Gail Kim and Jade defeated Sienna and Allie
A good Knockouts tag team match on Impact Wrestling set up by EC3. As he continues to be in charge, he makes sure that the fans get the most out of his personality. Furthermore, this pairing kept Maria out of the ring but in the spotlight. At Slammiversary, Maria vs. Gail Kim was booked. Finally, we will get to see Maria on her own. How would I book it? Have Maria SHOCK the world and beat Gail Kim handily. Have Maria show the doubters wrong and continue to develop her in-ring skills. Maria has been protected so much so far. If she loses, that COMPLETELY deflates her gimmick.
Mike Bennett’s Night
From being a Janitor to a referee to competing in a match, Bennett was busy. He would defeat James Storm, remaining undefeated and then get a promo out about how he and Maria were treated. EC3 says he is going to be the devil and burn Bennett (who calls himself God) to the crowd along with his church. He said tonight he can get this… and Storm hits a Last Call.
I loved the creativity of this angle tonight. We get too much of the same garbage on a weekly basis and EC3 shined throughout. I am a big fan of how he connects to the crowd and how funny he truly is. You saw this tonight, even though it was maybe just a segment or two too much. (He was not needed as long with the women as he should have.)
I cannot wait to see how the match unfolds and if EC3 will break Bennett’s streak to get back at him. You have two younger guys really carrying the load tonight and carrying the two hour program. It may not be the main event, but it certainly is one of the most intriguing and creative angles in quite some time. The best part? It is simple and not over the top.
Drew Galloway Overcomes The Odds
Galloway dumped Steve over the guardrail and then Abyss ran towards the champion. Abyss hit a big chokeslam and then Rosemary pulled out Janice. (I bet that she doesn’t get used.) Lashley ran out and tried to spear Galloway. Lashley ended up hitting Abyss and then Galloway clotheslined Lashley out of the ring. Galloway hit a Claymore Kick and then the Future Shock DDT for the victory.
It was smart to see Lashley pick a tag team for opponents of the champion, but why would he feel inclined to interfere? Maybe because even though they are the tag team champions, Abyss and Steve are booked so sporadically. You never know if they are champion or pawns in other storylines. Tonight was the latter. The champion outsmarts his opponent at Slammiversary. The plan backfires and the heel ends up on the wrong side tonight. Another solid night from both men, with Galloway getting more steam which makes me feel that he will actually drop the title at Slammiversary.
Matt and Jeff Get Creative
Another creative aspect of the show was the boiling feud of Matt and Jeff Hardy that ended Impact Wrestling. They show Matt at his home in North Carolina and he invited Jeff over to sign the contract. As the night goes on, we get little pieces that will lead to the end of the night. We see Matt in a basement of his home with a wrestling ring in it. He is in the middle of the ring and the contract is on a table. He slides out of the ring and Reby comes in running. She tosses what looks to be Maxel to Jeff, who catches him. It is fake and Matt smashes a glass over his brother’s head. He ends up crashing him through the table set up on the outside. Matt stands tall to end the night.
The idea of theatric elements was smart and refreshing. It was creative, dramatic and intriguing. You felt like it was not a wrestling show and more of a dramatic show on Netflix. You got visualizations and different camera angles. The editing was a little strange, but that could have been done on purpose. I know I will get bashed for it, but I enjoyed how the realism of his house was involved. Not using a fake one (like Triple H/Orton 7 years ago) shows that TNA will be different and unique in their editing ways of video production. It was different. They took chances and I credit them for that.
@JoshIsenberg4 on Twitter. Impact Wrestling Rating:
