Thunder and Lightning are back with our TNA Bound For Glory 2012 predictions!
Joey Ryan vs Al Snow
JT: Joey Ryan has been on the independent circuit for years, and he’s one talented athlete. Al Snow is a talented veteran who has dedicated the last ten plus years to training new talent. I like Snow, and I like that he’s so willing to work with Ryan in the ring to make him look good. This should be a great heel victory for Joey Ryan. Confidence Points: 5
ML: After the mistake by Ric Flair in saying yes to the wrong Gut Check competitor, TNA actually did something creative and turned into a successful storyline with Snow. Joey Ryan was impressive in his Gut Check match and Snow has always been a good wrestler but never really stood out. Snow and Ryan should have a really high entertaining match and it has the opportunity of being one of the better matches of the night.
Prediction: Joey Ryan
Confidence Points: 4
QuickNote: I expect some good things with Joey Ryan in TNA and he should be a lot of relevant storylines.
Knockouts Championship: Tara vs Miss Tessmacher
JT: Tara and Tessmacher have had this rivalry brewing for some time. I really love the way Impact treats the knockouts as compared to the WWE divas. I expect nothing less than the quality matches we see on Impact in this one. I expect Miss Tessmacher to retain the gold. Confidence Points: 1
ML: Student vs Teacher again, Tara’s heel turn was predictable and expected with the way the storyline was developing. Tara has a strong mean streak in her and she’s better as a heel. Miss Tessmacher’s reign as champion has still been lacking that memorable moment and a victory at BFG over Tara could solidify that moment in her reign.
Prediction: Miss Tessmacher to retain the Knockouts Championship
Confidence Points: 3
QuickNote: I expect another title match between these two in the next few months.
X Division Championship: Zema Ion vs Rob Van Dam
JT: Zema Ion needed a challenger for BFG. Apparently TNA has been too busy with other storylines to advertise the X Division on their main show. Guess Kenny King and all the other talent are too busy on October 14. Rob Van Dam needed a match too, and thus we have our X Division Championship matchup. Pardon me if I’m not excited for a throw-together match consisting of two guys with zero history at the biggest show of the year. Nowl, here’s my problem with RVD winning. First of all, he’s RVD and he doesn’t need the run with the title. Second of all, he’s RVD and he should be competing for a number one contender’s spot for the world title. Third, Zema Ion’s reign should be a bit more meaningful and not just come to an end because of a face needing a victory at the biggest show of the year. Having said that, it’s TNA booking and they’ll do something ridiculous here. Rob Vam Dam wins the match and the title. Confidence Points: 1
ML: Considering the huge experience factor RVD has and the success RVD has had, I find the booking behind this match intriguing. Either TNA officials are fed up with Ion’s reign as X-Division Champion or they want to make Ion look legitimate as a champion. Ion’s mean streak has been growing slowly but outside of his matches with Kenny King, who hasn’t been really featured lately, Ion hasn’t really been impressive. Both matches against King, King carried. I expect some fast action between these two.
Prediction: RVD to become new X-Division Champion
Confidence Points: 3
QuickNote: I don’t believe Ion will hold the title until Jesse Sorenson’s return. They can still feud without the title on the line. Also, with Samoa Joe becoming the TV Champion, I feel that TNA is looking for their veterans to help improve their product.
Television Championship: Samoa Joe vs Magnus
JT: What sort of rivalry is this? A few exchanges of words and an attack from behind by Magnus on Joe? Former tag team partners with some vicious rivalry that’s barely had any hype put behind it? I don’t know about you, but my interest in this match is more for the quality wrestling than for any “rivalry” that it’s been built around. Magnus is the “future” of TNA and so he will win the gold in this one. Confidence Points: 5
ML: I love that TNA didn’t just scrap the TV Title after Devon’s departure. I’m glad they decided to keep it relevant and by crowning Samoa Joe as the new champion and it tells me that TNA plans on using the title a lot more and having it involved in major storylines. Magnus has a bright future in this business and TNA has a gem with him as long as they don’t make a mistake. This match has potential match of the night written all over it.
Prediction: Samoa Joe to retain the TNA TV Title
Confidence Points: 5
Street Fight: Bobby Roode vs James Storm w/King Mo as Special Enforcer
JT: I wanted this match to be for the World Title, but it will still become the best match on the card. King Mo will probably get involved where he shouldn’t and rival with Bobby Roode down the road. Despite this being BFG and being the big show where Faces come out on top, I’m predicting Bobby Roode to win this one. The rivalry will most likely continue, however. Confidence Points: 3
ML: This is the match I’m looking forward to the most. Roode and Storm are TNA bright spots and this feud has become extremely personal. Roode has cost Storm on two different occasions. He has cost Storm a chance at the TNA World Title. Storm was expected to win the Bound For Glory Series, but TNA went with Hardy and they found an excellent way to keep this Roode and Storm feud relevant even without the World Title involved. Though I do believe that TNA dropped the ball with the Roode title run by having him lose at Destination X, the booking was smart enough to keep the hype surrounding this match. I expect King Mo to remain just as he is, the special enforcer. And if he does get involved, I think he’s more apt to help Roode over Storm.
Prediction: Bobby Roode
Confidence Points: 2
QuickNote: Considering Roode has had the upper hand on Storm recently, Storm winning this match makes more sense. But I just have this feeling King Mo will somehow get involved on Roode’s behalf.
World Tag Team Championship: Guerrero/Hernandez vs Angle/Styles vs Daniels/Kazarian
JT: I love what Daniels and Kazarian bring to the table as tag team champions. First of all, they’re funny as hell on the mic. Second of all, they’re great athletes and work well together as a heel duo. They really just need a new rivalry that doesn’t involve AJ Styles. With TNA booking the way they do, I’m expecting new Tag Team Champions in this one, and it’s going to be Chavo and Hernandez. Confidence Points: 5
ML: Sooooooo…..TNA has found ANOTHER way to keep Daniels, Kazarian, Styles and Angle in a storyline and facing each other. This booking has become redundant and is growing stale rather quickly. I expect this match to be great like most of their matches. Herenandez is the only guy I question in this match on whether he can maintain the pace the other five guys will set. Guerrero’s presence in TNA has been lackluster and I don’t ezpect anything too different here.
Prediction: Kurt Angle & AJ Styles to become new Tag Team Champions
Confidence Points: 2
QuickNote: Seems TNA has decided to turn towards their veterans to lead the way for the immediate future, not necessarily long-term but this will set them up nicely. Samoa Joe, RVD, Angle and Styles will be the forefront of that charge.
Aces and Eights vs Sting and Bully Ray
JT: The double cross will happen somewhere with either Bully or Sting. Aces and Eights won’t be revealed, and neither will their leader, but they will get access to the Impact Zone. Aces and Eights wins the match. Confidence Points: 5
ML: Everyone is expecting that this will the end the Aces & Eights storyline or that it reveal the leader. I disagree. I believe that the Aces & Eights members in this match will be revealed, probably Mike Knox and Luke Gallows, my best educated guess. Sting and Bully Ray have been rumored all over the IWC that they could be linked to the group, but again, I feel it’s too predictable. I do expect that this match will end up going all the way through, even if there is an interference or distraction finish. This match won’t win any wrestling of the night awards, but it will be a brawl.
Prediction: Aces & Eights
Confidence Points: 2
QuickNote: Those two guys will be revealed either way. This match will most likely end with other Aces & Eights members distracting Bully or Sting.
World Heavyweight Championship: Austin Aries vs Jeff Hardy
JT: I am not happy about this main event. The main event that I feel should have taken place was actually the opening match on Impact the other night with Aries and Storm. Unfortunately, we’re subjected to Jeff Hardy in the main event scene. Hardy is overrated and doesn’t wrestle well at all. I don’t want Arie’s run as champion to end right now, but it’s hard to tell with TNA what they might do here. I’ll predict Aries to retain the title, but I’m not even close to certain on this one. Confidence Points: 1
ML: I’m not going to spend too much time discussing this match because I feel Jeff Hardy winning the BFGS and being in this main event was a ball drop by TNA. I understand that Hardy draws and Aries makes everyone he’s in the ring with look better. But it’s so hard to make Hardy look good when all he is is a spotfest wrestler. If Hardy is to win, it would be a slap in the face to both Bobby Roode’s World Title reign and Austin Aries’ title reign. It would make Roode’s reign look like it ended on a fluke and it would make Aries’ reign look like he was a transitional champion. Both Roode and Aries are better than that. Hardy should have had another shot at the World Title, I agree with that, but not at this moment. It’s too short of a time after Aries’ World Title victory.
Prediction: Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Championship
Confidence Points: 4
JT Final Thoughts: The card looks above average on paper, but the World Title match and the Aces and Eights tag match look to be the duller part of the card (in my opinion). I’m just not impressed with how the main events line up for what is supposed to be TNA’s biggest show of the year. But, I hope I’m wrong, and I hope it kicks major ass in Phoenix.
ML Final Thoughts: Bound For Glory looks like an excellent card put together by TNA, and I’m excited for this PPV. Despite all my quips about Jeff Hardy, he does have a huge fanbase and he does draw. Do I believe him and Aries can have a main event quality match? Maybe. It depends on the style. Austin Aries’ new gimmick change is awful and it resembles CM Punk’s way too closely. TNA should have done something a little more original for Aries’ current gimmick. There is a lot of potential in these matches on the card and I’m thinking Magnus and Samoa Joe could possibly steal the show. Look for Storm and Roode to have the most emotional match of the night and the triple threat tag team match to tell the best story. I’m happy Joey Ryan is getting a chance on TNA’s biggest PPV.
Thanks for reading!
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