Impact Wrestling Report 1/23/15

Tonight on Impact Wrestling, we open with a TNA institution, Feast or Fired. For those new to TNA, this is a bigbattle royal type match with four briefcases suspended around the ring. They contain a World Title shot, X Division Title shot, Tag Team Title shot and the final one has a pink slip. Obviously, a vast majority of the roster was involved. Early on, Velvet Sky shakes her ass into the screen and I barely registered anything that happened after that. She would then climb up and retrieve the first briefcase for Robbie E. Magnus and Bram work well together as Josh Matthews reminds us that nobody has successfully cashed in the World Title shot before. So it's like the opposite of Money in the Bank. Rockstar Spud became the focal point of the match and he is able to secure the second briefcase. The crowd loves him. Austin Aries then looks to go for the heat seeking missile, but instead tricks everyone and grabs the third briefcase! He then does the move anyway and leaves with it. Like Rockstar Spud, he's loved by the fans, but in a different way. The focus of the match now turns to the teamwork between Bram and Magnus. It's been a long time since we've seen Magnus, who was actually TNA World Champion at the start of last year. Bram, Magnus and Gunner do a good old Tower of Doom spot, but it was Magnus powerbombing his friend Bram, which led to him getting the final briefcase. As expected, the match was fun and included some cool spots. The ten or so minutes that it took went by quickly. Backstage, Lashley arrives and is looking for his title since MVP and the Beat Down Clan hijacked it from him last week. After the commercial break, Bram and Magnus get into it over the finish to the match. I assume Magnus will have the Tag Team Title shot and need a partner.

Bobby Lashley comes out and just simply demands his title back. Wise to keep it short and sweet since he can't really talk. Kenny King interrupts and says that Lashley used to be family but he's not anymore. He wants to fight Lashley but only if the Beat Down Clan join him at ringside. As MVP comes out, he has the TNA World Title in his hands. They brawl but the match is relatively short as the BDC enter and cause the disqualification. MVP tells Lashley that if he wants the title, he'll have to meet him out in the streets later. Well, I wanted a Kenny King match, but not one this short. Moving along, a recap airs highlighting Awesome Kong and her return. Havok meets Gail Kim next, which is wise booking. Havok and Kong want each other, Kim had classics with Kong and knows her better than anyone, PLUS it was Kim who was pinned causing Havok to lose her Knockouts Title. The match starts in the ramp because of their history of not liking each other. Gail Kim is one of those girls that I can always watch. Havok is violent throughout and shoves the referee, resulting in the DQ. Not a fan of two straight DQs, but out comes Kong! They have a face off again but finally hit each other as Kong clotheslines Havok outside. When they meet, it's going down.

The Revolution is still the strangest stable in history. Their newest member, Koya, made his debut and he just adds to how odd they are together. He beats Tigre Uno in about a minute. I'm still not sold on this group. It's like TNA told James Storm to take a bunch of guys who don't go together and do something with them. He cuts a post match promo on Matt Hardy, who he faces later. He brings up Storm beating his personal demons, but says he is bigger than any demon he's faced before. Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode talk backstage before their tag match, when they team up to face Eric Young and Low Ki. Roode just wants EY. The tag match is next and it's solid. They played the story of Roode being solely focused on EY, which allows Low Ki to roll him up and get the win. Good for the first hour main event. EC3 does the ring announcement because he's facing the ring announcer. JB is with Spud, and gets love at ringside from his fiance and the winner of British Bootcamp. Carter has a HUGE brace on his arm for his torn bicep. EC3 badmouths JB until he strikes. EC3 gets teh better, spits at Spud, which brings him in for the no contest I guess. A brawl ensues, Tyrus enters until British Bootcamp II winner Mark Andrews jumps the rail. They send off EC3 and hit Tyrus with a double dropkick. Spud dives out onto him, before Andrews follows with a pretty Shooting Star Press! That was fun.

James Storm met Matt Hardy next, which is fine since the Hardys are the number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Titles. Not much to write home about here as Hardy wins with a small package in about five minutes. Post match, Abyss attacks Matt so Jeff runs out to make the save. He then challenges Abyss to a Monster's Ball match next week. What is this, 2004? Time to reveal the Feast of Fired cases. Christy Hemme is hosting. She used to be a lot hotter. Robbie E steals the show, being a total dickbag. He even sings "You are the wind beneath my wings." We start with Case #4 to make Spud nervous. It is revealed that he has an X Division Title shot! I was right, Magnus has a World Tag Team Title shot. He better go make up with Bram. Robbie is now worried, but Austin Aries is confident. Robbie realizes that Velvet Sky grabbed the suitcase so he puts her in the chair. She opens it and has the pink slip! I like Robbie being around, but I'll miss the eye candy that is Velvet. Using the process of elimination, Aries has the World Title. I said it in recent weeks, let's get Aries back to the top of the company. Side note, it's hilarious when they cut from crying Velvet to pumped up Robbie. Lashley goes outside and the Street Fight begins. The BDC get involves, so Angle and Roode help. Roode gets the belt out of the trash and holds it, while Lashley looks on like "give me my belt please." 

In the end, TNA produced another solid episode. Actually, this might have been my favorite one. Feast or Fired made for fun TV, hopefully Austin Aries is our next World Champion, Kong and Havok continue to be show stopping and EC3 once again was awesome. All in all, Impact is becoming a show that's worth watching. 7/10

Smackdown Report 1/22/15

Sorry for the inactivity over the past few days as I've been very busy. Oh well, it's Smackdown time! After a recap of Sting's appearance on Raw, Daniel Bryan, the most popular guy on the roster, opens the show. He hypes the Rumble before bringing out recently rehired Superstars Ryback, Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler. I don't know how much is edited, but Dolph got the biggest pop, Ryback second and not many people care about Rowan. I always get a kick out of the way that Bryan calls him "The Ryback". Each guy cuts a promo with Ryback's being happy to return, Rowan saying he's no longer a puppet and Dolph badmouthing the Authority and saying he wasn't going sit at home and complain on a podcast. SHOTS AT PUNK CONFIRMED! The Authority interrupt, minus Triple H and Stephanie McMahon because Smackdown is still not important enough. Seth Rollins calls Daniel Bryan a garden gnome. They continue to trade insults until Kane makes the three rehired guys all have to earn their spots in the Royal Rumble. So not only does Daniel Bryan have to beat Kane to keep his spot but Dolph Ziggler has to face Bad News Barrett right now to keep his Rumble spot.

This is not an Intercontinental Title match because Dolph is starting as a new employee. These are two of my favorite performers in the company. I like the history as Barrett won the IC Title from Ziggler thanks to the Authority. Throughout the match, Bad News Barrett did a very good job of working the arm and Dolph sold it well. I really liked the finish as Dolph blocked the Bull Hammer with a dropkick and then connected on the Zig Zag to win. I'm no a fan of Barrett losing again, but the match itself was good and I'm so glad to have Dolph back on television. We go to a recap of Roman Reigns and Big Show on Raw before Renee Young interviews him. He talks about how he's going to make his own spot at the Rumble and that he will toss out Big Show. Because he stayed away from fairy tales and nursery rhymes, this was solid work from Roman Reigns. Moving to another backstage segment, Fandango draws his number for the Rumble before Dean Ambrose does so. Fandango likes his and Dean doesn't, so Dean switches them. I love these segments and, even though they aren't on the actual Rumble, I'm glad to have them back.

Next up, Ryback has to qualify for the Royal Rumble and he has a tough task ahead of him against the undefeated United States Champion, Rusev. I can always got for a good old fashioned powerhouse battle and Ryback surprised me by connected on the backpack stunner of his. I have to take a second to commend Rusev though, as he is damn good and doesn't get the proper due. Yes, his gimmick is sorely outdated, but he sells better than pretty much everyone else on the roster and can work. I was shocked to see this go nearly 13 minutes while Dolph and Barrett got less than 10. The fight spilled outside until Ryback ran inside at the last second and won via countout to earn his spot in the Rumble. Good stuff as both guys looked strong. Rusev CRUSH after the bell until Ryback rallies and chases him. Brie Bella, accompanied by Nikki, took on Naomi next while Paige and Natalya were on commentary. Paige always looks fine, but I gotta give it to Nattie here who looked very nice. Quick match as Brie won in about two minutes before they had a staredown with Paige and Natalya. It's a match that I'm looking forward to at the Royal Rumble but I still hate the Bella Twins being friends again. It's so unbelievably stupid.

Goldust and Stardust get their Royal Rumble numbers and it's weird as fuck. With the recent reports that Goldust is on his way to retirement, I rally wanna see him do something of relative importance before he goes. Time for Erick Rowan to try and qualify against his former best friend Luke Harper. Rowan continues to not be very impressive and actually loses here to Harper. I wonder what this means for Rowan. Have they given up on him? Backstage, The Miz is a total dick to Damien Mizdow, but when he leaves the Usos come up to Mizdow to ask if he's going to eliminate himself. They say it's his chance to shut up Miz and become his own star, so Mizdow ponders it. Cool addition to the Usos/Miz and Mizdow angle. Time for the main event as Daniel Bryan takes on Kane in a No Disqualifications match to get his Royal Rumble spot.This was a fun match that I enjoyed. J&J Security got involved a bunch but Bryan fought them off and managed to win with the Running Knee. Good main event but things pick up big time after. Bryan's celebration is cut short by the Big Show. They take him to the ring and continue the attack before Dolph Ziggler, Rowan and Ryback make the save. A bunch of others guys join like Tyson Kidd, Cesaro, New Day and even guys that aren't in the Rumble like Curtis Axel. Also, out comes Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to their music. With three days until the Rumble, we have to get the giant brawl that resembles the Rumble. They toss everyone out until we're left with Bryan, Reigns, Ambrose, Ryback and Ziggler inside, with Kane and Big Show on the apron to close the show.

Well maybe the move to Thursday nights was a good thing. Here we had another really fun episode of Smackdown. Ziggler/Barrett was good, Ryback/Rusev surprised me and Kane/Bryan was also impressive. The show closing brawl is always enjoyable and that's two for two in Thursday Smackdowns that are good. I appreciate the effort and looking forward to more. 7.5/10.

Raw Reunion Report 1/19/15

I know this is an off-topic way to begin, but right before Raw, the USA Network airs Law and Order SVU and the ending of those episodes is always super intense. Anyway, MLK Raw opens with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Brock takes the microphone from Heyman and I'm just thinking "GET THAT DAMN THING AWAY FROM HIM!" He calls out Seth Rollins but gets Triple H instead. He tries to keep things calm but Brock threatens him until Stephanie McMahon, Kane and Big Show come out. And here I thought I'd get an opening promo void of the Authority. Seth Rollins appears on the titantron and he continues to play the smarmy heel, while Heyman begs the Authority to put a leash on Seth before Brock destroys the whole roster trying to get him. Of course, John Cena interrupts and cuts his usual promo before being told that he'll have another shot to get Ryback, Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan their jobs back. The fans will choose if he puts up his Royal Rumble title shot though. Gee, I wonder how they'll vote? You can either A) ensure John Cena gets yet another title shot or B) potentially get Dolph Ziggler back.No word on his opponent.

I don't totally get the booking of this next match. Just coming back from missing 254 days of action, Daniel Bryan can't really afford to lose, but they put him against Bray Wyatt, who can't afford it either. Bryan was gone for most of 2014 and lost no steam but Bray competed and lost a ton of it. After winning the feud with Dean Ambrose, to possibly build him up Undertaker at WrestleMania, he indeed won here thanks to Kane. On one hand, thanks to the interference, Bryan can afford it but on the other it still sucked to see. Also, watching a Bryan match is so different now since I cringe at nearly every move. Bray Wyatt should only wrestle Daniel Bryan though because this was another damn good match and their Royal Rumble match last year is still Bray's best. Post match, Kane Chokeslams Bryan setting up their Smackdown bout. Commentary did a piss poor job of selling this as a big win for Bray because they suck at their jobs. Backstage, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash come up to Triple H to try and get him to have a bit of fun. Shawn Michaels shows up and Trips is torn between DX and nWo as they mess with his new suit gimmick. We see X-Pac but wait, it's Damien Sandow, who does a better X-Pac than Sean Waltman. The real X-Pac shows up and it's funny. Miz makes Sandow leaves and tries to get 2 Sweeted but is denied. This was funny.

Oh god, they brought back the Legends Panel from the Summer. With the same three legends. Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan each talk about winning Royal Rumbles. They all make their picks as Shawn says Bray Wyatt will win, Hogan believes Daniel Bryan and Flair must be on something as he chooses Dean Ambrose. Out comes Big Show to claim that nobody can eliminate him, though Cesaro showed that's false at WrestleMania. Flair is pissed and lights up Show with chops before dancing, only to turn around into a knockout punch. Of course, here comes Roman Reigns to a decent pop but not one that I would expect from the guy who is possibly going to win the Rumble. He clears the ring of Show. Lame segment, but we are now nearly 90 minutes in and have had just one match. Ah, but after commercial here comes our second match as Bad News Barrett meets Dean Ambrose in a non-title match between two guys who, you guessed it, each can't really afford a loss. They worked a solid match, with Dean still selling Rusev's knee work. It's like Rusev taught him how to sell. Dean wins with a rollup, because being a mid-card champion (not named Rusev) means you have to lose a fuckton of non-title matches. I would have much preferred Dean go over another heel and Barrett win his own non-title match.

After Rumble By the Numbers, which is always fun, we go to the New Day. NEW DAY! They face my favorite tag team of Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. It becomes more of the same stuff we've seen from them and they even try to steal Rosebuds. Wait, these guys are faces? Just to mention this, Cesaro is fucking great at pro wrestling. Are you ready for a nostalgia trip? The nWo come out, sans Hollywood Hogan. Hey, if you're gonna have Waltman in an nWo shirt, call him Syxx and not X-Pac dammit! Classic survey from Hall but when X-Pac goes to speak, out come the Ascension. JBL gets up from his desk, reveals an APA shirt like he's Superman and out comes Ron Simmons. Here come the New Age Outlaws too. Fuck, I hate them. The Ascension get absolutely destroyed by them in a segment that killed a new team for a cheap pop. The only thing I thought was cool was the APA part. Besides that, I thought this did absolutely nothing.

The Authority announce that John Cena will face Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane. Announced for the Royal Rumble is Paige and Natalya vs. the Bella Twins, while on the Kickoff Show we get New Day vs. Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Adam Rose. Their recent match on Main Event was PPV quality for sure. Paige and Nattie faced Summer Rae and Naomi here. Shouldn't it have been Summer and Layla? Since Layla is doing nothing and Naomi is feuding with Fox? Whatever. Classic Divas booking. The Bellas are on commentary, being friendly which I still don't get, and the match is short because three hours is somehow not enough to give girls ample time. I hate this. Paige and Nattie win. Rusev is out to crush R-Truth up next. It ends quickly. Backstage, Brock Lesnar runs into Seth Rollins and says that he's a prizefighter who won't hurt him tonight but will do so on Sunday. After everything being super long early in the show, everything is short now. I guess that's what happens when you give nearly 40 minutes to a bunch of retired guys. Jey Uso beats The Miz in a match that I swear we've seen on every.single.show in the past few months. They just trade wins every week and it means nothing.

The Ascension vs. the Outlaws is added to the Rumble. Fuck, I have to watch lame ass Road Dogg and Billy Gunn do their 17 year old routine. Also, besides the Rumble and WWE Title match, everything on Sunday is a tag team match. The main event was your standard handicap stuff. Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins beat up John Cena and he kept trying to make the valiant comeback because he FEARS NOTHING AND REGRETS LESS. When all hope looked lost, Sting appeared for the first time since Survivor Series. The entire Authority was basically frozen in place as he stepped onto the stage and the distraction allowed Cena to roll up Seth and win. It's still surreal to see Sting on WWE TV. Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan will be back during the Royal Rumble I assume. As Cena celebrates in the crowd, Sting disappears and Triple H throws a fit and shouts "STING" while the crowd "YES" chants everywhere. Brock Lesnar's theme hits because shit is getting real. He said he wasn't going after Seth tonight but targets him immediately. Seth gets taken down instantly, but escapes while Brock absolutely destroys Kane and Big Show. The crowd was red hot and this ending was exactly what Raw should be about. While the episode didn't build towards teh Rumble well, it had shock factor at the end and made me wanna tune in next week.

The ending of the show was fantastic, but I didn't love the entire episode. Bryan and Bray had a really good match, while Ambrose/Barrett was solid. The Legends Panel segment was dull, and I didn't like most of the Ascension stuff. Also, Brock Lesnar got a bigger pop at the end of the show than every face on the roster not named Sting or Daniel Bryan. That says something. 6.5/10.

Fave Five 1/12/15-1/18/15

1) Seth Rollins: Not a single person impressed me more this week than Seth Rollins. Starting on Raw, he opened the broadcast by being put against John Cena. My first reaction was "oh no, not again." They always have good matches, but we've seen it a bunch. To my surprise though, Seth pinned Cena in the middle of the ring. Granted, it took a bunch of interference from the lumberjacks, but pinning John Cena is still a big deal. Then, in the closing segment he laid out both of his opponents for the Royal Rumble with Curb Stomps and had the best promo of all three. Even though he was on the losing side of the main event six man tag on Smackdown, Seth once again stole the show. Not with his ring work surprisingly though. Seth interrupted Paul Heyman and cut a fantastic promo against him. Yes, arguably the best promo man of all time was overshadowed by a guy whose promo work has always been questioned. Seth is the first guy to actually come out and say that he's not afraid of Brock Lesnar. Even Cena spoke of how he knew he'd get his ass kicked. When it comes to his work in the ring, Seth has been amazing for a long time, but I never knew he would have what it takes to be a top heel in the WWE. Seth continues to improve week in and week out and is possibly the best thing going in the company right now.

2) Daniel Bryan: The best feeling of the week was one of joy when I saw Daniel Bryan. Bryan has long been one of my favorites since I first saw him nine years ago. After seeing him fulfill his dream and win the main event of WrestleMania, I had to watch him drop the title due to injury and worry that he'd never wrestle again. But on the Thursday premiere of Smackdown, we saw him in ring gear and it was awesome. Bryan was about to make Kane submit in his return match before the Authority got involved. Then, he pulled double duty and won the main event six man tag by pinning Kane. Daniel Bryan is still just as awesome as ever and he's back in a big way.

3) Sami Zayn: Interestingly enough, my three favorite guys on the indies turned out to be Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn. Go figure right? In 2014, NXT was the best thing the WWE had going and Sami was the best about that show. He ended the year by winning the NXT Championship from Adrian Neville in a match of the year candidate. While he was out selling an injury for a while, he returned and was the focal point of the Wednesday premiere for NXT and rightfully so. Sami wrestled Adrian and they seem incapable of having a bad match. This was another great one and Sami was able to beat his friend once again and successfully retain the NXT Title in his first defense. I believe that 2015 will be another strong one for Sami Zayn.

4) Low Ki: One week ago, Low Ki was on the other end of this list. He lost the X Division Title to last week's number 4, Austin Aries. This week though, Low Ki, now a member of the Beat Down Clan, got his rematch. Not only that, but he and Aries were given the main event slot of the second Destination American Impact. They delivered, putting on a fun match and Low Ki was able to regain his belt. Much like Seth Rollins against John Cena, it wasn't a particularly clean win, but it's still a big one. Not only that, but being a member of the BDC ensures that Low Ki will stay in the spotlight of TNA for a while. Hopefully, this is going to lead to a dominant run as X Division Champion.

5) The Hardys: I struggled to decide on who should be the fifth choice this week. Unlike last week, we didn't have a bunch of new champions or anything like that. So, when making my choice, I decided to look at the episode of Impact that I watched. My favorite match of the night was The Hardys against the Wolves. The winners of that match were the Hardys and they earned themselves a TNA World Tag Team Title shot. Commentary noted that it is a tag title they have never held and I could see them as serious threats to the Revolution. Anyway, they won a great match and hopefully have more to come for TNA wrestling.

Top Ten TNA Performers

Considering my decision to start watching more pro wrestling each week in 2015, my choice to watch Impact Wrestling got me thinking about a top ten list to make. I wanted to make one consisting of my favorite performers to watch in TNA. This is not a list of the ten best wrestlers in the company or the most decorated people; just the performers that I look forward to seeing when I turn on Impact Wrestling. This list was a lot harder to compile than it would have been back when I was a huge TNA fan and had AJ Styles, Christian and Alex Shelley.

10) Magnus: Back when I was a big TNA fan, one of my favorite acts was the British Invasion. While Douglas Williams was my favorite member of the group, Magnus struck me as a guy with loads of potential. Fast forward a few years and he was chosen to be the heel champion for Dixie Carter within the last year or so. I'm just getting back into TNA full time and he hasn't been part of the Destination America stuff yet but I can't wait to see him return. Something about him screams star and I hope he continues to be a major player when he comes back. Magnus is definitely cool and is a rare, mostly, homegrown talent for the company.

9) Low Ki: Since his indy days, I've enjoyed Low Ki's work. I remember reading when he was the first ROH Champion and he was one of the first people I ever saw in TNA. He would leave and return as Senshi, which led to a great run in 2006 and he was part of the PCS, which I loved. He returned sometime recently, though I'm not sure when exactly and has become a fixture in the X-Division that he helped build. As TNA debuted on Destination America, Low Ki was the reigning X Division Champion and had a cool little video package dedicated to him. While he dropped the belt then, he turned heel and joined the Beat Down Clan in the main event. After winning back the X Division Title on the last show, it's clear that Low Ki is going to be a focal point of TNA and I'm totally ready for that.

8) The Hardys: Growing up, I wasn't as big of a Hardy Boy fan as a lot of my friends. I was more of an Edge and Christian guy. I started to like Matt during his V1 run and then after the Edge/Lita scandal. It wasn't until around 2008 though that I joined the Jeff Hardy bandwagon. Granted, a lot has happened since that time to both men. Some bad and some good. One of the coolest things that I read while I wasn't watching TNA was that there was a rivalry between the Wolves, Team 3D and the Hardys. The past and the future met in huge matches and TNA's Tag Team Titles got to main event, which is something I want them to focus on. It's enjoyable to see the Hardys wrestle because I get that warm nostalgia like feeling and they can still go.

7) Kenny King: During my last few years watching ROH, I became a Kenny King fan. He reminds me of a much more charismatic Shelton Benjamin. When I saw that he came to TNA, I was excited because I felt like he could be a big player in the X-Division, especially if they made it a focal point again. King would go on to win the X-Division Championship but since then, he seems to be relegated to side act. At least in the first two Destination America episodes of Impact, King has just stood by MVP with a group of girls. He's the only member of the Beat Down Clan to not wrestle on Impact Wrestling since the move and I really hope that changes soon. King is a talented guy but I'd like to see him as the X-Division guy in the BDC, while Samoa Joe and Low Ki enter the tag team division. Whatever happens, we need more Kenny King.

6) Madison Rayne: There is a trend with this list if you haven't caught on. A lot of the people that I like watching in TNA, are people that I've found before they joined the company. Madison Rayne is a bit different though. Yes, I first saw her as Ashley Lane in SHIMMER, but I wasn't a fan then. I preferred her teammate Nevaeh. But, she joined TNA, changed her name to Madison Rayne and became a member of the Beautiful People and things changed. Madison fit right in with Angelina Love and Velvet Sky and was a much better worker than Lacey Von Erich, who she replaced. She was so good in fact, that she went on to win the TNA Knockouts Championship multiple times. She moves onto the "Queen" character and nailed that perfectly. The only thing she's ever done that I can remember disliking was her weird Earl Hebner storyline. Currently, she's not the focus of the Knockouts, as Taryn Terrell is the Champion, but I look forward to her moving back up towards the top. I would like to give a shoutout to an honorable mention on this list and that's the Beautiful People and the BroMans.

5) The Wolves: Here's yet another team that I found during their time in Ring of Honor. They were known as the American Wolves and earned my respect when I saw them compete in a Ladder War live. Eddie Edwards wrestled with a broken arm that night. That's tough. After they had a one off appearance in NXT, I was disappointed they didn't sign there. However, since their arrival in TNA, I think they've been handled well. Competing in main events against legendary tag teams like the Hardys and Team 3D is a big deal and their match against the Hardys on the most recent edition of Impact is probably the best one on Destination America so far. I fully expect them to wear the Tag Team Titles in 2015 again because they are that good and, if they ever split, both guys can go in singles action.

4) Awesome Kong: This whole "I found this person before TNA" thing is getting ridiculous. I found Amazing Kong back in SHIMMER, where she was an unstoppable force who seemingly could not have a bad match. She signed with TNA in 2007 and debuted as Awesome Kong where she had a phenomenal run. She would go on to main event Impact with Gail Kim and it didn't seem out of place at all. Kong's TNA run would end bitterly but it was a sight to see for sure. She went on to the WWE as Kharma but that was cut short by her pregnancy. She disappeared for the most part until the Destination America premiere where she returned. That was easily my favorite thing about the premiere. Kong had a face off with Havok and it seems like TNA is building towards a massive showdown between the two women. Kong is a treat to see week in and week out.

3) Ethan Carter III: Well, here we have a variation on today's theme. Yes, I first saw Ethan Carter III as Derrick Bateman in the WWE. However, he did not stand out to me there and seemed destined for the midcard. After getting released, he signed on with TNA and they managed to do something I had never seen them do before. They took a guy who wasn't established in WWE and turned him into something that was awesome. He was re-branded as Dixie Carter's nephew and instantly grew into this amazing character. Even with me not watching TNA on a weekly basis, one of the things I would catch on YouTube were videos of his work. I became enthralled because he turned the EC3 character into must see television. Toss in the addition of Tyrus, the former Brodus Clay, and now he has a bodyguard type character. A less talented Diesel to his Shawn Michaels. On the first two Destination Impacts, EC3 has yet to wrestle, but he's been a big part of the show. His shaving of Jeremy Borash was a great heel moment and then taking over the production truck was fun. I'm not particularly looking forward to EC3/Jeremy Borash, but EC3 is one of the guys in TNA who could make this work and have it be entertaining. I feel that by the end of the 2015, Ethan Carter needs to be wearing the TNA World Championship. I know that the Beat Down Clan, Lashley, Eric Young and Bobby Roode seem to be the mainstays of the World Title picture, but EC3 is that good and needs to put himself in there.

2) Bobby Roode: Bobby Roode is TNA. Understand that. A few years ago, I would have said that AJ Styles was TNA and would have been right, but after he left to NJPW the one mainstay is Bobby Roode. I know that Abyss and James Storm have also been around since day one, but Roode bleeds TNA. He's been part of Team Canada, Beer Money and Fortune. He's won the Tag Titles a few times and is a two time TNA World Heavyweight Champion. In fact, Bobby entered the Destination America era as the World Champion, only to be screwed by the Beat Down Clan. Bobby Roode is the one guy that I can point to and say "That's TNA's guy". They built him from the ground up, with plenty of bumps in the road, but he's it. People saw him as a star for a long time and he's a big part of their past, present and future. Bobby Roode is fantastic.

1) Austin Aries: Since the first day that I saw Austin Aries back in 2004, I was hooked. He was the man to end Samoa Joe's historic ROH World Title run and he made sporadic appearances in TNA. His run in TNA as Austin Starr showed that he has personality and he was part of the classic PCS. After leaving for a while, he went back to ROH, had a ton of classics and developed a new character as the "Greatest Man That Ever Lived." It led him to a second ROH World Title and he would eventually bring the gimmick to TNA. After winning the X-Division Title, he traded it in for a shot at Bobby Roode's World Title. In one of the greatest moments in TNA history, Aries shocked the world by winning the World Title and ending Roode's record long run. Aries has since become a Triple Crown winner and should still be a World Title contender, but he seems to be in the X-Division for now. Regardless of where Austin Aries is positioned on the card, he's a blast to watch and my favorite part of TNA.

Impact Wrestling Report 1/16/15

The show opens with Josh Matthews and Taz informing us about how this show will have more of a reality based feel to it. This should be interesting at the very least. After last week's usual TNA swerve, the show begins with MVP, Low Ki, Samoa Joe and Kenny King cutting a promo. They are known as the Beat Down Clan. Dumb name, MV nearly curses but has to stop and I still don't know why they decided to turn Ki and Joe heel. It's classic TNA. They bring out Eric Young, who helped them last week but is not a member of the BDC. Is it because he's white? EY has new music and claims that he doesn't like MVP but he respects him. He calls Bobby Roode his brother and that he gave him a title shot once he won the belt. Bobby didn't do the same, but that's unfair since TNA didn't run shows during Roode's latest reign. MVP basically corrupted EY's mind. They call out Lashley, but get Kurt Angle instead. He calls them thugs which leads to Angle/Joe. Yes, for the second straight show we open with an Angle match.

Remember in 2006 when Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle was something special? This wasn't special. It only lasted about six or seven minutes and was nowhere near the level of those classics. Partyl because Angle is not the same guy he once was and Samoa Joe has lost everything special about him. Joe wins after a low blow and the Rear Naked Choke. The BDC and EY, acronyms all around, come to attack but Bobby Roode appears to clean house. Roode cuts a promo about how EY went too far and that he's been in TNA for a long time. He promises to make him pay tonight. On TNA's side show, Impact Unlocked, Mike Tenay is going to conduct a special interview with former World Champion Magnus. I do miss Magnus. Backstage, Jeremy Borash tells Rockstar Spud that EC3 is a jackass an will get what's coming to him. JB is wearing a hat after having his head shaved last week.

The TNA World Tag Team Champions, the Revolution come to watch the next match. They are still the weirdest looking stable in wrestling history. Seriously. A cowboy, a monster, a Samoan and a luchador? The Hardys would be facing the Wolves in a match to determine the number one contenders. Commentary does a good job of pointing out how the Hardys have won every major Tag Team Title, except for the TNA ones. Throughout the match, the crowd stays dark except for the spotlight on the strange ass Revolution. This was a pretty damn good match. The Wolves are one of the better tag teams currently and the Hardys can clearly still go. After a solid ten minutes, the Hardys won to earn a title shot. This is something TNA should do. If they are serious about being an alternative to WWE, they need to focus on things that WWE struggles with and tag team wrestling is one of those things. Ugh, we get a popup that states Feast or Fired is coming back. I still hate this gimmick. Bram cuts a promo about how he'll have Magnus by his side during the match. He says they can retrieve all four briefcases by themselves. But then one of you would be fired you clown. Backstage, Kenny King worries about Lashley but MVP tells him that it's all good. More reality style stuff as EC3 and Tyrus take over the production truck. EC3 is a great fucking heel. He challenges Jeremy Borash to a match and gives him 30 minutes to make a decision. God, if EC3 loses I will lose my mind.

For our first hour main event, TEAM CANADA EXPLODES! Bobby Roode and Eric Young go at it, which surprised me as I thought this would main event. This was billed as a No Disqualification match and they made good use of the stipulation. We saw chairs and brawling outside during this solid match. Eric Young wins with a piledriver onto a steel chair. Considering this is TNA, I'm happy that this had a clean finish. There was no interference or shenanigans and the piledriver finish looked sick. This did a great job of building EY as a psycho. He yells at Bobby because he is nuts before MVP comes out again and promises a celebration for Lashley tonight. Austin Aries knows that it will be a fight to keep his title as he faces Low Ki again. It's time for the good old Knockouts, which is another thing that TNA needs to make a focal point. Brooke Tessmacher and Taryn Terrell faced the Beautiful People, who of course were with the BroMans. If I didn't point it out last week, I'd like to say that the BroMans and Beautiful People is a fantastic pairing. I appreciate that the Beautiful People and Kurt Angle still have their themes from 2007 when I used to enjoy TNA themes. The Beautiful People entrance is still the best on TV. Unfortunately, this didn't get enough time. I want the Knockouts to be important. Despite the short run time, they fit a lot into it and it was fun. Velvet Sky pulled Brooke's tights to win.

After the match, the lights go out and Awesome Kong is in the ring! She completely takes out the Beautiful People and DJ Zema. Havok's theme hits. IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN! Security keeps them separate but damn, when this goes down it's gonna be big. Poor Taryn is getting overshadowed despite being champion. EC3 finds Jeremy Borash and gets his match, after some piss poor acting by JB. Next, James Storm introduces the newest member of our favorite strange stable, the Revolution. It is Koya, formerly known as Mahabali Shera. Next week, Koya will be unleashed. Excellent idea to have Austin Aries and Low Ki main event. Seriously, let's get the X Division back to prominence here. The match as better than last week, and Aries looked good, applying the Last Chancery and making Ki tap. However, the BDC distracted the referee. Aries takes them out with the heat seeking missile, but back inside, eats a Ki Krusher and the title changes hands again! This brings out Lashley. MVP badmouths New York and hypes up Lashley. He says that he made him look like a champion and that the belt belongs to the BDC. Lashley takes offense saying the title is his. MVP says they're family and that he took him under his wing back with the other company. Lashley says he's not about this and goes to leave, but MVP calls him a founding member of the BDC. Lashley even calls him by his real name. MVP decides they should hug it out but when they do the BDC pounce. Lashley tries to fight but it's to no avail.

After last week, I said that TNA made a solid debut and had me looking forward to watching again this week. Well, they put out another good episode. It wasn't must see television, but the show seems to have direction. Even though I don't like the BDC, they're building them as the heel faction that TNA seems to always need. The X Division has been a focal point, we have plans in place for the Tag Titles, EC3 is coming off as a great dick heel and Kong/Havok has all the makings of awesome. Just having direction is a good step for TNA. 7/10.

Smackdown Report 1/15/15

The Thursday return of Smackdown was being billed as a pretty big episode. Right off the bat, we have a new intro video and a new logo. Byron Saxon introduces Daniel Bryan, who is making his in ring return tonight. Seeing Bryan in wrestling gear again is a beautiful thing because I honestly didn't know if I'd ever see it again. Bryan pumps up the crowd until the Authority interrupts. So it looks like the show will open with Bryan vs. Kane .I smell shenanigans. Kane is a good choice for Bryan's return opponent as he's a safe worker and they have good chemistry, but I couldn't help but cringe every single time Bryan would land on his neck. It goes for about thirteen minutes and was solid, but hen Bryan attempts the Yes Lock, the Authority break it up, resulting in the disqualification. Bryan fights them off and escapes but is cornered atop the ramp until Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns step out with him. It wouldn't be Smackdown without a tag team main event PLAYA, so Triple H makes a six man tag main event for tonight. Bryan, Reigns and Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane. Fun start.

After Macho Man's Hall of Fame video, we move to another six person tag. The Usos and Naomi took on The Miz, Damien Mizdow and Alicia Fox. Literally, the only reason Alicia is involved is because she is on Total Divas and Naomi isn't anymore. Blah. We are also told that we'll see Usos vs. Miz and Mizdow for the 400th time at the Royal Rumble with the titles on the line. It's super annoying that Michael Cole hates on Miz now when he used to have a constant boner for him. The Skull Crushing Finale leads to a win for Miz. Renee Young interviews Roman Reigns and it's not that bad actually. Next, Paul Heyman appears, which is rare for Smackdown. He actually says that he's kind of scared because Brock Lesnar wants to hurt Seth Rollins and that may mess with his mindset. Seth Rollins comes out and steals the show by claiming that he's not afraid of Brock. He wants to cash in tonight, but of course, Brock isn't there. He threatens to Curb Stomp Heyman to take out Brock's greatest asset. Heyman tries to convince Seth to not kill him by telling him that the Authority could end up gone again and he has some power. Seth contemplates it and exits. Intense stuff and Seth Rollins continues to grow on the microphone every single week.

After a Total Divas promo, we go to a Divas match. Nikki Bella and her stupid sister Brie come out for a match. It will be Nikki vs. Natalya, who has Paige at ringside with her. This is interesting since Paige lost to Brie on Raw and blamed it on Tyson Kidd before slapping him. I guess Nattie is cool with this. The match was kept rather short and a well placed slap from Paige allowed Nattie to lock on the Sharpshooter and force Nikki to tap out. I didn't mind this but I have no clue where this is all going and I don't think the writers do either. It's like their only goal is to get the Total Divas cast on television. Can we just put the belt back on Paige? Backstage, Renee Young interviewed Big Show about the Royal Rumble. Show claims that he will win because no man can throw him over the top rope. Seriously Show? Did Cesaro not totally carry your big ass over the top rope like you were a cruiserweight at WrestleMania?

Wade Barrett defended his Intercontinental Title against Sin Cara next. If you recall, last week Sin Cara of all people beat Barrett cleanly just days after he won his fifth IC Title. Bad News Barrett would right that ship tonight, retaining his gold in about three minutes. Sin Cara springboarded into the Bull Hammer and I really hope this is over. Barrett needs a good face to feud so we can have a fun IC Title feud. Barrett/Swagger would be cool and different. As we move into the main event, part of me nearly shed a tear seeing Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a six man tag main event. As much as I love solo heel Seth, I do miss the Shield. All six of these guys know what they're doing and this was a damn good main event. It was given nearly twenty minutes and was pretty much non-stop fun. It ended in the best possibly way too as Bryan hit the big running knee on Kane and got the three. After the match, Triple H was obviously not happy and announced that next week on Smackdown, Kane will face Bryan again and Bryan's spot in the Royal Rumble is on the line.

So it looks like the WWE wanted to make sure that the first Thursday Smackdown in over a decade would be a good one and they did well in that aspect. Granted this wasn't must see television or anything, but we had a big main event, the return of Daniel Bryan and an excellent Seth Rollins promo. Hopefully, Smackdown stays relevant. 7.5/10.

Lucha Underground: Your WWE Alternative

As a fan of pro wrestling in general, I've obviously grown up around the WWE. It was the first thing I saw as a kid and it's the one that is still standing and I still watch consistently to this day. There may have been times where I'd follow less than normal, but it was always there. During those times where it would be less interesting, I'd search high and low for an alternative. After the Monday Night Wars, the thing that I ended up finding was TNA. They were different with their focus on the X Division and the six sided ring. I fell in love for a while, only to end up disappointed. Paul Heyman said it best on the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD. He knew that a company should highlight it's strengths and hide it's weaknesses. It's what made ECW work so well. TNA didn't, and still doesn't, have the budget to compete with WWE but they would try and put on huge fireworks displays and things like that. It came off as a cheap knock off. Little things like that, as well as bringing in Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and others, turned me away from TNA. I still watch occasionally, but not consistently. Around 2007, I began going to Ring of Honor shows. I went to maybe twelve or so straight ROH shows in New York City and that was my go to alternative promotion. Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Steen, El Generico and guys like that made it my favorite thing to watch. Unlike TNA though, my falling out of following ROH, had less to do with the product and more to do with life getting in the way. As I got older, I got busier and began to only focus on the WWE again. When I tried getting back into it, it wasn't the same show that I remember loving. By the time 2014 rolled around, I focused all of my time on the WWE; whether it be the current product or classics on the WWE Network.

As 2015 approached, I made it a point to watch other wrestling again. I checked out NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 and loved it, but the thing I'm here to discuss is Lucha Underground. I didn't catch it when it started late last year, but I've just began to watch the episodes On Demand and I'm hooked. While it's not on the level of NJPW or WWE money wise, that's not what their goal is and that makes it work as a perfect alternative. It's not a program that needs big name stars as it just relies on being an absolute blast. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are some recognizable faces. Matt Striker is on commentary, John Morrison is Johnny Mundo, Konnan is around, the former Sofia Cortez, Chavo Guerrero, Maxine and others. There is something that's just awesome about it. Maybe it's the Robert Rodriguez production value, which gives it a gritty feel just like his classic films. I've seen clips of Danny Trejo, yes, Machete himself, in the front row enjoying the show. A guy like Prince Puma, who, spoiler alert, is indy standout Ricochet, has gotten a ton of shine here. Lucha Underground is different than every other wrestling you can see on TV and it seems to pride itself on that. If you want to try something other than the WWE on American TV, my suggestion would be Lucha Underground. It is a ton of fun, an easy way to spend an hour and completely enjoyable. Keep an eye out for them.

Raw Report 1/12/15

My post birthday Raw opens with John Cena. Yay. He comes to the ring completely unfazed after he was supposedly shaken at the end of last week's episode. He seriously looks like he doesn't care one bit about what happened to Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback. He talks about how he hates the Authority and tries to get #AuthoritySucks to trend. He even hilariously threatens to win the title at the Royal Rumble and go home with it. Like that would change anything. Have you not paid attention to Brock Lesnar's title reign. The Authority interrupt because what's a Raw opening promo without them right? Triple H and Stephanie McMahon give Cena a chance to win back the jobs of Dolph, Rowan and Ryback if he can beat Seth Rollins in a Lumberjack Match to open the show. I still think that this whole angle would have worked better if it was Dolph trying to win the jobs back. He'd be super over. Instead, the crowd didn't even really want Cena to win here. As for the match itself, it was standard stuff between the two men and got just about 14 minutes. Thanks to interference from the lumberjacks, Seth was able to actually pin Cena for once. It was beautiful that nobody helped Cena because he's the worst teammate in WWE history.

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon decided to punish the Usos and Dean Ambrose. Maybe I missed something, but I don't remember the Usos defying the Authority. Their punishment is that Naomi must wrestle with an arm tied behind her back and Dean Ambrose's is that he must take a psych evaluation. Throughout the night, Ambrose made the stupid evaluation segments work because he's Dean Ambrose. Back to the ring, and I guess Adam Rose is with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro as he accompanies them to the ring with Natalya against the New Day. While this was decent, it was kept short and the crowd didn't care enough. Do you know why the crowd didn't care? Because there is no reason why these guys are feuding. Maybe put in some actual time for the division and give them more character depth and we'd care more. I still do love Kidd and Cesaro though.

The WWE decided to tease Macho Man going into the Hall of Fame. The best part about this was Superstar impersonations, with my favorites being Paige and Roman Reigns. However, Reigns would make me dislike him talking again shortly. We are told that Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan and HBK will be at Raw next week for the Raw Reunion, whatever that means. Big Show comes out and cuts a surprisingly good heel promo on Roman Reigns. But Reigns comes out and does the worst thing of the whole night. He cuts a "fairy tale" promo and it was cringeworthy. We all know that Roman is not good on the mic, but the WWE is making it 10 times worse with this kid stuff. Roman is at his best when he's a simple ass kicker. He should come out, say some short stuff and get straight to the point. That's the only way it works. Luke Harper arrives for a match with Roman. This was decent, but it should have ended via DQ. Harper has a potential future but he loses to Roman, while Show, who doesn't, has non-finishes with Roman. A+ booking guys.

Naomi met Alicia Fox, in a rematch from their Smackdown match, but with the one hand tied behind her back. Again, this was too short for the crowd to give sympathy and nobody cares about either girl, which is unfortunate since they aren't bad. Alicia Fox wins, but why would this get more time than their even leveled match on Smackdown? Moving on, Dean Ambrose plays word association in his psych evaluation, which was again funny. HHH = irritable bowel syndrome, Kane = toothpaste, Rollins = scumbag, Reigns = brother, Jim Duggan = Hooooo and Stephanie = Hooooo. Dean is gold. Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar come out now and I remember a time when I looked forward to a Heyman promo. Now he just says the same things over and over again. He brings up the Streak and conquering and shit like that. It was oddly placed on the show but at least was kept brief. Also, we've seen Lucha Underground and TNA commercials during the broadcast.

More impersonations from Superstars, with Miz easily having the best one this time. That takes us to Miz vs. Jey Uso, for what has to be the billionth time. Miz wins, so I guess the feud continues. We're just going in circles and through the motions. The crowd, which hasn't been great, comes alive for the appearance of Daniel Bryan. Man, I feel like he has to win the Royal Rumble. HE discusses winning the main event of WrestleMania earlier this year in that very city. He plans on winning the Royal Rumble and doing it all over again. Stephanie McMahon cut him off and promoted her fitness DVD before showing the footage of Kane attacking Bryan and "injurying" him earlier this year. This leads to Kane vs. Bryan in his return match this Thursday. I'm okay with that as a return match since Kane is someone Bryan has worked with a lot and will keep him safe, and it gives Bryan a win. Well, it should. As long as the feud doesn't go on past that, I'm good. Kane comes out, we get a brawl and Bryan hits him with a suicide dive. So much for easing up his in ring style huh? Good segment because Bryan vs. Stephanie is always great.

Backstage, Seth Rollins is bragging about his win with J&J Security, when Brock Lesnar comes up to him. He's not happy about Seth weaseling his way into the Title match at Royal Rumble. Paul Heyman steps in and plays peacemaker telling them they should work together to take out John Cena. After commercial, we get Paige vs. Brie Bella, with jobber entrance. Fuck that! I want more Paige. This was short and decent. Paige was accompanied to the ring by Tyson Kidd and Natalya and a Kidd distraction cost Paige the contest. She angrily left the ring and slapped Tyson Kidd, who responded with the best reaction ever. Bray Wyatt cuts a promo about winning the Royal Rumble. Yea sure Bray. Just like you beat John Cena. We move quickly into another Ascension squash. Again, I'm not a big Ascension fan but having JBL and Michael Cole burying them for no reason is stupid. Unless it leads to Ascension vs. a returning for one night only APA. Then I'd be okay with JBL. Not Michael Cole though.

Lana and Rusev come out to badmouth America and promote how Rusev is going to win the Royal Rumble. They are cut off by Dean Ambrose, who passed his evaluation and is in the Rumble. They have a non-title match and guess what? Rusev beats Ambrose. Terrible fucking move. Look, I get that they don't want Dean to end his streak and ending it randomly on a Raw would be pointless. But if there was ever a match end in a DQ or hell, even a countout win for Dean, this was it. Instead, it ends because Dean's knee was taken out and the referee chooses to stop the match. I'm not conspiracy theorist when it comes to the WWE, but it's like they want Dean to fail sometimes. Time for our Royal Rumble title match contract signing. These come along every time there's a big match and we don't know how to do another segment for it. Heyman talks first, saying the same stuff as always. Seth Rollins then absolutely steals the show because he's possibly the best thing going in the WWE. His promo about Brock's list of accomplishments being great but not like his list is fantastic. We get a brawl that includes some Brock German suplexes and ends with Seth hitting both Cen and Brock with Curb Stomps. Brock sells that shit like a champ especially when compared to Cena who jumps with it like an idiot.

In the end, this wasn't a terrible episode but it wasn't very good either. Seth Rollins was, and yes I sound like a broken record, the MVP of the show. He won the opening match and shined brightest in the closing segment. The Roman Reigns stuff was goofy and, while the Dean Ambrose segments were funny, wasn't the best use of his talents. Everything else was too short to have any really enjoyable build. 5/10.

Fave Five 1/5/15-1/11/15

1) Lashley: This was a big week with a lot of potential players on this list. Bray Wyatt doesn't cut it even though he won his feud, I guess, over Dean Ambrose. Drew Galloway, who retained his Evolve Title and Alberto El Patron, who won the WWL Title could have made the list too. However, they didn't. First on the list is the man who won the biggest title of anyone this week. Bobby Lashley was someone who did not impress me during his original WWE run, but throughout the scattered matches that I saw in 2014 from him, he has improved. He dropped the title at the end of last year to the vastly superior Bobby Roode, but would regain it on TNA's big debut on Destination America in the main event. It wasn't a clean victory by any means, but it was a still a big one. On their first show on a new Network, Lashley helps usher in a new era and TNA has made it seem that Lashley just might be their guy. I don't know if he'll hold the title for a long time, but for this week, Lashley is atop the mountain.

2) AJ Styles: The only guy to make this list in back to back weeks. After an impressive showing on the big stage at Wrestle Kingdom 9, AJ Styles picked up a huge win the following night. On the NJPW equivalent to the Raw after WrestleMania, he pinned the IWGP Champion Hiroshi Tanahasi in a tag match. If that wasn't enough, he then staked his claim for a rematch for the IWGP Title that he held last year. Pinning Tanahasi is a huge deal, especially when it seems to be setting up AJ to be the next contender for the title at NJPW's next big event. I, for one, am looking forward to this as a huge AJ Styles fan and seeing him headline big shows warms my heart.

3) Prince Puma: Surprising pick eh? Lucha Underground is relatively unknown, but I just found out that I get it and it's On Demand so I can go back and watch old episodes. I did catch the crowning of their first ever Champion, which was done in a Royal Rumble style match. The main difference was that elimination had to happen by pinfall. It spanned the entire episode and Prime Puma won to become the first champion. Also, for those unaware, Prince Puma is actually indy standout Ricochet. I haven't gotten to see enough of Ricochet on the indies, I was impressed by this. Lucha Underground and their style fits a guy like him perfectly and I believe he is a fantastic choice for their first champion. I expected John Morrison, or Johnny Mundo to win since he is a recognizable face but I was pleasantly surprised.

4) Austin Aries: Before Lashley won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the Destination America premiere, Austin Aries was the star of the show. After a cool little video package showcasing the history of the very important X Division, Low Ki defended the title against Austin Aries. Aries was touted by commentary as the guy with the longest reign in X Division history and the most reigns. The match itself was slightly disappointing as it didn't get much time and could have been much better, but Aries picked up the win to gain his sixth X Division Title. While this was a solid accomplishment, I still feel that Austin Aries should be doing more with the company. His title win in 2012 was one of the few shining moments for TNA in the last few years and he should be a consistent player in the main event.

5) Bad News Barrett: Talk about an up and down week. The recently returned Bad News Barrett won the Intercontinental Championship for the fifth time on Raw. He seemed to lose to Dolph Ziggler until Kane turned it into a Two out of Three Falls match following Barrett attacking Ziggler. He would win the next two falls and win the title, seemingly moving back into the position he held before his untimely injury. Also, it was clear that he wasn't a face as his return suggested. Barrett would have for sure placed higher if he didn't turn around and lose a non-title bout to Sin Cara of all people in an incredibly questionable booking decision.