Impact opens with a recap of last week’s meeting between Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett. The feud between AJ Styles and Daniels is also touched upon before the intro hits and we head into the Impact Zone that will feature the return of Jarrett and we’ll find out what happened during last week’s meeting between Foley and Hulk Hogan in Los Angeles.
Footage is then aired of a irate Foley who was seen earlier in the day storming about the backstage area. Jeremy Borash is trying to calm him down but Foley just pushes him away and attacks Kevin Nash from behind inside of an empty Impact Zone. Foley sends Nash into a row of empty folding chairs before members of the World Elite pull Foley off of Nash. Nash screams at Foley and says he’s done.
Lauren is backstage with Roxxi who says she is happy to be back in TNA. Roxxi says she has been spending her time wrestling in Mexico and will be taking on ODB in a non-title match tonight. Roxxi says she is going to bring everything she has and hopes to come out with a win.
Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle who says he wants to make it back to the top in TNA and says his job won’t be done until he wins back the TNA World Championship. As far as Desmond Wolfe is concerned, Angle says he is a great wrestler but he will not defeat Angle. When Borash asks about Jeff Jarrett’s arrival, Angle just turns around and doesn’t say a word.
A video package highlighting the Tara’s rise in the Knockout Division is aired. The video also focuses on her feud between ODB and their upcoming match at Final Resolution.
Match 1: Roxxi vs. ODB
Roxxi gets a good chant from the crowd but it doesn’t help as ODB goes right on the attack. Roxxi is quick to turn the tide and picks up a one count after hitting a big boot. She then misses with another boot and ODB regains control and wears Roxxi down with a bear hug before being rammed in the corner. Roxxi starts to fight back with a series of punches and nearly puts ODB away with a voodoo drop but she kicks out after two.
ODB grabs her flask and is about to use it but the referee stops her. The distraction gives Roxxi an opportunity to roll up ODB for the pin fall and the victory over the Knockouts Champion. After the match, though, ODB clocks Roxxi with the flask to the back of the head and begins choking her out before Tara runs down to the ring and chases ODB away.
Footage of Mick Foley and Jeremy Borash arriving in LA is aired. They arrive to their destination and are joined by Lou Ferrigno. He says that he is the real (Incredible) Hulk and Foley is irate over the fact that he isn’t meeting Hulk Hogan and storms out of the gym.
Jeremy Borash is in the hallway when Kevin Nash storms out of his dressing room and screams that Mick Foley made the biggest mistake of his career by putting his hands on him. Nash says he is counting the days until Hulk Hogan arrives and Foley is unemployed.
After a commercial, Borash joins Foley in the office and he says he was outsmarted by Nash, but he is smart as well as he is getting his allies lined up. Abyss stumbles into the office and says that he is one of his allies but while he was away in LA, he was getting burned by Dr. Stevie and Raven. Foley says he hasn’t forgotten about him or their upcoming match this Sunday and says he will be by his side and watching his back.
Lauren is backstage with Team Morgan and they admit to having a disadvantage as Hernandez is in the match by himself for the first five minutes. Morgan says if anyone can last five minutes it will be Hernandez and he has his lumberjacks lined up for his match against Brother Ray.
Match 2: Brother Ray vs. Matt Morgan (Lumberjack Match)
The match starts and Morgan takes Ray down with a shoulder block and hits Ray with a series of elbow drops before getting a two count after a side slam. Morgan then misses with a big boot and Ray takes him down with a back drop and then tosses him out to the floor to the lumberjacks.
Back in the ring, Ray picks up a two counter after hitting a neck breaker but Morgan fights his way back into the match and Ray rolls out to the floor and right into the lumberjacks. Ray gets back into the ring and walks right into a chokeslam. While Morgan is going for the pin, he is pulled out and the lumberjacks battle on the outside. Morgan goes back into the ring but Jesse Neal gives him a low blow and Ray finishes him off DDT for the pin fall.
A video package highlighting the partnership between Hulk Hogan and TNA is aired. This leads to hype for the January 4th live show. Another video package is aired afterwards that shows Jeff Jarrett’s role in TNA as well as his accomplishments. Jarrett is then seen arriving to the Impact Zone and is greeted by Mick Foley as the roster that is standing in the parking lot is seen looking at him surprised looks on their faces.
Lauren is backstage with Beer Money and Roode says it is a must win for them on Sunday. Storm says nobody will get in their way as Samoa Joe walks in and says he is putting his career on the line and unlike Beer Money, Joe says he deserves his shot. Eric Young, Homicide and Sheik Abdul Bashir walk in and Young says that Kiyoshi, Bashir, Homicide, Rob Terry, Kevin Nash and himself are all in the match and they will make sure that none of them get a briefcase.
Match 3: The Beautiful People vs. Awesome Kong & Hamada vs. Taylor Wilde & Sarita
The match starts and all six get their time in the ring before the match starts breaking down on the outside and Hamada takes them all out with a dive over the ropes and onto the floor. Meanwhile, in the ring, Awesome Kong tries for an Awesome Bomb on Madison Rayne but Madison counters and tries for a sunset flip but Kong just sits on her and pins Madison for the victory.
Lauren comes out to get a word with the Beautiful People but Lacey Von Erich calls her a skank and tells her to go away. Lauren answers back by slapping Lacey across the face and storms off as the Beautiful People have shocked looks on their faces.
Jeff Jarrett is with Mick Foley who thinks he is wasting his time by coming back. Foley says the past is the past and he needs to be back and have a talk with Dixie Carter. Jarrett calms down and agrees to go talk to Dixie.
Christy Hemme is backstage with Jay Lethal who says Jim Neidhart pulled a fast one over him but he will sweep up the rest of the competition.
Match 4: Jay Lethal vs. Tatanka (Black Machismo Invitational)
Tatanka takes Lethal down with a clothesline before hitting a series of leg drops and chops. Lethal finally gets into the match after raking Tatanka’s eyes and follows with a double axe handle off the top rope. Tatanka comes back and sends Lethal flying with a back body drop and connects with a tomahawk chop off the top rope but Lethal kicks out of the pin attempt. Tatanka the hits an Indian Death Drop for the pin fall.
Christy is with the Motorcity Machine Guns who say they are tired of not being noticed and they are going to prove that they are the greatest tag team in TNA on Sunday. They say they will outwrestle, outclass and outmatch the British Invasion at Final Resolution.
Mick Foley suggests to Jeff Jarrett that he handles the talking when they meet with Dixie Carter. Jarrett says he is going to do it the right way and talk to her one on one. Foley tells him to get it done as he leaves to go talk to her.
After a Final Resolution preview, we see Jarrett walking into Dixie’s office. Dixie tells Jarrett that she wants to set things straight with what Jarrett did with Kurt Angle’s ex-wife and the mess he put her in. Jarrett apologizes but she says he has to take responsibility and talk to Kurt about it.
Match 5: Daniels vs. Desmond Wolfe
Wolfe puts Daniels in a headlock in the early part of the match before taking him down to the mat with a snapmare. Wolfe again goes for the headlock but Daniels breaks the hold and puts Wolfe in a headlock of his own. Wolfe and Daniels then go back and forth with blows before Daniels takes Wolfe down with an STO and a moonsault which garnered a two count.
Wolfe comes back and hits his hammerlock takedown but that also only gets a two count. Wolfe then locks in a crossface on Daniels but Daniels bites his way out of the move before putting Wolfe in a submission move of his own. The two go back and forth with a series of pin falls with neither putting each other away until the 10 minute time limit expires.
Mick Foley meets up with Jeff Jarrett in the hallway and insists that he accompanies him in his meeting with Kurt Angle. Jarrett walks into the dressing room and tells Angle that he is sorry if he offended him in any way, shape or form. Angle tells Jarrett that he has a match to be in and walks out of the dressing room.
Match 6: Scott Steiner/Raven/Dr. Stevie/British Invasion vs. AJ Styles/Tomko/Bobby Lashley/Abyss/Kurt Angle
Abyss enters the ring and goes right after Stevie and Raven before the match starts. Raven bites the burned area of Abyss’ leg and they fight to the back as Lashley and Steiner go at it and head towards the back and we head into a commercial break.
We return and the bell rings to officially start the match as it is now the British Invasion against Angle, Tomko and Styles. Tomko takes Doug Williams down with a big boot and a power slam before Angle tagged himself back into the match. Williams is able to counter Angle and take him down with a shoulder block before tagging in Brutus Magnus. The Brits use quick tags to work over Angle as we head to the back where Lashley and Steiner are still going at it in the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Abyss is beating Stevie and Abyss with a trash can. Back in the ring, Angle fights his way back in to the match and takes Williams down with a belly-to-belly suplex. Styles is tagged in and the match begins to break down and Styles rolls up Magnus in the ring to pick up the pin fall.
After the match, Kurt Angle holds the TNA World Championship in his hands and stares Styles down before the two get into a brawl. Daniels and Desmond Wolfe come out and beat them both down as Daniels stands above Styles with the TNA World Championship and Wolfe has Angle locked in a submission hold. Wolfe and Daniels then shake hands as Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
- Roxxi defeated ODB by pin fall.
- Brother Ray defeated Matt Morgan by pin fall in a lumberjack match.
- Awesome Kong & Hamada defeated the Beautiful People and Taylor Wilde & Sarita in a three-way Knockout tag team match.
- Tatanka defeated Jay Lethal by pin fall.
- Daniels and Desmond Wolfe fought to a time limit draw.
- . AJ Styles/Tomko/Bobby Lashley/Abyss/Kurt Angle defeated Scott Steiner/Raven/Dr. Stevie/British Invasion by pin fall.
Starman’s Thoughts
After last week’s abysmal show, TNA pulled in the reigns a delivered a decent go home show for Final Resolution. Tonight’s focus wasn’t entirely on the pay-per-view, though, as the real focus point was about Jeff Jarrett’s return to the Impact Zone.
I thought his return was done well as the roster didn’t just take him back with open arms. As a matter of fact, people pretty much stayed away from him and he didn’t get much sympathy from those who he confronted. So far I feel TNA is doing a good job with his re-introduction and was actually surprised when Dixie mentioned that Jarrett was sent home due to his relationship with Karen Angle.
The match of the night easily goes to Daniels vs. Desmond Wolfe. Like a few other aspects in tonight’s show, though, the match really seemed out of place. Here we have the two heels that are in the bigger matches at Final Resolution going at it. Yes, Daniels cost Wolfe his title shot last week and I would love to see a feud between these two, but on the eve of Final Resolution it probably wasn’t the best time for it.
I will say that I loved how the two went back and forth the entire match and I was glad to see that it ended in a draw. The headlock exchange in the early going lasted longer that the average match on Impact and I believe this match is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these two. While I found it odd to have this match tonight, I am not entirely disappointed as they didn’t really give much away and left things open for these two in the future. TNA should really put more focus on matches such as this in the future if they want to become legitimate competition for the WWE.
On the other side of the feuds that Daniels and Wolfe are in, both Kurt Angle and AJ Styles took place in a 10-man tag team main event on tonight’s show. Unfortunately, this was the first time that AJ Styles was on the broadcast and aside from the very end of the show, no hype was made of the AJ Styles/Daniels match at Final Resolution.
In my opinion, a promotions main focus should be that of the World Champion, but Styles continues to be pushed to the background for other established names. As a matter of fact, had it not been for the announcer’s pay-per-view rundown prior to the main event, the casual fan may have just figured that the Final Resolution main event was Styles against Angle due to the tiny brawl at the end of Impact. In all reality, Styles against Daniels can be one of the best matches of the year, it’s too bad the build up hasn’t lived up to the same standards.
While I am talking about tonight’s main event, it is worth mentioning that Tomko made his in-ring debut since returning to TNA. Unfortunately for him there was no mention of it during the show with the exception of the matchup graphics that were briefly shown on air. A pre-match interview to announce the fact that he is wrestling tonight would help wonders in this type of situation.
At least Roxxi got one of those, who by the way looks excellent. I was disappointed when TNA decided to release her and I am hoping that she is back for the long term as she looked good in her match against ODB.
And since TNA loves to reintroduce stars on the final show before a pay-per-view, we were treated to another Black Machismo Invitational match where Jay Lethal got to take on Tatanka. Lethal lost the match once again and I still have my fingers crossed that this will signal the end of that persona.
As always, I will be putting in my predictions for the Final Resolution pay-per-view this weekend along with a preview of the card. Also, since there is no Impact next week due to Christmas Eve, I want to wish everyone happy holidays.
