News: Hulk Hogan still a free agent

Despite reports of Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan re-signing with TNA (after a low-ball offer from WWE), both sides have confirmed that no new deal has been struck, rendering him a free agent.

Last week, TNA had begun running advertisements for Sunday's Bound for Glory pay-per-view, prominently featuring Hogan. However, the company has since pulled any such ads and is moving forward under the impression the Hulkster will not be making an appearance.

Clem's Take: While it's unfortunate to lose such a high profile "talent" days before their biggest pay-per-view of the year (if only from a marketing aspect), recent history indicates Hogan's absence will make no difference to the final buyrate. With TV and PPV revenue falling, I'd actively campaign AGAINST spending so much money on a complete non-factor. If he can't pop a rating by showing up on Impact, people aren't likely to want to pay for the privilege. TNA have dodged a bullet, this week at least.

News: TNA X Division Title gets a makeover

Tonight at TNA's Destination X, the company will be debuting a new look X Division Title belt.

President Dixie Carter revealed on Twitter "Huge showcase for #XDivision tonight on #ImpactLIVE. We'll unveil a new X Title Belt! Follow me for a 1st look before the show @SpikeTV 8 ET"

The former design was surrendered to General Manager Hulk Hogan at the close of last week's Impact Wrestling, with outgoing champion Chris Sabin cashing in his title for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

The new design will debut as X Division stars, past and present, battle it out in a tournament to crown the new champion.

Clem's Take: I don't really see the point in creating a new title belt at this time. The current X Division Championship is a wonderful design and has the legacy of the past decade behind it. If any belt needed a new design, it's the Television Championship. Not knowing if that division is still active, I guess TNA's attention has turned to the next best thing.

UPDATE: The new X Division Championship belt

Review: Impact Wrestling 13/06/2013 Hour 1

Last week's Impact Wrestling ended on the cliffhanger of Brooke Hogan stopping her father from hitting her estranged husband with a hammer, the signature weapon of Bully's own Aces & Eights. For the tens of fans who actually wanted to know what happened next, you'll be going home disappointed. Whatever interest they stirred up, they threw away in a matter of minutes as Hulk Hogan announced he'd sent his daughter home. Apparently, a twenty five year old grown woman can still be grounded!

As you can probably tell, this week's episode didn't get off to the best of starts. Hulk Hogan hit the ring to deliver yet another of his rambling incoherent promos to pop the audience. I know he's the biggest name on the roster, but until he can get his facts straight as to what he's talking about, they should probably keep his segments short and sweet. I dare anyone to comprehend his explanation of the Bound for Glory Series. If we're to take him at his word, it's twelve people definitely going to be at Bound for Glory. That'd be one crowded World Title match!

Thankfully, Jeff Hardy soon appeared to put the aging Hulkster out of his misery. Yes, it was so dire a beginning, I was thankful to see the Charisma Enigma arrive, I was that desperate. Bobby Roode was the eventual highlight of the cold open, reminding everyone that he was the first winner of the Bound for Glory Series and went on to become the longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion in TNA history. Even when faced with the combined might of Aces & Eights, Roode managed to sneak a clothesline from behind on Hardy and leave the arena victorious. I'm skeptical about next week's phone vote to decide who gets to call who out first, as regardless of the result, they'll call each other out anyone. Save those dollars on your phone bill, folks.

Next up was the first match of the evening - Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs James Storm & Gunner. The winner of this Tag Team bout would see both partners entered into the Bound for Glory Series. Given that one team are the Tag Team Champions and will likely have other priorities between now and then, I had a high suspicion Bad Influence would get the nod this time around. As per usual, Daniels & Kaz were on fire, both on the microphone and in the ring. Their pre-match promo making fun of James Storm's entire career revolving around the Tag Team Division was pure gold. I loved the line about him having more partners than Taylor Swift! The two teams had a nice chemistry in the ring and I'd be happy to see them paired back up later in the year, once Bound for Glory is done and dusted. Storm and Gunner were the clear victors, up until Daniels managed to sneak an illegal blow with the title belt, allowing Kaz to make the cover and win them both entry into this year's BFG Series.

In a rare re-appearance of a once undefeated talent, we were greeted with Crimson vs Joseph Park. Still reeling from his defeat at the hands of James Storm at last year's Slammiversary, Crimson cut an impassioned promo, reminding everyone just how long a streak he'd amassed before it was cruelly cut short. I was never a fan of Crimson in his first run with the company, but I'll admit I'm hugely surprised they haven't made more of the man. After damn near winning the first BFG Series single-handed in 2011, TNA simply didn't know what to do with him. They couldn't trust him to headline their biggest show of the year and his undefeated streak was thrown away with such casual disregard, it just goes to show how little it meant in the first place. This week's show would've been an ideal opportunity for him to re-establish himself as a monster in the eyes of the fans. Unfortunately, fate had other plans, seeing him take his second straight loss against the "rookie" Joseph Park with a schoolboy roll-up. Park is clearly their pet project for the moment, rendering Crimson's return little more than a punchline. Losing to the Cowboy was one thing, but it'll be hard to come back from losing to Joseph Park, a joke in himself.

In what has to be a trend, the women of TNA once again knocked it out of the proverbial park with the in-ring confrontation between Velvet Sky and Mickie James. This angle has been simmering in the background for about a month now, with the new Champion James refusing the former Champion Sky, her rematch for the Title. Mickie, being a long-time fan favourite, had been walking a tightrope in recent weeks, refraining from her usual heroics and bordering on heel tactics, but never outright turning. But this week saw a permanent change in ol' Hardcore Country, as she mercilessly beat down Velvet in the center of the ring. I haven't seen a Heel Mickie James since her debut with WWE as Trish Stratus' stalker, in her most notable angle to date. Therefore I'm pleased to see her return to such fertile ground, something she's struggled with in recent years. That's not to ignore Velvet however, who looked absolutely stunning this week. Never have I seen anyone look so good while convulsing in pain. I'm hugely looking forward to the TNA Original's revenge, now that clear battle lines have been drawn in the sand.

Snuck onto the card, almost under the radar, there was a fantastic four way bout in the form of Magnus vs Rob Terry vs Kenny King vs Matt Morgan. With the random combination of men, one couldn't help but think this was thrown together at the last minute to justify another BFG Series entrant. But all four men rose about the throwaway nature of the contest and gave it their all. Most notably, Kenny King, who's cowardly heel tactics were hilarious throughout. These usually involved manipulating Matt Morgan into doing all the dirty work, then sneaking a tag when the big man wasn't looking. Magnus being tagged into the match felt like a big deal, which is sure to go a long way backstage for the Brit. Once Terry and Morgan had basically eliminated themselves, Magnus dominated King with a series of impressive power moves and took the pinfall with surety.

Having teased his reaction to losing at Slammiversary on Twitter, Sting finally appeared at the top of the first hour. Picking up on the fact that no member of the TNA roster ran out to help him when his career was on the line, this sparked a new attitude in Sting. Echoing AJ Styles sentiments about not being able to trust anyone around him, the Icon admires Aces & Eights' teamwork and the notion of having each other's backs. Therefore, the Icon will be looking to assemble a group of his own, a family if you will. Or even...a Mafia. Sting continues to be a master on the mic, selling the idea of a Main Event Mafia reunion with ease. If he wasn't so determined to be an in-ring performer, I'd say make him a manager for talents less able to speak for themselves *cough*RampageJackson*cough*. As for the new Main Event Mafia, I'm genuinely stumped as to who it could be. Kurt Angle would be a good idea, having fronted the former incarnation, and he'll need something to do while he's waiting for Rampage to get his act together. Samoa Joe would be another former member to look at. Beyond that, they're pretty lacking in Main Event for the Mafia. What with Scott Steiner having sued the company, Booker T happily employed across the road and Kevin Nash content to live off his Legends contract (unless Magic Mike was his cash cow...).

Review: Impact Wrestling 06/06/2013

Opening the show this week was the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Bully Ray. He cut a fantastic heel promo celebrating his win against Sting at Slammiversary and claimed TNA had "no more heroes left" for him to face. The crown jewel of this segment being Bully demanding to be put into the Hall of Fame. Which is such a gutsy display of arrogance, I have to applaud him. Unfortunately, he's soon interrupted by a rambling Hulk Hogan, who had a number of big points to announce, yet he fumbled almost every one. His explanation of the main event ladder match was damn near incoherent. Worse still, his over-reliance on cheap pops for fans in the audience was grating to those of us at home.

Our first match of the evening was Chavo Guerrero vs Hernandez for a spot in the Bound for Glory Series starting in two weeks time. Being former Tag Team Champions, there was a pre-existing friendship at work throughout the match. As such, at times Hernandez was pulling his punches, going easy on his partner. However, the same could not be said of Chavo, who was bordering on a heel turn with his tactics. His cockiness as he entered the match was apparent and every hit he landed on Hernandez was full force. The bout became somewhat of a David and Goliath battle, with Chavo attempting to use his speed as a cruiserweight to outwit the giant, but any time Hernandez finally got ahold of the smaller man, the results were devastating. Eventually, Hernandez used his brute strength to roll up Chavo and force a pinfall, which the Guerrero was none too happy about. I was saddened to see him finally relent and shake Hernandez's hand at the end though, as their Tag Team has grown stale and a heel turn could easily see one of their careers revitalised.

Aces & Eights' Sergeant at Arms, Devon, had an eventual night, as he spent the best part of two hours attempting to track down the new Television Champion, Abyss. Determined to win back the Title he lost at Slammiversary, Devon's first port of call was the Champion's "brother" Joseph Park. As per usual, Park was easily overpowered and found himself bloodied by the cowardly bikers, who fled to the back. We periodically got updates as to Devon's search for Abyss, but it rarely intrigued, usually just being he and Mike Knox staring at a door, convinced their target was inside. By the time Abyss finally did jump them, it was putting them (and us) out of our collective misery. With Park switching between identities so frequently and often on the same show, you'd hope the purpose of the angle would've become a little clearer, but it's failing to resolve itself. At least have the Monster and his brother face off against a threat worthy of their attention, something Devon simply is not.

For the second Bound for Glory Series qualifying match of the night, we had Robbie E vs Samoa Joe. I really enjoyed Robbie's pre-match promo, touting his "success" in last year's Series. I downright sniggered at his boasting of having won FIVE WHOLE POINTS! Robbie continues to be a solid comedy midcard act, something that's increasingly hard to pull off convincingly in this day and age, but the Jersey wannabe pulls it off with aplomb. However, as soon as you heard Samoa Joe's music hit the arena, his chances of a repeat performance in this year's Series dropped to absolute zero. The Samoan Submission Machine made quick work of him, locking in his patented rear-naked choke hold for a quick tap-out. Joe is a quality addition to this year's BFG Series, which so far only listing Jay Bradley and Hernandez, is lacking in any big names. Here's hoping a few more heavy-hitters find their way into the back nine.

Quentin "Rampage" Jackson made his TNA debut this week on Impact and we're still waiting to see what all the fuss was about. The MMA giant was guided through a bare-bones promo by Jeremy Borash, but failed to grasp the art of speaking to the crowd, at least in this outing. He started out exceedingly quiet and talked over the audience, giving the segment an awkward feel. But what did work was Kurt Angle's involvement. Upon Jackson mentioning needing to beat the best to be the best, Angle's music hit and the Olympic Gold Medalist made an impressive claim to being that man. The two stared off for a couple of minutes, switching between respect and intimidation. A mix I'm not sure Jackson entirely grasped, instead switching between blank face and flaring his nostrils. We know for a fact that this new acquisition has chops in the ring, but maybe he'd be better suited to having a manager ala Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. Even with months of training to come in OVW, I'm confident that Jackson is in capable hands with Kurt Angle. Who better to guide a rookie through a half decent match than the greatest in-ring talent of the last twenty years.

Look for a measure of revenge against their Slammiversary opponents, we're greeted with Austin Aries, Bobby Roode & Kenny King vs James Storm, Gunner & Chris Sabin. The faces being newly minted Champions, this was always going to be their victory lap, showing it was they that truly deserved the gold. The MVP of the match was Chris Sabin, who was anywhere and everywhere all at once. For a man that just came back from two ACL tears, he sure is fast. At one point, taking out all three of his opponents with a well placed dive over the top rope to the floor. Sabin is well and truly making a solid case for his guaranteed World Championship match in the future. Sold all the more by his winning combination of a devastating spinning DDT followed by his signature Hail Sabin cradle driver.

Switching gears to the Knockouts Division, there was a more than healthy appreciation of what Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell achieved at Slammiversary with their Last Knockout Standing match and rightfully so. Taryn herself appeared only briefly on this show, being congratulated by Brooke Hogan and awkwardly prodding her boss for details of her love life. Way to take a compliment Taryn! Instead, the in-ring portion of the night went to Mickie James vs Taeler Hendrix. A brief backstage segment set up the match, with Velvet attempting to get her rematch for the Knockouts Title, only to be rebuffed in favour of a contender Mickie claimed had been forgotten during Velvet's reign. Sufficed to say, even with the heel tactics, Mickie had a point about Taeler, who has been missing in action for the best part of a year, off plying her craft in the developmental territory of OVW. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Taeler was keen to lock up with the Champion. Unfortunately, her attempts at taking control were universally shot down by James, who despite obnoxiously applauding Taeler's efforts, clearly preferred dominating the rookie. Even with momentum on her side, the Champion resorted to cheap heel tactics to get the win, faking a knee injury before surprising the challenger with a stiff uppercut and kick to the head. Mickie's journey towards being an out and out villain continues, becoming more obvious with every passing match. Just what Velvet Sky will have to do to get the Champion's attention makes for an intriguing element going forward.

Finally came the main event of the evening, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray vs Jeff Hardy in a ladder match. However, not for the Title, but instead the first to claim and use a hammer dangling above the ring. It's a fairly odd stipulation in itself, made all the stranger by Hulk Hogan's mangling of the explanation earlier in the night. Even after having watched the match, I'm not entirely sure who was meant to have won and how. Simply retrieving the hammer didn't seem to have any effect on who won and both men attempted to land blows on the other with the foreign object to little avail. The bout itself was their usual bag of tricks, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the sheer ferocity that Hardy began the began the match, leaping over the top rope to meet his unprepared nemesis and followed it up by damn near flying around the ring. Bully and Hardy have an undeniable chemistry in the ring, having beaten each other with various ladders and other implements over the years. The mark of a good match between the two appears to be an excruciatingly painful shot to Bully Ray's balls, this time coming after he fell into the corner of the ring and Hardy dropkicked the fallen ladder into his opponent's crotch. Unfortunately, TNA's bad habit of non-finishes reared it's ugly head once again and saw both men flee the arena, much to the crowd's annoyance. This was to set up a backstage segment whereby Hulk Hogan was about to hit the ailing Bully Ray with a hammer of his own, but was stopped by his daughter Brooke, who's feelings for the Aces & Eights leader continue to be in question. Sacrificing an otherwise good match for a terrible backstage soap opera which no one could see is simply unacceptable and I'm saddened they'd go that route for what is potentially the blow-off to Bully and Hardy's feud. Nine times out of ten a main event should have an ending, we were unlucky to have to watch that one time.

6 out of 10

Review: Impact Wrestling 16/05/2013

Following last week's surprise return of the long lost Abyss, the Aces & Eights suffered their first real defeat and were out for the Monster's blood. But when their target couldn't be found, they had to settle for the next best thing - Abyss' brother - Joseph Park!

Opening this week's show with a standard Hulk Hogan promo, Impact Wrestling got off to a slow start and struggled to pick up the pace. At first, the Hulkster's focus was squarely on the indecision of AJ Styles. He ran down the Phenomenal One's recent actions in a snarky tone and quicky denounced them with a particularly brutal "who cares". Frankly, with the way the supposed faces are treating AJ, it's no wonder he doesn't want to work with any of them. Both Hogan and Angle have taken such a confrontational attitude, they'd struggle to win their number one fans over.

Attention soon turned to the return of Abyss and just how happy Hogan was to see the Monster once again. Trying to coax him out from the back, his music played, but the General Manager was greeted by none other than Abyss' brother, Joseph Park. The fact these guys are legitimately treating Abyss and Park as separate entities is laughable and just as we think we're back to the gimmick that's worth a damn, TNA sticks us with the tame lawyer with impulse control issues. I could've happily seen the back of Park at this point and welcomed Abyss with open arms. But that'll have to wait for another day, as the promo is quickly interrupted by Devon and D'Lo Brown from Aces & Eights looking for a measure of revenge. Both Park and Devon want to lay into one another, but due to a timely comment from D'Lo, we find ourselves with a main event of Park vs D'Lo instead, with the promise of another match at a later date. I don't understand why Park has to jump through hoops to get what he wants when he has the face General Manager on his side. Surely Hogan could've just made the match both men wanted.

Our first match (of many) came in the form of 'The It Factor' Bobby Roode facing off against Tag Team Champion Chavo Guerrero. It began with a substantial amount of offense on Roode's part, but everything he threw at the Mexican superstar found itself reversed in kind. The leader of the Selfish Generation finally made  some traction once the action spilled outside of the ring, taking advantage of the harsh surroundings. Unfortunately, the match never really clicked or came alive, as the pair seemed oddly mismatched. Roode worked a much slower methodical pace, while Guerrero would spring to life and bounce around the ring with as many high-flying moves as he could muster. The finish came after 'The Cowboy' James Storm entered the ring and spat beer in the face of his former tag team partner, giving Roode the win, but only via disqualification. An unsatisfying ending to an unsatisfying match.

The Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle, continued the Styles-bashing for the evening with a brief in-ring promo. Speaking about how his former friend's indifference and penchant for walking away from confrontations has seriously pissed him off, Angle has arranged a one on one contest between the pair at Slammiversary. This is another one of those unfortunate situations whereby the top face of the company wants to start a fight with someone, but they don't really have a good reason. Styles hasn't actually done anything wrong up until now and even then, most of his actions can be construed as self-defense. I can't exactly blame AJ for wanting to kick Angle in the head. The man was badmouthing him on national television and picking a fight, who wouldn't want to put him in his place. With the late addition of Ken Anderson to the segment, the prospect of Styles being "patched-in" to Aces & Eights was teased for next week, making for a wonderful cliffhanger. I don't for a second believe AJ will end up in the Job Squad that is A&E, but I have to admit it's a brilliant way to build tension between he and his true opponent, Kurt Angle.

Several former Gut Check winners reared their heads this week, returning after numerous months training down in Ohio Valley Wrestling.The lucky winner of Christian York vs Jay Bradley would advance in a four man tournament to determine who gets a spot in this year's Bound for Glory Series. Both men were pushed hard in the first hour of Impact with several video packages hyping their appearance and reminding us just who the hell they are. York has clearly had the better start with the company, boasting matches with Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam, whereas Bradley was forced to rely upon the usual platitudes and cliches of an aspiring wrestler, looking pig ugly whilst doing it. Given their respective momentum of late, I truly expected York to take the spotlight, but Bradley's superior size and devastating array of power moves left the golden boy wanting. The match was nothing to write home about, ending abruptly, with Bradley landing a Boomstick clothesline out of nowhere.

The Knockouts Division suffered some strange editing this week, with ring introductions taking place before five minutes worth of adverts and several more featuring a backstage segment. Thank god the show was taped last week, because there's no way in hell even pretty girls like these can entertain a crowd by doing absolutely nothing for ten minutes at a time. Once Gail Kim and Velvet Sky were allowed to continue, the focus of the match became the Champion's recently injured knee. Sky hit all her signature moves early on, allowing Gail the rest of the match to work on the Beautiful Person's ailing leg. Huge credit goes to Gail for the inventive submission maneuvers she implemented against Sky. Of particular note was a Texas Cloverleaf, which is rare at the best of times, let alone in the Knockouts Division. Equal applause must go to Sky, who sold the worsening injury like a pro. When she tried to run the ropes and collapsed in pain, she crumpled to the floor like she'd just lost the knee entirely. The Champion held on by the skin of her teeth with a last minute surprise roll-up giving her the pinfall. I'll be extremely interested to see where Velvet's injury angle is meant to lead, sure to have been hastened by Gail's usual post-match beating.

The X Division Championship was once again on the line as Kenny King defended his Title against the combined might of Petey Williams and Chris Sabin. In doing so, he often took a backseat to his challengers, allowing them to duke it out in the ring, while he skulked around outside, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Williams once again justified his return to TNA with a stunning performance. His moves having lost none of their pace and are as crisp as the day he began. He's clearly been relegated to being the third wheel of the X Division matches, but with displays such as these, he'll quickly deserve a spotlight of his own. Similarly, Chris Sabin kept up his side of things, offering an insanely quick offense, giving no hint as to his formerly torn ACLs. The only downside was the finish, which saw Kenny King sneak another victory from the jaws of defeat. These triple threat matches, while always entertaining, are falling into a set pattern and becoming a little too predictable for my taste. The format has it's own in-built limitations and the competitors will have to work harder to innovate in the future.

Continuing James Storm's one man mission to be the buzzkill of the entire card, 'The Cowboy' made another appearance at the close of Daniels vs Hernandez. Having an obvious bee in his bonnet about heels being allowed to interfere and cheat, whilst he finds himself reprimanded, Storm distracted 'The Fallen Angel' just as he was about to hit his finishing maneuver, allowing Hernandez to sneak the pinfall. No offense to Storm, as I'm sure he has a point, but this whiny behaviour was extremely unbecoming and left me craving honest to god clean finishes. The match was immediately followed by a promo setting up a four way Tag Team Championship match at Slammiversary. The real intrigue being who Storm will team with to take on Chavo/Hernandez, Daniels/Kazarian and Aries/Roode. Which faces are floundering on the card and are in need of something to do on pay-per-view? I'm stumped. This is probably really obvious and it's going to bug me all the way up until June 2nd.

In our wrestling main event of the evening, we had Dumb vs Dumber, as Aces & Eights' whipping boy D'Lo Brown took on the forever sweating buckets Joseph Park. To D'Lo's credit, he dominated a fair portion of the match, demonstrating a rare agility in the otherwise stocky backstage agent. However, he made a key mistake when he busted Park open in the corner of the ring. Thus the usual process of Park losing his mind kicked in, as the Lawyer jabbed and clotheslined his opponent into oblivion before finally hitting "his brother's" Black Hole Slam for the win. Surprisingly, there was absolutely no interference from the Aces & Eights tonight. They all stayed backstage and refused to come to the aid of their prospective member. D'Lo's losing streak would be funny, if it wasn't so sad.

Last but not least, we had the contract signing for the World Heavyweight Championship match at Slammiversary between Bully Ray and Sting. The supposed press conference was initially hosted by Jeremy Borash, but his presence was deemed unnecessary by the World Champ, who ran him out of the ring like a rat out a door. Little mannerisms such as this, really go a long way towards Bully earning his name. He goes on to boast about having beaten Jeff Hardy in his own specialty match and promises to do much the same to Sting come Slammiversary. One after the other, both Sting and Hogan come out from the back to confront their nemesis. Hogan was there mostly to worry about his make-up laden best friend, however, Sting cut a truly inventive promo offering up suggestions to his opponent as to where they should injure him. The tactic was more than a little terrifying and freaked the hell out of the Bully. This naturally led to the suggestion of the Slammiversary match being changed to a No Holds Barred contest, a Sting staple due to his ever-decreasing move set. But in return, the Bully wanted a stipulation of his own. Should Sting lose, he'd never be able to compete for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship ever again. In a fantastic twist of the proverbial knife, Bully reiterated this was nothing to do with retiring the Icon, this is simply a way to make him suffer. To have him wrestling to the end of his days, knowing he'll never hold the top prize in professional wrestling once more. Pretty ingenious if you ask me. And a fantastic way to exclude Sting from any future main event matches. Because, let's face it, he's ridiculously old at this point and should've been shuffled off long ago. The episode ends with Sting and Bully exchanging blows, each landing their fair share, with no true victor coming out on top. A fitting, if indecisive, close to the show.

This week's Impact Wrestling was packed to the rafters with content and yet never showcased a damn thing. There were six matches in total, each suffering from a short runtime and competitors going through the motions, showing us the same old shtick we had last week and the week before that. Wrestling will always feature a degree of repetition, but I felt as though it was particularly acute in this instance, with most stars running on autopilot. Also, the show failed to adequately follow up on the promise of Abyss from last week's cliffhanger, making proceedings feel hollow at best, time wasted at worst. The high points were the X Division match for pure athleticism and the closing exchange between Sting and Bully Ray for a clear display of passion and intensity. Not a bad episode necessarily, but not a good one either.

6 out of 10

Review: Impact Wrestling 09/05/2013

Since General Manager Hulk Hogan granted Sting a six man tag match against three of Aces & Eights' best, the race has been on to find the Icon his ideal partners. The Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle, made the first decision easy by volunteering. The second spot seemed destined for the recently returned AJ Styles, but the Phenomenal One is out for one person only - himself.

Addressing the issue right off the bat, we arrived in Tupelo to find Sting and Angle making their way to the ring. Cutting impassioned promos about the evil of Aces & Eights, the pair effectively push both the main event tonight and the centerpiece of Slammiversary. Sting was his usual dependable self, while Angle came across as borderline irrational. In calling out AJ Styles once again and forcing the issue, Angle's rash behaviour made the situation ten times worse, leading to the pair exchanging vicious blows on the walkway. Frankly, I don't blame Styles for not wanting to team with Angle if this is the treatment he'd receive. While this is going on, the three members of Aces & Eights scheduled for the main event (Bully Ray, Devon and Mr Anderson) pull off a perfectly timed sneak attack on Sting, planting a rare 3D on the Icon.

Acting almost as a breather after the frantic opener, the Knockouts tag team match of Velvet Sky & Mickie James vs Gail Kim & Tara was a complete change of pace. Literally. No sooner had the four ladies made their way to the ring and the bell had rung, the match was over. It's impossibly short bouts such as this which lead to outbursts in the media *cough*MickieJames*cough*. The country singer found herself dominated by the heel team for the majority of the match, only to make a hot tag to Champion Velvet, who rushed the ring and had the match wrapped up in a matter of seconds. The only redeeming feature of the segment was Gail's post-match beatdown of partner Tara. Seeing the first lady of the Knockouts division snap and try to end the careers of her competitors is hugely intriguing and almost worth sacrificing the match time for. But not entirely.

Finally getting around to the matter of Aces & Eights' D-Lo Brown submitting to Kurt Angle "last week", the band of outlaws are led to the ring by World Heavyweight Champion, Bully Ray. Continuing his impressive body of work on the mic, Bully strips the Vice President of his colours, leaving little chance of redemption for his former right hand man. Neatly leading into D.O.C. vs Magnus, D-Lo must ensure his brother's victory over the British titan. The match itself was treated as entirely throwaway, the first half not even making it to air in favour of commercials. Both men were a few paces off their game and it made for several sloppy maneuvers. The finish came as a visually-impaired Brown cost his own man the match in a refreshing change to the usual Aces & Eights M.O. Sufficed to say, this didn't go down well with the rest of the club, who promptly held D-Lo down for a beating. Bully swore he simply wanted to cave the man's skull in, but the whole thing took on a creepy prison rape vibe. I really don't want to know what happened after they cut away.

Now, in what I would refer to as the TRUE main event of the evening, we have Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian taking on Austin Aries & Bobby Roode for the number one contendership to the Tag Team Championships. I make this very clear, as announcer Christy Hemme didn't have the slightest clue what she was talking about, announcing one team as the other and forgetting another man entirely. Thank god for Austin Aries' covering by bullying her into doing it correctly or I'd say fire her on the spot. As it transpires, the key feature to the match was James Storm acting as referee. Having been bribed with alcohol by both teams and each cheating to their heart's content during the bout, the Cowboy was forever at a loss as to what to do, wanting neither of them to win. The body of the match was fast paced and fun, with equal focus on wowing us and making us laugh. The opening salvo of flips and reversals by Austin Aries and Frankie Kazarian were of particular note. Only to be topped by their double eye-rake, leading to both men retreating to the opposition's corners and tagging the wrong men in. The conflict quickly devolved into a sequence of power moves, until Aries was left the victor. However, not wanting to count the pinfall due to so many despicable tactics, it's superkicks all around, courtesy of James Storm. While I can understand the hero not wanting to make the count for the villain, simply having him leave to his music, with no clear end to the match was confusing and frustrating. Taking into account the resulting backstage assault later in the night, I would hope Storm is itching to find a tag team partner and inject himself into this reinvigorated division.

In somewhat of an unusual move for them, TNA decided to give the X-Division a little bit more attention than usual this week. Not only were there video packages promoting the returns of both Suicide and Chris Sabin, but Kenny King was allowed to walk to the ring and cut an honest to god promo. I can't for the life of me remember the last time this division's competitors were allowed to speak in front of an audience. To the Champion's credit, his promo was downright entertaining. It turns out that not only can these men perform crazy videogame-like moves, but they can talk as well! The bait and switch with King flipping from respectful to snide was predictable, but hard-hitting. The sheer sincerity with which he greeted his challenger Chris Sabin had to have been genuine, otherwise King is a far better actor than I gave him credit for. After the killer insult that was "Frail Sabin", I can't wait to see these two lock-up next week. Poor Petey Williams is nothing but an afterthought.

During the build-up towards the main event, the commentators hyped that in the coming weeks, four lucky former Gut Check winners will be competing in a tournament to win a spot in this year's Bound for Glory Series. While I like the idea on paper of giving these four developmental talents some much needed TV time, everything I have seen of the winners in question has been worryingly weak. Devoting three entire matches of an Impact Wrestling episode to these no-name wannabes is a surefire way to make viewers change the channel. Even worse, it's a dead-cert that the botch-happy Christian York will be the one to take the spot and torture us with many more matches in the near future. Here's an idea, try cutting the dreadlocks off, maybe losing that extra weight will speed you up and let you hit moves when you're supposed to.

As we reached the main event of the evening, the mysterious third man for Team TNA had yet to be named. This left Sting and Angle walking to the ring, with only the vague hope Hulk Hogan would come through backstage, pulling the proverbial rabbit out of a hat. The majority of the bout was fought as a Handicap match. Not that it mattered, as Sting and Angle effectively held their own for the longest time, without any need of a third man. Unfortunately, the numbers game soon worked against them, allowing Aces & Eights to isolate Angle until the final few minutes. Finally making the hot tag to Sting, the Icon looked worryingly old, tired and haggard. His thinning hairline looking outright comical by the time he was going nose to nose with his Slammiversary opponent. When all looked lost and Team 3D were setting up their trademark table in the corner, the third man was finally revealed. It was none other than the Monster, Abyss! Truly shocking me that they'd bring back the gimmick so soon (Joseph Park RIP), Abyss decimated the heels, sending Anderson crashing through the table and hitting a devastating Black Hole Slam on Devon, making the cover soon after. If TNA can maintain the momentum from this return, they may finally light the fire under the character of Abyss that they've always hoped for.

7 out of 10 

Preview: Thursday on IMPACT: Sting, Kurt Angle and ? vs. The Aces and Eights in a Main Event War

Preview Thursday's all-new IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast on SpikeTV at 8/7c as the road to the June "Slammiversary" event continues! IMPACT will be LIVE from Tupelo, Mississippi! If you can't watch all the action on Thursday, make sure to set your DVR!

Not only is Sting back in TNA to fight the Aces and Eights, but "The Icon" will now challenge Bully Ray for the World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary!

The huge main event of Thursday's broadcast will feature Bully Ray, Devon and Mr. Anderson of The Aces and Eights battling Sting, Kurt Angle and a partner to be determined! The question is, while AJ Styles step up and join Sting and Angle in the match? Will Styles end weeks of speculation and choose a side - is he with TNA or The Aces? Don't miss Thursday's main event!

IMPACT will also feature a #1 Contender's Match for the World Tag Team Championship as Bobby Roode and Austin Aries take on Christopher Daniels and Kaz (Bad Influence) - with the winning team earning another shot the gold! An added wrinkle is the special guest referee Cowboy James Storm. There is no love lost between Storm and either team in this match. Will Storm call it down the middle?


All this and much more on Thursday, plus Hulk Hogan, the high-flying X Division stars, the lovely but lethal TNA Knockouts and so much more - LIVE from Tupelo, Mississippi on SpikeTV at 8/7c!

Review: Impact Wrestling 18/04/2013

In our second week emanating from Corpus Christi's American Bank Center, Impact Wrestling begins with a wonderfully-realised recap of the last installment, emphasising just how badly Jeff Hardy had been injured during his Full Metal Mayhem match with Bully Ray. Feels a little soon to be running another Hardy injury angle considering he spent the best part of February "injured" and unable to appear on the UK tapings. However, if they're going down this route again, a nice way to sell the severity.

I was sad to see the show begin with Garret Bischoff and Wes Brisco, even with the Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle to offset the balance. Bischoff and Brisco have proven to be drawing duds and the logic of throwing them out there first is a little mystifying. Even the Corpus Christi crowd agreed with me, when they chanted "you can't wrestle" throughout the match. Angle always feels hugely wasted when attempting to put these two over. I understand the urge to think of the next generation, but these aren't going to be the big money stars of the future. As such, it's fairly appropriate that Angle ran roughshod over the pair of them singlehanded. I particularly enjoyed the double German suplex spot towards the end of the match, showing just how out-matched both of them are. Bischoff did eventually get the pinfall however, after some timely Aces & Eights interference. It's slightly worrying that the faction still needs to cheat to win when they have two legal men in a handicap match. They're never going to be taken seriously as a threat with tainted victories such as this.

Mr Anderson cut a post-match promo on the fallen ranks of TNA. Fake-crying about all the injured is exactly up the Asshole's street and as such cuts the most convincing promo from Aces & Eights in weeks. His obvious talents on the mic dwarf all others in the group, making him the logical mouthpiece, at least behind the leader, Bully Ray. As a former World Champion, Anderson's presence in the group continues to baffle. He seems eminently ready to move on to bigger and better things, but tends to get lost in the shuffle. The subtle digs at AJ Styles over his past month of indecision promise an entertaining feud down the line. Assuming the Phenomenal One doesn't outright join the group himself.

TNA continue to do a nice job of rebuilding the X Division, pushing the upcoming Title match with a poignant backstage video. I laughed out loud at Petey Williams saying the Canadian Destroyer was the key to his offense, only to take it back immediately for fear of his opponent's scouting him ahead of time. Speaking of which, the match itself proved to be a star-making turn for Williams, carrying long stretches all by himself. After hitting said finisher exceptionally early in the match, I was slightly worried that the returning superstar would find himself as somewhat of a one-trick-pony, hitting the Destroyer as his showpiece and then bowing out. Thankfully, Petey had a varied arsenal, which he didn't hesitate to show off. Of particular note was his Sharpshooter on Zema Ion in the closing sequence of the match. I commend any talent who whips out that maneuver. Ion himself stepped up to Williams' challenge, with his own wide array of high-flying moves. The only seeming weak link of the match was the X Division Champion himself, Kenny King. Coming out to horrible new entrance music, the Champ found himself eliminated from the action for the majority of the match. It could simply have been strategy on his part, to let Ion and Williams fight it out before taking advantage, but it felt rather undeserved when he skulked in and stole the win.

On the subject of the X Division, a tweet earlier in the night from TNA President Dixie Carter touted the return of former Champion, Chris Sabin, to the ring, after a year long absence. Largely known for being one half of the Motor City Machine Guns, he suffered the unfortunate fate of returning from an injured knee last year, only to injure the other knee. It'll be fascinating to see how the high-flying star adapts his style in the wake of injuring both knees. He clearly won't be taking the same death-defying bumps that the Division is renowned for, so look for a slightly more thoughtful ground-based move set. Either which way, I'm glad to see him back in the coming weeks.

A distinct non-match next as Aces & Eights proceeded to beat down Magnus on the ramp before his Television Title shot. While I applaud the improved tactics of the group in attacking their opponent before the match, I downright loathe that Devon has escaped yet another TV Title defense. He's had the belt for four months now and I can't remember him defending it once. A problem that looks to be solved later in the night, as Samoa Joe rushed out to make the save for Magnus. A nice touch, as the Submission Machine has long been a mentor to the Brit, the pair even holding the TNA Tag Team Championships for a brief spell. Also, Samoa Joe was the person who Devon defeated all those many months ago to capture the Television Title and he's been aching for revenge ever since.

The Knockouts Number One Contender match between Mickie James and Miss Tessmacher was preceded by a brief video highlighting Velvet Sky's injured knee. Putting such an emphasis on an injury is never a good sign and points towards the Knockouts Champion eventually dropping or relinquishing the belt at the next opportunity. Potentially scuppering yet another of Velvet Sky's Knockouts Title reigns. I'm beginning to think the poor girl is cursed. Whenever she finally wins the Title, she ends up dropping off the radar and ceasing to exist.

As for the match itself, it started off rather fun and flirty, only to descend into a bitchy cat fight. It was always going to be a tough-sell having two faces competing against one another, with another face refereeing and the winner going on the challenge against...you guessed it...another face. What the hell happened to all the heels in the Knockouts Division? Gail, Tara, Madison, they're dropping like flies! There was a nasty looking spot when James was backed against the turnbuckle and neither woman could quite decided whether they were going for a powerbomb on Tessmacher or a faceplant on Mickie. It got even more awkward as Tessmacher hit a prolonged Stinkface on Mickie, but as neither woman was playing it decidedly villainous, frankly I just felt sorry for them both. An absolutely wretched affair, full of botches and I couldn't wait for it to end. Mickie and Tessmacher were either having an off night or have zero chemistry with each other. I'd seriously question the next time anyone wants to book that match again.

In what had to be the verbal highlight of Impact, Daniels & Kazarian faced off with fellow Tag Team and former Champions, Roode & Aries. Bad Influence kicked things off with their infectious enthusiasm, strutting to the ring to advertise their new T-shirts and the upcoming Bad Influence movie starring Morgan Freeman as Dixie Carter, coming soon to theaters near you! Daniels has always been the natural speaker of the pair, but I have to admit, Frankie Kazarian has been coming along in leaps and bounds this past year. And if one duo of sweet talkers wasn't enough, Roode & Aries matched them beat for beat, pun for pun. Infact, so many gems were being thrown back and forth between the two, I'm sure I'll need to re-watch the segment simply to take it all in. While insinuating your opponents are gay isn't a new trick in professional wrestling by any means (if anything, it's kinda low brow), but I'll be damned if Austin Aries didn't make it creative. Eventually, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez made their presence known, but appearing so late in the segment and not being able to match the wit of the other teams, it just went to show how outclassed they truly are, relying on the innovation of others to get themselves over. Ironic that the Champions should be an afterthought in their own division.

Taking one more crack at getting a TV Title defense out of Devon, Samoa Joe finally achieves the impossible and gets the Aces & Eights Sergeant at Arms in the ring! The match starts with an underhanded attack from behind by the Champion, but the sheer power of Joe quick turns the tables, hitting a series of impressively stiff power moves. On the flip side, Devon's offense amounts to little more than rest holds. Unsurprisingly, like every other Aces & Eights match on the card, the rest of the faction swarm the ring, landing a big hit with brass knuckles behind the referee's back, allowing their man to make the cheap cover. I love the idea of factions, but damn do these tactics get old fast. Especially when used so many times within the same show.

Making his long-awaited return to the ring, AJ Styles took on "The Cowboy" James Storm. While I haven't enjoyed the segments leading up to this, with the faces Storm and Hogan, essentially bullying Styles to be on their side, I'll admit I'm hugely intrigued by AJ's new look and demeanor. It's the same basic package as before, but darker and sexier. The beard, the hair, the colourless ring attire. It's like when Luke Skywalker started wearing black in Return of the Jedi. He means business. As reflected in his offense, which feels alot more vicious, calculated and the new submission finisher looks appropriately sadistic. The post-match beatdown of Bad Influence definitely crosses them off the list of potential stable-mates. However, the quickness with which Aces & Eights descended upon the ring to destroy James Storm leaves legitimate questions in the match's wake. I wouldn't worry too much about Styles siding with them though. I believe he's simply out for himself at the moment. He's not interested with siding with ANY faction.

The show closed with Aces & Eights standing tall over the fallen "heroes" and Bully cutting one of his patented tough guy promos, calling out his "Father-in-law" Hulk Hogan. This confrontation seems to be the major selling point for next week's Impact (what, you thought all those hyped Title matches were the important part?). I can't say I'm looking forward to that segment very much. While it makes perfect story sense, my inner wrestling fan keeps wondering how this feud is meant to pay off. Hogan is a legitimate cripple, unable to compete any longer. Hell, Bully is probably afraid to simply touch him, incase he breaks something. The real question is who runs out and makes the save for the General Manager. James Storm doesn't seem to have prospered in the role, so who'll be next to get the Hulkamania stamp of approval?

Match of the Week - Kenny King vs Petey Williams vs Zema Ion

Promo of the Week - Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries

Impact of the Week - Kurt Angle double German suplexing Wes Brisco and Garret Bischoff.

Review: Impact Wrestling 11/04/2013

With several marque matches headlining this installment of Impact Wrestling, we find ourselves with the essence of a pay-per-view by another name. After reducing the total number of monthly pay-per-views down from twelve to four, TNA were bound to produce a few special editions of their flagship show to fill the void and it makes for all the better a product.

Beginning the night perfectly was the two out of three falls match between Tag Team Champions, Bobby Roode & Austin Aries and their challengers, Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez. The first fall of the match flew by at breakneck pace, with Roode and Aries having attacked the Mexican duo long before the bell had even rung, allowing a dominant start for the former World Champions. They were not as fortunate with the equally speedy second fall however, as Chavo took advantage of Aries' failed frog-splash to even the tally and continue the bout for one final fall. This is where the meat of the competition took place, with both teams putting on a superb tag team contest that I would be proud to watch any given week. Momentum swung back and forth in a matter of seconds, making the outcome all the more mysterious. Not an easy feat in modern day professional wrestling. The finish came through a combination of Hernandez' brute strength simultaneously suplexing both Roode and Aries into position for one last Guerrero frog-splash, giving us our new TNA Tag Team Champions. A wonderful bout to be sure, but I'm not keen to witness another generic Chavo/Hernandez reign as Tag Champs and this resolution also leaves Aries and Roode's place on the card up in the air. After their good works in 2012, the IT Factor and A-Double were already slumming it in the Tag Team division in the first place. What will be their next stop on the road to greatness?

In the first promo of the night, Joseph Park made his way to the ring to address his grievances with Aces & Eights. Never mind the fact they held him hostage for over a month at the tail end of last year, his latest ire is the ongoing abusive marriage between Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan. What a gentleman. To put this situation to an end, the former Attorney at Law has drawn up Annulment papers, which upon filing, will release Brooke from her loveless marriage. Being the bright spark that he is, Park waves said papers in the air for all to see...namely Aces & Eights. Upon seeing this, the Sergeant at Arms, Devon, was down to the ring like a dose of salt. Like every bully ever presented with legal paperwork, he tore it up. Because Joseph Park has never once heard of a photocopier...or you know...saved his work. But tearing up a piece of paper will never be enough for the likes of Aces & Eights, as Devon proceeds to nail Park with a steel chain and leave the goofy sum'b*tch lying. I can't say I'm looking forward to the eventual match between the pair, but all I ask is that it's for the Television Title. I see that thing on Devon week in, week out and I swear to god, he hasn't defended that thing once since he won it back from Samoa Joe in December.

The disappointment of the night, at least for me, came in the form of Taryn Terrell's ultimate defeat of Gail Kim. I'd been loving the gradual build between the two Knockouts for the past month, boiling over at the Lockdown pay-per-view and simmering nicely on the shows since. I even liked Taryn's initial offense in the match itself, as she came out of the gates swinging. However, what I couldn't appreciate was the ridiculously short runtime. For the only women's feud on Impact right now, one that even supersedes the Knockouts Champion herself, wrapping things up in two minutes flat is borderline insulting. I was genuinely curious to see what Taryn could do in the ring, especially working with a skilled veteran like Gail. But this match served as a mere glimpse. TNA shouldn't be afraid to let their Knockouts go wild for five to ten minutes a piece.

The Gut Check segments, while always entertaining for exposing the thought process behind hiring decisions, can also be slightly infuriating when you disagree with said decisions. I, personally, would've chosen Adam Pearce, ten times out of ten. Even if he wasn't going to be hired at the end of the process, he deserved to be taken out infront of the crowd and judged as the true victor of the match. I agreed 100% with Danny Davis when he made the point that Pearce was technically sound. He may never have hit it big in WWE or TNA so far, but the talent is there and he's carved out an impressive career on the independent circuit without any assistance. I also agreed when the judges pointed out that as impressive as Magno's offense can be, he's also far too large and one error can end with him landing flat on his face. As for Magno's pleas in the ring, I wasn't overly impressed by his promo. Ducking in and out of his native tongue seemed to get the crowd riled up and on the wrong side of him. Not to mention, when he finally did speak English, it was rather whiny and with a noticeable lisp. The idea of TNA taking advantage of the Lucha Libre community is a good one, but they have to be absolutely sure they have the right man behind the mask before pulling the trigger. In Magno's case, he wasn't that right man.

The "will-he/won't-he" AJ Styles drama continued on for another week and call me strange, but this time out, it actually hit home. For the threat of Styles joining Aces & Eights, there hasn't really been a true heel presence in these segments before. But with the addition of Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian, I have to admit, it's peaked my interest. Everyone knows they're playing TNA's resident ass-hats. AJ knows better than anyone, having spent the best part of a year fighting them. But they're the only people arguing FOR AJ. Screw Hogan and his politics, screw Storm for his unnecessary guilt-trip, screw Aces & Eights trying to manipulate him, Kaz and Daniels are arguing what's best for their friend. I don't think there's a chance in hell that Styles will side with his former Fortune cohorts, but they make a good point and I think it's one that will resonate with the Phenomenal One. He won't fight against TNA, but he won't fight for TNA. He's out for himself at the moment and that's the best place to be. All his options are still open and he could literally do anything.

Finally, we come to the Main Event of the evening, as World Heavyweight Champion, Bully Ray, defended his title in a Full Metal Mayhem match against the Charismatic Enigma and Hulk Hogan's top pick, Jeff Hardy. As pointed out by the announcers, they've only ever held seven such matches in TNA's entire eleven year history. For such a popular stipulation, they obviously know when to hold it in reserve. This incarnation certainly had the insane bumps to justify it's use, but maybe I'm mellowing when I say they appeared gratuitous at the same time. A large portion of the match was dictated by the challenger, Jeff Hardy, who while contending with Ray's own offense, equally had to deal with the unintended side effects of his own. For every crazy move of Hardy's that landed, something just as devastating would backfire. At times, it was almost as if Hardy were fighting himself. Bully Ray could've stepped out at any time and let Hardy shadow-box his way into oblivion. The match felt more choreographed than classic TLC bouts of the past, not helped by minor screw-ups such as ladders falling over or tables collapsing, necessitating the pair reset and try again. The end came as Hardy stood atop the ladder grasping at the dangling World Title, only to be met by a swift hammer shot to the head from the defending Champion. This sent the daredevil careening off the top of the ladder, crashing down to the mat through a nearby table. It's bumps like those that give Hardy every right to be a pill-popping lunatic. All damage to his body combined, it's a wonder the guy can still walk.

Review: Impact Wrestling 07/03/2013

So ends the era of the Impact Zone! Not counting the six 'One Night Only' specials to be filmed in Orlando across March 17th to 19th, this is the last episode of Impact Wrestling to emanate from Universal Studios. Considering the long storied history of the venue, I'm of the opinion TNA could've made a much bigger deal about leaving their safety net behind. For the past decade, the Impact Zone has been their fallback position and no matter what went wrong, rain or shine they'd be back in that studio filmed more material than you could shake a stick at. But that all changes next week on March 14th, as they take Impact Wrestling on the road permanently, starting in "The Windy City" Chicago. As such, that was exactly where TNA's focus was on with this episode - the future. But even so, have a closing ceremony or something. Don't just pack up and leave the Zone behind without a proper send off. And a Youtube thank you video doesn't count.

Starting the show, we were treated to yet another go-around of current World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy, and recent title contender, Austin Aries. A-Double is eerily talented when it comes to carrying Hardy through high quality matches, with there being every reason why he was called upon to do so across multiple pay-per-view main events at the tail end of 2012. Clearly, the novelty has worn off though, if TNA are willing to give this combination away as the curtain jerking opening match on free TV. Unfortunately for Aries, Hardy always gets the upper hand at the last minute, as if from nowhere *cough*SuperCena*cough*. The moment the Champion starts with his MANY Twists of Fates, the conclusion is all but decided. This encounter proved to be slightly different, as the ending was interrupted by the disgruntled big boot of Matt Morgan. The timing of this new quest for the TNA World Title is definitely curious, as the focus should be on Bully Ray's contendership, not Morgan's. Actions such as these, give the impression that Morgan will soon be chasing Hardy's Championship well beyond Lockdown, deflating Bully's own efforts for no apparent reason. Why should we potential pay-per-view customers buy a show, when the challenger doesn't stand a chance?

The mystery of the Aces and Eights VP finally came to an end with this episode of Impact Wrestling, as the small stocky masked individual was revealed to be none other than D'Lo Brown himself. You're looking at the real deal now...or at least that's what they'd like us to believe. Having been unmasked off-screen at the close of last week's show, D'Lo decided to take the wind out of Kurt Angle's own reveal by beating him to the proverbial punch. I've always been a fan of D'Lo and would hilariously mark out whenever he'd appear on screen, usually breaking up a brawl between two wrestlers, working as defacto security with Al Snow. But the fact of the matter is that once again, TNA have revealed a member of Aces and Eights with no viable future or payoff. I thought it was bad enough several weeks ago when they revealed Tazz as the new mouthpiece of the group. Admittedly, they do need that added kick behind the microphone, but Tazz is a severely injured FORMER wrestler and current commentator. Just where exactly that revelation was meant to lead, I have no idea. The same goes for now, as they've revealed a mastermind behind the group to be a broken down former wrestler turned backstage agent. There's a good chance they may lure D'Lo back into the ring for one or two matches down the road, but nothing of meaning or substance. Ergo, pointless. My only hope is that there is yet an unnamed force behind Aces and Eights, pulling their strings and truly making the decisions. D'Lo is only meant to be the VICE President after all. I don't think we've ever actually seen the true President, so it could conceivably be anyone.

The Gut Check segments turned out to be somewhat farcical this month, as they introduced a new judge (OVW's Danny Davis) and were faced with a no-win situation, as frankly both women deserved a contract. The Knockouts division has been severely depleted in recent months, with only a core four or so seeing regular work. If you're not Velvet, Tara, Gail or Tessmacher, you're not on the show, period. As such, the division could really have done with hiring both Ivelisse Velez and Lai'd Tapa. The former having an impressive MMA background and a minor buzz around her previous appearances on WWE Tough Enough, the latter having a scary size advantage over most men, let alone women. Their David and Goliath match last week was a refreshing change of pace to the usual Knockouts style and highlighted both ladies' strengths going forward in this competition. Personally, I preferred Ivelisse as a potential Knockout. She has a wonderful look, a hard-hitting history and reminded me of a young Lita. For whatever reason, despite winning the match, she was the first to be eliminated and never even made it infront of the judges. TNA could really be missing a trick by letting her walk away like this. Even without a contract, I'd whisk her away to OVW and hire her on the sly. As for the eventual winner of the contract, Lai'd Tapa, I feel as if her look will be the sole positive in her hiring. Ever since losing Awesome Kong to the WWE several years ago, TNA have lacked a monster heel in the women's division. Tapa looks to fill that void nicely, but also with notable drawbacks. For starters, she should remain silent at every opportunity. Her promo work was uninspired and cliche, not to mention when given a final chance to impress the judges, she pretty much repeated everything she said the first time. But my reservations are moot, as she is now a member of the Impact Wrestling roster. Hopefully, we will see her a bit more often than the last female Gut Check winner, Taeler Hendrix, who has spent the best part of a year hidden away in the developmental territories.

The six person tag between Chavo, Hernandez, Velvet Sky, Daniels, Kazarian and Gail Kim was a fantastic idea in theory, but struggled to capture my interest. I'm a big fan of the heel side of things, with Christopher Daniels lighting up my screen every chance he gets. However, the Chavo/Hernandez tag team continues to bore. When they first got together, I thought of them as a low-rent Mexican America/LAX knock-off and six months later, I still think of them as a low-rent Mexican America/LAX knock-off. Their promos have been trite and manipulative (mostly of fan's love of Chavo's Uncle Eddie) and their ring work predictable. Neither man is doing the best work of their career and whatever this gimmick is meant to be, it could use a shake up. At the moment, they're simply a known quantity that can be thrown out in front of a crowd with minimal set up and illicit a basic reaction from the audience. I respect Chavo, but part of me wonders whether the crowd ever really noticed Hernandez's former partner Anarquia being switched out and simply believes Mexican America is still going. As with most inter-gender tag team bouts, the finish found the men brawling on the outside of the ring, while the women battle for the pinfall on the inside. It proved an impressive victory for Gail Kim over current Knockouts Champion, Velvet Sky, and I'll never get tired of her finisher "Eat Defeat", which looks downright nasty to take. I don't for a second think Gail stands a chance at derailing Velvet's latest title reign, as it's still early days. But this heel win goes a long way to instilling doubt in the viewers as to the former Beautiful Person's viability as Champion. Just what's needed on the eve of a pay-per-view bout. The only thing that truly puzzled me, was the lack of representation for the actual Tag Team Champions, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries. The pair are about to defend their titles against both teams present in this match, however, their focus was entirely elsewhere, still hounding current World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy, or outright absent, mysteriously so. It basically leaves the Tag Team division ticking over exactly as it was before Roode and Aries made their mark, only without any titles to feud over.

The series of Team TNA/Aces of Eights matches never truly took off in the way that one would hope. Beginning with the poor showing of Sting and Devon, which oddly relied upon the use of a fan throwing a drink in the Icon's face, they started the night out on the wrong foot and rarely showed signs of recovering. Unfortunately, this is par for the course in regard to Sting's current in-ring career. The Icon has long since lost the ability to keep up with younger men and hides his inadequacies with base brawls and few actual wrestling moves. Hell, the man is afraid to take his t-shirt off, how is he meant to be taken seriously as the leading crusader against Aces and Eights. However, despite the poor showing in the ring, the intensity of his promo work is second to none. I greatly enjoyed the backstage scenes of the bloodied legend stomping around, eager to destroy something with his baseball bat and further inspire his troops. Later in the night, Samoa Joe & Magnus vs Garett Bischoff & D.O.C. proved to be a much better product, reuniting a set of former Tag Team Champions and their ensuing double-team move set. Joe and Magnus, while not an obvious pairing, make for a fantastic team and it's a wonder they were ever broken up in the first place, as they were much stronger together than apart. I got a particular kick out of this match, not for the wrestling itself, but the merciless crowd chanting at Garett Bischoff "You can't wrestle". I couldn't agree more and I'm happy to see the audience realising it! Finally, the series was decided with the (technical) main event of "The Cowboy" James Storm taking on a decidedly muted Mr Anderson. The match barely got going before being rudely interrupted by both teams coming down to ringside and Storm walking into a spontaneous Mic Check from Anderson. While giving Aces and Eights the benefit of entering Lethal Lockdown first this Sunday, the cheap victories do little to give this band of bikers a sense of credibility. Their membership is second rate, their accomplishments few and their end goals confusingly murky at best. The fact they've taken a former TNA World Champion like Mr Anderson and made him one of the faceless masses in an oversized faction, taking orders from a jobber like D'Lo Brown no less, just goes to show how little upside there is from this angle.

This evening, we also got another brief glimpse into the rugged new lifestyle of one AJ Styles. Known for being a noble and respected family man, this latest angle has him behaving as anything but. Last week, TNA aired a series of interviews with his "estranged" wife and best friend, wherein they documented the drastic change in personality after the Clare Lynch debacle last year. Upon finding a camera crew in his home, Styles refused to comment and took off for parts unknown on his motorcycle. Catching up with the man this week, the crew finds him about town lingering in a store/barfront talking to someone. Noticing their continued presence, the shaggy-haired, bearded Styles confronted the TNA camera man and forced him back into his vehicle before the feed cut out. Where exactly this is leading is a mystery, but one I'm eager to get to the bottom of. As it transpires, we won't have to wait long, as Styles has since tweeted that as TNA are so happy to show up at his residence uninvited, so too will he show up in Chicago next week uninvited. This angle bears an uncanny resemblance to Bobby Roode's heel turn in the wake of Bound for Glory 2011. Only instead of turning into a well-oiled, suit-wearing World Champion, Styles is taking the opposite approach and literally coming apart at the seams. Just who will take the brunt of his anger remains to be seen. At this rate, he'd fit right in with Aces and Eights. He's got the leather, the bike and the facial hair, all he's missing is the patch on his back.

The final Impact Zone show ultimately came to a close with promos from current TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy, his opponent for Lockdown this Sunday, Bully Ray, and Impact Wrestling General Manager, Hulk Hogan. Any other day and the prospect of a Jeff Hardy promo would send me running for the hills, but with a seasoned vet like Bully Ray standing next to him, guiding the direction of the segment, I felt we were in safe hands. With neither man playing the villain of the piece, the tone was generally that of mutual appreciation. I particularly liked how Bully Ray made a point of saying how he wasn't going to defeat Hardy by climbing over the cage walls or by walking out of the cage door, but instead by hitting the Champion with his best move and winning the Title fair and square in the centre of the ring. It was at this point, that they were interrupted by General Manager, Hulk Hogan, who as per his usual sabotaging tricks, tried to steal the spotlight from the Champion and his challenger. The focus should've been entirely upon Hardy and Bully as the show came to a close, but instead, Hogan tried to make it all about him (despite being a broken old man on crutches and never being able to wrestle ever again). Whatever "The Immortal One" was trying to say, it paled in comparison to the words of the younger men in the ring before him. Hogan tripped over his lines at multiple points, making for a garbled and incoherent promo. It even proved to be borderline insulting to TNA, as he referred to them as a "small company". Surely, the point of paying this supposed legend so much money is to have him elevate and not denigrate. TNA could've saved themselves status and a week's paycheck by telling the crazy old man with the handlebar mustache to stay home. Thankfully, his ramblings were soon interrupted as well, as Aces and Eights randomly brawled with Team TNA to end the show.

Not really the ending the Impact Zone deserved to be honest. I'm hoping the upcoming 'One Night Only' tapings prove to be a more fitting send off to a location that has been TNA's bread and butter for the best part of a decade. This particular episode of Impact Wrestling was always going to struggle, as last week's cliffhanger promised an immediate resolution to the Aces and Eights mystery, despite the fact it needed to carry over to the pay-per-view and beyond. There's no way possible to spin the reveal of D'Lo Brown as anything but a dud and that's what this week will always be remembered for. But fear not, as all can change in a single week, as TNA take both their pay-per-view and their weekly show on the road, beginning this Sunday at Lockdown. The San Antonio Alamodome promises to be a spectacular venue and the electricity of the largest crowd in TNA history is sure to up everyone's game going forward into the live Impact Wrestling tapings next week in Chicago. It's an exciting time for the company and could very well be a turning point that sees them actively competing with the WWE on a regular basis. The trick is giving us a product both we and they can be proud of.

Preview: TNA Lockdown 2013

Robbie E vs Rob Terry

In what is sure to be the comic relief of the evening, the tale of two Robbies finally comes to an end. For over a year now, E and T have presided over who makes it onto "The List", but when push comes to shove, which of them will? The breakup of TNA's favourite duo had been teased for months, but the pair always found a way to reconcile, leaving their feud lightly simmering in the background of their comedy segments.

The instigating incident that led to this match came several weeks ago, while during the UK tour, Robbie E mocked anyone from our great country, calling us all "hamsters" (I've been called worse). In doing so, it immediately raised the ire of his towering bodyguard, Rob Terry, who ended up siding with the debuting Rockstar Spud and helped the newbie go over. This past week on Impact, Robbie E once again tried to make peace with his best friend, handing him the spotlight in one last "Bro-Off". But it was all a ruse, as E smashed their long-standing VIP sign over Terry's head and sealed his own fate.

The match itself probably won't be anything special, as neither man is renowned for their wrestling ability. However, what they will excel at is telling a good story. If this is to be the end of their affiliation, they'll go all out in an impressively quick squash to warm up the crowd for bigger things later in the night. Look for Robbie to initially try falling back on their friendship, followed by a few underhanded heel tactics, before Terry finally unleashes his inner-monster and tears Robbie a new one.

Prediction - Rob Terry defeats Robbie E via pinfall.

Lethal Lockdown

Aces & Eights vs Team TNA

Devon, Anderson, Knox, D.O.C. & Bischoff vs Sting, Magnus, Joe, Storm & Young

In the crown jewel of this speciality pay-per-view, a year's worth of story pays off as the Icon, Sting, tries to run off the biker gang, Aces & Eights, once and for all. Not just in a regular match though, this is Lethal Lockdown. After all participants have entered the cage, the roof will seal and allow access to a multitude of weapons. If they had a choice, it'd be baseball bats and hammers at dawn!

I've long since forgotten exactly why Aces & Eights are invading TNA, that's if they ever explained it in the first place. But what this match does have is a team of pissed off Impact wrestlers who've been systematically attacked and taken out, put on the shelf for months at a time, who're ready for some payback. The star of the angle is undoubtedly Sting, who has forever led the charge against the outlaws since they first attacked him last summer. However, the legend is getting on a bit and I don't expect him to do even half the legwork this match needs. That task falls to his teammates. Most of whom are borderline main event talent with nothing better going on due to their being no room left at the top of the card. The wildcard of the bunch being "Showtime" Eric Young, who is more often than not, strictly a comedy act. Just what role the bearded wonder will play is anyone's guess. But you could say that about the underdeveloped flunkies that are D.O.C. and Mike Knox.

While wrestling promotions inevitably play up the finality of encounters such as these, the feud between Aces & Eights and TNA is far from over. Especially with Kurt Angle having barged into the clubhouse and unmasked the leader of the group on last week's Impact. Something tells me the final reveal of the leader's identity won't be given away this week in the lead up to the pay-per-view, but instead saved for this match, when one of Team TNA itself are revealed as the mastermind. Due to Kurt's reaction to this off-screen fiend, we know for a fact it's surprising and a deep personal betrayal, one that could be achieved by few members of the ragtag group.

Sting himself is a possibility, but how many times now would he have orchestrated his own beat-downs? It'd be literally insane. Samoa Joe would be a good bet, having stuck closely by Angle in recent months, but similarly he's lost far too much in the process, what with his Television Title defeat and humiliation at the hands of Garret Bischoff and Wes Brisco. As for Magnus or Eric Young, it'd be a shocking reveal, but only because they're so low on the TNA totem pole and make Aces & Eights look even worse for having followed them. That leaves the finger pointing squarely at the Cowboy James Storm, who would certainly fit in with the rowdy beer-drinking bikers and finally give him something to do, as he's been toiling in obscurity since his feud with Bobby Roode came to an end last year. However, I would hate to see Storm turn heel now, as I don't feel as though TNA fully capitalised on his popularity as a babyface upon winning the World Title, if only for a matter of weeks. Put him against the right opponent and let the crowd get behind him and they could have the next Stone Cold Steve Austin. Turn him heel now and they're leaving money on the table, simple as.

The match will no doubt come down to the wire and just as faces get the upper-hand, the leader of Aces & Eights will stand revealed as a traitor in the TNA ranks, winning the match for the opposite team with a despicable act of betrayal, most likely aimed at the Icon, Sting. He's been their favourite patsy all along, so why break the habit of a lifetime.

Prediction - Aces & Eights defeat Team TNA via pinfall.

TNA Tag Team Championship

Daniels & Kazarian vs Roode & Aries (c) vs Hernandez & Guerrero

After spending the entire of 2012 dominating the World Title picture, it's time for Bobby Roode and Austin Aries to move on to other things. While I would much prefer they return to the main event scene (where they clearly belong), their current tag team effort has been entertaining at every opportunity. Whether it's their backstage skits or selfish antics in the ring, the IT factor and the Greatest Man That Ever Lived have brought renewed vigor to the ailing Tag Team division. As it stands now, their opponents are the only two true tag teams in the entire promotion, so it's no wonder the two brightest stars in the business today were brought in to spice things up. On past pay-per-views, that honour had fallen to the Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle, and the Phenomenal One, AJ Styles. The pair worked tirelessly to put over their opponents, but it seems we're back to square one and now it's Roode & Aries turn at bat.

As the Champions are currently in the middle of a fantastic angle, having vowed to win all the gold in TNA before making their return to the World Title, it would be a shame to see their effort derailed so early on. I am genuinely interested to see if they can achieve the epic challenge of their own making, in contrast to the other two teams, who aren't in need of the Tag Titles on any level. Daniels and Kazarian fill their own unique role on the show, having become the resident pantomime villains of Impact Wrestling. It may involve lots of jobbing, but just last week they were mixing it up with Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy, the pair battling it out for the World Title and it doesn't get much higher. Meanwhile, there's Chavo and Hernandez, who on the opposite end of the spectrum, have failed to get over on any level. Chavo merely plays up the nostalgia we fans have for his Uncle Eddie, while bringing nothing new to the table. Not to mention, having been in both LAX and Mexican America, Hernandez has danced this dance a thousand times and he must be just as sick of it as us.

I don't see the Titles changing hands on this show at all. The Champions are building serious momentum in their push to win everything, while the contenders have a palpable feeling of been there, done that. Be on the look out for an insane amount of heel tactics, from both Roode & Aries and Daniels & Kazarian. The two teams are renowned for their "creative tactics" and are positioned for an outright cheat-off.

Prediction - Roode & Aries defeat Daniels & Kazarian and Hernandez & Guerrero via pinfall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.

Steel Cage Match

Wes Brisco vs Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle brought it on himself. Literally. Having spent months mentoring Wes Brisco and subsequently pushing for a Gut Check match, Angle personally opened the door and rolled out the red carpet, practically gift-wrapping the legacy's TNA contract. Of course, at the time he was unaware that his favourite stalker...I mean protege...was a patched-in member of the outlaw biker gang, Aces & Eights. Anyone with their eyes open could see Brisco's heel-turn coming, it was just a matter of when. That time finally came on the UK tour, following Angle's cage match against Mr Anderson, when both Brisco and Garret Bischoff showed their true colours and beat the Olympic Gold Medalist down in the centre of the cage. As such, it's only fitting that their confrontation comes in the very same venue as the initial betrayal.

I won't lie, I honestly don't see the appeal of Wes Brisco. He has an extremely odd look, a questionable move set and if his last name weren't Brisco, I have a suspicion we wouldn't be seeing him on the roster, let alone on one of TNA's premiere pay-per-view events. Kurt Angle's dogged appreciation of the young man is equally mystifying. I know Kurt is all about paying it forward now, what with him being in the final years of his career, but surely there is someone more deserving of the legend's attention. Due to his association with Brisco, Angle may as well have fallen off the radar entirely in 2012, he made so little impact. TNA need to make use of the former World Champion while he's still able and fumbling with rookies doesn't cut it. I have a horrible feeling that the match itself will be a genuine low-point in Angle's career, whether in amateur, WWE or TNA. Brisco desperately needs the rub Angle would give him, but he doesn't deserve it. I can't bring myself to entertain the possibility of Brisco going over, ergo Angle must win. He's too good not to.

Prediction - Kurt Angle defeats Wes Brisco via pinfall.

TNA Knockouts Championship

Gail Kim vs Velvet Sky (c)

Time for take two. While Velvet Sky's first run with the Knockouts Championship, following Bound for Glory 2011, left much to be desired, this latest push gives her a genuine shot at redemption. Ironically enough, against the woman who came out of nowhere and crushed her dreams the last time. Gail Kim's re-debut with TNA, mere weeks after Velvet's big win, left the former Beautiful Person in the dust. But not this time. Both women have long storied histories with the company and if anything, Velvet is now the shiny new object of affection, after a brief absence of her own.

Strangely, there's no real feud to speak of between the two Knockouts and this match is more perfunctory than anything else. You could argue that alot of Velvet's recent victories have come at Gail's expense, but nothing out of the ordinary for professional wrestling. The past few weeks have been far more Tara-centric, with the former Champion cashing in her rematch and gracefully fading back into the pack. The focus is only truly coming onto Gail with the match itself.

I expect Gail to carry the majority of the match, as no matter how much progress Velvet has made in the ring over the years, she still pales in comparison to the very first Knockouts Champion. Luckily, Velvet doesn't have to get over with her move set, as the crowd will be behind her from the word go. Quite literally. Let the pigeons loose! If she can gain enough momentum through defeating a series of top tier opponents like Gail, Velvet could very well be the industry's next Trish Stratus.

Prediction - Velvet Sky defeats Gail Kim via pinfall to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.

Steel Cage Match

TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Bully Ray vs Jeff Hardy (c)

It's been a long journey to get to "Bully Ray: Legitimate Main Eventer", but we're finally here. After two banner years in 2011 and 2012, the former Bubba Ray Dudley has drawn the entire wrestling world's attention and oddly enough, their respect. TNA have flirted with the idea of Bully Ray in the World Title picture for a while now, always having him reach the very end of the Bound for Glory series. For whatever reason, they never pulled the trigger, having him put over previous winners, Bobby Roode and Jeff Hardy, like a pro. But now, his time has finally come, and being on the grand stage of one of TNA's four remaining pay-per-views, it means more than ever.

Jeff Hardy on the other hand, despite being one of TNA's most recognisable faces, has had a rather forgettable run as World Champion. Since defeating A-Double, Austin Aries, for the Title back at Bound for Glory 2012, Hardy has been as quiet as a mouse. He defended his Title most notably against Aries and another former World Champion in Bobby Roode. But throughout these assaults on his position at the top of the card, he's been his usual moody monosyllabic self, never truly engaging in a feud, merely participating. Of course, it hasn't helped the Charismatic Enigma that he's coming off a disturbing absence of four Impact Wrestling episodes in a row. Having the Champion simply disappear with an injury for the entire month's programming, while they were in the UK, was unacceptable on so many levels. With only two weeks back in the Impact Zone before a major pay-per-view, Hardy has been noticeably handicapped. As opposed to Bully Ray, who's had that entire month of UK shows to steal the spotlight.

The pair have had little time to build a truly noteworthy program with each other, but given their tremendous shared history, dating all the way back to their infamous TLC matches in the early 2000's, they almost don't need a reason. In fact, Bully's ascension has come entirely on the back of General Manager, Hulk Hogan, and his faux marriage to Hogan's own daughter, Brooke. Several months worth of television now, have been devoted to developing this "romance" and just whether or not Hulk could trust his new son-in-law. It bares all the hallmarks of WWE's own attempt at such an angle with the McMahon-Helmsley marriage a decade ago, only Bully and Brooke have played nice up until now. Given the father's new-found faith and acceptance of the couple, not to mention the high stakes of the World Title on the line, I'm leaning towards an almighty heel turn on Bully Ray's part. Whether his new wife was in on the deception is another thing entirely, but looking at the current situation, he's gotten absolutely everything he could ever have wanted or asked for. Now is the time to drop the sham and use this ill-gotten power to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Prediction - Bully Ray defeats Jeff Hardy via pinfall to become the NEW World Heavyweight Champion.

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