TNA Impact Wrestling - LIVE Results and Coverage (September 20, 2012)

IMPACT Wrestling Preview (9/20):

Open Fight Night returns to IMPACT Wrestling and “Cowboy” James Storm has his sights set on one man: Bobby Roode.
The latest TNA Gut Check contestant Evan Markopoulos will enter the squared circle to prove his worth to the judges.
The Aces and 8’s saga continues; last week, “The President” made it known that anyone from a wrestler to a lowly production assistant could be a member of their group and that Hulk Hogan did not lock them out of the Impact Zone, he locked them in. How will Hogan respond to this threat? Also Joseph Park let it be known last week that a “key piece of evidence” was due to show up this week. What is this evidence he has found?
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal will be also be in attendance. This probably only excites me though.

All of this, plus more build to Bound For Glory, comes at you tonight on IMPACT Wrestling.

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Previously on IMPACT Wrestling: Tara turns on Miss Tessmacher, Al Snow confronts Joey Ryan, Joseph Park mentions a “key piece of evidence” that’ll blow the Aces and 8’s case “wide open”, Jeff Hardy continues on his road to redemption.

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Backstage, Hulk Hogan runs into Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal says he’s got Hogan’s back tonight if the Aces and 8’s try anything. O’Neal shows off his guns while Hogan yells “GAME ON!”.

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We are live at the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL. The pyro goes off and Mike Tenay runs down the events scheduled for tonight (TNA Gut Check, Open Fight Night, etc.).

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“The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles and his partner Kurt Angle make their way to the ring. Angle gets on the mic. Angle says a few months ago they were the Tag Team Champions but got screwed by Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian not once, but twice. Angle says thanks to Styles beating Kazarian last week, they have another shot at the titles, but Chavo Guerrero Jr. also got him and his partner Hernandez a shot at the belts last week by beating Daniels. Angle calls out Guerrero Jr./Hernandez for “Open Fight Night” to determine who the “real” #1 Contenders are. They oblige, and the match will open up IMPACT Wrestling.

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Match #1: AJ Styles/Kurt Angle Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr./Hernandez

Styles and Guerrero start the match off. They exchange moves, and end up in a stalemate. Angle and Hernandez tag in. Angle kicks Hernandez in the gut and lays into him with a couple of rights. Angle follows it up with an uppercut. Hernandez reverses an Irish whip and knocks Angle to the mat. Hernandez goes for the pin. 2-count. Guerrero tags in. Hernandez bodyslams Angle and Guerrero follows it with a springboard senton. Angle blocks a right and hits a few of his own. Guerrero escapes with a drop toehold and transitions into a side headlock.

They get to their feet and Angle escapes with a back suplex. Angle whips Guerrero into the corner, but Guerrero gets his feet up. Guerrero tries to follow it up but Angle connects with a release belly to belly suplex. Daniels and Kazarian make their way to the entrance ramp to watch the match as we head to commercial.

*Commercial Break*

We’re back, and Styles has Guerrero grounded with a front facelock. The crowd wakes Guerrero up and he escapes. After a back bodydrop, he tags Hernandez in who cleans house. Styles tries to stop him with a kick to the hamstring but Hernandez tackles him, sending Styles flying. Hernandez attempts the Border Toss but Angle kicks him to stop the move. Hernandez ducks a double clothesline, and hits a clothesline of his own to both men.

Guerrero tags in and goes to the top rope. He hits a dual missile dropkick. He takes Styles down with a head scissor. Styles blocks a suplex attempt and connects with a spin kick. Guerrero tries to stop the tag, but here comes Angle. Angle gives Guerrero and Hernandez German suplexes, then pulls the straps down. Angle applies the Ankle Lock on Guerrero, but Hernandez breaks it up. Styles takes him down with an enziguri and then Guerrero takes Styles down. Angle rolls through a move attempt and reapplies the Ankle Lock on Guerrero, this time in the middle of the ring. Guerrero pushes him off, which allows Styles to tag in. Styles hits a springboard forearm. Hernandez then hits a slam of his own on Styles, and then Angle hits him with the Angle Slam. Guerrero hits two of the Three Amigos on Angle, until Styles breaks it up. Guerrero hits the full Three Amigos on Styles.

Guerrero goes to the top rope, but Angle meets him on the second rope. Hernandez pulls him off and clotheslines him and Angle to the floor. Guerrero misses the Frog Splash. Styles ducks a clothesline and hits a Pele kick. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Daniels and Kazarian hit the ring to cause the disqualification.

Winners: No Contest (12:26)

An enjoyable opening match for the show, but once Daniels and Kazarian made their way out the screwjob was inevitable. Still, it’s the best I’ve seen Guerrero/Hernandez work as a team since forming and I was into the action. (B)

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Daniels and Kazarian beat both Guerrero and Styles down. Hernandez runs in to make the save and the Tag Team Champions bail. As Daniels and Kazarian go to leave, out comes GM Hulk Hogan. He’s got a baseball bat over his shoulder. Hogan says thanks to the interference, Daniels and Kazarian will have to defend against Styles/Angle and Guerrero/Hernandez in a Triple Threat at Bound For Glory.

Thought: Is anyone really surprised about this? No? Didn’t think so.

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Backstage, the guy behind the camera and Al Snow are making conversation about cutting his hair. He puts over the next TNA Gut Check contestant. The guy behind the camera then brings up Joey Ryan. Snow says he didn’t cross the line but he’s on his way to a meeting to find out officially if he did.

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We see Evan Markopoulos warming up for his TNA Gut Check opportunity later tonight.

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*Commercial Break*

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Backstage, Hulk Hogan is on the phone with Joseph Park. Park has the evidence in his hand, and Hogan asks him to come right to him when he gets through security.

Thoughts: Please advance the story, please advance the story, please advance the story…

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Bound For Glory Memories (2008): Samoa Joe jumps off a luxury box onto Sting. Joe says he almost killed himself doing the move.

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The Evan Markopoulos video package from last week plays once again. His father’s heavy Mass accent makes me miss living in that state. The Gut Check is up next!

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*Commercial Break*

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Backstage, Dixie Carter is with Bruce Prichard. Carter says they need to figure out the Aces and 8’s thing. Al Snow walks in, and Carter leaves to let Prichard deal with Snow.

Thoughts: Was anyone else’s audio off during that segment?

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In the ring Jeremy Borash introduces TNA Gut Check contestant Evan Markopoulos. His opponent is…Douglas Williams. He gets absolutely no reaction from the Impact Zone crowd.

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Match #2: Evan Markopoulos Vs. Douglas Williams

Williams quickly takes Markopoulos down and messes with him. Williams backs him into the corner, and slaps him across the face. Markopoulos backs Williams in the corner this time, but Williams slaps him in the face again. Williams continues his offense with an uppercut and a closed fist. Williams taunts Markopoulos. Markopoulos attempts a sunset flip but Williams easily flips out and knees him in the face. Williams continues to taunt him. Markopoulos hits a dropkick out of nowhere, followed by a cross body block. Williams kicks out of the pin attempt and connects with a clothesline.

Williams methodically pounds on Markopoulos, but Markopoulos continues to try to fight back. Williams executes a nice looking suplex. He whips Markopoulos into the corner, but he moves and starts laying rights into Williams. He runs in, but Williams gets a knee up and hits a flurry of hard-hitting moves. Williams wraps him up in a front facing Crippler Crossface and Markopoulos quickly taps.

Winner [via Pinfall]: Douglas Williams (4:04)

Another Gut Check contestant, another uneventful Gut Check match. Can they at least let these contestants get some sort of sustained offense? They keep looking like punks. But it was fun to see Williams rip someone apart; and Markopoulos can at least bump which is…something, I guess. (C)

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James Storm is heading to the ring. Open Fight Night continues next!

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*Commercial Break*

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Video Recap: James Storm/Bobby Roode feud, ending with Storm beating the hell out of him all over the Impact Zone on last week’s show.

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“The Cowboy” James Storm makes his way to the ring for Open Fight Night. His music dies down and the Impact Zone chants “Cowboy!”. Storm says he’s good at talking trash but he backs it up in the ring. He said he made it known who he was calling out this week, and calls Bobby Roode a coward. Storm says he wants Roode’s blood on his hands. Storm says this isn’t going to be a “wrestling match”, it’s going to be a “kicking a coward’s ass match” whatever that means. Storm says he needs the coward to come on out. He looks to the Impact Zone entry way.

Out comes Bobby Roode to the entrance ramp, but instead of being in ring gear he’s wearing his usual suit and tie. He has a mic in hand. Roode says he’s a little overdressed to fight tonight and follows it up by saying Storm will never be as good as him or duplicate his success. Roode says as long as he’s in TNA, Storm will never be a World Heavyweight Champion. Roode says he’s not going to fight him and as far as he’s concerned, they’re done. If Storm wants to fight, he can fight someone else. Roode leaves to the back as Storm is in disbelief.

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Backstage, Hulk Hogan catches Roode. Hogan says he got called out so he has to fight. Hogan says Roode has three minutes to decide to fight Storm or face losing future title shots, opportunities, and money. Hogan walks off and Roode stands there thinking it over.

Thoughts: Wow, the time Hogan gave Roode is just as long as a commercial break! How convenient!

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*Commercial Break*

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James Storm is still in the ring. He calls out Bobby Roode so he can kick his ass. Roode’s music hits and Roode makes his way back out to the Impact Zone. Roode does not look happy. He starts taking off his valuables. Storm runs up while Roode tries to take off his shirt and starts beating him with his own shoe. Storm chokes Roode with his own shirt. They fight to the Impact stage. Roode turns it around but it doesn’t last long and Storm is driven head-first into the set. Storm follows up with a heymaker. The ref asks Storm to bring it to the ring. Storm jumps off the stage but Roode catches him with a fist. Roode lays into Storm and rams him into the guard rail as they slowly make their way back to the ring.

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Match #3: James Storm Vs. Bobby Roode in an Open Fight Night Challenge

Roode rolls him in and the match begins. Storm regains the upper hand and the action quickly goes to the outside. Storm rolls him back in, but Roode back drops him back to the floor. Storm reverses an Irish whip and sends Roode into the ring steps. Roode, however, regains the upper hand and whips Storm into the ring barrier. Roode rams Storm head-first into the ring barrier. Roode reaches under the ring and pulls out a beer bottle (?!?). Roode goes to hit him but Storm ducks it. He grabs the bottle, takes a swig, and hands it to a fan.

Storm grabs a side headlock but Roode pushes him into the ring post. Roode pulls out a chair and swings at Storm but he ducks so all he gets is said ring post. Storm rams A couple of fans put their feet on the ring barrier and Storm rams Roode face-first into them. Nice. Roode whips Storm into the barrier, then rolls in and out to break the count. Roode jaws with a fan as he beats Storm down. More ring barrier action, this time with Roode getting whipped into it ribs-first.

Roode blocks a Storm suplex, and delivers one of his own onto the mat outside. Finally they get back in the ring, and Roode connects with a clothesline. Roode pushes the ref into the corner, then goes back to beating up Storm. He throws Storm through the second rope and back to the outside. I get it guys.

Storm pushes the ref, and starts beating down Roode. The ref rings the bell for another no-contest! Yay!

Winner: No-Contest (6:25)

Since they’re going to face each other at Bound For Glory, it makes sense that Storm/Roode didn’t exactly exercise their A-game tonight. But good god was this “match” monotonous after about two and a half minutes. It was okay in the beginning but there’s only so many times you can see a man get thrown into a ring barrier before you just start zoning out. Also, 2 out of the 3 matches tonight have ended in screwjobs so someone cue up the “HOW TNA OF THEM LOL” tweets/comments. (C)

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The brawl continues and spills into the crowd. Storm throws Roode into one of the many walls of the Impact Zone. They continue to brawl, and it heads backstage. Storm and Roode disappear behind a door.

Thoughts: This segment went on waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay tooooooo loooooooong. Wow. I started off hyped and then just lost interest during the “match” portion. And it ended the same way as the brawl did last week so that’s dumb.

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Backstage Hulk Hogan is talking with a stage hand who says Joseph Park is here. No one can find him, however. Hogan answers his cell phone; it’s The Aces and 8’s. Apparently they now have a corporate lawyer. They discuss something…or something. Hogan tells them to “get ready to play hard” and hangs up.

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*Commercial Break*

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TNA World Champion Austin Aries and Jeff Hardy talk backstage. Aries says Bound For Glory is about more than Hardy’s road to the title; it’s also about Aries wanting the accolades Hardy has accumulated over the years. Aries says he’ll get that by beating Hardy at the PPV, and that anything Hardy can do he can do as well. Aries says it’s about him chasing what Hardy has and he’s going to show him tonight that anything Hardy can do, he can do. This paragraph must feel like deja vu to you.

Thoughts: I appreciate the story they want to tell, but honestly it made Aries look a bit weak. Why can’t the match be about the World Championship? What’s wrong with that?

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Tara heads to the ring. We see clips of her attacking Miss Tessmacher from last week’s show. Tara cuts a heel promo about Tessmacher, and brings up her Hollywood boyfriend. Apparently he opened her eyes and reminded her she’s the best female wrestler in the business. Tara then makes her Open Fight Night challenge: Christy Hemme. Hemme is very reluctant but heads into the ring. Tara runs her down and says Hemme needs to show her some respect. She asks Hemme who her favorite Knockout is and Hemme says Miss Tessmacher. Tara grabs her by the hair and yells at her. Out comes Tessmacher to make the save. Tara throws Hemme at her then escapes the ring. Tara yells “BOUND FOR GLORY, BITCH!” at her.

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Hulk Hogan makes his way to the Impact Zone. Promo time after commercial!

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*Commercial Break*

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Backstage Brooke Hogan yells at Tara for trying to beat up Christy Hemme. Hogan says she is disappointed in her, and says there will be consequences next week.

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Bound For Glory Memories: Rob Van Dam goes through his two BFG matches and calls them “off the hook”.

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Tenay says next week is Championship Thursday and they will be deciding a new Television Champion.

Thoughts: Awesome. I thought they dropped the belt. Maybe we’ll get a champion who isn’t Robbie E or Eric Young. Keep your fingers crossed.

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“Not Quite the nWo Theme” plays as Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring. Hogan says something ridiculous about spray painting something. Hogan says The Aces and 8’s have nabbed Joseph Park and are holding him hostage. Hogan says he doesn’t mind playing their game if he knows the rules. Hogan says he’s the right guy to play hardball with, brother, and agrees to meet them in their “clubhouse” next week. Hogan says now that he has agreed to do that next week, it’s time for them to honor their word and let Park go.

“The President” appears on the Impact Tron. He thanks Hogan for accepting their invitation for next week and warns that it’s “clubhouse” rules so watch out. He then says they nabbed Park for getting too close. We zoom past to see Blonde Aces and 8’s guy smash Park’s laptop with a sledgehammer. Park, kept captive in a cage, yells at them and says he has it all in his head. “The President” says they can fix that and another member hits him in the head with a regular hammer.

Thoughts: They have to know hitting people in the head with hammers kills them right? Right? Either way this was a dumb segment. The bait and switch was dumb and all of this “clubhouse” talk came out of nowhere. I’m losing interest in this and fast.

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*Commercial Break*

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We see a recap of Aces and 8’s destroying Park’s laptop and then Park getting clubbed in the head with a hammer.

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Video Package: Jeff Hardy talks about the importance of winning the BFG Series and how winning the World Title will be the last step in his redemption. He says his fans can expect him to steal the show and become the new champion at Bound For Glory.

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TNA World Champion Austin Aries makes his way to the ring. Aries hangs the belt on the ropes and takes off his cape. Aries says that Hardy video package was nice, and it was nice of them to play it before he made his entrance. Aries says he’s not the hunted; he’s the hunter. Aries says he wants to prove that anything Hardy can do, and challenges Bully Ray for Open Fight Night.

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Backstage, Bully Ray is in disbelief that Aries called him out. He makes his way to the ring, mic in hand. He stops in the entryway and tells the production team to shut his music off. Ray asks him if Aries actually just called him out, and Aries confirms it. Ray says people don’t call him out, he calls people out. Ray yells at a fan for touching him. Ray and Aries both threaten the fan that touched him. As Ray continues talking, Aries takes to the air and splashes him. Aries puts on Ray’s hat and continues beating on him. He rams Ray face-first into the ring steps. They roll into the ring and the match is finally on.

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Main Event: [TNA World Champion] Austin Aries Vs. Bully Ray

Aries continues his beat down on Ray as the bell finally rings. Aries ends up on the apron and Ray knocks him off and into the ring barrier as we go to commercial.

*Commercial Break*

We’re back from the break. Aries breaks out of a bear hug but becomes the recipient of a back suplex. Ray goes for the pin. 1…2…kick out. And now we’re going back to commercial again.

*Commercial Break*

We’re back again. Ray is still dominating Aries. He digs his finger in Aries’ eye on the apron. Aries falls to the floor, and Ray yells at the ref to count him out. Aries gets to the apron and Ray hip tosses him back in. Ray goes for the pin. 2-count. Ray sticks him in a rest hold and talks smack to Aries. Aries gets to his feet and kicks his way out but Ray quickly regains the advantage. Ray splashes him and goes for another pin. 2-count.

Ray bodyslams Aries and goes for another pin. 2-count. Ray drops the elbow and goes for another pin. 2-count. Aries picks himself up as Ray mouths off at him. Aries connects with a couple of lefts, but Ray hits a running elbow to stop the momentum. Ray drops another elbow and goes for another elbow for a 2-count. I’ve said elbow a lot in this paragraph.

Ray yells at referee Earl Hebner and backs him into the corner. Hebner yells back, distracting Ray long enough for Aries to mount his comeback. They trade forearms and palm strikes. Aries gets a string of chops but Ray rakes the eyes to stop him. Ray ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning forearm. Ray backdrops Aries to the apron and Aries responds with dropping him neck first on the top rope. Aries follows it up with a top rope Missile Dropkick for the 1…2…kick out.

Aries signals for the Brainbuster, but Ray blocks it and backdrops him. Aries move out of the way of an attempted splash. Aries tries to whip Ray but Ray is too strong and Aries ends up getting whipped into Hebner for a ref bump. Aries locks on the Last Chancery on Ray, who taps wildly. Unfortunately Hebner isn’t awake to see it. As Aries tries to revive him, Ray grabs his chain. Ray wraps it around his hand and lays Aries out with a fist. Ray goes for the pin. 1…2…3!

Winner [via Pinfall]: Bully Ray (12:20)

BULLY RAY WINS! BULLY RAY WINS! Okay main event match made better by Ray just being amazing in everything he does. Aries losing was a bit of a shock but makes sense in the context of the story he has with Hardy; the inferiority complex should get worse as the weeks go by. Also, erm, BULLY RAY WINS! (B-)

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Bully Ray is shocked at the win, and hugs Hebner on the mat. Ray goes to the outside and grabs the TNA World Title. He gets back in the ring and raises it above his head. He measures Aries for a belt shot, but Jeff Hardy comes in and clears the ring of Ray. Hardy picks up the TNA World Title and raises the title in the air. Aries yells at him and pushes him for holding the World Title. They continue jawing back and forth as we fade to logo.

Thoughts: Hmmm. Interesting. I was initially lukewarm on how they were approaching the story (initially meaning like thirty minutes ago), I’m starting to get more into it the more I think about it. I guess Aries is going to turn heel, which is fine, but I guess that means Hardy will end up World Champ at Bound For Glory.

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Overall Show Grade: C+