3-22-12 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the March 22, 2012 episode of Impact

The show starts with a replay of the end of the Victory Road PPV where Roode laid out Sting and messed with Dixie.

They show Dixie Carter backstage as she’s making her way to the ring.

Dixie comes to the ring and she says that Bobby Roode has disrespected the fans and everyone who loves wrestling over the past 6 months. She then says that at Victory Road he disgraced TNA. She says that there is only one option left for her. But before she could say that she would fire Bobby Roode, Sting comes out and he asks her not to because that would an easy way out for Roode. He says that James Storm needs to get his revenge at Lockdown and that he, Dixie, and the fans need to get the right kind of revenge. Then he says that running the show isn’t working for him and they go to commercial. Back from commercial, Sting says that at Victory Road he & TNA came alive and he says he can’t be both a wrestler and an authority figure. He says he is going to go home and rest and will be 100% a wrestler when he returns. He says that he is stepping down as the guy running the Impact Zone. He then says that he’s got the right guy for the job. He says the guy who can be in charge full time is Hulk Hogan. I don’t get this! Last year Hogan and Bischoff took control of the company from Dixie and Sting got the company back for her. Now he wants Hogan running the show!?

Bully Ray is backstage saying that he is taking hostages out, women, children, other wrestlers, he doesn’t care. Tonight is not the night to be standing in his way. Good promo as usual from Ray.

X-Division Champion Austin Aries vs. Tony Nese vs. Zima Ion vs. Kid Kash for the Title. The match ends in a no finish when Bully Ray comes out and attacks them all. Then he gets the mic and asks the fans if they know who he is and says that he is Bully Ray. The match was good but I’m not totally sure why they had Ray come in and flatten the guys.

They show Mexican America outside the building and they see this guy from Repo Games setting their car up to be taken and then he gives them a trivia of some kind. They get the first one right but they missed the second and third. Then Anarquia talks about the tag title match and says that they will pay him for the car not to be taken. This was idiotic! I haven’t missed the Mexican America gimmick!

Knockouts Tag Team Champions Eric Young & ODB vs. Rosita & Sarita for the Titles. Young & ODB win when Young pins Rosita. This was a comedy match and it wasn’t funny. Rosita & Sarita hit on Young and then ODB gets pissed at Young and then she kisses him and throws him on top of Rosita for the pin.

They show Crimson backstage watching Matt Morgan’s Direct Auto insurance commercial and he says that Morgan was trying to launch his Hollywood career at his expense. Then he mentions that Morgan dropped the ball and lost them the tag titles. He says that he took out the trash and challenges Morgan to a match next week. Then Morgan comes and attacks Crimson. Crimson’s promo was eh but Morgan’s attacking him was good.

Dixie is backstage saying she isn’t sure what to do yet about having Hogan be in charge.

They show James Storm backstage and he is headed for the ring.

Jeff Hardy promo backstage talking about his match with Kurt Angle at

Victory Road

mentioning that Angle cheated to win. Then he challenges him to a rematch at Lockdown. Then Abyss, playing his own brother comes in and he asks if Jeff has seen him. Jeff says that he hasn’t and then “Joseph Park” gives Jeff his card. I’m not sure where they’re going with this.

They show a video package recapping the TNA careers of James Storm & Bobby Roode with comments from both guys. Really good video.

James Storm comes to the ring and he says that what Roode did to Sting & Dixie at

Victory Road

was wrong. He says that a man who hits a woman isn’t a man. Then he says that at Lockdown Bobby Roode will be in the steel cage with him and he will win the belt and right all of Roode’s wrongs. Then he calls out Roode. Roode’s music plays but some guy who is representing Roode comes out and reads a statement that says that Roode will be at home in Canada till further notice. He mentions that he won’t be seen till Lockdown since that is when he isn’t contractually obligated to be around till then. Then the guy says that 2 guys would like to face Storm. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian and the choice is Storm’s. Then he says that Roode is looking forward to beating Storm at Lockdown. Then Storm says that he will fight both of them tonight. Then he tells the guy to deliver Roode a message and he gives the guy a Super kick.  This was a mixed bag. The rep guy reading Roode’s statement was dull but Storm’s promo was good.

Kurt Angle is backstage asking why Jeff Hardy would want a rematch with him and that he never loses. Then the cameraman talks about the 5 minute challenge last week with Garrett. Then he finds Garrett and gets in his face and challenges him to last 3 minutes tonight. Garrett says that he will try his best. Kurt tells him to get ready. I wasn’t into this.

Garrett Bischoff vs. Kurt Angle in a 3 minute challenge. Gunner comes in and attacks Garrett towards the end of 3 minutes and the match gets thrown out. Then Kurt & Gunner double team Garrett and then Jeff Hardy comes out and the heals run off. This was ok.

They show a video package for the returning Motor City Machine Guns. This was good.

TNA World Tag Team Champions Magnus & Samoa Joe vs. Mexican America for the Titles. Magnus & Joe win Joe pins Anarquia. Joe makes Anarquia tap but Rosita & Sarita get on the apron and distract the referee and then this Josh Lewis guy from Repo Games comes to the ring and he carries Rosita & Sarita out. This was a decent match.

They show Hulk Hogan backstage and the cameraman asks for his thoughts on running Impact. Hogan says he doesn’t know what the guy’s talking about and that he’s there because Sting asked him to be.

The show Josh Lewis carrying Rosita & Sarita out of the building and then Mexican America come in and plead with him not to take the car. Anarquia goes to punch him but Josh avoids him and Rosita & Sarita leave with Josh. That was terrible!

They show James Storm and a few fans in bars with his new theme music playing.

James Storm vs. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian. Storm wins when he pins Daniels. Daniels made like he was going to have Kazarian go it alone and he walked to the back. Then Daniels comes back out to sneak attack Storm but Storm catches him and then rams Kazarian into the ring steps. This was a decent match. Daniels & Kazarian had more tension.

They show Sting, then Dixie Carter and then Hulk Hogan backstage as they head for the ring.

Sting’s music plays, he comes to the ring and asks Dixie to come out so they can finish what they started at the beginning of the show. Dixie’s music plays and she comes out. Sting says he has known Hulk for 20 years and that ever since he cut Eric Bischoff out of his life we have seen a different Hulk Hogan. He says that he trusts Hulk and he asks Dixie to as well. Dixie says that she trusts Sting and that if he believes in Hulk then she will too. Sting then says he knows Hulk is watching and he asks him to come out. Hulk Hogan’s music plays and he comes out and the pyro goes off. Then Sting says that Hulk made Sting and Dixie believers in him. He says that he should hear it from the fans too. They chant "Hogan" and Sting says they all believe in him and he keeps the "Hogan" chant going. This closed the show.  The segment was OK for what it was. Thankfully it was short. I still don’t get why they have Sting pleading with Hogan to take charge of Impact.

I thought that this was a middle of the road show. The Sting-Dixie-Hogan stuff wasn’t that great and it doesn’t make sense that they would want Hogan running the place after he stole the company a year and a half ago. The rest of the show had some decent matches. The X Title match was good till Bully Ray came out and it was a no finish. Ray cut good promos tonight. They’re doing a decent job building the Matt Morgan-Crimson feud. The Mexican America segments were awful. Their match with Joe & Magnus was decent. Storm vs. Daniels & Kazarian was decent too. Garrett-Angle wasn’t as bad this week but I still wasn’t into it. The Eric Young-ODB stuff was the usual goofiness we get from those 2 and the match wasn’t much. James Storm cut a good promo about Lockdown when he faces Bobby Roode for the World Title but Roode’s representative was kinda eh. Storm’s part of the promo was really good though. Overall I thought that this was a mixed bag episode this week.