TNA Impact Wrestling: Final Resolution Preview, Rumors and News for December 19
Christmas is coming early for wrestling fans.
TNA’s Final Resolution episode of Impact Wrestling is scheduled for Thursday, December 19. The show is being treated as a free version of a pay-per-view, and the quality and importance of the matches should have even the most jaded fans excited.
Final Resolution will feature the culmination of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship tournament. After Jeff Hardy and Magnus square off in a Dixieland match, president Dixie Carter will be able to crown the new face of the company.
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As if a world title wasn’t enough, the contents of the briefcases from the Feast or Fired match will be revealed, Bobby Roode and Kurt Angle will go at it in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match and there is sure to be more action during the two-hour event.
Here is all the vital viewing information and a full preview of Thursday’s Final Resolution.
Where: Universal Studios, Orlando, Fla.
When: Thursday, Dec. 19, 9 p.m. ET/PT (Pre-taped)
Watch: Spike TV
A New Champion is Crowned
When Hardy and Magnus go one-on-one in the main event, the two men will be fighting for the biggest prize in the company. While the storyline with AJ Styles has been boiling below the surface, TNA has done a great job building to this moment and making it feel special.
Both men deserve the honor. Hardy is a bona fide draw that has electrified crowds for years, but he comes with his own baggage as the face of a company. Magnus is a rising star that TNA feels has the right look, charisma and style to be a top wrestler on the card. This is a match that could legitimately go either way.
Question on Everybody’s Mind: Which Superstar Wins the New Title?
Each man may deserve the title, but only one can walk out as the company’s top star. As much as TNA did everything in its power to tease Hardy working with Dixie Carter—including showing an incriminating video of the two having dinner—the stage has been set for a Magnus heel turn. Whether it was his work eliminating Sting or faking an injury while teaming up with Angle, Magnus has subtly teased a character shift for weeks.
With the chance to fly in Dixie’s jet on the line, Magnus must get greedy and cheat his way to a win. That would cement his heel turn and give him the character he desperately needs to get over as the bad guy against current free agent and future challenger, AJ Styles.
Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 MIA Champions
Despite a recent post from Styles on his Facebook page that claims he has left TNA for good, there is still a strong possibility that this is all a work and he will return with his title. It’s hard to imagine that the company would continue to feature Styles so heavily in the product if he was really leaving.
If and when Styles returns, he will need the ultimate heel to square off against. Who better than a heel Magnus representing Dixie Carter? The company could add in the fact that it will be a title unification match and would have an amazing storyline that builds to a PPV event fans would want to purchase.
As great as Hardy vs. Styles would be if the high-flier were to win the title Thursday, the possibilities are far more intriguing with an unknown like Magnus holding the belt for the first time. Building homegrown superstars is the key to sustaining long-term success, and putting Magnus over at Final Resolution is the correct booking of this main event.
Feast or Fired, Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode and More
After one of the oddest main event matches in Impact Wrestling history, the results of the Feast or Fired bout will be revealed this week. In case you have forgotten, Gunner, Chavo Guerrero, Ethan Carter III and Zema Ion all took down briefcases.
Many fans have complained that the reveal is too easy to predict, but simplistic booking is what is needed at times to add a necessary curve into a storyline. All signs point to ECIII winning the world title shot, Zema Ion getting the X Division title shot, Gunner getting the tag team title shot and Chavo Guerrero getting fired. While reaching this point wasn’t perfect, four storylines will properly be furthered.
Question on Everybody’s Mind: Will Bobby Roode or Kurt Angle Win?
After the madness that is the Feast or Fired reveal, wrestling fans should be treated to an instant classic between Roode and Angle. The two former world champions are the best TNA has to offer and the company did a great job building to this secondary storyline without making it the main event of the tournament.
That’s called spreading the love.
The 2-out-of-3 falls stipulation allows each man to grab a victory over the other, but it usually ends with one wrestler going over clean. As hard as it is to imagine Roode losing, the storyline for Angle is that he must overcome the odds to earn the respect of the fans. Unless this is turning into a slow-burn heel turn for Angle, the gold-medalist will finally get a win over Roode.
Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 PPV Quality Free-Per-Views
TNA has faced its fair share of criticism over the years, but Thursday’s Final Resolution is shaping up to be one of the best shows of 2013. There is legitimate hype surrounding the crowning of a new champion, and the supporting card is intriguing enough to get casual fans interested.
All bets are off if Styles really does leave TNA and a contract dispute ends the company’s top storyline, but the sky is the limit if the show continues to be booked as it has over the last month. Final Resolution looks to be a much better all-around card than the Bound for Glory PPV, and that should make the people calling the shots very happy about all of the recent changes made behind the scenes.
TNA News: Austin Aries Talks X Division Title Win with Ring Rust Radio
For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player below (some language NSFW).
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