By: Daniel Wilkenfeld, PWTorch Contributor

Where We've Been: Against All Odds is this Sunday, and we have a stacked card whose most built up match is, I kid you not, Team 3D vs. The Nasty Boys. I wonder if Alex Shelley cries himself to sleep at night. Last week they tacked on Joe vs. AJ as the main event, with Samoa Joe spontaneously deciding that he is really about, um, the love of the game or something. We don’t really know yet what his anger's really about, but I'm pretty sure he and AJ just switched characters over the course of the last month for no discernible reason. Thankfully TNA made everything clear at the end of last week’s main event when, in a shocking swerve, the final angle saw two people who aren’t booked for the upcoming PPV turn on a third person who isn’t booked to compete (after he completed a non-match with a fourth person who is not booked to compete). The PPV should still be pretty damned good though; aside from the fact that AJ and Joe have about as much chemistry as two wrestlers can have without being legally married (I miss Chuck & Billy), there will be an eight man tournament to become number one contender. Kurt Angle, who is in the tournament, is going for his third consecutive last title shot of 2010, but The Pope (who I can only assume will be qualifying tonight) scored an upset win on the champ last week that could be the basis for an eminently watchable main event down the line. If they surprise me by moving the strap off AJ, I for one would love to see what Joe could do given more time with either Hernandez or Desmond Wolfe, two wrestlers who have clean upset wins over him. All of these stories would be neat, though why I'm being left to tell them instead of Impact is a bit of a mystery.

The Show: Hulk's Moment of Truth

The pre-show package focuses mostly on The Band. What is the main event of the upcoming PPV again?

[Opening Music]

Hulk Hogan hits the ring. I started 7 minutes late, and thankfully his intro helps me make up a lot of it. He says that he made the right decision coming to TNA, because this place is ...crack a lack'n maybe? He says that people in airports, gyms, and even "his brothers up north dancing the tune" are talking about TNA. We've made this the #1 place to be, and so Hulk feels cool again. But not everyone's in with TNA, and in fact the Impact Zone is locked down so that no one can get in or out (wow will he feel stupid if the pyro sets the building on fire again). Hall and Pac are way out, because while Hulk can see taking someone out—sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do—but there's no excuse to taking out a brother like they did last week. If somehow or other Pac and Hall slip through a crack and get in, they'll have to deal with Hulk, even if that means he has to put back on the red and yellow. Here to respond is...Eric Young? I did not see that coming. The crowd is (I think) calling him underrated. Eric admits that Hogan doesn't know him, and says that Nash is his friend—they're tight. And Hulk knows that in this business good friends are hard to find. So Eric wants a favor—he wants Hulk to let Pac and Hall in so that they can get what's coming to them. Hulk doesn't know him, but he's about to learn that he doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. Hulk says that while he might be new, he still knows the score. Eric Young was in Team Canada and is head of World Elite and the current Global Champion. He's the kind of up and comer who brought Hogan to TNA. Eric says that he's always been a Hogan fan, so out of respect for him he's not going to do anything in the Impact Zone. But he will do what Nash would do, and what all of us would do—he'll go outside and meet Pac and Hall there. Hogan says that he doesn't want anything happening on his watch, but outside that it's all cool. They shake hands. Eric Young pulled that segment up a lot.

Mick Foley, in the back, is looking for Eric Bischoff.

[Commercial Break]

Pac and Hall are walking around outside the Impact Zone.

(1)"THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO vs. ORLANDO JORDAN
8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifier Match

If Jordan wins, we riot. Actually the crowd seems ready to riot already in support of The Pope. They lock up. Pope backs Jordan into the corner, but the ref breaks it up. Jordan gains a quick edge, but Pope comes back with a pair of big arm drags and a series of Bionic Elbows, complete with dancing. If you're not watching, it is hard to overstate how over Pope is with this crowd. Jordan pokes the eyes, clips Pope's leg, and looks for his finisher—Pope fights it off, but Jordan brings him down with a dropkick. Taz refers to the crowd as Pope's "congregation", which has t-shirt written all over it. Jordan hits a Spinning Neck Breaker and a side Back Breaker. The crowd informs Jordan that he still sucks. Pope gets up into a series of jabs, but comes back firing. He hits a series of rights and an Inverted Atomic Drop, then follows up with a flying shoulder block. He slaps Jordan into the ropes, then gets him with The Coronation. He comes back into the ring for the cover, but it only gets two. Jordan gets a quick shot to the throat as he gets up, then connects with a Spine Buster for two. Pope backs into a corner, where Jordan rocks him with more shots. But the corner's not where you want to be with Dinero, since he quickly dodges, connects with a right of his own, and finishes Jordan off with the DDE.

WINNER: D'Angelo Diner in five minutes—another good showing for The Pope.

Jarrett walks into Bischoff and Hogan's office, which seems to be Bischoff's today. Jarrett asks if Bischoff saw his match two weeks ago. Eric did. Jarrett knows what Bischoff is up to, and he just hopes he delivered in that main event. Bischoff says that he over delivered. Eric can't remember enjoying a match more in the last ten years. Jarrett's psychology and strategy was incredible. He might have underestimated Jeff, who's clearly a world class athlete. Jarrett (apparently not appreciating subtle sarcasm) is glad to hear it. He knows that Hogan has kept two tournament spots open, and he'd love to have one. Bischoff admits that it's his job to get the most out of all their assets, but it's also his job to protect them. He's not convinced that Jarrett is ready. Besides, were Jarrett to go into Against All Odds and win three matches he'd suddenly be number one contender, which doesn't really sound like starting at the bottom. What Jeff should do is hit the gym and work his way back up. Jeff grudgingly accepts the verdict.

[Commercial Break]

(2)SUICIDE vs. MATT MORGAN
8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifying Match

Morgan backs Suicide into the corner, but Suicide goes to the top rope and over Morgan's head. He connects with a dropkick, but Morgan stays on his feet. Suicide tries to take him down with a Cross Body Block, but Morgan catches him and hits a Fall Away Slam. Morgan hits his back elbows in the corner, then waits for Suicide to take a step out of it so that the ensuing Splash seems particularly impactful. Morgan hits a head butt and nails his float over Guillotine Choke against the ropes, but takes a moment to pose for the crowds. That lets Suicide recover enough that he can dodge a charge in the corner and connect with a dropkick off the top rope for one. Suicide comes off the ropes, but Morgan goozles him. Suicide somehow flips out of the Choke Slam, but right into the Carbon Footprint. That'll do it.

WINNER: Matt Morgan in 3 minutes.

Mick goes into Bischoff's office. Calling him "Mr. Bischoff", Mick says that he's willing to climb on board, to do whatever is needed, as long as he gets some assurance that JB and Abyss will be taken care of. I would have used less ambiguous phrasing if I were Mick. Eric says that he's a man of his word, and Abyss and JB will be fine. In fact, Abyss can have one of the two open spots in the 8 Card Stud Tournament. IFurthermore, Bischoff has the perfect opponent for Abyss already picked—a former world champion and grizzled veteran--Mick Foley. Mick says that he's going to go prepare for his match, but Bischoff isn't done yet. He says that he doesn't like Mick's get-up—the Cactus Jack flannel is just so 70's. Mick points out that it's really more 80's and 90's, but whatever. Bischoff finishes by saying that if there are any "shenanigans" in Mick's match Sunday, Abyss will have to take off mask on the very next Impact.

[Commercial Break]

Sorry for the delay—a certain wife, who shall remain nameless, got our car stuck in a snow bank.

We see the brackets for Sunday. On the left we have Pope vs. Wolfe and Hernadnez vs. Morgan. On the right (or "Angle half") we have Angle vs. Anderson and Foley vs. Abyss.

Christy is in the locker room with Angle and Anderson, who will be teaming together later tonight against Hernandez and Wolfe. She wants to know how they'll be able to work together tonight. Anderson tells "Kristen" that he's carried so many tag partners in the past that it doesn't matter who he teams with. The only thing that matters is the tournament, where Anderson will burn through his opponents and prove why he deserves to be the TNA World Heavyweight champion...champion. Kurt doesn't know what his intentions are, but he'll have eyes in the back of his head in case Anderson tries to screw him, like Hogan did. If he does, Angle will snap his ankle faster than that stupid mic of his can fall from the ceiling (Rachael points out that it really doesn't fall all that fast). Angle storms off, then comes back to reminds Anderson of the snapping in his future. He leaves again, and a mic falls from the top of the locker room. Anderson does his thing. Take that, suspension of disbelief!

[Commercial Break]

Kurt Angle approaches Eric Young in the back, and advises him, as a veteran, to stay back. This is a fight he can't win. Young thinks that he'll be facing Hall and Pac, but Hulk Hogan will probably be lurking somewhere. Eric thinks that's why Angle should come with him. Angle says that that's why he is going alone, and why EY should stay back and think about his career. Angle leaves, and Young punches the hell out of a locker.

(3)DOUG WILLIAMS vs. AMAZING RED
X Division Championship Match

Hey, I remember the X Division! I think I read about it somewhere. Williams tries to pick an ankle, but Red kicks him in the head. Red dives between Williams's legs and dropkicks him, then kicks him almost out of the ring. They trade quick roll-ups, and we're already going full throttle. Red looks for the Mysterio-style Wheelbarrow DDT, but Williams blocks it and slams Reds head into the mat three times. A cover gets two. He grapevines his legs around Red's head and bangs it into the mat a few more times for two. He cinches in a chin lock. Red powers out, but Williams takes him down with a European Uppercut. A knee drop gets a couple of two counts. Williams shoots Red into the corner and nails a running knee lift. He goes to the top rope, but Red quickly jump kicks him out to the floor, then follows him out with a Corkscrew Vaulting Press, which the crowd thinks was amazing. Williams rolls back into the ring, where he eats a dropkick off the top rope for a long two count. Williams tries to escape, but Red kicks him in the back, then the head for two. Red goes for a Hurricanrana—Williams reverses into an attempted Power Bomb, Red re-reverses into a Victory Roll, Williams re-re-reverses into something that Red immediately transitions into a roll-up for two. Red hits an amazing Spinning Wheel Kick for two. He goes for some type of Senton Bomb off the top rope; Williams rolls away, so Red rolls through onto his feet. When he charges Williams, Williams dodges and Red's shoulder hits the ring post. Williams hits a Rolling Chaos Theory, and that's all she wrote.

WINNER: Doug Williams in five minutes—great X Division action.

[Commercial Break]

We see hype for the upcoming Knockouts' handicap match of Love & Tara vs. The Beautiful People.

Christy is in the back with Love and Tara. Love says that there's a lot of history between them, and she's willing to admit that when Tara first arrived Love didn't like her very much, which is why she pounced on her. But last week Tara had her back when The Beautiful People attacked. Tara says that tonight things are going to get lucky—Love adds "real ugly".

(4)THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE vs. ANGELINA LOVE vs. TARA (w/POISON)
Handicap Match

The screen tells us that The Beautiful People will be trying out for Jersey Shore next season. As Love straddles the rope Velvet Sky assures the audience that she can do it better. Sky skips up to Tara and poses. Love tags in, and Sky flees around the ring. Love catches up and whacks her, but gets distracted by Rayne, which lets Sky nail her in the back. Sky works takes her back into the ring and works her over some on the mat. She whips Love into the ropes, but when it looks like Love will come back firing Sky runs away and tags in Rayne. Love chokes Rayne, then tosses her into the corner and tags in Tara. Tara hits a beautiful Suplex into a Guillotine Choke. When Rayne gets out Tara slaps her in the face. Rayne flees to the outside, where she recoups with Sky and Von Erich. Love and Tara follow them out with a pair of baseball slides that somehow successfully take down all three people.

[Commercial Break]

Tara is beating up Rayne in the ring, but Von Erich grabs Tara's leg from the outside to help Rayne take control. Rayne does some stomping, then taunts Love into the ring. While the ref deals with that, they triple team Tara. Sky tags in and stands on Love's hair some. Von Erich tags in and hits a back flip off the middle rope, then falls backwards into an elbow drop. Taz, almost certainly clinching line of the night for the second week running, points out that that was a lot of work for an elbow. Lacey slams Tara's head into the mat, then tags Rayne back in. Rayne connects with some forearms to Tara's chest. She whips Tara off into the ropes, and we get a traditional simultaneous double clothesline takedown. Sky and Love tag in at the same time, and Love is on fire. Rayne and Von Eric try to interfere, but Love takes them all down. She connects with a Spear to Sky, but Lacey breaks up the cover. Tara comes to help, but Rayne stalls her with a Princess Bride-style back choke. The ref goes to deal with them as Love nails Sky with a Bicycle Kick. She clearly has three, but the ref doesn't see it. Lacey comes in and whacks Love with the ugly stick—Sky rolls into the cover for three.

WINNERS: The Beautiful People in 10 minutes. That was very good—I'm glad that we seem to be done with the Nash-style Knockout booking. After the match, Tara tries to attack with the ugly stick, but Von Erich gets it away from her and The Beautiful People do a few seconds of three-on-one beat down before getting bored and posing.

Christy is in the back with Desmond Wolfe. He says that a very stupid American once said that life is like a box of chocolates, but that's bollocks. Life is like a game of poker. The four guys in the ring might look to all of us like they're four of a kind, but one of them is clearly on top. Wolfe's already proven what he can do to Kurt Mangled, and Super Maxi-Pad should go back south of the border. Also, there's the new star that's shaking up TNA and who everyone's talking about: Mr......(Christy tries to say "Anderson", but he shushes her)...Mr...Wolfe. Desmond Wolfe. Also there'll be some guy with a big mouth. Ha! In a nice touch, Christy is really digging the shots at Anderson. Wolfe says that he's proved how dangerous he is. Tonight's match will have a huge bearing on Sunday, since they might not make it to Sunday: "If you cheap shot me, I'll end ya. If you team up on me, I'll end ya. In fact you'll be lucky to make it to Sunday. If you don't understand what I'm saying, I'll end ya".

That was easily the best segment we've seen tonight.

[Commercial Break]

We're having the scheduled main event match now? It's a good thing Pac and Hall decided to show up, or we'd have a lot of dead time at the end of the show. Wolfe comes down without his valet. Mr. Anderson introduces himself as the next TNA World Heavyweight Champion—if I were Joe I'd be plenty ticked about that.


(5)DESMOND WOLFE & HERNANDEZ vs. KURT ANGLE & MR. ANDERSON

Anderson starts things off trying to head fake Hernandez. The crowd is finally showing some respect for Super Mex, but not as much as I'd like. Anderson kicks his legs a couple times, but Hernandez just knocks him across the ring. He splashes him in the corner, then does his t-shirt assisted toss across the ring. Hernandez looks for the Border Toss, but Anderson slips away and makes the tag. Angle gets a quick hammerlock on Hernandez, who reverses it. Wolfe cheap shots Angle from the apron, which Hernandez doesn't seem happy about. Wolfe tags himself in, then uses a wrist lock to yank Angle to the mat. He does it two more times before Angle gets away and hits a quick German Suplex. He releases though, which lets Wolfe tag in Super Mex. Hernandez comes in with the slingshot shoulder block, then connects with The Shock Treatment. Wolfe signals that he wants in, but as soon as he gets the tag Angle explodes. Wolfe hits a quick European Uppercut, then whacks in another whacky wrist lock variant. Angle reverses it into an Angle Lock, but Anderson distracts the ref as Wolfe taps. Angle lets it go, and Wolfe quickly tags in Hernandez. Kurt whips Hernandez into the corner, but when he tries to follow up Hernandez gets a leg up. He pulls himself to the top rope, but Kurt runs the ropes for a Super Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Both men look for tags, but Anderson pulls away from his. Kurt decides that he doesn't really need it anyway, as he hits a series of clotheslines and an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex on Wolfe. He pops Anderson. Hernandez tries to interfere on Wolfe's behalf, but Angle tosses him out of the ring. Wolfe capitalizes on the distraction with a Hammerlock Takedown for two. Wolfe sets Angle up for the Tower of London, but Kurt slips out and connects with an Olympic Slam. Angle drops the straps, but Anderson tags himself in, tosses Angle out, and makes the cover for three.

WINNERS: Kurt Angle & Desmond Wolfe in seven minutes. This was some more good action, and actually advanced the PPV story. I'm not too fond of the Olympic Slam, which last I checked couldn't keep Spike Dudley down for a three count, suddenly keeping Wolfe down long enough for Anderson to make an extremely delayed cover.

Joe is walking around backstage.

[Commercial Break]

Joe comes down to the ring and grabs the mic. He came out here to talk someone, so he'd like AJ Styles to join him for a little chat. AJ seemed to be expecting that, as he and Flair come out right away. AJ is clad in a suit. Joe says that he never expected to say this, but AJ disgusts him. AJ says that it's cause he's the champ. Joe's known him a long time, and everyone knows that they were the two hottest young stars in the business. They didn't just rest on those laurels, whether they were friends or hated each other they always put on a show. If you look at the best matches in TNA history, they always involve The Phenomenal One and Samoa Joe. That's why Joe's disgusted—AJ used to be a warrior, and come out here and fight every day. He used to be a real champion. But then when Kurt came down ready to fight, to prove who the best man was, AJ took a shortcut and threw it all away. Flair takes the mic. He wasn't planning to talk, but AJ is the champ, and everyone should learn some respect. Joe welcomes Flair to come to the ring to teach him respect, but points out that he won't be walking back. AJ was the last pure thing in this company, which everyone wanted to believe in. AJ didn't really cheat Angle or Joe, he cheated the fans. AJ explodes, asking who Joe thinks he is—he's turned more coats than a dry cleaner's. Joe was in The Front Line, then The Main Event Mafia, then the Nation of Violence—AJ asks how that's going now that the money's dried up. He suggests Joe join his buddy Taz on commentary, but then says not to bother, since Joe will just turn on him anyway. Joe says that he knows his sins and he'll bear his crosses, but there is a difference—every time some newcomer came to TNA claiming that he was going to take over Joe stood up to him, whereas AJ just fell to his knees and kissed the ring of his new sugar daddy. AJ is irate. Flair tries to hold him back, but he rushes the ring. Joe quickly gets the upper hand of the brawl and sets AJ up for the Muscle Buster when Flair comes from behind and nails the low blow. AJ and Flair then beat the hell out of Joe till security comes to the ring to break things up. Flair asks if Joe gets it now—whooo!

I maintain that AJ is the most underrated promo in the business.

[Commercial Break]

AJ is leaving The Impact Zone when Bischoff cuts him off. He wants to know if AJ's proud of himself, and AJ really is excited. Bischoff is sure that AJ has an exciting night planned, but before he goes he has some news. Given the controversial ending to AJ's last title defense, they've decided to appoint a special referee they can trust. AJ laughs, asking who that could be in TNA. Bischoff says that he's doing it himself. After he leaves, AJ calls Flair, saying that they have a problem.

We run down the card for Sunday.

Kurt is trying to walk out when Hulk Hogan cuts him off, saying that it won't happen this way. Kurt says that he knew it—he told Dixie not to trust Hulk. Hulk says that if Angle wants to get his ass beat Hulk can't stop him, but he'll at least make sure it happens in house so that there's a chance that someone will save Kurt Angle. Hulk opens up the door and tells Kurt to hit the ring. Kurt goes, saying that he fully expects Hulk to join Pac and Hall there. As he leaves, Hulk wishes him good luck.

[Commercial Break]

Kurt Angle is already in the ring, mic in hand. He's addressing Hogan, saying that he knows he let his boys in, and that he wants them in the ring. Syxx Pac comes out, trailed by Scott Hall. Given how much distance there was between them Kurt has little problem fending them both off, but when he lock in an Angle Lock on Hall Pac nails him from behind with some brass 'nuks. Syxx-Pac hits repeated Brass 'Nuks shots, then hands them off to Hall to do likewise. I don't really like the cheapening of the brass 'nuks. Hogan's music hit, and as he heads for the ring Pac and Hall seem glad to see him. Hogan takes off his watch on his way in, but Hall and Pac don't seem to notice that he's clearly about to turn on them. Hall gives Hogan the 'nuks and holds up Angle. Has there ever been a less shocking shocker?

Where We're Going: The card Sunday actually looks really cool, now that they've motivated the main event and the first round of the tournament. The only problem is all the matches they're not having—specifically in the women's and X divisions. I guess the downside of a tournament is that you do have to cut corners elsewhere.

Star of the Night: Desmond Wolfe. There was a bunch of great mic work, and a bunch of really good in-ring action, but only he has one of each.

Overall: This show was, structurally, a carbon copy of last week's. There was some great action, and some great talking, and then it just sort of stopped. EY started off the show great, but was mysteriously nowhere to be found during the main event. The Pope got his much-deserved win over Jordan, and the Suicide gimmick seems to have finally run its course. The women's match was great, and the X Division match, while short, was a good showcase for what the X Division is all about. For about half of the last hour someone finally remembered that there's a PPV coming up. The Joe-AJ work, in particular, was incredible—the rare acknowledgment of someone's constant face and heel turning was a nice touch. The tag match helped along Angle-Anderson, and was pretty good in its own right. Then things took a turn for the worse. I don't like Bischoff being involved in the main event, and the Hogan—turn?--at the end was a particularly lame way to go into a PPV. B+

Daniel is a graduate instructor at The Ohio State University. If someone wants to send him a "turn" lamer then Hogan's tonight, they can get a shout out next week. Submissions can be sent to dawilk316@gmail.com.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax