The One About the Broken Picture (9/24 Impact Recap)

Video footage is aired from No Surrender where new champions were crowned, including a new TNA World Champion in AJ Styles.  We then see footage from earlier in the day when the World Elite arrived at the Impact Zone and Hernandez attacked them from behind and laid out Kiyoshi and Sheik Abdul Bashir before being chased off.

The Impact intro hits and we head into the Impact Zone where the Main Event Mafia are standing in the six-sided ring.  Kurt Angle says that the MEM retained its dominance at No Surrender by retaining most of its gold with the exception of the TNA World Championship.  Angle reminds the fans that he did not lose the TNA Title as he was screwed by Matt Morgan.  He then says he was granted a match against Morgan at Bound for Glory.

Angle then again reminds the fans that the MEM is the most dominant force in TNA as he is cut off by the music for the World Elite who join the Mafia in the ring.  Eric Young questions Angle’s statement and says that he was beaten all over the place by Hernandez until Young bailed him out.  Young says he wants Angle’s help in return by taking Hernandez out.

Booker cuts in and says that they run the show and will take them out if they have to.  Young says he could care less as to what he thinks and Booker snaps and is pulled away from Young and the Elite.  Angle steps in and says he is a man of integrity and will team up with him to take out Hernandez tonight.  Angle and Young then shake hands as Booker argues with Angle about his business decision.

We join the announce team who runs down tonight’s show that will feature the new Knockout Tag Team Champions of Taylor Wilde & Sarita defending their titles against ODB & Tara, also Booker T & Scott Steiner will defend the Tag Team Titles against Mick Foley & Abyss.  Plus, Bobby Lashley will make his Impact singles debut.

Match 1: Suicide vs. D’Angelo Dinero (Street Fight)
Dinero attacks Suicide on the ramp to get this match started and is taped up from his falls count anywhere match at No Surrender.  The match makes it to the ring and the Pope hits Suicide with a cane and a tambourine before Suicide is able to turn the match into his favor by kicking a trash can into Dinero’s face.  Suicide tries to follow up by diving onto Dinero on the floor but the Pope nails him with a trash can lid.

The match returns to the ring as Dinero begins to attack Suicide with a hockey stick but Suicide fires back and does an innovative springboard maneuver to crack the Pope between the legs with a kendo stick.  Suicide then sets up a trash can over Dinero in the corner but takes too much time with the follow up and the Pope is able to spear him mid-move but isn’t able to make the pin fall.

They are both slow to recover and Dinero sets up for a DDT onto a trash can but Suicide is able to counter and hits the Suicide Solution onto the trash can to pick up the victory.

Lauren is backstage with Team 3D and Devon says Rhino took a cheap shot at him last week and says they will take it old school tonight and will knock his ass out.

After a commercial break, Lauren is sitting with Kevin Nash who says he may have gotten a tainted victory at No Surrender but he is now $50,000 richer.  Nash then questions what Lauren sees in Abyss and says that he can get freaky too as a couple of short, haggard, girls walk in and he says the Big Sexy Tour is about to continue.

Match 2: Rhino vs. Brother Devon
Devon blindsides Rhino as he was running down to the ring to get this match started.  The brawl continues on the floor as Rhino slams Devon’s head into the steel steps which busts him open.  Rhino then tries for the Gore but ends up eating the guard railing instead.  Earl Hebner then calls for the bell as he has counted both men out of the match.  The brawl continues, however, as security comes down to break it up.

Brother Ray comes out and sends the guards out of the ring and gets between the two and says that they stood next to each other in the Frontline five months ago and wonders why they are now fighting each other.  Rays says enough is enough and tells the two to shake hands.  The two shake hands but Rhino quickly gores Ray and leaves the ring.

Lauren is backstage with Hernandez and wonders who will be his partner against Eric Young and Kurt Angle.  Hernandez says he can take care of himself and doesn’t need a partner.  Matt Morgan walks in and offers to be his partner since he wants to also get his hands on Angle.  He agrees and Hernandez says he will make sure Young does not walk ever again.

Jeremy Borash is with Mick Foley who are staring at the remains of the Tweet and Tweak Connection photo as they try to get down to the bottom of the mystery as to who broke the picture.  Borash suggests it may be a TNA employee who is selling the card version on eBay for $300.

A video package highlighting the career of AJ Styles that says he has been involved in the biggest battles and feuds in TNA history and has no equals.  The next chapter in his career is about to begin as we see him walking in the back with the TNA World Championship slung over his shoulder.

AJ Styles makes his way to the ring as the fans begin to chant his name in rapid succession.  Styles says it has been seven long years but he is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion.  Styles goes on and dedicates his victory to all of the TNA fans and also to Sting before calling him out to the ring.

Sting comes to the ring and says the celebration is not about him, but about Styles.  Sting says he deserves this and once again introduces the champ to the crowd before leaving the ring.  Styles stops Sting and says that he knows what Sting did at No Surrender by passing the torch and giving him the opportunity to win the match.  Styles then offers Sting a title shot at Bound for Glory as the two shake hands to make the match official.

Match 3: Taylor Wilde & Sarita vs. ODB & Tara (Knockouts Tag Team Champioship)
The match begins and Tara and Sarita go back and forth with a series of counters and reversals before Taylor is tagged in and takes Tara down with a cross body block.  Tara comes back with a slam of her own and tags in her partner.  ODB comes in and powers Taylor around before Awesome Kong makes her way towards the ring.

Taylor tags Sarita into the match as Tara goes after Kong and fight to the backstage area.  ODB is able to hold her own and picks up a two count on Sarita.  The numbers game catches up with ODB and she is pinned after Taylor and Sarita hit the same move they used against the Beautiful People to win the titles at No Surrender.

After the match, Tara returns to the ring to explain herself but ODB just pushes her away.  The two argue in the ring and get into each others face as we head into a commercial break.

Jeremy Borash and Mick Foley are seen in the back interrogating Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed.  Foley tries to get Lethal to grab a glass of water to get his fingerprints but Creed says they have better things to do then to be questioned about the photo.  Borash then says he thinks it might have been Alex Shelley instead.

Match 4: Daniels vs. Homicide vs. Samoa Joe (X Division Title)
The match starts as Daniels becomes the first target but holds his own against Homicide and Joe.  Daniels sends Joe out to the floor and goes for a dive but Homicide trips him up and takes control of the match.  Joe then comes in and takes Daniels down with a snap slam as Daniels is once again double teamed.  Homicide goes for a pin but Joe breaks it up as he wants none of that.

Daniels fights his way back into the match and hits a moonsault on Joe to get a pin attempt.  The match goes out to the floor and Homicide goes for a chair but the referee pulls it away from him.  This gives Daniels time to recover as the match returns to the ring.  Daniels slams Homicide down to the mat and Joe follows by kicking Daniels and hitting the muscle buster but Homicide stops the referee’s count.

Joe and Homicide break their alliance and Homicide takes Joe down with a neckbreaker.  Joe is quick to recover, though, and takes him down with a t-bone suplex and locks in the rear naked choke to win the match and retain the X Division Championship.

Sheik Abdul Bashir and Kiyoshi join the announce table as Eric Young’s tag team match is up next.

Match 5: Eric Young & Kurt Angle vs. Hernandez & Matt Morgan
Hernandez shows off his strength by tossing Angle across the ring before taking him down with a big shoulder block.  Angle heads out to the floor to regroup and tags Young into the match who is immediately taken down by a big back body drop.  Angle comes back into the ring and Hernandez takes him down with a sit-out powerbomb.  Hernandez then tags in Morgan tries to take Angle down with the Carbon Footprint but Angle pulls Young in the way.  Morgan then covers Young for the pin as Angle retreats to the floor.

Bashir isn’t too pleased with Angle’s actions and gets in his face.  Angle then lays out both Bashir and Kiyoshi as the British Invasion walk down the ramp.  Booker T and Scott Steiner follow as the Brits allow Angle to walk by.

Mick Foley and Jeremy Borash are seen interrogating the Motorcity Machine Guns who say they were busy commentating when the photo was smashed.  Foley then says that the Guns have the worst theme music ever before Shelley suggest they check the security footage from the camera that Kip James installed.

An interview between Lauren and Hamada from earlier on is aired.  Before the interview got a chance to start, Alissa Flash dropped in and wonders why TNA only pushes the foreign talent and wants to know what she needs to do to get an interview around here.  She then attacks Hamada and body slams her into the bleachers in the Impact Zone.  Simon Diamond and Scott D’Amore have to finally come out and stop the brutal attack.

Kevin Nash is backstage with Daffney and he asks about the deal between her and Dr. Stevie.  Daffney says she can do whatever she wants with whomever she wants before elbowing him between the legs and Stevie runs in and shocks Nash with the taser.  Stevie begins to choke Nash and says that he robbed him and tells him to never rob him again.

Match 6: Jethro Holliday vs. Bobby Lashley
Lashley lands a series of punches on Holliday and takes him a big back body drop.  Lashley tries for a spear but Holliday counters with a boot to the face.  Lashley quickly recovers and hits a full nelson slam and locks in a headlock submission to win the match.

Mick Foley is then seen walking out of the production truck with a video tape in his hand and he says it all makes sense as the case is solved.

Lauren is backstage with Abyss who says his happy that everything is okay between him and Foley.  Abyss says he has been the World Champion but it would make him really happy to win tag team gold with Foley and gives Lauren a good luck kiss on the cheek.

Match 7: Booker T & Scott Steiner vs. Mick Foley & Abyss (TNA Tag Team Championship)
Mick Foley hands the video tape over to the announce table to hang on to.  Abyss gets the early advantage and takes down both of the tag team champions before tagging in Mick Foley.  Abyss and Foley take turns delivering elbow drops to Steiner and Foley picks up an early pin attempt before tagging Abyss back into the match.

Steiner gets back into the match by dropping Abyss with a clothesline and Booker is tagged back into the match.  The champs try for a double team move by Abyss takes them both down with a double clothesline.  Abyss tags Foley back into the match but Foley instead drops Abyss with a DDT and tags Abyss back into the match.  Booker then hits the ax kick and gets the pin fall victory.

Foley then grabs the video tape and smashes it in Abyss’ head and pins him as the culprit.  The shot busts Abyss open as he repeatedly punches Abyss in the head.  Jeremy Borash comes out and tries to calm Foley down but he instead grabs the barbed wire bat and hits Abyss in the midsection and in the back.  Foley leaves Abyss lying in the ring with the proverbial crimson mask as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Suicide defeated D’Angelo Dinero by pin fall in a street fight.
- Rhino and Brother Devon fought to a double count out.
- Taylor Wilde & Sarita defeated Tara & ODB to retain the Knockout Tag Team Championship.
- Samoa Joe defeated Homicide and Daniels in a triple threat match to retain the X Division Championship.
- Hernandez & Matt Morgan defeated Kurt Angle & Eric Young by pin fall.
- Bobby Lashley defeated Jethro Holliday by submission.
- Booker T & Scott Steiner defeated Abyss & Mick Foley by pin fall to retain the Tag Team Championship.

Starman’s Thoughts
Aside from a couple of segments, tonight’s show felt flat to me, which is not a good thing as we are heading into the biggest pay-per-view event of the year.  Three of the seven matches on tonight’s card were title matches, yet all of them were basically throw away matches that didn’t amount to much.  The other four matches weren’t all that great either.

The one segment that I really enjoyed was the interaction between AJ Styles and Sting during their meeting in the ring.  I am happy to see Styles holding the World Championship once again and I am already looking forward to seeing the match between the two at Bound for Glory.

I’m not sure if a match between two friends is the best choice for the main event at the premiere event of the promotion, but seeing as it will probably be Sting’s final match, there is no one better than Styles to send him off.  I’m guessing that the torch will be fully passed come October 18th.

As corny as they were, I also enjoyed the interrogation segments with Jeremy Borash and Mick Foley.  I am glad that they decided to keep it simple and let it all progress throughout one episode instead of dragging it out, as that would have been a bit much.

It all lead up to Foley’s beat down on Abyss and eventually a match between the two that everyone knew was bound to happen anyway.  As tonight’s title suggests, their feud is all about a broken picture which is a stretch, but these two share a similar in-ring style which could turn out well down the line.  Let’s just forget about the whole smashed picture thing, shall we?

Other than that, I did enjoy Alissa Flash’s attack on Hamada and am looking forward to a match between those two.  It really is amazing that the Knockout Division is stacked enough to support two separate titles and also feature a couple of other ongoing feuds with Awesome Kong going after Tara as well an upcoming feud between Flash and Hamada.  This is a great time for women’s wrestling in TNA, no doubt about that.