11/1 Kester's TNA Impact Wrestling Live Coverage Review: Bully Ray vs. Devon, The fallout from Aces & Eights attacking Kurt Angle, and Christian York competes in a Gut Check

By Ryan Kester

Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Aired live from Orlando, Florida.

[Q1] Jeremy Borash and Todd Keneley welcomed us to the show and introduced Joseph Park, who was already in the ring with a mic.

Parks recounted how he was tortured and captured and tonight he was standing up for himself as a man. He said he is not a wrestler, but he wants to fight Aces and Eights. He challenged any member of Aces and Eights to a match.

Four members made their side entrance and surrounded park in the ring. Angle's music hit and he charged the ring. The Aces and Eights guys swarmed Angle, and Sting ran out with a bat to chase them away. Sting guaranteed that someone from Aces and Eights were getting their mask removed tonight…

The announcers hyped ODB calling out Jesse, Devon vs. Bully Ray, and the Gut Check with Christian York…

Magnus spoke briefly backstage about looking forward to unmasking a phony… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: Good opening. They gave a hook for the rest of the show and Magnus gave a little incentive for viewers to stick around through the commercial break. Well done.

Jesse complained about an ear infection backstage and about having to deal with ODB. Tara talked about how they were a power couple. Jesse said he needed sterilization and Tara said they hadn't talked about kids as she squirted Purell on his hands…

[Q2] Magnus called out Joe for a shot at Joe's TV Title. Magnus said Joe doesn't represent the company well and they needed someone with a batter face. Joe quickly answered the challenge and cut Magnus off.

1. Samoa Joe vs. Magnus for the TNA TV Title. The two men traded control several times. Joe scored an urinagi that sent Magnus rolling to the floor. Magnus looked for something under the ring and he pulled out what appeared to be a wrench. Joe charged Magnus, but he blasted Joe with a wrench, causing the DQ…

Samoa Joe defeated Magnus via disqualification in 3:38.

Hogan, Sting, and Park spoke backstage briefly before Angle charged into the room with Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco. Angle was out for blood so Hogan told him he could have Devon at Turning Point and the group decided to go and fight Aces and Eights tonight and rip off some masks… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: TNA is still trying to cram a bit too much into each segment of television, but they are doing a good job of hammering home an unmasking as tonight's big hook.

Joe was icing his head backstage and fuming over Magnus' attack. He said he wanted Magnus again with no rules and he promised to kill Magnus…

A video package of Jeff hardy putting paint on while his thoughts played aired…

Ryan's Reaction: I'm, not a big fan of the new Hardy videos. It would be different if it didn't sound so heavily scripted and hardy didn't come off as lifeless.

[Q3] Kazarian and Daniels came out and Kazarian did more of the Spanish shtick that annoyed people from last week. Daniels called out the Spanish announce team of Hector Guererro and Willie Urbina. The announcers looked confused as the show went to break... [C]

Back from the break, Kazarian asked the Spanish announcers if they were Mexi-cans or Mexi-cants. They still didn't want to fight, so Daniels and Kazarian began beating the two men down. Chavo and Hernandez ran out and made the save, and Chavo was irate. Kenely noted that the two teams will meet at Turning Point…

A video package for Christian York and his brief history with TNA aired…

York was shown getting warmed up for his Gut Check… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: I'm already tired of this story. I wish wrestling companies could get past stereotypes and have heels be jerks without always falling back on cheap heat from racial remarks.

ODB was on the phone with Young, talking about how she was going to fight Jesse. She told him to bring fried chicken...

[Q4] 2. Christian York vs. Zema Ion in a Gut Check match. York outpaced Ion and managed to get in a great deal of offense. Ion rolled to the outside and York followed, only to get caught with a hotshot. York made a comeback and hit a neckbreaker that was so good I stopped my clock at what I thought was 3.

York was going through the ropes when Ion kicked the rope to crock him. Ion followed with his arm-snare armbar for the submission victory…

Zema Ion defeated Christian York in 4:15

Aries was walking backstage with the TNA Title. He said he considers himself to still be the TNA Champion and he excused himself for some business he had to take care of. He walked into a room with Robbie E and Robbie T… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: TNA was so, so close to having a good moment there. York has a good, unique story to tell and he looks the part of a professional wrestler and TNA could have had something with him pulling out the surprise victory where I thought the match ended. Instead, he's just another guy that gets a Gut Check and loses. This concept is so underutilized. The match itself was a bit of a mess with several botches, but it seemed like it was a timing issue between the two men than it was York not being able to perform spots.

Garett Bischoff spoke with Bully Ray backstage and told him he had Bully's back. Bully got called to where Aces and Eights were and TNA had a little brawl. Aces and Eights beat a retreat before their masks could be taken…

[Q5] ODB called out Jesse after a slew of mocking comments. He quickly obliged.

3. ODB vs. Jesse (w/ Tara). ODB got in some early offense, but Jesse quickly tossed ODB back. ODB retaliated and Jesse tried to run.

ODB caught Jesse and bounced his head on her crotch repeatedly. Jesse slammed ODB a few times and went for another kiss from Tara, ODB hit another flurry of offense, jawed with Tara, and Jesse rolled her up for the win…

Jesse defeated ODB in 3:38.

Tenay replaced Keneley on commentary and Tenay told viewers that Taz was with him family after his home was in the line of Hurricane Sandy…

Ryan's Reaction: That did nothing to make me care about Jesse one way or the other. They went for comedy rather than having a serious match, but the ODB brand of comedy has never really appealed to me.

Robbie E and Robbie T made their entrance. Robbie E said the most memorable part of the BFGS was him beating Jeff Hardy, so he was calling out the TNA Champion to repeat his former glory…

Hardy made his entrance and put some extra face paint on mid-approach.

4. Jeff Hardy vs. Robbie E (w/ Robbie T). The two men brawled to the floor, and when the referee's back was turned, Robbie T threw Hardy into the barricade…

[Q6] [C] Robbie E was in control when the show returned from the break. Hardy quickly came back and hit the Twist of fate, followed by the Swanton Bomb for the 1-2-3…

Jeff Hardy defeated Robbie E in 7:35.

Austin Aries made his entrance and mocked Hardy for dropping his belt. Aries referred to himself as the Greatest Wrestler in the Universe, and he guaranteed to beat Hardy at Turning Point. The fans chanted "overrated" at Aries. Hardy told Aries that they needed to do their rematch right, and he fetched a ladder. Hardy said their match would be a ladder match.

A video of Matt Morgan showed up at Hulk Hogan's shop and taking one of his coats aired...

James Storm spoke with Hulk Hogan backstage and he asked for a chance to compete for the TNA Title. Hogan said he had an idea…

Ryan's Reaction: The longest match of the night has been one that existed mostly in a commercial break. TNA is still working that frantic pace that shoves too much into each segment and gives little focus to anything. While I am looking forward to the match we will get from Aries and Hardy, I am underwhelmed by Aries' newest character. It is looking more and more like CM Pink lite with every week.

[Q7] [C] Bobby Roode made his entrance. Roode said he wasn't out there to fight, he was out there to state a fact. Roode said he was getting screwed because he wasn't given the shot against Jeff Hardy last week.

AJ Styles came out and mocked Roode for whining and complaining, which made me laugh considerably because that's what constitutes the majority of Styles' complaining.

Styles then proved my point by complaining and he mocked the affair storyline he was involved in and he mentioned "elevator pictures. " Ugh, TNA. Styles challenged Roode to a fight. Roode said no, but he then attacked Styles when Styles wasn't looking. The two men brawled briefly and Styles dumped Roode to the floor.

Hogan made his entrance with James Storm. Hogan said both men deserved a title shot, but they needed to earn it. Hogan said at Turning Point, the three men would compete for a title shot, with the man who is pinned not getting a shot at the title until next year's Bound For Glory…

Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan were shown walking backstage. Morgan had Hogan's robe… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: Interesting stipulation. It seems a bit unnecessary, but I am curious to see what they do with it. This segment was alright, but the Styles pot-shot at a current WWE storyline was a big groaner. Even if the Styles storyline had been good, which it wasn't, I would still prefer TNA to move past the snide remarks and focus on them as every time they do one of these little quips it just makes them look bush league and points out how they are the second best.

Borash and Tenay ran down the Turning Point card…

Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan made their entrance. Morgan said he had had enough of being ignored by TNA and he recounted how he had been attacking people at house shows to get some attention. Morgan said he would eat through the entire roster and shit it out until he gets the TNA Title.

Joey Ryan called out RVD and said he was going to prove how the X-Division Title could be X-rated.

[Q8] 5. RVD vs. Joey Ryan (w/ Matt Morgan). RVD beat down Ryan quickly and set up for the Five Star Frog Splash, but Morgan pulled Ryan to safety. Ryan caught RVD with a roll-up for the quick victory.

Joey Ryan defeated RVD in 1:31.

RVD attacked Ryan after the match, but Morgan put a stop to that with a Carbon Footprint.

Devon was shown getting ready for his match backstage… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: Quick match, but it was effective in putting a bit of heat on Morgan while giving Ryan a talking point for promos by being able to brag about a victory over the champion.

Bully Ray gave a shout out to the people living in the Northeast. He told them to stay hardcore and he dedicated the match to them. He then called out Devon.

Devon ran from Ray and Ray grabbed a table. Devon elected to call in reinforcements. Ray grabbed a chain and backed up almost ten members of Aces and Eights on his own. The TNA locker room emptied and we had ourselves another little brawl.

Devon was left alone with Ray, but the Aces and Eights big guy saved Devon. Joseph Park ran out and got beat up for a bit, but Park stripped his mask off and revealed Luke Gallows. Gallows chokeslammed Park through the table and the announcer failed to say his name despite saying they knew who he was.

Ryan's Reaction: Not a shocking reveal if you keep up with sites like this at all, but I enjoyed the execution. My problem with Aces and Eights is that TNA let out so much steam at Bound For Glory with the lackluster Devon reveal, and it's been all about him ever since. Hopefully more reveals will roll in and that will no longer be the case.

Tonight's show was solid, but there were still several aspects I didn't care for. TNA set themselves on a creative direction at Bound For Glory that just does nothing for me and seems to have undone a lot of the forward progress they made over the last year. There's still plenty of time for that to change, but TNA has some ground to make up in my eyes before I can consider myself excited about their product.

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.