TNA's flagship event, Bound for Glory, took place last Sunday at the Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. How will TNA's version of Wrestlemania fare? Let's start the review.
We start with the X-Divsion Championship as Zema Ion is challenged by Rob Van Dam. Both guys use a lot of high-flying offense and Ion gets some momentum by sending RVS from the top turnbuckle to the metal crowd barrier followed by a somersault dive. RVD tried to go for a monkey flip but Ion drops RVD's face onto the top turnbuckle. RVD gets back the momentum and hits the 5-star frog splash to get the win and become the new X-Division Champion. It was a good match although I thought that the ending seemed to be a bit hurried.
Winner: Rob Van Dam Predictions: 0 for 1
The next match is for the Television Championship as Magnus challenges Samoa Joe. Joe gets some offence in before Magnus hits a cheap shot while the referee is admonishing Joe. Magnus hits a Michinoku Driver. Joe gets back the momentum with a powerbomb into a pin; and when Magnus kicked out, Joe applied a STF. Magnus tried to reach for the ropes but Joe locks Magnus' arms into another submission move. Magnus gets out of it by getting his right leg to the rope. After a little more back and forth, Magnus tries a figure four leg lock. However, Joe uses this to apply a rear naked choke with Magnus down on the mat to get the win. This was another really good match and it would be nice to see a rematch between the two.
Winner: Samoa Joe Predictions: 1 for 2
Next up is the match that I was really looking forward to as James Storm takes on Bobby Roode with King Mo(?) as the Special Guest Enforcer in a street fight. I'm really surprised that this match is on third as I thought it would be the penultimate match of the night. The match goes to the outing after a couple of minutes and King Mo has a stare down with first Roode then Storm. Storm attempts an Eye of the Storm that would have sent Roode through the announce table. However, Roode gets out of it and slingshots Storm into the ring post, busting him open. The action goes into the ring and we get some back and forth between the two involving a dustbin, steel chairs and a kendo stick. The action then goes into the raised entrance way and they start to hit each other with dustbin lids. Roode hits an Double A Spinebuster sending Storm onto the entrance way. The action goes to the announce table and Roode spears Storm from the announce table through the Spanish announce table. Wait, hang on? When did TNA start having a Spanish announce table at ringside? Anyway, I digress. Back to the match. King Mo gets involved when Roode starts to intimidate Senior Official Earl Hebner and pushes Roode into a Codebreaker by Storm. Storm then hits the Last Call but he only gets a 2 count. Storm tries for another Last Call but Roode throws Storm into a steel chair that was wedged between the middle and top turnbuckle. Roode then grabs some thumb tacks and spreads tem over the mat, then he tries to super-plex Storm onto them. Storm pushes Roode off the turnbuckle onto the tacks then does a Macho Man Elbow Drop to get a 2 count. Roode grabs some beer bottles and tries to smash one over Storm's head. However, Storm hits a low blow and proceeds to smash a beer bottle over Roode's head. Storm then hits the Last Call to get the win. Even though the match did look extremely brutal, especially with Storm bleeding profusely, it was a really, really good match and one of the best matches TNA have done all year.
Winner: James Storm Predictions: 2 for 3
The next match is between Joey Ryan and Al Snow, in which if Ryan wins, he will get a full-time contract. Snow effectively gives Ryan a bit of a wrestling clinic and gets out his doll head. Ryan then get some momentum but Snow stops that relatively quickly. We get a ref bump then Snow continues his assault on Ryan outside the ring. A returning Matt Morgan comes out and destroys Snow with a Carbon Footprint. Morgan rolls Snow into the ring and Ryan pins him to get the win. It was an ok match as it had a very slow pace. Despite that, I like Ryan's character so it's nice to see more of him.
Winner: Joey Ryan Predictions: 3 for 4
The Tag Team Championships were on the line as Kazarian and Christopher Daniels were challenged by Kurt Angle and AJ Styles and Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. The action went back and forth with Styles getting worn down. Angle gets the hot tag and German suplexes Daniels then Kazarian. Angle applies the ankle lock to Daniels but is stopped by Kazarian who get hit with a German suplex. The action goes to the outside with AJ doing a moonsault to Daniels and Hernandez. Chavo tries the Three Amigos on Angle but is stopped half way through with an Angle Slam. Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever on Styles but Styles kicks out at 2. Styles hits an inverted DDT. Hernandez hits Daniels with the Border Cross followed by the Frog Splash by Chavo to get them the win and become the new Tag Team Champions. I really enjoyed this match and it was a surprise to see Hernandez and Chavo win the match. As for the other teams, they will probably continue their never-ending feud.
Winners: Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero Predictions: 3 for 5
The Knockouts Championship was next as Tara challenged Miss Tessmacher. Tara uses the referee to gain an advantage over Tessmacher. Tessmacher tries to get back some momentum and tries a flying elbow drop but misses. This gives Tara the chance to hit the Widow's Peak to get the win. Afterwards, she decidates to her boyfriend Jessie from the US version of Big Brother. No, I don't know who the fuck he is either, as evidenced by the "Who Are You?" chant from the crowd. Anyway, well done to Tara on winning the Knockouts Championship.
Winner: Tara Predictions: 4 for 6
The next match was between Sting and Bully Ray taking on two members of Aces and Eights. Aces and Eights come out with Joseph Parks (brother of Chris? You know, Abyss?) and chain him up to the guard rail, giving Sting and Ray the opportunity to attack Aces and Eights. Ray hits one of them with a piece of the Spanish Announcers Table but then gets thrown into the steel steps and Sting misses with a Stinger splash, giving Aces and Eights the opportunity to gain the momentum. Sting gets dominated for a while but he goes for the Scorpion Deathlock but is hit on the back of the head. Ray gets the hot tag and hits Aces and Eights with lots of punches. Ray is about to use a steel chair but he's hit with a low blow by a third member of Aces and Eights. Parks manages to break the handcuff and starts to beat the crap out the third member and they fight to the back. Meanwhile, Ray and Sting hit the Doomsday Device and then decide to grab some tables. Unfortunately, a fourth member of Aces and Eights hits Ray with a Spinebuster, sending him through a table. Ray gets pinned and Aces and Eights get the win. Afterwards, the rest of Aces and Eights come out and beat up Sting and Ray. Hulk Hogan comes out and does his Hulk no-sell to the fourth member. They unmask him, revealing him to be Devon(!!), shocking Ray, Sting and Hogan. The group promptly decide to commence operation GTFO, leaving the TNA guys reeling over what has happened. I quite enjoyed the match and was shocked that Devon is one of the members of Aces and Eights. I think TNA were planning to make Devon the leader. However, I don't think he can be that guy as evidenced by the fact that at the following Impact, they mention that he isn't the leader. Anyway, I'm interested to see where they go from here.
Winner: Aces and Eights Predictions: 5 for 7
The main event for the TNA World Championship was between Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries. Hardy puts Aries in a leg scissors and Aries gets out of it by doing a handstand and jumping out of it. Aries starts to be dominant before Hardy hits a vertical suplex for a 2 count then later on throws Aries into the steel steps. Hardy misses with a Whisper in the Wing, giving Aries the chance to hit a Macho Man Elbow Drop. Aries tries for the Brainbuster but it's reversed into a sit-out front suplex. The match goes back and forth and Aries hits Hardy with two suicide dives then Aries applies the Last Chancery, which Hardy gets out of by getting his leg on the bottom rope. The action goes to the entrance ramp and Aries does a neckbreaker sending Hardy's head onto the entrance ramp. The action goes back into the ring and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate for a 2 count. Aries hits a jumping top rope hurracarrana, followed by a flying dropkick and a Brainbuster. However, Aries only gets a 2 count. Hardy hits another Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the win and become the new TNA World Champion. I really enjoyed the match, although I was surprised to see Hardy win the match.
Winner: Jeff Hardy Predictions: 5 for 8
I thoroughly enjoyed Bound for Glory. At the minute, I think it's TNA's best PPV of the year so far (after Slammiversary) and the crowd really made the event more enjoyable. I have no problem with them having Impact at the Impact Zone. However, I feel that they need to have their PPVs over the country as it does seem that their best PPVs seem to be when they are out of Orlando. The matches were all enjoyable, especially the Storm/Roode match.
If I had a small ciriticism, I don't think that the Hardy/Aries match should have been the main event. It's good that TNA 99% of the time end their PPVs with the TNA World Championship. However, you want your main event to be the most important story going into the PPV. The story between Hardy and Aries was not as big as the stories between Aces and Eights; Storm and Roode; and the never ending feud between Angle, Styles, Kazarian and Daniels. If your main event is not the main story, it can bring down the PPV down a bit. Despite that, it was still a great PPV.
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