Source: Talon of TNAsylum.com
IMPACT from New York City kicked off with the Falls Count Anywhere Match. Bobby Roode made his way to the ring as the crowd loudly supported him. MVP’s music hit but he didn’t show up. Backstage, MVP argued with Kurt Angle saying he was hurt and couldn’t go. Bobby Roode headed backstage and went after MVP.
Bobby Roode vs MVP
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Roode brawled with MVP into a hallway where Roode kept slamming him into a wall. The brawl went into the crowd where Roode sent MVP into the fans’ chairs. MVP got the upper hand and threw beer in the face of Roode. He missed a Player’s Boot and got crotched on the guardrail.
The fight went ringside where Roode suplexed MVP on the ramp. Kenny King came out to help his buddy but Eric Young came out and fended him off allowing the match to continue. In the ring, MVP used a chair on Roode numerous times. MVP went for his Mafia Kick on the chair but Roode countered and went after the knee of MVP. Roode locked in the Sharpshooter forcing MVP to immediately tap out.
Reaction: Fun brawl to open the show. Roode got his revenge against MVP and looks to be moving on to the final piece of the puzzle. Whether it be for the World Championship or not, Roode vs Lashley is a match I would like to see.
Dixie Carter was backstage saying she was here to support her nephew. She said that by the end of the name, she would be standing over Bully Ray’s dead body.
Jeff Hardy came to the ring. He said that Kurt Angle and the fans wanted Jeff back so he is back. He said that they haven’t seen the end of Willow. Sometimes he will paint his face, wear his mask and Swanton the stairs to entertain the fans. He put over his match with Lashley. Jeff said the person he brought with him will be part of TNA’s future. He introduced his brother, Matt Hardy.
A loud “welcome back” chant started as Matt Hardy put over the fans. Hardy said this moment was about getting two brothers back together. Their dream was to become tag team champions. He acknowledged that the last couple of years have been rough since he had to get healthy. He said he felt like he let Jeff and the fans down. Matt was done apologizing. He said the moment is right for the Hardys to become the World Tag Team Champions, one more time. He couldn’t think of a better place to become tag champions than at Destination X. He invited The Wolves down to the ring.
The tag team champions obliged. Eddie Edwards said they have nothing but respect for The Hardys. He said they want to prove that they are the greatest tag team of all time. To do that, they have to beat The Hardys. Davey Richards challenged The Hardys to a World Tag Team Title Match at Destination X. The two teams shook hands to end the segment.
Reaction: This is a huge match! You can say what you want about TNA’s tag team division but the Wolves have been able to compete against Beer Money, Bad Influence, now the Hardys and probably Team 3D. You won’t get that opportunity anywhere else. That match should be very good.
Backstage, the anonymous cameraman asked Austin Aries about Option C. Aries said he wanted to change the equation. He will let everyone know later tonight.
Robbie E was back with Jessie and DJ Z. Robbie said the Bro Mans were back and better than ever. Jessie told the crowd that Robbie was no longer afraid of clowns. Jessie talked about Robbie traveling all over on Amazing Race. DJ Z took the mic and put himself over. He said at Destination X, it will be his time. At that moment, the returning Low Ki made his way to the ring.
Low Ki vs DJ Z
Ki took down Z with a cool back kick. He wore a full bodysuit during the match. Low Ki hit a baseball slide on Robbie outside the ring. He hit a vicious double foot stomp on DJ Z. He then hit another kick on DJ Z. Moments later, Low Ki hit the Ki Krusher for the victory.
Reaction: Nice to see Low Ki back. He really epitomizes Kurt Angle’s focus on serious competition. The X Division could be that. As long as TNA focuses on it consistently, it could be a highlight for the company.
Gunner was chatting with Samuel Shaw backstage when Mr. Anderson walked up. Anderson told Shaw to not even think about getting involved. Shaw told Anderson that he didn’t have any reason to trust him but someday he will. Anderson said no.
Reaction: Anderson is acting like a dick to Shaw. I wonder if he turns heel in this process somewhere.
EC3 was talking with Spud and Rhino backstage. Dixie Carter showed up with King Mo. Dixie said that King made a mistake by not taking Rampage out in his hometown. Mo said he would put Bully in the ICU. Rhino promised that they would take Bully out and leave something for Dixie.
Bram and Magnus vs Gunner and Mr. Anderson
Bram and Gunner went at it in the early moments until they collided in the ring. Anderson had control until Bram attacked him outside the ring and rammed him in the post. In the ring, Magnus hit the Spine Shanker (backdrop rock bottom) for the win.
After the match, Bram and Magnus continued the assault on Gunner and Anderson. Bram pulled a turnbuckle from under the ring. Samuel Shaw came out and got in the way of Bram. He took the shot from Bram which allowed Gunner to tackle him. Bram attacked Gunner from behind. The Monster Abyss walked out and went after Bram. He tossed Bram from the ring.
Reaction: Bram and Magnus are a dangerous tag team. My guess is that Bram and Abyss go into a rivalry. The interesting stuff came when Shaw just stood in the way instead of fighting Bram. He might be trying to “cleanse his sins” but taking a beating.
Bully was backstage with Dreamer and Devon. He said he was losing sleep because he wanted to put Dixie through a table so bad. Tommy said there weren’t two other guys he wouldn’t rather be in the ring with. He said it was going to happen sooner or later.
Executive Director, Kurt Angle came to the ring. Angle talked about Destination X and then invited X Division Champion, Austin Aries to the ring. Angle put over Option C calling it a winning Lottery Ticket. Aries said it seems like a no-brainer that he hands over the title. He began to speak but was interrupted by Lashley and MVP, who joined them in the ring.
MVP asked Austin Aries if he put much thought into this decision. He put over Lashley as someone who couldn’t be stopped. MVP said Lashley will be World Champion as long as he wants to be. MVP said Aries was a good wrestler and generally he isn’t a dumb guy. MVP encouraged Aries to keep the title, do his high-flying stuff and stick to what he knows. He said lightning in a bottle won’t happen again.
Aries said he knows what it takes to be World Champion. He said that is why MVP sat him at home. Aries said he created Option C because he believes in the X Division. The X Division has no limits. When you compete for that title, it means you are willing to put your body on the line and leave it all in the ring. Aries said he had some unfinished business with the World Title. Aries said Lashley isn’t tougher than him. Aries said there isn’t a man he has stepped in the ring with that he knew he couldn’t beat.
Aries handed Kurt the title. He said when he won the World Title, he was creating Option D. That would allow the World Champion to be a fighting champion and that the X Division Champion would receive a World Title shot anytime during the year. Lashley told him he made the biggest mistake of his life.
Reaction: There wasn’t much surprise of Aries trading in the title tonight. He has benefited most from Option C. I like the idea of “Option D” which makes us wanting Aries to become World Champion even bigger. I don’t see it happening but TNA did a good job teasing it tonight.
Gail Kim vs Taryn Terrell
Knockouts Championship
There was a lot of back and forth chain-wrestling early on with Taryn ending it with a monkey flip. Gail connected with a arm drag from the top rope followed by a Missile Dropkick. Gail went for Eat Defeat but Taryn countered. Both ladies collided in the center of the ring.
Taryn gained control and hit a Flipping Neckbreaker on Gail. Taryn climbed the top rope but The Beautiful People came out and attacked both ladies. The match ended in a no contest with a lot of unsettled issues.
Reaction: Taryn looked like she had some issues with the ring but the action was solid. The BP’s get heat for ruining what some fans consider a money match. My guess is that Taryn and Gail deal with the Beautiful People and then eventually settle things at Bound For Glory.
Dixie Carter was on the phone with someone. She told them to wait in the car until her guys came out to get them.
Jeremy Borash introduced legend, The Great Muta. Robbie E came out and asked if this was a joke. Robbie complained about both Low Ki and Great Muta getting great entrances. Robbie wanted to know about him. He wanted to know where his match was.
Great Muta vs Robbie E
Robbie jumped Muta immediately. He pushed the referee away which allowed Muta to spray mist into his face. Muta connected with his signature moves finishing with the Shining Wizard for the win.
After the match, the music of James Storm hit as the Cowboy had a mic. Storm called Muta the great fraud. He was a wannabe legend. He said he could have Sanada fooled but not him. He saw Muta coming into a company that he built. Storm said in this company, he was the legend. Storm said where he comes from, they don’t spit mist. He then spit beer in the eyes of Muta. Storm attacked Muta and his ringside protege Yasu.
Sanada came out with a chair and ran him off. He then shockingly attacked him with the chair. Sanada then spit red mist into the eyes of Yasu. He connected with a Moonsault on Great Muta. Sanada then bowed to Storm at ringside and left with the Cowboy.
Reaction: Storm is Emperor Palpatine. Sanada is Anakin Skywalker and Great Muta is Obi Wan. The mind games have turned Sanada into turning to the dark side. This will likely build up to either Sanada vs Muta, Storm vs Muta or some tag team match. Its a great thing that they are in Japan.
Jeremy Borash was in the crowd with Dixie Carter and King Mo. Dixie said she and Mo were good friends. She said Mo was one of the biggest badasses on the planet. They are sick and tired of those letters being chanted. JB was about to say those letters but Mo stopped him. Dixie said she gave Tommy Dreamer a reunion a few years ago. She said if the fans chanted those letters, she would give them a reason to.
EC3, Spud and Rhino vs Team 3D and Tommy Dreamer
New York City Street Fight
Both teams brought weapons to the ring with them. Team ECW quickly gained control in this one by dominating Team EC3 in the early moments.
Back from break, Bully was beating on EC3 in the center of the ring. Bully used a grater on EC3. The fans chanted “we want blood.” The three took turns hitting EC3 in the nuts with weapons. Team 3D hit Spud with the Doomsday Device moments later. Bully held a trash can over the face of EC3 which led to Dreamer baseball sliding it into his face. A loud TNA chant emerged. A Wassuup Headbutt followed that one.
Bully called for a table, which Devon did. All of a sudden, a man in a hood in the crowd clubbed Devon from behind. Security tried holding him back but Bully attacked him. In the ring, Dreamer piledrove Spud and then attacked EC3 with the Kendo Stick. All of a sudden, a black man attacked dreamer. He revealed himself as the former Ezekiel Jackson. EC3 hit the One-Percenter on Dreamer for the win.
Dixie Carter and King Mo walked to the ring. She ordered security to let the hooded man go. The hooded man revealed himself as Gene Snitsky. Rhino Gored Devon in the ring. Everyone attacked Bully Ray and then Tommy Dreamer. Zeke hit Dreamer with the Side Slam. Snitsky Chokeslammed Bully Ray. Team Dixie celebrated in the center of the ring.
Reaction: Very fun brawl. Zeke and Snitsky makes sense in that the character of Dixie idolizes the WWE product. She probably holds WWE’s version of ECW on a pedestal and both Zeke and Snitsky were parts of that brand. She promised that the fans would get ECW, its just not the ECW they wanted. Fans will shit on this but I think for the short term, both could add to this war. Long-term? We will see.
This show blew by fast. I highly enjoyed it. There was a lot of great action and storyline-development. Fun night!
