Its number two of my monthly (starting now) Lose Your Illusions column. Please hold your applause.
Victory Road
Victory Road had it all this Sunday. From Debuts to Returns and even a bit of wrestling thrown in. So i wont waste any time with my review(sorta) of the show.
The actual card was:
Ultimate X Gauntlet match.
Basham & Damaja vs. Voodoo Kin mafia
James Storm vs. Rhino
Mr. Backlund & Jerry Lynn vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Robert Roode & Ms. Brooks vs. Eric Young & Gail Kim
Christian Cage vs. Chris Harris
AJ Styles & Tomko vs. Sting & Abyss
Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe vs. Team 3D.
The Ultimate X gauntlet match was very well done. If all ten men had survived then it would have been way over crowded. The six that made it was more than enough. The ending was a little predictable. And apart from clearly hearing Daniels count down for the triple German suplex from the corner the match went off without a hitch.
No comment on the match but Nikki Roxx can actually wrestle. Hopefully we get to see her against Gail Kim in the future.
This had probably the best build up of any of the matches, a simple story that a lot of people can relate to. Proof that you don't need to blow up limos to make a storyline work.
It was almost a good match. I feel Lynn suffered from having to carry Backlund. I said it last month but they haven't listened, so I'll say it again. Take Backlund off TV. Their is no need for him.
Why is this feud still going? What are they fighting over? It seems to me that TNA don't have anything else for Eric Young to do and the main event scene has too many already to add Roode at this time. At least the addition of Brooks and Gail made it a little different from the last match they had.
Harris has shown he can hang with the best. Altho he didn't get the win he did come close. I think he may be getting the pin-fall next time around.
Started off slow but thankfully AJ was making it enjoyable. His cross body attempt to Abyss was hilarious. By the end of the match i was waiting for the run in from Mitchell's monster. But, it never came so that was a nice surprise.
Team 3D were in it for a reason. I was against it at first but am now glad they got the match. The mid-match argument sold me. I believed that Ray was leaving. In the end i was kind-of hoping Devon would win the X-Division title so that Joe doesn't have to drop it to Daniels on iMPACT! Joe and Angle worked really well together... bar the last few minutes of course. Hopefully Hard Justice is Joe vs Angle for the title.
My card would have been:
Frankie Kazarian vs. Martyr
Frankie Kazarian vs. Havok
Ravens Rules: Frankie Kazarian vs. Raven
Lance Hoyt vs. Kip James
Ultimate X: Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Senshi, Jerry Lynn, Jay Lethal, Puma
L.A.X. vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Christian Cage, AJ Styles & Tomko vs. Chris Harris, Sting & Abyss
James Storm vs. Rhino
Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe vs. Team 3D
Kazarian beats Martyr and Havok then has the make or break match against Raven. If he puts on a good showing he's in line for an X-Division title shot. If he doesn't perform he's feuding with Serotonin for another while.
Hoyt vs. Kip is instead of having to watch BG and Basham/Damaja try and wrestle. Take the two with talent from the five and we might get a good match.
Same result but with only eight men. Skipper and Senshi hand Daniels the win.
L.A.X. vs. MCMG would have been a potential show stealer. Try and find a better tag match, you wont have much luck.
Why use two matches when one would have done? Abyss continues trying to take out Cage while Cage can start his feud with Harris.
Storm vs. Rhino had a really good story line. Just nice and simple.
Same result.
The first thing that struck me was the fact that Kazarian had a match & Havok & Martyr had a segment. So why didn't they have anything together? Would it not make sense for Havok and Martyr to take Kazarian out of the Ultimate X match?
The next thing was Dustin Rhodes. I know h was second choice but is ther really no-one better? Wait, let me re-phrase that, is their really no-one in shape? Matt Morgans flight from Japan was delayed but why not delay the story until iMPACT! My back-up to Morgan would have been D'Lo Brown due to his past with Styles.
Thirdly, proof that TNA don't give much away. Rick Steiner comes to ringside then i see someone slide into the ring from the corner of the screen. Instantly you know Scottie is back. However, TNA said he as out for 6 months, that was 2 months ago. Therefor it was a complete surprise and a welcome one as-well. Scott is still injured so he will only be doing promos, no wrestling for another few weeks. Maybe Hard Justice.
iMPACT!
Abyss speaking could have went either way. Luckily TNA only had him say a few words. Any more and it destroys his whole character. Those few words add the speech element but also keep the monster element alive. In case your wondering TNA never said Abyss cant speak, they just said he doesn't. No looking for flaws allowed.
The Rhino & James Storm feud as i said already is so good because its so simple. My only wish for this storyline is that TNA don't go over-board with it and make Rhino an alcoholic or something. For me that would kill it there and then.
Anyone else bored of Robert Roode & Ms. Brooks? Roode needs to be on his own in my eyes. Ms. Brooks isn't helping him much. Apart from the occasional distraction she doesn't add anything. Split them and Roode will excel even more.
Last point on iMPACT! is the ratings since Slammiversary. 1.1, 1.2, 1.2, 1.1. 1.2 is a new record for TNA and not only did they hit it, they repeated it. The 1.2 ratings were the weeks of Angle vs. Rhino vs. Cage for the TNA Title and L.A.X. vs. Team 3D vs. Styles & Daniels for the TNA Tag titles. TNA titles aren't defended on iMPACT! a whole lot but when they are the ratings always seem to go up a little. Hopefully the extra viewers will come back for more.
Individuals
I'm going to take a look at a few wrestlers and what they are doing until i get thru the whole lot. Then I'll start again.
"The Guru" Sonjay Dutt
If it wasn't for the segment with Angle at Victory Road I'd say dump it. But I'm going to say keep it. It doesn't work with Jay Lethal but it worked really well with Angle.
"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
Poor Jay, he wins the title at Slammiversary then losses it two days later. I was expecting him to win the Ultimate X at Victory Road but when he didn't i don't see what he can do now. Other than get a new gimmick because i think Black Machismo has just about run its course.
Petey Williams
He was supposed to be the star of Team Canada but now he's below even Johnny Devine. Get Scott D'Amore back in to re-make him the cocky heel he once was.
Sting
Whats he going to do when Ricky Banderas debuts? Unless he's feuding with Styles or Tomko for as of yet no reason, I don't see anything for him until Angle/Joe is done then he gets Angle.
AJ Styles
People are complaining about his match quality dropping. It's a double edged sword with Styles. As a heel you get 5* promos & 3* matches but as a face you get 5* matches with 3* promos. Its a case of what do you prefare?
Basham & Damaja
I'm just glad these guys are on open contracts. Meaning they get paid per appearance. Its just as-well they have Lance Hoyt & Christy Hemme because otherwise they would be hopeless.
Voodoo Kin mafia
I said it last month and I'm going to say it again. JUST GO AWAY PLEASE!!!
Thanks if you bothered to read this, if you didn't well then i could be saying anything about you and you wouldn't know.
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