Tonight’s show opens with footage from last week that wasn’t aired in which Kevin Nash followed Samoa Joe out to the parking lot and Joe told Nash that he was done. After that, we head to some footage that happened moments ago in which Jim Cornette is with some TNA talent in the locker room explaining that he has been taking the heat for the referee’s botched call in last week’s main event.
Cornette says that if he has to go out, then it will be in a blaze of glory and stacked tonight’s card that will feature Jay Lethal going up against Johnny Devine in a street fight for the X Division title and Styles & Tomko will defend their tag team titles against the Motorcity Machine Guns. Team 3D enters the picture and protests the fact that the MMG’s got the title shot instead of them. Cornette decides to add them to the match to make it a three way.
The Impact intro runs and we are welcomed to tonight’s show that will feature two title matches, plus the return of Booker T, a sit down interview with Abyss, and we will find out the winners of the year end TNA awards.
Kevin Nash comes out to the ring with a microphone to tell everyone that Joe got screwed last week. Nash tells Cornette to come out and make things right or he will have to deal with Joe himself. Matt Morgan comes out to the ring and cuts a scathing rant on Nash calling him old in so many ways and telling him his career is on life support. Morgan explains to Nash that he is the law in TNA and that Nash can leave his ring or Morgan will remove him from it permanently. Nash begins to defend himself until Morgan begins to beat him down. Samoa Joe comes from out of the crowd to help out his new friend and sends Morgan walking back up the ramp. Joe grabs the microphone and warns Cornette that after tonight, he will never forget the name Samoa Joe.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with the Angle Alliance as Kurt Angle explains to AJ Styles that he wants to have a talk with Tomko to make him an offer and tells Styles to set that up for him. Styles doesn’t think he can make it happen as Karen Angle tells Kurt and Borash to leave the room so she can talk Styles into setting up the meeting by promising him a favor in return for doing so.
Crystal is backstage with Christian Cage who says that he respects Tomko’s decision to go on his own. He then shares some thoughts for Kurt Angle and asks him to let Tomko choose his own side and wishes him luck in his sit down meeting tonight.
Match 1: James Storm & Robert Roode vs. Eric Young & Sonjay Dutt
Payton Banks escorts Roode out to the ring and has her hair now died brown and has glasses on that resemble those of Traci Brooks. Mike Tenay also mentions that last week’s show drew the highest ratings ever.
The team of Storm & Roode work over Young in the opening moments as the crowd stands firmly behind Young. Young manages to fight back and lands a jawbreaker on Roode and makes the tag to his partner. Dutt enters the ring and quickly takes down both Roode and Storm and picks up a near fall on Roode after landing a moonsault. The action breaks down until Storm lands a superkick on Dutt, which is followed up with Roode’s Payoff for the pin fall.
After the match, Payton Banks is attacked by Traci Brooks until it is broken up by Roode and Young. Tenay wants them to be turned loose as he doesn’t want to wait until Against All Odds. Tenay then receives word that Booker T has arrived and sends it to the back. Crystal is walking with Booker T who wants to get an update on Sharmell but Booker doesn’t say a word and keeps on walking.
A video package airs showing the nominations for TNA X Division Star of the Year. The nominees are Jay Lethal, Chris Sabin and Kaz. We head to Borash who is standing in the ring and announces Jay Lethal as the winner. Lethal comes out to the ring to collect his trophy and breaks his Machismo character and thanks the fans for enjoying what he has to offer but due to the actions of Team 3D as of late, he has lost his smile. Oh, brother. Tonight, though, he will take out his frustrations on Johnny Devine and do it for the people.
Crystal is backstage with Black Reign who demands Kaz to return Misty until Samoa Joe comes in and bashes Reign’s head into an object off camera. Kaz then enters the picture and takes Reign’s club and wig and leaves.
A video package highlighting Shark Boy’s recent past is aired, which leads us to our next match.
Match 2: Elix Skipper vs. Shark Boy
Shark Boy comes out to the ring with a leather vest and has his theme music modified to resemble that of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s, complete with glass shattering. Shark Boy starts right in on the attack and takes Skipper down with a Lou Thesz press. Skipper is able to fend Shark Boy off momentarily until he misses with a leg drop off the top rope. This gives Shark Boy the opening he needs to land a stunner for the pin fall.
After the match, Shark Boy gets on the microphone and tells everyone that they just witnessed the rebirth of Shark Boy. He goes on to say that he has had a mudhole stomped on him for the past three months and that ends tonight, complete with “What!” chants from the fans. He ends his rant by saying “’cause Shark Boy 24-7 says I just bit your ass,” and pours clam juice on his face.
The award for TNA Knockout of the Year is up next and the nominees are Ms. Brooks, Christy Hemme and Gail Kim. Borash is in the ring once again and announces Gail Kim as the winner. Gail Kim comes to the ring and thanks the fans even though she is still suffering from the concussion she received after her last match with Awesome Kong. She then calls Kong a disgrace to the title as all she cares about is hurting people.
Kong makes her way to the ring and proves Kim was right by taking her out with a head butt and a spinning backfist. Kong begins to set Kim up for a powerbomb when she is interrupted by ODB who enters the ring. ODB gets in a few shots before Kong takes her down with a clothesline. Kong tries for a powerbomb, but ODB is able to squirm out and deliver a dropkick that sends Kong out to the floor.
Crystal is backstage with the Angle Alliance who is standing with Tomko. Kurt Angle offers to Tomko that if he helps Angle defeat Christian Cage and he will become a member of the Angle Alliance. Angle runs down the perks of being part of the group, which also includes Angle’s wife. Tomko refuses but Angle keeps pressing on and says that his wife is more than the girls he picks up at the strip club, which leads to Tomko attacking Angle and we are sent to a commercial.
We return to see the fight head into the Impact Zone and towards the ring. Once they make it to the ring, security enters and tries to break the fight up. Angle then grabs a microphone and challenges him to a match next week. The two begin to brawl again as security once again has to step in and break it up.
Crystal is backstage with Johnny Devine and Team 3D. Devine says that tonight he will make a name for himself at the expense of Jay Lethal. Brother Ray tells him to get hard core against Lethal as he turns his attention to their tag team match tonight. Ray says that Team 3D will go on to win the titles tonight and defend them at Against All Odds in the street fight against the MMG’s.
Match 3: Johnny Devine vs. Jay Lethal (X Division Title)
Jay Lethal comes out and attacks Johnny Devine on the outside of the ring to get this match started. The match finally goes into the ring where Lethal delivers a DDT to Devine on a steel chair. After a commercial break, we return to see Devine’s forehead has been cut open and Lethal continues to work on it by landing a shot to the head with a trash can. Lethal delivers the Lethal Combination to Devine and climbs to the top rope as Team 3D come down to the ringside area. Lethal sees them and dives on them instead of going for Devine and takes both of them out.
Lethal makes his way back to the ring, but Devine is waiting for him is able to turn the tide of the match into his favor. Devine swings a chair at Lethal, but Lethal is able to duck out of the way and use the chair on Devine instead. Lethal goes for the pin fall but Brother Devon pulls the referee out of the ring. With the referee out on the floor, Brother Ray enters the ring and nails Lethal with a kendo stick from behind and drapes Devine on top for the pin fall and we have a new X Division champion.
After the match, Team 3D celebrates with the title as a bloody Johnny Devine is still laying on the canvas. Samoa Joe sneaks out of the crowd again and enters the ring as Team 3D leaves to leave Devine fending for himself. Joe begins to attack the new champion and locks him in the rear naked choke. Joe screams in the camera that he will do this all night long.
We head to the interview that Mike Tenay conducted with Abyss, who says that he hides behind a mask because he is ashamed of his father. Abyss then goes on to say that the barbed wire massacre match against Judas Mesias will mark the end of a career and that the scars he will inflict on both Mesias and Mitchell during that match will never heal.
The award for TNA’s Most Memorable Moment is up next and the nominees are Booker T’s arrival to TNA, Kurt Angle winning all of the gold, and Sting winning the World title. Borash is in the middle of the ring with former NBA star Kendall Gill, who promotes the Pros vs. Joes show and announces the arrival of Booker T as the winner of the award. Booker T comes out and accepts his trophy and thanks the fans. Borash asks him when he will return to the ring to which he replies by saying wrestling is the last thing on his mind as his wife’s recovery is more important to him.
Robert Roode appears on the big screen and blames Booker for the condition Sharmell is in and questions what Booker was thinking when he agreed to the match. Roode then tells Booker to go back home to his wife and give her his best wishes.
Crystal is backstage with BG James & Bob Armstrong. BG says that a match has officially been made for the two of them to face the tag team champs at Against All Odds. BG’s father says that the two are going to train for the match boot camp style and make BG train until he throws up.
Match 4: Rock n’ Rave Infection vs. Tiger Mask & Curry Man
The Rock n’ Rave Infection come out with Guitar Hero guitars. Yes, I said Guitar Hero guitars. Not to be outdone, we get to see the TNA debut of Curry Man and his dancing antics, which elicits a “that was awesome” chant from the fans.
The match starts and Tiger Mask is able to land some slick looking maneuvers on Hoyt and makes the tag to Curry Man. Hoyt is able to slam Curry Man face first into the mat, which gives them an opening to take control of the match. Rave & Hoyt work together and tag in and out, however, Curry Man is able to get out of the way of a charging Rave to make the tag to Tiger Mask, who comes in and quickly makes a pin fall after a spinning backbreaker. The action breaks down in the ring and Curry Man takes out Hoyt on the outside as Tiger Mask lands a flying headbutt on Rave to pick up the win.
A video package featuring Brock Lesnar’s training for his UFC debut is aired. In it, Kurt Angle talks about how serious a competitor he is.
The award for TNA’s MVP is coming up and the nominees are Kurt Angle, Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. Borash is in the ring and announces the MVP of 2007, Samoa Joe. Joe comes down to the ring and asks Borash why he would be voted as the MVP of TNA, yet hasn’t gotten a shot at the World title. Borash chimes in and says that he did get a shot, but came up short against Kurt Angle. For that answer, Borash receives a hard clothesline from Joe.
Joe then breaks his trophy as Jim Cornette and Kevin Nash make their way to the ring to try to settle him down. Cornette tells Joe that bad calls happen in all sports and offers to make Joe the special guest enforcer for the main event at Against All Odds and if he agrees, Cornette promises him a title shot at Destination X. Nash gets in Joe’s ear and Joe rejects Cornette’s offer and says that what he wants is a 5-year exclusive deal in which he gets paid 15% more than Kurt Angle. Cornette says he will get his deal next week and shakes Joe’s hand. Joe celebrates the news by holding up his broken trophy.
Crystal is backstage with the tag team champs who are arguing amongst each other about what went down earlier between them and Kurt Angle. Tomko tells Styles that he is going to take care of his boss next week and that Styles is about to also become a problem of Tomko’s as well.
Match 5: Team 3D vs. the Motorcity Machine Guns vs. AJ Styles & Tomko (TNA Tag Team Championships)
The rules for this match are you cannot tag in your own partner, nor can you wrestle your own partner. Chris Sabin is the first one to make a pin attempt in the match, as he takes down AJ Styles with a tornado DDT, but it is broken up by Tomko. The match quickly breaks down and AJ is the last one standing in the ring, until he dives over the top rope and onto the MMG’s on the floor. Brother Ray then tosses Styles into Karen Angle, who takes a hard fall and Tomko rolls his partner back into the ring. Styles tags Brother Devon into the match so he can tend to Karen as Sabin tags in Tomko. Styles carries Karen Angle to the backstage area as we head into a commercial break.
We return to see Devon miss Tomko with a flying headbutt. The match again breaks down as the MMG’s come in and work on Brother Devon, until Brother Ray enters and makes the save. Tomko delivers a big boot to Ray and gives Devon a clothesline followed by a quick pin attempt for the three count.
Styles finally makes it back to the ring as the match is over but Tomko just pie faces him and leaves as Christian looks on and applauds his actions. A video package highlighting tonight’s events is aired, which brings Impact to a close.
Quick Results
- Robert Roode & James Storm defeated Eric Young and Sonjay Dutt by pin fall.
- Shark Boy defeated Elix Skipper by pin fall.
- Johnny Devine defeated Jay Lethal by pin fall to capture the X Division title.
- Tiger Mask & Curry Man defeated the Rock n’ Rave Infection by pin fall.
- AJ Styles & Tomko retained the Tag Team titles in a triple threat match by pin fall.
Starman’s Thoughts
Let me start off by saying that there were only five matches this week. If you keep track, this is one less match than usual, so you’d think that the five they had would be given more time to develop. If you were thinking that, then you were wrong. You may also have noticed that I didn’t list a match of the night. That’s because none of them truly deserved that moniker, which is odd considering there was two title matches tonight.
A few of the matches were somewhat entertaining to watch, but it seemed that what happened around and after the matches were the bigger stories of the night. Yes, I know that usually is the case with TNA, but we at least usually get to see a decent match up now and again.
I will give TNA credit, though, as they did a great job tying the TNA awards into tonight’s show pretty well. It was nice to see them use the achievements as a way to further every storyline instead of just being show filler.
That credit will come to a halt, however, as TNA continues to ram WWF/E references down my throat. I think I lost track of times a reference to their competition was made tonight. Let’s see, there was the Shark Boy/Stone Cold connection, Jay Lethal/Randy Savage connection. Oh yeah, Jay Lethal saying that he lost his smile and, to a lesser extent, mentions of the Kliq and the nWo. This really needs to come to an end as all it does is make the company look an amateur promotion that cannot come up with an original idea on its own.
Oh well, at least we got to see Christopher Daniels wrestle again and I am looking forward to seeing what they have planned for the Curry Man – even though, that too, is an idea from another promotion – surprisingly, though, not from the WWE.
