11/17 Kester's TNA Impact Wrestling Live Coverage Review: The fallout from Turning Point, a 10-Knockout number one contender's gauntlet match, and Bobby Roode's first appearance since retaining his TNA Championship

By Ryan Kester

Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Taped earlier in Orlando, Florida.

[Q1] The show opened with a video package detailing Bobby Roode's heel turn and his new heel persona.

Bobby Roode made his way to the ring with his championship in hand. Once there, he said that he feels ashamed for ever being a part of Fortune. He said he was the star of Fortune and he was the leader of the group. Roode said he's always been the future of this company. He called them pieces of crap and said they should have known there would be a point where he cast them off.

Roode told Fortune to grow a set and he said he's no longer going to allow Fortune to live in his shadow anymore. James Storm's music played and he made his way to the ring. He wasn't wearing a cowboy hat, so I call shenanigans.

Storm called Roode a jackass and a dumbass, and Storm accused Roode of jumping him last week. Storm said he's going to finish his beer and kick Roode's ass. Roode begged him off, and security ran out to prevent Storm from entering the ring. Roode said he had no reason to attack Storm because he's already proven he can beat him.

Storm guaranteed that he was going to hind his assailant, but he said he would kick Roode's ass for the hell of it. Security didn't agree with him, however, and they dragged Storm away.

AJ Styles appeared behind Roode and attacked him. Security came out pulled the two men apart several times. Styles had a microphone and Tenay hype his promo for after the break, so it looks like we're getting a marathon opener… [C]

Ryan's Rant: You've seen one pull apart brawl, you've seen them all. Roode's initial promo felt like a repeat, but once Storm was out there things felt fresh again. Storm is an absolutely brilliant babyface.

Back from the break, Styles jawed with Roode and called him a piece of trash. Styles said Roode screwed Storm, and then he screwed him. Styles said he would get his revenge by taking the TNA title from Roode. Roode claimed to have defended his title clean, and he told Styles to go back to his trailer park.

[Q2] The two brawled again, and Sting made his way to the stage. Sting made a TNA title match at Final Resolution, Bobby Roode vs. AJ Styles in a thirty-minute iron man match.

Bobby Roode grabbed Dixie carter for whatever reason, Styles went to save her, and Roode blasted Styles with his title. Roode then proceeded to punch out Styles, who was unconscious on top of Dixie Carter.

Backstage, Samoa Joe told Storm that Roode didn't attack him because Roode was hanging out with him the entire evening. The two brawled until Kazarian and the agents pulled the two apart.

Ryan's Rant: It's pull apart brawl night in TNA. Less is more, and these are all beginning to run together. The extended opening segment felt unnecessary and unnatural. Who goes form attacking someone to talking to them to fighting again? It was just clunky and odd. I'm not sure why Dixie Carter had to be involved there, but I'd sure like it if they just kept her off of TV.

Back from the break, Sting shoved Bobby Roode and Sting yelled at him for putting his hands on Dixie carter. Roode threatened to sue Sting.

1. Robbie E (w/Robbie T) vs. Devon (w/ "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero) for the TNA TV Title in 1:56. Devon dominated the early going. Robbie T jumped on the apron, but the distraction was not enough to give Robbie E an advantage.

Robbie E fell to the floor and Pope put his hands on him. Robbie T responded by clotheslining the Pope. Eric Young showed up with a chair and chased off Robbie T. Devon hit his finisher on Robbie E but was distracted by his sons attending to the Pope. Robbie E rolled up Devon for the quick win.

Garett Bischoff was backstage with Sting and he asked for a second match. Sting said he'd think about it. Matt Morgan ran into Crimson and the two chatted like friends. Sting told them they should become a tag-team and challenge for the titles against Mexican America tonight.

[Q3] Morgan was reluctant, but Crimson talked him into accepting… [C]

Ryan's Rant: So much packed into such a tiny little segment. The match was an overbooked throwaway. The team with Matt Morgan and Crimson intrigues me because I think it would be a great benefit to Crimson to team with someone while he works on his ring psychology and connection to the crowd.

Backstage, Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff ran into Sting, who was bragging about rewriting Bischoff's contract. Bischoff said he may have rewritten it, but there was no way he was signing it. Sting threatened to drop Bischoff head-first onto the concrete, but he said he'd grant Garett's wish instead and give him a second match. Sting said he'd be in Garett's corner.

2. Jesse Sorensen and Brian Kendrick defeated Kid Kash and Austin Aries in 4:59. Sorensen started things off by taking the fight to Kash. Sorensen hit a high cross body for a near fall. Kendrick tagged in and the faces teamed up to take down Kash.

Kendrick kicked Kash to the floor and followed with a springboard cross body. Aries followed with a suicide dive to take out Kendrick. Aries rolled Kendrick back into the ring and tagged into the match.

Moments later, both men tagged back out and Sorensen hit Kash with a northern light's suplex for a near fall. Kash slapped Aries into the match, and Aries responded in kind and called Kash a dick. Kash missed a moonsault and Sorensen hit him with his neckbreaker for the win.

[Q4] backstage, Karen Jarrett congratulated Gail Kim for winning the title at Turning Point… [C]

Ryan's Rant: Good action, but Sorensen's faults were in full form. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly but he just seems a bit…cartoonish in his in-ring actions. I think if he dialed back just a bit it wouldn't feel as jarring. Still, the match was a good tag match that ended clean, you can't really ask for more.

Backstage, Storm accused Mr. Anderson of attacking him last week. Anderson denied it, and Storm unplugged Anderson's Xbox 360. That jerk.

3. Mickie James won a 10-Knockout Gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the Knockout Championship in 15:41. Velvet Sky and Rosita started the gauntlet match. Velvet hit her butterfly facebuster and pinned Rosita. Velvet Sky pinned Rosita at 0:06.

Brooke Tessmacher came out next and she beat down Velvet Sky, but Velvet came back and hit a bulldog. Velvet Sky pinned Brooke Tessmacher at 0:47.

Angelina Love came out next, and she rolled Velvet up and grabbed her tights for the quick pin. Angelina Love pinned Velvet Sky at 2:04.

Mickie James came out next and Love attacked her on the ramp… [C]

Back from the break, Angelina Love and Mickie James continued to battle. James hit a spinning back kick to eliminate Angelina Love. Mickie James pinned Angelina Love at 7:04.

[Q5] Sarita made her way to the ring and dominated James briefly before James hit her jumping DDT finisher. James nearly broke Sarita's neck by botching the DDT. Mickie James pinned Sarita at 8:55

Tara made her way out and she and James locked up. Tara went for the Widow's peak, but James rolled through. Tara reversed the rollup into a heel hook. James made the rope. James hit her finisher again. Mickie James pinned Tara in 11:15

Winter made her way to the ring and immediately attacked James' midsection before hitting a northern light's suplex. Mickie hit her kick again. Mickie James pinned Winter at 13:08

ODB came out and started tearing apart what was left of James. ODB decimated James, but Mickie was able to hit a senton. Mickie pinned ODB at 14:25

Madison Rayne was the last knockout to make her way to the ring. ODB attacked Mickie as Madison slowly made her way to the ring. Rayne walked into the ring and was immediately rolled up by James. Mickie celebrated in the ring, and I was forced to listen to H ardcore Country.

Backstage, Bully ray was yelling at some young lady before Storm showed up and accused Bully Ray of attacking him. Ray said that he was not the attacker, but he knew who it was. Bully asked Storm to join Immortal, and Storm said Bully Ray would sooner get laid than he would join Immortal.

Jeff hardy was shown walking backstage… [C]

Ryan's Rant: Lord, was that a fast-paced gauntlet match. None of the falls really took longer than a minute, and some were barely even seconds long. The match time was a bit inflated by the commercial break. Still, the fast-paced action was different and entertaining. I'm not sure what happened to James, but she botched that DDT every time she went for it and with how she jumped on Sarita, she was mere inches away from snapping the poor girl's neck.

[Q6] Backstage, Garett was talking to a camera man and said that he was excited to get a second chance.

Jeff Hardy made his way to the ring wearing street clothes. Once there, he said it was great to be back on Impact and he thanked the fans. He said he would always be there for the fans. Hardy said he was going to set his sights on the TNA title, and Karen Jarrett interrupted him.

Karen cut down Jeff Hardy for begging for his spot back. Karen said that she wasn’t a man, and she screeched in his face. She berated him some more and she put over her husband for having the balls to give create his own business to "give wrestlers somewhere else to go." Karen claimed to be friends with Hardy's wife and she said that she confided in her that Jeff was impotent.

Karen tried to goad Hardy into hitting her. Hardy said he was not only a man, but he was more than human. Hardy grabbed Karen's arm, and he said he and his fans are the creatures of the night. Jeff Jarrett showed up and attacked Hardy, but Hardy quickly got the better of Jarrett.

The Jarretts ran up the ramp to get away from Hardy.

Mexican America was backstage talking Spanish. When they did say anything in English, they talked over each other to the point where I could not discern what they were saying… [C]

Ryan's Rant: I'm sorry, but Hardy looked more like the heel there to me. Karen came off as a woman distraught after seeing her man get beaten, and then Jeff actually put his hands on her and yelled in her face. Jeff showing up to attack Hardy gained no heat because his wife looked like she was about to get roughed up. I'm not saying they exactly crossed a line there, but it got close, and Hardy certainly did not act like a babyface should in that exchange.

Backstage, Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff were giving Gunner a pep talk.

[Q7] 4. Matt Morgan and Crimson beat Mexican America for the TNA Tag Team Championships in 5:19. Crimson and Anarquia started the match and Crimson immediately dominated the smaller man.

The Mexican America ladies got on the ramp and Hernandez clotheslined Crimson. The heels took over at that point and they started working quick tags to wear down Crimson.

Crimson speared Hernandez out of nowhere and got the hot tag to Morgan. Morgan tore apart Anarquia and he slammed Hernandez. Morgan chokeslammed Anarquia, Hernandez broke the pin, and Morgan took out both heels with a double clothesline.

Crimson took out Hernandez and hit an exploder suplex on Anarquia. Matt Morgan followed with a Carbon Footprint and Matt Morgan and Crimson became the new Tag Team Champions.

Backstage, Storm talked to the camera and said he was going to call out the man that jumped him last week… [C]

Ryan's Rant: It says a lot about the tag team championships when a team forms just about an hour before they win them. I can understand putting Morgan and Crimson together, but I can't for the life of me figure out why they had to become the new champions tonight.

[Q8]5. Garett Bischoff (w/Sting) defeated Gunner (w/ Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff) in 3:42. Garett dominated Gunner in the early going, but Gunner managed to catch him with a flying forearm.

Gunner worked over Garett for a spell, but Gunner ran shoulder-first into the steel post. Eric distracted Garett, and Gunner went right back to tearing Garett apart. Garett managed to hit a DDT out of nowhere, and scored the clean pin… [C]

Ryan's Rant: Well, that was interesting. Garett has some potential, but I still think they did him a disservice by having him be a referee and then be presented as Bischoff's son. That's simply a huge stigma for anyone to get over, and people will always say he's getting a push because his father is the promoter of the show. It's a shame Gunner has to be the sacrificial lamb for Garett's push.

James Storm made his way to the ring. He still wasn't wearing his cowboy hat.

Storm said wherever he goes; he always gets underestimated and underutilized for his appearance and culture. Storm said he was a cowboy, but his hat says otherwise. Ok, I'll stop. Storm said that he is bar-tested tough and he is tired of playing cat and mouse.

Storm said he was considering everyone guilty in the back and he called out Styles. Styles obliged, and Storm accused him of attacking him. Storm said that Styles had the most to gain by attacking him.

Styles denied the charge and said that his entire reason for going after Roode was to defend Storm. The two men got physical for a moment and Kazarian ran out to play referee. Kazarian sent Styles to the back and he followed along with him. Storm's music played, but Kurt Angle appeared and attacked Storm from behind.

The piped heat was turned to eleven as Angle beat down Storm at ringside. Angle hit the Angle Slam and claimed credit for attacking Storm last week. The show went off the air to some dramatic music from a bad eighties thriller movie as it focused on Storm lying on the mat.

Ryan's Rant: I like the tension between Storm and his Fortune stablemates , and I almost would have been happier if they dragged the whodunit out for another week. Tonight's show was entertaining and flew by, but I still feel that they tried to cram way too much into a two-hour block of time. This is one of those shows where it can be pretty easy to forget something that happened on it because they simply had so much going on.

If you have any questions or comments or just wish to chat with a fellow wrestling fan about whatever, then feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter at @TheRyanKester.