Impact Wrestling – June 26, 2014: Switch Em Up

Impact Wrestling
Date: June 26, 2014
Location: Bethlehem Events Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz

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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