Mike Tenay and Don West are standing on the entrance ramp to welcome us to this week’s special edition of Impact that will feature some of the best pay-per-view matches of 2008. Also, the first title defense of 2009 will take place between Beer Money, Inc. and the LAX for the TNA Tag Team Championship.
Match 1: Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett (Bound for Glory IV)
The first match of the night is billed as the “Comeback Match of the Year” by Don West and it is Jeff Jarrett going against Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory IV. Throughout the match a small video screen cuts in where the participants give their take on what happened in and out of the match. Mike Tenay and Don West are also providing alternative commentary from what was said at the actual event.
During the cut-ins, Jeff Jarrett talks about preparing for the match after a 2-year absence. Mick Foley says that he hoped to get involved in some way as it was planned to have been his only TNA appearance. Kurt Angle mentions that he has a clause in his contract that says he cannot be fired by Jarrett and how much he wanted to hurt him.
As we all know, Mick Foley gets involved in the match and applies the mandible claw on Angle. Jarrett follows with a guitar shot and Foley makes the three count to give Jarrett the victory. Unfortunately there is no Starman sighting from his fourth row seat in the crowd.
A video package that focuses on the feud between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong is aired. The match between Awesome Kong and Gail Kim is aired from Impact episode in January where Kong defeats Kim for the Knockouts Championship.
Match 2: Awesome Kong vs. Gail Kim (TNA Knockout Championship – Impact)
As you can imagine, there are no participant cut-ins as Awesome Kong rarely talks and Gail Kim is no longer with TNA, but there are a few from Angelina Love, Traci Brooks, Roxxi and ODB. Angelina wonders why this match is being aired as it doesn’t involve her, while Traci, Roxxi and ODB give their thoughts on Kong’s power and wrestling abilities.
When this match originally aired, I wrote that it was very lackluster as it didn’t live up to the high standards of their previous matches. My thoughts since then have remained the same. Kong’s reign at the top of the Knockouts division started with this match after she defeated Kim with a pair of powerbombs and an Awesome Bomb.
Match 3: Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle (TNA World Championship – Lockdown)
The TNA “Match of the Year” is up next and it is the MMA-style match between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle at Lockdown. During the cut-ins, Angle says the match was one of the most physical matches he has even been in and how hard it is to wrestle Joe. Samoa Joe says that it was his night and he wasn’t going to fall short of his goal. Mick Foley even gets to sound off about the match and tell us how much he likes to watch the Six Sides of Steel matches.
As we saw back in April, Samoa Joe was able to defeat Kurt Angle for the TNA World Championship when he dropped him with the muscle buster. While I enjoyed the fact that Samoa Joe won the title I didn’t particularly enjoy the MMA-style match between these two. Angle and Joe have put on some classic matches against each other and this one would probably rank near the bottom of the list.
Mike Tenay and Don West are standing in the ring and hype the upcoming matches and we will also get to see a special video package highlighting the greatest moment of 2008.
Match 4: AJ Styles vs. Sting (TNA World Championship – Turning Point)
The title match between Sting and AJ Styles from Turning Point is next. During the cut-ins, Sting says that this match had to do about respect, while Styles thinks it was about the balance of power and promises that TNA will be back to normal in 2009.
The finish of the match saw Kurt Angle and Booker T causing a distraction the briefly took Styles’ mind out of the match. This gave Sting time to recover and Styles misses with a Pele kick and Sting follows with a roll up to pick up the three count to retain the TNA World Championship.
A video package highlighting the past year for the LAX and Beer Money is aired. These two teams will collide next in the first title match of 2009.
Match 5: The LAX vs. Beer Money, Inc. (TNA Tag Team Championship)
The bell rings for the only new match of the night and Homicide quickly goes on the attack against James Storm. Homicide sends Storm’s head into Roode’s crotch before taking him down with a suplex and goes for an early pin attempt. Hernandez is tagged in and Storm is able to find his way into his corner and makes the much needed take to Roode.
Hernandez takes Roode down with a hard shoulder block and tags Homicide back in, who lands three suplexes as the LAX begin to isolate Roode into their corner and work on him with quick tags. Roode is sent to the outside and Homicide dives through the ropes and takes him out. He then opens Storm’s motorized cooler scooter and steals a beer as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match to see that the momentum of the match has shifted in favor of the champions. Homicide is able to get a tag to Hernandez but Earl Hebner doesn’t allow it as he didn’t see the tag. Storm and Roode continue to work on Homicide until he is able to counter a superplex and drives Storm down to the mat.
Hernandez gets the much needed tag and begins slamming both members of Beer Money. Hernandez then takes Roode down with a sitout powerbomb but Storm is able to break up the pin attempt. Homicide is tagged back into the match and Hernandez sends him flying into Storm and Roode.
Homicide then connects with the Gringo Cutter on Roode and tries to follow with a top rope splash, but Roode is able to roll out of the way. Beer Money goes for their finisher but Hernandez takes out Storm and rescues his partner, who takes Roode down with a DDT. While Hernandez dives out on to Storm, Homicide connects with a frog splash on Roode but he is able to kick out before the three count.
Jacqueline slides a tag team belt to Roode and distracts Hebner but Homicide is able to steal it away from him and use it on Roode instead. Once Hebner turns his attention back to the match he begins to count the pin fall but Roode is able to kick out in time. Hebner is then distracted by some action outside of the ring and turns his attention to Storm as Jacqueline holds up a steel chair and Roode sends Homicide flying head first into it. Roode rolls Homicide up and holds the tights as Hebner makes the three count.
A 2008 highlight video is aired that is played to the song “Got it Made” by Theory of a Deadman as Impact comes to a close. Some of the highlights include footage from the Global Impact show in Japan, Scott Steiner torturing Petey Williams, Samoa Joe winning the TNA World Championship, Mick Foley’s debut, the wedding between Jay Lethal and SoCal Val, Abyss going through a flaming table, Curry Man being fired, and Awesome Kong winning and losing the Knockouts Championship.
Quick Results
- Jeff Jarrett defeated Kurt Angle by pin fall at Bound for Glory IV.
- Awesome Kong defeated Gail Kim by pin fall for the Knockouts Championship from the Impact that aired on January 10, 2008.
- Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle by pin fall for the TNA World Championship at Lockdown.
- Sting defeated AJ Styles by pin fall at Turning Point.
- Beer Money, Inc. defeated the LAX by pin fall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.
Starman’s Thoughts
I wasn’t sure how much I would like a best of show but it actually wasn’t that bad. I liked how they did the cut-ins during the match to give it a little something extra for those of us who have already seen the matches. It came across like watching a DVD with the alternate commentary turned on.
Being that this was a best of show, it did seem weird to have an actual match on the broadcast but the first title match of 2009 was a nice end to the show. The match ended in usual TNA fashion with a dirty finish, but the match was given some decent time and was entertaining for the most part. Hopefully this will be a trend that carries on throughout the rest of the year.
