7-5-12 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the July 5, 2012 episode of Impact

The show starts with Bully Ray coming to the ring. He says that he has a huge announcement to make. He says hell must have frozen over because as of right now Bully Ray is officially going live on twitter. He says that he will be trending world wide. Then he says Joseph had the nerve to smack him and challenge him to a match. Ray says no tells him what to do, he tells Joseph what to do and he calls Joseph out. Joseph comes to the ring. Ray asks if he has something to say. Ray asks if he wants his answer. Ray says he is tougher than Joseph and he accepts his challenge. Then Joseph says that he beat Ray at Slammiversary. He says he’s watched Ray Bully everyone and he’s sick of it. He says that next Thursday night he will beat Ray again. Ray asks if this is anything goes too. Joseph says it is. Then Ray says if he were him he would be worried about this. Then he takes out a sheet of paper which is a restraining order preventing Abyss from showing up. Ray says that if Abyss does show up Ray will see that he rots in jail for the rest of his life. Then he punches Joseph. This was a good opening segment. Both guys cut great promos as usual.

Hulk Hogan & Austin Aries are backstage. Hulk says that he needs the X Title. Aries says he was gonna hold it till Sunday but will hand it over later. Hulk says he needs Aries to make a statement in that ring. Than Hulk says that what happens at Destination X will determine what happens to Impact. This was solid.

They re show what happened at the end of last week’s show.

They show a pre taped segment where a camera guy asks Dixie if she knows anything about AJ being the dad. She doesn’t really comment and tells them to get the camera out of there. This was dumb. D’Lo Brown, Bruce Pritchard & Al Snow were there too. I don’t know why.

TV Champion Devon vs. Crimson for the Title. Devon gets the pin. This was decent but short match. Then Madison Rayne comes to the ring. She looks at Devon but then she goes to Earl Hebner and kisses him. Really? Earl Hebner is who Madison has the hots for? I will admit I wasn’t expecting her crush to be Earl Hebner.

They show Chris Sabin walking on crutches backstage. He will discuss his injury next.

Chris Sabin comes to the ring. He says that he’s always dreamed about being a wrestler. He says this is supposed to be his dream and his injuries are making it a nightmare. Then he says that he talked with loved ones and they said that he should retire. Then he says that 2 days ago a doctor called him up and suggested he retire also. Then Bobby Roode comes to the ring. He takes Sabin’s mic and says what a tragic story this is. He says that to see Sabin on crutches with a knee brace is pathetic just like all the other X Division guys. He says that all the X guys are the same. The risk it all every night and get no reward. Then he says that at Destination X Austin Aries will risk it all when he gives up the X Title and face “The It factor” for his world title. Then Roode says that when it’s all said and done A double will have his career ended just like that. Or just like this. Then Roode hits Sabin and he falls. Then Roode taunts him and tells him to get up. Then Austin Aries comes out and runs Roode off. This was a good segment. It really is a shame that Sabin got injured again after being out injured a year. He cut a good promo though and Roode was good with his heel promo too.

X Division Title Tournament-First Round: Dakota Darsow vs. Flip Cassanova. Flip gets the pin. This was ok. Flip was a bit off and wound up making Darsow bleed.

Brooke Tessmacher & Tara are backstage and says that Gail Kim is scared of her. She says she would’ve beaten her. Then she mentions that she has a tag match with Tara. Tara says that Tessmacher makes her and every Knockout who’s been champion proud.  Tessmacher says she wouldn’t be Knockouts Champion if wasn’t for Tara.

They recap the Gut Check segment from last Thursday.

Knockouts Champion Brooke Tessmacher & Tara vs. Gail Kim & Madison Rayne. Tessmacher & Tara win when Tessmacher pins Madison. This was a solid match.

They show AJ Styles walking backstage. He will talk about the whole Claire bit next.

They show a James Storm video package and Storm talks about his match with Jeff Hardy and the BFG series. Then they show Storm doing pushups and stretching.

AJ Styles comes to the ring. He recaps what’s been happening. He says that everything Daniels said was wrong and now Daniels is accusing him of being the dad to Claire’s unborn kid. AJ asks how will Daniels make this stick. He says he doesn’t get what they’re doing. Then Daniels & Kazarian come out. Kazarian says that what AJ gets is junkie whores pregnant. Then he says that tried knock sense into AJ’s redneck skull but that didn’t work. AJ says he will get his redneck hands on Kazarian. Daniels then talks about AJ & Dixie covering up for Claire. AJ says this isn’t about AJ& Dixie, or AJ & Claire. This is about AJ & Daniels. He talks about how when he beat Daniels at Destination X last year, Daniels showed what a jealous prick he is. Then AJ says that this he asked for the match. He says that Daniels is no man and at Destination X he will shut Daniels up once and for all. This was decent and short. The guys cut good promos, which is what made this watchable.

Backstage a camera guy asks for Hulk Hogan’s predication for the Aries-Roode match. Then 2 guys come in saying they’re not cowards. Then they throw an envelope in the desk. Hogan opens it and it looks like a drawing of a playing card. There was also a note saying they’ll see Hulk next week. This was weird.

They show Jeff Hardy getting ready for his match. Then the show a video package on him and he talks about his match with James Storm.

X Division Title Tournament-First Round: Kenny King vs. Lars Only. Kenny gets the pin. This was decent. Kenny King is a good worker. Afterwards Christie Hemme asks Kenny how it feels to be going to Destination X. He says he came to TNA to be noticed. He then says that on Sunday the king will be crowned.

They show an Austin Aries video package with him talking about how when he started wrestling he was smaller but he’s been in wars in TNA. He says that he has always found a way to win. He says that he wants to use his current accomplishments as a stepping stone for bigger accomplishments. This was a good video.

Kenny King hugs Austin Aries backstage and they talk a bit. Then a camera man asks if Aries still intends on giving up the X Title. Aries says that he will and on Sunday he will become the new World Champion.

Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm in a Bound for Glory Series match. Jeff gets the pin for 7 more points. This was a good back and forth match.

Hulk Hogan is on his way to the ring. We’ll hear from him next.

Mike Tenay & Taz announce that Bound for Glory will take place in Phoenix.

Kurt Angle says Ken Anderson is a fierce competitor. He says the stakes are high for the BFG series. He says if he can beat Anderson (which he has before) then he win the Title (which he’s also done before)

Then Ken Anderson talks about the BFG series.

Hulk Hogan comes to the ring. The fans chant his name. He says that he loves to hear them this noisy. He says that the fans get into it when Jeff Hardy or James Storm come out. He says that they also go nuts when Austin Aries is in the ring. Then he tells Aries to come to out but Roode does. Roode gets the mic but Hulk tells him not to cross the line. Roode cuts him off and he says that he is a real World Champion and the only reason Austin Aries has a World Title match Sunday is because of Hogan. Roode says that Hogan has given nothing but false hope to the fans and Aries as well as the rest of the X Division. Then he says that when he beats Aries, the blood of Aries will be on Hulk’s hands. Then Austin Aries comes out. He says that he will let Roode bask in the glory of being World Champion for the next 3 days because on Sunday Aries will be World Champion. Then he says that they can finish what they started last week. He says he isn’t scared of Roode and that Sunday will lose the Title. Aries challenges him to face him right now. Roode went to hit Aries with his belt but Aries ducks and hits Roode with the X Title. Aries hands over the X Title and then holds up the World Title to end the show. This was a really good closing segment. Destination X should be a good show this Sunday.

I thought this week’s show was ok overall. The opening segment was good. Joseph & Ray both cut great promos. I thought the Sabin-Roode promo was good too. It’s really a shame that Sabin got injured though. I though the closing segment with Hulk, Aries & Roode was really good. All 3 guys cut good promos and I thought they did a really good job with the final hype for their World Title match. The Hogan segment backstage was weird. Having these guys come in with an ace or whatever was odd. This might be a follow up to the guys who attacked Sting a few weeks ago. The X Division matches were decent. Darsow-Cassanova was ok and I was ok with the Kenny-Lars match too. Kenny King is one half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions right now, but I heard his deal ran out. Earl Hebner being the guy that Madison has the eyes for was idiotic, but I also didn’t expect it to be him. The AJ-Daniels-Kazarian promo was short & decent. Thankfully they didn’t get into this storyline too much this week. The Knockouts tag match was solid. Overall I thought this week’s show was not as good as it’s been but it wasn’t awful either. The PPV Sunday could be a good show too.