4-4-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the April 4, 2013 episode of Impact   

The show starts with Aces & 8s coming to the ring. Anderson says he has a very special package. When AJ Styles needed this company the most they turned their backs on him. So they have an Aces & 8s vest for him. Anderson hopes AJ makes the right decision. Devon says that the envelope he has is for Brooke & it will give a new meaning to changed relationship. D’Lo says he has a gift too. His gift wasn’t something he gave, it was something he received. Last week he got a letter from TNA HQ. Inside the letter was his notice of termination from TNA. After all his years of hard work D’Lo deserved more than just a letter. He doesn’t want the officials to tweet or text him. He wants 1 of them to come out and tell him why he was fired. Out comes Kurt Angle. He has something to say to D’Lo’s face. He’s gonna get in the ring, look D’Lo in the eye and tell him what he has to say. Then Angle tackles D’Lo and punches him. Then out come the TNA locker room and TNA-Aces & 8s brawl begins. Naturally Aces & 8s retreat. This was a decent way to start the show.

Backstage Joey Ryan wants to offer Brooke a favor. Brooke says that technically she is still married. He knows she has a need and he knows he can fill it. She just fired her Knockouts referee and needs a new one. She says he can take a lot of weight off his shoulders by being Knockouts referee but she tells him not to touch them. He says she won’t regret it & walks off. Then Brooke says that her life is falling apart. This was a weak backstage bit.

Knockouts Champion Velvet Sky & Taryn Terrell vs. Gail Kim & Tara. Gail & Tara win when Gail pins Taryn & Joey Ryan makes a fast count. This didn’t click. It was all about Joey Ryan flirting with the knockouts. Then Gail flirted with him. Taryn rolled Gail and he took off his shirt and had his back turned. When he turned around Gail had reversed the roll up & Ryan made a fast 3 count. Then Joey celebrates with Jessie, Tara & Gail. Then he goes back in the ring & shows himself off to Velvet & Taryn. Then Taryn hits him low. This was really idiotic.

JB, Hernandez, Chavo Guerrero, Austin Aries & Bobby Roode are in the ring for the TNA World tag team title contract signing. Aries says they’re not just world tag team champions. They’re a team of world champions. Roode asks Hernandez or Chavo have been world champion. Aries says no. Roode says Hernandez & Chavo don’t hold a candle to them. Chavo says he’s a Guerrero & he’s got a big strong guy as his partner. Aries suggest that the contract be added a few perks for the winners. They say they want a fruit basket; free M & Ms & the winners share of the money. Chavo & Hernandez have a stipulation of their own. Aries & Roode seem to go for it. Then Aries & Roode have another stipulation and Chavo seems to be ok with it. JB then says that next week the tag titles will be on the line in a 2/3 falls match and if Hernandez & Chavo lose they will never team again in TNA. The champs sign & then the challengers do too. JB says it’s official for Corpus Christi next week. This segment didn’t click either and felt forced.

Time for a video package on gut check contestant (And former NWA World Champion) Adam Pierce. He says that he’s been wrestling for 17 & ½ years & isn’t afraid to say what he has to. He has accomplished a lot. Then he says that people want to wrestlers his age out to pasture. Now is the right place & the right time. He can hang with Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe or Kurt Angle & is willing to do whatever he has to. He wants TNA to open the door for him a little bit so he can get that chance. This was well done.

Time for a video package on the other gut check contestant Magno. He spoke in Spanish mostly but the subtitles pretty much say that he is seen as a mysterious character & that his mask is who he is. He’s been wrestling for 15 years & he talks about the tradition of the mask in Lucha Libre. He says that he is here to make an Impact. This was good too.

JB is in the ring. It’s time to see how the 2 gut check contestant do in their “chance to get a TNA contract” (That’s what I’m calling it) match. Out comes Adam Pierce and then Magno.

Magno vs. Adam Pierce. Adam gets the pin while holding the ropes. This was a decent match.

Time for a look back at the Hulk-Sting segment from last Thursday.

Backstage we see AJ Styles & Ken Anderson shows up. He says that there is a future for AJ in Aces & 8s then he gives AJ an Aces & 8s vest. This was decent.

Backstage camera guy asks Hulk if there’s a Sting update. Hulk says Sting’s not there and Sting isn’t a warrior. Hulk needs warriors & he is going to find out right now if there are any or whatever.

Backstage Joseph Park says he knows Kurt Angle wants to save wrestling & he watched Angle win the gold metal in 1996. Then he says that he wants part of the fight too because Aces & 8s wronged him. He says that Angle wants Park to follow his lead. If Park sees an opportunity to take it. Park says he will. This was ok.

Hulk Hogan comes to the ring. He says he’s talked about past mistakes but he won’t make those same mistakes. He is going to follow his gut and there’s 1 guy that his gut is telling him to call out. AJ Styles “brother.” AJ comes out holding the Aces & 8s vest. Hulk asks AJ if he is going to Aces & 8s then they’re way off the same page. Hulk gets that AJ had some rough luck. But then all of a sudden AJ turned into a different AJ. TNA is his family and AJ never strayed from his family. Hulk looks at him and sees a different AJ. He hopes AJ’s not going down that path. Hulk says TNA needs help right now and they need someone dangerous like AJ. Hulk says TNA needs the dangerous AJ Styles. AJ asks if Hulk wants him to help TNA. Hulk says yes. Then out comes James Storm. He remembers the stipulation Hulk made for the AJ-Storm-Roode match back at Turning Point where he said whoever got pinned in the 3 way wouldn’t get a world title match till BFG 2013. Storm says he was the guy that pinned AJ. What bothers Storm is that AJ just watched as Aces & 8s beat him down last week. He says they’ve been there since day 1 and they’ve been on every show. Every time they get in that they wrestle and perform for the fans because that’s what they love to do. From the Asylum to Europe to right here in Jonesboro. Storm then says AJ is not the same guy he remembers. He’s not the same guy that the fans cheered for. Storm says that AJ better clock out before he gets knocked out. They have a stare down and then AJ walks out holding the vest. This was a decent segment. Hulk’s promo was hokey like usual but James Storm’s promo was good.

They show a during the break promo with Hulk saying that AJ has a week to decide whose side he’s on. Hulk’s had it.

Mason Andrews vs. Petey Williams vs. Sonjay Dutt. Petey wins when he pins Andrews. This was a solid match.

In the Aces & 8s clubhouse, Ray says he’s not in the best of moods but it’s not their fault, Angle’s to blame. He know that his guys will get the job done in the 10 man tag. Then Devon asks Ray if he is ready to deal with Brooke. Ray says, “I miss my wife.” He will look Brooke in the eyes & hand her the envelope. Then they will be able move forward. “When you ride with Aces & 8s you’re never alone.” This was decent.

Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Magnus, Joseph Park and Eric Young vs. Wes Briscoe, Garrett Bischoff, Knox, Doc & Devon. Wes, Garrett, Knox, Doc & Devon win when Doc pins Park. This was solid too.

Backstage Hulk tells Brooke this doesn’t feel right to him. Brooke says she doesn’t want anymore drama. She’ll have Atlas security with her. She says that Ray will probably hand her divorce papers and they both want no more drama. This was lame.

Bully Ray comes to the ring. He says that in 7 days till the biggest world title rematch in wrestling history. He & Jeff Hardy. Corpus Christi, TX, Full Metal Mayhem. Jeff Hardy has to be the stupidest guy to challenge him to a match that involves tables, ladders & chairs. Then Ray says that he has personal business to take care of and he tells “his beautiful wife” Brooke to come out. Brooke comes to the ring with 2 Atlas security guys. Ray asks where her wedding ring is. He has his and that it’s a sign of love & devotion to her. He expects her to do the same. Then he asks why the security guys? He says that they should be there for his protection. After Lockdown Brooke was a crazed lunatic. Ray says that she with him for winning the world title. She should’ve been doing everything a good wife should be doing but Brooke is an insane woman. It’s ok though, he forgives her. Ray says Brooke’s the woman behind him who makes him so great. He couldn’t have done this without her. He gives Brooke the envelope & inside is a front row ticket for Brooke so that she can watch him defend his title next week. Ray says that Brooke has kinda let herself go and then she rips up the ticket. Then she slaps him. Ray laughs that off & says that Brooke is pathetic. She just smacked him & he’s laughing. He’s been in her head so bad it’s not funny. He has been in Brooke’s head since day 1. Then out comes Jeff Hardy and he & Ray go at it in the ring to end the show. This was solid. Ray was great with his promo like usual & I liked the Jeff-Ray brawl.

This week’s show had its ups and downs for sure. The Aces & 8s segment at the start of the show was decent & so was the end of the show. Ray is great with his promos. I also like the exchange with him Jeff. The X Division match was solid too but a bit short. I also don’t get why all X Division matches are 3 ways now. I thought the Aces & 8s bit in the clubhouse was decent too & the 10 man tag was also a solid match. The Knockouts match wasn’t really much. This was mostly about Joey Ryan hitting on the women and it was stupid. The contract signing bit for the tag title match was kinda weak too. The Hulk-AJ-Storm segment was a mixed bag. Hulk was his usual hokey self on the mic but James Storm’s promo was good. The Magno-Adam Pierce match was decent too but I don’t get why they had these guys in the gut check. Adam Pierce is a former NWA World Champion and can really go in the ring. Magno was in TNA before as part of the World X Cup series too, so I don’t get why he was in a gut check match either. The AJ-Anderson backstage bit was decent & the Park-Angle bit was ok. Hulk saying Sting isn’t a warrior & needing to see if he had any warriors was lame and the Hulk-Brooke backstage bit was too. So overall I thought this was a mediocre show.