It is tough to believe, but it has now been eight years since the man who needed no gimmicks, Chris Candido passed away. Usually, I don’t post about wrestlers on the anniversaries of their deaths, but I found this match on IWC’s official YouTube channel a while back and figured I’d share. Outside of Punk’s tribute which consists of having “Candido” on his arm tape and an after match promo the bout itself is nifty.
Punk opens it up by going after McChesney’s legs. McChesney gets taken down, but not for long. After a while Punk really gives it to McChesney by laying in a total chopfest. McChesney will not just lean against the corner and take that so before long he is firing back. He hits a sweet looking dropkick off the second rope to really exclaim this. Punk comes back with another chopfest and to counter this McChesney delivers a monster big splash. McChesney’s win comes off as a fluke when he slides Punk onto the mat for the win. This was really the only way McChesney could convincingly beat Punk at the time because McChesney wasn’t exactly Samoa Joe and Punk was red hot on the indies.
Here is one hot off the presses or at least it would be if the official YouTube channel of AJPW had presses. AJPW might get a lot of guff and I throw in my fair share, but the company still puts out tons of great matches each year. This one which took place in Taiwan in 2011 showcases Joe Doering taking on Masayuki Kono. Throughout the bout I could not help, but think of Mike Awesome just by looking at Doering. From his body type to his style all he has to do is whip out some powerbombs and it would be like the second coming.
This bout is short, but sweet. Yesterday, I talked about the importance of time allotment and how difficult it is to put on a good match in under ten minutes. Fortunately, as I’ve written about before Kono can do this without any problems. Unfortunately, this match has tons of stalling. Still, Doering keeps it entertaining by verbally abusing his opponent. In particular the line, “Who’s the *expletive* man in Taiwan, huh? You’re looking at him,” gets a rise out of the audience. Doering also builds up to his strikes, which given his massive upper body are sure to deliver and when he finally hits them they don’t disappoint.
Right now Doering could come into a top rated indie and not quite be a Samoa Joe, but still a convincing main event monster. Let’s just hope his potentially gets fully realized and he is not saddled with a 1970′s obsession or fat chick thriller gimmick.
Okay, you TNA haters. It is true enough that the company has been guilty of all of these sins to some extent. Still, the asylum (or former asylum anyway) is nowhere near as badly run in TNA as it was in WCW. However, here are a few wrestlers TNA could sign to start fixing that. Why, you may ask? Just for giggles.
1. Vader
Vader made a brief return to the WWE earlier this year and promptly squashed Heath Slater. He then followed this up by coming to blows with a nearly 70 year old Harley Race. Even with Vince Russo gone the company has shown a desire to continue booking worked-shoots. Well, using the WCW philosophy there is no better way to trick an audience into believing something might be real than hiring someone who may actually have a screw or two lose. How else can you explain Scott Steiner’s 2000-2001 push? Sure, the mastodon may not be as fearsome as he once was and there is no way he can cut a promo like Scott Steiner (who can?), but to live up to WCW’s name TNA needs to starting taking chances. Incredible chances, illogical chances, idiotic chances! With TNA’s riskiest recent signing being Christian York a guy who probably should have been signed to a major company ten years ago and probably gets paid with Monopoly money, TNA needs to throw some big bucks at Vader to balance things out.
2. Shark Boy
With TNA showing some love for underwhelming reveals recently the company has taken some strides to resemble the old WCW. But was Devon really as bad of a reveal as Road Warrior Animal? Perhaps. Still, sometimes “perhaps” just isn’t good enough. A way to top this would be by running some short vignettes saying that “3:16 is coming to TNA” only to reveal that instead of Austin, TNA has brought back Shark Boy with his tribute to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gimmick. Actually, going beyond just for giggles bringing back Shark Boy may not be that bad of an idea. He could work with a lot of the X division guys and TNA could probably get away with not paying him that much. Of course as long as York is willing to share his Monopoly money with Shark Boy then why not?
3. Adam Bomb
Now, I know what you’re saying. “Isn’t that guy dead.” No, that’s Brian Adams. Yes, it is easy to get the former Demolition Crush mixed up with people whether it be his former tag team partners or a Canadian singer-songwriter. What you also may be saying is, “Hasn’t Bryan Clarke been retired for like 10 years? God knows what kind of shape he is in?” To that I answer that if Brock Lesnar can return to the WWE in 2012 then surely Adam Bomb can return to TNA in 2013. If nothing else he could be signed to a short term contract and fed to a bigger hoss the way that he was fed to Bill Goldberg in the original WCW. I think Samoa Joe is hungry.
4. El Generico
Like Shark Boy this guy could fit in great by wrestling the X division roster. Plus, one of the legacies that WCW left behind was the company’s tendency to sign world class talent and do absolutely nothing with them. They had the technical wizard himself, freaking Yuji Nagata for over a year and the most he did was briefly feud with Ultimo Dragon and then was quietly swept under the ring. Just think of all the potential they could pee away with El Generico. Generico is one of the most well traveled independent wrestles out there and has wrestled in countries as random as Peru, Chile and Sweden. TNA signing him to an exclusive contract could kill that traveling act just like Nagata’s commitment to WCW prevented who knows how many potential great matches for NJPW. Somewhere John Laurinaitis’ mouth is watering.
5. Kevin Steen
El Generico and Kevin Steen go together like peanut butter and ketchup to a weirdo without taste buds. For some reason you can’t have one without the other. If TNA signed El Generico then it stands to reason that they would have to sign Steen…then promptly make no mention of their past history together. Steen is the kind of guy who could come in and if positioned right could look like a legitimate challenge to someone the company has already built up. Say Bully Ray for example. Of course if they were to follow the WCW model they couldn’t book him that well. After all his name is Kevin Steen, not Bil Goldberg or Lance Storm. So if TNA signed Steen then perhaps the best he could hope for would be a one sided feud with Bully before quickly dropping down the card. Alternatively, they could throw him in with Aces & 8s since the company loves to throw away talent that way.
6. Scott Steiner
As mentioned earlier no one can cut a promo quite like Scott Steiner so why not bring him back? He’s already suing TNA anyway so what could be a more amicable way to end this bad blood then with a nice fat paycheck. On the negative side Scott Steiner has been hit or miss in the ring for a while now and he’s not getting any younger. On the positive side the man has that Ultimate Warrior kind of appeal that can only come from some legitimate insanity. Kind of like why Damien Demento developed a cult following after he started making Internet videos a few years back. Wait! That’s it! Give Steiner his own Internet recap show! License to print money.
The 2012 edition of TNA Final Resolution probably falls somewhere in the middle of all the pay-per-views the company has had this year in terms of quality. There were no mind blowing matches, but at the same time there were no stinkers either. Predictably AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels had the match of the night even though that rivalry has been played out to death. In fact, the commentators even pointed out that all in all TNA estimates that Styles/Daniels happened 115 times in one form or another. Austin Aries/Bully Ray had the second best competition and managed to improve on their beyond decent performance at TNA Sacrifice 2012. Rob Van Dam/Kenny King and Tara/Mickie James exceeded expectations with the latter being the best women’s match the company has had on pay-per-view in sometime. With that said let’s take a tad closer look at the night that was.
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James Storm defeated Kazarian
James Storm opened the show by cutting a promo. He talked about how he wasn’t scheduled to compete at the event, but would still like to take apart Bobby Roode. Instead Kazarian came out and insulted Storm and the audience for being alcoholics. Storm demanded a match with Kazarian and a referee came down to make it official. The match had the feeling of a typical opener from TNA’s weekly TV show rather than being pay-per-view worthy. Just when the action starts to get going Storm signals for the last call super kick. Luckily, the heelish Kazarian pulls the ref in front of him. Unluckily, about five seconds later Storm hits the kick and the match ends anyway.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Kenny King to retain the TNA X Division Championship
Last month RVD ruined what could have been Joey Ryan’s first great X division pay-per-view match like he has ruined so many other matches. Of course I’m talking about his excessive showboating. RVD appeared very unlike how he is these days in this contest and I mean that in the best possible way. Van Dam kept his head in the game for this one, that is until King nearly knocked it off. When RVD went for a top rope maneuver the former WWF Tough Enough contestant cut him off with a kick that sent the ECW alumnus to the outside. These guys couldn’t keep up a lightning quick pace forever and the bout started to slow down after this spot. King came close to hitting RVD with the royal flush, but RVD instead caught him with a body scissors pin to triumph.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship
Poor Joey Ryan. When is he ever going to catch a break on a TNA pay-per-view? Okay, nothing he has been in has been too bad including this match, which is at least decent. However, if you’ve seen some of his indie work then you can attest that Ryan is capable of so much more. If he doesn’t have a near 4 star X division match in the next six months than it will be obvious TNA has no idea how to unleash his full potential. Anyway, the heels come off as a threat here and the most interesting part of the bout prior to the conclusion is when Morgan and Hernandez get in the ring together. Morgan keeps challenging Hernandez to bounce off the ropes and knock him down, but Morgan continues to hold his ground. Still, as tough as the challengers look it isn’t long before Chavo hits a frog splash on Ryan for the pin and…Morgan pulls the ref out. The champions retain, but it is via disqualification. Morgan lets loose on Chavo after the bell rings and Hernandez does his splash over the top rope.
Rating: 3 stars
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Austin Aries defeated Bully Ray
Bully Ray gets busted open in this match that is a good deal more physical than their previous pay-per-view encounter. The Brooke Hogan/Bully Ray storyline continues as Brooke comes out to check on her battered Bubba toy. Aries becomes livid (or at least more livid) and grabs Brooke and throws her in the ring. Before Aries can do anything else to Brooke, Bully awakens and starts laying into Aries. Hulk Hogan also comes out and Bully yells at him that they have to get Brooke out of there as if Aries was wielding an axe and high on PCP. With Bully still distracted by Brooke, Aries hits him with a nut shot and gets the win. On a side note it is a good thing they are not paying Hogan on a per appearance deal. He really added nothing to this show.
Rating: 4 stars
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Tara (c) (with Jessie Godderz) defeated Mickie James to retain the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship
Micke James brings some fiery offense to the table early on, but Tara nearly hits a widow’s peak. Mickie manages to avoid it. After some clotheslines and striking it looks like it is time for Tara to retreat so Jessie pulls her out of the ring. Mickie shows her disdain for this move by hitting a sweet looking Lou Thesz press to the outside. Jessie is not quite done interfering and distracts Mickie again. Jessie gets a kick for his trouble, but Mickie lets her eye wander from Tara. Tara takes advantage of this with a widow’s peak. If they wanted to push this match from good to great than Mickie would have kicked out and the match would have went another five minutes. However, this is 2012 TNA and the company just can’t allow a great women’s match.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco defeated Devon, DOC and two masked members of Aces & 8s
Kudos to TNA for not going with the obvious swerve by having Wes Brisco and/or Garett Bischoff turn on Angle and Joe. Other than that TNA doesn’t deserve kudos for much else in this match. The Aces & 8s’ storyline needs to either be overhauled or ended immediately. It was bad enough when they were just having Hogan and Sting get into whacky adventures with them every week. Now they are wasting Angle and Joe in pay-per-view matches with a gaggle of rejected Scooby-Doo villains. As for this encounter the match starts with Angle and Devon. Angle has to physically restrain Joe from ripping apart the members of the heel stable. Oddly enough when Joe is tagged in it is not long before Aces & 8s are thoroughly gang assaulting him. Angle comes back in ready to go and it is not long before Angle pins the smaller masked man after an Angle slam.
Rating: 3 stars
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Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles
As many times as this match has happened and as much as Daniels needs to move on, in terms of match quality it is always going to be money in the bank. Here, we get serious Daniels. Well, at least as serious as he can be for a guy who walks to ring with an even more exaggerated version of the McMahon walk. The fight spills outside when Syles does a suplex off of the ring apron. Not to be outdone Daniels drives Styles into the very edge of the ring mat and bounces outside with a uranage slam. Styles sells his exasperation when he just barely misses defeating Daniels with a Styles clash. AJ wants that win even if he has to repeat the move from the ropes. Unfortunately for him Daniels holds on. To add insult to injury Daniels defeats his longtime opponent for the “final time” with a Styles clash of his own.
Rating: 4.25 stars
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Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Anyone ever notice how recently Jeff Hardy has been ganging 20 pounds between the tale of the tape segment and the ring introductions? Anyway, there is a decent amount of back and forth action. Perhaps the spot of match is Hardy missing an attack by using the ring steps to jump off of onto Roode only to instead land in the audience. Aces & 8s come out and the commentators play up Roode’s recent alliance with them. However, Roode just gets distracted with their presence and Hardy defeats him with a twist of fate. After the match Aces & 8s attack both wrestlers. Again, can this angle either be overhauled or ended?
The 2012 edition of TNA Turning Point was comprised of eight matches, the vast majority of which were above 3 stars. Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries indeed brought their A Double game to the table and put on a ladder match that was a significant improvement from their previous contest at Bound for Glory. The James Storm/Bobby Roode/AJ Styles affair was capable of being a 5 star bout given that all three involved have been on a hot streak as of late. While the match didn’t deliver what it could have it still managed to be one of the best of the night. The two other standout matches were the superb opener of Samoa Joe/Magnus and Christopher Daniels and Kazarian taking on Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. Speaking of hot streaks Daniels has been on a crazy one lately. Can we get this guy in the main event scene already? Anyway, here is a rundown of what happened.
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Samoa Joe (c) defeated Magnus to retain the TNA Television Championship in a no disqualification match
Prior to the first match Taz opened the show by bringing out Bully Ray and local Florida radio personality, Buckethead. Personally, I was disappointed that the latter didn’t come out wearing a KFC bucket and jam with Axl Rose. Instead Buckethead asked fans to text in order to donate $10 to the American Red Cross to help assist victims of Hurricane Sandy. After they left the real in-ring action began, but oddly enough not in the ring. The match starts outside with some brawling and Joe gets in some stiff shots before throwing Magnus into the squared circle. Magnus demonstrates what a no disqualification match is later on when he goes outside, grabs a chair and just launches it into Joe’s head while he is trying to go after the Englishman. Joe eventually gets back to the floor by flipping over the ropes onto Magnus. There is some more back and forth, but Magnus has been destined to submit. Joe emerges victorious with a rear naked choke.
Rating: 4 stars
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ODB and Eric Young defeated Tara and Jessie Godderz in a mixed tag team match
Before the bout ODB gives an interview and teases that she can’t find the long missing Eric Young. Young sneaks up behind her and he is back on a TNA pay-per-view for the first time in a longtime. Although with tons of comedy spots and the never pleasant bronco buster from ODB the match is decent. There is an awkward spot where ODB runs in and slams Young to get him closer to their corner so he can make the tag. Why she didn’t just drag him over is beyond me. Young gets the tag, pulls down his pants and delivers a Randy Savage elbow drop from off the top to win it.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Joey Ryan to retain the TNA X Division Championship
The action nearly comes to a stop in this one. Joey Ryan appears eager to wrestle his heart out. Too bad he has RVD to do it with. Tons of showboating ruins this match as RVD takes extended poses after just about every one of his signature moves and some regular moves. Really, with RVD’s attitude you’d think him performing a dropkick to the face was as important as passing the Affordable Care Act. RVD wins it with a 5 star frogsplash only to get a carbon footprint from Matt Morgan while he is making his way to the back.
Rating: 2.5 stars
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DOC defeated Joseph Park
This match was full of stalling and a little brawling. DOC teased beating the crap out of Park throughout the match and at one point even attempted to bring in a hammer. However, before DOC could do to Park what he recently did to Sting, Park speared him. DOC still managed to beat Park for much of the match and eventually ended it with a chokeslam. DOC also tore Park up with a spiked belt somewhere in there, but this one is kind of tough to watch and not space out. Bully Ray comes in later to make the save before Aces & 8s can cause any real damage. On a side note Luke Gallows looks just like Horus Hogan with this gimmick.
Rating: 1.75 stars
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Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Christopher Daniels and Kazarian to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship
Arguably the match of the night this bout had some sweet high flying action and Hernandez mixed it up by bringing his power to the table. Chavo missed a frogsplash early on and his delivery of the move looked awkward as heck. Daniels and Kazarian then take control and simultaneously do the Gangnam Style dance. This is how to play a heel tag team, ladies and gentlemen. Hernandez is not content with simply being the power guy and jumps over the top ropes to hit Daniels and Kazarian with a double clothesline. This move is a sign of things to come as Hernandez lifts Daniels up in the doomsday device position later on and Chavo knocks him off with a crossbody to win.
Rating: 4.25 stars
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James Storm defeated AJ Styles and Bobby Roode to become the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a three way match
The stipulation for this contest is that the winner gets to wrestle for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship while whoever is pinned cannot get a match for the title until Bound for Glory 2013. This match could have been a classic, but we’ll have to settle for just a good match. Poor us. Some nifty spots in this one including Storm and Roode nearly doing their Beer Money pose after teaming up to suplex Styles. However, the heel in Roode won’t let him do it as he tries to attack Storm only to be met with a stiff shot. This isn’t the last time that Storm beats Roode to the punch as Roode gets hit with back stabber while he is preparing a fisherman’s suplex. Storm executes his last call super kick on Styles and pins him for his chance at the tile. AJ looks defeated after the three count and later on refuses to say anything backstage when he is asked about his future.
Rating: 4 stars
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Kurt Angle defeated Devon
Some nice back and forth action in this fairly physical match. Devon heels it up by constantly bullying the ref throughout. Devon and his brother really have swapped gimmicks. Too bad Devon just isn’t as good at it. Anyway, what is good is Angles offense. Unfortunately for him it gets cut off when members of Aces & 8s come out and he gets distracted. Angle turns around and gets tackled by Devon. Devon cannot stay in control and in a flash he is caught in an ankle lock with a grapevine to boot! Devon taps!
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match
While Jeremy Borash is announcing Aries, Aries holds up a cloth banner featuring Jeff Hardy and spits on it before throwing it at the champ. Hardy stays cool, but there is a speedy demon pent up inside of him. He wants both belts, the conventional TNA belt and his custom one that are hanging just above the ladder. The action erupts early and Hardy attempts to make his way up the ladder only to get cut off by Aries who hits a variation of the Russian legsweep to knock his foe off the ladder. Later on Aries tries to trap Hardy on the outside by sticking him between a ladder and covering it with the ring steps. Aries slowly make his way up the ladder, but goes back down to check on Hardy. To his surprise Hardy is nowhere to be found, but when he looks backs in the ring Hardy is climbing the ladder. Aries pushes the ladder over and Hardy comes crashing down to the Earth violently. Hardy takes charge of the match and nearly grabs the title only for the belts to suddenly be raised higher. Hardy looks around and it is revealed that outside of the ring Aries has the controls to raise and lower the belts. Hardy goes after Aries before reaching under the ring to pull out an even taller ladder. The fight ends when the larger ladder falls down with Hardy and Aries on it. It lands on top of another ladder that had been set up horizontally in one of the corners of the ring. Hardy delivers the twist of fate on this ladder and Aries flies to the outside. Hardy then captures the belts.
Interviewer’s Note: Jimmy Rave began his career at the age of 15 and by his early 20s he was a key player in ROH, performing with Prince Nana in The Embassy stable. Rave headlined events and wrestled for the ROH World Championship, arguably the top independent wrestling championship in the world, on multiple occasions. Following ROH he wrestled in TNA as half of The Rock ‘n Rave Infection that also included Lance Rock aka Lance Hoyt and manager Christy Hemme. More recently he wrestled in Ring Ka King, a project operated by TNA that ran out of India. Now, he wrestles for American independent promotions and outside of the ring serves as the Director of The Peer Support, Wellness & Respite Center of Bartow County in Cartersville, Georgia. This interview wrapped up just prior to Election Day on November 5, 2012 so any references to time should be taken from that perspective. He can be followed on Twitter @thejimmyrave. In this interview Rave and I focus on the topic of wrestling in India.
Daniel Johnson: My first question is pretty general. How would you describe yourself and your career in a nutshell? Jimmy Rave: Just a kid that got a lucky break and tried to make the best of it. I’ve got to travel the world, meet great people, have some amazing friends and made a few bucks.
Daniel Johnson: How, if at all has 2012 been different for you than 2011? Jimmy Rave: Really it’s been much of the same. I was involved creatively in a promotion here in Georgia for two years and wrestled other places when I felt like it. Now, I’m just doing things I know I will enjoy.
Daniel Johnson: One of the places you wrestled for fairly recently was for Ring Ka King in India. How did the idea of you wrestling in India first come about? Jimmy Rave: I was sitting at work one day and Dutch Mantel called me up saying, “We’re going to India! Wanna come?”
Daniel Johnson: Did you have any reservations about going or were you completely into the idea from the start? Jimmy Rave: I was down to go from day one! Sonjay Dutt is one of my best friends and so knowing he was going along with Dutch and Jeff Jarrett…I was super excited.
Daniel Johnson: I heard that Sonjay was helpful for the trip due to his knowledge of the language. Did the language barrier give you any trouble in India? Were there any times where Sonjay or someone else helped you in particular? Jimmy Rave: We had a ton of help with that and a lot of the people there know some English, as it was a British territory. The Bollywood Boys were very helpful when Nunzio and I were training the guys though.
Daniel Johnson: Did you come across any native Indian wrestlers that you think could have big careers in front of them? Jimmy Rave: Pagal Parinda was very good. So was Barood and Jwala has a presence that is really something that needs to be seen live.
Daniel Johnson: Backing up a little bit what was your understanding of wrestling in India prior to working for Ring Ka King? Jimmy Rave: None…I knew that WWE had toured there some but I had no idea when.
Daniel Johnson: I’ve heard varying descriptions of what Americans think about India when visiting the country. What were your first impressions of India? Jimmy Rave: There were so many people and the driving was scary! I also thought it seemed like a very hard life for some people but I’ve seen that in other countries too. Including the USA.
Daniel Johnson: Once you got settled in India what did a typical work day look like for you there? Jimmy Rave: Well, I had the best roommate, Zema Ion. We would usually grab some food and jump on the bus at around 11 AM then get to the show and work out. We would start taping around 6 PM and go back to the hotel around 11 PM. The second tour, myself and Nunizo would train some of the other wrestlers from 9 AM to 12 PM then eat and so on. I would be at the building from 9AM until 11 PM that tour.
Daniel Johnson: Did you have any days off there? If so what did you do for fun? Jimmy Rave: I can’t remember having a day off and if I did I was probably sleeping!
Daniel Johnson: Haha, getting back to the in-ring product how big was the first crowd you worked in front of in India? Jimmy Rave: Each night was a packed out house. It was a studio audience so they were brought in, fed and then reacted to the show. We were in the same studio each night.
Daniel Johnson: Any idea what the capacity was of the studio? Jimmy Rave: 1,100-1,200, I would assume.
Daniel Johnson: What was the atmosphere of an Indian crowd like? What did they react to and what were they unreceptive to? Jimmy Rave: They were very hmm “virgin.” They didn’t react to a lot of “high spots” or fast paced wrestling. They enjoyed heat and letting a match build. It was great!
Daniel Johnson: I listened to Sonjay Dutt’s “Art of Wresting” episode a while back and I remember he mentioned there being no real promotions touring in India, but there being a massive fan base in India. Did you see or hear of any promotions in India outside of Ring Ka King no matter how small they might have been? If so, could you describe them? If not why do you think none exist? Jimmy Rave: I didn’t hear of any and they probably don’t exist because of the lack of good trainers. The Ring Ka King crew had Savio Vega and Eugene and it doesn’t get much better than that!
Daniel Johnson: What did you think of the finished Ring Ka King television product. Did they capture the atmosphere of the live show? Jimmy Rave: I loved it because it was simple and very much captured the energy we felt there. I am shocked we aren’t over there now.
Daniel Johnson: Do you have any particularly interesting memories of teaming with Zema Ion? Jimmy Rave: Yeah we had a really fun time hanging out and teaming together. I thought we complimented each other very well. I loved our match with Sonjay/Magnus. I would love to see how we could do as a team in Impact.
Daniel Johnson: Do you have a favorite match or just in-ring moment that sticks out from India? What about a least favorite one? Jimmy Rave: Probably Sonjay/Magnus versus Me/Zema was my favorite match. Before that night, I hadn’t watched a lot of Magnus stuff but oh man he was amazing to work with and I believe very underrated! I don’t believe I had a least favorite but I am a huge critic of my own work so I thought I could’ve done better in all of my stuff.
Daniel Johnson: How do you think a stable like The Embassy would work in front of an Indian crowd? Jimmy Rave: Oh, no doubt we could work in any environment, I think. When myself, Alex Shelley and Abyss with Nana were in ROH…I believe we were unstoppable. Imagine us on a TV show like Impact, ya know? We had a chemistry and I was having the time of my life.
Daniel Johnson: Overall, what was the most pleasant part about working in India? What about the least pleasant? Jimmy Rave: Just the opportunity to be invited and be a part of something new like that in an amazing country like India. The crew we had over there Chavo Guerrero, Luke Gallows, Zema, Sonjay, Scott Steiner, Magnus, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Dutch Mantel, Savio Vega, Eugene, Harry Smith, The Bollywood Boys, Nunzio, Joey Ryan, Rudy Charles…just an amazing group of guys! The lease pleasant was trying to get back to the states on December 23, 2011 for ROH’s Final Battle. The travel time was 30 hours or something like that so I was so freaking tired for that match but really wanted to do it.
Daniel Johnson: Is there any advice you would give someone going to India to wrestle? Jimmy Rave: Just the same advice I would give anyone going anywhere. Remember how fortunate you are, someone is flying you, paying you, and featuring you on a show halfway across the world. How awesome is that? The least you could do is embrace and respect their culture and give your all because that’s what the fans always deserve, let alone the promoters.
Daniel Johnson: Do you ever see yourself going back to India to wrestle? Jimmy Rave: I would love to go back but who knows. I always say never say never.
Daniel Johnson: Now, that you are back home what are you doing? For those unfamiliar, how would you describe your work outside of wrestling? Jimmy Rave: I am the Director of the Peer Support, Wellness, & Respite Center of Bartow County here in Cartersville, GA. We support people who have challenges with mental health and/or substance abuse.
Daniel Johnson: How did you first get into the mental health field? Jimmy Rave: Through dealing with my own struggles I stumbled upon this thing called Certified Peer Specialist. Then applied for a job with no expectations and luckily received the director’s position. I’ve been very lucky in both pro wrestling and this line of work.
Daniel Johnson: I have a two part question. What should someone be aware of if they think they have an undiagnosed mental disorder? Also, what should someone be aware of if they think they know someone with an undiagnosed mental disorder? Can you offer any advice? Jimmy Rave: The great thing about my work is we are a non profit service…we don’t even ask for a diagnosis. I think if you treat people with respect and talk to people with respect that is what you’ll get in return. I believe a lot of things occur due to past traumatic experiences (abuse, neglect, etc.) and we are all just doing the best we can at any given point in our lives. I think walking into a situation and saying, “What happened to you” instead of “What’s wrong with you” is a very good approach. My advice is to listen and to listen from a point of not knowing.
Daniel Johnson: What, if any misconceptions do you think there are about addictive diseases? Jimmy Rave: That “recovery” isn’t possible for everyone! I’ve seen people be written off as lifelong addicts and they turn their lives around into being something very different then just being an “addict.”
Daniel Johnson: Some people choose a profession based on past experience in their background. Did your background lead you to this profession at all and if so how? Jimmy Rave: That is the main thing that lead me to this…my challenges, which I thought I’d have to keep quiet and would hinder me for life. Now, they’re what I get paid for and are tools to support people in moving forward with their own lives.
Daniel Johnson: As part of my last few questions I like to ask five non-wrestling related questions just to bring a little uniqueness to the interview. If you don’t have an answer or don’t want to answer one of them just feel free to say, “skip.” Outside of wrestling, what television shows do you enjoy watching these days? Jimmy Rave: Wait…there is time in the day for TV? With a full-time job, pro wrestling, family and the other advocacy work I do…TV is the last thing on my mind. My favorite show of all time is The Wire though.
Daniel Johnson: What was your favorite movie that came out this year? Jimmy Rave: I don’t think I’ve seen any…
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite food that you tried for the first time this year? Jimmy Rave: I am the pickiest eater ever so I’m not sure that I’ve tried anything new really but I guess it was everything I ate in India. I have no idea what it was but just closed my eyes and dove in!
Daniel Johnson: What is your favorite song to come out this year? Jimmy Rave: “Novacane” by Lil’ Wayne.
Daniel Johnson: Did you vote in your last local election? If so would you be willing to say for who? Jimmy Rave: I have not voted yet but will be tomorrow and I’ll be voting for the RIGHT person!
Daniel Johnson: This is kind of off topic, but I’d feel lame if I didn’t ask it since it interested me when I saw it. Anyway, I recently saw you ranked on a top 10 list of ROH wrestlers who never held the ROH World Championship. How much do you think a run with the ROH World Title would have helped your career, if at all? Do you think the importance of title runs today is exaggerated or are they significant? Jimmy Rave: I would have loved that opportunity and I am sure it could’ve really helped me at one point. I think a promotion and a champion can really make a title mean something. Samoa Joe’s ROH title run was so awesome, as was CM Punk’s and Bryan Danielson’s so I really believe in the importance of a good champion. I would have loved the challenge of trying to have a good run with a belt there. I have never seen myself in that type of role but maybe I should have?
Daniel Johnson: This is a broad question, but one I try to ask everyone: What is the weirdest part of being a professional wrestler? Jimmy Rave: I’ve been doing this since I was 15 years old and so just the idea that I had friends all over the world yet didn’t know anyone in my own town was always weird to me. I would stay gone so much I just didn’t make connections with many people in my own area yet could go to Japan or the United Kingdom and have tons of people I had a relationship with there. I love the fact that some of my best friends are from such different backgrounds and we all connected through this whacky world of wrestling.
Daniel Johnson: My last question is just is there anything you would like to add or talk about that we haven’t talked about already? Jimmy Rave: I just wanted to tell people who may read this, thank you for the support you may (or may not) have given me over the last 14 years. I was just a kid with a dream and continued to learn and grow and 14 years later I am doing the very same thing in every aspect of my life. Pro Wrestling gave me a family that I really didn’t have and an opportunity to see the world. I am very thankful for that. My love affair with pro wrestling hasn’t ended by any means.
See Jimmy Rave wrestle for ROH! In this match with Pelle Primeau, Rave has Prince Nana in his corner, but that doesn’t stop him from getting covered in toilet paper:
Time can be weird in wrestling. For instance, if you look at Yoshihiro Tajiri in this match he doesn’t look that much different from when he last regularly appeared in the largest wrestling promotion in the world, WWE. If anything he has probably improved because he has been able to tap into his full potential by not being restricted in the ring or to a comedy character. Partnering with The Great Muta against Suwama and Kai, Tajiri shows just how technical he can be with the mat wrestling he uses throughout the match (though by the end it pretty much disappears).
All this technical stuff starts with an odd move when Tajiri takes down Kai and grabs his leg. Kai just sits there while Tajiri sticks his butt in his face. Now go to your local bus station and try this out on the first guy you see. You’d be surprised with the results (I know I was). Still, the funniest part of the bout has to be when the Tajiri distracts the ref and Muta goes to town on Suwama with a chair. Its nice to see that wrestling refs in Japan require the same experience that refs in the United States do namely a serious blow to the head and an addiction to sniffing glue. Yet, Suwama out-dumbs the ref when he wrestles the chair away from Muta only for Muta to convince Suwama not to whack him with it. Suwama then is immediately attacked by the master of the mist with an eye rake. He deserves to lose!
Getting back to the subject of time it works differently for different wrestlers. While Tajiri may look more or less the same some wrestlers jump up the wrestling ladder in a blink. Take for instance Kazuchika Okada. One minute he is waiting in a Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) ring for Samoa Joe to kill him.
TNA Bound for Glory (2012) delivered. Could the Austin Aries/Jeff Hardy main event have been better? Sure. Was the main event beyond decent at least? Absolutely! Add to that, that there were at least two matches even better including an awesome Bobby Roode/James Storm encounter and you’ve got quite a show. I recently mentioned that I wished TNA would have kept the title on Roode and this bout supports that line of thinking. Storm and Roode should gain huge momentum from this match and it will be a crime if in two months neither of them is in the pay-per-view main event. Perhaps the best part of Bound for Glory was that there was not a stinker in the bunch. Okay, the women’s match could have been a lot better (especially considering the participants), but it was pretty short and far from awful.
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Rob Van Dam defeated Zema Ion (c) to win the TNA X Division Championship
Zema gets twin two counts after an awkward spinning DDT. Zema pushes RVD out of the ring and flips over the top rope onto him. Inside, RVD misses a monkey flip and Zema goes up top, nailing a dropkick. RVD turns the match completely around by hitting a dropkick, a rolling thunder and a 5 star frog splash all in a row to win.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Samoa Joe (c) defeated Magnus to retain the TNA Television Championship
Magnus hits a variety of impressive maneuvers while he is in control. He gets Joe in a 619 position and drops a sharp running elbow on his back. Magnus shortly after hits a move resembling a Michinoku driver on the hefty Samoan. Joe fights back and soon clamps on an STF and turns that into a pure arm submission, but Magnus reaches the ropes. Joe attempts a muscle buster, but gets shoved off of the ropes and hit with a top rope elbow. Oh yeah! Joe tries the rear naked choke with Magnus escaping twice. The third time proves to be a charm for Joe and he retains by tap out.
Rating: 3.75 stars
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James Storm defeated Bobby Roode in a street fight
King Mo serves as the special guest enforcer during this battle. There is tons of brawling to start and Storm knocks Roode all over the outside. Mo stares down Roode then stares down Storm. Storm introduces chairs into the match, but doesn’t really do anything with them. Roode slingshots Storm into the ring post on the floor and Storm blades. Roode whacks Storm on the back with a chair and goes after his wound. The two go back inside along with some weapons and Storm begins to dominate with a kendo stick and trash can including a nut shot using the two. Storm is covered in a full crimson mask, but DDTs Roode on the ramp. A fan gives Storm a crutch and he hits Roode with it. The two end up on the announce table and Roode spears Storm off the regular announce table and through the Spanish one. Roode tries to pick on referee Earl Hebner, but Mo shoves him. Storm attacks and hits a last call super kick for a super close two count. Roode shoves Storm into a chair and schoolboys him, but only gets two. Roode takes out some thumbtacks, but gets pushed off the top rope onto them as Storm drops a top rope elbow…for two. Oh…no? Roode takes out Storm’s beer bottles, but Storm grabs one and throws it at Roode’s face. The crowd chants, “one more time” and Storm responds with a last call super kick to send Roode onto the thumbtacks for the victory.
Rating: 4.75 stars
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Joey Ryan defeated Al Snow
If Joey Ryan wins this match he will get a permanent contract with TNA. There are some “we want head” chants to start and Snow offers Ryan the chance to mount him…what a way for Joey Ryan to enter TNA (and hopefully not Al Snow!). Anyway, Ryan can’t get in any offense early on until he scores some cheap shots and manages a one count after a suplex. Al headbutts Ryan, tugs on his chest hair and Snow plows him, but only gets two. Al gets Head out from under the ring, but Ryan shoves Al into the ref as soon as he comes back in. Ryan kisses Head and slides to the outside. Snow traps Ryan by using the ring apron, but gets a big boot from an interfering Matt Morgan. Snow gets rolled back into the ring and Ryan pins him. Ryan and Morgan shake hands afterward.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez defeated Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (c) and AJ Styles and Kurt Angle to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a three way match
AJ and Chavo start off with some mat wrestling and Chavo wraps on a few headlocks. The action picks up quickly and at one point Kazarian flips AJ over so high that it looks like he really is ready to fly. AJ hits the pele and tags in Angle who hits some Germans on Kazarian. Chavo and Hernandez get back into the action and there are a series of awesome moves to the outside. These include a moonsault by Daniels, a plancha by Hernandez and a flip that AJ performs after jumping from one top rope to another! More carnage erupts, but clears leaving Hernandez to pin Daniels after a border toss and a frog splash from Chavo.
Rating: 4 stars
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Tara defeated Brooke Tessmacher (c) to win the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship
The crowd is pretty quiet for this one even when Brooke manages an impressive hurricanrana jumping from the top rope and landing onto Tara. Tara wins the belt with a widow’s peak and gets on the mic to announce her celebrity boyfriend, Jessie Godderz from the reality show Big Brother 10. An appropriate “who are you?” chant breaks out.
Rating: 2.75 stars
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Two members of Aces & 8s defeated Sting and Bully Ray in a no disqualification match
Before the match clips from Sting’s TNA Hall of Fame induction ceremony are shown featuring speeches from Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter. The stakes are high as if Aces & 8s win they get full access to TNA, but if they lose then they will go away forever. Sting comes out in a classic colorful Sting jacket and Bully has on some face paint in the style of surfer Sting. The two members of Aces & 8s come out with Joseph Park and give him a shot to the gut and handcuff him to the guardrail before the four participants dive head first into some brawling. Sting tries a Stinger’s splash on the guardrail, but misses. The match goes inside and Aces & 8s dominate until Sting makes a hot tag to Bully. A third member of Aces & 8s comes in, but Park breaks free and fights him to the back. Sting signals for the table, but a fourth member of Aces & 8s shows up and drives Bully through it. Aces & 8s win and Mike Tenay and Taz sell it hard. Hulk Hogan comes out and attacks members of Aces & 8s as more are coming in. Hogan Hulks up on the one who put Bully through a table and unmasks him to reveal…Devon! “This is awkward” chants break out. Seriously.
Rating: 3 stars
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Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries (c) to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Aries heels it up like never before by pulling on hair, sneaking in cheap shots, etc. The crowd doesn’t buy any of it and sounds split about 60 to 40 in favor of Aries. As the match unfolds Aries tries a brainbuster, but is blocked by Hardy and instead gets his face smashed into the mat. On the outsie Hardy misses a dive onto Aries and Aries fires back with a suicide dive. Back inside and Aries is bloody as he locks on the last chancery, but is unable to get a submission. After some more back and forth action Jeff hits the twist of fate and tries a swanton bomb. Aries cuts him off with a hurricanrana and gets a super close two count with a brainbuster. Hardy battles back and wins it with another twist of fate and a swanton bomb.
TNA Hardcore Justice (2012) was just above the middle of the road for recent TNA pay-per-views. It wasn’t the best production by a long shot, but certainly above average quality. Austin Aries and Bobby Roode continued to not live up to the potential an Aries/Roode encounter could be. Yet, they still gave a great performance. The first two Bound for Glory Series matches were so-so, but the final one featuring AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle more than delivered. Everything else was just kind of there, but at least there were no stinkers. In the end the show did a good job of developing existing feuds and creating anticipation for what Austin Aries will do next.
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Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez defeated Gunner and Kid Kash
Not a bad opener that sees the team of Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez in their first pay-per-view encounter. Chavo does a good job of hiding Hernandez’s weaknesses, which proves that Hernandez is best suited for the tag business. Hernandez gets in his usual plancha and pops the crowd with shoulder blocks on Gunner and Kash. Still, not seeing Homicide in his corner really makes me miss LAX.
Rating: 3 stars
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Rob Van Dam defeated Mr. Anderson and Magnus in a falls count anywhere Bound for Glory Series match
The winner of this bout will receive 20 points in the Bound for Glory Series. D’Angelo Dinero was supposed to be in this match, but when Dinero’s music plays no one comes out. A video is then shown of Aces & 8s taking out Dinero by slamming a door into his arm. RVD is in the ring already and looks on at all of this before his opponents, Mr. Anderson and Magnus enter. Mr. Anderson eats a frog splash in this match and Magnus is surprisingly forceful. He even drops an f-bomb when looking for a chair to attack RVD with. When Magnus finds it RVD just kicks it right back in his face and grabs the win.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Devon (c) defeated Kazarian to retain the TNA Television Championship
The shortest match of the night so far and it is not surprising. Devon and Kazarian’s styles don’t exactly compliment each other and the outcome is predictable since Kazarian is not getting a two titles simultaneously-type push. Kazarian takes a spinebuster after a fade to black attempt and Devon celebrates the pin.
Rating: 2.75 stars
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Madison Rayne defeated Brooke Tessmacher (c) to win the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship
Before the match a recap video is shown of Madison Rayne’s crush being revealed as…Earl Hebner. Lame! During the video Hebner is shown wearing Bret Hart glasses and mocking an audience. Yes, Hebner still hasn’t gotten over the Montreal Screwjob. Combine that with TNA’s tendency to beat a dead horse and we’re in for trouble. At least the in-ring performers are both competent and Tessmacher is really beginning to earn her spot as the top knockout. It’s a shame that she doesn’t get to show it here. In under six minutes Madison rolls up Brooke and keeps her down by holding on to the ropes. Great, another screwjob angle.
Rating: 2.75 stars
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Bully Ray defeated James Storm, Jeff Hardy and Robbie E in a tables Bound for Glory Series match
Whoever emerges as the winner of this battle will earn 20 points in the Bound for Glory Series. This is a meh match, which is disappointing given that two of the innovators of the TLC match are in it. Plus, James Storm and Robbie E are solid performers in their own right. There is a botch early on when Bully is almost suplexed through a table by Storm and Hardy. Robbie moves it out of the way, but not fast enough so Bully breaks off the edge of the structure. You can tell it’s a botch because of the way Mike Tenay and Taz keep going over how a participant has to go througha table in order for the ref to decide a winner. Aces & 8s make their second appearance of the night when they cause a distraction that leads James Storm to hit the last call super kick on Hardy. This continues the speculation that Storm is tied to the heel stable. The distraction is not enough though because Bully comes back and powerbombs Hardy through a table to win it.
Rating: 3 stars
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Zema Ion (c) defeated Kenny King to retain the TNA X Division Championship
King takes an early lead in this fight and even sends Zema to the floor after a shot. There are plenty of high flying spots in this bout for fans of flippy action including Zema avoiding one moonsault from King only to be met with another one. In the end Zema brings it back to basics by planting King on his face and picking up the three count. It is the best match of the night so far and Zema/King have great chemistry. It would be swell to see these two lock up again in a couple of years after they have really fine tuned their respective skill sets.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle in a ladder Bound for Glory Series match
As with the two previous matches the winner of this one gets 20 points in the Bound for Glory Series. Now, look at the names involved. Was there any doubt that this would be the match of the night? Joe looks like a beast early on, but before long he takes one in the gut from Daniels who gets too cocky. Joe pays him back with a slam on the ladder. The most entertaining part of this encounter though was when Joe and Angle took turns just destroying Daniels. First they do it by trading suplexes and then move on to actually sticking Daniels between the ladder and punishing him. They can only have so much fun with their cue ball headed opponent though and soon they are fighting on top of the ladder for the clipboard that hangs above. Joe wins the scuffle, but out of nowhere Styles springboards onto the ladder and snatches the prize.
Rating: 4 stars
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Austin Aries (c) defeated Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
There are two important parts to the story leading into this match. The first is that since losing his title to Aries the previous month, Roode has been constantly berating his opponent and calling his victory a fluke. The second part is that Aries put the stipulation forward that regardless of who loses there will not be a rematch. The bout is not as good as their pay-per-view encounter the previous month, but the last few minutes are great. First, after a ref bump Roode is declared the winner after he superplexes Aries off the top rope and the two men cradle each other. With two refs counting, one says that Roode’s shoulder came up and the other says that Aries’ shoulder came up. Senior official Earl Hebner comes out and decides that the match will be restarted as Roode is holding the title on the floor and is ready to leave. As soon as the bell rings Aries comes out with a suicide dive and knocks himself out by hitting the title. Roode rolls him in and attempts to pin him, but Aries just manages to wake up and kick out. Aries is then able to roll up Roode to retain.
TNA Destination X (2012) gave a chance for some new stars to shine, which was a nice change of pace from a lot of TNA’s pay-per-views this year. The main event offered an entertaining match even if with the talent involved, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, the encounter could have been better. Also, AJ Styles took on Christopher Daniels in a match that has been done to death. Even though Styles and Daniels has been done more often than most can count it was still a great showing and at least equally as good as the main event. On the downside the Ultimate X match wasn’t nearly as good as it could have been and some of the qualifying matches left a lot to be desired. Overall the show had more tasty treats to give than offerings that would leave sour tastes in the mouths of viewers.
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Mason Andrews defeated Dakota Darsow, Rubix and Lars Only in a fatal four way to qualify for the TNA X Division Championship Tournament
Before this fight Mike Tenay announced that Jeremy Borash will be substituting for Taz on commentary. This night is starting off underwhelming. Darsow begins by looking good…for a second. Darsow quickly gets dumped out of the ring by Andrews. Andrews and Rubix exit as Darsow comes back in after a while and really lays his boots into Only. Darsow knocks Andrews and Rubix off the apron as they try to re-enter. A while later Andrews takes a sick dive onto Darsow and Only, bur this gets overshadowed by Rubix’s even sicker dive. Andrew gets the final laugh after he puts Only in a fireman’s carry and slams him down with a bulldog.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Mason Andrews defeated Kid Kash in the TNA X Division Championship Tournament semi-finals
Andrews celebrates briefly, but turns around to be attacked by Kid Kash. Andrews has no down time and will have to defeat Kash if he wants to advance. Kash beats the tar out of Andrews until Andrews rebounds slightly with two dropkicks. It is not enough and Kash stays dominant until Andrews holds his knees up when Kash attempts a moonsault. The two go back and forth until Andrews defeats Kash with a schoolboy.
Rating: 2.25 stars
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Kenny King defeated Douglas Williams in the TNA X Division Championship Tournament semi-finals
Williams starts off with a headlock that begins a slew of mat wrestling. Williams is not in charge long because he is soon out of the ring and King twists over the top rope to the outside and lands on Williams while he is taking a breather. The two hit a variety of impressive moves including a flying European uppercut and a high knee from the top rope to the floor by Williams and a blockbuster off the ropes from King. Yet, there is no rhyme or reason for most of the moves. In the end King wins it.
Rating: 2.5 stars
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Sonjay Dutt defeated Rashad Cameron in the TNA X Division Championship Tournamnet semi-finals
An amazing amount of dropkicks from both wrestlers opens the match. After one dropkick Sonjay rolls out of the ring and Rashad flips over the top rope onto him. Dutt hits an impressive move when he knocks Rashad onto the mat so that his head is sticking out past the ropes and then Dutt slingshots over the ropes to the outside delivering a legdrop. Later on Sonjay finishes him off with a backflip off of the top into a double stomp.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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Zema Ion defeated Flip Cassanova in the TNA X Division Championship Tournament semi-finals
Jesse Sorensen gave an update on his status after suffering a broken neck in a match with Zema Ion. Zema interrupts Sorensen as he is leaving and gets some massive heel heat. Zema begins the bout by getting in control for a while until Flip holds up his knees when Zema tries a moonsault from the second rope. As can be expected Flip does a ton of flippy stuff, but Zema responds by just dumping him on his face for the pin.
Rating: 2.75 stars
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Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle in a Bound for Glory Series match
Samoa Joe hits the first big spot of the bout by back dropping Angle outside and following up with a suicide dive. Joe soon attempts a muscle buster, but gets a headbutt and a dropkick from Angle from off of the top instead. Angle eventually manages three rolling German suplexes, but it tires him and Joe nearly hits the muscle buster. Joe attempts the muscle buster a third time and hits it, but only gets two. The fight continues until Joe makes Angle pass out with a rear naked choke. Joe earns 10 points in the Bound for Glory Series.
Rating: 3.75 stars
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AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels in a last man standing match
Daniels dodges Styles early on and spits in his face. Styles gets his hands on Daniels and strikes him hard. Daniel fights back with some blows of his own. A chair is the first weapon to come into the math when Daniels plows Styles onto one. Daniels continues the punishment by punching AJ in the head until he blades. Styles fights back and bounces Daniels head off of the ring steps. Daniels blades and the blood really becomes noticeable as the two fight up the entrance ramp. AJ attempts a Styles clash, but Daniels reverses it with a back body drop. AJ flips off of a part of the set and reverse DDTs Daniels. The ref begins a 10 count, but Kazarian comes out of nowhere and pushes AJ off of the stage. Daniels and AJ rise and AJ comes back by taking care of Kazarian. AJ then ends the match by giving a Styles clash to Daniels off of the stage and through a table.
Rating: 4 stars
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Zema Ion defeated Mason Andrews, Kenny King and Sonjay Dutt in an Ultimate X match in the TNA X Division Championship Tournament finals to win the TNA X Division Championship
Zema gets shot into a corner and gives elbows to his opponents as they charge him. Zema goes up top and gets a triple dropkick from his foes. Sonjay gets taken out of the match with a possible injury as the action continues. There is no time to grieve as Andrews jumps over the top rope onto Zema and King. Zema goes for the title, but gets tackled down by King. Sonjay sneaks back into the match and all four go after the title. Andrews and King fall off while Sonjay and Zema fight at the very top of the Ultimate X structure. Zema sprays Sonjay in the face with his hairspray and grabs the belt.
Rating: 3.25 stars
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Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode (c) to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Some good back and forth action to begin as Jeremy Borash talks up their respective diets for some reason. Roode really gets an advantage when Aries misses a dropkick from the top rope and Roode puts his boots to him. Aries fights back and almost gets on the last chancery. However, Aries makes another mistake when he attempts a suicide dive and eats the guardrail. Back inside Aries starts selling an injury to his arm. Roode keeps working him over and insults him by saying, “you’re not even in my league.” Aries Hulks up and no-sells a ton of offense. Aries hits the suicide dive and the top rope dropkick that he missed earlier. Aries’ momentum stops when Roode catches him with a slam. Roode goes after Aries on the mat…but gets put in the last chancery. Roode reverses it into a crossface that gets reversed back into the last chancery. The hold gets broken and Aries goes for a 450 splash that misses. Roode gets in a spinebuster on Aries for two and goes after Aries’ arm. A little later the ref takes a bump and Aries gets hit with Roode’s belt for the pin…and Roode only gets a two count. Aries gets up and soon finishes the match with a punt to the head and brainbuster. Aries now has the TNA World Heavyweight Championship!
