TNA Impact Preview (July 12, 2016): Destination and Deletion

TNA Impact returns tonight (July 12, 2016) with a live-ish episode (it’s usually filmed a couple hours prior) featuring their Destination X special. It’s also the fallout from the Final Deletion. Here are five questions we have going into tonight’s episode?

1) Is Bobby Lashley going to stomp out the X Division?

The main event tonight is TNA champion Bobby Lashley vs. X Division champion Eddie Edwards in a title vs title match.

Usually, at Destination X, the X Division champion has the option to hand over his title for a shot at the TNA title. Last week, Lashley first tried to convince Eddie Edwards that taking the TNA title match was not in his best interests. When it was clear Edwards wasn’t going to listen, Lashley opted to sweeten the pot. Instead of Eddie vacating the title, Bobby suggested the winner of the bout win both titles.

Lashley has already proved to be a dominant champion and if he does win both titles, it is going to be very difficult for any X Division athlete to win it back from him. In that sense, Eddie is fighting for more than just a title but the identity of a division. There’s also the possibility that this ends in a non-finish, but if they go that route, they better make the way they get there interesting or else it’ll seem like quite the cop out.

2) Wait, there’s further deletion to be done?

Recently, Matt Hardy tweeted this:

Looks like now that Jeff Hardy has been deleted, there will be some type of live ceremony to acknowledge such. Yup, that works for me. I wonder if Señor Benjamin is going to be there.

3) Is Mike Bennett going to disrupt the show?

Last week, Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis looked to lose their ally in TNA management when Billy Corgan got sick of their actions and shut them down. While originally The Miracle threatened to quit, when he realized he now longer had the Smashing Pumpkins front man on his side, he changed his tune. However, he did threatened to hold up the show in protest of how management, and especially Dixie Carter, have treated him and his wife Maria.

This could tie into the possible non-finish in the TNA title match but I would think the show would start with him doing a sit in. Dammit, Bennett, if you screw up my chance to see the #PublicDeletion I’m going to be pissed.

4) Are Drew Galloway and EC3 having a fight or a match?

Not too surprisingly, Drew and Ethan Carter blamed each other when neither could claim the TNA title in a triple threat match against Lashley two weeks ago. It was bad enough that the two got into a brawl after the match backstage and because of that they were instructed not to come to Impact last week as a result. They instead had an interview via satellite where Drew claimed that EC3 was all looks and flash but Drew was the embodiment of wrestling. Also not surprisingly, Carter did not take kindly to that.

Now they will have a fight this week. It wasn’t clear what that means, however. Is it a regular one on one match? Is it a street fight? Is it a match at all or will these two just fight without a referee?

5) Who will become number one contender for the X Division title?

This show being Destination X, the rest of the X Division had to get some time as well. There will be a ladder match to crown a new number one contender to the X Division title. It will feature Braxton Sutter, Rockstar Spud, Mandrews, Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett, and DJ Z.

Last week’s Ultimate X match was really fun and contained much of the same talent. (Last week’s match also had Mike Bennett and Eddie Edwards.) This should also be a fun match. I’m sure the winner will be rooting hard for Edwards later in the night so they don’t have to face the Destroyer to try to win the title.

TNA Impact airs tonight (it’s final Tuesday show) at 9 EST, as long as Pop TV can handle the live show better than they did last time. Who’s watching?