Impact
Wrestling
Date:
March 13, 2015
Location:
Wembley Arena, London, England
Attendance:
4,500
Commentators:
Taz, Josh Matthews
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
Tonight's
show is about violence between rivals. There are three showdowns
tonight and blood is a real possibility in all three. We have Bobby
Roode vs. Eric Young in a last man standing match, Magnus vs. Bram
and Ethan Carter III vs. Rockstar Spud in an old fashioned hair vs.
hair match. Let's get to it.
Eric
Young vs. Bobby Roode
Last
man standing. It's a big brawl to start with Roode getting the
better of it and knocking Young out to the floor for three. The fans
want tables but stop to tell Young that he sold out. He also sucks
but they don't tell him that for some reason. Young punches Bobby in
the mouth a few times, only to be backdropped on the aisle. Roode
charges up the ramp for a clothesline and the announcers keep
mentioning Roode turning his back on Young. It's table time
(hopefully it shuts them up for a bit) but we take a break before
anyone goes through it.
Back
with Young putting Roode down with a running neckbreaker and dropping
knees to the chest. Another neckbreaker on the floor gets seven so
Young whips Bobby into the steps to put him down again. Roode
backdrops out of a piledriver on the steps and uses a cameraman to
get to his feet. Both guys get chairs and it's time for a duel,
followed by a double clothesline to put them both on the floor.
They
make it up and back in at nine with Roode getting all fired up first.
Right hands don't get Roode very far though as Young catches him
with a piledriver for another nine. Some chairs to the ribs have
Roode reeling but Young picks him up, only to get piledriven onto the
chair. That's still not enough so Roode loads up the Roode Bomb,
only to have Young escape and both guys head to the apron. A Roode
Bomb through the table is enough to put Young away at 19:38.
Rating:
B. It was violent, it was
intense, and I have no idea why they're fighting. I thought about it
for a bit and remembered it, only to realize I don't care at this
point. TNA knows how to set up a first brawl, but it takes them
forever to get to the blowoff and by that point, the interest isn't
there anymore. Good brawl, but this really needs to end things
between them.
JB
tries to talk Spud out of the match tonight but Spud is going through
with it because someone has to stand up to Carter. In Spud's world,
the good guys win.
Here's
Drew Galloway for a chat. He gets in the ring but decides that he
feels better out in the fans where he belongs. Drew came here to
give wrestling back to the fans, which means getting it away from
people like MVP. MVP thinks he can come here and take over the
company but that's going to happen.
What
is going to happen tonight is a match between MVP and Galloway, so
here's the BDC. MVP says he is god as far as Drew is concerned
because he holds Drew's life in his hands. Drew doesn't get what
he's done but tonight he's been chosen again. The fans don't care
for MVP but he asks the BDC to head to the back to make this one on
one.
Drew
Galloway vs. MVP
It's
a brawl to start with MVP getting the better of it and hammering away
with right hands to the head. Drew gets choked on the ropes as we
continue to see MVP's offensive shortcomings. Both guys miss boots
but Drew comes back with Future Shock, only to have the BDC run in
for the DQ at 3:09.
Rating:
C-. Better match for Drew this
week but he still didn't get to look very good. He certainly has a
presence though and the standing up for wrestling idea is a good
move. I'm not wild on the BDC though and MVP as the leader is only
going to get them so far. Not bad here but it was barely rateable.
The
beating is on post match and Joe hands Low Ki a pipe. Ki
blasts him right in the forehead with it and the announcers barely
react. Galloway is busted open.
Magnus
tells Mickie James that he's ready. He wants her to stay away from
Bram though.
We
recap Spud vs. Carter. They used to be friends but Carter blamed
Spud for all of his problems and beat Spud up. This led to Spud
growing a backbone and fighting against Carter. Both guys have tried
to shave the other's head tonight.
Recap
of Bram vs. Magnus, which is a personal feud with Bram not liking the
family man Magnus has become. This is the best thing Magnus has done
yet, including his World Title win.
Bram
vs. Magnus
It's
another brawl in the aisle to start with Bram taking over by sending
Bram into the barricade. They get inside for the opening bell but
Magnus clotheslines him right back to the floor. Bram is whipped
hard into the steps but Magnus misses a charge, allowing Bram to send
him into the post. A neckbreaker stays on the banged up neck and an
Edge-O-Matic gets two. Magnus scores with a dropkick to put both
guys down but here's Mickie to ringside. Back up and Magnus hammers
away with dropkicks and clotheslines, followed by the top rope elbow.
Not that it matters as Bram kicks him low for the DQ at 5:23.
Rating:
C. This felt like a preview for
a bigger match down the road. Bram and Magnus have both gotten a lot
better throughout this feud and they both have more places to go
after this. Mickie didn't really mean anything here but I don't see
her as being around long term anyway. Bram going after the neck made
sense and it's good to see that he can wrestle a regular match
instead of just brawling.
Post
match Bram finds the cue ball he used to hurt Magnus in the first
place. He ties Magnus to the ropes but Mickie covers Magnus up.
Thankfully Mickie remembers that she's one of the best female
wrestlers of all time and nails Bram but he grabs her by the neck.
Bram tells Magnus to kiss his boot if Magnus wants him to let her go.
She tells him don't do it but Magnus kisses the boot anyway.
Brooke
is walking through the back for her match with Robbie E. Nothing to
this other than her walking, but this is an old Russo bit that I
can't stand. Big
emotional moment in a well done segment.....and
oh well it's been ten
seconds. Here's a hot chick with a big grin on her face walking
through the back for her comedy match. At least let the commercial
break go through so we can let it sink in a bit more.
The
BDC says that's just the beginning for Drew.
Robbie
E. vs. Brooke
DJZ
gives Robbie a full boxing style entrance and Robbie comes out with
Jesse and Angelina like he's ready for a big fight. Robbie has a
stool in the corner and shadowboxes to start. Brooke chases him into
the corner so Robbie sits on the stool. Back up and Robbie shoves
her down and cartwheels onto the stool again.
Brooke
almost wins a test of strength and they run the ropes until she
hammers away with forearms. Now she sits on the stool but gets
distracted by Angelina, allowing Robbie to sit on the stool again.
Robbie scores with a suplex but misses a middle rope splash. Brooke
goes after Angelina though, only to duck Jesse's dropkick and roll
Robbie up for the pin at 4:27.
Rating:
D+. If the worst thing I have
to do is look at Brooke in her outfits, I have little issue with this
show. This was a decent comedy match and there's nothing wrong with
Brooke pinning a schnook like Robbie. Good stuff, but it felt way
out of place on a show built around violence like this.
Video
on Angle returning to the ring for one last run at the title.
Video
on Lashley's training.
Rockstar
Spud vs. Ethan Carter III
Hair
vs. hair. Spud hammers in the corner to start and they head outside
with Spud nailing a running dropkick up against the barricade. Back
in and Carter just levels him with a clothesline to take over and we
take a break. We come back with Carter crotching himself on the
middle rope and getting dropkicked to the floor again. Spud nails
him with a big flip dive off the top and both guys are down.
Cue
Tyrus to powerbomb Spud on the floor but he somehow kicks out at two.
Anderson comes out to hammer on Tyrus and Mic Checks him in the
aisle. Carter makes the save and nails Spud in the head with the
metal brace to bust him open. Back in and Ethan goes right after the
cut to really bust Spud open, causing the blood to pour over Carter's
chest. Carter throws him out to JB's feet so JB hits Carter low,
allowing Spud to hit a Stunner for two.
We
get the WWE black and white editing to prevent us from seeing blood,
because if you turn blood black and white, no one knows what it is.
Carter rams him face first into the mat but Spud Hulks Up and pounds
Ethan down, setting up a running enziguri. A regular enziguri has
Carter down again but the Underdog is countered, setting up another
brace shot to the face for two. There is blood EVERYWHERE and Spud
is a mess. The 1%er finally ends Spud at 16:48.
Rating:
B. Great blade job by Spud here
and the fans got into the comeback which is all that mattered. I
don't think people thought Spud was going to win here, but they did a
great job of making you forget that Spud had next to no chance, and
that's all it needed to be. Good stuff here and they nailed the
whole thing as well as they could.
Carter
praises Spud post match and says maybe Spud could be a World Champion
some day. He isn't going to shave Spud's head after that performance
because Spud proved he was a
man. Carter offers a
handshake and holds the ropes open for Spud, but of course it's a
ruse and the beating is on. Carter: “NOT!!!!!” Spud
gets tied in the Tree of Woe and we get the upside down haircut.
Carter says this world is
his to end the show.
Overall
Rating: A-. That was the best
show TNA has put on in years. All of the brawls felt violent and
intense and I can live with a five minute comedy match to fill in the
time. That being said, TNA needs to find somewhere else to go after
next week because MVP as the top heel is only going to carry them so
far. The midcard is awesome right now, but they need to transition
at least some of those guys up to the top of the company instead of
getting into their old habits of letting the same guys do their same
stuff over and over again. Still though, great show this week and
worth checking out.
Results
Bobby
Roode b. Eric Young – Roode Bomb through a table
Drew
Galloway b. MVP via DQ when the BDC interfered
Magnus
b. Bram via DQ when Bram kicked him low
Brooke
b. Robbie E. – Rollup
Ethan
Carter III b. Rockstar Spud – 1%er
Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:
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Agreed, the only match I missed was the comedy match, but yes, almost everything from top to bottom was done well. I agree with you on Bram and Magus feeling like a preview, I was actually getting into the match, something I wasn't expecting. And the main event, that's how you do a main event! I was a little dissapointed with the run ins and the censoring, but that's just a little nit pick. The ending proved that you can still make guys look strong without putting them over.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably my favorite show of the DA era.
Looks good but the news they're not doing tapings in April is a bit of a damper on this comeback in quality.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the things I'm worried about: a lot of these guys don't have much to do in between the tapings. Ring rust is going to be a factor when they come back.
ReplyDeleteCall me crazy, but I think Bram should've done something to Mickie even though Magnus kissed his foot. That would've given him Jake the Snake level heat, and then he's the next big challenger for next week's winner.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that spot goes to Carter. He's just been awesome lately.
ReplyDeleteMissed tonight's show. Watching the tail end of Unlocked.
ReplyDeleteMatt Hardy should wear a shirt.
That's all. He really should wear a shirt.
Matt is a sad state these days. He looks like crap. He always been a bit of an awkward mover because of his jimmy legs, but he moves around like he's made of wood these days. Sad to see as someone who loved the 2000-01 Hardy Boyz.
ReplyDeleteI can never figure out this new math. How do a bunch of Cs and Ds add up to an A- show?
ReplyDeleteThe big matches delivering and making me want to come back for more. There's a lot more to a wrestling show than the wrestling.
ReplyDeleteThe #TeamBro match would've made sense two months ago, with Phil Keoghan special guest referee #AmazingRace #TAR
ReplyDeleteAwesome Show indeed!!! EC# continues to prove WWE wrong for cutting him loose and he is really blossoming into a great overall wrestler in TNA. I hope Drew follows the same path he has since he switched to TNA. It was refreshing to see some blood in a match also. If done sparingly it really adds to the match, unlike Flair in the old days blading in every match.
ReplyDeleteTNA picked the wrong fat guys to sign.
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought I was out ...
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome show, it's the first time an impact episode have been on par with NxT or Lucha Underground. The EC3 vs Spud match was really weel done and the crowd + the blood really made it special. The fake face turn at the end was the icing on the cake and EC3 is just too good.
ReplyDeleteWith EC3, Spud, Bram, Magnus and Drew the midcard is on fire in TNA (to bad the main event scene is so stale)
And this crowd was really good, they were loud but playing along with the show and trying to be smart. If Raw had hat kind of atmosphere it would be way more watchable.
ReplyDeleteIf they used it as a kayfabe reason to do a little make over of the show that would be good. If it's just an excuse to feud with MVP with no follow up then 'meh'
ReplyDeleteThey've lost Samoa Joe so they needed to keep the balance
ReplyDeleteMost of them wrestle in the indie beetween tapings but they might have to get re-accustomed to the six sided ring
ReplyDeleteComedy match was ok and in better tast than most of the WWE stuff and they really needed a cool off segment after the Bram/Magnus angle
ReplyDeleteCome on, I saw some NXT weekly shows that were just mainly squash matches. TNA's been better than NXT for a while now.
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping that EC3 was gonna do the double turn back, cause he's too good right now as a heel. I think the Spud feud needs to calm down for a bit, cause I don't know how they can top it right. would like to see EC3 feuding with somone like Aries, and Spud maybe with Low Ki.
Agreed - if he had a reasonable demand about something fans are sick of.
ReplyDeleteI fear he's going to lead another "stable", which will just utterly dilute things into Team Galloway v BDC ... which might get ugly because fans will see the hypocrisy involved.
Spud/EC3 was an A if I ever saw one. You can't really ask for much more out of a feud than that.
ReplyDeleteYeah that was good. I could have gone for some closer near falls for Spud though. And less Anderson but that's a general statement.
ReplyDeleteThat Ethan/Spud Main was really fucking great. I could feel the emotion coming off the screen. Spud really proved himself as kind of a badass in that match.
ReplyDeleteAlso thought the opener was really good. Very WWE-Style-esque and very well paced. Great show although I'm still not buying the EY heel turn.
Over the last two week's TNA has had:
ReplyDeleteLashley vs. Angle - World title
EC3 vs. Spud - Hair vs. Hair
EY vs. Roode - Last Man Standing
Taryn vs. Kong vs. Gail - KO title
Ultimate X for the tag titles
Joe vs. Aries
Bram vs. Magnus
Storm vs. Matt Hardy
Robbie E. vs. Brooke
If you combined all of that onto one 3 hour PPV, it would be show of the year.