TNA Impact TV taping report
August 15, 2013
Norfolk, Va.
Report by Keith Laing, PWTorch correspondent

I'd say there were about 2,000-2,500 people there in the half-full arena. Of note, there was no mention of Hulk Hogan during either taping to the live crowd.

Xplosion: Christopher Daniels beat Jay Bradley with the BME.

8/22 Impact SPOILERS

This was probably taped out of order:

The Extraordinary Gentleman Organization (E.G.O.) group (Roode, Daniels, and Kazarian) came out and congratulated Bully Ray on his title win "last week." They asked Austin Aries to become their fourth member. James Storm & Gunner came out & told Daniels & Kaz that they shouldn't trust Roode. Roode said Storm was jealous of him and they went back and forth before Storm decked Roode. This turned into a tag match with Storm & Gunner vs. Roode & Kazarian.

(1) Bobby Roode & Kazarian beat James Storm & Gunner when Roode pinned Storm with a roll-up after a low blow.

(2) X Division champion Manik beat Sonjay Dutt with his drop-down knee slam (I'm not sure what it's called on TV). This wasn't announced as a title match, so it's either non-title or they're finally doing away with the three-way rule. Several people arena around me kept saying Manik looked like Spiderman in his costume.

(3) Joseph Park beat Jay Bradley, Hernandez, and Christopher Daniels in a four-way BFG Series Street Fight. Park won with a Black Hole Slam on Bradley. This was the third 20-point match that was missing from the live show. Half-way through the match, Austin Aries ran out and teased joining E.G.O., but it was a set up. He brainbustered Daniels after high-fiving Kaz and Roode, and the crowded popped huge (there was a large Daniel Bryan "Yes!" chant). After Daniels was eliminated, Park ended up seeing his own blood again and going into Abyss mode. He pinned Bradley with a Black Hole Slam.

Bully Ray came out with Tito Ortiz. Jeremy Borash encouraged people to boo before they started taping the segment. Bully said he is not a two-time champ because he does not recognize Chris Sabin's title reign. Tito said Rampage Jackson should've seen his heel turn coming because they're fighting - wait for it - Nov. 2 - on Bellator. Bully said he fooled everybody again (the first time being the Aces & Eights reveal). He called out the love of his life and teased it would be Brooke Hogan, but Brooke Tessmacher came out to Brooke Hogan's music and they made out. Miss Tessmacher pulled Bully's ring off his finger with her tongue (seriously), and Bully said (presumably to B. Hogan) "we're done."

(4) Gail Kim beat ODB with a crucifix into roll-up.

Next was Main Event Mafia vs. Aces & Eights. They had a long talking segment before the match and Bully came out with Tessmacher & Tito to watch. Mr. Anderson told Main Event Mafia to choose someone to lay down for them, but Sting said they would go down fighting. A.J. Styles then came out to new music and halfway through his usual brooding entry, they switched to the old "I Am" music and A.J. became the fifth man, and the crowd popped huge again. It wasn't clear if A.J. was going to stay with MEM permanently (that would kind over go against the whole "No One" thing), but for this match, he was over huge as babyface.

(5) Main Event Mafia beat Aces & Eights when A.J. pinned Devon with Styles Clash. Bully freaked out on-stage and in the ring because Devon's fired. He blamed the rest of the Aces. Not sure where the show will end next week, but Rampage got a slam spot during the match. The crowd took the retirement stips seriously, so they chanted, "Thank you, Devon," as he bowed to them.

They taped another match for Xplosion, but a lot of people left after the Impact main event.

Xplosion: Jay Bradley beat Joseph Park with the Boomstick. This was announced as a BFG Series match. Bradley got his win back from the earlier match. There was a lot of Bradley on this show.

Post-match, Eric Young and Joe Park double teamed Bradley, and Park splashed him off the second rope. Young counted a visual three to send the crowd home happy. There were a lot of "We Want Eric" chants from the people that stayed around for the "bonus" match, though it was getting close to 11 p.m. at that point, so not many people did.

Overall, both shows were very fun. I went to the taping earlier this year in Atlanta, too, and it seemed like a lot more people stayed around this time for the second taping.

Most Popular:

Jeff Hardy
A.J. Styles
Samoa Joe
Rest of MEM
Rampage/Tito (before the heel turn)

Most Heat:

Bully
Roode, Daniels, Kaz
Tito, after the turn, on the second show

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