TNA Impact Preview (July 28, 2016): The decaying of Decay

TNA Impact is back tonight with the continuation of their Bound for Glory playoff series. Here are five questions we have about Impact tonight.

1) Will we get the Drew Galloway vs. EC3 BFG Series finals that they are teasing?

Drew and Ethan’s issues have been hanging over their heads as they compete in the Bound for Glory playoff, a single elimination playoff starting with 8 men with the winner getting a title shot at Bound for Glory this fall. Tonight, they have separate matches and if they win them, they meet in the finals match to settle their feud. But it won’t be that easy to get there.

Drew Galloway has to get past The Miracle Mike Bennett, who has beaten Galloway in a past feud. The Miracle is rather obsessed with becoming TNA champion, so he’s not going to be any easy W for the Scotsman. Drew better not look past the Miracle ahead to possibly facing EC3 because if he does, he won’t get the match he desires.

Ethan Carter doesn’t have an easy road either. He has to face a man he’s faced a bunch of times prior, but it’s a man who seems to get crazier each time: Broken Matt Hardy. Last week, Matt had his best friend forever Vanguard One give him a scouting report. EC3 better be ready or he may not make the finals. Instead, he could be... DELETED!

(I think they’re both making the finals though.)

2) So what’s up for the X Division now?

Last week, Bobby Lashley defeated Eddie Edwards in a cage to win the X Division title. Bobby Lashley, a 245 pound destroyer, now holds the X Division title. And because of that all of the X Division athletes have much less of a chance to become champion, including current #1 Contender DJ Z.

This is a tough position for TNA to have booked that division into. If an X Division fighter beats Lashley for their title, they’d be immediately in line for the TNA title and even if they didn’t win, would weaken the champ prior to his heavyweight title feud. Otherwise, he has to hold onto it until he loses the TNA title before dropping it to the X Division and that may be awhile.

I’m definitely interested how they play this.

3) Is Decay decaying?

The Decay defend their titles against the BroMans (the only other healthy tag team in TNA currently) tonight. But the real story with the Decay is that Rosemary and Bram like each other and Steve and Abyss are jealous... sigh. Will that play into tonight’s match? Probably.

Decay is only a little over a half year old and they’re already showing cracks, which is disappointing. I’m still holding out hope that Rosemary is some evil genius and playing Bram to get Decay some advantage. But I’m also not holding my breath. Tonight is a Monsters Ball match, meaning there’s no DQ, so it’s very possible Bram will factor in in some way or another.

4) Is Madison Rayne’s heel just a temporary thing?

Last week during Maria Kanellis’ State of the Knockouts address, she made the decree that the only way Gail Kim would get another Knockouts title shot is if she faced and defeated the entire Knockouts division in a series of matches. And the woman to beat Gail would be rewarded handsomely. Madison Rayne took it upon herself to attack Gail from behind and those two will match up tonight.

In this brief interview as part of the Impact preview video, Madison talks about how she’s really just looking out for herself. She said still respects Gail Kim like she recently stated in a blog she wrote after it was announced Gail would be a TNA Hall of Famer. I’m really curious to the plan for Madison because she’s been rather directionless 2016.

Hopefully this is just the beginning of a change in character that will find the former five time champ a niche in the current Knockouts division. It’s a thin division and it could really use and experienced Madison Rayne bolstering it. Hopefully this isn’t just a quick thing for the Gail story. Gail isn’t going to lose the first match of that story, meaning Madison most likely isn’t getting a win tonight. Hopefully they build off the loss instead of having her retreat into the shadows afterwards.

5) What are Moose’s Impact plans?

Tonight Moose has his first match tonight against an unnamed opponent (and very possibly a jobber). What isn’t clear is what’s his TNA direction yet. Is he going to be working closely with Mike Bennett or was that just to get him through the door? Is his singular focus Lashley? There’s plenty for us to learn about the former Ring of Honor wrestler.

Not that I’m complaining that we don’t know yet. Some mystery is good and so far the roll out for Moose has been enjoyable.

TNA Impact airs tonight at 8 EST on PopTV. Who’s watching?