Impact taped two episodes on the road in Huntsville, Alabama, this week. Tonight we will be watching the wrestlers perform outside of the Impact Zone, which should make for a hot crowd… one not as jaded, ignorant, or just those who like to chant nonsense to hear themselves. If nothing else, at least I can say I made one positive observation… let’s get to it, shall we?
It starts with Kurt Angle calling out Crimson who is now wearing a knee brace. Angle compliments Crimson for his courage for standing up for him but then insults him. Promises to end his career. Heel turns always make sense in TNA. Yeah the jobber squad oh I mean Immortal come out for the weekly promo. Bully Ray proceeds to <suck> Kurt Angle’s ego with his accomplishments. Kurt tells them no interference on the part of Immortal and especially from Jeff Jarrett. <Mexican endorses Jarrett?> And a promo backstage from Jackie, ODB and Velvet they’re working together in a match against Angelina, Winter and Madison Rayne. Do I see a swerve coming on the part of ODB? Yes I do.
Only in the Russoverse
Eric B. Hogan and Flair talk about the craziness that is the joke…er Sting. I can’t wait for Bound for Glory.
He could so sue. Why so nervous Sting
So yeah I was wrong it was Sarita and Rosita. Anywho.
five minutes later and I am still screaming what the —– It was like watching some surreal dream where everyone knew how to wrestle except the one who scored the pin. Velvet appears to be struggling to look relevant surrounded by vets and better experienced wrestlers. So instead of a double cross swerve we are treated to a face turn from Jackie and ODB, who double team suplex Angelina and drag Velvet over for the win.
nuff said
The X division. We have Kid Kash coming out to face Jesse Sorensen. In the beginning of an obvious feud. So the bad boy of the original X division is now going to be jobbing out to the varsity wrestler? We will have to wait and see. So after holding the tights of Sorensen he heelishly wins. After a wonderful heel promo we have personality. I like. By putting in Aries and Kash they have brought in wonderful talents who can work a crowd. So waiting to see these guys in a live event again.
Bound for Glory series. Love the vignettes of the house shows. Crimson, Bully Ray Bobby Roode tied for 2nd, James Storm and Gunner round out the top four.
the Pope vs RvD, the crowd is behind Rob. Oh do I miss the days when Pope would have brought the house down. what a difference a feud makes. First Samoa now this inane drama with Devon’s family. Watching Pope get beat on is as enjoyable as watching Lavar Burton getting whipped in Roots.<its okay I’m black> And surprising like Akunta Kinta he taps out and agrees to be called Toby. Rob Van Dam beats Pope with a surfboard. RvD is now tied with Gunner for fourth. OH here comes sore loser Samoa Joe. Devon take his sweet time walking out to slowly scare away Joe. Can’t wait for the Pope vs Devon match that is so coming for Bound for Glory. <sarcasm>
Even after all he sacrificed Levar shakes his head as the Pope has set us back 400 years.
Robbie E. and Rob Terry have a promo were he asked him to be his bodyguard. Immortal backstage working out there arms and have a semi comic unscripted confrontation. Rosita and Sarita jump Love until Winter shows up and chokes out Rosita Hogan and Flair waddle out the ring.
Traci Brooks and a Eric B promo, who is trying <sarcasm> his hardest not to look down her shirt.
The two stooges come out to call out Sting. Its akin to watching Grumpy Old Men 3: The wrestling Years. Well they call out the Clown Prince of wrestling.
Flair says tit and I think yeah, family show. So watching these men quack enough crazy to make the Robert Young Clinic call for more beds. And its official Sting vs Hogan at BFG.
If you’re over 50, yeah get a crazy gimmick. Good to Know.
Thank God A.J. Styles, I have never been so happy to see a redneck in my life. He calls out Daniels. Can we say sore loser. Can he never give up is he like the Vegeta to A.J’s Goku? Of course inquiring minds want to know. Daniels questions does he have what it takes to be in TNA? The fallen Angel is crying and the crowd boos and shouts the Brisco Brothers infamous “man-up” Pity something this audience could care less about. After Days of our Lives we now return to
yep had the same reaction when Daniels was crying.
Immortal versus Fortune….a special BFG event. No rules. Gunner, Steiner and Ray come out only to get attacked by Storm, Styles and Roode, can we say brawl. After a series of spots, Ray pins A.J Styles for the win. Bully Ray picks up 7 points.
Mr Anderson shows up in a hummer. And comes to the ring. takes out Steiner and Gunner, Ray and Abyss wonder to the back in confusion.
Mickie James is angry, and can’t get into words what the hell Russo’s booking has caused her. Because evil lesbian witches are not cool. And neither is the TV title being worn by Young who is on the hunt for D lister Scott Baio. <God> Young pins Baio after jumping from a tree for the three. Next.
Crimson vs Angle.
This match was decent, it does include Angle who could have a match with a corpse and make it believable. But just when we might have a decision Samoa Joe comes to attack Crimson after a mini beat down Crimson comes back and clears the ring of Joe, since Angle left a minute ago.
Will Tracy become the knockout Law? Will Mickie beat Winter? Will Daniels finally overcome A.J tune in next week and see. In a post match segment Joe beats and cripples Crimson.
Here is to next week in front of hopeful a live crowd.
Wow, what a show. In the last little while Impact has managed to defy logic in many ways, from turning Mr. Anderson from face to heel like he’s a bouncing rubber ball… they’ve tossed the championship back and forth, and built up further the feud between Hulk “Can Barely Walk” Hogan and Heath Farley… and it looks like they’re pushing the greenest guy in the roster, Crimson, straight to the moon.
Sigh… Well at least we should get to see Eric Young fight Scott Baio tonight, right? Sorry, no.
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Impact had one of their Steal-A-Views on Sunday, and I’m told it sucked… hard, actually. Nothing notable happened outside of Heath Farley lost his title to Kurt Angle in part to Hulk Hogan tossing a steel chair into the ring while the referee was getting a pretzel from the concessions.
Whoop dee do. It’s time for Impact Wrestling… remember how the weeks leading up to Destination X were really good shows, and promising that TNA was turning things around? Me neither. Let’s hop to this, I suppose.
Bah… I’m not doing uber awesome today, or this week post Sunday for that matter. Went a little to hard at the Calgary Stampede, then caught the Money in the Bank PPV later… still feeling it days later. Must be getting old, I suppose, so I should fit right in with the majority of the Impact Roster, huh?
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Hot off the heels of Sunday’s Destination X PPV, Impact Wrestling is set to follow up with something dubbed “A Midsummer’s Nightmare,” or so we’ve been told by Heath Farley last week. For those of you that have already read spoilers… well… let’s just get to this.
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So we finally know the final four going into Destination X, Austin Aries vs Zima Ion vs Lowki vs Jack Evans. Liking the pedigree of this match and what could be had. Also we have the following matches to look forward to..
Douglas Williams open challenge
Ultimate X number one contenders match Shelley vs Moore vs Robbie E vs Red
Jerry Lynn vs RVD
Samoa Joe vs Kazarian
Styles vs Daniels and
Abyss (c) vs Kendrick
From looking at this the pay per view looks good not great but good. The 35 dollar price tag considering that there isn’t any build up and it seems that this event was thrown together from the last month with really no build up (outside of the nostalgia matches and the contract four way) and that includes the Abyss championship reign against Kendrick considering he’s dominated Brian time and time again. But we have what we have. For all purposes this seems more like a specialty PPV booking on nostalgia and just moving the belt onto (maybe) another person and to feud with whoever wins the Ultimate X match (here’s hoping for Shelley, who is long over due).
I want to believe that the recent interview with Brian Kendrick is a work and him not shooting on the situation over in Dixieland. Where the buy rates of this PPV will determine whether or not the division is retired and the belt is merged ROH style with the World title, we really need this to work as fans of the product. We really don’t want to see a company who takes everything that made it different and unique, from the ring to the more beefed up divisions (Knockouts,X and Tag teams) and watch it become a mirror of Vince’s wrestling philosophy.
What philosophy? you may ask?
McMahon teaches that cruiser-weights are too dangerous and costly to have. So simply merge them in with the heavyweights in the hopes that like Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho and Benoit they persevere and eventually win the title.
Women do not make good wrestlers. Their job during the Attitude Era where to entice, and shock with their sexuality not there wrestling moves. And in a friendlier environment they are there to give fans a chance for a bathroom break.
And finally the TAG TEAM Division is dead. Essentially the only purpose of a tag team is to find the marketable wrestler of the two and jettison the other when the time is right. Making the belts set pieces to be worn at random.
That also brings to mind the Ultimate X match for the number one contender ship, we have a deserving man Shelley taking on Shannon Moore, Amazing Red and the so out of place Robbie E. Why is Robbie E and not Max or Jeremy Buck part of the match? to me if TNA wants to use Robbie put him against Eric Young. Those two fighting over the television belt only makes sense, they have talent but are mired in comedy jobber ville. Let me take you folks back to a time when WCW had their Television title champion the Disco Inferno defending his belt against Alex Wright, the German dancer, both men were humor material at best when first brought in but bonded with fans and put on some good matches even when the booking required dance offs and forced tag matches, we still saw them go one on one with each other over the belt and the fans were behind it. Put Robbie against Young, so we could finally have the belt defended without watching Young bounce from one humorless situation after another (besides the Wayne Arnold confrontation). Give us the Bucks, or even OKada, Kiyoshi someone who can actually wrestle that style to build to a feud worth watching.
If the X division falls we know the knockouts and tag team is not far behind. It usually works like dominoes one falling after the other. So here is to Sunday (day before my birth) and the return of the X division in all its splendor and its hopeful place in iMPACT for years to come. Where it deserves to be.
Back on Thursdays, is this G here. Yep, another week of craziness bookended by a long weekend up North and down South… which included all the drama of the NHL free agent frenzy. But you don’t care about holidays or hockey, no valued reader. You want to know what happened over in Orlando… and who Sting will emulate, tonight? Hell, I’ll even toss the Power Poll at the end for you!
It is the go-home show before this Sunday’s Destination X PPV.
Destination X, is about two weeks away. Two more three way tournaments to go through, leading to the four man Ultimate X match for a contract with the company. So far, I beg for Austin Aries to win because I like his personality. Which means he has one akin to Kendrick,Kaz,Gen-Max and I think Robbie E.
How the mighty division has fallen from its peak in 2005 at Unbreakable, with the classic match between Samoa Joe vs Daniels vs Styles. Now we have to fight for scraps between Amazing Red dressed as a K-mart brand Mexican Luchador (racist much!)* to destroying a tag team to get a member over only for them to vanish a few weeks later.**
I pray that Destination X is good, and lord willing I will be watching it on July 10th since it’s on a day before my birthday. I could only wish that its worth the last couple months of watching Abyss carrying around his make shift Art of War, quoting verses like a traveling preacher at a revival.
What I wouldn’t give to see something other than nostalgia but a new chapter debuting that will signal the return of a once great division that took the tradition of the WCW cruiser-weights and expanded on it.
Introducing the “X” factor that TNA was missing since late 2009, will definitely bring relief to those long time fans that have given up on the product when Hogan and his regime came aboard more concerned with the main event picture which was doing just fine (my opinion) before they ever stepped foot into the company. But after watching the Before the Bell program detailing the resurrection of the X Division, the upcoming matches in no particular order are: (Spoiler)
Ultimate X: Austin Aries vs Ion vs ?? vs ?? for a TNA contract
Kazarian vs Samoa Joe
AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels
RVD vs Jerry Lynn
Abyss (c) vs Brian Kendrick
So far decent nothing to write home about, staring nostalgia in the face right now. Hopefully the next two winners of the X division tournament can hang with Aries and prove they have what it takes to move into the company and creating a buzz.
I know I’m wishing for a lot when it comes to July 10th with Destination X, but give an old TNA head something to look forward to in Impact Wrestling’s future other than more Hogan and Bischoff spouting about how great they once were.
* Amazing Red is Puerto Rican not Mexican
** Generation Me.