By Graham "GSM" Matthews Lucha Underground Champion Prince Puma def. Johnny Mundo in an "All Night Long" Match I, like everyone else, was expecting an instant classic from these two, and not only did they deliver, but the match exceeded my expectations, and that's saying something. Iron Man matches aren't for everyone because they have the tendency to drag at times, but that was never the case in this match; they never took an extended period of time to rest. I didn't know there were no disqualifications until they started pulling out the tables, but hey, I'm not complaining! The incorporation of the weapons was excellent, but it would have been nice if they established that a part of the rules beforehand. Even still, the big spots that included the tackle through the table and Alberto El Patron's interference were awesome and I loved they story they told with Prince Puma having to battle back against the odds and miraculously win the final fall before the time ran out. The commentary team also enhanced the action by sounding invested, engaged and passionate, and that's what separates them from just about every other announce team in wrestling; they're that great. Overall Show The idea of having one match last for the entirety of the show was innovative and the match was phenomenal as you could tell from my description of it above. It just might be my favorite Lucha Underground match to date, so you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't check out this match. You'll be glad you did as the hour absolutely flies by.
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By Graham "GSM" Matthews War Machine def. Adam Page and Colby Corino While the match was a total afterthought, the story of BJ Whitmer continuing to indirectly inflict pain on Corino was effectively furthered. Seeing the younger Corino get decimated is actually entertaining to watch, and what should be even better will be when Corino ultimately snaps and goes after Whitmer. Unlike last time, Steve Corino actually showed concern for his son and even came close to going after Whitmer once the match concluded, and when he eventually does, the crowd will go crazy. Cedric Alexander def. Moose From what I've picked up since Ring of Honor's debut on Destination America a few weeks back, Moose has come a long way since his arrival last year and has turned into a pretty big deal. Not even Alexander's pre-match promo foreshadowed his win as I was completely shocked by Moose's longstanding undefeated streak coming to an end here. The match was fun while it lasted and I would have been fine with Alexander falling short of victory, but perhaps they're building to something bigger with him and now he won't have the streak holding him back in the future. I'm also willing to bet that Veda Scott inadvertently costing him the win will lead to their split sooner rather than later. By Graham "GSM" Matthews TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle and Ethan Carter III Signed the Contract for Their Championship Match Contract signings in wrestling are almost always the same, but I really enjoyed this. I could have done without EC3 referencing much bigger names from WWE that Angle has beaten because even though it wasn't meant as a shot at them, it makes TNA look second-rate in comparison. Still, both he and Angle were calm, cool and composed in their respective promos and I liked how Angle made a big deal out of EC3's undefeated streak up to this point. Regardless of who wins, something monumental will occur, and that's when you know you've got yourself a marquee match. Eddie Edwards def. Bobby Roode; The Wolves Chose the Stipulation for Match #4 in the Best of Five Series The Dirty Heels are such an excellent team and having them outsmart The Wolves by making this into a match with a stipulation for the next match in the series on the line was brilliant, though I would have rather seen Roode win because of that. That said, it might not matter since the heels are virtually guaranteed to go over in the next encounter. I'm totally in favor of them adding a stipulation to that bout so it means more, but why Full Metal Mayhem? Don't get me wrong, it should be a great match, but I'm left wondering how they're going to top it in the fifth and final match. As for this contest, it was much better than I assumed it would be and they delivered a solid outing. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady and Carmella def. NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy and Alexa Bliss The matches between these two teams in recent months have been relatively decent and nothing out of the ordinary, but I thought this was one of the better bouts they've contested together. It was fun while it lasted and the women were kept limited, allowing the more rounded wrestlers to do most of the in-ring work. The crowd was invested in the action and it was logical to have the babyfaces go over so can earn themselves a future shot at the tag team titles, so this was a well booked opener to the show and successful on several fronts. Charlotte def. Cassie We haven't seen much of Casside on NXT up to this point (I want to say this was her second match on the show), but her progress is coming along nicely. She was sloppy at times during this match, but I'm sure she'll improve in due time. Regardless, this match was all about Charlotte and mostly a showcase for her, so it was effective in that respect. She might be still around to wrap up her feud with Dana Brooke (and hopefully put her over in the end), but I can't help but think she's beyond ready to be promoted to the main event (then again, that might be considered a demotion to some). |
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