NWA-TNA Impact 2/11/2006

Credit to: http://www.pwwew.net

Date: February 11th, 2006

From: Orlando, FL

– And we’re starting five minutes late because of UFC running long.

– The show began with clips from last week where Larry Zbyszko patronizingly announced a mini-tag tournament with the finals occurring tonight.

– Mike Tenay and Don West introduced the show.

1 — AUSTIN ARIES & RODERICK STRONG vs. CHRIS SABIN & SONJAY DUTT

“Superstar” Austin Aries and Roderick Strong played the heels on the way to the ring. Strong grew out his beard heel-style. Zbyszko sat in on commentary. West asked Zbyszko about Raven getting a bum deal while Strong ran over Sabin in the ring. They went into a series of reversals before Sabin hit a huricanrana. Aries screamed like a heel Chris Jericho in his early days in Japan as Sabin and Dutt hit a double team back breaker. They flipped him to the outside then knocked Strong off the apron. Sabin feigned a somersault dive and GenNext figured they were in the clear. Instead, Dutt flew off Sabin’s back with a somersault dive to the outside. The only problem was it was a slow-developing spot with GenNext waiting for an unrealistic amount of time. Good action so far.

[Commercial Break]

Dutt delivered a turnaround elbow drop on Aries after the break. Sabin hit a drop kick to the back of Aries’s head. Aries and Strong rallied and went on the heel attack. Strong hit a high-elevated drop kick to the chest. Strong ripped off one of those thunderous chops to the chest that he allowed the fans to soak in for a few seconds. Dutt took a hot tag and ripped off drop kicks. He hit a tilt-o-whirl DDT on Strong as Zbysko offered nothing to the match on commentary, instead discussing the Sting retirement. Dutt hung up both opponents in the tree of woe in opposite corners. Sabin caught his foot on the mat as he went for his surfboard drop kick on Strong and that’s where the injury occurred. Still, he hit a surfboard drop kick on Aries in the opposite corner. They went to the finish where Aries missed a top rope move on Sabin and caught Strong on accident. Sabin, who was favoring his ankle, hit the Cradle Shock on Aries. He still managed to celebrate with Dutt and get his babyface shine doing the “belt around the waist” signal afterwards.

WINNERS: Chris Sabin & Sonjay Dutt at 10:41. Probably the best Impact match in months despite the air being taken out of the crowd late after Sabin was injured. Good pacing, good energy, good wrestling. It’s just unfortunate the commentators couldn’t give a hard sell for the importance of the match with the winners facing AMW for the straps at the PPV. They were more concerned talking about the $500,000 man, which is a shame.

– We saw a video package on Christian Cage. He said he left WWE to be part of a new promotion with an opportunity to be big time. He said he was surprised by Sting’s retirement because he proved that he still “has it” in the ring. They’ve been exchanging calls back and forth and Sting is convinced this is the best decision. Christian planted a seed for a match with Sting down the road, saying he wanted to set the record straight that Sting did not leave the company because Christian was going to receive the next title shot. He said he will prove everyone wrong that he’s not a mid-card comedy act. He said that if he doesn’t win the NWA Title, he would disappoint everyone and not prove the critics wrong. It sounds like Christian has to win based on his final words that he’ll prove the critics right about being a mid-card act if he loses. Either that, or a non-finish so he still saves face, but doesn’t win the belt to set up Sting-Jarrett. Good video package that was absolutely necessary after Christian was an afterthought mid-carder last week during the press conference.

– The cameras zoomed in on the TNA Management office door. Tenay said Christian was meeting with management behind closed doors.

[Commercial Break]

– Terry Taylor was backstage with Cassidy Riley. He said he hasn’t heard back from Raven. Jackie Gayda interrupted and told Cassidy to tell Raven to sit tight because it’s about to hit the fan. Jackie gave a seven-day ultimatum for Jeff Jarrett to meet all of her demands or she would take her dirt to management. Scott D’Amore walked in and said he had good news. “I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance.” Ok, he didn’t say that, but it would have been a great set-up. D’Amore said he just needs a little more time and they will meet every single one of Jackie’s demands. Jackie wasn’t convinced and threatened with the seven days. She walked off with Cassidy then Alex Shelley walked into the picture. He teased D’Amore that he didn’t get any dirt on Jackie then pulled out a video cassette. He called Jackie a “kinky dame.” Shelley and D’Amore walked off to look at the video. Taylor wanted to know what was on it.

– Don West said he would give a week’s salary to see what’s on the tape. Elix Skipper and David Young tried to jump Team 3D before the next match.

2 — TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON) vs. ELIX SKIPPER & DAVID YOUNG (w/Simon Diamond)

After a minute of action, AMW and Gail Kim interrupted. Chris Harris said Team Canada would take out Team 3D at the PPV. He said if they could get past Canada, they could have a tag title shot. (So much for selling the possibility of Sabin and Dutt winning the belts.) Brother Ray called Canada a miserable place then said they would take out Team Canada at the PPV. Petey and A-1 jumped Team 3D from behind, but they cleared them out of the ring. They set up a table in the ring then Bobby Roode and Eric Young made it a 4-on-2 battle. They put Brother Ray through the table. Devon took a shot to the face with the “best tag team of the year” plaque. He bled heavily as Bobby Roode rubbed the plaque across Devon’s face. A puddle of blood was on the mat as AMW laughed from the entrance ramp.

WINNERS: No Contest at 1:07. All storyline and that’s not a bad thing because of how well everyone played their role. Good set-up for the PPV.

[Commercial Break]

3 — SAMOA JOE vs. JAY LETHAL vs. CHASYN RANCE — Non-Title match

Joe absorbed an early attack before landing palm thrusts on Rance. He cleared Lethal out of the ring then gave Rance the Muscle Buster. He forced him to tap out to the Kokina Clutch. Tenay defended the code of the X Division when Joe kept the hold on for a few extra seconds. The fans chanted, “One more time.” Tenay and West ignored it.

WINNER: Samoa Joe at 1:37. All about setting up the three-way match at the PPV. Probably the worst way to do so with a meaningless squash match.

– We saw video from Jeff Jarrett and Christian’s press conference last week. Mixed in were separate interview clips. Jarrett said Sting was supposed to be the savior for TNA, but TNA banked on the wrong guy and now Christian has backed into TNA’s spot designated for Sting. Jarrett said Christian is in for a reality check if he thinks he’s coming to TNA for greener pastures after not being given the ball in WWE.

[Commercial Break]

4 — ABYSS (w/James Mitchell) & MONTY BROWN vs. RON KILLINGS & RHINO

Killings had new music. They showed video from two weeks ago when Rhino and Abyss crashed through a wall backstage. Rhino stormed the ring not selling the effect of the crash through the wall two weeks ago, just as he didn’t show any effects last week before winning a squash match. The action broke down within the first thirty seconds. Killings hit a drop kick on Abyss sending him through the ropes to the outside. Killings flew over the top rope with a one-step leap onto Abyss and Brown as we cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

Killings hit a trademark spin kick on Abyss right out of the break. Killings built up heat for a tag to Rhino, but Abyss cut him off and tagged in Brown. Killings hit a drop kick and sent Brown to the outside. Abyss attacked Killings from behind, but Killings recovered again and pounded on Abyss in the corner with right hands. Brown cut him off from the apron leading to the heel beat down on Killings. Killings went for a kick off the ropes, but Abyss caught him in mid-air and crotched him across the ropes. Brown tagged in and delivered a stiff elbow to the chest. Brown clenched Killings’s head in between his forearms. Killings fought to his feet and hit a spinning forearm blow. Rhino took the hot tag and dropped Brown with a spinebuster. Abyss cut off Rhino before he could gore Brown. They clotheslined each other over the top rope to the floor. Brown went for a powerbomb on Killings, but Killings slipped out and hit front slam. Abyss and Rhino brawled up the bleachers outside of the ring. They spilled out to the backstage area. In the ring, Brown and Killings recovered on the mat. Konnan walked to the ring with a big smirk on his face. He tried to give Killings a billyclub, but Killings refused. Brown took the distraction as an opportunity to hit the Pounce for the win. Afterwards, Konnan walked into the ring and reprimanded Killings. Killings rolled over and stared at Konnan like he was a crazy fool.

WINNERS: Monty Brown & Abyss 11:25. Konnan being part of the final in-ring action before the PPV isn’t exactly the hard sell TNA needed. Killings looked strong throughout the match. It’s obvious TNA finally intends on pushing him as a singles wrestler.

– Backstage, Christian walked out of the TNA Management office on his cell phone. He said the outside interference is out of control. He was talking to Sting, who he thanked for passing the torch at the last PPV. He promised to win the NWA Title.