Impact opened up strong with a three-way promo that leads into our first match.
Angle opens the show, addresses the camera from in the crowd (nice by the way), announcing a grudge match between EC3 and Rhino, the 3D, Hardys and Wolves main event and that he will figure out who the number one contender is.
Cue, MVP, King and Lashley. MVP cut a promo degrading New York and New Yorkers, which brought out Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer came walking out without music, which was nice. That made it seem more real and spur of the moment.
After some choice words by Dreamer and a scuffle with Kenny King, Angle sets up our first match: Dreamer versus Lashley in a New York Street Fight.
Except for a brief trash can flurry from Dreamer, this street fight was dominated by Lashley. This was just a match designed to put over how dominate Lashley can be. Tenay and Taz put over Dreamer’s toughness and how this was ‘Dreamer’s match,’ however it turned into Lashley’s match.
Madison Rayne is on her way out, and says it is time for Taryn to learn why she is the Queen of the Knockouts.
Taryn pinned Madison is a match I am not used to seeing from the knockouts: a sloppy, poorly executed match. I am used to see much better matches from the knockouts, not sloppy clotheslines, poor kicks and both women looking like they are lost. This was more akin to a Diva’s match.
Granted, I think Taryn may have hurt herself when she took a fall to the outside, which probably affected her performance in the match. Still, she isn’t up to the level of Madison or Gail Kim.
Are the first cracks in the relationship between Gunner and Samuel Shaw starting to show? Gunner and Shaw shared a hotel room, after stepping out for a minute, Gunner returns to find Shaw wearing Gunner’s marine uniform. A pissed Gunner tells him to take it off, or ‘I Will.”
Low Ki gets the pin on Manic in a frantic, exciting, hard to follow athletic six-man tag team match between Tigre Uno, Crazy Steve and Low Ki versus Homicide, DJ Z and Manic. Excellent match between these six and a welcome step up from the poor knockouts match.
Hey, is this Crazy Steve’s first taste of victory in TNA?
After a closed door meeting with Angle, Roode and Young, a public announcement will be made as to how the controversy over the number one contender ship will be handled.
Rhino promises to send EC3 to hell with a GORE, GORE, GORE!
TEAR THE ROOF OF OFF THIS SONOFABITCH! Bobby Roode announces that next week, he and Eric Young will have a match to determine who the number one contender will be. He then cuts a promo about Eric being his best friend and calls Eric out.
Eric said that Roode is the best wrestler in the world, but he is just a good. They both showed mutual respect, love for each other and the fans.
I am looking forward to a great match. I would love it to remain a match between friends, no matter who wins, but I see some sort of turn happening.
Did I just see EC3 dismantle Rhino? Again. Granted, Spud interfered in the match twice and Rhino won by DQ when EC3 used a chair, but EC3 was the winner here. Last week he turned a corner, this week he walked down the street. Watch out TNA, EC3 is unleashed.
James storm comes out and announces that he is the leader of a new revolution of men who need a rebirth, starting with ‘The GREAT Sanada.’ Sanada comes out and reveal a new look with ‘Muta’ like face paint. Sanada goes on to defeat Austin Aries in a decent but short match that included Storm interfering and Sanada using green Asian mist!
The point that needs to be taken from here isn’t Sanada’s victory; it was Storm saying that Sanada was ‘the first of many.’
When I first heard that TNA signed an amputee, the first thing that came to mind was Zack Gowan. I had no idea the amputee was a solider and member of the wounded warrior project, Sergeant Chris Melendez. They showed a video package of Melendez pulling off some nice moves with only one leg. Angle, Anderson, Bully Ray and Devon all talked about him and welcomed him to TNA.
I am a military brat. My dad was a 25-year military vet and a sergeant, so I was into this. Good luck, Sarge.
With Team 3D already in the ring, this leads right into our main event, Team 3d versus the Hardys versus the TNA World Tag Team Champions, the Wolves. This is the first in a series of three-way matches between these three teams, the first to win two matches wins the series, the tag titles and the title of greatest . . . This is where I am confused, are they talking about being the greatest tag team in the world today, or of all time. They haven’t been clear on that. The Wolves are nowhere near the hunt for great of all time.
This was a good match, which Team 3D won. However, I am probably in the minority here, I was disappointed. We know what these teams can do, and all they did was deliver on what was expected. With all the hype and importance put on this series, they needed to step it up more.
TNA has deliberately compared this to the series of three matches that involved the Hardy and Dudleys in the WWE (without mentioning the WWE); those matches also included Christian and Edge. If this series is to live up to what they want it to be, and live up to THAT series, then they need to do much, much more. Good just won’t cut it.
One sad fact here, people who don’t know, might actually believe that the matches the Hardys and Team 3D were taking about took place in TNA, especially newer and younger fans that never saw the matches.
Final Thoughts – Another good broadcast of Impact. Hooray for TNA putting together good back-to-back broadcasts. First time they have done this in a long time. This broadcast was on par with last week, and there are some interesting things coming out it.
EC3 has dealt with Rhino. Who is next? If he keeps up this intensity and violence, who can stop him? Certainly not Spud.
James Storm and his revolution. Sanada is just the first of many, per James Storm. Who is next? Since this is about men who need a rebirth, could we see some faces return to TNA? Is there a Storm coming?
Gunner and Shaw . . . Shaw in Gunner’s uniform. Was Anderson right all along?
Rating: 6.5
Match of the Night: Six Man X Division Tag Match
Wrestler of the Night: EC3
Impact of the Night: EC3 over Rhino, again.
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