TNA Impact Wrestling - July 12, 2012
1. Joseph Park vs. Bully Ray - For all intents and purposes, this was very similar in set up and overall execution to their ppv match not that long ago. Ray dominates the match with Park getting in an occassional flurry of offense, including being constantly taunted by Ray. Ray hits Park with the chain for the 3 count at the 8 minute mark. Park sees his own blood, freaks out a little and hits Ray with the Black Hole Slam. I'm just checked out of this feud and have been for a while. It hasn't sucked but it hasn't been at all captivating for me. It'll ultimately culminate with Park realizing that he's Abyss and just some sort of alternate personality rather than Abyss' brother. Meh. *
Although the feud has been running for a very long time now, it is refreashing that a company is willing to put time into a storyline for a good pay off. The CM Punk leaving the WWE with the Championsship, a torunament to crown a new champion, only for it to be Cena, and then Punk returns a week later was one of the most dissapointing things for me. The fact that they have now sowed the seeds of Joseph being a multiple personality of Abyss is awesome. Not meh to this fan.
2. Rob Van Dam vs. Samoa Joe in a BFG Series Match - An ok match, nothing really to write home about, but ok for what it was. It was a little clunky at times, which seems to be par for the course these days for RVD matches as he just isn't as fluid as he once was, but the match told a decent story of Joe getting a bit greedy with his submission attempts. Joe locks in a heel lock late in the match that, for some reason, he releases before getting back up and going for, what I'm assuming, is either a figure four leglock or he's going to reapply the heel lock. RVD counters with kind of a sloppy looking small package and scores the three count at the 4.5 minute mark. RVD earns another 7 points in the BFG Series. **
The problem I have with this is that Joe's storyline for the BFG series last year is he was losing because he kept going for submissions. They sort of rehashed this, this week. I hope he simply learns from this and maybe does a backstage promo about it and it doesn't keep happening. As then creative would have just forgotten about last year's series. As for RVD, I agree with you on his performances, howveer this was actually a better outing I have seen from him lately.
AJ Styles, Claire, Daniels & Kazarian - Everyone involved tried to make this work but I'm EXTREMELY tired of this angle and this feud that simply will not die. It's just been a mess and it's only gotten even messier. Daniels tells Claire to tell the truth, she acts outraged & angry, Styles comes out to save the day and Claire confirms that Styles is the father. The fact that Styles & Daniels have been dragging this feud out for close to a year has, for me, really just put a huge damper on this. This angle calls for people who need to know how to act but those involved just aren't up to the task. They've done their best and I give 'em credit for that, but they just don't have the ability to make all this drama feel believable or special. Thumbs Down
Agree with everything you've said. I will say though that hjaving Daniels and Kazin this storyline though has at the moent any way elevated them to top mid card almost main event status. Which is well over due for Chris Daniels. The guy is a super talent and hopefully this is a big pay off for him. I can really see some off the charts Aries/Daniels title matches in the future. Although I don't think Daniels will win the belt but I thik building him as a top heel and then feeding him to Aries in great defences would be a wrestling fans delight. In my eyes also it is elevating the tag titles. As Kaz/Daniels don't have any opposition for them at the moment, the afct that the Tag Cahmpions are in a top storyline keeps them looking very relevant.
3. Zema Ion vs. Dakota Darsow - Not really all that much to say here. Darsow dominates much of the match before Ion manages to turn things around in about the last 40 seconds or so. Ion hits a new finisher for the win at the 2.5 minute mark. After the match, Ion injures Darsow's arm before cutting a promo. He addresses Sorensen before saying that he's not just f'n pretty, but he's also f'n dangerous. Sounded a little ridiculous but this confirms that it looks as though TNA is going for Sorensen to sort of make a grand return and ultimately take the title from Ion. N/A
I disagree with you on this. Darsow who we really didn't know, in one promo ties hismelf to Sorrenson and gives everyone a reason to cheer him and creates a small story and a reason for fans to care about the match.
Then Ion had two or three new catch phrases in this segmant, he looked like a cowardly/arrogant/yet competent Champion in a great showing. He was a heel in every sense of the word and he really surprised me! He was great. The old heel gets the win with a finisher from out of nowehere is a great heat magnet. He then breaks out a new submission type finisher as well... which is lethal ... awesome stuff. The call out of Sorrenson is fantastic and made him look like this great Champion of the X Division. I think creative have done a top job here and Zema doesn't feel like he is second best to Aries at all after this.
Austin Aries & Bobby Roode - Definitely a mixed segment for me. Aries came out and did a superb job of putting over TNA, the TNA WHC, pro wreslting in general and, of course, himself. The crowd was hot for him and he delivered with intensity and believable passion. Bobby Roode, on the other hand, was so over the top with his anger that it looked quite cartoonish. I understand that he's angry, he's supposed to be angry & outraged, but he comes out walking as though he's almost in a stunned or dazed state before morphing into this Hulk like level anger. He grunts & hisses and stomps around the ring. Eventually, he manages to say that Aries win was a fluke before leaving with Aries taunting him. Aries was great here, Roode wasn't. Roode was completely over the top and it just took away from the whole segment. Thumbs In The Middle
I'm calling promo of the year from Aries here. As you said he put over everything, including himself. Roode's over the top stuff for me did not take away from how magical that promo was. Aries looks more legit than anyone on the roster, which at 5 foot 8 or whatever I thought was going to be difficult. Man I have been a fan of Aries since 2004, but he just took it up another level.
Hogan & Sting - Prior to the final segment, Roode comes into Hogan's office and declares that he wants Aries before Hardcore Justice. Hogan reminds him that Open Fight Night is next week and that he can have Aries then, but he won't get his title shot until the ppv. To me, that undermines the OFN concept because there've been more than one champ challenged on OFN and the champ has had no choice but to wrestle & defend the title. I get that they want to save the title match for the ppv but, in that case, why even bring up OFN next week? They could've just used next week to have Roode attack Aries, viciously assault him and leave him laying. That way the legitimacy of the OFN format is still in tact, it builds heat for their feud and makes fans wait for their match. After this, Sting heads down to the ring and calls out Aces and Eights, I hope that's not the name of that group. They'd shown brief backstage segments with Hogan & Sting preparing to confront these guys, including one in which Devon & Garett Bischoff offer them their help but Hogan & Sting turn them down. I immediately knew then that Hogan & Sting would get their asses kicked and that's exactly what happened. Hogan's music hits but he doesn't come out. They show Hogan backstage in his office left a little bloody and beaten on the floor with Brooke freaking out. Sting gets out to go back and he's jumped from behind by about 6 or 7 masked guys for the show to go off the air. Meh, pretty standard stuff that felt like it was phoned in. To me, it didn't make sense for Hogan & Sting to turn down help. Here are a couple of 50+ year old men looking to confront probably more than half a dozen guys that they know nothing about but don't want help fighting them? Just didn't fly with me. Thumbs Down
Someone has already spoken about the OFN concept. As for the last segment, maybe there was live problems in getting the prerecorded veideo up because I don't think playing Hogan's music three times was necessary, it was as annoying as Roode's outburst, but Aces and Eights is a cool name for mine, as Sting explained it's the Dead Man's hand. I'm not sure why you're not into this, Hogan and Sting are superheroes, and they are beaten down by this evil gang. Who knows who these guys are and why they are doing it. It's great stuff and although this maybe should have been done a few weeks ago, it is bringing it forward nicely.
Sting is still at the top of his game in kayfabe, much like the Undertaker. With his trusty bat, he doesn't need anyone's help and really only trusts Hogan at this stage of his career. If you have follwed Sting's career, he has been backstabbed by everyone. From Flair to Luger to the Road Warriors to the whole of WCW to Vampiro etc etc etc. Sting only wants Hulk watching his back. Sting has taken on the entire nWo, although it was 15 years ago now, he still beleives he can handle his own business. But Aces and Eights have attacked the Icon. I think it's great. You call it meh, I think it is a good progression. Sting returns only to be beaten down again, after his back up the Immortal Hulk Hogan is now a victim. They have just taken out the two top baby faces in wrestling history!!! Who is next? What is their message? Who do they work for? I'm hoping the payoff will be great!
GrandSword's final thoughts...
I think this was another solid outing from TNA. All storylines are being advanced quite well (a part from the bastard child angle). And my only true criticism can be sort of explained away using the BFG Series and the OFN gimmicks. And this is that TNA doesn't have their premier talent on every episode the way WWE does. When you watch Raw, you get Cena, Punk, Bryan, Big Show, Kane, Dolph etc etc. each show. however when you tune into Impact you don't get Jeff Hardy, or James Storm, or RVD, or Sting, or Angle, or Joe or Styles or Vevlet Sky etc etc every week. Like I said it could be because of BFG etc taking up time, but I think people tune in for the top talent and TNA just need to book it so they are there week in week out.