Impact opens with video footage from the Destination X pay-per-view, where Suicide won the X Division Title, AJ Styles won the Legends Championship and Sting retained the TNA World Championship against Kurt Angle. The Impact intro hits as we are welcomed to this week’s show as we will get to witness the fallout from Destination X and how the Main Event Mafia will react as Sting is still the champion.
The Main Event Mafia’s music hits as we see them coming down to the ring and Scott Steiner is wearing a hood and mask over his face that has a face that sort of resembles a cross between Sting and Suicide. Kurt Angle gets on the microphone and calls his match against Sting a screw job and wants Sting to explain himself.
Sting grabs the microphone from Angle and says that he has been true to the MEM since day one but he has a personal problem against Angle. Kevin Nash has to step in the middle of them and says that he agrees with Sting in saying that he doesn’t owe Angle anything, however, Nash says that Sting has something to prove to the MEM as they think that Sting has something going on with Mick Foley.
Sting asks Nash what he needs to do to prove himself and Angle butts in and says that he wants him to be partners tonight against Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley. Jarrett’s music hits and Jarrett comes storming out to the ring with a microphone. Jarrett tells Angle that he doesn’t have the authority to book matches and Angle cuts in and says that he is only trying to protect Sting. Sting fires back and says he would love to be in the ring with Angle, Jarrett and Foley, but Foley has already wrestled his last match.
Foley’s music hits and he comes down to the ring with a microphone. Foley apologizes for hitting Sting with a chair but questions when Sting started calling the shots and doesn’t recall saying that he has wrestled his last match in TNA. Foley says that deep down inside he is a wrestler and as far as tonight goes, he is all in. Jarrett tries to reason with Foley but Angle starts goading Jarrett to man up and have him and Foley in the match. Jarrett finally agrees and says that this thing between them ends tonight.
A video package highlighting the new X Division Champion, Suicide, with footage from the Ultimate X match is aired.
Match 1: The Motorcity Machine Guns vs. No Limit
The MMG’s come out with the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championships and are acknowledge as such. Mike Tenay says that the Guns defeated No Limit overseas in Tokyo and we will be able to see that match shortly on Spike with Global Impact 2.
With the match under way, Yujiro is able to pick up a quick pin attempt after slamming Chris Sabin down to the mat. Shelley is tagged in and both members of No Limit begin working him over with double team moves. It doesn’t last long as Sabin makes the blind tag as they begin double teaming Yujiro, however, some miscommunication put an end to the MMG’s teamwork.
Naito is tagged in and connects with dropkick on Shelley and nearly puts the match away with a German suplex with a bridge on Sabin. Naito goes for a high risk move but gives the Guns too much time to recover as they cut him off. Sabin goes for a hurricanrana off the top rope but Naito rolls through and pins him with a sunset flip.
Beer Money then comes in and cuts the No Limit celebration shot and lays them out with the tag team titles. Robert Roode calls for a microphone and calls out Team 3D, who come out as asked with their own IWGP Tag Team Championships. Roode says they are going to be honest with Team 3D and say that they respect Team 3D and everything they have done for tag team wrestling.
Roode says that they are the TNA Tag Team Champions but they get disrespected and people look at them like they are a joke and a flash in the pan. Roode then says they will put their titles on the line against them once again at Lockdown in a city that is near and dear to them, Philadelphia, PA, and will get the respect they deserve. Brother Ray says they need to do it the right way and put their IWGP titles on the line as well and says that Team 3D will become the 22-time tag team champions in their own backyard.
Jeremy Borash is in the owner’s office with Mick Foley. Borash hypes TNA Mobile by saying a major celebrity wants to be a part of Lockdown before Jeff Jarrett storms into the office. Jarrett addresses Foley and says that Foley backed him into a corner and had to accept the match tonight. Foley says he got involved with TNA because he loves it but after seeing the competition he wanted a taste for himself. Foley points out that all four in the match are former and current World Champions and it is good for the business.
A recap of ODB’s contest from Destination X is aired in which she picked Cody Deaner as her suitor. A shot of Deaner in the crowd is aired as we head into the next match.
Match 2: Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed vs. ODB & Taylor Wilde
ODB and Wilde isolate Saeed in their corner and work her over until Kong is able to distract ODB and change to momentum. Kong is tagged in and momentarily powers ODB around before tagging Saeed back into the match who begins working over ODB’s legs. The two then take each other down with clotheslines and crawl over to their corners to tag their partners into the match.
Wilde comes is and takes Kong down with the straight dropkicks but Kong is quick to recover as ODB and Saeed fight on the outside. Kong picks up Wilde but she is able to counter into a rollup and pins Kong to win the match for her team. Their post match celebration doesn’t last long, though, as Kong quickly takes them down and drives ODB down with the Implant Buster. Cody Deaner then jumps the railing and helps ODB and gets Kong to back off.
Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle in his dressing room and goes over his match at Destination X. Borash says that Angle knocks out the referee and spits in his face, who was Jeff Jarrett. As for the guest enforcer, Mick Foley, Angle takes him out with the Angle Slam and kicked him in the balls. Sting, a member of the MEM, Angle tries to bash in his head with a steel chair. Angle justifies his actions due to it being 3-on-1, however, he will find out Sting’s loyalties tonight in the ring.
Match 3: Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Samoa Joe
Joe comes running into the ring and takes Bashir down with a big boot. Joe then goes on a relentless assault and Rudy Charles disqualifies Joe, who proceeds to lay him out with an uppercut. Joe continues to beat down Bashir and drags him out of the Impact Zone.
Lauren is with the Beautiful People, who immediately asks when Cute Kip is at. Velvet Sky says that he is on a secret probation and will not speak of him again. Love and Sky then tell Madison Rayne that they are not interested in her just getting a pin fall over the Governor, but want to see the mark of the Beautiful People left on her.
A recap of the match between Booker T and AJ Styles from Destination X is aired. We then see Jim Cornette standing in the ring and he introduces the new Legends Champion to the ring. Styles comes out and Cornette congratulates him and Styles says winning the title was a small step for him and a huge leap for the originals.
Styles says that the originals had the support of Rhino and Team 3D, but the originals had to come out to the ring and do it themselves. He then says the title isn’t going to represent money, but it is going to represent hope, respect and TNA. Styles then says he is a fighting champion and will give any deserving champion a shot at the title.
Booker T’s music hits as he and Sharmell comes down to the ring. Booker says that he paid a quarter million dollars for the title and he will be the first person Styles will defend against. Styles says that he has no idea what he just said and reiterates that he will defend against a deserving wrestler. Sharmell steps in and says that Booker will get the belt back in his own time as they leave the ring.
Match 4: Madison Rayne vs. the Governor
The Governor gains the quick advantage in the match but with too many outside distractions, Rayne and the Beautiful People are able to turn the tide without having the referee knowledge of what happened. The Gov begins making a comeback and picks up a near fall after smashing Rayne in the corner. The Gov then picks up a quick rollup and picks up the pin fall, however, the Beautiful People are quick to attack her as Love pulls out a pair of scissors and hands them to Rayne, who begins cutting the Gov’s hair.
Mike Tenay asks for the cameras to cut to the back where Samoa Joe has Sheik Abdul Bashir in the outside. Bashir is tied up with a chain and is hanging by his feet as Joe tells him that no one wants him in TNA. Joe suggests that he goes back from where he came from and begins beating him with a kendo stick.
This week’s installment of TNA Rough Cut is aired and the spotlight is on Brother Devon, who talks about getting into wrestling. He talks about meeting Brother Ray and how Team 3D were born in ECW. Devon talks about how the two of them balance each other out and strive to be the best tag team in the business.
A video package highlighting the feud between Sting and Kurt Angle is aired as we are then treated to a shot of Jenna Morasca sitting at ring side. With that said, the main event is up next.
Match 5: Kurt Angle & Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett & Mick Foley
The match starts as Jarrett and Angle go back and forth while Mike Tenay announces that there will be a 20-man Six Sides of Steel Gauntlet match next week to determine the two captains for Lethal Lockdown. Jarrett gets Angle in an armbar and tags in Mick Foley, who takes Angle down with a clothesline and sends him out to the floor. The MEM security comes out to help Angle and cause enough distraction for Angle to hit Foley with an Angle Slam on the concrete. Team 3D comes out and beats the security to the back as Jarrett calls for help and we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match to see Angle working over Foley in the ring but refuses to make the pin fall. Angle works over Foley’s legs and knees and refuses to tag Sting into the match. Sting then gets into Angle’s face and tells him to make the pin fall and finish it. Angle then shoves Sting into the guard railing as Jarrett enters the ring and takes Angle down. Jarrett goes for the Stroke but Angle is able to counter into the ankle lock. Jarrett is able to kick out of it but inadvertently nails the referee and knocks him out.
Angle runs out and grabs a steel chair but Jarrett stops him with a kick between the legs before grabbing his guitar. Before Jarrett can use it, though, Sting takes it away from him as Foley gets up and grabs the chair. Foley chases Angle out of the ring and then turns around and cracks Sting over the head with the chair. Foley then covers Sting as the referee recovers to make the three count and wins the match for his team.
We return from a commercial break to recap what just happened as Sting is standing in the ring with a microphone in his hand. Sting says that if he wanted back in the game he just had to ask. Sting says that he finds it ironic that Foley mentioned that Sting made his career many years ago and Sting will be the one ending it. Sting then challenges Foley to a match at Lockdown just like old times.
Jeremy Borash is in the owner’s office with Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley and Foley says he doesn’t know what just happened but says that Sting inspired him. Foley says that no one can say when Foley has had enough and says he will tear Sting apart at Lockdown.
Quick Results
- No Limit defeated the Motorcity Machine Guns by pin fall.
- ODB & Taylor Wilde defeated Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed by pin fall.
- Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Samoa Joe by disqualification.
- The Governor defeated Madison Rayne by pin fall.
- Mick Foley & Jeff Jarrett defeated Kurt Angle and Sting by pin fall.
Starman’s Thoughts
Tonight’s show had a tremendous opening that led to a huge main event. This was probably due to March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Tournament that kicked off today, but it was a great opening nonetheless. As for the main event itself, it didn’t quite live up to the hype but it did set up the Lockdown main event quite nicely.
I will admit that I let out a groan when the Lockdown poster was revealed to have Sting and Foley going at it. Granted, they haven’t wrestled against each other in nearly two decades, but due to injuries and age, neither of them will be able to deliver a high quality match like they would have in their heydays. However, if both Sting and Foley are on the same page and deliver with the type of intensity they gave in their post match promos tonight, I’m all in for a nostalgic trip with these two legends.
While I am on the topic of promos, the exchange between Beer Money and Team 3D tonight was done to perfection. Beer Money, who really have been seen as a comedic tag team, clamored for respect and even showed Team 3D the respect they deserve. Furthermore, neither tag team really seemed to one up the other during the exchange as they are on equal ground by putting both tag team belts on the line. Of course, the IWGP Tag Team Championship don’t mean very much to TNA’s audience, but it gives the match a little added bonus and gives both teams an opportunity to lose something.
Aside from the stellar promo work, there were a few other things that I noticed tonight that took me by surprise. The three main ones were Don West, the Legends Championship and the Governor. The three, although not connected in any way, have been problems with me and many TNA fans for quite some time now. I hope I’m not jumping the gun by saying this, but it almost seems like TNA creative have been listening to the fans reactions and trying to fix some problems. Allow me to explain…
Don West’s sudden mood swing from the past few weeks seemed to suddenly clear up. The bickering between Mike Tenay and West was kept to a minimum and West rarely let his newfound heel tendencies through. There were a few occasions when it appeared, but it wasn’t too over the top. I actually enjoyed West like this and hope that it continues on this path.
Next, the Legends Championship was basically recognized by Jim Cornette as a novelty championship that Booker T created. With that said, with AJ Styles winning the gold from Booker, Cornette seemed to have tried to give the belt some sort of credibility and worth by establishing it as a legitimate championship. Calling AJ Styles TNA’s first Grand Slam Champion didn’t hurt the cause either.
Finally, from just about the start, I have gone on and on about ending the Governor gimmick. Sarah Palin’s time has come and gone and keeping this character on the show has gone on for far too long. Had John McCain been successful in his bid for Presidency it may have gone over better, but this character has run its course. Now, I could be terribly wrong with this, but I am hoping that the hair cut the Governor received is a sign that they will be going in a different direction with her character. At least I can only hope.
As for the rest of the show, I found it quite amusing to see Scott Steiner in that hood he was wearing. At one point during Sting’s opening promo, Steiner tilted his head and looked to be deep in thought but I couldn’t help but laugh at the face on it. You’d think they would just as well keep him off television to sell the injury suffered at the hands of Joe instead of making him wear that. It’s not like he was in the ring doing anything aside from standing around.
Speaking of Joe, I will say that tonight’s lone dark spot was his post match attack on Sheik Abdul Bashir. I am enjoying the new intensity and fire that Joe is emitting, however, I think they need to pull in the reigns a bit. Seeing Joe hang another man upside down, threatening him with a knife and repeatedly beating him with a kendo stick is a bit much. Having Joe go and decimate opponents in the ring, much like the Joe of old, is something that I would much rather see. That’s just my opinion, though.
Very impressive recap… honest and true.
You’re a TNA fan as am I. But you called it like it was. You commended TNA for all the good that was on the this show (one of the best impacts in quite some time… but yet called the bad as well (ie: Joe’s angle going a little too far). People have really been ragging on TNA recently, even though rattings seem to be going up (when wwe’s are steadily going down).
That said, I think the product hasn’t been that great recently either, but last nights Impact definitely made a good turn in the right direction. Hope we see LAX with something worth while to wrestle for soon.
Mark