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It's another episode of TNA Impact taped in New York City, and tonight it's the first half of Destination X. Last week Team Dixie Carter left team ECW beaten and defeated, will they be able to get revenge?
Our announcers are Taz and Mike Tenay, they are coming from the Manhattan Center in New York City!
The show starts with Austin Aries states that he will become the TNA Champion again. They build up that this is a special show with a video package setting up that TNA is seeing a return to greatness and that this is Destination X!
The show proper opens with Team Dixie coming to the ring. Dixie cuts a promo slagging on the New York wrestlers and the fans. She will give the fans ECW, but not the older wrestlers, saying that EC3 is the real star of a real company. EC3 introduces Team Dixie, Gene Snitsky, Rhyno, Rick Lawn (I think...it's Big Zeke and they didn't give a graphic for his new name) and state that they will destroy Devon, Dreamer and Bully Ray. Decent heel promo and the crowd was really into hating this team.
The first match is for the Tag Team Titles Jeff and Matt Hardy and the Wolves.
We come back from commercial in the middle of action with the Wolves working over Matt, who is able to tag Jeff in. This leads to the Hardys dominating the match, quick tags in and out.
When Eddie gets in, he turns the tide and they lead the match and they dominate for the next section until they get a two count. As Jeff recovers, the Wolves take time to set up a big move, giving Matt a chance to get in and toss the Wolves out. Jeff does a GREAT move over the top rope to hit the Wolves on the floor. They dominate for a short time as Jeff gets the Swanton. Again, a bit of set up for Matt to do the Shooting Star for another two count.
Matt puts Eddie in the Icepick submission, and as Davey come in, Jeff catches him and put him in the same move. Davey falls into Matt and Eddie and breaks up the holds. The momentum shifts to the Wolves who both hit a double foot stomp off the top rope to Matt. This leads to a see saw with a LOT of close near falls. As Matt takes FOREVER to set up a top rope move on Eddie, Davey clocks him. Puts Matt on Eddie's shoulders and does a backstabber for the pin. Impressive move!
Winners and Still Tag Team Champs The Wolves
Solid match with a lot of action. Good see-saw battle and while the Hardy's lose, they don't look bad doing so. After the match, the Wolves put the belts on the mat, and shake hands with the Hardys as the crowd chant “This is Awesome”, and oddly for TNA, it was after the match, not before anyone hooks up, and it really was awesome. Great opener for the show.
Taz and Tenay push that the show is loaded, push the main event and through the macth the crowd switches off cheering for each team. .
Low Ki gets a short video package where he puts over TNA and the X Division. Good clips and a good introduction if you don't know who he is. It ends with him Face to Face with Samoa Joe.
When we get back from commercial, they show highlights from the previous match, putting over that it was a dream match.
DJ Z is in the ring for the first X Division Qualifying match. Next to the ring is Manik and he's followed by Low Ki for a triple threat match.
Taz says he picks Low Ki as they are both from Brooklyn. Manik starts with Low Ki, and DJ Z comes in, drops them both and we have DJ vs Low Ki. DJ dominates, taking care of Low Ki in the ring and flying out of the ring to take out Manik. OK, I am NOT going to be able to keep up with this match, but the highlights are: Manik has DJ in a leg lock and then hits a backdrop bridge on Low Ki at the same time. Great move and something I haven’t seen before. No one dominates for long and all three men look strong, until DJ s out of the ring, Low Ki hits the Key Crusher and pins Manik.
Winner and advancing in the tournament for next week: Low Ki!
Teney puts over that later tonight we have Aries against Lashley!
When we come back, we see Sanada last week attacking the Great Muta. And to get an explanation, in the ring is James Storm. He explains that Sanada is not a student turning on his teacher, but a student being awaken. Storm says he is the new leader of a revolution and Sanada is a man who destroyed the Great Muta. Storm cut a heel promo, but the crowd didn't react to it much that I can see.
Sanada comes to the ring and Storm leaves. Brian Cage enters with regrettable facial hair designs and here comes the Menagerie with Crazy Steve.
Page starts the match by taking out both, tosses out Crazy Steve and then works with Sanada. Crazy Steve comes in for a comedy spot and then back to Cage who lifts both other guys and tosses them both backward/ Impressive show of strength, but he doesn't follow up it, so the tide turns and Sanada takes over for a short time. Sanada is tossed out and it's Crazy Steve's turn to take FOREVER to set up a move in the corner. Cage is down and we get Steve and Sanada for a short time and then back to Steve vs Cage.
At this point my cable stutters and shoots right to the ending Sanada wins with Tiger Suplex and a bridge on Steve.
Winner and advancing to next week: Sanada!
From what I saw, a solid match the built up Cage as stronger than the other two guys and probably shouldn't be in the X-Division.
After another break, Bully, Devon and Dreamer are on their way to the ring. They play to the crowd giving Taz and Teney time to push how what is coming between them and Team Dixie is going to be a war. The crowd is hot for these guys!
Devon starts amid shouts of ECW and Welcome Home. He lets the crowd know they the three of them know how to finish a war. Dreamer states that he has been in wars with and against the guys in the ring, and how he would give everything for the fans. He puts over the TNA guys as people just as good as the guys he worked with in ECW. He ends by saying it's time to get things done right now.
Team Dixie comes out and EC# states that the match with take place on “Carter Time”, next week.
Bully states that no one wants to wait next week to a huge cheer from the crowd. “Do you know where you are???? You're in New York City, Baby, you're gonna DIE!” Bully states if he wanted to, he could start a riot which starts a crowd chant of Start a Riot. Bully states if they name the time, he'll name the terms, 8 man weapons extreme hard core war. Bully says by this time next week, Dixie is going through a table. AWESOME promo.
We cut to the back with Angle talking to Samoa Joe who wishes him good luck. Kurt tells the unseen cameraman that Destination X is about to have No Limits.
Impact lists their upcoming TV taking and a bunch of house shows. I honestly had no idea they were still doing those.
Backstage, EC3 is pumping up his team stating that next week, it ends one way or another. Dixie tries to talk tough and instead looks like a woman sending back a steak that wasn't done well enough. She actually brought down the segment and brought down the excitement a couple fo levels. We then have the cameraman talking to the Beautiful People who put themselves over. Next week, Angelina Love will make an announcement worthy of Destination X.
We are shown that Havok is coming. Good for him.
Our third qualifying match with Samoa Joe BACK in the X Division. He cuts a promo that puts over that Kurt Angle has rebuilt the X-Division and he'll be the next X Division Champion. Tigre Uno enters the ring, and we're told that he's come THIS CLOSE to winning the X Division title and it is a Must Win for him. Homicide returns and Taz puts him over.
Sanata vs Low Ki vs Samoa Joe
Quick start to the match and they are outside the ring within minutes...and we go to commercial!!
We come back to Tigre Uno with a drop kick on Homicide and Samoa Joe as the crowd chants Joe's Gonna Kill You. Joe and Homicide face off after Tiger Uno is knocked the outside. They trade blows until Joe pulls power moves on Homicide. He is setting up for a power bomb as Tigre breaks it up. Tigre works over Homicide until Joe breaks it up, leading to Joe dominating Tigre. Once Homicide recovers Tigre is out of the ring again and we get Joe and Homicide. Joe tries to set up a muscle buster and Homicide escapes, fights for a bit until Joe gets the Muscle Buster set in setting up the pin.
Winner and our final entrant: Samoa Joe!
Decent mix of styles with Tigre doing lucha stuff, Joe doing power moves and Homicide providing the glue keeping it together. All three of the X Division matches have been quick paced, great TV matches.
There's a video package showing what Bram has done to Abyss to set up next week's Monster's Ball match. Abyss cuts a promo about the new version of Janice. Not a lot in the promo, just the promise of Violence for the sake of Violence.
Aries gets a video package to set up our Main Event.
Back from commercial, we get a run down on all of the set up for next week, who won the X-Division matches and that the WAR is next week.
We get our entrances with Aries coming in first as the announcers put over that he won the World Title the last time he cashed in the X-Division title. Lashley comes to the ring and he is put over as an unstoppable monster who is about to fight in MMA.
They face off in the ring and Lashley towers over Aries. As they trade some opening moves, the announcers talk strategy, Aries has to use his speed and Lashley will be able to dominate with strength. Aries starts by working on Lashley's legs with kicks and then wrapping the leg in the ropes. Lashley takes over when Aries leaps off the top rope into Lashley's arms, and Aries gets tossed backwards onto the floor as we go to commercial.
They run an ad for Guardians of the Galaxy and I wince a little inside because the movie started at the local theater an hour and a half ago...and I wanted to see the first showing. But, Mike Johnson asked if I could cover the show and I figured it was the cheapest present I could get him.
And then Dave asked, and it's pretty much impossible to say No to Dave.
Good thing is, Impact is good enough I don't mind that I have to wait a day to see a new Marvel movie.
We're back, and we're told that Lashley has been in charge during the commercial break. Here's a minor complaint...the show is taped, do we really have to have so much of the match cut? Lashley tosses Aries out of the ring and rams him into the ring posts repeatedly. Then, back in the ring an Lashley keeps Aries down into a bear hug. The crowd is solidly behind Aries and he slowly mounts a comeback to get out of the move and then Lashley puts him back in a bear hug. Aries tries boxing the ears of Lashley to get out of the hold and after he gets out of hold, Lashley presses him over his head with full arm extension before dropping him.
Lashley looks like a monster with that move. Aries is able to get out of power bomb and rallies with a series of chops and punches in the corner. Lashley shoves him off and goes to run into him but Aries dodges, gets Lashley out of the ring and gets a good series of moves off the ropes, whipping Lashley into the corner.
Aries counters the spear and puts Lashley into a submission move that Lahsley powers out of. Aries works another series of moves as Lashley looks as if he is about to drop, and both guys are drenched with sweat. Aries is able to get Lashely up for a brain buster into a near fall. The continue until Lashley is outside the ring, Aries tries a dive and instead hits the rail.
Back in the ring, Lashley spears Aries for the pin.
Your winner and still World Champion Bobby Lashley!
Great match and it really had a Big Match feel. All in all a solid show and enough to get me watching again. We’ll have an audio up about the show later tonight!
In our “Coming next week” Will Dixie go through a Table? They show the set up, the screen goes black and you hear the sound of Dixie going through the table. They show #ithappens and the show ends.
So, TNA spoiled their own show next week...is it a good idea? We’ll see on Next Week’s Impact Wrestling!
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