10-3-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 3, 2013 episode of Impact The show starts with AJ Styles coming to the ring. He appreciates what Hulk did but Dixie came out & showed her true colors. He knows exactly who Bully Ray is. Bully Ray is the guy he will beat at BFG for the world title. He hasn’t got a contract so he’s all in. AJ hasn’t seen the world title in over a year & is hungry to regain it. Ray might be the most dangerous guy in the building but AJ begs to differ. Then out comes Bully Ray. He says that lady is in AJ’s head. He says that AJ hopes to win the title. Ray mentions “hope” being the key word. If AJ was a true champion he would know that he can beat Ray. AJ needs to worry about him & not Dixie. Ray mentions what he did to Sting, Hulk, Anderson & Devon. Ray is sick of hearing the fans chant for AJ. After BFG they won’t be chanting that. AJ says Ray is no different than Dixie. They both bleed people for everything they’re worth & then kick them to the curb. Ray takes that as a compliment since they’re both ruthless millionaires. Ray then says that AJ better hope he wins or he will be sending AJ home without a contract & condemn him to live with his miserable wife & kids. Then AJ tells Ray to get ready for his match tonight. Ray says that he doesn’t have a match. Then AJ says that Hulk hates Ray as much as AJ because Ray does have a match. Joe is gonna kill Ray. Then AJ leaves the ring as Ray flips. This was a good opening segment. Both AJ & Ray cut great promos. They both said quite a bit & it was hard to keep up with everything. My apologies for missing some of what they said here. They announce that Magnus will face all 3 EGO guys in a gauntlet match. That doesn’t really make sense. Backstage we see AJ & Dixie. AJ says that Dixie doesn’t know what she’s in for. Dixie mentions that AJ is no longer under contract & he will be gone after he fulfills 1 last obligation at BFG. Then Dixie says we’ve heard enough of AJ tonight & is about to have security escort him out. AJ says not to bother because he doesn’t wanna breathe the same air that Dixie’s breathing. Whatever. These backstage segments annoy me & I detest this Dixie heel turn. Austin Aries is on commentary. Jeff Hardy & X Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Sabin & Kenny King. Jeff & Manik win when Jeff pins Kenny. This was a good back & forth match. Kenny’s cut from “last week” bled again. Then Sabin goes after Manik & Jeff. Then Aries takes his headset off & gets in the ring. He says that Sabin likes to be an opportunist. Then he suggests a 4 way match with him, Sabin, Jeff & Manik at BFG. Jeff has a better idea. He wants to do something he’s never done before. An Ultimate X match. Backstage we see Sting & Hulk. Sting says they haven’t been in this spot since Eric Bischoff was on his power trip. Then he asks what’s going on with Dixie. Hulk didn’t think anyone could be worse than Eric Bischoff but she is. Sting says no matter what he has Hulk’s back. Then some chick comes in with a gift for Hulk Dixie. It’s a watch. Hulk says that means let the games begin. OK I’m not sure what that means. Bischoff never gave him anything. This was weak. Then we see a backstage bit from last Thursday. Sting goes to check on Magnus after the beating he took. Magnus says he wants to face all 3 EGO guys next week. They’ll all pay individually. He wants Sting to keep out of his way. Time for Magnus to run the gauntlet. Magnus vs. Christopher Daniels. Magnus gets the pin. This was solid. Then Kazarian comes out. Magnus vs. Frankie Kazarian. Magnus wins by submission. This was solid too. Then out comes Bobby Roode. Kazarian clips Magnus’ knee. Magnus vs. Bobby Roode. Roode wins by submission. This was also solid. Magnus is upset that he lost. Then Sing comes out. He says that Magnus is making a public disgrace to himself (I don’t know why. He won 2 of the 3 matches). Sting then says that they can head to the back & talk about it. Magnus says no to that. Magnus has had enough. Sting, Angle & Joe see it in him but he doesn’t have it in him. When Sting, Kurt & Joe got the chance they took it. Sting says not to let it bother him. Magnus says you’re either in or you’re out. This is a result driven business & Magnus isn’t getting results. Then Sting mentions that he needed to have that big chance too & Ric Flair put him on the map. Magnus looked up to Sting. Magnus came 1 win away for Then Magnus asks Sting who will put him on the map. Sting says that he will at BFG. Then they shake hands. Backstage Austin Aries comes into Hulk’s office. Aries has some vitamins for him (That’s a bit funny) says they haven’t seen eye to eye but Aries appreciates Hulk giving him option C. There’re 2 Hulk Hogans. Red & yellow and Black & white. Hulk’s decision is black & white with not a lot of gray. Hulk gets it. Aries tells Hulk to enjoy the vitamins. Time for a Hulk Hogan in TNA video package. They show Hulk’s TNA debut. Then the show when he turned heel & then turned back to a baby face at BFG 2 years ago. Then they show when he became GM. That’s followed up with the start of Aces & 8s along with the Ray-Brooke Hogan crap. Then they show the end of last week’s show. Man they’re really making a major deal out of Hulk Hogan’s decision. Backstage camera guy asks Sabin why he won’t be at ringside for Velvet’s match. Velvet is TNA’s toughest knockout & can take care of herself. He needs to worry about Jeff, Aries & Manik. Thankfully this was short. Backstage we see EGO. They celebrate Roode beating Magnus. There’s no I in EGO. Magnus loses once again. Then Kazarian tells Roode that next week Roode will be inducted into the most prestigious Hall of Fame. Not the TNA 1. The EGO HOF. This will be a black tie ceremony. Then they all sing he’s off the chain. This was pretty funny. These 3 guys are a great. Next up was supposed to be Velvet Sky vs. Brooke Tessmacher to determine the number 1 contender for the Knockouts Title, but then Lei’d Tapa comes out & goes after Velvet. The beat down goes on for a bit & then Tapa gives Velvet a Samoan drop. This was a solid way to introduce Tapa. Brooke left before Tapa got in the ring. They show someone walking into the arena. They film the back of his head. It was Ethan. He’s coming. Whoever he is. Time for a Gunner & James Storm video package. They mention that they had faced each other before & that Storm saw something in him. Storm’s the “sinner’ & Gunner’s the “Saint.” Gunner’s been in the military. They’ve been tag champion since June & Gunner says they will continue to be tag team champions. Then Mike Tenay mentions that on the Spike TV BFG pre show there will be a 4 way tag match to see who challenges the champs for the title on the PPV. The teams are EY & Joseph Park, Daniels & Kazarian, Robbie E & Jessie and Hernandez & Chavo. Then they show a Kurt Angle video package. Samoa Joe vs. TNA World Champion Bully Ray. Joe wins by DQ. Joe winds up knocking out Earl Hebner after Ray sent Joe him into the corner (Where Earl just happened to be standing). Then Joe gets Ray in the Kokina Clutch. Ray taps but there’s no referee. Joe checks on Hebner. Then Ray hits Joe with his chain but Earl comes to, sees Ray using the chain & calls for the bell. WINNER BY DQ – SAMOA JOE. Then Ray shoves down Earl. Then he tosses Joe out of the ring & rams him face first into the announce table. Then Ray pulls back the floor mats & goes for a pile driver. Then AJ Styles comes out from the crowed & goes after Ray. Security goes after AJ but he escapes through the crowed, celebrating with the fans. This was a good match & I liked the post-match stuff too. Dixie Carter comes to the ring. She mentions that the fans haven’t been thrilled with her decisions. Then she says the fans don’t know any different. She has business with Hulk Hogan to take care of. Out comes Hulk. She asks Hulk if he wants to take his career to another level (The guy’s 60). The watch he has on she got him at Tiffany’s. Will Hulk ride the Dixie train or will he force her to make a decision she knows she’ll regret? Hulk thanks Dixie for the watch. He’s thought about everything he’s done in his career. He’s always dreamed about being part of a power couple. The Dixie-Hulk team would be amazing at how high they can get. However, that’s an offer for somebody else because Hulk quits. He leaves the ring & Dixie goes after him. Dixie holds Hulk’s leg as he tries to walk to the back. Then Hulk eventually leaves. Then Dixie says that Hulk is “fired.” That ends the show. Thankfully this wasn’t as long as I was worried it would be but it was still terrible. I thought this week’s show wasn’t as bad as last week’s overall. The opening promo with AJ & Ray was well done, the Joe-Ray match was good too & I liked that AJ Styles made the save for Joe. The Hulk-Dixie promo was awful. Having Dixie be the heel running the show is idiotic & she looked like a goof holding onto Hulk’s leg. I’m hoping that Hulk really is done with TNA. He hasn’t done anything for the company. The Magnus-EGO gauntlet match was solid but having Magnus face all 3 guys didn’t really make sense & neither did the Sting promo. Magnus has been doing pretty well & then he says that he “hasn’t got it” because he lost just 1 match? I liked the intro of Tapa too. The backstage bit with Daniels, Kazarian & Roode was funny. Those guys are the best act in the company. The Storm-Gunner video package & the Kurt Angle HOF 1 were both solid also. Jeff & Manik vs. Kenny & Sabin was good too & I liked that they set up an Ultimate X match for BFG. Aries was good here & I liked that Jeff upped the ante with the Ultimate X. Overall I thought this wasn’t a bad show.