By Ryan Kester

Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Taped earlier in Orlando, Florida.

[Q1] The show opened with a video package covering Hulk Hogan's announcement of the Bischoff vs. Bischoff Lethal Lockdown match...

Eric Bischoff made his way to the ring. The crowd gave him some good heat that he played to briefly. Bischoff said he had business to take care of and the crowd chanted "We don't care." Bischoff said his name would live on long after all of the fans were dead and gone.

Bischoff referred to himself as a legacy and he mocked Hogan's questioning of his leadership ability. Bischoff said he already out together his team, and he introduced Gunner, Bully Ray, Kazarian, and Christopher Daniels.

The four men joined Bischoff in the ring. Bully Ray did his shtick for Bischoff and the apathy chants returned. After Bully ray finished putting over Eric, he said Eric's one mistake was making his bastard son Garett.

Eric announced a best-of-three series for the night to determine who has the advantage at Lethal Lockdown. Garett's music hit and he made his way into the stage.

Garett said he had his team lined up as well, and they were chomping at the bit to take on Eric's wrestlers. Mr. Anderson's music played and he made his way to the ring… [C]

Ryan's Rant: Good work from everyone involved, sans Garett. I can't claim to care about this story, but Eric and Bully ray did a great job of firing up the crowd with their heel antics. Garett kind of let the air out of that segment because he simply has no mic skills to speak of, but I am glad they got the talking points out of the way early so we can get onto some wrestling.

1. Gunner vs. Mr. Anderson. The match was joined in progress.

Gunner had Mr. Anderson at a disadvantage and he targeted his offense on Anderson's head. Anderson rolled to the floor and the two brawled back and forth.

[Q2] The men eventually rolled back into the ring and Anderson went on the offense. Anderson hit a series of elbow drops and stomped Gunner's gut. Gunner hit a thumb to the eye and went back to work attacking Anderson's skull.

Gunner missed a corner dive and went shoulder-first into the steel post. Anderson pulled him out and threw him right back into the steel post. Anderson choked Gunner in the corner until the referee called for the bell… [C]

Gunner defeated Mr. Anderson via DQ in 4:42.

Ryan's Rant: Is Anderson still being a shades of grey character? That's what made him so stale during his last run, and I really hope TNA makes up their mind with him and stick to it. Still, the heel team in lethal Lockdown almost always gets the advantage, and they had to come up with a way to get there without making a recently returned Anderson look like a chump.

Back from the break, Joseph Park interrupted Eric Young's wedding preparations to inquire about prenuptials and Abyss. Young sent Park after Immortal...

The Motor City Machine Guns were in the ring. Chris Sabin had a mic and he spoke about the injuries that sidelined their team for so long. Alex Shelley took his turn and said they've been teaming for the better part of a decade and Samoa Joe and Magnus have been teaming for six months. He continued putting over the MCMG and mocking the short record of Joe and Magnus.

Shelly said that Joe and Magnus face one of the best tag teams ever on Sunday and they would walk out with the tag team championships.

Naturally, this led to Joe and Magnus joining the party and quickly made their way to the ring. Magnus complimented the MCMG but he said that it's not about who's the best team ever, it's about who's the best team on the planet today. Magnus said that was him and Joe and at Lockdown. The two best teams would meet to determine who the best of the best is and who will be the tag team champions. The crowd started to boo Magnus and Joe.

The two teams nearly began to square off when Mexican America showed up. Anarquia screamed something in his pseudo-Spanish accent that I was unable to understand before MA attacked. MCMG and Samoa & Joe took turns demolishing Mexican America...

[Q3] [C]

Ryan's Rant: Another strong promo segment. Anarquia added nothing to the segment with his unintelligible promo, but the two teams that matter did a hell of a job selling their match and its importance to the both of them. Well done.

2. Christopher Daniels vs. Austin Aries. The two men worked and extended chain wresting sequence in the early going and they traded control back and forth several times. Aries attempted to climb the ropes, but Daniels dove on the ropes to cause Aries to crash uncomfortably on the turnbuckle.

Daniels went to work with his suplex and submission-based offense. The crowd chanted for Aries, who got in a few hope spots before avoiding a springboard moonsault and connecting with a suicide dive.

The two traded roll-up attempts until Daniels connected with an urinagi. Aries fought right back and scored with a missile dropkick. Daniels connected with the brainbuster for the pinfall victory...

Austin Aries defeated Christopher Daniels in 5:30.

[Q4] [C]
Ryan's Rant: When the only complaint I can come up with is that I didn't get to see Aries' Last Chancery submission, I know I've seen a good match. These two worked very well together and managed to keep a great pace and flow without crossing the line into spot fest territory.

The ring crew was putting up the steel cage when Jeff Hardy made his way to the ring. Hardy grabbed a mic and thanked the fans for their warm reception. Hardy said that it all started with Angle costing him the world title but this Sunday it would end in a cage. Hardy vowed that he and Angle would make history and would hurt each other. He called for his creatures to mount up and he left the ring…

James Storm stood in front of Montgomery Gentry. He cut a quick promo about what he would do to Bobby Roode. Then for some unknown reason, Montgomery gentry took over the promo and talked for Storm…

Elsewhere, Sarita and Rosita showed up in silk robes and started to flirt with Eric Young. Young was tempted, but he stayed true to ODB and ran away... [C]

Eric Young made his way to his wedding cage. The Knockout Tag Team Championships were shown on a podium. ODB made her way to the ring wearing a camouflage wedding dress. ODB locked the cage door and Young attempted to beak the lock briefly.

The ceremony got under the way and a video package chronicling Young and ODB's relationship aired.

[Q5] The couple exchanged their comedy vows. The pastor called for objections, and Mexican America's Sarita and Rosita made their presence known. The ladies objected and tried to tempt Young again by taking their robes off to stripper music. The two women were wearing lingerie and ODB began to cry.

ODB responded in kind by removing her wedding dress to reveal her won lingerie. Young resisted the sirens and he too took his clothes off. ODB made the pastor disrobe. Young and ODB finally tied the knot and the two rolled around on the floor after their first wedded kiss…

Backstage, Ric Flair rallied the troops and told Bully ray to get the job done... [C]

Ryan's Rant: Where is my smashed cake? I call shenanigans. In all seriousness, the wedding was fine for what it was. It got a bit long in the tooth for my tastes, but for some reason I tend to enjoy wrestling weddings. This certainly wasn't the greatest way to sell Lockdown, but it made for somewhat entertaining television.

Backstage, Bobby Roode spoke briefly about James Storm and he said he had no problem going face-to-face with Storm later tonight. He said things were personal…

[Q6] 3. Bully Ray (w/ Ric Flair, Kazarian, Eric Bischoff, Christopher Daniels, and Gunner) vs. AJ Styles (w/ Garett Bischoff, Mr. Anderson, and Austin Aries.). Styles outpaced Bully ray in the early going, but Ray eventually flattened him with a belly-to-back suplex. Ray sent Styles to the floor with a big boot.

Ray worked over Styles for a while, but Styles made his comeback with a series of quick strikes. Styles followed with a tornado DDT attempt that Ray transitioned into a Samoan drop for a near fall. Styles hit a huracarana for a near fall of his own.

The wrestler s on the floor began to get involved and Ray wrapped his chain around his fist. Ray clocked Styles with the chain and covered him for the pinfall victory.

Bully Ray defeated AJ Styles in 6:41.

Hogan made his way to the stage immediately following the finish. He made the decision to add a member to each team and he demanded that Bischoff choose his fifth member by the time the commercial break concluded… [C]

Ryan's Rant: Decent match that had way too many moving parts. Hulk Hogan served as a good hook here for casual viewers, but I would be lying if I said I was excited to see him once again being treated like the biggest thing in TNA.

Back from the break, Hulk Hogan told Bischoff to declare his fifth man. Eric begged Ric Flair to do the job, but then he decided to do the job himself.

Hulk Hogan declared RVD as the fifth member of Garett Bischoff's team, and RVD stepped on stage to celebrate…

[Q7] A video package covering James Storm and Bobby Roode's feud complete with thoughts from both men aired…

Ryan's Rant: Yep, still don't care about Lethal Lockdown. I enjoyed the latest video package for Roode and Storm and I am looking forward to what we get from them later on in the evening. I hope TNA shows restraint and allows the two men to carry the segment themselves rather than filling it with added characters as they've done in previous weeks.

The announcers briefly ran through the Lockdown card…

4. Gail Kim and Madison Rayne vs. Velvet Sky and Mickie James. Rayne and James started the match, but they quickly worked a series of rapid tags.

Sky and James were in control briefly, but Kim interfered behind the referee's back which allowed Rayne and Kim to take control. The heels worked over James on their side of the ring for the majority of the match.

James managed to avoid a double-team maneuver and she got the hot tag to Sky. Kim attempted to run but Sky caught her by the air. Sky ran through her offense and hit a bulldog. Sky had the pin but Rayne broke the count.

Moments later, Sky set up for her butterfly facebuster finisher. Kim reversed and set up for Eat Defeat, but Sky reversed that into her finisher for the pinfall victory…

[Q8] [C]

Velvet Sky and Mickie James defeated Gail Kim and Madison Rayne in 3:52.

Ryan's Rant: Very quick match that made Sky look good going into the PPV. Wrestling 101 says that Kim will go after taking the pin here, which I think would be the wise decision. I continue to question how Sky's ring work will look without the benefit of an editing team, but she's got a chance to assuage my reservations this Sunday.

James Storm and Bobby Roode made their respective entrances. Roode brought his personal security ensemble with him.

Storm said they've been doing a lot of yelling recently and he reminisced about the good-old days. He talked about their mutual history as shots of their career together aired. Roode said he wasn't going to pretend that their team never existed and he spoke fondly of Beer Money.

Roode said that he had another proud moment, however, and that was when they put their tag team aside and joined the Bound For Glory Series. More video shots aired. Roode said that he went on to win the series and Storm lost in the semi-finals.

Roode said that he went on to challenge for the TNA Championship while Storm sat in the back doing nothing. Storm said he was actually sitting there watching the monitor and watching Roode get beat. Storm said the week after that; he went on to beat the man that, in record time, that beat Roode.

Roode said that Storm's reign was so short, though, because two weeks after Storm won the title, Roode went on to become the "The It factor of Professional wrestling and The Leader of the Selfish Generation."

Storm said he remembered, that was the night Roode hit him with a beer bottle and threw away their friendship. Roode got irate and said they hated each other. He said they were successful because they both wanted glory. Roode accused Storm of living off of his talent and he said Storm was jealous of him.

Storm denied these charges and he said to him, family and friends still mean something. Storm said Roode was selfish and all he cared about was money. Storm said he does it for the love of the sport and for all of the fans that pay to see him. Storm said his superkick leg was tired of the history lesson. Storm said on Sunday, friends or not, they are going to beat the shit out of each other, in front of Storm's family.

Roode said he doesn't care about Storm's family. Storm told Roode he won't need any luck, he will need a miracle to get out of the cage in one piece. Roode said in three days, Storm will be the one needing luck. Roode mentioned Storm's dead relatives and used that as proof of Storm not having luck.

The two locked horns as the show faded to black.

Ryan's Rant: Woo! This is exactly what these two needed. I would have preferred not to hear about Storm's family members because it felt tacked on, cheap, unnecessary, and distracting, but I loved the intensity these two men displayed. I simply wish we would have had some of this in the previous weeks. They saved things for one hard sell, but they run the risk of too-little being too-late with this approach. Either way, this was a phenomenal exchange.

I wish I had the same excitement about the rest of the card. Lockdown this year is a bit of a mixed bag, and Storm vs. Roode and Samoa Joe & Magnus vs. The Motor City Machine Guns are really the only matches that have piqued my interests. I was excited about the TNA product a few weeks back, but overall the Lockdown card has me rather underwhelmed.

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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