411 PPV Roundtable Preview – TNA Bound For Glory 2012

Welcome to 411Mania’s TNA Pay-Per-View Roundtable! This month TNA presents their signature event, Bound For Glory! World Champion Austin Aries battles Bound For Glory Series winner Jeff Hardy, The World Tag Team Champions of the World defend in a triple threat match, Bobby Roode battles James Storm with King Mo as the enforcer, Sting & Bully Ray defend TNA against Aces & Eights and so much more!

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Da Crew!

We kick things off with the author of Shining a Spotlight, Michael Weyer!
Our newest RAW recapper joins the fun this month… Ken Hill!
Don’t forget the man behind The Heel Report, James Wright!
My main man from the Movie Zone, Shawn S. Lealos!
And finally…your’s truly, Greg DeMarco!

The official “Please Buy The PPV” Video!

Staff Picks and Analysis!

X-Division Championship
Zema Ion (champion) vs. Rob Van Dam

Greg DeMarco: On Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, Zema Ion proclaimed that he eliminated the entire X-Division. That is true, and it left Zema without a Bound For Glory match. Enter Rob Van Dam. RVD claimed that Hulk Hogan told him he could pick his BFG opponent for Phoenix, and he picked Ion.

The title is on the line, and I worry that RVD will talk out of Phoenix with the title. Zema Ion should win, but TNA has a tendency to protect RVD in nearly every match. Yes, it makes no sense but I am going wit RVD here.

Winner: Rob Van Dam (new X-Division Champion)

411Mania Staff Pick: Rob Van Dam (1-0, match was added late)

Joey Ryan vs. Al Snow
If Ryan wins, he gets a TNA contract

Greg DeMarco: This match has no place on the Bound For Glory pay-per-view event. I could see it happening on the pre-show, but the main card? This belongs on Impact Wrestling. Ryan signed a one night contract for this match, and it’s unknown if this really is for a contract. I am thinking it isn’t, and that means Al Snow wins.

Winner: Al Snow

James Wright: Oh the irony TNA! The only really talented one of the bunch from Gut Check is the very one that you kayfabe want to keep away from the promotion, when really he is getting the biggest push. I think that is a pretty nice angle, although with Ryan, Morgan and Aces & 8s TNA is running three different ‘invasion’ angles, will they join them all up in the coming months? Hopefully. I can almost see no way Ryan doesn’t win this one.

Winner: Joey Ryan

Michael Weyer: Ironic that the one Gut Check person getting a push is the one supposedly cut. But the build has been good with Ryan the perfect obnoxious jerk and going against Snow so expect him to finally show his stuff en route to winning as TNA could definetely use someone with his charisma and skills in the company and pays off the build.

Winner: Joey Ryan

Ken Hill: I understand the physical reasons that Snow was inserted into this feud, with Taz and his neck injuries. However, I just can’t see Al, at his age, putting up the fight his eyes and mouth are promising against an aggressive, young Joey Ryan. Ryan’s cockiness may certainly play a factor towards a possible loss, but why all the build-up and screen time only to have him lose?

Winner: Joey Ryan

Shawn S. Lealos: It’ll be pretty cool to see Al Snow in the ring again, but only if he brings out Head with him. Either way, the only possible end to this storyline is with Joey Ryan getting a job with TNA. That can only happen with a win here.

Winner: Joey Ryan

411Mania Staff Pick: Joey Ryan (4-1)

Television Championship Match
Samoa Joe (champion) vs. Magnus

Greg DeMarco: Samoa Joe is the perfect choice to re-elevate the Television Championship. He is great in the ring, he’s held every current TNA championship that men can compete for, and he’s been on a tear throughout all of 2012. Magnus is showing that he has all the potential in the world, and can be a top heel for TNA. While I think Magnus will get there eventually, the time isn’t now.

Winner: Samoa Joe

James Wright: This one hasn’t been given too much build leading up to it but should be a great contest and the two former tag team partners will be the second of the night to be facing off against each other so TNA has a nice theme going on here, on how you can’t trust tag team partners, hint hint Sting. I’m sure this will be a great contest and hopefully go some way to making the TV title look like an actual championship.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Michael Weyer: They just revitalized the belt with Joe so no way he loses it so soon. These two are able to do a great match and this should be a showcase to give Joe some long-overdue push and make the TV belt mean something at last. Not sensational but good enough to show on the PPV.

Winner and STILL TV Champion: Samoa Joe

Ken Hill: While the build-up’s been a little start and stop, putting the TV Title on Joe after Devon’s departure was the right move, as it’s rejuvenated Joe and given Magnus even more of an axe to grind than before. This should be a great, stiff, physical match.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Shawn S. Lealos: I love Samoa Joe being a singles champion again. I think Magnus is a great and improved wrestler over the past year and this should be a great match. They have a nice history as former tag team champions but I think Samoa Joe needs to hold this belt and start to rebuild himself as a badass again.

Winner: Samoa Joe

411Mania: Samoa Joe (5-0)

Knockouts Championship
Miss Tessmacher (champion) vs. Tara

Greg DeMarco: So Tara is the jealous teacher, and Tessmacher is…what, exactly?!?! That’s the problem with this feud—it has no reason. Tara attacked Tessmacher, presumably out of jealousy, and now she has a Hollywood boyfriend that will apparently be at Bound For Glory. Tessmacher is the young upstart who once teamed with Tara, and she’s the champ. TNA is laying the best foundation for Eric Young or Joey Ryan to be the boyfriend, but some California residents have had recent TNA tryouts (Championship Wrestling from Hollywood’s Shaun Ricker and the former “Chris Masters” Christopher Mordetszky would both make great options. Regardless, this seems like a great opportunity for Tara to get a title run.

Winner: Tara

James Wright: I hope Tara knocks seven shades of shit out of Brooke, that is all.

Winner: Tara

Michael Weyer: Easy to say Brooke gets the win to keep herself going but I think TNA will have Tara capitalize on her momentum to beat Brooke down en route to getting the belt. Just a shame to see the division so low that this is the best we can get but I’m a Tara mark so be good to see her as champ again

Winner and NEW Knockouts Champion: Tara

Ken Hill: While the Tara heel turn could be seen a mile away (seriously, the fans were waiting for her to hit Tess from behind), it helps add to the Teacher-Student dynamic, that being the teacher can’t stand that the student has in fact surpassed her and plans on proving why she was the teacher to begin with.

That being said, I see the “Hollywood boyfriend” (i.e. Joey Ryan, because well, c’mon) getting involved and giving Tara the win.

Winner AND NEW KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION: Tara

Shawn S. Lealos: There is no reason that Miss Tessmacher should be able to beat Tara. She is still raw, and while she is popular, this division has just gone to hell. If Tara wins, there might be hope.

Winner: Tara

411Mania Staff Pick: Tara (5-0)

World Tag Team Championship
Christopher Daniels & Kazarian (champions) vs. AJ Styles & Kurt Angle vs. Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez

Greg DeMarco: This is likely the best built match on the PPV, and it’s been built primarily through wrestling matches. It can also steal the show. I think we will see Chavo and Hernandez as champions, but it’ll come in a straight up tag team match. I think the World Tag Team Champions of the World steal someone’s pin and leave as champs.

Winners: Christopher Daniels & Kazarian (still World Tag Team Champions)

James Wright: I think in this case less would have been more. We know that Styles-Angle vs. Daniels-Kazarian are always great PPV matches and while the addition of Chavo and Hernandez does offer up the chance for more variation and spots it just seems like they have been thrown in there and the whole thing looks pretty slap and dash and just reflects how the TNA tag team division is basically non-existent. Still I’m sure the match itself will be good, I honestly have no idea who will win this one so I am just gonna go with the champions

Winner: Daniels & Kazarian

Michael Weyer: We know it’ll be a great match with all the talent, time to wonder about a title change. Daniels and Kaz have been great as champs but time to let it go and since Daniels and AJ have their feud, not much sense letting AJ and Kurt take it. Instead, Chavo and Hernandez take advantage of a guy laid out to get the pin and take the titles and spark the tag division up a bit more. Either way, should be a fun match to watch.

Winners and NEW TNA World Tag Team Champions: Chavo and Hernandez

Ken Hill: Interesting way to play the “Divide & Conquer” card on the champs’ part, planting a seed of dissension not only between the two face teams, but between Angle and Styles themselves.

Regardless, this is the one title match I feel is most likely to have new champions, so I’m going with AJ & Kurt so we can have a big rematch down the line, possibly Full Metal Mayhem or Ultimate X.

Winner and NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: AJ Styles & Kurt Angle

Shawn S. Lealos: This match should be spectacular. I see all three teams just tearing down the house. I don’t think that Kurt Angle and AJ Styles will remain together after this event and one of them will turn bad, probably Styles. I like Chavo and Hernandez, but Kaz and Daniels are awesome as a tag team, filling in the spots left when the Machine Guns left.

Winner: The Fallen Angel and Kaz

411Mania Staff Pick: Christopher Daniels & Kazarian (3-1-1)

Aces & Eights vs. Sting & Bully Ray
If Aces & Eights they have to disappear, if they win they get full access

Greg DeMarco: After Thursday’s Impact Wrestling, I am convinced that Bully Ray is the most talented man in wrestling. The best heel in the company became the most over face in the company in one match, and it worked. Sting and Ray seem ready to beat the world, and the world is fully of ruthless masked dudes named Aces & Eights.

I suspect we’ll get some combination of Wes Brisco, Luke Gallows and Mike Knox on the A&8’s side of things. And I expect them to cheat and win. It makes no sense for them to lose.

Winners: Aces & Eights

James Wright: Ah, one time where an obvious TNA swerve is actually welcome. I really hope that TNA don’t pull another Roode though, or a Storm for that matter. Recently TNA has been doing some very obvious builds, which have payoffs that we all want to see, and then the payoff never comes and we are all wondering what the hell happened. Well that’s what this will be like if Bully Ray doesn’t turn on Sting and at least join Aces & 8s, if not being revealed as their leader. There is so much TNA could do with this, including working in Ray’s contract issues as part of the storyline, the Bully is also not so obvious a choice for leader that he would completely overshadow the rest of the members as their identities are revealed. This storyline has way too much left in it to end now.

Winner: Aces & 8s

Michael Weyer: Please, like TNA is really ending A&E this soon. They’ve invested too much into the angle to drop it now, especially laying the mystery of thier boss. Expect a wild brawl but of course, Aces & Eights win and sticking around as there’s still life in the angle as long as they don’t turn it into another NWO overload.

Winner: Aces & Eights

Ken Hill: I appreciate how Bully’s had to fight to be in cahoots with Sting and Hogan for the match and not trusted right off the bat. Hogan’s savvy enough to be wary of Ray because, like Bully said, he’s been where Bully’s been in terms of dark career paths. And even though smart money’s been on Bully “turning” and revealing his partnership with Aces & Eights for some time, it’s been a great build-up.

Winner: Aces & Eights

Shawn S. Lealos: If Sting and Bully Ray wins, that means the last two months of storylines mean nothing. That would be stupid, and I don’t think TNA is booking stupid right now. Now, the big question is what will happen and how will the match play out? Will Bully Ray turn on Sting? He probably will. Will he be the leader of Aces & Eights? I doubt he will be the leader, but I think he will be a close friend of the leader. Aces & Eights said on Impact this week that Hogan might have “locked them in” telling me that someone in their group is a member of the TNA roster right now. I still think Jeff Jarrett is the leader and he has moles on the inside.

Winner: Aces & Eights

411Mania Staff Pick: Aces & Eights (5-0)

Street Fight
Bobby Roode vs. James Storm
King Mo is the special enforcer

Greg DeMarco: This should be a bigger deal, like half of a double main event. Rather, we have a lame gimmick that will ultimately make away from the match. Obviously King Mo will be involved, but I am 50/50 on him causing the finish. Regardless, I expect a Storm win and a Roode-Mo feud will follow.

Winner: James Storm

King Mo’s Involvement: Keeps Roode from running away, knocks him out with a kick and costs him the match.

James Wright: With a year’s build and a ton of history behind it this should be a pretty great contest, just so long as King Mo stays out of it for the most part, possibly stepping in to stop Roode from slipping out but that should be it. I am looking forward to this and I have to believe that the Cowboy is going to get the win here. Of course he probably should have gotten the win at Lockdown, but hey better late than never.

Winner: James Storm

King Mo’s Involvement: Keeps Roode from escaping at least once.

Michael Weyer: First, having King Mo is a waste, there’s enough build and drama without needing to add him on. It’s been building a year and while it’s not for the title, it still should be one hell of a blow-off as the two go at it hard and brutal, expect plenty of hard shots and some blood as they brawl it all over the Impact Zone. After all this, hard to see Storm losing, he needs the win more and it’ll make Roode even crazier, which makes a better heel. Either way, possible match of the night and worth the long wait.

Winner: James Storm

King Mo’s Involvement: Hopefully nil

Ken Hill: I’m honestly not seeing the point of King Mo being the special ref/enforcer here other than face time, unless he decides to pull a Tyson and screw Storm out of the match. However, that’s what I’m LEAST hoping for as this is a blood feud a year in the making that NEEDS finality.

Winner: James Storm

King Mo’s Involvement: He’ll try to help Roode (likely took a payday), but fails or screws up.

Shawn S. Lealos: This is the payoff of an angle that started last year. With that in mind, Roode put Storm through hell, stole his world championship and then held him down all through his title rein. Storm almost quit because of Roode and then lost out on the Bound for Glory series. Everyone expected Bound for Glory to be for the World Championship as a conclusion to this storyline, but I think this is better. We get the two to just fight out of hatred and this should be a great blood match. I see Storm winning with Roode starting a feud with King Mo.

Winner: James Storm

King Mo’s Involvement: King Mo will be pretty straight in this match, but I see this as a start of his first storyline with a feud with Bobby Roode.

411Mania Staff Pick: James Storm (5-0)

World Championship
Austin Aries (champion) vs. Jeff Hardy

Greg DeMarco: This is the main event for Bound For Glory 2012, and I will be the first to admit it wasn’t my first choice. In a perfect world we’d get Bobby Roode vs. James Storm or the title, but I accepted the fact that it would be a separate match since Destination X. Of the Bound For Glory Series competitors, I would have picked AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, Bully Ray and Samoa Joe all before I would have gone for Jeff Hardy. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a worthy main event.

Jeff Hardy is a world renowned wrestler, and his challenge is worthy of a main event slot. But for this match to be satisfying, I need Austin Aries to win. Hardy’s contract is expiring in early 2013, and some think TNA will move the belt to keep Hardy happy. This is a bad business decision for TNA—look at what happened with Devon!

So yes, I will be pulling for Austin Aries as I sit in the crowd with my son watching this match. Him getting a victory is the best thing for TNA moving forward. Unfortunately, I just don’t see it playing out that way.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

James Wright: Hardy winning the BFG Series kind of came out of nowhere to me, still I get it, the guy is a huge draw and way over with the fans in the Impact Zone for some reason. It is kind of a shame that Aries, who was seemingly building up a ton of momentum has almost turned heel in his dealings with Hardy, but to be fair Aries has proven that he excels at both roles so either way is good really, so long as he remains champion that is. Putting the belt on Hardy at this point is like putting the belt on Cena, you can’t trust the guy’s health enough to let him hold it, although for completely different reasons between Cena and Hardy. Either way though you have a solid champion and an arguably more over risk, and the loss of the title could really hurt the first, whereas the latter doesn’t need the belt at all to remain popular, I know which one I would choose.

Winner: Austin Aries

Michael Weyer: So the big question: Is TNA really going to give the belt to a man who’s proven himself a major risk at a main event spot numerous times or keep with the guy they’ve been building all year? It’s tempting to say Hardy as TNA seems to want to push him again and giving him the belt to keep him in the company. But even they have to realize that Aries is the company’s star, he’s the guy to keep the belt on, hot with the fans and better than a guy who may self-destruct without warning again. A possible Aries heel turn makes it better as the guy is great as the champ and deserves to shine at the biggest card for the company and prove he’s the future.

Winner and STILL TNA World Champion: Austin Aries

Ken Hill: I normally like to go against the grain when it comes to big-time title matches, but everyone’s made the best points about this match that I can’t argue; Jeff doesn’t need the belt, he doesn’t need the spotlight, and he’s a risk in the top spot in every conceivable physical and mental way. Aries wins and moves on to Bully Ray like he should’ve.

Winner: Austin Aries

Shawn S. Lealos: Pure and simple, the right person to win here from a professional wrestling point of view is Austin Aries. The champion has been fighting a battle for respect and feels he has to beat Jeff Hardy in order to prove his worth, to prove he is the future of TNA. For that reason, Aries needs to win. However, Jeff Hardy’s contract is up soon and TNA needs to (a) get everything they can from him while they can and (b) do what they can to convince him to re-sign with the company. Therefore, financially it might be better for Jeff Hardy to carry the belt.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

411Mania Staff Pick: Austin Aries (3-2)

Overall Impression

TNA has put together what looks to be a good card on paper. The main event has tons of potential—for both good and bad. Tara vs. Tessmacher looks to be the only match on the card that could disappoint, and here’s hoping that it won’t. Since so many people love to compare TNA to the WWE, how does this card compare to Night of Champions? I think this is the card, and it’s cheaper too!

Buy or No Buy: Buy

James Wright: Honestly I am less excited for this PPV than I thought I would be, especially with the much better job that TNA has been doing as of late. I suppose I just have this feeling of impending dread that is always hard to shake with TNA, just when they have a good thing going they seem to ruin it for no reason, and I just hope that doesn’t happen here. Still if things go well then it should be a great show and set them up for a much better year going forward.

Buy or No Buy: Buy

Michael Weyer: BFG is usually a top show for the company and while this isn’t as stacked as previous years, still pretty good. Seeing Aries and Hardy should be good, the tag match will be great and the rest of the card pays off on various builds and setups and worth watching. TNA has proven themselves great in their last few PPVs and should be able to keep that up for their top show so worth checking out for sure.

Buy or No Buy: Buy

Ken Hill: I’m definitely looking forward to this; the matches look good to great, the build-up to most of the big feuds has been decent, and best of all, NO HOGAN IN THE RING!

Buy or No Buy: BUY

Shawn S. Lealos: I like this card a lot. Another match was added with Zema Ion against RVD, which should be pretty F’n great too. The world title match should be fantastic, the Roode vs. Storm match is one of my most anticipated, and the tag team triple threat match should tear down the house. I also think Joe vs. Magnus should be really good and it will be nice to see the Aces & Eights storyline finally revealed. Very impressive card.

Buy or No Buy: BUY

411Mania Staff Pick: BUY (5-0)

Catch our live coverage on Sunday starting at 7:55 PM eastern right here at 411Mania.com!

Want to hear an audio preview of the PPV? Listen to this week’s Greg DeMarco Show, where Greg DeMarco, Patrick O’Dowd and Andy Critchell breakdown the Bound For Glory card!