TNA Destination X 2011 Review

X hits the spot!


By Phil Allely

TNA’s X Division themed Pay-Per-View Destination X proved to be night of thrills, spills and a return to form for the company. Recent months of belittling and punishing the high flyers of the roster all led up to this, their chance to shine. The much missed six-sided ring returned to the Impact Zone once again too.

Kicking things off Samoa Joe and Kazarian put forth a pretty decent back and forth scrap. Fortune’s Kaz snagging a quick roll-up to win to put away hard-hitter Joe.

After impressing management during the last UK tour British star Mark Haskins debuted as Douglas Williams’ challenger. Alongside ring general Williams he worked hard and the pair gelled well. A slightly botched move or two marred things somewhat though for Haskins, who fell to a Williams pin.

Next up Shark Boy teamed with Eric Young to face Generation Me in a fun and entertaining bout. The unorthodox Young and ‘Stone Cold’ Sharky prevailed over their young opponents after some fair exchanges.

Ultimate X match was as expected an overly booked spot-fest. Robbie E, Alex Shelley, Amazing Red and Shannon Moore all risked life and limb to outdo each other. Shelley outlasting the field to grab the X.

Veteran Jerry Lynn then rolled back the years against Rob Van Dam. Battling in and out of the ring the duo took things old school, a steel chair helped end things in a bloody RVD’s favour.

With a TNA contract on the line the four-way brawl between Austin Aries, Jack Evans, Low Ki and Zema Ion was a perfect example of X Division talent. The foursome showcasing their styles nicely, Aries’ win was well deserved.

A ref bump and series of run-ins saw Brian Kendrick relieve Immortal’s Abyss of the X Division Title in an average David/Goliath type brawl. Kendrick receiving a heroes ovation in reclaiming the gold for his peers.

The main event saw good friends AJ Styles and Daniels try to surpass their previous well documented show stealing battles. Perhaps not on a par with some of their outings, this was still one of the best top line TNA match-ups in recent memory. The pair utilising their full arsenal of high risk moves, well scouted set-pieces and some career threatening exchanges. Daniels post-match handshake/hug with winner Styles was a nice touch too.

Destination X was a gamble for TNA, giving a full PPV to its mainly low-mid card X Division stars was a risky move to make. Fortunately it paid off in the main and proved just how exciting that often overlooked section of its roster is. The six-sided ring upped the ante nostalgia wise and most grapplers pulled out all of the stops to make the event succeed. It will be interesting to see where the standout performers here factor in future events.