The Final Impact
January 24, 2014
By: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com
It’s not good when your taped show was better than the live show, but I’ll take it because we got some damn good wrestling last night and that’s all we should care about.
The opening segment was okay for what it was, they continued the plot of who the new investor is and attempted to fill in the massive hole in the plot of Dixie not knowing who bought stake in her company by saying whoever it is did it very slowly and used some legal maneuvers to keep their identity hidden.
Gunner/Storm was okay as well but I despise _____ on a Pole Matches, not as much as Lumberjack Matches, though they did their best. On a show that had two title matches and a Steel Cage Match we really didn’t have to have this match.
Sabin and Aries had a really good match and one of the better in this series of matches. I don’t like the bouncing back and forth of the belt but I think Aries with the belt can get us some more momentum for that division. The question is who now? Zema?
I absolutely loved The Wolves vignette that aired, neither one of them can talk very well but they did great here. I’m sure they were hand fed everything that was said but it came off really well.
The Steel Cage Match was just flat out spectacular, that’s the best way I can describe it. They kicked the hell out of each other and just worked their tails off in that match. The fact that Kurt Angle, at this point in his career and as banged up as his body is, could pull off a spot like that moonsault off the cage is just insane. The best part was they didn’t shove 3 commercial breaks at us in that match either, we got to see from start to finish thankfully. I applaud both men because not only was that match great but it was an amazing cap to a great feud. That’s the way a feud should close out, but much like Aries where do both men go from here? They definitely need to be separated from each other for awhile.
It looks like they’re setting Joe up for a run at the belt now but I guess Angle could very well take that spot. Joe’s intense promo was great and that’s when he’s at his best, just an ass kicking intense son of a bitch. The match was exactly what it should be for Joe against Spud, a destruction.
If all we’re going to get with Magnus’ run is having every heel in the company come out and interfere during his matches, this run needs to end quick. I can’t take much more of that. It made sense in the AJ Styles match but it’s just overkill now. I’m going to assume that Sting is probably headed to WWE to do his one WrestleMania match before riding off into the sunset for good. TNA definitely owes him a lot, especially in the early days, but it is definitely past time.
I’m a bit shocked that they are going to reveal who the investor(s) is/are next week but since they are going to tape February’s Impacts and part of March they really need to I guess since next week is the only live show until right before Lockdown (I think). Jeff Jarrett is my best guess right now but it really could be anyone.
– Segment/Promo of the Night: The Wolves
– Match of the Night: Angle vs. Roode (****1/2)
– Overall Grade: A
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