Aces & Eights: Difference between revisions

Aces & Eights is a professional wrestling stable in the promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), consisting of a group of masked wrestlers. It has the gimmick of an outlaw motorcycle club; members of the stable ride motorcycles and are referred to as either "prospects" or "patched in".^[2] The name of the stable is a reference to the two pair poker hand known as the "dead man's hand".^[3][4]

The stable debuted on the June 14, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, with three masked wrestlers attacking Sting as he discussed his induction to the TNA Hall of Fame.^[1] On July 5, 2012, an unnamed man delivered an envelope to TNA General Manager Hulk Hogan containing a photograph of aces and eights playing cards (known as the "dead man's hand") and a note reading "see you next week", saying "we're not cowards...we've got something for you Hogan, wait and see!"^[3][6]

Aces & Eights returned (in greater numbers) to TNA on the July 12, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, attacking both Sting and Hogan, with Hogan billed as having sustained a pelvic fracture (providing a kayfabe explanation for his absence from television while recovering from surgery to alleviate back pain).^[7][8][9] Over the next several weeks, the stable continued to attack both faces and heels.^{[2][8][10][11]}

Aces & Eights made its first appearance on pay-per-view at Hardcore Justice on August 12, 2012, attacking D'Angelo Dinero backstage (providing a kayfabe explanation for his absence from television to recuperate from a shoulder injury). Aces & Eights later interfered in a four-way tables match, attacking Jeff Hardy and the eventual winner, Bully Ray.^[12][13]

On the August 23, 2012 episode of Impact Wrestling, Aces & Eights brawled with members of the TNA roster, injuring the right arm of TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries.^[2] One week later, Aces & Eights attacked Aries again, knocking him unconscious with a foreign object.^[14]

At No Surrender, on September 9, 2012, Aces & Eights again brawled with the TNA roster following a fight between Aries and a member called "The Armbreaker", injuring the shoulder of Jeff Hardy prior to his Bound for Glory series final against Bully Ray.^[15]

Aces & Eights wrestled its first match at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view on October 14, 2012, where two unnamed members of the stable defeated Sting and Bully Ray in a no disqualification tag team match to win unfettered access to the Impact Wrestling Zone (Aces & Eights had agreed to leave TNA if they'd lost). They won following interference from two other members of the stable, one of whom was subsequently unmasked and revealed as Devon, a member of the TNA roster and the former tag team partner of Bully Ray.^[5][16] Devon was the first member of Aces & Eights to be formally identified by TNA.

On the October 18, 2012 episode of Impact, Devon, speaking for the gang (his vest identified him as "Sergeant-at-Arms"), threatened the TNA roster, who responded by attacking Aces & Eights. Sting challenged Devon to a match, which Sting won by disqualification when Aces & Eights interfered.

On the October 25 Impact, Aces & Eights announced they would target a victim, chosen by throwing a dart at a photo collage of TNA wrestlers and later revealed to be Kurt Angle (a previous target of Aces & Eights). Angle had just lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Jeff Hardy. Bully Ray confronted his "brother" Devon, who claimed Hogan's mistreatment of him was why he joined Aces & Eights. After Devon announced that he and Bully were no longer brothers, Bully called Devon a "coward" and challenged him to a match on the "Open Fight Night" episode of Impact, on November 1.

That match ended in a brawl between the TNA roster and Aces & Eights, during which Joseph Park unmasked a member, revealing him as Drew Hankinson.^[17]

On the November 8 Impact, Hankinson was introduced as DOC (Director of Chaos), a prospect of Aces & Eights. Later that night, DOC teamed with Devon to wrestle Sting and Angle. Sting and Angle won by disqualification when Devon used Sting's baseball bat. DOC then drove Sting through a table, to prove his worth to the group. Sting was then attacked by several members and beaten with a ball-peen hammer by DOC.

DOC defeated Joseph Park, and Devon lost to Kurt Angle at the Turning Point pay-per-view on November 11.^[18]

On the November 15 episode of Impact Wrestling, Aces & Eights chose Magnus as their next victim; Devon used a baseball bat and DOC a ball-peen hammer to injure Magnus' knees. Later that night, Kurt Angle teamed with Garett Bischoff to defeat Devon and an unnamed member, despite DOC attempting to interfere in the match. As a reward for his loyalty, DOC was promoted from a prospect to a patched in member.^[19]

On the December 6 episode of Impact Wrestling, Devon became the first member of Aces & Eights to win a title, defeating Samoa Joe for the Television Championship, after interference from DOC. Later that night, the group attacked Angle again, as well as Jeff Hardy after being paid to do so by Bobby Roode. At Final Resolution, Devon, DOC, and two masked members lost to Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Garett Bischoff, and Wes Brisco, after Angle pinned one of the masked members.

On the December 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, Aces & Eights offered membership to Mr. Anderson. Anderson accepted that offer on the January 3, 2013 episode. Later that night, Devon and a masked Aces & Eights member were defeated by Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe in a tag team cage match. Afterwards, several Aces & Eights members attacked Angle and Joe. Sting made his return and helped them fight off Aces & Eights with his baseball bat. Angle unmasked Devon's tag team partner, revealing him as Mike Knox.^[20]

On January 13, 2013, at Genesis, Aces & Eights went two for three: Mr. Anderson defeated Samoa Joe and Devon defeated Joseph Park, before DOC lost to Sting.

On the January 17 Impact, Aces & Eights crashed Bully Ray & Brooke Hogan's wedding and attacked Bully, Hulk Hogan, and two of Bully's groomsmen, Tommy Dreamer and Spike Dudley, after Bully's best man, Taz, revealed himself as the newest member. During the beatdown, Knox and DOC taunted Brooke and forced her to watch. Sting tried to make the save, but was also beaten down. Aces & Eights then ran off, leaving Brooke to tend to her father and fiance.^[21]

On the January 24 Championship Thursday edition of Impact, Taz explained why he joined Aces & Eights & implied that his contract with TNA makes him effectively immune to retaliation by TNA Management; Taz also mentioned working for a "higher power" within the Aces & Eights. Later that night, Bully Ray swore revenge upon the Aces & Eights, singling out Devon and Taz as his main targets. Kurt Angle called out Ken Anderson and challenged him to a steel cage match at Open Fight Night on the January 31 Impact. Just after Jeff Hardy defeated Christopher Daniels in the main event, Taz distracted Hardy as a masked member of Aces & Eights attacked Hardy from behind, injuring Hardy's left leg.^[22]

On the January 31st Open Fight Night edition of Impact, it was revealed that Angle's friends, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff, were also members of the Aces & Eights. Angle defeated Anderson in their cage match while Brisco watched from ringside; after the match a masked member of Aces & Eights confronted Angle, then revealed himself as Bischoff. Brisco feigned surprise, then suddenly attacked Angle along with Bischoff; Brisco then took his suit jacket off and lets his hair down, revealed his own Aces & Eights vest. Magnus made his return and fought Devon, but DOC and Knox interfered; Magnus threw his attackers over the top rope and forced them to retreat. Hulk Hogan reinstated Bully Ray and made a match for the February 7 Impact: Bully & Sting vs. Devon & DOC in a tables tag match.^[23]

• Named members
  • Devon - (Sgt. at Arms)^[5] (Revealed/Patched in on October 14 at Bound for Glory (2012))
  • DOC - (Director of Chaos) - (Revealed on November 1, 2012; Patched in on November 15, 2012)^[24]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • TNA Television Championship (1 time, current) - Devon

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Feud of the Year (2012) vs. TNA^[25]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Worst Gimmick (2012)^[26]

• The Aces & 8s on Twitter

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