Source: Greg Parks of the Pro Wrestling Torch
-The show started with Mick Foley
and Abyss in the ring, and Foley booked him and Abyss against Dr. Stevie and Raven for later on.
-Kurt Angle and AJ Styles were interviewed backstage- they tag up later tonight. There was some tension between the two.
1- Amazing Red beat Scott Steiner by DQ when Steiner used a lead pipe.
[Commercial Break]
-I picked things up with Jeremy Borash backstage with Kevin Nash and Eric Young. He asked Nash about the answers Nash alluded to at Turning Point. Nash said the title isn’t the former Legends belt, but it’s Eric Young’s Global Championship belt. He said he wants to party with Young since EY out-thought him at Turning Point. He said he knew a guy like EY, and he tagged together with him at one point, making a lot of history (and money). Nash proposed teamwork between the two. Young wanted time to think about it. “TNA, welcome to our world” said Young. Nash promised Foley answers by the end of the night.
2- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS & BEER MONEY vs. THE BRITISH INVASION & KIYOSHI & SHEIK ABDUL BASHIR
Earl Hebner warned Eric Young, who was on commentary joined by Kevin Nash, that if he got up out of the chair, the World Elite would be DQ’ed. The Machine Guns double-teamed Kiyoshi and Shelley got a quick cover. Kiyoshi took over and tagged Bashir. Sabin and Magnus both tagged in at the same time and Sabin was all offense. Flying forearm in the corner, then a springboard clothesline. All three heels interfered to break it up. The faces came in to stave them off. The Machine Guns did some teamwork to take Magnus out of the ring. Double-suplex by Beer Money on Kiyoshi on the ramp. They went after Young and Nash as Rob Terry got in the ring. Magnus held Sabin for him, but Sabin ducked and Terry clotheslined Magnus by accident. No DQ for that, even though the interference backfired? Shelley ended up pinning Magnus after the Machine Guns finished him off. “He can’t do anything right,” exclaimed Young about Terry.
WINNERS: The Guns and Beer Money, at 5:19. Fine match that planted the seeds for a Beer Money vs. EY and Nash feud.
[Commercial Break- mid-break, Tenay and Taz said Foley was backstage looking for Nash.]
-Foley caught up to Nash backstage. Foley had a patch over his left eye. He said everyone knows Nash is Hogan’s boy. Nash was offended that Foley called him someone’s “boy.” All he meant, Foley said, was that he knows what Hogan’s up to. Nash asked why Foley was so paranoid. Nash said he’s out some money, and if Foley gets him his money back, he’ll get the answers. And when Hulk comes back, he’s not coming alone. Foley wanted to know what that meant, but Nash just walked away.
-We got a video package on Hogan’s press conference with Dixie Carter. At a book signing, a fan told Hogan he wasn’t even going to watch wrestling on Monday nights again.
[Commercial Break]
-Abyss was in Foley’s office, begging to get his hands on Dr. Stevie and Raven. He noted Foley’s eye-patch and Foley said at least if he goes blind, it’ll be easier to apply for a TNA referee’s job. Foley showed off his latest Tweet ‘n Tweak Connection photo. Foley was laughing heartily about his eye damage possibly being permanent, but then he got angry and said that’s why he’s going to do what he’s got to do tonight. Abyss said he’s spent his life exacting revenge on those who have caused him pain and suffering, but he tried to convince Foley that Mick isn’t ready to go out there to compete tonight. Foley said the choice is his. Abyss said everyone has choices to make and Foley seemed bitter that Dixie Carter made the choice not to inform him of the Hogan signing. More schizophrenia from Foley.
3- HAMADA vs. TAYLOR WILDE
Crowd seemed to be into Hamada early on. Some chain wrestling by the ladies to start, and Hamada ended that by planting Wilde with a DDT for two. Wilde flipped out of a suplex and got a two after a kick to the head. Savate kick by Hamada and a beauty. Moonsault got two for the Japanese import. Powerbomb reversed into a sunset flip by Wilde for two. Hurricanrana into a pin for two as well. Enziguiri by Hamada. Lots of high impact moves, but hardly any selling. Perfect example, Wilde immediately reversed a Hamada driver. Spin kick by Hamada, then a Hamada Driver for the win.
WINNER: Hamada, at 2:49. Everything was hit solidly and nothing was missed, but the moves lose their impact when there is hardly any selling and they go right to a reversal.
-Outside Foley’s office, Abyss cleared off a desk and moved it in front of Foley’s office door to block it and keep Foley in.
[Commercial Break- Daffney gave Dr. Stevie and Raven some words of encouragement backstage before they came out to the Impact Zone.]
-A short Hogan interview talked about where he wanted his legacy to end up and pretty much said TNA would be number one in the shortest time ever. He can’t possibly believe this stuff, can he?
4- DR. STEVIE & RAVEN vs. ABYSS & MICK FOLEY
Foley didn’t come out when his music hit, but Abyss managed to blind-side the heels at ringside. Raven turned things around and gave Abyss a Russian leg-sweep into the guardrail. The bell finally rang when all three men were in the ring. The heels cornered Abyss, one choking him with a boot and the other kicking away at him. They seem to be alternating between taking tags and having it as a Triple-Threat rules. Abyss finally stacked the heels up in the corner and splashed them. Raven got clotheslined and Stevie was up for Shock Treatment, and it hit. But Raven attacked before Abyss could make the pin. Raven took something out of his pocket- a lighter. But Abyss kicked him in the face. Slick Johnson saw the lighter on the ground and apparently, that was grounds enough to give Abyss the DQ win.
WINNER: Abyss, via DQ, at 2:27.
Raven and Stevie continued the onslaught after the match, with Raven giving him the Evenflow DDT outside the ring. Daffney gave Stevie a cable and Raven choked Abyss with it. That continued as they cut to break.
[Commercial Break]
-“Trash Talk” with ODB aired. I guess this is a continuation of “ODB’s Angle.” Her first guest- Homicide. His gift for her was a bottle of Tequila. He sat in the backseat of a car, but it was on the set and not in a car. And ODB sat in a recliner. ODB asked him about Suicide, or, “that skull guy” as she put it. Homicide said he wanted a title shot from ODB tonight and wants to make things a step up from TV-PG. Then he spit out some Tequila and they started dancing. Just awful.
-Lauren interviewed Tomko backstage. He said it seems better than ever in TNA. He said he can’t wait to show the fans what he should’ve shown them during his first run. He seemed intent on giving Dixie Carter what she wanted- intensity. Then he walked off as the Beautiful People walked up. Velvet Sky took the mic from Lauren and talked to the camera, saying there was a blond whore backstage bothering wrestlers with stupid questions. She interviewed the rest of the Beautiful People about it, and they were pretending to cry over what they saw. What could the payoff to this “feud” between Lauren and the Beautiful People be?
-AJ Styles sucked up to Hulk Hogan, answering the question, “what does Hulk Hogan’s arrival in TNA mean to you?”
[Commercial Break]
5- ALISSA FLASH vs. SARITA
Shoulder tackle took down Sarita. She came back to bump Flash and there seemed to be a brief pause with neither woman knowing what to do, but Sarita went to the top and splashed Flash. She tried a springboard, but Flash kicked her in the stomach on the way down. Flash kicked away at Sarita and stayed on offense for some time. She kept zipping down a little, then up her leather jacket-thing she was wearing. Belly-to-belly overhead suplex by Sarita and both ladies were down. Springboard dropkick from Sarita for two. Back suplex by Flash though, after several reversals. Sarita rolled through a move by Flash, but only got two. Back heel kick seemed to knock Flash out and gave Sarita the win.
WINNER: Sarita, at 3:47. It’s always a treat to see Sarita out there. No complaints from me.
Traci Brooks attacked Flash on the ramp after the match.
-After a few seconds of that, they went backstage where Foley was looking for Dr. Stevie and Raven. They managed to blindside him and attack him. Raven sarcastically asked if Foley was having fun, as they choked him like they did Abyss. Speaking of which, some follow-up on Abyss would be nice. After all, the segment wasn’t over (he was still being choked) when they went to break- how did things end? Did Abyss leave the Impact Zone on his own power or what? But there’s no time for that, we’ve got to cram as much as we can onto the show!
[Commercial Break]
6- TEAM 3D & RHINO vs. D’ANGELO DINERO & MATT MORGAN & HERNANDEZ- STREET FIGHT RULES MATCH
This is a return match from Turning Point. The faces sprinted to the ring and went right after 3D and Rhino. Hernandez hit the ropes, but Brother Ray clotheslined him down. I’m still not sure if I fully buy this 3D heel turn. Hernandez did the Undertaker dive over the top and onto Devon and Rhino. A chair and some garbage cans were brought in the ring. Dinero used the tops of the cans to ring Brother Ray’s bell, and he subsequently did a Flair flop. I don’t know if there was a cut or what, but I thought Ray flopped on a garbage can in the ring (which he moved while he was “out on his feet”), but then in the next shot, he was outside the ring fighting with Dinero. Morgan did the back elbows in the corner on Devon, with the garbage can over Devon’s head. Pin only got two. There’s a Singapore Cane in the ring too, by the way. Now it was Rhino and Hernandez’s turn for a segment in the ring. Hernandez visibly called a spot on camera and Rhino went to the middle rope for a suplex, but Hernandez pushed him down then splashed onto him. That only got two. Ray slammed Hernandez in the ring and Devon went for the Whassup drop, but Pope nailed him with some Kendo Stick shots. Chokeslam by Morgan on Bubba. Morgan slammed Devon off the top. Pope put the stick right onto Devon’s….well…stick, then landed an elbow off the top onto the prone Dudley boy. The faces got the tables, but Morgan missed a legdrop on Bubba through one at ringside. Brother Ray walked into the ring at the perfect time and he and Devon did 3D on Dinero. But Hernandez propelled himself over the top onto 3D. Morgan speared Rhino but could only get two. Someone came out of the crowd, shirtless with jeans and a major Mohawk. It was Jesse Neal who, SWERVE, hit Morgan in the head with a chair and put Rhino on top for the win.
WINNERS: Team 3D and Rhino, at 7:25. The new look certainly fits Neal better.
[Commercial Break- Styles and Angle argued in the locker room. But they have a tag match later! Can they co-exist?]
-JB was backstage with Team 3D, Rhino and Jesse Neal. Neal did a comically bad “angry face” to the camera. Rhino yelled and said Neal finally gets it. Brother Ray said this is what happens when you train with Team 3D. Ray said Neal was the future of TNA, not Morgan, Dinero, or Hernandez. Neal said if you want to be hardcore or extreme, you’ve got to train with the most hardcore and extreme. Devon said they’d eliminate the likes of Morgan, Hernandez and Dinero from TNA. Lots of yelling, but not a bad promo from Neal.
-Tenay and Taz talked on camera and Tenay apologized for them not having an interview set up with Sting as was scheduled, as apparently he no-showed.
-Lauren was backstage with Desmond Wolfe and Daniels, as they face Styles and Angle next. Lauren asked if they were on the same page. Wolfe said usually he’s a loaner, but he has developed a lot of respect for Daniels. He said they’ve both got something to prove. Wolfe called Angle’s submission move that he used to beat him with at Turning Point, “illegal.” Daniels seemed to think TNA was against him, and he said he’d prove tonight that he deserves a one-on-one title shot.
[Commercial Break]
7- DANIELS & DESMOND WOLFE vs. KURT ANGLE & A.J. STYLES
I love how this has a 20-minute time limit, even with 11 minutes to go in the show. Daniels and Angle did some mat wrestling to a stalemate in the first minute. Heel kick by Daniels for only one. Angle invited Wolfe into the ring, but Wolfe wasn’t so quick to agree to that. Instead Styles tagged in, and Daniels quickly tagged out to Wolfe. Dropkick, then a back-breaker on Wolfe. Angle finally got a piece of Wolfe and had the upper-hand ‘til Daniels kicked him in the head behind the ref’s back. The heels worked the left arm of Angle, the one he was having trouble with at Turning Point. Tenay said they might have the four best wrestlers in the world today in this one match. Taz noted Wolfe’s European style, but didn’t really explain what that was. Angle made a comeback against Daniels and both men made tags. Styles cleaned house on Wolfe, and gave him a beautiful back-breaker out of a Samoan drop. Pele kick found the mark. Daniels tripped Styles up as he went to the top rope. Wolfe gave Styles the Tower of London for only two. Angle chased Wolfe from the ringside area and Daniels landed the BME for the win.
WINNERS: Daniels & Wolfe, at 6:43. Good main-event tag.
Daniels celebrated what the announcers called a statement win as the show went off the air.
JerseySmarts.com: A New Jersey View on the Issues! Come see ›››