We start off with a video package looking back at last week when James Storm defeated Kurt Angle to win the World Title, as well as backstage comments talking about how hard he’s worked to become champion and how it’s like a dream, and if anyone pinches him to wake him up, he’s going to knock that guy out. We then go out to the ring as the new champion addresses the crowd, telling them about how he watched Wrestlemania 3 with his late dad and he decided that he wanted to be World Champion one day, and he silenced all the people who said he wasn’t good enough because now, he’s the champion. He couldn’t have done it without the fans, so he wants to thank them for helping make his dream come true, but he also wants to bring Fortune out to the ring to thank them as well. He specifically wants to tell Roode that he got screwed out of the opportunity he worked his whole life for, so he got drunk and decided to give Roode the first shot at the title.

Roode accepts of course, but Samoa Joe comes out to say he used to be part of this group that fought the power that held them down, but for all their self righteousness they preach, he sees the same four scumbags that he did a long time ago, and he sees another Immortal group trying to keep it all in the family, which shouldn’t be too hard for that hillbilly James Storm. Joe’s words, not mine. Instead of giving all his friends title shots, he’s going to prove to everyone that it’s a new day and give Joe a title shot. Storm says Joe had his opportunity and the window closed, and maybe he should give his friends title shots first since Joe’s lost to everyone for months now. Sting’s music hits, and the new Authority Figure comes out to settle the dispute. He says they both have really strong cases, so tonight, it’ll be Joe against Roode with the winner getting a title shot next week in Macon, Georgia.

Tonight: Jeff Hardy has his first match since March as he faces Bully Ray, and Gail Kim makes her own return against Tara.

We go backstage to Christopher Daniels, who claims that AJ Styles fed doctored audio through the speakers to make everyone think he quit at Bound For Glory, and he’ll show how good he is next when he faces “Bob” Van Dam.

Let’s go to the ring for our opening match…

Christopher Daniels vs Rob Van Dam

Chain wrestling sequence to start and Vam Dam gets a bodyscissors rollup for 2. Another back and forth sequence leads to Daniels rolling RVD up for 2 as AJ Styles comes out to join Mike and Taz at the announce booth. RVD boots Daniels in the face and hits a standing moonsault for 2, Daniels drop toeholds RVD into the bottom turnbuckle and puts the boots to him, but eats RVD’s boots on a charge into the corner. He hits a uranage and goes for the BME, but Van Dam moves and hits the stepover leg lariat. RVD with the rolling monkey flip out of the corner and a springboard thrust kick, but Daniels rolls out of the ring to escape Rolling Thunder. RVD doesn’t miss a beat and hits a dive over the top rope, rolls Daniels back into the ring, and Daniels rolls to the floor to dodge the five star frogsplash. RVD goes out to the floor and drapes Daniels on the guardrail and hits the leg lariat off the apron. Daniels goes under the ring and grabs a toolbox, ramming it into RVD’s ribs to get himself disqualified.

Winner: Rob Van Dam by DQ

Daniels grabs a screwdriver out of the toolbox andstalks RVD with it, but AJ drops his headset and comes tearing down to the ring to chase Daniels into the crowd.

Karen Jarrett, Gail Kim, and Madison Rayne are backstage, and they’re…WALKING!

Karen Jarrett comes out with her entire entourage in tow. Anyone care to explain to me how she’s still in power since Immortal lost control of TNA? Gail Kim says everyone can stop with the emails asking her why she did what she did last week, because it’s nobody’s business. But she’s happy to tell us anyway: people have been telling her what to do for her entire career, from TNA to ANOTHER COMPANY and back, but finally Karen made her realize it’s not about the company she works for or the fans who never put a dime in her pocket, it’s all about her being the center of attention and being the one who’s noticed, but most of all, it’s about her being treated like the main eventer she is. Karen says that since Gail’s been suc ha good sport, she’s going to get her title match with Velvet at Turning Point, and the sooner they get the belt off that prostitute Velvet Sky and around the waist of Gail, the better off everyone will be. Gail says she won’t let Karen or herself down, and she wants a piece of fresh meat to come out so she can prove her greatness.

Gail Kim vs Tara

Yep, that Tara is green as grass. Gail attacks Tara on her way into the ring and starts viciously ramming Tara’s face into the mat and then repeatedly drills her in the head with right hands. Tara tries to fight back, but Gail just rips her head off with a hard clothesline. Gail hauls Tara up by the face and yells at her that she’s pathetic before dumping her out to the floor. Karen shoves Traci around and yells at her at ringside as Gail hauls Tara back into the ring and stomps her in the face as we go to commercial.

We’re back, and Gail Kim is choking Tara with her boot in the corner. Gail misses a charge into the corner, but catches Tara with a back elbow and locks her in the modified Royal Octopus. Tara hiptosses out of the hold and finally begins firing back on Gail, taking her out with a series of clotheslines and a rolling neckbreaker for 2. Gail drop toeholds Tara onto the bottom rope and chokes her with herboot again, then hauls Tara back to her feet and htis Sole Food for the win.

Winner: Gail Kim

This was the best Knockouts match I’ve seen on Impact in forever, and Gail looked like a million bucks and showed in one appearance what WWE was missing out on for years.

Jeff Hardy’s backstage saying he’s back in the ring tonight against Bully Ray, and they go way back, but it’s been a long time since he’s faced him or anyone else and this will be a real test for him tonight.

Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair are backstage tonight, and they blow off Robbie E blabbering about his TV Title match because Flair is busy telling Bischoff to kick the crap out of his kid. There’s some quality family sentiment there.

TV Title Match: Eric Young vs Robbie E

Okay, this is pretty funny: Rob Terry is Robbie E’s bouncer and stands in front of a velvet rope holding waving at the fans to stay back while Robbie fist pumps. Well, I guess they have to justify paying him somehow. Young comes out looking homeless and ties up with the referee and backs him to the corner before the match, and then starts unloading on Robbie when the bell rings. He hits Robbie with a flying forearm, then does the Flair Flip to the apron, comes flying over the top with a clothesline, and htis a really nice belly to belly. He gets distracted by Rob Terry and Robbie backdrops him, but Young gets his foot up as Robbie charges him in the corner and gets a crucifix for the win.

Winner: Eric Young

Rob Terry blindsides Young after the match and holds him so Robbie can ram his fist into his gut. Young goes down in a heap, but Terry pulls him back up and now Robbie rams his knee into Young’s midsection. He tells Terry to pull him up again and Young just piefaces Young and sends him down in a heap. They head to the back, and Young grabs a microphone and is aghast that Robbie punched him in the stomach. He’s never been accused of being the smartest guy, but Rob Terry got involved and now, he’s got to bring in the Hollywood heavies, so when they get to Georgia, he’s bringing Ronnie from the Jersey Shore. Okay.

Eric Bischoff is backstage, and he’s…WALKING!

Christopher Daniels is backstage trying to negotiate his contract with his agent, and Frankie Kazarian comes in and says this stuff with AJ has to stop. He wants Daniels to call him and talk things out friend to friend. We then go to Bully Ray, who asks if Jeff Hardy pissed in Sting’s cornflakes because he must have to get him in his first match back. He’s going to make sure Jeff’s first match back is his last match back, and he’s never respected Jeff because rehab is for quitters.

If you can believe this, we go to a Garrett Bischoff video package, and we see all kinds of clips of Garrett intentionally blowing calls to benefit his dad as he talks about how he thought all he had to do was follow his dad because he idolized him his entire life, but he doesn’t want to be like him anymore. He doesn’t want to hit his dad or beat up an old man, and then immediately after that we see a clip of last week when he knocked his old dad out.

Now we go to the arena and Bischoff is coming out to talk. This ought to be enlightening. If boos could kill a man, Bischoff would have been dead before he got close to the ring. He has some family business to take care of here, because his firstborn son, and the crowd actually chants “we want Garrett” as Bischoff calls his kid out for a chat. Yeah, encourage him, way to go. Garrett comes out and gets in the ring, and Eric says that he conceived and raised him to follow in his footsteps, and he didn’t waste his semen so he could go follow someone else. He’s raised him to follow in his footsteps from the day he brought Garrett to the AWA studios in Minneapolis, and Garrett let him down and embarrassed him and the entire Bischoff family for generations to come. He could kick Garrett’s ass, but instead, he’ll do what he never does for anybody. Garrett says he doesn’t want it to go down this way, and Eric says he doesn’t give a damn what he wants and calls him a selfish little prick (again, his words), then says that Garrett will apologize to him before the end of the night or he’ll kick his ass. He calls his son a punk and walks off. What a great segment.

Ric flair is backstage losing his mind over Garrett being a disrespectful punk, and he’s going to find Garrett and talk to him about respect.

Garrett is backstage with Flair and says “Hello, Mr Flair” but Flair says it’s not Mr Flair, it’s God. Wrestling needs men, and not disrespectful little punks like him. Garrett tries to explain, but Flair says he doesn’t want to hear it because Garrett isn’t big, tough, or have enough balls to do what his father did. This business is breaking in punks who couldn’t walk in his shoes 30 years ago. Garrett keeps trying to talk, but Flair keeps cutting him off to tell him that he needs his ass kicked in front of the world to teach these kids respect because this is a sport for men who have bled and sweated and paid the price and not to be surprised if Flair is out there kicking his ass too. Flair slaps him around and shoves him hard in the chest several times before saying something that gets bleeped out and walking off.

Jeff Hardy video package, as he talks about how he needed to go home and get away from TV and wrestling and just get his head together while everyone else wants him gone from TNA. Jeff Jarrett comes out to the ring and says there’s one thing missing from the video package, and that’s the way Hardy looked when he showed up all messed up at his last appearance in early 2011. Maybe they should show him main eventing Turning Point 2006, except that they can’t because he didn’t show up. Hardy’s music hits and he comes out to confront Jarrett, who tears his shirt off and dares Hardy to get in the ring with him. Hardy slides into the ring and they brawl until security comes out to pull them apart yet again. As you might expect, Bully Ray runs out of the back and blindsides Hardy, and the bell rings…

Jeff Hardy vs Bully Ray

Crowd is solidly behind Hardy as Bully Ray drills him in the head and lights him up with a massive chop in the corner and we go to commercial. We’re back and Hardy is unloading on Bubba in the corner and hits the Whisper In The Wind, then goes for the Twist of Fate but Bubba shoves him off into the ropes and takes him out with a boot to the face. Bubba gets Hardy in a nerve hold, Hardy tries to fight out but Bubba just yanks him down to the mat by the hair. Bubba hits a slam and comes off the ropes with a sweet elbowdrop for 2, then hits a running avalanche in the corner for another 2. Bubba repeatedly drills Hardy with crossfaces and the referee yells at him for some reason I don’t understand because it’s a legal move. Bubba charges Hardy in the corner, but Hardy gets the boot up and comes off the second rope with a legdrop for 2. Bubba hits a big backdrop but misses a big splash, Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and Swanton and that’s all she wrote.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Christy Hemme is at ringside and congratulates Jeff on his return to Impact Wrestling, and Hardy wants to welcome everyone back into his life, but the interview is cut short when Jeff Jarrett comes back through the crowd and lays Hardy out from behind. He tosses Hardy back into the ring and Bubba takes his head off with a clothesline. Jarrett pulls a table out from under the ring and they set it up on the inside, but Ken Anderson runs out to save Hardy from death via super bomb and Jarrett and Bubba hightail it to the back.

Bobby Roode is backstage saying he has a ton on his mind: he’s got a chance for another title shot tonight, his best friend is the World Champion, and tonight he has to go through Joe for another shot at achieving his lifelong dream.

#1 Contender Match: Samoa Joe vs Bobby Roode

Tie up and Joe takes Roode to the corner and just beats him down, but Roode pops up and stomps a mudhole in Joe in the corner. Roode tears through Joe with a clothesline and gets a neckbreaker for 1. Joe gets a back elbow, but Roode takes him down into the Crippler Crossface and Joe quickly slips out to the floor. Joe pulls Roode out after him and rams Roode back first into the ring apron, then they head back in and Joe snaps Roode over with a quick powerslam for 2. Joe with the inverted atomic drop, running boot, and senton combo for 2. Joe gets Roode in a rear chinlock, Roode fights his way out but Joe drops him with a running forearm to the face and goes back to the chinlock. Joe gets another inverted atomic drop, but comes off the ropes and Roode catches him with an Arn Anderson spinebuster or, as Tenay calls it, a “Double R” spinebuster. No idea who Double R is, but I’m sure he was watching on proudly. They go toe to toe in the ring with Roode coming out on top, and Roode gets the advantage and takes Joe down with a Blockbuster for 2. Joe hits a Death Valley Driver but only gets 2, so he goes for the Muscle Buster, Roode slips out and gets him in the Crippler Crossface, and Joe reverses to a cradle for 2. Joe with a double kneebreaker, but Roode reverses a whip to send Joe hard into the corner and gets a Perfectplex for the win.

Winner: Bobby Roode

James Storm comes out of the back and shares a look of respect with Roode, then motions that it’ll be the two of them next week as Roode smiles excitedly. We then go backstage to Bischoff, who says he’s looking forward to confronting his son after what happened last week.

Eric Bischoff comes out to the ring and says it’s embarrassing to have your family dramas play out in front of a national audience, but families can work things out and put stuff behind them, and calls Garrett out to apologize because he raised him right and he made a mistake, but he’s a good kid and he’ll do the right thing. Garrett comes out and Eric says that before he apologizes, he just wants to say that there’s two sides to every coin, so he wants to say that he forgives Garrett for getting caught up in the emotion because he understands what it’s liketo be young and dumb and let things cloud your judgment, so he can go ahead and tell the world he’s sorry and things will go back to the way they used to be. Garrett hesitates, and Eric reminds him that he said to go ahead and apologize because he’s pushing him to the point where he might not forgive him, and he wants him to apologize in front of all these people. Garrett says no, so Eric slaps him and says to apologize. Garrett grabs his dad by the shirt and backs him to the ropes, but Ric Flair comes out and shoves Garrett back.

He says he told Eric to treat Garrett like he treated him, then yells at Garrett to quit worrying about the fans and apologize to his father. Flair slaps Garrett and tells him to apologize to his father and then kiss his ass. Flair slaps him again and says he’s not messing around like his dad and tells him one more time to apologize. He takes his coat off and shoves Garrett into the ropes, and Garrett comes off and decks Flair in the face. Flair pulls his jacket off and kicks Garrett low, then Eric comes from behind and punches his son in the junk, then Flair stomps on his groin, beats the crap out of him in the corner, and kicks him in the nuts again. Flair steps on Garrett’s head and tells him to kiss his ass before stomping on his head as we wrap up this week’s stellar installment of Impact.