2/14 Shore's TNA Impact Wrestling live coverage: First look on Impact of UK Bootcamp contestants, who will Hulk Hogan choose to face Jeff Hardy at Lockdown?

By Chris Shore

TNA Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Taped in London, England.

[Q1] The video opening recapped the previous history and then Hulk Hogan made his entrance. Hogan said he had eight guys who would compete and he would pick the best person from those to face Jeff Hardy at Lockdown. He ran down the four matches and then announced the team captain for team TNA against Aces and Eights at Lockdown, Sting.

Sting got a great pop and I was reminded again of how good TNA can look when they are out of the Impact Zone. Sting said he was looking for three killers to join him and they would destroy the scumbags at Lockdown. He said his only question for Aces and Eights was, "Whatca going to do when the Stinger runs wild on you?" He and Hogan posed to close the segment…[C]

Shore's Slant: This is one of those strange disconnects in wrestling. That was a hot opening for the live crowd, but it was mediocre pandering for the TV audience. It happens to every televised group every once and a while.

[Q2] Christopher Daniels and Kazarian made their ring entrance as a video recapped their run in with Magnus from two weeks ago. Magnus was out next…

1. Christopher Daniels (w/Kazarian) vs. Magnus. Magnus started quick and powered Daniels up from a body slam lift into a suplex. Daniels distracted the ref and Kazarian hit a hangman over the top rope on Magnus, and Daniels followed with a STO to take control. Every hope spot ended with Kazarian getting involved. The ref finally tossed Kazarian from ringside. That allowed Magnus to run his comeback and beat Daniels with a top rope elbow drop…

Magnus defeated Christopher Daniels at 5:05.

Backstage, Bully Ray whined to Brooke Hogan about an injury keeping him down. He said he prided himself on being a ring warrior just like her dad. He said he knew the wedding got screwed up, but otherwise things had been great. Brooke said she didn't know what to say. Ray shook it off and said he wasn't going to let this ruin their Valentines. He said they were going to go out dancing. She said he needed to wear his wedding ring and that she had found it next to the sink in the hotel Ray said she was right and they hugged…[C]

Shore's Slant: Sometimes the TNA in-ring style comes across as frenetic to me, and the first match is a prime example of it. It's like they tried to do a 20 minute match in five minutes and it just seems too much. I'm pretty sure Ray's ring is the foreshadowing of him turning soon. With the new PPV schedule, you have to think Lockdown would be the time to turn him back as if you wait until the next PPV cycle it will have gone on too long.

[Q3] Back from commercial, Magnus cut a promo about Aces and Eights trying to put him out causing him to have more fire in his belly. He said he just proved to Hulk Hogan and the world that he was worthy of being champion…Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle made their ring entrance. A new voice over had Kurt Angle saying he would do whatever it takes to get wrestling back in the Olympics. Taz shit all over the IOC for the decision and Tenay agreed…

2. Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle. Joe took quick control and a sad, "This is wrestling," chant started and died quickly. Funny. Angle hit a belly to belly suplex to take control. Angle hit a big clothesline and Joe sold into the break…[C]

Back from commercial, Joe hit a dive on the floor and Angle fled from him. Joe started his comeback in the ring and hit a senton that got a good pop for two. Taz said he was getting text messages about how awesome it was watching these two kill each other. Wow, pretty good line. Angle reversed a whip into the corner and charged in for a STJoe. Angle came right back with a missile drop kick and Angle slam. Joe no sold it and hooked on the choke hold.

Angle drove him back into the corner and hooked on the ankle lock. Joe teased tapping, but flipped Angle out. Both men hit clotheslines on each other and sold as the ref started the 10 count. As they made their knees, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff ran in and caused a no contest. They beat up both men for just a moment, but Joe and Nagle fought back and chased them from the ring…

Samoa Joe fought Kurt Angle to a no contest at 12:27.

[Q] Backstage, Dixie Carter gave the Bootcamp contestants a pep talk and wished them luck…[C]

Shore's Slant: OK match from Joe and Angle. They built very slowly, but that makes sense when you have a no contest I guess. No use getting the crowd super invested only to pull the blanket out from under them and not go back to it. You can do that if they would be wrestling again soon, but obviously they will be teaming against the rookies. Speaking of rookies, how friggin hot are the Blossom twins? I know it's Valentines and I love my wife, but damn.

Party Marty and the twins made their entrance and their opponents followed…

3. Party Marty and The Blossom Twins vs. Gail Kim, Tara, and Jesse. Jesse and Marty started. Marty started quick and did a fun slapping gimmick in the corner. He hit a moonsault for two and Jesse went to the floor…[C] Back from commercial, Jesse ran back to his corner and tagged in Kim. One of the Blossoms came in and hit a drop kick, but Jesse distracted the ref and Tara kicked the twin from behind.

[Q5] Tara tagged in and worked over the twin with power moves. Kim tagged in and hit her corner horizontal splash move. Turns out Holly Blossom is the name of the twin. Taz said she was green as goose shit and they bleeped it. Holly got the knees up on a moonsault and tagged Hannah Blossom. Hannah ran in and ran and hit a couple of cool tag team moves on Tara and Kim.

Jesse tried to attack the ladies, but Party Marty hit a missile drop kick. Jesse rolled to the floor and Marty dove on him. Marty went over his head and I'm fairly sure killed himself when he hit the barricade. Hannah was checking to see if Marty had, in fact, killed himself and Kim hit Eat Defeat for the win…

Gail Kim, Tara, and Jesse defeated Party Marty and The Blossom Twins at 11:28.

Post-match, Gail Kim cut a promo and said she was the most dominate Knockout in the company and said she wanted her title back. She said Brooke had yet to announce who Tara would defend her title against next week and said Brooke should pick her. Brooke made her entrance and announced a four way elimination match with Tara, Kim, Brooke Tessmacher, and Velvet Sky…

A video recapped Dixie's announcements last week on Bellator…A video recapped Jeff Hardy's getting hit in the knee with the hammer…Another video recapped the matches from earlier in the night. Backstage, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode said Hogan was scared and that was why he booked them in a match. They went back and forth on who should be the World Champion and then they both agreed they would do what was best for business…[C]

Shore's Slant: Good on TNA to give the newbies the top of the second hour spot, but it was hard to concentrate after seeing Marty nearly kill himself on that dive. Holy crap. I don't remember reading that in the spoilers. Good match and the women are green, but they have a lot of talent I think. Plus will you just look at them! Sorry. I know the results of the fourway from the spoilers and I want to see how it plays out because I'm not happy with what I read. And while I am not a fan of Roode and Aries right now, that was an amusing exchange. Give them their due.

[Q6] RVD made his ring entrance, followed by James Storm…

4. Rob Van Dam vs. James Storm. They set another frenetic pace and RVD hit his split legged moonsault for two. Storm punched his way back and hit a clothesline for two as Taz put RVD over huge and complained about the other two stacking the deck against RVD. Odd. Storm hit a nasty looking Closing Time. He went for Last Call, but RVD hit his own kick. RVD started to the top, but Storm hit him and they battled with RVD on the apron and Storm in the ring. RVD kicked Storm away and went for coast to coast, but Storm moved. Strom hit a quick Last Call for the win…

James Storm defeated RVD at 5:48.

Backstage, Joseph Park knocked on Hogan's door and told Hogan some of the boys told him if he wanted to get ahead he needed to politic. Hogan said Park didn't need to politick, he was ok by him. Park said he went and had posters made and buttons made and even hired a campaign manager. Hogan asked him if the boys told him to do that and Park said he just assumed.

Hogan asked him if he knew what a rib was, not a barbeque rib or baby-back rib, but a rib. He told Park to find out what a rib was. Park said he would and asked if he could count on Hogan's vote. Hogan said yes and tried not to laugh. Park left and Hogan went back to arguing with Brooke and said she pushed for too much…

Shore's Slant: The match settled well and entertained me by the end. Good win for Storm and RVD looked good in defeat. God forgive me, I laughed out loud at the politicking thing. If Hogan did that in one take he is beyond great. It was the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I don't like it as a storyline, but that that so stupid you absolutely laugh.

[Q7][C] Backstage, Hogan pressured her dad to give Ray the title shot. Hogan tried to keep it business and Brooke laid it on thick about how Ray got into the business because of Hulk. She said he was family and had never been champion before. Hogan said he would love for his son-in-law to be champion, but he had to stay objective.

A video recapped the tag title switch last week. Roode and Aries made their entrances. Roode cut a promo before the match. He said it only took one week for Hogan to try and mess with the plan. He said they were going to capture all the gold and bring prestige back to them. Aries said if they were scared they should just say so. An Austin Aries chant broke out and Aries said he knew his name. He said they were on the same page and they should just get this over with. He told the ref to ring the bell…

5. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries. Both guys went for the finger poke of doom on each other, but neither would go down. They argued about it and Aries said he would be the bigger man and lay down. He laid down and Roode covered. On two Aries hooked a surprise crucifix pin for two. They hit their feet and shoved each other and argued into the break…[C]

As if on cue, both men locked up as soon as the show came back. Both guys had roll up moments where they used the ropes and then argued again. They started swinging and then fought their way up the buckle. Roode tried to hit a superplex, even lifting Aries up a few times, but Aries fought back and knocked Aries off the top. He went for the 450, but Roode moved. Aries rolled through and hit a sprawl into the last chancery.

[Q8] Roode raked the eyes to get out and hooked in the crossface. Aries rolled it up to cause the break. The two men reversed a hundred holds and then the ref took a bump of one of the reversals. Roode rolled to the floor and grabbed a chair. He climbed back in the ring and then did the Eddie Guerrero gimmick where he hit the mat and then fell down. Aries did it too. The ref turned around and looked at both men. They would make dirty faces at each other when the ref would check the other, and then collapse when the ref turned back.

Chavo and Hernandez walked out wearing Aries and Roode t-shirts. Roode and Aries stepped out of the ring. The babyfaces backed up and the heels realized the ref was counting. They ran back while trying to hold the other and neither man made it…

Bobby Roode fought Austin Aries to a double count out at 13:47.

Backstage, Hogan whined to Sting about Brooke pressuring him. Sting said Ray was out of it, but Hogan had a great talent pool to choose from. He said he was glad he wasn't Hogan. Hogan sarcastically thanked him and then left. For some reason, they had Hogan go the wrong way and have Sting correct him…[C]

Shore's Slant: Roode and Aries entertained me here, but that doesn't change the fact that I think this is a bad move for them. They are better as singles acts and I don't understand why they have Kazarian sitting on the sidelines just so they can recreate his act with Daniels using these two guys, albeit with a slight twist. And how stupid did Hogan look? I realize they were trying to make him look so exasperated he was scatterbrained a little, but he didn't look that way. He looked stupid or old. Bad choice.

Hogan made his entrance again and put over how hard it is to make a decision. He started to say more, but Aces and Eights ran out. They surrounded the ring and climbed on the apron. Ray limped out with a chain and Aces and Eights backed up. They started to close again, but Sting's music hit. Sting walked out with two baseball bats and a cricket bat and that was enough for them. They backed away and yelled back and forth with Bully to close the show…

Shore's Slant: Wow, that was a little too transparent there with Aces and Eights backing down. I hate they went so far with the attacks on Ray in the past, but maybe Ray can sell me on having to sacrifice to get what you want. I do think this points to Ray turning at Lockdown. Not a bad show this week, and I can't wait to see what they do with their first live show on the road coming up soon. Jason Powell will have the Hitlist tomorrow, and Will Pruett will have the audio review as well. Thanks for watching along tonight.

Questions? Comments? Anyone, anyone? Let me hear from you. Email me at css3238@gmail.com or tweet me @TheShoreSlant with whatever is on your mind.

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