TNA Impact Wrestling Results: 8-20-14
Forgot Impact had moved to Wednesday nights. Fortunately my DVR didn't forget it and taped it.
Results courtesy of
PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- ABYSS vs. BRAM -- Stairway to Janice match
The stunt brawl included trashcan shots directly to Abyss's head early on. Bram came up bleeding moments later on the outside, then avoided barbed wire in the ring. Capturing desensitivity to the simulated violence, as Abyss set up thumbtacks in the ring, the announcers shifted the discussion to previewing Dixie Carter's interview later in the show. Bram then shoved Abyss off a ladder through a barbed wire board. Bram scaled the ladder to retrieve Janice, but Abyss blocked and sent Bram into tacks with a Black Hole Slam. Abyss retrieved Janice, but Bram kicked Abyss in the crotch. Bram then smashed Abyss in the gut with the barbed wire board. Bram covered an injured Abyss for the win.
WINNER: Bram at 8:24. The same stunt brawl Abyss has had off/on for 10 years in TNA, now with the story of Abyss losing at his own game.
2 -- X Division champion SAMOA JOE vs. LOW KI -- X Division Title match
Strong feeling-out process early on, then Joe blasted Ki with a strike and went through his signature crowd-pleasing offense while carrying himself like a confident champion. Ki responded with a corner attack leading to rapid-fire kick-based offense. Joe and Ki went back and forth countering each other's moves, telling the story of knowing each other so well in the ring. Ki wanted a top-rope move, but Joe emphatically kicked Ki's feet out from under him. Joe capitalized with the Musclebuster for the pin and the win.
WINNER: Joe at 7:56 to retain the X Division Title. Fine match trying to advance the present-day X Division past a mid-2000s nostalgia show, but the division will always be held back by a lack of definition and TNA acting as if "the X Division" is a group of interchangeable, similarly-under-sized wrestlers. Joe as champ helps offset that, but it will take more than Joe as champ to address the issue.
3 -- MR. ANDERSON vs. SAM SHAW -- I Quit match
Back from break, Anderson's music was playing in the arena as Anderson and Shaw emerged on-stage fighting in front of the audience. A bell sounded to officially begin the match. Anderson tried to use a wire to choke out Shaw, but Shaw reversed and tried to choke Anderson with the wire, but Anderson back-dropped Shaw to escape. Gunner then walked out on-stage to talk to Anderson, which gave Shaw an opening to attack Anderson and begin punishing him.
Now in the ring, Shaw sat down on a Camel Clutch, but Anderson refused to quit. Anderson came back with a shoulder submission, prompting Shaw to scream out in pain, but refuse to give up. Gunner tried to encourage Shaw to fight from the outside, then Gunner entered the ring, but Shaw said he quits. Gunner shoved Anderson, apparently upset with him taking liberties with Shaw.
WINNER: Anderson at 5:53. Still no reason to care about Sam Shaw's journey to respectability. Time to move on or try a different approach.
4 -- KO champion GAIL KIM vs. ANGELINA LOVE (w/Velvet Sky) -- Knockouts Title match -- Last Knockout Standing
Gail hit the ring running chasing Angelina around ringside as the bell sounded. Gail was relentless continuing to attack Angelina in the ring and out of the ring until Velvet helped cut off Gail. Angelina couldn't put Gail away, though, and Gail made a comeback before suplexing Angelina off the top rope onto a chair below. Referee Earl Hebner began a ten count, Velvet tried to revive Angelina from the outside, Gail reached her feet, and Angelina was unable to answer a ten count, giving Gail the win and the feud via the visual of Angelina completely conquered.
WINNER: Gail at 8:15 to retain the KO Title. The end of one chapter setting up the start of a new chapter for Gail's title run.
5 -- SIX SIDES OF STEEL CAGE MATCH -- #1 contender match to the TNA World Title
Taz pointed out that everyone was wearing black trunks except for Eric Young, who was sporting New York Rangers-themed blue trunks. Basic multiple-person fighting early on, then Impact cut to a break two minutes into the match.
On the way back from break, TNA ran a trailer for their next PPV, Bound for Glory, still scheduled for October in Japan. Back in the arena, wrestlers teased escaping the cage, only to be yanked back inside the cage. Meanwhile, Roode put Storm in a Crossface, prompting Storm to tap out, but it did not matter per the rules. The wrestlers then set up stereo Tower of Doom spots with three men on one side of the ring and three on the other side.
Roode and EY found themselves the only two men left standing after the Double Doom spot, then locked eyes and began climbing out of opposite sides of the cage. EY hit the top of the cage first, scaled down, and Roode caught up to him on the other side to drop down to the floor at the same time as EY.
The bell sounded and the refs who jogged down to ringside at the start came back into play by raising the hand of the person on their side of the cage. TNA went to a split-screen replay showing a simultaneous landing. They did the spot where one ref held up one wrestlers's hand in victory, but the other ref yanked his arm down to hold up the other wrestlers's hand. Impact signed off with no resolution to the matter.
WINNER: Young & Roode tied at 11:56. Fine episodic storytelling trying to stretch out the resolution of a main event to next week. TNA hasn't over-used this tool in the toolbox as much recently, making it passable and not as groan-inducing as in past eras.
