IMPACT Power Rankings for September: It Pays To Be Roode

TNA used to have their own power rankings called the "Top 10 Contenders." Back in June, I decided to bring that idea back to life here on Bleacher Report.

I will now rank the contenders based on what occurs on IMPACT or pay-per-view events.

The list will be released monthly, and now it's time to see which 10 IMPACT wrestlers found success in September.

Just Missed

Just Missed is a spot for those who had good performances but fell short of the Top 10.

Mr. Anderson 

Anderson had a tough month. He had two World Title matches and lost them both—one on IMPACT and one at No Surrender.

Anderson still can not get the better of Bully Ray or Jerry Lynn and even lost to them in a handicap match on IMPACT. Despite the defeat, Anderson had a good showing against two veterans and looked to have the match won on several occasions.

Most recently, Bully Ray cost Anderson a match against The Pope on IMPACT.

Brian Kendrick

I don't like him, but I have to add him somewhere.

Kendrick teamed with Jesse Sorensen earlier this month to defeat the team of Austin Aries and Kid Kash. At No Surrender, Brian Kendrick lost his X Division Championship to A Double.

Kendrick was last seen on IMPACT winning a five-man X Division Ladder match. The winner would get a title match against Aries at Bound For Glory.

Sting

Sting is just like Anderson this month. Both guys had two title matches—one on IMPACT, one on pay-per-view.

Sting lost both matches, as Angle retained, but Sting did win one match this month. The Icon defeated "The Nature Boy" in a match that granted Sting the right to face Hulk Hogan at BFG.

Since then, Hogan's been ducking and dodging Sting at every turn.

James Storm

You didn't see this one coming, did you? Especially since Storm didn't win a single match this month.

Storm took part in a four corners match with the final four BFG Series competitors and lost. At No Surrender, Storm lost via DQ against Bully Ray and was out of the BFG Series for good.

Storm's last match of the month came against World Champion, Kurt Angle. 

Storm had an impressive showing against the World Champ and proved to me that he deserves a spot on this list and a future World Title.

Gunner

Gunner started the month off right with a big win under his belt. He defeated the three other BFG Series competitors in that four corners match.

At No Surrender, Gunner had an impressive showing even in defeat against Bobby Roode.

Since the pay-per-view, Gunner hasn't really done anything except interfere during most Kurt Angle matches.

Most recently, Gunner dropped Kazarian with his finishing move, possibly starting a feud going into BFG.

10. Christopher Daniels

Record—(1-0)

Accomplishment—Defeating AJ Styles

Christopher Daniels finally did it. He defeated AJ Styles.

AJ botched a spring board and Daniels stole the win. Since then, Daniels has been full of himself and may have triggered a rematch at Bound For Glory.

9. Samoa Joe

Record—(1-1)

Accomplishment—Defeated Matt Morgan in a submission match

Samoa Joe ran around last month, taking out all the other BFG Series competitors. He took out Pope, Devon and Crimson until one person finally stood up to him.

Matt Morgan and Joe started a mini-feud heading into No Surrender. When the two met for a match there, Morgan defeated Joe.

At the following IMPACT, in a No Surrender rematch, Joe beat Morgan via submission.

Joe was last seen this month beating down Crimson until it was Morgan, again, stomping on Joe's parade.

8. Bully Ray

Record—(2-2)

Accomplishment—Defeating James Storm at No Surrender

Bully took part in the four corners match and was pinned by his Immortal mate, Gunner.

At No Surrender, Bully Ray cost James Storm a victory and eventually got him disqualified for spitting beer in the referee's face.

Bully then advanced into the BFG Series finals, where he lost to Bobby Roode.

Bully continued his feud with Anderson, beating him in a handicap match, and has been a thorn in Anderson's side since before Hardcore Justice.

7. Jesse Sorensen

Record—(2-2)

Accomplishment—Defeating Kid Kash at No Surrender

Prior to No Surrender, Sorensen teamed with Kendrick to defeat Aries and Kash in a tag match.

At the pay-per-view, Sorensen defeated Kid Kash in a No. 1 contenders match. Sorensen was then first in line for Austin Aries' X Division Championship.

However, Kid Kash was a game-changer in Sorensen's first ever title shot in IMPACT Wrestling, providing a distraction as Aries took advantage to get the win.

Last Thursday on IMPACT, Sorensen took part in a five-man ladder match in a losing effort.

6. Mickie James

Record—(2-2)

Accomplishment—Winning Knockouts Title on IMPACT

Mickie started the month off in great fashion by winning the Knockouts Championship from Winter.

The following week, Mickie teamed with Velvet Sky but lost to Angelina Love and Winter. Winter issued her a rematch for the No Surrender pay-per-view and cheated to beat Mickie.

James held the title for no more than two weeks.

She is on the road to redemption and picked up a win over Brooke Tessmacher in the Queens' Qualifier. Mickie is now going to BFG in a four-way match for the Knockouts title.

Halftime

It's halftime!

Take a break, continue reading or check out all the news from the month of September.

Mickie James turned 32 this month, and Jeff Hardy turned 34. 

Kurt Angle was arrested for a DUI earlier this month (Pre-No Surrender)

Jeff Hardy went to jail this month for his drug charge back in 2009 but didn't stay long.

Former X Division and Tag Team Champion, Homicide, was backstage at No Surrender visiting old friends.

Gunner shot back at the wrestling rumor mill this month.

Jeff Hardy got a new tattoo this month. To see, click here.

Matt Hardy was arrested multiple times this month.

Ric Flair broke his bursa sac in his elbow during a super-plex in his match against Sting this month.

Ric Flair "WHOO'd!" Red Sox Nation this month. He visited the Sox and presented Dustin Pedroia with a replica TNA Heavyweight belt. He also did the opening for SportsCenter from Fenway Park.

Still speaking of Flair, he had surgery on the injury suffered this month. He's expected to be out of action for four to six months.

IMPACT Wrestling continues to grow internationally.

Jerk of the Month

Halftime isn't exactly over yet. We still have the Jerk of the Month segment to do.

This month's candidates are Bully Ray, Samoa Joe, Daniels and Jerry Lynn.

Bully Ray

Bully told Gunner throughout the entire BFG Series to roll over and let him win. The plan never worked because Gunner was knocked out of the Series.

Bully Ray pushed James Storm to lose his BFG Series match by disqualification at No Surrender after spitting beer in the referee's face.

Ray's primary victim, Mr. Anderson, has been screwed by Bully Ray several times this month. Bully beat Anderson in a handicap match and even attacked him during his match against Pope this past week.

Samoa Joe

Joe was jerk of the month in August. He went around injuring anyone he could.

This month, he tried to keep the streak going but big Matt Morgan stood him up. Joe hasn't bullied anyone around until this past week when Crimson came back.

Joe called out Crimson and started to beat him down until Morgan made the save again.

Jerry Lynn

The handicap match between Bully Ray and Jerry Lynn versus Mr. Anderson was originally a tag team match. Anderson's partner, RVD, was found knocked out backstage.

Jerry kept mocking RVD and teasing about the fact that he took him out.

Daniels

Christopher Daniels has been rubbing a victory over AJ Styles in everyone's face. He feels like he's done it all in wrestling with that one win.

He made fun of AJ for weeks and weeks until AJ confronted him. The two brawled until Kazarian came out as peace-maker.

Daniels hit AJ with a low blow and walked out on him and Fortune.

The Jerk of the Month of September is...

Christopher Daniels!

5. Winter

Record—(2-1)

Accomplishment—Winning Knockouts Title

Winter's only loss of the month came in the first IMPACT of September, when she lost the Knockouts Title to Mickie James.

The following week, Winter and Angelina Love defeated Mickie James and Velvet Sky.

At No Surrender, Winter used her rematch for the title and won. She cheated, but she won.

Since that victory, Winter hasn't had a match and has been watching the field of Knockouts fight in the Queens' Qualifier.

4. Pope

Record—(3-1)

Accomplishment—Number one contender for Tag titles

To start September, Pope teamed with Devon to defeat the British Invasion and earn the right to challenge Mexican America for the Tag titles at No Surrender.

Pope and Devon were cheated out of the Tag Team titles at No Surrender, but it wouldn't be the last time these teams fought.

Pope and Devon teamed with Knockouts Tag Champions, Tara and Tessmacher, to defeat Mexican America in a four-on-four match.

After defeating the Tag Team Champions, Pope defeated former World Champion, Mr. Anderson, most recently on IMPACT.

3. Austin Aries

Record—(2-1)

Accomplishment—Winning X Division Title at No Surrender

Aries teamed up with Kid Kash to face Kendrick and Sorensen in a losing effort to start their month off.

Everyone's favorite X Division star, Austin Aries, captured his first ever X Division Championship this month at No Surrender. Aries defeated Brian Kendrick for his first championship.

Aries even had his first title defense against Jesse Sorensen this month. With an assist from Kid Kash, Aries retained.

Austin Aries won his first ever X Division Championship this month and had his first ever successful title defense.

1. Kurt Angle

This is no mistake.

For the first time, there is a tie for the number one spot. First up—Kurt Angle.

Record—(3-0)

Accomplishment—Three World Title defenses

Kurt Angle started the month off by successfully defending his Heavyweight Championship against former champ, Sting. After the match, Immortal beat down The Icon until Anderson made the save.

The following week, Angle defeated Anderson, who would suffer the same fate as Sting.

Immortal's beat-down on Anderson and Sting caused a three-way match for the title at No Surrender—Mr. Anderson vs. Sting vs. Kurt Angle

With an assist from Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle retained his Heavyweight Championship for the third time this month.

1. Bobby Roode

Record—(4-1)

Accomplishment—Winning BFG Series

Bobby Roode is on the push of a lifetime.

He lost the four corners match at the top of the month but that did not slow him down one bit.

Roode went into No Surrender and had two hard-fought victories against Gunner and Bully Ray. After beating Ray, Bobby Roode won the summer-long Bound For Glory Series by beating the other 11 competitors.

AJ, Joe, Morgan, Storm, Steiner, Gunner, Crimson, Bully, Pope, Devon and RVD?

Roode beat them all.

Bobby would have to test himself by facing Fortune members Kazarian and AJ Styles, two top home-grown talents.

Roode defeated both guys in very close matches, but the end result was praise by his Fortune mates.