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We start off with a look back at last week when James Storm returned to TNA, and then Hulk Hogan's ultimatum to Austin Aries that he'll make him the next challenger for the World Title, but only if he gives up the X-Division Title first.
With that, we go to the Impact Zone as Hogan comes out to the ring to say that you make a lot of friends and also enemies when things change. He doesn't know who attacked Sting last week, but he's not going to give them any publicity and he won't replay the video from last week. He promises he will find out who did that to Sting, but first he wants to talk about Open Fight Night and the Bound For Glory Series, and also hear Austin Aries' decision. Aries starts with the business part: Hogan offered him the chance to bypass the Bound For Glory Series and get a shot at the title, but first he has to relinquish the X Division Title and end the longest title reign in company history. To be the man, you have to be the World Champion, but on the other hand, the X Division Title is the one the company was built on, and some of the best wrestlers in the business have worked to make it what it is. He wants to make sure that the title is treated with respect if he hands it over, because he's worried that it'll lose meaning if he just hands it over. Hogan says Aries better have a good plan if he has a Plan C because he doesn't want any games, but Aries says that he wants to set the standard and make it so that every year, whoever holds the X Division Title this time of year can turn it in for a shot at the World Title. Hogan likes Plan C, and he's in all the way. Hogan and Aries shake hands, but Bobby Roode comes out to ask if they're kidding him. Roode asks Aries who the hell he thinks he is by trying to dictate what happens in his company, because the paper title he wears means nothing to him because the World Title is the only one that matters. Roode says Aries made the biggest mistake of his life, and if he wants to get into the main event and challenge for the World Title, then he's got it, but Aries better know that he's no X Division wrestler, he's the longest reigning World Champion in company history and he'll prove he's the best at Destination X. Aries says that if Roode is so sure that he can embarrass Aries, and since this is Open Fight Night, why doesn't he come on down to the ring right now? Roode rushes Aries and they get into a brawl at ringside before being pulled apart by TNA Officials. Ken Anderson comes out and says he would love to watch them pound the snot out of each other all night, but he wants them to know that whoever wins between them is going to face the winner of the Bound For Glory Series...aka Ken Anderson.
We take a look at a graphic explaining how the scoring works in the Bound For Glory Series, then we go back to Anderson as he issues an open challenge for the next match in the series...
Bound For Glory Series: Ken Anderson vs Christopher Daniels
Daniels, who was sipping a martini backstage, indignantly comes out to the ring and gets drilled in the face to start the match. Anderson stomps Daniels down in the corner as we see Joseph Park sitting out in the crowd. Anderson goes up top, but Daniels shakes the ropes and Anderson falls onto the top turnbuckle and tumbles into the ring. Daniels ties Anderson up in a Pepsi Twist and rams a couple of right hands into his ribs before converting it into an abdominal stretch. Anderson powers out of the hold and takes Daniels out with a clothesline as we're informed that all the BFG Series matches will have a ten minute time limit. Anderson and Daniels trade right hands in the middle of the ring, Anderson comes out on top and lays Daniels out with a series of clotheslines and then hits a Finlay Roll. Daniels blocks the Mic Check and counters to a Blue Thunder Driver for 2. Daniels sets up for the BME, but Anderson grabs his ankle and rolls him up for 2. Anderson with a rolling neckbreaker and the Mic Check gets 3.
Winner: Ken Anderson
Dixie Carter and AJ Styles are backstage and she asks if he's ready and if they're doing the right thing. AJ doesn't care what Daniels or Kazarian think, but the more he thinks about it, the less sure he is. Dixie asks what other way he can think of to do this, but he's not sure.
The Knockouts have gathered in Brooke Hogan's office, and we'll find out who challenges Brooke Tessmacher...next!
Okay, we're back and Brooke Hogan notices how much fun ODB is having with her flask, and asks each of them to explain why they deserve a title shot. They all go through their reasons: Mickie has held every major women's title in the business, Madison is the longest reigining Knockouts Champion ever, ODB says she's different, and Velvet never got her rematch. Brooke tells Madison she needs to get her head back into the game and she's out of the running, and then we'll come back later as Brooke eliminates another contender.
Robbie E is in the ring with Robbie T, and E challenges anyone in the BFG Series to come and get punked out.
Bound For Glory Series: Robbie E vs Kurt Angle
Robbie jumps Angle before the bell, but Angle quickly goes behind and htis the rolling German suplexes, then quickly plants E with the Angle Slam. The straps come down, the anklelock is on with the leg grapevine, and Robbie taps.
winner: Kurt Angle
Robbie E really ought to know better than to throw out challenges like that.
We meet Taeler Hendrix, the contestant in tonight's edition of the Gut Check. She saw wrestling on TV and decided she was going to do that, but then she was diagnosed with cancer at 21. She wants to be the newest Knockout and hold all the Knockouts titles, and she won't stop until she gets there.
Brutus Magnus comes out now and says that if only one man gets to win the Bound For Glory Series, he wants that to be him. He's going to call someone out to wrestle him in the next match in the BFG Series, and we'll find out who that is...NEXT!
We're back, and Magnus chooses a man whose head is not in the game, and he knows how hard it is to concentrate on business since women are all over him everywhere he goes, but even he knows not to mess with another man's wife, especially when she's the one writing the paychecks. Guess we know who he means!
Bound For Glory Series: Brutus Magnus vs AJ Styles
They go toe to toe as soon as AJ is in the ring, Magnus runs into AJ's boot on a corner charge and AJ hits a backbreaker. AJ takes forever to get to the top rope and Magnus catches him on a flying bodypress and turns it into a big bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. Magnus hits the ropes, but AJ catches him coming off with a dropkick. He goes for the Pelle kick, but Magnus sees it coming and steps out of the way, then catches AJ in a sleeper. AJ backs Magnus into the corner and nails him with elbowstrikes, then connects with a leaping forearm and goes for the Styles Clash. Magnus slips out of that, but AJ hits a leaping enziguiri and rolls out to the ring apron. He prepares for the springboard forearm, but gets distracted by Daniels and Kazarian coming out with yet another envelope. He stops just long enough to give Magnus the chances to scoop AJ up and hit the Michinoku Driver for the win.
Winner: Brutus Magnus
Taeler Hendrix is backstage, and she's...STRETCHING!
Jeremy Borash introduces Taeler Hendrix, the contestant in this month's Gut Check, and then introduces her opponent...
Gut Check: Tara vs Taeler Hendrix
Taeler extends her hand to Tara, Tara slaps it away so Taeler takes a swing and Tara ducks, takes Taeler down with a waistlock, and fired forearms across her nose. Tara with a snap suplex and stands over Taeler to talk trash, but Taeler gets a sunset flip for 2. Tara quickly regains control with a clothesline and then gets the hanging choke in the corner. Taeler kicks up over her head and cartwheels up the corner to give Tara a top rope Frankensteiner. Joseph Park is moving around in the crowd as Taeler gets Tara with a series of clotheslines, then takes Tara down with a waistlock drop and crossfaces Tara like Tara did to her earlier. Taeler goes for a high kick, Tara ducks and gets Taeler up in the Widow's Peak and hits it for 3.
Winner: Tara
Tara helps Taeler back to her feet, then we go to the back where we see the remaining competitors in the BFG Series. We'll find out who gets called out next...NEXT!
Joseph Park is backstage freaking out over something, and has the misfortune of bumping into Bully Ray. Bubba smells fear, but Park says Bubba was more scared when Abyss snatched him out of the ring last week. Bubba says he's lucky he's in the BFG Series, but if he sees Park or Abyss around anymore, it'll be the last time anyone sees them.
Samoa Joe comes out and says that, since nobody in the back has the guts to say his name, he'll call out James Storm. He got lucky last week, but now we'll see how lucky he really is.
Bound For Glory Series: Samoa Joe vs James Storm
Storm goes after Joe as soon as he's in the ring, but Joe flattens him with a back elbow and drills him with right hands and a leaping enziguiri in the corner. Joe gets a Fujiwara armbar, but Storm lands right next to the ropes and gets the break, so Joe wastes no time in targeting the arm he briefly had in the hold. Joe with a snapmare and a nerve hold, Storm gets out but walks right into a snap powerslam for 2. Joe with a Kimura lock, but Storm gets to the ropes again, so Joe with more strikes to Storm's injured arm. Joe gets a crossface chickenwing, Storm fights his way out, and starts unloading with big right hands. Storm with a series of clotheslines, an inverted atomic drop, and a flying forearm. Joe blocks a monkey flip and sits Storm on the top rope, snapmares him onto the mat, and goes for the Kokina Clutch. Storm blocks and lays Joe out with the Last Call, and that's all she wrote.
Winner: James Storm
Joe goes out to the floor and gets a beer bottle, and he comes back in and brandishes it in front of Storm for a moment while we wonder if he's going to nail him, but then he hands Storm the beer and walks off.
We see a video package looking back at the history of the (alleged) torrid affair between AJ Styles and Dixie Carter, including yet ANOTHER shot of Dixie's non-wrestling husband knocking AJ Styles on his ass. We then go backstage where AJ is telling Dixie that he's falling apart and they need to get this out in the open so they can get on with their lives.
We're back to Brooke Hogan's office where she says that Madison found out what smack talking gets you, and now she tells ODB that she's too concerned with getting married and whether her husband is pulling his pants down in front of other women, so she's out. ODB basically says she's going to try and screw Hulk to get that overruled, but it looks like we're down to Velvet and Mickie and we'll check back in on them later.
Bully Ray comes out to the ring and gloats about how Joseph Park is nowhere to be found, then asks who's left in the back. He sees that we're left with RVD, Jeff Hardy, and the Pope, so he decides that he's going to take the easy route and challenge Pope so he can get his easy ten points.
Bound For Glory Series: Bully Ray vs The Pope
Bubba nails Pope before the bell and whips him hard into the corner, causing Pope to collapse to the mat. Bubba with a big clothesline and covers for 2, then goes right back to another cover for another 2. Pope tries to fire back on Bubba, but Bubba gouges his eyes and kicks him square in the grill. Bubba launches Pope into the corner again and drags him back to the middle of the ring for a big splash, but Pope moves out of the way. Pope and Bubba trade right hands in the middle of the ring, Pope comes out on top and ducks a big boot from Bubba, then hits an inverted atomic drop and a flying shoulderblock. Pope with some Dusty elbows and a double fist to the face, leaving Bubba slumped over the middle rope. Pope with the flying crotch to the back of Bubba's head, then he climbs up to the top rope but winds up getting crotched when Bubba shakes the ropes. Bubba with a big avalanche in the corner and he goes up top to punch Pope in the face, but he freezes when he sees Abyss coming out of the crowd. Pope hits the DDE while Bubba has his back turned, and Bubba sails out to the floor where Abyss makes a grab at him. Bubba manages to escape from Abyss by rolling back into the ring, but is quickly flattened by a clothesline from Pope, who covers for 3.
Winner: The Pope
Bubba rolls out to the floor and runs for his life as Abyss chases him out through the crowd.
Hulk Hogan is backstage telling RVD and Jeff Hardy that neither of his two biggest stars were called out. That must mean they're the two biggest threats in the BFG Series, and they'll be his main event tonight. Hardy and RVD high five, apparently forgetting how Hardy viciously turned on RVD a couple of years ago.
Brooke Hogan is in her office checking out photos of Velvet Sky and Mickie James, apparently deciding that whoever is hotter will get the title shot. Whatever.
We see the first minute or so of the new Montgomery Gentry video featuring Velvet Sky (which is actually pretty good), then Brooke Hogan has to choose whether Velvet or Mickie James will get tonight's shot at the Knockouts Title. She tells them both how great they are and how Velvet got a great opportunity with the music video, but she's giving Mickie the nod tonight.
Knockouts Title Match: Brooke Tessmacher vs Mickie James
Mickie takes Tessmacher to the corner but doesn't exactly break super clean and gets a "HEY!" from referee Earl Hebner. Mickie takes Tessmacher down with a hammerlock and then floats over to a front facelock. Tessmacher reverses to a hammerlock of her own, but Mickie slips through and takes Tessmacher down with a firewoman's carry, then goes back to Tessmacher's arm. Tessmacher gets out and hits a pair of dropkicks and gets a waistlock from behind, but Mickie runs to the ropes and cheapshots Brooke with an elbow to the jaw when Tessmacher went to break clean. Mickie gets a couple of 2 counts, then snapmares Tessmacher and comes off the ropes with a diving dropkick for 2. Mickie rams Tessmacher face first into the mat just to be mean, then chokes her on the ropes and fires a forearm at her kidneys. Mickie takes Tessmacher to the mat and steps over her with a top wristlock, Tessmacher fights her way out of the hold and boots Mickie in the face, but walks right into a flapjack. Mickie's ready to go for the kill and she heads up top, but Tessmacher ducks under whatever she was trying and connects with a series of clotheslines. Tessmacher with a facebuster out of the corner for 2, but Mickie shoves Tessmacher off to the ropes and connects with a savate kick for 2. Mickie stops to question the referee about the count and then goes for the implant DDT, but Tessmacher rolls through and cradles Mickie for 3.
Winner: Brooke Tessmacher
Mickie looks REALLY pissed off that she lost, but we step away from her to see RVD and Jeff Hardy backstage, as they're...WALKING!
It's main event time!
Bound For Glory Series: Rob Van Dam vs Jeff Hardy
RVD and Hardy exchange a series of quick rollup attemmpts, but neither man gets an advantage. RVD tries the split legged duck under, but Hardy knows his playbook and hits a legdrop to the back of the head and a double jump baseball slide in the corner. RVD rolls out to the floor and sweeps Hardy's legs, then comes off the top rope with a flying thrust kick. RVD hits Rolling Thunder for 2, then follows up with a split-legged moonsault for another 2. Hardy turns the tide with a bulldog and a reverse enziguiri, followed by a sitout gourdbuster. Hardy takes the shirt off ond comes off the top rope with the Swanton, but RVD moves out of the way and heads up top himself. RVD takes too long going "ROB...VAN...DAM" and misses a 450, and Hardy hits a nasty DDT for 2. Hardy quickly follows up with another DDT and that's enough to put RVD away for 3.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
AJ Styles and Dixie Carter are backstage, and they're...POWERWALKING!
With all of tonight's BFG Series matches in the book, we look at the leader board as James Storm is comfortably in the lead with 27 points, with Kurt Angle a distant second at 10 and everyone else with either 7 or 0.
Now it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for, as Dixie Carter and AJ styles come out arm in arm to face the music in front of the Impact Zone fans. Dixie says that this has been going on for a long time and these situations never have a positive outcome. People are hurt, lives and families are destroyed, and...uh...AJ takes the microphone and tells Dixie that they can leave right now and they don't have to tell anyone anything. Dixie hesitates as AJ leads Dixie to the ropes, but some girl who I assume to be AJ's wife comes out to the ring looking really upset and comes into the ring to address the fans. (Note from Stu: this chick was really rambling when she started talking, and I tried to make it as coherent as possible, but the rest of this segment might still look a bit disjointed.) I didn't catch her name, but she seems really attached to both AJ and Dixie and she can come to them with anything, and Dixie was there when she needed her. She's here to tell everyone the truth, and that's that Dixie and AJ aren't having an affair, but she's an addict who's trying to get clean. She drinks, she does pills, and it got so bad that she took money from her family and couldn't go to them for help, she wakes up in hotels with strangers, and that's when she went to Dixie and AJ for help and they were there. AJ took her to rehab, they weere there for her, and that's when Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian got in the way. The hotel room they went in was hers, Dixie and AJ were just trying to protect her, and Daniels is a liar. We see Daniels and Kazarian looking really pissed backstage, and the junkie girl freaks when she sees them come out to the ring and get in a fight with AJ. AJ totally loses his mind and destroys both of them by himself, nearly powerbombing Kazarian through the mat before taking Daniels out with a Pelle Kick, and he's on top of Daniels repeatedly punching him in the face as we call it a wrap.
Thanks for following tonight's live coverage of Impact Wrestling, I'll be back tomorrow with Dave Scherer in the Elite section to discuss Impact Wrestling and more on the Stu & Pid Show!
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