wrestling / TV Reports
Cook’s Impact Turning Point 2020 Review
Loading...Hello friends! I’m Steve Cook, here with you for another Saturday night presentation from Impact Wrestling. Turning Point was one of TNA Wrestling’s first annual events, and the first edition’s main event pitting America’s Most Wanted against Triple X featured one of the company’s all time moments: “Prime Time” Elix Skipper walking the top of the Six Sides of Steel to deliver a hurricanrana to “Wildcat” Chris Harris. It would have melted social media if social media existed at a large scale in 2004.
So you could say that Turning Point is a tradition unlike any other.
– Opening video package that I wish Barry Scott was still alive to give the voiceover for.
– Josh Mathews & Madison Rayne call the action tonight.
Daivari vs. Eddie Edwards: Two veterans going at it here. Some chain wrestling to start, Edwards focusing on the arm, Daivari with a headlock into a headscissors by Edwards. Arm drag! Daivari goes back to the headlock, more basic wrestling here. Setting a pace, as the insiders would say. Announcers are putting over Heath & Rhino’s eventual Tag Team Championship challenge. Largely ignoring the action to set up things for later. Vertical suplex by Edwards gets two. Nice overhead belly to belly. The momentum shifts when Daivari sends Eddie shoulder first into the ringpost. Daivari gonna work over that arm now, using the safety rail to do so. Works that arm & shoulder back in the ring. Back elbow by Daivari barely gets 1. Gonna take more than that. Edwards comes back with a vertical suplex, but Daivari keeps that control. Shoulder first into the ring post a couple of times. Working the armbar back in the ring. Hammerlock variation. Chops in the corner by Daivari. Edwards fighting back! Daivari tries to go up top, which sets up the backpack stunner for Edwards for two. Edwards kicks Daivari down, tries to go up top, Daivari follows him up, gets knocked off but crotches Edwards. Hurricanrana off the top by Daivari gets two! Josh compares Edwards to the Energizer Bunny. Madison questions comparing a former world champion to a bunny, but bunnies have been pretty successful in Impact. Tiger Driver by Edwards gets two. Daivari puts his feet on the ropes for a near-fall, the ref sees it, Daivari gets pissed, distracted, and Edwards hits the Boston Knee Party for three!
Winner: Eddie Edwards
Match Rating: **1/2
– Pretty basic stuff, but a good pace-setting match.
– Josh & Madison run down the card.
Jordynne Grace & Tenille Dashwood (w/Kaleb with a K) vs. Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie: I feel like if Jordynne & Tenille could get along, they would be the team to beat based off of their combined ability. That’s a big “if” though. Taya looking like a perfect angel tonight, which she wants us to think she is. Rosemary & Tenille start us off. Tenille posing for pictures. Rosemary joins in, not what Tenille was hoping for. Taya tags in, and Tenille tags out. The two powerhouses going at it here! Good back & forth, shoulder tackes from Grace, a senton gets a near-fall. Jordynne wants a tag, but Tenille is busy stretching! Yowie wowie. Taya takes the advantage off of that. Good teamwork from Taya & Rosemary. Rosemary with a modified Muta Lock that Jordynne has to spend a rope break on. Fortunately, this isn’t a Pure match. German suplex by Taya on Jordynne gets a nearfall. Tenille finally makes a tag, but it results in her breaking up Jordynne’s spine on the pine for Taya, which probably would have gotten a three count. Oh well, Tenille gets to work now! Tenille Sandwich gets two. She locks in the Dashwoodie. That doesn’t finish Taya off. We finally get some sort of teamwork from Dashwood & Grace, as Grace takes the tag and gets an elbowdrop for two. Taya with the spear! Rosemary takes the tag, Tenille doesn’t because she wants to take pictures, and Rosemary beats Jordynne down. Rosemary takes out a cameraman. Double underhook driver (which I assume has a name) gets the three count for Rosemary & Taya!
Winners: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie
Match Rating: **1/2
– Some good story telling here. I’m guessing Jordynne & Tenille won’t be a tag team going forward.
– The Deaners yell at each other backstage. I can’t blame Cody for being mad about losing to Johnny Swinger.
Brian Myers vs. Swoggle: Swoggle offers the hand of friendship. Myers doesn’t take it. Swoggle with the headscissors! Swoggle with the tope suicida through the middle & bottom rope! That’s about the end of Swoggle’s offense though. Myers dominating now. Gotta tell ya, it’s a little weird watching a grown man beating up a little fella. Not my cup of tea. Every time Swoggle gets some fire, it gets snuffed out pretty quick. Josh just figured out that Myers might be mad at Swoggle since he clamped his testicles with tongs a little while back. I mean, I wouldn’t appreciate such treatment. German suplex by Swoggle! He’s going up top to pay tribute to Eddie! He takes too long though, and Myers cancels that idea. Myers follows Swoggle up, Swoggle bites the leg and knocks Myers off. Tadpole splash gets two! Big ol’ clothesline from Myers after some recovery time finishes it.
Winner: Brian Myers
Match Rating: **
– Well, Myers isn’t done with Swoggle yet. Crazzy Steve chases Myers off.
– XXXL talks about how James Storm & Chris Sabin were in good tag teams at one point.
XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D) vs. Chris Sabin & James Storm: You want to talk about “long-term story telling”?
At Slammiversary 2011, @fakekinkade substituted for an injured @RealRobertRoode to help @JamesStormBrand defeat The British Invasion.
Storm finally returns that favor teaming with @SuperChrisSabin to face XXXL TOMORROW at #TurningPoint! pic.twitter.com/NV0KzcPYVa
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) November 13, 2020
There ya go! Let’s see how these boys look as a team. Pretty good early! Sabin ends up eating some big boy offense eventually. Fortunately Sabin doesn’t have Romero sit on him. Well, originally. It happened the second time. Josh can’t tell Acey & Larry apart, which is weird to me because those are two different looking people. It’s not like they’re Nikki & Brie, or even Stan & Steve! These big boys just beating Sabin down. Storm over there trying to rile up the non-existent crowd. Finally, the hot tag! Storm going off on Larry D. Double team kicks by Storm & Sabin. Dives on opposite sides of the ring! More dives! DIVE DIVE DIVE DIVE DIVE. Double suplex on Larry D. BEER! GUNS! That wouldn’t be a bad name for these guys actually if they last past this match. Acey tags in and slams Sabin down, gets a senton for a two count. Sabin evades the double running into. Kicks from Sabin & Storm get the three count!
Winners: Chris Sabin & James Storm
Match Rating: **1/2
– Not surprising that two tag team specialists would form a good tag team.
– The Deaners are looking for Johnny Swinger & some evidence. There’s a gun in that fanny pack!
Impact X Division Championship Match: Rohit Raju (c) vs. Cousin Jake: This is part of the Defeat Rohit Challenge. It’s open to everybody except TJP, who can’t get a title shot as long as Rohit holds the championship. Cousin Jake answers that challenge. Not sure Jake fits the X Division stereotype, but that’s the match we’re getting! Jake dominating early. Rohit avoids Jake in the corner, but gets elbowed when he tries to return offense. Here Rohit goes. Kick gets a near-fall. Double stomp to Jake’s back gets a nearfall, which proves the point Madison was making on commentary about how some wrestlers use every move they know in every match, but Rohit is different because he saves things for special occasions. Jake spears Rohit in the corner. Not looking good for the defending champ. Jake wins the striking battle. Hits the Rikishi Driver for a two count! Jake catches Rohit in the corner, hits a sitout powerbomb for two! Sets Rohit up for the superplex, Rohit knocks Jake off, misses the stomp, hits a jumping knee and a running knee strike for the three count!
Winner: Rohit Raju
Match Rating: **
– Eric Young is here, and he has Joe Doering with him! That’s a former All Japan Triple Crown & Tag Team Champion! That’s a big man too! That’s a bad sign for everybody else in Impact Wrestling. He lays waste to the Deaners.
– The Good Brothers want those Impact Tag Team Championships.
Moose vs. Willie Mack: Moose dominates Wllie Mack early on. Ramming the man into safety rails, just causing all sorts of punishment. Moose is controlling his narrative, he is warning people, and he is living up to those warnings. Wille Mack is not getting a lot of offense here, certainly not as much as he’s used to. Now he fights back, but that doesn’t last long. Moose just beating this man down. This is what pain really feels like. A Moose this focused is an amazing thing to see. Willie fights back again. Moose answers with a couple of uranages. Bill Watts wishes Moose was around when he was promoting is all I’m saying. Now the exchange of strikes. Willie will never go down without a fight. Bicycle kick from Moose answered by a spinning kick from Mack. Mavk hits the big slam, drops the leg, but since it isn’t the 1980s he only gets two. Willie goes up top, Moose meets him there. TOP ROPE SUPERPLEX. Mack comes back though. Samoan Drop, a standing moonsault get two. They both back up, Mack goes for a Stunner, Moose gets out of it and hits a spear. Moose with some ground & pound, and the referee stops the match! Moose keeps pounding, which leads to the referee reversing his decision!
Winner: Willie Mack
Match Rating: **1/4
– Eddie Edwards has Rich Swann’s back!
Impact World Tag Team Championship Match: The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson): Two of the best tag team entrances in the business right here. Two pretty good tag teams as well. Karl & Josh start us off. Two great technical wrestlers going at it. Karl gets the advantage, and the Big LG tags in. Driving that poor man down. Big vertical suplex, elbow drops get a two. Page breaks it up. Karl comes back in. They work Page over. Gallows back in, legdrop gets 2 because it’s not 1985. I’ll keep running that joke into the ground. Anderson works the arm of Ethan Page. I’ll work my Larry Csonka shoutout in here because as much as he gave Ethan Page shit over the years, I can’t imagine him not loving The North. These guys tick all of his boxes, and mine as well. They working that Machine Gun over. Tag team wrestling to perfection. Anderson playing that Ricky Morton role as well as he can here. Hits that neckbreaker on Page, and finally gets that tag to Gallows! Good lord he’s out of his mind. Anderson gets pulled off the apron, and the referee has lost complete control so it’s 2 on 1, and a double suplex on Gallows gets 2. Good Brothers with that modified 3D get 2. They go for the Magic Killer and that gets broken up. Spine on the pine to Page, Gun Stun to Alexander, Magic Killer to Page, and we have new Tag Team Champions!
Winners: The Good Brothers
Match Rating: ***1/2
– Good stuff that makes us want more from both teams. I can’t hate on any of this.
– There was some some nonsense going on backstage that got cut off by my Internet. At least it came back before the next match!
Impact World Knockouts Championship No Disqualification Match: Su Yung (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo: This is Deonna’s first no DQ match and plays to Su’s strengths, so the Virtuosa has her work cut out for her. Su gets the early advantage, but Deonnaa grabs a hold of that ankle, and Su gets her glove out early. The Divorce Court DDT takes Su down. Su’s in a ball on the ropes, and Deonna kicks her down to the floor. The ring fills with weapons in the meantime while Su recovers. Deonna’s looking for things to do. Suplex to Su gets a nearfall, and now she’s working Su’s arm. Deonna just stomping Su down. She’s targeting Su’s arms, which makes sense considering Su likes to use the Mandible Claw as a finish. Su’s got a kendo stick, but that doesn’t last long. Deonna just working this girl over, but Su found some rope under the ring! I don’t know where this is going but it won’t be anywhere good. Deonna with a modified Sister Abagail, and she’s got that kendo stick!Sadly, Deonna gets sent into her own chair she set up in the corner, foisted by her own canard. Exchange of strikes. Su gets the advantage. Pedigree by Su on the stage! Su brings Deonna back to the ring, and Deonna kicks out on two. Panic Switch reversed, Deonna gets a canvas and smashes it over Su’s head! She wraps a chair around Su’s head and locks in the Venus de Milo! Su’s not responding. Deonna releases tbe hold, which might be a mistake. Sure enough, Su raises her hand before 3, and locks in the mandible claw! Deonna’s out, and now Su has that rope. She’s lynching this girl! Fortunately, Deonna gets out of it, hits a Costra Nostra piledriver and gets the three count!
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Match Rating: ***1/4
Impact World Championship Match: Rich Swann (c) vs. Sami Callihan: These two men have some history. My boy Chris Methods can speak on that. Years together in CZW and many other promotions. Sami really feels like he was betrayed by Rich, but maybe Rich just realized there was a better path to go. Madison knows all about it since she was part of that Ohio scene. The action slowed down for a minute there. Sami gains the advantage outside the ring. He gets a little too excited, and Swann gets out of his evil intentions and hits a Fosbury Flop. Back in the ring, and a kick to the spine on Sami. Another one. Rich working Sami over in the corner, Sami pushes him off, maybe tweaks Rich’s knee, and that will be Sami’s focal point going forward. Sami gonna work that leg over, and he gets a modified anklelock that makes Rich use a rope break. Why do I keep thinking that matters? Rich needs to land some more convincing strikes when Sami asks him to is all I’m thinking. Sami going for that abdominal stretch. Both guys firing some shots. Now some kicks, and both men hit one at the same time. Rich gets back first, gets some offense and even hits a Rolling Thunder for two. Rich tries a twisting move, misses, Sami hits a buckle bomb and a brainbustaaaaa for two. Swann comes back with a series of moves culminating with a swinging neckbreaker. A twisting splash gets two. Rich back up top and Sami crotches him, winds up hitting a tombstone package piledriver for two! Then Sami piledrives Rich on the apron, which immediately gets met with a Lethal Injection on the floor by Rich! A little over the top, I agree. They’re both in the ring. Sami teases a piledriver, spends too much time teasing. Rich goes up top, Ken Shamrock wanders out to the entrance, Eddie Edwards meets him! Takes him out of the equation! Sami & Rich are at their moment. Rich with some kicks. A final superkick finishes off Sami!
Winner: Rich Swann
Match Rating: ***
– We all know this isn’t the end of Sami’s stranglehold on the top of the card. He’s still got Ken Shamrock by his side.
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