There are a bunch of reports surfacing online about tonight’s iMPACT! tapings. For my money, the best one that I’ve read so far is by John Benoit from Pro Wresting Insider. For those of you who were beginning to wonder what was going on with the former ECW wrestlers in the stands each week during iMPACT!, well… it looks like you received the beginning of your answer during tonight’s tapings!
So, as another invasion angle begins I suggest that the TNA fans out there (myself strongly included) get ready for another self-righteous onslaught of WWE marks who will suggest that TNA is repeating storylines from ages past. Don’t tell those same marks that they’re going ga ga over the same angle in WWE right now – you wouldn’t want to ruin their false sense of security in their beloved promotion! Anyway, enjoy the results below.
TNA iMPACT! opens with Mike Tenay and Taz discussing Victory Road and its aftermath.
Abyss comes out with his board of nails, which has a piece of raw meat hanging off of it, and cuts a promo. He named his board “Janice” and starts beating the meat to death with the board. The crowd chants for RVD, then chants “Beat that Meat.” Abyss tells RVD not to worry, because this is going to happen to him. Abyss actually broke the board because he was hitting the mat so hard with it.
*Abyss had ripped up the apron so the crew was changing it. While that was taking place, they showed Taylor Wilde and Sarita brawling all over backstage. Neither one has the upper hand as the video ends. They brawl into the Impact Zone and then to ringside. It’s a really good brawl. Wilde tosses Sarita into the first row and chokes her with a purse strap. She chokes out Sarita to get the win, so it was some sort of unannounced hardcore bout.
*There’s a backstage segment with Kevin Nash and Miss Tessmacher that I wasn’t able to hear clearly.
*X-Division champion Douglas Williams vs. Brian Kendrick is up. Lots of dueling chants followed by a USA chant. Good back and forth match. Kendrick locks in the Cobra Clutch and Williams quits. After the match, Kevin Nash comes out and Kendrick has words with him. Nash chokeslams him.
Nash demands that Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff give him TV time and says he’s a living legend. He said that he is going to make an example out of Brian Kendrick but Jeff Jarrett comes out. He tells Nash to settle down or he could end up suspended like Sting. Jarrett tells Nash an egotistical son of a b**ch who cares about nothing but money. Jarrett says that since he took care of Nash, Nash got it. Nash walked off, leaving Jarrett in the ring.
*Samoa Joe vs. Rob Terry vs. Desmond Wolfe. The match starts with both Terry and Joe beating up Wolfe. Wolfe rolls to the outside and then Terry and Joe start beating up each other. Wolfe comes and start to take advantage of the situation. Samoa Joe gets the win via a submission on Wolfe. The camera focuses on Chelsea, who is none too pleased and walks off angry as Wolfe trails behind.
*First in a Best of Five Series: TNA Tag Team champions The Motor City Machineguns vs. Beer Money Inc. Only way to win is to grab the contract. I guess TNA feels the way a lot of fans do about the teams stealing the show last night. All I can say is thank you to TNA for giving us more! Beer Money is out first and James Storm cuts a promo, noting they are tired of getting screwed. Beer Money wins so they lead 1-0. The match was freaking incredible. The Guns grabbed the contract first but James Storm cracked the beer bottle, making one of the Guns drop it and he scooped it up. Big spotlfest with lots of using the ladder as a base and a weapon. Way too much going on to describe, but worth going out of your way to see. I can’t wait for the next match..
*Jay Lethal vs. Jeff Hardy is announced for Hard Justice PPV.
*Pope Dinero pinned Matt Morgan. Pretty simple, nothing much to report from the bout itself. After the match, Morgan attacked Pope and set him up against the post for the Carbon Footprint but Ken Anderson made the save. He tossed Pope in the ring, then worked over Morgan. Anderson tried to shake hands with Pope but Pope, remembering their past, doesn’t shake it. Anderson heads up the ramp.
*Backstage, Madison Rayne is acting like she’s above Lacey Von Erich and Velvet Sky. Velvet gets angry and storms off.
*Madison Rayne comes out to protest the referee’s decision at the PPV. She says TNA has seven days to give her the belt back or she will sue TNA. The Beautiful People come out and demand an answer as to why Rayne has recruited the motorcycle woman without their permission. Rayne calls Sky a dumb blonde. Sky responds in time. Velvet threatens to kick Rayne’s a** when TNA Knockouts champ Angelina Love comes outt. She says Sky was the one driving the bike which Sky denies and storms backstage, telling Love that Rayne is all hers. Rayne demands her title. Love and Rayne begin fighting. The motorcycle woman arrives and helps Rayne. Love is left beaten down and Rayne leaves with the Motorcycle woman.
*Jeff Hardy pinned Jay Lethal with a swanton in a good back and forth match. The former ECW crew showed up in the crowd during the match. He and Lethal shake hands.
*During a break, Jeremy Borash announced they will be doing special PPV packages for VIPS every month going forward.
*The final segment is an announcement from Ric Flair.Ric Flair comes out with AJ Styles and Frankie Kazarian. Flair said that the PPV was the worst night of his career, then announces Styles and Kaz as the first two members of Fortune. Desmond Wolfe came out and protests, but Abyss hits the ring so they all leave. Abyss calls out Rob Van Dam. He tells RVD “they are coming” and once “they get here,” no one can stop them. He tells RVD that he has been instructed to bring them the TNA title. He says at Hard Justice, they are going to hang Janice 15 feet in the air and have an Extreme Anything Goes match. RVD and Abyss start fighting. Abyss gets the upper hand. Ink, Inc. comes out to help but aren’t able to stop Abyss. The former ECW guys hop the rail as Mick Foley appears on the stage. They charge the ring and attack Abyss to rescue RVD. Security, agents and TNA wrestlers hit the ring and it’s a crazy brawl. Names like Al Snow, Simon Diamond and Devon side with the ECW guys and it’s the former ECW brawling with everyone and anyone associated with TNA and the crowd is going nuts for the two sides. Dixie Carter is trying to keep the peace but it’s impossible. In the end, ECW takes over with Foley in charge. The end was awesome and actually better than the WWE vs. Nexus angles as everyone fought and no one ran away after 30 seconds.
