Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 1/12/2012
From: Orlando, FL
Stills from Genesis kicks off the show. The stills highlight the TNA World Championship match between Roode and Hardy. In case you didn’t know, Roode retained the title by disqualification.
TNA World Champion Bobby Roode makes his way out to the ramp way and walks down to the ring to cut a promo. He believes that Genesis saw a lopsided victory for him. Roode believes he simply the greatest champion to ever compete in TNA. Roode gives credit to Hardy and his life story. It almost brings a tear to his eye, but it doesn’t. Roode agrees with the fans and wants Hardy to come out to the ring. He wants Hardy to accept defeat and shake his hand. Instead, he gets Sting. Sting reminds the champ he is the boss and Roode is just an employee. Huh, Sting wants to get a ruler and spank Roode’s butt. Sting calls the champ stupid for taking the disqualification win at Genesis. Sting ends up booking Roode into a title match against Jeff Hardy tonight! Roode flips out back in the ring.
Earlier today, Matt Morgan and Crimson just do an insane Direct Auto Insurance promo. They decide to also talk about their match against Robbie E and Robbie T. Seriously, they needed to do that promo for Direct?
Opening Contest: TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt Morgan & Crimson vs. TNA Television Champion Robbie E & Robbie T
T and Crimson started the match but E tagged in right after a shoulder block. E tagged out after a shoulder block and T scoop slams Crimson. E decides to try his luck again but is nearly choke slammed by Crimson but he broke free. Morgan delivers several back elbow shots in the corner to T before hitting a big splash. Crimson hits an exploder suplex and Morgan knocks T off the apron. The champs hit E with a double choke slam to win the match.
After the match, Samoa Joe and Magnus enter the ring and attack the champions. Joe nails Morgan with one of the tag titles. Magnus hits a top rope elbow drop on Crimson. They pose the tag titles as well.
Your Winners: TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt Morgan & Crimson via pin fall
Match Rating: 1/2*
A video promoting Garrett Bischoff is aired. It highlights Gunner hitting a pile driver on Garrett on the concrete floor. Sting has made Garrett a member of the wrestling roster.
Eric Bischoff makes his way out to the ring. Eric doesn’t blame his son for having a dream to become a professional wrestler. Eric puts over how he rebuilt a company to become number one. He destroyed anything and anyone who didn’t benefit him. Eric wants Garrett to give up his dreams because he doesn’t have a future in the business. Garrett Bischoff makes his way down to the ring. Garrett says he hasn’t burned his bridges and tells his father he isn’t going anywhere. He is proud to be in the ring and learning from all the great wrestlers. Garrett says he will keep coming back no matter how many times he gets beaten up by Gunner or anyone else. Garrett has a new trainer and tells Eric that he will be surprised who it is. Garrett backs his father into a corner and tells him to never put his hands on him again.
Backstage, Winter is talking to Angelina Love about how they don’t need a new leader. Winter thinks it is time for the fans to remember who Winter was. People aren’t going to forget who she was. Angelina Love also says it’s time for people to remember who she is as well.
A video promoting the relationship between Eric Young and ODB is aired. I find their partnership to be rather humorous.
Backstage, ODB is telling Eric Young that it was only one kiss and it wasn’t a big deal.
Second Contest: Winter vs. ODB
ODB uses her chest to knock Winter off her feet but misses a splash in the corner. Winter puts ODB in the tree of woe so she can choke her. Winter begins to yank on ODB’s hair as well before getting a two count. ODB knocks Winter down with several shoulder blocks and a big splash in the corner. ODB delivers a bronco buster in the corner as well. ODB hits a fall away slam. Eric Young grabs Angelina Love in the ring and does an airplane spin. He and Love fall to the floor. ODB hits a TKO on Winter to win the match.
Your Winner: ODB via pin fall
Match Rating: *
AJ Styles makes his way down to the ring and has some questions for Kazarian. He wants his former buddy to come down to answer his questions. They couldn’t have done that backstage? Here comes Kazarian who looks rather gloomy. Styles wasn’t expecting Kazarian to turn on him. He wants to know why Kazarian turned on him. The same thing happened to Styles a year ago with Christopher Daniels. Kazarian responds by saying that he can’t tell him. Christopher Daniels comes out and says he can. Daniels says that Styles is a lost cause and Kazarian realized that to be true. Daniels calls Styles a worthless piece of shit and Kazarian tries to stop Daniels but sent to the back. Styles tosses his microphone at Daniels back and briefly attacks him until Kazarian pulls Daniels out. It is obvious that Daniels has something on Kazarian to blackmail him.
Backstage, Bully Ray is talking to Bobby Roode. Ray is bragging about trending on Twitter after the pay per view. Roode is mad that he has to wrestle Hardy again tonight. Ray is more interested in talking about Twitter. Ray will have the champs back and says he wants a shot, which Roode says he will get.
James Storm comes out and says that things in TNA are starting to get a little sketchy. Storm calls out Kurt Angle to the ring. Angle walks out to the ring with a smirk on his face. Storm doesn’t allow Angle to speak by knocking his microphone away. Storm talks about Angle being a cheater. Storm mentions how he beat Angle in thirty seconds. Storm wants to wrestle Angle tonight. Angle says he isn’t on the card tonight because it’s his night off. There is no way that Storm will get a rematch with him. He wants Storm to live with the fact that he was the better man. Here comes Sting to chime in on this situation. Sting instead mentions that if Bobby Roode gets himself intentionally disqualified the title will switch hands. Sting decides they are going to have a rubber match with the winner facing the winner of Roode/Hardy. Angle runs backstage to get his gear on. Wow, he actually gets ring entrance music for when he returns.
Third Contest: #1 Contenders Match
Kurt Angle vs. James Storm
Angle is nearly counted out as he runs out putting his gear on. Storm works on Angle with a few strikes and stomps on his hand. Angle misses a spear in a corner and hits the ring post. Storm connects with a single arm breaker for a two count. Storm rams Angle head first into the ring steps. Angle gets the momentum by ramming Storm into the ring steps before they return to the ring. Storm knocks Angle to the floor with an elbow shot. Angle kicks Storm and his a over head belly to belly suplex on the floor as Impact goes to commercial.
Angle has kept control during the commercial as he works on Storm with several right hands and stomps in the corner. Angle gets a two count following a snap suplex. Angle drops Storm with a forearm strike and taunts the fans. Storm tries to fight back with right hands but Angle stops him with a few strikes. Storm ducks a clothesline and they both go down after they attempted to hit a cross body. Storm drops Angle following a series of strikes and a hits a Back Stabber but Angle kicks out at two. Storm maintains control with a back breaker and leaps off the middle rope but decides to instead lock in the ankle lock!
Storm has Angle right in the middle of the ring but Angle kicks Storm away and hits the Angle Slam for a near victory. Angle grabs a beer bottle from the floor and looks to hit Storm with it. The referee takes the beer away but Angle spits the beer into Storm’s face. Angle hits his version of a super kick but Storm kicks out two! Storm delivers a double knee to Angle and nails Angle with the Last Call to pick up the victory!
Your Winner: James Storm via pin fall
Match Rating: ***1/4
Backstage, Jeff Hardy is talking to the camera guy. Hardy says tonight he will end the selfish generation.
We get a video promoting Brooke Adams who works for Hooters. Yes, TNA is promoting the fact that one of THEIR EMPLOYEES has to work ANOTHER JOB. Way to go TNA.
Backstage, Madison Rayne wants Sting to make her the VIP of the Knockouts. Sting tells her that he can’t do that. Rayne wants to forget about how she helped Gail Kim retain the title. Sting decides to put Rayne in a steel cage match against Mickie James next week.
Main Event: TNA World Championship Match
(champions) Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy
Hardy works on the champ on the floor by sending him into the guard railing a few times. Hardy also sends Roode face first into the ring post. Hardy catapults Roode into the ring post as well. Hardy continues to control the champ with a clothesline. They enter the ring and the match finally begins, legally. Hardy gets a near fall after a forearm strike and a short arm clothesline. Hardy with a front suplex but Roode kicks out at two on the cover attempt. Hardy clotheslines Roode to the floor as Impact goes to commercial
Hardy has actually been able to keep control of the match. He sends Roode knee first into the ring steps. Hardy leaps off the steps but misses a splash and hits the guard railing hard. Roode gets into the ring while Hardy is hurting on the floor still. Hardy just manages to return to the ring. Roode hammers away on Hardy with right hands. Roode leaps off middle rope to hit a flipping neck breaker but Hardy kicks out before three. Hardy fights back with a jaw breaker and a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Hardy delivers a double leg drop and dropkick for a two count on the champ.
Roode runs into a back elbow in the corner and Hardy hits the Whisper in the Wind for a near fall! Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate but Roode gets out of it and drives Hardy down to the mat with a spine buster! Hardy gets out of the fisherman suplex and hits the Twist of Fate! Hardy leaps off the top but misses the Swanton Bomb. Roode tries to cover but Hardy kicks out before three. Hardy kicks Roode as he leaps off the middle rope. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and goes up top again. Hardy hits the Swanton and goes for the cover, but Bully Ray comes out and pulls the referee and kicks him to cause the disqualification. Hardy takes Ray out with a dive on the floor, but he doesn’t get the title.
After the match, Bully Ray embraces Roode after telling Hardy that he can’t beat Roode.
Your Winner: Jeff Hardy by disqualification, the title doesn’t change hands since Ray got involved.
Match Rating: ***
Final Thoughts:
Okay, the last 45 minutes of the show really saved this from being a crap show. Really, I wasn’t entertained by most of the show. I thought the opening segment was okay, but wasn’t all that effective, really. It was just really basic. Is there anyone that cares about the Bischoff stuff? Garrett has a good look, but he is far from being a top level guy by any means. I just don’t care about it. The AJ/Kazarian stuff is actually interesting because we still don’t know why Kazarian turned on Styles and what Daniels possibly knows to hold it over Kazarian’s head.
The last two matches were the best segments on the show. They really saved the show from being bad to being average to me. I’m liking that Bully Ray will be involved with Hardy in a feud. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ray turns face at some point, either. I don’t think Roode is going to give him the title shot and that will cause friction between them.
So, Impact was just average this week. The first hour is boring but the last forty five minutes or so provided a lot of entertainment.
Thanks for reading.