There is no video recap of last week’s events as the Impact intro kicks off tonight’s broadcast and we head directly into the first match.
Match 1: Lance Rock vs. Rhino
Rhino takes Lance Rock down with a belly-to-belly suplex and tries to put the match away quickly with the Gore, but Rock is able to put up a boot to stop Rhino’s momentum. Rock then works Rhino over with a headlock before Rhino again takes control of the match. Rhino then hits another belly-to-belly suplex and a Gore to put this match away.
After the match, Rhino grabs a microphone and calls the Frontline down to the ring. They all come down and the Motorcity Machine Guns nonchalantly hang on the ring ropes as the rest stand together in the ring. Rhino has a message for the Main Event Mafia for what they did to Brother Ray last week and that they are going to raise the bar higher this week.
AJ Styles gets on the microphone and says that he hopes that Abyss and Matt Morgan rip the heads off of Booker T and Scott Steiner. As for Sting and Kevin Nash, both he and Samoa Joe are going to take them on like animals in the Six Sides of Steel. Samoa Joe says that they will not accept them surrendering and they will realize that Joe is going to kill them.
We join the announce team who run down tonight’s huge line up with that will feature the final two first round match ups for the X Division Championship Tournament and there will be a Knockouts Street Fight between Rhaka Khan & Raisha Saeed against Christy Hemme & ODB. Plus, we will get an update on Brother Ray’s condition after last week’s beat down.
Jeremy Borash is standing by with Kurt Angle who says there is going to be blood shed tonight, but it will be that of the Frontline. Angle says they are going to do what they have to do and he says that he has a special guest coming later on tonight before giving his version of Foley’s trademark “Bang! Bang!”
Lauren is standing by with the Motorcity Machine Guns who asks them what would happen if they end up facing each other in the finals. Shelley says it would be win-win for them and Mick Foley would be the loser.
Match 2: Sonjay Dutt vs. Chris Sabin (X Division Title Tournament)
Sheik Abdul Bashir watches from the top of the entrance ramp even though he was eliminated from the tournament last week. Sonjay Dutt gains an early advantage in the match but does a little too much showboating to put the match away. Sabin comes back with an inverted atomic drop and dizzies Dutt with a flurry of offense.
Sabin tries to put the match away with the Cradle Shock, but Dutt counters it with a DDT and nearly picks up a pin fall of his own. Sabin, however, is able to come back and is able to score the pin fall after hitting the Cradle Shock. Alex Shelley joins his partner in the ring to celebrate the victory.
Lauren is backstage with the fake Sarah Palin and the Beautiful People, who are now dressed in outfits that were picked out by her. Palin now wants to work with their hair and makeup but Cute Kip interrupts and says that he is their fashion consultant. Love and Sky want to get “White House ready” and Kip leaves the room.
We head to a pre-taped ODB’s Angle segment where the special guest is Christy Hemme. ODB talks about Christy’s start in the wrestling business by winning the Diva Search and posing for Playboy. ODB talks about how much she hates pretty divas that slap on a pair of boots and call themselves wrestlers. Hemme says that she has been training hard and ODB gives her credit for stepping in the ring against Kong.
Raisha Saeed then steps in and slaps Hemme as “a message from Kong,” and Rhaka Khan steps in and takes down ODB. Security has to enter to break apart the brawl and the Knockout Street Fight will go down between these four later on tonight.
Jeremy Borash is with the Main Event Mafia who is sitting with Mick Foley. After hamming it up for a bit, Foley says the MEM may have crossed the line a bit last week by their beat down of Brother Ray. Angle tells Foley to relax but Foley asks him to say that there will be no more beat downs. Angle laughs and agrees as they all enjoy some champagne.
A new Rough Cut segment airs and this week the focus is on Robert Roode. Roode talks about growing up in Canada and was all into hockey. Roode then talks about training to become a wrestler and his passion from hockey to wrestling switch awfully quick. Roode says it has been a long road for him to get where he is today but wouldn’t change a thing.
Match 3: Scott Steiner & Booker T vs. Abyss & Matt Morgan
The match starts with solid action in the opening minutes with Abyss and Morgan in control of Booker T and Steiner. We head into a commercial break and return to see that the complexion of the match has changed as Booker is now in control of Abyss, but he is able to take down both of his opponents with a double clothesline.
Morgan is tagged back into the match and he slams Booker down hard on the mat and takes Steiner down with a big boot. Booker breaks up the pin attempt and this match breaks down as Abyss joins the fray and attacks Booker on the outside. Sharmell gets too close to the action and acts as if Abyss hit her by falling to the floor. This distracts Slick Johnson as Booker comes into the ring and hits Morgan with a pipe. Booker then hits the axe kick and picks up the pin fall. After the match, Sharmell hops up and celebrates their victory as Abyss can’t believe his eyes after being duped by her.
Another Brutus Magnus vignette airs where he says that his thirst of blood is growing stronger and that his time of glory is upon us.
Kurt Angle comes down to the ring to pay tribute to Jeff Jarrett and his wrestling career. Angle talks about Jarrett’s first days in wrestling and how he found his way to the WWF, where he won seven Intercontinental Championships and one Tag Team Championship with the late Owen Hart. This gets a huge “Owen” chant started.
Once he was done with the WWF, he went to WCW and became a 4-time WCW Champion. From there he started his own wrestling company and TNA was born. This gets a huge “TNA” chant started. Angle runs down some of TNA’s historic moments and brings us to Genesis, where Angle says his story comes to an end. Angle promises that Jarrett will drown in a pool of his own blood and says that he may have it in his heart to adopt Jarrett’s orphaned daughters.
Don West and Mike Tenay talk about how Angle always goes in that vile direction as Jarrett begins to walk out. Jarrett says he has heard that for the last time as some of the TNA staff, such as Terry Taylor and BG James try to hold him back. James tells Angle that he has crossed the line and security has to come out to hold Angle back.
After a commercial break, we head into Jarrett’s office where he is irate. BG James is trying to calm him down and Mick Foley comes in where James says it is all his fault.
Match 4: Kiyoshi vs. Consequences Creed (X Division Title Tournament)
Mike Tenay gives a brief profile of Kiyoshi by telling us that he has wrestled with All Japan Pro Wrestling and his style is similar to his partner and mentor, the Great Muta. The match starts and Kiyoshi gains the early advantage and picks up a few near falls before working over Creed with a nerve hold.
Kiyoshi misses with a diving headbutt from the top rope and Creed begins to mount a comeback by landing a series of clotheslines and kicks. Kiyoshi hits a strange slam and picks up the pin fall after hitting a moonsault from the top rope. Kiyoshi will now meet Chris Sabin in the semi-finals of the X Division Tournament.
The Beautiful People have finished with their makeovers and they have no makeup on at all. Velvet Sky thinks that they are ugly as Sarah Palin tries to pick up their spirits and tell them to trust her. They decide to go along with it and begin feeling better about themselves.
A video recap of last week’s brawl between Kurt Angle and Brother Ray is aired. Tenay tells us that Brother Ray will be sidelined indefinitely as he has suffered a concussion, a few broken ribs and a broken ear drum. Don West says that it was the most brutal beating he has ever seen.
A pre-taped interview between Mike Tenay and Shane Sewell airs where he gets a chance to talk about his actions as of late. Sewell talks about his wrestling career and how a serious neck injury forced him out of wrestling and into a referee role. Sewell says that he needs this job to support his family and that it is not up to him as to which matches he is the referee for and he won’t back down when he is provoked. Tenay wishes him luck when he returns to TNA.
Match 5: Rhaka Khan & Raisha Saeed vs. Christy Hemme & ODB (Knockouts Street Fight)
The bell rings and all four go at it as Saeed and Christy fight in the crowd and Khan and ODB go at it in the ring. Christy leaves Saeed in the crowd and comes in and delivers a spear to Khan. Christy and ODB double team Khan and Christy hits the FFG for the pin fall.
After the match, Awesome Kong enters the ring and takes both Christy and ODB down with a double clothesline. Kong then hits the Implant Buster on both of them before the lights go out in the Impact Zone. Suicide then comes down from the rafters and stares down Kong before chasing her out of the ring. The lights go out once again and he is gone once the come back.
Jeremy Borash is standing by with Sting and Kevin Nash in their dressing room. Kevin Nash says that Sting is the gold standard and AJ Styles spit in the face of an icon. Team 3D did the same and started the war between them before handing Sting his black bat.
Jeremy Borash is with Mick Foley in the hallway who wants to get answers to his questions about his involvement with the MEM. Foley says he isn’t on anyone’s side and was brought to TNA to do what is right for the business.
Match 6: Kevin Nash & Sting vs. Samoa Joe & AJ Styles (Six Sides of Steel)
The bell rings and they pair off and the Frontline looks to have the early advantage. Styles and Joe send Sting face first into the cage and Styles is able to pick up a two count on Nash. Joe begins grinding Sting’s face into the cage which draws a little bit of blood from Sting’s forehead. Styles covers Sting and picks up another two count as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match to see the Sting and Nash have turned the tables and are in control of the match. Nash takes Joe down with a big boot as Sting sends Styles flying face first into the cage. Samoa Joe is able to catch Nash with a boot and Styles lands a dropkick on Sting to turn the tide into their favor.
Joe begins to climb the side of the cage but Nash stops him and bashes his head into the cage wall. Styles then climbs up Nash’s back and escapes the cage to pick up the victory. That ended quick and from out of nowhere. As the Slick Johnson tries to unlock the cage door, Sting and Nash begin beating down Joe. Nash holds the door closed and catches Styles in the head by swinging it open.
Joe holds his own in the ring and sends Sting out to the floor as he locks in the rear naked choke on Joe. Angle comes in with a chair but Joe kicks that into his face. Booker T comes in and Joe side steps him before sending him into the cage wall. Steiner enters the ring with a lead pipe but Joe crotches him on the ropes.
Joe then lays the chair down in the middle of the ring and is about to deliver the muscle buster but Nash cracks him in the back. Steiner then locks the cage door and has the key as they begin beating down Joe in the ring. The referee’s try to get the door open and Styles tries climbing the cage but Nash keeps him at bay.
Sting begins taking down members of the Frontline that try to help as the MEM trap Joe’s arm in a steel chair and take turns stomping on it. The Frontline begins swarming around the ring and try to climb up the cage by they are always knocked down. Don West wonders where Mick Foley is during all of this as Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
- Rhino defeated Lance Rock by pin fall.
- Chris Sabin defeated Sonjay Dutt by pin fall in the X Division Title Tournament.
- Booker T & Scott Steiner defeated Abyss & Matt Morgan by pin fall.
- Kiyoshi defeated Consequences Creed by pin fall.
- Christy Hemme & ODB defeated Rhaka Khan and Raisha Saeed by pin fall in a Knockouts Street Fight.
- Samoa Joe & AJ Styles defeated Kevin Nash & Sting in the Six Sides of Steel when Styles escaped the cage.
Starman’s Thoughts
When tonight’s show opened and it was a drastic change from the usual start of an Impact broadcast, I immediately had the impression that we may see something out of the ordinary. What we got, though, were the same rushed matches that weren’t given nearly enough time to develop. As a matter of fact, the two longer matches on tonight’s show were interrupted by commercial breaks so a majority of it was missed anyway.
For example, let’s look at the opening match. It basically went belly-to-belly, missed Gore, Rhino fights back, belly-to-belly, Gore, pin fall. This was over and done with in a matter of a couple of minutes. Yes, it was a squash match for Rhino, but at least put some sort of effort into it. Not only that, but I really think it is time for Lance Rock to move on into something different. He shouldn’t be wasted in quick squash matches like this.
Since I am on the topic of rushed matches, the X Division Tournament matches also fight into that category but they were entertaining to watch while they lasted. I was surprised to see Kiyoshi (Akira Raijin) win his debut match against Creed. I originally thought that four members of the Frontline would advance to the semi-finals, but I guess I was wrong, although I do enjoy the thought of seeing Kiyoshi take on Chris Sabin in the semi-finals.
Kiyoshi was a lot of fun to watch and could turn out to be a nice addition to TNA and the X Division. It’s too bad that they didn’t let the fans know a little more about him prior to his match. Mike Tenay spouted out a brief description of his past and that he was trained by the Great Muta, but that was about it. As evident from his match against Consequences Creed, I guess he hasn’t quite yet learned the secret of the green mist.
The overall tournament seems like it is heading to be Sabin and Shelley fighting for the X Division Title. I know I can’t really argue that one and would easily pay $30 just for that match alone. I haven’t read any upcoming spoilers, but I am keeping my fingers crossed for that one.
Could 2009 possibly see the rejuvenation of the X Division? Guess we’ll have to wait and see about that one.
