagon.
  • AJ Styles Vs. Dixie Carter?: Ugh. Styles’ promo following his BFG Series win was a wet blanket that almost killed my buzz after watching a great match with a great finish. Not only did Styles kiss the asses of the fans, completely just saying “FUCK IT” to the Lone Wolf gimmick and sweeping it under the rug after his abrupt change of heart a few weeks back, but he also initiated what sounds like a feud with Dixie Carter over his misuse in TNA over the past 11 years. It’s another “wrestler Vs. authority figure” storyline and it’s one that features two personalities that have proven time and time again that they lack the acting chops needed to pull something like this off. I dread this storyline going forward. Absolutely dread it.
  • EGO Interferes in the Main Event…For Nothing: The trio of Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, and Frankie Kazarian almost ruined the main event by attacking Styles and Magnus four minutes into their match but in the end the match continued as scheduled and they ended up making no impact or dent despite Roode promising they would earlier. EGO made no statement and did nothing of value, and in turn ended up being an unnecessary clutter to a big main event. I like the three men in the group so I want to give it the benefit of the doubt but it did not start things off on the right foot. What are they gonna do, feud with The Main Event Mafia? Aren’t they still feuding with The Aces & Eights?

Overall Show Thoughts

  • TNA’s No Surrender special was not only easily the best free PPV event they’ve put on thus far, but it’s also hands-down the best episode of Impact I’ve seen this year. The wrestling was tremendous, the storyline/segment stuff was kept to a minimum, and there was a ton of drama and intrigue sprinkled throughout. Outside of the tag team segment between the World Title match and the main event there wasn’t a dull moment and they had me by the balls for the entire show. Ray/Anderson delivered a wonderful World Title match that told a great story, and AJ Styles/Magnus capped off a lackluster BFG Series with an exciting final that made both men look great. There were some issues here and there and the very end of the show made me nervous about things going forward, but overall No Surrender excited me as a fan in a way that TNA hasn’t done since Slammiversary XI. Now let’s see if they can ride that wave of momentum into a good show next week. It’s going to be a hard hard act to follow.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of the pro wrestling news and reviews you could want.

2013
09/13
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS












Leave a comment

‘TNA IMPACT Wrestling’ 9/5/13 Results + Notes – BFG Series Gauntlet, Sting Vs. Bully Ray, Mr. Anderson Stands Up for Himself

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Wolstein Center (Cleveland, OH)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

After months of competition, the first part of the BFG Series concluded this week with a final 12 man gauntlet worth 20 points and the final four was etched in stone. TNA World Champion Bully Ray also saw action this week against longtime nemesis Sting (non-title of course), with the added bonus of No-Disqualification and Tag Team Champions James Storm & Gunner resurfaced to face The Aces & Eights’ Wes Brisco & Garett Bischoff in a non-title match. Speaking of The Aces & Eights one member stepped up at the end of the show to challenge his own President for the World Title next week. Here’s a hint: he likes saying his own last name. Twice.

Read on for full results and notes from this week’s show, gleamed from James Caldwell‘s much more detailed recap over at PWTorch.

Match Results

  1. Knux [w/ Bully Ray, Miss Tessmacher, & Tito Ortiz] defeated Chris Sabin by DQ when Sabin hit him with a hammer (5:58).
  2. Bound For Glory Series Match: AJ Styles won a 12 man gauntlet, last eliminating Christopher Daniels, to win 20 points and take first place in the BFG Series standings (28:38).
  3. Non-Title Match: The Aces & Eights (Garett Bischoff & Wes Brisco) defeated *TNA World Tag Team Champions* James Storm & Gunner when Bischoff pinned Gunner after Brisco hit him with a chain (6:00).
  4. No-DQ Match (Non-Title): Sting defeated *TNA World Champion* Bully Ray [w/ Mr. Anderson & Miss Tessmacher] via submission with the SCORPION DEATH LOCK (9:47).

News + Notes

  • Mr. Anderson let Bully Ray lose by submission in the main event then announced, right in Ray’s face, that he was going to challenge him for the World Title at No Surrender next week. The show ended with Anderson standing tall and his own music playing.
  • AJ Styles won the 12-man gauntlet and took first place in the standings. Magnus, Bobby Roode, and Austin Aries join him in the final four. Jeremy Borash brought out Styles towards the end of the show and allowed him to pick his first opponent for next week and he chose Aries, so the semi-finals of the BFG Series will be Styles/Aries and Magnus/Roode.
  • TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James came out and cut a promo about how awesome she is at being a musician and wrestler, and even holding her own award since she didn’t win a VMA. ODB eventually interrupted and they brawled for a bit, with ODB ripping off James’ top and sending her running (James was wearing a full top underneath the first top so it was a bit…ridiculous).
  • Chris Sabin freaked out backstage after losing by DQ, yelling that it wasn’t fair that he lost because of the hammer while The Aces & Eights use it all the time, all the while his girlfriend Velvet Sky stood there trying to console him. He eventually apologized for yelling and being angry, and sulked off leaving Sky wondering what just happened.
  • Jay Bradley said that someone was paying him good money to sabotage someone’s chances in the BFG Series gauntlet match but since he failed miserably nothing much came of it. Maybe next week.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of your pro wrestling needs, wants, and desires. 

2013
09/06
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS



































Leave a comment

Jon’s TNA ‘IMPACT Wrestling’ 8/29/13 Results + Review – Hulk Hogan Returns, AJ Styles Speaks, BFG Series (Almost) Concludes

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Wolstein Center (Cleveland, OH)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

Hulk Hogan made his return to IMPACT Wrestling and made three “blockbuster” announcements, Tito Ortiz was officially patched into The Aces & Eights (much to the chagrin of Mr. Anderson), AJ Styles attempted his own version of a “pipe bomb”, and Austin Aries and Christopher Daniels stole the entire show.

Read on for results, notes, and a review of last night’s episode. For more detailed coverage, check out my report over at 411Mania.

—–

Match Results

  1. Bound For Glory Series Match: Jeff Hardy defeated Frankie Kazarian via pinfall with the SWANTON (6:09).
  2. 2 out of 3 Falls #1 Contenders Match: ODB defeated Gail Kim 2 falls to 1 (11:25).
  3. Bound For Glory Series Match: AJ Styles defeated Bobby Roode via pinfall by countering a Fisherman’s Suplex attempt with a roll-up (7:11).
  4. Bound For Glory Series Match: Austin Aries defeated Christopher Daniels via pinfall with the BRAINBUSTER (11:14).

News + Notes

  • Hulk Hogan made his triumphant return to IMPACT Wrestling and had a whole lot to say. After announcing that the BFG Series would actually end proper next week with a 12 man gauntlet worth 20 points, Bully Ray and Miss Tessmacher made their way out to confront his “father-in-law”. Hogan threw divorce papers at Ray and said that his union with Brooke Hogan was done for real (you can do that apparently). Hogan then announced that at No Surrender Ray will defend the TNA World Title against…one of the members of The Aces & Eights! Ray freaked out and if that wasn’t enough Hogan then announced that Ray would wrestle next week…against Sting! Sting and Ray brawled to end the episode and set up next week. The match will be non-title as per the rules of the Slammiversary XI stipulation so no worries.
  • Tito Ortiz was officially patched into The Aces & Eights by Bully Ray at the start of the show. Ray gave Ortiz Devon’s old kutte and ripped off his name patch as an added dig (Ray opened by slagging Devon and being glad he was forced out of TNA last week). Mr. Anderson protested harshly saying they didn’t even get to vote on this and Ray backed him into a corner and told him that he was the President and he can do whatever he wants. The Ray/Anderson slow-burn continues as does the eventual dissolution of The Aces & Eights.
  • AJ Styles took to the mic before his match against Bobby Roode and laid out what was going on with him. He said that even though he helped The Main Event Mafia out, he was not joining their group and he was still wrestling for just himself. Styles said that he had been burned by the wrestling business, getting stabbed in the back by friends and continually shoved to the side when “bigger” stars were signed to the company, despite carrying TNA on his back whenever Dixie asked him to. He then said that he liked being the go-to guy after all, and he was the one who could hold TNA up high as the World Champion. He then promised to win the BFG Series and leave Bound For Glory the World Champion.
  • The backstage interviewer caught up with Velvet Sky who congratulated ODB on her win…and also let it be known that she and Chris Sabin are a thing. It was awkward.

Review

What I Liked

  • Austin Aries Vs. Christopher Daniels: Aries and Daniels not only stole the show with their main event match, a match in which they beat the hell out of each other in a very “F you we’re the top guys” ways, but also with their exchange during a Jeremy Borash interview segment. They tore into each other verbally, making fun of each other and threatening each other in a way that was both comical and deathly serious, then tore into each other physically. It was the perfect building segment to a tremendous match and more than anything else that was what I was most high on when the show concluded. Now I wish Aries and Daniels were headlining BFG.
  • Tito Ortiz Gets “Patched In”: The opening segment with Tito Ortiz becoming an official Aces & Eights member was a strong way to open the show and furthered a ton of stories including Ray turning The Aces & Eights into a dictatorship and Mr. Anderson slowly but surely turning on his “President”. Ray delivered some strong mic work here and Anderson was also great in his dissent. These two work so well together and they’ve earned a future match down the line. I never explicity want to see Anderson wrestle but the friction and chemistry between these two has been one of the best parts of the show and they’ve talked me into wanting to see it go down. The slow-burn breakup of The Aces & Eights has been handled very well.
  • The Wrestling: This week’s show featured only four matches, but they were among the strongest the show has had in quite some time. Each match had a story or sense of urgency, making each one matter, and they were all entertaining and well-done in their own ways. Not even my few qualms with a couple of the finishes (I’ll touch upon that in a second) can distract from the simple fact that this was a good week wrestling-wise for TNA. Well-done. Kudos.
  • Cleveland ROCKS: That Cleveland crowd was hot for everything and added to the show immensely. They wavered here and there, especially during AJ’s promo, but overall they made everything feel like that much bigger of a deal. TNA should keep them in mind for future events.

What I Didn’t Like

  • Go Home Hulk, You’re Drunk: Hulk Hogan made his triumphant return and proceeded to flub a bunch of his lines and curtail some of the excitement this show had built through its wrestling and Aces & Eights storyline development. Not a great return of “The Hulkster” even though Cleveland loved the guy, and for me his presence ended up casting a shadow over what had been a great Impact beforehand.
  • AJ Styles’ “Pipe Bomb”: When AJ Styles mysteriously reverted (mostly) back to being “The Phenomenal One” last week it was a big mark-out moment for TNA fans…but one that didn’t make a lot of sense. TNA had the chance to fill some logic holes this week with Styles’ big explanation promo and unfortunately it didn’t happen. Styles’ reasoning made little sense and what should have been his big babyface return instead kept him as a sort-of heel. They’re trying to have it both ways with Styles, have him be Phenomenal and a Lone Wolf, but it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It also didn’t help that Styles’ line delivery didn’t feel very natural and the segment went on far too long, even causing the Cleveland fans to turn against it towards the end. Styles should have come off like the white knight here but TNA choked.
  • AJ Styles Vs. Bobby Roode (Finish): After declaring that he would win the BFG Series and become the champ, Styles proceeded not to place into the Final Four, instead taking a pinfall victory and just missing the cut. I liked it in some respects, Styles going for the roll-up to reverse a finishing move attempt is a reflex for most wrestlers so having him go that route did make sense (and he sold disappointment afterwards in a “dammit I did what?” reaction), but dedicating so much time to Styles’ pipe bomb and having him not make the BFG Series finals was ridiculous. But hey it’s a moot point anyway because…
  • The BFG Series Continues (So Says Hulk): Hulk Hogan’s first big announcement, the continuation of the BFG Series next week with a final gauntlet match, killed the urgency that had made this episode work so wonderfully. It also made me feel like an idiot for having invested myself in the final three (important) matches in the series. If they were going to end the BFG Series in a gauntlet, they should have done it this week and just canned the other three matches since the guys involved in them could have just catapulted to the top by winning it anyway (and Styles probably will next week). The BFG Series has been a mess and has run its course and extending it another week was just something I wasn’t excited about.
  • Bully Ray Vs. Sting II: Hulk Hogan flubbed that next week’s match was gonna be for the World Title, but Impact Wrestling’s Twitter quickly retracted that and said it would be non-title adhering to the Slammiversary XI stipulation (Sting never gets another World Title shot). Because of that a lot of the anger I had about this match was cooled but I still don’t really want to see it happen again. Ray and Sting managed to get one good match out at Slammiversary XI and I doubt they’ll repeat themselves, especially if they can’t rely on plunder and piledrivers.
  • ODB Vs. Gail Kim (Finish): ODB and Gail Kim haven’t had great matches leading up to this 2 out of 3 falls contest, but they made up for it with a hard-hitting rubber match to decide the #1 contendership. I had no problems with that match until the end when ODB finished Kim off with a submission hold. Firstly it came out of nowhere and second it chucked all of the psychology they built during the match as Kim destroyed ODB’s right knee the entire time (even winning a fall with a submission because of it). I dug it sort-of in a “ha that’s ironic” way but it made no sense with the story the match was telling and it was a wet blanket of an ending.

Overall Show Thoughts

  • Don’t let those lopsided lists fool you; I really enjoyed the hell out of this week’s IMPACT Wrestling. After a host of dull shows TNA brought their big guns and created an episode that was entertaining from both a wrestling and storyline perspective. Aries and Daniels stole had the match and segment of the night and the tiff between Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson has me invested in an Aces & Eights storyline for the first time in a long time. The show stumbled hardcore towards the end, with Hogan’s show-ending segment and Styles’ attempt at making his character change make sense being the big offenders, but I can see wholeheartedly that overall I really dug this episode flaws and all. 

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of your pro wrestling needs, wants, and desires. 

2013
08/30
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS
























Leave a comment

TNA ‘IMPACT Wrestling’ 8/22/13 Results + Review – AJ Styles Snaps Out of It, Austin Aries Makes Some New Enemies, Bully Ray Has a New Brooke, One Man Gone From TNA “Forever”

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, VA)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

HardCORE Justice rolled into week 2 this week on IMPACT Wrestling with The Main Event Mafia Vs. The Aces & Eights in 5-on-5 action in the main event, featuring the return to form of arguably TNA’s biggest homegrown star. The Bound For Glory Series also rolled on as Joseph Park, Christopher Daniels, Hernandez, and Jay Bradley took each other on in a street fight for 20 points, new TNA World Champ Bully Ray revealed his new “Brooke”, Austin Aries made some new enemies, and Manik took on Sonjay Dutt as the X-Division returned to singles matches once again.

Read on for results and a review of the show. For something far more detailed check out my reactionary coverage over at 411Mania.

—–

Match Results

  1. Non-Title Match: Bobby Roode & Frankie Kazarian defeated *TNA World Tag Team Champions* James Storm & Gunner when Roode pinned Storm with a roll-up following a low-blow (9:41).
  2. Non-Title Match: *TNA X-Division Champion* Manik pinned Sonjay Dutt with a double overhook gutbuster following a Detonation Kick (4:28).
  3. Street Fight: Joseph Park defeated Christopher Daniels, Jay Bradley, & Hernandez to win 20 points in the BOUND FOR GLORY SERIES (12:20).
  4. Gail Kim pinned ODB with a crucifix (6:20).
  5. 5-on-5: AJ Styles & The Main Event Mafia (Sting, Samoa Joe, Magnus, & Rampage Jackson) defeated The Aces & Eights (Mr. Anderson, Devon, Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco, & Knux) when Styles pinned Devon with the STYLES CLASH (16:27); by virtue of taking the pinfall Devon is now gone from TNA “forever”.

News + Notes

  • AJ Styles dropped the “Lone Wolf” gimmick this week, reverting back to the dynamic AJ in the main event and joining The Main Event Mafia to defeat The Aces & Eights as President Bully Ray looked on from the ramp (joined by Tito Ortiz and Brooke).
  • Bully Ray revealed that he and Brooke Tessmacher were now a thing, and she sucked the wedding ring off of his finger to signal the end of Ray’s storyline with Brooke Hogan, who is no longer with the company. Tito Ortiz was also there to cut a promo but he didn’t say much of anything worth relaying through text.
  • Dissension between Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson continued as Anderson asked Ray why he wasn’t informed about Tito Ortiz joining the group. Ray lambasted him for it, saying Anderson shouldn’t be worried about that and instead should be worried about his own business.
  • E.G.O. (Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, & Frankie Kazarian) opened the show with a promo outlaying their plans once again and Roode offering a spot to former partner Austin Aries. Aries would feign acceptance during the street fight but then lay Daniels out with a Brainbuster and flee the ring, Roode and Kazarian in pursuit. Aries would later remark on this, saying that he didn’t need allies to win the BFG Series, he had his own god-given talent.
  • The opening tag team match that spawned from the opening segment was interesting in the fact that Roode, Kazarian, Storm, and Gunner all fought in their street clothes to give it the impression of an impromptu match.

IMPACT Breakdown

What I Liked

  • Aces & Eights Dissension: The exchange between Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson about Tito Ortiz was yet another in a series of good verbal back and forth between the two leaders of The Aces & Eights, further establishing the slow-burn dissension and splintering of the group. The biker gang is slowly falling apart and it’s doing so organically and logically, and Ray and Anderson are making it compelling while it happens.
  • Bully Ray’s New Brooke: After a very non-compelling first hour of the show, out came Bully Ray to cut another excellent promo and help save things a bit. Ray’s reveal of Brooke Tessmacher as his new main squeeze wasn’t shocking to those of us with the internet (Brooke Hogan was released by TNA sometime last week) and it was a little wonky in the transition but he played off wonderfully and made it work (Tessmacher too, while we’re at it). Most interesting segment of the entire show, bar none, but I wonder where that leaves the Ray/Hulk feud that was also part of the Brooke Hogan storyline. We’ll find out next week when Hulk returns to the show.
  • Austin Aries is His Own Man: Austin Aries is now positioned as the DDP to E.G.O.’s nWo and that’s a feud I can 100000000% get into as it features four guys on the roster I always want to see more of in TNA. Aries feigning joining the group before laying Daniels out was a nice bait and switch, and one the crowd ate up completely, and his promo later in the show about why he didn’t join was intense, serious, and built up the new feud beautifully. Now let’s just hope Aries sticks as a “cool face” this time around and they don’t fall off the beaten path again.
  • Goodbye Devon: The main event itself was an ugly encounter, but I like where Devon having to leave TNA forever puts things going forward. Bully Ray now not only has a vendetta against AJ Styles for being the one to force his brother out of the company, but he also now has reason to be blindingly angry at The Aces & Eights, and Mr. Anderson in particular, furthering that storyline. As far as implications go this was a good way to end the show and a good way to build things going forward.

What I Didn’t

  • AJ Styles “Returns”: Do not get me wrong: I popped hardcore for the reveal that Styles was back to normal and I like where this is headed going forward. However TNA spent months building up Styles as a “Lone Wolf”, someone who didn’t need anyone and who was done fighting for others, and in an instant without any provocation he’s back because “whatever, screw it!”. It was jarring and a whole lot of disappointing that they cut the legs out from the storyline that quickly; felt like a reactionary thing due to Kurt Angle being sent to rehab and while I respect that I was still a bit sad about it. A lot of time invested for nothing it feels like. Hopefully they have Styles explain why he’s back to normal (ish, he still had the beard and messy hair) next week and they can talk their way out of this.
  • ODB Vs. Gail Kim: A sloppy Knockouts match that felt like it went on for too long.
  • Manik Vs. Sonjay Dutt: X-Division is back to singles matches which is great but the first singles match out of the gate was super disappointing. It honestly just felt like both men were going through the motions without any passion or drive until the finish finally came. Not a good way to relaunch the X-Division’s renewed focus on not triple threat matches all the time.
  • The BFG Series Street Fight: A rather tame street fight that, outside of the Austin Aries/E.G.O. stuff, did nothing to excite me or get me invested. Park winning via Abyss Mode was surprising, but once again Jay Bradley was the fall guy. Give the guy at least one win; even Robbie E put some points on the board during last year’s series. Bradley has been nothing but a joke since joining TNA.
  • Chris Sabin is a Cryer: Chris Sabin wasn’t on the show this week physically; instead TNA aired some post-match comments from Sabin after losing the World Title last week. Instead of manning up about the loss he came off like a crybaby and a whiner so that was jarring and it didn’t make me want to see him come back anytime soon. I also have no idea what they do with him next because I wholeheartedly doubt he ever gets a TNA World Title shot ever again. TNA blew their load with Sabin too quickly and there’s nowhere to go from there.
  • Jeff Hardy Talks BFG Series: A pure time-filler vignette that completely wore out its welcome two minutes in. Talk about things that feel like they drag on forever.

Overall Show Thoughts

  • This week’s IMPACT Wrestling was good from a storyline perspective, leading to some interesting threads for next week’s show and beyond. But wrestling-wise this show was a joke with none of the matches having any resonance or even excitement to them. I’m intrigued by AJ’s return and Aries feuding with E.G.O. but the wrestling on the wrestling show wasn’t inspired and the storyline stuff wasn’t enticing enough to help the episode rise above it, leading to a “meh” two hours overall. TNA isn’t bad but some weeks they just merely exist and considering their whole company is TV-based that’s not something they can afford to do as much as they do.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of your pro wrestling needs, wants, and desires. 

2013
08/23
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS




































Leave a comment

TNA ‘HardCORE Justice 2013’ Results + Review – New Member of The Aces & Eights Revealed, Sabin/Ray in a Cage, Big BFG Series Shake-Up

tna hardcore justice

Date: August 15, 2013

Venue: Constant Convocation Center (Norfolk, VA)

Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz

Last night TNA presented its HardCORE Justice TV special live from Norfolk, VA with Chris Sabin defending his TNA World Title against Bully Ray in the main event. Read on for results and notes from the show plus my own review, which may or may not feel like a rip-off of ProWrestling.net’s “Hit List” format. If you’re looking for a more substantial report, check out my coverage over at 411Mania.

—–

Match Results

  1. Ladder Match for 20 BFG Series Points: Frankie Kazarian defeated Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, and AJ Styles (17:40); Kazarian grabbed Christopher Daniels’ Appletini and splashed it into Hardy’s face before climbing the ladder and grabbing the clipboard.
  2. Hardcore 3-Way: ODB defeated *TNA Knockouts Champion* Mickie James and Gail Kim by pinning Kim (6:46); ODB spit alcohol into James’ face before pinning Kim following a TKO on a chair.
  3. Tables Match for 20 BFG Series Points: Bobby Roode defeated Magnus, Samoa Joe, and Mr. Anderson by putting Magnus through a table (10:20); Christopher Daniels threw an Appletini into Magnus’ eyes at the end, allowing Roode to powerbomb him through a table.
  4. Cage Match: Bully Ray pinned Chris Sabin (c) with a BULLY BOMB to win the TNA World Heavyweight Title (18:00); Tito Ortiz turned on Rampage Jackson outside of the cage by hitting him with a hammer and revealing himself as the new member of The Aces & Eights. However Ray still won clean so whatever.

News + Notes

  • Dixie Carter announced that Kurt Angle had checked himself into rehab, effectively leaving The Main Event Mafia without a partner for their 5 on 5 match next week. Sting and the crew went looking, asking Austin Aries who turned them down, before Rampage Jackson called out Tito Ortiz and asked for his help. Ortiz appeared to offer his services…until turning on Jackson at the end of the show and joining The Aces & Eights.
  • Bully Ray was seen on the phone with “Brooke” and said he would tell the world about them next week. It’s 99% likely he was talking to Miss Tessmacher.
  • TNA announced its next live special, No Surrender, for September 12th. It will feature the finals of the Bound For Glory Series much like the PPV itself did.
  • Announced for next week’s IMPACT Wrestling: Jay Bradley Vs. Joseph Park Vs. Hernandez Vs. Christopher Daniels in a STREET FIGHT worth 20 points in the BFG Series, plus X-Division Champion Manik Vs. Sonjay Dutt in 1-on-1 action (guess the X-Division rules changed again), ODB Vs. Gail Kim, and the aformentioned MEM/Aces & Eights 5 on 5 match main event where one man will be forced to leave TNA “forever”.

Review

What I Liked

  • The Ladder Match: TNA put their proverbial dick on the table right at the outset of HardCORE Justice with a terrific and exciting ladder match featuring four of the best on the roster. The action was frenetic and chaotic but immensely entertaining and started the show off on a wonderful note. Hands-down the match of the night and one that was hard to top, as evidenced by the rest of the card.
  • Appletini = Victory (The First Time, Anyway): The ladder match was great but Kazarian winning via Appletini was even greater. Was it tacky and ridiculous? Yes. But was it hilarious? DOUBLE YES. That finish ended up being repeated in the tables match later on in the show which dulled the fun a bit, but I still enjoyed it the first time around. Who knew Appletinis were so lethal? Now we know what The Great Muta’s green mist was made out of.
  • Dixie Takes the High Road with Kurt Angle: Instead of turning it into some ridiculous angle, Dixie Carter made an appearance and announced that Kurt Angle had entered rehab. No nonsense, no bullshit, just the facts. Very classy.
  • Rampage’s Mic Skills: I was surprised in a very good way by the mic work of Rampage Jackson this week. It still wasn’t perfect, he seemed nervous and rushed in spots, but there was a lot of charisma behind it and to be honest he just seems so happy to be on the show that I can overlook some of the negative things. Rampage legitimately loves pro wrestling and while he’s there to be a Bellator ad, he’s at least contributing something to the show itself. Enthusiasm goes a long with me especially in TNA where it feels like a lot of the roster doesn’t even want to be there some weeks.
  • Rampage Wants Tito: To go along with Rampage’s good verbal showing this week, the actual segment between he, Tito Ortiz, and Bully Ray was also surprisingly entertaining to boot and probably the best segment on the show. There were some snags (Ray coming out to Ortiz’s music, Ortiz being awkward, the constant Bellator shilling) but overall I really dug it. Ray was the MVP of the whole thing too, smacking Ortiz down verbally and showcasing why he is the guy in TNA. Don’t let a hokey biker stable fool you; Bully Ray is the real deal and proof positive why having a company like TNA is integral to mainstream pro wrestling…even when they constantly f*ck things up.
  • Bully Ray + Mr. Anderson Argue: The shoot best part of The Aces & Eights is when Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson interact with one another and this week was no exception. They just have great banter back and forth whether it’s jokingly or it’s argumentative (like this week). Their back and forth this week was not only entertaining, but it was good acting to boot.
  • Sabin Vs. Ray (Wrestling-Wise): The main event cage match between Sabin and Ray was much much better than their original outing, with Sabin getting in much more offense leading into an actual competitive contest. Ray played the heel perfectly, bullying Sabin around the ring but unlike last time when Sabin just took it, he fought back and even picked Ray up for a death valley driver (though he couldn’t later for Hail Sabin, which was…odd). Again the match had issues (unnecessary ref bumps, the Rampage/Tito nonsense), but it was still a solid match-up and Sabin did look like he belonged. Too bad it was too little too late on that end.

What I Didn’t

  • Tito Ortiz Joins The Aces & Eights: With Rampage Vs. Tito the headline fight for Bellator’s first PPV in November, I guess it should have been obvious that the two would also feud on TNA TV. It makes sense and it works, but unfortunately they decided to do this big reveal at the tail end of what had been a good cage match, detracting from the match itself and taking all the thunder away from Sabin’s loss. Since Ortiz didn’t directly help Ray win, it was just outside noise to the in-ring happenings. That’s not even bringing up the fact that I don’t care about either Rampage/Tito feuding or The Aces & Eights/MEM conflict, making this even more of a black hole every week on TNA TV for me. It was just such an unnecessary and clusterf*ck way to end the show and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
  • ODB Vs. James Vs. Kim: A lackluster 3-way Knockouts match that can be somewhat forgiven since they probably had to scramble to figure out what to do once they realized the original tag team tornado match was off. Still the hardcore elements were lame, especially the weapon shots which looked about as painful as being hit with a pillow (ODB seemed to be holding back so much), and given how hard Kim and Terrell battered each other not even a month ago it seemed surprising they would take it so easy on each other.
  • Unnecessary Ref Bumps/Distractions: Three of the four matches on the show featured refs either being distracted or laid out, and each time it was utterly pointless since it wasn’t against the rules to interfere. Sure Anderson prevented Sabin from leaving the cage during the main event, but what was Hebner going to do, DQ Bully Ray? Cage matches tend to be super lax on the rules. Roode distracting the ref during the tables match also felt totally illogical because it’s not like Daniels couldn’t just throw an Appletini in someone’s face without costing his friend the match. I guess you can explain it away as “well the ref would’ve tried to stop him and ruin EGO’s plan” but I don’t buy it. Having the refs get continually f*cked over spoke to the overall clusterf*ck nature of the show which didn’t leave a good taste in my mouth. Also I’ve used that phrase too much already but I’m a terrible writer so deal with it.

Overall Show Thoughts

  • I was far harsher on HardCORE Justice last night via 411 and Twitter, but having time to sleep on it I’ve realized that the show was much better than my original reaction. Was it great? Of course not (too many screwy things going on and too much emphasis on things I personally don’t care for) but it still had a tremendous opening match, a solid main event (wrestling-wise) and a shockingly good outing from Rampage on the mic. Plus Bobby Roode is now #2 in the BFG Series and Bully Ray is champion once again and I can’t thumb my nose at those things. The bad stuff was enough to depress me at the end of the show but overall, now that I’ve looked at it piece by piece, it wasn’t terrible. I’d suggest checking it out.

—–

Follow PW Update on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or follow Jon on Twitter for all of your pro wrestling needs, wants, and desires. Okay probably none of those things but follow along anyway.

2013
08/16
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS
























Leave a comment

TNA ‘IMPACT Wrestling’ 8/8/13 Results + Notes – Angle/Sabin Vs. Team 3D, Mr. Anderson on Commentary, Tito Ortiz Breaks His Silence

impact-wrestling-generic

Venue: Kay Yeager Coliseum (Wichita Falls, TX)

Commentators: Jeremy Borash, Taz, & Mr. Anderson

One week before their steel cage showdown at the HardCORE Justice special, TNA World Champion Chris Sabin and Bully Ray met to make it official via contract signing…and Brooke Hogan was on hand to add a special stipulation to the match. And after his reveal as the August 1st Warning last week, MMA legend Tito Ortiz broke his silence and addressed the TNA faithful. The BFG Series also rolled on with current scoreboard leader Magnus taking on Mr. Anderson, Bad Influence teammates Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian squaring off, and Jeff Hardy going one on one with The Main Event Mafia’s Samoa Joe.

Read on for results and notes from the show, courtesy of James Caldwell‘s detailed analysis over at PWTorch.

Match Results

  1. BFG Series Match: Jeff Hardy pinned Samoa Joe to earn 7 points in the BFG Series after Mr. Anderson distracted Joe at ringside (12:01).
  2. BFG Series Match: Mr. Anderson defeated Magnus by DQ when Bobby Roode interfered and hit Anderson with a chair (6:36); Anderson earns 3 points for the DQ win while Magnus loses 10 points for being DQed.
  3. ODB & *TNA World Tag Team Champions* James Storm & Gunner defeated *TNA Knockouts Champion* Mickie James & The BroMANS (Robbie E & Jessie Godderz) when Gunner pinned Godderz (4:17); Gail Kim came out and tried to brawl with ODB afterwards, but the refs held her back allowing James to blindside ODB instead. James high-fived Kim to end this whole segment.
  4. BFG Series Match: Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian fought to an intentional double countout, both earning 2 points in the process (4:02); Bobby Roode came out afterwards and announced all three were teaming up to make sure they made it into the top spots at the end of the BFG Series.
  5. *TNA World Champion* Chris Sabin & Kurt Angle defeated Team 3D (Bully Ray & Devon) when Sabin pinned Ray with a top-rope crossbody (16:41); Sabin celebrated his victory while Ray laid out cold on the mat to end the show.

Storylines/Etc.

  • The trio of Bully Ray, Taz, & Mr. Anderson hijacked the opening of the show, with Taz and Anderson sitting with Jeremy Borash at the announce table. Ray briefly slagged Tito Ortiz then called out Chris Sabin to get this contract signing going. The two exchanged words to hype their match next week until Brooke Hogan made her way out. On behalf of her father, Brooke announced that if Ray didn’t win next week that would be his last shot at the TNA World Title then made some jokes at the expense of Ray’s manhood.
  • Jeremy Borash interviewed Tito Ortiz inside of the ring. Ortiz said he didn’t have the answers to the questions that TNA fans were asking but before he could go into anything of substance out came Kurt Angle who told Ortiz to respect “his” space. Ortiz said he heard Angle loud and clear. Bully Ray then came out to interrupt and threatened Ortiz after introducing himself. Ortiz just took in stride then shook hands with Angle to end the segment.
  • As mentioned earlier, Bobby Roode formed a new alliance with Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) to guarantee that one of them makes into the World Title match at Bound For Glory. Although no name was given to the stable on the show, Daniels has dubbed the group “Extraordinary Gentleman’s Organization (E.G.O.)” on Twitter.

Follow Pro Wrestling Update on Twitter or like us on Facebook to get up to date news and views about the world of pro wrestling. You can also follow Jon on Twitter for actual human interaction.

2013
08/09
POSTED BY
CATEGORY
Results/Reviews
TNA
TV Reports
TAGS





























Leave a comment