By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Matt Hardy def. Robbie E to Earn 3 Points in the World Title Series

I realize Hardy was thrown in the tag team competitors group before he won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory, but he's better than everyone else in his category and it wouldn't make sense for him to lose this early. Thus, it was pretty predictable Hardy would be winning here, but it was decent match while it lasted. Robbie E has all the tools to be a major player in this company, but he won't get anywhere as long as he's doing the outdated Jersey Shore gimmick. It doesn't work for him as a babyface and he'd be much more effective if he were simply straightforward.


Drew Galloway def. Grado to Earn 3 Points in the World Title Series

I loved Grado's work on the independent scene, but he feels like a watered-down version of his former self in TNA. His comedy always falls flat and he isn't allowed to show what he's truly capable of in the ring. He and Galloway worked well together, but it was an obvious mismatch and Galloway's victory was never in doubt. On the other hand, I like the story of Galloway working his way back up to title contention after losing at Bound for Glory.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Emma def. Shazza

What made this more than a standard squash match was how the commentators acknowledged the history between Emma and Shazza from their days on the independent scene. I would have never known that had they not mentioned it and it was the story they told throughout the match. I've been loving the extra aggression Emma has been showing in her matches since going heel and that was certainly the case here as well. Shazza had a nice showing in her own right, but I'd have to see more of her work to get a grasp on whether she should be signed or not. As Emma prepares to face-off against Asuka soon, this was a nice little warm-up bout for her.


Jason Jordan and Chad Gable def. Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa

Full Sail University can be over-the-top at times, but they were spot-on with their chant: This was wrestling! This match was just a ton of fun from start to finish, and although I wasn't sure whether Jordan and Gable were supposed to be heels or not, it doesn't even matter. They're such a tremendous team and the audience will have no choice but to cheer them, so they might as well go with the flow. Gargano and Ciampa were the perfect opponents for the duo as they contested a very well-wrestled match together and were given plenty of time. Awesome stuff.

By RJ Marceau

Last year, rumors speculated that Xavier Woods, Big E and Kofi Kingston were developing a new faction and be the 2014 version of the Nation of Domination. Xavier Woods would be ringside for Big E and Kofi Kingston matches that saw these men lose and become very upset. Eventually they were running vignettes of the group as an African-American church preaching gospel group. These men debuted as babyfaces but the money was in a heel turn. The group ran as babyfaces till the night after WrestleMania. The crowd responded to The New Day negatively and started the “New Day Sucks” chant. They decided to run with the ball and say that it’s New Day Rocks not New Day Sucks.

New Day isn’t your typical heels; when you see them you hate them but they are now cheered as heels. Instead of trashing the crowd in every promo they usually make fun of their opponent or the host city stating they are “Boooty!!!” The New Day won the tag team titles at Extreme Rules and held the titles till Battleground. They lost the titles but were still in the title picture and won the tag team titles back at SummerSlam. Being there live was amazing and the Brooklyn crowd came unglued. The implementation of Xavier Woods playing the trombone made the act more unique and funny. Singing songs and playing the trombone during the match has been very entertaining. New Day recently defeated the Dudley Boys again at Hell and a Cell so it will be interesting to see whom they face next.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Brie Bella def. Becky Lynch

I've always said Brie was the weaker worker of The Bella Twins, but she can have a competent match with the right opponent and Lynch was the perfect person for her to go up against. She had an impressive showing in this bout and the funny thing is, I can't remember any of their past encounters being anything special. Something just clicked on this night. It was strange hearing more chants for Brie than for Lynch, but it wasn't until afterward that I realized it was the Bellas' hometown. Due to that, giving Brie the win here is almost excusable, but Lynch is the one they need to start building up right now at the risk of making her an afterthought (if she isn't one already, that is).


Stardust def. Zack Ryder

These two had a very similar match only a few short weeks ago, so this was a repeat performance. It was a well-wrestled little match, but ultimately nothing of note. Both Stardust and Ryder are excellent athletes, but the crowd won't care until they're given a reason to. It's nice to see The Ascension at ringside for Stardust's matches, but why isn't Stardust ever present for The Ascension's matches? Because he knows they'll lose, perhaps?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Authority Announced a No. 1 Contender's Tournament for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

I really liked the idea of holding a tournament of sorts to determine a new No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The night after WrestleMania might have been the last time we had a No. 1 contender's match, which is crazy to think about. Another aspect of it that I liked was how the tournament consisted of all winners from Hell in a Cell, which is exactly the way it should be. It sounds silly, but how often had we had glorified losers get title shots for no reason? The only complaint I had was that Brock Lesnar's absence from the tournament wasn't explained, despite the fact graphics of his Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker were replayed at least three times throughout the night. I didn't at all expect him to compete, but they simply could have said he was too hurt to take part instead of ignoring it.


Roman Reigns def. WWE Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston in a No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Qualifying Match

There wasn't any doubt regarding the outcome, but Reigns and Kingston worked a very good opening match. Above all else, it felt fresh and Kingston sold well for Reigns' offense. To my memory, this was the first singles match they've worked together, but they've had plenty of practice in tag team matches before, so that's where the solid in-ring chemistry stemmed from. Typically I'm not a fan of champs taking losses, but Kingston's a tag title holder and this was a singles match, so I didn't mind it as much.