[2016-06-12-TNA-Slammiversary] Drew Galloway vs Bobby Lashley

[Superstar Sleeze]

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Drew Galloway vs Bobby Lashley - TNA Slammiversary 2016 KO Or Submission

For some reason I have much more interest in this than in their WWE PPV main event from a couple months ago that I skipped. I thought this was great, not perfect, but really good Big Man wrestling for the 2010s. The KO or Submission gimmick unfortunately does not mean this worked like UWFi which would have been sick but it gives MMA fighter, Lashley a decided advantage. McIntyre has developed a new submission, The Iron Maiden (a badass name for submission as a heavy metal fan and I would love to see him bust it out in WWE), which bizarrely is used twice in the opening 5 or so minutes and then never even attempted again. He does have the Claymore already and that will be his mainstay to try to KO Lashley. I wish we could get more out of Lashley. He reminds me so much of Jack Swagger! I want to like NO I want to LOVE these guys. They are big powerful studs with legit amateur credentials and a fighting background. They both should be my dudes. They wrestle so dry and subdued. There is a point where McIntrye accidentally shoot stomps on the eye of Lashley to break a submission causing what must have been a painful cut to form on the edge of the eye. The announcers were like fight or flight has been triggered will Lashely be incensed or will he cower? I said to myself "Neither of you know Lashley nothing will change. He will cool as a cucumber and just hum right along" and I was right. I didnt want to be right. If someone stomping your face so hard that you get cut, doesnt fire you up I dont know what will. I know it is accident. I am not saying D-Mac deserved a receipt. I am just saying REV THE FUCK UP, BOBBY! 

I LOVED THE CLAYMORE RIGHT AT THE BELL! I HATED THE FOLLOW-UP! They are selling the rules as in favor of the MMA Fighter Lashley and in a snap of the fingers D-Mac throws that narrative out the fucking window by nearly taking Lashley's head off with a Claymore. Fuck yeah! It puts over the gimmick great. What a fantastic start!

The follow-up undermined the Claymore completely. No Ref Count! No D-Mac offensive shine! Instead Lashley schoolboys D-Mac and puts him in a lame legbar. The Fuck? Lashley clotheslines D-Mac over the top. D-Mac has been brainwashed by WWE and has WWE Ace Babyface Syndrome where one offensive move renders you glassy-eyed and looking like you have seen 20 minutes of action. Way too much overselling from Drew here. Lashley generally pummels. A good spear that is turned into a GREAT one by Drew's bump and sell of it. Got to give to him on that. Iron Maiden shows up here but never again. Odd. Lashley is going for a Cross-Armbreaker or maybe a Triangle and thats when Drew stomps the eye a little too hard and cuts the eye. Lashley hits a big Spinebuster, but nothing shakes the unflappable Bobby Lashley unfortunately. Highspot of the match was the Super Front Suplex by Drew that was sickkkkkkkkkkkkkk. CLAYMORE~! But he hits him so hard that Lashley rolls through back on his feet and propped up by the ropes so the ref cant count. That was on the right side of cute for me.

The big series of moves is D-Mac hits the Celtic Cross (called as such by Josh Matthews) on the ring steps then it is the Sharpshooter on the steps and Claymore on the outside! This all sets up the Big Highspot (I thought the Super Front Suplex was cooler, but I am weird). The Big Highspot is D-Mac does a Swandive over the top rope and demolishes a table with his body. It was impressive. This was a great transition to get Lashley back on offense. Lashley punches D-Mac in the head a lot and I think this is an excuse for him to blade so that when he Hulks Up at 9 he has some blood to show for it. This pops the crowd huge. No Selling is a very effective babyface tool and D-Mac does that well. Loved the Headbutt by McIntrye, he calls it the Glasgow kiss now. I thought they too quickly went to a Lashley submission there was a fire burning here that could have been an inferno. Tombstone for D-Mac was great. Goes for the Claymore and Lashley catches him in a flash Arm Triangle submission now that I dug. 

They avoided a lot of what is bad about Last Man Standing matches. It didnt feel like a slog or a very boring pummeling heat segment. They kept it upbeat and exciting with thoughtful momentum changes. I enjoyed D-Mac on offense a lot more than Lashley. Drew does have a tendency to oversell when a register would work better but thats true of every 21st Century babyface now. Lashley needs a personality transplant. He has every physical gift necessary but he is boring as hell. That withstanding, a great layout and inspired D-Mac performance make this the best Lashley match I have ever seen. ***3/4