Impact opens with Kurt and Karen Angle fighting in their dressing room. Kurt tells her that she better get everything taken care of tonight with her new “marriage” to AJ Styles. Angle then tells her to take her drama to her other husband so he can get ready for his match tonight with Booker T.
The Impact intro hits and we are welcomed to tonight’s broadcast that will feature the fallout from last week’s wedding ceremony, a sit down interview with Rhino and Booker T against Kurt Angle in the main event.
Match 1: Kip James & Bob Armstrong vs. AJ Styles & Tomko (TNA Tag Team Championship Match)
Due to BG James injuring his knee at Against All Odds, Kip James is tagging with Bob Armstrong in this rematch, however, BG still joins them and stands ringside with crutches. Bob Armstrong starts the match off slowly and gingerly against AJ Styles. Armstrong then tags in Kip James, who begins to take the brunt of the punishment from the tag team champs.
Karen Angle/Styles joins her new husband ringside as James is able to make a tag to Armstrong, who comes in and catches his opponents off guard and takes them both down. Karen Angle/Styles climbs on the apron and distracts the referee, which allows BG to toss in a crutch to Kip, who decides to crack Armstrong in the back with it. This allows Tomko to make the cover and win the match.
After the match, Kip uses the crutch on BG’s injured knee and breaks the crutch over his back. Mike Tenay proclaims that we have just seen 10 years of history go right down the drain.
We head backstage where Crystal is standing by with ODB and Gail Kim who wonders if their communication problems will be an issue in their tag team match tonight. Kim says their problems are resolved and says they will go through anybody to take Kong out. ODB seconds that thought and motions to Kim and says she, too, will go through anybody to get what she wants.
As they leave, AJ Styles and Karen walk into the picture. Crystal asks about last week and Styles says that he got caught up in the moment and kissed Karen but says they aren’t really married. Karen has different thoughts on it and tells Styles that they are really married and tells him to worry about the honeymoon.
After a commercial break, Crystal is standing by with Kip James, who explains that he did what he did because where he comes from, friendship is more important than family and he threw that all away when he chose his dad over him. He then tells BG to bring it.
Jim Cornette is standing in the ring with Matt Morgan, Sonjay Dutt and the MMG’s. Cornette then calls Jay Lethal down to the ring for a special interview. Jim Cornette runs down Lethal’s career achievements, which includes saving the X Division at Against All Odds. Lethal says that he has gotten his smile back and thanks X Division pioneers like Christopher Daniels, Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles, as well as the Motorcity Machine Guns for putting up a fight and Sonjay Dutt for being his best friend. Lethal then calls SoCal Val to the ring, gets on one knee and asks her to go out with him. Val gives him an answer by saying “ooohhhhh yeeahhhh,” as Dutt looks on in disappointment.
Backstage, Crystal asks Kaz about his match tonight with Rellik. Kaz begins to talk about “Relish,” when Eric Young comes into the picture and tells Kaz that Rellik is a real life monster and warns him not to go out there and face him. Kaz calls him just another wrestler and tells Young that he can hold his own against him.
Jim Cornette is sitting in his office with Samoa Joe. Cornette has his office locked and wants to get Joe to sign his contract without any distractions of doing it in the ring. Joe tells Cornette that he wants to be TNA Champion and wants a fair shot at it. Joe tells Cornette of his plan to face Angle inside a cage at Lockdown, and if he wins the title he will then sign the contract. If he doesn’t win, there isn’t much use of him being in the company.
Match 2: Rellik vs. Kaz
Kaz starts out the match by landing a series of blows on Rellik, but they have little effect on him. Kaz clotheslines Rellik over the top rope and brings Rellik down with a dive over the top rope. Rellik, though, is able to turn it around with leveling Kaz with a big boot, before tossing him back into the ring. Rellik applies a cobra clutch submission but Kaz is able to knock Rellik on the canvas to pick up the surprise victory while being locked in the hold.
Black Reign enters the ring and the two-on-one is too much for Kaz to handle as they both overpower him. Eric Young comes out to the ringside area but Young refuses to enter the ring until they leave.
Crystal is backstage with Booker, who says he is focused on tonight’s match against Kurt Angle. As for Robert Roode, he didn’t show up tonight and Cornette has told him that if Roode doesn’t show up next week he will be suspended. Until then, he is going to make Angle bow down and beg for mercy.
A video package on Abyss is aired. In it, it says that after it was revealed that James Mitchell was his father he went on to defeat the forces that controlled him. Last week, instead of moving forward with his life, Abyss decided to turn his back on the ring and leave the Impact Zone. Mike Tenay and Don West don’t know why or where he is.
Match 3: Sonjay Dutt vs. Johnny Devine vs. Petey Williams (3-Way for #1 Contender to X Division Title)
Sonjay Dutt and Petey Williams start it out in the ring as Johnny Devine stands on the outside. Scott Steiner & Rocka Khan come out to watch the match as Devine picks the right moment to enter the ring and take control of the match. Devine tries for some quick pin attempts but isn’t able to pick up the three count. Williams is able to dump Dutt out to the floor and Steiner clocks Dutt in the back of the head with a briefcase. Khan then distracts Earl Hebner, which allows Steiner to nail Devine in the head with a right fist. Williams then rolls Devine up in a small package for the win.
Steiner comes in the ring after the match and shakes the hand of Williams as it is announced that he will face Jay Lethal for the title at Destination X.
Jeremy Borash has a camera and is following AJ Styles and Karen on their honeymoon. They are in a restaurant where Styles pulls out candles, flowers and a precious snow globe for his new bride. Styles then calls out for steak and gravy and claims to be going all out tonight.
We head to a pretaped interview between Mike Tenay and Rhino. Rhino says that he had to take care of himself and his addictions, which is why he left the ring. He then says that he will get his revenge on James Storm at Destination X in the Elevation X match.
Shark Boy and Curry Man are backstage with Crystal. Curry Man speaks in Japanese, to which Shark Boy says he better have been talking about whipping someone’s ass tonight and won’t ever have a problem with him as long as he does just that.
Match 4: Shark Boy & Curry Man vs. Team 3D
Much like last week, Team 3D must make their weigh in to participate in this match. This week, though, Brother Ray makes it fewer than 275 but Brother Devon doesn’t. Ray chastises Devon for eating Twinkies and has to go in this match alone.
Curry Man tries for a quick pin on Ray to start the match, but Ray is able to get out at two. Ray then kicks Curry Man in the crotch while the referee wasn’t looking to gain the advantage in the match. Ray tosses him out to the floor where Devon works him over as the referee has his hands tied with Shark Boy. Devon rolls Curry Man back in and Ray continues to work him over until Curry Man is able to counter a move and make the much needed tag to his partner.
Shark Boy comes in with a Lou Thesz Press and picks up a near fall on Ray. As Curry Man’s hands are tied with Johnny Devine, Devon enters the ring with the scale but gets a stunner for his troubles. The referee turns his attention to Devon, which allows Ray to clock Shark Boy in the head with the scale and picks up the three count to win the match.
Crystal is in Kurt Angle’s dressing room, where Kurt Angle is preparing for his match tonight. He isn’t worried about Karen and AJ Styles and warns Booker that he will break his ankle in their match.
More footage of Styles and Karen’s honeymoon is aired and they are now outside of Gatorland. Styles takes her to a pit that is surrounded by gators yet Karen seems to be having a good time. Tenay claims that Karen is falling for Styles’ boyhood innocence.
Match 5: Miss Jacqueline & Roxxi Laveaux vs. ODB & Gail Kim
Gail Kim & ODB look to have total control of this one in the early goings until a distraction by Jacqueline on ODB gives Roxxi an opening to turn the tide into their favor. Roxxi and Jacqueline take turns in methodically tearing ODB apart in the ring. Jacqueline makes a mistake, though, and ODB is able to capitalize with a dropkick that sends Jacqueline flying into the turnbuckle. ODB is able to tag in Kim who comes in like a ball of fire and takes out her opponents. Kim tries for a missile dropkick, but Roxxi is able to pull ODB into the way of her kick. The distraction then allows Roxxi to land a fallaway slam and pick up the victory.
After the match, ODB and Gail Kim get into a shoving match, which eventually comes to blows. Security has to come out to separate the two but it isn’t enough as the two continue to fight their way up the ramp.
Crystal is standing backstage with the unlikely trio of Samoa Joe, Kevin Nash and Christian Cage. Christian says that AJ Styles took him out last week with a steel chair and that the three of them together are unstoppable. Cage then vows to destroy the Angle Alliance at Destination X.
The close of the honeymoon is aired where Styles promises to take Karen back to Gatorland again as they are walking back to Styles’ hotel room. Styles tells her that he is confused about the whole situation but says that he had a good time with her tonight and quickly heads into his room. Borash tells Karen that she looks a little flustered over tonight’s events.
Match 6: Kurt Angle vs. Booker T (Non-title Match)
The match between these two starts out with Booker actually out-wrestling Angle. The action sways back and forth until Booker sends Angle out to the floor with a clothesline over the top rope. Booker works on him on the outside before rolling him back in the ring where the action continues to go back and forth between these two.
Angle has control of the match and works Booker over with the grappling moves and then heads to the top rope, however, Booker is able to quickly recover and land a superplex that sends Angle crashing hard on the mat. Booker lands a spinebuster on Angle but doesn’t follow up on it. This gives Angle an opening to try for the ankle lock, but Booker blocks the attempt and connects with a side kick. Booker sets Angle up for an axe kick, but Robert Roode comes out and distracts Booker, which allows Angle to hit the Olympic slam to pick up the win.
After the match, both Angle and Roode lay the boots into Booker until Christian Cage comes out to even the odds. His assistance doesn’t help long as Roode and Angle are able to take him down, but are then chased out of the ring by Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash. Tomko comes out to be by Angle’s side and Nash then issues a challenge to Angle for next week as Don West nearly has a conniption and Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
- AJ Styles & Tomko defeated Kip James & Bob Armstrong to retain the TNA Tag Team titles.
- Kaz defeated Rellik by pin fall.
- Petey Williams defeated Johnny Devine & Sonjay Dutt in a 3-way match by pin fall to become the #1 Contender to the X Division title.
- Brother Ray defeated Shark Boy & Curry Man in a handicap match by pin fall.
- Roxxi Laveaux & Miss Jacqueline defeated Gail Kim & ODB by pin fall.
- Kurt Angle defeated Booker T by pin fall.
Starman’s Thoughts
An overall decent Impact tonight that got us geared up for Destination X. The majority of the matches did end with interference of some sort, but the last two matches of the night almost made up for that.
For starters, we got a solid women’s tag team match that was predictable, but had some good action throughout. The crowd seemed to be into this match, though I was a little surprised at the anti-Kim chants that were scattered about. Much like last week, the tension between Gail Kim and ODB continued to rise and these two should be meeting soon, possibly at Destination X. This feud has been getting a nice build to it and is probably one of the better stories going on right now.
As for the main event, there was no title on the line, nor are Kurt Angle and Booker T currently feuding, but they still put on an entertaining match. The match itself was slow-paced and methodical as opposed to being the usual quick three-minute spotfest, which was a nice change of pace. I almost forgot what program I was watching for a minute until I saw the two commercial breaks and the run-in interference at the end. I guess you can’t change everything at once, now can you.
The rest of the matches served their purpose by furthering storylines and filled in some television time. Kip James turned, Rellik lost again … yawn … hasn’t this all happened enough already?
