7-28-11 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the July 28, 2011 episode of Impact

The show starts with Kurt Angle coming out for a promo. He asks Hogan to come out so that they end this situation for good. Hogan then comes out and Angle says that Hogan has been calling his phone and leaving messages. Angle then says that there is nothing about Immortal that he finds appealing and that it is being lead by Hogan and Bischoff, 2 of the biggest sleaze balls in wrestling. He says that he will beat Sting at Hardcore Justice and become the TNA World Champion. He also mentions that he never beat Sting before, but he actually has. I’m not sure why they’re trying to make the fans forget that that happened. He wants to show everyone that he is the best in the world and asks if Hogan knows what it’s like to be the best in the world. Hogan says that he knows what it’s like, where there was no Sting, Matt Morgan, or Rob Van Dam. Hogan says that when there weren’t any “young guns” that he carried the wrestling business on his back and that he turned it from a territorial business into the international phenomenon that it is today. He says that when Angle was a kid, he was selling out arenas everywhere. Hogan then says that he has been calling Angle because he thinks that Angle has had a vision of a higher level and that he wants to help Angle make more money. He then asks why Angle has been disrespecting him. Angle says that he’s not kicking Hogan’s ass right now because he does respect him. He also says that unlike Ken Anderson, he can’t be bought. Angle then says that he paid to see him just like many others. Angle then asks Hogan if he can still go and Hogan says that he will never set foot in the ring again because of his 8 back surgeries. Hogan then says that if Angle is going to continue insulting his kids then Angle will have to prove something. He says that everything that Angle has done including win the Olympic gold metal was a fluke and that if Angle wants to fight him over pride, they are real close to that right now. Angle says that he doesn’t doubt that Hogan still go and Hogan asks him what he is trying to say. Angle says that Hogan is trying to pay him off to take Sting out and asks Hogan why he doesn’t take out Sting himself. This was a typical TNA opening promo. I thought it went a little too long.

Eric Bischoff is on his cell phone backstage and some chick gives him a letter from the Network.

Bound For Glory Series – Rob Van Dam vs. Gunner.  RVD gets the pin. This was a real good back and forth match.

They show Sting backstage in a red suit.

They have a backstage segment with Eric Bischoff, Abyss, Bully Ray, Ken Anderson and the Jarretts and they talk about how the Network sent Bischoff a letter that because of the success of the Destination X PPV that they have to bring in more X Division Wrestlers. Hogan then comes in and says that he wants to eliminate Angle and Ray volunteers Anderson to face Angle. Ray then says that if Anderson is afraid then they have Karen fight him. Bischoff reads more of the letter and Sting shows up in a red suit, carrying a black cage that he has covered up. Sting mentions that everyone in Immortal knows that he has a good relationship with the Network and that he is now the Network executive and that his first decision is to make the Kurt Angle-Ken Anderson match a steel cage match. He also says that Fortune will be at ringside to prevent Immortal from getting involved. Hogan then tells Sting that he has no power and Sting tells him that he just made the match. This was a typical Immortal segment. Joker Sting is actually starting to grow on me though.

Brian Kendrick and Alex Shelly come out for a promo and Kendrick says a lot of nonsense and Shelly says that what Kendrick said means that Austin Aries is a jackass and he calls Aries out. Aries comes to the ring and Shelly mentions the talent that help make the X Division like AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels, Low Ki, Samoa Joe, Kendrick and himself. Shelly applauds Aries for winning the TNA contract and also says that the X Division was defined on “hybrid” wrestling and he calls out Aries on his cheating tactics. Aries then says that he played by their rules when he beat 2 guys to qualify for the Destination X PPV and that he followed the rules when he beat 3 guys at Destination X to win the contract, but now he is playing by his rules and that his one rule is win at all costs. He then says that Kendrick and Shelly like to please the fans, but he is out to do what is best for himself. He mentions that he has had many 5 star matches but he is about having a 5 star bank account and that with him the ends justify the means and that the end will be him winning the X Division Title. Kendrick then takes the mic and talks more nonsense and Aries asks Shelly if it can be translated. Shelly says that at Hardcore Justice he will get his rematch against both Kendrick and Aries and sets a 3 way for the PPV. Abyss then comes out and says that they don’t make the decisions and he says that he gets a rematch against Kendrick for the X Division Title tonight and that he will finish the X Division for good. Sting then shows up on the tron out and says that he has more stroke than Hogan and Bischoff combined. Then he says that we will find out if monsters are afraid of heights because Abyss will face Kendrick in an Ultimate X match. This was a decent segment. Kendrick doesn’t make any sense, but Shelly and Aries are good on the mic. Abyss and Sting being in this was so-so I thought.

Matt Morgan promo talking about his torn peck and that the World Title is his livelihood.

Bully Ray promo saying he’s not worried about Crimson. Then he talks about his match with AJ Styles this Saturday in the Bound For Glory Series.

Bound For Glory Series – Crimson vs. Bully Ray. Crimson gets the pin. This match was alright.

Bischoff is on the phone in his office saying that he wants to talk to the Network and tells whoever to get the Network on the phone or that person will be unemployed.

Madison Rayne promo saying that she is going to ringside to get revenge on Tara for putting the tarantula on her last week. Sting then shows and Madison flips and runs out.

Tara vs. Winter. Winter gets the pin. Miss Tessmacher and Angelina Love both came out with their partners, but Earl Hebner sent both of them to the back. Hebner also got blinded for a short bit during the match allowing Winter to go low on Tara for the win. This match was decent.

X Division Champion Brian Kendrick vs. Abyss in an Ultimate X match for the Title. Kendrick wins to retain the Title. Throughout the match Abyss hesitated to climb the top rope and tried to rattle the Ultimate X structure so that the belt would come down. Kendrick climbs the cables and Abyss stops him. Then Abyss goes for a choke slam but Kendrick was lifted high enough to get the belt. This was a decent match.

Velvet Sky and Traci on their way to the ring and Velvet is worried about ODB and Jackie. Traci says to trust her. I don’t get this.

Eric Young craziness where he sees some guy and the guy tells him to take acting classes if he wants to be a TV star.

Velvet Sky and Traci Brooks come out for a promo. There sure are a lot of promos tonight on a show where “wrestling matters.” Traci says that she is issuing ODB and Jackie a personal invite to come out. They come out on the ramp and Traci says that she was the original knockout and that TNA asked her to step aside to make room for new knockouts. She then says that she never tried to jump over people like Velvet and that this ends tonight. ODB then says that she and Jackie didn’t lose their jobs till Velvet came along and that she left no room for the women who can wrestle. Velvet then talks about how she was bullied when she was younger and as she got older she told herself that she wasn’t going to be a victim and that the day she came to TNA was the greatest day of her life and that she earned her spot there and that she doesn’t owe ODB or Jackie an apology. She says that she gets the way that they both feel and that if they wanted their jobs back all they had to was ask. Velvet then says that they can do whatever they want here, but she is no longer going to be anyone’s punching bag and she then walks out. This was a pretty good segment. I thought Velvet and ODB cut good promos.

Fortune are backstage and the mention that they have a 6 man tag team match at Hardcore Justice. Daniels then pulls AJ aside and asks him if he remembers what they talked about last week, whatever that was. Sting then comes in and asks if they’re ready to keep Immortal away from ringside tonight. AJ then asks Sting what is in the cage that he is carrying and Sting says that it is a present for Bischoff and that he is going to give it to him right now. This segment was ok.

Eric Bischoff on the phone with Spike TV complaining, then they tell him that they haven’t talked to Sting in weeks. Sting then comes in and says that he is not the Network executive. He does his the whole crazy bit. Sting then lets a bird out of the cage and talks the movie “The Birds” and he takes the key to the cage door with him. This was idiotic! Why did they have this AFTER the entrances for the main event!? 

Kurt Angle vs. Ken Anderson in a Steel Cage. Angle gets the pin. During the match Immortal came out to the ring and brawled with Fortune and Mexican America also came out and brawled with Beer Money. Bully Ray then came out after everyone had left ringside and grabbed Angle through one of the camera cuts on the cage and Anderson took advantage. Ray then opens the cage door to give Anderson a chair and as Anderson was about to take it, Ray held on to it and Angle then hit Angle Slam and got the pin. This was a really good match. After the match Ray walked to the back. Then the lights go out and when they come back on Sting is in the ring and raises Kurt Angle’s arm.

This week’s show had too many promos/segments and only 3-4 matches. The matches that were on the show were from ok to good, but the booking was typical TNA weirdness. The highlights of the show were the RVD-Gunner and Angle-Anderson matches. I thought.