Tonight's card is Kim-Tess, Storm-Aries, and Hardy-Roode, which all sound better than the PPV matches in THREE DAYS - sure doesn't seem like it. It still feels like that September period where they're getting things set up for the big show as opposed to solidifying things. I also expect at least one joke based on the show airing on 10-11-12. The Aces theme in the show-opening recap is so hilariously generic. It's like public domain biker music. Shockingly, the show is beginning with Storm's match instead of 20 minutes of talking. As long as they go through with it and don't do a
finish to lead to 20 minutes of talking, this should be fun. World champ in the opener is weird. They plugged the BFG pre-show on Spike via a white text corner graphic that was impossible to read since it was against the ring. Loved Storm and Aries doing fast-paced stuff. Or rather, Aries doing fast-paced stuff and Storm doing a pretty good job of keeping up. This is the best singles match Storm's had in many many months. Loved Storm eating an elbow during a corner charge, but still running in for a clothesline anyway. They had a great reverse sunset rollup back and forth into the ropes.Roode attacking Storm from behind by posting him leading to a brainbuster from Aries was great. Outstanding TV match and a great way to make Aries seem like a star and furthering the Storm-Roode deal. Aries' chest is all messed up from the chop war. Wes Brisco, the world's oldest-looking 28 year old in a plain white T-shirt, begged Kurt to go to BFG. Then AJ came and bitched at Kurt for not being dedicated after he himself spent months sidetracked by Daniels and Kaz.
Sting's favorite memory of last year's show was making Hogan see the light. Kinda surprised they didn't show Hogan running wild afterwards. Hogan and Sting said a bunch of cliches to build up the Aces and 8s match. Hogan's air guitar is a .02 on the Slater scale and I don't know what happened to Sting being a great promo, but he's been terrible for a while. The world tag champs of the world came out to get their match off the card and recommended Angle for the Aces match while Daniels made some tremendous facial expressions. Bully defended the choice saying that they're in a fight, and that he and Sting should face the tag champs of the world of the whateva! Bully and the champs ruled here.
Poor Hernandez gets Chavo's generic theme. Now that theme fails to fit two men on this team. Taz mocking Willy's jacket was great. Hernandez lifting AJ FROM THE MAT INTO A BEARHUG ruled. Taz said it was straight up BEAST MODE. Right on. Hernandez looked great doing power stuff, but seemed a few step behind AJ trying to keep up with his pace. Loved AJ selling the pounce tackle by flying halfway across the ring. That was fun. Then the Aces fed Joseph Park some cheap food. He's at least growing stubble to sell this, which makes me think we'll see the return of a bearded Abyss at BFG.
Ion, whose theme I now recognize, played so he could brag about himself and how he took out the whole division. Loved his pretty f'n speech leading to the whole F'N show coming out. Ion-RVD is a great way to put Ion strong over a legend, or give RVD a token reign with the title. Hogan said he doesn't trust Bully, who's trying to get ready for his match up next. Sting yelled and screamed in an annoying fashion and said he didn't trust Bully. I hope Bully turns on him and shuts him up. His allies are real assholes.
Brooke Hogan's giant boobs met with Taryn Terrell's bigger boobs for a meeting. Brooke is TARAING HER HAIR OUT over Tara. Haha. Tara's BF will be there on Sunday. Loved Taz referencing JOEY NUMBAHS again. I hope he's got a Twittah machine. Loved Bully's character being a face, but still a fine bully - only now he bullies guys who deserve it. It's hard to believe the show is half over because it's flown by so far. Loved Bully's corner headbutts to the chest of Danies, and trying to go after the champs with a chair when they double teamed Sting. Bully saving Sting from a Daniels belt shot was good, and Sting did a lot more in this match than I thought he would. Bully's WTF look when Sting told him to get the tables ruled. VINTAGE SUPERBOMB THROUGH THE TABLE. This ruled. What an awesome way to give the match an exciting finish, make the Bully/Sting team seem strong, and yet not really hurt the tag champs. Daniels going into wacky Devon convulsions ruled, as did Bully and Sting doing the NWO point at each other. The whole dynamic of the Aries-Hardy feud is weird, and the video package furthered that. It's like the strangest tale of one-upsmanship ever.
Gail and Tess had a pretty good match. I loved Tenay selling it as a great test for Tess because now she had to face the first-ever KOs champ. Loved Taz and Tenay's exchange about Taz's birthday. Crowd was super-dead for this. Tess's new version of the Final Cut looks good. Gail pulling out an Awesome (Kong) bomb to counter a rana ruled. Then Tess killed Gail with whatever the
her finisher is called. Loved Tess ending Tara's attack by hitting her with it. This was a lot of fun. Loved Storm calling Roode out for attacking him, and then getting into another brawl. Thank God Mo just happened to be there. Not feeling Mo so far in TNA.
Jeff Hardy's favorite BFG moment was diving 33 feet onto Abyss beause it was BFG. I guess that would be what, one foot for every thousand buys? Sting's HOF video was pretty good, although you'd kinda think they'd ask for some WCW footage as part of their deal with WWE - especially since Christian won't be there. They did a great job recapping the BFG card, but didn't say what would be on the pre-show, and really haven't pushed that hard. Al Snow's face never changing in the back to back to back photos of his face amused me - it closing with Snow's brown jacket made it even better. Roode came out to face Hardy and beat him down. I loved Roode looking on disapprovingly when Hardy came out. Tenay talked about Storm-Roode being their first match in over a year...yeah um no. Loved Roode taking a giant belly bump for a shoulder block to the stomach from the apron. They're doing a site poll to determine which BFG match airs on the pre-show. Well, that's unique and could really help the show out for last-second buys if the right match is chosen. Roode using a rear naked choke was unexpected, but fits him learning new submissions. Hardy landed right on Roode's head and went down onto for the whisper in the wind, so it actually hit, but looked fairly safe with the landing.
The low blow from Roode was a nice way to end the match without hurting him. Aries officially turning heel to end the show was kind of weird timing was, but at least did SOMETHING to make me care about the title match. Aries bringing up Hardy's rap sheet was a surprise, and this worked really well at selling that match as a big deal and making Aries seem like a physical threat to Hardy since he's snapped. I liked that while Aries did turn here, he's at least a justifiable heel in the sense that the fans and company are supporting an ex-con more than him, and he feels slighted since he's worked his way from the bottom up without gaining a criminal record in the process. TNA really needed to hit a home run tonight after a month of iffy build, and they did. I can't wait for the PPV, and they did make me excited about the pre-show with the HOF clips and fan-picked match.
Screens -
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/npq5zgfvengxlsu9hg80x0uj3xf7omac
