TNA Impact Wrestling 3-13-15

I'm pretty hyped up about the show tonight. We've got hair vs. hair with Spud against EC3 in a really well-built feud and Magnus facing Bram in a match that's been built up nicely for the most part - although last week's deal didn't excite me much. Wolves interview for Unlocked was quite good, although they used their TNA one-on-one match footage while narrating an ROH one, which was odd. They put over the Hardys and Dudleys thing and yes, they actually used that name for them. Tenay put over being able to call their tag series and it being a real highlight for him in 2014. So of course, they had a graphic hyping up the interview AFTER IT AIRED and DA covered the graphic up with a graphic hyping up Impact. Also, EY has an American bulldog named Matilda, which he did not name.

We get a hype video after Unlocked showing Spud losing a ton of blood tonight. The show itself begins with a blood feud video package hyping up tonight's three top matches. Very effective stuff here. EY's out first, so we get a last man standing match first. Roode comes out and spends a lot of time just punching the hell out of him. BACNE RAKE. Big chop in the corner. Roode hits a nice dropkick while EY's on the apron sending him to the floor. Roode and EY brawl outside and the crowd chants for tables. EY turns the tables and we get more punches. This is functionally fine, but isn't doing much for me. EY takes a suplex on the ramp. This is like a video game match. EY gets up and goes back down due to a Roode lariat. Bobby goes back to the ring to get a table while the crowd slaps the barricades - which at least sounds cool. Roode fights back with punches for a break. Okay then.

We come back to a Roode chop and then EY doing a running jumping neckbreaker. EY rakes the face in the corner with his boot. Josh runs down how EY is a former Triple Crown champion in TNA. Actually, he'd be a grand slam champion since he was also World TV Champion, although I guess with that being dead for years, it doesn't count. Roode fights back with punches. EY tosses him into the steps, but he picks Roode up and hits him again. EY sets up a piledriver on the steps, but gets backdropped. The audio cuts out for a bit and the video cuts out for a second. Odd. Nice little touch with Roode using a camera man to get up. Dueling chairs lead to a double down clothesline. Each uses the ring to get up and come back into the ring.

Roode is ROODING UP! More punches. Boo/yay punches. YAY YAY YAY, BOO, YAY. Duck from Roode leads to an EY piledriver. Roode gets up at 9. Running back elbow from EY leads to him getting a chair. Chair to the gut and back. Well, if you're going to use a chair for a head shot, at least have it be important in the story, so this fits. EY, like an idiot, argues with the ref and tells him to stop counting. Bobby gets up and hits a piledriver on the chair! EY's up at 9 and Roode goes for a Roode bomb, but they fight on the apron and Roode gets a Roode Bomb off the apron through the table for the win. Well, this was technically very good, but never really was super-exciting - I was left wanting to do this in 2K14 though. Magnus and Mickie walk into the building. They hype up EC3-Spud and JB meets with Spud to tell him it's not his fault. Spud says this is about standing up to a snob. He doesn't care if he loses the match or his hair - he stood up to him and that means more than any win.

Angle-Lashley hype leads to a Galloway-BDC recap. Drew has the most generic buttrock theme ever. He goes back into the crowd and says that at one point, the fans dictated what happened. Drew's Martel '98 gear is something else. MVP and the BDC come down. We've apparently got an MVP-Drew match here. MVP talks about how he isn't just playing God, HE HOLDS HIS LIFE IN HIS HANDS! MVP talks about Drew being CHOSEN because he had just about everything except a brain. MVP says it's okay - he's been chosen by the BDC to get the beatdown of his life. MVP says that since they were once drinking buddies and he used to like him. MVP gets drowned out by a chant Drew loves. MVP asks the Clan to stay in the back so he can fight Drew on his own.

Frye-Takayama exchange to start. MVP beats him down and Taz just chimes in randomly. It sounds like he's just being randomly inserted into parts where Josh shuts up.There is zero actual discussion - it's just Josh saying 99% of things and Taz saying things at various points. Drew chops away after unzipping his top and beating him down. Sick kick by Drew gets a nip up. BDC comes in before the Future Shock could be done. Blackout kick hits. Ki is stopped by both MVP and Joe, but it leads to Joe giving him the pipe. Pipe "to the arm" of Drew leads to it just clearly hitting the post. MVP has V. Porter on the back of his gear despite WWE owning the actual Montel Vontavious Porter name. Magnus and Mickie chat and he prevents her from being at ringside.

EC3-Spud is hyped up as the main event and we get a history video. They didn't go into much of the heel stuff with Spud beyond very brief clips. Hard to believe he ever was a heel since he's so damn likeable. EC3 says that names like Bully, Angle, and Sting are associated with greatness, while Spud is associated with loser. Bram-Magnus recap has Bram as the loser of FOF, oh yeah, Magnus has that case. Bram and Magnus starts with strikes as it should. THIS IS GONNA BE A FIGHT, NOT A MATCH...so like the opener then. Meh. I like Mag's new black and silver gear. Rabbit lariat to Magnus fits this feud nicely. Bram gets a neckbreaker and we get a shakey cam. Mickie comes down and gets catcalls. Boo/yay punches. EXACTLY LIKE THE OPENER! Rebound lariat hits for Magnus. Gorgeous flying elbow - I'd forgotten now nice that looked. Low blow from Bram leads to a DQ.



WHY ARE THERE DQS IN THIS BLOOD FEUD MATCH!? Two DQs out of 3 matches. Mickie talks to the ref while Bram chairshots Magnus a couple of times...just like in the opener... Bram gets zip ties and hooks Magnus to the rope. Magnus goes to attack with the cue ball, but Mickie runs in, so he grabs her and Magnus tells him that he'll fucking kill him. Bram says he'll let Mickie go if Magnus kisses his boot. Well, I thought that would go somewhere else. Magnus goes through with it and Bram just lets her go. This was largely boring. Brooke faces Robbie. Well, that should at least be amusing for fanservice.

Drew-MVP recap. MVP cuts a promo with the BDC about how the blood has just started to spill. Ki cut a hoot promo on Drew, son! Joe's promo was good. DJZ and his orange pixel glasses introduced Robbie E. WEARING GOLD AND BLACK TRIM AND HAILING FROM THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, LET'S GET READY TO ROBBIE! Robbie coming out like a boxer is so great. Brooke coming out and shaking her ass is great too. Robbie does the Ali shuffle. ROBBIE GETS A SHOVE and celebrates like it's WM. Brooke gets a hot headlock and ton of chops, but falls to EVIL-DOING and eats a suplex. Brooke gets a crossbody to Love. Jesse accidentally dropkicks Robbie and Brooke wins! This was stupid, but funny. Brooke jumps into the ref's arms and he gets a handful of ass.

 

 

 

 

 

In the studio, Josh recaps Angle's road to the title and then we see Lashley train hard. Spud came out for the main event in new red and white gear with an Man U jersey and logo on his gear. After the break, EC3 came down. Spud runs wild with punches before stomping a mudhole in the corner! Chops and punches on the floor. Spud does the Ole chant and the old chair-assisted kick, but with a dropkick. EC3 kicks him and chops away. Spud takes him down with a big clothesline for a break. After the break, Spud gets a flip dive to the floor! Tyrus came down and powerbombed him on the floor with more disjointed Taz commentary. Spud kicks out at 2.9 to a pretty big pop. Anderson runs down and punches Tyrus, who jiggles like Homer. Mic Check on the floor to Tyrus.

 

 

EC3 takes him out with the brace, and then hits Spud. Spud gets color off the brace - so that's the setup for what we saw before the show. EC3 gets some really shitty punches to the wound, which is spreading around nicely. WOO! STINGER SPLASH! Spud's blood coats EC3's leg on the way down. EC3 throws him out in front of JB. Brits yell YOU CAN'T WRESTLE at EC3. JB COMES IN WITH A LOW BLOW AND SPUD GETS A STUNNER FOR 2.9! Awesome nearfall! Josh sets up some black and white, which they do for half a second, and still show what we saw BEFORE THE SHOW, so what's the point?  EC3's face now has Spud's blood on it. SPUD HULKS UP with running forearms! SHINING WIZARD! Big punch combo leads to a ball claw and a Pele kick! WARRIOR ROPE SHAKE! Underdog countered and it leads to an arm brace shot that is weak and thankfully just gets 2. EC3 gets the One Percenter for the win.

 

 

 

EC3 puts him over as having a ton of fight and tonight, he took things too far. In front of his family, he fought his heart out and one day, he could be the world champion. He's a lion, a tiger, and a gazelle. DAMMIT, HE'S A MAN! EC3 goes for a handshake, gives it to him, lets him out...and then attacks! HA! He shaves him a bit in the corner. Man was this amazing. Spud got over huge. EC3 came off like a huge deal. It was just a win all around for everyone involved.

 

Screens -

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/z8bsh9vjoeed3reu900aepnmy4iprrdr