Destination X: TNA Delivers Another Great PPV

"Destination X" has passed. Much like "Slammiversary," TNA put on another great PPV here. Each and every match was great. 

We truly saw the revival of the X-Division here. While watching some of these matches, it became clear to me that the spirit of the X-Division never died—it just didn’t get the chance to show itself. TNA gave it that chance last night, and it didn’t disappoint.

The X-Division is back and, to them, wrestling matters. So, what happened on the show?

Kazarian Bests the Samoan Submission Machine

"Destination X" opened with this match and it was a great one. Kaz picked up the victory after a surprise roll-up when he reversed Joe’s attempt at a rear-naked choke hold. 

The match had great back-and-forth action and was fast-paced at times. Joe used more mat-based wrestling, with his usual moves thrown in here and there, while Kaz used his quickness with springboard and diving attacks. 

Both men are very talented in the ring. They work quite well together and it certainly shows. 

This continues Joe’s losing streak, unfortunately. I hope he can turn things around soon. The way things ended, it looks like this could very well turn into a feud that may last the rest of the summer. I hope it does. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing them go at it again.

Match rating: 4/5

A Fellow Brit Answers Douglas Williams’ Challenge and Loses

I was personally disappointed that TNA didn’t give Petey Williams a call for Douglas Williams’ open challenge, but I can’t complain too much. Mark Haskins impressed in the ring alongside Williams. 

Douglas picked up the win when he rolled out of the way of a shooting-star press and rolled Haskins up. This was a pretty good match. Haskins is a great performer and I hope TNA picks him up as a regular X-Division star. 

Williams showcased his ground-and-pound style of wrestling, while Haskins used his quickness against his fellow Brit. 

It was a little disappointing not to see another returning star, but it was good to see someone wrestling on PPV that normally wouldn’t get the chance to do so.

Match rating: 3.5/5

Eric Young Teams with a Returning Shark Boy To Defeat Generation Me

Mike Tenay called this a “bonus match.” On paper, it seemed like a waste of time. It was a surprisingly good match, though. 

Young and Sharky picked up the win with the chummer and a wheelbarrow neckbreaker. The match as a whole was very quick with nice back-and-forth action. 

Gen Me are like poetry in motion. They are truly phenomenal as a team and TNA would be stupid to break them up again. 

Despite a little comedy from EY at the start of the match, he put it aside once he got in the ring. When he’s not clowning around, Young is a great performer—some people forget about that. Shark Boy was Shark Boy, but it was great to see him back, either way.

Match rating: 3.5/5

Alex Shelley Wins Ultimate X, Will Challenge for X-Division Title

While it seemed like a step down from previous Ultimate X matches, this was still a spectacle. The 25^th edition of the match was nonstop quickness from all four competitors. 

We saw everything we’d expect to see in one of these matches. It was fast-paced, back-and-forth, high-flying action. 

If someone wasn’t diving through the ropes, he was spring boarding off of them. If they weren’t going for the X, they were suffering that big fall from being knocked down. 

Shelley and Amazing Red were the standout performers here. Red is simply amazing at times, much like his name states. Robbie E seemed to have no business there. While he’s an X-Division wrestler, the Ultimate X isn’t his kind of match. Shannon Moore was just kind of there at times. Either way, Ultimate X-25 didn’t disappoint.

Match rating: 4/5

Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn Don’t Disappoint

I had no doubts that these two would have a great match, and they did. RVD eventually picked up the victory with the five-star frog splash. 

The match was fast-paced and very back-and-forth during the beginning, but slowed down a bit as time went by. It told a story, though. 

These two men met many times before, back in ECW—where Lynn was called the “New F’n Show.” RVD won that feud over 10 years ago, so Lynn wanted revenge. 

Lynn pulled out all the stops. We saw him be Jerry Lynn, but we also saw him deviate from the norm and try different tactics at times. 

A chair was brought into the ring and was used by both wrestlers, giving it more of an ECW feel. Despite being busted open the hard way, RVD was victorious once again. 

Match rating: 4/5

Austin Aries Wins Contract, Leaves Others Unemployed

This fatal four-way match was phenomenal, plain and simple. The entire match featured fast-paced, back-and-forth action. There was rarely a dull moment. 

Each wrestler showcased his skills in the ring, whether martial arts or high-flying insanity. 

Despite losing, Jack Evans was the standout performer, in my opinion. During one part of the match, he literally flew out of nowhere to break up a pin. His 630 splash alone blows me away. 

Aries won with his brain-buster, thus gaining employment in TNA. All four wrestlers are great inside of the ring and I hope TNA ends up signing all of them.

Match rating: 5/5

David Beats Goliath To Win the X-Division Title

Abyss was in control the entire match—until Brian Kendrick busted him open with his fist. While the Monster used his power in the beginning, the middle belonged to Kendrick and his quickness. 

The ending saw the typical ref bump. That gave Kendrick the chance to hit Sliced Bread, but there was no referee. 

Eric Bischoff came out and Kendrick knocked him out. Cue Immortal. They beat him down until the X-Division made the save. Kendrick reversed a choke-slam into a roll up for the victory. 

It was great to see Immortal outnumbered and on the losing end of a beating for once. 

This was your classic David vs. Goliath type of match, and a good one. The X-Division is back in control of the X-Division, but for how long? 

Kendrick knocked out Bischoff, which will no doubt have repercussions. On the other hand, Abyss pushed Bully Ray to the ground. Will we see the Monster join Kendrick and the X-Division in their fight against Immortal? I guess we’ll find out on Thursday.

Match rating: 3/5

A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels Show Why They’re the Best

Styles beat Daniels in what was no doubt the match of the night. It was truly phenomenal. 

Clocking in at almost 30 minutes, these two men gave it all they had for the fans and the X-Division. Through the entire match we saw great fast-paced, back-and-forth action. Overall, we saw great wrestling. 

The first few minutes alone would excite a wrestling fan, with Styles and Daniels countering each other’s moves. These two men are great wrestlers and they showcased that here. 

Styles won the match with the very same move he won his first X-Division title with nine years ago—the spiral tap. The move was a spectacle to see then, and it was a spectacle to see now. 

These two work extremely well together and I hope this isn’t the last time we see them in the ring going at it. 

Match rating: 5/5

Conclusion

In my eyes, "Destination X" surpassed "Slammiversary" in terms of how great it was. Every match showcased great wrestling. 

The spirit of the X-Division is alive and well. I hope TNA continues to put the spotlight on them after this.  They’d be stupid not to. 

It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks if any of these matches will turn into legit feuds. If any of them do, there will be no complaints from me.

Does wrestling matter to TNA? You bet it does! This is definitely looking like the summer of TNA!