For an easy to navigate archive of my TNA reviews, please visit Total Nonstop Ziegler!
Impact Wrestling Zone – Orlando, Florida – Friday, September 6, 2013
Mike Tenay and Taz are on commentary.
MATCH #1: Gail Kim vs. Alyssa Flash
They take it down to the mat and trade holds. Both women are aggressive in the early going, eager to set the tone for the match and the show. Kim strikes first with a dropkick. Flash fights back with a release German Suplex that sends Kim reeling to the floor. Kim tries to get a breather but Flash follows her out and gives chase. Flash tries to swing Kim into the barricade, but Kim counters and pulls Flash into the steel instead. Back in the ring Kim goes to work, keeping Flash on defense. Kim goes up and hits a missile dropkick for two. They trade some submission holds but neither woman is ready to tap out yet. Flash is able to catch Kim in a Samoan Drop, which Tenay calls a fallaway slam. Thankfully Taz corrects him, but then Taz tries to say that there’s no such thing as a Fallaway Slam. So both of the idiots manage to be wrong about pretty basic wrestling moves. They are just the worst duo, ever. Anyway, Flash fires up and reels off a series of offensive maneuvers. Flash goes up top for a missile dropkick but is not able to get the pin. Kim avoids a charge in the corner and hits Eat Defeat from out of nowhere to get the pin at 8:27. That was a solid opener, good back and forth stuff. They are both capable of more, but knowing that no one is watching these shows I don’t blame them for not doing it.
Rating: **½
MATCH #2: Lei’D Tapa vs. Ivelisse
Tapa immediately uses her size and power advantage to take control. Ivelisse survives the early onslaught and uses her speed and striking ability to take Tapa off her feet. Tapa cuts her off and continues to thwart Ivelisse’s comeback attempts. She presses Ivelisse over her head and slams her hard to the canvas. Tapa follows with a legdrop for a two-count. She continues to keep Ivelisse on defense, but she misses a charge and walks right into an enziguiri. Ivelisse goes up top and (sort of) hits a rana that sends Tapa to the floor. She goes up top again and wipes Tapa out with a cross body block. Back in the ring Ivelisse goes up top again and is able to lock on a guillotine choke. Tapa escapes that with a hard side slam and that’s enough to get the pin at 6:14. Ivelisse looked great, flying around the ring and hitting good looking strikes. Tapa looked a bit lost at times, but she mostly did the bruiser role just fine.
Rating: *¾
MATCH #3: Tara vs. Mia Yim
Tara has Jesse in her corner. The idiots on commentary argue about how to pronounce Yim’s last name, which has all of three letters in it. I hate these guys so much I can’t even articulate it. Tara uses her strength advantage to throw Yim around, and she looks supremely confident about it. Yim fires back with a flurry and Tara takes a powder. Back in the ring Yim unloads with chops and a dropkick from the second rope. Tara takes another powder, where Jesse comforts her. Yim gives chase, and when she goes to get back in the ring Jesse hooks her leg, allowing Tara to put the boots to her less experienced opponent. It looks like Jesse is supposed to interfere but he blows it, so Yim tries to cover for him and they all look a little silly. Tara goes for the Jigglesault but Yim gets her knees up. Yim unloads with a series of strikes and a nice quebrada that she somehow injures herself on and can’t cover. She hits a German Suplex for two, which Taz calls a “Japanese influence.” Tenay calls him on that idiocy. Yim takes Tara down and goes up top, but Jesse distracts her. Even so, she tries a corkscrew press but Tara avoids it. Tara hits the Widow’s Peak and that’s enough to get the pin at 6:33. There were a few awkward spots, and I know both of them are pretty solid wrestlers so that’s a shame. They still had a fine match but it was too short to really get going into anything memorable.
Rating: **
MATCH #4: Miss Tessmacher vs. Santana
Both women try to get the crowd a little fired up, but that’s an uphill climb. Santana looks green as grass but even so she’s able to control the opening minutes with a variety of strikes and holds. She misses a cross body block from the second rope, and Tessmacher sees the opening. Tessmacher unleashes a flurry of offense, including the ass to the face. Santana fights back and tries a moonsault but Tessmacher gets her knees up. Tessmacher picks Santana up and slams her on her face for the pin at 4:28. That was pretty lousy, as Santana looked lost and Tessmacher was not the one to help her find herself.
Rating: *
MATCH #5: ODB vs. Trinity
They start off with some stalling and then it turns into brawling. ODB knocks Trinity down and Trinity takes a powder. There’s no rest for Trinity though, as ODB follows her out and continues the abuse. Back in the ring it’s like nothing ever happened and they stall some more. ODB misses a charge in the corner and that gives Trinity the opportunity she needs to beat on ODB for a bit. That doesn’t last long and ODB is right back on offense. ODB hits the BAM to get the pin at 6:15. They spent a lot of time stalling, nothing interesting happened, and then it was over. Blech.
Rating: *½
MATCH #6: Taryn Terrell vs. Jackie Moore
Terrell is feisty right from the start, attacking the veteran Moore and backing her into a corner. Moore fights back and uses her power and veteran know-how to put a beating on my favorite Knockout. She keeps Terrell grounded for a short time, and then Terrell powers up and both women clothesline each other. Back up on their feet Terrell is able to unleash a flurry of offense, including a dropkick and a vertical suplex for a two-count. Terrell hits a cross body block from the second rope and a Spear for a near-fall. She tries a bulldog from the second rope but Moore shoves her away. Moore hits a basement dropkick to the face to get the pin at 5:06. That was brief but at least both women were on point with their offense. The finish was a little weak though.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #7: Three-Way Match – Taeler Hendrix vs. Sojo Bolt vs. Hannah Blossom
Bolt and Hendrix appear ready to work together against Hannah, who is without her twin sister Holly tonight. That’s exactly what happens from the get-go. Hannah is a plucky babyface and fights back. Bolt and Hendrix put on a double submission and for some reason the idiot referee tries to break it up. I don’t understand that at all. Of course Hendrix and Bolt realize that only one of them can actually get the win so they start fighting each other. Hendrix gets the better of it and sends Bolt to the floor. Hannah has a chance to recover and continues trying to fight back but Bolt and Hendrix continue to beat on her in between fighting each other. Bolt holds Hannah for Hendrix, but Hendrix accidentally decks Bolt instead. Hannah drills Hendrix with a big boot to the face to score the upset pin at 4:55. That was decent for the time they were given, and at least it was a different type of match than another singles bout.
Rating: **
MATCH #8: Velvet Sky vs. Jillian Hall
They go back and forth to start, slugging away at each other. Hall takes a cheap shot but that just fires Sky up. Sky rams Hall’s head repeatedly into the turnbuckles and hits a bulldog for two. She spears Hall through the ropes and they both tumble to the floor. Sky goes for a whip into the steps but Hall reverses it. Back in the ring Hall goes to work, keeping the former Knockouts Champion Sky on defense. Hall goes for a suplex but Sky counters to a face plant. Both women get back to their feet and Sky gets a second wind. Sky hits a headscissors and a monkey flip for a two-count. Hall fights back and tries an inverted victory roll but she’s got her hand on the ropes and the referee catches her. Sky then hits In Yo’ Face to get the pin at 6:44. That was not bad at all, which I didn’t exactly expect from these two. They kept it simple and Sky won with an actual finisher instead of a transition move like others have tonight.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #9: Mickie James vs. Serena
The competitors share a hug and a handshake before taking it to each other. They wrestle on the mat and exchange holds in the early going. More mutual respect accompanies the back and forth battle between these two, and neither of them can gain a sustained advantage over their opponent. They engage in a test of strength and James takes control. James hits a basement dropkick that sends Serena to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring Serena unleashes a flurry and sends James to the floor with a back elbow. Serena holds the ropes open for James and then double-crosses her on her way back in. Rude. Serena keeps James on defense until she misses a charge in the corner. That gives James the chance to hit a hangman’s neckbreaker. Back on their feet they slug it out. James takes the advantage there and hits a Thesz Press from the top rope. She follows with the jumping DDT to get the pin at 10:54. That was easily the match of the night so far, with a unique story and two very solid wrestlers both respecting each other and doing what it took to get the win.
Rating: ***
MATCH #10: Knockouts Gauntlet Match
TNA “gauntlets” are just like the Royal Rumble except it goes to a traditional singles match with pins and submissions when it’s down to the last two. Hannah Blossom drew #1, and Gail Kim picked #2. Kim attacks right away and dominates her far less experienced opponent. Hannah survives the onslaught and busts out some offense, but Kim cuts her off and sends her to the apron. Kim drops Hannah across the second rope and then knocks her to the floor for the first elimination. Lei’D Tapa is entrant #3. Kim wisely attacks right away but Tapa uses her size and power to wear Kim down. Tara is #4 and Tapa immediately shifts focus to her. Kim and Tara work together but are not able to eliminate Tapa just yet. Next up at #5 is Mickie James, who goes right after Tapa, the largest competitor in the ring. Tapa fights back on all three of her opponents but they are able to work together to eliminate her. Now Kim and Tara work together on James as Miss Tessmacher comes out at #6. Tessmacher takes it right to her former Knockouts Tag Team Championship partner Tara, and they roll around slugging at each other. Jackie Moore is entrant #7. Tessmacher aggressively goes right after Moore. Random brawling from all five women in the match continues as we await the last two participants. ODB is #8 and she takes a swig of liquid courage on her way into the ring. She spits some in Moore’s eyes and eliminates her just as Velvet Sky makes her way out at #9 to complete the field. So the winner will be one of ODB, Gail Kim, Velvet Sky, Tara, Miss Tessmacher, or Mickie James. ODB and Sky take their battle to the apron and exchange chops. Sky wins that battle and kicks ODB to the floor. Moments later Kim eliminates Sky and we’re down to the final four. Tessmacher is next to go, courtesy of Tara. James kicks Tara in the midsection to send her to the floor. Now it’s James and Kim fighting to determine the Queen of the Knockouts, or whatever vague, unofficial title they’re bestowing on the winner of this thing. James hits a Thesz Press from the top rope for a two-count. She pulls Kim off the second rope and Kim lands awkwardly on her knee. Kim appears to be injured and James is apologetic. A trainer gets in the ring and tries to help Kim out. Of course it’s all a ruse, as Kim surprises James with a schoolgirl rollup to get the pin at 20:40. That was pretty long and nothing at all memorable happened leading up to the clichéd and played finish. Now Kim is the prestigious “Queen of the Knockouts,” and Madison Rayne comes out to put a crown on her best friend’s head.
Rating: *½
That was one of the worst pay-per-views TNA has ever put on, but it was still better than Hardcore Justice.
