Eric Bischoff strumming an acoustic guitar in the middle of the ring, and quite honestly, he isn’t that bad, but not something that I feel should kick off a live edition of Impact. Bischoff then grabs the microphone and says that one of the many things people don’t know about him is that he is a classically trained musician.
He then goes on to say that he doesn’t appreciate how Jeff Jarrett uses the guitar as a prop and wonders if he can actually play the guitar. He then calls Jarrett out to come on down to the ring and play the guitar for the fans. Jarrett comes out but refuses to take the guitar as Bischoff berates him in front of the crowd. Jarrett says he will not be humiliated but finally grabs the guitar after he has had enough of Bischoff.
Jarrett holds the guitar as he usually does a looks like he is going to swing at Bischoff but he stops himself, which gets the fans to boo loudly in the Impact Zone. Jarrett then drops the guitar and leaves. Bischoff runs down Jarrett some more as Jarrett finally comes out as Bischoff has his back turned and smashes the guitar over his head as he turns around. The fans start a loud “TNA” chant as Jarrett leaves the ring.
In the back, Mick Foley is clapping his hands and congratulates Jarrett for what he just did. Jarrett is elated over what he just did as Mike Tenay wonders how Bischoff will react later on tonight as we head into a commercial break.
The announce team recaps what just happened between Jarrett and Bischoff as we return to the show. Bischoff is finally starting to recover from the guitar shot and says that both Jarrett and Foley crossed the line and books them in a match against each other and the loser is fired from TNA and the winner will be his bitch.
Foley and Jarrett hear the news from a monitor in the back and Jarrett takes the blame for it. Foley says both of them got caught up in the moment and are in a fight that neither of them can win. At the announce table, Mike Tenay and Taz talk about what just happened and neither of them can believe that someone is getting fired tonight.
Match 1: The Beautiful People & Daffney vs. Tara/Taylor Wilde/Sarita/Angelina Love
Tara comes out before her partners and begs to get her pet, Poison, back but the Beautiful People attack her from behind. Tara’s partners come running down to the ring to help out their partner as we head into a commercial break. We return to the match to see Angelia pick up a near fall on Madison. Each Knockout gets a moment in the match before Tara finally picks up a near fall on Madison with a slingshot leg drop. Daffney then gets involved and causes a distraction long enough for her team to gain control of the match.
Daffney is tagged into the match and taunts Tara with Poison and Tara begins choking her as Velvet is tagged in. The match then begins to break down and Taylor tries to make a pin fall but Earl Hebner reminds her that she is not the legal person in the ring. Tara then drives Lacey down with the Widow’s Peak before she tries to grab Poison but Daffney stops her and hits her with a neckbreaker for the pin fall. Daffney again taunts Tara with the spider before leaving with it in her possession once again.
AJ Styles is seen hobbling towards the Impact Zone with his arm in a sling and walking with a crutch. Ric Flair is wheeling himself in a wheelchair and wants to know where Chelsea is at. The announce team then runs down tonight’s card with Jeff Jarrett taking on Mick Foley and Hulk Hogan makes a major announcement, which is up after the commercial break.
Video footage of Destination X is finally aired and acknowledged as footage of the main event is highlighted, including Abyss driving AJ Styles through the ring and Hogan spraying mace in Ric Flair’s eyes. Hulk Hogan’s music then hits as he makes his way down to the ring with Abyss to make a major announcement.
Hogan says things got personal between him and Flair when it is supposed to only be about business. Hogan says he vows to get TNA back on track with strictly business starting at Lockdown. Hogan then appoints Abyss to be the captain of Team Hogan who will go up against Team Flair at Lethal Lockdown.
Abyss says he felt the power of the ring last night when he choke slammed AJ Styles through the ring. He goes to say that he didn’t win the title last night but promises to take care of business at Lockdown and says they won’t need anymore crutches, wheelchairs or bandages after Lockdown, they will need a mortician.
Ric Flair’s music hits as he is wheeled out by Chelsea along with AJ Styles. Flair says he cannot be killed because he is a wrestling god and to ensure victory for his team, his captain is Sting. The lights go out in the Impact Zone as his music hits and Sting is sitting in the corner when the lights go on. Styles is in the ring as well and takes Abyss out with his crutch while Hogan is cuffed to the ropes.
Sting leaves the ring as Styles continues to beat down on Abyss. D’Angelo Dinero’s music hits as he comes out to make the save and unlocks Hogan from the handcuffs. Hogan points at Flair on the ramp and begins walking towards him and grabs Flair’s wheelchair and rolls him towards Abyss who clotheslines him out of the wheelchair. The Pope then puts a $20 bill in Flair’s mouth as we head into a commercial break.
Jeff Hardy, RVD and Shannon Moore show up as they are stopped by Christy Hemme. Hardy says they are going to have fun tonight at someone else’s expense. Tomko is in the ring and he will be getting a shot at the Global Championship.
Match 2: Tomko vs. Rob Terry (TNA Global Championship)
Tomko tries to get the match started but Terry quickly turns the tide and powers Tomko around as Mike Tenay announces that Beer Money has been announced as the special guest referees for the Foley/Jarrett match later on tonight. Terry then drives Tomko down to the mat with a choke slam and picks up the pin fall to retain the Global Championship.
Mike Tenay and Taz run down the history of Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett in TNA as they used to call the shots before the Hogan/Bischoff regime. Footage of Foley shaving Bischoff’s hair and Jarrett smashing a guitar over Bischoff’s head is aired as the importance of tonight’s match is reiterated and the “Loser is Fired” match is up next.
A video package showing the tension between Mick Foley/Jeff Jarrett and the Hogan/Bischoff regime is aired. Jeremy Borash is backstage with Foley and Jarrett and Foley says he will leave TNA on his own, not because Bischoff makes him leave. Jarrett says he is full of TNA pride and they both deserve to stay in TNA. Foley says they owe it to each other to give the fans all they got. Jarrett says he also owes it to his family and to Foley for bringing the passion back after he was on the outs.
Match 3: Mick Foley vs. Jeff Jarrett w/ Beer Money as Special Referees (No Disqualification Loser is Fired Match)
The bell rings and James Storm is the referee in the ring. The two lock up a few times to feel each other out and Foley picks up a couple of near falls after hitting some shoulder blocks. Jarrett and Foley try with to put the match away with a series of pin attempts but neither stay down. For some reason, Storm is making a five count when against the ropes even though this is a No DQ match.
Jarrett tries going for the Stroke but Foley counters and shoves Jarrett towards the ring ropes. Robert Roode then grabs at Jarrett’s foot as the distraction allows Foley to toss Jarrett out to the floor. The fight goes out to the ringside area as Eric Bischoff is seen walking towards the ring with a bag of ice over his head as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match which has made up to the entrance ramp and Bischoff has joined the announce team. Jarrett suplexes Foley on the entrance ramp before sending him back into the ring and gets a couple of near falls. Robert Roode is the referee in the ring now and Jarrett nearly puts Foley away with a DDT before heading out to grab a chair. As Jarrett is about to use the chair, Foley kicks Jarrett in the midsection and takes him down with a DDT but Jarrett is able to get to the ropes to break up the pin fall.
Foley busts out Mr. Socko and puts Jarrett in the mandible claw and Jarrett heads towards the ropes but Roode kicks his arm away. Foley then drops down to the mat and locks Jarrett in a leg scissors while keeping the claw in place but Jarrett is able to elbow his way out of the hold. Foley then heads towards Jarrett with the chair but Jarrett kicks the chair into Foley’s face. Jarrett then drops Foley onto the chair with the Stroke and picks up the pin fall victory.
Jarrett refuses to have his arm raised in victory and puts his head down in the corner. The fans bust out into a “Foley” chant as Foley walks up to him and says he did what he had to do. The two then shake hands and Foley walks up the ramp as the fans chant “thank you Mick” and Bischoff waves goodbye from the announce table.
Bischoff then gets on the microphone and tells Beer Money to give Double J a dose of their medicine. They then attack Jarrett in the ring and send him into a chair as Jeff Hardy and Rob van Dam run out and chase Beer Money out of the ring. RVD introduces themselves to Beer Money and challenge them to a match tonight. Beer Money accepts the challenge as Bischoff wants to know who authorized this to happen.
A recap of the Foley/Jarrett match is aired after a commercial break. Foley is then seen walking out of the back being escorted by secutiry and saying his goodbyes. Bubba the Love Sponge wants to get a word from him and Foley says he has a list of people he wants to talk to and he is the last on the list before he clocks Bubba and walks out the door as the crowd chants “thank you Mick!”
Eric Bischoff walks into Hulk Hogan’s office and talks about getting rid of the distractions in TNA and Hogan says he could have been worth something as he was showing some fire and they could have talked but now it’s over. Hogan then pleads with Bischoff to put the personal stuff aside and to leave Jarrett alone. Bischoff agrees and shakes hands on it before wondering if Hogan was behind the Hardy/RVD interruption, but he lets it go and leaves the office.
Christy is with Beer Money who say they like being busy as they like putting Beer Money first. They go on to say they are the greatest tag team in the world and Jeff Hardy and RVD will find out about that real soon. The announce team then preview that match, but first the tag team champions will battle as Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez is up next.
Jeremy Borash is with Jeff Hardy and RVD and Hardy says he knows a thing or two about tag team wrestling and RVD says they have been around the block before and they will show everyone in the TNA universe what makes them so special.
A recap of the turmoil between Hernandez and Matt Morgan is aired, which came to a head at Destination X. These two partners will go up against each other right now.
Match 4: Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez
Hernandez attacks Matt Morgan during his ring entrance and fights with him around the ringside area. Morgan is sent headfirst into the steel steps and sends him into the ring where Morgan begins to beg for mercy. Morgan extends his hand but Hernandez just kicks him in the chest before tossing him across the ring. The match returns to the floor where Hernandez tries for a clothesline and ends up hitting the ring post.
While wincing in pain, Morgan kicks Hernandez’s head into the ring post which drops him to the floor. Morgan then goes into the ring as the referee calls for the trainers to come out and check on Hernandez. Fans are shown in the crowd with concerned looks on their faces and Homicide comes out to check out his former partner as we head into an commercial break.
We return to Impact and are treated to footage of what happened to Hernandez. Hogan and some of the other wrestlers are around the ambulance as it takes off to the hospital. At the announce table, Taz and Mike Tenay and talk somberly about the situation but the show must go on.
A recap of the reformation of the Band is aired as Kevin Nash turned against Eric Young and rejoined his buddies.
Match 5: Beer Money vs. RVD & Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy starts out strong against Beer Money as he dumps Storm out of the ring and onto Roode before pulling out a ladder and setting it up between the ring and the railing. Mike Tenay announces that we have to head into our final commercial but SpikeTV is allowing them to stay on for the duration of this match.
We return to the match to see the action going back and forth between RVD and Roode. Storm and Hardy are tagged in and Hardy hits is trademark split legged leg drop and picks up a two count as the action begins to break down. During all of the action, Mike Tenay announces that Tara will take on Daffney in a first blood match. Back to the action, Roode is in control of Hardy and picks up a near fall after hitting a neckbreaker.
Beer Money works over Hardy with tags in and out of the ring and Roode nearly puts the match away with a spinebuster but Hardy kicks out. Storm is tagged in both Hardy and Storm take each other out with cross body blocks. Hardy makes it to his corner to tag in RVD but the referee doesn’t see the tag and doesn’t allow it. Beer Money then continues to wear down Hardy until Hardy is able to counter an attempt at the Eye of the Storm and takes Storm down with a corkscrew flip of the turnbuckle.
The crowd goes into a frenzy after Hardy lands the move and as he begins to crawl towards his corner to finally tag in RVD, who comes in and cleans house off the hot tag. RVD monkey flips Roode and takes him down with a kick from the top rope but Storm breaks up the pin attempt. RVD comes back and takes Storm down with a kick to the head and follows up with the split leg moonsault but Brian Hebner doesn’t make the pin as Storm isn’t the legal man.
As RVD gets up, he is clotheslined by Roode and Beer Money gives Hardy a double suplex. RVD comes back but Beer Money they take him out with a double DDT, however, RVD kicks out of the pin attempt. Hardy then hits the Twist of Fate on Roode as he is pulled out to the floor by Storm. Storm tries to toss Hardy into the ladder that is still between the ring and the railing but Hardy slides under it and sends it flying into Storm.
Back in the ring, RVD hits Roode with the Rolling Thunder and Hardy flies off the top rope with a Swanton Bomb. RVD follows with a 5-Star Frog Splash on Roode and picks up the pin fall to win the match. RVD and Hardy celebrate in the ring as Eric Young comes into the ring and asks for a microphone.
Eric Young says that he just talked to Hulk Hogan and got a six-man tag match booked next week featuring Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman against Eric Young and his partners, RVD and Jeff Hardy. The three then stand in the ring with their arms all raised as Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
- Daffney & the Beautiful People defeated Tara/Taylor Wilde/Sarita/Angelina Love by pin fall.
- Rob Terry defeated Tomko by pin fall to retain the TNA Global Championship.
- Jeff Jarrett defeated Mick Foley by pin fall in a No Disqualification Loser is Fired match.
- Hernandez and Matt Morgan fought to a no contest.
- Jeff Hardy & RVD defeated Beer Money by pin fall.
Starman’s Thoughts
You know, unless you were paying attention, you may have not have known that there was a pay-per-view last night. Maybe that was by design since it was pretty much panned by the wrestling community, but it barely got any mention whatsoever as TNA tried to move forward from that mess.
The show got off to a good start with Eric Bischoff promising to fire someone during the broadcast. Two of his targets were Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley, which made me wonder if a firing really was going to happen. It did as Foley lost the match and was fired due to the stipulation, which sort of surprised me. I’m not sure if Foley is just taking some time off or is really leaving, but it is intriguing.
Unfortunately, though, Foley’s firing was done without much fanfare as he pretty much just left the ringside area. It was nice to see Foley say his goodbyes before laying out Bubba the Love Sponge to the delight of all TNA fans in and out of the Impact Zone. I really wish that Eric Bischoff had more of a presence during his exit as I think it would have helped add a little more to the angle.
An announcement beforehand of this huge match could have helped as well. It was good to see that the match was made near the top of the show, but Foley/Jarrett should be treated as a huge match, especially since it is a Loser is Fired match.
Speaking of unannounced huge matches, tonight’s main event was one of the better ones since the start of the Hogan/Bischoff regime. It was good to see Jeff Hardy and RVD do something meaningful for once, although I did think it was a bit weird to see them defeat Beer Money cleanly – since, you know, Beer Money is one of the best tag teams in TNA at this moment.
In an unrelated note, I have to hand it to the Orlando fans that chanted RVD’s music, including the fat bass line, during the match. His music is simple, yet effective, and totally awesome.
As for the huge unannounced matches are concerned, though, I will give TNA the benefit of the doubt this week as they are coming off a PPV event, but at least they hyped a couple of matches next week. It was announced during the main event that Tara will take on Daffney in a first blood match and after the main event was over, Eric Young said that he, RVD and Jeff Hardy would take on the Band.
I can understand the six-man tag match getting announced at the very end as it was a surprise, but you would think that the first blood match would have gotten a bit more than a passing mention during the main event. TNA really needs to learn how to hype their shows better, especially since they are now going head-to-head against Raw. Not only that, but Mike Tenay announced that SpikeTV is no longer replaying Impact
I am waiting to see what happens with Hernandez as there are a ton of possibilities that can happen. With Hernandez being taken out by his partner, Hernandez could possibly be put on the shelf for a bit (for a stint in AAA possibly?) and the tag titles could be vacated and put up for grabs. Matt Morgan could then go out to be a singles wrestler, as he should be, and Hernandez could reunite with Homicide to reform the LAX. This single angle could turn out a ton of great possibilities. Whether or not TNA shares those same ideas is anyone’s guess.
Finally, Rob Terry continues to mow down the competition in his Global Championship title defenses. This week he squashed Tomko, and while I usually hate matches like these, I am glad that they are trying to get both Terry and the Global Championship over with the fans. The Global Championship doesn’t hold much value, and very well may never have any value, but at least they are putting a focus on it.
