Destination X Review
Samoa Joe vs Kaz
This match was ok, I had expected more out of these two guys, but with the lack of build for this match and Joe’s apparent position backstage this was probably the best outcome we could hope for. I didn’t particularly like the finish to this match and feel that it further cements the burial of Joe by management. I really think Joe deserves more than he is currently being given, I remember the glory days of Joe, “Joe Is Gonna Kill You”, when he was running rampant through the entire roster and would really like to see this Joe come back for more than the brief glimpses we are currently getting.
Douglas Williams vs Mark Haskins
This was the first time I had heard of or seen Haskins and nothing about him really stands out in my mind in terms of charisma or future potential. Apparently Haskins impressed TNA management during their recent UK tour and from that was given this opportunity which I think he blew, yeah sure you can probably blame nerves but when Haskins slipped from the top rope on his first Shooting Star Press attempt he lost any chance for people to talk about him for anything other than that. Willams used his typical technical ground based style which when combined with Haskins left me feeling like I could have gone without this match.
Eric Young & Shark Boy vs Generation Me
This match was fun for what it was, and I’m glad Gen Me was given one last PPV appearance before leaving the company I only wish they could have had different opponents.
Ultimate X Match – Alex Shelly vs Amazing Red vs Shannon Moore vs Robbie E
I liked this match, but felt it could have been better & the winner was obvious as Shelly is the only one of these guys that deserved the victory. Red was a standout in this match hitting some very impressive moves, Robbie E on the other hand could not have looked more goofy or out of place with the way he over-sold some of the moves.
RVD vs Jerry Lynn
This match was really cool especially for an old school ECW fan like myself. Whilst it was clear that both of these guys have lost a step or two in the ring they both put on a very good match. RVD getting busted open the hard way only added to the match and I wouldn’t complain about seeing these two go at it again next month live at Hardcore Justice.
Contract Match – Low-Ki vs Jack Evans vs Zema Ion vs Austin Aries
For me this was the match I was most looking forward to and it definitely lived up to the hype. These four guys went out they and put it all on the line and tore the house down providing the match of the night. The action in this one was so fast paced the cameras failed to catch some of the action the first time and replays were required. I was really happy that Aries won and will now be a regular on Impact Wrestling, I can only hope he is used properly and not stuck low on the card, I also totally agree with the crowd when they chanted “sign them all” I was unsold on Zema after his qualifying match but after this event I hope to see more of him and the rest in the future. If you like high flying and want to see what the X-Division used to be like check this match out in particular.
X-Division Championship Match – Abyss (C) vs Brian Kendrick
I wasn’t really looking forward to this match as I expected some form of run in and was not disappointed, the outcome of this match only served to highlight why Abyss should never have been crowned X-Division Champion in the first place.
AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels
This match was very good, as I expected given the two men involved. I was very impressed that these two were able to go out there and provide us with something fresh and entertaining, rather than just redoing a previous match. The style of this was different to the other bouts on the card as this one started out slow with some back and forth chain submission wrestling and eventually built to a very good finish.
Overall this was a good PPV to highlight the X-Division and I can only hope that the creative and management teams take notice of the fantastic crowd reactions and continue to showcase the X-Division on a much more regular basis on Impact Wrestling.