TNA Live Review: TNA 10

TNA stars old and new take to the ring for the company's 10th anniversary.

By Phil Allely

In another of TNA's ongoing 'One Night Only' series of PPV style events the stars of Impact wrestling were able to step outside of the world of storylines and have some pretty decent matches. This time we were presented with a glimpse into the company's ten year history. The idea being we get to see many highlights form the the past ten years and maybe even se some old faces along the way. 

Kicking things off were Kenny King, Sonjay Dutt and Petey Williams in a nice X Division scrap. This should have been better, but it did do its job to build up momentum and interest in the show. King pulled off the win to a mild response.

Next up the Knockouts elevated things well with what became a well-paced scrap. Gail Kim did what she does best and took Velvet Sky to one of her best matches in ages here.  The ladies pulled out all of the stops as well. Velvet Sky's win really didn't harm Kim's reputation at all wither.

The 'Gauntlet Match' that followed saw some new faces and some old ones too. This was held under over the top rope rules and the the final two would be down to pinfall/submission  conditions. Shark Boy worked very hard throughout here, his fan base evidently are still out there. Jonny Devine made a monumental mistake in a rope based assault and caused his own ejection early on. The now gone Matt Morgan became the star of the show though and played his big man role well.  His win was not a surprise at all.

On the tag team front TNA have been lacking as of late. So when you are offered Bad Influence, LAX and Team 3D we viewers are not going to complain. All three teams raised their game here, 3D were in fine form and Kaz/Daniels were as expected as sharp as ever. The nice touch was Lax's reunion and the fact that they never lost a step. Supermex flew, Homicide risked his life as always and the team were on fire. 3D pulled off the win though after a well placed 3D.

Austin Aries and Jeff Hardy then went on to have a pretty decent encounter. The exchanges were crisp, well worked and much more here. Both men shared the stage here nicely and built the night to the level we expected.  Hardy's win was a favourable one we believe.

As tensions and the atmosphere grew former tag team partners James Storm and Bobby Roode took to the ring. What was nice here was that both me  knew each other so well and could counter almost every move. Roode may have pulled off the win, but he did have his feet on the ropes to achieve it.

The main event saw (now Main Even Mafia members) Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe embark on a wonderful in-ring  tale. As expected Kurt and Joe took things to a while new level here and both had their work boots on too. A well placed 'Angle Slam' saw Joe put way however.

The TNA 10 Year special was a fun addition to proceedings. The matches were for the main above par, the roster stepped up and we loved seeing events unfold. However many of us did hope to see more old school/veteran TNA stars appear.

TNA One Night Only - Joker's Wild Review

TNA One Night Only - Joker's Wild 2013 review

By Phil Allely

His career may have stalled when he lost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but recent matches have shown James Storm to be a man at the top of his game. His performance throughout the recent Joker's Wild 'One Night Only' event proved that too. He stole the show and won the match by beating his former team mate Bobby Roode in the over the top rope finale of the show.

The tournament itself (shown this week in the UK on Challenge) was the second of TNA's new themed event events. This time around TNA brought back its very popular Joker's Wild format. Here tag teams were drawn at random and pitted against another team. The winning teams would then go on to a (WCW Battlebowl style) battle royal, where the last man standing would win a $100,000 prize.

Kicking things off James Storm and Christian York made pretty easy work of the returning duo of Crimson and Gunner. Storm and York would make a wonderful tag team in your reviewers opinion.

Jessie Godderz took most of the punishment in the next bout. Teaming with Mr Anderson Godderz really looked vulnerable and beaten down by opponents Kid Kash and Doug Williams. Anderson did however finally get a hot tag and decimated all to pull off the win.

Former X Division stars Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe united next to form a formidable combo. This was the perfect mix of speed and power. The talented Chavo Guererro and Rob Van Dam worked hard against them, but ultimately fell to the superior team.

The best part of the following scrap was Bobby Roode's reaction to his partner Joseph Park. He made it watchable and helped push the Park character throughout. After a beat down by Robbie E and Zema Ion Joseph tapped into Abyss territory and nailed a Black Hole Slam. Roode then capitalised, making a blind tag and pinning Ion to pull off the win.

With two members of Aces and Eights on the other side of the ring it seemed to be an uphill battle for Hernandez and newcomer Alex Silva. Supermex did try his best, but the might of Devon and DOC proved too much. DOC pinned Silva to see his team progress.

The final tag team match of the night was entertaining in more than one way. This saw big men Matt Mogan and Robbie T square up to Joey Ryan and Al Snow. This was particularly fun as Morgan/Ryan are of course connected and Al Snow has beef with them too. The finish came as Snow and T left Ryan and Morgan to trade blows. After a few exchanges a 'Carbon Footprint' sealed Ryan and Snows fate.

The shows finale was the 12 man battle royal for $100,000. James Storm and Bobby Roode kicked things off and every two minutes a new competitor entered the fray. Roode and Storm fought each throughout, but did team up to eliminate DOC (which fans liked a lot). The action here moved along at a fair rate and the eliminations came thick and fast. It was good to see Robbie T show his mettle by eliminating a few bodies here. The same goes for Matt Morgan.

This was all about James Storm though. He started the match and ended it with his former tag team partner Bobby Roode. This final sequence was timed perrfectly. Roode though he had eliminated Storm, but he skinned the cat and sent Roode to the apron, one 'Last Call' superkick later and Roode hit the ground. Storm stood victorious and netted himself a nice pay day too.

Joker's Wild was a very well received and presented offering by TNA. The idea of theming events and bypassing storylines seems to be working well. It was also good to see that the company have re-found their faith in James Storm too. Here's hoping he gets to rise to the top again and wear the gold once again.

TNA Pics Dublin January 2013

TNA Final Resolution 2012

Hardy still champ as Ace's invade the ring.

By Phil Allely

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy retained his gold in the main event of the Final Resolution PPV. However his victory celerations were short-lived as Aces and 8's beat hiom and opponent Bobby Roode down in the middle of the ring.

The event kicked off with an impromptu scrap beween Kaz and James Storm. Storm swiftly put the former tag team champ away easily with a 'last call' superkick for the popular win.

Rob Van Dam retained his X Division Title against challenger Kenny King. The action was decent here and the pair gelled well.

The TNA tag team division is swelling nicely these days. The company have perhaps the best talent in pro wrestling at present. Champs Hernandez and Chavo worked hard against foes Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan. Both teams matched styles well, however the DQ finish did leave us wanting more.

Austin Aries then beat Bully Ray in a scorcher of a match. Ray is fast-proving how valuable a player he is in the industry and the new heel Aries is a real star performer too. The end came as Brooke and Hulk Hogan got involved, allowing Aries the chance to hit a low blow on a bloody Ray for the win.

With Mickie James returning to action and Velvet Sky back on the scene the Knockouts Division may get the shot in the arm it needs now. Next up we had James face KO Champion Tara. James showed no signs of ring rust, but the outside interference from Jesse saw her title hopes dashed. Tara picking up the win.

The team of Kurt angle, Samoa Joe, Garrett Bischoff and Wes Brisco tackled the Ace's and 8s next. This was a hard-hitting affair and one that showed the mighty Aces may have a few chinks in their armour. Angle and Joe shone throughout, Angle nailing an 'angle slam' to claim victory.

AJ Styles and Daniels pulled out all the stops in what was billed as their final match. All those years of friendship and working together certainly paid off here. Unleashing every move in their arsenal the pair put on one heck of a show for the fans. Daniels pulled off the win with his take on AJ's 'styles clash'.

In the main event Hardy and Roode battled in and outside of the ring. Each trading the advantage and near-falls. The finish saw Roode get double crossed b Aces and 8s and Hardy retain his gold. The show went off the air with the masked gang beating down both men.

Final Resolution was a mixed bag of matches, when they were good they were very good, however too many run-ins/cheap finishes continue to hamper the TNA product. The aces and 8s storyline is going well and will surely lead to a big reveal soon. 2012 has been a great year for TNA, they just need to fine tune their creative team and let the talent do the work for them. Roll on January's UK/Ireland tour.

TNA Turning Point 2012 Review

TNA Turning Point 2012

by Phil Allely

Jeff Hardy retained his prized gold in the main event of TNA's Turning Point PPV and former champion James Storm saw his dreams come true as he netted a number one contenders spot for the belt.

TNA's Turning Point PPV continued the on-going storyline of the mysterious Aces & 8's members and their association with former Team 3D member Devon. We were also treated to a few key challenge matches and more, all of which gave fans the opportunity to join in the excitement of the ongoing storyline featuring the invading group.

TV Title holder Samoa Joe opened proceedings up with a successful title defence against his former pal Magnus. Brit Magnus is far better as a heel and his work against the talented pro Joe proved his worth here. After a few nice teases Joe nailed the submission win.

Although a very exceptional grappler Eric Young has seen his career lend itself towards the more comedic side of things. His partnership with ODB has made Impact Wrestling house shows an event to see. Here we were greeted by the combos of ODB/Young versus Tara/Jesse Godderz. This fun encounter ended with EY nailing a nice looking elbow drop to take the win for his team.

In a nice change of pace for a TNA PPV outside interference did not effect Rob Van Dam's successful defence of his X Division Title next. RVD and opponent Joey Ryan gave us all a fine example of how to construct a match without any interjections. Of course following Van Dam's bout winning 'five star frog splash' the champ was flattened by Ryan's associate Matt Morgan.

Ace's and 8's member Doc (a familiar shaped grappler to a former WWE one) tackled Joseph Park next in a match that needed Park to channel the aura of his brother Abyss. Park is a fun character, but he runs away from violence and Abyss does not, fans would appreciate a more violent approach to proceedings we are sure. Doc was well on form here and nailed a choke slam for the storyline efficient win.

With tag teams thin on the ground TNA's best duo (Kazarian/Daniels) faced new Tag Team Champs Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero in a reasonably paced scrap. The combo of Kaz/Daniels are well worth a viewing every time they appear. The union between big man Henandez and veteran Guerrreo have boded well here. The Mexicans pulling off the win with ease.

The TNA World Title scene took a new step when Austin won the belt. The fact that Jeff Hardy was able to wrestle the gold away from him meant that the roster were having ot be on top form to get a shot at the gold.

Next up we saw former champs AJ Styles, Bobby Roode and James Storm step in to the ring for a number one contenders match. Styles worked his socks off here, but still fell to a Storm 'superkick' the cowboy winning and netting himself a shot at the world champ.

Newly designated Sergeant at arms of the Aces and 8's Devon faced Kurt Angle in a decent match next. Angle was seeking revenge for his recent beat-down and Devon was asserting the power his associates have on TNA. As usual Angle made his opponent look a million dollars and gave Devon a fair amount of spots. Kurt did however lock in his patented ankle lock for the submission victory.

Ladder matches are a tough thing to consider (both as grappler and fan) the wrestler has to risk his body against the steel item and trust that his foe is as willing to do the same. Jeff Hardy and challenger Austin Aries are two prime examples of wrestlers who willingly give up their bodies for their art. This match was a by the book stroll through ladder match psychology and bouts of old. Hardy was back on form and Aries as always showed his true talent too, the ensuing match was a mixed bag if high-risk spots, near falls and much more.

Hardy grabbed the win by overcoming Aries to snag the belt.

TNA Turning Point 2012 was a fun outing for the company. The results may not have been ground breaking, but the results will shape the company for a while. James Storm will make a formidable world title chaser, Aries will be a great challenger and the Aces and 8's storyline seems to continue.

By Phil Allely

TNA Destination X 2012 Review

Destination X 2012 Review By Phil Allely Destination X is TNA’s annual homage to the sometimes overlooked, but exhilarating X Division. During the companies humble beginnings it was the high-flying roster members of this division who lit up arenas and made TNA a viable number two promotion in the US. This years event offered forth a great looking main event, an undercard focusing mainly on the X Division grapplers and a few surprises along the way. However the lack of big name draws and numerous little known wrestlers did mean some matches played to poor reception. Austin Aries vacated his X title to face World Champion Bobby Roode in the main event of the show and what a blistering encounter they put forth. Given Aries had already shown his mettle against larger foes such as Bully Ray, his tackling of the top company heel in Roode was a match to look forward to. Both men traded near falls and the advantage throughout, offering up a believable scrap where the finish could not be predicted. The end came as Roode pulled every dirty trick out of his bag (including a belt shot and referee bump), Aries nailed a nice ‘brain buster’ to score the shock win for his first TNA World Heavyweight Title. Elsewhere the show kicked off with the ‘X Division Tournament Last Chance Qualifier‘. Here Rubix, Mason Andrews, Lars Only and Dakota Darsow squared off for a spot in the next match and possible shot . at the vacant X gold later on the show. The spot-fest was quick and crowd-warming at best, which Andrews won after some reasonable exchanges. Kid Kash versus Andrews followed directly and built momentum up in the arena. Veteran Kash was on fine form, but fell to a roll-up. UK star Doug Williams fell to up and comer Kenny King in a reasonable match next. Former TNA wrestler Sonjay Dutt received a decent pop from fans as he beat Rashad Cameron. Dutt showed no signs of ring rust in this encounter. Zema Ion bested Flip Casanova in a far too quick match that did not highlight either mans skills. The Bound For Glory Series match between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe was a welcome addition to the card. The back and forth action livened up things nicely and worked well amongst their highflying peers matches. The finish came when Joe applied the ‘rear naked choke’ and Kurt passed, netting Joe 10 points for the win. Former buddies AJ Styles and Daniels’ ‘Last Man Standing’ encounter was a blinder, both men risking life and limb in and out of the ring. Interference by Kazarian couldn’t help his fellow tag Team Champion Daniels though as AJ hit a ‘Clash’ through a table to win. Ultimate X was, as expected, a flurry of high-risk moves, tope rope spots and much more as the steel structure ‘X ropes’ came into play. Zema Ion overcame Dutt (via hairspray assist) to grab the title belt. The main event bout between Roode and Aries rounded this hit and miss PPV off in style. Destination X was yet another event where the company showed its support for its younger roster members. The crowing of Austin Aries as champ will shake up the title picture, and the emphasis on the once winning formula of X Division performers worked very well indeed. With no sign of Hogan and many others, this was a night that belonged to the often neglected and yet so refreshing high-flying TNA stars. We all knew Slammiversary would be a hard act to follow and that an X Division heavy event would be a hot and cold affair. That said this was a decent offering from the always improving Impact Wrestling crew.

TNA Slammiversary 2012 Review

TNA Slammiversary X Review By Phil Allely TNA brought in the big guns and pulled out all of the stops to celebrate its tenth anniversary at Slammiversary X. The night saw titles change hands, quality matches, a Hall of Fame announcement, big name stars and a surprise appearance by a WWE champion. Hulk Hogan opened proceedings to a huge ovation, hyping up the nights event and making the opening bout between Austin Aries and Samoa Joe an X Division Title one. Despite the size and power advantage this was a crisp looking match with some big bumps and high risk moves. Joe looked set to net himself another X title to add to his collection, but the resilient Aries was able to nail a brain buster to retain his belt. Up next was the returning Kid Kash versus Hernandez. Kash fared reasonably well against his much larger opponent and hit some decent weakening blows to him, however ‘Supermex’s’ size and power proved to be the deciding factor, Hernandez taking the win after a big top rope splash. The oddball tag team of Devon (TV Champ) and Garrett Bischoff then faced the combo of Robbie’s E&T in a fair, but un-exciting scrap. Bischoff showed improvement here and Devon proved to be a fine partner to cover the cracks. After some back and forth trading of control Bischoff distracted T to allow Devon the chance to pin E for the popular win. The triple threat battle for the World Heavyweight Title shot on Impact saw Mr. Anderson battle Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam. The trio of former champs worked beautifully together and highlighted the talented roster TNA has to utilise. Amidst the frantic near falls and brutal moves the result seemed to be anyone’s, however it turned out to Anderson who proved the most hungry to gain a title shot, nailing a ‘mic check’ on RVD to pick up the win. Crimson’s year-long winning streak ended quickly next at the hands (well boot) of Cowboy James Storm. Storm took to the ring like a man possessed, swiftly taking Crimson down, nailing a ‘last call’ super kick to a huge crowd response. Dixie Carter brought out the TNA roster next and announced Sting as the first inductee to the Hall of Fame. The challenger for the World Title seemed genuinely moved by the reaction from the live crowd and promised to make it ‘show time’ later. The Knockouts Title changed hands next as Miss Tessmacher wrestled the gold away from Gail Kim in Tessmacher’s home state of Texas. The ladies worked hard to maintain the momentum and crowd energy levels throughout this average knockouts encounter. A blocked ‘eat dirt’ and swift roll-up on Kim ended this one. Bully Ray bullied Joseph Park throughout their match (of sorts) next. A very one-sided affair this saw Abyss’s storyline brother absorb some stiff shots from Ray before an Abyss imposter appeared and blasted the bully through a table to allow Joseph the win. To the shock of all in attendance Hulk Hogan brought out (current WWE IC Champion) Christian to speak to them. Billed as Christian Cage the former TNA star praised the company and its fans for everything they have done. Dream team AJ Styles and Kurt Angle took on Tag Team Champions Kaz and Daniels next in an epic encounter for the belts. This one never let up, each man stepped up their game here and unleashed their best and boldest moves throughout. Angle and Styles overcame the near-falls and double-teams eventually to pick up the titles, following a nice flurry of moves Styles took out Daniels to leave Kaz prone for an ‘ankle lock’. The rejuvenated Sting’s attempt regain the world title from Bobby Roode saw the veteran step up his game and gain a level of revenge on the cocky heel. The match itself was a fair back-and-forth one, with champ and challenger trading control in and out of the ring. Roode eventually relied on a beer bottle to retain his treasured gold. Busting Sting open in the process the champ grabbed an opportunistic win to keep his longest title holder run going. A bloody Sting gained a measure of revenge post match with post match beat down on Roode around the stage area. Slammiversary was one of the best PPV’s from TNA to date and perfectly encapsulated all that is good in the company, there were minimal infuriating booking decisions here and run-ins were non-existent. The matches on the whole were above average and showed that even though the company is still trying to find its niche, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If they pick up that ball and run with it TNA/Impact Wrestling can go all the way given the opportunity.

TNA Sacrifice 2012 Review

TNA Sacrifice 2012 Review By Phil Allely Scarifice was main evented by a match that many thought could be the one where World Champ Bobby Roode would see his winning streak end. This was after all his challenger Rob Van Dam’s kind of match. The match itself worked well, both men went all out to impress and RVD was certainly not ‘phoning it in’ as he has been known to do. After a plethora of career shortening moves the Roode capitalised on a weakened Van Dan to grab his title and remain champ. The show kicked off with the team of Daniels and Kazarian facing off against the formidable unit of Magnus and Samoa Joe. Gelling well the teams traded near falls and power moves with ease, however champions Magnus and Joe fell to the cunning of their opponents and lost their gold. Next up Gail Kim retained her Knockouts Title in a short and reasonably sweet cat fight with Brooke Tessmacher. The ever improving Tessmacher worked hard but couldn’t beat Kim this time around. The TV Title match between champion Devon and Robbie’s E & T was nothing special, but did set up some tension in the Robbie’s camp. Devon took advantage of a miscommunication to nail both men and cover T for the win. Jeff Hardy and Mr Anderson had a fine brawl that highlighted their work ethic and in-ring ability. They both attempted each other’s finishers and battled in and around the ring. The end was controversial though, Anderson snatching a quick pin as Hardy seemed to kick out. Crimson’s impromptu encounter with Eric Young was a combination of comedy and stiff moves. EY and ODB both felt the wrath of the undefeated big man and got minimal fight to him, before Crimson took control and put EY down for the three count. Picking up the pace Austin Aries tackled Bully Ray in a really inviting bout. The size advantage of Ray balanced out the speed and agility advantage of Aries here. The crowd were well into this one and the result seemed to be anybody’s, the arrival of Joseph Park to ringside swung it but, allowing Austin to nail Ray and pick up the win. AJ Styles and Kurt Angle proved once again why they are true main event calibre grapplers in TNA next. Trading trademark moves, near falls and more form the get go the duo never let up (save the odd rest hold). The end sequence here was marred slightly by Daniels interfering to distract Styles, Angle getting a tap out win. A post match beat down on AJ by Kaz and Daniels saw Kurt make the save. This paved the way well for the ECW style ladder match main event. Sacrifice was a night of ups and downs for TNA, a few finishes fell flat (interference wise) and need to be eased out for more traditional definitive pinfall wins. RVD proved himself to be back on form in his challenge for the world title. Magnus and Joe’s tag title loss was a surprise and we have to hope they get a re-match asap. Anderson and Hardy will surely face off again. Style and Angle look set to team up and Austin Aries proved to the world that an X Division weight guy can stand toe to toe with the heavyweights. By Phil Allely

Bobby Roode Interview With Phil Allely

TNA Interview: World Champion Bobby Roode Talks to Phil Allely

By Phil Allely

In a few short weeks TNA will be hitting the shores of the UK to one again make Maximum Impact with their latest short tour of these shores. Current World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode took time out from his hectic schedule to chat to our own Phil Allely about his spot in the company and the what the UK can expect to see.

“You know it was on the first TNA UK tour that me and James (Storm) were paired up and Beer Money was born. The UK crowds are always wonderful, we all have such a good time at those shows. I get the feeling they may not like me as much this time though. Saying that I am looking forward to going there again and honestly I can’t wait to defend my belt there.”

With a target firmly attached to his back with his recent heel Roode has to realise that everyone is out to get him these days.

“Last time I was in the UK I had James to back me up and we also had Ric Flair as our manager. Flair is unbelievable, it was an honour to have him with us, he is a legend, I’d say he is the best champion ever in this business. We learnt so much, he helped u and his stories were amazing. This time around it’s just me and my title, which is all I need, but I’ll have to watch my own back now.”

After failing to win the coveted world title at Bound For Glory (versus Kurt Angle) Roode turned heel on his own tag partner James Storm on Impact! a few short weeks later (Storm having shocked the world by felling Angle for the gold in a quick encounter.

“You know being the champ is one of the reasons I got into this business, it’s a good feeling, I may be under pressure and be busy all the time, but I want to run with this as long as I can. I’ll defend my belt against anyone who comes after it. In the UK I’d love to battle Sting, he’s been a real thorn in my side and it would be great to beat him as he returns to the UK.”

Prior to Bound For Glory Roode was heavily tipped as the man to topple angle for the prized strap, rumour had it Hulk Hogan was the man who stopped this taking place at TNA’s big show of the year.

“Those comments Hogan made never bothered me, there is a method to the madness in wrestling and things are said all the time, who knows what is right or wrong. To be frank I think that situation worked in my favour, it helped fire me up and got me to where I am now. I am the face of the company and I plan on being so for a long time.”

Many have likened Roode to the much-missed WWE legend Curt ‘Mr Perfect’ Hennig, Booby even adopted his Fisherman’s Suplex as his own finisher.

“I have always been a fan of Curt’s I studied his matches for countless hours. I’ve never tried to be him, but I guess some things rub off. I’m humbled to be compared to my hero. It’s such a privilege to be thought of in the same way as him.”

Many wrestlers have outside interests such as acting or music that TNA quite rightly encourage, however Bobby is very different from his locker room comrades.

“I’m concentrating on wrestling right now, my heart and soul are here in TNA, I want to be the best champion ever, that’s not just here in TNA, I want to make my mark across the wrestling world. I’ll be the most hated guy in the business and I’ll raise up the shock factor.”

Bobby Roode is scheduled to defend his belt at the upcoming TNA UK shows taking place on January 26-28, these culminate in a first for TNA an Impact! Wrestling TV taping at Wembley Arena.

Check out www.impactwrestling for more information and tour updates.