On to Slammiversary (6/5 Impact Recap)

Impact heads right into the intro to kick things off tonight as we are welcomed to tonight’s show that will feature a King of the Mountain preview match, a Knockout street fight and a point/counterpoint with the Angles. Booker T’s music fills the Impact Zone as we head into the opening contest.

Match 1: Booker T & Robert Roode vs. Rhino & Christian Cage
Rhino and Cage begin the match against Robert Roode and pick up a couple of quick near falls. Booker is tagged into the ring and is able to take Cage down with an axe kick, which gives them the advantage in the matchup. Booker and Roode isolate Cage and work him over with quick tags between the two of them. Roode, however, misses with a clothesline and Cage follows with an inverted DDT and makes the tag into Rhino and Booker is also tagged in.

Rhino tackles Booker and follows with a spinebuster and tries for a pin attempt but it is broken up by Roode. Cage sends Roode out to the floor and dives out on top of him as Rhino lands the Gore on Booker. Rhino goes for the pin but Team 3D enters the ring and attack Rhino and the Earl Hebner tosses this match out.

Team 3D brings a table into the ring as Booker continues to work over Rhino on the outside. AJ Styles then comes into the ring and takes both members of Team 3D out with a doubles clothesline and it turns into a brawl until Booker, Roode and Team 3D run out of the ring.

AJ Styles then gets on a microphone and says that he hopes Cage and him can be on the same page soon. He then tells the Bad Guys to relay a message to Kurt Angle that he is out to hurt him at Slammiversary. As for tonight, he is going to take out his buddy, Tomko, a motion that Jim Cornette seconds and assigns Kevin Nash the special referee.

A pre-taped interview between Jeremy Borash and Samoa Joe is aired. Borash asks if he trusts Kevin Nash as the special enforcer in the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. Joe says Nash taught him to not trust anyone and says that he will prevail no matter what Nash’s intentions are. As a matter of fact, Joe will ask him face to face tonight what his intententions truly are.

The Beautiful People are backstage with Lauren, who make her hold a giant version of their TNA trading card in front of her face. They question why Velvet Sky has been put into a match against ODB in a street fight. Love then says that even though they are beautiful, they will fight ugly. Raisha Saeed and Awesome Kong come out and says that Kong will cripple a fan from the crowd tonight.

Match 2: Velvet Sky vs. ODB (Knockout Street Fight)
Instead of her trademark flask, ODB comes out to the ring with a tobacco spit cup, which she pours on Sky to start the match out. The match quickly heads out to the crowd and up to the bleachers using anything they can get their hands on. They make their way to the ring and Angelina Love gets involved and helps Sky gain the advantage of the fight. Sky locks ODB into an octopus submission, but ODB is able to power out of it and slings her down to the mat with a fallaway slam. Love gets on to the apron but ODB kicks Sky into her and pins her with after a running power slam.

Angelina Love drives ODB down to the mat after the match as Roxxi Laveaux and Gail Kim come down to the ring to assist ODB until an unknown muscular woman comes out to the ring and drives both Roxxi and Kim down to the mat. The Beautiful People then place a paper bag over Kim’s head.

Footage of Jay Lethal’s bachelor party is aired, which is hosted by Jeremy Borash and is attended by several TNA stars. Sonjay Dutt gives a toast and says that he will tell him something serious this Sunday. BG James tells him a few simple rules about marriage, which involves keeping his mouth shut and learning how to take orders.

Footage of Eric Young’s quest to find Elvis Presley is aired and this week he is in Graceland. Young goes through his house with his 50 foot long couch and shows off some of his cars. Young talks to a statue and gives it a ticket to Slammiversary. This brings us into the pay-per-view hype by Mike Tenay and Don West as they run down the card.

Part three of the sit-down interview with Sting is aired and Mike Tenay asks about his thoughts on Ric Flair. Sting says that Flair has been a part in many of his top matches and helped put Sting on the map. Sting says that Flair went out in style and wonders that his time may be coming soon as both Flair and Brett Favre retired in 2008.

A video package showing off the King of the Mountain match that features thoughts from all five competitors. This brings us to a King of the Mountain match between the X Division, which will be for a TNA World Title shot next week on Impact.

Match 3: Curry Man vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Chris Sabin vs. Johnny Devine vs. Kaz (King of the Mountain Match)
There is action everywhere in the ring as the one starts off and Sabin tries for a quick rollup pin on Curry Man, but he is able to kick out. Rave drops Kaz hard on the apron as Sabin dives through the ropes onto them. Devine one-ups them with a moonsault off of the penalty box onto Sabin and Kaz on the floor below. With all bodies laid out on the floor, it is time for us to head into a commercial.

We return to the match as Jimmy Rave nails Kaz with a ladder in the ring. During the commercial, Rave pinned Curry Man, who had to spend two minutes in the box. Rave sets the ladder up in the ring and tries to hang up the X but Sabin kicks the ladder and knocks him down. Sabin then follows with a pin fall on Rave and tries to hang the X but Kaz nails him with another ladder and knocks Sabin down to the mat. Sabin comes back and nails Kaz with the X and the two begin to fight as Kaz sends Sabin into the ladder with the Wave of the Future.

Curry Man comes back and takes out Kaz as Devine takes Curry Man out with a suplex on a ladder. Jimmy Rave comes out of the penalty box and begins beating on Kaz as Sabin has Devine in the tree of woe and sends a ladder into his face with a hesitation dropkick. This action is great but we have to head into another commercial.

We return to the match again with tower suplex with Curry Man, Devine and Rave, while Sabin and Kaz are fighting on top of the penalty box. Kaz looks like he wants to go with a Flux Capacitor but Sabin dives off and nails Curry Man with a cross body block. Kaz then uses a ladder and jumps down and nails Rave with it and pins Rave. Devine comes back with a rollup on Kaz to send him to the box as well. Devine tries to hang the X but Sabin is able to stop him. Devine fights back and sticks Sabin between the steps on the ladder and climbs up again.

Curry Man stops Devine from hanging the X and drives him down with the spice rack and pins Devine. Curry Man sends Sabin to the outside as a brawl begins in the box until Kaz is able to come back into the match and takes out Curry Man, who is trying to hang the X. Kaz is able to grab the X away and push Curry Man off of the ladder and hangs it up to win the match and a shot at the title next week.

The competitors for the KotM match at Slammiversary give their thoughts on the past KotM matches and give their thoughts on Samoa Joe’s chance at successfully defending the title.

Awesome Kong comes to the ring as Jeremy Borash issues the $25,000 challenge to take on Awesome Kong. Borash picks out three prospects who are all professional wrestlers and that Borash recognizes – one of which was Daffney from WCW, which is who Kong picks. She signs the waiver and steps into the ring.

Match 4: Awesome Kong vs. Daffney ($25,000 Challenge)
Daffney comes with a quick assault with some fists but they have no effect on Kong, as she hoists her up on her shoulders and bends her body across her back. Kong then takes her to the floor and flings her headfirst into the railing before rolling her back into the ring and gives her the Awesome Bomb to pick up the win.

More footage of Abyss in his padded room is aired where he is singing about only being in for three more days and says that he won’t rest until he is out.

Lauren is backstage with Kevin Nash who asks about his game plan at Slammiversary. Before he can answer, Samoa Joe comes into his dressing room and wants to hear what his intentions are in person. Nash tells Joe that paranoia will make him lose his title and then invites him to take a swing at him with a bat with his back turned. Joe gives the bat back and says he won’t need that or his back turned if he comes for him.

More footage of Jay Lethal’s bachelor party is aired, where Sonjay Dutt announces that he has some telegrams to read and says that Koko B. Ware, George “the Animal” Steele and Kamala will all be attending the wedding on Sunday. Dutt introduces a stripper, who is none other than Kip James. The sight of that makes Shark Boy vomit into a potted plant.

Match 5: Lance Hoyt/Kip James/James Storm vs. Matt Morgan & the LAX
Both Homicide and Hernandez work over James Storm to start the match off. Storm finally knocks Homicide off of his feet with an ensuguri before tagging in Hoyt. Homicide is then isolated into their corner and is worked over a bit before Homicide and Storm take each other down with a double clothesline. Homicide is able to tag in Morgan who comes in and takes down all three of his opponents with quick power moves. The match begins to break down a bit and the LAX take out Hoyt and Storm by diving to the outside while Morgan takes James down with a spinning slam and picks up the pin fall.

Jeremy Borash is backstage with Petey Williams, Scott Steiner and Rhaka Khan and asks Williams for his thoughts about taking on Kaz for the X Division title at Slammiversary. Steiner interrupts and wonders who Kaz has beaten and Borash brings up that he won the TerrorDome match last month. Steiner is still unimpressed and says that the TerrorDome is a circus act and they him and Petey are pure wrestlers. Williams begins to chime in but Borash informs him that they are out of time. Williams still grabs the microphone and begins to talk but isn’t able to finish as we head to a commercial.

Kurt and Karen Angle join us via satellite from different locations. Kurt says that he is the victim as she has never appreciated all that he has given her, including their children. Karen says that all she wanted was time with him but he loved himself and his career more than her and their kids. Kurt brings up her relationship with AJ Styles and Karen denies it which sets Kurt off. Kurt promises to break every bone in AJ Styles’ body until the truth comes out.

AJ Styles is standing by with Jeremy Borash who also denies being with Karen Angle and says that he is done explaining himself to Angle for something he and his wife never did in a very intense promo.

Some more footage of Jay Lethal’s bachelor party where a huge cake is wheeled out that has Christy Hemme in it. ODB then wheels out a huge box that contains a large snake, yes, Jake Roberts will also be at the wedding.

Match 6: Tomko vs. AJ Styles w/ Kevin Nash as the Special Enforcer
AJ Styles starts the match with a flip to the outside of the ring and onto Tomko. Styles rolls Tomko back into the ring and continues on the attack and doesn’t let up until Tomko gives him a back body drop over the top rope and onto the floor, which brings us into a commercial.

We return to the match to see Styles take Tomko down with a dropkick, however, Styles’ arm is hurting as Tomko worked it over during the break. Styles is about to go for the Styles Clash as Robert Roode begins to come down the ramp. Nash cuts him off but the distraction is enough for Tomko to slam Styles down to the mat. As Nash has his hands busy with Roode, Booker tries to get into the ring but Nash is able to stop him as well as Styles delivers a DDT to Tomko and follows with the Pele kick. Styles then comes off the top rope with a frog splash to pick up the pin fall victory.

After the match, Kevin Nash enters the ring and congratulates Styles as Booker T comes into the ring with a chair and nails Nash. Roode, Cage, Rhino, Team 3D, the LAX and Samoa Joe all head into the ring and the bodies start flying everywhere. While Joe is attacking Booker in the ring, Nash misses with a chair shot and nails Joe in the head. Joe manages to get up and question Nash’s actions but the action is cut out into a Slammiversary promo package as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Booker T & Robert Roode against Rhino & Christian Cage was thrown out.
- ODB defeated Velvet Sky by pin fall in a street fight.
- Kaz wins a King of the Mountain match to take on the World Champion next week.
- Awesome Kong defeated Daffney by pin fall in the $25,000 Challenge.
- Matt Morgan & the LAX defeated Kip James/James Storm/Lance Hoyt by pin fall.
- AJ Styles defeated Tomko by pin fall.

Starman’s Thoughts
This was a decent “go-home” show for TNA, and is one of the better ones they have had in months. As usual, there were a few flaws, however, this week’s Impact was still a lot of fun to watch.

For starters, I thought the X Division King of the Mountain match was great. Sure, it was a huge spot fest and bodies were going everywhere, but it was a way to get fans into the King of the Mountain mood and give the newer fans some insight as to what to expect this Sunday when the World Championship is put up on the line. Plus, the added stipulation for the shot at the World title next week helped give this match a little meaning as the X Division itself doesn’t hold much meaning at all.

I was also thrilled to see the fire and intensity coming from AJ Styles during both his promos and his 1-on-1 matchup with Tomko. His persona is fresh again and this hopefully will lead to bigger and better things for Styles. Unfortunately for his ex-partner, it seems that Tomko has taken a big hit with two consecutive clean main event losses. I guess, though, that I can’t really complain with getting two decent main events in a row on Impact, even at Tomko’s expense.

Since I am on the topic of main events, I was surprised how TNA handled the tag team match between the King of the Mountain competitors. This type of match is something that TNA would normally have hyped as a main event since it involves the four wrestlers who are all trying to win the TNA World title. The tag team match itself wasn’t anything memorable and it ended up being tossed out anyway, which is why I thought it was better suited to kick off the show and for that I applaud TNA. However, I have to question their teaming of Booker T and Robert Roode so quickly after ending their feud that lasted months.

Aside from that, the only other low point of the show was the six-man tag match. This really didn’t do anything to promote the pay-per-view as the LAX are the only ones even scheduled on the card. This time would have probably been better suited for a 1-on-1 match against Homicide and Brother Ray or Hernandez against Brother Devon or something like that. There is no reason for a pointless six-man tag match when you have stiff competition like the Lakers against the Celtics in the NBA finals. Sure the NBA finals weren’t decided when they taped this show, but there still isn’t a good reason for this with only days to go before a big pay-per-view.

Finally, it was nice to see Daffney in the ring again. Thankfully, time has seemed to mellow her out and we weren’t subject to or shrill screaming… or David Flair for that matter.

Don’t forget to return this weekend to read my Slammiversary preview and predictions.