Impact Wrestling
August 1, 2013
Wichita Falls, Texas
Impact begins with Taz not being allowed in the building by security per Hulk Hogan. Taz is not pleased. He hasn’t been on in two weeks. We then get a recap of last week’s episode. Tonight the fans will get the Bound for Glory Series matches they voted for. Borash is with Tenay at the table. The fans chose a good one: AJ Styles vs. Austin Aries. The guys talk about these ominous #August1Warning video messages. We now get another one. He says he’s not Batista. Hmmm. Back to the main event, and out comes half of it with former World Champion Austin Aries. It’s really sad that TNA guys need to keep asking the fans who they are. The fans do chant. Aries says “There’s a lot going on here, but the main focus is the World Title and the BFG Series.” He congratulates Sabin on being World Champion. However with that comes a warning: Sabin is the hunted. Aries puts himself over as the guy who will win the Series and the title. Aries puts over himself and Styles for tonight’s main event. Aries says “Styles put TNA on his back for a decade, versus the man who will put TNA on his back for the next decade. All doubts erased tonight.” Aries is interrupted by former tag team partner Bobby Roode, who still has no points in the BFG Series and last week snapped. Roode tells Aries “You wanna brag? You wanna talk about dreams? I’m talking about nightmares.” He continues: “I’ve had a crap year, but tonight the ‘It Factor’ will go back to what brought him to the dance. I will do what made me World Champion the first time.” He says tonight “It pays to be rude.” Aries hopes Roode gets to the BFG Finals, so he can beat Roode again. Roode’s opponent tonight heads down the ramp.
BFG SERIES MATCH: Bobby Roode vs. Hernandez
Right before break Roode attacked Supermex on the ramp, and he’s still in control when we return. Seeing guys like Roode and Aries on this roster makes me think that TNA doesn’t need more guys that don’t fit here. Unless this #August1Warning is somebody really big, it will probably be a disappointment. They go back and forth until Hernandez takes control and eventually hits “Air Mexico” with a dive from the ramp over the ropes. Hernandez goes for a power slam but Roode ducks out. He pushes the ref, hits a low blow and pulls the tights on a roll-up but Hernandez still kicks out. Roode starts throwing chairs into the ring and has one in his hand. The ref stops him but in a very swift move, the ref moves the chairs out and Roode grabs a beer bottle from under the ring and cracks Hernandez in the head with it. He gets the three count and the seven BFG points with it. That’s the Bobby Roode that made him one of my favorites in this company. WINNER: Bobby Roode
Backstage the Main Event Mafia is walking backstage and the off camera interview guy asks what’s up tonight. Kurt Angle says Aces & Eights will be given an offer they can’t refuse.
Back from break and Kaz is tweeting live!
Here’s the updated BFG Standings:
Magnus 49
Samoa Joe 26
AJ Styles 22
Daniels 21
Anderson 21
Jeff Hardy 17
Austin Aries 14
Hernandez 7
Bobby Roode 7
Kaz 0
Jay Bradley 0
Joseph Park -10
Backstage ODB is with her boy Eric Young and she’s ready to take out Gail Kim tonight. She leaves and EY is with his pet project, Joseph Park. Young says that he has a foolproof plan to stop Park from bleeding since that causes him to lose matches.
Chris Sabin walks up to Manik and congratulates him on last week’s win. He says they are a lot alike, coming from nowhere to reach their goals. Manik (who’s face is covered, even though we know what he looks like) says for 15 years he did nothing as TJ Perkins, but as Manik the mask has made the difference. Sabin says “Bring your ‘A-Game” tonight because I will bring mine.”
BFG SERIES MATCH: Jay Bradley vs. Joseph Park
Park comes out wearing wrestling headgear. Bradley is pretty much shaped like JBL so it makes sense his “Boomstick” finisher is like the Clothesline from Hell, only more low rent. Bradley dominates the action but Park makes a comeback until he goes to the top rope and Bradley catches him. Park recovers to put on a Boston Crab. Bradley makes the ropes. Bradley takes the headgear off. Bradley goes for the Boomstick but Park ducks it and hits a sidewalk slam for the win. Seven points for Park, which puts him to –3. WINNER: Joseph Park
Back from break and the Main Event Mafia are meeting to talk things over. None of them know about the #August1Warning. Sting says “We’re halfway there. Bully Ray is no longer champion, but now risks must be made. Is everyone ready.” Everyone confirms. Rampage wants to fight.
CHAMPION vs. CHAMPION: Manik vs. Chris Sabin
Chris Sabin gets no pop from the crowd. To be honest, not many guys get pops from these crowds. Early on it’s a chain of reversals and quick strikes by both men. Sabin, who’s slightly bigger than Manik, takes control with his size. These guys do have pretty good chemistry. I would have made this the main event as they are both champions, but TNA sucks at stuff like this. We get a “This is awesome” chants, although much weaker than a WWE crowd. Wow Sabin has Manik up for a suplex in the corner for a good 15 seconds before dropping him. Wow that was a nice move. Sabin wins with his finisher, which is like a leg-hooked power bomb. Very nice finisher, and a good match. WINNER: Chris Sabin
After the match, Bully Ray comes in and attacks Sabin with a steel chain. Manik distracts Bully which gives Sabin a chance to recover and hit some kicks on Bully so the former champion retreats.
Outside the arena is a stretch hummer, which apparently has the #August1Warning. Taz walks over and rants about not being allowed in. So he’s going to expose #August1Warning. He opens the hummer and all that’s in there is a laptop playing the videos.
Cowboy James Storm is tweeting (and drinking) backstage.
Bad Influence is backstage and there is some dissent as they have to face each other next week in the BFG Series.
MATCH: Gail Kim vs. ODB
ODB is huge (and not just her boobs) so she chucks Mrs. Irvine all over the place. Gail tries to work ODB’s legs but the big girl kicks her into the ring post. This match is another example of why the Knockouts are better than the WWE Divas. These girls wrestle like guys and don’t mind taking shots to the face. The Divas tip toe in the ring because Vince doesn’t want them getting hurt for TV. ODB is thrown into the steps and Gail Kim starts beating on her. For some reason the bell rings and it’s a double disqualification? Why? So weird. WINNER: Double Disqualification
AJ Styles is backstage and he says this match with Aries is not a dream match, those days are done. This is about “me and my greed, my power.”
Before the break we get one more #August1Warning video that “you’ll never see me coming.”
We get a report from Bellator and King Mo’s win. Backstage Bully Ray is talking with Aces & Eights and he’s obsessing over Sabin and the cage match in two weeks. He tells Anderson to take care of the Main Event Mafia. Then Brooke Hogan walks in. Bully breaks her stones about never getting a divorce. Brooke giggles and says “You better stay on my good side, because next week is the Hardcore Justice contract signing, and let’s just say it doesn’t work in your favor.” Interesting.
BFG SERIES MATCH: AJ Styles vs. Austin Aries
So this is it, a match that has never happened in TNA. They talk about Style’s Calf Killer finisher and how learning to be a submission worker has helped him in this BFG Series. They try to chain wrestle early but the pacing is a little slow, almost forced. I’m sure it will pick up, I trust both these guys. Styles picks up the pace and starts throwing his body around and Aries takes a beating. As I’ve been watching TNA for the past 7 months, I’ve taken note of positives and negatives in the promotion. One positive is this BFG Series. They give you matches regardless of heel or face, and this is the perfect example of putting on a good match regardless of crowd reaction. TNA’s audiences are quiet to begin with because they are not diehards like WWE. They are very casual so they don’t seem as invested as a WWE crowd would be. That hurts the matches sometimes, but that’s not TNA’s fault. Most of the time. The pace of this match stays relatively deliberate with each guy plotting their moves out. AJ hits a nice neckbreaker off the second rope but Aries kicks out. AJ misses the springboard and Aries with an interesting neck vice submission move but AJ breaks it. Aries with a brainbuster but Styles kicks out. He’s reversed the Calf Killer twice in this match. Aries goes for the 450 splash but AJ lifts the knees. AJ goes for the Styles Clash on the ramp but Aries reverses and back drops AJ to the floor. Great match, not as quick as you’d expect but a lot of high impact moves. Both guys are laying down on the floor. That’s because Aries went for a move through the ropes but AJ moved and Aries went into the steps. Then they just start bombing each other. Both men hit the deck. Both men have each other’s arms on their chests, so the ref counts, and at two Aries shoulder comes up at the last minute and gets the victory. Best match on the show in a while. WINNER: Austin Aries
The Main Event Mafia comes down the ramp to give their offer to Aces and Eights. Sting says one thing was accomplished (Bully Ray is no longer champion) and now its time to get rid of the club. After a while out comes Mr. Anderson and the rest of the Nomads. They come into the ring through the regular entrance as they have the past few weeks and not their separate entrance. Anderson says “Your cheating MEM led to Bully Ray losing his title. So you won’t get the fight you want.” Angle says “Here’s the deal. The big match at Hardcore Justice between the two teams. The guy who gets pinned, leaves TNA for good.” Samoa Joe says “This isn’t a negotiation.” Then the big fight starts, the Nomads run down the ramp and start brawling. Anderson accepts the answer. Suddenly the lights go out. The lights start flashing, and out comes….Tito Ortiz. TITO ORTIZ???? Everyone (MEM and Aces and Eights) is stunned. No one knows what to do. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: TITO ORTIZ???? Are you for real? That is HIDEOUS. Rampage I can accept, but this? TNA has such an awesome roster of guys and they keep doing these terrible surprises that nobody cares about. The fans in the arena honestly didn’t give two shits. Neither did the internet, and certainly neither did I. The matches tonight were fine. The storylines are pitiful and this surprise is ridiculous. What are they paying this clown? No wonder things are shaky in this company.
