Impact Wrestling #671 Review (25/05/2017)

On 25th May, Impact Wrestling aired their 671st episode, taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida on 23rd April. Ethan Carter III, James Storm and Magnus battled to become #1 Contender to the Impact World Heavyweight Championship, KM & Kongo Kong tagged up against Mahabali Shera and Braxton Sutter leading to Rosemary making her presence felt when Sienna and Laurel Van Ness attacked Allie, as well as appearances from Lashley, a returning Scott Steiner, Joseph Park, Davey Richards and Angelina Love. But was it any good? Let's take a look...

• ICYMI - Low Ki is dominating the X Division (I'm not sure why they included this as there was no X-Division content on the show) and Ethan Carter III attacked Bruce Pritchard after getting told to grow some balls last week.

Prichard, Lashley, EC3, Magnus and Storm Segment

Nothing says hot wrestling TV show in 2017 like starting with a Bruce Prichard promo. Fair play to Prichard for selling his ribs from the Ethan Carter III attack the other week, but there really was no need for him to be in the ring at the start of the show, considering all he really did was introduce World Heavyweight Champion Lashley, whilst Tyrus stood about awkwardly. I feel having Lashley open the show alone in the ring would have been much more effective and given the open a much crisper pace, as with three contenders having to make entrances also the segment was already very stop and start. After Lashley had claimed to be "the man to beat, who can't be beaten", which is a great line by the way, we Ethan Carter III, Magnus and James Storm interrupting each other to lay down their cases for why they'd win the upcoming Triple Threat #1 Contenders bout. Out of the three, I was surprised with the performance of Magnus on the mic, with Brit sounding dynamic and at times irreverent as he referred to his opponents as "ham sandwiches". The segment closed with Prichard telling EC3, Magnus and Storm that if they touched each other before the main event that the bout would be cancelled and they would be suspended indefinitely, whilst also bizarrely making the match No Disqualification despite it being a three way. 

KM & Kong def. Shera & Sutter

A dull opening tag bout here, that did very little for me, but luckily the post-match segment with Rosemary [Courtney Rush] saving Allie [Cherry Bomb] from an attack by Sienna [Allysin Kay] and Laurel Van Ness [Chelsea Green] was much fresher and got a strong reaction out of the crowd. The tag match plodded along with not a whole lot of note. There wasn't much that was actively bad, but there certainly wasn't anything to shout about with even the Braxton Sutter [Pepper Parks] hot tag feeling humdrum. By the time, Kongo Kong hit Mahabali Shera with a headbutt from the apron allowing KM [Kevin Matthews] to get a school boy roll-up victory with a handful of tights, the match had gone at least five minutes too long and I'd be surprised with some of the Impact Zone hadn't fallen asleep. Whilst Sienna and LVN chasing Allie around the ring in the match was probably the worst portion of the bout, their involvement after the blokes had brawled to the back was the saving grace of the segment. The two laying the boots into Allie made them look like massive dicks, with LVN's nutter bride gimmick adding a weird edge, before Rosemary's music hit and the Impact Zone woke up. The Knockout's Champion staring down Sienna and LVN, before spraying green mist in Sienna's eyes and hitting Red Wedding on LVN got a great reaction, with Rosemary looking like the bad ass bitch she is in the process. With the history between Rosemary and Allie on the Canadian indies, I'm very interested in seeing how this storyline plays out and hopefully we get to see them bring their rivalry to Impact Wrestling after a brief partnership. 

VOW def. Bah & Bokara in GFW Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Final

A straight-forward tag, but head and shoulders above the previous bout with the Veterans of War shining in their victory, whilst Fallah Bah and Mario Bokara looked more than capable in their roles. I felt like Mayweather [Crimson] in particular looked much better than I remember him being here, hitting a nice series of moves, including a Falcon Arrow, during the face shine as well as showing good timing in the finish as he came crashing into the picture to deliver a big boot to Bah on the outside. The crowd was into VOW, chanting "USA" throughout the heat sequence before the hot tag to Wilcox [Jax Dane] headed straight into the finish, with Veterans of War hitting M.O.A.D. (Fireman's Carry Flapjack and Cutter combination) on Bokara to send them into the Final against current Impact Tag Team Champions LAX (Ortiz [Angel Ortiz] & Santana [Mike Draztik]). After the previous confrontation between the two teams and their juxaposed idealogies should produce an intense match and I'm actually surprised we didn't see LAX head out to at least stare down with Mayweather & Wilcox post-match. 

Mathews, Borash, Park and Steiner Segment 

SCOTT STEINER IS BACK! He may be twenty years past his prime in the ring, but by Jove he's back on Impact Wrestling and heading to Slammiversary. Steiner was revealed as Josh Mathews partner against Jeremy Borash and Joseph Park [Abyss] for the 2nd July PPV. The build to Steiner's appearance was actually rather well done with Mathews initially attempting to apologise to Borash before losing his rag when Park came to ring, leading to Park challenging Josh to a fight and just after the bell rang, Steiner's music hit and the crowd popped. Mathews shone in this segment as his initial grovelling being relatable to everything people hate about no back bone politicians before exploding into his cutting promo on JB and Park, calling them "Tweedle dee and Tweedle Dumbass" before stating "I'm giving you two the rub", which you could tell he had a lot of fun with. The selling of Borash and Park when Steiner came out was ridiculously hammy and camp, whilst having D'Angelo Dinero on commentary describe Steiner as "one of the most feared men in all of professional wrestling" was unnecessarily over-the-top. Mathews kept things interesting by skipping about the place in joy as Steiner chased JB through the crowd, swung at some obvious plants in the crowd and then locking Park in the Steiner Recliner. I would've liked to have seen Mathews heat used to help get a younger talent over and I'm not quite sure of the benefits of this programme for anyone going forward. 

• A natural promo from Impact  Grand Champion Moose, explaining why the divisions rules play to his advantage and his plans on holding the title going into Slammiversary. 

• After Eli Drake had goaded Moose into putting the Grand Championship on the line next week, Chris Adonis [Chris Masters] jumped Moose from behind, leading to a two on one beat down. 

Alisha & Edwards def. Richards & Love 

It looks like this feud is far from over as despite Alisha [Lexxus] getting a roll-up pinfall on Angelina Love, a theatrical post-match attack that saw Eddie Edwards hand-cuffed to the ropes by Davey Richards and Love powerbomb Alisha through a table added more fuel to the fire that has been burning since February. The interaction between Richards and Edwards was the good stuff in the match, as the two laid into each other with various strikes, before Richards took control focussing on Eddie's leg, including a lovely spot in the Figure Four Leg Lock with Love grabbing hold of Davey's hands for extra leverage. Beyond a nice diving crossbody to the outside from Alisha, the Women's portion was mostly cat-fighting, which I think we really should've moved on from in 2017. There are better and more interesting ways to sell the dislike between two women than having them grab at each others hair and roll around. The post-match angle was needed because Richards and Edwards really deserve to have a blow-off singles match, which has the opportunity to be something special, depending on what gimmick it's given. 

EC3 def. Magnus and Storm to become #1 Contender to the Impact World Heavyweight Championship 

This was a high-quality TV main event, with Ethan Carter III, Magnus and James Storm telling a classic triple threat story, with a strong babyface in the shape of Storm. We got to see The Cowboy lay some hard af chops into main rival EC3 early on, but after dishing out a double suplex onto the ramp, the heels controlled the bout, with Storm selling effectively and looking great when fighting from underneath. As someone who remembers Magnus' TNA World title a few years ago, I got a kick out of seeing Magnus and EC3 working together again! The build up towards the inevitable Storm comeback had the Impact Zone invested and was booked superbly as the heels took turns nailing him with a kendo stick. EC3 accidentally hit Magnus and profusely apologised by battering Storm with a couple of brutal shots to our hero, with the spot then being mirrored as Magnus hit EC3 with the stick, but the Brit didn't stop. Having the relationship between the villains break down, allowed for Storm to sell his beating and then come back on fire, hitting a DDT and Neckbreaker combo on the pair, before belting them with a steel chair. The first two thirds of the match managed to be a tonne of fun, but also tell an effective story that made everyone involved look good in their own way. 

The final third of the bout continued Storm's underdog story, but also picked up the pace and featured a number of decent near falls. Highlights including Storm hitting a brutal-looking hangman's DDT onto the apron to Ethan, Magnus' Kings Lynn Cloverleaf on Storm being broken with an EC3 chair shot to the back, a nice tree of woe tower of doom with Magnus German suplexing EC3, but the strongest sequence saw Storm push Carter into a steel chair wedged between the first and second rope, then hit a running neckbreaker, only for the fall to be broken by a Magnus diving elbow drop. The finish completed Storm's valiant fight and then ripped away as Magnus ate a Last Call Super kick, only for EC3 to push the Cowboy out of the ring and steal the pin. This was an astute piece of booking that added to Storm's story as he chases another World title run, showing he has the potential, whilst furthering his feud with Carter. With the commentary repeatedly referring to GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron [Alberto Del Rio] don't be surprised if we see another twist in the tale between now and Slammiversary.

Finally... 

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.92/10

This show was all about it's main event with the three talent shining in a well-put together contest. However, elsewhere some of the booking and talent positioning still leaves a lot to be desired. There was no need to have Bruce Prichard opening the show, Scott Steiner's return was bizarre and the opener was as dull as dishwater's dishwater. There were flashes of greatness like Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards' portions of the mixed tag, Rosemary saving Allie, the development of the Veterans of War tag team and Josh Mathews joyful performance in his segment and the fact that he and Jeremy Borash never shared the commentary desk. The new regime currently feels like one step forward and then another back, producing as many positives change as there has been negative, hopefully once we get to Slammiversary at the start of July we'll have a product that has found it's feet and ironed out some of the creases.

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend: October 2016 Week Two - GPWA, IPW:UK & ICW

The nights might be drawing in, but that doesn't mean we can't still get Ready for the Weekend! This week we kick things off in Glasgow on Friday as Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum host the sixth edition of A Night in The Asylum, head down south for the first night of International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom's Super 8 2016 on Saturday before finishing off back in Glasgow as Insane Championship Wrestling presents a Fight Club Taping. 

Not near Glasgow or Kent, don't worry we've got a couple of alternatives for each day! 

Friday starts the wrestling weekend with Glasgow Pro Wrestling Asylum's latest event in Glasgow. Once again, the young stars of GPWA will be mixing it up in the squared circle with more established names of British Wrestling based north of the border. 

That mix is no more evident than in the main event match between the NAK and The Purge. Chris Renfrew and BT Gunn need little introduction. Both skilled as singles competitors, they've even more a threat as a duo and as such have held numerous championships. The Purge are also making a name for themselves with GPWA as a very skilled team who have a very bright future ahead of them. Both teams are known for a hard hitting offence. One thing that the NAK do have that The Purge don't is the PWE Tag Team Championships. That could change though as it's been confirmed that the championship will be defended on Friday for the first time outside of Pro Wrestling Elite. If The Purge were to win, they would become champions of a promotion that they have yet to compete in. A true history making moment itself. 

When you speak about big impacts, few people can match Flex Hunter. A genuine Goliath of a man, Hunter has been dominant in his time at GPWA and has went through more than a few of GPWA's stars. His opponent is one of the men who helped to train him but one of Scotland's most decorated stars, Lionheart. Lionheart has faced some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling but only a few of those could match Flex Hunter for his sheer size and power. Lionheart has a lot more experience in the ring than Hunter and that experience will be vital to defeat a man who has destroyed many men who have stood before him. 

Over a number of months, Molly Spartan and Kasey have been exchanging blows and victories over each other. Neither seems to become a definitive winner between the two. The next chapter of their feud will happen this Friday when both women bring a partner for some tag team action. Spartan has brought in an unknown factor in the shape of Jokey. Little is known about Jokey other than she is from Italy. Kasey on the other hand has went with a partner who is probably one of the best known females today, Viper. A champion on numerous occassions, Viper is world travelled and has as much experience as she does power. Picking a winning team in this match isn't easy. It's really a case of experience against the unknown.

GPWA's event will also see Stevie Boy in action against Ravie Davie while The Sam Barbour Experience shall be facing Kez Evans. Barbour's tag team partner, C.S Rose will also be competing this Friday when he faces Jack Dillon. The final match of the card will see the very unique Iriving Garrett in the ring with the current ICW World Heavyweight Champion, Wolfgang.

Tickets Available - £10 per person

Friday Alternatives 

HOPE Wrestling Evolution 39: The Past Is Only The Future With The Lights On

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire

Feat - The Boogeyman v T-Bone 

Tickets Available - From £7 per person

WrestleForce Wrestling at The Cricketers 

Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Feat - Kevin Hanley v Harrison Bourne

Tickets Available - £5 per person

On Saturday, International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom brings the third incarnation of the UK Super 8 tournament to Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent, as they present one of the most eclectic line up an eight man tournament can really hope for. Who will follow in the footsteps of Zack Sabre Jr and Rampage Brown? Let's take a look at some of the front runners.

It seems strange to place a man who hasn't been appearing regularly for IPW:UK this year as the favourite, especially considering he hasn't won in the promotion since June 2015, but quite simply anytime Dave Mastiff steps into a ring he has to be considered a favourite. Mastiff's sheer power, experience and endurance make him a match for pretty much anyone in the world. He's won the VPW Heavyweight Title Tournament in 2015, the BCC Title Tournament in 2010 and the RQW Tag Team Title Tournament in 2007, whilst his title reigns this year in VPW and PCW are only the tip of the ice berg for his reigns on top of various promotions. In 2014, Mastiff reached the semi-finals of UK Super 8, losing to the eventual winner, Zack Sabre Jr, he'll be looking to go one further this year and make the final and perhaps win the whole thing! Mastiff's Quarter Final opponent will be a man he is no stranger to, as he clashes with old FCP rival, Clint Margera, in what could prove to be one of the most brutal encounters of the entire weekend! 

Another man who must be considered on favourite, despite a lengthy absense from IPW:UK, is Magnus, who will be returning after an almost two year absense. Magnus has proven ability in that ring and has shown in the past that he's willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top of the business, as was clear during his rise to the top of TNA in 2013. It was there where he gained his tournament pedigree winning a TNA World Tag Team Title #1 Contender's Tournament with Desmond Wolfe in 2010, Championship Challenge Tournament and Wild Card Tag Team Tournament with Samoa Joe in 2011 and TNA World Heavyweight Title Tournament in 2013. Of course, more recently Magnus has been holding onto GFW's Global Championship, recently defending the strap on a brutal tour of Canada. As the most recognisable name in the tournament, he'll have something to prove on Saturday when he steps in the ring with Big Grizzly for the first time. 

Since debuting in IPW:UK last August, Chris Brookes has only lost one match, one match to someone has almost certainly had the best year of his career, Chris Hero. So, Brookes has to be considered a major contender heading into UK Super 8. Brookes has proven tournament calibre, winning FCP's Infinity Trophy in 2014, Plex Wrestling British Title Tournament and SWA British Lions Tournament in 2015. Outside of IPW:UK, Brookes has found success this year also, reinging as VII Pro's British Lions Champion, whilst also capturing the ATTACK! Tag Team Champion with Kid Lykos on two separate occassions. Brookes has shown in the past that he go with the best in the country, using his techincal knowhow to make a tough opponent for anyone, but he's certainly not afraid to bend the rules when it suits him, something that he may have dig into if he wants to walk away as the winner of UK Super 8. He faces current IPW:UK All England Champion "Smooth" Sammy Smooth in the First Round! 

Other tournament participants include former IPW:UK British Tag Team Champion James Davis, current EPW Champion Big Grizzly, 2015 Hardcore Lottery Semi-Finallist Clint Margera, All England Champion Sammy Smooth and Scott Star. Outside of the tournament, The Swords of Essex (Paul Robinson & Scott Wainwright) put their British Tag Team title up agaisnt DND (Danny Duggan & Cieran Donnely), 5 time WWE Women's Champion Mickie James takes on Jetta and in an international tag team contest 3 time AAA World Tag Team Champions Angelico & Jack Evans battle Shane Strickland and Lio Rush in a bout that may literally blow the rough off the Casino Rooms.

Tickets Available - From £15 pp

Saturday Alternatives 

Premier British Wrestling Live in Airdrie 

Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

Feat - BT Gunn v Sha Samuels 

Tickets Available - From £10 pp

Kamikaze Pro Live in Rubery

Rubery, Worcestershire 

Feat - Liam Doyle v Mika

Tickets Available - From £5 pp

The weekend rounds off on Sunday when Insane Championship Wrestling host another edition of the Fight Club TV tapings at The Garage in Glasgow. It's another packed show with eight matches scheduled to take place. 

Two of the matches announced will be qualifying matches for the Stairway To Heaven match for the ICW Zero-G Championship at Fear & Loathing IX. The first match will see Andy Wild face Kenny Williams. Both men are former champions and both have a desire to once again be champion. Williams has been trying to get back in the title picture for months while Wild's last match where he faced Noam Dar in his final ICW appearance, has reinvigorated the former champion. The second qualifying match will see Christopher Saynt face Zack Gibson in a match that shall be the first meeting between the two. Gibson is a no nonsense competitor who is all about business. Whilst Saynt is also a very skilled competitor, he does put on quite a show when he comes to the ring. It's unlikely that Gibson will appreciate that but Saynt will be sure to remind him that he's not just all show without substance.

 A few months ago, BT Gunn and Stevie Boy had a match that was supposed to end their dispute. It didn't. Instead those in attendance witnessed both men nearly destroy each other with steel chairs. Their issues are still there and if anything have grown bigger. These two men are going to have another match this Sunday in the hope that they can finally end this battle. However, if they went to the lengths they did last time in almost destroying each other, what will they do this time? 

Championship gold will be on the line this Sunday as well as Lionheart will be defending the ICW Zero-G Championship against Lewis Girvan. Girvan has been trying to get a championship match for a while now and finally he will have an opportunity in Glasgow this Sunday. Lionheart was the one who came up with the Stairway To Heaven match and obviously he will expect to be in the match to prove himself as the greatest ICW Zero-G Champion of all time. However, looking past Girvan and his desire to be champion could well result in Lionheart not even getting to the match he created.


Also this Sunday, Joe Coffey takes on Matt Cross in singles action. Tag team action comes in the from of Jack Jester and Kid Fite facing Sha Samuels DCT. ICW World Heavyweight Champion, Wolfgan will be in non-title action when he competes against “Local Hero” Joe Hendry while Hendry' former tag team partner, Davey Blaze shall be in singles competition against Trent Seven.

Tickets Available - £15 per person

Sunday Alternative 

International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom UK Super 8 2016 - Night 2

Rochester, Kent 

Feat - Tennesee Honey v Mickie James

Tickets Available - From £15 per person

That wraps up this week's preview of the weekend's wrestling schedule. Of course, there are many more events taking place over the three days. To find out more about the shows we've highlighted here as well as all the others, check us out at www.wrestleropesuk.wordpress.com for the latest show and match announcements, British Wrestling event list, interviews, exclusive columns, reviews, reports and results!

Words - Andy Scotland & James Marston
Images - James Marston

Image Source - Facebook.com

Opinion: Inside the Ropes - Our Client Paul Heyman (Lily Lestrange)

Unless you live under a rock or live in Cumnock where there's next to no internet you'll have seen by now that the lads from Inside The Ropes are bringing Paul Heyman to the UK this July for his first ever UK Q&A event.  A fantastic opportunity for them to take their events to the next level with one of the wrestling industry's greatest speakers and a fantastic opportunity for folk like us to be able to pick the brains of someone with the experience that Paul Heyman has in "the business".

Heyman's done it all: he's booked, he's promoted, he's commentated and he's managed with great success; he's managed five WWE champions and is the mouth-piece for one of the most savage beasts in wrestling history, Brock Lesnar.  He has contributed to wrestling companies across the globe in a career spanning nearly 30 years... but that's not for me to tell you, that's what you're gonna be paying Kenny and Robert of ITR for.

What I can do however, is tell you about previous events they've put on so that you know you'll be getting your money's worth with this one.  Not that you need telling, the name sells itself really.  But still, it always helps seeing the success of previous events so that you know what to expect with an upcoming one, right?

I've been to three Inside The Ropes events so far: Sunny, Sting and Scott Steiner.  The, erm, stability of the guests has varied, from Sting being relaxed and really conversational with the boys to Scott Steiner shouting into a mic about dugs for an hour.  What doesn't waver with each show is Kenny and Robert's ability to remain professional throughout the events and the well-researched, thought out questions that they ask their guests.  

I remember going to Sunny in the Classic Grand in Glasgow and honestly, she's up there on the list of completely abhorrent human beings. She spent a lot of time talking about how amazing she is, the people she's slept with and ended the night by telling people they probably won't achieve their dreams of becoming a wrestler and if they do then they won't live long enough to enjoy the ride. Oh and did you know she was AOL's most downloaded something-something of... eh, well, a year that certainly wasn't recent because AOL's been defunct for fucking years. If it were anyone else interviewing her they'd have probably thrown themselves off the stage but they managed to keep their cool and keep on asking her stuff that wasn't just all about her. And lemme tell you, trying to get Sunny to stop talking about Sunny is fucking hard. They spent a good portion of the first half of the show talking about Chris Candido, his career and her off-again-on-again relationship with him. It was actually quite touching; she spoke highly of him and got quite emotional when she was discussing their relationship. For a few minutes, they made her seem... fuck, dare I say, almost human. Then of course she went on to say how she was cheating on him with Shawn Michaels and all was normal with the world again. But as much as I'm having a dig at her, it was actually a really enjoyable show. I got to learn about an era of wrestling that I wasn't alive to experience and hadn't had enough time to research on my own (I had only just started to get back into wrestling again so I had a lot of catching up to do) and I got to have a giggle at some of her absurd stories. 

I didn't know what to expect from Sting as I didn't really know what he was like. I never got the chance to watch WCW as a kid and by the time I got back into wrestling he was in a promotion I didn't care about. But, by the time I had left the Q&A I was educated. I knew of his different personas before going but I was schooled on what he done, when he done it, whose arse he battered with a bat and whose head he'd clobbered after jumping on it from the rafters. I was educated and I was entertained because once again the right questions were asked and conversations were had on the stage between the guys and Sting. That's the thing, you could have all of the good questions in the world but if you don't know how to react, how to have a conversation once that question has been answered then it doesn't make for a very interesting show, but Kenny and Robert nail it every time. It also helped that Sting seemed to be a lovely guy. He was well spoken and kind even to the audience members asking the silliest of questions; "What did you think of the Montreal screwjob?" and the likes. Even that didn't crack him though; he was lovely throughout.  

Then there was the latest show, Scott Steiner.  When I first found out about this show I automatically said "oh my god, this is going to be a fucking car crash". And it was, in the best possible way. People paid their tickets, not to see Steiner come out all smartly dressed and have a chortle about the "good ol' days" with the lads, they paid to see Steiner come out in his chain metal gear and talk shit about everyone and everything, and that's exactly what we got. I forget who he called what because there was a lot of it going on, but Steiner doesn't like a lot of people. He likes a bear that wrestles, and he likes dogs, but if you're Triple H or Stephanie McMahon then you're in the bad books. And by bad books I mean he thinks you're a cunt and wants to send you bags of bear shit in the post on a daily basis. He likes Magnus though. Magnus was brought out as a wee surprise half way through the show to keep Steiner entertained, which added to the festivities.  

But can you imagine Steiner, of all people, coming out and having a full, civil conversation in he way that I described Sting doing? NAAAAAAH. That's not what the people wanted. Don't get me wrong, Robert and Kenny tried their best to ask as many of their questions as they could but Steiner just kept going off on tangents and talking about completely irrelevant stuff, and it was wonderful. The boys had a laugh with him, Steiner enjoyed himself, the audience enjoyed themselves and I had a rare good time too so what is there to complain about?  

So, given that they can handle some of the most outrageous, unpredictable personalities in wrestling and still put on a good show, how do you think they're going to do with someone as easy to talk and listen to as THE Paul Heyman? A man who could read the writing on the back of a Cornflakes box and still be one of the most interesting people in wrestling?  

Someone you could give a mic to and just let them speak for hours and never get bored.  

I don't know about you lot, but I'm excited.  

Inside The Ropes - An Evening With Paul Heyman will be coming to London, Manchester and Glasgow in July.  Dates, ticket prices and event info can be found out by subscribing to the mailing list on their website: www.insidetheropes.co.uk.

Editors Note - All at ATPW would like to wish Inside the Ropes and Paul Heyman the very best of luck with July's tour...not that they'll need it! 

Point of Joe Return

I have decided to part ways with @ImpactWrestling. My very best to them moving forward, and my eternal thanks to the fans.
— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) February 17, 2015

     
      The surprising news that TNA stalwart Samoa Joe has parted ways with the company that has more or less been his home for ten years, has left many wondering what the future holds for the Samoan Submission Machine and what exactly lead to his departure from the company in the first place?  

      Joe fans need not worry too much though, as he was still involved in the recent UK tour and involved in matches at both the Manchester and London TV tapings, wrestling two matches with Austin Aries that are set to air on the 27th February and 20th March respectively, so you've still got a month of the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion on Destination America, Challenge, Ma Chaine Sport or whatever channel carries Impact Wrestling in your neck of that woods. 

Samoa Joe in TNA

Credit - CANOE

     Joe came into TNA in the summer of 2005, debuting in a dominating effort against Sonjay Dutt at Slammiversary at the Impact Zone, whilst still working for Ring of Honor at the time, even defending the companies Pure Championship the night before his TNA debut against Colt Cabana in New Jersey. Joe split much of his early time in TNA with Ring of Honor, as well as various Indy companies across North America, England and Australia, such as FIP, 1PW, IWA Mid-South and PWG. 

     Placed immediately into an Undefeated Streak angle, Joe began to fluorish under the wider spotlight offered by TNA, and it didn't take long before he put in his first world class match up for the company, opposite Chris Sabin at No Surrender in July. Joe's debut year may be the strongest in terms of match quality that TNA has seen, as he continued to put in belting matches including two cracking PPV outings against AJ Styles, picking up his first X-Division title , as well arguably the finest match TNA has ever put on, the Unbreakable triple threat match with both Styles and Christopher Daniels. Whilst also being portrayed as an unstoppable and undefeatable force, things looked bright for Joe as TNA began to grow as a company. 

Credit - YourWrestlingWorld

     As the undefeated streak continued, Joe's three way feud with Styles and Daniels continued with strong bouts across the first three PPV's of 2006, although they failed to capture the initial magic from Unbreakable, Joe still managed to pick up his second X-Division title from Daniels at the 10th April iMPACT tapings. Joe moved up to play with the big boys over the summer of 2006, beginning in a feud with Scott Steiner, that included teaming with Sting at Sacrifice, and singles bout at Slammiversary, both of which produced surprisingly good results from a 43 year old Steiner. Following a Falls Count Anywhere against Monty Brown and Rhino at Hard Justice, Joe's form stumbled a bit as he struggled in a dodgy storyline with Jeff Jarrett and Sting. However, the arrival of one man kept Joe on track, that man being Kurt Angle.

     The pairs feud produced some of the most iconic imagery in TNA's history, from Angle's initial debut on iMPACT in October and into three back-to-back PPV outings between November and January 2007. Although Joe lost his 18 month undefeated streak to Angle, it was clear that working with the WWE Champion was the biggest moment of Joe's career so far. It could even be argued that Joe never managed to reach such a peak again, as the influx of ex-WWE talent began.

Credit - PWK-Bloggers

     Joe spent most of 2007 chasing the NWA and TNA World Heavyweight Championships, being part of exciting title bouts with Christian Cage and Kurt Angle at Destination X and Hard Justice respectively, whilst also competing in the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. Whilst the World title eluded him, Joe did manage his third X Division title in on iMPACT in June beating Jay Lethal and Chris Sabin in a three way, as well his first World Tag Team Championship alongside Angle from Team 3D in July. A Bound For Glory bout with Cage was perhaps Joe's stand out match of the year, as knee injuries began to take a toll on the big man. December's Turning Point featured Joe's infamous shoot promo on Scott Hall who no showed the PPV, which supposedly upset a number of TNA higher ups, including Dixie Carter, who was at ringside. 

     After struggling in a poorly structured on-off feud with Kevin Nash in early 2008, Joe came to life at Lockdown, winning his first and only TNA World Heavyweight Championship, in a career defining steel cage match with Kurt Angle. Going on a 182 day reign with the belt, Joe had successful title defences against Angle, Kaz, Scott Steiner, Booker T, Christian Cage and Robert Roode. Despite this, Joe's matches failed to reach the levels we'd seen previously, and whilst no one would argue his defences were of a poor standard, coupled with lacklustre feuds, Joe's one and only run as World Heavyweight Champion failed to live up to the expectations of the masses. It was unsurprising then that Joe dropped the title to Sting at Bound For Glory.

Credit - Fan Pop

    As Joe transitioned into his ridiculous "Nation of Violence" gimmick, that saw him "torturing" opponents backstage for reasons unknown, he was placed in a storyline involving the Main Event Mafia. The storyline initially pitted Joe against the MEM, before it was supposedly revealed Joe had been working for the group the whole time, despite several glarring plot holes, turning on AJ Styles to allow Kurt Angle to win the King of the Moutain match at Slammiversary. Despite picking up his fourth X Division title reign from Homicide at Hard Justice, Joe was lost in the mix with the Main Event Mafia, Taz debuting as his manager and quickly joining the commentary desk did little to help. With the group folding at Bound For Glory, Joe was free to compete in his last truly great match at Turning Point, a re-hash of the Unbreakable three way, this time for Styles' World Heavyweight Championship.

     If 2009 hadn't been Joe's year, 2010 and 2011 would only get worse. On 18th February, Joe was kidnapped by ninjas, on 19th April Joe returned to TNA and the abduction was never mentioned again. Feuds with Jeff Jarrett, D'Angelo Dinero and Crimson failed to set the world alight, and Joe was put on a losing streak. Unable to win a match for love nor money, losing every single match in the Bound For Glory series. This may have been alright, if Joe's matches at this time were actually worth watching, with a Destination X bout with Kazarian the only stand out bout during this time.

Credit - The Sun

    Joe's career saw a revitalisation of sorts, as he was paired with Magnus in a floundering tag team division. Not only did the pairing give Joe his second World Tag Team Championship at Against All Odds, it also saw Joe register his best yearly win-loss ratio since his World title year of 2008, as well as a return to form inside the ring. Whilst the pairs battle with Christopher Daniels and Kazarian at Sacrifice was perhaps the only real gem of their run as a team, much of this was down to the lacklustre nature of opponents like Matt Morgan & Crimson and Mexican America, and it was clear that Joe was enjoying his wrestling and mentoring the younger Magnus at this point. Strong contests with Austin Aries, Kurt Angle and Magnus showed signs that Joe may be ready to take a step back into the main event scene.

     That proved not to be the case as the next two years proved both creatively fruitless and gave Joe worse win-loss records since joining the company. Whilst Joe did manage to return to the main event with a bout against Magnus at Lockdown 2014, the last two years were marred by hot and cold booking and Joe's inability to pull out a single remarkable singles bout. Joe's last title reign came as X Division Champion, defeating Low Ki and Sanada for the belt at Impact tapings in June, however an injury cut short the reign before it could get vaguely interesting. 

Credit - CAQ

     This year saw Joe working more of less as a bouncer for MVP's Beatdown Clan faction, a role that didn't seem to capture Joe's attention as he looked noticeably sluggish and almost bored whilst on screen with the group. Although we'll never get to see how the situation may have played out had Joe remained with the company, I wouldn't have held out much hope that we would have seen anything close to the Samoa Joe that captured the world wide spotlight in '06 and '07.

The Departure

So, what exactly lead to Joe deciding to move to pastures new? It's clear that Joe's relationship with the company has been fragile at best over the last few years, it even seemed like he would leave the company at the end of 2010. The fact that Joe only capture the World Heavyweight Championship once in ten years with the company is testament to TNA's failure to turn Joe's early momentum into anything lasting, instead they opted for the quick fix of handing runs to ex-WWE wrestlers like Mick Foley, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson during a time when Joe should really have been coming into his own as a franchise player for the company. 

Credit - Daily DDT

It's impossible not to draw parallels between Joe's time in TNA and AJ Styles' who departed in 2013. Both were overlooked by TNA for a long time in favour of ex-WWE competitors, and both should have been the cornerstone of TNA's main event scene for years, ending up in a similar situation to what we John Cena feature in for WWE today. However, the real difference between Styles and Joe is Styles' attitude, as he continued to look motivated with the company, pulling out solid performances throughout his tenure, often in spite of piss-poor booking, whilst Joe appeared to become disenchanted, gaining weight and losing the pace that made him stand out in the first place. Of course, Joe's well documented knee injuries also added to the situation. 

What next? 

At thirty five years old, Joe could still have a good few years of regular performances in him. That's if he regains his mojo and puts the work in, and of course, depends heavily on how his injuries are holding up. 

Credit - Wrestling-Edge

WWE, at this point, wouldn't seem like an option, as whilst many cite Triple H apparently being a big fan of Joe's work, it's Vince McMahon that would ultimately stand in the way of Joe turned up in the 'E. Whilst matches with the likes of Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose would certainly get the fans talking, I can't imagine McMahon would see much value in Joe debuting straight onto the main roster and whilst a stretch in NXT wouldn't be entirely out of the question, with Joe able to offer a lot to the likes of Hideo Itami, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, it would most likely be in the role of a trainer in the Performance Center, which houses a number of performers who never made it to the WWE.

The most likely outcome though, is that we'll see Joe return to the Indy scene. I'm sure Ring of Honor has already been on the blower to try and sort out some kind of deal, even if that's only for a handful of matches, rather than a full time contract. Matches with Christopher Daniels, Jay Briscoe and Adam Cole could prove fruitful for both Joe and his opponents as well as PPV buys. Japan is also becoming an increasingly appealing alternative to the main US companies, with New Japan the biggest of these options, and Joe's previous experience with Zero-1, Pro Wrestling NOAH and Wrestle-1 could prove vital in getting a deal done.

Credit - Noe Entertainment

Whatever Joe chooses to do with his time, we hope to see him return to enjoying his wrestling and produce the quality of match-up that we've seen him produce in the past, whilst also giving back to the younger up and coming talents with his knowledge of the business. We'd like to wish Joe the best in whatever he does. 

TNA British Bootcamp's Grado Interview

Thanks to TNA Impact Wrestling we recently got the chance to chat to British Bootcamp and Insane Fight Club star Grado. This, of course, wasn't the first time we've spoken with the former ICW Tag Team Champion, having previously had him on our (now discontinued) "Five Questions With..." series, as well as chatting to him prior to TNA TV Taping in Glasgow, which can be found on Youtube here.

ATPW - Hey Grado. The first question is quite a generic one, How have you found the British Bootcamp experience?

Grado - It's been amazing because I've got the chance to wrestle in America. I've managed to fulfil a childhood dream that I've always wanted to go and wrestle in front of a live crowd in America. There's nae better feeling in the world. Also because I've had a lot of people telling the Grado character wouldn't work in America, Grado wouldn't go over in America, I went to America and managed to get myself over with some of the crowds. I'm glad, the experience so far has been amazing. Getting to TNA and getting to share the ring with Samoa Joe, Al Snow and Gail Kim, has been a very good experience. 

Do you feel the process has helped you develop as a performer? Have you improved as the experience has gone on?

Every day is a learning day in wrestling. Every time you step in the ring, you always come back out with a few learning points for you to work on. So when you're being trained by Al Snow, Gail Kim and Joe, you're obviously going to adapt and learn and find out news ways of performing. 

If there were any TNA fans in America or elsewhere, who haven't seen British Bootcamp, what could they expect if you turned up in TNA? Would you perhaps change the character or keep to what us British fans know and love over here? 

I don't know. I'd probably keep the same character, go in there and I'm the everyman, that's the term, I'm the guy that probably shouldn't be in the ring, that's the way the other wrestlers could see me, that's the chemistry. I'm the guy whose living the dream here. I'm the guy that isn't six foot four, I don't look like a Greek God, I just go in there and try my hardest every time I wrestle. I hope that people can relate to me, as the guys who's just having a fun time. I'd probably keep the character, as a wrestling fan who's living beyond his means that's what go me to the dance so far, that's the reason I've had the opportunities that I've had. 

It's a feel good story as well. I think in the 90's you had the smaller guys, that made a lot of today's wrestlers realise they could become a wrestler and you offer something for the guys out their that aren't six foot four or whatever. Something different.

Exactly! Something different. Wrestling has been boring for too long, same six foot four, big body guys, there's never been chubby wee characters, in a long time. There's never been anything like that. It's time for a change and I think I could be able to flourish in TNA. 

Is there anyone from TNA's current roster that you think you'd work particularly well with in the ring or even in terms of a storyline? 

I love the stuff that Rockstar Spud's got going on with EC3, and I'd love to wrestle with Rockstar Spud, as well. Also, I think that me and Zema Ion would have a good X Division style match, I think that me and Rockstar Spud could challenge the Hardy Boyz to the tag titles. And probably big Magnus, he's like a big hard man bully, I'm sure that I could have a cool wee storyline with him. Me vs. Magnus would be brilliant actually, I think that could really work. Then bring in Spud and have a three way, imagine that! Me and Spud vs. Bram and Magnus!

Get it over on the tour! What effect do you think British Bootcamp will have on the British scene as a whole? Do you think we'll see a boost in local crowds?

Definitely. Even since the first British Bootcamp the numbers have been up, because a lot of the general public are unaware that there is this big brilliant British wrestling scene. So again, it's just another series for everyone to see that there is talent here in the UK and hopefully it encourages people to go and out and go their local shows and support the guys who that are trying to make a name for themselves and possibly could be on the next series of British Bootcamp. So aye, I think it's a good thing for British wrestling. 

If there was anyone who had watched Bootcamp but perhaps didn't know where to look to find British wrestling, where would you tell them to look? 

In Glasgow, there's Insane Championship Wrestling, an Over 18's company. There's loads of family shows that are run by British Championship Wrestling, Premier British Wrestling and then there's Preston City Wrestling, Revolution Pro, there's PROGRESS Wrestling which is a phenomenal outfit , that work outside Islington. I would go to these places, but if you go online and type in British Wrestling, I'm sure you could find links and stuff to local proffesional wrestling. Also www.gradowrestling.co.uk, if you want to come and see me wrestle then all the dates are on there. 

You broke into the British Wrestling "mainstream" via a social media, notably the "Get Grado Booked" campaign in ICW. What do you think social media can offer a professional wrestler in 2014? 

Well that's the thing, you're Twitter and your Facebook is your gimmick, it's your business. You need to make sure you've got a decent Twitter, you're not tweeting a load of shite, you're tweeting funny stuff or whatever suits your gimmick. So, Dave Mastiff, he is a grumpy bastard online and he is a grumpy bastard in real life. It's just another medium for you to develop your character, so if you want to post promos, pictures, anything. It's really important in 2014, that you're on the job, your on the button with Twitter and Facebook and Vine and FaceParty and things like that.

Finally, what does 2015 hold for Grado? 

Well I'm going to go on a diet, I'm gonna try and lose a bit of weight. I probably will mix up my gimmick one way or another, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. Hopefully get the chance to wrestle in America again, keep wrestling in Britain, try and get new bookings in Europe and keep on doing the TV work that I'm doing. 

Oh, one last question....When are we going to finally get the big Grado vs. Goldberg match that everyone's waiting to see?

I really hope that Goldberg has seen my GradoBerg entrance! Hopefully next year, Goldberg, if you manage to get to this article, if your listening or reading to this, add me on Twitter, let's follow each other and I'll DM you. Then next year, Grado vs Goldberg at York Hall, we'll sell it out. 

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Thanks to TNA Impact Wrestling, Grado and Simon Rothstein for putting this interview together. All photo credit goes to Tony Knox. TNA British Bootcamp can be found on Sunday evenings at 9PM on Challenge (Freeview - 46, Freesat - 145, Sky - 145, Virgin Media - 139)