9-29-11 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the September 29, 2011 episode of Impact

The show starts with Sting coming to the ring and talks how Hulk Hogan has brainwashed Kurt Angle and now he is trying to turn Fortune against each other. He then asks Bobby Roode to come out. Roode comes out and Sting says that he is looking at the next World Champion. Roode then says that the support that he has gotten from the fans and the other wrestlers has been overwhelming and he talks about what Kurt Angle has been up to and promises the Sting, the fans and himself that he will win the World Title at Bound For Glory. He then wants Sting to promise him that he will take care of Hulk Hogan so they can finally get the company back to where it belongs. AJ Styles then comes out and he talks about his times as World Champion and then mentions that it has been awhile since he has had the chance to be World Champion again and he tells Roode to take advantage of his Title match with Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle then comes to the ring and he talks about Roode’s match with AJ tonight as he continues to wrestle his own Fortune team mates leading into Bound For Glory. He then tells Sting that he is pissed off because Dixie made him look like an idiot and tells AJ that if beats Roode he will get a World Title match. This was a good opening segment. Roode & AJ both cut good promos. Sting’s was good too. Angle was also good in his delivery.

They show Hulk Hogan walking backstage.

Brian Kendrick vs. Jessie Sorenson vs. Kid Kash vs. Alex Shelly vs. Zima Ion in a Ladder match to determine who will challenge Austin Aries for the X Division Title at Bound For Glory. Kendrick wins. Austin Aries was on commentary. This was a solid match.

They show Kazarian backstage talking about what’s been happening with Fortune and then the Jarretts come in and they tell Kazarian to meet them in the ring.

They show Hulk Hogan walking backstage again.

Ric Flair is on his cell phone backstage and he flips out. I’m not sure what that was about.

Jeff & Karen Jarrett come to the ring and they call out Frankie Kazarian and Traci Brooks. They come out and Jeff introduces himself to Kazarian and mentions that he hand picked him of the Independent Circuit. He then says that he called Kazarian out for “jumping ship” to “the other company” because he wasn’t getting the spot light in TNA and Jeff granted him his release. He then mentions that when Kazarian got to “the other company” that the grass wasn’t greener like hew thought it would be. Jeff says that he rehired Kazarian because he begged for it. Jeff then calls Traci a skank and mentions all that he has done for her and she disrespected Karen and calls both of them ungrateful. TNA referees then come out to separate the 2 couples and Jarrett tells them that he will make their lives miserable beginning tonight. Jeff then says to take that “10 cent whore” and Kazarian punches him. TNA security & referees try to keep them apart and Gunner comes in and takes out Kazarian with an F5. TNA Security then gets the Jarretts and Gunner out of the ring while they check on Kazarian. I wasn’t too crazy about this segment. If this leads to a Kazarian-Jeff Jarrett match I’m fine with that. I’m hoping it doesn’t lead to a mixed tag.

Jessie Neal vs. Hernandez doesn’t happen because Mexican America come out and attack Ink Inc. They pretty much clobber Ink them. They then spray paint “MA on Moore’s & Neal’s backs. This was crap.

A camera man asks Bully Ray backstage if he knows what Hulk Hogan’s major announcement will be. Ray says that of course he know and tells the cameraman that he was the first person that Hogan called and told about the announcement.

James Storm is backstage saying that he is happy for Roode getting the Title match at Bound For Glory.

Flair is in Hogan’s office flipping out saying that Hulk is a franchise and he tells him that what he wants to do is not a good decision and Hulk says that he has already made up his mind. Flair continues to lose it. I’m really tired of Nature “has been” and Hulk “over the hill” Hogan. This promo did nothing for me.

They show a video package recapping the Tara-Madison Rayne feud. I’m surprised they had that. They hadn’t been on TV much, but I’m glad they remembered their own booking.

They show Crimson walking backstage.

Tara vs. Madison Rayne in a “Queen’s Qualifying match.” Madison gets the pin with her feet on the ropes. Madison was hitting on Earl Hebner during the match to try to get her way. At one point Earl stops Tara from using closed fists and he punches Tara. Then Madison kicked Hebner by mistake and he then let Tara punch away but Madison still managed to get the win. This match was really dull. It will be Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne vs. Velvet Sky vs. Knockouts Champion Winter in a 4 Way at Bound For Glory for the Title.

They show Crimson walking backstage again as he makes his way to the ring.

They show Christopher Daniels backstage leaving the Impact Zone and says there’s nothing left to see. The cameraman asks him about the Rood-AJ match and Daniels rags on AJ. He then says that it would a kick in the n**s if he beat AJ at TNA’s biggest show of the year and that would know something about being kicked low. I thought Daniels cut a good promo. It looks like we’re getting AJ-Daniels at Bound For Glory. That works for me.

Crimson comes to the ring and calls out Samoa Joe. Joe comes out on the stage and he questions Crimson for saying his name after what Joe had done to him. Joe mentions that he allowed Crimson to be able to walk away and he calls his undefeated streak a farce. Joe then says that the only reason that he is talked about is because with out Crimson in TNA who else would be Joe’s b**ch? Crimson then runs up the ramp and tackles Joe at ringside but Joe gets the upper hand after swinging Crimson’s leg into the guard rail. Joe then throws Crimson in the ring and goes after Crimson’s Ankle and puts him in a modified Figure Four. Matt Morgan then comes out and goes after Joe and follows him up the ramp but Joe heads for the back. Morgan then goes back to the ring and helps Crimson up. I thought this was a good segment. Joe cut a good promo and the ankle attack followed by Morgan making the save was good stuff too.

AJ Styles cuts a promo backstage talking about his match with Bobby Roode and wants to see if he has what it takes to be World Champion.

Ken Anderson vs. Pope D’Angelo Dinero. Pope gets the pin. Devon’s sons were at ringside (again) and Anderson & Pope brawled right in front of where they were sitting and Anderson took down Dinero. Devon’s sons then shove Anderson and then Devon comes out and had words with his sons and Pope. Bully Ray then came out from the crowd and hit Anderson with a Singapore Cane. Pope then got back in the ring and got the 3 count. Devon then took his sons to the back. This match was dull too. I’m really tired of this whole Devon’s sons being buddy-buddy with Pope bit. Ken Anderson’s is also beyond painful.

Bobby Roode talks about his match with AJ backstage saying that if he can beat then he knows he can beat Kurt Angle at Bound For Glory.

They show Devon, his sons & Pope backstage and Devon is screaming at them all and he tells his sons that he calls the shots. This was idiotic.

They showed a Bobby Roode video package building up to his World Title match at BFG. This was really well done. They had comments from his wife and his sister and they showed him at home with his kids.

Bobby Roode vs. AJ Styles. Roode wins by submission. After the match AJ shook Roode’s hand and told him to win the World Title and then raised Roode’s hand. This was a really great back and forth match. Easily the highlight of this week’s show!

They show Hulk Hogan walking backstage making his way to the ring.

Bobby Roode & AJ Styles are backstage and AJ tells Roode that he gave Roode everything he had and that he is ready for Kurt Angle. Roode says that he told everyone he was ready and that he will give AJ a Title match if he becomes Champion. This was a good promo.

Hulk Hogan comes to the ring and he says that he feels like he has had a million pounds lifted off his shoulders. He mentions that after some soul searching that his Hulkamania run has been the greatest run of all time. He then talks about mentions that in his first day in the business he broke his leg and then mentions that he learned respect and the ropes of the business. He then talks about facing Andre The Giant and mentions that he sold out Madison Square Garden many times and that at the end of the day Hulkamania would go on forever. He then mentions that he had the chance of a lifetime to come to “Impact Wrestling”/TNA with 30 years of knowledge and make a difference (and the company is worse than ever, brother!) He says that he has been there for almost 2 years and that every moment has been worth it (even though he NEVER mentions them anytime he’s on a talk show, BROTHER!) including watching guys like Bobby Roode, James Storm, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Rob Van Dam (who came in at the beginning of the Hogan era) step up. They show Sting watching on a monitor backstage saying what a great actor Hogan is. He then says that unfortunately this is the end of the road for him (we’ll see about that) and he mentions that he wanted to tell the fans this first, even before he told his wife. He then mentions that when he lost his family and his health that they only thing he never wanted to loose was his fans. He then says that no matter how bad it got he knew that the fans would be there (I haven’t been a Hulkamaniac in years Brother). He then says that his run is done and says that Bobby Roode, James Storm, Kazarian & AJ Styles are the stars of the future. WRONG HULKSTER THEY’RE THE STARS OF THE PRESENT! THEY’VE ALL BEEN IN TNA FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN 2002!! Hulk then says that he is inviting everyone to come to Knoxville next week for a “formal announcement” because this will be the final time that we see him in the ring (No it won’t). They show Sting backstage saying that he will celebrate with the Hulkster and that it’s show time. That ended the show. This was a typical Hulk Hogan putting himself over promo I thought. I don’t know why they’re doing this whole we’ll never see Hulk Hogan in a ring again bit when everyone knows that isn’t going to happen.

I thought this show was a mixed bag overall. They had some good stuff on here. The Roode-AJ match was the greatest part of the show easily. The video package was great too. I also liked the backstage promos from both guys before the match and the post match promo. Daniels’ promo was good too. I also liked Samoa Joe going after Crimson and Matt Morgan coming out to help Crimson. The X Division ladder match was solid too. I did not care for the Anderson-Pope match and the whole Devon’s pissed at his sons bit and now him saying that he calls the shots sounds like a heal turn, which would make no sense since Pope was the heal at the start of this program. I wasn’t into the Tara-Madison match either. I thought it was kind of slow. The Ink Inc-Mexican America segment was dull too. The Hulk Hogan promo was a mixed bag I thought. I liked going down memory lane of the old days, but him saying that he had the chance of a lifetime to come to Impact was idiotic. I’m not sure why they turned him face after taking control of TNA from Dixie Carter and being the head guy in Immortal. On the whole this show was not great but not totally awful either.