Hardy - Not looking at Austin Aries as an opponent
Bobby Roode - Took out James Storm to become number one contender
Daniels and AJ Styles - Going one-on-one one final (read: at least 50) more times
TNA News of the Week
-Mickie James had missed the previous few months of action to get a benign mass removed.
TNA Impact in Review
Wes Brisco vs. Garett Bischoff - TNA Gut Check Challenge
Kurt Angle went to get Wes a shot at Gut Check. Garett Bischoff is basically what happens to someone when they win Gut Check. He, also, was never a member of Gut Check. Garett shows as far as most of these kids will go. Brisco has the family lineage someone like Garett wants to have. It makes the whole match a little surreal from the perspective of big wrestling fans. These two are a ying and yang to the dichotomy of wrestling today.
The two go back and forth throughout the match. Kurt Angle comes down to root on his protégé. Garett still has problems being in this role. Wes is decently polished and isn’t too bad at the whole “wrestling” thing. He does really look like one of those Aces and Eights guys though. Especially if his hair wasn’t tied back I bet…..hmmmmmmmm
Garett and Wes really can’t get an upper hand on each other. There is a lot of back and forth throughout the entire contest. Wes Brisco wins the match with a modified SOS roll-up.
Winner: Wes Brisco
Al Snow has all the Gut Check winners in the back. Tonight is Open Fight Night: Gut Check edition. They can call out anyone they want. I don’t remember half of these people.
Wes is ecstatic that he won his match. Kurt is guaranteeing a roster spot. He congratulates both of his students, Wes and Garett, on a great match.
Joey Ryan wants to get sleazy with everyone for a bit tonight. Taz and Tenay think Todd has a Michael Cole like love for his TNA Miz. Joey Ryan didn’t need to win Gut Check to be the biggest star to come out of it. Hulk Hogan can’t control Joey or Matt. Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan are going to become the tag team champions. It’s why Joey Ryan is going to call out Chavo.
Why wouldn’t he just call out the tag champions and force them to defend their titles? Whatever.
Chavo Guerrero vs. Joey Ryan
Joey Ryan is the most talented person they’ve had try out for Gut Check. I’m bringing this up for two big reasons: 1) it’s true 2) tonight TNA is using their Thanksgiving Impact to prove just how good their Gut Check idea is. It remains to be proven one way or the other, but being that the most used and talented performer they have from the contest lost, that says something pretty big.
Joey Ryan can wrestle. Chavo Guerrero can wrestle. The only hinderence in watching Chavo Guerrero wrestle is he has tried to become Eddie Guerrero. Literally. The guy has tried to be Eddie. He can’t. It’s nice to see every once in awhile, but the guy just emulates his uncle who was hand over fist better.
The match is still good, but it isn’t all that much. Matt Morgan makes his presence known with a huge Chokeslam. Morgan threatens to do it to anyone on the roster. Hernandez runs in for the save but it is far too late for his tag team partner.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero
Austin Aries loves open fight night. He even has a plan. He’ll be calling someone out tonight. They’re going to get a reality check, not a gut check. Everyone will stop and take notice tonight.
Sam Shaw is here. I think he won a Gut Check? Did he? Apparently he did. Wow, I seriously am surprised how little I remember these guys. He is honored and privileged to have won Gut Check. He wants to fight the first Gut Check winner to prove a point.
Sam Shaw vs. Alex Silva
These guys aren’t bad. I mean, they’re trained and have been in OVW for a bit. It’s random for them to just become bad guys and good guys out of nowhere. None of them have any character. Instead they just walk into the ring and wrestle. That isn’t exactly easy to do.
Alex Silva does a good job of being a giant dick. He makes it very aware that he is a Canadian jerk-face. Silva has the entire match in hand until he gets all too cocky. Isn’t that always how it goes? Shaw takes the contest with a Leg Drop from the top rope.
Winner: Sam Shaw
EY and ODB walk right into Hogan’s office. Every year TNA does the Turkey Suit challenge. Why? No one actually knows. Eric Young wants to keep the tradition alive. Hulk Hogan has no idea what’s going on. He is so lost on the idea that he doesn’t care.
Robbie E hates the turkey match. It ruined Robbie T’s career last year. Robbie E wants to fight against Eric Young so he can ruin Eric’s career. Jesse walks by to make fun of Eric Young too. Eric decides he can call both men out for the ultimate Turkey Bowl Match.
Highlight video look back at Aces and Eights destruction.
Devon and A&E are all thankful for their thanksgiving feast. DoC is a full patched member. There are strippers for desert. The Vice President makes the next choice.
Christian York’s highlight package is shown again.
Christian York feels like the luckiest guy alive. He is in TNA and starting his rise to the top. Tonight, he wants to call out someone he respects. It’s someone he absolutely admires. Christian York wants a match with the world heavyweight champion.
Christian York vs. Jeff Hardy
Here is the thing with Open Fight Night. Regardless of where you are on the card, you’d want to fight the world champion. Why? If he happen to win you’ll become, arguably, the next contender for the championship. If you absolutely hate someone then, maybe, you don’t call out the champ. Everyone else would be doing nothing but fighting Hardy. Christian York has just made Sam Shaw look like an idiot.
These two have a pretty good, and surprisingly long, contest. You’re not going to get shots early in a company like TNA, or late in a company like ECW, without some actual talent. Being kept by either is a separate situation altogether Christian York can wrestle, but really misses out on anything that makes him stand out. It really shows when he faces someone like Jeff Hardy, whom, stands out more than almost anyone in wrestling.
The match is competitive throughout. There are moments for Christian to shine where you see the potential that is there for his TNA run and the talent that allowed him to do things a decade ago. Unfortunately, it just isn’t enough to keep Jeff Hardy down. The world champion wins after the Swanton Bomb.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Christian York shows respect for the champ who just defeated him. Bobby Roode takes the time to run down and destroy both men. The IT Factor lets Jeff know exactly what is going to happen to Hardy in their next contest.
Taylor Hendrix highlight package is shown.
Brooke Hogan wants to let Tay-Tay know that God has brought her to TNA Impact for a reason. Use those nerves to kick some butt. This is Taylor’s calling.
Taz gets horny off Taylor Hendrix. She has a chance to be on tv a lot now. Taylor is happy to be back in TNA after a few months. Taylor wants to see if she can stand up to the gold standard. Tara needs to get to the ring.
Tara w/ Jesse vs. Taylor Hendrix
Taz reveals, and is disgusted, that TNA doesn’t have a catered Thanksgiving dinner. He also knows true love only comes from a body press.
Again, Sam Shaw looks like the biggest idiot in the world. At least, Taylor and Christian have shown that they’re using some real world logic to the whole scenario. The nice bonus is that Tara was her Gut Check opponent, so that can add into the “how have you improved”.
Turns out she hasn’t improved that much. Taylor Hendrix just isn’t a match for the Queen of the Knockouts division. That is until Jesse distracts his Boo from the match. Taylor then brings herself some offense that looks like she could get the win.
Too bad for her that Tara is just far too experienced. The rookie inevitably falls to the Knockouts champion by way of the Widow’s Peak.
Winner: Tara w/ Jesse
Eric Young w/ ODB vs. Jesse w/ Tara vs. Robbie E w/ Robbie T
This match is just like anything involving Eric Young or WWE’s Santino Marella. You’re either already a fan of the comedy the national shows put on or not. I’m not really too high on it. Every once in awhile they put something up that is entertaining, but most of the time I’m not the audience they’re aiming at.
Jesse is still good. I still hate myself for saying that. Everything about him should make me think he sucks. Everything about him should make me think he is a failure. Everything about him should make me want to watch him fail. I really enjoy watching him wrestle and be the d-bag. What is wrong with me?
This match is a two-on-one contest. The Jersey Bro and the guy who is basically a bro work well together. They work together up until the point they don’t. Robbie wants to win and so does Jesse. Thus, they must duke it out between each other.
Jesse gets Robbie taken care of. ODB and Tara start to brawl distracting the referee. Robbie E and T have some miscommunication and take each other out. Eric Young then rolls up Jesse to end the match.
Winner: Eric Young
Turkey: Jesse w/ Tara
Todd then tells us all about Furries. Welcome to Impact everyone.
DoC and the rest of Aces and Eights have hit the ring. Eric Young stands between them and ODB. Eric tries to fight them off for as long as he can, but he falls like the rest. EY takes a shot to the knee with a bat as they handcuff ODB at ringside. DoC brings out the hammer onto Eric Young’s ankle. They make sure the damage is done by hammering it multiple times.
The Rightful World Tag Team Champions of the World are in the ring to talk about some stuff. What? Everyone wants to see the goods? Daniels has no problem removing his shirt. Last week, Christopher Daniels challenged AJ Styles to one final match at Final Resolution.
Why? Obviously, AJ is going through some tough times. What kind of friend would Daniels be if he wasn’t right there with his friend at the end?
Kazarian wants to thank AJ for proving them right all along. Kaz even has a great idea. Why doesn’t he show his thanks by beating AJ Styles’ ass.
Kazarian vs. AJ Styles
This is the warm-up. AJ Styles and Kaz do this to get ready for the main event of Styles/Daniels. Kaz is a good wrestler and has actually gotten far much more noticeable over the past year. This storyline has probably helped him more than anyone. By the time the entire story is done it won’t matter too much. He’ll be back in his regular old spot. I’m a cynical asshole sometimes.
The biggest problem with this match is the story. I mean, you figure after the year AJ Styles has had thanks to this guy he’d try to beat the hell out of him. Styles still takes this match like a wrestling match. I don’t see why he wouldn’t just try and destroy the man who tried to destroy his existence.
Kaz gets his Gangnam Style on mid-way through the match. Earl Hebner begins to get under Kaz’s skin thanks to some of his officiating. It allows AJ Styles to gain the win after a Pele out of nowhere.
Winner: AJ Styles
Austin Aries assures us we’ll all want to pay attention to what happens next.
Austin Aries wants to do big things right now. For the last few months, A Double has stated he isn’t getting a fair shot. The playing field has never been level for Austin Aries. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived has the deck stacked against him. Looking back, there is one name that is holding Austin Aries back. Aries is being held down by one person.
Hogan. Hogan is the man that has tried to hold Austin Aries down for far too long. The fake tanned, bleach blonde, dumb Hogan. Brooke Hogan needs to come on down.
Brooke Hogan is just a little princess. She is daddy’s little girl. Austin Aries is tired of the name Hulk Hogan. Where ever Aries goes to and talks about being a wrestler he hears “Hogan”, “Hogan”, “Hogan”.
Brooke probably hates being a Hogan too. She probably can’t keep her own personal life personal. She has been dreaming about getting rid of that name since she was a girl. Mrs. Trump? Mrs. McMahon? Did she ever assume that it would be Brooke Bully Ray?
We then take a look at some videos over the past few weeks where Brooke and Bully Ray were found together.
If Brooke is that hungry for love, A Double would’ve given her all she could ever handle.
Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring. Bully Ray runs down a bit faster and chases Austin Aries off. Hulk then looks confused about Ray and Brooke as she runs off and Impact goes off the air.
Conclusions and Thoughts
Thanksgiving was actually a kindness to TNA’s new recruits. They got to be on television and do a show that minimized the amount of talent they needed on the set. It saved everyone some time and some energy. The Open Fight Night doesn’t allow for much organic storytelling. There are of story that feel forced throughout the night that then, somehow, always have to lead to a future PPV match. Other times, they make it work alright. This Impact was an Impact. There have been far worse. There have been far better.
Highlight of the Night - The action
Again, TNA steps up and delivers on the one thing it has done all year, given wrestling action. TNA let their new superstars take the stage and show that they can handle themselves inside the ring. For the most part, the new blood showed they don’t stack up all too badly with the establishment. Tonight was used to prove how valuable Gut Check could be.
Lowlight of the Night - Aries/Hogan/Ray
This storyline could turn out to be good/great/decent. I’ll pre-admit I’m not really sure. My biggest qualm arises that they already did this weird love affair storyline thing earlier this year. WWE then did the exact same type of storyline. TNA is now doing a similar storyline again just as WWE is ending theirs.
Why? I can see both sides of the outcome for this story happening, but I’m leaning towards it not being too great right now.
Five Questions for TNA
1) Can the champion be called out more than once on any Open Fight Night?
2) Isn’t the TV titled suppose to be defended almost weekly?
3) Aces and Eights has really helped out your contract negotiations, huh?
4) Is TNA really trying to work in to a teased Hulk Hogan/Austin Aries program?
5) Does Bully Ray become a bad guy again because he’s bullying Brooke’s pussy troll?
