TNA opened up with their normal package and then went right into a recap package of Sacrifice. They highlighted the 3 Live Kru reunion, Sean Waltman versus Jerry Lynn, Samoa Joe winning the Super X Cup, and Rhino pinning Raven in the huge tag match. This was extremely boring. It was basically a slideshow with a monotone voice going over the highlights. With the commentators they have and the production team they have hired, they could have done so much better, it was pathetic.
Samoa Joe Vs. Jerrelle Clark
Gee, Jerrelle Clark is back for the first time in a while. I wonder who’s going over in this match. In the first few seconds of the match, you can already tell that they are doing agility versus power, which works but is going to get old eventually. They did with his matches against Dutt, his match against Sabin, and his match with Styles. It really puts over Samoa Joe, but like I said, it’s going to get old real fast. You can put over Joe’s power without doing the agility versus power shtick. The match continues with Joe in control, Clark’s brief stint in control saw some nice chops though. The best part of the match, and probably the best TNA moment I have seen in a long time, was Clark climbing up to do a Moonsault off the top and Samoa Joe just walked out of the way. I have always held the ideal that flip moves like that expose the business because who, in all honesty, is just going to stand there and wait for his opponent to hit him. Joe basically compensated for a spot monkey’s instinct. Way to go, Joe! Joe continues the onslaught with nice power moves, but Clark tries to power off when some more agility, but just does not get Joe down. Joe even catches Clark off the springboard and slams him down. Joe then hits the muscle-buster and then follows it up with his Rear Naked Choke that, of course, Clark taps out too.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Star Wrestler: Samoa Joe
The match was a typical squash so there isn’t much to praise, but that spot with Joe just walking out of the way was genius. Pure genius. That alone would give any wrestler, even Bill Goldberg, “star wrestler” status.
After the match, Christopher Daniels tries to take out Samoa Joe with the belt, but Joe is does not flinch. Why? Because he’s the Samoan Submission Machine, that’s why! They start to brawl, and then AJ Styles comes out and joins the melee. Enter typical Styles run-in. Styles eventually clears the ring with a double dropkick and starts mouthing off to the two. Is Joe supposed to be a heel or what? I really can’t tell after shit like this. Tweeners only go so far and I don’t buy them in the monster roles.
Oh, god. They then show a recap package of Sacrifice. The last Impact! I actually watched was the one right after No Surrender and that one saw the exact same kind of commercial airing three or four times. If they do it again, I just might cry. Screw that, I will cry. The package is the same as always and says the same thing. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the show was; the package will remain the same.
We then see Shane Douglas who is in front of the office of Larry Zbyszko and he says that he and Jeff Jarrett are fighting over the fact that Rhino has a title shot, and not Jarrett. They come out and Jarrett talks about how he will be TNA Champ when they debut on Spike TV, and Larry tells him that if Rhino will step aside, he can have it. Jarrett then walks right into Rhino and he tells him that for the good company, he needs to be the champ. He tells Rhino to step aside and he will be first in line when Jarrett beats Raven. I kind of like this. It’s going to turn Rhino face and then hopefully set up Jarrett-Rhino which will get Jarrett out of the title hunt for a while and also be quite interesting. He tells Rhino to think about and Rhino says he will get the title shot after Rhino beats Raven. Good segment I thought.
What the hell? TNA is doing a Tag Team Tournament in memory of Chris Candido. Now, I am not the biggest TNA fan, hell, I think the suck, but this is genius to the point of getting over your stars and rookies and paying respect to Candido. Chris Candido was so remarkable in the tag team division of wrestling as well as in TNA that this is literally, the perfect way to honor him. The bracket is even looking quite good. Candido, rest in peace, you’ll never need a gimmick in my eyes.
Chris Candido Tag Team Memorial Cup – Round One
Simon Diamond & Mikey Batts Vs. Chris Sabin & Shocker
It doesn’t really work well with the veteran/rookie combo if Shocker and Chris Sabin are together as Shocker is the rookie in TNA compared to former X Champ Sabin. Oh, well never mind, Tenay explains that it’s really based on overall experience in which, yes, Shocker is a veteran. All right, here we go!
Sabin and Batts start it off and I love Sabin. Hail Sabin, indeed. Batts and Sabin do some nice countering spots ending in a nice dropkick from Sabin to Batts. Shocker is tagged in and Shocker & Sabin are showing some great tag team chemistry. Diamond comes in and a double dropkick takes him out. The match continues with Batts and Shocker on the inside and here we go to a commercial break for Unbreakable. Great, the match was getting good and we cut out of it.
