TNA Impact Wrestling Review - January 30, 2014

The Investor MVP arrives in TNA.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle Interrupted TNA World Heavyweight Champion Magnus

Magnus has always been a great mic worker and this promo was pure proof of that. It was a refreshing chance of pace for him to garner his own heat as opposed to coming out with Dixie Carter, who thankfully didn't appear until the very end. Joe has seemed motivated in recent weeks, which is good to see. They hyped their main event match well and it was nice to see Magnus stand up to Dixie, even though the tension between her and Magnus is too reminiscent of Randy Orton and The Authority.


Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky def. Gail Kim and Lei'D Tapa

The biggest difference between the Divas division and Knockouts division is that Knockouts matches are usually given much more time than Divas matches. That being said, why did this match not even last two minutes? It was over before it even started and essentially served no purpose. I lost interest in the Rayne-Kim feud when Rayne won the title so quickly a few weeks ago and this quick contest did the rivalry no favors. It only set up Sky officially dumping Chris Sabin afterward, but couldn't that have been accomplished without a match being held?

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James Storm Called Out Gunner; Storm and Gunner def. Bad Influence

It was strange to see Storm and Gunner make up after tension has been teased between the two for well over two months, but at least Storm isn't turning heel... or is he? Seriously, though, the crowd gave Storm a great reaction and initially booed Gunner, so that should be a telling sign of who of the two should turn heel. Speaking Gunner, how stupid was it of his character to put his briefcase on the line in a match, much less in a tag team match? The match was fun while it lasted, but it didn't make the stipulation any less asinine.


Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards Attacked Rockstar Spud

Spud can be obnoxious at times, but he can also be quite entertaining in small doses. He was very good here and received mass heat from the Scotland crowd. Edwards and Richards played their silent role well and delivered an effective short and sweet promo. It provided a suspenseful hook for the rest of the show that had viewers looking forward to the reveal of the Investor.


TNA World Tag Team Champions The Bro-Mans def. Eric Young and Abyss by Disqualification

Young and Abyss don't make for the most intriguing team, and The Bro-Mans are just flat out annoying, and not in a good way. The match was fine for what it was, but it is was all about furthering the Abyss story, not the tag team titles. The referee threatening to disqualify Abyss for choking DJ Zema was odd since Zema wasn't even a part of the match, but having him attack the ref and Young solidified the craziness aspect of his character. I can't say I am all that excited to see Young vs. Abyss in a Monster's Ball match next week, but if it means the end of this godforsaken angle, then I am all for it.


Bully Ray Challenged Mr. Anderson to a Casket Match

I truly hoped their no disqualification match from two weeks ago was the conclusion of their long running feud, but apparently not. I always enjoy their matches, don't get me wrong, but it is time for something new. They have been engaged in a rivalry since September and I have no desire to see it continue. I can't say the Casket match stipulation does much for me, but one can only hope that it means the end of this feud is in sight and both guys can move on to bigger and better things.


Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle def. TNA World Heavyweight Champion Magnus and Ethan Carter III; MVP Was Revealed to Be the TNA Investor

It was a solid effort from all four competitors, but it definitely could have gone longer. The finishing sequence felt rushed, hence why the crowd wasn't into any of the near-falls. Although Magnus taking the submission loss made him look weak, it helped set up a title match between him and Joe for down the line. The post-match promos from Joe and Angle were good and as I stated before, it is encouraging to see a fire lit underneath Joe for the first time in a while. The revealing of MVP as the new TNA investor was very well done and came off as a big moment. I hope to see him in the ring during his TNA tenure, but at least this is one surprise angle that TNA did that they didn't completely screw up.


Overall Show

First and foremost, the Scotland crowd was awesome on this show. I always love when TNA travels overseas to the United Kingdom, as the audiences over there are always great and make for an electric atmosphere. They really enhanced this show and were hot for matches and segments most other crowds probably wouldn't have reacted to. Most of the show felt like throwaway, but at least the closing segment with MVP made it all worthwhile. I look forward to where they go with this storyline and hope it doesn't fizzle out like ever other authority angle TNA has done in the past.