9 Ups & 4 Downs From Impact Wrestling (5 Jan)
3. Fighting With My Family
Cody Deaner is back. Or rather, Deaner is back.
The rechristened ex-pal of Cousin Jake returned alongside Eric Young and Joe Doering last night, sporting a new shaved look and all-black ring attire. Replacing 'The World Class Maniac' in the scheduled tag match opposite Jake and Rhino, Deaner was on fire. He was a fine character before this, but by turning heel, he's been allowed to show what he's been hiding inside him for years.
Wailing away on Cousin Jake, Deaner low blowed his former tag partner at the conclusion of the bout, with a Deaner DDT finishing the deal. It would be Tommy Dreamer running in to save the day post-match, with a three-on-three Old School Rules Match being set for Hard To Kill on 16 January.
This match was alright. Nothing too special, but it did what it needed to: showcase the new and improved Deaner. From the look to the demeanour to the way he now wrestles, Deaner is now someone to legitimately look forward to seeing. The Deaners pairing with Jake had sort of run its course by the time we got to the heel turn at Final Resolution. The timing of it couldn't have been better, really.
On a sidenote - how f*cking amazing is Joe Doering?!