Impact Wrestling – October 14, 2015: Deal With It
Impact Wrestling
Date: October 14, 2015
Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Josh Matthews, D’Angelo Dinero
It’s the second week of the World Title Series (love the effort that went into that name) and tonight we get to see the other four groups to complete the field. It should be interesting to see how they can fit in this many people given their roster limitations, meaning we might be in for some extra surprises. The action last week was good so hopefully it continues in that direction this week. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of the World Title situation and last week. This still doesn’t make the whole thing feel any less messy and overcomplicated to get to the conclusion of a tournament.
It’s time to announce the new groups.
Group Tag Team Specialists
Matt Hardy
Eddie Edwards
Davey Richards
Robbie E.
Group Future Four
Jesse Godderz
Mica
Eli Drake
Crimson
Group X-Division
Tigre Uno
DJZ
Mandrews
Manik
Group TNA Originals
James Storm
Bobby Roode
Abyss
Eric Young
Yes Manik and not TJP because this was taped months ago and new storylines are erased.
We get a challenge from Robbie E. for NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski for some point in the future. Ignore him saying that he’ll beat Gronkowski worse than the Dallas Cowboys as that game already happened.
Group Tag Team Specialists: Matt Hardy vs. Davey Richards
So it’s Group Rockers. Davey takes him down to start and works on a leg lock but lets it go just as quickly. We get a chat from the round table discussion where Davey is pretty passive about the whole thing but Matt wants the title back. They head to the apron with Matt grabbing a quick Side Effect to send Davey to the floor.
Back in and Matt hooks a sleeper but Davey fights back with a jawbreaker to knock Matt to the floor, followed by a suicide dive. Josh: “Of course the ending to Bound For Glory has been trending for two weeks.” Back in and Davey fires off kicks until Matt grabs the Side Effect for two more. Matt dives into a kick to the ribs but Davey misses a top rope double stomp, setting up the Twist of Fate to give Matt the pin at 9:06.
Rating: C+. Nice match here with Matt doing his normal stuff and Davey doing all of his kicks. Matt would have been fine for a token title reign but giving him one in the spot they did it and the quick fallout are going to make it much more infamous than a feel good moment. You almost have to expect Matt to advance into the round of sixteen, likely winding up against Galloway or Carter down the line.
Group Tag Team Specialists
Matt Hardy – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Robbie E. – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Eddie Edwards – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Davey Richards – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
We take a look at Beer Money splitting and Roode taking the World Title from Storm.
Group X-Division argued about who is the least likely to advance. Bart Simpson jokes are made.
Pope predicts DJZ and Tigre Uno advance from the group for his fearless predictions.
Group Wildcard: Aiden O’Shea vs. Kenny King
The announcers act like O’Shea is an unknown who had never been seen before Bound For Glory. We go split screen for the round table (with the roundtable being far bigger than the match) and come back with King getting two off a sunset flip as Bradley’s pants have split. A spinning kick to the face drops O’Shea but the Royal Flush is countered. Instead it’s a springboard Blockbuster to give Kenny the pin at 4:44.
Rating: C-. So Shelton Benjamin pinned Sheamus. A good chunk of the match was spent on the round table where O’Shea thought King could win because he’s handsome. I actually like the idea of O’Shea as there’s always room for a big power brawler. No he isn’t going anywhere but it’s nice to have him around.
Group Wildcard
Kenny King – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Crazzy Steve – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Mahabali Shera – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Aiden O’Shea – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Eric Young says he’s exposing Abyss for the worthless freak that he is tonight.
Davey Richards says he lost a fair match to a better man tonight.
Here’s your latest filler: we see a group and Pope swipes right if he thinks the wrestler wins or swipes left if he thinks they lose. Abyss and Roode to win and Young and Storm to lose.
Group TNA Originals argue over who is eliminated. Storm and Abyss are annoyed over the Revolution fallout.
Group TNA Originals: Eric Young vs. Abyss
Abyss splashes him in the corner to start but Eric bites the hand to block a chokeslam as we take a break. Back with the brawl heading to the break and Abyss sending him into the steps to take over. Young starts choking a lot but dives into a chokeslam attempt. Abyss has to settle for a Samoan drop for two, followed by the chokeslam for the same. Janice is brought in but Hebner takes it away, allowing Eric to get in a low blow and the top rope elbow for two. The Black Hole Slam gives Abyss the quick pin at 10:39.
Rating: D+. This is the match where the reality of this Series sat in for me. Yeah the concept isn’t bad and they’ve organized it really well, but this is probably all we’re getting for the next two to three months: mediocre matches that only exist for the sake of the tournament with no one interested in doing anything outside of the ordinary. Such is life in TNA.
Group TNA Originals
Abyss – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
James Storm – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Bobby Roode – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Eric Young – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Ethan Carter III, on a bad Skype connection, says he was robbed of the title at Bound For Glory. He’s going to win and isn’t worried about fighting Lashley next week. This tournament doesn’t end until he wins it. Carter is really good at these closing lines.
Young says everyone is against him but he’ll win in the end.
Abyss says tonight was Young’s night. Roode and Storm will have their nights.
Group Tag Team Specialist: Eddie Edwards vs. Robbie E.
Feeling out process to start until Eddie gets in a running knee to the face. Robbie sends him out to the floor and takes Eddie down with a nice dive. A legdrop gets two on Eddie as we hear Matt Hardy picking Robbie E. as the least likely to advance. They slug it out on the floor until Eddie takes over with some chops, only to walk into the Boom Drop for two. So much for Robbie’s chances. The backpack Stunner out of the corner gets the same for Eddie but Robbie grabs a reverse DDT for the clean pin at 5:49.
Rating: C+. This was actually a lot better than I was expecting and I like the idea of Robbie getting a win here. I can’t imagine he goes anywhere in this thing but it’s cool to see him going somewhere and not being treated as a joke for a change. Edwards continues to be far better than Richards in just about every way.
Group Tag Team Specialists
Matt Hardy – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Robbie E. – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Eddie Edwards – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Davey Richards – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Eddie shakes his hand post match.
More on Roode vs. Storm’s history.
Roode is proud to be King of the Mountain Champion but tonight he’s winning because he wants it more.
Robbie E. says he’s a good singles wrestler in the Tag Team Specialists group.
Edwards is surprised but he’d love a rematch.
Group Future Four gets annoyed at Eli Drake who completely outclasses the other three. He speaks a very basic style but comes off like a really good, arrogant heel.
Group Wildcard: Mahabali Shera vs. Crazzy Steve
Shera still has the Khoya trunks and doesn’t do the dance. Some of the fans do, but I’m assuming it was clipped from another show. Shera powers him around to start but Steve sends him into the corner and gets in some forearms to the back. Not that it matters as a quick Sky High gives Shera the pin at 2:35.
Group Wildcard
Kenny King – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Mahabali Shera – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Crazzy Steve – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Aiden O’Shea – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
More Roode vs. Storm history, this time including the Revolution, which had nothing to do with Roode.
Group TNA Originals: James Storm vs. Bobby Roode
Roode pounds him into the corner to start before a headlock takes Storm to the mat and us to a break. Back with Storm taking Roode out of the corner but walking into a dropkick. They fight to the floor as Josh tells us we can get all the details on the tournament on the TNA website. Then, if you’re lucky, he’ll call you out as an internet nerd next week. Eye of the Storm gets two and we hit the chinlock on Roode.
Five minutes to go. Roode fights up and gets two off a spinebuster. The Blockbuster gets the same but Storm grabs a Backstabber for two of his own. Storm tries to bring in a chair but it’s just a distraction so he can use the cowbell for two. The Last Call misses and Roode grabs a fisherman’s suplex for the pin at 14:40.
Rating: C. Well at least it wasn’t a time limit draw. It’s another match between two guys who have fought a hundred times and Roode wins again, as he’s done so many times over the years. Storm isn’t likely to win as he’s already out of the company at the moment, but it would be nice to see him get one last run.
Group TNA Originals
Abyss – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
Bobby Roode – 3 points (2 matches remaining)
James Storm – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Eric Young – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Overall Rating: D+. This is all we’re going to get until about January. That makes me dread this show more and more every week, even if it’s not the worst concept in the world. The wrestling wasn’t terrible tonight but I have almost no interest in sitting through ten or so weeks of this stuff, hoping that something makes me care about an individual match with almost no story to it. It’s all we’re getting though and I can’t wait to see the ratings when the fans catch on to what they’re stuck with for so long.
Results
Matt Hardy b. Davey Richards – Twist of Fate
Kenny King b. Aiden O’Shea – Springboard Blockbuster
Abyss b. Eric Young – Black Hole Slam
Robbie E. b. Eddie Edwards – Reverse DDT
Mahabali Shera b. Crazzy Steve – Sky High
Bobby Roode b. James Storm – Fisherman’s suplex
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