TNA Impact!  29.Sept.2011

Impact Starts with Sting calling Bobby Roode into the ring.
The fans chant "Bobby" and Sting tells him he believes in him, that he can beat Kurt Angle for the World Title. The fans in the Impact Zone agree.
Sting puts over Roode but tells him to not allow Kurt to get into his head. He wants Roode to convince him that he is ready.
Bobby Roode agrees that Kurt wants to get into his head, but after his 13 years in the business, he knows that opportunities like this are rare and he is promising everyone that he will become the TNA World Champion at Bound For Glory.
Roode asks Sting to promise him that he will take care of Hulk Hogan so that the company can finally get back to where it belongs.
AJ Styles comes to the ring and tells Bobby to take the opportunity and make the best of it as even though he is a former World Champion, he hasn't had another shot at the Title in a long time and unless you are friends with the right people... "brother"... you don't get ahead in the business.
Kurt Angle appears on the ramp and tells AJ Styles that if he wins his match tonight against Bobby Roode, he will get a shot at the World Title after Bound For Glory.
Angle tells Sting that Dixie made him look like a jackass and that there is no way that she will take control of the company again.

Austin Aries on commentary.....
4 Way Ladder Match X Division No.1 Contender Contract
Brian Kendrick Vs Zima Ion Vs Alex Shelley Vs Kid Kash Vs Jesse Sorensen

Total non-stop action in this match, I wish it had more time so that it could be less "spotty", but I enjoyed the work by all these guys.
Brian Kendrick, Alex Shelley & Kid Kash looked especially impressive, as they always do.
I can't cover everything that these great athletes did in the few minutes they had, the match was contested at such a quick pace, but Brian Kendrick managed to run up the ladder just before Alex Shelley and retrieve the contract to face Austin Aries for the X Division Title.
Kid Kash is still so damn impressive in the ring.

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett demands Kazarian gets into the ring and with his "Skanky" girlfriend, Tracy as he wants to have words with them for their actions last week......

After the break, Jeff Jarrett calls both Kazarian and Tracy to the ring and says they are “ungrateful bastards” for the way they talked to Karen the week before. Tracy and Karen as well as Jeff and Kazarian start to brawl.  D-Low Brown and a ton of other officials come to the ring to break them apart.
Gunner gets in the ring and hits an impressive F5 on Kazarian.

After highlights of Ink Inc jumping Mexican America last week in the tattoo parlour....
As Ink Inc come to ring, they are ambushed by Mexican America and beaten down at ringside before they are thrown into the ring.
Mexican America hit a back suplex / top rope splash combo on both Jesse and Shannon before they spray-paint them and leave them laying in the middle of the ring.

Backstage, Bully Ray cuts a good, intense short promo about already knowing about Hogan's announcement later tonight...

A Bobby Roode segment airs, with Roode  talking out of character about his career before and during TNA.
He also mentions being a long time fan of hockey and working out.
This was a great segment for those unfamiliar with Roode, I'm pleased to see TNA building him up as a main event talent, as I've always been a fan of his work.

Backstage, James Storm cuts a promo about being happy for Robert Roode having a chance to win the World Title at Bound For Glory...

Ric Flair is in Hogan's office, trying to convince him to not make the announcement he is about to make....
Flair calls Hogan the biggest star in the history of the business and tells him he can’t do it....

A video package showing the history between Tera, Madison Rayne and Mickie James in TNA airs...

Tera Vs Madison Rayne

As Tera makes her way to the ring, Madison Rayne is flirting with Earl Hebner inside it.
Earl favours Madison during the match, helping her get the advantage on a couple of occasions. Tera manages to take control, but Madison scores the pin with a quick roll up, with her feet on the ropes. Does Earl see Rayne cheat and ignore it or did he miss her feet on the ropes for extra leverage?....

Chris Daniels is backstage and says he is leaving the building because he doesn't have a match tonight....

Crimson comes to the ring and calls out Samoa Joe.... Samoa Joe comes to the ramp and tells Crimson that he is lucky that he didn't put him out for good. Joe says that he allowed Crimson to stick around because "Without Crimson, who else is going to be my bitch?" Crimson attacks Joe on the ramp with a spear  and they brawl at ringside. Joe blocks a kick and works over Crimson on the outside. Joe throws him into the ring, where he works over his leg and puts him into a figure-four heel hook submission.
Matt Morgan's music hits and Morgan clears Joe out of the ring......  Matt teases an attack on the downed Crimson, but helps him up instead, before leaving the ring.

Mr Anderson Vs The Pope

These guys have a short match which spills to the outside.
Devon's kids at ringside grab Mr Anderson to stop him from charging at The Pope.
Mr Anderson gets back into the ring and Devon comes down the ramp, unhappy that Terence and Tarell interfered, while The Pope tries to defend them….
Inside the ring, Bully Ray slides in and nails Anderson with a stiff Singapore cane shot to the back of his head.   The Pope rolls back into the ring and pins Anderson.

Robert Roode Promo on facing AJ Styles later tonight….

Backstage Devon is telling off his kids for what they did in the last match, The pope continues to defend their actions. Devon tells Pope not to interfere.

I really loved the Bobby Roode video packages on Impact, showing him preparing for Kurt Angle by training, watching tapes, etc.
They reminded me of the build up video packages between Shawn Michaels Vs Bret Hart for Mania 12, or even more so, similar to the way UFC treat fights on their PPV pre-shows.
Bobby Roode has been in the business for 13 years and worked his ass off all this time for this chance for the TNA World Title. The fact that the video packages stressed this and gave insight into who Robert Roode is, makes the fans feel more invested in him and the upcoming match feel so much more important.
I think TNA have been doing such a great job with Robert Roode's push and it kinda came out of nowhere.
Who predicted Robert Roode to win the Bound For Glory Series? I know I didn't, but it was a great decision. I've been a a big fan of Roode since his Team Canada days in TNA, so I am really happy to see him get this chance.




Robert Roode Vs AJ Styles

These guys have such a great match. I tried to recap each move, but it was just too much for me to keep up with.  For the finish, AJ Styles missed the Pele' kick and got caught in a crossface by Roode, which he tapped out to. Roode checked on Styles after the match to make sure he was not injured.

After the break, AJ Styles explained that he has no hard feelings about losing the match to Robert Roode and he still wished him well for Bound For Glory.

Hulk Hogan comes to the ring and puts over the TNA roster, saying that in the time he has been in TNA he has done his best to give back to the locker room and tell them everything he can to help.
Sting is shown backstage watching on a monitor and he calls Hogan the “best actor in the business”.
Hogan says that after all his surgeries, his divorce and everything he has been through, the one thing he has never lost were the fans and the guys in the back.
He announces that next week he wants to invite everyone to Knoxville, where it will be the last time that we see Hogan inside a wrestling ring.

Sting says that he will be in Knoxville next week....


Overall I thought this was another really good edition of Impact!