TNA Impact Wrestling
July 29, 2015
Taped from Orlando, Fla.
Airing on Destination America
Report by Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonPW), PWTorch contributor

Impact Wrestling opened with a video package highlighting what happened on last week's episode of Impact as well as what was to come on tonight's show, including Jeff Hardy's return. Josh Mathews also hyped Jeff Jarrett's TNA Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will take place tonight.

In-arena: Mathews welcomes us into the Impact Zone with some crowd shots. Impact then cut to Mathews and The Pope in their announce studio. Back in the arena, Austin Aries was making his way to the ring wearing a black suit with a black dress shirt and black sunglasses. He appeared to be dressed for a funeral.

Aries said to cut his music, because he wasn't in a good mood. Aries said the one thing everyone should know about Austin Aries is that nobody takes more pride in what they do. He said no one works harder in the ring and no one takes more pride in professional wrestling than he does.

Aries went on to say that nobody in the universe is better than him right now. Aries said that when the "new law," referring to Bully Ray, made a No. 1 contender match for the TNA World Title, he was upset that he wasn't included. He said that wasn't a small mistake, it was a great mistake. Aries said Bully Ray hasn't made a good impression "on the greatest man who ever lived."

That brought out Bully Ray, who entered the ring after chumming with some fans around ringside. Bully Ray said he can always count on the fans to make him feel good. He told Aries that the fans are the only opinions that matters to him. He asked the crowd how he was doing as the man in charge, and there was a decent-sized pop for the size of the building.

Bully said Austin Aries is one of the best. Bully said that Aries beat him. But, Bully said Aries is moving his mouth just a little too fast. He said Aries would get another shot at what he deserves. So, Aries said he wants a shot at the TNA World Title. Bully said he can't do that, because he already lost to Kurt Angle. So Aries asked for a re-match for the TNA World Tag Championship. But, Bully said they just lost to the Wolves.

Aries asked what he could do? Bully said that he could have a shot at the X Division Title. Aries said he's "been there, done that." He said he's held it more times than he cares to remember. Aries said he doesn't need the X Division Title, the X Division Title needs him. He said the X Division is for guys like Rockstar Spud, who will never be on his level.

That brought out Spud, who was wearing a flowered suit (seriously).

Spud told Aries that he wasn't there to get in his face. Spud said Aries was someone he looked up to, but to hear Aries say that about him really hurt. Spud told Aries he sees him as someone who has overachieved. He calls Aries the greatest man who ever lived. Spud said Aries created opportunities for guys like him.

Spud said Aries created Option C, won the World Title, and became the best TNA World Champion in the company. Aries stopped him, telling him that he created Option C not for Spud, but for himself. Aries said he has an idea. He said he wanted to give Spud the chance to step in the ring with him, and prove he belongs in it. He asked Spud if he wants to "try to hang" with Aries.

Spud said he's been showing people "he can hang" his entire life. Spud said he doesn't think he can "hang" with Aries, he thinks he can beat Aries. Aries said if he can't beat Spud, he doesn't belong in the ring. Bully said that all Aries wants to do is kick sand in Spud's face. So Bully said that if Aries can't beat Spud, he'll never wrestle in TNA again. Aries said he'd do that. If Spud can beat him, he'll leave Impact Wrestling. Aries said when he wins, he wants his name. He wants to be called Rockstar Austin Aries, and Spud would just be "little old Spud." Aries then decked Spud with a right hand and left the ring.

[Reax: Very good promo segment to open the show. Rockstar Spud is very underrated as a babyface. There's something about his character that seems very genuine and real, and very easy for anyone to sympathize with and get behind. He's a white-meat babyface, but he's pulling it off in a way that John Cena has had a hard time with over the last decade. Spud has found a nice groove, and TNA should use that more. Also, Aries was excellent as the heel and really shined on the mic. A long promo segment to open the show is copying the WWE formula, but this segment worked.]

[Q2] In-studio: Mathews and Pope talked about Spud and Aries, and Mathews ran down what's still to come tonight with graphics. TNA threw to a video backstage of Jeff Jarrett arriving with Karen backstage.

Backstage: Kurt Angle was talking to Chris Melendez. He said Eric Young is bad news and thanked Melendez for coming to his aid. Melendez said he feels like he can't move forward until he overcomes EY. He said he needs it more than anything. Angle said he understands and he can beat him.

[Commercial Break at 9:16]

Back from the break, Mathews again advertised what is to come tonight.

In-arena: Chris Melendez was introduced for his match, accompanied by Kurt Angle. Melendez cut a promo saying that he won't accept defeat. He said he will never quit, the same way he didn't quit overseas. He said he fought and fought. Melendez told Eric Young that he wants his rematch.

Out came Eric Young. As he walked to the ring, he told Melendez that he's doing him a favor. He said Melendez doesn't want him getting in the ring, and he better quit while he's breathing. Melendez said he was wrong, he does want Young to get in the ring.

1 -- CHRIS MELENDEZ vs. ERIC YOUNG

Before the bell, Angle gave Melendez some tips from ringside. Meanwhile, Mathews said that Spud-Aries will happen next week on Impact. [Reax: Wait, they dedicated 15 minutes opening the show to a match next week? It was still a good segment, but why next week?]

Young controls the early portion of the match after Melendez hits a suplex to start things off. Young hammers away on Melendez in the corner and starts to stomp as Melendez hits the ground. Late in the match, Melendez begins to fight back and trade shots with Young in the middle of the ring. But, Young connects on a piledriver and picks up the pinfall.

WINNER: Eric Young via pinfall in 3:12

[Reax: Essentially a squash win for Young. This seems to be setting up another Angle-Young match down the road, with his involvement backing Melendez. I just can't see how anyone in the audience is going to perceive Melendez as a legitimate threat to Young when he's beaten so easily like this. They might get another match out of it because Melendez is playing up that he doesn't quit, but if he scores a win, even if it's a fluke, it would be hard for it to make much sense.]

Post-match: Young bailed to the stage while Pope speculated if Melendez's neck can take more piledrivers.

[Commercial Break at 9:29]

[Q3] Back from the break, Jeremy Borash tracked down Matt Hardy backstage to ask if he's picked a match stipulation for his TNA World Title match yet. Hardy said "they" haven't, and Borash wondered who "they" were.

[Reax: This might be nitpicking, but TNA is advertising that Jeff Hardy is returning tonight. Why make Jeremy Borash look like a fool wondering who "they" are?]

Mathews then recapped Brooke winning the TNA Knockouts Title.

2 -- TNA Knockouts champion BROOKE vs. MARTI BELL -- TNA Knockouts Title match

Before the match begins, Brooke tries to attack the Dollhouse at ringside. Brooke takes out both Marti and Jade and turns her attention to Taryn Terrell, chasing her from the ring.

Marti comes in and attacks Brooke from behind, which signals the bell. Marti controls the first several minutes of the match after attacking Brooke early, but Brooke begins to fight back around the three-minute mark, hitting clotheslines to begin taking control of the match.

Marti took control again, but the lights went out and Gail Kim's music began to play. When the lights came back on, Gail Kim wasn't anywhere to be found, but it was enough of a distraction for Brooke to score the pin.

WINNER: Brooke via pinfall in 3:57

[Reax: Strange match. Brooke gets a cheap win over a heel that's a secondary character in a stable. That's not exactly a confidence builder for a new champion. TNA is building to the eventual Kim-Terrell match, but that leaves Brooke in limbo despite being the champion.]

Still to come: Matt Hardy picks the stipulation for his TNA Title match.

[Commercial Break at 9:42]

[Q4] Back from the break, Mathews threw to more video of Tigre Uno in Mexico. In the video, Uno talked about his kids, being a dad, and what it means to wrestle for TNA.

Backstage: Uno cuts a short promo, basically acknowledging that Donald Trump isn't there. Shocker! The camera then cut to ECIII, who cut a short promo basically telling Matt Hardy to "take his best shot" when picking the stipulation.

[Commercial Break at 9:50]

Back from the break, Jeff Jarrett was shown backstage catching up with Billy Corgan.

In-arena: Ethan Carter III came to the ring with Tyrus. He grabs a mic and says in seven days, he'll defend the TNA World Title against Matt Hardy on a special "No Surrender" edition of Impact.

ECIII says that Matt and Jeff Hardy are "just a bunch of hillbillies," which prompted a "Hardy" chant from the crowd. ECIII then begins to rip on Jeff Hardy for breaking his leg doing a motorcycle stunt. ECIII said that Hardy isn't champion material.

[Q5] Out comes Jeff Hardy to a good ovation. He appears to be walking okay with a slight limp, but there is no cast or brace on his leg. Hardy grabs a mic. He says he has been sitting at home and he had done a little crying. He said the pain was so intense, but every time he saw ECIII on Impact, he just got sick. He told ECIII his over-confidence will kill him, and he doesn't even realize it.

Hardy said he's feeling the healing. He said he rides the bike every day and soon he'll be jogging and running and before ECIII knows it, he'll be dropping titanium leg drops on ECIII. Hardy said ECIII isn't a good champion, and it needs to change, and that next week Matt Hardy would become the new TNA World Champion.

Out comes Matt Hardy, as Mathews and Pope remind us that he can pick the stipulation for the World Title match. Matt said there is no competition between Matt and Jeff. He said they were going to put their heads together and pick a stipulation. Jeff suggests something under the ring can make the match more interesting. Matt pulls out a table. Then he pulls out a chair. And then, of course, he pulls out a ladder. Hardy chooses a Full Metal Mayhem match. He also said everyone is banned from ringside.

[Reax: Clunky promo. There were some awkward silences and gaps that you would think could have been cleaned up with some post-production. Jeff Hardy suggested the match, and with Matt Hardy also saying that his brother was there to support him, it seems primed for Jeff Hardy turning heel on his brother next week, costing him the TNA World Title. Especially when you consider this is TNA and Jeff said earlier in the promo that he would be World Champion again once he's back. Jeff Hardy was really smooth in his delivery here.]

Up Next: James Storm & Serena vs. Mickie James & Magnus.

[Commercial Break at 10:09]

[Q6] Back from the break, Magnus and Mickie James are backstage talking about their tag match tonight against Serena and James Storm. Magus says that tonight isn't about a match, it's a fight. Tonight, he said this all comes to an end.

In-Arena: Serena and Storm were introduced followed by Magnus and James.

3 -- JAMES STORM & SERENA vs. MAGNUS & MICKIE JAMES

Early in the match, James Storm has control against Magnus after Magnus rushed him to begin the match. Storm has Magnus locked into a resthold as the program goes to commercial.

[Commercial break at 10:19]

Back from the break, Mickie James is chasing Serena around ringside while Storm and Magnus are still legal. Magnus is down and Storm is still in control. Storm begins to antagonize James in the corner. He grabs Magnus and begins choking him on the ropes. Serena does as well while the referee's back is turned. Storm is hitting Magnus with repeated elbows.

Storm taunts Mickie again, but that allows Magnus to get in some offense before Storm cuts him down with an elbow. Storm puts Magnus in a headlock and Magnus fights his way out of it, but Storm quickly hits him over the back to control the pace again.

Storm throws Magnus to the outside and whips him into the guardrail. He rolls Magnus back in and that's when Magnus again tries to make a comeback, but Storm cuts it off. With Magnus on the outside, Serena and Mickie James begin to go at it. Storm grabs Mickie's hair like he's about to do something, but it gives time for Serena to recover and get a two count. Mickie hits a DDT on Serena for the win.

WINNERS: Mickie James & Magnus in 12:11

[Reax: Very good match, considering what it was. Serena looked good and so did Mickie, despite so much time off. Magnus and Storm have a real good chemistry and it's a shame Magnus is leaving TNA. It's a cheap plug, but if you haven't listened to Wade Keller's Livecast Interview with Magnus from last week, I suggest you do.]

Post-match: Mickie James goes after James Storm "for everything Storm has done," as Mathews said. Magnus and James celebrate.

[Commercial Break at 10:31]

Back from the break, the interview from two weeks ago between Mr. Anderson and Mike Tenay continued. Tenay recaps Mr. Anderson getting attacked by Bram two weeks ago. Anderson said Bram is a dark individual. Anderson said he can go there. But, if he does go there, it's going to be ugly and nasty. Anderson said he's not sure.

Bram was shown in a pre-taped promo backstage. Bram said he's demanding a match with Anderson next week.

[Reax: Solid promo from Bram, who continues to come across as a psychotic heel. That seems to be the theme of tonight's show, just relatively solid, plus advertising some big happenings next week.]

In-studio: Mathews runs down what's happening next week on Impact before throwing to a video on Jeff Jarrett, TNA's Hall of Fame inductee.

In-arena: Mike Tenay introduces TNA president Dixie Carter, who is headed to the ring.

Dixie said she's honored to be there to induct Jarrett into the TNA Hall of Fame. Dixie said that no one would be there if it weren't for Jeff Jarrett. She said she is tremendously proud of Jarrett starting TNA, a company everyone loves. Dixie then introduced Jarrett.

Jarrett enters the ring with Karen and gives Dixie a hug as the show abruptly, and seemingly without warning, goes to a break.

[Commercial Break at 10:43]

[Q8] Back from the break, Dixie is speaking again and formally inducts Jarrett into the TNA Hall of Fame. She hands the mic to Mike Tenay as she hands Jarrett his Hall of Fame ring. Jarrett passes it to Karen and takes the mic.

Jarrett said to everyone who has ever purchased anything from TNA, a ticket or a t-shirt, thank you. Jarrett told everyone who has ever received a paycheck from TNA, thank you. Jarrett continued by thanking Bob and Janice Carter, and acted choked up when he did so. Jarrett thanked everyone "in Dallas."

Jarrett then thanked everyone "in Nashville." Jarrett thanked everyone in live event production. Jarrett then pointed to Mike Tenay and again begins to tear up, saying, "you don't know how much he means to me." Jarrett also thanked Don West.

Jarrett then thanked the talent, "especially the early years," he said. He thanked everyone in the X Division, the early X Division, for helping define TNA. Jarrett thanked the Knockouts, the tag team division, and all the other wrestlers. Jarrett acknowledged Team 3D by name, saying they "came from the WWE and busted their butts here."

Jarrett then thanked, by name, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Mick Foley, and others. Jarrett looked at Dixie and said they had their ups and downs, but without her, he wouldn't be here tonight. Then Jarrett got real emotional saying he needed to thank his family. He told the story about the falling out with his father, Jerry Jarrett, and said six weeks ago they reconciled.

Jarrett, through tears, thanks his children. Then he thanked Karen, calling her his rock. Jarrett thanked the fans one more time, and said he couldn't be more proud to be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame. The locker room then appeared on the stage, applauding Jarrett's speech. Mathews again ran down the card for next week as Jarrett was shown shaking hands with the roster on the stage to close the show.

[Final Thoughts: Excellent speech from Jeff Jarrett. This could have been a stinker, but Jarrett made it seem like this actually meant a lot to Jarrett, which made it mean a lot to the viewer. Jarrett was choked up numerous times and the story about reconciling with his father nearly had the entire arena in tears.

Overall, this was a solid show. Next week's Impact is a big one, with a lot of big matches, and the purpose of this show was to promote that, which it did heavily. The focus for TNA was clearly on next week. Without pay-per-views, building to these special episodes is fine, and I'm certainly looking forward to that show more than just any other regular weekly Impact episode, so this show did its job.]

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