Aries! Roode! No Rematch! What's Next? TNA World Heavyweight Championship!

At the Hardcore Justice pay-per-view (PPV), Austin Aries and Bobby Roode rolled each other up for a double pin. Two referees, both suffering bumps in the match, made the three count for different wrestlers. Roode was declared the winner. Then Aries. It was going to be typical TNA. A Dusty finish setting up for tonight's (Aug. 16, 2012) episode of IMPACT. A crap ending that no one enjoyed.

Enter the Archangel Earl Hebner to right this wrong.

The match was restarted. Roode gets the nearest of falls. He loses his focus, turns his anger on the ref, and Austin Aries retains the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

It was the main event we all wanted. It was the championship match TNA needed. A great match, brilliant psychology, with the heel losing his cool and paying for it by the fan favorite.

TNA has turned the corner, folks. There's still room on the bandwagon if you get on now.

So where does TNA go from here? Well, Roode cannot get a rematch while Aries is still holding onto the strap. Which means he will surely play a role in whomever wins the Bound For Glory Series, trying to make sure they win the title so he can have another shot. And look who's sitting in the lead as of right now -- "Cowboy" James Storm.

We may just get a Beer Money reunion yet.

As for Aries, it would be a bit odd if he goes through No Surrender without facing anyone for the championship. If the BFG series playoff is going to be the main event, though, I think TNA can find a way to make it work.

They've been doing well so far.

The rest of the show after the jump.

Aces & 8s! Beat Downs! Sneak Attacks! Misdirection! A New! Impact! Order!

Aces & 8s had minimal airtime at Hardcore Justice, as it should have been. They made their moments count, though, and their wrath was felt. "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero was knocked out of the Falls Count Anywhere fatal fourway after the masked men jumped him in the back. Both Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy were distracted by their presence at ringside during their tables match, although the former was able to pick up the win.

So what exactly do they want?

Maybe Storm is in command and just happened to get outmaneuvered by Bully. Perhaps it is an unknown man (or woman) on the roster who is the mole. Or it very well could be that Aces and 8s just want to watch TNA devolve into chaos.

They will eventually need to pull the trigger on the inevitable reveal. I'm not going to spend any more time worrying about it, though. If it's going to suck, then there is nothing I can do about it. If it is able to live up to its potential, then I will mark out like everyone else. Right now, though?

I'm just going to enjoy the ride.

Storm! RVD! Joe! Angle! Bully! Anderson! Styles! Hardy! Bound For Glory Series!

The top eight in the Bound For Glory Series are as follows:

1. James Storm 66 points (6-2-2) 10 MATCHES
2. Rob Van Dam 55 points (5-2) 7 MATCHES
3. Samoa Joe 54 points (6-2) 8 MATCHES
4. Kurt Angle 48 points (6-4) 10 MATCHES
5. Bully Ray 48 points (4-3) 7 MATCHES
6. Mr. Anderson 40 points (5-4-1) 10 MATCHES
7. AJ Styles 36 points (2-3-1) 6 MATCHES
8. Jeff Hardy 35 points (5-3) 8 MATCHES

I could have sworn that only the top two would advance to the one match playoff at No Surrender. This means either A) TNA failed to mention this in the past few months B) TNA changed it mid-series or C) I'm a complete idiot (I think I know which way my fellow Cagesiders are leaning towards). No matter! We have one month left before the end of the BFG series. James Storm, Rob Van Dam, and Samoa Joe have all but locked up the one through three seeds. It will be the battle for that fourth spot where we find our excitement. Tonight Jeff Hardy faces off against Bully Ray, where Bully has an opportunity to claim sole ownership of fourth place, and AJ Styles goes one on one with Christopher Daniels, giving Styles a chance to claw his way up the leader board.

Everything Else! Bullet Points!

• Madison Ryane defeated Miss Tessmacher and became the new Knockout Champion. Ryane also has caused Earl Hebner to fall madly in love with her and turn his once great judgment into little better than a NFL scab referee. I like this because this is stupid. Other people may hate this because it is stupid. To each his own.
• There was no Claire Lynch last Sunday. Maybe she was at her Lamaze class?
• What ever happened to Joseph Park, Esq./Abyss? Perhaps he's the one running Aces & 8s?