Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 6/29/2006
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Eric Young & Petey Williams defeated Chris Sabin & Sonjay Dutt
2.) Monty Brown defeated Norman Smiley
3.) Team 3D defeated America’s Most Wanted in a no disqualification match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Christian Cage makes his way out to start the program. Cage says there is going to be a company meeting later tonight but he wants to talk to Sting face to face and calls out Sting. Cage says that he knows that Cornette is going to give him back the NWA World Championship. Cage tells Sting that if he wants a shot at the championship that he can have it. Cage just asks for Sting to say it to his face. Sting calls Cage ‘Jeff Jarrett’ to insult him. Cage asks Sting if he looks like a complete ass to him. Sting tells Cage that he does at this very moment. Sting tells Cage to shut up and threatens to bite Cage’s finger off if its in his face again. Sting says that Cage is cracking under pressure because he’s a target. Sting tells Cage this isn’t about the championship and rather Cage is worried about what Sting said to Cornette. Sting went to Cornette about a tag match. Next week, Sting will team with Cage to take on Jarrett and Scott Steiner next week on Impact. Sting asks if Cage is getting the big picture and they are on the same page now. Cage stops Sting from talking and says that next week it’s showtime.
2.) Backstage, Scott Steiner asks Sting how it feels to be in a match he can’t win next week. Steiner makes fun of Cage being a Canadian and suggests that someone from Ethopia has better muscle tone than Cage. Jarrett has come to a conclusion that Cornette has now options and only has one option. Cornette hates being cornered and Jarrett says he’s the smartest man in wrestling. Jarrett knows that Cornette will give him the championship at the company meeting. Steiner asks if Samoa Joe has learned his lesson yet.
3.) Williams is jabbed by Sabin and Lethal. Lethal and Sabin double team Young with a chin lock/dropkick combo. Lethal heel kicks Williams while being held by Sabin. Sabin drops Young with a backbreaker and hits an elbow drop for a two count. Williams knee lifts Sabin from the apron and Young wants to shake hands. Williams yanks Sabin down by his hair from the apron. Young tags out to Williams. Roode holds Sabin, but young prevents interference because he doesn’t want to get fired. We go to commercial.
Williams has Sabin in a tree of woe, but Young prevents Williams from standing on Sabin’s groin. Williams dropkicks a seated Sabin and locks in a chin lock. Sabin elbows free from Williams and gets a sunset flip for a two count. Williams nails Sabin with a spinning heel kick. Young tags into the match and delivers an elbow drop for a near fall. Young forearms Sabin leading to another near fall. Williams chokes Sabin over the middle rope. Young stops D’Amore from interfering. Williams dropkicks a seated Sabin for a two count. Williams hits a side Russian leg sweep on Sabin leading to a near fall. Young tries for a quick cover, but Sabin kicks out. Williams tags into the match and Sabin sends Williams into Young before tagging in Lethal. Lethal cleans house with clotheslines and a dropkick to Young. Lethal hits a neckbreaker and a bridging suplex on Williams for a two count. Lethal kicks both A-1 and Roode. Sabin takes them out with a somersault dive to the floor. Lethal kicks Young over the top to the floor. Lethal flapjacks Williams and goes to the top rope. D’Amore shoves Lethal off and Williams hits the Canadian Destroyer to win the match,. Johnny Devine and Alex Shelley had come to ringside with Devine being a camera guy for Shelley. (***. A good tag match and a surprise outcome. I thought that Young would cost them the match since he’s trying to do anything to not get fired. Sabin and Lethal are so good and clean in the ring it makes for a great viewing experience.)
4.) A video promoting Shane Douglas training the Naturals is shown. Douglas is teaching the Naturals how to get back to the top. Douglas is trying to motivate and toughen the team up. They are training in the ring and running steps at a track several times.
5.) Smiley starts off by dancing and Brown was not a fan of that. Brown hammers away on Smiley to start the match. Smiley boots Brown in the corner and gets a rollup for a one count. Smiley delivers a few right hands on the mat followed by a few uppercuts. Brown tosses Smiley overhead with a suplex. Brown hits a fallaway slam. Brown continues to beat on Smiley with right hands. Brown finishes Smiley off with the Pounce to win the match. (NR. Obviously just a squash for Brown. I only covered it because of a Norman Smiley sighting.)
6.) AMW wait on the ramp for Team 3D entrance to attack them. Team 3D walk right by them and AMW attack after the pyro. AMW decks Team 3D from behind and they brawl around ringside. Storm sends Bubba into the ring but runs into an elbow. Harris stops Bubba on the middle rope and hits a superplex for a two count. D-Von gets taken over with a double snap suplex for another near fall. We go to commercial.
Bubba tosses a trash can full of weapons into the ring. D-Von whacks Storm with a kendo stick and Bubba nails Harris with a keyboard. Bubba presses a crutch into Harris groin. D-Von powerslams Storm coming off the ropes for a two count. Harris has been busted open and slams D-Von. Harris hits a middle rope leg drop on D-Von. Bubba plants Harris with a Rock Bottom for a near fall. Gail Kim uses a trash can lid on Bubba, but Bubba no sells it. Bubba scoop slams Kim and Brother Runt smashes the trash can lid onto Kim. Bubba slams Storm and D-Von hits the What’s Up. Harris baseball slides a table into Team 3D and now AMW set the table up on the floor. D-Von backdrops Storm on the floor while Harris sends Bubba into the ring post face first. Harris has a trash can and Storm has a beer bottle. AMW argue over which weapon to use. Harris hits Storm with the trash can on accident. Harris turns around and is met with the 3D and is pinned. (*1/2. I’m getting a vibe that things between AMW may be a little shaky. The action wasn’t strong here as they kept it to simple brawling and it wasn’t all that entertaining.) After the match, James Gang come out and tell Team 3D that they found a partner for a six man tag match at Victory Road. BG notes that Runt is part of their family. BG found the ugliest, nastiest and baddest SOB on their family tree. Abyss ends up in the ring and decks Team 3D with a clothesline. Abyss is the partner for James Gang. Abyss counters the Acid Drop and drops Runt over the top through the table on the floor. BG is on the microphone declaring that Runt is dead.
7.) Jim Cornette is in the ring for the company meeting. The wrestlers are at ringside and on the aisle way. Cornette address the LAX group. Cornette says a work stoppage means a pay stoppage in TNA. So, if you want to be paid you get in the ring. Cornette goes to Team Canada and says the group has been disbanded. America’s Most Wanted is next and notes they have demanded a rematch for the tag titles. At Victory Road, the tag titles will be on the line in a six person tag match. AMW will team with Gail Kim to take on NWA Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles and Sirelda.
Cornette is looking for Earl Hebner next. Cornette calls for Hebner, Zbyszko and Jeff Jarrett to get in the ring. Scott Steiner enters the ring, as well. Hebner notes that Cornette has been his friend for thirty years. Cornette says that Hebner has his hand in someone’s pocket. Cornette fires Hebner for what he did at Slammiversary. Eric Young is happy to still have a job. Hebner is escorted out by security. Cornette turns his attention to Zbyszko. Cornette found something in Zbyszko’s contract where if he fires Larry than he has to pay him. However, if Zbyszko breaches his contract then he loses his money. Cornette has power to book Zbyszko in wrestling matches. Cornette knows that Zbyszko and Raven do not get along. Cornette knows that Zbyszko is sensitive about his hair. Cornette announces that Zbyszko will be wrestling Raven in a hair vs. hair match at Victory Road. Zbyszko can breach his contract or Cornette can make Zbyszko’s life a living hell. Zbyszko says he will determine his fate not Cornette.
Cornette turns his attention to the NWA World Championship and Jeff Jarrett. Cornette doesn’t like the idea of titles not being won outside of the ring. Cornette wants the title to have some honor. Cornette says that he can’t give it to Sting or Christian Cage since they didn’t win. Jarrett did win the match, which Cornette admits. Cornette knows the fans want to see Jarrett get beaten into a pound of gravy. There’s going to be a four person match. Christian Cage, Sting, Scott Steiner and Samoa Joe. They will be competing at Victory Road. The winner will be the number one contender to the NWA World Championship. Jarrett gets the championship only if he agrees to defend the title against the winner. Cornette says the championship is Jarrett for now, but doesn’t think it will be for long. Jarrett taunts the crowd on the middle rope. Jarrett tells Cornette that he found out the hard way that Cornette has to deal with him. Fans are tossing trash into the ring again. Jarrett wants to wrestle Cage and Sting right now. Cage makes his way down to the ring, but Sting comes in from the other side. Sting decks Jarrett from behind and all four men begin to brawl in the ring. Sting splashes Jarrett in the corner and they go to the floor. Cage hammers away on Steiner and Joe gets a chokehold on Steiner on the aisle to end the program!
Final Thoughts:
I’m enjoying the slow build to an eventual Sting/Cage match as that has to be the direction they are doing in. The final segment with Cornette was fine since the heels finally have someone to combat them and the faces can get some momentum on them. Not as strong of a show as other ones this month, but still enjoyable.
Thanks for reading.