TNA Impact: Big Night Tonight for Samoa Joe in Ladder Match

Just in case nobody noticed down in Florida this week, some big things are happening with the changing if the guard with the rival wrestling company.

Advantage WWE.

With the announcement that Vince McMahon has been replaced in the captain’s chair by Triple H (that sounds so weird to me) and that John Cena kept his job while still losing the WWE title to CM Punk, you have to think the creative team for Impact started scratching their heads, thinking about ways to make tonight even better than last week.

The four-way ladder match in the Bound for Glory Series should help take care of that.

While it may not be the equivalent of an icon losing “losing his job”, a ladder match means many things in the world of professional wrestling. Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo and TNA creative are hoping it means only one thing: ratings.

AJ Styles vs. Gunner vs. Matt Morgan vs. Samoa Joe looks like it may be the best match of the series, so far. But it means more than just the win for whoever can score the pin or submission.

Gunner and Morgan have been hot as of late in the series.

Gunner has taken down champions (Sting, Mr. Anderson) and past champions (Styles) recently and looks to become the next big thing in Impact wrestling. Morgan seems to have found his groove and is in the thick of the title chase.

On the other hand, there is an APB out for Samoa Joe’s ability to win.

Joe, who dominated the TNA ranks from the time he came to Impact Wrestling, has been the “whipping” post as of late, losing to the likes of Kazarian, RVD and Crimson.

He has shown the losing streak has extended not only to television, but on pay-per-view events as well, causing us and himself to question the “issue.”

Because of his size, speed and power, you would figure Joe would have a great advantage against smaller opponents like an RVD or Kazarian, but he has had trouble maintaining focus, leading to unexplained losses where he was dominant in the ring.

Also, the BFG Series will feature RVD vs. Scott Steiner, who for the life of me does not look like a title contender. The fact this series goes until October also tells me there are more twists to this program than we are aware of yet and Steiner, Bully Ray, The Pope, etc. will be a major factor before everything is said and done.

RVD, fresh off a win over Jerry Lynn in the Destination X PPV will look to use his aerial attack to keep the power-driven Steiner on the mat. The contrasting styles, much like in the match with Samoa Joe earlier in the series, should make for great drama.

While the series continues, Brian Kendrick will defend his X-Division title against Alex Shelley, which on any other night, would be the highlight of an evening.

Shelley won the right to face Kendrick by winning the four-man Ultimate X competition. This should be as good as advertised and you have to wonder if someone like an Austin Aires or even Abyss will have a say in the final outcome.

And while we see what happens with Sting and his new band of “brothers” after dismantling Immortal before reclaiming the world title, Mickie James will defend her title against Velvet Sky, which as you know, cannot suck at all.

This is something TNA should have done a while ago. This is also a match where outside interference is not a possibility, it is a probability.

The idea of a tournament to determine a top contender for the Knockouts title would also give the division more credibility.

It seems like the boys down south are ready to serve.

Game on, WWE.