TNA Impact Wrestling 29th March 2012

Bobby Roode / James Storm Segment
Madison Rayne Vs Velvet Sky
Hulk Hogan & Dixie Carter Segment
Austin Aries promo
Matt Morgan Vs Crimson
Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson
James Storm & Austin Aries Vs Bobby Roode & Bully Ray
Dixie Carter / Hulk Hogan / Sting Segment


Bobby Roode comes to the ring with security and says that when he beat Sting at Victory Road - he won the battle and when Sting stepped down from power last week - he also won the war. Roode tells Dixie to say out of his business because no one is going to stop him.
James Storm comes to the ring to face Roode, but is kept back by Roode’s security guards. Bully Ray jumps Storm from behind, but Storm manages knock him out of the ring. Storm almost hit Roode with a Superkick, but he escaped the ring just in time. Storm challenges them both to a match later tonight.

Backstage, Gail Kim makes amends with Madison Rayne after their recent falling out. Gail Kim has bought her a new tiara / crown and calls her the only queen of TNA. They hug.

Madison Rayne Vs Velvet Sky
This was a fine, short knockout match. Velvet won the match with the “In Your Face” Facebuster.
Christy Hemme asks Velvet what is next for her. Velvet says that she never had her rematch for the Knockout title and she is going after Gail Kim and the Knockouts title…

Backstage, Bully Ray tells Roode that they haven’t been friends recently, but tonight they need to put their differences aside and take care of Storm for good.

Dixie is sitting outside with Hogan and she says that she never trusted Eric. Hogan says that he doesn’t want to put all the bad stuff on Eric, as he takes responsibility for it too. Dixie says that Sting told her that the real Hogan is back now. Hogan says that he has changed. Dixie says that he needs to make amends for the mistakes he has made in the past. Hogan thinks that Dixie is asking him to step into a “black cloud” as Roode has control over the company now, being the World Champion. Dixie pleads with Hogan to take Sting’s place, in control of Impact Wrestling. Hogan says that he will think about it and make his decision later tonight….

Kurt Angle says that he beat Jeff Hardy clean at Victory Road and he doesn’t want to give Hardy a rematch because he “doesn’t like cry babies”….

Austin Aries is in the ring and he says that he has a problem with Bully Ray after he was kicked in the face by him during his 4-way X Division title match at Victory Road. Aries says that he has balls bigger than Ray’s calves and he isn’t going to let him get away with it. He says that he respects Storm and wants to be his partner tonight in his match against Roode and Bully Ray.
Austin Aries just turned face…

Matt Morgan Vs Crimson
They didn’t wait long to book a match between these two, as Crimson turned heel on Morgan at Victory Road and they had a break-apart brawl last week on Impact.
The match spills to the outside and both guys get counted out…

Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson
They have an exciting, although short, TV match.
To set up the finish, both guys collide in the ring, sending Hardy to the outside. Kurt Angle sneak attacks Hardy with a low-blow and drives him into the steel post before pushing him back in the ring without the referee and Mr Anderson knowing what just happened. Anderson catches Hardy in the Mic Check and gets the 3 count.

James Storm‘s “Longnecks And Rednecks” music video and the making of it airs….

Eric Young & ODB are backstage with their wedding planner. They look at wedding dresses and wedding pillows with a healthy dose of sexual references thrown in….
ODB tells Eric that 3 days before TNA Lockdown, she wants to marry him inside a steel cage…

Eric Bischoff gets into the ring and calls himself an amazing man. He says that he is able to make things happen the way he wants them to happen. Eric calls his son, Garett to join him in the ring. Eric tells Garett to face Gunner at Lockdown. Garett says that he’s not scared and tells his father to tell Gunner that he will see him in the cage at Lockdown….

James Storm and Bobby Roode promo / video package featuring each guy talking about their time in Beer Money and the break up of their team.

Austin Aries & James Storm Vs Bobby Roode & Bully Ray

They have a good tag match, great work by all involved.
For the finish, Roode accidentally spits Storm’s beer into Bully Ray’s face when Storm ducks out of the way. Bully Ray gets Superkicked and pinned by James Storm.

When we come back from the break, Hogan joins Dixie in the ring. Dixie wants Hogan in control of her company. Hogan says he isn’t interested. Sting comes to the ring with Jeff Hardy, Matt Morgan, Devon, Mr Anderson, Garett Bischoff and AJ Styles - all in support of Hogan taking over control of TNA. For some reason the fans in the Impact Zone start chanting for Hogan to say “Yes”….
Hogan says that he needs to know, as TNA has a dark cloud above it, no matter how violent things get, will Sting have his back? Sting says yes. Hogan agrees to be the new General Manager of TNA Impact and everyone in the ring congratulates him.

I thought this was a bad way to end Impact. I’m concerned about the future of TNA. I was concerned when Hogan and Bischoff first joined the company (and rightfully so in many ways). Since Vince Russo left the company a few weeks ago, I’m a lot more concerned. I know Russo’s replacement, Bruce Prichard suffered two heart attacks just as he was going to take over the creative side of the company but the Impact shows not penned by Russo in the last few weeks have been to very noticeable lower standard than the Russo-penned shows, in my opinion.

Overall, this was a very average TNA Impact. They have so much talent in the company, but the creative direction of the company is completely off-course.





TNA Impact Wrestling 5th April 2012

Dixie / Sting / Hogan / Flair / Roode Segment
Kurt Angle Vs Jeff Hardy
Bully Ray / Austin Aries segment
Velvet Vs Angelina Vs Mickie Vs Tera Vs Madison Vs Winter
Motor City Machineguns Vs Mexican America
James Storm Vs AJ Styles
Hogan / Eric Bischoff Segment
Bobby Roode Vs Mr Anderson

Footage is shown of Hogan becoming the Impact GM last week….

Dixie is in the ring and introduces Hulk Hogan…. Hogan thanks Sting and Dixie for making him GM. He claims he has been speaking with creative regarding new segments on Impact… please don’t tell me Brutus Beefcake will be bringing his “Barber Shop” segment back…
Ric Flair comes to ringside and tells Hogan that he can’t tell him what to do and he has Eric Bischoff here tonight as well….
Bobby Roode comes out and says that he wants to put Hogan on notice. There is no one who can stop him being the world champion. He says his only obligation is for Lockdown, where he will successfully defend the Title against James Storm.
Hogan stops him from heading backstage and calls Mr Anderson to join him in the ring. Hogan says that the fans want to watch Bobby Roode Vs Mr Anderson tonight….
Hogan says that he heard Kurt Angle say last week that he wouldn’t wrestle Jeff Hardy at Lockdown, but the fans want it, so it’s going to happen right now….

Kurt Angle Vs Jeff Hardy
These guys have another great match.
Kurt is busted open outside the ring at one point. During the match,
Kurt Angle walks out and takes a count out loss…. When Angle gets backstage, Hogan tells Kurt that he has booked him in a match with Hardy at Lockdown, where he cannot escape…

Bully Ray is asked backstage who he expects to win at Lockdown, Roode or Storm? Bully says that he’s sick of hearing about Roode and Storm and that the next world champion is himself. He calls Austin Aries a “Little problem” he is about to deal with….

When we come back from the break, Bully Ray is in the ring and he says that he doesn’t understand why Aries has a problem. He says he has eaten bigger chicken wings… Aries comes to the ring and tells Bully Ray and the fans to “Shhhh” and be quiet… “I should just pop you in the face” Bully Ray says right before Aries pops him in the head with the microphone and punches Ray in the corner. Bully Ray catches him and takes him out with a Super Bully Bomb. Ray asks a fallen Aries: “Do you know who I am?”

Another great video Feature looking at James Storm and Robert Roode’s rise through the ranks of TNA, starting at the bottom and working their way to the top, their friendship, forming Beer Money and their eventual split.

AJ Styles is asked backstage whether he thinks James Storm or Robert Roode will win at Lockdown. Styles says that he thinks Storm will win, using the Last Call Superkick. James Storm stops by and says that he is looking for someone “phenomenal” to help him practise the super kick and get ready for Lockdown. Styles says that he will help him get ready, but warns him that he is a lot quicker than Roode….

Knockouts No.1 Contender match
Winter Vs Tera Vs Mickie James Vs Madison Rayne Vs Angelina Vs Velvet
This was actually pretty good. Tera looked especially impressive. Velvet Sky scored the win, pinning Mickie James after a Facebuster.

Backstage, Mr Anderson is talking about beating Robert Roode later tonight. Roode steps into his locker room behind his security team to dispute that. Mr Anderson isn’t flustered….

James Storm and Jeff Hardy at the Country Music Awards highlights….

Eric Young is backstage arranging his wedding with ODB… Pretty funny, I have to admit. Eric has a ton of charisma.

James Storm Vs AJ Styles
This was a really good TV match, which Storm won after finally hitting the “Last Call” Superkick on Styles.

Motorcity Machineguns Vs Mexican America
It’s so great to see Chris Sabin return and one of the best tag teams in the business are back!
MCMG beat Hernandez and Anarcia with a neck breaker / top rope slash combo. Chris Sabin gets the microphone after the match and declares that they have their sights set on the tag team titles…

Ric Flair meets Eric Bischoff coming out of his car and tells him that Hogan is out of control tonight, making matches for TNA Lockdown and ordering people around. Eric asks Flair whether Hogan doesn’t know who they are and says that they are in control. Eric says that before the end of the show, he is going to “put Hogan into a tiny box” that he will not be able to get out from….

When we come back from the break, Hulk Hogan is in the ring and he calls out Eric Bischoff, who joins him in the ring.
They argue for a little while before Hogan announces a Lethal Lockdown match for Lockdown. Eric’s team will face Garett’s team and the loser must leave TNA. Hogan says that if Eric’s team loses, he can “never use the Eric Bischoff name again”… What name exactly is he supposed to use other than his own?

James Storm video package / promo. Storm says that he is prepared to face Bobby Roode at Lockdown for the World Heavyweight Championship…

Bobby Roode Vs Mr Anderson
This was a good, but short match.
After a ref bump, Mr Anderson covers Roode but the referee can’t make the count. Roode rolls to the outside and brings a bottle into the ring with him when Anderson throws him back into the ring. Roode cracks the bottle over Anderson’s head, busting him open in the process and scores the win as the groggy referee counts the fall.
Hogan comes to the ring with James Storm and announces that he is reversing the decision and Mr Anderson is now the winner of the match.
Roode says “Screw you Hogan! You can both kiss my ass!” holding his world title in the air, as Impact ends.

I don’t like that Hogan is the GM of the show and the amount of TV time he gets. Just on this one Impact alone, Hulk Hogan had TWO different in-ring segments (as well as some backstage promos and he came down at the end of the show). Is Hogan really that much of a ratings draw in 2012 that they must feature him so much? Highly unlikely.

James Storm Vs AJ Styles and Kurt Angle Vs Jeff Hardy were really good TV matches.
It’s great to see MCMG back at last. The Knockout match was fine for what it was. Mr Anderson Vs Bobby Roode was entertaining, if they had more time they could have had a better match. I really liked the Bully Ray / Austin Aries segment and look forward to where this feud is going - I’m a fan of both guys and I think they could produce some great matches and segments together.

Overall, I thought this was a good Impact, apart from the involvement of Hulk Hogan. I hope that if / when the WWE Network is up and running, Hogan is able to get a bigger deal for doing less just so that he leaves TNA alone.