Last week’s TNA Impact on POP featured Eddie Edwards retaining the TNA World Championship by defeating Cody and Bobby Lashley defeated Moose to earn the right to challenge for the championship. After the Edwards and Cody match, Maria Kanellis Bennett attacked Brandi Rhodes. Let’s see what this week’s show brings us.
TNA Impact Review – 10/27/16: The Rhodes Versus The Bennetts
The show opened with Broken Matt welcoming everyone to Cameron, NC for a celebration of All Hollow’s Eve. They were in the middle of a corn maze, which Matt said would be delightful. During the maze, Matt had a premonition that an outsider would come to the Hardy compound and he would deliver a message.
Back in the Impact Zone, Ethan Carter III made his way to the ring for a tag team match. His tag team partner was Jessie Godderz, who helped Carter last week when he was being attacked by Eli Drake and Aron Rex. The match featured those four men. Rex and Godderz started off. Carter and Godderz were in control in the first part of the match by working over Rex and briefly Drake before going to commercial
Rating: 6/10 – The Hardy tease is a great hook to kick off the show. I’m curious to see who it is that has a message for them. The match has started off kind of slow. Hopefully it picks up after the break.
Back from commercial, Drake and Rex were in control and taking turns on Godderz. Drake taunted Carter some while continuing to work over Godderz. There was a botch by Godderz where he didn’t duck a clothesline when he was supposed to. Godderz made the hot tag and Carter cleared the ring but it wasn’t long before the heel team gained control again. Godderz eventually made a hot tag. In the end, Rex hit Godderz with a punch where he apparently exposed the rings on his hand and knocked Godderz out for the pin and the win.
The commentary team recapped the happenings between Cody and Brandi Rhodes with Maria and Mike Bennett. They have a mixed tag team match tonight. Jeremy Borash interviewed Grado who said he was going to dress up tonight for Halloween.
Rating: 5/10 – The match was just ok, nothing special. It obviously advances the heel turn of Rex and gives Godderz an out for taking a loss. Not looking forward to this Grado thing.
Back at the Hardy compound, Broken Matt was welcoming trick or treaters. He asked if they wanted to treat or delete and gave the kids green beans. More kids came to the door and Nero sang the fade away song. Matt told the kids they had to eat the green beans so they would not be fat Hardy’s and told them they were worthy of being in the Great War.
Rockstar Spud told DJZ that he and his team would win their Team X Gold match.
Grado made his way out. He stood on the ramp and told the fans that this was his dream but he wants more. Grado said he wanted to bring out someone who has been inspirational to him. Grado introduced “the best wrestler in the world” in Robbie E. Robbie E. came out and said this was kind of weird. Grado said for Halloween he wanted to be a BroMan and went to the back. He came back out wearing yellow trunks and spray tan on his face and danced to the BroMans song. Robbie E. wasn’t happy at first but eventually danced his way down to ringside with Grado. They got in to the ring together and the DCC sounder played and they were in the ring when the lights came on. The three masked men attached Grado and Robbie E. One of them performed a spike piledriver on Grado before they all left.
Rating: 6/10 – The Hardy’s were funny here. Matt dressed as Jon Snow is great. The Grado and Robbie E. stuff was groan inducing, but it was nice to see DCC attack someone again. Hopefully this has a good payoff.
A pre-taped segment from earlier today showed Billy Corgan and Aiden O’shea sitting in the empty stands while Allie walked down the ramp. O’Shea called her over and Corgan said he makes the matches now. Allie said she was going to get her ass kicked tonight, but she was going to do her best. Corgan booked Allie versus Laurel Van Ness.
DJZ, Mandrews and Braxton Sutter made their way out for their match. They know one of the opponents is Rockstar Spud, they just do not know who the other two are. Spud got on the microphone and said he was sick of being overlooked. He announced his partners as the Decay. Abyss and Sutter started the match, which saw Sutter getting the upperhand. The heel team took control after Mandrews tagged in. Eventually, DJZ got the hot tag and took out everyone. A couple of minutes later, DJZ his the ZDT on Spud to get the win.
Rating: 5/10 – Allie was actually better here than she usually is. Still, she needs work. The tag match was relatively quick. Thought we would see more interaction with Decay and Spud, but there wasn’t. Still taking some time for this format to kick in.
Eddie Edwards and Bobby Lashley came out for a contract signing. Lashley admitted he did pick Edwards a couple weeks ago because he was the easy pick. Both men had verbal jabs and Edwards said Lashley was going to be his bitch. Both men signed the contract.
Back at the Hardy compound, Hurricane Helms was at the door and the brothers asked if he was too old to trick or treat. There was another knock on the door and it was Itchweed, which was another Jeff Hardy persona.
Rating: 6/10 – Standard contract signing. They are doing right by making it so that the two cannot put their hands on each other. This was the least funny Hardy segment I’ve seen.
Itchweed was using a weed eater at the Hardy compound to etch out a design in the grass. It was a design that said Happy Halloween.
Laurel Van Ness made her way to the ring followed by Allie for their match. Allie was wearing normal clothes, not wrestling gear. Allie timidly made her way to the ring but got excited as the crowd tried to pump her up. Madison Rayne was on commentary. Van Ness pushed Allie, who pushed her back. Van Ness quickly took control and roughed Allie up a bit. The action spilled outside where Van Ness tried to charge at Allie, who was leaning against the steps. Allie moved and took control. Allie speared Van Ness and rolled her up for a nice near fall. A moment later, Van Ness put Allie down with a curb stomp.
Back at the compound, people wearing a Donald Drumpf and Hillary Clinton mask were there. Senor Benjamin said he was going to build a wall and bury trump underneath it, then zapped him with a taser. Itchweed showed up and asked Hillary what happened to those emails, which prompted Matt to pop up and say “delete, delete, delete, delete.” Vanguard I showed up dressed up as a ghost and chased the Hillary character off. Broken Matt said he was running for president.
In the Impact Zone, Jessie Godderz confronted Aron Rex about his cheap shot in their title match a couple weeks ago and their tag team match early. Rex played it off as just winning. Godderz said he deserved another title match and Rex obliged.
Back to the compound and Reby opened the door to a little kid with a DCC mask. They handed a tablet to Reby and said make your husband watch this. The video played and the recording said they know what the Hardy’s hold so dear and they challenged the Hardy brothers to a match next week for the tag team championship.
Rating: 8/10 – There was a LOT that happened in that break. The Allie and Van Ness match was actually better than I imagined it would be. Still not a classic, but considering who is working it, it was a pleasant surprise. The Clinton and Drumpf stuff was funny and memorable. I like that the DCC is going straight after the Hardy Brothers and taking people out along the way.
The announce team announced that next week Eddie Edwards will defend the TNA World Championship against Lashley.
Mike Bennett and Maria Bennett made their way to the ring followed by Cody and Brandi Rhodes. Maria told Mike she wanted to start, and as soon as the bell rang she tagged in her husband. As Cody was talking to Brandi about getting out of the ring, the Miracle caught Cody with a super kick. Bennett was in control going in to commercial.
Back from commercial, Maria got a cheap kick in on Cody. A short while later, Maria snuck around the ring and pulled Brandi off the apron just before Cody went for a tag. Miracle held Cody and Maria went to low blow Cody, but he moved and she kicked her husband instead. Brandi got the tag and she went right after Mari. Maria ran from her, but she was eventually cut off by Cody. Brandi delivered a few punches and clotheslines. Brandi performed a drop toe hold, which caused Maria to crotch shot her husband again. Brandi rolled Maria in to a sloppy submission maneuver and Cody put the Miracle in the Dream Crusher. Both Miracle and Maria tapped at the same time. Cody and Brandi posed for the crowd briefly before leaving. After the match recap, cameras showed Cody and Brandi thanking people in the back when Lashley attached Cody. Lashley told Cody that nobody comes into his house without his permission.
Rating: 7/10 – The match itself was pretty good. Brandi was actually not too bad considering it was her first ever match. This is likely the last we see of Cody for a while, but they clearly set up a program with Lashley down the road. That will leave some fans feeling fairly certain Lashley will not win the championship next week. Guess we will all have to wait and see!
