TNA iMPACT Wrestling Reaction and Report for 2/9/2012

Tonight, it’s the go-home show for Against All Odds.  We’re setting up a four-way match for the World Heavyweight Championship, and a Knockouts Championship match between Gail Kim and Tara.  It’s also the second show coming to us from Jolly Olde England!  We also have Daniels instigating a match between AJ Styles and Kazarian.

Show Open:

They open with a video comparing the Bischoff story to Star Wars.  They show clips of Sting setting up the four-way match for Against All Odds coming up on Sunday.  Tenay and Taz join us on commentary, and the English fans at Wembley Arena are still red hot.  Bully Ray makes his way to the ring, then demands the music be cut.  He paces then cuts his promo.

He invites his “good personal friend” Bobby Roode to the ring, and he obliges.  Ray stepped out of the ring for Roode to make his entrance, then Ray screams for the music to be cut.  Ray starts a verbal assault and tells Roode he had his back, but when he needed Bobby, Roode was nowhere to be found.  Roode tries to calm him down and they get in the ring.  Ray tells Roode the only reason he’s champion is because of Ray’s protection.

The two bicker back and forth, and the London fans even get the Austin “What” going.  Roode says that Ray’s problem is not with Roode, but is with Sting, a person Roode also has a problem with.  Sting’s music hits and the Icon comes to the ring, cricket bat in hand.  Ray started to say something but Sting cut him off.  Sting told them he would be the special enforcer at Against All Odds on Sunday.  He then books a main event tag match that’s Bobby Roode and Bully Ray vs. James Storm and Sting.  He exits.

Backstage:

We get a shot of Hulk Hogan and Garett Bischoff.

Good idea, but rushed execution.  If they give Roode and Ray another minute or two, they could have built that moment a bit better.  Not to mention Sting hit the ring, said his piece and got out.  Felt like it sucked out a lot of heat from the moment.

After the Break:

The announcers hype up what we just saw, and send it into a video package that recaps and highlights the feud between AJ Styles, Daniels, and the unwilling Kazarian.

Match #1 – AJ Styles vs. Daniels (w/Kazarian)

Daniels wastes no time and attacks AJ before the bell to kick the match off.  Styles fights back with a drop kick that sends Daniels to the floor. AJ follows right up behind that with a suicide dive.  Action moves back into the ring, and AJ tries the Styles Clash.  Daniels kicks AJ and pulls something from his boot.  The official catches him though and Daniels managed to toss it out to Kazarian, who looked confused.

Daniels hits a clothesline on the apron, then locks on a rest hold.  Daniels follows that with a step-up enzugiri, then teases Angel’s Wings but Styles escapes and returns his own enzugiri.  Daniels yelled at Kaz for the knucks, but Kaz was reluctant.  Styles starts up another offensive flurry, ending with the springboard forearm.  Daniels grabbed on to the ropes as Styles puts the boots to him.  The official forces the break.

While the official pulls AJ away, Daniels hollers at Kaz for the knucks again.  Kaz reluctantly hands them over this time.  Styles ducks the punch and tries to pull off a powerbomb, but Daniels bats the official with his free hand.  Daniels uses the loaded hand to punch AJ and pick up the win.

That was a fun match.  A good use of the weapon in this case, and Daniels was able to hide them well enough that the official didn’t look like an idiot in the finish.  Did they telegraph what happens on Sunday – in AJ going over and Kaz’s secret being told?

Backstage:

Eric Bischoff is talking to Gunner.  The cam is in spy-cam mode as Bischoff tells Gunner he wants Gunner to be along side him since Hogan is with Garrett.  Eric told Gunner to take Hogan and Garrett out, one kneecap at a time.

In Ring Segment:

Magnus and Samoa Joe come to the ring in street clothes.  The crowd pops for them.  Magnus talks about the tour of the UK and says he has one small correction – they’re in England.  The crowd popped huge for that.  He says can say now he’s back home and he brought his tag partner along with him.

Magnus talks about how they were paired up randomly.  No one thought it would work out, but Magnus and Joe have proven them wrong.  Magnus said Crimson and Morgan were only paired up because they were afraid to face off against each other.  Magnus told the fans that he and Joe would take home the tag team championship.

Matt Morgan and Crimson come to the ring.  Morgan told them one thing – their talking is done.  The champs launch into throwing hands, attacking Joe and sending him to the floor and dropping Magnus with a double shoulder tackle.  Joe pulls Magnus from the ring and flips off the champs.  The two teams stare at each other.

Wow! Magnus just cut a good promo. It was very babyface coming from a heel, but it’s a homecoming situation for Magnus.  A good segment, but the match just doesn’t excite me all that much.

Match #2 – Alex Shelley vs. Douglas Williams vs. Austin Aries (c)

Aries ducked out first, and Shelley tries to hit Sliced Bread early on Williams.  Williams throws Shelley off and kicks him in the leg.  Shelley rolls out to the floor and Williams tries a dive, but Aries sweeps him at the legs.  Aries tries a senton but Williams gets his knees up.  Shelley follows right behind with a single leg drop kick and Aries ends up outside again.

As action continues the three men pull of some nice triple moves.  Williams hits a German suplex with a bridge on Shelley, and in the confusion Aries kicks Williams in the nuts.  Aries sets up the BrainBuster, but Shelley counters out with  a knee and finishes Aries off with Sliced Bread for the win.

Another fun match, but kind of short.  I felt like Williams was just there to make an appearance in his home country.  I guess you can look at it as protecting the pay per view match between Aries and Shelley, which I don’t mind too much.  Just weird to have a guy who is out with injury suddenly be in a triple-threat match with the champ and #1 Contender.

Backstage:

Hogan is talking to Garett Bischoff.  Sting walks up to them and Hogan hugs Sting.  He tells Sting he appreciates the help in “being him” again.  Garrett exits, and Hogan puts Sting over.  He says there’s one problem: Sting doesn’t realize how big the target is on his back.  Hogan pledges to be there any way he can for Sting.  Hogan starts talking about something going down and chases out the camera and shuts the door.

They show a video package, talking to fans in the crowd about their enjoyment of wrestling in the UK.  They hype up Tara vs. Gail Kim coming up later.

In Ring Segment:

Before we go to the ring, Hogan cuts a video package saying he had TNA “this close” to being the top company.    Hogan and Garett make their entrance, and the fans go crazy.  Hogan cuts his standard face promo, talking about how the fans are the best fans in the world.  He takes the time to put over Garett Bischoff.

Eric Bischoff has just one civilized question:  “Who the hell do you think you are to interfere in family business?”  Hogan says it’s not about Bischoff anymore, but about Garett’s future.  Eric says if he has his way, Garett won’t have a future and Hogan should just ride off into the sunset and dream of days gone by.

Hulk says he still has the Hulkamania stroke and he talked to Sting.  He’s got the permission to book a match between Gunner and Garett Bischoff for Against All Odds.  Gunner shoves Garett and a shoving match starts.  Hogan tries to break it up, but Eric hits him with a low blow.  Eric and Gunner team up on Garett, but Hogan recovers.  He lands a right hand on Eric, then tosses Gunner over the ropes.  Garett and Hogan corner Eric, and Garett hits his dad.  Gunner helps Eric from the ring as Hogan pumps up the crowd and points at them.

I think I’ve figured out why I truly don’t care about this angle now.  It’s about Eric and Hulk.  Garett isn’t ready for this kind of a push (or should I say shove), and Gunner – who actually does have a level of talent and ability – isn’t really ready for the push either.  Gunner and Garett have no heat on their own – it’s all dependent on Hulk and Eric.  Scrap this, and let’s start over.

Star Wars Segment:

For whatever reason, they run a teaser for the new Star Wars movie coming out.

Just not sure why they did this…every so often we get Star Wars references and such too through the night.

Backstage:

Bobby Roode and Bully Ray are in the locker room, and they’re arguing.  They boil it down to talking about tonight’s match and how Ray is a great tag team wrestler with Roode as a good tag team wrestler and they need to work together.  They eventually hug things out.  Ray said “three more days” in reference to the match coming up on Sunday.

Hogan and Garett are talking elsewhere, and Hogan tells Garett he’s going to be in his corner on Sunday night since Eric Bischoff will be in Gunner’s corner on Sunday.

Match #3 – Velvet Sky vs. Mickie James

Mickie controlled the early going for the most part.

Late in the match, Mickie sets up for the Jumping DDT, but Velvet counters.  Velvet tries for the Butterfly DDT, but Mickie counters that into an attempted back drop.  Velvet tries to roll her up, but no go.  Mickie tries to pick her up again, but Velvet rolls her up with an inside cradle to grab the win.

Being totally honest and trying to not sound chauvinistic here for our female readers:  Velvet Sky is dead sexy.  She can’t wrestle her way out of a wet paper bag.  She didn’t look very good in this match at all.

Going to break, they cut to more comments from fans in the stands about their iMPACT Wrestling experiences.

Video Package:

They give us a video piece, highlighting the four men that will compete on Sunday at Against All Odds for the World Heavyweight Championship.

They go backstage with Storm and Sting getting ready to head to the ring for their main event match.  Sting is back to being the Joker and he said in his Joker voice that it’s show time.

A really well produced video piece for the championship package.  Sting and Storm was kind of rough, though.  The title match stuff just feels too late to really give it a proper build, though.

Match #4 – Bully Ray and Bobby Roode (c) vs. Sting and James Storm

All four men get their own music entrances, and JB handles the formal in-ring introductions.

Sting and Roode start off.  Roode wants to tag out right away, but Ray walks away to the opposite corner. Ray yells at him that he has his back, so Roode starts.  Sting no-sold some chops from Roode then fired up his own sequence of offense.  Sting locks on the Scorpion Leg Lock on Roode, but Ray runs in to break it up.  Sting throws Ray out, and Storm throws Roode out.  They go to break.

Out of the break, Sting and Ray are in the ring, but Ray demands Storm.  Sting gives him what he wants.  Storm hit a couple arm drags and used a thumb to the eye, then tags Sting back in.  Sting raked the eyes, then tags back to Storm.  Ray is able to reverse  a whip, which puts Storm in the corner back first where Roode kicks him, then tags in.

The heel team works over Storm in the corner, with Ray yanking Storm’s shirt off, then the protective tape on his ribs.  They keep up an assault on Storms ribs by using body slams and waist locks.  Ray tries to bring his chain into play, but Storm kicks him and follows up with a side leg sweep.  Storm gets the hot tag to Sting.

Sting is on fire – hitting both Roode and Ray with Stinger Splashes in the opposite corners.

Side note – you can see where Sting injures his foot…he starts limping after he misses Roode in the corner the second time.

He stacks them up in the same corner and hits another Stinger Splash on them.  Ray fell first, then Storm kicks Roode in the back of the head, causing Roode to go face first into Ray’s nuts.  Taz calls that “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

Late in the match, Sting blocks a fisherman’s suplex attempt and turns it around into a Scorpion Death Drop.  He’s not finished as he locks Roode in the Scorpion Leg Lock again.  Ray grabs the title belt and gets in the ring.  Referee Brian Hebner looks up at him as Roode is locked in.

Ray just smiles at Roode and says “see you in three days, champ!”  Ray drops the belt and ducks out, and Roode immediately taps out.  As Sting and Storm celebrate in the ring, Roode grabs his belt and clutches it and Ray stares at him from the entry aisle.  The announcers sign off the show by hyping the title match one more time.

I love Sting – but I didn’t care for having the TNA World Heavyweight Champion tap out to a guy who really is a “feature attraction” these days.  It was an “okay” main event but it really belonged on the middle of the card somewhere.

This wasn’t a good go-home show for Against All Odds.  It seemed like an afterthought.  They tried to salvage the hype for the title match at least, but there wasn’t a lot of other hype overall to really make one excited to go out and get the pay per view event.  The program was fine as a show somewhere between pay per views though…just not a good go-home show.

Be sure to join us Sunday night at 8PM EST as we bring you live quick results and opinion on the Against All Odds pay per view, then again on Thursday as we bring all the fallout to you on our TNA iMPACT Wrestling Reaction and Report here on Ring-Rap.com.