Photo:Impactwrestling.com
This weeks TNA Impact on POP promises to be a noteworthy event with the highly anticipated Delete or Decay showdown taking place. TNA President Billy Corgan also promises to make an announcement that will change all of professional wrestling.
TNA Impact Review (9-8-2016)
The show opened with Senor Benjamin reading a “do not try this at home” disclaimer in Spanish. A recap of last the setup to Delete or Decay was shown setting up the main attraction for later on tonight.
Mike Bennet made his way to the ring with TNA Knockouts Champion Maria. Bennett ran down Moose turning his back on him last week, claiming that if it wasn’t for him, Moose wouldn’t even be in TNA. Bennett said he fired Moose through a “very strongly worded text message.” Bennett said he would take what is rightfully his and no one could stop him. Cue Dixie Carter’s music.
Dixie calls out Bennett for talking too much, saying the fans came to see Impact Wrestling and not to see Bennett talk. Of course this lead to more talking between the two of them. Dixie announced that signed Moose to a contract and that he and the miracle will be squaring off at Bound For Glory. Moose made his entrance while Bennett stood in the ring like a dope and waited for him. Moose backed Bennett to the corner, Maria teased hitting Moose with the Knockout Championship, which distracted Moose enough to allow Bennett to escape.
Gail Kim made her entrance for a Knockouts tag team match.
Rating: 6/10 – Bennett was a classic heel on the microphone, taking credit for the fan favorite being there. Dixie Carter usually is a groan inducer, but the crowd was responsive to her announcing the Bennett and Moose bout at Bound for Glory.
Back from commercial, Bennett and Maria tracked down Dixie and told her Bennett would not accept the fight. Dixie pointed out that skipping out on the match would not look good for Bennett’s title shot dreams. Dixie also told Maria that next week they would determine who she will defend the Knockouts Championship against at Bound for Glory.
Back in the Impact Zone, Jade made her entrance to be Gail Kim’s tag team partner. Sienna and Allie made their ways to the ring to take on the team of Kim and Jade. Seinna bossed Allie around, with both of them tagging their selves into the ring. Jade eventually made a hot tag, taking out Sienna. Another blind tag from Allie lead to Sienna eating a top rope double axe handle from her partner. Sienna took out Allie and Jade pinned her.
Rating: 2/10 – This was terrible. Allie and Sienna were both terrible in the ring and even worse in their roles. This was bad all around.
Broken Matt Hardy had his troops with him at his personal zoo and claimed that his soul can communicate with the animals at this zoo. He proclaimed that George Washington was a giraffe. Broken Matt then set up a training match for Brother Nero and Smoking Joe, a Kangaroo. The kangaroo had his way with Broken Matt.
Matt then talked to spider monkeys, as he is the “spider monkey whisperer” and stated that Brother Nero is a recovering spider monkey. He then introduced Brother Nero and Senor Benjamin to Genghis Khan, who is now a tiger. Broken Matt claimed the ultimate battle will happen tonight.
Billy Corgan was in the ring and made an announcement that effective immediately the King of the Mountain championship has been retired and the Impact Grand Champion title was introduced. Drew Galloway interrupted Corgan. Galloway put over why he should be given the Grand Championship. A video package randomly played that went over the rules of the Grand Championship matches. Corgan announced that the first champion would be crowned at Bound for Glory via an eight man tag tournament. Galloway said he would tell Corgan what was “best for business” around here and that it was Galloway. Aaron Rex made his entrance and said he would send Galloway back to Scotland. Just as they were about to go at it, Corgan said that Rex’s first match will be in the first round of the tournament and that Galloway would also be in the tournament, with his first match starting next.
Rating: 8/10 – There are so many things right with the Broken Matt Hardy videos. It’s very clear that Matt and Jeff are having a blast with this gimmick and people are eating it up. Corgan came across very robotic and does not need to be on the microphone much. It seems like the obvious end to the 8-man Grand Championship tournament will be Aaron Rex versus Drew Galloway.
Braxton Sutter made his entrance to take on Drew Galloway in the opening match of the 8-man tournament to crown the first ever Grand Championship. The three categories that the judges will be grading are aggressiveness, controlling the action and physicality. After the first round, Galloway leads 30-27. Shortly after starting the second round, Galloway made Sutter tap out.
Rating: 6/10 – Galloway going over is the obvious right decision, but one would think he would have been made to look more dominant in the opening round. No one will buy in to the idea of Galloway losing until he faces Aaron Rex in the finals at Bound for Glory.
During the break, Rockstar Spud attacked Braxton Sutter and absolutely destroyed him. Spud even went so far as to literally curb stomp Sutter on an exposed turn buckle. A video package showed Decay stealing a truck from someone on the way to Cameron, the home of the Hardy compound.
Footage was shown from the Bound for Glory press conference earlier in the day. Josh Mathews introduced Billy Corgan, Ethan Carter III and TNA World Champion Lashley. All three men put over the match, with the small crowd there clearly behind EC3. A fight broke out that made its way up into the bleacher section of the Impact Zone. Lashley tossed EC3 down to the bottom of the bleachers, over what was an obviously covered section of the seating area.
After the commercial break, they continued to show the brawl between Lashley and EC3. Lashley dominated the action after the break, throwing EC3 in to fences, tables, and pallets of wood.
Rating: 6/10 – The talking of the “press conference” went a little too long, but the brawl made up for it. TNA continues to do a great job of building Lashley up as a dominating monster.
A short video package played of Jessie Godderz explaining why he would win the Grand Championship tournament and how the tournament would show off all of his hard work. Godderz made his entrance for a first round match of the TNA Grand Championship tournament, followed by his opponent Eli Drake.
The entire first round was all chain wrestling, mostly with Godderz in control. The judges gave the first round to Godderz, 29-28. The second round started out the same as the first but eventually lead to more action. Godderz ended the round with a Boston Crab on Drake, who teased tapping but was saved by the bell. Godderz won round two 29-28 as well. With under a minute to go in the third round, Eli Drake hit Blunt Force Trauma out of nowhere and pinned Godderz to advance in the Grand Championship tournament.
Rating: 5/10 – It’s kind of hard to get used to the format of the Grand Championship matches. The commentary team tried to play up the fact that Drake had to win via pinfall or submission in the third round because he was down two rounds to zero, which is obviously true. The whole thing just seemed forced.
It is time for Delete or Decay. Vanguard I let us know that no animals were harmed in the documentation of this invasion. Decay walked up on Senor Benjamin, who was finishing up the graves he was digging for the trio. The Decay walked up on the Hardy home and watched as Reby was holding King Maxel. Broken Matt walked up behind them as they stared through a window and said he knew they would come.
The Decay walked after them only to be attacked by Roman candles from Matt, Nero and Reby. The Decay took off. Eventually Matt and Nero pushed the Decay behind the dilapidated boat. Brother Nero drop kicked the boat and Abyss into the lake. John Park emerged from the lake and was promptly tased by Senor Benjamin. Nero and Crazzy Steve fought near a fire and a water fountain while Broken Matt hunted down Rosemary. Senor Benjamin dropped John Park into one of the graves he had previously dug. Back in the fountain, Nero and Crazzy Steve found underwater until Nero got the upper hand, seemingly drowning Steve. A relieved Nero was pulled back into the water by Crazzy Steve. Back at the grave, Abyss appeared again and grabbed Senor Benjamin.
Matt caught up with Rosemary, but was cut off by Abyss. As Matt was about to get hit with Abyss’ nailed 2 x 4, Nero pushed him out of the way and took the nailed 2 x 4 to the gut. Vanguard I showed up and saved Broken Matt by shooting bombs at Abyss and Crazzy Steve. Back in the house, Rosemary carried King Maxel over a fallen Reby. Vanguard I showed up and Rosemary sprayed mist on Vanguard, causing him to take off. She tried to find Maxel, but ran into Broken Matt. She sprayed the mist at Matt, but Matt sucked it in and spit it back at her. Rosemary took off running. Maxel, Matt and Reby embraced, Brother Nero was shown writhing in pain, and The Decay took off in the truck with Senor Benjamin in the back.
Rating: 9/10 – Wild. Completely wild and it is wonderful. This will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this is exactly what TNA needs to get people talking and tuning in. Obviously they are not finished with this feud, and it will be interesting to see where they take things with the Senor Benjamin kidnapping.
