TNA Bound For Glory 2012 Review
by David Martell
RVD defeats Zema Ion to become the new X Division Champion:
I guess TNA forgot the meaning of hot opener because this wasn’t it. I honestly couldn’t believe how sloppy and slow RVD came off. You would think adding a veteran like RVD would have made the match better but in my opinion he really brought the whole thing down. The match was slow and had an awkward pace to it. RVD still did great with his selling; definitely with the DDT. Zema Ion had a great spot where he missile drop kicked RVD right in the face. Overall, these guys just didn’t have any chemistry and the match itself came off sloppy. I feel like they would have been better off without this match on the card.
Rating: 4/10
Samoa Joe defeats Magnus to retain his Television Title:
There was interesting mat wrestling at the start which was kind of odd for two very hard hitting wrestlers. I wouldn’t say it was out of place just not what you would expect from these two. Samoa Joe really owned this match for most of it busting out a ton of moves including the always devastating Rings of Saturn. Ok, maybe not always devastating but it is rarely seen now days. Joe turning Magnus’s figure four into a rear naked choke was a great reversal that ultimately finished the match. Overall, it was a good little match but it needed more time. When Magnus tapped to the rear naked choke it caught me off guard because it just didn’t feel like a great ending. More time could have made this a much better match and maybe even the best match on the card. Unfortunately I think TNA was saving as much time for Aces and Eights as they could, so we got a rushed finish here.
Rating: 7/10
James Storm defeats Bobby Roode in a street fight:
I can easily say that this was by far the best match on the card. It was also the only match that really had the big fight feel to it and boy did it pay off. These guys went to work right off the bat and it didn’t take long before Storm was busted wide open. James Storm was busted open like Ric Flair. If blood bothers you this might not be the match to watch because it was sick but on the other hand, it really brought out the story of this match that Roode would have to kill Storm to win. This really came off as an old school hardcore match in my eyes and that was a good thing. You had your Spanish announce table spot, dueling trash can lids over the head, beer bottle head shots, and Kendo sticks. I thought it was funny that there was a cheese grater in the match but wasn’t used because Storm’s head already looked pretty grated. As someone who typically hates James Storm’s Last Call Super Kick, he gave a great kick to Bobby Roode to end the match. I would say the best super kick he has ever done. Overall, this was a very old school hardcore match with all the blood and hard hitting action. King Mo wasn’t a big part of the match and had no enforcing that predicted the outcome. By the look on King Mo’s face, he might change his mind about wrestling. Can you blame the guy, who wants to see anyone bleeding that much? It was just a great match overall and by far the best match on the card.
Rating: 9/10
Joey Ryan defeats Al Snow with outside interference by Matt Morgan to win a TNA contract:
This was definitely not a shocker by any means other than the fact that Matt Morgan returned. I came into this match thinking it wouldn’t be that great and for the most part it wasn’t. But honestly, what do you expect from Al Snow who is no longer an active wrestler? Oddly enough, Al Snow was controlling most of the match and we really didn’t get to see what Joey Ryan can do. I did enjoy the return of Head which gave the match a classic moment. Al Snow may have never been a great wrestler but he had his moments and a match without head just seemed ludicrous. Overall, the match was all right but nothing special. You got what you could have expected out of Al Snow and the return of Matt Morgan was a plus. It was a mediocre match but had good moments.
Rating: 5/10
Chavo & Hernandez defeat Kaz & Daniels and AJ & Angle to become the new Tag Team Champions:
I have to say, I loved this match. After the awkward triple threat between Angle, Chavo and Daniels a few weeks back, I was a bit skeptical. Luckily for me, they proved me wrong and had one of the best matches of the night. For the most part, this is what you call a spot fest. I am a firm believer that there is a time and a place for a spot fest and this was the time and the place. The match didn’t start off particularly great because there were just too many tags. Everyone kept forcing tags from other people and it just hampered the match at the beginning. For me, I would have rather seen more tags from their actual partners instead of someone just tagging the closest guy to them. The match really didn’t start picking up until Kaz and Daniels started doing some double team work. I loved when both men back to back did an elbow over the top rope followed by a leg drop by Kaz over the tag rope. Once Angle tagged in all hell broke loose. Angle was suplexing everyone who got near him and if AJ got in his way he would have probably eaten a suplex as well. Angle was possessed but I loved every minute of it. AJ did this great rope to rope outside dive onto Hernandez, Daniels and Kaz. Eventually everyone was pulling out finishers or signature moves and in the end Hernandez pulled off the border toss on Daniels followed by a frog splash by Chavo to win the match. Overall, it was a very fast paced match that had all the spots you could ask for. Everyone delivered and it only made you want more when it was all said and done. I would have liked Kaz and Daniels to win here but I knew Chavo and Hernandez had it in the bag. Just a great match.
Rating: 8/10
Tara defeats Miss Tessmacher to become the new Knockouts Champion:
This match was by far the worst match on the card but it was expected. Luckily for us they kept it short and sweet. I knew Tara was coming into this match to win because she was the one with the storyline. Of course, that storyline didn’t pay off what so ever. I would have liked Tessmacher to hold onto the title longer because she has a ton of potential but Tara had the “Hollywood” boyfriend and that was what TNA deemed important. The big reveal of her boyfriend being some dude from Big Brother was incredibly stupid. For one, I doubt most of the TNA audience knew who this guy was. To me he looked like a skinnier Robbie T and that isn’t a good thing. Overall, the match just wasn’t good and there’s really nothing to remember about it. It was what you call a bathroom break or a cool down match, nothing more, nothing less.
Rating: 3/10
Aces and Eights defeat Bully Ray and Sting by interference from other members of Aces and Eights:
That match itself was surprisingly decent with Bully Ray and Sting doing all they can to make this worth watching. I really don’t know how I feel about Bully Ray wearing face paint and just being a face in general. Bully Ray is a heel and this whole face thing just doesn’t work for me. For the most part, there was a lot of back and forth with some good barricade spots and Bully Ray going through a table. Aces and Eights pick up the win which was no surprise. Hogan comes down to the ring and somehow manages to take each member of Aces and Eights out with a single punch. Yes people, Hulk Hogan is still superman. Hogan gives his typical Hogan shtick with him hulking up and giving a terrible big boot. Finally, him and Sting grab the leader and take off his mask to reveal Devon! Yes, DEVON! Of all people in the world, Devon. I will give TNA props for making us think that Devon was actually out of the company. I doubt there is any one fan that thought that Devon could be the leader. In fact, I think everyone believed that Bully Ray was the head of this operation. Devon was a shocker but it wasn’t a good shocker. Yeah, Devon is an OK wrestler but he shouldn’t be the main focus of Aces and Eights. It’s like Devon saw all the great things Bully Ray was doing so he decided to do something “great” himself. Overall, it just didn’t feel right with the Devon reveal. In my own personal opinion, Aces and Eights are no longer interesting and now that Bully Ray will be most likely playing face, it just makes it even worse. It was a decent match but vastly overshadowed by the big reveal.
Rating: 6/10
Jeff Hardy defeats Austin Aries to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion:
This was definitely no surprise to me because I knew Jeff Hardy was going to win all along. The real surprise was that the fans were mainly going for Aries. I thought Hardy was going to have the crowd all to himself but obviously there were way to many smarks out there to let that happen. I have to say that although I and my DirtSheets colleagues were often making fun of Jeffrey Nero Hardy, I really did enjoy this match. Say what you want about Jeff Hardy, but the guy can deliver some great matches from time to time. There were tons of back and forth between the two. My favorite spot would have to be when Hardy gets pushed down onto the entrance ramp closest to the ring and lands completely on his head. When did Jeff Hardy’s Twists of Fate look so good? Every time he did it, it looked devastating and Aries always sold it for murder. The match had its botches definitely with Aries lazy abdominal stretch but the good severely outweighed the bad. Overall, it wasn’t the outcome I wanted with Jeff Hardy winning but the match itself delivered. It felt like a main event and in the end it was one of the best matches on the card. I will never get over the stuff Jeff Hardy has done in the past so I can’t say he deserves the title but I will give him credit for giving us one hell of a match.
Rating: 8/10
Overall Rating: 7/10
Pros:
- Joe vs. Magnus
- James Storm vs. Bobby Roode Street Fight
- Limited King Mo
- Joey Ryan getting a contract
- Tag Team Title Triple Threat
- Main Event with Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries
Cons:
- RVD’s poor wrestling
- Tara vs. Tessmacher
- Tara’s boyfriend reveal
- Devon being the leader of Aces and Eights
- The show lacked the feel of a big PPV
-David Martell, DirtSheets.com