TNA Impact preview (August 20, 2014): Take it while you can get it

Previously on Impact Wrestling

Soon-to-be TNA Hall of Famer (and allegedly soon to be former TNA employee) Bully Ray opened the show, celebrating with the fans the tabling of the Dixie Carter issue.  Jeff and Matt Hardy come out to their caps to their long-time rivals, and Team 3D and the Hardys decide to mark the occasion with a match later in the show.

New X-Division champ Samoa Joe spoke about bringing prestige back to the title.  Low Ki talked about his history battling Joe in New York - which was prescient because he would go on to win a six-man elimination challenge to become #1 contender for the X-Division strap.  Ki put away another old rival in Homicide for the win in a match that was also notable for confirming again that nothing is going to happen to The Menagerie stable they sent months getting us excited about.

Still upset that Aunt D was powerbombed by Bully, and that the fans and guys backstage are still yukking it up about it, Ethan Carter III demanded that Kurt Angle fire Ray (again, allegedly not going to be a problem soon, E).  The Executive Director declined, and said that EC3 would wrestle or leave the ring.  When Carter refused, Angle had him arrested.

The saga of Samuel Shaw has led his new friend Gunner to come to blows with his former tag partner and Shaw's old nemesis, Mr. Anderson.  Shaw tried to make peace in a match between the two, but that only lead to he and Anderson throwing punches - and forcing the former Marine into the role of peacemaker.

Angelina Love sought out Velvet Sky to make sure that the Beautiful People were good before their fourway for the Knockouts title.  Things started out okay, as the BP double-teamed first champ Gail Kim and then Taryn Terrell.  But bickering between Love and Sky opened the door for Kim to hit her finisher on VelVel and retain her title.

After starting the show enjoying replays of Dixie's write off, Eric Young, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode had their six-man tag with MLK.  EY played face-in-peril for much of the match, which featured more of MVP's crutch than the man himself.  In the end, a head shot from said crutch set-up A-Double for a spear from TNA champ Bobby Lashley.

Tag champs The Wolves talked about their recent win over the Hardys and, in the spirit of building their legacy, challenged Team 3D to a title match (no spoilers, but - FYI - those matches and more were taped before Davey Richards broke his leg last week).  Also on the challenge front, Abyss and his matching mask/duster combo called out Bram for stealing his beloved "Janice" (a board with a lot of nails sticking out of it) during their Monster's Ball showdown, and reminding all of us that this week is Hardcore Justice.

James Storm is using Al Queda training techniques on Sanada to kick off his revolution.  The main event went more retro, as all four men hit their signature spots, but Team 3D won when Devon covered Matt Hardy after Bully hit him with a 3D - sending the New York City crowd home happy.

TONIGHT

Hardcore Country Justice (sorry, I miss Mickie James)!  Taped in the Manhattan Center a couple of weeks ago, we try to not reveal anything, but spoilers are available here.  You may have noticed that this coming to you a day earlier than usual, too.  That's because Impact is now airs Wednesdays instead of Thursdays on Spike (for now).

An old rivalry is renewed as the title shot Low Ki earned last week against Samoa Joe will happen tonight, with Joe's X-Division title on the line.  After Impact ended last week, Angelina Love attacked Gail Kim backstage, so their long-standing issues will be front and center in a Last Knockout Standing match!

Stipulations and match types are what you'd expect from a show with "Hardcore" in the title...Abyss and Bram do it again, this time in "Stairway to Janice"!  The Monster's weapon will be hung above the ring, and whoever retrieves it can use it to destroy his opponent.  Speaking of destruction, Samuel Shaw and Mr. Anderson have been trying to do that to each other for the better part of 2014.  They'll get a chance again tonight in an "I Quit" match.

The main event will reveal the #1 contender to Bobby Lashley's TNA World championship, and the company is breaking out the old six-sides of steel to decide who will have that honor.  Four babyfaces (Austin Aries, Gunner, Bobby Roode and Eric Young) plus two heels (Magnus and James Storm) will battle to escape the cage and face the dominant champ!

Expect to pop for:

Aggressive booking. It might not all be my cup of tea - I'd veer away from so much ECW nostalgia and would have skipped the Dixie-table saga all together - but don't get too worked up about either because there's a lot of other stuff to like about what TNA has been putting out there.

With each passing day it's feeling more and more like too little, too late, but they have packed these New York shows with a ton of basic feuds, old-school storytelling and solid-to-great action.  It might be the last or only time we see some these names on national television, and for that, I thank you.

Beyond that, I find it hard to not take in the proceedings with melancholy and trepidation.  So much so that the rather than dig it all back up, I'll just say that...

The heat is on:

The future.

If you're hanging in there and enjoying some quality pro wrestling regardless of the show's long-term prospects, do it with your fellow Cagesiders.

Right here in these comments, if need be.