All Hail the Governor (12/4 Impact Recap)

Team 3D is in the locker room with the Frontline who tell them to stand up for themselves and tell them that they all represent progress.  Brother Ray then fires them all up by telling them that the new revolution begins tonight.

The Impact intro hits as Mike Tenay hypes the Final Resolution card by saying that this may be the last Impact that Kurt Angle appears on.  Don West also announces that tonight there will be a street fight for the Legends Championship between Booker T and Samoa Joe and Rhino takes on Sting in the main event.

The Main Event Mafia music hits as Kurt Angle leads them all out to the ring.  Kevin Nash gets on the microphone and compliments Team 3D on how the swerved them last week.  Nash then gives Team 3D 60 seconds to reconsider their choice or else they have just signed their death warrant.

Team 3D come out and introduce themselves as AJ Styles and Samoa Joe’s partners at Final Resolution.  Brother Ray says that joining the Frontline was the right thing to do and say what they are doing is right for the wrestling business.  The MEM, on the other hand is doing the wrong thing and has raped every company that they have worked for. 

The rest of the Frontline members come out and stand side by side with the fans in the Impact Zone.  Rhino gets on the microphone and says that Kurt Angle’s time in TNA will end this Sunday and tells him to watch what he is going to do to Sting tonight.  Brother Ray then jumps in and says that they are going to kick the MEM asses tonight.

Jeremy Borash and Lauren is standing outside of the Impact Zone with the Beautiful People.  Borash shills the TNA mobile service, which is now free of charge and Cute Kip butts in and says that Sarah Palin is going to arrive shortly.  Angelina Love and Velvet Sky say they are going to crown her as a new member of the Beautiful People but first they have some business to attend to before she arrives.

We are treated to Kurt Angle’s #5 top moment in TNA which is when he won every single title that TNA had to offer at the same time.

Jeremy Borash is sitting with Booker T and Sharmell and asks about their relationship with the Beautiful People and why Booker would want to defend the Legends Championship against Samoa Joe in a street fight.  Sharmell says that the Beautiful People were hired to protect her until the pay-per-view.  Booker says he can defend the title against anyone he wants and is going to prove that he is the best tonight.

Match 1: Samoa Joe vs. Booker T (Street Fight for the Legends Championship)
The match starts and Joe takes Booker down with a few chops before Booker rolls out to the floor.  Joe tosses Booker over the railing and into the crowd where they trade chops as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match where it has found its way back into the ring where Joe picks up a two count on Booker.  The match finds its way out to the floor again and Booker is able to turn the tide by ramming Joe’s head into the ring post and steel steps.  Booker rolls him back into the ring and Booker picks up a couple of near falls before Joe takes him down with a snap slam.

Sharmell hops up on the apron and distracts referee Earl Hebner as Joe applies the rear naked choke on Booker.  Booker begins to tap out as the Beautiful People come down and blind Joe by spraying stuff in Joe’s eyes.  Booker then nails Joe with an axe kick to pick up the win.

The Main Event Mafia is celebrating in their locker room while watching it on the monitor.  Scott Steiner guarantees Sting that they will fight their match at Final Resolution like they are fighting for their own titles.  Kurt Angle then says that he is going to say something to Mick Foley and then announce it to the fans and the world.

Kurt Angle’s #4 top moment is aired and it is when he wrestled Yuji Nagata in Japan and retained his IWGP Championship.

Lauren is in the locker room with Samoa Joe when Team 3D come in and asks Joe what he is going to do about the loss.  Brother Ray says it’s not about winning and losing the battle but winning and losing the war.  Ray tells him that Ric Flair has been World Champion 16 times and they have been the tag team champions 20 times and have come back swinging every time they lost them.  Ray tells him not to sweat the loss and fight the war.

The newest edition of ODB’s Angle is aired where she is with Roxxi and Taylor Wilde.  ODB comes across as lifeless and Taylor asks what her problem is.  ODB says that her match at Final Resolution has turned into a 3-on-1 match and Roxxi and Taylor offer their services.  Mike Tenay tells us that it has been approved by Traci Brooks and the new match between the six has been made official.

Lauren is with Beer Money when they are going after Abyss in the backstage area.  Roode and Storm say that they are there to apologize about hitting him with a beer bottle a few weeks ago.  They want to have a drink with him but Abyss says he isn’t supposed to drink but starts talking about the Family Guy cartoon and drinking at the Drunken Clam.  Both Roode and Storm say that they are regulars there and entice him to drink a shot of Jim Beam and a beer.  Abyss really likes the Beam and decides that he is going to tell Morgan that they aren’t that bad after all.

Kurt Angle’s #3 top moment is aired and it is the debut of Kurt Angle to TNA at the No Surrender pay-per-view in 2006.

Lauren is outside of the Impact Zone with the Beautiful People and they are standing in front of a limousine.  A really bad Sarah Palin impersonator comes out as the Beautiful People are overly ecstatic as they want to take her on the tour of the Impact Zone.  Cute Kip wants to tell them something but they are too excited to listen.

A video package highlighting Christy Hemme and what she has gone through with her training to get ready for Awesome Kong is aired.  This brings us into our next match up.

Match 2: Awesome Kong & Scott Steiner vs. Christy Hemme & AJ Styles(Mixed Tag Team Match)
This match will be man vs. man and women vs. women.  Steiner and Styles start out and Styles is able to gain the early advantage before Steiner levels him with a hard forearm shot.  Styles is able to send Steiner out to the floor and Awesome Kong is also dumped over as she charges at Styles and Christy.  Styles sets up for a moonsault but Kong clotheslines his legs and sends him crashing into the apron.  Steiner continues to work over Styles in the ring as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match to see Styles regain control of the match by taking Steiner down with a side slam.  Styles then connects with a Pele kick but Kong is able to get the blind tag on Steiner and Christy flies in and applies a headlock on Kong as Styles and Steiner go at it on the floor.

Kong begins to overpower Christy and nails Styles in the corner for good measure.  Kong then goes for an Awesome Bomb but Christy is able to squirm out of it.  Styles and Christy then perform a double team DDT on Kong and Christy is able to pick up the win.  Styles and Christy then celebrate their victory together on the outside as Kong is irate in the ring over the loss.

Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle who meets up with Mick Foley in the hallway.  Angle tells him that if he screws him at Final Resolution that Foley will never walk again.  Foley tells Angle that he fired the first shot at Bound for Glory and will be there to make sure the match between Angle in Rhino stays a 1-on-1 match.  Angle says that he is going to have someone not from the Mafia watch his back.

Kurt Angle’s #2 top moment is aired and it is Angle becoming the first ever TNA World Champion at Slammiversary.

We head backstage where the party is continuing with Beer Money and Abyss.  Abyss is wearing Storm’s cowboy hat and is wondering if he is supposed to be feeling this good.  Abyss wonders if he will still be a top guy in TNA and Beer Money assures him that he will as long as he sticks with them.  Storm and Roode then make Jacqueline sit on his lap and give him a kiss.  Abyss hopes that nothing changes between him and Lauren due to it.

Match 3: Jimmy Rave/Sonjay Dutt/Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Consequences Creed/Jay Lethal/Eric Young
The bell rings and Shane Sewell is the referee in the match.  Bashir walks out and gets on the headset and says that he will not wrestle in a match with Sewell and Young in the ring at the same time.  In the ring, Lethal picks up a quick two count on Dutt before tagging in Young, who comes in and takes Dutt down with a clothesline.  Rave is able to turn the tide of the match and both Rave and Dutt work over Young and pick up a few near falls in the process.

Miscommunication causes Dutt and Rave to run into each other and Young is able to tag in Creed, who comes in like a ball of fire and takes them both out.  Lethal begins working over Dutt on the outside and Creed lands the TKO on Rave to pick up the pin fall.  Once the bell rings, Bashir goes over and begins attacking Young, but Young is able to give him a hip toss onto the ramp.  Young then grabs the title and holds it up high in the ring with his partners.

A Feast or Fired video package is aired where some of the wrestlers give their thoughts on the match.

Jeremy Borash is sitting in the dressing room with Sting who says that at Final Resolution we will see how a family functions as he will be standing in the ring with people he can trust and have known for years.  As for tonight, Sting is confused as to how Rhino got caught up in all of this, but nothing will stop him from doing what needs to be done.

Kurt Angle’s #1 moment is aired and it is the formation of the Main Event Mafia in Las Vegas.

The Beautiful People is with their guest and they are showing off Booker T’s dressing room.  Booker wants to know what they are doing there as Booker whispers to Cute Kip to get them out of his dressing room.

The newest edition of Rough Cut is aired and it is about getting their opportunity in TNA and being role models to the fans and the Latino nation and everyone else.  They say the represent everybody and want to show the kids that they can achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.

Another segment showing a drunken Abyss is aired and this time they are all dancing with each other.  A phone rings and it is Morgan and Abyss wants to invite him to have a drink with them.  Roode and Storm don’t think it is a good idea as they are “out of alcohol” and Storm smashes a bottle over his head.  Roode tells him that they are not going to get their titles on Sunday and to tell Morgan that as well.

A video package airs that hype the match between Rhino and Kurt Angle at Final Resolution.  Kurt Angle then makes his way out to the ring with a microphone and calls out Jeff Jarrett.  Angle tells Jarrett and the fans to enjoy themselves tonight and celebrate that this may be his final Impact appearance.  Angle says that the more they celebrate, the more focused he becomes and right now he is focused on Jarrett.

Angle says he was screwed at his match against Jarrett at Bound for Glory and promises that it will not happen again against Rhino at Final Resolution.  Angle says that when he goes through Rhino he is going to do the same to Mick Foley and then set his sights on Jarrett.  Angle says he won’t feel any remorse for him and when he is done with him, he will own TNA and Jarrett.  Jarrett responds by saying that Angle can take his company and career over his dead body before leaving.

Lauren is in the locker room with Rhino who says that he heard what Angle said to Jarrett and said that Angle went out of the realm of wrestling and broke the wrestler’s code.  As far as Sting goes, he doesn’t know what he is capable of doing to him tonight.

Jeremy Borash is with Team 3D, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.  Team 3D lets AJ Styles and Samoa Joe speak for themselves and Styles says that from the start he has considered Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels like family but he never thought they would be on the same side as Team 3D.  Styles says that since Sting doesn’t want to pass the torch, he will take it from them.  Joe tells Borash that was all that needed to be said.

Match 4: Sting vs. Rhino
Rhino goes right on the offensive as the bell rings.  Rhino goes for the Gore in the opening moments but Sting is able to escape to the floor.  Rhino follows him out and slams him into the guard railing a couple of times.  Rhino goes for a Gore on the outside but Sting sidesteps him and sends him into the railing that busts Rhino’s forehead open and we head into a commercial break.

We return to see Rhino wearing the proverbial crimson mask as Sting continues to work on his forehead with some stiff right fists.  Rhino begins to mount a comeback and takes Sting down with a clothesline as Kurt Angle comes down to the ringside area to cheer on his partner.

AJ Styles also comes down to cheer on his partner as well as Rhino delivers a shoulder block on Sting.  Angle hops on the apron and distracts Rhino which allows Sting hit him with a clothesline and locks in the Scorpion Death Lock as Styles and Angle go at it on the floor.  That distraction causes Sting to break the hold a turn his attention to the melee outside and Rhino blindsides him with the Gore to pick up the pin fall victory.  The Frontline members swarm the ring to celebrate as Rhino holds the TNA World Championship high in the ring even though it was a non-title match.

One final video package hyping the Final Resolution pay-per-view is aired as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Booker T defeated Samoa Joe by pin fall to retain the Legends Championship.
- Christy Hemme & AJ Styles defeated Awesome Kong & Scott Steiner by pin fall.
- Consequences Creed/Jay Lethal/Eric Young defeated Jimmy Rave/Sonjay Dutt/Sheik Abdul Bashir by pin fall.
- Rhino defeated Sting by pin fall.

Starman’s Thoughts
There wasn’t a lot of in-ring action on the go home edition of Impact this week, but that doesn’t mean that it was a bad show.  Actually, tonight’s show was fun to watch for the most part and it worked well as it was a good mix of the main MEM/Frontline feud along with the rest of the current feuds.

For starters, the Frontline group seemed to finally gain some momentum and didn’t look like the pathetic losers that they are usually painted out to be like.  Members of the Frontline team took part in all four matches and came up on the winning side three out of the four times.  What was the most impressive, though, was Rhino cleanly pinning Sting in the middle of the ring.

When I first heard about the match between Rhino and the champion I automatically assumed that it would end in some sort of disqualification or some sort of dusty finish.  I was actually surprised to see Rhino score a pin fall over Sting, but once I thought about it, it really makes sense.

I recently wrote that it would take some meaningful wins to get Rhino back into the picture and that the way things were currently set up, Angle should easily walk over Rhino at Final Resolution.  Well, Rhino got that meaningful victory tonight as he beat Sting.  Of course, Rhino took a good amount of punishment and was bloodied pretty badly, but Angle vs. Rhino looks a whole lot better than it did a mere two weeks ago.

Speaking of Rhino, when did he suddenly get these mic skills?  There has been some great work from him over the past few weeks which shows how much better he can be once he has some good angles to work with.

With only three weeks to promote the final pay-per-view of 2008, TNA really seemed to be firing on all cylinders tonight.  Like I said before, tonight’s show was a decent mix of everything.  The MEM/Frontline feud has occupied a huge majority of the television time in the past weeks and it was refreshing to see other angles play out around it.  The build up for the Women’s Championship hasn’t been great but it hasn’t been non-existent either and tonight we got to see a glimmer of hope in that Christy Hemme can possibly pull a fast one on Awesome Kong.

Aside from that, I actually enjoyed seeing Abyss letting loose and drinking with Beer Money.  It was odd to see, but it was something different than the regular Abyss/Morgan buddy-buddy promo that we’d usually get before a big match.  I even liked the fact that Sheik Abdul Bashir abandoned his partners just so he wouldn’t be in the ring with Shane Sewell and Eric Young.  It made sense that his character would do something like that and keeps Bashir away from those two until Final Resolution.

The only thing I didn’t care for too much was the horrible Sarah Palin impersonator that was with the Beautiful People.  I hope that is the last time we have to sit through that.

A couple more final thoughts about tonight’s broadcast that I had while watching the show before I wrap this up.

- Jeremy Borash announced that TNA’s mobile service is now free and we can sign up by texting the word TNA to 81676.  I did just that and received a message back that Angle’s mystery guest for Final Resolution is a former World Champion who has also held tag team gold with Mick Foley.

The first name that immediately comes to mind is the Rock, however, I see that as a highly unlikely choice.  If the Rock isn’t going to appear at WrestleMania or anything like that, I doubt that he would come anywhere near a TNA event no matter how much money they threw at him.

That would leave Steve Austin (again, highly unlikely) or Terry Funk.  My money is on Funk, although I am interested to see where they end up going with this.

- During the opening shots of the crowd, the camera happened to stop on a sign about bringing back Christopher Daniels.  At first, I thought it was odd that they would show that but then I heard AJ Styles bring him up during one of their promos.

I am hoping that this is some foreshadowing on their part to bring back the Fallen Angel and put him into the MEM/Frontline feud.  I’m sure I can safely say that I am not the only one that would love to see him back as his former self, even though the Curry Man gimmick was fun to watch while it lasted.

As always, I will offer my thoughts on Final Resolution and predict the winners this weekend in my Final Resolution Preview and Predictions.