Impact Wrestling
September 12, 2013
St. Louis, Missouri
“No Surrender”
The participants in the Bound for Glory mini-tournament arrive in St. Louis. Then we have a vignette for all four participants: AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, and Magnus. We then get a piece on the Bully Ray-Mr. Anderson match tonight. We head live into the arena in St. Louis where we are graced with the presence of the World Champion Bully Ray and his little slut Miss Tessmacher. Bully Ray comes into the ring like Stan Hansen. Waves the belt over his head and does that weird cattle call. Bully Ray says he’s in a bad mood. He says “Things in my family haven’t been right as of late.” He talks about the schism for what happened last week with him and Anderson. He says that “piece of crap” Hulk Hogan is the cause of all these problems. That brings out our General Manager to a decent pop. He puts over the show and the Gateway to the West. Hogan says there will be a lot of business tonight, and at the end we will have our main event for Bound for Glory. Hogan says Bully should worry about his own brothers tonight. Bully says Ken Anderson will do the right thing, and he wants to hear it from his VP. Anderson comes out and blows off Hogan’s extended handshake. Bully puts Ken over, then says to him “All you have to do is apologize and its over.” Anderson says the Prez is right. He says he was out of line last week, then pauses and he says he can’t wait to get out of line tonight! He decks Bully Ray and leaves the ring. Hogan then announces that tonight’s World Title match is a Last Man Standing match.
BFG SERIES SEMIFINAL: Austin Aries vs. AJ Styles
This match could equal Cena/Punk back in January as the free TV match of the year, if TNA doesn’t fuck this up with commercial breaks all over the place. The crowd is split with the chants for both guys. They wrestled a few weeks ago with Aries getting the victory. No real long heat segments early, as both guys go back and forth with strikes. They continue to battle back and forth when we get commercial break #1. We return and AJ is whacking Aries with strikes and kicks. There’s a lot of AJ in Daniel Bryan. I really have noticed it the past few weeks. The way he delivers kicks and his movements in the ring. Styles is really working Aries over, as AA really hasn’t drummed up any offense in this match so far. Styles goes for the Styles Clash but Aries reverses into a Hurricanrana. He tries to gain some momentum but Styles boots him in the face. Aries with a cool bridge neck bending submission but AJ doesn’t tap. Aries goes to the top but Styles catches him and now they’re both on the top. Aries throws AJ off to the floor. Aries goes for a 450 but AJ slips away. We now get to the late part of the match where its big spot after big spot. AJ hits the Styles Clash off the top freaken rope for the victory. Wow that was impressive. Great match, and an awesome finish. WINNER: AJ Styles
Of course we don’t get a replay of the great victory because we need a backstage skit of Sting pumping up Magnus for tonight’s semifinal. That’s why TNA is second rate, more bad formatting. How do we not get a replay of that awesome finisher that AJ pulled off? Seriously?
BFG SERIES SEMIFINAL: Bobby Roode vs. Magnus
Bobby Roode is antsy that Magnus isn’t out to the ring. He finally arrives down the ramp. There are St. Louis Rams players in the crowd. No doubt they were there for free. (Editor’s Note: Along with everybody else) Roode is working with a sense of urgency here, working quick with strikes and knees to the gut. Magnus is definitely one of those guys I can see with a long future TNA World Title reign. Right now isn’t the time. The big Brit gets some momentum with a drop kick but Roode with a boot to the face. Magnus with a power slam for a two count. Harley Race trained Magnus. I didn’t know that. Roode tries a roll up and a Crossface but Magnus reverses both. Magnus cranks up a Texas Clover Leaf, and Roode isn’t close to the ropes. Roode is trying to get to the ropes, and eventually gets there. Roode tries the Fisherman’s Suplex but Mangus reverses it into a reverse roll up for the victory. That was a shocker. It will be babyface vs. babyface in the finals. WINNER: Magnus
And…no replay. Ugh.
Back from break and Roode is inconsolable in the back. Bad Influence is trying to relax him but Roode is pissed and he says its all Hogan’s fault. Roode says if he’s not in the finals, no one will make it to the finals.
Hulk Hogan is talking with TJ Perkins, putting him over. Perkins (Manik) wants Jeff Hardy. Hogan books it. It will be next week. In steps Dixie Carter. Manik leaves, and Dixie tells Hogan that the Bellator attorneys are pulling Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson from Impact until their PPV match for Bellator on November 2. Fine with me. I love Rampage, but Ortiz is a putz.
Bully Ray is depressed that the club is falling apart. He’s stunned at the disrespect Anderson showed him. He looks at Knux, Bischoff and Brisco and he says they feel the same way. Bully is obviously losing his mind. He loves the guys in the club and he knows they will do the right thing.
We finally get replays of the two semifinal matches from earlier, and it will be AJ Styles vs. Magnus for the BFG slot against the World Champion.
TNA CHAMPIONSHIP, LAST MAN STANDING: Bully Ray © vs. Mr. Anderson
We get a video package on the history between Anderson and Bully Ray. Anderson runs up the ramp and the shit is on. It’s good they stick a World Title match here to really juice this show up. Anderson is beating Bully down, and the champ tries to use Christy Hemme as a shield. This match hasn’t hit the ring yet as Bully starts throwing some punches. A steel chair gets into the mix and Anderson crushes Bully with it. Taz is finally being useful, begging Anderson to not hit Bully anymore. Anderson calls for himself to get the tables. Haha that’s funny. This St. Louis crowd is hot, the first hot crowd in a while. Bully grabs the chair and takes over the match. Earl Hebner gets in Bully’s face and Bully throws him into the turnbuckle, knocking him down. Anderson rebounds to hit the Mike Check into the mangled steel chair. Anderson tries to rustle Hebner up to start counting. Anderson goes for another Mike Check but Bully reverses into a Diamond Cutter. The rest of the Nomads come down the ramp. They get into the ring, acting very neutral, then they help Anderson up. Tessmacher hits a low blow on Anderson and Knux hits a power bomb. Earl gets up and counts. Anderson got up at 8. Bully Ray jawjacks with Anderson and Anderson starts punching, but Bully hits a big clothesline. Bully grabs a steel chain, and fists it up. He drills Anderson in the head. Anderson is busted open. Earl’s counting and Anderson is up at 9. Bully Ray then spears Anderson through the table that Anderson brought into the ring earlier. Earl starts counting and this time it goes all the way to 10. That was Bully’s best match in a while and definitely PPV quality. WINNER: Bully Ray
Wow, we get a post-match replay? Now TNA is thinking. Anderson is put on a stretcher. Bully runs up the ramp, scares the medical guys off and dumps Anderson off the stretcher. He takes Anderson’s kutte off and whips him with it. Bully Ray piledrives him on the steel stage.
Next Thursday ODB gets her Knockouts Title shot on Mickie James. We get ODB”s comments.
Our Tag Team Champions James Storm and Gunner are in the ring. Storm puts over the St. Louis crowd. Storm says he wanted to sit back and watch the show while drinking beer, but Gunner wants to fight. So Storm says they’ll do both. Storm doesn’t care who they face tonight, because everyone runs their “bottle suckers”. With that, out comes Chavo & Hernandez. Oh Christ, I thought they had fired Chavo. I would have. Chavo is babbling about some crap, I’m not even going to repeat it. Gunner tells him to zip it. Next week there will be a non-title match and if Chavo & Hernandez win there will be a title match down the line
SpikeTV will have Countdown to Bound for Glory on Sunday, October 20 at 7pm, before the PPV.
BFG SERIES FINAL: Magnus vs. AJ Styles
This is it. Winner gets Bully Ray on October 20 in San Diego for the World Title. I said this last week, but I like how Borash says “He weighed in this morning at…” So official sounding. AJ works differently than he did against Aries, starting with headlocks and grapples instead of flying strikes. Magnus is working AJ with strikes himself. He’s got Styles by about 25 pounds. Then out of nowhere, Bad Influence and Bobby Roode come in and clean out both guys. This 3-man group is now called EGO. They leave the ring but our two participants are laid out. When we return from break both AJ and Magnus have recovered (barely) but they’re going at it. We start picking up the pace and Magnus hits a powerbomb for a close two count. Magnus grabs AJ, which AJ reverses into the Gogoplata but Magnus lifts him over his head. AJ rolls him over for two, then delivers a boot to the head for a close two count. The wrestling tonight has been the best TNA has had in weeks. Styles cranks the Calf Killer, and after struggling, Magnus gets to the ropes. Magnus is limping, and Styles hits a big forearm. Styles goes for a dropkick but Magnus catches him and drops a spinebuster for two. Eventually both men are on the top ropes, and Styles dumps Magnus to the floor. Styles hits Spinal Tap and gets the three count. AJ is heading to San Diego. WINNER: AJ Styles
Magnus sits on the apron dejected. He has nothing to be ashamed of, he worked his ass off tonight. AJ grabs the mike and says he did what he set out to do. He talks about his great promo a couple weeks ago. He didn’t get any response from Dixie Carter, and AJ says she loves to tweet. He says he’s made mistakes and pointed out the errors over the last 11 years. He says next week is Dixie Carter’s wake up call. AJ is climbing up my favorite wrestler ladder. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: This was a fantastic show, maybe the best Impact show of the year. I’m getting Bound for Glory now, just to see AJ win the title.
