Its the first ever Open Fight Night and…. well…stuff actually looks really cool.

I’m as shocked as you are.  Hulk Hogan hypes up (most) of the champions.  Everyone comes across as cocky, confident but yeah a little worried too.  The opening video starts, and its slightly different for the Open Fight Night.  I just sat down and became very interested in what will happen on TNA tonight.

Devon (TV champ) has to defend his title every week, but its also Open Fight Night – so why not do both?  Devon challenges Bully Ray.  Its a real good match by both men.  Ray has been getting built up into a main event level heel, so putting over Devon gives the new TV champ some more credibility.  Plus it was a fun match.  Good story, and a good brawl.  Ray tries to cheat, but Devon is so familiar he stuffs Bully’s attempts.  Impact is off to a good start.

Austin Aries, Ric Flair say things.  Kaz and Daniels rile up Kurt Angle.  Its the requisite talking segment.

Jeremy Borash comes out and calls out Eric Bischoff.  Eric has been leaving TNA for two weeks now.  Obsessed crazed ex girlfriends leave your life faster than Bischoff is leaving Impact.  Its a lot of words, but in the end Bully Ray comes out and upper cuts Jeremy in the dick.  Good promos from JB though.

Mexican America wants to know why they weren’t mentioned as potential tag team title contenders.  They can beat up anyone and they want to show it tonight.  The man who is obsessed with his career comes out to accept the challenge.  Its Anarquia vs. Kurt Angle. Real quick match and Anarquia doesn’t look like a threat at all.  He barely looks like a wrestler in the match.

Alex Silva is tonight’s Gut Check Challenge.  Nice promo piece.  Al Snow brings Alex Silva out to the ring.  Alex is from OVW – the former WWE training ground that’s now for TNA.  Alex has a good build, but not huge.  Black trunks and tattoos, so he looks like a lot of other guys.  He has a cocky swagger when he comes out.  The kid knows he’s on TV and is always getting a little bit of character across.

Taz and Al Snow call the match, which gives the Gut Check a different feel.  Robbie E is the TNA wrestler to check Alex.  Which really shows a ton of faith from TNA in Robbie.  They know he can get in there with someone new and still put on a good match.  For this alone, I need to start watching Robbie more closely.

The match is quick and not a whole lot from Silva.  He didn’t do bad, but he didn’t show anything either.  Its a squash match, but called a new name.  However, you cant have someone come in and pull off an upset on the first edition of Gut Check.  For what it is, its a good beginning.

Hulk Hogan brings many of TNA’s tag teams into his office to decide which one will face Samoa Joe and Magnus tonight.  Sadly, Mr Anderson and Jeff Hardy are considered an official tag team now.  Which means they’ll be ranked as number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated.  Every team gives their reasons for getting a shot tonight.  Hogan shocks everyone by taking the MCMG out of contention.

Brooke Tessmacher comes out and calls out Gail Kim.  Its a non title match but it will go a long way to proving herself worthy of a title shot.  After having to see a Bella win the Divas title this week, I needed a good women’s match and this delivered.  Gail showed off why she is one of the best women wrestlers of all time.  She out wrestled Brooke in every turn.  It wasn’t even close.  But you’re only ever 3 seconds away in pro wrestling.  Gail misses a move off the top rope and Brooke takes advantage, scoring the pin.   Tessmacher looks that much better (insert comment here) and every wrestling fan should be anxiously anticipating a third match.

More talk of tag teams, Bobby Roode punches the Gut Check challenger, just a bunch of silliness.  All of the scenes have this, but especially Hogan’s office – there is something different with the camera work.  New cameras for sure, and not bad just different.

I actually want the Bully Ray Jack Daniels inspired shirt.  That’s kind of great.  Abyss’s “brother” talks to Ray.  I am loving seeing this version of Abyss.  I’m just that much more impressed with the man.  Really wonder what a career in WWE would have been like for him.

All the remaining tag teams come out and this is getting to be a little too drawn out.  I’m all for building drama but its been a little much.

Mr Anderson and Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe and Magnus.

I still think Jeff Hardy is a drug addict and shouldn’t have been given as much as he has.  So I zone out for the match.  Good booking at the end.  Magnus holds Hardy’s leg so he cant come in to help out Anderson.  Joe and Mags get the win then get attacked by Daniels and Kaz.  Good angle building here too.  As a match, especially a match with this level of talent I didn’t see anything I liked.  But for building up future matches, it was a very well done segment.

Ric Flair and most of the heels come out to pay tribute to Eric Bischoff.  I wanted to say it seems strange that Flair is paying tribute to Eric, considering how much they hated each other.  Awful lawsuits level of hate.  It seems like years ago.  Well, it is.  A lot of years ago.

The fans chant anti Eric chants.  Bully Ray covers the ears on a poster of Eric.  This may be the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in wrestling.

The heels all say how great Eric is.  Garrett Bischoff leads out some of the faces.  Big fight with Garrett and JB getting the best of Eric.  He gets put into the “Shed of Shame” – a port a potty.  Which is then tipped over.  And Eric is covered in “shit”.

Say what you will about Eric Bischoff, and he is an asshole, he’s willing to look like a fool.  Head shaved, get tossed in a garbage truck, covered in shit.  He is a rich rich man but he’ll humiliate himself for the product.

All in all a really good episode of TNA and I hope its the first of many.