Coverage and thoughts on the July 4, 2013 episode of Impact
The show starts with Austin Aries coming to the ring. He says some people love him, others love to boo him. But now everyone has to respect him. He came out last week & did was he does, outsmart people & creates controversy. Last year he was the guy who came up with cashing in the X Title for a shot at the World Title. Last year he cashed in & won the World Title. After his clever plan last week, you bet he’s gonna cash the X Title in for a World Title shot on 7-18. He will become champion again. He tells Hulk to come out because he wants to make this official & hand the title over right now. Out comes Hogan. Aries says he’s ready to hand the belt over. Hulk says Aries is now X Division Champion & what a champion he is. Aries is the guy who created option C, but Hulk gets to decide where & when Option C happens. In tonight’s main event Aries will defend the X Title in a 3 way. First Hulk brings out TJ Perkins (Now known as Manic, but in the Suicide costume). The third guy in the match is the guy who never got pinned. SabinMania. Out comes Sabin. Hulk says in tonight’s main event Sabin has a chance to right the wrong & Manic gets his shot at revenge on A double. Sabin says that he never thought he would be in the ring again but he’s back. He earned the X Title while Aries cheated to get it. There’s nothing stopping Sabin from regaining the X Title tonight. This was a good opening segment. I’m not sure why they have TJ Perkins in the same costume though. They could just have him be TJ Perkins without the costume.
Backstage Daniels peaks his head out of the dressing room door. Daniels asks what camera guy wants. Camera guy wants to ask Kaz about his match with AJ tonight. Kaz says he doesn’t which version of AJ shows up, he will beat him tonight. Daniels tells the cameraman to beat it. Good backstage bit.
Out come Daniels & Kazarian. Kazarian says this is through back Thursday & they’re dressed as Siegfried & Roy. He says to watch as Daniels makes women’s undergarments disappear & as Kazarian gets gold around his waist.
AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian in a BFG Series match. AJ wins by submission for 10 more points. This was kind of short but it was good. AJ is now in 3rd place in the BFG Series.
Mickie James is backstage. She tells some guy to get a ladder set up in the ring.
Backstage Chavo tells Hernandez the BFG Series is a marathon. Chavo says this is Hernandez’ tournament.
Mickie James is in the ring & so is a ladder. She says to get to the top of the Knockouts division you have to crawl, scratch & even climb your way to the top. She’s the one that’s the country music artist & a spokesperson for commercials nationwide. She is also the Knockouts Champion. Even though she beat Velvet with her eyes closed last week all she keeps hearing about is next week’ number 1 contender ladder match. She wants Taryn & Gail to tare the house down & break a leg as well as everything else too. At the end of the day it won’t matter because they won’t be as great as Mickie. Whoever wins she will tear apart & Mickie will stand atop the Knockouts Division as the greatest Knockouts Champion of all time. This was a good heel promo from Mickie.
Time for a look at Bruce, Al & Danny Davis deciding who to pick for the gut check judging. They have their usual back & forth bit over who gets the nod.
Then we see the 2 contestants backstage with the judges. Bruce says he hopes they’re proud of their performance last week. Ryan will face the judges & he tells Big to get out of their O zone. Big mistake picking Ryan Howe!
Outside we see Sting, Angle & Joe. Angle says the numbers keep growing but tonight the 4th MEM guy will be revealed.
Hernandez vs. Jay Bradley in a BFG Series match. Hernandez gets the pin for 7 points. Chavo tripped Jay. That distracted Jay & then Hernandez gave him a shoulder block for the pin. This was ok.
Backstage we see Aces & 8s. Bully Ray says Aries always find a way into the title picture. Brooke’s real life engagement is mentioned. Ray says that’s his own business, this is about club business. Ray says that he thought the MEM was behind the Suicide bit. Then Wes mentions Brooke got engaged. Ray again says that’s his personal business. He talks about tonight’s X Division 3 way with the winner facing him for the title. Doc asks who Ray would prefer to face. Anderson
TNA World Tag Team Champions Gunner & James Storm vs. Robbie E & Jessie Godderz. Gunner & Storm win when Gunner pins Robbie. This was decent.
Backstage Jeff Hardy says from watching Joseph Park’s matches Park seems to be getting better. He’s got some of Abyss in him & Jeff has a long history with Abyss. But tonight Jeff is gonna get in there & earn his points.
Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe & Sting come to the ring. Angle says the MEM is back. They’re back to destroy Aces & 8s and to make sure Ray loses the world title. Sting says the previous MEM was all former world champions & that doesn’t always give you the greatest unity. This time they decided to take a no nonsense approach & that was why they picked this guy. Sting brings out Samoa Joe. Wait a minute Joe’s a former world champion. What was this intro for? Joe says once again the Mafia runs this town tonight. For the past year Joe’s been a man of his own devices but he’s noticed there’s strength in numbers. Mainly Aces & 8s. Joe says he can’t beat up that many cowards by himself. In this year’s BFG Series with Angle & Sting at his back he will run through everybody till he earns his world title match against Ray & chokes him out for the world title. Angle picked Joe to be the 3rd MEM guy. He talks about how they respect each other after the matches they had. Angle then says that Joe came up with who the 4th MEM guy should be. Angle says the 4th MEM guy is the here & now. Angle introduces Magnus. Magnus says when he was asked to be part of this group he thought about it for a split second. When opportunity knocks, you answer the door. He mentions that he is in the lead in the BFG Series. Then he puts over Sting, Angle & Joe. Magnus says in 2012 he was put on the map by his association & rivalry with Samoa Joe. Magnus thanks Joe for that. This isn’t just about Magnus & MEM. This is about Aces & 8s, which is why Magnus signed up & to help end Aces & 8s for good. Sting then challenges Aces & 8s to a fight. Then he says that tonight Ray has asked what if there is no winner in tonight’s main event. MEM will be at ringside to prevent Aces & 8s from getting involved & there will be a winner. This was a decent segment. Magnus’ promo was good.
Jeff Hardy vs. Joseph Park in a BFG Series match. Jeff wins by DQ for 2 more points. Park bled from the mouth. Then he flipped & gave the referee a black hole slam. Jeff checks on the referee & then Brian Hebner comes in & calls for the bell. Since Park lost by DQ he loses 10 points in the BFG Series. This was a solid match.
JB & the gut check judges are in the ring. After introducing the judges, JB brings out Ryan Howe. JB congratulates Ryan. Did we see his best effort last week. Ryan says absolutely. JB says Al will vote first. Al’s watched Ryan develop & improve over time. Ryan has a great musical talent. He doesn’t know why Ryan wants o wrestle. Then Al says his answer is no. Then JB tells Ryan that since he got a no he has to cut a promo. Ryan says it takes a lot of guys a lot of years to get to this level. He knows he’s doing something right. He showed heart in his match last week. Danny votes next. His mind was made up but the fans have changed it. He thinks Ryan has potential, it will take time. Davis
Back to Aces & 8s. Ray says it’s main event time. Doc says he heard about the MEM challenge for 7-18. He’s willing to step up. Anderson
They show a video package hyping next week’s Taryn-Gail ladder match. This was good.
Out come Aces & 8s.
Chris Sabin vs. Manic vs. X Division Champion Austin Aries for the Title. Sabin wins to regain the title when he pins Aries. During the match Knox tripped Manic. Then Manic went for a dive but Doc caught him & gave him a power bomb on the floor. Then out come Joe, Magnus, Angle & Sting. Then they went to break. They came back from the break & medics carried Manic to the back. So the match became Sabin vs. Aries. This match was entertaining & the Sabin vs. Aries singles part of the match was awesome. WINNER & X DIVISION CHAMPION – CHRIS SABIN. Then Sabin gets the mic & tells Ray that he might be looking at the new world champion. Ray tells Sabin that he can’t beat him as Sabin holds up the X Title to end the show. The match was great & I liked the post match Sabin-Ray face off.
This week’s show felt kind of lackluster to me for the most part. The opening segment was good & I enjoyed the X Title match. The 3 way part of the match was enjoyable & the Sabin vs. Aries part of the match was great. I liked the Sabin-Ray face off too. I was ok with Magnus being the new MEM guy. I thought he cut a good promo in that segment. AJ-Kazarian was short but good, Jeff-Joseph was solid but the whole bit with Park turning into Abyss after bleeding, going nuts & then not remembering what happened when he goes back to “normal” is getting really old. The tag match was decent & Hernandez-Bradley was ok. The backstage Aces & 8s segments were typical Aces & 8s bits. I’m tired of this stable. I’m also not a fan of MEM vs. Aces & 8s. The gut check segment was weak. I’m tired of these gut check bits. I find the whole bit with the judges going back & forth with each other to be a bit idiotic & then the judges cutting the usual, “You’re good but” bit too be predictable. Mickie cut a good heel promo. She’s been really good at being the full of herself kind of heel. Overall though I thought this week’s show was hit & miss.
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