12-5-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the December 5, 2013 Impact

The show starts with a video package on the TNA World Title Tournament.

Kurt Angle comes to the ring. He says Thanksgiving was last week. He says that it’s a time to be thankful. He’s thankful for his health & the fans’ support in his quest for the TNA HOF. The world title tournament is his path for him to prove himself. He went to war with Aries & Aries gave him the fight of his life, but in this match his opponent is much closer to him. He tells Magnus to come out. Angle wants to know what happened last week. Magnus left him high & dry against 4 wrestlers. Magnus respects him more than anyone. Magnus went through a war of his own when he got the crap kicked out of him in his match with Joe. Last week Magnus injured his knee & tried to get up but it buckled. Angle says champions fight hurt. Angle fought to the end. Does Magnus have the heart of a champion? Magnus says he has heart & he has hunger. Hunger to be the world champion for the very first time & he will prove it tonight. Angle says they’re friends but Magnus is in Angle’s way of his destiny. Jeff & Roode are in the way too. If Magnus wants to be champion he will have to go through Angle. Then out comes Bobby Roode. He talks about BFG 2011. He had heart & hunger to become champion but he didn’t get the job done. You need to have a killer instinct to become world champion. The killer instinct that made him smash a beer bottle over his best friend’s head to become world champion. We all saw what Roode did to Storm in the Tournament & next Roode will face Jeff Hardy. Imagine what he will do to Jeff tonight. Roode then says that Angle knows what Roode’s capable of & then he tells Magnus that he will never be world champion. Then out comes Jeff Hardy. Jeff says Roode is forgetting that he his has to go through Jeff & the creatures to get to the finals. For Jeff to get past Roode all he has to do is put him through a table. This was a solid opening segment. They all really put a lot of emphasis on the world title & what it means to be world champion.

TNA World Title Tournament: Semi-Finals - Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode in a tables match. Jeff wins. They both through a table & Brian Hebner isn’t sure what to do. Break time. Back from break & they show referees arguing during the break. Then Christie announces that Earl Hebner said that since both guys went through the table the match continues. The finish came when Jeff kicks Roode off the apron through a table for the win. WINNER – JEFF HARDY. The match was good but I didn’t care for the “both guys go through the able & the referee doesn’t know what to do” part.

They show a video of EC3 getting done up. Then he says that tonight he is challenging 1 of the greatest legends of all time & he will make history. I’m sick of this gimmick.

Time for a Dixie video. She got an e-mail from AJ Styles’ agent. It says that she will get her world title back. She gave AJ 1 week to send the belt back. She’s sorry about getting all the lawyers involved, etc. She appreciates AJ cooperating, etc. This wasn’t that bad.

Ethan Carter III comes to the ring. He says he has faced super stars, international talent & legends. But there is 1 guy who’s been in the ring with the likes of Andre, Hulk & Bret. His hand-picked opponent for tonight is Earl Hebner. Earl says he’s not a wrestler, he’s a referee. This isn’t happening tonight. EC3 says Earl represents the 99% but he’s a 1 per center. Hebner works for EC3’s money. EC3 also has the referee for this match. Out comes Rock star Spud with Brian Hebner & Spud yells at him to get in the ring & referee the match. Ethan says that Earl will lay down, Ethan will pin him & Earl’s disappointment of a son will make the count. He tells Earl to lay down. He doesn’t & Ethan tells him to a second time. Then Earl gets on his knee but gets back up. Ethan says he will decimate Earl & put him through the ground if Earl doesn’t lay down. Earl lays down & Ethan tells Brian to ring the bell. The bell rings & Ethan covers Earl with 1 finger. Ethan tells Brian to count. He reluctantly & slowly counts. Then Ethan tells Brian to “shoe” Earl. Brian rolls Earl out of the ring. Then Ethan tells Brian to raise his hand. He does. This was really idiotic!

Time for a video package on the Joseph Park/Abyss-Bad Influence saga.

Backstage we see Daniels & Kazarian. They talk about pictures they got from their last road trip & they can’t wait to show the fans. This was a decent backstage bit.

They show a video from earlier this week of Sam Shaw & Christie having dinner. She goes to the rest room. Then he tells the waiter that he saw the way he was looking at Christie. If he does that again he will rip his eyes out. The waiter leaves. Then Christie comes back & she & Sam leave the restaurant. What are they doing with this character?

They show another AJ Styles video package & Dixie flipping out again.

Backstage Dixie is on her cell. Then someone comes by & has a delivery for her. They’re flowers. Dixie flips & tells some guy not to bring her anything unless it’s the world title.

Bobby Roode says that he should be in the finals & flips because he’s out after slipping off the apron & falling through a table.

Sting comes into the building.

Backstage Dixie is talking to some of the roster. She is sorry that these guys couldn’t be in the tournament but Dixie has another great idea. Feast or fired will happen next week. Yep they brought back the “having 4 briefcases on the polls” match.

Daniels & Kazarian come to the ring with an envelope. Daniels says that he & Kazarian have been hearing a lot of negative feedback of how they’ve treated Joseph Park. They know the truth about Park & they’re gonna tell everyone now. Then Joseph comes out. He tells them to stop. The fans chant Joseph. Park says they’ve won. Maybe Joseph never should’ve been in TNA. Maybe he always was an attorney. Then Kazarian says that they have some info on that subject. Then Park takes the envelope & rips up. Then they show a video of Daniels & Kazarian in Chicago at the address where Park, Park & Park is. On the video Daniels & Kazarian walk into the building. They go into Park’s “office” but it’s empty. They ask what’s happening. They find out that Park, Park & Park closed 13 years ago. Then Daniels asks what Park’s been doing for 13 years. Joseph asks them to leave him alone. Kazarian says they’ve called Park a lot of things. Then Kazarian spits at him & says they can call Park a liar. Then they double team him for a bit. Then EY comes out & runs Bad Influence off. Then EY says this has gone on long enough. Then he says that he & Park will face Bad Influence next week. This was a mixed bag segment. Daniels & Kazarian were good here like always but this Joseph Park storyline has been going on for too long.

Backstage Sting says Magnus is climbing the ladder. Sting’s proud of who Magnus has become. Magnus says that his respect for Sting is as strong as ever. Sting tells Magnus to tear it up.

Backstage Spud is looking over something & tells some guy to look for the delivery man.

Back to the arena & Zima Ion brings out Robbie & Jessie. Why do they have Zima Ion as this DJ character? Anyway the champs will be facing Gunner & James Storm.

Gunner & James Storm vs. TNA World Tag Team Champions Robbie E & Jessie Godderz. Robbie & Jessie win by DQ when Gunner hits the referee. Storm had 1 of them pinned but the other spit beer in Gunner’s face. Gunner pounded away & the referee tried to pull him off & Gunner hit him. Then Storm gets annoyed with Gunner again. This match wasn’t much & having Zima do his DJ act during this was irritating. It looks more & more like Gunner & Storm will be splitting up as a team though.

Backstage Sting was going to go into Angle’s dressing room but Spud shows up. He says that he’s Dixie’s newest chief of staff. He asks Sting what he wants to talk to Angle about. Sting says that Angle has a world title tournament match, etc. Then Spud says that he didn’t recognize Sting without the face paint, etc. Spud then tells Sting that Dixie wants him to leave. Sting says she’ll have to tell him herself. The package Dixie’s been waiting for shows up & Spud leaves. Then Sting asks what’s going on around here. I wish I knew. This was terrible! I am not a fan of this gimmick that they have Spud doing!

They show a video of JB interviewing Gail Kim & Robert Irvine asking about Gail’s open challenge. Gail rags on the talent she’s had to face & Robert & Gail tell the other knockouts & JB not to waste their time. Gail will see her joke of a challenger, etc. I wasn’t a fan of this.

Backstage we see Chris Sabin & Velvet Sky. Sabin says he lost to Jeff in the first round of the world title tournament. He wasn’t sure what to do next but someone (or something) made him believe in himself & he will beat Aries next week. Velvet thinks he means her but he picks up the X Division Title & was referring to that. Then Velvet asks Sabin how she looks & he says the question is how do they both look. Whatever. This was lame. Sabin as a heel doesn’t work at all. Why is Velvet still with Sabin when she’s a face & he’s a heel? This makes zero sense.

Gail Kim & Lei’D Tapa come to the ring. She will be facing someone named Laura Dennis.

Laura Dennis vs. Knockouts Champion Gail Kim. Gail gets the pin. This wasn’t much.

Then Tapa picks up Laura & Gail gives her a second eat defeat. Tapa picks up Laura again but out comes ODB. She goes after Tapa & Gail. She clotheslines Tapa out of the ring. Then Tapa grabs her throat but Gail pulls her off. Gail & Tapa head up the ramp as ODB taunts them in the ring. This was decent.

Backstage Dixie is on her cell & is thrilled about the “package” arriving.

Spud shows up in Dixie’s office with the box & Dixie’s ecstatic (This was shown after they came back from break during the Angle-Magnus match). Why was that shown here?

TNA World Title Tournament: Semi-Finals - Kurt Angle vs. Magnus in a last man standing match. Magnus wins. The referee took a bump & Roode came out & suplexed Angle. Then Roode woke up the referee. Both Angle & Magnus were down but Magnus got up before the 10 count. WINNER – MAGNUS. This match was good.

Then Roode punches Angle for a bit & then Jeff Hardy comes out. He & Roode go at it & Jeff kicks Roode out of the ring. Then Jeff & Magnus look at each other.

Backstage we see Dixie & Spud. Dixie’s glad Jeff & Magnus are in the finals but she’s more thrilled that her belt is back. Spud opens up the box & inside is a toy belt. Dixie flips, says AJ won’t get away with this & storms off. This was crap.

Then we see an AJ promo. He says that he sent her that belt so that she has something to give to her paper champion. Then he says the world title is with the real world champion. If Dixie wants the belt she will have to come down to Gainesville & take it. He warns her to watch her back because the people in Georgia don’t like her. This was a good promo & this ended the show. That was a surprise ending.

I thought this week’s show had a few ups & a lot of downs. The opening in ring promo was well done. I liked the Jeff-Rode match but didn’t care for the “both guys go through the table” bit. The Angle-Magnus match was good too & I was fine with Roode costing Angle the match. Jeff & Roode going at it was good too & I liked the Jeff-Magnus stare down. There were WAY too many “365” videos on this show & there was FAR TOO MUCH DIXIE! She & Spud were all over the place backstage & all the segments they were in were terrible! The Sabin video was lame too. The Park-Daniels-Kazarian in ring segment was a mixed bag. Daniels & Kazarian were good here as usual & they were funny in the video, but this Joseph Park story has gone on too long. James Storm & Gunner vs. Robbie & Jessie wasn’t much. This was more about the tension between Gunner & Storm. I also couldn’t take Zima doing his DJ act during the match. I liked AJ Styles’ promo but I was a bit surprised that they ended the show with this. It felt like the show just ended out of nowhere. The Gail Kim-Robert Irvine video was pointless too & so was the Gail Kim challenge. I did like ODB coming out & going at it with Tapa though. The bit with Ethan & the Hebners (That sounds like the name of a band) was pointless too. I can’t take this EC3 character. I also have no idea what they’re doing with Sam Shaw & Christie. That video was also meaningless. I also cannot stand that they brought back the feast of fired match! That is terrible! So overall I thought there was a lot of pointless 365 videos on this show! The tournament matches were good but I thought the rest of the show was mostly kinda hard to watch! All those videos really made me dislike this show.