Hit Man for the Mafia (11/6 Impact Recap)

A recap of the young stars banding together and Scott Steiner joining the Main Event Mafia kicks off this week’s broadcast.  The new Impact into hits and we are welcomed to tonight’s show that will feature a Knockout tag team match and a four-way ladder match.  Plus, every MEM member will be in action which will be capped off with Scott Steiner against Samoa Joe in the main event.

The Main Event Mafia makes their way to the ring and Kurt Angle gets on the microphone and announces Scott Steiner as their newest member and calls him their “hit man.”  Steiner says that they have earned their respect throughout the years and wrestling all over the world.  As far as the young punks go, they seemed to be more concerned with their video games, “mark” wrestling web sites and comic books.  Steiner says that he hadn’t heard of any of them prior to joining TNA and that they wouldn’t even be recognized in their own home towns.

Samoa Joe’s music hits as he is followed by the Motorcity Machine Guns, Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed and Eric Young.  Joe says that he may have been offended if he could have understood what he just said.  He then runs down their accomplishments, such as the Ultimate X matches and their unique style of wrestling that sets them apart.  Joe then congratulates their new recruitment and says that they have been doing some of their own and introduces Christian Cage.

Cage comes out and tells Joe that he isn’t going to pick a side but doesn’t mind lending a hand against the veterans.  Cage says that he doesn’t understand what the MEM have against the young stars and says that they started out just the same way and busted their asses to get where they are today.  Cage then finishes by saying he will take Booker’s title on Sunday and raise his hand to say “I am legend.”  Booker interrupts and says he is wrong and that after Turning Point, Cage will be standing with the MEM and will know the true meaning of the word “master.”

We go to Jeremy Borash who is meeting up with Mick Foley and AJ Styles who just came into the Impact Zone.  Foley says he had to talk to Styles but decided to make the announcement in front of all of the TNA wrestlers and fans later on tonight.

Match 1: Beer Money, Inc. & Booker T vs. the Motorcity Machine Guns & Christian Cage
The Guns try to use their quickness to their advantage but some double team moves behind the ref’s back allows Beer Money and Booker to gain the advantage of the match.  They isolate Chris Sabin to their side of the ring and use quick tags to wear him down.  Sabin, though, is able to take Storm down with an ensuguri and makes the needed tag to Cage.

Cage comes in and clears the ring of his opponents and lands a frog splash on Booker but Beer Money is there to break up the pin attempt.  The match then breaks down as the Guns take out Beer Money on the outside as Cage ducks out of an axe kick attempt and drives Booker down to the mat, but Jacqueline begins to distract the referee.  Cage turns his attention to the distraction as Sharmell slides in the Legends Championship to Booker, who uses it to nail Cage in the head and picks up the three count.

Jeremy Borash joins Jeff Jarrett in his office and tells Jarrett that Kurt Angle is on his way to his office.  Jarrett doesn’t seem to care about it and sends Borash on his way.  After a commercial break there is commotion in Jarrett’s office with a bunch of TNA security, Jarrett, Mick Foley and Kurt Angle in the office.  Angle says that Jarrett can’t hide behind the desk forever and he will get his revenge on him and then he’s coming after Foley.  Angle then threatens Jarrett’s kids one more time before leaving the office.

Mike Tenay and Don West hype the Turning Point card, which is coming to us this Sunday night.  We then cut to the back where we see Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed beating down Roxxi.  Security comes to break it up as Taylor Wilde, ODB and Lauren tend to Roxxi and Borash yells to the production team to go to break.

We return to see Lauren telling us that Roxxi has been seriously hurt as the paramedics are tending to her.

Match 2: Tanahashi & Volador vs. Matt Morgan & Abyss vs. Team 3D vs. the LAX (Four-Team Ladder Match)
A contract is hanging high above the ring, which will allow the winners of this match a shot at the Tag Team Championships.  The bell rings as Team 3D is able to take control of the match until Morgan & Abyss come in and works them over until we head into a commercial break.

We return to see Hernandez dumping Morgan off a ladder and onto the floor.  Hernandez then tries dive out on Morgan but catches nothing but ladder.  In the ring, Devon and Homicide begin to fight on top of a ladder and Homicide drives Devon down to the mat.  Abyss comes in and delivers the Shock Treatment to Homicide and Brother Ray nails Abyss with a choke slam.

Ray then accidentally hits the referee as Tanahashi takes both members of Team 3D but misses with a frog splash, which allows Team 3D to land the 3D on Tanahashi.  Team 3D then begin climbing up the ladder until Beer Money interferes and knocks them down.  Abyss then comes back in and grabs the contract to win the match as Beer Money looks on from the outside and doesn’t look too happy about who won the match.

Mick Foley makes his way down to the ring with a microphone and calls out AJ Styles.  Once Styles is in the ring, Foley says that Jeff Jarrett built TNA around an unknown wrestler in AJ Styles.  Foley says that Raven himself even told him that Styles is phenomenal.  He then goes on to talk about the significance of his upcoming match with Sting and tells Styles that he is the president-elect of the new generation of wrestlers in TNA.

Sting’s music hits and he comes out with the face paint and trench coat with the title slung over his shoulder.  Sting says that he respects all of what Foley has done for wrestling but the younger stars need to be fed with a silver spoon or else all hell breaks loose.  Styles interrupts and says that Sting gets everything that he asks for in his contract while all he has is his word and he stands behind it.

Sting begins to talk trash about Styles’ upbringing and how his dad kicked him out of the house when he was 15 years old.  Sting then says Styles lacks discipline and that his kid will grow up to be exactly like him.  Styles tries to go after him but he is held back by Foley as Tenay announces his disgust with Sting’s comments.

Lauren is standing by with Taylor Wilde who says that Roxxi is going to the hospital and says that this one is for her.  Rhaka Khan comes in and offers her services for the tag team match.

Match 3: Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed vs. Taylor Wilde & Rhaka Khan
Wilde tries to end this match quickly with a roll up but Kong easily kicks out of it.  Kong then levels Wilde with a clothesline and tags in Saeed.  Wilde is able to gain some momentum against Saeed and takes her down with a hurricanrana but she runs into Kong and Saeed regains control.

Kong is tagged back in and she taunts Khan a bit while methodically working over Wilde.  Kong then misses with a splash which allows Wilde to tag in Khan, who comes in and stares down Kong.  Khan then turns her attention to Wilde and drives her down with a choke slam as Kong stands there and smiles.  Khan then sends Wilde over to Kong, who delivers the Implant Buster and picks up the win.

Jeremy Borash is sitting in the dressing room with Kevin Nash who says he is more than ready to face Samoa Joe.  Nash says a year ago he ran down his best friend and right then he knew Joe was a piece of garbage.  He then goes on to say he is bigger and stronger than Joe and wonders if he is ready.

A pre-taped interview segment between Mike Tenay and Sheik Abdul Bashir is aired.  Bashir says that he was raised in America just like everyone else but it all changed for him on September 11th, 2001.  Tenay asks about his anti-America slant and Bashir admits that he loves America but says it is the American people that make it difficult to live in this country.

Mike Tenay tells Bashir that he lobbied for Bashir to be a part of the World X Cup and respects his in-ring ability but he doesn’t respect his political thoughts.  Bashir and Tenay begin getting into an argument until Bashir has to be pulled away by security.  Back at the announce table, Tenay says it was the first time he ever had to have security drag a wrestler away.

Match 4: Main Event Mafia (Sting/Angle/Nash) vs. Eric Young/Consequences Creed/Jay Lethal
Lethal starts out and uses some flashy moves to get a quick near fall on Angle.  It isn’t enough to keep him down, though, who fires back with a clothesline that turns Lethal inside out.  The MEM begin to take turns and pick Lethal apart until he is able to slide under Sting’s legs and make the much needed tag to Young.

Young comes in and powers Sting around until Angle makes the blind tag and takes Young down at the legs.  Angle tries for an ankle lock but Young counters with a small package.  Angle is able to get out and Young tags in Creed who takes everyone down and picks up a near fall on Angle.  The match momentarily breaks down and once the ring is cleared, Angle lands the Olympic Slam on Creed to pick up the win.

Lauren is backstage with Rhino who says that America is the land of the free and that Bashir can either love it or get the hell out.  Rhino says he is sick of Bashir and his attitude and that he will deport him via the Gore.

A video package recapping the MEM/TNA Originals feud airs, which brings us to the main event.

Match 5: Scott Steiner vs. Samoa Joe
The match begins as Joe enters the ring and goes right on the attack.  Joe continues to work Steiner over until Steiner is able to hit Joe with a mule kick between the legs.  Steiner begins to power Joe around and wear him down with headlocks and clotheslines as we head into a commercial break.

We return to see Joe take Steiner down with a big boot and a t-bone suplex.  Kevin Nash makes his way down to the ring and causes a distraction and Joe dives out to him on the floor.  With the referee’s attention on Nash, Steiner puts on a pair of brass knuckles and knocks Joe out with one punch.  Steiner then makes the cover to win the match.

After the match, Kevin Nash begins beating on Joe as Styles comes out and chases Nash and Steiner away with a steel chair.  The rest of the Main Event Mafia comes out and applauds Steiner and Nash’s work as we are then treated to a Turning Point package featuring the song Indestructible by Disturbed.

Quick Results
- Beer Money, Inc. & Booker T defeated the Motorcity Machine Guns & Christian Cage by pin fall.
- Matt Morgan & Abyss won a four-team ladder match to win a shot at the Tag Team Championships.
- Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed defeated Taylor Wilde & Rhaka Khan by pin fall.
- The Main Event Mafia defeated Eric Young/Consequences Creed/Jay Lethal by pin fall.
- Scott Steiner defeated Samoa Joe by pin fall.

Starman’s Thoughts
Had there not been a Turning Point video package at the end of the show, I may have forgotten that there was a pay-per-view this Sunday as this show definitely did not have that go home feel to it.  As a matter of fact, tonight’s show was pretty much flat on all levels.  There were a few good spots throughout the show, but I’ll get to that later.  First, I have to talk about the direction they are taking the MEM/TNA Original feud.

Last week, the young stars rallied together and picked up some victories in the ring in a few miscellaneous matches.  Like I stated last week, though, is that all of their momentum was thrown out the window when Scott Steiner appeared and the MEM left them all for dead in the ring.  This week was more of the same with the MEM clearly looking like the dominant force.

The Mafia took part in three matches on tonight’s show and they made a statement in every one of them.  Not once did they lose.  Not once did they look inferior.  Not once did they look vulnerable.  They were the winners and they are painting the young stars to be exactly what they say they are – a bunch of no-name punks that won’t amount to anything.

Normally this wouldn’t be so bad, but this is on the eve of Turning Point were a majority of the higher matches pit a Mafia member against a young star.  The MEM has shown time after time that they are the better wrestlers so why would anyone in their right mind want to throw down $30 to watch them decimate the younger generation on pay-per-view?

Aside from Samoa Joe and AJ Styles defeating Kevin Nash and Booker T in a tag team match last week, the TNA Originals have always been on the losing end of this war.  At least give them something to work with or some momentum heading into Turning Point.  Give me a reason to rally behind this group of talented stars and a reason to like them.

It would not surprise me in the least to see the MEM win every single match at the pay-per-view.  I had high hopes for this feud but so far it has been so one-sided that I have almost entirely lost interest.  Things need to pick up and change quickly or I feel this angle may be dead before it even got a chance to start.

One final thought on the Main Event Mafia before I move on is that it seemed strange to me that Booker T was teaming up with Beer Money in a six-man tag match.  Sure, Beer Money isn’t aligned with the TNA Originals, but don’t they fall into the same category?  I can understand James Storm being upset for losing his singles match against Eric Young last week, but EY wasn’t even a part of the six-man tag match.  Just like Cage saying he would go to bat for the Originals but not join their side, a little backstage segment with Beer Money offering their services to the MEM would have helped here.

There were no signs of the Beautiful People anywhere this week, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything going on in the Knockout Division.  Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed settled the score by beating down Roxxi after being attacked last week and it appears that Rhaka Khan and Kong have formed an alliance of sorts.  To me, Khan has a far way to go in her wrestling ability, but I am still intrigued as to where this can go.  Like Kong, Khan has stood up to the men in the ring and they will form a dominant team.
Mike Tenay got to jump into his serious interviewer role once again this week with Sheik Abdul Bashir and I have to admit that it was probably one of the best interview segments I have ever seen him conduct.  With this interview, Bashir was able to develop his character a bit but I especially liked how Tenay got to tell him that he pushed for him to get him to over to TNA.  For once, Tenay didn’t look like a complete fool in the role and was more entertaining to watch than having Bashir interview with Karen Angle.

Since I brought Karen up, in case you missed it, if you look closely to the background during Kong and Saeed’s beat down of Roxxi, you can see the old set for Karen’s Angle in the dumpster.  I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but you would have to assume that it was as you can see ODB pulling it out to take a closer look at it at one point.

On a final note, although I feel that Turning Point stalled a little bit with tonight’s show, I will have a full preview and my predictions for you this weekend.