It took me a couple years, but I’ve started watching TNA Impact on a regular basis now. The show is vastly improved and on most weeks, is more entertaining than Raw. It doesn’t mean it does a better job at promoting the product as Raw, but their segments are much faster paced and the writing is so much better. This PPV has all the feeling of a “B” PPV, but at the very least, it should be entertaining with all the X division matches sprinkled throughout the card. And who doesn’t love a Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe match?
1. Rubix vs. Mason Andrews vs. Lars Only vs. Dakota Darsow
The four way to start is to get into the X division tournament for tonight. Winner will immediately face Kid Kash. Rubix and Andrews were fine last week, but Only and Darsow left a lot to be desired in their short matches. Andrews did a complete front flip over the top rope onto Only and Darsow and the Rubix followed up with a running back flip over the top rope and onto them all. That was pretty sweet. Rubix was clearly over the most with the fans, but Andrews won the match by hitting Only with a jumping RKO/Diamond Cutter. I wish I really knew that these guys called their moves.
Winner: Mason Andrews
2. Mason Andrews vs. Kid Kash
Pretty fun match and Kash definitely helped Andrews get over. Kash took most of the match, but Andrews finally made his comeback. He nearly missed a missile dropkick. He scored a quick roll-up for the victory. Would’ve liked to see him win with his finish again, but it was okay the way they did it.
Winner: Mason Andrews
Samoa Joe picks Austin Aries to win since Aries beat him.
3. Douglas Williams vs. Kenny King
Crowd was kind of into King. King has a cocky personality. He’s also super athletic. They had a good match, though it was a bit long. King won with his fireman’s carry into Rock Bottom maneuver. Babyfaces are winning so far in the X division tournament. What’s also clear is that the veterans are there to make the young guys look good. King can’t really hold a candle to Williams in the ring.
Winner: Kenny King
Christopher Daniels cut a babyface promo and called AJ a quitter, a womanizer, and a brown-noser.
4. Sonjay Dutt vs. Rashad Cameron
It’s clear that the crowd wants Dutt to win this thing. This was the most entertaining match of the three so far because of him. Lots of nice flying moves, but ones that made sense, not just for the sake of doing them. Cameron had an armbar on Dutt, but Dutt had his foot on the bottom rope. The camera completely missed it. Dutt hit his twisting double foot stomp from the top rope for the win.
Winner: Sonjay Dutt
Jesse Sorensen cut a promo. It was a nice little bit of inspiration to see him in the ring again. He’s wearing a neck brace. And then, in a weird twist, he told Zema Ion that he hopes he wins so that he can take the belt from him. Will Sorensen make a run-in during the match?
5. Flip Cassanova vs. Zema Ion
Ion won a short match. He so badly wants to be a heel that people care about, but way overdoes it. He’s more douchey than heelish.
Winner: Zema Ion
King, Dutt, and Andrews all predicted they’d win until Bobby Roode cut them off and talked about himself.
Joe vs. Angle already?
6. Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle
Hot damn, Samoa Joe won. The match early on felt like an Impact match, but soon thereafter, Angle and Joe kicked it into high gear. The match was built the ankle lock vs. the rear naked choke. Joe found a few different ways to get Kurt into the move. He lasted through one long one and got the upper hand and nearly had Joe pinned with an Angle Slam. He fell into it again and Earl Hebner stopped the match. Angle was upset because he didn’t think he tapped and they made it a referee decision rather than Angle tapping.
Winner: Samoa Joe
7. Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles
This is a Last Man Standing match.
These guys put in a week’s worth of work. Just a hard hitting match. Kazarian also got involved. Finish was Styles giving Daniels a Styles Clash off the ramp and through the table. Move looked completely safe from the replay. Styles got the Rocky II finish by making it to his feet with help of the railing right as the ref counted 10. It took a little while to get going but the finish was pretty outstanding.
Winner: AJ Styles
8. Mason Andrews vs. Zema Ion vs. Kenny King vs. Sonjay Dutt
This is an Ultimate X match.
Match was pretty disappointing and the wrong guy won. Dutt was really the only one over with the crowd and Ion won. King and Andrews were doing some nice high flying stuff, including a neck breaker while both were on the cables. But Dutt was the only one the crowd cared about. He hit a shooting star press running splash and hit his head on the bottom rope. He left the match for a few minutes, but not long enough for it to mean anything. He and Ion went on top of the pillars that were holding up the X cables. Ion sprayed Dutt in the face with hairspray and grabbed the belt.
Winner: Zema Ion
Looks like Dutt hurt his shoulder. Here’s what Samoa Joe tweeted:
9. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode
Great main event to end the night. It started out slow and Bobby Roode was much like Triple H tonight, except he didn’t win. When Roode was on top, he was methodical, taunting Aries and hit him with a chair when the ref went down. You could see Aries’ eyes look at the ref’s hands, so yet another bad camera angle, but it didn’t ruin the match when he kicked out. They were setting up the brain buster all match long and Roode would always combat it. But finally, Aries hit it and he’s the new champ (if only for a few days).
Winner: Austin Aries
There were three excellent matches on this show and it was well worth the viewing.
