By Jason Powell
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TNA Impact Wrestling on Pop TV
Taped in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios
[Q1] Impact opened with a graphic acknowledging the death of Chyna… Josh Mathews and “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero were on commentary…
Tyrus and Rockstar Spud stood in the ring. Tyrus said time is running out for Drew Galloway. He said he knows Galloway is a man of his word, so he will be there to defend the title. Jeremy Borash introduced Galloway, whose ribs were taped from the recent attacks by Lashley and Tyrus…
1. Drew Galloway vs. Tyrus (w/Rockstar Spud) for the TNA Championship. Tyrus had the early advantage. Mathews said Galloway was medically cleared and recalled the Tyrus won the Bound For Gold match to earn the title shot. Galloway ran Tyrus into the post for the momentary advantage at ringside. Spud distracted Galloway, then Tyrus regained control.
Back inside the ring, Tyrus removed Galloway’s rib wrapping. Galloway fought back with punches and then performed a clothesline off the top rope. Galloway tuned up the band. Spud climbed onto the apron. With the referee distracted, Tyrus grabbed the title belt and tried to hit Galloway with it, but Galloway bulldogged him onto the belt.
Galloway performed a suplex on Spud, who rolled back to ringside. Galloway performed a jawbreaker and then the Claymore Kick for a two count. Tyrus hit Galloway in the ribs, then slammed him. Tyrus went toward the top rope slowly, but Galloway caught him. Galloway performed a superplex and then covered him with his arm for two. A short time later, Galloway performed the Future Shock DDT for the win…
Drew Galloway beat Tyrus to retain the TNA Title.
Mathews hyped an update on Jeff Hardy coming out of the I Quit match, and then he hyped the Mike Bennett vs. EC3 match…
Backstage, Maria looked into a mirror and spoke about how she has a vision for the Knockouts Division. She said no one is going to stop her now that she’s in a leadership role, not even Gail Kim…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining title match. It was fun to see the rare big man heel challenger. Sure, we see the muscular heel challengers, but it’s rare to see guys built like Tyrus these days. I like the placement of the match in the opening slot. I don’t know if this match would have worked as well as the main event, as I don’t know that it would have kept viewers watching if it had been in that position. Instead, it got the show off to a good start. By the way, TNA creative team member Dave Lagana wrote an interesting piece on the EC3 vs. Bennett match that can be read at Medium.com.
[Q2] [C] Backstage, James Storm and Bobby Roode spoke about their Valley of Shadows match against Decay and questioned what the hell it actually is. Roode said the titles are their legacy and no matter what happens they don’t go down without a fight…
Maria stood in the ring and spoke about how she will remake the Knockouts Division in her own image. There was some obnoxious music playing as she spoke. Gail Kim made her entrance. Gail said Maria is the reason she was kidnapped and spoke about how she could take her out on the spot.
Maria said she would remake the Knockouts in her image, yet she would still let Gail wrestle. Maria booked Gail in a match against Rosemary, who made her entrance with Crazzy Steve… [C]
2. Gail Kim vs. Rosemary (w/Crazzy Steve). Maria watched the match from the ramp. Even though the cameras showed us most of what happened, Mathews said he asked Gail what happened when she was kidnapped by Decay. Kim didn’t want to talk about it.
[Q3] Late in the match, Steve pulled Kim to the floor to break up a pin. Gail slapped him. Steve liked it. Maria climbed onto the apron and barked at Kim, who put slapped her. Rosemary spat mist into the face of Kim while the ref was dealing with Maria, which led to Rosemary getting the win…
Rosemary beat Gail Kim in 6:05.
Eli Drake said being called a dummy isn’t an insult, it’s a face of life, which is the name of his new talkshow segment… [C]
Powell’s POV: Rosemary impressed me in that she stayed true to the character while wrestling. It’s easy for younger wrestlers to focus on the match and lose track of the role they are playing. Given her over the top character, it was especially important that she not slip out of it, but she handled it very well.
Jeff Hardy limped into the building as Mathews said he was surprised to see him coming out of last week’s I Quit match…
Eli Drake stood in the ring at a podium that had a “Fact of Life” logo for his talkshow. He has a button he pushes that leads to a graphic of his head popping up that says dummy. Drake called Jeff Hardy a dummy for leaping off of scaffolds to prove he’s extreme. Drake called Galloway a dummy for carrying around a title belt and thinking he’s special. He hit his button after each one.
Drake introduced BroMans as his first guests. Mathews said this talkshow is better than “Huh?” (Ken Anderson’s one shot talkshow). BroMans both wore glasses without lenses and questioned which number dummies they were. Drake said they are dummies for wearing glasses without lenses. Drake said he could have carried Jessie to the tag titles had he hung around and carried his load.
[Q4] Jessie asked Robbie E what type of guy has his own dummy button. “A douchebag,” Jessie said, answering his own question. They mocked him for having trouble with Grado. He showed off his Feast or Fired briefcase, then hit the dummy button a few times while calling Jessie a loser and a dummy before slapping him lightly on the cheek.
Jessie told Robbie to hold his glasses while he kicked Drake’s ass. Drake elbowed Robbie, but then ended up being punched by both men. They went for some sort of double team charge, but Drake fled to ringside. They said they’re pretty sure that Drake is the only dummy in the Impact Zone…
Powell’s POV: Painful. Drake can talk. I don’t know if he’s found himself as a character well enough to do a talkshow, and they didn’t do him any favors by putting him out there with BroMans, who have yet to click as babyfaces.
Backstage, Abyss talked to Rosemary and Steve about the Valley of Shadows match. He said Decay solidifies their immortality by taking the tag team gold and furthering the decay… [C]
EC3 cut a backstage promo about he’s out for revenge and it starts with Mike Bennett… Ring introductions for the tag title match took place. The teams fought at ringside before the bell. There were a couple of tables set up on the ring posts and the lighting was dimmer. They fought into the ring to start the match…
3. James Storm and Bobby Roode vs. Abyss and Crazzy Steve (w/Rosemary) in a Valley of Shadows match for the TNA Tag Titles. It was basically a No DQ match as Abyss threw a bunch of weapons inside the ring at one point.
[Q5] Decay dominated a stretch of the match. Beer Money came back and Storm performed a top rope elbow on Abyss and covered him for two. [C] After the break, there was a barbwire board in the ring, which Steve was suplexed onto by Beer Money.
Thumbtacks were spilled into the ring. Abyss performed a Black Hole Slam on Roode for a two count. Rosemary accidentally sprayed mist into the eyes of Abyss, then Storm sprayed mist at Rosemary. Storm struck Abyss with a beer bottle and covered him, but Abyss kicked out. Later, Rosemary low blowed Roode, who was then chokeslammed onto the tacks. Abyss covered Roode and Steve hopped onto his back as they got the win…
Decay defeated Beer Money in a Valley of Shadows match to win the TNA Tag Titles in 14:55.
Powell’s POV: For the record, a Valley of Shadows match is a Monster’s Ball with Ring of Honor’s old lighting. Was this Roode’s last TNA match? If so, it’s a shame that he exited the company in a garbage match with a back full of tacks rather than in a match more befitting of his strengths. I give him credit for working hard on his way out the door, not that his work ethic (or Eric Young’s) should surprise anyone.
Backstage, Bram cut a promo about being pissed off at Eric Young. He said Young’s blatant disrespect gets to him, along with the fact that he thought he could just kick him in the balls. He said it stops tonight and he’s going to take his King of the Mountain Title. Bram said he will end Young…
[Q6] [C] Mike Bennett cut a promo backstage in front of his special background. He said EC3 lost his title, identity, and his friends. He said the only thing EC3 has left is his streak. Bennett asked who has ever pinned or submitted him. Bennett claimed no one has. He said the only thing that matters is that he beats EC3, and then EC3 will realize that he took everything…
Eric Young stood in the ring and delivered a promo in which he said Bram had a chance to stand next to greatness. Young called out Bram for their match…
4. Eric Young vs. Bram for the King of the Mountain Title. Bram ran out and fought with Young to start the match. Young caught Bram with a low blow and then slammed a trashcan lid over his head. Young performed a DDT onto the lid and got a two count.
Young set up a table at ringside and then slammed the lid over Bram’s head. Bram came back, but Young cut him off and ended up hitting a top rope elbow drop for two. Young signaled for the piledriver. Young wanted to piledrive Bram through the table, but Bram gave him a low blow and then DDT’d him off the apron and through the table. Bram covered Young at ringside and pinned him…
Bram beat Eric Young to win the King of the Mountain Title in 6:35.
Jeff Hardy was shown hobbling backstage. Mathews said viewers would hear from Hardy after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Was this a Valley of Lightness match? It was basically a No DQ match with the usual lighting. I can’t say I have any grand memories of Sacrifice, but I know it wasn’t TNA’s hardcore show even though that’s what it feels like tonight. By the way, the crowd’s reaction to the title change is proof that it’s still The Little Red Toy Belt That Nobody Cares About. Let’s hope that if someone buys TNA, they let Dixie Carter keep that worthless belt so they are never tempted to use it.
[Q7] Backstage, Galloway spoke with the anonymous camera guy. He said he hasn’t forgotten about Lashley and the way he attacked him. Galloway said he’ll be here next week and he dared Lashley to fight him…
Jeff Hardy made his entrance for an in-ring promo. Jeff pointed to the area he dove off of last week and said he wondered at the time whether he should do it. “Of course I should, I’m Jeff Hardy for God’s sake,” he concluded. Jeff said his brother Matt didn’t want him to be a Hardy. He said he’s tired of it. Hardy said his creatures will never stop being creatures, and he’ll never stop being Jeff Hardy.
Reby Hardy walked out with Rockstar Spud and yelled that she hates Jeff, then asked if he has any idea what he’s done. Spud took the mic, got in Jeff’s face, and said he represents Matt and the Hardy family. Spud said Jeff takes risks for himself and the fans, not for his family.
Spud said Jeff has destroyed Matt and now he is going to pay. Reby took the mic and said it makes her sick to be standing next to him. She said Jeff tore the family apart when all he had to do was say I Quit. Reby said her husband made Jeff a star. She said there would be no Hardys if it wasn’t for Matt.
Reby said Matt is different and changed. She said he is quiet and cold, and he won’t even talk to her anymore. She said the hate in Matt’s eyes scares him and now Jeff has to deal with the Matt that he created. Reby slapped Jeff across the face. She went to do it again, but he grabbed her arm. Spud told Hardy to leave her alone and said Jeff has done enough.
Jeff turned away only to have Spud clip his bad leg. Spud looked into the camera and said, “Matt, this is for you.” Jeff countered whatever Spud was going for an put him down with a Twist of Fate…
Powell’s POV: That’s more like it. Good followup to last week’s I Quit match with Jeff having a moment with the fans before Reby and Spud set the stage for a darker Matt seeking revenge. Simple and effective. I enjoy Reby as the heel vamp coming between the brothers. She cuts good promos and is believable in her role.
[Q8] Jeremy Borash announced that the main event rules call for no count-outs or disqualifications. Borash said there must be a winner. Maria gave a brief intro for Bennett, who then made his entrance. EC3 made his entrance for the main event…
5. EC3 vs. “The Miracle” Mike Bennett (w/Maria) in a No DQ match. Both men went face-to-face for a staredown, then the match began with Bennett briefly on offense before EC3 clotheslined him to ringside. Mathews said that they had taken their final and would be with viewers for the duration of the match. EC3 chopped Bennett on the floor. The fans called for “one more time” and EC3 obliged.
Later, Bennett caught EC3 with a kick, but EC3 stayed on his feet and clotheslined him. Both men stayed down. EC3 went for his finisher, but Bennett pushed him off and performed a Diamond Cutter for a two count. Maria, who did a nice job of showing the intensity of the match with her facial expressions, slid a chair to her husband, who struck EC3 with it several times. Mathews was quick to point out that it was a No DQ match.
EC3 came back with the One Percenter and went for the pin, but Maria ran in and stopped referee Earl Hebner from making the three count. EC3 picked up the chair and hit Bennett repeatedly. EC3 applied a Million Dollar Dream style move. Bennett fought to escape the hold, then kicked off the turnbuckle and ended up on top of EC3 and got the win.
Mike Bennett beat EC3 in a No DQ match.
Bennett immediately rolled tor ringside and looked as shocked as anyone that he won. Bennett and Maria celebrated while EC3 sat dejected in the corner. The broadcast team spoke about how EC3 had been pinned for the first time in over 800 days. The final shot was of Bennett smiling while celebrating with Maria on the stage…
Powell’s POV: A good main event that didn’t feel hardcore like the two previous No DQ style matches. Sure, they worked in the chair, but the match had some good wrestling and the stipulation came into play when Maria interfered to stop Hebner from making the three count. For those wondering, I assume Matt’s win over EC3 at Bound For Glory is no longer recognized because he forfeited the title when EC3’s character threatened to sue.
Impact closed on a high note. Bennett needed a signature win and hopefully they don’t even things up too quickly. He talked about not giving EC3 a rematch after their previous match, so hopefully they go back to that and leave people waiting for the rematch rather than give EC3 his win back too soon. I didn’t enjoy this show as much as most of the recent shows, but it had it’s moments. The back to back hardcore matches were a bit much and the Valley of Shadows (the first of the two hardcore matches) was a pretty silly concept. I will have more to say about Impact in my audio review on Wednesday, and John Moore will be by with his TNA Impact Wrestling Hit List.
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