Aces & 8s! Hogan! Sting! Open Fight Night! The Same! Impact! Order!

The mystery behind Aces and Eights continues to grow. We still have no idea who they are or what they want. The thought that James Storm was leading the group was apparently put to rest last week when they attacked him to close last week's IMPACT (Aug. 16). Maybe this will stop the finger pointing in his direction. Or perhaps it will only further fuel the conspiracy that Storm is the mastermind behind it.

One thing we do know, however, is they crossed a line last week when they cornered Brooke Hogan in the ring. The entire roster was quick to run out and protect her, but General Manager Sting felt more protection was needed. So it was decided that Hulk Hogan would be making his return to the Impact Zone this week.

Hurray!

The Hulkster is too big of a name to leave off the show forever. As much as we don't like to admit it, the guy is a living legend. But if this ends with Hogan dropping a leg to crush the invading stable, or even worse reveals himself to be the leader of the group, I will be praying that TNA folds quickly so I can stop writing about this promotion.

TNA has built up some good will as of late. I have no doubt there is a way for this to play out and keep the viewers happy. Whenever I hear Hogan's music, though, the old paranoia starts to creep back in.

I don't want to admit this, but I think I'm falling for you, TNA. Please don't break my poor little heart.

The rest of the show after the jump.

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

The top seven for the Bound For Glory Series are as follows:

1. James Storm 66 points (6-2-2) 10 MATCHES
2. Samoa Joe 61 points (7-2) 9 MATCHES
3. Rob Van Dam 55 points (5-3) 8 MATCHES
4. AJ Styles 50 points (4-3-1) 8 MATCHES
5. Kurt Angle 48 points (6-4) 10 MATCHES
6. Bully Ray 48 points (4-4) 8 MATCHES
7. Jeff Hardy 42 points (6-3) 9 MATCHES

The ratings haven't changed much in the past week, with the exception of AJ Styles vaulting himself into the fourth spot. Remember, the top four go into a playoff match at the No Surrender pay-per-view (PPV) on Sept. 9, so that's a huge leap for "The Phenomenal One."

The big news from the week, though, is that "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero broke his collarbone and had to pull out of the BFG Series (seriously, look at that break. My shoulder hurts just looking at it). While he was sitting at the bottom of the standings, it does raise some problems. Everyone is supposed to face everyone else in the series, and Dinero had yet to fight Styles, Rob Van Dam, and Robbie E. It will be interesting to see how TNA tries to play this off. While it was completely unplanned, it does add some intrigue to what has been a great tournament so far.

Everything Else! Bullet Points!

• Austin Aries, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, doesn't have an angle of his own at the moment. But making him one of the focal points in the Aces and Eights storyline is the right move. He's the face of the company at the moment. It makes sense that he wants to stand tall to protect his turf.
• Tonight is the return of Gut Check, where an indie wrestler gets a chance to prove his mettle and possibly receive a contract with TNA. Remember when Joey Ryan was a thing? I'm not sure if TNA does either.
• Lets all pour out some Robitussin for Claire Lynch, more commonly known as Crackhead Claire, who will not be returning to IMPACT. It's always a shame to see a young talent leave the game too early.

Enjoy the show!