Eric Young vs. James Storm
Two TNA originals face off for the King of the Mountain Championship. Storm comes out of the gates with some forearm shots and running clotheslines. He hits Young with a hanging DDT and gets a two count. Bobby Roode gets yelled at by the referee, which allows Bram to get a few shots in on James Storm. EY gets his offense in with some clotheslines and then hits a boot and a neck breaker. As the action continues in the ring, Bram and Bobby Roode battle on the outside, which spills over to Eric Young and Storm to get involved. They end up getting a double countout and the guys go into the crowd to battle.
I like the involvement with these four guys. I really think EY and Bram are an excellent pair together. Beer Money can really help Bram bring out more of a personal connection. He had some good feuds in the final days on Destination America, but he has never been consistently booked. This time around, it looks like he will continue to be utilized in a high profile tag team. These two teams do not need to chase the titles right now because all four can easily switch and go on their own for the KOTM championship. Beer Money only helps a new team become relevant and important. Good booking tonight and the cliff hanger is how these guys will continue to brawl with one another next week.
The Miracle defeated Mandrews
Getting easy and effective heat, Maria and Mike talk about Kurt Angle and then call out one of UK’s own talents. Even though this was a basic squash match (Mandrews did hit some good offense), it was more about making The Miracle feel important. Not every match will be against Kurt Angle or Drew Galloway, but Mike Bennett is slowly developing a full gimmick. He is not relying on his voice to carry him. He is not relying on his ring work. He is not relying on just Maria. He is putting three or four vital parts to a gimmick together and taking it slow. They are developing something fresh and new for TNA’s audience. Starting from this point is smart and tactical.
