Welcome back Pro Wrestling fans and loyal readers of Rest Hold Party, I am your Local Hero, your Review Guy, Cameron Crash and this time, we are going back to the Impact Zone for this week's edition of Impact Wrestling, titled Genesis. We have 3 huge matches, including a Monster's Ball match involving the Knockouts and a 30 Minute Ironman match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, so without any further ado, let's get straight to the action!
The show begins with a promo from The Broken Hardys, talking about the green briefcase Brother Nero has in his hands and how is going to use it next week on Open Fight Night, when they were interrupted by the DCC, who issue them a challenge for their tag team championships. Decay then interrupt DCC, stating their desire to also fight the "Greatest Tag Team In All Space and Time". What seems to be just a promo turns into a skirmish, and now we have a Triple Threat Tag Team match for the TNA Tag Team Championships.
The match was a very fun one, quite the fast-paced endeavor as I did not find myself looking at my phone for a second during this match. In the end, the BROKEN BRILLIANCE of Matt Hardy and the nefarious Brother Nero are enough for them to obtain the victory and kickoff Genesis with a bang. While it was far from the best match on the card and definitely not a show-stealer, I can say that it was highly enjoyable from start to finish.
Rating: 3.5/5
Preceding that incredibly fun match, we get the usual segment that once again turns the show from fun and exciting to outright cringe-worthy. If you guessed that it had something to do with either Maria Kanellis, Braxton Sutter, Allie or Laurel Van Ness, you guessed it right and should get a gold star. Basically the gist of these branching segments that we saw throughout the night (Yeah, it went THAT long) , was that Braxton and Laurel were on a dinner date and the woman in this situation was being obnoxious and so full of herself that Sutter was tired of it and left. It probably would've been quick and painless if it just lasted 5 minutes at the very least, but MOST OF THE EPISODE?! God, if I wasn't tired of this storyline a few months ago, I am surely tired of it now. Please for the love of all that's holy, JUST END IT!!!
Rating: 0.9/5
Thankfully we switch gears from that awful segment, as Drew Galloway makes his way to the ring for a promo. He makes it short and sweet, and just declares an open challenge for his Impact Grand Championship. Moose answers it, and it doesn't even bother him at all.
Now this match was a really good one, as it was competitive throughout and did its job of furthering storylines while displaying a well-balanced exertion of physicality for most of the two rounds that it lasted for. My favorite part of the match was the powerbomb on the apron executed by Moose with a destructive amount of velocity directed at the lower back of the champion. The aggressiveness of the challenger in round 1 was not enough to regain the title, as Galloway came back with a vengeance in the second round, doing whatever it took to hold onto that silver belt, including but not limited to raking the eyes and two shots to the lower extremities. It all worked out at the conclusion of the match however, as "The Chosen One" was once again victorious.
Rating: 4/5
Following what has been a very solid feud and a series of matches with a level of storytelling and match-quality that is unusual for the Knockouts division, it culminates here in a violent and brutality-filled Monster's Ball between the "Death Dealer" Rosemary and Jade. Normally you would see men take part in matches with a deathmatch type of style like this, but these two women are tough as nails, and the match that they were about to give you was something you weren't prepared for as a fan of women's wrestling.
These two used everything that was at their disposal in what was simply a war. Kendo Sticks, Trash Cans, Steel Chairs, Thumbtacks and a barbed-wire board were all extensively taken advantage of in a display of what amazing storytelling and logical booking can lead to. There were spots that made me cringe for all the right reasons as well, including a lionsault off the middle rope onto a prone Rosemary who was lying under a barbed-wire board. Gail Kim rushed to the ring in order to check on her friend Jade, but got an array of mist in her face, proving that no good deed goes unpunished.
Although I enjoyed that match, I hope both competitors are okay and are able to continue competing, at a high level or otherwise.
Rating: 4.5/5
After what has mostly been a pleasant night of solid wrestling and fun television, we have reached our destination, the sole reason why most fans of Impact Wrestling tuned into the program on that night. Indeed, it is time for the main event of the evening. A 30 Minute Match for the top prize in this show. The TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
As you can imagine, this was a very engaging 30 minutes, as there was time not only devoted to the story at hand, but also given to what you were seeing in the ring and beyond. With Davey Richards not in the picture due to the Wolves' conversation in the backstage area, Bobby Lashley was dominating Eddie Edwards with everything that he had for most of this contest. Those first 10 minutes were not short on physicality however, as Lashley did three major moves to the champion during this time period. A Belly To Belly Suplex over the top rope to the outside of the ring, a nasty powerbomb neck-first on the steel ramp and a spear that looked like he ripped his smaller opponent in two.
Despite being ahead for most of this match. "The Destroyer" was hellbent on tearing him apart limb from limb. However it didn't quite work out that way, as in the bitter end of this contest, it looked like Edwards was gonna slay this beast once again. That also didn't happen either, because Lashley held on to his adversary's guillotine choke for the time remaining until the announcement of the victor was made. Simply put, Bobby Freakin' Lashley is once again champion.
Rating: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 3.45/5
It was a really fun show for most of my time watching it. However, I sincerely hope that this storyline with Laurel Van Ness, Maria Kanellis, Braxton Sutter and Allie ends soon. I am sick and tired of it and it just drags the show down immensely. On a high note, it was fun to watch and there were a lot of notable moments that were pretty cool to see. All in all it was very watchable.
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Well I guess that's it for this review, I am and forever will be your Local Hero and your Review Guy Cameron McDonley. I'll hopefully see you soon with another blog!
