TNA Impact: Looking At The "Cut It Out" Edition
Last week, I made a point of saying that building to Corpus Christi, Texas next week which shortchange the audience in Jonesboro and that you had to make every impact of special. Well, this week I feel like they accomplished that more was great action, storyline building and good episode structure. From the beginning with the opening segment as the Aces and Eights have three gifts, Mr. Anderson with a cut for AJ Styles (Everyone called it a cut in the episode and not a leather vest I guess everyone watched their Sons of Anarchy DVD set again). A mystery envelope that Devon has saying it was.for the President of the club and his lovely bride who will have a confrontation later tonight and the Vice President D' lo Brown has his termination letter from TNA Corporate. The Vice President says he wants some answers and he knows somebody from TNA management is back there (Well I hope so). This of course brings out Kurt Angle? Kurt says that he has something he wants to say to D' Lo this leads to an attack by Angle which then brings his reinforcements in the form of Eric Young, Joseph Park, Samoa Joe and Magnus hitting the ring and dispatching the troops for Aces and Eights and somehow setting up and a man tag for later on in the night announcers already know about but didn't tell anyone else. We would have a lot of Hogan this week in the form of both Brooke and Hulk as they deal with their separate problems Hogan with AJ Styles and Brooke with Bully Ray, Let's talk about the VP of the knockouts, Brooke Hogan first. Ms. Hogan makes the brilliant decision of making Joey Ryan the knockouts referee for at least one night. Now, before anybody gets pissed at me I'm going to say this. I like Joey Ryan as a character and I think he did a great job refereeing the Knockouts segment as he's done this sort of thing in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with Candace Larae. Just logically it didn't make much sense as the guy known for being sleazy in charge of a match? I get it It was a comedy segment And a funny one. But it just sticks out as really weird. Something tells me were going to get more of Joey's interaction with the knockouts judging by the ending with Gail seducing her way to her and Tara for the victory leading to the low blow from velvet and Taryn Terrel. We will see. Brooke also had a lot to do with Bully Ray as that was an overarching storyline as TNA World Heavyweight Champion. As the leader delivered in the mystery envelope a ticket next week's match in Corpus Christi in which the rather Amazonian Hogan ripped up leading to Bully to insult her a little bit more. I'm really thinking more and more that they're going to do a turn with Brooke in which she joins her husband. I know that sounds weird. I just have that feeling. The episode ends with Bully and Hardy getting into a brawl to close out the show . Well, told you about the letter and the envelope so what about the jacket or the cut? What about the offer for AJ Styles to be a prospect for the Aces and Eights? This led to a couple segments one of which was an interaction between AJ and Anderson in which he gets the leather holding onto it as he comes out to face Hogan who wants to know where his allegiance lies saying that AJ has never wavered for his devotion to TNA(Cough Even though you were member of SEX, the Angle alliance, Immortal and Fortune who wanted to take over the company in the past) Hogan needs him to make a decision. This brings out James Storm who wants answers of his own considering the beat down got last week as Styles just calmly walks away not giving an answer one way or another. This leads Hogan to make a decree that AJ must make a decision next week in Corpus Christi. Also Hogan makes a really statement on sting saying he's not in the arena tonight because he doesn't know where his head is that? Really? The last time I checked, Sting wanted to fight for you against Bully? The Hogan character as GM comes off really crazy with his logic from time to time. But maybe that's by design, who knows? In other news on this weeks episode with some great matches from the X division, which saw the return of Petey Williams and his Canadian Destroyer to impact wrestling after a four-year absence and looked absolutely phenomenal putting himself back in title contention against champion Kenny and Zema Ion next time around. Plus, Adam Pearce and the masked magno had a great match for Gut Check I must say I thought you video packages of both men were good Although I don't understand why if the masked man speak English why he he just didn't do that. I understand the history and trying to reach a Latin audience It just seemed like really weird choice. Speaking of weird choices We had a contract signing which actually did not end in violence for once as Aries and Bobby Roode as well as Chavo and Hernandes signed the contract for next week's tag team title encounter in the Corpus Christi with the stipulations that it will be a two or three falls match (which I love) and the fact that if Aries and Roode retain then Chavo and Hernandes can no longer team in Impact Wrestling. Now, given the reaction of Hernandes in that segment and the bravado of the Mexican warrior Chavo Guerrero one would have to assume a turn is coming once they lose but who is it? Because you don't do a stipulation like that unless it is going to happen. The main event match with the eight man tag was a brawl but really a showcase Joseph Parks progression as a character as the legal eagle alter ego of Abyss really took it to The Aces and Eights. Even though the club finally took him down with a low blow getting the victory it looks like the Olympic gold medalist may have a new protégé. Like I said , a really good episode of Impact Wrestling this week, it will be interesting to see what they do going forward from Corpus Christi.