Impact
Wrestling
Date:
August 29, 2013
Location:
Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators:
Mike Tenay, Tazz
The
news of the week is the BFG Series is wrapping up tonight before the
September 12 No Surrender special. Apparently six weeks isn't long
enough to have 66 matches and amazingly enough, TNA didn't catch on
to that idea. Other than that we have Hogan for the first time in
about a month tonight, though I don't think a lot of people noticed
he was gone. Let's get to it.
We
open with a recap of last week's events as is customary.
Here
are the Aces to get things going. Ray talks about how D-Von is no
longer here with them after losing the fall last week. He wants some
answers from the club about what happened last week. Bischoff
doesn't know but he's just as mad as Ray is. Knux was on the floor
fighting Magnus and Rampage which satisfies Ray. Brisco doesn't know
what happened. Anderson doesn't know either but D-Von knew what the
consequences were and it was a disappointment.
Ray
goes on a rant against D-Von, saying he was always the sidekick and
that Ray never needed him, either before or ever in the future. All
Ray needs is Tito Ortiz and he's going to give Tito his own cut
tonight. Anderson FREAKS, saying that Ray doesn't have the right to
do this without putting it to a vote. Ray says get in line before
Ray puts him in line and demands Brooke get out here now. Anderson
keeps freaking out as Ray puts the cut on Ortiz. Ray pulls off the
D-Von patch to really rub it in Anderson's face. Bully yells at Hulk
a bit and says this Brooke is the only one that ever mattered to him.
Jeff
Hardy is ready to face Kazarian to get into the BFG Series finals.
Hulk
Hogan arrives.
Here
are the BFG Series standings coming into tonight.
1.
Magnus – 39
2.
Bobby Roode – 34
3.
Christopher Daniels – 30
4.
Austin Aries – 28
5.
Samoa Joe – 26
6.
Mr. Anderson – 24
6.
Jeff Hardy – 24
8.
AJ Styles – 22
8.
Kazarian – 22
10.
Joseph Park – 17
11.
Hernandez – 7
11.
Jay Bradley – 7
Remember
only the top 4 advance.
Bound
For Glory Series: Kazarian vs. Jeff Hardy
They
trade quick near falls to start before Jeff sends him to the floor
for a clothesline off the apron. Back in and Jeff can't hit the
Twist of Fate, getting crotched on the ropes out of the corner
instead. Kaz does Hardy's dance and stomps away before getting two
off a leg lariat. Off to a chinlock on Hardy which makes sense here
given the need for points.
A
knee drop gets two on Hardy but he comes back with the sitout front
suplex. Jeff hits the legdrop between the legs and there's a bad
looking figure four of all things. A rope is grabbed and Kaz gets a
quick two each off a backslide and a bicycle kick to the face. Jeff
comes right back with the Twist of Fate and the Swanton is good for
the pin and seven points at 6:12.
Rating:
C. Nice little match here as
Kaz continues to be solid in the ring. Hardy is one of those guys
you almost have to have in the main event scene due to his history
and continued popularity. As usual, the solution to some not very
interesting stories is having good wrestling like this.
That
puts Hardy at 31 points and into third place.
Aces
and 8's are mad at Bully and are talking about impeachment.
Gail
Kim vs. ODB
This
is 2/3 falls and for a future shot at Mickie James. Gail jumps her
to start but gets tossed into the corner for her efforts. A delayed
vertical suplex gets two on Gail but ODB tries to jump over her in
the corner, only to get dropped down onto the knee. Kim stays on the
knee by ramming it into the steps. She hooks a cross between a
Sharpshooter and a Texas Cloverleaf, good for the submission from ODB
at 3:06.
The
second fall starts after a break with Gail still on the leg. Gail is
pulled away by the referee, allowing ODB to hook a small package for
the second fall at 8:45 total. Kim stays on the leg but ODB
clotheslines her down for two more. The knee gives out on a Bam
attempt though and Gail wraps ODB's leg around her own neck. Gail
can't hit Eat Defeat and gets caught in the same hold she won the
first fall with for the submission and the win for ODB at 12:43
total.
Rating:
D+. Total lack of psychology on
the third fall aside, this did nothing for me. ODB is a one joke
character who stopped being funny a LONG time ago. This division is
dying for some new talent but they're content to have four girls
fight for months at a time with no one new coming in.
Velvet
has a surprise for us. She was supposed to be at Hardcore Justice
but had some personal issues to deal with. Velvet mentions that she
and Sabin are together but won't go further than that.
Daniels
is freaking out that EGO is in trouble in the BFG Series. Roode says
calm down because all they have to do is beat Aries and Styles
tonight.
Aries
says he'll count on himself to get to the BFG Series finals. He
doesn't know why Styles did what he did last week but Daniels comes
in to yell at him for not accepting EGO's offer. Aries threatens to
smack Daniels so hard he'll start growing hair again.
Hulk
doesn't want to answer questions but he has a huge announcement.
We
recap the ten man tag from last week.
Here's
the Mafia (minus the Visa issue having Magnus, which I believe has
since been resolved) with something to say. Jackson wants to talk
about Tito jumping him with a hammer two weeks ago. He isn't waiting
for their MMA fight (in Bellator on PPV November 2) because every
chance he gets he's going after Ortiz. Joe says they want to
recognize AJ Styles for what he did last week and invite him to the
ring.
Styles
comes out to the slow theme before changing to Get Ready To Fly. AJ
thanks them for their recognition but says he needs to do this
himself. He says everyone has questions but he has answers. Last
Thursday was a one time thing: he is NOT a member of the Mafia but he
has no problem with them at all. AJ has developed some trust issues
over the last year from being stabbed in the back and having people
air his dirty laundry without his permission. Maybe that's just how
the business works though and maybe he can only trust Allen Jones
(his real name).
He's
with no one and he's changed because his perception of the business
has changed. AJ says he's better than the best in the world but this
is just a job. People know what it's like to have a job that sucks
but why be the nicest guy in the world when you don't love what
you're doing. He shouts at Mike Tenay and Dixie Carter that he
deserves better. Why should he break his back when Dixie is always
looking for the next big thing to come in and save the company? Over
the last year he's wanted to be fired so he could quit, but he's
stayed here and done his job because he has to take care of his
family.
Instead
he came to this ring and started making people tap out but something
started to click in his head. He liked being Dixie's go to guy who
everyone depended on to steal the show. He can still be the best in
the world and he can still be that go to guy. AJ says he's going to
Bound For Glory to become the new world heavyweight champion.
Outstanding promo here with AJ summing up his entire story in just a
few minutes.
Bound
For Glory Series: AJ Styles vs. Bobby Roode
AJ
needs a submission to make the top four. They trade arm locks to
start and AJ goes for a quick Calf Killer, only to send Roode to the
floor. Back in and we get the drop down from AJ but Roode holds the
ropes to avoid the dropkick. AJ sends him into the ropes again and
now the dropkick sends Roode to the outside. Styles dives to the
floor to take Roode out before hooking a reverse chinlock back
inside. Roode comes back with a spinebuster and cranks on AJ's arms
for a lame submission attempt.
Styles
drills him in the face and clotheslines Roode down before hitting a
top rope Lionsault. AJ pulls up at one because he needs the
submission and drops Roode with the Pele. The springboard forearm is
countered into the Crossface but AJ gets his feet into the ropes.
Roode puts it back on in the middle of the ring but AJ rolls out and
puts on the Calf Killer, only to have Bobby make the rope. Roode
kicks off a figure four but his fisherman's suplex is countered into
a small package for the pin at 7:12.
Rating:
B. I was really liking this
match with the psychology working very well. Styles won on instinct
and looked dejected after pinning Roode. Roode can work well when he
has a good opponent like Styles in there and this was no exception.
Very good match here due to the solid psychology but the work made it
even better.
Hogan
is going to talk after the main event.
Bound
For Glory Series: Austin Aries vs. Christopher Daniels
Daniels
takes him down to start but Aries jumps over him in the corner and
rakes Daniels' back. They hit the mat off an Aries armdrag followed
by a hard dropkick to the face for two. Back up and Daniels sends
him to the floor, only to miss a slingshot moonsault. Daniels blocks
the suicide dive with a knee to the head and we take a break. Back
with Daniels getting two off what appeared to be a moonsault and
hooking a chinlock.
Aries
escapes an abdominal stretch and they clothesline each other. Austin
fires off left hands in the corner and brings back the pendulum elbow
for two. Daniels is sent to the floor and now the suicide dive
connects for Aries. Back in and Aries misses a dive off the top,
allowing Daniels to hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Aries comes
back with a missile dropkick and a running dropkick in the corner.
Daniels counters the brainbuster in the Last Rites (Cross Rhodes) for
two. Back up and they slug it out with Aries hitting a quick running
dropkick and the brainbuster gets him seven points at 11:15.
Rating:
B. Another very fun match here
with Daniels hanging in there with Aries move for move. The win puts
Aries into the final four which is probably the right idea, though
I'm not sure where they're going with AJ giving a big impassioned
speech and then having him finish in the middle of the pack. Good
match here though which is a nice theme tonight.
Here
are the final standings:
1.
Magnus – 39
2.
Austin Aries – 35
3.
Bobby Roode – 34
4.
Jeff Hardy – 31
5.
Christopher Daniels – 30
6.
AJ Styles – 29
7.
Samoa Joe – 26
8.
Mr. Anderson – 24
9.
Kazarian – 22
10.
Joseph Park – 17
11.
Hernandez – 7
11.
Jay Bradley – 7
Ray
says he needs Ortiz's help with Hogan tonight.
Here's
Hogan for his latest HUGE announcement. He praises Cleveland before
talking about the BFG Series. See, in his meetings with network
executives, he decided there's going to be a gauntlet match next week
for 20 more points. Hogan has another piece of business to tend to
but here are Ray and Brooke to interrupt. Hogan cuts them off and
pulls out some divorce papers for Ray to sign.
Ray
kicks them away and brags about using Brooke (Hogan) to get where he
is today. Hogan asks Ray if he knows who he is. In two weeks at No
Surrender, it's going to be Ray defending against a member of Aces
and 8's. Ray says no but Hogan says yes he is. Hogan says Ray is
defending this week (I guess he meant next week) as well
against.....Sting. You know, the guy who lost at Slammiversary so he
would NEVER get another title shot. Sting beats Ray down to end the
show.
Overall
Rating: B-. This is what TNA is
capable of when they cut out a lot of the stupid angles and focus on
the in ring action instead of trying to out drama the WWE. You get a
fun show that flew by and sets up future events. The impending
implosion of the Aces and 8's is a breath of fresh air around here as
it's been going on WAY too long already. Good, fun show this week,
assuming you don't mind rules being made up on the fly.
Results
Jeff
Hardy b. Kazarian – Swanton Bomb
ODB
b. Gail Kim – Texas Cloverleaf
AJ
Styles b. Bobby Roode – Small Package
Austin
Aries b. Christopher Daniels – Brainbuster
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