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TNA Impact Wrestling Thoughts 17.5.2012
By: David Damage | Posted: 05/21/12

TNA Impact Wrestling 17.5.2012
Bobby Roode / Hulk Hogan / Challengers Segment
“Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Rob Van Dam Vs Bully Ray
“Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Wildcard Battle Royal
AJ Styles / Chris Daniels & Kazarian Segment
Knockouts Title: Gail Kim Vs Velvet Sky Vs Brooke Tessmacher
“Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Kurt Angle Vs Samoa Joe
“Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson


Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe
TNA Impact Wrestling Thoughts 17th May 2012


TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode comes to the ring and talks about beating RVD at Sacrifice in his own match. He admits that Rob took him to hell but he was able to climb the ladder to remain the TNA Heavyweight Champion. Roode says that next week he will be the longest reigning world champion in the history of TNA and he is going to throw a party, which he calls the “The It Factor’s Celebration Of Domination”.
Hogan’s music hits and meets Roode in the ring. Roode produces a lists of demands from his pocket and tells Hogan that he wants new furniture in his dressing room, along with Champaign, green M&Ms and confetti shipped from Canada. Hogan takes his list of demands away and thanks him for giving the company direction since becoming champion as now everyone is gunning for him. Hogan says that as next week is fight night, the Heavyweight Championship will be defended next week and he brings out some of the guys who want a shot at the Title. Angle, Crimson, Anderson, Devon, Joe, Brutus, Bully Ray, AJ Styles, Austin Aries, Gunner, Rob Terry and others appear on the ramp. Hogan wants to reduce the numbers down to 4 challengers. He books RVD Vs Bully Ray, Kurt Angle Vs Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson as qualifier matches as well as a qualifier Battle Royal to find the 4th man.

This was a great way to start the show.

First “Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Rob Van Dam Vs Bully Ray

Rob’s knee was bandaged up after his match with Roode at Sacrifice. Bully Ray works on his knee, RVD hurts further injures it himself as he lands on it after attempting a move from the top rope and Bully Ray is able to catch him with a Bully Cutter and get the clean pinfall on an injured Van Dam, who continues to sell his leg after the match, unable to make it to his feet before we go to commercials.

Backstage, Bully Ray’s after-match promo is interrupted by Joseph Park who theorises that when his brother Abyss warned him about getting too close to the fire last week, the fire he was referring to may be Bully Ray….

Highlights from the MMA Uncensored Live show.
Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney joins TNA President Dixie Carter along with their new signing, King Mo Lawal. Bjorn acknowledges that TNA Pro Wrestling and MMA are two completely different things and that the fans understand they are two separate and different things.

Gail Kim runs into Brooke and Velvet backstage and is reminded that they both have their sights set on winning the Knockouts Championship tonight in the Triple Threat match.

Second “Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match, Wildcard Battle Royal:
Austin Aries, AJ Styles, Gunner, Robbie E, Rob Terry, Garett Bischoff, Crimson, Magnus, Eric Young, ODB and Devon.

Madison Rayne is standing on the ramp and watching the match…..

ODB and Eric Young eliminate themselves as they double-clothesline Crimson over the top rope early in the match and they brawl down the ramp and to the back.
Magnus attempts to “skin the cat” back into the ring, but Aries sends him out of the ring with a dropkick
Robbie E eliminates Rob Terry from behind while he works over Garett. Devon throws Robbie E over the top while both Robbies are arguing.
Styles and Aries team up on Gunner. Garett pulls the ropes down on a charging Devon and his momentum sends him over the top rope and to the floor. As Garett celebrates, AJ Styles catches him with a great roundhouse kick and throws him out of the match.
Styles and Aries have some great exchanges before Gunner sneaks up on Aries and sends him over the top rope. Styles swiftly lifts a staggering Gunner and dumps him over the top rope and to the floor to win the match.

Taz says this was the best Battle Royal he has ever seen and it really was a great one.

Video package of Daniels and Kazarian revealing photos of AJ Styles and Dixie Carter last week and also highlights of AJ Styles Vs Angle at Sacrifice, Daniels and Kazarian costing him the match and attacking him after the bell.

AJ Styles is inside the ring with a microphone and he tells Hogan to put him in the ring with Roode next week and he will become the new World Heavyweight Champion .
Loud positive reaction for AJ Styles from fans in the Impact Zone.
Styles says that things are not always what they seem to be, as both he and Dixie Carter are happily married, although he sees how things could have been misconstrued from the photos last week.
Daniels and Kazarian head to the ring. Kazarian asks Styles to tell the truth about the situation with Dixie. Styles swears he’s telling the truth. Daniels says that maybe after looking at the photos it could be that things are not as they seem to be, but not after looking at the video footage. They play a video of Styles and Dixie walking around inside a hotel together. They look quite close in the footage and it seems like they head into a hotel room together…. Styles looks concerned and then angry before he leaves the ring and heads to the back.


Kurt Angle reminds Samoa Joe of their history together and says that it’s all about who makes the first move before giving him a hard slap across his face. Samoa Joe jumps on Angle and hammers him with punches until they are separated by officials and other members of the TNA roster.
Great stuff.

Mr Anderson says that the finish of his match with Hardy at Sacrifice was controversial as he watches footage showing Hardy’s shoulder off the mat when Earl Hebner counted to 3. Mr Anderson says that Hardy has another chance tonight…..


Third “Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Jeff Hardy Vs Mr Anderson

At Sacrifice, just before the match could kick into the next gear, it looked like Earl messed up what should have been a 2 count in the match and counted to 3, making it feel like a flat finish. This match on Impact seemed to start from where their match at Sacrifice left off, with a much faster pace and higher impact style.
After a good match, Hardy reverses Anderson into a crucifix pin to secure his place in the final 4 next week.

Knockouts Title: Gail Kim Vs Velvet Sky Vs Brooke Tessmacher

Velvet and Brooke work together against Gail Kim early in the match until they realise it’s every Knockout for herself and it develops into an actual triple threat.
This was a good, fast-paced match. Velvet hit her “In Your Face” Facebuster on Brooke before Gail steals the pin to retain the Knockout Title. Velvet and Tessmacher are improving in the ring each time I see them.


Fourth “Open Fight Night” Qualifying Match: Kurt Angle Vs Samoa Joe

This was a great match. Leading to the finish, Kurt Angle blocked a muscle Buster attempt and reversed it into a sunset flip from the ropes on Samoa Joe for the victory and to advance in the Open Fight Night Qualifier, joining the other winners tonight - Bully Ray, AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy.

Bobby Roode was on commentary during the match and he hold his Heavyweight Title in the air to taunt Angle as he leaves the announce desk. Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and Bully Ray join Kurt Angle in the arena and all three stare at Bobby Roode, they all have their sights set on beating Roode for his Heavyweight Title.

This was the best Impact I’ve seen in long time. Every match was good and they all meant something, being either a Title match or part of the Open Fight Night Qualifiers.

Overall this was an excellent week of TNA Impact Wrestling.

David Damage is the owner of The Wrestling Newsgroup on Facebook - go and check them out over here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/10150127816105436/
- David Damage
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