Impact Wrestling - Lockdown Edition
February 6, 2015
by Samoa Rowe
-From New York, NY. Our hosts are none other than Josh Mathews and The Taz.
TNA World Tag Team Championship (Six Sides of Steel):
The Revolution © (James Storm and Abyss) with Khoya, Manik, and The Great Sanada vs. The Hardy Boyz
Today’s review is brought to you by DailyMotion, so once again I’m not sure how much of the horrible video quality is due to TNA’s production woes, or because this is on the internet. The Hardyz have their way in the early going, hitting their crowd-pleasing spots. Manik sneaks in but eats a superplex. The Hardyz nail a double suplex on Abyss, and handcuff Manik to the ropes. Seriously, the building is so dark and the camera work is so clunky, I’m considering canceling this review. The Revolution make a comeback and put a hurting on the Hardyz for a stretch. After a commercial, Abyss flips Jeff into position for Storm’s spear. Taz says it was a DDT, but the video is so dark, I’ll have to take his word for it. Storm follows with a flying elbow drop off of Abyss’s shoulders, which seems like a babyface sort of thing to do. Jeff signals a comeback with the Whisper of the Wind and the Hardyz dish out some Twist of Fates. Matt misses a moonault, but manages a Twist of Fate on Storm off the ropes. Khoya pulls Matt to the floor through the camera hole and thrashes him around. Jeff plants Abyss with another TOF and tries to climb out, but Sanada sprays mist in his face to knock him down. The Revolution pick up the win at 9:00 (shown). Decent stunt-show, hindered by poor camera work, **½.Winners and still TNA Tag Team Champions: James Storm and Abyss
-The Revolution aren’t finished by any stretch of the imagination. Khoya puts Matt through a table with his spinebuster. They set Jeff up on a table inside the cage, and the newly freed Manik puts himself through the table with a Frog Splash. Jeff is in survival mode and dishes out a series of running drop-kicks. Jeff tries to escape over the top, but gets crotched on the cage door! Storm clocks him with a cow bell, and Jeff takes a DISGUSTING bump onto the ring steps and bounces to the floor. Good way to write Jeff out so he’s not expected for the European tour, but I hope he’s alright. I also wish this put the heat on a better heel group than not-Bray Wyatt’s “Revolution” stable of randomness.
-Backstage, MVP rallies the Beat Down Clan troops. They’re planning on ending Kurt Angle’s career. Good luck with that, Angle is as resilient as the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
-The BDC and Eric Young make their way to the cage. MVP talks about how dangerous the cage is, with Jeff Hardy as living proof. Young interrupts, promising to make Bobby Roode bleed. MVP is hilarious when he tries to put himself over as a reasonable adult, and invites Kurt Angle to the ring to have an adult conversation. Angle answers the call, accompanied by Austin Aries and Gunner. MVP tries to sway Gunner and Aries to the dark side. MVP claims to have spoken to Angle’s doctor, and knows that his knee is held together with tape and bubble gum. Man, what happened to doctor-patient confidentiality laws? Angle doesn’t back down and his team charges in for a fight. The BDC have the numbers advantage and overwhelm the heroes. Kenny King traps Gunner’s arm in the cage door for a chair shot from Samoa Joe. The BDC are satisfied and take off.
-After a commercial, a doctor checks on Gunner, and his brilliant medical diagnosis is that he’s like a one-armed man. Gunner insists on fighting anyways.
Six Sides of Steel:
Havok vs. Awesome Kong
They meet in the aisle and brawl on the ramp. The crowd chants “This is awesome” as they exchange shots on their way to ringside. Havok pulls up some padding, but Kong blocks a bear hug. Kong pushes Havok into the cage door and they finally enter the ring to “Better than the divas” chants. They stand nose to nose and exchange stiff shots. Havok nails a hard big boot and leg drop for 2. They exchange choke slam blocks. Havok corners Kong but misses a head of steam into the turnbuckles. Havok ducks a back hand swing for a choke slam, but Kong pops up. Kong nails a choke slam but Havok kicks her off the second turnbuckle. Kong improvises with a power bomb counter and nails a flying splash for the win at about 5:00. Criminally short, given the build, but fun while it lasted, **.Winner: Awesome Kong
-Two weeks ago, Velvet Sky informs Angelina Love that she’s just been fired in place of Robbie E. Love’s incredulous reaction to the stupid booking decision is appropriate. Sky breaks down into tears again, while it sinks in to Angelina that she’s on her own now. Velvet pulls Angelina in for an emotional goodbye hug, but we can see that Love’s patience is waning. Sky departs, and Love ends the segment by scoffing “Finally.” I suppose it’s a good thing that they added some closure to Velvet’s firing (which was legit, according to the Wrestling Observer).
Six Sides of Steel:
Eric Young vs. Bobby Roode
Roode gets the typical babyface hot start. They block each other’s attempts to use the cage as a weapon, and trade clotheslines. There’s a “We want blood” chant, in case you forgot that they’re in NYC. Eric tosses Roode through the ropes and into the wall. Belly to belly suplex by Young gets a 2 count. I guess Eric forgot about wanting to make Roode bleed and just wanted a quick win. Roode runs into a power slam for another 2 count. Eric signals for help and MVP passes a chair through the camera hole. Eric misses a wild shot and hurts his hand. Roode blocks a piledriver and catapults Young into the wall. Eric is busted open and Roode targets the forehead. Young blocks a top rope Samoan Drop and knocks Roode down for a flying elbow. Eric places the chair on Roode and turns his back, allowing Roode to drive the chair into his midsection. Roode lands an Attitude Adjustment onto the chair for the win at 7:34. Roode needed to win this if he was going to retain any credibility, so good booking decision here. Solid brawl, but they needed more time if this was going to become a legitimate blow off match, **½.Winner: Bobby Roode
Six Sides of Steel:
Mandrews and Rockstar Spud vs. Tyrus (with Ethan Carter III)
If they are insisting on calling Mark Andrews “Mandrews” than who am I to argue with them? The little guys attempt a double team, but Tyrus knocks them down and hits double clotheslines. Tyrus slams Spud and avalanches Mandrews in the corner. Tyrus methodically wears the opposition down while no-selling their offense. Spud and Mandrews block a double choke slam and find an opening with rapid fire drop-kicks. Tyrus rebounds with a fall away slam into the turnbuckles on Mandrews. Spud blocks a power bomb by grabbing the cage nails a somersault senton off the top! Spud suffered a hard landing, practically breaking his own back in the process. EC3 attacks Mandrews, tripping him up for a horrible landing on the ring steps. Spud foolishly crawls after his friend and EC3 slams the door in his face. Now that we’ve established that the good guys are idiots, Tyrus nails a Samoan Spike for the win at 5:44. This feud might have just jumped the shark, *.Winner: Tyrus
-EC3 leaps up and down in victory and plugs in his razor. A bald Jeremy Borash sneaks in and pulls the plug, preventing another unwanted haircut. EC3 chases him into the stands.
-During the commercial, Bobby Roode talked about how difficult it is to have lost Eric Young’s friendship. Roode says he’ll never forgive Young, but now he’s free to resume his World title chase.
-Earlier tonight, Robbie E told Brooke Tessmacher that he’s stronger and smarter than her, and she’s the reason they lost The Amazing Race. They competed in a silly obstacle course. Brooke ended up hitting a low blow and taking a selfie for the win. This was all pretty terrible, I should be grateful that they limited this to a highlights package. The NYC fans must have crapped on this pretty hard to get it cut.
Lethal Lockdown:
The BDC (MVP, Samoa Joe, Kenny King, and X Division Champion Low Ki) vs. Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Gunner, and Austin Aries)
Kenny King starts off against the “one-armed” Gunner. King goes right after the bad arm with some kicks. Gunner scores a back drop into the cage wall and grabs a can lid for a head shot. Gunner sells the arm before choking with a nightstick. Low Ki joins the match and runs into a clothesline. King saves Ki from shoulder thrusts with the trash lid and the numbers game catches up to Gunner. Austin Aries rushes in for the save and cleans house on King and Low Ki. Gunner hoists King for an electric chair lid shot from Aries. King suffers a lid assisted elbow drop from Aries while Gunner uses a tennis racket on Low Ki. The BDC regain their advantage when Samoa Joe joins the match. The BDC dominate until Kurt Angle rushes in and nails a German suplex on Joe. Angle stomps King into the corner, while Gunner and Aries make comebacks. Low Ki catches Aries with a double foot stomp, King overtakes Angle, and Gunner’s camel clutch on Joe is broken. MVP joins the match in time to continue the BDC dominance. They take a commercial break. The BDC use a trash can to beef up Low Ki’s double stomp and MVP’s Yakuza kick. MVP holds Angle’s knee in place for while kendo shots from Joe. When the situation seems hopeless, TNA World Champion Bobby Lashley joins the match as a “surprise” entrant. Lashley seems to reconcile with the BDC before knocking MVP down with a clothesline and cleaning house. The BDC overtake Lashley and MVP chokes him in the corner. Everyone on Team Angle make vital counters in unison. Lashley spears MVP for the win at 16:18 (shown). This was a satisfying conclusion to the last month of TNA television, even if the match never really left second gear, ***.Winners: Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, Gunner, and Bobby Lashley
Final Thoughts: A mostly good show when TNA really needed to put on a great show. Thumbs in the middle.
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