NWA-TNA Impact 7/20/2006

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total-Nonstop Action presents Impact
Date: 7/20/2006
From: Orlando, FL

A video highlighting what took place at Victory Road last Sunday is shown. Sting ended up winning the main event and is the number one contender for the NWA World Championship.

Backstage, Jay Lethal walks out of Sting’s locker room and says that Sting doesn’t want to be bothered. Borash notes that Lethal has a title shot tonight for the X-Division Championship. Lethal corrects Borash and says that he’s going for the NWA World Championship. Lethal earned the title shot due to him getting a three count last week in the eight man tag match.

Shane Douglas is in the ring and introduces the Naturals, whom he has been training. They had competed at Victory Road, but this is their first appearance on Impact since being trained by Douglas. They won their match at Victory Road over Diamonds In The Rough.

Opening Contest: The Naturals vs. Maverick Matt & Frankie Kazarian: All four men are in the ring brawling with the Naturals getting the better of it. Kazarian is tossed to the floor and the Naturals shoulder block Matt for a two count. Douglas drops Matt with a right hand and tags in Stevens. Matt is worked over with stomps in the corner. Matt is rammed back first into the corner and driven down by a double neckbreaker for a near fall. Kazarian holds Douglas foot from the floor and hits a slingshot leg drop when Matt holds Douglas down leading to a near fall for Matt as we go to commercial.

Matt hits a backbreaker and Kazarian nails Douglas with a springboard leg drop for a two count. Douglas boots Kazarian in the corner, but gets yanked won by Matt. Kazarian delivers a dropkick on Douglas in the corner for another two count. Kazarian slams Douglas and Matt hip tosses Kazarian onto Douglas for a two count. Stevens gets tagged in and Matt begs off. Stevens cleans house with right hands. Stevens backdrops Kazarian and Matt. Kazarian is clotheslined to the floor and Stevens hits a fisherman suplex on Matt for a near fall. Kazarian crotches Douglas on the top rope. Kazarian and Matt nearly win following a German suplex/clothesline combo. Douglas knocks Kazarian off the ropes to the floor. Naturals hit a powerbomb/missile dropkick combo on Matt for the win. (*1/2. Well, the crowd was mostly dead for this and it would appear that the fans were much more into Matt and Kazarian. I tend to agree with them as they looked better than the Naturals.) After the match, Douglas tells the Naturals that their shoulders should never touch the mat and he’s disappointed in them. Douglas had slapped the Naturals upon entering the ring.

We see footage from Victory Road where Jeff Jarrett squirted gasoline into Sting’s eyes during the main event, but Sting returned to the match and was able to pin Scott Steiner. Thus, Sting gets a title match against Jeff Jarrett at Hard Justice, if Jarrett is the champion.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash is at Sting’s door when Eric Young comes up and asks Borash if he’s avoiding him. Eric wonders if he’s going to be fired and is there for an idea from Borash. Borash sends it back to the Impact Zone.

NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner are at the announcers table and Jarrett says he knows what is going on. Jarrett says that Sting has conned Jay Lethal out of a X-Division Championship match and has him wrestling for the world title, which he doesn’t deserve. Jarrett believes that Sting doesn’t want to wrestle him at Hard Justice. Jarrett promises that Scott Steiner will be by his side everywhere he goes.

Paparazzi Production video with Kevin Nash needing to know what the X-Division guys are thinking when they go to the top rope. Alex Shelley says that they have video from all over the world. Shelley shows Nash the footage to take notes on how to combat the moves. Shelley is bringing some talent over to train with Kevin Nash for next week. Nash appreciates the gesture and Shelley wants Nash to hold him. These segments are great.

Second Contest: Rhino vs. Robert Adams: Rhino finishes Adams off in under ten seconds with the GORE.

Rhino has a microphone and says that he wanted better competition. Samoa Joe’s music hits and Joe appears on the aisle. Rhino issued an extreme challenge and asked Samoa Joe when does he want to wrestle either right now, next week or at Hard Justice. Joe says that Rhino has made his point with the challenge. Joe would feel better with a brawl. Joe tells Rhino they will be wrestling next week on Impact. Rhino doesn’t think they need to wait next week. Joe storms towards the ring and they are kept apart by security on the floor.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Brother Runt. Team 3D enter the scene and tell Borash that he can either leave or sit down and keep his mouth shut. Bubba says that they don’t like to lose. He notes that Runt went through a table. Bubba isn’t blaming Runt, but they lost. Bubba says that they are splitting for a little bit to regroup. Bubba says things haven’t gone perfectly for them in TNA. They had the NWA World Tag Titles in their hands but they slipped through. Bubba can’t believe that Styles and Daniels are the champions. They are going to refocus and they will win the titles. They want Brother Runt to do them a favor and stay out of trouble. They suggest Brother Runt go for the X-Division Championship. Runt has an evil smirk as they leave.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash talks with America’s Most Wanted, who don’t like being called former champions. They argue over who cost them the tag titles. Gail Kim blame Sirelda for all of this. She’s sick and tired of her attacking her from behind. Kim wants her in a singles match at Hard Justice.

NWA Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels make their way down to the ring. Daniels says they are not undisputed champions because teams in the back have an issue with them being champions. Daniels can see the resentment in their eyes. Daniels recalls Team 3D saying they were the future of the company, but not as a tag team. Daniels shows off the titles to suggest they were wrong about that. Daniels asks Styles how do they silence the critics. Styles gives Daniels an envelope and it’s a contract for a title shot. Apparently, every team has signed one. Team 3D has one waiting for them. James Gang, Naturals and Cage/Sting are mentioned. Konnan isn’t happy that LAX wasn’t mentioned. Konnan thinks that the champs are ducking them and thinks they are overrated. Styles tells Konnan to hold on and shows a contract for LAX. Konnan doesn’t believe Styles and suggests that Styles doesn’t have heart. Daniels only hears Konnan bitching and shows Konnan the contract. The champs leave the ring to hand the contract to Konnan at the Spanish announce able. Konnan looks at the contract and asks if they have a pen. Konnan drops the pen and LAX run into the scene to attack the champions. Hernandez drops Styles face first onto the apron. Konnan decks Daniels with a tag championship. Homicide hits the Cop Killa on Styles in the middle of the ring. Daniels has been busted wide open on the floor. Konnan signs the contract in Daniels own blood.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash has returned to Sting’s locker room and the door has been left open and Sting is gone. Larry Zbyszko enters the scene looking for Jim Cornette. Zbyszko thinks that Cornette has been dropping the ball. He wouldn’t be having Joe vs. Rhino next week on free TV. Slick Johnson enters the scene, but laughs at Zbyszko before walking off.

A video promoting Bobby Roode, who believes he’s a perfect wrestler. He was in Team Canada because he’s a team player. But, now he’s in it for himself. If anyone gets in his way, he will take them out. Bobby Roode has arrived and the heavyweight landscape will never be the same.

Main Event: NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett vs. Jay Lethal: Lethal takes Jarrett off the middle rope with a powerbomb to start the match. Lethal nails Jarrett with a couple of leaping forearms and a scoop slam. Lethal hits a top rope elbow drop and nearly wins the match. Jarrett bails to the floor, but Lethal follows with right hands. Lethal rolls Jarrett into the ring and gets a two count after a crossbody. Lethal chops Jarrett and follows Jarrett to the floor to deliver more strikes and chops. Jarrett stops Lethal with a knee lift and jumps onto Lethal’s back over the middle rope. Jarrett slides to the floor, but Lethal blocks a right hand and takes Jarrett out with a suicide dive! Scott Steiner makes his way out with a lead pipe. Jarrett shoves Lethal off the top rope and Lethal hits the railing as we go to commercial.

Jarrett sends Lethal into the guard railing ribs first. Steiner press slams Lethal into the ring. Jarrett backdrops Lethal in the ring followed by a dropkick. Jarrett leg sweeps Lethal and goes for the figure four, but Lethal counters and puts the figure four on Jarrett! Steiner pulls Jarrett to the ropes to help the champion. Lethal takes Steiner out with a somersault dive on the floor! Lethal nails Jarrett with a springboard missile dropkick. Lethal hip tosses Jarrett followed by a dropkick. Lethal goes to the top and hits the diving headbutt, but Jarrett kicks out at two. Jarrett knee lifts Lethal twice, but Lethal counters the Stroke. Jarrett dumps Lethal to the apron. Steiner whacks Lethal over the back with the lead pipe as the referee was distracted. Jarrett hits a middle rope Stroke for the win. (***1/4. I really enjoyed this. Sure, the finish is a little lame, but Jarrett showed desperation and Lethal had a great showing in there with Jarrett. I thought this was terrific for Lethal.) After the match, Sting appears after the lights go out to save Lethal from the Steiner Recliner. Security enters the ring to try and keep them apart, but that doesn’t work very well.

Christian Cage is backstage and tells Jeremy Borash that he’s going to ask Jim Cornette if he can be in Sting’s corner at Hard Justice.

Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a great episode of Impact. A new tag feud was introduced with a great segment and I’m intrigued to see how LAX works with Daniels and Styles. The main event tonight was nicely done and highly entertaining. This was a great fallout episode from Victory Road.

Thanks for reading.