The Final Impact
May 16, 2014
By: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com
I have been complaining for months now that TNA seems to have absolutely no idea what to do with Kenny King and Lashley, and boy did they shut me up tonight. I absolutely love the possibilities of this group. I already know the “this group is a Evolution ripoff” comments or even comments about sticking three black guys together are coming, but I love this. They have set it up with all the drama between King and MVP in recent months and they can say that it was all just a ploy like everything else along with MVP being the one that brought Lashley back. Lashley has two guys that can talk there that can do the talking for him and he can just be a dominating enforcer. Now they need a cool name, TNA has been tweeting “#MVPCrew” on twitter but I hope to god that isn’t the name they will get stuck with. I’m thinking that it will have something to do with the “money, power, respect” line that MVP kept repeating.
I also liked that everything done during the night between EY and MVP built up to the eventual group reveal. The opening promos set up the fight which in turn set up the match which then set up the groups reveal, great stuff.
I don’t think Bram losing his first match, though he didn’t get pinned, is a great look for him, but then again I also understand the story they are telling with Bram and Magnus. We didn’t really get to see enough of him to know how he’s going to be in the ring though.
Velvet and Gail had an okay but way too short match. BP are breathing life back into the division though with their antics.
Great action in the X-Division match and now with Zema getting inserted into the title picture I fear that Tigre is going to get lost in the shuffle like so many X-Division guys. Those vignettes they do for Sanada are awesome. I just don’t get why the other guys can’t get those. Why not every week we get a look at a different X-Division wrestler. We need some secondary feuds going on there too though, bring in Manik and let him feud with Tigre while Zema feuds with Sanada. That could lead to some tag matches between the four and then eventually a 4-Way for the belt. Then bring Low-Ki back in which is supposedly planned.
I like the easy transition they’ve done with Anderson and Storm into a new feud. I don’t know how this will go but I have a feeling it will be a lot more physical like Anderson’s feud with Bully Ray rather than the goofy antics with Shaw. The Gunner and Shaw thing is just weird and random as hell. You would think they would have something more for him after that great feud with Storm.
The transition from EC3’s feud with Angle to Bully was pretty obvious with the Dixie Carter stuff. This could be a good feud for him. He has “taken out” some great guys like Sting and Angle but never really had a long term feud with them that led to much in ring stuff because of Angle’s injuries and Sting’s age.
There was no in-ring action that was great this week but everything was either solid or decent and all of the storyline progression was good for the most part.
– Segment/Promo of the Night: The reveal of MVP’s group
– Match of the Night: X-Division (**1/2)
– Overall Grade: C+
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