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Bully! Aces & 8s! Hardy! Hulk! Brooke! Broken Skulls! Broken Home! Full! Metal! Mayhem!
Last week (March 28), Jeff Hardy was given the power to choose the stipulation he wanted for his championship match against Bully Ray next week (April 11). He made his decision known in a post match beat down of Mr. Anderson.
Tables. Ladders. Chairs. Full Metal Mayhem.
It really is the best match stipulation for the pair. These two made a TLC match involving tables, ladders, and chairs famous. So it makes perfect sense to let them main event TNA's first pay-per-view (PPV) quality televised show in an environment they both know so well.
With the reduced PPV schedule, TNA is really banking on these shows to pop some big ratings.
But this is so much more than a gimmicked match. We're finally seeing a coherent, thought out, logical storyline. Hardy is getting his grudge match, a chance to save TNA from the invading gang.
But with Bully Ray in charge, Aces & 8s look to continue running wild on TNA. And there's nothing you can do to stop it, brother.
It's not just the main event, either. D.O.C., Garrett Bischoff, & Wes Briscoe actually managed to pick up a victory against James Storm, Eric Young, & Kurt Angle. Yes, it was a roll up following a cliched distraction. But this is still a heel group. The fans need to hate them, and not just because everyone wants them to go away. A string of cheap wins -- or W's as they're called by the boys in the back -- accomplishes that goal.
Look at TNA, actually booking like it knows what it's doing!
Then we have Bully continuing to harass his wife, Brooke Hogan. He is calling, tweeting, and even sneaking up on Brooke and reminding her of their vows. Bully and Brooke were one of my favorite parts of TNA during the stretch of really bad shows. I would love nothing better than to see them come back together. Their chemistry is shockingly great, and it's kind of fun to watch both step into the over-dramatic soap opera roles.
Plus, I'm still hoping we get to see Brooke running around in leather.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out. But I'm glad TNA didn't just drop their marriage all together. This shows a commitment to a storyline.
Whether that storyline will be screwed up has yet to be seen.
Next week is the big show, so tonight is a sort of go-home show. Look for the traditional stare down, maybe a good, old fashion brawl, and a few promos to hype the championship match. While that other promotion has been bombing their go-home shows as if it was going out of style, TNA generally does a pretty good job with them.
I'm really excited to see if this trend can continue.
Styles! Storm! Aces & 8s! Silence! Is! Golden!
AJ Styles continues giving the entire world the silent treatment, and has refused to make his intentions known.
And I'm personally loving it.
Styles came back to TNA three weeks ago (March 11), laying out Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, and -- shockingly -- James Storm. The following week (March 28), Styles was asked to explain his actions by Mike Tenay, offered a spot in Aces & 8s by Taz, and was threatened to have his teeth knocked out by Storm.
Which is a pretty wide range of questions, if you ask me.
Finally, Storm offered Styles a choice last week. They can share a beer.
Or they can have a fight.
Styles, of course, stayed silent on the offer while he watched his former friend be jumped by Aces & 8s. He simply turned his back and walked away.
Just as TNA, and James Storm, turned their backs on him.
It was Storm who pinned Styles at Turning Point (Nov. 11, 2012). It was that pinfall that will keep Styles away from the TNA World Heavyweight Championship until Bound For Glory (Oct. 13, 2013). It was Storm who drove Styles off the edge.
And now it is Storm who is feeling the pain.
This is a story that everyone should be able to get into. Even if you don't fully follow TNA, it's a simple angle that is easy to pick up. Styles was a TNA original. He should be the face of the promotion. Instead, that honor goes to a series of cast offs and old hacks.
And it's not as if Aces & 8s provide a safe haven from the bull[explicit]. The group is composed fully of cast offs and over the hill talent. Styles doesn't belong with them.
Right now, he doesn't belong with anyone.
So his solitude continues, and fans are left wondering how this will turn. We saw the beginning. We know how it ends.
The beauty of this story is the twist and turns throughout the middle. I'm really excited to see where this path goes.
Everything Else! Bullet Points!
♠ Taryn Terrell and Gail Kim have beef, and it looked like they were come to blows last week. But luckily for every single fan of TNA, Tara - Awesome -- and Jessie Godderz -- AWESOME!! -- came out to jump the former Knockouts ref. But luckily for Terrell, Velvet Sky came out to make the save! And then everyone started to beat the crap out of each other backstage! This is a real, legitimate storyline involving the fairer sex. And it's really good! Except for the whole "can't fight for the Knockout Tag Team Championship because ODB and Eric Young pawned lost them" thing.
♣ Dirty Heels -- Bobby Roode & Austin Aries -- will have an official contract signing with Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez for their championship match next week. If you can say one thing about TNA, it is they know how to do the clichés right.
♥ The #1 Contender for the X Division Championship will be decided tonight in a Triple Threat match between Sonjay Dutt, Mason Andrews, the returning Petey Williams! Can anyone say Canadian Destroyer?
♦ Tonight features the return of Gut Check, with Adam Pearce and Magno battling it out to earn a TNA contract.
Hopefully this has prepared you for the night's festivities. Leave a comment below about what you are looking forward to, and please join the entire CSS Thursday night gang in the live blog TONIGHT!