What’s up guys? I’m TheCannon, bringing you a review for the February 6, 2015 edition of TNA Impact Wrestling. Now before we begin, I want to apologize for not getting a review of last week’s show up. I was sick last week, and while I was feeling better on Friday, I still didn’t feel good enough to write a full review of the show. I was feeling better the next few days and good enough to write, but I had school work to do, and I felt that was more important. It was upsetting since I liked last week’s show and wanted to talk about it, but oh well.

Anyway, let’s start the review for tonight’s show, which is the Lockdown special. It used to be a pay-per-view (and one of my favorites every year), but this week it’s a free TV special.

*NOTE: Every match takes place inside six sides of steel (basically a steel cage, just with six sides because of the six sided ring)*

Show starts with a generic video to hype up it’s Lockdown. Not much to say. Before we get to the matches, I’d like to bring up the lighting. Despite a full attendance (which the announcers bring up), it’s still pitch black after the first row or two. Why? I know they talked about focused lighting a few weeks ago, and I guess this is focused since we can’t see anything besides the ring, but it still looks terrible. I know we’re going to the UK next week, so hopefully they brighten up the place there. Anyway, let’s go to the first match.

Match #1 - TNA World Tag Team Championships: The Revolution (c) vs. The Hardys

Storm once again comes down with that rope again for some reason, and this time has a cow bell attached to it. Why? I don’t know. And Hardy really should have worn some different colors. His arms are completely blue and it looks exactly like Sanada & Manik’s outfits. He looks like a Revolution member. Matthews makes a comment about Storm being a six-time TNA tag champ, and before I can correct and mention the NWA tag title reigns, Matthew begins to mention he’s a 7-time... something, he’s cut off by something going on in the match. Would have liked to have heard the rest of that sentence. Manik gets into the ring, and the Hardys somehow handcuff him. Why did they bring out handcuffs? “Because the script demanded it” isn’t good enough of a reason. Taz even makes a comment of where they got them, so clearly someone realized it made no sense.

Sorry for the irrelevant comments, but you know me; I like to give random thoughts I have when watching. The match itself wasn’t amazing, but it was alright and had some great spots in it. Would have been more fun if it had been Revolution vs. The Wolves. There’s a point where Koya & Sanada grab Matt through the camera whole and pull him outside the ring. This was AFTER they put over the fact you can win by escaping the cage. Taz then had to come up with some bullsh*t about how it only counts if you climb out the cage or go through the door. That’s TNA for you, making up rules to matches at any point they want. Anyway, the finish comes when Jeff goes to climb up, but Sanada climbs up and sprays the mist in his face. Jeff then falls back in, and Storm fits an AWESOME Last Call to get the win.

Winners via pinfall & STILL TNA World Tag Team Champions: The Revolution

Afterwards, they begin attacking the Hardys, and put Matt through a table outside the ring. They try to put Jeff through a table in ring, but Manik goes through instead. It’s kind of hard to explain what happens next, but a spot happens where Hardy is knocked off from the top of the cage with the cowbell onto the steel steps. It was a cool spot I guess, but kind of ruined since they gave it away in commercials last week. Afterwards medics come down to check on him, but Storm kicks them out of the way and beats Jeff up a little more. This may seem like an odd move to some, but it looks like it was done to give Jeff a storyline injury to write him off for the UK tour. Why do they have to write him off you ask? I won’t go into details, but kids, this is why you don’t do drugs. Overall, pretty good scene to me.

Backstage, MVP talks to the rest of the BDC and tells them that they’re gonna use the cage to their advantage the same way Jeff Hardy just did to do what happened to him to Team Angle. Okay scene, but not much to say, just hyping up Lethal Lockdown tonight.

After commercials, we have BDC members MVP & Kenny King in-ring, and Eric Young for some reason. MVP talks about how dangerous the structure is, and how more dangerous when the BDC are in it. He talks about what just happened to Jeff Hardy, and they’re apparently gonna put that over all night. MVP says that Hardy will hopefully never be seen again, and I like MVP a whole lot more now. He talks about EY has bad intentions, and Roode should walk away and not come out. And he tells Angle that they’re both reasonable guys and to come out here to talk before someone gets hurt, and Kurt Angle comes out with Austin Aries and Gunner.

After Team Angle comes out, MVP talks about what happened to Jeff Hardy some more. He tells them to just stand down, telling Gunner to stand down and save his career as he’s a future world champ and something about his reneck life. He tells Aries that Aries is the most selfish guy in the building and will likely do the smart thing and just care about his briefcase. MVP tells Angle about his health problems and sneezing the wrong way and he’ll injure his leg again. So step down before MVP breaks them for him. Angle says something about coming to NYC to fight, and they’re not gonna wait. Breaks into a brawl between everyone, and Samoa Joe & Low Ki come out to help MVP, King, & EY. Gunner gets attacked in the arm and it looks like he’s injured. Oh no, that’s almost as bad as what happened to Jeff Hardy earlier! Did I mention a huge spot with him happened? Angle & Aries end up running the rest of the BDC & EY off while Gunner holds his arm. I actually liked this scene, it set up Lethal Lockdown for tonight pretty well, and MVP was very entertaining on the mic. Hope Gunner can still compete tonight though. Also, why did Aries come out with the briefcase?

Video package is shown to hype Havok vs. Awesome Kong. Havok is the “Harlot Slayer” and the “Empress of Annihilation” for some reason. “Havok the Harlot Slayer.” I’d watch it.

Backstage someone is examining Gunner’s arm and says that Gunner can barely move it and would be a one-armed man out there, but Gunner says he can go out there and that he’s starting. Angle says that he’s gonna make one last try to get Lashley.

Match #2 - Havok vs. Awesome Kong

Havok runs down and attacks Kong at she’s making her entrance, and they begin brawling outside the ring. They ring the bell before the two get in the ring, which makes no sense. In the past when two people start fighting outside the cage, they wait on ringing the bell until both are inside. But here they ring it outside? But we’ve established that TNA likes to change rules to matches at any time they want. Anyway, the match wasn’t very good. Kong wins after some move. And yeah, I don’t care. TNA: Bring back Alissa Flash if you want me to care about the Knockouts.

Winner via whatever: Awesome Kong

Video package is shown to hype up Bobby Roode vs. Eric Young. Why do they keep acting like these guys were great friends? For years they either weren’t acknowledging each other or were feuding. They only magically became best friends out of nowhere last summer.

Backstage we get a scene from two weeks ago we have Velvet Sky telling Angelina Love that she was fired. Why are they trying to make Velvet look sympathetic? Aside from her having a job for 8 years when she has no wrestling talent, mic skills, or good looks (being completely useless then) which make her un-sympathetic, she’s been a heel for months. When she leaves Angelina says “Ugh. Finally.” Yes, finally. She shouldn’t have had a job for years, glad to finally see her go. Maybe Angelina could follow (although I would rather see her than Velvet)? And is there a reason this was shown tonight instead of last week or so? Seriously, what was the point?

Backstage Lashley arrives and is told Kurt Angle is looking for him, and Lashley says that he’s easy to find. Why does Lashley always seem to arrive to Impact late? Seriously, go back and watch the past several weeks, he’s always shown arriving well after the show begins. I can’t be the only one who’s noticed this.

Match #3 - Bobby Roode vs. Eric Young

So, the rules were changed again. This match can only be won by pinfall or submission, escaping the cage won’t work. Why establish that rule early on then? EY calls out for something, and MVP comes out with a chair to give it to him. Even though EY isn’t part of the BDC, as they’ve established many times before. Yet EY still comes out with them, beats people up with them, and they help him win matches. This is either re-defining relationships in wrestling, or just inconsistent writing. Anyway, this match as alright. Nothing amazing, but alright. Finish comes when Roode hits the Roode Bomb on a steel chair and gets the pin. This should feud since Roode’s beaten him clean and gotten revenge, but TNA doesn’t know when to end things, so assume this’ll continue into 2016 and we’ll get the ending at Slammiversary 2017.

Winner via pinfall: Bobby Roode

Angle finds Lashley backstage and asks him to join his team and Lashley says that he’s not interested. Angle beings yelling and backs Lashley into a wall, and says that they need Lashley and Lashley needs them. Angle just ends up storming off with Lashley still not wanting to join. Does Angle really not have a backup plan in case Lashley didn’t want to join? I know they’re a bit low on faces, but they have more than three.

Match #4 - Mandrews & Rockstar Spud vs. Tyrus

Mandrews is a vampire, right? His skin is just insanely pale, and if he changed his hair a little bit it’d look like Spike’s hair. EC3 has amazing suits that he just looks great in. Anyway, this match wasn’t great, but it really wasn’t supposed to be. Spud did a good spot from the top of the cage. Finish comes when EC3 slams the door in Spud’s face, allowing Tyrus to get the win. Afterwards EC3 plugs in an electric razor and plans to shave Spud’s head, but Jeremy Borash cuts the cord. After that EC3 starts chasing after Borash and he runs into the crowd. I really hope this stuff with EC3 against Spud/Borash ends soon. While I do like EC3, it’s hard to take him seriously in this whole thing, which may hurt his main event potential in the long run.

Winner via pinfall: Tyrus

We see Jeff Hardy taking that bump again. Because we have to establish why he can’t be in the UK again. We then hear an interview with Roode

We then get a clip earlier of Robbie E insulting Brooke and challenging her to an Amazing race, where you spin around on a bat, climb into the cage, then escape the cage and run back up the ramp. Robbie had the win, but he took time out to take a selfie, and Brooke wins. I assume that this was originally filmed entirely, but they realized how stupid it was and decided to cut it to this short video. Smart idea.

Match #5 - Lethal Lockdown: BDC (MVP, Kenny King, Samoa Joe, & Low Ki) vs. Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, Gunner, & ?)

For those who don’t know what Lethal Lockdown is, two members of each team will start off the match. After a period of time, a member of one of the teams will come out (in this case BDC) and after more time, a member of the other team will come out, and it’ll keep rotating until everyone is out. It’s basically the same concept as WCW’s War Games match if you ever saw that. The major difference is that weapons are available here. Traditionally it’d be one everyone was in the match and a ceiling would drop, but I think this arena can’t have the ceiling lower, so weapons are legal the entire time here and are just hanging on the sides of the cage. Kenny King & Gunner are starting off the match, and Kenny comes out in a scarf for some reason. Can TNA not afford heating?

Low Ki comes out next. Now, everyone already knew that the BDC was gonna get the man advantage since heels always get it, but when was it established they had the advantage? I never recall any matches, coin flips, or anything to determine it. Austin Aries is next, and for some reason brings out the briefcase. Now, why is Aries out there wrestling in a shirt and jeans instead of his normal wrestling gear? Joe comes out next for BDC, while Kurt Angle comes out for Team Angle. MVP comes out finally for BDC, leaving no one else for Team Angle. Gee, I wonder what’s gonna happen here.

After the BDC beats on Team Angle for a while, Lashley’s music hits. And he begins casually walking down the ring, with his hat & jacket on. Shouldn’t he have taken that off before he came out? Lashley gets in the ring and shakes hands with MVP, until he then attacks MVP & all the BDC members, officially making it 4-on-4. Kind of pointless though since the BDC gets control again and continues to beat them up. But Team Angle fights back, and we get that thing TNA loves to do where everyone hits their finisher at once. Finish comes when Lashley hits the spear on MVP.

Overall, nothing terrible, but nothing much stood out here. Just a typical Lethal Lockdown/War Games match that follows the typical pattern. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it is the most logical way to book, but it does make it predictable.

Winner via pinfall: Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, Gunner, & Lashley)

Overall Impressions:

This isn’t the best Lockdown we’ve ever gotten, but it was on free TV with commercials, so I didn’t expect it to be exactly like a normal Lockdown PPV. But I thought it was an alright. Some of the in-ring matches weren’t anything great, but there was nothing bad here. Not the best show TNA’s done, and there were some minor complaints I had, but everything was competently booked (for the most part) and entertaining. I know I mocked them a bit, but that’s just me having fun, doesn’t mean I didn’t like the show. So, in short, a decent show that had some entertaining moments but wasn’t anything amazing.

That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed. Unless something like last week happens again, I will see you guys in next week’s review (and if we’re lucky, I might even be able to get a video game review up).