The Final Impact
January 10, 2014
By: Josh Boutwell of WrestleView.com
Thursday night may have been the very last night we get to see AJ Styles inside a TNA ring and if it is, man was it disappointing to see him go out that way. Yes TNA made him look strong as hell on the way out but to have his final match be such a screwy match really bites. Yes, I know it plays into the storyline and it made all the sense in the world but it just flat out stinks it happened that way.
On a positive tonight Dixie Carter was by far the best she has ever been. Playing the manipulative bitch rather than a whiny southern belle was so much better. The promo with Sting backstage was wonderful and her plan to take out all of AJ’s allies was actually great and made sense.
The one thing I hated was the two Cage Matches. The action itself was okay for what it was but with Lockdown right down the road and the fact that we JUST had the Dixieland Match they’re shooting themselves in the foot, and Bad Influence continues to be the most criminally underused talent in wrestling. It’s just a damn shame.
None of the matches were very good other than maybe Sting/Roode, for what I saw Sting actually looked like he was having a good time for once and wasn’t just going through the motions. Plus Roode’s reaction to finding out he had to face Sting was priceless.
Believe it or not the promos (and Dixie’s plan to take out all the babyfaces) were the highlights for me. Other than the Storm/Gunner face off everything else was really good. Dixie was actually good for once, AJ and Magnus had a great fiery promo, Angle and Roode were good together, and Bully was excellent. I love Bully’s new creepy character and he seems to be immersing himself in it.
All the heels looked like shit having Sting and AJ whooping their ass like that but AJ came out looking strong, and Magnus looks like a complete jerk in the process. I like the swag he seems to be carrying around despite being a punk heel kind of like Roode.
I this was the last time we see AJ in a TNA ring it will go down as a pretty sad moment for me. It’s no secret that I’m a huge AJ fan and to see one of the best in-ring performers of the last decade go out like that just sucks. I still hold out hope that we’re getting worked and AJ is going to be back in time for Lockdown or that TNA signs him in the final hour but day by day and interview by interview it’s becoming pretty obvious that is definitely not the case.
– Segment/Promo of the Night: Bully Ray
– Match of the Night: Sting vs. Roode (**1/2)
– Overall Grade: C
Until next week… PEACE!
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