Impact Wrestling - October 22, 2014

Impact Wrestling

Date: October 22, 2014

Location: Sands Bethlehem Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Commentators: Mike Tenay, Taz

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

We're closing in on the Lashley vs. Roode showdown with the champion seeming to have some issues with the rest of the Trio. Other than that we have the start of a tag team tournament for a shot at the titles at some point in the future. I kind of like TNA just doing the week to week TV stuff instead of building to meaningless PPVs for a change. It works for NXT most of the time so why not TNA too? Let's get to it.

We open with a recap of Lashley vs. Roode from a few weeks ago and then Bobby winning the four way last week to earn another shot.

The Wolves want the tournament to start so they can have some new opponents.

Matt Hardy comes out and introduces his partner for the tournament: Jeff Hardy. Well that was anti-climactic.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: Hardys vs. BroMans

Jesse/DJZ here. Matt and DJZ start things off as Tenay and Taz are already in their own world. The guys in the ring (as in the guys the show is actually supposed to be about) trade headlocks until Matt takes him down and slams DJZ's head into the mat over and over. Off to Jeff for Poetry in Motion to give Matt two. The Hardys go old school with the Spin Cycle (think both guys doing a half wheelbarrow suplex) but it's quickly off to Jesse to take over.

Jeff kicks him down with ease before it's back to Matt for a double belly to back. The BroMans are sent into each other but the distraction lets Jesse dropkick Matt down to take over. DJZ cranks on an armbar until Matt jawbreaks his way to freedom and tags in Jeff. The better Hardy cleans house with dropkicks and a gordbuster followed by the Whisper in the Wind. Jesse loads up a gorilla press but Matt tags himself in and it's Twist/Swanton for the pin at 6:19.

Rating: C-. Just a basic tag match here that we'll list under “what else would you expect to happen?” I can't imagine the Hardys getting another shot after the Series blew the roof off as it would defeat the purpose of having a tournament. I'm also wondering if there are eight teams to fill out brackets as the division barely exists at this point. Decent match though.

Here's Bram to address his surprise attack on D-Von last week. He loves hearing something being driven through a human's skin, just like when he drove Janice into Abyss. Bram is the new king of hardcore and D-Von is his target because he's called a hardcore legend. Whatever it takes, Bram will make sure everyone fears his name. This brings out D-Von and the beating is quickly on. Bram fights back and they head to the floor until security breaks it up in the ring. Angle comes out and makes a hardcore match between the two for later.

Brittany comes up to Samuel Shaw in the back and says she'd love it if he won tonight.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: Low Ki/Samoa Joe vs. Samuel Shaw/Gunner

Joe sends Shaw into the corner and hammers away to start before nailing an enziguri for good measure. Off to Ki for a springboard kick to the face but Gunner nails him with a clothesline. Brittany comes down to be in Shaw's corner as Ki chops away at Gunner. The heels (kind of?) start double teaming Ki but Gunner tells Shaw to get rid of Brittany.

The distraction lets Ki avoid a middle rope dive, allowing for the hot tag to Joe. Things speed up with Joe hammering away and getting two of his own off a running kick to the face. Brittany hooks Gunner's leg for no apparent reason, allowing Ki to kick him into the Clutch from Joe for the submission at 4:36.

Rating: D+. This was more storytelling than anything else as Gunner and Shaw continue to do....whatever it is that they're doing. They've been going on with this for months now and I'm really not sure where they're going with it. The match was nothing of interest but at least didn't take up too much time.

Shaw stands next to Brittany but Gunner comes up to yell at her. Samuel nails him with a chair and goes evil again before kissing Brittany.

Ethan Carter III says he can feel it coming in the air tonight. He thinks a Tag Team Title reign with Tyrus would be a good buildup to his World Title win. Spud might be in the building tonight so why doesn't he find a friend to get in the ring with Ethan and his new friend? Because he's scared.

Lashley is asked about the title match with Roode but MVP cuts him off and says it's just another day at the office. King says he and MVP are in the tournament.

Rebel vs. Angelina Love

Love doesn't show up but here's Havok instead to destroy Rebel. Gail Kim charges out for the big brawl with the champion until security breaks it up.

Video on Roode vs. Lashley, which I believe is the same video that opened the show.

Angle thinks we'll raise the stakes in the contract signing later tonight.

Bram vs. D-Von

Hardcore. They start fighting on the floor before D-Von takes him inside for a release flapjack. It's already back on the floor with D-Von in full control and sending him into the barricade. There's a bottle of water to the head and Bram goes into steps for good measure. Back in and D-Von nails him in the head with a trashcan lid before hitting a one man Conchairto on the trashcan lid onto Bram's head.

Bram comes back with a trashcan lid shot of his own because apparently he's immune to concussions. He shouts that D-Von is nothing and gets a low blow for his efforts. D-Von loads up What's Up on the trashcan but Magnus comes out with a kendo stick shot for the save, allowing Bram to use the metal bar for the pin at 5:57.

Rating: D. It's not even that the match was terrible but it's uninteresting. D-Von just isn't interesting as a singles guy but at least he's putting someone over at this stage in his career. Bram already has more star power than Magnus has almost ever shown and has a future, hopefully as more than just a hardcore guy.

Anderson and Melendez are in the tournament.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: Kenny King/MVP vs. Chris Melendez/Mr. Anderson

MVP and King are quickly knocked out to the floor but we settle down to Anderson vs. King. Mr. grabs a headlock to take over but MVP trips him up from the floor, allowing King to kick him in the head for two. MVP taunts Melendez with a tag in the corner like a true heel should before hooking Anderson in an arm crank. A running boot to the side of the head gets two but a double clothesline puts both guys down. Melendez and King come in off the tags with Chris cleaning house as everything breaks down. In the melee, King rolls up Melendez with a handful of tights for the pin at 4:55.

Rating: D+. Another middle of the ropad match here as the stories are now being applied to the tournament. That's not the worst idea in the world and sets up some interesting matchups in the second round. Nothing great here or anything but it got the job done and kept this story going.

Eric Young fires Spud up and they're in the tournament tonight.

The Wolves do a quick interview saying they're looking for the best competition. They go off in different directions and Davey runs into James Storm. James tells Davey how great he is and offers to show him the way. Manik comes in to explain the beauty of the Revolution.

Tag Team Tournament First Round: Ethan Carter III/Tyrus vs. Eric Young/Rockstar Spud

Young has to give Spud a pep talk to get him to the ring and there's no Rockstar at first. Carter laughs at Spud being a coward and even has a new response to the audience: “You wish you could.” He goes on a rant about how the villains win in this world and how the 99%ers here in the audience are all losers. That's enough to get Spud to the ring and we're ready to go.

Spud asks to get in the ring with Carter to start. After the staredown but no contact it's off to Tyrus but Spud won't tag out to Eric. Spud hammers away but gets caught by a punch to the chest. Spud's sleeper attempt is countered into a Big Ending and Tyrus throws him around with a t-bone suplex. Tyrus misses a charge but stays on Spud, knocking him down with a single shot.

Off to Carter for some slaps to the face but Spud comes back with a huge one of his own, allowing for the hot tag to Young. Eric cleans house and gets two off the elbow. Everyone heads outside for a huge dive from Young before Spud dives on both villains. Back in and a quick Tongan Death Grip slam from Tyrus gives Ethan the pin on Spud at 7:14.

Rating: C. Better match here with Spud starting to look like a big deal. It wasn't a great mathc or anything but it was nice to see some of the stories making sense. Young continues to be the guy you call to fill in a story and that's all he was here. Carter's rocket push is still coming and I like sayint that.

We run down the card for next week

Here's Angle for the contract signing between Lashley and Roode. He has a bonus stipulation to make things more interesting next week, but first he asks if either guy has anything to say. Roode admits that Lashley was the better man last week but says that Lashley will be a marked man next week. Lashley has other priorities in MMA, but wrestling is all Roode has. Being champion is the only thing he wants and next week, he's fighting with a passion to put the title back around his waste.

MVP has built Lashley up very well, but next week Roode will prove that he's just a man. MVP cuts Bobby off and says Lashley can takes out anyone he faces because he's a destroyer. Angle cuts them off and says he'll be guest referee next week. That's not cool with MVP but Lashley signs, giving us a staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I didn't mind this week's show as they actually seem to have some interesting stuff coming in the next few weeks. Unfortunately, they need a show to air them on and right now we don't know where that's going to be. Roode vs. Lashley should be entertaining and the tag matches will be solid too, making next week interesting TV. However, this week's build was only decent with the tournament matches being average at best. It gave me some hope though and that's a big plus.

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