A video package highlighting the Hard Justice pay-per-view is aired where Samoa Joe won the X Division Title and Kevin Nash regained the Legends Championship. The voiceover guy wonders what will happen now that the Main Event Mafia holds all of the gold.
The Impact intro hits as we are welcomed to the announce table that is being manned by Mike Tenay only. Tenay tells us that Don West has received a promotion to the TNA merchandise department and wishes him the best of luck. On that note, he introduces Taz as the new color commentator.
The music of the Main Event Mafia hits as they make their way down to the ring with all of the gold slung over their shoulders. Kurt Angle gets on the microphone and before he can say much he is interrupted by Matt Morgan, who comes down to the ring carrying an axe handle and a microphone. Morgan says Angle asked for his help and he stole what could have been the greatest moment of his career and wants answers.
Angle says they were working together until Morgan went into business for himself when he kicked Angle out on the floor. Angle goes on to say that he pulled out the referee when he thought it was Morgan getting pinned. He then says he happened to fall on the fallen opponent, which was Morgan.
Angle continues by saying that he will give Morgan another chance to make it up to the MEM by teaming with Angle to go against Team 3D in a tables match. Morgan thinks Angle has lost his mind before he begins to think about the offer. Morgan agrees with Angle and agrees to the match.
Lauren is seen running towards AJ Styles in the backstage area and asks about his big announcement, however, Styles just walks past her without saying a word as we head into a commercial.
The British Invasion are seen walking towards the ring as Earl Hebner ejects the rest of the group from ringside. Mike Tenay mentions that TNA managements has given the referees more power and control of what goes on around thing ring.
Match 1: The British Invasion vs. Beer Money (Tag Team Street Fight)
Beer Money sneaks in from behind British invasion with garbage cans and lids and goes on the attack to start the match. The duo takes out Magnus before turning to Williams, who is repeatedly whipped with a belt.
The match goes to the outside and Williams is able to turn the tide by sending Storm into the ring post as Roode focuses on Magnus in the ring. Williams ties Storm to the ring post as Williams takes Roode down with a belt to a face. Roode is then busted open with a garbage can and is being choked out with a plastic bag over his face as another referee cuts Storm loose from ringside.
Storm brings a board into the ring and beats it over both members of the Invasion,. Which busts Williams wide open. Storm then busts a beer bottle over Williams’ head before hitting the DWI on Magnus on top of a garbage can to get the pin fall and win the street fight.
Lauren is with the Beautiful People and Angelina Love says that she did not lose the Knockout Championship, Madison Rayne did, and she will pay for it tonight. Velvet Sky warns Madison that the Beautiful People made her and the Beautiful People can break her.
Footage of the tag team title for the Knockout Championship is aired where Cody Deaner takes the belt away from ODB and runs away with it. Jeremy Borash is then seen sitting in the back talking to Mick Foley when ODB and Deaner walk by arguing. Foley says he is going to make a ruling about the title next week on Impact.
Abyss then walks up and Foley hands him a gift for helping him at Hard Justice. Abyss looks into the paper sack and pulls out a blue flannel shirt. Abyss puts it on and says its glorious before giving Foley a hug. Foley tells him to wear it with pride and asks for Abyss to return his barbed wire bat.
Mike Tenay and Taz runs down the rest of tonight’s card that will feature a rematch between Samoa Joe and Homicide for the X Division Title, Madison Rayne up against Angelina Love, a 4-way Knockout match and the Impact debut of D’Angelo Dinero. Plus, AJ Styles has a major announcement and Team 3D will take on Kurt Angle and Matt Morgan in a tables match.
Match 2: Madison Rayne vs. Angelina Love
Angelina Love attacks Madison Rayne in the ring entrance before the match starts. Love continues to attack Madison around the ringside area before rolling her into the ring. Love then covers Rayne for the pin fall.
Velvet Sky comes down to the ring with a paper bag and gives Rayne the brown bag treatment before Tara and Christy Hemme come out to assist Rayne. The Beautiful People leave the ring as the two sides talk trash.
A video package featuring the Motorcity Machine Guns is aired in which they say the fans probably haven’t seen a lot of them on television lately as they don’t play the political games and hang out with the right people or kiss the right asses. They inform us that they are about three things, entertaining the fans, getting laid and getting paid.
However, since their TV times has diminished, so have their paychecks. They then offer their services to the fans for $2000 per hour and says they will play video games, watch movies or just sit around and do nothing and they will even throw in a free Shamwow.
We then cut to the back where we see security guards pulling the Beautiful People off of Madison Rayne as they have attacked her in the backstage area.
Match 3: Homicide vs. Samoa Joe (X Division Title Match)
The match starts as Homicide goes directly on the attack as he takes Joe out to the floor and dives out on top of him. The match returns to the ring and Joe turns the tide and gets a two count with a snap slam. Joe then takes Homicide down with a German suplex and a powerbomb into a pin attempt, but Homicide kicks out again.
Homicide counters another attempt at a powerbomb and hits the Gringo Cutter but Joe is able to kick out of the pin attempt. Homicide then locks Joe in a headlock but Joe gets out of it and follows up with the muscle buster to pick up the pin fall and retain the X Division Championship.
A limo has arrived as we see a pair of shoes get out which signifies the arrival of the Pope, D’Angelo Dinero. We then head to the back where Lauren is with Sarita, Taylor Wilde, Christy Hemme and Tara. She says that all of them will be in a tournament next week to crown the first ever TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions. Christy says that her and Tara have been working together and getting ready as have Taylor and Sarita.
Match 4: Awesome Kong vs. Traci Brooks vs. Sarita vs. Christy Hemme
The bell rings and Kong begins taking out all of her competitors but Sarita’s quickness sends Kong out to the floor. Sarita and Hemme then take Kong out with a double dropkick and Traci drags Hemme out to the floor and sends her into the guard railing. Kong then lays out Traci and Sarita dives onto Kong. With all four knockouts on the floor, we head into a commercial break.
We return to see Hemme setting up for the FFG, but Kong grabs her before the other two knock her down. Christy then hits an inverted DDT on Traci and hits the FFG, but Kong grabs her off and hits the Implant Buster. Kong isn’t able to cover, though, as Sarita hits a dropkick. Kong is quick to recover, however, and slams Sarita down to the mat before landing a splash.
Kong then heads to the top rope to dive onto Hemme, but Traci slides in and pins Christy before that happens to steal the victory. Traci then runs up the ramp as Kong goes out after her and begins tossing chairs around. Mike Tenay announces that Kong and Raisha Saeed will face Traci and Sharmell in the first round of the Knockout Tag Team tournament.
Match 5: Consequences Creed vs. D’Angelo Dinero
Prior to the match, referee Andrew Thomas sends Jay Lethal to the back. The bell rings and Creed and the Pope goes back and forth and Creed gains the upper hand with a springboard clothesline but the Pope quickly comes back with a huge uppercut. Dinero continues to wear down Creed and hits his trademark dropping elbow drop. He then hits the Elijah Express to get the pin fall victory.
The lights then go out in the Impact Zone as Suicide’s music hits as he makes his way to the ring and begins brawling with Dinero. It is short lived, however, as the Pope quickly leaves the ring.
AJ Styles is seen waling in the backstage area and his major announcement is up next.
Lauren is with Matt Morgan and says he is buying Angle’s promises, hook, line and sinker. Morgan says Angle never lies or stabs people in the back and they will show the world how they can work as one functioning unit and Morgan will have Angle back and Angle will have Morgan’s boot… or he meant to say back.
AJ Styles comes out to the ring who has a somber look on his face. Styles says that he has had it pretty rough these past few weeks but he never quit and is proud of the man that he has become. He isn’t proud, however, of losing the Legends Championship, or losing the series against Matt Morgan, or losing friends like Eric Young and Samoa Joe.
Styles continues to say that his passion for wrestling has effected his personal life as well, and that is taking its toll on him as he is missing his children growing up. Styles questions if it is all worth it, and the answer is no. With that said, he says it is time for him to say goodbye to professional wrestling.
Sting begins to walk towards the ring and asks if he has left the legacy he wanted to leave behind. Sting says that Styles is quitting on himself, his family and his fans. Sting says for months he was about wanted to bring honor and pride back into the business and wanted someone to step up to the plate and that someone was Styles. That can all be tossed aside, though, as AJ has decided to quit.
Sting continues to give Styles a hard motivational speech and tells him to go out there and take what is his. Styles gives Sting a hug and leaves the ring with Sting and walk up the entrance ramp.
Hernandez is with Lauren who says he will cash in his briefcase at the most opportune moment and promises to win the World Championship at that time. Eric Young then steps in the picture and wants to talk to Hernandez about joining the World Elite before walking away.
Bobby Lashley makes his way down to the ringside area and joins the announce team. Lashley says that next week, Dixie Carter will make her Impact debut and will let the fans know what Lashley’s role will be within TNA. He will also join the announce booth for tonight’s main event.
Match 6: Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan & Kurt Angle (Tables Match)
Prior to the match, Angle stares down Lashley and pie-faces him and Lashley answers back by taking him down with a right fist. Security has to come and step in between the two and take Lashley to the back.
The match finally gets underway as Angle squares off against Brother Ray. The two go back and forth and Ray heads out for a table, but Morgan stops him. Their partners are tagged in and Morgan goes out for a table, but Ray cuts him off and stops him. The match then breaks down and Team 3D knocks their opponents out to the floor as we head into a commercial break.
We come back in time to see Team 3D hit a flying head butt on Angle as Team 3D calls for the tables. Two tables are brought into the ring as Morgan steps in and knocks them both down with a clothesline. Morgan then tries to chokeslam Devon through a table but Ray moves the table out of the way.
Angle comes into the ring and Devon tries to slam him onto a table, but Morgan moves a table out of the way. Morgan then comes in and tries to send Devon through a table propped up in the corner but Devon moves and Morgan puts his boot through it. The referee sees it and says it doesn’t count. When did the referees become so smart?
Meanwhile, Ray clotheslines Angle and tries to go for a powerbomb but Angle counters, however, Devon is able to move the table in time. Devon then knocks Angle down with a right as Team 3D sets up a table and go for a double suplex on Morgan but Angle moves the table in time.
Angle goes out to look for another table and ends up getting a boot to the head from Ray, who slides in another table but Angle recovers and goes after both members of Team 3D. Angle places Devon on a table and instructs Morgan to head to the top rope. Morgan goes up as Ray knocks down Angle and Team 3D grab Morgan and send him crashing through the table to win the match.
Angle looks on from the ringside area in disbelief as he heads back up the entrance ramp and Morgan shares some choice words with him as Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
- Beer Money defeated the British Invasion by pin fall in a street fight.
- Angelina Love defeated Madison Rayne by pin fall.
- Samoa Joe defeated Homicide by pin fall to retain the X Division Title.
- Traci Brooks won a 4-way Knockouts Match against Awesome Kong, Christy Hemme and Sarita by pin fall.
- D’Angelo Dinero defeated Consequences Creed by pin fall.
- Team 3D defeated Kurt Angle & Matt Morgan in a tables match.
Starman’s Thoughts
Tonight’s episode wasn’t the greatest but it did feel like the company was going in a different direction that what it was before. While there wasn’t much to say for the in-ring action, there were many items of note that happened during tonight’s show.
For starters, it was great to hear a new voice on commentary. Mike Tenay and Don West have been the voice of TNA since it started and it was time for a change. Don West wasn’t the greatest color commentator by any sense of the imagination, though I have to give him credit as he did crack me up at times. What he is great at doing, though, is being a hype man, and I feel he will thrive in that role.
As for Taz, it did seem a little odd has he had a quick transition from being a mentor to being a commentator, but it was great to hear him provide color once again. It remains to be seen how well the he works together and meshes with Mike Tenay, but I will have to say that it is a step up from working with Michael Cole – even on Tenay’s worst day.
I was also surprised that Taz at least acknowledged the fact that he was working with Samoa Joe and was an acquaintance of the Main Event Mafia. Too many times TNA just does these types of changes without any sort of explanation whatsoever. Again, maybe this is their way of taking things in a new direction.
Another change that seemed to have taken place was the referees. Tenay mentioned that TNA management was giving them more power and control and they used it to prevent outside interference from happening by barring individuals from the ringside area. Interference happens way too often in TNA and it was about time for them to wake up and do something about it.
Not only did the referees get power, but it also seems like they grew some brains as well. You had to be at least a little surprised that the main event continued even though Matt Morgan put his foot through one of the tables. A few weeks ago, that would have been a cheap way to end the match and award the victory to Team 3D.
Tonight wasn’t the only night for changes either, as there will be some coming in the next few weeks. For starters, new tag team championships will be determined in a Knockouts Tag Team Championship tournament.
Does TNA really need another set of titles? Probably not. Does the Knockout Division deserve another set of titles? Judging by their talent pool and the ratings they pull in, yes, they do. Plus, at least they are having a tournament for the titles and not just have someone create their own championship ala Booker T.
The Knockouts Tag Team Championship tournament won’t be the only aspect of Impact that will feature females either as Dixie Carter will be making her Impact debut to discuss Bobby Lashley’s role within TNA.
Up until now, Carter has remained behind the scenes away from the view of the camera. It will be interesting to see what she can offer on camera and one has to wonder if it will be a one-time thing or if she will have an on-air role as an authority figure. It is something to look forward to next week to say the least.
After slumming for a few weeks and making Matt Morgan look like a huge star, it just may be AJ Styles’ time to shine once again. With Sting’s involvement in convincing Styles to stick with professional wrestling, it almost seems like the original angle with the Main Event Mafia has finally come full circle. One can hope, at least I am, that this will in turn bring Styles back up into the main event picture and give him another run as the World Champion. A person can dream, right?
Finally, I have to say that I totally agree with Jeremy Borash’s statement about NASCAR being a sport and have to wonder how many times Taz will have to call Brother Ray “Bubba” before TNA gets some threatening letters from the WWE.
Thanks again, I like the part called: Starman’s Thoughts