Week four of my 2016 run of watching TNA!
1. Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode in the penultimate match in Kurt’s Goodbye TNA tour. It was a really strong match to start the show. Pope at one point said we are “Halfway down suplex bouv courtesy of kurt angle”.
2. Nice segment with Kurt and Beer Money with an in ring salute. They are doing an overall good job of the Kurt Angle Goodbye Tour, except for the fact that it’s not credible as a retirement tour.
3. Matt Hardy Brand came out with Rockstar Spid
4. Abyss, along with Decay, took out Jimmy Havoc in a hardcore match. There were some good spots but hardcore wrestling comes off as garbage throw-away spots in 2016, especially when thrown out there with little context. “The Nobodies” is the name of the Marilyn Manson song that is Decay’s theme song.
5. Gail Kim came out to call Maria out for her pseudo turn last week. Maria came out and cut a really strong heel promo, the Gail was attacked by Jade. I liked this direction a lot more than some of the recent team based Knockout stuff.
6. Eric Young called out someone for a King of the Mountain title match. A hairy chubby pale UK guy called came out called Big Damo and they had a match.
7. Mike Bennett vs. Drew Galloway was a solid main event style match. I’m not sure Bennett is a top level guy, but the booking is giving him every opportunity. Galloway does come off as a star and it definitely seemed like an upset after Drew got the rub from Angle.
Here is Galloway’s win over Angle
IMPACT on Pop: Kurt Angle vs Drew Galloway Complete Match (2-16-16)
8. They ran a video package showing the Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Lashley for the TNA Title from last year. It’s great that TNA is able to promote big matches week to week, it really makes the shows feel bigger and the whole TNA universe more important and cohesive.
9. EC3 vs. Rockstar Spud is the main event. Let that sink in for a moment. They did an admirable job but it’s still hard to take Spud seriously as a heel and as a main eventer. It was a good showcase for EC3 in his new face persona and he got a strong reaction from the crowd.
10. Watching this week, it struck me that it’s very much a dated presentation that reminds me of the 90s. Smashing Pumpkins, Hole and Marilyn Manson songs! I like it, but I’m not sure it would be appealing to a broader crowd.
TNA flies by for me these days vs. watching the 3 hour slog that is Raw.
