Lets catch up on TNA Impact Wrestling episodes. This article will discuss January 26th 2016 results, and in addition to this evening, scheduled for February 2nd. As wrestling fans will recall, you can find Impact on Tuesday nights on Pop TV (But sadly, that depends if your channel/cable carrier has access, or you’d have to upgrade your channel plan).
January 26th featured the return of the Feast or Fired briefcases, which is a cheap knockoff with a different ending to WWE’s Money in the Bank. The only nuance is that someone leaves the company when/if they draw the unlucky case; as opposed to only a guaranteed title shot. Grado was the one fired from the hodgepodge of wrestlers featured in the bout.
Shockingly, how a guy like Drew Galloway isn’t elevated higher, especially with his bout versus Kurt Angle is surprising and sad. How they can underutilize the guy who deserves a better push and can be the new face of TNA “rebuilding” itself as a company. Likewise, to a guy like Lashley, Jesse Godderz who has the body and the ability; but lately aren’t given the push or the proper narrow-focusing to make these guys as stars.
Matt Hardy’s first appearance after the battle with EC3, Ethan Carter grants Hardy a appearance as World champion. However, having Hardy as a heel is quite mysterious, especially after gaining sympathy as a babyface and hard work to rally back, and win the title. Another booking mistake perhaps, or too flip-floppy and inconsistent with a established talent? Matt Hardy is a good heel as Mattitude V-1, but also is highly credited to a character that hadn’t really been seen or done by Hardy before; and was original. Hardy then also had more structure and direction in WWE, as relating to his persona. Now, anything here comes off as no way near close to the credible heel he was in that incarnation.
In other bouts, Awesome Kong defeated Velvet Sky. The American Wolves defeat the mishmash team of Crazzy Steve and Abyss by DQ. We also see more prominence in bringing Jesse Godderz, Eli Drake and their feud with the returning Beer Money. Tigre Uno retains his title in a 3-way bout defeating Mandrews and DJ Zema Ion. In the main event, featured a heel Matt Hardy in a no-contest versus his brother, Jeff Hardy.
February 2nd brings another Impact Episode, as January 26th only brought a total of 339,000 viewers. Lashley defeated Aiden O’Shea in his new incarnation. O’Shea is the former, now repackaged Jay Bradley. In a match that was hyped and fans (got gypped out of), Shane Helms who is a great cruiserweight style star, was replaced by Trevor Lee with no real back-story, or proper build. Lee defeated Tigre Uno to win the X title.
Tyrus and Drew Galloway wrestled to a no contest especially with the interference factor. Surprisingly was from Miracle Michael Bennett who has been heavily hyped and should be cheered. Yet, TNA wants to make things difficult and swim upstream and make Bennett a heel. In a wishy-washy “victory” and little story line development, Abyss and Crazzy Steve trade a loss for a win this week. They team with Eric Young, the World Class Maniac and Bram in a non-sensical four-on-two war versus the Wolves (Edwards and Richards).
The main event featured Matt Hardy pinning Kurt Angle (So much for his success in his last “wrestling hurrah” with TNA). How they can feature Angle (albeit only one match), but how can he win one week, and lose the next? Where is the consistency? How do you build a guy like Angle who has his last run in him; and without letting him have the center stage? Wouldn’t it have been interesting, and create a new feud, if Angle beat Hardy; with Hardy being a heel now- and can say, lie- oh, I lost on a technicality, yadda, yadda. Then Kurt would come out, and rebut Hardy; and they’d get into a scuffle in ring. Then, they’d have another altercation in the back; which would eventually segue into a in-ring bout, and have Reby Sky cause a disruption; and let the feud bubble from there.
In conclusion, these were the results from two weeks of TNA programming. The wrestling and company is a good alternative, but by no means; is competitive in any realm and sadly. Many creative and booking machinations, combined with talent losses; and storylines (which are little, some also inconsistent, or lacking direction) has hurt the company. The talent and the wrestling is there; but offers little substance outside of what’s being done in between the ropes. With continued success of NXT, and departures such as Styles, and others from NJPW to WWE; this is also damning TNA as a viable wrestling promotion.
Recent Comments