Impact begins this week with a recap of recent events: Wes Brisco beating Jason Garrett in his Gut Check match, Eric Young getting his ankle broken by Aces and Eights, and the ongoing potential romance between Brooke Hogan and Bully Ray.

After the recap, Hulk Hogan is the first to the ring. Hogan wants to know what is going on between his daughter and Bully Ray, so he calls the Bully out. Ray comes out and is horrified that Hogan still doesn’t trust him. Ray also asks Hogan if he really wants to know who the #1 man in Brooke’s life is now.

Austin Aries interrupts them on the big screen. Aries is in Hogan’s office along with Kid Kash, Zema Ion, and Kenny King. Austin says they’re all wondering where Hogan is, and Aries promises not to leave the office until Hogan gets there.

Aries then lays on the desk and says “ow, that’s uncomfortable, how does Brooke do it? Maybe she lays on her stomach.”  Hulk seems offended with the implication and angrily makes his way to the office.

Commercial

Match #1: Gail Kim versus Mickie James.

Gail rolls Mickie up for a quick pinfall attempt. Gail presses the advantage with a go behind and some strikes.  Gail twists Mickie’s arm and then hits her with a knee to the gut. Gail hits Mickie with a backbreaker and follows up with a series of strikes.

Gail hits Mickie with a reverse neckbreaker and gets a 2 count. Gail slams Mickie’s face to the mat and traps her in a leg scissors submission hold. Gail twists Mickie’s head around and slams her head first into the canvas.  Gail goes after Mickie in the corner but Mickie kicks her off.

Mickie slams Gail down with a flapjack and climbs to the top rope. Mickie comes off the top rope but Gail avoids the attack and hits Mickie with a dropkick. Gail goes for a cover and uses the ropes but referee Taryn Tyrrell catches her and stops the count.  Gail tries to hit Mickie with Eat Defeet, but Mickie avoids it and hits her with a Mick kick.

Gail lands a kick and a couple forearm shots. Gail hits Mickie with a forearm and a neckbreaker. Mickie responds with a kick and goes for a DDT, which Gail blocks. Mickie climbs to the second rope and hits Gail with a tornado DDT for the win.

In the back, James Storm and AJ Styles are complaining. Storm is mad that Bobby Roode brought Storm’s family into their feud, and AJ is mad that he won’t get another title shot for a year.

Storm tells AJ to stop dwelling on the past and get his mind focused on their tag match tonight.   They both seem irritated, especially AJ.

Commercial

When we return, we are treated to a lousy segment that just sucked. Hogan appears angry at Austin for his comments about Brooke earlier, but still goes ahead with another of his painfully boring rap sessions in which several wrestlers discuss which of them should get chosen for a match that night.

Why not fight for it instead? These segments suck; they should rename this show Total Non-stop Discussion if this is what they’re going to make us watch.  I hate these segments; as a wrestling fan, they offend me.

Bobby Roode makes his way to the ring to talk about his title shot with Jeff Hardy. Roode notes that last week Hardy nearly lost to a Gut Check rookie, Christian York. Roode doesn’t refer to York by name, he simply refers to him as “some nobody.”

York is obviously offended and storms his way out to the ring and then slaps Roode across the face. Roode retreats to the floor and takes his shirt off while angrily yelling at Christian York.

Commercial

Match #2: Christian York versus Bobby Roode.

Roode starts things off with a headlock, followed by another headlock and then a shoulder block that knocks York to the mat. York takes Roode down with a hip toss and follows up with three shoulder blocks. Roode retreats to the floor.  York goes out after Roode but Roode slams him back into the ring.

Roode attempts to slam York into the steps but York reverse it and sends Roode into the steps. York climbs to the top rope and Roode knocks him off and then stomps on him.  York gets to his feet and hits Roode with a back elbow; Roode responds with a clothesline. Roode hits York with a vertical suplex.

Roode climbs to the top rope and jumps off, but York gets his boots up and Roode goes down. The two men get to their feet and exchange strikes.

York goes to the top and hits Roode with a double stomp to the back of the head.  York goes for “mood swings” his neckbreaker finisher, but Roode reverses it. Roode hits York with a shot to the back of the head and ties him up in the crossface. York taps out, Roode wins.

After the match, Roode gets a chair to attack York with, but Hardy comes to his rescue.

In the Aces and Eights locker room, Devon tells Hogan (and us) that he wants his TV title back. He was never beaten for that title, and he says if he gets his title shot next week, no one gets hurt tonight. If he does NOT get his shot, all hell will break loose.

Commercial

When we return, Kurt Angle is lobbying Gut Check officials Taz and Bruce Pritchard on behalf of Wes Briscoe.   Al Snow seems to be missing.

Match #3:  Kaz and Daniels versus James Storm and AJ Styles.

Kaz and Daniels make their way to the ring first. Kaz calls the fans “butt nuggets” and predicts Daniels will beat AJ at the next Pay per View.

Commercial

AJ and Kaz are the first two men in the ring when we return. Kaz gets the early edge with a go behind and then slams AJ to the corner. Kaz takes AJ down with a drop toe hold and then applies a front chancery.  AJ escapes and attempts a drop kick but misses.

AJ tags in Storm. Storm lands a LOT of punches, a kick, and a running neckbreaker. Kaz tags in Daniels and Storm backdrops him. Storm tags AJ and they attempt to double team Daniels but AJ misses. Daniels hits AJ with a series of strikes. AJ tags in Storm and Storm gets double teamed by Daniels and Kaz.

Storm hits Daniels with a clothesline and an inverted atomic drop. Storm hits Daniels with an Enzuigiri. Daniels and Storm make several quick tags and double team Storm. Daniels hits Storm with an elbow drop and Kaz follows up with a leg drop. Storm fights his way out of the corner but Kaz hits him with a dropkick before he can make a tag.  Kaz and Daniels celebrate their advantage over Storm by dancing Gang Nam Style. Taz can’t wait for that to end.

Storm tags in AJ and AJ hits a big series of moves including a forearm shot, a suplex,  a neckbreaker, and a springboard forearm. Kaz goes out to the floor and AJ tries to hit him with a flying cross body; Kaz dodges the attack and AJ hits the ground hard.  Kaz and Daniels beat AJ outside the ring and roll him back in.

Kaz and Daniels hit AJ with a high-low double team move but AJ kicks out. Storm pulls Kaz out of the ring as AJ goes for a Pele kick on Daniels.  AJ misses the kick but Storm tags himself in and beats Daniels with the last call superkick.  After the match, AJ looks frustrated.

Commercial.

When we return, the next phase of the Hogan debate party continues. Hogan eliminates everyone but Aries. I guess Hogan wants to see Aries get beat up tonight.  Aries will face RVD for the X Division title in the main event of this week’s “Championship Thursday.”

In the back, Samoa Joe addresses Devon’s challenge from earlier in the night. Joe admits Devon never lost the title, but claims he did abandon it. So now Joe has the title, and he accepts Devon’s challenge for next week.

Match #4:  Doug Williams versus Matt Morgan with Joey Ryan.

Morgan comes out wearing Hulk Hogan’s robe from his match with Andre the Giant many years ago. Williams starts off with a kick, but Morgan just pushes him down.

Morgan hits Williams with a clothesline, an elbow, a boot to the face, a headbutt, and a side slam. Williams tries to fight back and lands a couple kicks, but Morgan choke slams him and then beats him with the Carbon Footprint.

In the back, D Lo Brown offers to take Al Snow’s place tonight on Gut Check. Al is still nowhere to be found.

Commercial

When we return, JB introduces Taz, Pritchard, and D Lo Brown as the Gut Check judges, and then introduces Wes Brisco.  Pritchard votes yes, but Taz votes no. They both thought Brisco’s match was not great even though he won, but Taz said he’s not quite there yet.

They give Wes a chance to speak for himself before letting D Lo make the final vote, and D Lo votes yes. Kurt Angle and Garrett Bischoff come out to congratulate Brisco.

Commercial

When we return, ODB is being asked about her husband, Eric Young. ODB says for months she was calling him, trying to figure out where he was and when he was coming back, and now he’s out with a broken ankle because of Aces and Eights.  She walks away upset and unable to continue.

Match #5: Austin Aries versus RVD for RVD’s X division title.

Aries lands a kick as RVD poses, and follows up with a knee and a headlock. RVD twists his way out and takes Aries down. The two men exchange take downs and reversals. They exchange strikes and RVD takes Aries down with a bodyscissors.  RVD hits Aries with several shoulder blocks in the corner. RVD dropkicks Aries and Aries goes out to the floor.  RVD hits Aries with a flying crossbody on the floor.

Commercial

When we return, Aries backdrops RVD to the floor. Aries goes for a suicide dive and RVD goes for a spin kick at the same time. The two men collide in what looks like a blown spot, or maybe they wanted it to look like they crashed into each other. It looked sloppy but violent, and that’s what’s important.

RVD drapes Aries down on the security barrier and tries a flying leg drop but Aries gets out of the way and RVD hits the barrier hard. Aries hits RVD with a neckbreaker over the security barrier and drags him back to the ring.  Aries tries to pin RVD several times, but RVD keeps kicking out. Aries and RVD trade elbow strikes.  RVD hits Aries with a kick to the head, Aries responds with a DDT.

Aries hits RVD with a modified version of Rolling Thunder and then climbs to the top rope.  Aries tries to copy RVD’s frog splash, but RVD rolls out of the way and Aries crashes to the mat.  RVD hits Aries with a series of kicks and a shoulder block.

RVD hits Aries with a split legged moonsault and goes for a cover but Aries gets his feet on the ropes. Aries hits Van Dam with a running forearm; RVD retaliates with an elevated drop kick. RVD goes to the top rope but Austin pushes him off and RVD crashes to the floor.

Aries grabs a mic and congratulates RVD for coming so close, but now he’s lying flat on his back and covered in sweat, just like Brooke Hogan. Bully Ray runs out to the ring and attacks Aries, causing the match to get thrown out. Aries is mad that Bully Ray cost him a chance at the title and yells at him.

Hulk Hogan comes out to the entrance ramp, and now Aries is caught between Hogan and Bully Ray. Hogan seems more focused on Bully Ray than Aries however. Bully Ray is angry that Hogan still doesn’t trust him, and they stare angrily at each other as Impact goes off the air.