TNA Impact Wrestling Review for the 28th June 2012 episode.

Show starts with AJ Styles and Dixie Carter backstage. Dixie isn’t happy with what happened last week, but at least they can now move on. AJ says he’ll beat the piss out of Daniels and Kazarian, as revenge for him, Dixie and Claire Lynch. We then see a clip of Claire and Dixie arriving earlier in the day, and we’re told they’ll tell the whole story throughout the night. Can’t wait…

Bound for Glory series: Mr Anderson vs Rob Van Dam

Starts off with both guys going for quick pin falls, before RVD turns the match his way and tries to make Anderson submit. An indian deathlock and abdominal stretch fail, so RVD tries a northern lights suplex for 2. RVD hits a moonsault, but when he tries for a split-legged moonsault, Anderson gets his knees up. Anderson can’t hit the Mic Check or Green Bay Plunge with RVD blocking both attempts, and when he tries for the Green Bay Plunge again, RVD with a crucifix pin to win.

Winner: Rob Van Dam (7 BFG Points)

Austin Aries comes down, and asks if the fans are ready for a dose of greatness. He mentions how last week he was given a decision that didn’t just affect him, but the X-Division too. He felt he’d done it all in that division, and had nothing left to prove, but still respected the title. With Hulk Hogan accepting Option C, his day as X-Division Champion are over, and there will be a tournament at Destination X to crown a new Champion. Bobby Roode appears, he tells Aries to take a good look at the REAL World Championship, a title he made important. Roode says Aries only has this shot because of Hogan, and Aries is setting himself up to fail. Roode tells Aries to get out of his ring, and Aries suggests if he wants him out, Roode should make him get out. They look like they’re going to fight, but Roode walks away.

We’re shown clips of Claire Lynch’s Oscar winning performance last week. It then cuts backstage to her with Dixie Carter. Claire discusses how she met AJ Styles through Dixie, that she never knew Kazarian and Daniels, and it all got bad when they started twisting the truth into blackmail.

Speaking of Kazarian and Daniels, we cut to them in a locker room. Kazarian says how for 6 months he bought into the bullshit of Daniels, and turned against his best friend…well tonight it stops.

X-Division Title Tournament Qualifier: Sonjay Dutt vs Rubix

Quick paced opener to this match, Rubix then strikes with a dropkick. Dutt replies with an elbow and huricanrana, but Rubix knocks him outside and hits a suicide dive. Rubix misses a splash, and Dutt hits a combo of a pendulum kick, leg drop on the middle rope and a top rope splash. Rubix tries to end it, but as he goes for a German Suplex, Dutt breaks out of it, hits a spinning DDT, before a moonsault into a double foot stomp to win!

Winner: Sonjay Dutt

Christy Hemme interviews Sonjay after his match. He says he’s back for the 1 thing he never accomplished before: to be X-Division Champion. He’s gonna win it as “no one has swagger like him”.

Time to look at GutCheck. We see a highlights package of Taeler Hendrix’s match with Tara, before seeing the 3 judges in their office. Bruce Prichard thinks Tara was sending a message that if Hendrix wants the job, she’s gotta earn it. Surprising that Bruce! He also thinks she may be a bit too green. Interesting point here, as Taz mentions Hendrix might have life experience cause of her misdiagnosis with cancer….last week they said she’d battled cancer. Al Snow and Taz say they don’t like people who walk around like they’ve already earned the job, and thankfully she isn’t one, before both agree they’d possibly pay to see her on a PPV.

Bound for Glory Series: Bully Ray vs Samoa Joe

Bully isn’t pleased with the fans chanting “Joe’s Gonna Kill You” at him. After he stops wasting time, they finally begin the match. We see both try for a shoulder barge, but no one budges. Bully then strikes with an elbow and takes over. Joe runs into another elbow, they trade shots, then both have the same idea and hit a double clothesline. Joe strikes back with a combo of inverted atomic drop, boot and splash for 2. Bully hits back with a uranage, but then misses a legdrop. Bully goes outside, Joe follows him and runs into Bully’s boot. Joseph Park comes down and distracts Bully, gets up on the apron and Bully grabs him. Joseph slaps Bully, who goes back into a Coquina Clutch from Joe, and Bully submits!

Winner: Samoa Joe (10 BFG Points)

Joseph Park gets a mic and says Bully Ray is nothing but a jackass bully. Park says he’s been bullied his whole life and it stops now. He says it’s no longer about Abyss, and then challenges Bully to a match in 2 weeks time, where he’ll bring the fight to Bully Ray!!

Mike Tenay and Taz talk about the audio call between Dixie Carter and AJ Styles played a few weeks back, and say it was doctored, with the real call on the website. More from Dixie and Claire Lynch. Apparently the photos were of AJ telling Dixie what was going on with Claire, the video was of AJ taking Dixie to a hotel room to see Claire who had just got out of rehab, and the audio was Dixie and AJ discussing Serg’s birthday party.

Kazarian has gone to see Hulk Hogan. He tells Hogan he made a huge mistake, and that Daniels lied and decieved him. He says he had no clue, and while he wants to be a Tag Team Champ, he doesn’t want it at the expense of his integrity. Hogan tells Kazarian he should be accountable for his actions, and that Kazarian isn’t the same guy he once knew. The match is booked, and maybe Kazarian should start afresh and show us the real Kazarian.

Garrett Bischoff is on his phone, and Madison Rayne comes up to him. She says she has a crush and wonders what “he is like”. She whispers something to Bischoff, he responds with “Good luck” before walking off.

Brooke Hogan is showing Miss Tessmacher an advert campaign she’s organised for her. Gail Kim interrupts and wants to talk business. Gail calls the other women a cheap imitation of her, and wants to talk about her rematch. Brooke tells Gail not to tell her how to do her job, and that the rematch will be next week.

X-Division Title Tournament Qualifier: Rashad Cameron vs Mason Andrews

First off, I felt Andrews was a cross between Maven and Low Ki! Cameron attacked before the bell, but Andrews struck with a couple of dropkicks. Andrews lifts Cameron to the outside, then hits a corkscrew assault which almost went wrong. Back inside, Cameron retaliates with a few blows, and a front suplex onto the ropes, only to miss a moonsault. Andrews turns the match his way, strikes with a springboard crossbody, but misses a second attempt. Cameron dropkicks him outside, and then hits a swanton over the top rope. Cameron goes to the top and Andrews hits a leaping huricanrana. Cameron pushes Andrews towards the ref, before kicking him to the corner and hitting a leaping reverse STO to win.

Winner: Rashad Cameron

Christy Hemme interviews Rashad. He reckons everyone is looking at the new X-Division Champion, and you just saw the beginning of the Rashad Cameron movement…

Hulk Hogan is in his office with Jeff Hardy and James Storm. After taking a call about Sting, Storm asks about the Icon. Hogan says Sting isn’t feeling good enough, and they’re trying to figure out who did this. Hogan asks how Storm is feeling on his return, and Storm says he feels good and ready to kick some ass. Hogan tells Hardy he looks like he’s ruling the world, which Hardy replies he is feeling the BFG series. Hogan tells these two they’ll main event next week’s show in a BFG Series match!

Jeremy Borash is in the ring and introduces the GutCheck judges, before bringing down Taeler Hendrix. All 3 judges are ready to vote, and Hendrix feels she’s showed enough to prove she deserves the spot. Taz votes yes. Al Snow starts to talk but is interrupted, because Joey Ryan is in the front row! The judges go to the barrier and Ryan exchanges words with Taz, before security comes to throw Ryan out. Back to voting, Snow says he knows Hendrix has talent, but doesn’t think she is ready and votes no. With 1 vote each, Hendrix is allowed a chance to sound off. She tells the judges someone gave them a chance, and that’s all she wants. She’s fought to get here and will fight to stay. Bruce Prichard thinks she is rough around the edges, but she has heart and they can work with her…he votes yes and Taeler Hendrix has a job with TNA!

AJ Styles and Kurt Angle are in their locker room. Angle says AJ’s situation is behind him, and he has respect for what AJ did. AJ tells Kurt his head is clear, and he has Daniels at Destination X in a Last Man Standing match. Angle says to give it their best and they’ll win.

Bound for Glory series leaderboard after tonight’s show: 1. James Storm – 36pts, 2. Samoa Joe – 27pts, 3. Kurt Angle – 10pts, 4. Mr Anderson – 9pts, 5= Rob Van Dam, The Pope, Magnus, Jeff Hardy = 7pts, 9. Daniels – 5pts, 10= Bully Ray, Robbie E, AJ styles – 0pts.

Next week we’ll hear from Chris Sabin for the first time since his recent injury. We’re also shown Dixie Carter and Claire Lynch are sat ringside for our main event.

TNA Tag Title Match: Kurt Angle and AJ Styles (c) vs Kazarian and Daniels

AJ is fired up as he goes on the offence against Kazarian, before bringing in Angle. Kazarian and Daniels do a couple of quick tags, and Daniels runs into a backbody drop and t-bone suplex. AJ is tagged in and he flies off the apron to hit a huricanrana outside to Daniels. Styles whips Daniels into the barrier near Kazarian, and as we go to a break, Kazarian and Daniels are arguing. Back from the break, Daniels has AJ where he wants him, only to go and miss a moonsault. Angle and Kazarian tag in, Angle strikes with a belly to belly suplex, followed by a hat trick of German suplexes. Angle delivers 2 Germans to Daniels, Daniels tries to stop the 3rd by grabbing Kazarian, only for Kazarian to elbow his partner allowing the 3rd German suplex! Kazarian tries for the Fade to Black and Angle rolls through to lock on the Ankle Lock. Kazarian breaks it, and AJ tags in. AJ hits a flying forearm smash sending Kazarian into his corner and Daniels is in. Kazarian tries to help his team mate, only for AJ to knock him down, Daniels takes advantage and hits a sitout powerbomb. Angle tries for another German, Daniels blocks it, dodges Angle who knocks the ref out, before Daniels sends Angle outside too. Daniels gets a chair, and has he goes to use it on Styles, Kazarian stops him, allowing AJ to hit the Pele on Daniels. Kazarian drops the chair and tells AJ to finish the job, but as AJ sets up for the Styles Clash, Kazarian hits AJ with the chair, throws the ref back in to count 1-2-3!

Winners and NEW TNA Tag Team Champions: Daniels and Kazarian

Daniels gets a microphone. He says it’s a great day because once again, he and Kazarian are Tag Champs! He then turns his attention to Dixie Carter and says she has reasons to be happy too. Claire Lynch did tell the truth….but not the whole truth. He mentions how you can tell Claire is pregnant….but what she didn’t say is that AJ Styles is the father! Dixie can’t believe it, as the show ends…

Again, I felt this was a really enjoyable show. I feel the action the past few weeks has been good and improving week after week, and the filler with promos hasn’t been two bad (apart from the odd bad segment here and there). I do like the idea of this X-Division Title tournament, especially with the ending coming at Destination X. I think doing it this way allows them to showcase X-Division talent, and crown a new Champion at this PPV, while allowing the one giving up his title to show what he can do against the World Champion. It’s great to see Sonjay Dutt back on TNA TV, absolute loved his match with Rubix (aka Jigsaw), and enjoyed Andrews/Cameron too. The BFG series is moving along nicely and throwing us some good match ups. As for GutCheck, while I didn’t think she deserved a shot right now, I’m not surprised Taeler Hendrix got the contract. Hopefully they can help her and work with her, I think she’s got the talent and could do a good job in time. Think this also shows Joey Ryan does have a contract after all, especially as they acknowledged him on TV. As for the AJ Styles/Claire Lynch/Dixie Carter situation, I wish they’d have gone with this last week. I felt this all came off so much better than the fake crying stuff last week, and I prefer this explanation rather than “helping a drug addict”.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

@GoofyVillain of @TheTopRope