Impact Wrestling Review: Aries Helps Roode, Are The Wolves Winning The Tag Team Titles Premature?

By Chris Featherstone

This episode of Impact Wrestling was presented from London, England, and it furthered storylines leading to the second biggest TNA pay-per-view of the year, Lockdown. The main event featured the team captains of both Lethal Lockdown teams, with Austin Aries as the special guest referee as the swing man regarding which team he will choose to be a part of.

Bro Mans vs. Bad Influence vs. The Wolves
Firstly, the stipulation of this match was a bit off. If the Bro Mans or Bad Influence win they are on Team Dixie, but if the Wolves win, they are not? Why not just have Bad Influence go against Bro Mans to see who gets the spot? Confusing booking. Moreover, why not have a proper build for one of the best tag team acquisitions of TNA for quite some time? Instead of having them win the titles at Lockdown (did not have to be on team MVP), a house show was a better option? I am not totally against changing titles at house shows, but not if you are TNA and cannot afford to make experimental booking errors. WWE does it all the time, but we'll still be watching. TNA, on the other hand – not so much.


EC3 vs. Doug Williams
Great to see Doug Williams back, if only for one night. He has always been a fantastic wrestler to me, and I wish WWE would hire him as an agent/NXT superstar. I tweeted when Daniel Bryan did a modified rolling Chaos Theory at the Elimination Chamber, because I believe that is one of the most innovative finishers. Of course he was going to get fed to EC3, and he most likely will not return anytime soon (if ever), but the London crowd was pleased to see him again on a TNA show.


Samoa Joe vs. Bad Bones
Well, not a very good in-ring debut for Bad Bones, and I wonder if he is going to be of any relevant use for TNA anytime soon. Maybe he can join Dixie Carter's alliance as an enforcer role. That would be a good spot for him. Otherwise, he most likely would rarely be used, and a wasted talent. He looks like he has some potential, and from what I've researched, he has been wrestling for 10 years and isn't half-bad. However, I am quite skeptical on if he will make an impression in TNA.

Lei'D Tapa/Alpha Female vs. Madison Rayne/Velvet Sky
Lei'D Tapa and Alpha Female made an interesting pairing, and did not look too bad together. However, Madison Rayne continues to lose, and she is the Knockouts champion. It would have been a bit more logical if she was going against Lei'D Tapa at the PPV (would have been a better choice as well; Rayne/Kim is overdone), seeing how she could have played off losing weekly to the giant Lei'D Tapa and going in as more of an underdog to get a triumphant win at Lockdown. Good to see ODB back, though.


Bobby Roode vs. MVP
It may have not been incredibly obvious, but the writing was on the wall as far as who Austin Aries was going to side with by the end of the match. Was it the subtle gestures throughout the match? Nope. How about the way he was positioned when MVP was about the do the Drive By Kick? Nope. It was the referee shirt tucked in the black trunks. That was the weirdest wardrobe decision in wrestler-referee history, and can't nobody but a heel who does not care how ridiculous he looks pull that off.

All jokes aside, I am confused of why Aries helped Bobby Roode. He is over as a face, and could have played on having the X Division title until Destination X again, choosing "option C." This could be a big swerve, though, with Aries costing Team Dixie the match. However, I won't hold my breath on that idea. In addition, it doesn't look like they are making it an official turn, which is more confusing.


Other Notables:
- Congratulations Kurt Angle for being officially inducted in the Hall of Fame, but what could this have happened at Lockdown?
- Samuel Shaw vs. Mr. Anderson may actually be a good feud in the coming weeks.
- EC3 needs all the help possible to get over, so he may go over Angle at Lockdown. It may be too late to make EC3 at worthy top heel at this point.
- What about the tag team title briefcase? How is that going to play in?

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