Two weeks after their final dwell particular, TNA are again on the highway for one more this Friday (September thirteenth).
Making their first journey to Texas in additional than two years and their first correct go to to San Antonio since Lockdown 2013, Victory Highway will emanate from the Boeing Middle at Tech Port.
In the principle occasion, Nic Nemeth will try and make a fourth profitable defence of his TNA World Championship when he takes on Moose.
Kushida vs. Leon Slater
Leon Slater, some of the thrilling prospects in wrestling who remains to be simply 19 years of age, is returning to TNA for the primary time in virtually three months.
I get that he was a Scott D’Amore man, and possibly that they had no quick plans for him, however TNA have utterly wasted Slater’s first 12 months below contract and I’ve no religion that’s going to vary any time quickly.
You’d assume Slater can be going over right here – why deliver him throughout the pond simply to do some jobs – however who is aware of. Kushida is spinning his wheels and might greater than eat a loss, so why not put the younger dude over. Prediction: Leon Slater
Steve Maclin & Eric Younger vs. Alexander Hammerstone & Jake One thing
There’s been numerous chatter this week about cobbled collectively tag groups following the Gauntlet on Dynamite, so let’s have some extra right here!
Maclin and Younger had a singles match at Emergence and after incomes one another’s respect, determined to crew up right here to tackle Hammerstone and One thing. Whereas I’d prefer to see Maclin concerned in one thing extra important on the prime of the cardboard, I fairly like him and Younger as a makeshift crew to maintain each guys busy and add depth to the tag division.
I’d lengthen the identical sentiment to Hammerstone and One thing – when you may do one thing higher with each guys than a cobbled collectively crew, it may very well be a greater course than simply having them spin their wheels on a regular basis.
Maclin and Younger have extra of a narrative coming in right here, so they need to be going over. Prediction: Steve Maclin & Eric Younger
The Hardys vs. First Class (AJ Francis & KC Navarro)
I, for one, am right here for the in-ring interactions between Matt Hardy and AJ Francis. Francis positively has higher motion, and he possible has the higher coordination at this level.
There’s a reasonably easy course to this one. The Hardys have referred to as their shot for the tag titles, and placing them in a title match at Sure for Glory looks as if a wise, logical transfer. As such, this can be a approach for them to rack up one other win. It additionally provides KC Navarro one other probability to impress, even when it’s going to be in defeat. Prediction: The Hardys
Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander vs. PCO & Rhino
On what’s a comparatively stable card on paper, that is one in all two issues on this present that I’d genuinely quite do the rest than watch.
Since returning to the promotion to interrupt her marriage to PCO, the ice chilly Matt Cardona has decreed that as a result of he bought her bookings in TNA, Steph De Lander is his property. Yep, I agree. That is an absolute doldrums Perspective Period story that has no redeeming options.
As a result of he’s being imply to her, De Lander is upset and retains crying. She’ll possible cry some extra and provides us some extra nice overacting right here, as she’s pressured to crew up with Cardona in opposition to her ‘husband’ and Rhino.
The final word course right here is clearly Cardona in opposition to PCO at Sure for Glory. How we get there, apparently, is that this. Intergender tags aren’t usually my bag however this one goes to be overwrought with NXT overacting and folks not desirous to be violent. I hate it simply desirous about it. Prediction: Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander
Joe Hendry vs. Josh Alexander
Josh Alexander’s activate Joe Hendry at Slammiversary made all of the sense on the planet. It was a swerve on the time however the follow-up clarification made full sense – Alexander, the standard-bearer of the promotion, was livid that somebody he thought-about a meme wrestler was extra over than he’d ever been.
Coming off that present, it appeared that the apparent course was these two assembly within the Sure for Glory essential occasion and Hendry going over. That took a swerve when Alexander misplaced to Nic Nemeth at Emergence final month and this match bought promptly booked the next week.
Coming into Victory Highway, Hendry’s buzz feels the bottom it has been in months (all issues have their time) and the principle story round Alexander is a spherical of press chatter round his contract expiring early subsequent 12 months and him speaking about testing free company.
As for this match, there appears one apparent course. Although it doesn’t match together with his character (however it’s the solely approach heels can win these days), I think Alexander goes over right here through foul means, resulting in a rematch at Sure for Glory the place Hendry will get the large babyface payoff. Prediction: Josh Alexander
TNA Knockouts World Tag Workforce Championship
MaLisha (Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards) (C) vs. Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Menace)
On condition that there’s subsequent to no depth within the Knockouts tag division, should you may even go so far as calling it a division, many of the programmes booked are fairly skinny and surface-level when it comes to storytelling. Whereas not precisely prime Tolstoy, the months-long points between MaLisha and Spitfire have been fairly entertaining.
Spitfire bought screwed out of the titles and have been chasing them ever since. They misplaced their contractual rematch (extra on that scourge in a bit) due to shenanigans however have lobbied for one more shot and bought one courtesy of their six-woman win alongside Jordynne Grace at Emergence.
That match, whereas nothing particular, has added one other wrinkle to this. Alisha Edwards was legitimately KO’d at Emergence they usually’ve left it open-ended whether or not she will get cleared or not for this present. If she is cleared, she’ll wrestle. If not, somebody will take her place and defend the titles alongside Slamovich on her behalf. Spitfire, in the meantime, should break up in the event that they lose right here.
No matter whether or not Alisha’s cleared or not, the one logical course right here is Spitfire going over to repay the story and unlock Slamovich for singles motion. Prediction: Spitfire
TNA World Tag Workforce Championship
ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (C) vs. The System (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers)
Watching wrestling is a pastime. It’s speculated to be enjoyable, a type of escapism that you just pour your time, cash and emotional funding into as a distraction from no matter your actual job or private life throws in your approach.
To that finish, I don’t assume there’s a extra soulless expression in fashionable skilled wrestling than ‘the contractual rematch’. Contractual is only a horrible company, real-life world that does nothing to elicit pleasure or feeling – who may probably care if a match is contractually obligated?
Past being counterintuitive to what wrestling is meant to be, these contractual rematches are additionally one of many laziest reserving crutches. There are millions of methods to construct to a title match, and run a earlier pairing again, that contain nice promos and folks successful matches. All of them are higher than the considered invoking a clause. As an idea it breaks kayfabe should you don’t do it on a regular basis, however in doing it on a regular basis it makes your product samey and ineffective.
I don’t imply to besmirch this match a lot with the scourge of the contractual rematch, it’s extra a frustration at this promotion and the panorama normally. That is additionally the primary of three matches on the identical present that’s a contractual rematch, which form of sums up my level. And it’s probably the most egregious as a result of Edwards and Myers simply did a clear job in the principle occasion of the go-home present to the Hardy Boys.
Coming into the go-home present, I had no actual learn on the best way they have been going to right here. The choice to have Edwards and Myers lose on the go-home present was objectively unhealthy reserving. You’ll assume it means they’re dropping once more right here, but it surely feels considerably silly, virtually as if they’re going to win and that’s the means to arrange a three-way or one thing at Sure for Glory.
I hope I’m incorrect as a result of these two groups have confronted one another 3 times and I’ve loved all their earlier conferences. Edwards and Myers have been one in all my favorite groups on the planet this 12 months, there’s simply this vibe to them that I really like, they usually mesh completely with Austin and Bey. Prediction: ABC
TNA X-Division Championship
Zachary Wentz (C) v Mike Bailey
Coming into Emergence, I believed that there was certainly no approach that TNA would have Mike Bailey finish Mustafa Ali’s reign of doom, solely to then lose his X-Division title in a cobbled collectively Final X simply six weeks later. I used to be incorrect.
They as an alternative put the title on Zachary Wentz, who’s having fun with a quite exceptional rehabilitation story. Belting him up meant that Wentz bought to stroll into NXT No Mercy with the X-Division Title, which made all of the sense on the planet when he went over in opposition to Wes Lee.
Wentz and Lee are working it again on NXT’s CW debut on October 1st. Although Lee is most certainly going over, Shawn Michaels et al may nicely nonetheless need Wentz belted up for that massive spot. In that case that will level to him successful this contractual rematch (shudders).
Nevertheless, it may simply as nicely be one other fast title change – there’s an equally believable state of affairs the place Lee prices Wentz the win right here so as to add a bit extra to that match. The extra I give it some thought, Bailey doesn’t have a lot else happening, so why not return to him? Both approach, the match must be fairly good. Prediction: Mike Bailey
TNA Knockouts World Championship
Jordynne Grace (C) vs. Wendy Choo
Apart from the Cardona shambles, that is my least anticipated match on this present or maybe any TNA present since final 12 months’s debacle between Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray.
Wendy Choo has run the entire gamut of dreadful gimmicks in her NXT run, which is a disgrace as a result of there’s a very good workder below all that horrible inventive. Nevertheless, her present incarnation is likely one of the worst, most DOA issues I’ve seen. It utterly bombed at No Mercy, so unsurprisingly they thought it was an important thought for her to do it another time in opposition to the all the time unserious Jordynne Grace.
Grace is simply spinning her wheels in TNA till she leaves for WWE correct on the finish of the 12 months, so Choo might be a placeholder defence similar to Tatum Paxley and Karmen Petrovic earlier than her. This received’t be any good to look at however what it is going to possible do is about up a Rosemary title problem for Sure for Glory. Prediction: Jordynne Grace
TNA World Championship
Nic Nemeth (C) vs. Moose
Contractual rematch quantity three of the present, let’s get into it.
Nic Nemeth couldn’t have been put over any stronger at Emergence, not taking a single clear fall in opposition to Josh Alexander in a 60-minute Ironman match, and it’s laborious to see that altering on this present.
Moose has truly intrigued me extra since dropping the title than he did at any level throughout his second reign on prime, and on the entire TNA have finished a very good job of conserving The System going since their downfall at Slammiversary, however there’s no approach he goes over right here.
What initially regarded like a contractually obligated (hehe) title run for Nemeth now appears to be the beginning of one thing robust, whether or not that includes JBL or not, and meaning going over right here and heading into one thing important in the principle occasion of Sure for Glory.
So far as the match goes, I’m unsure what to anticipate. That they had no chemistry of their Rise up essential occasion, and the match fairly frankly sucked, however in principle they need to be able to extra. Prediction: Nic Nemeth