Reviewing the 8/4/11 episode of IMPACT WRESTLING…
1. Nice little match between Knockouts Madison Rayne and Miss Tessmacher. They showed off both of their sexually explicit maneuvers as well as set a backdrop for Mickie, who was serving on commentary to be attacked by both Angelina Love and Winter after the match, who the latter is facing Mickie at Hardcore Justice this Sunday.
2. It’s really hard to change the perception of somebody as a lower card singles wrestler, especially when they spend a lot of the time being relegated to X-Plosion and when they’ve been in tag teams most of their career, but while my perception of Devon hasn’t elevated greatly, he has got himself into a lot better shape since the Bound For Glory tournament started and has performed well on the mic with his storyline with Pope and is working hard in the ring. I’m not buying he can beat AJ Styles, but they did their best to sell that Daniels coming down distracted AJ. I’m guessing it’s a challenge Daniels threw out to AJ. Of course he could have always said he came down to ringside to counter the Pope’s influence who yet again, came down to ringside and positioned himself with Devon’s sons and daught…er Devon’s wife. The two will face off at Hardcore Justice, The Pope vs. Devon for BFG points and to possibly settle or elevate their feud. We’ll see.
3. I didn’t think I’d say this, but after Samoa Joe hit rock bottom with his DQ loss to the Pope(zoning out in Undertaker fashion as he originally won with the Kokina Clutch until he was DQed for not releasing it), they did it in such a way that from this point, Samoa Joe should be a rampaging monster that should just be annihilating people. If the goal was to light a fire underneath the Samoa Joe character, I truly hope this is it and TNA can capitalize on Samoa Joe’s potential to help their program. It is frustrating as a fan and weekly writer to see talent so blatantly wasted when Joe can bring a lot to the match quality of the show. This is a man that was standing toe to toe with Kurt Angle a few years back, for pete’s sake.
4. If I was going to knock her nuances in the past, I have to give Christy Hemme this week for being a lot more crisp and her announcing didn’t detract from the product this week. Speaking of nice touches involving Christy Hemme, I even liked how they showed the Beer Money correction taking place both in the segments with just Robert Roode and James Storm in the back with them agreeing to it and at ringside before the match checking with the ref, changing the match and actually getting the authority to make it official with Christy announcing it. It made it look less planned/contrived the way they did it. Well done.
5. For a man that supposedly had a very hurt back, James Storm was sure pounding that mat pretty hard in support of Robert Roode. I half expected for it to be revealed after the match that Storm wasn’t as hurt after all. Seeing how strange his injury took place in the beginning of the show brawl with Fortune and Immortal, it wouldn’t have surprised me for more to be teased there.
6. Speaking of injuries of a more legit kind, I give TNA credit for still providing roles for their injured competitors. It would be really easy to let Morgan sit at home and recuperate rather than give him an announce position during Bound For Glory matches that don’t really need his commentary. The same goes for the unfortunate face paralysis of Sarita that makes her look more like a female member of Demolition now rather than a person that belongs in Mexican America. Kudos to TNA here for still keeping them relevant or a part of the show.
7. Lines of the Night:
a. Regarding Sting
Taz– “I’ve never seen a guy wear facepaint and sunglasses at the same time on the same show. That’s pretty funny.”
And odd. Thank you Taz for saying it so I didn’t have to.
b. On the two title combatants mutual show of respect during the contract signing for this Sunday’s PPV
Sting– “Nobody does a moonsault off a 20 ft. cage and lives to tell about it unless your name is Kurt Angle.”
8. Match of the Night
Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley
Excellent match up that proves that this Sunday’s match up may be even better with a lot more at stake. They did seem to have very good chemistry and it was fast paced and entertaining. Aries found a way to distract the ref and cheat to win as well, but it was very clever and well done. Kendrick came down during the post match beatdown of Shelley, but Aries high tailed it out of there, hilariously remembering to grab his boa on his way out. The BFG tag match was okay for what it was as was the hardcore street fight with Roode vs. Hernandez. TNA did a nice touch with replaying the Kurt Angle vs. Sting 2009 Empty Arena match up interspersed with shots of Angle in the production room with Jeremy Borash also on commentary. Some of those shots you could feel as Angle flew over hitting his leg on the chairs and dropping off the side of the bleachers.
9. Final Show Thoughts:
Thumbs up trend for me is when Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are either off the show or kept to a very reduced role. No Hogan or Bischoff and very little Jarrett family except for the exposure kept to the beginning segment that officially set up Bully Ray vs. Anderson for this Sunday. Warms my heart. More importantly, TNA finished the go-home show for Hardcore Justice precisely how I’d want to see the title match hyped. There was no bad blood to be built with current babyfaces Kurt Angle and Sting. This was about being the best, having the credentials and position to draw from strength and bragging rights as well. Sting’s Insane Icon character was dropped for this week(unless you count the sunglasses over facepaint look) as Sting explained it early in his retort “suddenly he didn’t feel like laughing” after Angle lavished much earned praise on him and his legacy. Sting did the same. Each stated their position. I want to believe Kurt really bad that this match will be one for the ages and be remembered for all the right reasons as he teased and hyped earlier in the show. I hope to goodness Kurt is right as the match seems ripe to deliver if Kurt can draw one last match like only he could out of the Icon, Sting. Can or Will Sting lose? Positioning would say no, but he is going up against Angle, so win or lose, as a fan I’d expect all the best out of the two of them. I really hope for TNA’s sake they deliver. For more thoughts I plug the Rasslin’ Roundtable this weekend for my and other Pulse stalwarts’ match predictions for Hardcore Justice hosted by the Pulse’s own Kelly Floyd.
10. IMPACT PLAYERS of the WEEK:Â
Kurt Angle, Sting, Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, Samoa Joe
Kurt Angle and Sting delivered in their contract signing, Aries and Shelley delivered in their match, Joe even in a losing DQ effort actually seemed to break out and look legitimate in doing so, so TNA finally accomplishes what they may have set out to do with him here this week even though he is at -10 points. One has to expect a whole new vicious side of Joe to emerge now or they lose this momentum.
That is all.
M.C. Brown
You can find me on Twitter as
ShocXwavE
