What Are You Willing to Sacrifice (4/24 Impact Recap)

Matt Morgan is walking backstage with Lauren when he suddenly attacks Kip James. Morgan claims that there are two down and three more to go as he walks away. A video package of last week’s title bouts is shown plus tonight’s World Championship rematch is hyped as we finally get into the Impact intro.

Mike Tenay and Don West hype the main event some more and things are kicked with the arrival of Booker T, who is making his way towards the ring with a microphone. Booker calls Sting out to the ring to get a few things off of his chest and Sting complies. Booker says that they go way back and have always been there for each other and apologizes for his actions last week. They are then interrupted by Robert Roode and James Storm. Roode brings up that they were promised a fight last week and they want to see the two of them go at it tonight.

Jim Cornette comes to the ring and reminds them all that they don’t book the matches. Cornette announces that since the tag team titles are currently held up, he came up with a new concept called the Deuces Wild tournament. Over the next two weeks there are going to be four matches between eight teams and the winners of those matches will go on to Sacrifice. Eight singles wrestlers will also be paired up at random at Sacrifice to be put in the tournament as well. As for tonight, though, Robert Roode & James Storm will take on Booker T & Sting.

Jeremy Borash catches up with AJ Styles, who is peeking through a door in the backstage area. Styles says the Deuces Wild tournament doesn’t matter as him and Tomko will be winning the titles back at Sacrifice anyway. Karen Angle comes out from behind the door and says that she doesn’t want to be here tonight. Styles tells Karen that she belongs with him and Borash says their secret is safe with him.

Match 1: Rellik & Black Reign vs. Team 3D (Deuces Wild Qualifier)
Team 3D are in control in the opening moments of the match. A communication problem nearly causes Devon to crash into Ray, but he is able to stop himself before anything happens, however, it gives Black Reign an opening to gain the advantage as we head into a commercial break.

They are still in control when we return as Rellik picks up a couple of two counts on Devon. Ray is able to distract Rellik long enough to allow Devon to tag him into the match and Team 3D regains the advantage. Ray gives Rellik a choke slam which leads him to a close near fall. Team 3D then land the 3D on Rellik to finally pick up the three count to advance in to the tournament.

Lauren is with the Knockouts and is passing out invitations to all of them. Instead of reading them, they all hurl insults at each other as we head into another commercial break.

Borash is in the locker room with Kurt Angle who says he is ready for Joe and never loses to the same man twice. Angle says that he will win back the World Championship tonight and will successfully defend his World title against Rick Steiner. Borash corrects him about which Steiner is in the main event at Sacrifice and tells him that Styles is here with Karen Angle. Angle wants Borash to bring him to them.

A video package highlighting the TNA careers of Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe is aired. In case you didn’t know, they are facing each other in Samoa Joe’s first World title defense. We are then shown footage of Samoa Joe training earlier in the day. Mike Tenay comes to the ring where Kevin Nash tells him that Joe’s training is never done. Joe then adds that Angle will always fall short.

We are shown clips of last week’s tag team title match where new tag team champions crowned and were later stripped of the titles. Lauren is backstage with Kaz and Eric Young, who still claims that he is not Super Eric. Kaz says he can’t stay mad at Young and tells him to keep Super Eric away from the Impact Zone next week during their qualifying match.

Match 2: Motorcity Machine Guns vs. Rhino & Christian Cage (Deuces Wild Qualifier)
Alex Shelley and Christian Cage begin the match with a series of counters and reversals. Sabin and Rhino are tagged in and Rhino takes control of the match but misses an attempt at a Gore and falls out to the floor. Sabin goes for a high risk move but Cage pushes him out to the floor. Shelley kicks Cage out to the floor and follows with a dive over the ropes and on top of them as we head into a commercial break.

Shelley gets a two count on Rhino as we return and Rhino comes back with a spinebuster and picks up a two count of his own. Rhino and Cage work in and out of the ring with quick tags and work over Shelley until he is able to take down Cage and makes the tag to his partner. Sabin comes in and goes after both of his opponents and picks up a near fall on Cage. The action begins to break down in the ring where both Rhino and Cage take down Shelley and Sabin with a couple of power moves and Cage goes for the pin, but Sabin manages to kick out. Sabin comes back with a double DDT but he and his partner soon fall to the Gore and Unprettier and Cage pins Sabin for the win.

Jim Cornette calls all of the Knockouts out to the ring and announces that there will be a TNA Knockout Makeover Battle Royal at Sacrifice. It will be an regular battle royal until the last two are left. It will then turn into a ladder match where the prize is a Women’s title shot. The runner up will get a makeover in the style of Britney Spears and will have her head shaved.

Lauren is backstage with Booker T & Sting and Booker says that it’s all about winning – tonight and at Sacrifice. Sting seconds that statement and says he can handle that.

Match 3: Robert Roode & James Storm vs. Booker T & Sting
Storm & Roode are able to work over Booker & Sting in the opening of this match. Sting, though, mounts a comeback on Roode and picks up a two count before tagging in his partner. Booker keeps things going in their favor until Roode distracts the ref for a moment, allowing Storm to nail Booker with a boot to the back of the head. Roode regains control of the match as we head into a commercial break.

Storm & Roode continue to work well together as we return from the break. Booker, though, is able to land a spinebuster on Roode and makes the hot tag into Sting, who comes in and lands a few Stinger Splashes and gets a near fall on Storm, but Roode breaks it up. Roode then swings a beer bottle at Sting and almost hits his partner. Storm then pushes Roode for that which gives Sting an opening to land a Scorpion Death Drop on Storm to win the match. After Booker & Sting’s post match celebration, Roode & Storm argue and shove each other in the ring.

Borash is with Kurt Angle, who confronts Styles and Karen in the back. Kurt tells Karen that they can’t be together if there are still things between him and Joe. Styles tells Angle to relax but Angle tells him to leave and to take Karen with him.

Lauren is with Jim Cornette who has some plans rolled up in his hands. Cornette says he will reveal some new plans for Sacrifice next week to make sure the employees toe the line.

Match 4: Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe (TNA World Title Match)
The tale of the tape between these two is shown prior to this Lockdown rematch. There is still a half hour left in the broadcast, so this could turn out to be a long match. On that note, after both wrestlers make their way out to the ring, we head into a commercial break.

The bell rings and Angle is frustrated in the early going and leaves the ring on a couple occasions. Joe has control of the match until Angle rakes Joe’s eyes. Angle then charges at Joe in the corner but Joe ducks out of the way and Angle hits the ring post before falling out to the floor. Joe then dives through the ropes and on top of Angle as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match to see Angle back in control but it soon turns with an atomic drop and a senton splash by Joe. The match continues in Joe’s favor until Angle finally lands a suplex on Joe before locking in a reverse chin lock. Angle picks up a two count on Joe after delivering a belly-to-belly suplex and then charges at Joe in the corner but Joe counters with a one arm slam.

Joe isn’t able to take control for long, though, as Angle soon drops the rope and sends him out to the floor. Joe grabs his knee in pain and Angle goes right after it on the outside as we head into another commercial.

We return to see Angle with a figure four locked in on Joe and we are shown footage of Kevin Nash encouraging Joe to return to the ring during the break. Joe manages to make it to the rope to force Angle to break the hold, but that doesn’t stop Angle from going after the knee.

Joe is able to get to his feet and the two trade blows while Angle finds himself on the canvas for a couple of near falls after falling into some counters by Joe. Angle tries for a ankle lock, but Joe is able to kick him off but nails the Olympic Slam instead, however, Joe still kicks out of that.

Angle tries for a moonsault from the top and Joe rolls out of the way in time. Angle and Joe counter and reverse ankle locks and rear naked chokes until Angle has to make it to the ropes to break the hold.

Joe then inadvertently kicks Earl Hebner in the head and Angle lands an Olympic Slam again on Joe. Angle locks in the ankle lock again but Joe kicks him off and Angle flies into the ropes where Scott Steiner is waiting with a lead pipe and nails him in the head. Joe then covers Angle and gets a slow three count from Hebner.

After the match, Scott Steiner enters the ring and yells at Angle to never disrespect him again. Steiner then gets in Joe’s face before Joe slaps him. Jim Cornette comes out and says that nothing was settled tonight and makes the main event at Sacrifice a three way match with Kurt Angle thrown in the mix.

Quick Results
- Team 3D defeated Rellik & Black Reign to advance to the Deuces Wild tournament.
- Christian Cage & Rhino defeated the Motorcity Machine Guns to advance to the Deuces Wild tournament.
- Sting & Booker T defeated Robert Roode & James Storm by pin fall.
- Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle by pin fall.

Starman’s Thoughts
From a match standpoint, this week’s show would have to rank as one of the top three Impacts since it began airing on Spike TV. Instead of six subpar quick matches, we got four good matches that not only got time to develop, but were also a lot of fun to watch.

Tonight’s focus was, of course, the Joe/Angle rematch, but the Deuces Wild tag team tournament qualifiers were also given time to shine. Usually I tend to give Black Reign & Rellik a tough time, but they had a decent match against Team 3D, even though the match really didn’t click with me as both teams are heels.

On the other end of the spectrum, the other qualifying match pitted two babyface teams against each other with Cage & Rhino taking on the Motorcity Machine Guns. This match was even better than the first qualifier and I was actually fooled into believing that the MMG may advance in the tournament by picking up the upset. Even though they didn’t get the win, I enjoyed seeing them actually holding their own in the ring against the pair of former World Champions.

While I am on the topic of the Deuces Wild tag team tournament, I do enjoy the fact that the tag team division is finally regaining some focus. TNA is full of tag teams, some of which can easily be justified as worthy contenders to the tag team belts. Having an 8-team tournament would be fine by itself, but this is TNA and they always have to include some weird stipulation to everything. This time it involves adding in some more randomly selected teams into the tournament as well.

I may come from the old school way of thinking, but I tend to like teams that have built up some chemistry and work well together. Having people pair up for a regular match is one thing, but entering random tag teams into a tournament for a chance at gold is really a slap in the face to teams like the Motorcity Machine Guns and even Black Reign & Rellik, who have been teaming together for a while and still haven’t had a chance to go for the gold.

I will let the tournament run its course for a bit, but I’d much rather see a real tag team, or even at least a pair of people who team on a semi-regular basis, win the gold instead of having a random pair, or worse, bitter enemies, wear the tag team straps. My mind tells me that the latter will have a greater chance of happening than the former does.

As for the main event, we got to witness another great match between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe. No, this one wasn’t a classic, but I did enjoy it a little more than the match they had at Lockdown. It didn’t have the importance as that match had, but I, for one, was happy to see that the MMA style was removed and this was a traditional wrestling match. I could have dealt without the interference from Scott Steiner, but it was on free television after all, and it helped further the storyline by making it a three way match at Sacrifice.

Even with all of the good matches during the course of the evening, there were a few things that stuck out that I had to question, for example, both Knockout match at Sacrifice.

Cornette announced a Knockout Makeover Battle Royal tonight, where the remaining two will fight in a ladder match for a contract to face Awesome Kong. The runner up will get her head shaved. Now TNA tries hard to be creative with their matches, but why not just have a regular battle royal – why is a ladder even brought into the match? If a ladder must be in the match, just make it a ladder match. Furthermore, with this match and the Deuces Wild tournament both taking place at Sacrifice, it seems that TNA is once again trying to stuff every single person on the roster onto the card one way or another.

Another thing I questioned was Matt Morgan’s attack at the top of the show? After laying out Kip James he said that the games will begin tonight. After that, we see nothing from him again – no further explanation or any more attacks. I guess he forgot his big man blueprint at home and had to leave to get it.

Even with a few flaws, the focus on wrestling greatly improved the overall quality of the show and this was one of the most enjoyable Impacts I’ve seen in a long time. I know I could get used to a four or five match format as long as the matches are given some time to tell develop and tell a story like what was going on today.

Now, if they could only work on those gimmick match concepts.