Source: TNAstars.com
Opening Segment
We open with a video package looking at the Jeff Hardy heel turn, him receiving the new TNA Divas Title belt, his new feelings towards the fans, and his attack on Matt Morgan last week.
Inside the Impact Zone, Ric Flair comes out to the ring for our opening promo. Flair has a message for Matt Morgan: he’s complained about the officiating, he made the mistake of punching out Fortune, so Flair and Bischoff have decided on a special referee for his rematch with Jeff Hardy: it’s Ric Flair. Flair wants Morgan to bring his “big lanky ass” out to the ring so he can talk to him face to face. When Morgan gets in the ring, Flair asks if he remembers that every time he sees Flair he says “Hi Naich”? Flair says that Morgan can’t call him Naitch anymore because he’s not his friend anymore. He tells Morgan not to look to the fans for support, and not to turn his face away from God. Flair lays it out for Morgan and says that he could have Fortune come out here and kick his ass right now, but being Ric Flair, he’s never asked anyone to do anything he couldn’t do, so if Morgan doesn’t like the referee decision then he’ll have to beat Flair right here tonight. Crowd chants at Morgan to do it, and Morgan says that wrestling Flair is number one on his bucket list so he’s on. Flair takes exception to the bucket list comment and discusses his previous evening’s exploits, then says he’s going to embarrass Morgan tonight and make him regret walking away from Fortune, and says that if Hogan was standing in the ring he would have bitchslapped Morgan. Flair says that he’ll see Morgan in two hours, and Morgan says he’s going to let his actions do his talking when he takes his size 18 and shoves it up Flair’s ass. ((Jarrett’s Jab – For the people who bash TNA for having older guys in the main storyline, this segment proved that it is wise. Flair is money on the microphone. Period.))
Generation Me are backstage walking. Tara comes out and wishes them luck, then gives them both a slap on the butt.
Velvet Sky, Motor City Machine Guns & Jay Lethal vs Generation Me & The Shore
Lethal and Max Buck start the match and Lethal armdrags Max around a bunch and then tags in Alex Shelley, who comes off the top with an elbow to the arm, and Max finds himself in the wrong corner and gets beat up by everybody. The boys hang Max upside down in the corner and run over to the heel corner and distract the ref, so Velvet climbs up and steps on Max’s groin while Sabin comes back with the hang time dropkick to Max’s face. ((Jarrett’s Jab – Max, Say goodbye to fun time with Tara.)) Shelley gets tossed to the outside and gets pummelled by Jeremy Buck & Robbie E, then they roll Shelley back in and Max covers for two. Cookie tags in and stomps Shelley a few times and then tags out to Robbie E, who catches Shelley with a back elbow and tags Jeremy in. Shelley fights his way free and almost makes the tag, but Jeremy catches him and the Bucks hit the neckbreaker/backbreaker combo for two. Robbie tags in and takes an enziguiri and Shelley makes the hot tag and Lethal comes in and cleans house on everybody. Lethal hits the handspring elbow takes out both Bucks, then he pulls Robbie E into the ring and nails him. Cookie comes in and takes a slap but Lethal blocks the shot and gives Jeremy the Lethal Combination. Chris Sabin gets tagged in and hits a springboard clothesline, but only gets two. Everyone is in the ring now. Velvet gets a flying headscissors on Max Buck and then the Guns hit a series of double teams in the corner and hit the Skull & Bones on Jeremy as Velvet beats up Cookie in the corner. Referee is distracted by people fighting everywhere and doesn’t see Max spraying something in an aerosol can in Sabin’s eyes, allowing Jeremy to roll Sabin up and hook the tights for the win.
Winners by pinfall: Generation Me & The Shore
Jeff Jarrett is backstage in MMA gear and he’s warming up.
-Commercial Break-
We go to GenMe as they’re backstage congratulating themselves for beating the Guns, but the Guns crash the party and say they didn’t beat anyone beat anyone, and they’re the champions because they don’t need cheap tactics like that, and they suggest that the four of them settle it tonight on Reaction.
We go to Jeff Jarrett with Gunner and Murphy, who says that MMA is his new thing and he wants them standing outside to keep Kurt Angle out of the building. ((Jarrett’s Jab – Didn’t Flair fire these idiots last week)) He says Kurt is not a man of his word because he said he’d retire but he still comes around breaking windows and attacking him. He tells Jeremy Borash to come over and hands him a piece of paper and tells him that he’d better read it right this time. He smacks Borash and tells him that he’ll have six students in the ring and he’d better describe the pain they’re in. Borash asks what happened to the Jarrett he used to know, and Jarrett smacks him again and says that he’s tired of people looking at him like he sold out because everything’s right now, and he, Hogan, Flair and Bischoff are finally going to make the company profitable. He shoves Borash out the door and stares after him.
Kurt Angle video package airs and leads us into commercial.
-Commercial Break-
Double-J Double-M A Exhibition
Jarrett is escorted to the ring by six “MMA fighters”. Borash informs us that what we are about to see is an exhibition being performed by professionals, and Jarrett grabs the microphone and orders the truck to put a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen to not try this at home. The first move Jarrett demonstrates is a Jujigatame, or cross armbreake. Jarrett describes the mechanics of the move, down to putting the knee into the solar plexus, then torques it until the guy taps. The next move is a Japanese knee lock, which he helpfully reminds us is something his buddy Frank Mir used to tap out a big guy named Brock ((Jarrett’s Jab – Brock Lesnar, as in Kurt Angle’s friend)). Move #3 is one familiar to all of us…the Ankle Lock! Jarrett says his friend used this to become a champion all over the world, and he used it to become a World Champion here in a TNA ring, and it took him years to learn it but Jarrett learned it in a matter of weeks. That’s right, he learned it from his friend…Ken Shamrock. He demonstrates the move and the guy taps. Next move is the rear naked choke, which he learned from his good friend…Royce Gracie. He gets the rear naked choke on the guy and won’t let go, and Samoa Joe’s music blares. Joe comes out and says to stop wasting everybody’s time and just spar with him. Jarrett says he’s got two students left, and if he goes through them, he’ll face Joe one-on-one in a submission match right here tonight. Predictably, Joe comes out and goes through both of them in mere seconds, so now he’s earned himself his match with Jeff Jarrett.
Submission Match: Jeff Jarrett vs Samoa Joe
Jarrett just tosses the students at Joe and Joe plows through all of them while Jarrett runs. The big one he tappes out last suckerpunches Joe from behind and tells him to come on, so Joe destroys him and lays him out with a Muscle Buster.
No Contest
((Jarrett’s Jab – Didn’t like the profitable line from earlier, but this was a good segment. I’ve been a Jarrett fan for a while and not because we share a name.)) Raven and Stevie Richards are backstage, and Stevie says that he knows everyone is trying to screw them, but this is a huge opportunity for Raven. Tommy says that Raven has the opportunity to show what a leader he can be. Kendrick does some rambling about seeing a bird and it giving him hope that Raven can lead the charge, so Raven stands up, flips the double bird at the camera (directed at Immortal), and heads out the door.
-Commercial Break-
TNA World Champion Jeff Hardy vs Raven
Jeff Hardy has a new Undertaker-isk entrance, and his new belt glows in the dark! ((Jarrett’s Jab – Gills and all!)) Jeremy Borash does a great introduction where he announces Hardy’s hometown and weight, then calls him the Charismatic Enigma, the Antichrist of Professional Wrestling, and the TNA World Champion, and then says, “And his opponent…Raven.” ((Jarrett’s Jab – If you think about it from a different perspective, Raven needs no introduction in TNA, Hardy….)) Raven tosses Hardy to the floor to start and gives him a Russian Legsweep into the guardrail, then tosses him back into the ring. Raven hits a bulldog off the top and covers for a two count. Raven wedges a chair between the top and middle ropes and goes to whips Hardy into it, but Hardy reverses and Raven crashes into the chair and tumbles out to the floor. Hardy goes out after him and rams him into the apron, then tosses him back in the ring and goes for the Whisper In The Wind, but Raven dodges and hits a discus clothesline, a clothesline in the corner, and a bulldog and covers for 2. Raven is starting to look more and more like Jimmy Valiant. Hardy gets the Twist Of Hate out of nowhere and hits the Swanton for the win.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Raven’s firedhere, and the remaining members of EV2.0 come out to join Raven in the ring, but Hardy pauses at the top of the ramp as Hulk Hogan comes out to share his thoughts. He says this is quite appropriate for the occasion because Dixie Carter said that EV2.0 meant the same to wrestling as Hogan did. Raven gets out of the ring to go after Hogan, but the rest of EV2.0 hold him back, so Hogan says “You’re fired, Raven. Quoth the Hogan…nevermore.”
-Commercial Break-
Tommy Dreamer is in the ring calling Rhino out because he has some explaining to do. Rhino tells Dreamer that all the members of EV2.0 at Turning Point knew that after the PPV was over, his contract expired and nobody cared…except Eric Bischoff. Bischoff gave him a choice between employment and unemployment, and he’s got to be honest with Tommy: at first he told Eric he could kiss his ass, but he soon realized that he was here years before Tommy and RVD, and when they came to TNA they stole the spotlight and all the glory, and Rhino became an afterthought. He hopes his actions last week made Tommy realize that he doesn’t take a backseat to anybody. Tommy says he doesn’t think Rhino takes a backseat, he considers him one of the greatest wrestlers in the world. He then says that he and RVD came to TNA because Dixie Carter offered them contracts and they wanted to be a part of TNA. A Contract expiring is just a part of the business and he and RVD had nothing to do with it, but Rhino did what they all swore they would never do, he sold out for the almighty dollar. Rhino asks if he and RVD are going to support him and his little girl, and said that they never thought of him one bit and all Rhino is going to think about from now on is himself. Tommy says that Rhino’s right, he gets the part about being a father, but look what happened to Sabu and Raven. They’re all at Hogan and Bischoff’s mercy, but Sabu and Raven went down with a fight, but Rhino just quit on them and all the people. Rhino has finally heard enough and yanks on Dreamer’s dislocated wrist and attacks him, and RVD runs out to make the save, but stops to check on Tommy and gets gored.
We then go backstage to Abyss, who is pushing the casket out for his match, which is up next.
We go backstage to Matt Morgan, whos says that if he has to go through Ric Flair to become a World Champion, then so be it.
Open Casket Challenge: Shannon Moore vs Abyss
Moore dodges and ducks, but Abyss picks Moore up and goes for a powerslam. Moore ducks out the back and lays in a few shots at Abyss, but Abyss catches him on a leaping something into the corner and dumps Moore out to the floor. Abyss goes after him and tries to toss him in the casket, but Moore slips away. They head back in the ring where Abyss goes for the Black Hole Slam, but Moore moves and tries a charge of his own, but gets backdropped to the floor, so he climbs to the top and hits a bulldog and then points to the casket. He rolls Abyss over to the casket, but Abyss comes to his senses and punches Moore in the face and stands up. Moore continues trying to knock Abyss off the apron and into the casket, but Abyss grabs him in a clawhold and tosses Moore to the floor again. Moore fires at Abyss and slumps him over the side of the casket and then slams the lid down on him and hits an Asai Moonsault onto Abyss on the floor. Moore tries to get Abyss in the casket again and gets him most of the way in, but Abyss kicks him off and slides back out. Abyss grabs him by the head and rams him into the guardrail, they head back in the ring and Abyss tries to chokeslam Moore, and Moore escapes but runs right into the Black Hole Slam. Abyss drags Moore like a dead deer to the casket and opens the lid, and Pope is lying inside. He sits up and viciously attacks Abyss until Abyss rolls out to the floor, grabs Janice, and heads up the ramp where he stares down Pope. Referee called for the bell when Pope went after Abyss.
Winner By DQ: Abyss
((Jarrett’s Jab – A DQ in a Casket match? As ridiculous as a DQ in a Chairs or a I Quit Match. But good for what it was))
Angelina is backstage saying she’s the leader of the Knockouts locker room, and she knows Mickie is a great wrestler, but if she thinks she’s just going to come into TNA and take over the Knockouts Division, she’s got another thing coming. ((Jarrett’s Jab – What? A Promotion?))
Number One Contenders Match: Mickie James vs Angelina Love
Angelina with a go behind takedown and a cover, but Mickie escapes and gets an Oklahoma Roll for a two count. Mickie gets an O’Connor Roll for a two count. They share a nice handshake and tie up again, and Angelina gets a side headlock, Mickie tries to send her into the ropes but Angelina hangs on to the headlock so Mickie rolls her way out, but Angelina goes right back to the headlock. Angelina rebounds off the ropes and takes Mickie down with a shoulderblock. Angelina tries a hiptoss, but Mickie reverses to a monkey flip and a dropkick for two. Another tieup leads to Angelina taking Mickie to the corner and give her an elbow in the jaw and follows it up with a flying clothesline for two. Angelina hits a front powerslam for two and then gets a sleeperhold, Micke goes for a back suplex but Mickie rolls through and Angelina tries the Botox Injection, but Mickie dodges and Angelina looks frustrated. Mickie extends the hand again and Angelina takes it, then yanks Mickie down by the hair and covers for two. Mickie’s pissed and takes Angelina to the corner and rams several shoulders to the ribs. Angelina connects with a really nice leapfrog into a schoolgirl rollup for two. Mickie catches Angelina with a flying headscissors and a neckbreaker for two. Mickie goes up top, but Angelina dodges whatever she was going for and hits the Botox Injection, but hesitates before going for the cover and only gets two. Angelina picks Mickie up and goes for a uranage, but Mickie fights out and gets the DDT for the win.
Winner: Mickie James
Brother Ray is backstage walking as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
We go to Angelina Love backstage, and she’s so pissed off over losing that she trashes the backstage area and starts crying. Winter comes over and puts a hand on Angelina’s shoulder, and she says that all this was meant to happen and is happening for a reason. She says that things are going to start falling into place, and it’s time the two of them get to know each other. ((Jarrett’s Jab – When Winter/Katie Lea Burchill started softly rubbing Angelina’s shoulder, I was thinking of the old Mickie James/Trish Stratus storyline of 2006.))
In the ring, Brother Ray says everybody wants to know why he turned on Devon. The answer is because he can, but because he’s in a good mood he’ll give us a better explanation. 15 years ago, he created the greatest tag team move in history, a move that can beat any team, a move that won him 23 World Tag Team Titles. That move was the 3D, and everyone has fallen to the 3D, and rolls off the names of about a zillion people he’s beaten after giving them the move. He says nobody ever kicked out of it until Chris Sabin did it at Turning Point, but he didn’t kick out because he was so tough, he kicked out because Devon was weak. Devon has always been weak, and the weak link in the team. He was the star of Team 3D, Devon was a co-star. Devon never stood by his side, he always stood two steps behind him where he belonged. He says that he’ll put it simply so someone as simple-minded as Devon can get it: Brother Ray is the Shawn Michaels, and Devon is the Marty Jannetty. And for all the people who don’t know who Marty Jannetty is, that’s exactly his point. Any of the Dudleys could have been his partner: Brother Runt, Big Dick, anyone, because all Devon ever was to him was a guy who got his tables.
-Commercial Break-
Ric Flair vs Matt Morgan
They tie up and Morgan shoves him off. Flair manages to take Morgan to the corner and lays in several chops, but Morgan shoves him off into the corner and gives Flair a huge backdrop. Morgan whips Flair to the corner again and gets the machine guns elbows, and Flair comes out of the corner and does the Flair Flop. Morgan goes for the elbows again but Flair shoves Morgan off and into the referee, who tumbles out to the floor. Flair takes the opportunity to kick Morgan in the groin and pound him with punches and chops, but Morgan goozles Flair from his knees and stands up. Flair sticks a thumb in Morgan’s eye and tosses him to the floor. Flair goes out after him and chops him against the guardrail, but Morgan fights back and rams Flair into the guardrail and then repeatedly punches him in the head, busting Flair open. Morgan tosses Flair back in the ring and Flair begs off, but Morgan nails him anyway and leans him in the corner and repeatedly drills Flair in the face until Flair flops again. Morgan hits a side suplex and a chokeslam. Fortune hits the ring and beat the hell out of Morgan. Williams appears hesitant and AJ tries to force him to join in the beatdown on Morgan, but Williams instead suckerpunches AJ and lays out all the rest of Fortune, but gets knocked in the corner by Roode. Morgan takes them all out and gives Willams the thumbs up as he leaves. Flair and Morgan are now alone in the ring. Flair gives Morgan his best shots, but Morgan no-sells and whips Flair into the ropes and hits the Carbon Footprint for the win.
Winner by pinfall: Matt Morgan
Williams stands at the top of the ramp looking really pleased with himself as the rest of Fortune stands there making angry faces at him. Morgan will now challenge Jeff Hardy for the TNA World Title, presumably at Final Resolution, with Ric Flair as the special referee.
