Impact Wrestling
July 18, 2013
Louisville, Kentucky
“Destination X”
We start with nine X-Division superstars who will be in action, but even bigger is Chris Sabin’s shot at the TNA World Title. We now have a video montage of Sabin’s life and career. I don’t think they would have made such a big deal if he wasn’t going to win. But you never know. The Main Event Mafia/Aces & Eights war is amped up tonight as well. Speaking of the nomads, the World Champion is coming down the ramp. Boorash is with Tenay at the table, and Taz is nowhere to be found. Bully Ray is pretty agitated because everybody is talking about the “little boy.” Bully says “Don’t cheer his name…plan a funeral for him.” He says he’s the most hated in pro wrestling, but I’m not sure. #4 or #5 perhaps. Bully says “I will defeat Chris Sabin, and tonight Aces & Eights will take out the Main Event Mafia.” Now he calls out his wife Brooke. Out comes the woman in charge of the Knockouts. She says “What more do you want from me Mark?” She flashes her new engagement ring. This is weird, are we living in Utah? Bully says “You move on when I SAY you move on.” That brings out Brooke’s papa and GM Hulk Hogan. HH says “Yes Bully Ray enough is enough.” Bully’s pissed and doesn’t want them to leave. Suddenly Kurt Angle and the rest of the MEM is on the big screen and they promise Chris Sabin will be the new TNA World Champion. Pretty good opening segment actually. For the first time in a while Bully Ray is visably flustered. We go back to last year’s Destination X when Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode to win the Title. Speaking of Bobby Roode, he’s backstage and he says things will change as he has no BFG points right now.
Back from break and Gail Kim is tweeting the first hour of the show.
The up to date Bound for Glory leaderboard has Magnus with 49 points, Samoa Joe with 19, Jeff Hardy with 17 and Christopher Daniels with 14 points.
BFG SERIES MATCH: Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries
One year earlier these two battled and Aries won the World Title. The guys go back and forth until Aries hits a 450 splash for a 2 ½ count. Aries has outwrestled Roode all match including a plancha through the ropes and onto the stairs. Roode goes for a crossface submission move, as its ten points rather than seven. Roode is making a nice comeback after really getting beat down throughout. TNA agents don’t really book long heat segments, they let both guys go back and forth quickly. That’s not how WWE agents book matches. Aries hits a brain buster for the victory. So Bobby Roode is now 0-4 in the BFG and has no points. Aries now has 14 which ties him for fourth with Daniels.
After the match Roode is despondent and he walks over to the announce table. He grabs a monitor and destroys it. He’s throwing chairs and equipment everywhere ala Bret Hart in 1997.
Backstage Hernandez is talking with former LAX partner Homicide. Chavo walks in and makes small talk. Homicide leaves and tells Hernandez next year they will face each other for the World Title at Destination X 2014. Hahaha that’s funny. You suck Chavo.
Back from break and Aces & Eights are meeting. Anderson says DOC snapped when he lost the VP vote and turned in his cut. Actually Luke Gallows was released. Tonight they have bigger fish to fry.
X-DIVISION QUALIFYING MATCH: Homicide vs. Petey Williams vs. Sonjay Dutt
All TNA veterans in this match. As much as I love Homicide as a wrestler, I never liked the fact his finisher was called the “Cop Killer”. That bothers me. Boorash says Sonjay Dutt is the greatest X-Division wrestler that never won the X-Division Title. Next week will be a 3-way match for the vacant X-Division title. The winner of this one and two more matches tonight will be in it. There’s also a new X-Division belt. It’s blue and looks very TNA. Homicide’s finisher is now the “Gringo Killer”. Now I can like him. Homicide hits it on Petey but Sonjay breaks the hold. Dutt pins Homicide with a double stomp off the top rope. So he’s in next week’s Ultimate X Title match.
X-DIVISION QUALIFYING MATCH: Kenny King vs. Chavo vs. Manik
I think Manik wins this one, after going through all that other stuff with Aries and his real identity revealed. Just like the previous match all three guys are going full speed. Chavo just doesn’t fit with these guys, even though Tenay acknowledges he’s a former WCW and WWE Cruiserweight Champion. As expected Manik wins when Kenny King does too much hot dogging after a move on Chavo. So Manik joins Sonjay Dutt in next week’s Ultimate X match for the vacant Title.
Backstage Sting gives a pep talk to the MEM.
We replay the video package from earlier about Sabin and Bully Ray.
Out of that, Hogan gives Sabin a pep talk.
Back inside the arena and out comes the Main Event Mafia. No suit for Rampage, just the chains. Nice. Sting says “Aces and Eights, we gave you fair warning. Now we’re looking for you on this night.” I love Angle’s shades with the flag on them. Kurt says “You’ve turned this company upside down and tonight we’re coming after you.” I like Magnus, but he just doesn’t fit with these guys, he’s better off on his own. These guys are going to fight in their suits? Anderson comes up on the screen and says “We don’t just run into the ring at your beck and call. So we cordially invite you to come back here.” The MEM obliges. They just walk up the ramp and leave.
We go backstage and the MEM and as expected they walk into a trap. Aces & Eights beat them down, and Bully Ray dumps Angle into the back of the pickup truck and it drives off. Wow does the Mafia look pretty stupid.
We see the replay of the MEM look damn stupid and walk into a trap.
X-DIVISION QUALIFYING MATCH: Rubix vs. Rockstar Spud vs. Greg Marascuilo
Who the hell is Rubix? He has puzzle piece shapes all over his tights and mask. Spud won the British Boot Camp back in February. Greg Marascuilo is the former Trent Barretta. This match is going at a much slower pace than the other two matches, maybe because these guys don’t have the experience. Maraschuilo with a flip over the top rope onto Spud, nice move. Marascuilo wins by pinning Spud with a small package-type maneuver that looks like half of Rey Mysterio’s West Coast Pop.
Backstage Bully Ray is on the phone with whoever drove away with Angle and tells that person to “make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
We go outside to where the truck pulls back in and Kurt Angle was driving it.
Knockouts Champion Mickie James is in the ring and she talks about one of the most incredible moments ever. It’s in Nashville from I think last week when she sang live. She compares her performance to “men landing on the moon and the invention of the twinkie.” She calls herself a giver. She’s then interrupted by Mrs. Robert Irvine. Gail Kim the #1 contender comes out and gets in her face about next week’s title match. Mickie tells Gail to get out of her space, and Gail smacks her and they start rolling around the ring. I don’t think Gail is turning face, this is just one match.
Backstage Sabin’s getting ready when Austin Aries comes over. He wishes Sabin luck, but says “I am the litmus paper. Since I beat Bully Ray and you beat me, you have to finish the equation.” He says he’s pulling for Sabin tonight.
Back from break and AJ Styles is sitting backstage in a staircase. He says he put the X-Division on the map. He puts over Jeff Hardy, his opponent next week, but says he’s taking the points because “there’s no place here for a hero.”
TNA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Bully Ray © vs. Chris Sabin
There’s no separate entrance for Aces & Eights as Bully comes down the ramp. Bully chops the shit out of him and Sabin’s chest is bleeding. Bully is obviously going after the reconstructed knees. Sabin’s lying on the ramp and out comes some Aces & Eights guys but immediately the MEM come right behind them. The ring is surrounded by guys. The ruthless Bully starts taking the kneepads off and working the knees over. The right knee is getting bludgeoned. Bully is a beast, working the crowd and the MEM. He keeps getting into Rampage’s face. This is a systematic dissection of a human being. The pacing is slow and deliberate. Sabin tries to make a comeback and go tot he top but he went too slow and Bully trips him. Bully hits a superplex. We get the obligatory ref bump and Sabin alleged pin on Bully. While they are all lying in the ring the MEM and Aces & Eights start brawling. Bully Ray gets up and has a hammer. Sabin with a spinning boot to the gut. Sabin has the hammer but Bully knocks it away. Bully goes for the Bully Bomb but Sabin picks up the hammer and cracks Bully in the face with it mid-move. Sabin gets the three count and is your new TNA World Champion. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: I think this is a fluke. Sabin’s a great wrestler and a TNA legend from the beginning. But he isn’t a World Champion. He just doesn’t have that “it” look. I say Bully wins it back soon and still holds it till Bound for Glory.
