Midweek wrestling

TNA XPlosion

Commentators:  Jeremy Borash & Pat Kenney.

Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels(w/ Frankie Kazarian & appletini) vs. Bully Ray, Bound For Glory Series:  So who's the face in THIS matchup?  I had joked that XPlosion was the place for the lower third of the BFG scoreboard, but maybe it's just the place for the heel/heel matchups.  Ray gets the microphone but Daniels cuts him off quickly...he says they're the "World Tag Team Champions Of The World".  Daniels offers him the appletini...then throws it in his face.  Ha ha.  Okay, so Daniels is the heel here and he quickly takes advantage of the momentarily-blinded Ray once the opening bell rings.  Ray recovers enough to throw Daniels out of the ring, but Kazarian delivers a cheapshot behind the referee's back to keep the momentum in his partner's favor.

Kenney is WAY too enthusiastic in the broadcast booth...heh.  Bully Ray makes the comeback and teases a Buh-Buh Bomb but Daniels escapes the move to deliver an STO.  Best Moonsault Ever misses the mark though Daniels lands on his feet...Ray avoids a Stinger Splash by Daniels, punches Kaz off the apron, and then delivers the Bully Cutter for the victory and seven more points!

WWE NXT6

Commentators:  Jim Ross(for the tournament matches), Byron Saxton, & S. William Regal.  Ring announcer:  Chris Russo.

Interim General Manager Dusty Rhodes kicks off the show...tonight, we start the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the first NXT Champion.  We get a look at the belt as we kick things off...

Richie Steamboat vs. Leo Kruger, Gold Rush Tournament Quarterfinal:  Kruger got a screwy victory over Steamboat two weeks ago so they already have an issue.  Richie outmanevers Leo early but Kruger slaps him in the face to fire him up.  The chase ensues around the ring and Kruger delivers the customary cheapshot on re-entry...he nearly gets a quick sleeperhold but Steamboat escapes that predicament.  Kruger does a lot of stalling, then feigns a knee injury to lure Richie into yet another cheapshot.  CRAVATE~!  Steamboat chops back but runs into a spinebuster...for two.  He goes for the sleeperhold but Richie escapes the move once again, so Leo responds by simply pummeling him on the mat.  The two trade shots and Steamboat gains the upper hand...missile dropkick hits and gets a near-fall.  Slingblade is countered into the sleeperhold and Kruger finally hangs onto it this time...Richie's fading but luckily collapses into the ropes, forcing a break.  Leo gets frustrated and beats down Richie again, then whips him into the ropes only to get caught with the Slingblade on the rebound!  Cover, pin, and Steamboat advances in the tournament!

Quick look at the brackets:  Steamboat will face the winner of Bo Dallas vs. Jinder Mahal.  Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre takes place later tonight with the winner advancing to face the winner of Justin Gabriel vs. Michael McGillicutty.

Adam Mercer vs. Big E Langston:  Mercer gets the no-name treatment as Big E is making his NXT debut.  Yeahhhhh, don't see this being very competitive.  Mercer gets in a couple of jawbreakers but that's about it...THE STRAPS COME DOWN and Langston finishes in short order with the Big Ending(over-the-shoulder pickup into a face-and-chest-first drop straight to the mat).

Audrey Marie vs. Raquel Diaz(w/ headset house mic for her entrance):  Audrey is making her NXT debut against the daughter of Eddy & Vickie Guerrero...tough test ahead for her.  Raquel is sporting a classy "Latinas Do It Better" top along with blonde hair.  A reversal sequence doesn't end in anything in particular, but Raquel still hits the Gory Bomb for the victory.  Diaz decides to give Audrey an impromptu makeover, writing an "L" on her forehead(loser~!).

Briley Pierce still works here and he interviews Paige Knight backstage...but she's a woman of a few words.

Mike Dalton & Jason Jordan(w/o entrance) vs. Hunico & Donny Camacho:  Jordan outwrestles Hunico in the opening exchange, then tags in Dalton to keep the advantage.  However, a quickie distraction by Camacho allows Hunico to cut off Dalton with a dropkick.  The heels dish out the abuse on the trainee of Lance Storm...they nearly win after a double-hiptoss-into-a-double-powerbomb but Jordan breaks up Hunico's pin attempt.  Hunico tries to boost Dalton into something or other by Camacho, but Dalton takes down Camacho with a mid-air rana into a pin as Jordan holds off Hunico!  I'd have to call that an upset, Tony Schiavone...

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre, Gold Rush Tournament Quarterfinal:  This is a rematch from last week's main event...McIntyre got the win last week but perhaps Seth can even the score this time around.  The match starts as a slugfest and Drew gets the advantage in that exchange, but Rollins fights back by going aerial.  Seth teases a dive but Drew ducks under the ring to regroup...Seth goes out after him and gets yanked into the ring frame by the arm.  McIntyre focuses his attack on Rollins' arm for several minutes...but Seth avoids a short-arm clothesline and maneuvers into a mid-air DDT!  Sounds like El Big Comeback to me...McIntyre tries to go back to the arm but is met with an enzuigiri.  A clothesline sends Drew to the floor and Seth follows up with a suicide dive!  Back in the ring, Seth looks to finish but Drew wipes him out with a huge clothesline...for two.  The momentum shifts back and forth...Seth tries a move off the second rope but gets caught in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker...for two.  Seth fights out of a Future Shock attempt only to get beaten down in the corner by Drew...Drew sets him up on the turnbuckles but Rollins elbows him to the mat.  Phoenix Splash...misses but Seth rolls through, only THIS time Seth avoids the incoming boot and Drew gets hung up on the ropes.  BLACKOUT hits and Seth picks up the big victory to advance in the tournament!

Next week:  Justin Gabriel vs. Michael McGillicutty and Bo Dallas vs. Jinder Mahal in the Gold Rush Tournament.

WWE Superstars.com

Commentators:  Josh Mathews & Matt Striker.

Tyson Kidd vs. Heath Slater:  Both guys are former Tag Team Champions(Kidd with David Hart Smith, Slater with Justin Gabriel) looking to make their mark in singles competition.  YAY WRESTLING~!  Heath takes control after a flying neckbreaker and slows the pace to his liking...but Kidd flips out of a back suplex attempt and kicks his way into a comeback.  Tyson goes to the third floor but Heath pops up and powerslams him down to the mat!  Kidd rolls out of the ring to avoid defeat...by the time Slater throws him back through the ropes, Kidd is able to kick out at two.  Tyson stops a charging Slater with an enzuigiri and then delivers an inside-out slingshot legdrop to the back of Heath's head...his second trip to the top rope works out as he nails the Buff Blockbuster for the victory.

Women's Champion Layla El vs. Natalya Neidhart(non-title):  Nattie seems to take Layla lightly, but Layla shows off a few dance moves in response.  Layla tries for a baseball slide but Natalya pulls up the ring banner to trap her...haven't seen that in a while.  Nattie roughhouses her way into an advantage, using a bow-and-arrow submission hold at one point.  Layla comes up with a victory roll out of nowhere for a two-count only to get nailed by a discus lariat...for two.  Layla escapes a suplex attempt and delivers a big roundhouse kick...and just like that, the match is over as Layla gets the pin!  Has she been hanging out with Yoshi Tatsu?

Justin Gabriel vs. Cody Rhodes:  The commentators paint this as a difference of opinion over Olympic bragging rights(since a South African won a gold medal for the first time in several years).  YAY WRESTLING~!, at any rate.  Cody rolls out to regroup after a flurry of offense by Gabriel...but Justin regains the advantage once Rhodes re-enters the ring, getting several near-falls in a row.  A headscissors out of the corner sends Cody out of the ring...but a rana off the apron goes horribly awry as Cody powerbombs Gabriel to the floor!  Justin just BARELY beats the ten-count...but Cody's in firm control after that big move.  Gabriel escapes an Alabama Slam attempt but a mid-ring collision leaves both men down.  Cue the kick-oriented comeback...Cody rolls out of the ring again only to get hit with a corkscrew plancha!  Back inside for a springboard dropkick to the back of the head...for two.  Gabriel sets up Cody on the turnbuckles...they fight on the ropes and Cody gourdbusters Gabriel to the mat!  Cover...for 2 1/2.  Gabriel holds the ropes to block a Russian legsweep...then nails a springboard moonsault...for 2 1/2!  Cody misses the Beautiful Disaster kick but Gabriel misses a big kick and Cody catches him with Crossrhodes!  That'll be the ballgame, folks.

TNA Impact

Commentators:  Mike Tenay & Taz.

Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries & Kenny King d. Bobby Roode & X-Division Champion Shiima Xion when King pinned Xion after the Royal Flush.

Bound For Glory Series:  Bully Ray d. Robbie Eckos(w/ Robbie Terry) via Bully Cutter.

Madison Rayne won a four-corner match with Mickie James, Gail Kim, and Tara Varon.  Tara appeared to have the pin with a forward-roll cradle, but referee Earl Hebner counted Tara's shoulder's down even though Tara clearly had a shoulder up and Madison's shoulders were both down.

Chavo Guerrero Jr.(w/ Shawn Hernandez) d. Kid Kash(w/ Phil Gunner) via frog splash.

Wes Brisco paid a visit in the backstage area...hmm.

Bound For Glory Series:  James Storm d. Kurt Angle.  Storm withstood the anklelock for a LONG time before finally kicking Angle away, then hit a desperation Last Call superkick out of nowhere to get the win.  The Aces & 8s didn't show up this week...several roster members were at ringside for the main event as the suspicion grew over whether Storm was the mastermind behind the group.  Roode insinuated that Storm simply "didn't need them" this week...Storm brawled with Ray and Roode fought with Aries to close the show.

Next week's Bound For Glory Series matches:  Angle vs. A.J. Styles, Storm vs. Ray, Rob Van Dam vs. The Pope.