The Breaking of the Band (2/4 Impact Recap)

The Breaking of the Band (2/4 Impact Recap)

Footage of the all of the main angles, which includes the issues between Mick Foley and Eric Bischoff, the Orlando Screwjob, and Jeff Jarrett stepping inside the squared circle for the first time in seven months airs to kick off Impact.

The Impact intro hits as we are welcomed to this week’s show that will feature two more matches of the 8 Card Stud Tournament, the first of which will be Brutus Magnus taking on Mr. Anderson, which is up right now.

Match 1: Brutus Magnus vs. Mr. Anderson (8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifier)
Prior to the match, Mr. Anderson gets on the microphone and said that Hulk Hogan stated that he is the future of the four sided ring, and if Hogan said it, then  it must be true.  The bell rings for the match and Anderson goes right on the attack and keeps up with the trash talking the entire time.  Magnus, though, is able to get back into the match and gets a near fall after hitting a hangman’s neckbreaker.  Anderson, though, is able to counter Magnus shortly after and picks up the pin fall after hitting the Mic Check.

Mick Foley is seen arriving to the Impact Zone and he is heading into the Impact Zone as we head into a commercial break.

Christy Hemme is backstage with Kurt Angle who says he isn’t worried about his match tonight against Tomko and wants to instead address Hulk Hogan.  Angle claims that Hogan had his friends attack him from behind last week and it ends tonight.  Angle warns Hogan to expect a visit from him later on in the night.

The announce team runs down the rest of tonight’s card for us as we will see Tara defend the Knockouts Championship against Angelina Love, Morgan & Hernandez defending the TNA Tag Team Championships against Team 3D, and AJ Styles going up against D’Angelo Dinero.

Eric Bischoff comes down to the ring and says that Hogan made it clear last week that both he and Mick Foley need to get on the same page.  Bischoff says that Foley didn’t seem interested and it will cost him dearly.  Foley’s music then hits as he walks down to the ring and says that he can usually get along with everyone in the business, but Bischoff is the one exception to the rule.

Foley said Bischoff is a slick salesman that weaseled his way to the top and makes it clear that he cannot stand him.  Foley says Bischoff can mess around with his life but he will not let him mess around with Jeremy Borash or Abyss.  Foley says that Bischoff should not have any power and has not learned a thing since his failures in WCW.  He then says that he will not stand around and watch him have his way with TNA.

Foley begins to leave and Bischoff stops him as he says he has the future of Borash and Abyss in his hands.  Bischoff then books Foley in a no disqualification match against Kevin Nash as he knows about their history.  Abyss and Borash is seen watching on from a monitor in the back and they are both worried about their future.  Borash tells Abyss that nothing has changed with Bischoff and when he is around, nothing is okay.

Christy is backstage with Tara who says that she has a lot of history with Angelina Love but she seems to be a different person since returning to TNA.  Tara said Angelina earned her respect last week, but she will not earn the Knockouts Championship tonight.

Match 2: Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan & Hernandez (TNA Tag Team Championship)
Hernandez and Brother Ray go back and forth in the opening moments of the match until Ray slams Hernandez down to the mat and tags in Brother Devon.  Hernandez tags in Morgan and the two go back and forth until Morgan takes Devon down with a clothesline and picks up a near fall.  Hernandez and Morgan then isolate Devon on their side of the ring and wear him down but Devon bites on Hernandez’s head and follows with a head butt.

Both partners are tagged into the match and the match breaks down momentarily with Team 3D gaining the advantage in the match.  Team 3D sets up for the flying head butt but the Nasty Boys come out and cause a distraction, which allows Morgan to connect with a Carbon Footprint on Ray and picks up the pin fall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.

The Nasty Boys continue on the assault once the match is over but Morgan and Hernandez chase them out of the ring and come to the aid of their opponents.  The two sides show their respect for each other as Team 3D gives their thanks for the assist.

Match 3: Jesse Neal vs. Samoa Joe
Neal attacks Joe from behind before the bell but Joe quickly turns the match into his favor with a t-bone suplex followed by a series of punches and kicks.  Joe then hits the muscle buster to pick up the pin fall.

Christy is chasing down Hulk Hogan in the back who says he had no hand in having Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac attacking him last week.  He then tells Christy to tell Kurt Angle that he is really easy to find and will be waiting to hear from him.

Match 4: D’Angelo Dinero vs. AJ Styles
The Pope and Styles exchange a few moves until Dinero gets the upper hand and Styles rolls out to the floor to regroup for a moment as we head into a commercial break.  We return to the two still going back and forth until Styles connects with a dropkick and he continues to wear the Pope down as Ric Flair looks on in approval.  Styles methodically picks Dinero apart and picks up a few near falls in the process.

Dinero finally begins to mount a comeback and fires off a series of rapid fire punches and picks up a near fall after a diving shoulder block.  The Pope tries to keep on the attack but Styles is about get out of the way of Dinero’s attack and begins to showboat a bit around the ring.  Styles then tries for a suplex and Dinero counters with a small package and pins the champion.

Ric Flair then enters the ring and begins beating down Dinero and Styles joins in as Samoa Joe runs down to the ring to help the Pope.  Joe goes right after Styles and Flair comes to help out and chops Joe across the chest, but Joe just shakes it off and intimidates Flair.  Styles comes back with a chop block on Joe as the duo continue on the attack until security storms the ring to separate the two sides.

Ric Flair gets on the microphone and tells Joe that this is the new TNA and he will get his ass beat.  Joe gets a microphone of his own and calls Styles a scumbag and that he gave up being a warrior and a champion for some overpriced suits and a couple of hookers.  Joe then announces that he will be cashing in his title shot at Against All Odds.

Christy is with Angelina Love who says she expects the Beautiful People to get involved in her match but she is looking forward to getting her shot at winning her third Knockout Championship.  Angelina says being successful will be her form of  revenge on the Beautiful People.

Kevin Nash is backstage with Eric Young when Eric Bischoff walks in and Young introduces himself as the leader of the World Elite.  Bischoff asks for him to leave and asks Nash for a favor in destroying Mick Foley in a no disqualification match.  Nash tries cashing in a favor for his buddies by getting them contracts but Bischoff says they don’t have contracts due to them being screw ups.  Bischoff continues by saying that if Nash wants to go that route, he can, or he can go out and destroy Foley for him.

Christy is backstage with Mick Foley who said he was given a choice to either fall in line or lace up the boots.  Although his anger has settled on Kevin Nash as of late, his temper started to grow thinking back to what he made him go through to talk to Hulk Hogan.  A distraught Abyss comes in and wonders about his future but Foley assures him that he will take care of business in the ring and makes Abyss promise not to get involved in the match.

Match 5: Tomko vs. Kurt Angle (8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifier)
Tomko knocks Angle down with a boot to the face, but Angle springs right back up and delivers a head butt before tossing Tomko out to the floor.  Angle sends Tomko into the steel steps before rolling him back into the ring.  After Angle gets back into the ring, Tomko gains control of the match and tries to wear Angle down after getting a few near falls.  Tomko, though, takes too much time trying to get to the top rope and Angle is able to suplex him down to the canvas.

Angle comes back with a series of German suplexes and an Angle Slam but Tomko is able to kick out of a pin attempt.  Angle follows with another series of German suplexes before locking in the ankle lock and makes Tomko tap out to win the match by submission and gives Angle a spot in the 8 Card Stud Tournament.

Footage of the Maximum Impact tour is aired, which took place in the six sided ring and the Ultimate X match took place for the first time in England.  A video package is then aired that shows the history between Mick Foley and Kevin Nash in which Foley attacked Nash after sending him on a wild goose chase in search for Hulk Hogan.

We head to Hogan’s office where Kevin Nash comes in and pleads with him to give Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac a second chance.  Hogan says they had enough chances and Nash should distance himself from them.  Nash tells Hogan to keep an open mind as he leaves the office.

A video package focusing on the Beautiful People and Angelina’s departure from TNA is aired.  Angelina returned three weeks ago and set her sights on her former group and there is no love lost between the two.  Angelina will be getting a shot at the Knockouts Championship and that match is up next.

Match 6: Angelina Love vs. Tara (Knockouts Championship)
The bell rings as the two lock up and go back and forth with a series of reversals and pin attempts as we head into a commercial break.  We return to the match to see the two competing in a test of strength and the two trade arm bars and pin attempts before Tara is able finally roll Angelina up and pick up the pin fall to retain the championship.

Tara and Angelina shake hands after the match as the Beautiful People come down and start attacking Angelina.  Tara stands by and watches before finally getting involved and giving Angelina a hand.

Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac are seen sneaking around outside of the Impact Zone as we head into a commercial break.

Kurt Angle storms into Hulk Hogan’s office and wants answers on why his cronies are attacking him from behind.  Hogan denies any involvement and says Angle’s temper is a problem that has costs him in the past.  Angle says he knows what Hogan is all about and he will not be screwed with before Hogan politely asks him to step out of his office.

Match 7: Mick Foley vs. Kevin Nash (No Disqualification Match)
Kevin Nash comes out to the ring with a shopping cart full of weapons and dumps them in the ring as Foley is carrying his trademark barbed wire bat.  The bell rings and Foley comes out swinging but Nash blocks it with a garbage can and a steel chair.  Nash finally takes Foley down with a hockey stick before trying to grind Foley’s face with the barbed wire but Foley counters with a low blow.

The fight goes out to the floor and Foley pounds on Nash before going back into the ring.  Foley grabs a picture frame as Nash enters the ring but decides not to swing at Nash, who recovers and levels Foley with a big boot to the face.  Nash covers for the pin fall and it is revealed that the picture frame held the caricature of Foley and Abyss in it.

Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac come down from the crowd and attack both Nash and Foley.  Hall and Pac leave the two lying in the ring as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
- Mr. Anderson defeated Brutus Magnus by pin fall to qualify for the 8 Card Stud Tournament.
- Matt Morgan & Hernandez defeated Team 3D by pin fall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.
- Samoa Joe defeated Jesse Neal by pin fall.
- D’Angelo Dinero defeated AJ Styles by pin fall.
- Kurt Angle defeated Tomko by submission to qualify for the 8 Card Stud Tournament.
- Tara defeated Angelina Love by pin fall to retain the Knockouts Championship.
- Kevin Nash defeated Mick Foley by pin fall in a no disqualification match.

Starman’s Thoughts
Tonight’s Impact had plenty of highs and lows, but the great thing we are seeing a lot less of the guys who came over to TNA with Hogan.  Plus, there was not a single sighting of Bubba the Love Sponge anywhere on the show.

For the good, I really enjoyed the verbal exchange between Mick Foley and Eric Bischoff.  I have little doubt in my mind that these two legitimately hate each other and their disgust and contempt for one another shows in segments like this.  In his time in TNA, Foley has a tendency to be spot on or a little off when it comes to things like this.  This week he was on and I loved every minute of it.

I even had a genuine laugh out loud moment when Foley accused Bischoff at being the worst announcer of all time when Taz chimed in and said he must have not heard Mike Adamle.

Secondly, even though we got a lot of lackluster matches on tonight’s show, one match that I did enjoy was AJ Styles going up against D’Angelo Dinero.  The last time we saw Dinero he was staring up at the lights as Orlando Jordan was pinning him, so I’m not quite sure why he is wrestling against Styles, but it was an entertaining match to say the least, and I was actually surprised to see the Pope get the clean upset victory.

Samoa Joe seemed to have a fire lit inside of him as well as he gave a spirited promo against Styles and announced that he is cashing in his title shot at Against All Odds.  Joe has been absent from Impact as of late, so it was nice knowing that he wasn’t quite lost in the shuffle.  I’m glad that he is cashing in his title shot right away as these title shots seem to linger on way too long that this is a nice change of pace.  I’m not too thrilled at the return of the screaming Joe, but I will live with it if it means a PPV main event of Styles/Joe.

As for the bad, I have to say that all of the matches aside from Styles/Dinero were nothing to write home about.  Most of them were squash matches to further the tournament brackets or squash matches to show one competitors power and dominance.  Or both in the case of Kurt Angle’s match.  Furthermore, I had actually all but forgotten about Jesse Neal until he faced off against Samoa Joe today.

To top it all off, we witnessed the shortest no disqualification match in the history of the business with Kevin Nash beating Mick Foley in a couple of minutes.  The main event, and I use that term loosely, probably wasn’t the best way to close out the show, although I did not expect Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac to turn on Nash.  Even so, it doesn’t make up for the horrible match(s) that took place before it.

At any rate, I am liking the fact that we are seeing more and more of the regular TNA stars and less and less of Hogan’s cronies as the weeks go on.  I know this has been said by others before, but I am starting to think that all of the people that Hogan brought in are all part of a grand orchestrated angle to help get the TNA roster over.  It’s either that or some grand wishful thinking on my part.   I sure hope it’s not the latter.