 Ethan Carter III shakes the hand of Rockstar Spud. By Graham "GSM" Matthews Bobby Roode def. Eric Young in a Last Man Standing Match Although I haven't cared much about this feud since it started up again a few months again, both guys deserve credit for their strong performances in their respective roles as of late. Their standard singles matches tended to bleed together, but their specialty matches have been quite good with this being the best of the series. Last Man Standing matches can drag at times, but they put together a suspenseful contest with several cool spots and excellent use of the extreme environment. Roode winning gives me hope that this rivalry has been blown off once and for all and both guys can now move on to bigger and better things. MVP Interrupted Drew Galloway; Galloway def. MVP by Disqualification Galloway has great mic skills and I really like his delivery, but the content is god awful, and by awful I mean we've heard a million times before. I'm not saying ex-WWE talents come off as bitter when they allude to their time there, but the "I'm here for pro wrestling" shtick is tired and cliche. How about focus on giving us that wrestling instead of talking about it? The match was good while it lasted, but it hardly got started before the interference. At the very least, the post-match attack from the Beat Down Clan on Galloway was brutal and was effective in getting more heat back on group.  Bram tortures his former friend Magnus. Magnus def. Bram by Disqualification
As I've mentioned before, they've done a solid job of making this rivalry mean something since Bram first took out Magnus. Both are brawlers, so I'm glad they a match that reflected more of a fight than a wrestling contest. The disqualification finish was smart with the feud just starting up (yet this is the company that claims to be all about the wrestling?), but the post-match bit with Bram taking Mickie James "hostage" was well done. As long as Magnus gets his revenge over Bram at some point (which I'm sure he will), the payoff will be huge and the feud will be be beneficial for both guys. Brooke def. Robbie E Brooke and Robbie have a nice little thing going for themselves, but my apathy toward The BroMans makes it hard for me to care about it. Plus, all we know about this angle is that Brooke and Robbie broke up; that's it. Brooke is a pretty face and that's all, while The BroMans are an obnoxious act for all the wrong reasons. Their match was total comedic filler that I hope runs its course sooner rather than later. Ethan Carter III def. Rockstar Spud in a Hair vs. Hair Match Had you told me months ago that a match between EC3 and Rockstar Spud would be headlining an episode of Impact, I probably would have laughed in your face, bu they more than proved me wrong. They've built their feud up really well, and although there was some outside interference from everyone who's taken part in this storyline (with the exception of Mandrews), it was limited and done effectively. The crowd was fully behind Spud's hope spots and there were a few points where I actually thought he might win. The blood was also a great touch as it hammered home the brutality of the bout and specifically EC3's offense. EC3 continues to flourish in his role with his facial expressions at the end of the match feeling back for Spud only to turn on him afterward to go through with the stipulation. This was the perfect way of blowing off their long running rivalry. Overall Show For the second straight week, I really enjoyed Impact. Again, maybe because I'm bias toward the England audience, but they made for an electric atmosphere and added a lot to this show. The opening and closing matches were worth watching alone, but everything in between, with the exception of Brooke vs. Robbie E, was relatively solid. I also liked how they gave Kurt Angle and Lashley the week off and instead aired video packages in their place to promote next week's TNA World Heavyweight Championship match which should be something special. |
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