Impact
Wrestling
Date: June
26, 2014
Location: Bethlehem Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Location: Bethlehem Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Commentators:
Mike Tenay, Tazz
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
We're still
in Pennsylvania for the second of about ten straight taped shows.
The big story coming off last week is Lashley winning the World Title
from Eric Young to give the trio even more control. MVP was very
abusive with his power though so the mighty hand of the invisible
Board of Directors might be in play tonight. Let's get to it.
We open with
a recap of last week's main event.
The trio is
in the back and MVP says they're ready to fight tonight.
Beautiful
People vs. Gail Kim/Terryn Terrell
Angelina and
Gail get things going with Love missing an early splash in the
corner, allowing Gail to hammer with forearms to the jaw. Off to
Terryn who hammers away for a bit but gets caught by the double team
on the floor. A double elbow drop gets two for Velvet followed by
some forearms to the head. A running neckbreaker gets two and we hit
the chinlock. Terryn finally escapes to make the hot tag as
everything breaks down. Terrell hits a cross body to put both
Beautiful People down, allowing Gail to hit Eat Defeat on Angelina
for the pin at 6:45.
Rating:
D+. Standard Knockouts tag here
to set up the latest title match between Gail and Angelina because we
haven't seen them fight enough times already. Again, can we please
get some fresh ideas in this division? I can't remember the last new
story we had for the girls, and it's getting really tiresome.
Bound For
Glory is in Tokyo. That's going to be interesting.
Dixie Carter
says it's a good night to be Dixie Carter.
Here are King
and MVP with something to say. There's a table with champagne set up
behind them and three good looking women to make the view a bit
better. MVP brings out Lashley and says they conquered last week,
just like they promised they would, and now they own the world. Eric
Young is going to be asking for his release after the beating they
gave him last week. This brings out Eric with his arm in a sling.
He knows you can't fight city hall but he only wants to fight them.
Young charges to the ring and gets beaten down by the two healthy
guys. Bobby Roode jumps the barricade to make another save.
Back from a
break with Roode talking about signing his contract on the same day
as Eric Young and how they both have TNA in their blood. Eric Young
has spent the last seven years fighting for the love of wrestling and
Roode says they both want the title. They want their company back,
because that's what TNA originals say to heel stables on this show.
Roode is back to fight for what he loves and doesn't care what MVP
does.
MVP asks to
get in the ring and be civilized. The boss says every action has a
reaction and Roode's actions have earned a reaction from MVP. In his
capacity as the boss, Roode is officially....interrupted by a guy in
a suit. His name is Mr. Armstrong and he's a member of the board of
directors. In a Texas accent, he says MVP is no longer Director of
Wrestling Operations and his replacement will be here tonight. Roode
nails MVP.
The Menagerie
gets a phone call. Apparently they have to win a title or the family
business is going under. Crazy Steve is going to win the X-Division
Title tonight. The Bro Mans come in and say they're getting the shot
because they speak strong style. An unmasked Manik comes in and says
he's getting the shot. He puts on the mask and says Steve has
something on his face.
Spud and
Dixie think she gets power back tonight.
X-Division
Title: Sanada vs. Crazy Steve vs. Manik vs. DJZ
Sanada had
the choice of opponent and picked all of them. Fast pace to start
with Sanada getting a quick rollup but DJZ trips him to the floor.
Steve bites DJZ's head and fingers but Sanada sunset flips both of
them, sending both guys flying. A missile dropkick puts both guys
down but Manik puts the champion in an Indian Deathlock. Manik hits
a huge dive to take out all three challengers on the floor. Back in
and DJZ hits a tornado DDT on Steve but we get a Tower of Doom to
send both guys down. A quick tiger suplex from Sanada is enough for
the pin on DJZ at 3:26.
Rating: C.
Some nice high spots but that's really about it. It's nice to see
them finally pay attention to the title a few weeks before
Destination X, even though it's not going to mean a thing after July
or whenever the special airs. Sanada isn't going into the show as
champion, which makes the last few months of his reign fairly
pointless.
MVP
says no one takes anything from him.
Magnus
and Bram say a Monster's Ball match sounds like an old Friday night
to them.
Here
are Dixie and Spud to gloat. Fan: “NO ONE CARES! YOU SUCK!”
She says she's always put faith in wrestlers and they keep screwing
her over. There's a table behind her for no apparent reason. Dixie
laughs at the fans for buying into MVP's nonsense and promises to
give the fans what they want: More Dixie!
She
brings out the lawyer or whatever he is from earlier and offers him a
toast. He says there's been a misunderstanding because Dixie isn't
the new Director. The champagne goes into her face and says this
isn't happening over her dead body. This brings out Bully Ray who
drinks some of the champagne and threatens to put them both through a
table. Dixie offers $200,000 for him to let her go but he wants the
table. Ethan Carter runs out and is easily dispatched and Spud gets
the same treatment. Dixie is lited up but Spud moves the table for
the save.
Dixie
is panicking and Ray says he was that close.
Mr.
Anderson vs. James Storm
It's
a brawl on the floor to start as the announcers speculate about who
the new boss might be. They fight into the ring and the swinging
neckbreaker puts Storm down but Anderson might have hurt his
shoulder. Closing Time and a Backstabber get two for Storm but he
misses the Last Call. The Mic Check is countered by a grabbed rope
and the Last Call gives Storm the pin at 2:19.
Gunner
has gotten Samuel Shaw out of the asylum under his care. Shaw shakes
his hand.
James
Storm asks Sanada if he's ready for the pressure of Destination X and
implies that he's coming for the title.
Tommy
Dreamer jumps Ethan Carter and they brawl in the back. The fight
spills into the arena with Dreamer hitting Ethan with a trashcan but
getting hit low and slammed on the ramp. Dreamer suplexes him onto
the floor but gets whipped into the steps. Ethan goes into the steps
as well and they head inside where Dreamer keeps hammering away.
Security breaks it up and the fans say let them fight.
Willow
and Abyss are ready for Monster's Ball.
The
trio goes to wait on the new boss. After
a break they attack the driver when he won't say who he's driving.
Bram/Magnus
vs. Abyss/Willow
Monster's
Ball meaning anything goes and weapons are encouraged. Abyss hammers
on Bram to start and knocks him out to the floor, leaving the other
two in the ring to brawl. Abyss sets up a barbed wire board between
the ring and barricade but stops to throw weapons into the ring. The
Brits hammer away with trashcans but Willow comes back with a double
clothesline. Whisper in the Wind drops Magnus and a trashcan to the
head puts Bram down. The Swanton misses but Abyss finds Janice. As
usual though it gets stuck in the turnbuckle before any murder can
take place.
Bram
is busted open but he's able to handcuff Abyss to the barricade. The
double teaming ensues on Willow but Abyss breaks the cuffs and makes
a save. Magnus lays him out with a trashcan, only to have Willow
makes the save with a kendo stick and Twists of Fate all around.
Magnus throws the chair to knocks Willow off the top and through the
barbed wire in a big crash. Abyss has thumbtacks and, after avoiding
a shot from Janice, chokeslams Magnus down onto them. Bram nails
Abyss in the ribs with Janice for the pin at 9:00.
Rating: C.
This had all the standard spots for a Monster's Ball match but the
violence was solid enough to make the whole thing work. TNA overuses
this gimmick a bit, though at least it's not as bad as some of the
stuff WWE does. This was good enough and put over Bram and Magnus
which was the whole point. Good enough.
The
lawyer comes out and announces Kurt Angle as the new Director
because....well who else was it going to be? Angle
says it's time for him to give back but here's the trio to interrupt.
MVP can't believe that this is his replacement and violence is
threatened, but Angle shouts that HE'S THE FREAKING BOSS. Angle
makes Lashley vs. Young II for next week
and reinstates Bobby Roode. The brawl is on to end the show.
Overall
Rating: C+. This was MUCH
better than last week as they actually had some other stuff going on
besides the one main story. The show wasn't great or anything but
after last week I would have given anything a better rating. The big
surprise at the end wasn't really a surprise at all but at least it's
back to a face vs. a heel on top of the company. Given that this is
TNA I'd be stunned if Angle didn't walk into Tokyo as a heel though.
They're taking a major risk by taping so many weeks of shows in
advance but this was at least a good second step.
Results
Gail
Kim/Terryn Terrell b. Beautiful People – Eat Defeat to Love
Sanada b.
Crazy Steve, Manik and DJZ – Tiger suplex to DJZ
James Storm
b. Mr. Anderson – Last Call
Bram/Magnus
b. Willow/Abyss – Bram pinned Abyss after hitting him with Janice
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