Impact
Wrestling
Date: July 31, 2014
Location: Manhattan
Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Taz
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It's Destination X,
meaning for one night a year, the X Division actually matters. In
this case we have another Option C, as Austin Aries has cashed in his
X-Division Title for a World Title shot. Also, we have the reunited
Hardy Boys challenging the Wolves for the World Tag Team Titles which
should be awesome. Let's get to it.
We open with a video of
Aries in an empty arena and talking about how he's willing to give it
all up for one chance tonight.
The opening video talks
about the two title matches.
Here are Dixie and
company to get things going. Dixie brags about changing the rules on
everyone and giving them the real EC Dub (not ECW of course). She's
given them a star in Ethan and he'll lead TNA into the future. Ethan
talks about how the two men who debuted last week are the real ECW
men. First up is the man formerly known as Big Z, but now he'll go
by his real name of Rycklon. The other guy is just known as Gene
Snitsky.
This brings Ethan to
Team 3D and Dreamer. The fans want tables but Ethan says this is
going to become the house that the Carters built. A challenge is
issued for one final challenge to end this war once and for all.
Also, Dixie is NEVER going to be put through a table, no matter what.
Tag
Team Titles: Hardys vs. Wolves
Wolves are defending.
Eddie and Matt crank arm work to start as the fans are split. The
champions take over but Matt sends Richards into the corner to take
over. Off to Jeff as the Hardys start working over Davey's arm. A
double suplex gets two and it's back to a wristlock from Matt.
Richards finally gets in a shot to the head and makes a tag off to
Edwards to clean house.
A double hurricanrana
puts both Hardys on the floor, setting up a double suicide dive to
keep the champions in control. Back in and Eddie enziguris Jeff into
a German suplex from Davey for two. Matt saves his brother from a
double suplex before the Wolves are thrown outside. Poetry In Motion
over the top puts everyone down before a regular one hits Eddie in
the corner.
The Side Effect sets up
the Swanton but Richards sends Jeff outside before a cover. Matt
gets two off a moonsault to Edwards before both Hardys put on Ice
Picks (double underhook guillotine chokes). Davey breaks Jeff's hold
and makes the save before sending him crashing to the floor.
The kick to Matt's
chest sets up the double double stomp for two on Matt. Back up and a
Twist of Fate gets two on Davey and a backslide gets the same for
Richards. Jeff is still down, allowing the Wolves to hit their
powerbomb/top robe Backstabber for the pin on Matt at 10:08.
Rating:
B. This was good but not great.
The tagging part went away a few minutes into the match but that's
probably the best thing all around. I didn't know who was going to
win here and that's a very good thing considering how this could have
gone. The Hardys still looked good and Matt hasn't looked like this
in years.
Video
on Low Ki, an X-Division pioneer.
Low
Ki and Joe stare at each other in the back.
X-Division
Title Qualifying Match: DJZ vs. Manik vs. Low Ki
It's
the usual series of triple threats to set up another triple threat
for the vacant title. DJZ
heads outside to start, allowing Manik and Low Ki to dive around a
lot. Back in and DJZ dropkicks both guys down before sending Manik
outside. Low Ki counters a tornado DDT and sends DJZ into the
corner, only to have Manik come back in to break it up.
Low
Ki gets sent to the floor and Manik puts a Black Widow on DJZ. He
changes it over to an Indian Deathlock but Ki kicks him down to crank
on DJZ's leg even worse. Ki gets knocked off the top and DZJ gets
two off a rollup to Manik. DJZ gets kicked off the top and out to
the floor and the Ki Crusher ends Manik at 5:10.
Rating:
C. The match was fine but I
really have a problem getting into these qualifying matches. They're
so similar every single year with people being brought back,
wrestling maybe a match or two after it's over, and then usually
leaving again. That really isn't all that interesting and gets
tiresome quick. Still though, not a bad match.
We
look back at Sanada turning on Great Muta and joining forces with
James Storm last week.
Here's
Storm with something to say. What we saw last week was a student
rising up instead of being held down by his mentor. Now Storm is
Sanada's new mentor and will see that he gets everything done.
X-Division
Title Qualifying Match: Sanada vs. Brian Cage vs. Crazzy Steve
The
muscular Cage (he once appeared on Gut Check) cleans house to start
and gets two off a backbreaker to Sanada. Steve gets in Cage's face
and offers a test of strength before stomping on Cage's foot. That's
fine with Cage as he picks up Sanada in a Samoan drop and Sanada in a
slam at the same time. Both guys get thrown down before Cage can't
hit a delayed vertical superplex on Steve. The Crazzy one hits a
sunset bomb for two but Sanada makes the save. Sanada gets hammered
down in the corner but Cage misses a Lionsault, allowing Sanada to
hit a tiger suplex on Steve for the pin at 3:55.
Rating:
D+. Cage looked really
impressive but there was no question who was going to win here.
Sanada is a guy that we have a reason to care about which puts him
far ahead of a lot of the international talent brought in for
something like this. There isn't much to say here though, as is the
case most of the time on this special.
Team
3D and Dreamer accept.
Bobby
Roode gives Aries a pep talk.
Here
are Team 3D and Tommy Dreamer with something to say. D-Von
talks about being gone for awhile but now he's back with his best
friend Dreamer and his Brother Ray. They know how to finish a war
and that's what they're going to do. Dreamer says he's been in wars
against and with these men along with others that will die for all of
us. Being hardcore is a work ethic and
he would go to war with anyone in TNA because that's what this
business is all about.
This
brings out Dixie's cronies with Ethan saying this is war, but the war
is next week. Ray isn't pleased and asks if Ethan knows who he is
and where they are. Ray may not know how to do a lot of things, but
he knows how to start a riot in New York City. If
Ethan gets to name the time, Ray gets to make it a weapons match.
Angle
and Joe shake hands in the back and Angle is pleased.
Team
Dixie is ready for next week.
The
Beautiful People don't think much of Terryn and Gail Kim.
Someone
whose name begins with an H is coming.
X-Division
Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Tigre Uno vs. Homicide
Before
the match, Joe talks about how awesome he is and how he'll bring the
focus back to the X-Division. Tigre
is quickly thrown down but Homicide sends Joe out to the floor for a
big running flip dive as we take a break. Back
with Tigre dropkicking both guys down but he gets double teamed with
a High/Low.
Joe
and Homicide have their big showdown with Joe taking over and
hammering away. Some knees to Homicide's head have him in trouble
but Tigre comes back and takes over with kicks of his own. Homicide
takes Tigre down with a tornado DDT but Uno is in the corner. Joe
takes over again but Homicide breaks up the MuscleBuster. That only
lasts for a few seconds though as Joe busts up Homicide's muscles to
advance at 9:50.
Rating:
C+. It's the best of the three
matches but that really doesn't cover a lot of ground. Joe advancing
is the logical move and I really hope Homicide isn't going to be
around full time. I've never cared for him and he doesn't seem to do
much other than wrestle a strong style which doesn't do anything for
me.
Video
on Abyss vs. Bram. Abyss sings My Girl and brings out Janice.
Video
on Aries cashing in the X Title last week.
We
recap the X-Division stuff.
TNA
World Title: Austin Aries vs. Bobby Lashley
Bobby
is defending and it's a
staredown to start. Aries goes to the leg to start but it's a very
slow opening. More kicks
have Lashley in trouble and Austin wraps his leg around the ropes for
even more kicks. A dropkick
to the back sends Lashley to the floor but his dive is caught in
midair for a belly to belly suplex as we take a break. Back
with Lashley taking over and putting on a reverse bearhug.
Aries
fights up but gets caught in a regular bearhug. Austin escapes again
but gets caught in a nice gorilla press drop. The Dominator is
countered with a discus forearm and a series of regular forearms in
the corner. Lashley is sent
to the floor and Aries hits the top rope ax handle, setting up a
missile dropkick back inside. The corner dropkick is caught in the
Dominator though (sweet counter) but the spear is countered into the
Last Chancery.
Lashley
fights out and lifts Aries for a suplex but just throws Aries
forward. Another spear attempt misses and there's the discus forearm
to send Lashley back into the corner. The
running drokick sets up the brainbuster but Lashley is up at two.
Lashley rolls away to avoid the 450 but Aries misses the suicide
dive. Back in and the spear retains Lashley's title at 16:28.
Rating:
B-. Good match here as Lashley
piles up another hero. This is basic wrestling booking as we're
waiting on the hero to rise up and take the title back to the good
side. Lashley is little more than a dragon, but that doesn't mean
it's not a good story. Nice match here too with Aries playing the
hero really well.
The
final video shows Dixie being lifted up for a powerbomb next week
with a Twitter hashtag of ITHAPPENS.
Overall
Rating: B-. I didn't hate the
show but this really didn't feel special. The opener was
entertaining and the main event was good as well, but there was
nothing on here that I'm going to think about soon after this show.
I really don't know what's
coming for Bound For Glory but we should be getting to its build in
the next few weeks.
I
can't imagine this is going to help the X-Division either as it looks
to be exactly what happened before: the division will mean something
for a few weeks and then go away because it doesn't mean anything
until next year's Destination X. At least it was entertaining while
it lasted this year. Good
but definitely not great show here.
Results
Wolves
b. Hardys – Powerbomb/Backstabber combination to Matt
Low
Ki b. DJZ and Manik – Ki Crusher to Manik
Sanada
b. Brian Cage and Crazzy Steve – Tiger suplex to Steve
Samoa
Joe b. Tigre Uno and Homicide – MuscleBuster to Homicide
Bobby
Lashley b. Austin Aries – Spear
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