They show the TNA opening video and then a recap of Team 3-D’s debut from last week along with Don West and Mike Tenay marking out like eleven year old N-Sync fans. Team 3-D then cuts a pretty decent promo talking about how they made an impact and how are they going to beat AMW bad. God, I missed them. They then show that cool new Impact! opening video and we go right into it.
They show Raven again being handcuffed and thrown out. I see what they are trying to do with Raven here, but they are just falling flat on their face by doing minute (or less) segments with this. They need to have Zybsko speak on the incidents Raven is causing or else just not do them. Pick one.
Six Man Tag Match
Team Canada Vs. 3 Live Kru
Thank god 3LK is on this edition of Impact! 3LK is probably one of the most marketable and eye-catching things in TNA and I think they should have been on the last show for sure. They could have cut that Brown squash or cut time away from those drawn out promos and segments and easily included a segment or short squash with these guys that would have exposed them to a crowd wanting more for this week. As far as the match goes, this was a bad six man tag match for TNA. TNA usually delivers good or average six man tag matches (mostly good) so for this kind of match, it was kind of pathetic. There was just no weight to the match and nothing really happened. Even more, there were blown spots and idiotic moves here and there. For instance, Konnan tried to do the shoe spot with Eric Young. Konnan missed and Eric Young still sold, despite the obvious miss. Great use of common sense there, Young. It was a good way to open up the card though, but then again, any 3LK match would be good to open a card. Finish came when Killings hit the Axe Kick on Young for the win.
Winners: 3 Live Kru
Star Wrestler: Ron Killings
No one was really worthy of this accolade in this one, but I guess I give it to Ron Killings as he did a good job of showing off for the cameras. Yes, that makes me as a reviewer mad, but I know that’s going to get TNA more over because flashy guys like that (even if they don’t use it in any strategy) will help them get over.
After the match, Team Canada tried to beat down 3LK, but Kip James, who was watching from the ramp the whole time, ran down and saved BG James. Konnan then got in his face and BG was caught in the middle of some confusion. God, someone tell Kip James that a ponytail that small only makes you look gayer than when you wrestled a gay gimmick in WWE.
Commercial break number one, baby.
Back from break, the announcers hype up the main event tonight which should be really good. Like last week, Don West still looks like they are dangling a doughnut in front of him. God, whoever thought putting him in front of a mike was a good idea needs to be locked in a room 24-7 with West for a year. That’s definitely an “eye for an eye” philosophy right there. They then show a pretty good video highlighting and explaining Ultimate X. They didn’t really say that Ultimate X would be at Bound For Glory which boggles the mind. Common sense is wasted again in TNA.
Triple Threat
Christopher Daniels Vs. Austin Aries Vs. Matt Bentley
What the hell is up with Bentley’s hair? He’s got some stupid semi-dreadlocks going on and makes him look like the biggest poser since John Cena. Match was less spotty than last week’s triple, but last week’s seemed to have more of a story and actual interest in it. I think it’s because last week’s actually had some kind of feud in it with Williams and Sabin. This one just had three random guys going at it. Action was good and only really had one moment where you saw a hint of a spot fest. Aries gave Bentley a head scissors to take him out of the ring. Bentley was up and back on the attack in less than 20 seconds. Good selling there. Aries was great in this match though by staying on people and hitting nice arm drags in the opener. Daniels wasn’t his usual self, but I think it’s because he’s used to being the bump boy in Triples, but this wasn’t the case. I did enjoy how there wasn’t as much double team action as there was action in doubles. Basically, what I mean is there was only one double team spot and there were at least four spots where one wrestler took down two others. It didn’t really seem like overkill either, like I’ve seen in other matches, because it flowed well. Overall, it was a pretty good match, but lack of interest from the crowd and no real feud going on between any of the three caused the match to be hurt a bit. Finish came when Sabin and Williams came out to duke it out. Bentley then did a plancha to them on the outside. Thank god the match ended right after that because moves like that need to be sold for a good ten minutes (bare minimum of five) and I don’t think Bentley can even fathom selling for a good minute let alone ten. Aries went to the top to try and take out all of them which didn’t really make sense, but I’ll let it slide. Daniels interrupted him and brought him down to hit the Angel’s Wings and pick up the win.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Star Wrestler: Austin Aries
I swear, as each week goes by, I see Daniels get worse and worse. Sure, he has his moments like at Unbreakable, but more and more, I just see him doing his trademarks with nothing else and no real strategy. Aries in TNA is a nice breath of fresh air though and hopefully is teaching people like Bentley that selling is the key to making a match believable and that much more powerful. Aries in the opening was great and as the match progressed; he seemed amazing not wasting a single moment. The only thing I didn’t like from him was the fact that he climbed to the top, but it was the finish and who knows what he would have done? All in all, Aries was the star. Enough said.
Commercial break number two, honey.
They then show the Bound for Glory commercial which basically delivers the same message as every other TNA video. They are warriors, innovative, blah, blah, blah.
They then show a video of Abyss. I love them doing this to put over their feuds, matches, and stars. However, they didn’t do one on the six-sided ring which was probably what they should have opened with last week to better explain it to their fans rather than have Tenay keep saying, “I bet you noticed that six-sided ring?” No, Mike. I just noticed that the wrestlers were involved in some kind of oddly shaped ring, but simple math eludes me to the point where I didn’t want to feel dumb trying to count the sides. Thank you for saving me that embarrassment.