TNA Impact 1/5/2012

Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 1/5/2012
From: Orlando, FL

Impact starts off the show with a video promoting Bobby Roode and it focuses on how selfish he is. Luckily for him he has Bully Ray to protect his title.

Sting makes his way out to the ring to cut a promo. Sting calls out Jeff Hardy to join him in the ring. Sting just wants to tell Hardy that he is impressed with Hardy and mentions how he has been able to build the bridge of trust back. Sting brings up how he got a second chance and the same has happened for Hardy. He says the creatures look up to him and adore him. There are even wrestlers in the back who want to be him. Hardy gets Sting’s 100% endorsement. Here comes the TNA World Champion Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle and Bully Ray. Roode says he just about puked backstage while listening to them talk. He wants to know why he isn’t getting an endorsement by Sting and asks the same for Ray and Angle. Ray is mad that he has yet to get a TNA World Championship match. James Storm makes his way out along with Abyss. Storm wants Roode to shut his mouth because the fans hate him talking all the time. Storm turns his attention to Angle and talks about Angle attacking one his buddies who just gout of the hospital. Storm believes that Angle is afraid because it only takes one kick to knock him out. Angle tries to say something but Abyss yanks the microphone away. Ray tries to step up but Abyss stops him and gets in his face. Abyss knows that Immortal needs his size and power but he doesn’t need Immortal. He is going to make Ray pay at Genesis when they compete in a Monster’s Ball match. Sting chimes in and books a six man tag match for the main event tonight.

We go to poolside where Madison Rayne and Gail Kim are bullying Traci Brooks. Traci attacks Rayne in the pool until Gail Kim puts down the camera and tries to murder Brooks by drowning her. Mickie James with a canon ball into the pool to save her friend.

Opening Contest: TNA Knockouts Champion & TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions Gail Kim & Madison Rayne vs. Mickie James & Traci Brooks
James and Rayne kicked off the match with James choking Rayne while Brooks sent Kim into the ring steps. Kim is beaten up by both James and Brooke in the ring and Rayne is dumped to the floor as well. After a commercial, Rayne has control of James delivering a few forearm shots. Brooks attacks Kim on the floor and the referee is distracted with that going on. Rayne misses a a kick and James forces her to do a split before connecting with a dropkick. Rayne battles back with a clothesline. Kim tags in after Rayne had worked on James for a couple of minutes. Brooks gets tagged in soon after and cleans house dropping Kim with a few forearm shots. Kim is able to hit the Eat Defeat on Brooks to earn the pin fall.

Your Winners and STILL TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions: Gail Kim & Madison Rayne via pin
Match Rating: *1/4

Backstage, Ric Flair is telling Gunner that he is an impact player and a star. Sting shows up and bans Flair from managing Gunner tonight against RVD.

Outside, Eric Young is looking for ODB. He says it just feels right her and they are in love. Young believes that the tournament is double elimination, but it’s not. Young says they are going to be tag champions. He runs off in a rather hilarious manner to go find ODB.

A video promoting the tag team tournament is aired.

Backstage, Magnus is talking to Samoa Joe. Magnus says they will no longer be overlooked. They are clearly on the same page and shake hands. We also see Styles and Kaz talking. Kaz says they like each other, unlike the other tag teams. Styles knows he can trust Kaz and Kaz can trust him. That’s how a team wins.

Backstage, Sting is talking with Garrett Bischoff. Garrett is one hundred percent healthy and isn’t going to allow anyone to push him around. His position in the company means a lot. Sting tells him he isn’t going to referee the next match. Sting tells him he isn’t a referee but rather a wrestler. Welcome to the roster, Garrett.

Backstage, Eric Young enters the woman’s locker room and wants to lockup with Gail Kim but Madison Rayne jumps on his back. So, he puts her in a locker! Young runs away.

Second Contest: Rob Van Dam vs. Gunner
Gunner gets the first offense in with a clothesline but RVD knocks him off his feet with a springboard kick and a springboard moonsault for a near fall. We go to another commercial as RVD is on the floor playing to the crowd. Gunner has the advantage following a shoulder block. Gunner runs into a big boot in the corner and RVD leaps off the top to kick Gunner in the face again. Gunner recovered to hit a clothesline for a two count. RVD connects with a step over heel kick. RVD gets a near fall after a standing moonsault. RVD sure does love using spin kicks. He follows up with the rolling thunder but Gunner rolls to the floor. Gunner yanks RVD off the apron and RVD gets his leg tangled up in the skirt. That looked dangerous to me. They are counted out as Gunner looks to pile drive RVD on the concrete floor, but RVD counters with a back drop. RVD misses a spin kick off the apron and hits the guard railing. Al Snow, Simon Diamond and D’Lo Brown run down to prevent Gunner from delivering a pile driver.

Your Winner: Double Count-out
Match Rating: *3/4

Backstage, James Storm says he isn’t afraid of anyone. Jeff Hardy thinks it is all over for Roode tonight. Abyss is gladly out of Immortal and is focused on Bully Ray. We also hear from Roode, Angle, and Ray. Roode tells Hardy he will not have any friends to save him on Sunday. Angle says he isn’t going to walk into a kick from Storm and he is going break his ankle. Ray tells Abyss to screw off and actually promotes a house show match with RVD in New York tomorrow night.

Third Contest: Zema Ion & Jesse Sorensen vs. TNA X-Division Champion Austin Aries & Kid Kash
Kash attacks Jesse from behind as Zema really wanted to start the match. Jesse nails Kash with a high knee and dropkick. Zema sneaks in a tag but is arm dragged by Kash several times before being chopped in the corner. Aries enters and punches Zema after a leg trip. Zema drops the champ and kicks him in the face. Aries tosses Zema to the floor and takes him out with a suicide drive through the bottom rope. Kash gets in on the action with a somersault dive on the floor. Zema tags out to Jesse who is tossed into the ring by Aries. Jesse looks for a neck breaker after a dropkick, but Kash made the save. Kash tags in and stomps away on Jesse in the corner. Kash with a vertical slam but Jesse sends Kash into Aries moments later. Zema steals another tag and plants Aries with a tornado DDT. Zema leaps off the middle rope to hit a twisting cross body on Aries for a near fall. Jesse tags in after Zema avoids a double suplex and he cleans house with clotheslines and a neck breaker. Jesse takes Kash out with a slingshot cross body on the floor. Jesse scoop slams Aries but Zema tags himself as Jesse climbed up top. Zema misses a 450 splash off the top. Aries goes for the brain buster but Zema isn’t legal now and Jesse hits twisting DDT for the win.

Your Winners: Jesse Sorensen & Zema Ion via pin fall
Match Rating: **

Backstage, we see Kaz leaving a room that Christopher Daniels was in, unknown to AJ Styles.

Backstage, Eric Young has found ODB who has a photo shoot. She tells Young that they are eliminated from the tournament. They roll around on the floor with ODB kissing Young before leaving.

Fourth Contest: Kaz & AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus
Joe and Styles kick off the contest. Remember when these two would have countless classic matches? Anyway, Joe works on Styles with a knee strike and several clubbing blows in the corner. Magnus tags in and kept control with a back breaker. Joe returns to lock in an abdominal stretch but Styles connects with a head scissors. Kaz tags in but Magnus knees him in the back to allow Joe to hit a clothesline. Kaz spin kicks Magnus and Styles got a near fall. Magnus is worked on by Styles and Kaz for a couple of minutes. Magnus stops Kaz with a clothesline and a back splash by Joe. Kaz avoids a splash by Magnus and tags in Styles. Styles hits a springboard forearm shot on Magnus. Styles nails Magnus with the Pele kick as well. Christoper Daniels is on the ramp way and is looking at Kaz. Kaz jumps off the apron and has ditched Styles. Magnus hits an elbow drop off the top and Joe gets the pin. Damn you Kaz!

Your Winners: Samoa Joe & Magnus via pin fall
Match Rating: **

Backstage, Crimson and Matt Morgan are happy to know who they are facing at Geneis. Magnus and Samoa Joe come over and they taunt the champions saying they will win the titles. They shove each other until D’Lo Brown and Al Snow come over to break it up.

Main Event: Six Man Tag
TNA World Champion Bobby Roode, Bully Ray & Kurt Angle vs. Abyss, James Storm & Jeff Hardy
Storm and Ray start off the main event with Ray deciding to shove Abyss on the apron. Storm gets the early advantage and tags in Abyss, but Ray backs off into a corner. Ray decides to not lockup with Abyss and instead tags in Roode to deal with Abyss. Roode elbows Abyss in the corner but runs into a big boot. Ray kicks Abyss in the back as he look to come off the ropes. Abyss is worked on in the corner by Roode and Ray as we go to another commercial.

Angle is stomping away on Abyss along with some overhand clubbing blows. Abyss clotheslines Angle and Roode before tagging in Storm who cleans house with clotheslines and a backdrop. Ray clotheslines Storm from the apron to help out his team. Ray drives Storm to the mat with a delayed vertical suplex for a near fall. Storm fights off Angle with a side Russian leg sweep. Hardy gets the tag and cleans house with clotheslines. Roode is the legal man and Hardy delivers a double leg drop to his lower midsection. Hardy with the Twist of Fate, which Roode doesn’t go all the way down for and sells like it was a Stunner. All six men are in the ring brawling and the referee decides to throw the match out.

Your Winners: No Contest
Match Rating: **1/4

After the match, Roode is working on Hardy while Abyss brawls with Ray on the floor and Storm works on Angle. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate on Roode again and heads up top to hit the Swanton Bomb but Ray shoves him off and crotches Hardy on the top rope. Storm hits Roode with a Code Breaker like move and goes for a super kick but Angle low blows Storm. Abyss goes for the Shock Treatment on Angle but Ray beats him down with a chain. Ray chokes Abyss with a chain over the top rope. Roode has a Crossface on Hardy and Angle has the ankle lock on Storm to close the show.

Final Thoughts:
I thought it was an average episode at best. None of the wrestling matches were all that good, but for television they held my interest for the most part. Eric Young provides some really good humor for the show. He plays the goofball role very well. That’s not to say he can’t play the serious role, because he can (remember World Elite?). I feel like Magnus could have a big year if even the chance. He has the look for sure and he is a solid wrestler. I’d hope he gets a shot in TNA to rise up the ranks. Kaz is probably going to turn heel. If this leads to Daniels leading a heel stable outside of Immortal (is that even together still?) then I’m all for that. Lastly, the main event was a decent match with the heels having the momentum going into the pay per view.

As for Genesis, the card doesn’t look all that bad. Of course, anything can look good on paper. Hopefully it delivers.

Thanks for reading.