Source: JSO of TNAsylum.com
Dixie Carter opened the show and talked about AJ Styles leaving TNA with the World Title last week. She said AJ will not be mentioned anymore and told him that he can keep his title and the car as a gift because she doesn’t want them anyway. She dissed AJ as a nobody and that his title is just a toy belt now. She’s looking for a true World Champion who can carry the company going forward.
Dixie introduced the seven wrestlers in a tournament to crown the new champion and said there will be a gauntlet match later to determine the eighth participants. Bully Ray interrupted and complained about not being included in the tournament. Dixie said Bully is the one who caused this problem because he lost to AJ twice. Bully blamed Earl Hebner and Mr. Anderson for his losses, which brought out Anderrson for a brawl as we went to commercial break.
Reaction: Dixie just shrugs off the AJ ordeal and moves on; I love heel Dixie. The intros for each wrestler were a cool touch. The tournament should be awesome, even though it’s been done to death already. I’m guessing the finals will take place at Turning Point when TNA returns to Orlando in a few weeks.
A clip aired from during the break. Brooke distracted Anderson backstage as he was being escorted out. Bully attacked Anderson from behind and whipped him with the chain.
Backstage, Garett Bischoff talked about how the Aces & Eights were failing apart. Knux came in and they left together.
GunStorm vs. Bro Mans
Tag Team Championship
GunStorm attacked Bro Mans on the ramp to start the match. The challengers controlled the offense early. GunStorm did a double team Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Jessie tried to fight back but was knocked down with an elbow from Gunner for a near fall. Storm hit an Eye of the Storm on Jessie for a near fall. Robbie broke up the pin and all four guys went at it in the ring.
Robbie and Gunner went to the outside while Storm hit the Closing Time on Jessie. Storm went for the Last Call but Robbie pulled Jessie to the outside. Storm tried a suplex on Jessie from the apron but Robbie tripped Storm’s foot as Jessie got the pin.
Reaction: Good, fast-paced match. The Bro Mans grew on me as a comedy duo and now they’re actually being booked like solid tag champs. I’m pleasantly surprised. This may turn out to be a good investment after all.
Backstage, Sting walked into Dixie Carter’s dressing room. She lifted the ban on Sting not being able to challenge for the World Title and included him in the gauntlet match tonight. Sting said he didn’t have a sense of entitlement and walked out. Dixie asked if that was a yes.
A video package aired recapping Abyss’s return at Bound For Glory.
Backstage, Bad Influence were dressed as detectives and made fun of a crew member. They talked about how they would solve the mystery of the on-again, off-again Abyss, as well as the disappearance of the TV Title.
Ethan Carter vs. Norv Fernum
EC3 kicked Fernum in the face as the bell rang. EC3 unloaded on Fernum in the corner and hit a T-Bone suplex. Fernum fought back with a jawbreaker but EC3 quickly grabbed him and put him in a headlock. Fernum tried a few shoulder blocks but couldn’t knock down EC3. He finally hit a springboard splash. EC3 recovered and nailed the headlock driver for the pin.
Reaction: Haha, nice to see Norv Fernum again. It was the standard jobber match to put over EC3 some more, that’s all. EC3 looks impressive each time, from his presentation to his wrestling skills to his finisher. I also get a chuckle out of his facial expressions before the match.
Backstage, Bobby Roode talked to a medical staff member about Kurt Angle’s health and told him to make the right decision regarding Angle’s clearance for tonight.
Backstage, ODB talked about her Knockouts title rematch with Gail Kim tonight. Bad Influence interrupted and started to investigate ODB about her connection to Abyss. They said ODB stands for “Overly Developed Bosoms.” Eric Young came in and said Halloween is the Monster’s favorite holiday and walked off with ODB.
Gauntlet Battle Royal
Sting and Kazarian started the match. The announcers mentioned that a new wrestler would enter every two minutes. Sting controlled the offense as the crowd chanted “You still got it!” Knux made his entrance as we went to commercial break.
Eric Young made his entrance back from the break and unloaded some punches on Kazarian in the corner. Christopher Daniels came out and saved Kazarian from being eliminated by EY. The heels beat up on Sting and EY for a little while before they fought back and we went to another commercial break.
Manik came out and hit a springboard splash on Kazarian. Manik unloaded on Knux with some punches in the corner. Magnus came out and nailed Bad Influence with a bunch of clotheslines. Manik eliminated Knux with a springboard hurricanrana over the top rope. Kazarian then eliminated Manik from the behind. Eric Young was eliminated by Kazarian.
It came down to Bad Influence, Magnus and Sting in the final four. Magnus eliminated Daniels and then threw out both Sting and Kazarian from behind to win the match. Magnus will be the final entrant in the 8-man tournament that starts next week.
Reaction: Battle royals are usually fun and this was no different. Magnus looked great here as he eliminated a bunch of guys in the end.
Backstage, Kurt Angle said he’s medically cleared and is going to kick Bobby Roode’s ass tonight.
Backstage, Dixie Carter said she’s happy for Magnus being the final entrant in the tournament. She said she’s going to announce the brackets later, plus a little something that she calls the “Wheel of Dixie.”
Gail Kim vs. ODB
Knockouts Championship
ODB speared Gail at the opening bell. ODB got on a quick flurry before Gail went out of the ring. ODB hit a fallaway slam on Gail on the outside. ODB got distracted by Tapa and Gail capitalized with a baseball slide. Gail did the figure four around the steel post and rolled her up in the ring for a near fall.
Mike Tenay mentioned that Turning Point will be held on November 21st on Spike TV. Gail put ODB in a headscissors submission. ODB countered into a single leg Boston Crab but Gail made it to the ropes. ODB slammed down Gail followed by a Thesz Press from the second rope. ODB nailed a front suplex but Tapa distracted the ref. Gail rolled up ODB from behind and grabbed the rope for leverage.
Reaction: Eh, it was basically the same match we’ve seen all year, but with Lei’D Tapa at ringside. Now I’m just hoping for at least one new Knockout to debut in the coming weeks. It sucks that ODB got another crappy title reign, though.
Backstage, Bad Influence said the gauntlet match didn’t go their way but on the bright side, they solved the mystery of Abyss. They put on their detective hats and walked off to the ring.
Bad Influence were in the ring in their detective gear and spoke in phony accents. They said they solved the mystery of the on-again, off-again “Monster” Abyss. Daniels went under the ring and grabbed a pumpkin. They said the pumpkin is a talentless vegetable but that it has more brains than the Knockouts locker room and all the people in Salt Lake City, which got a ton of boos from the crowd.
Eric Young came out dressed as Joseph Park. He said scientifically, Halloween is not a real holiday but it is the big guy’s favorite guy and he has a message for Bad Influence. They got into a fight but Bad Influence got the advantage and beat down EY. Abyss came out for the save and nailed Bad Influence with a pair of Black Hole Slams. Abyss helped EY to his feet.
Reaction: Good segment to tie in with the Halloween theme. This could be an interesting feud/storyline for a while. What if Bad Influence really do figure out the mystery of Abyss? By the way, Joseph Park lost a lot of weight and grew a humongous beard in 11 days. Who knew!
The World Title tournament brackets were shown on the screen. The first round will be:
Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Sabin
Bobby Roode vs. James Storm
Kurt Angle vs. Austin Aries
Magnus vs. Samoa Joe
Backstage, Dixie Carter was with Sabin and Hardy. She spun the wheel and it landed on Full Metal Mayhem. That match will kick off the tournament next week.
Reaction: Holy crap! The brackets look unbelievable! We’re getting all PPV quality matches, starting with Hardy vs. Sabin. I also like the idea of adding stipulations to each match to make it unique. I’m pumped for the next couple of shows!
Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode
The two chain wrestled a bit to start the match. The action spilled to the outside. Angle went for a belly to belly suplex but Roode escaped and rammed Angle’s back to the side of the apron as went to commercial break.
Roode controlled Angle on the mat as we came back from the break. Angle took the offense and nailed a bunch of German suplexes for a near fall. Roode recovered and nailed a spinebuster for a near fall. Angle went for the ankle lock but Roode fought out and countered into the crossface.
The two traded several submission counters before Angle hit the Angle Slam for a near fall. Roode hit a death valley driver for a near fall. Angle went for the ankle lock again but Roode made it to the ropes. Angle suplexed Roode off the top rope and barely draped his arm for a near fall. Angle was hurt from the fall and couldn’t get up. The ref called for the bell and awarded the match to Roode.
Reaction: These two put on a clinic once again. The TKO finish wasn’t ideal, but it plays well into the story of Angle costing himself the match on a high risk move.
Enjoyed your reactions Joe!
I thought it was a very good show overall … I’m still skipping through the EC3 parts. I look forward to the pay off moment when he has to wrestle a legitimate threat, but I don’t like sitting through those sorts of matches.
I agree about Bro Mans. They’re very much a throwback heel champion team, I like them a lot now.
The tournament looks kick ass.
Just a clarification – the reactions are from JSO of TNAsylum, not me!