The SmarK Rant for TNA Impact – 10.11.12
Well, we’re at the go-home show for Bound For Glory, and I’m kinda not caring about the PPV. Hope this can change that.
James Storm v. Austin Aries
This seems like kind of a huge potential PPV payday to give away on TV like this. They work off a headlock and Storm armdrags Aries out of the ring, but he comes back before walking into a big boot. Aries tosses Storm and he skins the cat back in, but misses a dive. Aries doesn’t miss his. Neckbreaker through the ropes gets two. Storm makes the comeback, but misses a blind charge. They exchange some great chops in the corner and Aries gets a low dropkick for two. Storm pounds away in the corner, but so does Aries, and Storm fight him off with a Russian legsweep. They slug it out and Storm tries the helicopter slam, but Aries escapes and necks him on the top rope. Missile dropkick whiffs and Storm tries the codebreaker, but Aries blocks it. Storm escapes the brainbuster and they fight over a rollup before both guys collide and are out. And cue the run-in, as Bobby Roode sends Storm into the post behind the ref’s back. Brainbuster finishes at 7:18. Kind of an obvious finish. Match was surprisingly sloppy, especially when they were fighting for the rollup in the finishing sequence, but it was otherwise good. **3/4
Meanwhile, AJ Styles thinks that Kurt Angle doesn’t have his head in the right place for the PPV. Oh, and Wes Brisco is going to be there as Angle’s guest.
Hulk Hogan and Sting are out to talk about the Aces & Eights situation (maybe it was THEM who leaked the sex tape!), but the World Tag Team Champions of the World interrupt because picking Bully Ray was a stupid decision and everyone knows it. Kaz has a plan: Cancel the tag title match, boot out Bully Ray, and put Kurt Angle into the spot instead. Bully Ray joins us as well and points out that since it won’t be a wrestling match, you don’t want a wrestler out there. And since it’s the wrestling BUSINESS (tm HHH) and not wrestling friendship (tm Bryan & Kane), they don’t need to get along. So Bully proposes himself and Sting against Daniels & Kaz tonight as a warmup, which the crowd goes NUTS for.
AJ Styles v. Hernandez
AJ quickly gains the advantage with an enzuigiri, but misses a charge and gets tossed around by Hernandez. Bearhug follows, but AJ slugs out, so Hernandez clubs him down. AJ with the dropkick to put Hernandez on the floor, and he follows with a dive. Back in, AJ misses a slingshot move, and Hernandez hits him with a shoulderblock for the pin at 3:50?! That was…random. **
Meanwhile, the Leader continues the abuse of Joseph Park and cuts a promo on Hogan.
Zema Ion is out to complain that he has no match for the PPV, so Rob Van Dam shows up to challenge him. Ion hides behind the belt, so RVD kicks it in his face. Good, hopefully they change the title there because RVD is at least a more interesting choice.
Meanwhile, Hogan still doesn’t trust Bully, but Bully points out that he’s never conned anyone. Sting stops just short of saying “If you swerve me I’ll leave you for dead” but you could tell he wanted to.
Meanwhile, Tara continues annoying Brooke Hogan. I’m never gonna be able to see her answering a cell phone without getting weirded out from now on.
Christopher Daniels & Kazarian v. Sting & Bully Ray
Bully pounds on Daniels in the corner and works on the arm, then leads the crowd in a cheer for Sting before tagging him in. Sting with a clothesline for two, and Kazarian comes in for more of the same as the babyfaces double-team him. Bully with a backdrop suplex for two. Sting with a suplex for two. Bully with his own massive suplex, which sets up the Stinger splash. Another one misses, however, and Daniels posts Sting to make him Heath-in-peril. Daniels lays the beatdown in the corner and the champs take turns with slingshot moves, as Kaz gets two. Kazarian holds a straightjacket, but Sting elbows out before running into a spinkick. Daniels boots him down for two. Finally it’s the hot tag to Bully and the crowd is nuts for it. Fallaway slam on Daniels gets two and it’s BONZO GONZO as Sting tosses Kazarian out. Bully boots the belt out of Daniels’s hands and we get the MEGAPOWER HANDSHAKE from the babyfaces, so you know you can trust Bully. Sting even tells him to get the tables. Bully’s a little confused about being a babyface again, but he obliges, and Daniels takes a ride on the pine for the DQ at 9:48. The fans are actually MAD about that. Well shit, he powerbombed the guy through a table in the middle of the ring, what did they expect? Really fun match. ***1/2
Meanwhile, Magnus and Samoa Joe threaten to get into a fight backstage, but Magnus wants to wait for millions of people to see it on PPV. He’s in for a long wait. Good promo here from Magnus.
Miss Tessmacher v. Gail Kim
Gail attacks to start, but Tess takes her down with a headscissors and sends her to the floor. Gail necksnaps her for two to take over, and chokes her out on the ropes. Clothesline on the ropes gets two. FLYING BODY ATTACK in the corner, but Tess slugs back, so Kim rubs her ass in Tessmacher’s face. That annoys Tessmacher enough to make the comeback with a neckbreaker, and she goes up. Gail brings her down, but Tess gets a crucifix for two. Gail blocks a rana with a powerbomb and goes up, but Tess moves and makes another comeback. Front suplex finishes at 5:21. And then Tara attacks and lays her out, but Tess gets the last laugh to set up the PPV match. Champ wins clean in a good match, challenger attacks, champ stands tall to end it. All good. **1/2
Meanwhile, a pissed off James Storm interrupts a Bobby Roode promo and they threaten each other until King Mo breaks it up.
Bobby Roode v. Jeff Hardy
Roode attacks during Hardy’s entrance, but really it’s Hardy’s own fault for painting eyeballs on his eyelids. If you’re gonna walk down to the ring with your eyes closed, you deserve what you get. Roode pounds away to start, but Hardy quickly comes back with an atomic drop and low dropkick for two. Backdrop out of the corner and he clotheslines Roode out of the ring and follows with a dive. Back in and Hardy pounds away in the corner, but Roode clotheslines him and drops an elbow to regain control. Hardy gets tossed and they fight on the floor, with Hardy getting a suplex out there. We take a break and return with Roode holding a neck vice before they head out to the floor again. Hardy meets the stairs, and back in a neckbreaker gets two for Roode. Hardy tries to escape, so Roode catches him with a sleeper. Only two drops of the arm, however, and Hardy fights back, but Roode hangs on. Finally Hardy runs him into the corner to break, and comes back with the Whisper. I don’t know how Roode didn’t break his neck on that bump, because he ended up in totally the wrong position to catch him. Hardy with the spinkick for two. Yodelling splash gets two. Roode catches him with a spinebuster for two. They fight to the top and Roode wants the superplex, but Hardy puts him down, then misses the swanton. Roode spears him for two. Hardy reverses the fisherman’s suplex into the Twist of Fate, but Roode blocks a second one with a low blow for the DQ at 16:47. ***1/2
Austin Aries comes out and TEARS UP THE SCRIPT after the match, because he’s SHOOTING, BROTHER. Oh lord. He’s not actually jealous of Hardy’s rap sheet, but he’s jealous of Hardy getting special treatment while he gets shafted out of a new entrance and music. Aries asks him to leave so he can bask in his glory, but then he attacks Hardy and gives him the brainbuster on the belt instead. Well there’s your heel turn and probably title change on Sunday. The promo was a bit CM Punk-lite, but hopefully THIS company will actually have a payoff for it.
The Pulse
Good wrestling, good hard sell for the PPV, no Aces & Eights outside of one segment = a much improved show over last week. I’ll probably get Bound For Glory if I’m home, but no promises.
