What’s Up with Booker? (5/15 Impact Recap)

Impact opens with Sacrifice highlights, which includes Booker T’s turn, Roxxi’s head being shaved and the LAX winning tag team gold.  Samoa Joe is then shown walking in the backstage area with Kevin Nash and is apparently heading for the ring to make a huge announcement.

The Impact intro hits as we are welcomed to this week’s show as we see most of the TNA roster around the ring waiting to hear from Joe.  Tonight will feature an interview with Sting and disturbing footage of Abyss.  Plus the LAX will be in action as well as a match between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong.

Samoa Joe comes down to the ring with the World title slung over his shoulder as the TNA roster looks on.  Joe states that he and Jim Cornette had a talk about the annual King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary and are picking four competitors a piece.  Joe then goes on to say that Cornette’s picks are people who haven’t had a chance to vie for the title yet, which are Robert Roode, James Storm, Tomko and Matt Morgan.  Joe goes on to say that he isn’t handing out charity with his picks.  Joe says he will be scouting the talent tonight and reveal his picks next week.

Booker T’s music interrupts and asks why he didn’t get picked by Cornette as he hasn’t gotten his shot at the World title yet.  Booker then tells Joe that if he isn’t picked next week there will be consequences and repercussions before nailing Joe with a right.  Christian Cage and Rhino enter the ring to chase Booker out of the ring.  Booker then challenges the three to a six man match later on tonight.

Borash walks in the locker room where Kurt Angle is hanging out with Frank Triggs.  Angle says that since he will blackballed out of the King of the Mountain match he has asked for some air time this week and has a speech he wants to deliver to Karen Angle.

Lauren is backstage with Kaz, Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, and the three of them will be taking on the team of the Rock n’ Rave Infection and Johnny Devine.  Kaz talks about how much Sacrifice meant to him with him winning the TerrorDome and getting to be in the main event as Jay Lethal paces around in the background.  Lethal says he has big things on his mind, things bigger than King Kong Bundy, and leaves the interview as the other two look on dumbfounded.

Match 1: Rock n’ Rave Infection/Johnny Devine vs. Sonjay Dutt/Kaz/Jay Lethal
The RnR Infection and Devine work over Sonjay Dutt in the early going and pick up a near fall.  Dutt manages to make the tag to Lethal who also gets worked over a bit and throws him around with a fallaway slam, which picks up another two count.  Lethal squirms over to his corner and tags Dutt back into the match and he takes Hoyt down with a DDT.  Dutt then tags in Kaz, who lands a big boot to Hoyt’s face and covers him for the three count.

After the match, Lethal calls So Cal Val into the ring and pulls out an engagement ring before asking her to marry him at Slammiversary in his best Randy Savage voice.  Val returns with an “oohhh yeah,” as Dutt looks on in shock and disbelief.

A history of Abyss’ time in TNA is aired, which focuses on mostly on his gimmick matches.  Footage of Abyss inside of a padded room and inside of a straight jacket is shown.   Abyss has called this place home for the past several months and has been treated like a lab rat.  Abyss considers himself a masochist and says the doctors say he is almost cured and can go home soon.

Lauren is backstage with Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash, who says that there wasn’t a misunderstanding at Joe and have a better bond now than coming in a Sacrifice.  Joe says that his concern tonight is Booker T and calls him a jealous former champion and Booker will learn all he will want to know about Joe tonight.

A rundown of the history between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong is aired as highlights of all of the battles are shown.  Gail Kim won a shot at the Women’s title by winning the Knockout Makeover Battle Royal at Sacrifice and that match will start right now.

Match 2: Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong (Women’s Championship)
Kim comes at Kong with her speed and sends a flurry of punches and kicks her way to kick things off in the matchup.  Kim is finally tripped up by Raisha Saeed on the outside which turns the tide, but ODB comes out to even the odds up.  Salinas, Velvet Sky, Christy Hemme, Traci Brooks and Angelina Love also come out to the ringside and a shoving match ensues as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match to see Kong powering Kim around and locks her in a camel clutch.  Kim fights her way out of it but finds herself driven down to the mat with an implant buster, but Kim kicks out at a count of two.  Kong goes for a splash off of the top rope and Kim moves out of the way and fires back with a series of clotheslines and takes her down with a spear, which picks up a two count.  Kong comes back with a spinning back fist and Kim again kicks out of a pin fall attempt.

Kim attempts a comeback and flies off of the top rope and lands a senton backsplash back Kong kicks out.  Saeed tries to get involved but she is taken out by ODB as the Knockouts begin to brawl on the outside, which distracts Rudy Charles.  Love then shoves Kim off of the top rope and Kim sells a knee injury and Kong delivers the Awesome Bomb and picks up the pin fall to retain the championship.  After the match, ODB, Brooks and Salinas tend to Gail Kim as the referees also come out to help her up.

A video package of the Angle family saga between the Angle’s and AJ Styles is aired.  Tonight, a new chapter will be written as Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring with a handful of balloons to read his prepared speech.  Angle asks for the support of the fans as he begins to read his apology speech to his wife.  Angle gives his wife the opportunity to come back to him once she understands it is the TNA title first, his gold medals second, the kids third and her fourth.  Angle then asks her to show up next week and we are abruptly sent into a commercial.

Borash is backstage with the new TNA Tag Team Champions and Homicide says that by adding a little spice with Hector Guerrero, they are the champions once again.  Guerrero says that have started the revolution and some more words in Spanish before the segment is ended.

Match 3: The Motorcity Machine Guns vs. the LAX (Non-title Match)
Alex Shelley and Homicide trade moves back and forth until Homicide finally gains the advantage in the match to start things out.  The LAX then work him over with quick tags but the MMG’s come back with their speed to turn the tide, however, that only lasts so long until both Shelley and Sabin are overpowered by Hernandez, who even delivers a double suplex to both of the MMG’s at the same time.  Homicide then lands the 5150 on Sabin and picks up the win for his team.

Jeremy Borash is backstage with Booker T as Team 3D come into the picture and chase Borash off.  Booker says he has gotten disrespected in TNA by Cage & Rhino and will prove to Samoa Joe that he is heir to the throne tonight.  Devon gets on the microphone and says that tonight it’s all about respect and wants them to thank them for getting into the ring with royalty.

Footage of Eric Young’s quest to find the King, Elvis Presley, is aired.  He hitches a ride down a gravel road with a lucadore and talks his ear off for a couple of days before being dropped off.  This will be continued.

A sitdown interview between Mike Tenay and Sting is aired.  Sting talks about his early days of him running a health club and finally getting into pro wrestling where he met Jim Helwig and joined a wrestling camp together.  He said afterwards he only got one call back from a promoter, which was Jerry Jarrett.  He talks about their time together as the Blade Runners and comes to their unfriendly parting as this will also be continued.

The Beautiful People are backstage with Lauren who asks how they can be so cold for making fun of Roxxi’s bald head all day long.  They say that they didn’t shave Roxxi’s head and go on by saying they should give Lauren a makeover as well.

Match 4: The Beautiful People vs. ODB & Roxxi
ODB & Roxxi run out to the ring and start this match off with a bang.  ODB and Roxxi work over the Beautiful People for a while Mike Tenay announces that Gail Kim has been taken to a medical facility due to her knee injury.  Love manages to turn the tide of the match with a snap mare/seated dropkick combo. Love and Sky then continue to work over Roxxi in their corner until she is able to kick Sky away and tags in ODB.  ODB comes in a takes Sky down with a running powerslam but Love is there to break up the pin attempt.  Sky then rolls up ODB and picks up the surprise victory.

Lauren is backstage with Christian Cage & Rhino as Cage wonders if everyone thought he was actually a good guy.  Cage says he will never respect Booker and says that he is nothing but a complete piece of crap.  Rhino says that him and Team 3D have a history as well and says that they helped build a company but he will not be treating them like family tonight as he will beat them to a bloody pulp.

Match 5: Team 3D/Booker T vs. Rhino/Christian Cage/Samoa Joe
Prior to the match, Mike Tenay announces that there will be qualifying matches between Jim Cornette’s and Samoa Joe’s picks to determine the other four competitors in the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary.

As for the match, the action quickly breaks down as all six fight on the outside with Cage going against Ray near the guard railing, Samoa Joe fighting with Devon on the ramp and Booker going up against Rhino around the ringside area.  Ray gets in the face of Hector Guerrero at the Spanish announce table as we head into a commercial break.

Order has been restored to the match as Devon is working over Rhino as we come back from the break.  Devon lands a Hogan-like leg drop and gets a two count before tagging in Brother Ray, who continues on the attack and they start working together with quick tags in their corner always keeping the fresh man in the match.  Rhino, however, hits a desperation spinebuster on Ray and makes the tag to Joe, who takes down both members of Team 3D down before calling out for Booker T.

Booker comes in and misses with an axe kick and Joe takes him down with knee to the face.  The action then breaks down in the ring and Team 3D look for the 3D, but Cage breaks it up and Joe picks up the win after deliver a snap slam followed with the pin fall on Devon.

After the match Team 3D head over to the Spanish announce table and deliver a beat down to Hector Guerrero as Booker T holds off the other three with a chair.  Joe’s team finally chases them away as they tend to a bloodied Guerrero and Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Sonjay Dutt/Kaz/Jay Lethal defeated the Rock n’ Rave Infection/Johnny Devine by pin fall.
- Awesome Kong defeated Gail Kim by pin fall to retain the Women’s Championship.
- The LAX defeated the Motorcity Machine Guns by pin fall.
- The Beautiful People defeated ODB & Roxxi by pin fall.
- Rhino/Christian Cage/Samoa Joe defeated Team 3D/Booker T by pin fall.

Starman’s Thoughts
There was some good in ring action during tonight’s show in a couple of matches, it’s just too bad that the rest of it fell flat.

The Women’s title match was a lot better than the last match between these two on Impact and I liked how Gail Kim was able work in some offense and pick up near falls over the champion.  Kong has been dominate champion long enough for her to start exposing some chinks in her armor… as long as that’s all she is exposing.

I could have lived without the Knockout ringside interaction during the match.  They might as well have had a lumberjack match instead, though I’m sure they would have to be innovative and make the match into an Ultimate Elevated Makeover Lumberjack on a TerrorPole.  That’s more their style.  Hell, I might even pay to see that.

Jay Lethal popped the question to So Cal Val and asked for her to marry him at Slammiversary.  This may have worked if it had happened a few months ago, but once Lethal lost the X Division title to Petey Williams, we haven’t seen much from him at all – nor have we seen much of Val or Dutt for that matter.  This could have been used as a way to turn one or more of them, but I really think TNA missed the boat with this one.

A few final thoughts on things that didn’t work for me … was Samoa Joe scouting the Knockouts?  Aside from their matches, there wasn’t much for him to scout as far as his picks are concerned … Roxxi has her head shaved and needed some stitches stitches after her match at Sacrifice yet they don’t even give her any real face time on the show aside from a tag team match?  Let her speak out on it or something, she just lost all of her hair … Kaz main events at Sacrifice and is then put in a meaningless match on Impact where he performs one move before picking up the win.  That’s what I call a great follow through … Where was the LAX at when Team 3D beat down Hector Guererro at the end of the show?  I know they are trying to get another feud started between the LAX and Team 3D, but the ending to tonight’s show just seemed a little odd to me.