From PROWRESTLING.NET

Kester's TNA Impact Wresting Rundown: Austin Aries gives up the X Division Championship, AJ Styles and Dixie Carter make a revelation, the Bound For Glory Series continues, and Open Fight Night returns for a third iteration

Posted in: Kester Editorials, MUST-READ LISTING
By
Jun 22, 2012 - 12:30 PM

By Ryan Kester

Austin Aries and Bobby Roode

I loved this segment. It makes sense to keep the X Division and the Heavyweight championships off the waist of the same man considering the weight restrictions, and the idea of having the X Division Title be a once-a-year ticket into the main event will do wonders to make it not feel like an undercard title.

Unfortunately, all signs point to this first "cash-in" being one that ends on failure as I have felt for a while now that TBNA is building to a BFG confrontation between James Storm and Bobby Roode. I hope that this is the launching pad for Aries in the main event, but I highly doubt he's walking out of Destination X with the belt.

Open Fight Night

Another Open Fight Night, another round of my usual misgivings with the concept. I don't care for the eliminations backstage as they feel like they're trying to be real despite dripping with the feel of scripted television. The Gut Check segment continued to feel like a joke because the participants end up getting squashed in a few minutes. Add it all together, and it leads to a show concept that I just can't really get all that excited for.

Luckily, this month we got a new personality that I feel could be a real boon for TNA. Taeler Hendrix has a great story behind her and she seemed rather competent in the ring. TNA could always use a fresh face in the Knockouts division, and I hope TNA has plans to actually use this Gut Check participant.

AJ Styles and Dixie Carter

What the hell? There's really no way to put it nicely, the conclusion to this story was crap. It was a complete cop-out that reeks of a last minute decision because they never really determined where they wanted to go with the story in the first place. If this was the plan all along, shame on TNA, as this was an extremely lousy way to pay off one of TNA's top stories of the past few months.

I'd question the intelligence of having Styles overpower both of his tag team championship challengers single-handedly, but I still can't get past where this story went.

Bound For Glory Series

Luckily, the BFGS made up for the terrible storytelling above. It's exciting to see the series return this year, and it seems like TNA has a better handle on what they are doing than they did a year prior. We had several entertaining matches last night, and they were all enhanced by the idea that they were building towards BFG.

I still say that James Storm is destined to win this year's series and get a similar push that Roode received last year. That's also likely the best story to be told, provided Roode gets a few credible wins under his belt between then and now.

Overall Show

Last night's Impact was a solid show with a rather lousy ending that put a bad taste in my mouth. Luckily, that end didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the show, and I am excited to see the BFGS return in full force.

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.

© Copyright 2012 by PROWRESTLING.NET