Preview: TNA Genesis 2013

X Division #1 Contender Match

Kenny King vs Christian York

For the past two weeks, TNA have held what can loosely be called a tournament to decide the new number one contender to Rob Van Dam's X Division Championship. Christian York advanced first by defeating Kid Kash two weeks ago on Impact. I wasn't at all impressed by York's performance, which was blighted by a series of noticeable botches. For the most part, it seemed as though Kid Kash was leading him through the match, even when he wasn't on the offense. But, being the latest Gut Check winner, with a series of matches against high profile opponents no less, York was clearly building momentum. In the other tournament bracket, Kenny King decisively defeated former Champion, Zema Ion, in an impressive bout on this past week's Impact. The Ring of Honor import has been turning alot of heads in recent weeks and with a heel turn on the X Division Champion himself, looks to be the surer bet for the title shot later in the night.

Prediction - Kenny King defeats Christian York via pinfall to become the X Division #1 Contender.

TNA Tag Team Championships

Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan vs Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez (c)

In a rematch from Final Resolution last month, Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan take another run at TNA's Tag Team Champions, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. Nothing much has changed since their last encounter, with the challengers far more concerned with sticking it to Impact General Manager, Hulk Hogan, than seriously competing for the belts. As a slight improvement, the two teams have had an increased level of interaction in recent weeks, as opposed to last month, where they barely saw each other at all. I'm still not impressed with the partnership of Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez, as it's always struck me as lazy booking "Hey, I know, let's put the two Mexican guys together!". It's not that they don't click together, as they've had some satisfactory displays against multiple tag teams. It's that they're another incarnation of Mexican America, who were a copy of the Latin American Xchange. Frankly, Hernandez must be sick of being teamed with a random Mexican and playing up racial stereotypes over and over again. So far, as Tag Team Champions, we've watched Chavo and Hernandez defeat the likes of AJ Styles & Kurt Angle, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian and the current challengers, Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan. While these are impressive victories on paper, our enjoyment of the team has been paper thin. They've had the belts for months upon months and it's not as though the division is catching fire as a result. Maybe it's time for a change.

Prediction - Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan defeat Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez to become the NEW TNA Tag Team Champions.

Knockouts Gauntlet #1 Contender Match

Gail Kim vs ODB vs Miss Tessmacher vs Mickie James vs Velvet Sky

In a rare exception, the Knockouts Champion, Tara, appears to have been given the night off. Instead of a title defense, five of the biggest names in women's wrestling battle it out for the opportunity to become number one contender. All involved have held the title at one time or another and have frequently jockeyed for fresh opportunities. Unfortunately, none of them stand out from the pack at the moment, with poor booking have sunk their previous assaults. It's quite literally a toss up as to who will win the next title shot. Mickie James and Velvet Sky have the most momentum, having come off simultaneous returns. As Mickie took the spotlight for the past couple of months, I say it's Velvet's turn at bat. She's the hottest act in the division (both metaphorically and literally) and it's about time she rose to the prominence she deserves.

Prediction - Velvet Sky wins the Gauntlet to become the new Knockouts Championship #1 Contender.

Joseph Park vs Devon

While this match could literally have been made with any member of Aces & Eights in mind, Joseph Park's journey towards becoming a professional wrestler has been months in the making. Beginning in the run up to Bound for Glory, Joseph Park claimed to have vital information about the biker group, necessitating his immediate capture and month long imprisonment. Since his release, Joseph has been petitioning Impact General Manager, Hulk Hogan, for matches at every opportunity. Wishing to put his "legal career" to one side, he has business to take care of in the Impact Zone and he's not leaving until it's done. To this end, he's been training at TNA's developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, eventually coming to impress head trainer Danny Davis. The one wildcard in the match will be Joseph's tendency of going wild at the sight of his own blood. Should Devon push things one step too far and bust the giant open, he may as well be jumping into the nearest Abyss! With several Aces & Eights matches on the card tonight, I see one victory and one loss, to keep the scales even and the faces chasing the heels. Both Sting and Joseph Park are freshly returned to the Impact Wrestling roster, but where Sting can take the loss, we're still teasing the evolution of Park. It'd be far more entertaining to see the lawyer snap once again and defeat Devon whilst "blacked out".

Prediction - Joseph Park defeats Devon via pinfall.

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels vs "The Cowboy" James Storm

Both of these men are in the prime of their careers and well within their rights to be focused upon the World Heavyweight Championship. But due to an inflated roster of main event stars, the Cowboy and the Fallen Angel have been mired in somewhat of a holding pattern of late. They're giving 100% and having the best matches of their lives, yet because it's off in mid-card obscurity, it's almost as if it's not happening at all. Since losing his last title shot to Bobby Roode in an unfortunate gamble several months ago, James Storm has stepped into AJ Styles' shoes somewhat and picked up where he left off with Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian's Bad Influence. Taking exception to the former World Tag Team Champions of the World (not redundant) and their flagrant disrespect, Storm has spent the best part of a month whupping their asses at every opportunity, all the while producing top notch matches that happen to fall just below the Impact Wrestling radar. Both are primed and ready for the main event, but with Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode and no end of legends ready to step into that slot, time is running out. This will undoubtedly be the stealth match of the night, pleasantly surprising everyone, yet nobody will remember it in the morning. I hold these men in the highest regard and it's time TNA pulled the trigger. As for who will win this particular match, I see James Storm getting the feel good win. He has star power, time to shine it up.

Prediction - James Storm defeats Christopher Daniels via pinfall.

Director of Chaos vs Sting

Having been the recipient of beatings from Aces & Eights countless times, even putting him on the shelf twice, Sting is more than due a little dose of revenge. The Director of Chaos was directly responsible for the last injury the Icon sustained, using his hammer to put the Stinger out for a couple of months, minimum. Hints of his return began in late 2012, when a promo video began to run teasing the downfall of an unknown party. These videos were a lovely bit of intrigue, which kept the wrestling community on the edge of it's seat. However, by the time the reveal came, there was a distinct feeling of "oh...it's JUST Sting", TNA having run angles centering around his return once too often. Even the return itself turned out to be somewhat of a damp squib. After all the hints and teases, it was literally just a matter of Sting stomping down to the cage in the centre of the Impact Zone and taking out the entire biker gang single-handed. Being able to take down so many of Aces & Eights in one go, it's no surprise that this past week on Impact, the Icon thoroughly embarrassed the newly unmasked Mike Knox and sent him running for the safety of the pack. While I don't personally view D.O.C. as much of a threat, the group itself is majorly in need of credibility. Having been about as effective as the three stooges, they could do with getting a victory, no matter how tainted, over a legend such as Sting.  I suspect much underhanded behaviour and for Sting to be floored by a foreign object when the referee's back is turned. This conflict is far from over, so it doesn't pay to see the hero triumph just yet. Maybe at Lockdown in March.

Prediction - D.O.C. defeats Sting via pinfall.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Austin Aries vs Jeff Hardy (c) vs Bobby Roode

What to do with an enigma like Jeff Hardy? That's the question I'm sure the bookers of Impact Wrestling have asked for the past several months, ever since he won the World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory. He can't cut promos worth a damn, he's so beaten up his ring style is suffering, just how do they convincingly sell a Jeff Hardy World Title reign? The answers are Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. Wherever the Charisma Enigma lacks, Aries and Roode excel. Take the past few weeks for instance. First came the presentation of the Impact Wrestler of the Year, which because of being a fan vote, you could automatically assume Jeff Hardy was going to win. Aries and Roode, being the savvy gameplayers that they are, saw this coming a mile away and knew the real meat of the segment wasn't in Jeff accepting the award, but in the pair of them bickering over who deserved it more (because let's face, they both deserved it more). Similarly, this week on Impact, the pair cut an absolutely hilarious backstage skit whilst walking to the ring, about whether they should wear their new t-shirts or not. This went on for a fair few minutes and the bickering was pure gold, even continuing during their tag team contest against Hardy and James Storm. They may not be the Champion (yet), but they have cleverly drawn the focus away and back onto themselves. Unfortunately, this strategy has only been somewhat successful, as there isn't a single doubt in my mind as to who will walk out of Genesis as the World Heavyweight Champion and that man is Jeff Hardy. The walking personality vacuum is just too popular. No matter his obvious flaws, the crowd loves him. He's the TNA Champion for a reason. That was why he won the belt at Bound for Glory. That was why he retained it at Turning Point. That was why he retained it at Final Resolution. Genesis is no different. 

Prediction - Jeff Hardy defeats Austin Aries and Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

TNA Turning Point 2012 Preview & Predictions

TNA Television Championship

No DQ

Magnus vs Samoa Joe (c)

In the first Bound for Glory rematch of the night, Magnus once again challenges Samoa Joe for the TNA Television Championship. The feud spans back to their brief stint as Tag Team Champions, but has since taken on a life of it's own. The latest reasoning being Magnus not believing Joe to be a good representative for the Television Championship, seen "the world over". They've fought each other regularly for the past couple of months, but Joe always seems to come out on top via a variety of submission maneuvers. The addition of the No Disqualification stipulation strikes me as the perfect opportunity for Magnus to finally win his first singles title. Look for a weapon or some illegal move to put Joe down for good. Personally, I'd keep Joe's TV title reign going a while yet, to rebuild a little credibility for the much derided Championship, but he's held it a respectable length of time and I could definitely see TNA experimenting with Magnus' viability as a Champion going forward.

Prediction - Magnus defeats Samoa Joe via pinfall to become the NEW TNA Television Champion.

Tara & Jesse vs ODB & Eric Young

This will clearly be the comedy bout of the evening, designed to keep things light and fun. Probably booked either after a despicable heel victory or right before in the main event in order to let the crowd catch their breath. This match will be the epitomy of filler, especially looking at who's involved. In a rare turn, I'd actually prefer the women to carry the majority of this match over the men. Tara and ODB have a nice little feud going, which will most likely lead to a Knockouts Title match down the road, whereas Jesse is as green as they come and EY will be too busy grappling with the referee to care. In recent weeks, I've actually grown to pity ODB, carrying a mixed tag team/marriage, with one partner always absent. I know it's because EY is off filming his nature show, but I'd like to see ODB take her "husband" to task, maybe even kick him to the curb eventually. But not tonight.

Prediction - ODB & Eric Young defeat Tara & Jesse via pinfall.

TNA X Division Championship

Joey Ryan vs Rob Van Dam (c)

In what could be the dark horse bout of the night, this is Joey Ryan's first real opportunity to showcase his talents to the TNA fans. It's not a Gut Check, it's not against a retired trainer, it's not Open Fight Night, this is a fully fledged title shot at a pay per view, so he better be on the top of his game. The feud itself hasn't really gotten going yet (if ever). Ryan has simply targeted RVD and gotten a sly victory over the Champion. What won't work in Ryan's favour is his new associate, Matt Morgan, being banned from ringside for the bout. I'm sure we'll see him after the final bell has rung, but until then Joey is on his own. As for who will come out of Turning Point victorious, this may be a strange opinion to have, but 'Hollywood's Own' may infact have more clout going forward than the legendary RVD. If you think about it, Ryan's coming off a hot angle, he's a rising star, carrying promos and getting infinitely more airtime than Van Dam. It's sad to see TNA play hot-potato with the X Division Championship, but the fact of the matter is RVD doesn't need it. Hell, he's such an afterthought these days, I wouldn't be surprised if TNA wanted to cut him loose and save on his fee. One man's career is winding down, the other's is gearing up. I think it's time for a Mustache Ride.

Prediction - Joey Ryan defeats Rob Van Dam via pinfall to become the NEW TNA X Division Champion.

The Director of Chaos vs Joseph Park

Coming hot on the heels of his month-long imprisonment at the hands of Aces & Eights leading upto Bound for Glory (How did that imprisonment work exactly? I feel sorry for the member that had to take Park to the bathroom!), the naive attorney Joseph Park has requested a match against one of his captors. It just so happens, he's managed to unmask the former Luke Gallows, current Director of Chaos, making his choice of opponent crystal clear. I'm always happy to see Abyss have a match on a card, but in his current non-wrestler persona, it's borderline maddening. I anticipate a solid five minutes of selling a brutal beating at the hands of Doc, with all the usual hardcore tricks finding their way in (even if this is meant to be a straight wrestling match). It'd be easy to feed Joseph Park to the Aces & Eights to establish their credibility somewhat, but I have a sneaking suspicion this will be thematic payback for Park's imprisonment and he'll rightfully get the pin over a very surprised Doc. They'd do well to harken back to Park's mysterious Black Hole Slam he pulled out of nowhere on Bully Ray a few months ago. It'll close the door on the Aces & Eights chapter and further the Abyss conspiracy.

Prediction - Joseph Park defeats The Director of Chaos via pinfall.

TNA Tag Team Championships

Daniels & Kazarian vs Guerrero & Hernandez (c)

In a somewhat sort-of almost rematch from Bound for Glory, Daniels and Kazarian demand their return match for the Tag Team Titles against current Champions, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. However, this time, it will be without the main event magic of AJ Styles and Kurt Angle, which carried the majority of their previous encounters. That's not to say both teams can't stand on their own though, as we saw this very same match last month on Impact Wrestling and the former World Tag Team Champions of the World put in a tremendous effort. While the new Tex-Mex tag team triumphed at the last pay-per-view amidst the frantic confusion of a triple threat match, I don't think their luck will carry them much further. I mostly get the feeling TNA put the Tag Titles on Chavo specifically, in an effort to prove what a big deal he is. After a month of no signs of breaking out, all the while the former Champions are on a massive roll, I can't see reason to justify this continued faith in Chavo. Sure, he's a Guerrero, but he's never going to break out of Eddie's shadow. Leaving the Titles with Tex-Mex, you'll simply have another boring listless tag team ala Mexican American. Whereas the WTTCOTW are setting this division on fire and any longer without their moniker, they run the risk of losing valuable momentum.

Prediction - Daniels & Kazarian defeat Guerrero & Hernandez to become the NEW World Tag Team Champions of the World!

Devon vs Kurt Angle

Having been singled out for an epic beating by Aces & Eights several weeks ago, the Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle, goes in for revenge on the highest profile member unmasked so far (kinda says it all about the story, doesn't it). Where earlier in the night, the victim Joseph Park is sure to get a measure of vengeance, I doubt Kurt Angle will be so lucky. If TNA really want to build the credibility of Aces & Eights as a force to be reckoned with, the best wrestler on the roster is the perfect place to start. If anything, it'll be interesting to see how Devon fares in his highest profile singles match yet. Having already eliminated the Icon, Sting, on this week's Impact Wrestling, Angle's backup is in short supply. Namely, Garret Bischoff and Wes Brisco, two youngsters anyone with a brain cell can see are turncoats in the making. I'm expecting a majorly screwy finish, involving Garret and Wes coming to Angle's aid in the face of Aces & Eights, only for them to floor him from behind and become the latest "patched-in" members of the rebel group. All of this allowing Devon to take advantage for the hollow victory.

Prediction - Devon defeats Kurt Angle via pinfall.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender's Match

Bobby Roode vs James Storm vs AJ Styles

In what could very well be match of the night, the three former Fortune members duke it out for the right to be number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A desired reward indeed, but the real kick to the match will be who takes the pinfall, as whoever loses will be barred from the World Title picture until Bound for Glory 2013 next October. That's ten whole months knowing full well you're not top of the deck, leader of the pack, best of the best. A devastating blow to whomever takes the fall and sure to send them off into a brand new direction for their character. No doubt filled with resentment and hostility. The easiest choice would be Bobby Roode, just coming off of one period where he wasn't allowed to compete for the World Title, would absolutely blow his top to spend the next year on the proverbial bench. However, that wouldn't be very surprising at all and whoever wins the match will simply be fed to Jeff Hardy to continue his reign of terror, so they can't be a genuine threat. My every instinct points towards a continuation of the Roode/Storm feud, but that's gone on a year now and despite five star matches, should probably end. In my opinion, Roode (being the only heel) makes for the best future opponent against Hardy, so he'll get the pin over AJ Styles, who after a solid year of bulls*** angles meant to sully his name, flies into an impotent rage.

Prediction - Bobby Roode defeats James Storm and AJ Styles via pinfall to become the NEW #1 Contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Ladder Match

Austin Aries vs Jeff Hardy (c)

Ladies and gentlemen, your main event of the evening. In a rematch from last month's Bound for Glory, 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' Austin Aries attempts to regain World Heavyweight Championship gold from 'The Charismatic Enigma' Jeff Hardy.

While Aries' title reign over the summer was decidedly muted due to his forced face turn, there's been a decided reawakening in him since his heel turn on Jeff Hardy last month. Like most of the greats in professional wrestling, one gets to the top of the card as a heel, everyone begins to support them (as a sign of respect for their good work) and this unfortunately leads to them losing that "IT factor" which made them popular in the first place. Austin Aries most definitely fell prey to this and has ever since been in the process of rebuilding his credibility. It began shortly before Bound for Glory with Aries' "tearing up the script" promo and subsequent kick to Hardy's balls. In the weeks since, Aries has been on top heel form, getting in the face of the Champion at every turn. Most notably during Hardy's victory celebration, where he brought cookies, balloons and a healthy disdain for whatever that monstrosity is that Hardy calls a custom World Title. Following up on this, Aries went so far as to steal the REAL World Title back, to "keep it safe" (can't say I blame him).

Unfortunately, even with this renewed vigor and spring in Aries step, I don't think it'll be enough to win back the World Heavyweight Championship. In a sane world, Aries would be handed the belt and carry it for years, he's that damn good. However, what he doesn't have is contract negotiations looming i.e. leverage. For months now, Jeff Hardy has been making noise about his contract being up in February and how he wouldn't mind one last big money run in the WWE. Wanting to dissuade their biggest merchandise seller from leaving, you can literally see TNA throwing undeserved accomplishment after undeserved accomplishment at him. First he "wins" the Bound for Glory Series, then the World Heavyweight Championship. What next, the Impact Zone itself? Nothing about the past couple of months has felt like a natural progression for he or his character, merely a desperate plea to make him stay. I mean, look at what Hardy has done with the World Title since he's had it...throw it away and replace it with one of his own visage. Apart from that, bland promo after bland promo that I can sum up in one word "creatuuuuuuures" *sigh*.

Despite the obvious politics in play, I fully expect Austin Aries to go out there and bust his gut putting Hardy over. He'll have to be particularly careful with the ladder in play, as Hardy is renowned for his sloppy ringwork and relying on insane bumps. The last Hardy ladder match I can remember is from Against All Odds 2011 when he took on Mr Anderson for the "Immortal Title" and my god was it a wretched affair. An utter disgrace of a main event. You could probably put it down to Hardy having been in the throws of his latest drug binge, what with his infamous Victory Road performance only a month afterwards, but it still doesn't bode well. The fact of the matter is he's lazy, sloppy and a danger to those around him. I pray for Austin Aries' safety.

Prediction - Jeff Hardy defeats Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Written by Mark Clements

Follow Canned Heat on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canned-Heat/225595667504614

The Future of the TNA Television Title - Is there one?

As many of Devon's Twitter followers may have noticed today, the veteran has parted ways with TNA after his contract negotiations failed to reach an agreement, leaving his Television Championship up for grabs. While I thought his title reign was misplaced and hurt the division more often than not, I'm glad he had this run at "the top" as a singles star. He deserves our respect and I applaud his hard work. However, the big question is - what comes next?

The Television Title has long been neglected by TNA. They occasionally make noise about it being defended weekly on Impact Wrestling and even stick to their guns for a couple of months at a time. But due to whatever reason, they miss a week. That leads to missing another week. And another. Until we haven't seen our Television Champion for just as many weeks as he was defending it. There was a quiet mention of the weekly defense being suspended during the Bound for Glory series, but this put the division right back where it was at the start of the year - showing up solely on pay-per-view against an unannounced opponent. This makes the Championship a chore, not a sought-after accomplishment.

With the news of Devon failing to re-sign and return to defend his title, I suggest a short period of reflection for TNA. The easy way out would be for them to hot-shot a match tonight on Impact Wrestling, making people aware of the situation and putting the title belt onto another indistinguishable midcarder. However, I would implore them to wait a few weeks and think about their next move. As far as the average viewer is concerned, the Television Title is off-air at the moment for a reason. As long as the Bound for Glory series is running, this is a moot situation. Take the two weeks before No Surrender to formulate an honest to god plan for the division and that first show back after the pay-per-view we can begin in earnest.

As for who could possibly take up the mantle of Television Champion, the task is daunting to say the least. Anyone selected for the challenge must be worth putting on television each and every week, guaranteed. Another Devon or Robbie E and the Championship may as well not come back. We'll be right back to where we are now, with the title MIA and treated like dirt when it finally reappears.Whoever steps up has to anchor the division and show the viewers it's worth a damn.

My first candidate would be our current World Heavyweight Champion, Austin Aries. After the events of last week's Impact Wrestling, I have no doubt in my mind that TNA are in the process of stripping Aries of the World Title. It's the exact same play they used back in 2010, when they needed to take the belt off Rob Van Dam. But instead of an outright loss, they came up with some bull about Abyss butchering him with a nailed board. TNA clearly value Austin Aries to a similar degree, but he doesn't fit into their plans for the big pay-per-view coming up, enter Aces & Eight's brutal attack leaving A Double with a "broken arm". Obviously, this angle would require Aries to spend a little while off the air to sell the severity. However, when he returns, I could seriously see the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived holding down the Television Championship for months on end, giving the division the respect it deserves. Aries got where he is today by letting his skill in the ring speak for itself, so what better showcase than guaranteeing him a high profile title match on each and every Impact Wrestling. He became the star of the show doing much the same thing for the X Division, why not the Television Championship.

My second candidate would be, ironically enough, Devon's former tag team partner, Bully Ray. Assuming that Ray hasn't left TNA in the same contract dispute that cost us our current Television Champion, the Bully from Hell's Kitchen would be an obvious choice. For well over a year now, Ray has been producing the best work of his career. It's not a particularly high-brow act, but he's become the quintessential heel of the wrestling business and his effort deserves a reward. Whether he's working with Austin Aries, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode or Abyss, there's little the man can't do. In working as stiff as he does, he seems to bring the best out of every opponent, as they're immediately forced to raise their game and bring the intensity to match. Now imagine that each and every week, as he reigns over an entire division, all to himself. It'd add a whole new air of self-rightiousness to a man that opens every promo with "Do you know who I am?". If the Television Title is suitable for the lesser Dudley, it sure as hell couldn't hurt on the superior.

These are two shining examples of just how easily the division could be turned around under the right man, and it doesn't end there. I could come up with equally plausible reasoning behind Kurt Angle, Ken Anderson, Jeff Hardy, etc. Even if TNA were determined to keep it lower down the proverbial ladder, shock the wrestling world by bringing in Joey Ryan. Have him get the Title on a technicality, all the agents backstage wanting to get rid of him and yet the 87% prevailing in the end. It's that easy. So why aren't TNA making more of this Championship?

Trash Talking: 03/07/12

Going into July and the Destination X event TNA can hold there head up high, despite ratings not showing it the quality of product has been top notch most of the time with some great matches, promos and invasions. 

TNA has done a great job transforming the product in recent months, mainly since Vince Russo has parted ways with the company, for the most part the product feels fresh, this may just be down to the Bound for Glory Series and the X Division Championship tournaments but at the minute the stupid angles seem to have been cut down.

Claire Lynch clogging up TV time 

Unfortunately the amount of good on show highlights the bad, the main culprit being the 'affair' angle between AJ and Dixie Carter, which has been just awful from the start. Daniels and AJ have enough between them to make us want to watch their matches, even if we have seen the pair match up on numerous occasions, but this has been a big fail and a reminder that soap opera remains within the wrestling business.

Another reminder of this is Madison Rayne crushing on a mystery wrestler which is just dragging the Knockouts back into Diva territory by taking away the strong independence the division is known for, there is nothing wrong with pairing wrestlers up, just look at EY and ODB, but don't reduce a former KO Champion to a giggling teenager. 

Joseph Park's character still remains to entertain, but we all know he is Abyss and the sooner this reveal is made the better, hopefully the challenge laid down to Bully Ray on Impact (28/06) will bring about the end of this angle and match where Park's reveals the secret we all know. As much as Abyss has done in TNA the business seems to be at a point where supernatural situations and parts unknown are not needed any more, with more realistic characters such as Aries and Roode taking president which leaves the Abyss character looking dated and more of a throwback to the early TNA years, hopefully the coming weeks will blur old and new although has the damage been done with two separate characters already?

Security? 

Sting remains off air since his beat down on Impact (14/06) by three masked men, although just a tool to take The Icon off TV for a while and get him out of the feud with Roode we are still left with the fact three guys jumped the barriers and no one came to the rescue, no security stopped these men and not one of the wrestlers praising Sting for being the first inductee to the HOF cared that he was being taken out!

The Bound For Glory series is under way and is more structured than last year, whilst annoying that some of the matches have been over in a matter of minutes in typical television matches its good to see random matches that actually matter. Samoa Joe is making up for his poor outing last year with a number of submission victories with the crowd behind, a match with Kurt Angle taking us back to 2007 is on the Destination X card which is making the event a must watch.

Ryan gets in Taz's face

Gut Check continues and is very hit and miss, it is a good way of getting new talent on TV but seen as Alex Silva hasn't actually appeared on Impact since is it worth while? Silva and Taeler Hendrix have both wrestled previously in OVW so were likely on there way to having a shot on Impact at some point anyway.

The highlight of Gut Check so far has been Joey Ryan, since getting turned down in May he has started posting videos on YouTube against TNA and on Impact (28/06) invaded the Gut Check segment holding up a sign saying '87% of people can't be wrong' in reference to the percentage of people who voted for him to get a contract. This work has been the biggest talking point so far and hopefully will launch Ryan who could be this years Austin Aries.

high flying X Division action

With Aries trading in his X Division title for a shot at the Heavyweight Championship the mad scramble to become his replacement has started with independent wrestlers taking part to qualify for a tournament taking place at Destination X. Doug Williams, Kid Kash and Zema Ion get automatic spots in the first round as they are the only people left in the X Division following last years reboot and hopefully Mark Haskins may make an appearance as he to is still on the books. 'The original playa from the Himalaya' Sanjay Dutt returned after three years to book his spot at the ppv as did Rashad Cameron (Sabian). The matches on display on Impact showed the X Division style off and the crowd were lapping it up, it's just a shame that most of these wrestlers such as the losing pair of Rubix (Jigsaw) and Mason Andrews (Scorpio Sky) will likely not be seen in the division again, much like last years fan favourite Jack Evans; if TNA wants the X Division to be a weekly talking point again then these high flyers are the way to go! This week's Impact has some more qualifying matches to look forward to, although no one has been announced it's exciting to see who will come down to the ring!

Hulk Hogan said the TV Title was to be defended every week on Impact, Devon said he was a fighting champion, so where is it?

Finally, this week sees Angelina Love and Shannon Moore leave TNA, both have had great moments in their careers but have recently been given little opportunity to shine, we wish them best in their future endeavours.

Writer: @Robbie_G_CH
Photos by: Lee South and Impact Wrestling (@LeeSouthPhoto) (http://www.facebook.com/ImpactWrestling/photos)

Your Television's Champion, But Is Anyone Watching?

It's been a strange couple of years for TNA's Television Title. Since coming into being as a rebranded Global Title (which before that was a Legends Title) in July 2010, it's value has progressively fallen in viewers' eyes. To the point that it disappeared off our screen's for weeks on end...and nobody noticed. I don't know whether to blame the shoddy booking, those who held the belt or it's long sordid history as the bastard child in TNA's stable of titles.

In the first half of 2012, the Television Title saw sporadic use. Mostly being wheeled out on PPVs (rather than Television) with Robbie E issuing an open challenge to anyone on the roster. This is a major warning sign in itself. When a Champion is ignored for the entire month leading up to a PPV and has to hijack the show to defend his Title, you know you're in trouble. Especially when the only wrestlers in the back who want a shot are Shannon Moore and Devon. What exactly was stopping someone like Kurt Angle was saying "open invitational? sure, I could do with another title".

At the Victory Road PPV in March, Devon defeated Robbie E to win his first ever singles championship in his long and storied career. Some variation of this match has been booked regularly ever since. Whether it be Impact Wrestling, Xplosion or the monthly PPV, Robbie E and Rob Terry have been in near constant contention for the belt, hoping to regain their lost "glory". Not that that's entirely a bad thing. A former Champion wanting a return match for the Title he just lost is a solid booking tactic that's been in use for as long as professional wrestling has existed. What is bad, is that not a single one of these three wrestlers will help the Television Title in the long term or even bring in viewers in the short term.

For years, any TNA fan with two brain cells to rub together has been asking "why isn't the Television Title defended on Television?". Always running a little behind the curve, Hulk Hogan finally cottoned onto this and upon the debut of his grand concept of "Open Fight Night", he also instituted an obvious rule we've all been crying out for - the Television Title MUST be defended every week on Impact Wrestling. Praise the lord, someone finally gets it! Admittedly, we're still stuck in the proverbial quagmire of watching Devon and Robbie E go back and forth most weeks, but we're occasionally seeing new contenders peppered in like Devon's long time sometime ally/sometime rival, Bully Ray. What this weekly spotlight will provide the Television Title with is opportunity. While we have to let Devon's title reign run it's natural course, whoever follows him as the next Television Champion has an unbelievable chance, full of promise. A guaranteed weekly match on an already overbooked show? That TV time is worth it's weight in gold.

However, to maximise the division's chances of truly getting over with the audience, I would make a couple of changes. Most importantly, ditch that belt design. In people's minds it's associated with mediocrity. We don't think "wow, the Television Championship, golly!", no, we think "oh god, not that thing again". For every serious contender to hold the belt, there have been just as many jokes. Nobody tunes in to watch Eric Young stalk Scott Baio or Gunner chew the belt like a dog. That's not even addressing the fact the belt has failed so abismally in the past, it's been renamed...twice. Whatever that belt stands for, it's not our respect.

In closing, while I've been hugely down on the Title and it's Champions in the past, I'm only mad because it shows such promise and could be so much more. Put the right belt on the right wrestler and magic will happen. It did for Rob Van Dam in ECW in the 1990s, what's stopping TNA now...

Bound For Glory? Not These Guys!

The Bound For Glory series is heading to an end with the last of the series' matches being held at No Surrender this Sunday in what turns out to be another round of Immortal Vs Fortune, as Bully Ray takes on James Storm whilst Gunner battles Bobby Roode for the main event position at BFG. 

Now that the BFG series has been whittled down to the final four its the perfect opportunity to look at the other eight competitors and see why they wont be getting a shot at the gold.

12. Samoa Joe

"Joe's gonna kill you" is what is usually associated with Samoa Joe but not in this tournament as he flopped to last place losing all 10 of his matches (well he did win 1 but then the decision was reversed). A disappointing position for the submission machine as he would likely have an excellent match with Angle, but instead he will probably be feuding with Matt Morgan. 

Joe has been underused for sometime now and the only thing to come out of the BFG Series for him is that he has put a few of the competitors on the shelf which has renewed his bad-ass personality and set up a likely feud with Crimson down the line. 

In the short term this works but Joe is getting lost in a sea of main eventers and going from one pointless feud to another, to build him back up as a unstoppable force he should be given a reign with the Television title, defending it week in week out whilst taking scalps as he goes, renewing the form that his undefeated streak generated when he first entered the company and pushing him to main event status possibly in time for next years BFG.

11. The Pope

Probably a favourite to finish last in this series The Pope managed to gather 17 points from 17 matches, which besides Gunner is the most opportunities to get points in the series. 

Mainly focused with Devon and his family The Pope wasn't really to focused with the competition and maybe his place should have been given to someone like Christopher Daniels who would have provided some entertainment along the way rather than just forming a tag team as The Pope's chances of winning this tournament were summed up by the way he lay down for Devon.

Although not a strong showing the team of The Pope and Devon will add some much needed depth to a tag division which has seen its ranks diminish, especially if one of Beer Money are successful in the final four. 

10. Scott Steiner

Another who was unlikely to make the cut, Immortals muscle is useful for bringing in new blood but his time in the main event is well past (although the same could be said for Hogan...) Steiner competed in the least series matches out of everybody which states how little an impact he was going to make. 

Being the one part of Immortal with not a lot to do it is a surprise he hasn't been paired with another wrestler to form a tag team which would again boost the tag division and give Immortal a well rounded feeling rather than a number of singles wrestlers ready to implode on each other for the sake of being champion. 

9. Matt Morgan

It seemed like he would be up there until injury hit out and he became the BFG 'analyst'. Now back Morgan has missed the boat for his title shot and is standing up to Joe's crusade of putting everybody on the injury list.   

Morgan will likely again get his opportunity at the title but when is the key question in what seems like an ever increasing list of wrestlers after that silverware with Mr Anderson and Sting not even included in this series and the returning Jeff Hardy. Either a high profile feud or a drop down to compete for the TV title will keep Morgan fresh and like Joe allow him to build momentum and show fans why he deserves to be champion. 

8. A.J. Styles

Mr. TNA would have been one of the favourites to make the cut but ends up being a lowly eighth and the biggest disappointment in the series. Being apart of Destination X and having issues with Immortal have been a big part of why A.J. has underperformed yet the majority of fans would love to have seen him lock up with Angle at BFG. 

Currently looking likely to be feuding with Daniels its difficult to predict what A.J. will go onto but it can only be a short time before the title is around his waist again as he is the poster boy of the company and is the best promotion of what TNA has to offer. 

7. Brother Devon

Along with The Pope he was probably a favourite to finish last especially after Team 3D split he has had very little to do and his credibility as a singles contender was doubted after so many years tag teaming. Devon was actually a surprise package in this series, minus the storyline with The Pope, Devon came away with credibility as he showed a number of strong singles performances, even taking points of Crimson. 

Although it is doubtful Devon will ever make it into the main event he has shown he can be more than just a tag team wrestler but will fall back into that division with The Pope and give the division more depth for the mean time. 

6. RVD

Another favourite for the cut off who didn't make it, although at one point had enough points to go through and only a few DQ's due to interference from Jerry Lynn cost RVD his chance at regaining the title he never lost.

RVD has had his chances this year at regaining the title but his focus will now be on Lynn, reigniting their long standing feud from their ECW days and giving Van Dam an opponent who will bring the best out of him.

Being one of the companies big draws it is unlikely RVD will be away from the title scene for very long, most likely once Sting has vacated his quest for the title to take up his personal vendetta against Hogan. Ideally matched up against A.J. or another wrestler who compliments his style RVD will be around for a while longer and will still be the whole f'in show. 

5. Crimson

Technically Crimson is the leader of the BFG series with James Storm filling this position but an attack by Samoa Joe has meant the cowboy makes the cut over the rookie. 

Crimson was always going to be top of the leader board due to his undefeated streak since his debut which seems like it is going to rival Joe's in length, but his push has been hard and would have been a bold but wrong move to allow him to have a title shot. 

Whilst still in his debut year Crimson should be pitted against wrestlers to improve his in ring ability and build him up as one for the future, which worked when he was tag teaming with Steiner. Despite looking more at home in a WWE ring it is clear TNA management have faith in Crimson but he has yet to pay his dues within the company, another on this list who could boost the flagging TV title and show fans why they should support him in a quest for the Heavyweight gold.    

The cut off has thrown some surprises with recent tag team champions Beer Money taking two places, especially as Roode was coming in after a shoulder injury and Gunner being pushed up the ranks after previously holding the TV title, it is difficult to predict who will come out with the shot at Angle for the title at BFG.  

'The One'