BRM Reviews the 7/26/2012 Impact

[Big Red Machine]

OPENING SEGMENT- not bad. When Roode came out and claimed to know who was behind Aces & Eights, I immediately groaned and said “great. It’s time for the wild accusations. He will come out, blame James Storm, and Taz and Tenay and will act shocked and pretend that such a scenario is plausible for the remainder of the show.” Then, when Roode said that the person behind Aces & Eights was the person facing Kurt to night, I got excited, because something like Aces & Eights is very much Bully Ray’s style. Then he said it was James Storm, immediately dashing my hopes.

I think Tenay sold Sting’s non-intervention in the Roode-Storm brawl incorrectly. Tenay said that Sting was “just standing back and watching. He’s letting these two guys beat the hell out of each other” This makes it seem like Sting is some sort of evil mastermind, sitting back and enjoying watching these two brawl. I think that what Sting was trying to do here was to just let these two get it out of their systems.

CHAVO HYPE- good. They are making him seem like a huge deal.

BOBBY ROODE LEAVES- apparently Bobby is allowed to just leave work early.

MICKIE JAMES & TARA vs. MADISON RAYNE & GAIL KIM-
Apparently, next week, these four women will have a #1 contendership match. Why not have the #1 contendership match this week, so maybe we can hype the PPV? Of course, the reason that they did this was to suggest that Earl Hebner might be biased towards Madison is much more important than the Knockouts’ Title.

STING PUTS ARIES IN CHARGE OF THE X-DIVISION- Bad, for exactly the reasons that Aries pointed out: Like Sting, Aries also has Aces & Eights on his mind. This either makes Sting look like a bit of a jerk for not considering the feelings of others, or makes him look like he can’t accomplish something as simple as multi-tasking, which would make him unfit to be GM.

SAM SHAW VIDEO PACKAGE- OMFG more generic bullsh*t.

SAM SHAW vs. DOUG WILLIAMS- 2.25/10
The kid did one cool backflip. If they give him a contract, I will throw something.

AUSTIN ARIES & THE X-DIVISION GUYS- Once again who gets the title shot tonight is something that should have been decided in the past week. It should not have been left until the a third of the way through the show! Total Non-stop Action Wrestling LLC does kayfabe exist while the show is not on the air!
Also, where the hell was Kid Kash for this segment? Shouldn’t he be here instead of Dakota Darsow? I don’t think that Darsow has ever won a match in TNA, so why is he being considered for a title shot?

CHAVO GUERRERO PROMO- GREAT!... then Kid Kash and Gunner came out and this became a crappy segment. Way to sacrifice Gunner (you know, the guy you have called “the future of TNA”) to a random beating by Chavo. Sorry Chavo, I don’t think anyone is saying that you are a legend. You come from a legendary family, but you are not even close to being a legend. You are Kendall Windham.
In fact, now that I think about it, aside from Kurt and Tara, none of the wrestlers has said anything about Chavo. They have all been saying things about Eddie or the Guerrero family. You aren’t Chavo Guerrero. You are Chavo the Guerrero, and that is all you have ever been. You have never had any personality of your own. It is all been somehow connected to Eddie. This is the same reason why Raquel Diaz will go much farther in the WWE than Ted Dibiase Jr. ever will: Because she has a personality not connected with her father’s legacy. It is something that is mentioned in the background about her, whereas Ted or Chavo are solely reliant on their family’s gimmick to get over.

GUT CHECK JUDGES BACKSTAGE- crap, as usual. They don’t actually say anything specific about the guy in question, and they mostly complain about Joey Ryan. Well maybe Joey Ryan wouldn’t cause such a big problem if you actually hired some ringside security.

BOUND FOR GLORY SERIES MATCH: AJ Styles vs. James Storm- 6.25/10
Was going great until Aces & Eights arrived.

THE CAMERA GUY TRIES TO INTERVIEW JAMES STORM- The problem with this is that TNA has done enough dumb sh*t in the past to make me think that they might actually try to turn James Storm heel.

DOES SAM SHAW GET A CONTRACT- Al Snow starts this off by saying that because of Joey Ryan, he didn’t get to see the match. Well Al, maybe you should have gone and watched it on tape in the half hour it has been since that match. It’s not like it would have taken you a while. The match was only three minutes long. Prichard says that Sam Shaw’s three minute loss was “a hell of a job,” and that based on that, he deserves a contract. So this guy was more impressive to you than Joey Ryan? COME ON! Taz also votes yes. This generic loser gets a contract? COME ON!

CHOOSING A CONTENDER, PART 2: amusing jokes, and good promos by King and Dutt.

TNA X-DIVISION TITLE MATCH: Zema Ion(c) vs. Kenny King- 4/10
A good match for the time it was given, until Bobby Roode returns to the arena to randomly attack Kenny King. Um… okay…

BULLY RAY PROMO- good

BOUND FOR GLORY SERIES MATCH: Kurt Angle vs. Bully Ray- 6.5/10

ACES & EIGHTS ATTACK AND ARE FOUGHT OFF- not a bad segment, but I think it could have been done better (don't worry, I'll get into that below).

Overall, this episode of Impact wasn't horrible, but it certainly wasn't good, either. One thing that I think could have made it better was if they booked the James Storm angle a bit differently. As I said above, turning Storm heel would be a bad idea, and I don't think people actually expect him to be behind Aces & Eights, but I am a firm believer that if you are going to do an angle, do it as well as you possibly can (the AJ-Dragon-Punk love triangle, dumb as it was, was at least well executed). I think that TNA did not do a particularly good job with the whole "is James Storm behind Aces & Eights" question here. If I were forced to do that angle, I would have booked it like this:
1. Do the same thing they did in the opening segment.
2. Have the Angle vs. Bully Ray match go on where TNA had put the AJ vs. Storm match, and have Aces & Eights interfere in that match, attacking both guys, and causing a double DQ.
3. Have AJ vs. Storm go on as the main event, with AJ going over cleanly (with a finisher, not a roll-up).
If Aces & Eights are on Storm's side, then only attacking his opponent during a match will get Storm DQed, causing him to lose points. A double DQ will not cause anyone to lose points, but no one will gain points, either. Causing the double DQ during Angle vs. Bully Ray will prevent both of them from gaining any points, and not interfering in Storm vs. AJ will allow Storm the chance to gain points. I would then have Aces & Eights attack after the match, but only attacking AJ, leaving the downed Storm alone. This will do three things: 1) incriminate Storm 2) let us have a clean finish in the main event and 3) lets the mystery continue into next week, with the last thing we see on the show being the most damning evidence against Storm (this will, assumedly, create buzz among fans so that people have something to talk about heading into next week's show that is more than usual "will Aces & Eights attack again?" that we have gotten going into the past three weeks of Impact).

I would take the closing segment of this week's show and do that at the end of next week's show. I would then have Aces & Eights use social media to say that they are going to screw up the PPV, and have all of the guys have jumped (Sting, Angle, Aries, AJ, and even Bully and Roode) pledge to stop them. The PPV goes off mostly without incident (I would talk up how TNA has beefed up ringside security, and maybe have one guy try to jump the guardrail mid-match, but get taken out by a wrestler), and at the end of the show, I would have Sting come out with AJ, Angle and Bully (Roode and Aries would still be in the ring) and call out Aces & Eight. Aces & Eights how up and use the numbers game to get the better of the TNA guys, but James Storm comes out with a steel chair to make the save, actually hitting the Aces & Eights to completely quash any rumors about his allegiance (or, if you want, have him get beaten down to, and let Aces & Eights go over to end the PPV).
IMO, this scenario is better than what TNA did here for a few reasons. What TNA did was basically a one-night mystery story. The thing is, though, that this is a big angle for TNA, and so they should drag out the suspense a bit. Wrestling is episodic. TNA should be taking advantage of that. My way also builds an angle up on TV and pays it off on the PPV. What TNA has done here is build an angle up on TV and solve it on TV the same night. Doing this my way would help TNA draw this angle out a bit without making it seem stale and build up to what is, at the moment, looking like an extremely anemic PPV.

[cero2k]

OPENING SEGMENT- not bad. When Roode came out and claimed to know who was behind Aces & Eights, I immediately groaned and said “great. It’s time for the wild accusations. He will come out, blame James Storm, and Taz and Tenay and will act shocked and pretend that such a scenario is plausible for the remainder of the show.” Then, when Roode said that the person behind Aces & Eights was the person facing Kurt to night, I got excited, because something like Aces & Eights is very much Bully Ray’s style. Then head said it was James Storm, immediately dashing my hopes.

I liked this segment, especially when Roode came out, it made it seem like a TNA vs Outsiders thing. Plus Roode was awesome, just being a heel getting dirt on Storm even if it doesn't make sense. Best thing is that Angle even bought it.

BOBBY ROODE LEAVES- apparently Bobby is allowed to just leave work early.

in a lot of wrestling promotions they pay you if you're used, if Roode wasn't booked for tonight, why would he not be allowed to leave?

AUSTIN ARIES & THE X-DIVISION GUYS- Once again who gets the title shot tonight is something that should have been decided in the past week. It should not have been left until the a third of the way through the show! Total Non-stop Action Wrestling LLC does kayfabe exist while the show is not on the air!
Also, where the hell was Kid Kash for this segment? Shouldn’t he be here instead of Dakota Darsow? I don’t think that Darsow has ever won a match in TNA, so why is he being considered for a title shot?

For what it's worth, Aries had just been appointed to take care of this, so he had no time to prepare this beforehand. And Sting was appointed on Wednesday i think, that Dixie announced it, so he also didn't have enough time.

CHAVO GUERRERO PROMO- GREAT!... then Kid Kash and Gunner came out and this became a crappy segment. Way to sacrifice Gunner (you know, the guy you have called “the future of TNA”) to a random beating by Chavo. Sorry Chavo, I don’t think anyone is saying that you are a legend. You come from a legendary family, but you are not even close to being a legend. You are Kendall Windham.
In fact, now that I think about it, aside from Kurt and Tara, none of the wrestlers has said anything about Chavo. They have all been saying things about Eddie or the Guerrero family. You aren’t Chavo Guerrero. You are Chavo the Guerrero, and that is all you have ever been. You have never had any personality of your own. It is all been somehow connected to Eddie. This is the same reason why Raquel Diaz will go much farther in the WWE than Ted Dibiase Jr. ever will: Because she has a personality not connected with her father’s legacy. It is something that is mentioned in the background about her, whereas Ted or Chavo are solely reliant on their family’s gimmick to get over.

I liked how Chavo came out here, I really can't remember him talking soo good in a long time, and not to start with the pushing ex-WWE guys, but i would really like to see Chavo capture the World Title here. My only problem was that Kid Kash was making no sense at all, i wasn't sure what he was going about with his promo, it was terribly delivered. On a side note, Gunner + Kash as a tag team, i can definitely see that.

On the other thing you're saying, I personally (probably because i'm a big fan) do see Chavo Guerrero as his own name, I've followed Chavo since WCW, and ever since i've seen him as Chavito Guerrero, and more recently as THE Chavo Guerrero.I do agree that in WWE, they made Chavo seen just like an extension of Eddie's arm, but everywhere else he is seen as a Guerrero by himself. If i could make an argument similar to yours it would be on Hector and Mando, they're far less relevant than Chavo. About Raquel, i just think that it works with some people and it doesn't with others. Orton and Cody worked, Dibiase, Tamina, or Sim haven't really worked. Joe Hennig could have worked, but he went with the McGuillicutty name, yet Husky/Bray and Dallas work better with their new names.

GUT CHECK JUDGES BACKSTAGE- crap, as usual. They don’t actually say anything specific about the guy in question, and they mostly complain about Joey Ryan. Well maybe Joey Ryan wouldn’t cause such a big problem if you actually hired some ringside security.

my problem here is not the nonsense, but Taz should be the one getting attacked and pissed, not Al Snow. and then Taz is all funny and shit.

DOES SAM SHAW GET A CONTRACT- Al Snow starts this off by saying that because of Joey Ryan, he didn’t get to see the match. Well Al, maybe you should have gone and watched it on tape in the half hour it has been since that match. It’s not like it would have taken you a while. The match was only three minutes long. Prichard says that Sam Shaw’s three minute loss was “a hell of a job,” and that based on that, he deserves a contract. So this guy was more impressive to you than Joey Ryan? COME ON! Taz also votes yes. This generic loser gets a contract? COME ON!

I'm ok with him getting the contract as long as it fuels the Ryan vs Gut Check feud.

TNA X-DIVISION TITLE MATCH: Zema Ion(c) vs. Kenny King- 4/10
A good match for the time it was given, until Bobby Roode returns to the arena to randomly attack Kenny King. Um… okay…

I took it as that they're playing that Aries and King are friends and so Roode trying to get into Aries' head, attacked his friend. only thing that made sense to me. at least we're getting a pretty sweet match for next week.

On your As & 8s booking, i do agree with you. but i don't think they solved the mystery just yet, we still don't know if Storm is related to them or not, they did silently walk out when he came out.

BTW, anyone noticed how when Aries, Angle and Sting came out at the end, Aries and Angle ran and Sting just stopped in the ramp and decided to walk instead?? i was like, wtf sting!! run you lazy ass!!!

[Serujuunin]

The thing I don't get is, when Storm came in to beat on Aces & Eights, they all just booked. Seriously, James is a tough guy, but there's like, six of you, and one of him. They beat up all the other guys to the point that they were hardly fighting back, I'm sure they could have all focused on James and beat him down without much trouble.

[cero2k]

The thing I don't get is, when Storm came in to beat on Aces & Eights, they all just booked. Seriously, James is a tough guy, but there's like, six of you, and one of him. They beat up all the other guys to the point that they were hardly fighting back, I'm sure they could have all focused on James and beat him down without much trouble.

that's the hint to keep the mystery going

[Big Red Machine]

BOBBY ROODE LEAVES- apparently Bobby is allowed to just leave work early.

in a lot of wrestling promotions they pay you if you're used, if Roode wasn't booked for tonight, why would he not be allowed to leave?

I was under the impression that, from a kayfabe POV, everyone is there every week.
And I don't believe that WWE and TNA style contracts are like that. They are guaranteed contracts. You make your money even if you aren't there (and I believe, get a bonus for appearing).

AUSTIN ARIES & THE X-DIVISION GUYS- Once again who gets the title shot tonight is something that should have been decided in the past week. It should not have been left until the a third of the way through the show! Total Non-stop Action Wrestling LLC does kayfabe exist while the show is not on the air!
Also, where the hell was Kid Kash for this segment? Shouldn’t he be here instead of Dakota Darsow? I don’t think that Darsow has ever won a match in TNA, so why is he being considered for a title shot?

For what it's worth, Aries had just been appointed to take care of this, so he had no time to prepare this beforehand. And Sting was appointed on Wednesday i think, that Dixie announced it, so he also didn't have enough time.

So it's Dixie's fault. Still, someone high up in TNA management is dumb.

CHAVO GUERRERO PROMO- GREAT!... then Kid Kash and Gunner came out and this became a crappy segment. Way to sacrifice Gunner (you know, the guy you have called “the future of TNA”) to a random beating by Chavo. Sorry Chavo, I don’t think anyone is saying that you are a legend. You come from a legendary family, but you are not even close to being a legend. You are Kendall Windham.
In fact, now that I think about it, aside from Kurt and Tara, none of the wrestlers has said anything about Chavo. They have all been saying things about Eddie or the Guerrero family. You aren’t Chavo Guerrero. You are Chavo the Guerrero, and that is all you have ever been. You have never had any personality of your own. It is all been somehow connected to Eddie. This is the same reason why Raquel Diaz will go much farther in the WWE than Ted Dibiase Jr. ever will: Because she has a personality not connected with her father’s legacy. It is something that is mentioned in the background about her, whereas Ted or Chavo are solely reliant on their family’s gimmick to get over.

I liked how Chavo came out here, I really can't remember him talking soo good in a long time, and not to start with the pushing ex-WWE guys, but i would really like to see Chavo capture the World Title here. My only problem was that Kid Kash was making no sense at all, i wasn't sure what he was going about with his promo, it was terribly delivered. On a side note, Gunner + Kash as a tag team, i can definitely see that.

On the other thing you're saying, I personally (probably because i'm a big fan) do see Chavo Guerrero as his own name, I've followed Chavo since WCW, and ever since i've seen him as Chavito Guerrero, and more recently as THE Chavo Guerrero.I do agree that in WWE, they made Chavo seen just like an extension of Eddie's arm, but everywhere else he is seen as a Guerrero by himself. If i could make an argument similar to yours it would be on Hector and Mando, they're far less relevant than Chavo. About Raquel, i just think that it works with some people and it doesn't with others. Orton and Cody worked, Dibiase, Tamina, or Sim haven't really worked. Joe Hennig could have worked, but he went with the McGuillicutty name, yet Husky/Bray and Dallas work better with their new names.

I agree with most of what you are saying. About Chavo. With the second generation stars in general, though, look at the ones who have worked and when they began to become stars:
Orton- Legend Killer gimmick
Cody- "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and then the psychotic heel with the broken face.
Dustin Rhodes- Goldust
Husky was working for me as Husky, and is working for a lot of people as Bray Wyatt.

The things these gimmicks have in common is that they are different from their parents gimmick, and almost entirely separate from it. Guys like Chavo or Ted Dibiase Jr or Sim Snuka have just been billed as "Legend X's son," rather than being their own person.

TNA X-DIVISION TITLE MATCH: Zema Ion(c) vs. Kenny King- 4/10
A good match for the time it was given, until Bobby Roode returns to the arena to randomly attack Kenny King. Um… okay…

I took it as that they're playing that Aries and King are friends and so Roode trying to get into Aries' head, attacked his friend. only thing that made sense to me. at least we're getting a pretty sweet match for next week.

I thought that was where they were going with it, but they didn't hit on that at all. Aries and King never acknowledged it backstage, and Tenay said that Roode took out Aries "hand-picked competitor" Kenny King, rather than his "friend" Kenny King. If they were going to do that, a much better way to do it would have been to have Aries give Kenny a pep talk saying "We've worked together before, we're friends, and I know how good you are. I know that you can do this." To anyone who missed or forgot about the three seconds of them backstage that one week, the attack was entirely random

[Big Red Machine]

The thing I don't get is, when Storm came in to beat on Aces & Eights, they all just booked. Seriously, James is a tough guy, but there's like, six of you, and one of him. They beat up all the other guys to the point that they were hardly fighting back, I'm sure they could have all focused on James and beat him down without much trouble.

that's the hint to keep the mystery going

I really don't like it this way because that makes it seem more like some sinister plot, where we are supposed to think that they ran away but maybe it is just part of the ruse. It is just to TV drama-ish (which is what this is, I know, but it just feels goofy).

[Serujuunin]

The thing I don't get is, when Storm came in to beat on Aces & Eights, they all just booked. Seriously, James is a tough guy, but there's like, six of you, and one of him. They beat up all the other guys to the point that they were hardly fighting back, I'm sure they could have all focused on James and beat him down without much trouble.

that's the hint to keep the mystery going

I really don't like it this way because that makes it seem more like some sinister plot, where we are supposed to think that they ran away but maybe it is just part of the ruse. It is just to TV drama-ish (which is what this is, I know, but it just feels goofy).

If it is Storm, it's too obvious this way. If Storm really was behind it, do they expect us to believe that he's not smart enough to orchestrate an attack on himself to make himself look like a victim? I just don't like where this Aces & Eights thing is going.

[badnewzxl]

I thought Chavo's promo was pointless and without impact (for lack of a better term). He kept playing to the crowd and they just weren't responding. They hyped him WAAY too much; Chavo is a good addition, but not a guy you should have a big to-do about.

I do like that they had Hernendez involved; and I LOVE the potential of a Gunner & Kash tag team. I just thought his promo was pointless; I literally laughed at most of what he said. I esp hated how he'd say an painfully simply phrase in Spanish, then translate it to English as if it was needed. I didn't understand at all what the point of his promo was but to say "I'm here;" which he could have accomplished better without wasting five minutes trying (and failing) to work the crowd.

[Big Red Machine]

Everyone keeps talking about the "potential" that Kid Kash & Gunner have as a tag team, and I just don't see it at all. They showed me nothing. TNA probably just put them together because they both have a lot of tattoos.

[cero2k]

I thought that was where they were going with it, but they didn't hit on that at all. Aries and King never acknowledged it backstage, and Tenay said that Roode took out Aries "hand-picked competitor" Kenny King, rather than his "friend" Kenny King. If they were going to do that, a much better way to do it would have been to have Aries give Kenny a pep talk saying "We've worked together before, we're friends, and I know how good you are. I know that you can do this." To anyone who missed or forgot about the three seconds of them backstage that one week, the attack was entirely random

they acknowledged it when Kenny King had his Tourny match for Destination X, they showed them both backstage, Aries welcoming Kenny.

[cero2k]

TNA probably just put them together because they both have a lot of tattoos.

at this point, that's all they have going for themselves.

[badnewzxl]

TNA probably just put them together because they both have a lot of tattoos.

at this point, that's all they have going for themselves.

In addition to having a compatible look, they both have the same intense presence, both are southern, and I just think it's a good idea to pair Gunner (a muscley green guy who could use some help as far as his in ring skills goes) with Kid Kash (a great veteran worker who can really shine with some muscle behind him). I think it could really, really work out for both guys AND TNA (esp sense there doesn't appear to be any other Tag Teams still around besides the champs. Chavo & Hernendez and Gunner & Kash (I even like the name!) could be excellent new teams for the rebuilding TNA. More than anything, I'm happy to see the two of them be used....

[cero2k]

TNA probably just put them together because they both have a lot of tattoos.

at this point, that's all they have going for themselves.

In addition to having a compatible look, they both have the same intense presence, both are southern, and I just think it's a good idea to pair Gunner (a muscley green guy who could use some help as far as his in ring skills goes) with Kid Kash (a great veteran worker who can really shine with some muscle behind him). I think it could really, really work out for both guys AND TNA (esp sense there doesn't appear to be any other Tag Teams still around besides the champs. Chavo & Hernendez and Gunner & Kash (I even like the name!) could be excellent new teams for the rebuilding TNA. More than anything, I'm happy to see the two of them be used....

Gunner and Kash, awesome name indeed

[Big Red Machine]

TNA probably just put them together because they both have a lot of tattoos.

at this point, that's all they have going for themselves.

In addition to having a compatible look, they both have the same intense presence, both are southern, and I just think it's a good idea to pair Gunner (a muscley green guy who could use some help as far as his in ring skills goes) with Kid Kash (a great veteran worker who can really shine with some muscle behind him). I think it could really, really work out for both guys AND TNA (esp sense there doesn't appear to be any other Tag Teams still around besides the champs. Chavo & Hernendez and Gunner & Kash (I even like the name!) could be excellent new teams for the rebuilding TNA. More than anything, I'm happy to see the two of them be used....

WHOA! Gunner is not green. He has been wrestling for over ten years. He was Phil Shatter on the indy scene, and was apparently a decently big name on the NC-SC-GA indies.

Also, Kash does not have the same type of intensity as Gunner does.

[badnewzxl]

Gunner started wrestling ten years ago, but he stopped bc he was deployed to Iraq. He started wrestling again after he returned a few years back. Maybe he's not "green" but he def needs to become a better worker in the ring. And Kash can DEF have the same intensity as Gunner.

[Big Bad Booty Daddy]

I thought Chavo's promo was pointless and without impact (for lack of a better term). He kept playing to the crowd and they just weren't responding. They hyped him WAAY too much; Chavo is a good addition, but not a guy you should have a big to-do about.

I do like that they had Hernendez involved; and I LOVE the potential of a Gunner & Kash tag team. I just thought his promo was pointless; I literally laughed at most of what he said. I esp hated how he'd say an painfully simply phrase in Spanish, then translate it to English as if it was needed. I didn't understand at all what the point of his promo was but to say "I'm here;" which he could have accomplished better without wasting five minutes trying (and failing) to work the crowd.

Exactly my thoughts. Really didnt understand his promo at all, i assumed he was going to wrestle when he debuted but obvs not.

Gunner/Kash seems to be a very good idea though