WrestlingNerd Presents: TNA Impact Wrestling Review 6/14/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 6/14/12. With TNA coming off a very enjoyable PPV, how can they follow it up? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: Austin Aries vs Chris Sabin vs Zema Ion; Ultimate X match for X Division Title

We open up with an Ultimate X match. For those wondering what Ultimate X is, I will explain it the best way I can. It's basically designed like a ladder match, but there are no ladders for this match. Instead, they have these metal pillars that have these ropes u can climb on. I've seen better Ultimate X matches, but this one was okay. It was pretty short for Ultimate X, so that was my biggest problem with it. Still, this was a fair match to open up the show. The finish comes when A Double climbs the ropes and pulls down the X title. It's actually fitting for the guy with a cape to climb his way to victory…….He's Batman…. 

Winner and still X Division Champion: Austin Aries

After the match, Aries cuts a promo. He wants to get in the main event and isn't satisfied with the X Division title. Hulk Hogan comes out and……we go to a commercial break. We are back from commercial and Hogan is now in the ring. They cut to commercial at the perfect moment. It probably took Hogan about 4-5 minutes to walk down that ramp and get inside the ring. Still think they should give him a wheelchair. Anyway, Hogan says Aries is the greatest wrestler he has ever seen and he's willing to give Austin a world title match. In order for Aries to get a world title match at Destination X, he would have to give up the X Division championship. Aries has one week to make his decision. Hogan doesn't want one person to hold all the gold at one time? Kurt Angle will be pissed off once when he hears the news. Joking aside, this does open up the door of having Aries leave the X Division by never dropping the title. I know some people will have a problem with this, but I think this is the best way to go. Simply put, Aries is above anyone else in the X Division. Having him drop the title to an unworthy scrub would look silly. I know it's custom to have the guy work towards dropping the title and elevating the new champion, but I think it would be a misfire with A Double's character. Aries will most likely drop the title and start working with bigger names. Its already happening for him (Bully Ray). As for the fate of the X Division title and the division itself…….who cares? With Aries most likely leaving the division, it will go downhill……again. 

Joseph Parks is having a party until the Bully Crasher interrupts. He's searching for Abyss, but Joseph doesn't know where he's at. Are you sure you don't have his mask in your pocket……you know…….right there…….maybe…….yeah….maybe…..possibly……yeah, I don't know. 

Match #2: Devon vs Hernandez; TV Championship

A TV title match where Robbie E isn't involved with? HOLY S***!!! TNA finally decided to pull the plug on that garbage-time feud. I know some people want me to thank them, but it should've stopped months ago. The match was……eh? It was okay, but nothing amazing. The finish comes when Devon hits the Spinebuster for the victory. Yeah, this TV title is definitely going places…..like the bottom of a volcano. I'm sure the fire Gods would love to have some gold as an offering. What am I talking about? I have no idea.

Winner via pinfall and still TV Champion: Devon

AJ Styles and Dixie Carter plan to come clean next week. They came to the conclusion that they are running out of condoms and need to go buy some……or and there's something about how they might be hurting people with their news. I don't think that's very important…….I LIED!!!

Match #3: Royal Gauntlet; Bound for Glory Series match

Even though it was called a gauntlet match, it didn't operate like a gauntlet match. Every 90 seconds, another competitor would enter the match. The only way you lose this match is by getting thrown over the top rope. So, 90 second intervals and thrown over the top rope? I get the feeling I've seen this match before. Not only have I seen it, but I could swear that it gets its very own PPV. And I think that PPV is the start of some big buildup, but I can't put my finger on what the match is called……I GOT IT!!! It's the Texas Bullrope match. Yeah, I'm glad I got that out of my system. Now I can move on without any complications……..Anyway, let's move forward with the rest of this match. Everyone that is competing in the BFG Series is taking part in this match, with the exception of the loser in tonight's World Title match. AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy start off this match, but we would eventually have guys like RVD, Magnus, Bully Ray, Kurt Angle, Pope, Robbie E, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, and James Storm. Oh yeah, the Pope returned. I was more shocked that Pope still has a job in TNA. I still don't think they will be using the Pope for much, but only time will tell. I think he can be an interesting talent if used right. How in the world did Robbie E get in the BFG Series? Why does TNA keep pushing this guy down your throat? Robbie E and Garett Bischoff should create a tag team called the Show Killers. Why? Because they simply can kill any show…. 

So, eliminations and more stuff involving Bully and Abyss occur during this match. It wasn't a great "Bullrope" match, but I guess it was tolerable. Oh, I should mention how Bully ended up being the first elimination because Abyss came out from under the ring and took out Bully. So, I guess the Joseph Abyss/Bully deal is gonna continue. Gooooooooooood. There was some miscommunication between AJ and Kurt, which further builds on AJ having too much going on in his life. The finish comes down to Joe and Storm. I thought it was pretty funny that it came down to the guy who almost won the BFG series vs a guy who had an amazing golf score a year ago. Storm eventually takes out Joe. Storm ended up earning 20 points in the "Bullrope" match. After the match, Storm cut a promo. Storm says after some soul-searching, he wants to become the world champion again. He makes that promise to the fans and his daughter. Storm also hopes that Bobby is still the world champion when the BFG Series is over. Well, I think they pretty much gave away what the main event will end up being at BFG, but this is the best way to go. Only time will tell if TNA actually follows through with it. Wait a minute…..TNA ripped off the Royal Rumble? YOU SON OF A B-----!!!

Winner: James Storm

Match #4: Tessmacher vs Madison Rayne

Tessmacher won with a different type of finisher. What, did you expect more? Well…..

Yeah, I just want to move on. 

Winner via pinfall: Tessmacher

We find out that Brooke Hogan gets to choose who will compete in Open Fight Night. I guess that means the championship they decided would be the KO Championship. Gail Kim demands to get her rematch and she shouldn't consider anyone else, but Brooke tries to be smug in the worst way possible. Hey, I guess Hulk's acting rubbed its way on Brooke. Brooke says that she gets to determine Gail's rematch, so she gives her a vacation. Even though it's a little soon, Brooke is not doing a good job with her on-screen character. She's too emotionless to be an on-screen character. Then again, John Laurinaitis can be bland, but he found a way to make it work. I will give Brooke a little more time to figure this out. Still, she needs to improve in this department or else her character isn't going to be very interesting. Oh, and they will also allow open challenges involving the BFG Series competitors. An open challenge on OFN? What kind of madness is this? 

Match #5: Robert Roode vs Mr. Anderson; TNA World Championship

This was an okay match, but it didn't do it for me for some reason. Then again, I have had a hard time getting interested in Anderson matches. Still, this wasn't too bad of a contest. The finish comes when Bobby locks in the Crossface and gets the submission victory. Bobby actually got the clean victory in this one. I always like it when I see the bad guys get the clean victories. I know it's common for the bad guys to always resort to cheating, but it does help them when they get those clean victories. 

Winner via submission and still World Champion: Robert Roode

Sting is in the ring to deliver his speech involving the TNA Hall of Fame. I thought Sting was about to say that TNA was trolling the world by announcing the HoF was a prank, but that didn't turn out to be the case. As Sting continues his speech, three guys with bandanas over their faces attack Sting. The Insane Clown Posse? I like how they established that everyone respects Sting. Well, if they respect him so much, why aren't they saving him? That's some WRESTLING LOGIC for you. The show ends with the three mystery men continue to assault Sting. Since these guys were covered up, it raises the questions of who are these guys are why did they attack Sting? Well, I personally hope its three new guys that we have never seen before. I get the feeling that they are talents we have seen before, but I think it would be more interesting if it was three guys attacking a veteran with something to prove. My early thoughts on this is that would be Jeff Jarrett and a couple of goons he hired. Why? Because Jarrett might be pissed off that he wasn't the first inductee in the HoF. That, and he's trying to get back on the show. Other than that, I don't want to dive too deeply into this. I kinda want to see what else they can cook up as they move forward. I like the way this angle started off.

Overall Impression:

I thought after following up Slammiversary, this was a decent episode of Impact. Yes, this doesn't measure up to what Slammiversary brought, but can you really compare a PPV to free television? You kinda have to grade both shows differently. I thought there was plenty of interesting stuff to keep you invested in tonight's show. While the action was here and there, it was the storylines that I found interesting. Did I really just say that? I like how they have giving Aries a chance in the main event. It could spell disaster since Storm/Roode is the more logical direction, I would still like to see what A Double can do as he graduates from the smaller division and goes into a much bigger pond. The BFG Series made its return tonight. The whole match may have been a rip off of the Royal Rumble, but it was interesting because we got to see who will be competing in the BFG Series. Some of the people involved are very questionable, but I think they made most of the right choices. The ending to Impact is also interesting. Again, it mostly has to do with the mystery factor. We don't know who attacked Sting and I think sitting back and seeing the clues unfold can be pretty fun. I think this is an episode of Impact that you might want to give a try. The action might be so-so for some of you, but I think they added a couple of interesting elements to keep you entertained. That's gonna do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time.