After the dust settled on Destination X, TNA is a vastly different company, going in a direction creatively that continues to boggle the mind. Regardless of the wacky storylines, TNA’s in-ring product continues to be more than admirable.
Check out our Power Rankings to see who made the most of the free-TV pay per view.
5: Sonjay Dutt/Manik/Greg Marasciulo: Dutt won a quick match with a perfectly executed Moonsault stomp to get into the Ultimate X match to crown a new title next week. Manik won his qualifying match with the Double Underhook Gutbuster. Marasciulo, known to WWE fans as Trent Baretta, has the most charisma of the three and won with a cool Package Buster finisher. This looks to be an interesting match next week. While none of the three are fan favorites, Marasciulo has the best look and may be the best fit to wear the strap. Lets face it, Manik, while a great performer, isn’t to be taken seriously in the Suicide gimmick, while Dutt’s run with the X-Division title should have happened years ago.
4: The Main Event Mafia/Aces and Eights:Â Sure, it’s not the most engaging angle among factions, but it could be a lot worse. At this point, the drama isn’t taking up the entire show and TNA is at least smart enough(even if they lack logic at times) to let the matches in the ring do the talking. While Rampage Jackson, Magnus and Joe look out-of-place in the group, Anderson has been great with Bully Ray and Devon in the Aces and Eights. With Luke Gallows not in the group anymore and D’Lo fired, there’s no leftover fat to trim. Perhaps now the group can get back on the same page, even if Ray isn’t the TNA Champ any longer.
3:Â Austin Aries:Â This guy is one of the most entertaining performers in TNA today.In one of the best opening matches in TNA Impact, Destination X, cough, history, Aries took down the longest reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Roode with a vicious Brainbuster. Regardless of his trouble-making antics earlier in the year (just ask Christy Hemme), Aries deserves to be in the main event every night.
2: Bully Ray: Say what you want about him, but Ray was an excellent heel champion. If not for the terrible writing and pacing that beleaguered the Aces and Eights, Ray and his boys could have and should be much more over.
1: Chris Sabin: The former Tag Champ and X-Division Champion looked great against Bully Ray this week and don’t let the way he won the World Title, using the hammer, fool you. This was karma. For all the sidesteps and bullock Sabin has had over the years, this was his opportunity and he took it.
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