OVW TV 1059
On commentary tonight are Gilbert Corsey and Steve Rummage.
Handicap Match: Megan Bayne def. Cali Young & Valerie Vermin
Cali and Valerie have had a tumultuous relationship over recent times, but this match was apparently requested by the former OVW Women’s Champion herself Megan Bayne, hence the reunion. The heels did what they could, but this was an easy win for Meg, scoring the pin on Cali with an F5. This was designed to build Meg some more as she continues her quest to get back to the title. It was good for what it was.
A lot has been made about Megan being the favourite to win the top contender’s steel cage reverse battle royal. Obviously, the Megan vs. Max The Impaler rematch is where the money is, and Megan eventually regaining the title will get a huge reaction. BUT…Megan as the victor is being made very obvious. I’m almost expecting a swerve here. Maybe she’ll be so focused on Max that she’ll lose at the last moment. We shall see.
Non-Title Match: Dimes & Corey Storm [OVW Southern Tag Champions] def. Chace & Nigel
This one was primarily a showcase for the popular champions, and to that end, Chace and Nigel bumped like crazy for the duo. Even when they managed to get on top, it didn’t last long. In a way, the match was laid out like a reverse of the normal psychology, with the heels getting pseudo hope spots. In the end though, the match ended in a DQ when The Legacy of Brutality hit the ring.
The match itself was good fun. I’d actually love to see Corey Storm and Chace get a competitive ten-minute singles match. Chace is remarkably consistent in OVW, and I think that they’d compliment each other well. The important bit here though was the post-match.
Jax’ed / Lights, Camera, Action Ashton
The Legacy of Brutality shoved Chace and Nigel out of the ring and set about destroying Dimes and Corey Storm. This continued until Jax Dane ran in and started taking the heels apart one by one. That means that The LoB are now faced with a former top contender to the OVW Heavyweight Title, and the champs have found an ally. I’m guessing this is leading to a six or eight-man tag match down the line. Honestly, as long as LoB can get a little revenge and make themselves look strong beforehand, I think that will be fun.
We then cut backstage to see ‘Action’ Ashton Cove telling two ladies that he’s going to let them be the first to see what he does to Tony Gunn. The women think Ashton is going to die. This was set up by a combination of the ongoing Tony Gunn angle and his cheap shot on Ashton on a previous episode. This was short but fine.
‘Shotgun’ Tony Gunn def. ‘Action’ Ashton Cove
It’s interesting to see Ashton get some singles focus rather than continuing his pairing with William Lutz. The pair were used as jobbers, and I’m hoping both will get a chance to shine on their own. That wasn’t the case here though. Gunn hit the Kill Shot before the bell and scored the instant pin.
Bullet Points
After the match, Tony stuck around and waited for Ashton to get up. He went for a second Kill Shot but was stopped by Ted McNaler, who is one ring announcer duties tonight. Ted laid into Tony verbally, and Tony took him down in quick order. He took the mic but was interrupted by Maximus Khan, who was injured during Tony’s last big brawl. They had a bit of back and forth, and Maximus revealed himself to now be healthy and cleared to wrestle. Maximus tossed Gunn around and cleared him from the ring to a good ovation from the crowd. This was a hot angle that should set up an interesting match between Maximus and Tony.
Mahabali Shera def. Franco Varga
This was set up as power versus power, with the focus on Shera. Shera sored the win the Sky High. The match was okay but felt slow to me. The crowd didn’t seem to be into it as much as they have been with others either. There is a clear plan in place for Shera though.
He’s being kept strong and building up an undefeated streak. Of particular note here was the commentary team putting over that Shera is an Impact star and that Justin Smooth should watch his back. Now, in a way, that makes sense. Shera is part of the bigger partner company, and I do think that Justin Smooth would be a good foil for him. The champ is explosive and elicits real emotion from the fans after all. I do think something else needs to be done first though.
Shera needs someone to work with that will get the crowd firmly on his side before them. I’d say give him one of the consistent midcard heels likes Shiloh Jonze or Brandon Espinosa, but he’d likely squash them. A better option may be to interject him in the LoB feud and have him working with someone like Ca$h Flo or Jay Bradley. But hey, that’s just my opinion. I have faith in OVW to make the most of the guy.
Duck And Cove-r / Sinn-gled Out
Backstage, Ashton was back with the ladies from earlier and complaining about the referee. Unbeknownst to him, she was standing right behind him though. One slap later, and the ladies walked away. Again, this was short and fine for what it was.
We then got a pre-taped promo from Sinn Bodhi as he hyped up the upcoming three-way match with OVW Anarchy Champion Aamon and former WWE star Gangrel. It was weird. And I mean that in a good way. Sinn is very invested in this character, and he’s a definite bright spot in that division.
Dustin Jackson & Leonis Khan def. ‘The Trinidad Titan’ Justin Smooth & ‘Real Deal’ Randall Floyd
This one is a combination of feuds. Dustin and Randall have been at loggerheads for a long time now, and of course, Leonis and Smooth are set to clash for the OVW Heavyweight Title. Meanwhile, both Randall and Dustin have felt like future top contenders this year, and are regularly given high positions on the card.
While not what these guys will likely do on the big show, this was a very good TV main event. The crowd was loud throughout and was firmly behind Dustin Jackson while he played Ricky Morton. The hot tag to Leonis went down well, and the fans bought it when he nailed the Spear on Smooth for the win.
Overall
This was a very strong episode from OVW. Steve Rummage was very good on commentary and played off Gilbert well. The matches all ranged from watchable (Shera vs. Varga) to very good (Dimes/Storm vs. Chace/Nigel), and the angles all felt like they hit the right length. I’d say that OVW has grown to be a lot better at balancing out how they use their TV time of late. As much as I enjoyed it as a gimmick, I do think that dropping the TV Title Gauntlet is a big part of that change. While this means fewer people appearing in each episode, the result is that everybody gets to use their time better. This one gets a big thumbs up though, and is well worth a watch.
Matt Doyle Media 