The Undercard
Abyss defeated Eric Young in Monster's Ball. This was a really good hardcore match between two former teammates. Abyss, after months, finally gets his masked ripped off and sees Joseph Park in a shattered piece of glass. I love the symbolism with him looking into the piece of broken glass, almost seeing how broken of a person he is. Whoever decided that is a very smart person. The spots in the match included a corkscrew DDT and a powerbomb from the ropes, which landed Abyss onto the thumb tacks. Whether I love or hate EY, I really can say that I was impressed with his athleticism and versatility tonight. He knows how to get the best out of Abyss/Park in more than just a match. This should be the final curtain call for Joseph Park. Let him talk about channeling his inner Abyss and keep the monster gimmick.
Score: 7/10
– Bully Ray sends a statement to Mr. Anderson by Piledriving Curry Man. Wouldn't this feel more important if they had someone of ANY relevancy instead of a joke?
Score: 4/10
Austin Aries defeated Zema Ion to retain the X-Division Championship. Aries was cutting a promo and out came the BroMans to distract him. Ion attacked him with his briefcase and wanted to cash in his chance. Hmm, I wonder where they got this idea from. Anyways, I LOVED this match for a few reasons. Zema Ion is an incredible talent who may be the most athletic wrestler in the world. He has a unique look and a wonderful personality in the ring. He always impresses me. The element of surprise was another thing that I enjoyed. I knew Zema would not win, but there were many "close calls" to make the viewer think otherwise. Lastly, the quick match gave us all that we needed in the ring. Ion hit an incredible slingshot DDT, while Aries was able to quickly reverse his offense and finish him off with a few moves. What this match told me was that these are two of the best performers in TNA. I was highly entertained and hope they actually can have a lengthy feud. Ion is too good to waste each week.
Score: 8/10
Kurt Angle defeated Magnus via Disqualification when Ethan Carter interferes. Magnus, who has done great things for the company, is getting stale as champion. I hate saying it, but it is true. I love what he does in the ring, but TNA has not given him an opportunity to be the "face" of the company. THAT is a problem. When people see Magnus, they are not seeing a world champion. It could change, but that change needs to happen sooner rather than later. He seems to be a transitional champion for a heel that wants to run the company her way, emphasis on her. Ethan Carter looks the part and is much more advanced inside the ring, as well as on the microphone. He has the little tools right now to, in my opinion, be the face of the company.
Ethan Carter CAN be a Star
Ethan Carter III has it all, and will get a chance to showcase it sooner rather than later. EC3 has the intensity and the facial expressions to make that intensity feel believable. The guy is in incredible shape and has the look of a champion. I fully expect this attack to lead him to a match with Kurt Angle. It seems like matches with Kurt Angle are higher profiled than championship matches in TNA. Ask Bobby Roode about that.
Score: 6/10
-Chris Sabin officially breaks up with Velvet Sky when he fake proposes to her. I could care less about their relationship on camera, really. They are better off away from one another and doing their own thing. Power couples in wrestling come by too often, but fail even more often.
Score: 4/10
