This Sunday could quite possibly be TNA’s biggest pay per view in ages. Not only because The Aces and Eights are expected to finally officially start their reign of terror in TNA, but the thought of another Austin Aries/Robert Roode main event is simply too much of a treat to pass up. The handful of matches for the Bound for Glory series are equally as titillating.
Here’s our top five list going into the big show.
5: Brooke Tessmacher: Unlike the WWE, knockout matches are actually worth watching in TNA. Tessmacher has been a capable and enduring champion during her reign, but Rayne has all the ability in the world and a referee that supposedly has her back. Should be an interesting encounter.
4: Bobby Roode: The best heel the company aside from Bully Ray, Roode did a good job on Impact building heat for his match with Aries. It’s impossible to like the guy’s character, but his talent in the ring is undeniable. He’s come such a long way from his Team Canada days when his matches were sleep-inducing. Anyone else remember the Northern Clothesline? Thank god you don’t.
3: Bully Ray: One of the best guys on the stick in TNA. If the reports are true, Ray’s contract is up in a few weeks and his battle with the Aces and Eights should put him on the “shelf” while a new contract for him and Devon is put together and give the gang a nice heel push. Ray is no chump though, so expect a battle.
2: Austin Aries: Best champion TNA has had since Samoa Joe. His mic work continues to get better and he’s just classy. His match with Roode on Sunday could be a match of the year contender.
1: The Aces and Eights: Brooke Hogan and Bully Ray are next on their list. If done right, TNA’s answer to The Sons of Anarchy could get over big time. Their promo on Impact was just a good enough tease and the way it was shot, allowing the viewer to see their biker gang styled jackets, was as close to perfect as TNA can get.
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports.
Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders.
His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023.
Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief.
Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale.
Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.
This Sunday could quite possibly be TNA’s biggest pay per view in ages. Not only because The Aces and Eights are expected to finally officially start their reign of terror in TNA, but the thought of another Austin Aries/Robert Roode main event is simply too much of a treat to pass up. The handful of matches for the Bound for Glory series are equally as titillating.
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