It's time for the X-Division to shine as Destination X took place last Sunday at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. We will see a new X-Division Champion crowned but will we see a new TNA World Champion? Let's review.
We start with a four way match between Rubix, Lars Only, Dakota Darsow and Mason Andrews in which the winner will get to qualify for the X-Division Championship Tournament. As with most X-Division matches, there was a lot of high-flying offence, including Andrews doing a suicide dive to Only and Darsow, who were outside the ring; followed by Rubix doing an acrobatic suicide dive to his opponents when they all got up. With Darsow and Rubix being taken out, Only and Andrews fought it out with Andrews hitting a fireman's carry into a RKO to get the win. This was a really fun match to start the show and I hope they keep these guys on, especially Rubix as I thought he was really good.
Winner: Mason Andrews Predictions: N/A
Mason Andrews gets no time to rest as he immediately faces Kid Kash in the 1st X-Division Championship Tournament match. Kash starts to take advantage of his freshness and dominate Andrews. Kash tries a moonsault which Andrews countered with a knee to the face. Andrews almost won it with a running knee. Kash tries to knee Andrews in the face but Andrews grabs his leg and rolls him up to get the win. The match was not as fun as the first one but it was still enjoyable.
Winner: Mason Andrews Predictions: N/A
The 2nd X-Division Championship Tournament match is between Douglas Williams and Kenny King. The match goes back and forth with King hitting an impressive spinebuster and Williams hitting a flying knee to King who was outside the ring. King eventually gets the win with a fireman's carry into a slam. I picked Kenny King to become the new X-Division Champion, so I'm glad he won.
Winner: Kenny King Predictions: N/A
The 3rd X-Division Championship Tournament match is between Sonjay Dutt and Rashad Cameron. The match starts with both of them showing off their acrobatic skills and the match does have a lot of high-flying manoeuvres. Cameron keeps on bitching to senior referee Earl Hebner,which comes back to haunt him as Dutt takes advantage and hits a somersault into a double foot stomp from the top turnbuckle to get the win. Only because I had never seen these guys before, I didn't find it as enjoyable as the other matches so far. Despite that, it was still fun to watch.
Winner: Sonjay Dutt Predictions: N/A
Next we get an update on Jesse Sorenson. To remind you, Sorenson broke his neck at Against All Odds earlier this year when Zema Ion landed on Sorenson's head in a match. Sorenson goes to the ring and announces that he wants Ion to win the X-Division Championship so that he can take it off him and use it to get the chance to become TNA World Champion. Ion then comes out and has a staredown with Sorenson. It's great to see that Sorenson looks like he will, not only make a full recovery, but will be able to go back to wrestling by the end of the year. I know a lot of people dismiss professional wrestling as fake (I prefer choreographed myself) but it is an extremely dangerous profession and accidents do happen. I know I mentioned this in my Against All Odds review, but well done to the TNA medical staff for their quick reactions when the accident occurred to help ensure that Sorenson is where he is now.
Zema Ion stays in the ring as he takes on Flip Cassanova in the 4th X-Division Championship Tournament match. The match doesn't take that long as, despite some brief glimpses of impressive offence from Cassanova, Ion gets the win. It's good to see Ion get the win. Shame he had to beat Cassanova to do it as I think he is pretty good.
Winner: Zema Ion Predictions: N/A
Next we get a Bound for Glory Series match between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle and finally, a match that I made a prediction on. The match goes back and forth and the crowd was really into it. Joe gets Angle into an Armbar but Angle reverses into a ankle lock. Joe eventually hits the muscle buster but Angle kicks out. Angle puts Joe into the ankle lock but Joe gets out of it and Joe hits the rear naked choke. Angle eventually gets out of it and hits the Olympic slam but Joe kicks out at 2. Angle tries the Olpympic slam but Joe puts on the rear naked choke and takes them to the floor, putting himself between Angle and the ropes. Despite Angle's best efforts, he passes out and the referee calls for the bell, giving Joe the victory. The match means that Samoa Joe takes the lead in the table by one point. I really enjoyed this match and it made both people look strong as we move on in the Bound for Glory Series.
Winner: Samoa Joe Predictions: 0 for 1
AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels were next in a Last Man Standing match. Hopefully, it won't get as fucked up as their I Quit match at Bound for Glory last year. It quite apparent quite quickly they wan tot hurt each other when Styles suplexes Daniels into the turnbuckle. Daniels brings in a steel chair and slams Angle onto it. Daniels continues to keep hitting Styles in the back and head outside the ring, busting Styles open. The action goes into the ring when Styles does a springboard punch which sends the chair that Daniels was carrying into Daniel's head. Styles then sends Daniels head first into the steel steps outside the ring, busting Daniels open. Daniels decided it would be a good idea to flee up the aisle with Styles in hot pursuit and they continue to fight on the stage near the announce table. They do a double clothesline and both guys get up at the count of 5. After a little while, Styles does an impressive somersault into a DDT. While the referee is counting , Kazarian arrives and pushes Styles off the stage onto the concrete. The referee then starts to count, which I find weird because it wasn't Daniels who put Styles down, and Styles gets up at 8. Daniels gets a table and puts it up on the floor by the ramp to the stage. He attempts to send Styles through it but Styles pushes Daniels into Kazarian and then hits the Styles Clash sending both men crashing into the table off the stage. The referee counts and Styles gets up at 8 but Daniels doesn't, giving Styles the win. The match was really enjoyable and I really enjoyed the ending.
Winner: AJ Styles Predictions: 1 for 2
Next we get the Ultimate X match between Zema Ion, Kenny King, Sonjay Dutt and Mason Andrews. For those who don't know, an Ultimate X match is when the X-Division belt is suspended by two ropes, which are held up by scaffold towers at each corner of the ring. The winner is the one who grabs the belt. Some of the highlights include Ion ending up in the Tree of Woe and King sending Andrews into him; Dutt hitting King doing a ground moonsault which dislocated Dutt's shoulder on impact; Ion getting pulled down by Andrews and King; and Andrews hanging off the rope and getting speared by King. King and Andrews get to the belt but they take each other out, and Dutt and Ion fight it out above the belt. Ion uses his hair spray on Dutt, sending him to the ring; and Ion grabs the belt to become the new X-Division Champion. It was a decent match and special mention to Sonjay Dutt, who dislocated his shoulder and elbow then managed to get that sorted so that he can get involved in the ending.
Winner: Zema Ion Predictions: 1 for 3
The main event is Austin Aries (the best thing in TNA right now) challenging Bobby Roode for the TNA World Championship. Both guys try to get into each other's head to begin with. Roode starts to get the momentum keeping Aries grounded. Roode starts mocking Aries and slapping him in the face. This pisses off Aries who starts to dominate the match. Aries hits the Last Chancery but Roode turns it round into the Crossface. Aries rolls out of it and hits the Last Chancery but Roode rakes the eyes to get out of it. After a little while, Roode applies the Crossface but Aries eventually grabs the rope. Roode grabs the belt but the referee stops him from using it. While the referee is putting the belt away, Roode hits a low blow but Aries kicks out at 2. Aries attempts the Brainbuster but Roode gets out of it and pushes Aries into the referee. Roode hits Aries with the belt and revives the referee but Aries kicks out at 2. Roode attempts a fisherman suplex but Aries reverses it into a small package. Aries then sends Roode into the turnbuckle and, after a kick to the head, hits the Brainbuster to get the win and become the NEW TNA World Champion. This was undoubtedly the match of the night and, although I predicted that Aries would lose, I'm really happy that he won. The only reason that I thought that Roode would win is that I thought that TNA would have Storm win the BFG Series and have him defeat Roode at Bound for Glory. That could still happen but I think it would have been better if Roode had been Champion for almost a year and not a couple of months. Despite that, congratulations on Austin Aries winning the TNA World Championship.
Winner: Austin Aries Predictions: 1 for 4
I enjoyed this event. I think that Slammiversary is still TNA's best PPV so far this year and it was going to be hard to top that. Despite the fact that a lot of matches had guys who are unfamiliar to those fans who are outside the Independent Wrestling scene in the United States (like myself), it was still good to watch. TNA have a lot of momentum right now and I hope they can keep it going.
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