Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (7/24 Impact Recap)

Footage of last week’s war of words between Booker T and Samoa Joe is aired as we head straight into the Impact Zone as Samoa Joe is making his way through the crowd along with Kevin Nash.  The Six Sides of Steel is set up around the ring as they enter with a microphone.  Joe says that he comes with a proposition and challenges Booker to a cage match at Hard Justice.

Booker T’s music hits and he comes out of the tunnel with the World title and his wife, Sharmell, at his side.  Booker says he used to be a drum major in school and wants to add a few more instruments to the match, such as tables, ladders and chairs.  Booker then says that he will get a contract set up and will be ready to sign it and asks if Joe will be ready to sign it before warning Joe to be afraid of the dark.

Jeremy Borash is standing by with Christian Cage, Rhino and AJ Styles and asks if they are ready for their elimination tables match tonight especially since Kurt Angle is saying that Sting will be in their corner.  Styles says he believes in Sting and that he doesn’t think he will turn on them.  Cage tells Styles that if he shows up, Cage will put him through a table.  Rhino then warns Styles not to get sucked in.

Mike Tenay and Don West run down tonight’s loaded card with the Knockout Championship on the line and the elimination table match.  They also wonder if Sting will be in the house tonight and if we will find out what side he is on.  A video package focusing on Sting is aired that says he is at another crossroads in his life and wonders what is going on in his mind.

Match 1: Jimmy Rave vs. Consequences Creed vs. Johnny Devine vs. Eric Young
The bell rings and Devine and Creed begin to go at it as Young and Rave stand around for a bit.  Young is dumped out to the floor as Creed levels Devine with a huge uppercut.  Rave then begins to work on Creed and nearly picks up a pin fall.  Afterwards, Rave goes after Young, who is trying to get back into the ring and Rave drops Young hard on the ring apron.

Devine then begins to distract the referee as Lance Rock tries to get involved but Creed drives him down with a DDT.  Creed then dives over the ropes and onto Rave and Devine on the floor.  Young then gets both Rave and Devine in the ring and handles his own but is again dropped to the outside.  A lot of near falls are picked up but all of the pin falls are being broken up.  Devine finally goes for the Devine Intervention but Creed reverses it with a rollup to pick up the win.

Creed’s victory celebration is short lived, however, as Devine attacks him from behind and the Rock n’ Rave Infection give a helping hand on the beat down.  Devine grabs a steel chair but before he is able to use it, Abyss comes down to the ring and punches the chair into Devine’s face before taking both Rock and Rave out.  Abyss then grabs the chair but tosses it back down to the canvas before leaving the ring.

Jeremy Borash is backstage with Kurt Angle and Team 3D and asks if they are ready for their match tonight.  Brother Ray says they a damn ready and that Sting is now one of them, a lowdown, dirty scumbag.  Brother Devon says that he is not a liar and promises that Sting will be there and will shock the world.

A video package highlighting Kaz’s history in TNA is aired.  Clips of his title reigns and his big money matches from the past year are shown.  This brings us to the first edition of Karen’s Angle.  In it, Kaz talks about his start in the business with Killer Kowalski and how he idolized Bret Hart.  Kaz says that he was in TNA from day one and left in 2005 to go try for another opportunity.  It was the politics (in WWE), however, that nearly sucked the love for the sport out of him.  This interview will be continued next week.

Match 2: Matt Morgan vs. Kory Chavis
Morgan tosses Chavis around the ring for a bit as Mike Tenay talks about Morgan’s debut on the American Gladiators.  Morgan delivers a big leg drop to Chavis on the apron and then takes him down with a big boot to the face.  One “Hellevator” later and this match is over.

Lauren is backstage with the Motorcity Machine Guns and asks about their strategy going into tonight’s strap match.  Sabin says that Beer Money’s name is stolen from a made for DVD movie starring Zack Morris and they are the future of tag team wrestling.  Shelley chimes in that they have one goal tonight and that is to aim, point and shoot, but their weapons will be straps, not guns.

The Beautiful People are backstage and Velvet Sky looks worried about her upcoming title match.  Angelina Love tries to comfort her by putting some makeup on her face.

Lauren is backstage with Prince Justice Brotherhood and they are trying to think of a motto for the group.  Super Eric suggests “We come in peace… they leave in pieces.”  They all like it and agree on it.

Match 3: Beer Money, Inc. vs. the Motorcity Machine Guns (Tag Team Strap Match)
The MMG’s are quick on the attack and are able to take Roode and Storm down before whipping them with the straps.  Alex Shelley is tied up with James Storm and Chris Sabin is strapped to Robert Roode.  Shelley uses his strap to tie Storm to the ring post as Sabin brings Roode down with a neckbreaker before going for a pin attempt.

The MMG’s then team together and work over their opponents with double team maneuvers until Jacquelyn interferes and pushes Shelley off of the rope that finally turns the tide against the Guns.  Storm goes for a couple of pin attempts on Shelley but he isn’t able to keep him down.  Beer Money tries for double high risk moves, but the MMG’s pull off a double inverted atomic drop to again gain the momentum in the match.

The Guns then use their quickness and their opponents to their advantage.  Jacquelyn tries to get involved again but Storm pushes Sabin into the referee, which sends him to the floor.  Jacquelyn then gives the handcuffs to Storm, who uses them to knock out Sabin.  Roode then makes the cover to pick up the win.

Alex Shelley tries to extract his revenge after the match, but Storm levels him with a superkick and they handcuff Shelley to the ropes before lashing him with the strap.  The LAX run out to the ring and chase Beer Money out of the ring.

Match 4: Velvet Sky vs. Taylor Wilde (Knockout Championship)
The bell rings and Taylor Wilde quickly rolls up Velvet Sky and wins the match in five seconds, which is a new Impact Zone record.  Velvet Sky then gets on the microphone and says that she wasn’t ready and dares Wilde to try it again.  The bell rings again and a new match starts, in which Taylor Wilde pins Sky again in 25 seconds.

Angelina Love puts $5,000 on the line and says that she won’t be able to do it a third time.  A third match starts and Sky actually gets a pin attempt after Wilde misses with a high risk move.  Sky tosses Wilde out to the floor as Love gets in her licks as Sky is distracting the referee.  Sky goes for a couple of more pin attempts before working her over a bit.  Wilde is able to regain control and nearly wins the match after a suplex with a bridge, but Love breaks up the pin attempt and the referee disqualifies Sky.

The Beautiful People continue to work over Wilde after the match and give her “$5,000 worth of punishment,” which includes the brown bag treatment.  ODB and Gail Kim come to the rescue and help out the Knockout Champion.

A video package on Davari is aired, in which his new name is now Abdul Bashir.  In it Bashir says that he worked for all that he has gotten in an America that is slanted against him.  He then says that from all that he has accomplished with himself, he is probably more American than us.

Footage of Sonjay Dutt’s time in the hospital is aired and he is being visited by Jeremy Borash and SoCal Val.  Dutt says that he has been in a coma for three days after being hit in the head with a chair from Jay Lethal.  Val says that he doesn’t need to apologize as Dutt manages to steal Val’s engagement ring.  Mike Tenay says that what we just saw was not head trauma, but head drama.  Clever.

Match 5: Team 3D & Kurt Angle vs. Rhino/Christian Cage/AJ Styles (Elimination Tables Match)
The bell rings and the fight between all six of the wrestler head out to the floor.  Cage and Angle head back into the ring as Rhino and Devon fight in the crowd.  Angle tries for the ankle lock, but Cage is able to roll out of it.  The two head back out to the floor as Styles and Ray get into the ring and Styles nails a dropkick before leaping over the rope and onto Ray, who just rolled out of the ring.

Devon begins choking Rhino with a cable as Cage and Styles work over Angle with a double suplex.  Team 3D try to put a table into the ring, but Cage and Styles put an end to that by dropkicking the table into them.  Styles then sets the table into the ring but Ray tries to put him through it, however, Rhino is able to push the table out of the way to help his partner avoid being eliminated.  Rhino, however, is quickly thrown into the ring steps as Team 3D sets the table back up in the ring.

Ray places Styles on the table and but Cage and Rhino come in and put a stop to it by driving Devon through the table to cause the first elimination.  They then triple team Brother Ray with a garbage can and a Gore but Angle comes in with a chair and takes the three of them out as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match and we see that during the break, Rhino missed with a Gore and sent himself through a table to be eliminated.  Cage delivers an inverted DDT on Angle and then slides a table into the ring.  Cage lays Angle on the table and goes for a high risk move but Devon, who isn’t in the match anymore, gives Cage a low blow and he is then sent flying through the table to be eliminated.

Brother Ray and Angle begin double teaming Styles, but Styles is able to nail a double clothesline on them before taking Ray down with a Pele kick.  Styles sets a table up in the ring and Ray begs for mercy as Johnny Devine comes in from behind and accidently throws blinding powder into Ray’s eyes.  Ray then picks up Devine, thinking it is Styles, and sends him through a table.

Brother Ray goes to the outside as Angle enters the ring and charges at Styles, however, Styles sidesteps him and sends Angle flying into Ray, who falls off of the apron and through a table to be eliminated.

It is now down to Angle and Styles as Styles ducks a clothesline attempt from Angle that nails the referee.  Styles lands an inverted DDT on Angle before sliding a table into the ring.  Styles lays Angle on the table and goes for a high risk move, but Frank Trigg is waiting on the outside with a kendo stick and nails Styles with it.  Angle then delivers an Olympic Slam to Styles through the table and Angle wins the match.

Booker T makes his way into the ring and his wife follows with a clipboard.  Shortly after, Samoa Joe makes his way out to the ring with Kevin Nash.  Booker runs down the stipulations of the match, which are tables, ladders, chairs and anything that can miss him up.  Booker and Joe agree to send their people out of the ring so it’s just them.  Booker signs the contract and before Joe gets a chance, the lights go out in the Impact Zone.  When the lights turn on we see Samoa Joe laid out and Booker holding a black bat in his hands and looking up into the rafters as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Consequences Creed defeated Johnny Devine, Jimmy Rave and Eric Young in a four way match.
- Matt Morgan defeated Kory Chavis by pin fall.
- Beer Money, Inc. defeated the Motorcity Machine Guns by pin fall in a tag team strap match.
- Taylor Wilde defeated Velvet Sky by pin fall twice and disqualification once to retain the Knockout Championship.
- Kurt Angle & Team 3D defeated Rhino/Christian Cage/AJ Styles in a Elimination Tables Match.

Starman’s Thoughts
Tonight’s show had a lot of hype – actually more like a ton of hype considering it came from TNA – and although I didn’t feel like it lived up to it, the show was still very entertaining to watch.

It looks like we will be getting a weapons infused cage match between Samoa Joe and Booker T at Hard Justice.  It amazes me that in a mere two weeks, this feud has more going for it than the five weeks it had to build up last month.  I wasn’t sold on Booker vs. Joe last month.  I am actually looking forward to seeing it this time around.

The matches on tonight’s show were for the most part entertaining.  They didn’t quite live up to the high standards I was hoping for, but the tag team strap match and the six-man tables match did the best they could considering the gimmicks that were involved.  Also, I really hate squash matches, but Morgan actually did well in his tonight.  I think what impressed me most, though, was how much the crowd was behind him.  He still seems a little rough around the edges, but I think he, along with the likes of Tomko, could be big players someday.

I thought Karen Angle’s new segment was decent and is a huge step up from the interviews given by an intense Mike Tenay.  Karen’s Angle came across basically as a TNA Rough Cut segment, but since she was there guiding the interview along, it seemed a little more personal and formal.  Plus, it was a relief to actually hear her normal voice for once and not the shrill screech she uses in the ring.

For the first time since the women’s division started, I can actually say that I wasn’t impressed with their showing tonight.  The Knockout division was going pretty strong and I hate to say it, but I believe that Taylor Wilde took away all of its momentum.  I had a feeling that tonight’s match was supposed to give Wilde some credibility as a fighting champion, but having her pin Velvet Sky twice in 30 seconds still makes her come across as a fluke champion.

For the second week in a row, Impact closes with a black baseball bat in the hands of someone other than Sting, who for some reason isn’t around but is getting his name mentioned in nearly every segment of the show.  It wouldn’t surprise me that this type of ending isn’t carried all the way into Hard Justice until we actually do hear from Sting and see if he joined “the dark side” or not.  Whatever the case may be, I feel that too much time is being devoted to an angle that only involves whether or not a person is turning heel or staying a face.

Finally, did anyone else besides me catch the TNA voiceover guy say that Kaz won the Steel Asylum match at Sacrifice?  I guess I didn’t get the memo on the gimmick name change, but at least it is a huge improvement over the TerrorDome.