One of the things that I like about TNA is the fact that they are almost forced to have a lot of nontraditional matches. I’m not talking about ladder matches or Ultimate X matches. I’m talking about 3-way matches, 6-man tag matches, and 8-man tag matches. These matches have always been some of my favorites to watch and though I know TNA is forced to do this each week because they’ve only got 42 minutes of television time, I love it. For me, it reminds me of the old ECW shows that you’d find on late night television.

This week was no different with Kurt Angle vs. Rhino vs. Christian. Great match. It was absolutely amazing.

How many wrestling shows give three great performers an HOUR to go at each other on television? NONE.

This is part of why I love watching TNA. This was a match that saw run-ins, high spots, and enough near-falls to keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Great job by all involved – GREAT job!

And, obviously, this match was my major impact of the week. All of it was the major impact: the fact that the match even took place, the fact that an entire wrestling show was devoted to one match, the fact that a wrestling company would even think outside of the box and devote an entire show to such an innovative match. All of this is what makes the three-way dance between Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, and Rhino the major impact of the night.

I’m glad I have this on my DVR!

My only complaints have nothing to do with the match, but rather the fact that the Impact Zone was really a poor setting for such a magnificent display. This is a match that would have left Madison Square Garden standing and applauding. The fans in San Antonio or Toronto would have rocked the rafters cheering during this match. In fact, I’d say that any crowd of 10,000 or more would have only added to the aura surrounding this match.

Again, this isn’t to take away from the great event that we saw tonight, but just imagine how much better this type of booking will look when it’s taking place in a major arena and not the 500-seat Impact Zone. From a business standpoint, think of the huge draw that a match like this could be out on the road (it’s free to attend shows in the Impact Zone).

Oh, and someone teach the referee (Rudy Charles, I think) how to perform a close three-count! Earl Hebner should have officiated this match – Charles was actually counting three-counts and then calling them “2!” It looked weird.

- Joe
joe1897 [at] gmail [dot] com

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