[2013-10-20-TNA-Bound For Glory] Bully Ray vs A.J. Styles (No DQ)

[Superstar Sleeze]

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bully Ray vs AJ Styles - TNA Bound For Glory 2013 NO DQ

In typical TNA fashion, they tried to copy the Summer(s) of Punk storylines with AJ having no contract, but I guess AJ really did not have a contract. He did do them a courtesy of coming back and jobbing to Aldis on his way out, but he clearly had no intention of staying as he was working Ring Of Honor and the Indies soon after. It just made TNA look bad. 

While the angle was the shits, this match was anything but. I enjoy these types of matches a lot, but only in moderation. I think maybe 2-4 times a year they should bust a match out like this. I am talking about an overbooking extravaganza with tons of bells & whistles like run-ins and weapons. You know a real circus! The ultimate version of that match will always be Austin vs Dude Love, but this was still a good take on it. 

I like the premise & aesthetic of Aces & Eights. A biker gang is a good look, a good basis for a faction, I like that they went all in with the biker lingo, the positions in the Club and the look. Sons of Anarchy was big around this time so it was topical and Bully Ray fit it well. Shoehorning Dixie in as an ally of the outside, anti-establishment faction feels very forced and artificial. I like AJ Styles growing his hair and freshening up his look. As a man who grows his hair out, he is in that terrible awkward stage of the growth where product is your friend otherwise you look like an Emo teen. Emo, moody, brooding AJ is not my cup of tea BUT he is still wrestles like normal, awesome, greatest of all time AJ so I will excuse the look and the pre-match character work. 

I like how they start with an anti-shine. Bully Ray well bullies him with big bodyslams and meaty lariats. He demonstrating his power advantage. AJ has been a World Champion many more times and a lot longer than Bully Ray. He is the Singles Star. Bully Ray became a main event act. However, I think it was important to establish that Bully is the champion and is a mountain that AJ needs to climb. Now, you feel as a fan that AJ needs to prove himself, you know he is capable since he won his first World Championship in 2003 and a decade later he is every bit capable, but can he. 

Bully Ray talks some trash about his wife and kids. It is ON~! AJ explodes in a fury and climaxes with the Calf-Killer on Calfzilla, which Taz loves. Bischoff's kid interrupts...I forgot he tried his hand at wrestling whatever happened to him and Brisco's kid? Bully has the hammer. They tussle over it, but not much comes of it. Bully chops the shit out of AJ. They really did a great job working an old school babyface/heel match with a ton of fire and heat. You really wanted to see AJ win and kick this dude's ass. Knux, formerly Mike Knox who had the coolest crossbody in wrestling until Bray Wyatt cribbed it, chokeslammed AJ. It is a Kangaroo Court. AJ kicks out. In the chaos, Bully DECKS Knux! AJ takes a gnarly and very cool bump to the floor as he was in between the middle and bottom rope and Bully Kicked him through. There is more fighting over the hammer. AJ goes to Springboard 450 Splash through a table on the floor, but ends up crashing & burning! Great spot! They milk it well. 

Bully cuts up the ring to expose the boards and here comes Dixie to celebrate, prematurely I might add. She hands Bully a chair, but AJ Clobbers him with a Sprinboard Forearm and the Springboard 450. Dixie scolds Hebner into not counting. Dixie is NO Vince, no siree Bob. AJ takes a wicked backdrop on the boards and then Bully hits a Stan Hansen pose and wicked nice Senton for two. PELE~! SPIRAL TAP~! 1-2-3! Excellent finish!

I thought this match was wicked tight and efficient. Perfect amount of storytelling, cool plot devices underpinned by hard-hitting action with breezy escalation. Bully Ray was such a great heel in this, utterly despicable. AJ rocks as a babyface, big bumping, great selling and kick ass offense. An underrated gem in the TNA catalog. ****1/4

 

  

[EnviousStupid]

In some ways, I find it the inverse of Sting/Hogan Starrcade 97, which had an incredible build spanning over a year to get to their big payoff, only to not deliver anything close to expectation. This match had the story that Sting/Hogan should've had, with all the physicality and overbooking to stack the odds against Sting, before the true ace stands tall. Was it worth the months the dogshit TNA fed their fans over the Aces & Eights angle? Absolutely fucking not. It's part of the reason I consider 2013 among the worst years of the company. But as for the destination to this journey, it hit a sweet spot, accompanied with an outrageous performance from AJ. No two ways about, he had dat dawg in 'im.