411’s Instant Analysis 10.06.11: Impact Wrestling

Greetings all and welcome once again to the Impact Instant Analysis. Quick side note, the NHL starts tonight…Go Blackhawks! In other news, you can follow me on Twitter at rcsutton380 if you’re interested. As we’re getting closer to this year’s Bound For Glory, tonight’s photo theme is Bound For Glory promo pictures. Some real blasts from the past in there. I thought last week’s show was pretty good and I’m hoping we can build momentum towards the biggest show of the year! Who knows, we may even get rid of Hogan…sighs…and on with the show:

SEGMENT ONE: Beer Money Talks

I find interesting that James Storm has his own t shirt on, but Bobby Roode STILL doesn’t have his own. Seriously? Either way, I had no problem with Storm talking about Hogan retiring, wasn’t that the point of why Fortune was formed originally? They were a group that demanded their time at the top. I like that Roode put over the prior matches against A.J. & Kazarian. From a storyline standpoint, they made it logical for Storm to go all out against Roode also. Roode wants tested for BFG and Storm wants to prove he belongs there. I dig it.

I’m not going to count Sting’s outfit against this segment. Wow. Just wow.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

SEGMENT TWO: Gunner v. Kazarian
Match Result: Kazarian via DQ after post submission beat down
Match Length: 5:16

Nice start to the match. I appreciated the match psychology. Kazarian was able to use his speed and quickness and Gunner had to try to slow him down. He continued to work that left arm throughout the match. Kazarian sold well on it also. They told a nice story throughout the match. I really like that they played the arm work right into the finish. Too many times you see a body part worked the whole match and then it means nothing at the end.

I don’t understand the booking of the end. It was a decent enough tv match and the original ending made sense. Then they reversed the decision because Gunner put a further beat down on Kazarian after the match. I’ve seen decision reversals done effectively when guys won’t release a hold, but this was stupid. Decent match, good story, booking left a bad taste in my mouth.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10

SEGMENT THREE: Anderson speaks

I use to enjoy an Anderson promo. I’ve found him entertaining longer in IMPACT than most people have. I’m over it though. The whole asshole thing was fun for awhile, but it’s done. I don’t need to hear it 15 times every promo. We even got the obligatory reference to genitalia. I’m still shocked I think it, but thank God Bully Ray interrupted him. It did set up their match at BFG. I think they are 2 guys that could use a stipulation like falls count anywhere well. It should play to their strengths and help minimize their weaknesses. I’m not sure this had to be a whole segment, but oh well.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10

SEGMENT FOUR: Backstage Stuff + ½ of Intro for womens tag match

We got Easy E’s thoughts on Hogan’s retirement party. It was what it was. The way Hogan and Bischoff go back, it didn’t seem all that deep.

I have absolutely no idea what Kendrick was talking about, but Kid Kash kicking his ass sure doesn’t make the challenger for BFG look very strong.

I stand by what I said a few weeks ago, any segment with Velvet Sky in it automatically goes up 2 grade points. While it wasn’t much, doing the introduction to the tag match meant less backstage randomness. I’m always in favor of that.

Rating: 3.0 out of 10

SEGMENT FIVE: Mickie James/Velvet Sky v. Madison Rayne/Winter
Match Result: Rayne/Winter via pinfall
Match Length: 5:08

I thought this was a very solid knockouts match. To start, Hebner wasn’t getting flirted with this week. This was a great example of why people enjoy the knockouts division. It had tag team psychology and was fairly crisp. It was a wrestling match and not just a woman’s match. This is also 2 weeks in a row that there has been miscommunication between Angelina & Winter. I’m not sure why it didn’t factor into the decision, but since it was there, I’m going to assume this may play out at BFG. Good use of match time tonight for the knockouts and kept all the women in the knockouts title match at BFG on tv.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

SEGMENT SIX: Bischoff addresses Hardy

I know my role is to just offer analysis of what’s on the show, so I’m going to keep my opinion about Jeff Hardy to myself from now on. I think the backstage vignettes with Hardy been pretty well done up till this point. I know Bischoff the character is real dick, but I liked the words that were coming out of his mouth towards Hardy. It felt like the type of message Hardy should have been really given behind closed doors. I don’t think it was a good idea having him drop Bischoff with the Twist of Fate. By default he’s now fighting with Immortal and I can only assume will have a big storyline of the show going forward. That doesn’t seem like the brightest idea till he proves himself.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10

SEGMENT SEVEN: Samoa Joe v. Crimson
Match Result: Crimson via pinfall
Match Length: 6:00ish (sorry, forgot to turn off the stopwatch)

This match was exactly what it should have been, which was a whole lot of “Clubberin”. I like that Joe took control, as with his experience, a guy like Joe should know to go after that ankle. He was ruthless and unrelenting on it and I totally bought it. Once again tonight, the ending didn’t make much sense to me. I know Crimson is undefeated and to have him lose on tv with no build up wouldn’t make sense, but the way Joe worked that ankle, logically I don’t see any reason that Crimson didn’t tap. In other news, Joe continues to look like a bitch, because he lost to a small package. I’m becoming less impressed with Crimson’s winning streak, as he just keeps beating Joe as of late, and who isn’t beating Joe?

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

SEGMENT EIGHT: Roode video package & introductions to Main Event

I loved last week’s video package on Roode and I thought this week’s was just as effective. They have really hit a home run on building him into a viable challenger. Not only is Bobby Roode shown as driven and motivated, but the passion in his life going all the way back to his childhood just makes me want to root for him more.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

SEGMENT NINE: Bobby Roode v. James Storm
Match Result: Roode via pinfall
Match Length: 15:33 (including commercials)

I said it last week, but just like the A.J. Styles match, these men have familiarity with each other and should be able to counter wrestle well. I think they did it effectively at the beginning of the match. They also did it differently than last week and it wasn’t just a redo of the story. There was chirpiness between the two men right before the commercial break. I can’t help myself, but I’m curious if Randy Orton will tweet about Storm using a DDT from the outside of the ring. The superplex off the top rope was a nice spot, and lead towards the false finishes smoothly. I liked that they traded counters into their finishers and made me a believer that Storm was on equal level with Roode. Storm has now had good matches with both Kurt Angle & Bobby Roode only to get screwed in the finish. It didn’t have direct impact on the finish, but based off Storm’s selling he was still wobbly from it. It was another shit booking decision as Roode and Storm had a very good match going. There was no need for Angle to have a run in. Roode going over Storm was going to happen anyway. I don’t know why we couldn’t do it clean.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (Booking cost this a ½ point)

SEGMENT TEN: Hogan Retires…nah just kiddin’

I think if Hogan ever does retire publically, it would be incredibly emotional and heartfelt. His tone was off for a guy that was hanging it up. It made me skeptical from the very start. If he tweeted me he was retiring and I drove 10 hours for this, like he said people did, I’d be pissed. He got one thing right; it’s time to put Hulkamania to rest. At his advanced age, and with his back problems, stepping in the ring is a bad idea. I’ll give Sting credit, he was willing to wear that outfit to the ring. We had to use backstage hidden camera footage to turn the story on its ear? This whole retirement thing was just weak and dumb. There’s hope here though, as it apparently it was enough to make Hogan snap and put control of the company on the line.

Rating: 3.0 out of 10