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9/6 Kester's TNA Impact Wrestling Live Coverage Review: Championship Thursday debuts, Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy, and Bully Ray vs. Rob Van Dam

Posted in: TNA TV Reports, MUST-READ LISTING
By
Sep 6, 2012 - 07:00 PM

By Ryan Kester

Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Aired live from Orlando, Florida.


[Q1] Previously on Impact…

A video package hyping the Bound For Glory Series aired…

1. Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy in a Bound For Glory Series match. Joe dominated early and James Storm was shown watching the action from the locker room. Hardy got the fight to the floor and dove on Joe as the show took its first break… [C]

Back from the break, Joe floored Hardy with an elbow. Joe continued the dominance he showed before the break.

[Q2] Hardy made his comeback late in the match. He went for a Swanton Bomb but Joe jumped to his feet. Joe locked in a rear naked choke but Hardy managed to scramble out and hit Whisper in the Wind.

Hardy followed with a Twist of Fate and locked in an inverted crossface for the submission victory…

Jeff hardy defeated Samoa Joe via submission in 12:03for ten points in the BFGS.

A narrated recap of the closing segment from last week with a stage crew member attacking Austin Aries aired…

Aries complained to Hulk Hogan backstage about Aces and Eights. Hogan said the guy that attacked Aries last week would be available for Aries tonight. Hogan told Aries to break the guy's legs… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: Great way to open Impact. I always enjoy when they managed to stray a bit from the established formula. Seeing Hardy win with a submission was a bit odd, but it worked with the story they were trying to tell and Joe had an out with his previous arm injury that the announcers discussed.

Christy Hemme was interviewing Samoa Joe on the stage when Magnus came out and mocked Joe for his loss before explaining his actions from a few weeks ago. Magnus really heeled it up and blamed Joe for their team falling apart. Magnus pretended to walk away before he attacked Joe.

The camera cut to Hulk Hogan backstage seconds after Joe hit the floor. Hogan was with the Robbies, Chavo and Hernandez, and Kid Kash and Gunner. The men were pleading their cases until AJ Styles showed up and threw his name in the hat. Hogan eliminated Styles instantly and Styles pointed out how all of the teams were slapped together and not real teams…

[Q3] Brooke Hogan told Tara backstage that Tara and Tessmacher would face each other at No Surrender. Gail Kim showed up and complained that Brooke was giving priority to eye candy. Tara and Gail Kim bickered… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: TNA really needs to work on their timing issues. They don't let anything sink in before jumping to the next angle. The Championship Thursday concept isn't off to the hottest start with a credible top guy in TNA mocking all of the possible challengers for the belt that is on the line tonight.

Taryn Terrell was already in the ring and the announcers did their usual basement dwelling horn dog shtick.

2. Tara vs. Gail Kim. Kim attacked Tara's arm early and used it to gain the upper hand. Kim worked her heel offense and played to the crowd to some decent heat.

Tara had a hope spot but Kim dragged her injured arm-first into the ropes. Tara reversed a top rope attempt into the Widow's Peak for the 1-2-3.

Tara defeated Gail Kim in 3:35.

A Joey Ryan video package aired…

Al Snow was show walking through the locker room labyrinth…

Ryan's Reaction: That was fun from top to bottom. Both women can work and Taryn has eliminated her obnoxious quirks that I noted a few weeks back. When the only complaint I can come up with is that I wanted to see more, I know I've seen a good match.

[Q4] [C] Al Snow stood in the ring with the Gut Check mood lighting and background music. Snow called out Joey Ryan. Ryan obliged and made his entrance through the crowd.

Snow asked Ryan what he wanted to say and then he yelled for him to shut up. Snow offered Ryan another Gut Check and if he wins he gets a spot on the roster instantly. Ryan said he already proved himself when 87% of the Twitter voters said he should be hired.

Snow reaffirmed that Ryan had to go through Gut Check again. Ryan eventually agreed. Snow said that Ryan had to fight him. Snow then got in a cheap slap and Ryan ran for the hills. Ryan screamed that Snow can't touch him because he's not under contract. Ryan said he would sue…

Bully Ray found Joseph Park backstage. Bully Ray came in peace and talked about Aces and Eights. Park said he can't say anything due to attorney client privilege. Ray warned Park to be careful…

A security guard dropped the guy that attacked Austin Aries into a closet and Aries threatened him Punisher-style to talk. Yeah, that didn't give off a creepy vibe or anything… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: I'm glad that the Joey Ryan stuff is finally getting a payoff, even if I don't care at all about seeing Al Snow wrestle again. The Aries as an interrogator idea has already jumped the shark. They're effectively trying to sell snuff film material as a wrestling television, and it's just absolutely ridiculous.

Hogan and the remaining teams debated who should challenge for the belts tonight. Hogan eliminated Kash and Gunner because they took the debate too personally…

[Q5] 3. Bully Ray vs. Rob Van Dam in a Bound For Glory Series match. The two men jawed in the early going and they went back and forth in a series of lock ups. Ray gained the upper hand and went to work on RVD's spine. RVD dove on Ray to the outside.

RVD's legs got caught on the ropes and Ray pounded on RVD's knee. RVD battled back and hit a huge flurry on Ray; ending in Rolling Thunder for a near fall.

RVD went to the top for a Five Star Frog Splash, but like a jackass he did his RVD thumb thing and landed in a cutter from Bully ray. Ray covered RVVD for the 1-2-3.

Bully Ray defeated RVD via pinfall in 8:53 to earn seven points in the BFGS.

Backstage, Aries continued to interrogate the gut that attacked him last week. Aries slapped the man around a bit and threated him with a set of pliers. Aries used the pliers on the guy's tongue. Hogan showed up and talked Aries down. Hogan then attacked the guy, brother. The VP of Aces and Eights called Hogan before Hogan poked the guy's eye out, brother. Hogan demanded to have the "arm-breaker" delivered tonight and at No Surrender vs. Aries, brother…

Ryan's Reaction: RVD once again looks like a complete idiot for losing a match due to his showboating. I really hope this will be the impetus for a turn otherwise he just comes off like a jackass. The interrogation bit is excruciatingly dumb. A few emailers have pointed out that the guy Aries is assaulting isn't the same actor they used to attack Aries last week, but I didn't get a good enough look at the man from last week to verify that.

[Q6][C] James Storm made his entrance. He said it's been a hell of a year full of highs and lows. He said something was missing, but he came back and he found his mojo again. Storm called out his three potential opponents at No Surrender.

Bully Ray, Jeff Hardy, and Samoa Joe made their entrance. Storm talked them all up. Storm announced that he was challenging Bully Ray at No Surrender.

Bully Ray made his way down the ramp. Storm said ray ended his chance for glory last year and this year Storm was ending his. Storm said he knows who Ray is and this Sunday Ray would learn who he is…

Aries's interrogation victim coughed backstage…

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian were shown in the guerilla position for their title defense…

Ryan's Reaction: Excellent work from Storm there. His closing commenters were the only hard sell for No Surrender that we've had all night. There have been commercials, but the actual show has been a wasteland of a finals ell thus far.

[Q7] [C] Christy Hemme was interviewing RVD backstage when Magnus showed up to give him the same treatment he gave Samoa Joe earlier in the evening. Magnus mocked RVD for getting old and losing his edge. The two men brawled, but the TNA agents were seconds away and pulled them apart…

Hulk Hogan told Chavo Guererro and Hernandez to go out and prove themselves…

4. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian vs. Chavo Guererro and Hernandez for the TNA Tag Team Championships. The babyfaces took control early, but the champions quickly regained control and began to work over Chavo.

Chavo got the hot tag to Hernandez who wasted no time in taking out Kazarian. Chavo hit Daniels with Three Amigos and the show went to commercial… [C]

Back from the break, Chavo controlled Daniels briefly, but Daniels quickly regained control and the heels went back to working over Chavo.

[Q8] Hernandez got another hot tag and he quickly took out his opponents. Chavo hit a huracarana on Hernandez, who landed on a prone Kazarian. Daniels made the save, but Hernandez quickly took out both men with a huge dive.

The finish came moments later when Daniels took out Hernandez with a title belt. Kazarian covered the knocked out Hernandez for the pinfall victory.

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian defeated Chavo Guererro and Hernandez to retain the TNA tag Titles in 14:36.

Hogan's music played and he slowly made his way onto the stage. Hogan announced that the champions would defend their belts against AJ Styles and Kurt Angle at No Surrender. Hogan's pyro then went off for no reason and he posed on stage a few times…

The announcer ran down the No Surrender card…

Austin Aries was shown escorting his interrogation victim through the backstage area… [C]

Ryan's Reaction: You know, the tone of tonight's show has been all over the place. Hogan alone has been the calm man eliminating potential challengers, a crazed loon trying to puncture a man's eye, and a goofball with a pyro celebration after making a match announcement. The tag match was ok, but it was full of botched spot and the commercial break really hurt the flow. A solid effort, but an utterly forgettable match.

Aries made his way to the ring with his new buddy, Mike. Aries called out "the arm-breaker." They didn't show. Aries started to attack Mike and arm-breaker showed up to make the rescue. Arm-breaker took out Mike with a foreign object and Aries attacked arm-breaker. The two men brawled to close the show.

Ryan's Reaction: Alright, this was not the best edition of Impact ever. The show was kind of all over the place and the interrogation crap was Claire Lynch bad. All in all, it was a weak go home effort for No Surrender. We got some solid wrestling on this show so that much was entertaining, but TNA really phoned it in with their backstage segments tonight.

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.

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