They show the TNA video followed by a recap of the AMW/Kim/Jarrett beat down on Team 3-D. That was definitely too gory for the simple stuff they did. It was one title shot and one guitar shot and that equals pools of blood? Pure overkill. They then show the Impact! video and we go right into it.
Handicap Match
Monty Brown Vs. Mikey Batts & Jerrelle Clark
Damn, I was hoping I would get to go through another week like last time without seeing the Indy porn star known as Monty Brown. To his credit, it was a short squash that basically destroyed both jobbers. Batts started off by jumping off the apron to Brown, but he caught him and spun around to take out Clark before disposing of Batts. That was a great way to open. To Brown’s credit some more, this is exactly the kind of match he needs to have. They don’t go too long to reveal his weaknesses and are enough to get a huge reaction and make him look powerful. It’s simple Goldberg/WCW psychology, and like I’ve always said, Brown will be and should be TNA’s Goldberg. After a squash and the Alpha Bomb, Brown picked up the win in an uneventful match.
Winner: Monty Brown
Star Wrestler: Mikey Batts
I will say it right now: Monty Brown will never ever get the star wrestler accolade here. I recognize actual workers in this series, not washed up NFL players who now dress in attire fit for late night Cinemax. When he learns that less is more and how to do a shoulder tackle/spear properly, then I might consider it. ‘Till then, spot monkeys will even get it over him. Batts was good here though, despite him being a normal ape. Sure, he knew he was going to get killed, but throwing himself against Brown at all points to try and take him down for a second was definitely a good strategy against someone who will beat you in a power game.
Some idiot then hands Brown a mike and he cuts an over-selling piece of garage about how no one will stop him from winning the title. Lance Hoyt then comes out so I guess he will stop him. Yeah, that’s real believable. Brown then says they will wait, but when the hell was this match announced? Hoyt then gets the mike and I question if TNA just hands out mike for laughs.
Shane Douglas is then with Larry Zybsko who has a major announcement. He says he is proud to announce that for the first time next week The Naturals will defend the tag team straps against America’s Most Wanted. Raven then runs in and goes psycho with security holding him back. Raven, unlike the past two weeks, actually explains why he is going psycho since Jarrett screwed him and Nash got his shot. I have to ask something. Since Zybsko hates Jarrett supposedly, why doesn’t he let Raven get a rematch? I’m serious. Why get a guy kicked out of the building when all he did was get screwed by a shared enemy? Well, at least this week, TNA explained why Raven was going ballistic. For newer fans, you were probably left in the dark as to why a guy dressed up like a Goth was just beating up nobodies. For older fans, you were probably wondering why TNA has yet to put any emphasis on the former NWA champ. For all fans, you were probably just scratching your head as the hits never stop coming in good ol’ Total Nonstop Action.
Commercial break times one equals Raven being jobbed out again. It really seems like nothing has changed in TNA since last time TNA hit a new stride (the last being when they debuted monthly PPVs). Raven’s a jobber, AJ Styles is in the forefront of the X Division, Jeff Jarrett is champion, Nash is returning. This is ludicrous considering this crowd complains about WWE never changing.
They show a promo for Jushin Thunder Liger and Samoa Joe, hyping up their match at Bound For Glory. Man, I can’t wait for that one. Liger is one of my all-time favorite wrestlers and he and Joe are just amazing. That will easily be match of the night with the Iron Man probably coming close.
David Young Vs. Matt Bentley
Holy shit, Bentley started skipping to the ring. Oh wait, it’s called the Bentley bounce. Yeah, that makes it sound manlier. Bentley is normally a perfectly fine worker, but with his new hair cut and his new skipping entrance, TNA is just belittling him. I take that back. Most of this stuff he is doing is probably his own choice. That makes it all the more pathetic. Anyway, had this match gone a bit longer, it would have been a lot better. Young was working over the back in the match with some nice offense, but Bentley quickly no-sold it with offensive moves where he himself landed on his worked over body part. Again, we have a lack of common sense. Also, the match had too quick of a comeback on Bentley’s side. To his defense, they weren’t given much time and I am confident that they would have done wonders with five to seven more minutes. Finish came when Diamond caused some confusion and Bentley capitalized with the Superkick.
Winner: Matt Bentley
Star Wrestler: David Young
Had the match gone longer, it would be been better, but as it was, it deserves an average rating. You could call it good, but that would be pushing it a lot. David Young is a guy I’m impressed with most of the time. His work in tag matches aren’t that great, but as a singles wrestler, he could be something great. He was great in control of Bentley, and had Bentley actually sold a bit more (like the Irish Whip to the turnbuckle), the match would have gotten a bigger reaction and a definite better rating. Bentley is a good worker overall in my opinion, but on TV matches like this, he just doesn’t try and that in itself reveals the real quality of a worker.
After the match, Petey Williams comes out and lays out Bentley and hits the Canadian Destroyer, the favorite move of smarks world-wide. Williams then tries to kiss Traci, but she pulls away from him and slaps him. Williams freaks out and goes to hit the Canadian Destroyer on her. Before he can, Chris Sabin rushes out and breaks it up thus getting him over as the bigger face versus Bentley. This kind of segment is happening on every show now and while it’s good, it’s definitely overkill. Once was enough and two is more than enough. Three equals overkill, which must be plastered above the wall in the booking office. That is really the only explanation for the shit TNA does. Two Ultimate X matches in three months? Anyone who doesn’t believe that to be overkill needs to be evaluated by a team of doctors with degrees I can’t even spell.
They then show a video of AJ Styles putting him over as TNA’s golden boy. It was a good promo, but why in the hell is it on the third week and not the first? AJ Styles is TNA’s best thing going right now, so why not promote him on your biggest Impact! show ever as opposed to the third show were the ratings have plateaued by now.
Commercial break times two again leaves me baffled at the TNA mindset.
