Impact Wrestling
June 20, 2013
Peoria, Illinois
Sting arrived earlier today at the arena, no makeup in his suit. Main Event Mafia-style. We have a montage for the Bound for Glory Series. Tenay welcomes us to the heartland as the BFG Series starts. Ten of the twelve men in the series are in the ring waiting. We’re then joined by our GM, Hulk Hogan. It’s also Open Fight Night, so it should be very interesting. Hogan announces the other two men in the series, the past winners. First 2011 BFG winner and former World Champion, Bobby Roode. Then out comes last year’s winner, Jeff Hardy. So all twelve guys are in the ring. Tonight begins the series and the points will be flying. Fans vote on impactwrestling.com decides who gets the first call-out and 68% pick Hardy. Big shock. Hardy gets a mike but before he says anything Austin Aries grabs a mike sand says, “You probably want to pick me but I’m just as popular.” And the “AUSTIN ARIES” chants start. Then Christopher Daniels says don’t pick either members of Bad Influence. Haha Daniels calls him “Jefferson”. Jeff decides to call Bobby Roode out from last week. Roode shoves Jeff and we have a huge brawl erupting. Is this a battle royal? No they’re just brawling. First match up after the break.
Back from break and here’s the points breakdown:
Submission 10
Pinfall 7
Countout 5
DQ Win 2
Draw 2
DQ Loss -10
We start with the sole Aces & Eights representative, Mr. Anderson. He calls out who he considers the weakest of the competitors of BFG.
BFG MATCH: Joseph Park vs. Mr. Anderson
Anderson dicks around and lets Park do moves to him like a headlock. After Park makes a fool of him, Anderson starts working for real. Good analysis by Tenay and Taz about wanting the extra three points from a submission. Park goes for the submission win with a Boston Crab but DOC comes out to distract the ref. Park complains but Anderson gets a roll-up for two. More DOC interference leads to Anderson’s finisher and the victory. Seven points for Anderson.
Back from break and the Nomads are backstage talking about Anderson’s win. Anderson thinks he should be VP but DOC thinks he should be. Bully Ray interrupts and says, “We are supposed to be fighting them, not each other.” He says right now the main priority is his wife Brooke. Interesting.
Gut Check winner Jay Bradley is in the ring and he calls out a former TNA Champion.
BFG MATCH: Jay Bradley vs. Austin Aries
I hope all these matches aren’t five minute throwaways. Bradley’s “Boomstick” is a low rent version of JBL’s “Clothesline from Hell”. Bradley dominated early as he is the bigger guy. Aries rebounds and hits a sweet crucifix. Bradley’s not a bad worker. Green but a good worker. Aries wins with a Brainbuster. Seven points for the former champion.
We go back to Sting’s announcement about joining The Main Event Mafia. Sting is walking backstage and says “Tonight…it grows.” Back from break and Sting is talking with someone in the shadows and invites them to the new Main Event Mafia. This person in the shadows agrees. Then Chavo is pumping Hernandez up for his match tonight. The big Mexican comes out to call out his “Open Fight Night” opponent.
BFG MATCH: Hernandez vs. Christopher Daniels
The match was pretty quick but both guys go all out. In what I think is an upset, Daniels wins with his moonsault, and gets seven points.
Back from break and the other half of Bad Influence, Kazarian, is in the ring for his OFN challenge. He still uses the word “Turdburglars”. That’s so 1999.
BFG MATCH: Kaz vs. Magnus
The match is quick but great back and forth action again. Magnus uses the Texas Clover Leaf to get the victory and seven big points. These matches are quick hit and run shots but entertaining.
Backstage Hogan is on the phone when Bully Ray walks up. Hogan’s had enough and wants to fight. Bully Ray doesn’t, he wants to talk to Brooke but Hogan will have nothing of it. Bully says they are not over.
Back from break and out comes Brooke Hogan for her “State of the Knockouts” address. There’s a podium in the ring and she gushes over the Knockouts Division. Out comes Mickie James, Velvet Sky, Gail Kim, Taryn Terrell and the Knockouts Tag champs ODB and Eric Young. Mickie pretty much gushes about herself. Brooke tries to diffuse it, but this segment is dying a slow death. Brooke says there’s some business. Eric Young and ODB forfeit the tag titles and run off kissing. Haha funny. Brooke gushes over Velvet for carrying the division for awhile. My attention span has wavered and things have gotten very confusing. The crowd is getting antsy, but Brooke does book Taryn and Gail for a ladder match in Las Vegas in two weeks. Next week, Velvet finally gets her Knockouts Title rematch with Mickie.
After recapping some stuff tonight, Brooke and her dad are backstage and he wants her to leave now that her business is done. He doesn’t want Bully Ray getting near her so she leaves.
Jeff Hardy’s warming up backstage preparing for Bobby Roode later on tonight. There’s a TNA Jeff Hardy workout app? Really of all people?
BFG MATCH: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
AJ has this cool creepy music now, similar to Johnny Cash’s “No Grave”. AJ says, “This isn’t about TNA or Aces & Eights, It’s about me.” He says it’s not for, “Fame or Glory. It’s for the money. This is no place, for a hero.” These two put on a very physical brawl with a lot of stiff shots to each other’s faces. This match apparently has a time limit because the announcer said a certain amount of time remaining, which tells you right now that this match will be a draw. The other matches ended pretty quickly. AJ and Joe are the only two guys in this year’s BFG Series who have been in it all three years. They punch in the corner and AJ applies the Calf Killer, but Samoa reverses into his submission finisher. There’s one minute left in the match. So, this will be a draw? Sure enough, it is a draw. So each guy gets two points. AJ’s nose is bleeding. AJ hits Joe with a sucker punch.
Backstage Bully is talking on the phone with Brooke and he wants her to come back to the arena. He hangs up and tells the club she’s returning.
Back from break and Hogan is talking with Sabin, Kenny King and Suicide about the X-Division title match next week.
BFG MATCH: Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy
This was a great back and forth affair. Clearly these two have chemistry, but I’m not sure if they’ve ever wrestled each other. Roode was pretty vicious in this match, but Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and gets the victory. Seven points for the enigma.
Backstage and Bully Ray is on his way to the ring. He says, “Including the X-Division, fifteen guys are looking to take me out and take my title.” He will do anything to keep his title. He runs down the list of people he’s taken out. Bully says, “It’s Open Fight Night and he wants to call someone out. My lovely wife Brooke.” We get nothing. Instead we get the MEM entrance theme and video. Out comes Sting and Bully Ray is pissed. Sting says, “It’s about family.” Bully Ray says what about family. He tells Sting, “I beat you and you can’t get this title again.” Sting says, “It’s not about the title, its about retribution.” While Bully Ray is talking Sting is taking his jacket, tie and shirt off. He unbuttons his shirt and Bully Ray snaps his fingers to call the club out. They don’t come out and Sting throws his shirt in Bully’s face. Still no Aces & Eights, Backstage and Aces & Eight’s are beat down and out in the back. Sting starts attacking Bully Ray and he’s backing up the ramp. Out of nowhere Kurt Angle comes out in his suit and puts Bully Ray in the Ankle Lock. He’s tapping while Sting is taunting him. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: A solid show tonight as the BFG Series begins and the Main Event Mafia starts fighting back. From now until the Bound for Glory PPV, instead of my top five I will give the weekly BFG Series standings. Here it is after one week:
Mr. Anderson 7
Austin Aries 7
Daniels 7
Jeff Hardy 7
Magnus 7
AJ Styles 2
Samoa Joe 2
Jay Bradley 0
Hernandez 0
Kaz 0
Joseph Park 0
Bobby Roode 0
