Written by: Bob Colling
Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/9/2006
From: Orlando, FL
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is promoting the show when he sees Eric Young in a tent outside Cornette’s office. Young has a meeting with Cornette tonight and he’s preparing for it.
Rhino makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Rhino talks about Hard Justice where he’s wrestling Monty Brown and Samoa Joe in a falls count anywhere match. Rhino explains the match and talks about being able to go anywhere and put them through tables. Rhino taunts Konnan about using the Spanish announce table. Rhino gets the crowd pumped with the idea that he could go into the crowd. Rhino walks backstage but is attacked by Monty Brown! Brown sends Rhino into the set and into the guard railing. Brown taunts Rhino for having fallen in a falls count anywhere match. Brown is going to show everyone why he’s at the top of the food chain. Brown is in the ring and says we’ll see the Pounce and nothing else. Samoa Joe’s music hits and Joe makes his way down to the ring. Joe gets Brown’s face and they proceed to trade strikes. Joe puts the choke on Brown, but Rhino enters and all three men are brawling in the ring. They piped in a “let them go” chant, which was painfully obvious.
Brother Runt has a sign in the crowd saying “Come Get Me, Abyss.”
Opening Contest: Kevin Nash, Alex Shelley & Johnny Devine vs. Jay Lethal, Chris Sabin & Sonjay Dutt: Dutt and Shelley start the match with Shelley sending Dutt into the ropes, but Dutt hits a head scissors and a drop toe hold. Dutt hits a running senton and a standing moonsault for a near fall. Sabin tags in, but Shelley rolls away and tags in Nash. Nash pretends that something got in his eye and tags out to Devine. Sabin dropkicks Devine as we go to commercial. Lethal and Sabin hit a side Russian leg sweep on Devine for a two count. Brother Runt is in the rafters with another sign wanting the PPV tonight. Nash tags into the match to work over Lethal with right hands. Nash side slams Lethal. Shelley returns to the match and rams Lethal into the corner face first. Shelley delivers a running double knee in the corner and punches Lethal on the top rope. Lethal fights Lethal off with right hands and hits a middle rope heel kick. Dutt tags into the match and hammer away on Devine. Dutt dropkicks Nash followed by a shining wizard. Devine tries to piledriver Sabin, but Sabin counters with a big boot in the corner. Sabin plants Devine with the Cradle Shock for the win. We see Jerry Lynn watching at the top fo the aisle. (*. There was no surprise that Devine was taking the fall here. It was alright for what it was. I’m hopeful that Nash puts Sabin over at the PPV.)
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Eric Young, but Larry Zbyszko enters the scene. Zbyszko notes that Jay Lethal has been added to the match between Senshi and Petey Williams at Hard Justice for the X-Division Championship. Cornette asks Young if he’s ready for their meeting. Slick Johnson enters the scene as well. Johnson makes fun of Zbyszko about his toupee before walking off.
Second Contest: NWA Tag Team Champion Christopher Daniels vs. Homicide: Daniels avoids Homicide in the corner and delivers a few right hands. Daniels hip tosses Homicide followed by a heel kick. Daniels drives Homicide to the mat face first and chokes Homicide for a moment. Homicide bails to the floor and tosses a chair into the ring. Homicide cheap shots Daniels from behind and hits a spinning back elbow for a two count. Konnan cheap shots Daniels on the floor and rolls Daniels into the ring for a near fall. Homicide takes Daniels over with a snap suplex. Homicide hits a sit out vertical suplex before heading to the top rope. Daniels cuts Homicide off with a strike and slams Homicide to the mat. Daniels rams Homicide into the corner and delivers an STO for a two count. Homicide plants Daniels with an ace cutter for a near fall. Homicide sits Daniels on the top rope, but Daniels shoves Homicide off. Daniels tries for Angels Wings, but instead drops Homicide to the mat face first and locks in a coquina clutch. Hernandez enters the ring while Konnan distracted the referee. Hernandez tosses Daniels overhead with the Cracker Jack and Homicide wins the match. After the match, Homicide goes for the Gringo Killer, but AJ Styles comes out with chair and whacks LAX to make the save. (*1/2. It was okay as the action was solid enough. I’m not really a fan of the finish as I’d like for LAX to get as much momentum as possible with a clean win over Daniels in a singles role. The feud has progressed rather well, I’d say.)
Third Contest: Abyss vs. Shark Boy: Boy gets on Abyss back, but doesn’t accomplish much on offense. Abyss stops Boy with a right hand as we see Brother Runt watching on at the top of a ladder. Abyss plants Boy with the Black Hole Slam for the easy victory.
James Mitchell gets on the microphone and proceeds to go towards Runt. Runt as on the top of the entrance tunnel and leaps off onto Abyss with a crossbody. Runt pummels Abyss with right hands on the aisle. Runt jumps onto Abyss back to choke him for a moment. They are in the ring where Abyss tries for a chokeslam, but Runt bites Abyss hand. Runt plants Abyss with the Acid Drop. Runt plays to the crowd to end the segment. Raven was seen watching during the match, too.
Backstage, Jim Cornette is with Eric Young for their meeting. Young has a bad of Wendys for Cornette and some whiskey and bourbon. Young also has a tennis racket. Cornette says he’s on a diet for the job and he can’t drink with all the guys here driving him nuts. Cornette tells Young he’s all about opportunity. Cornette reveals that Young will wrestle at Hard Justice against Johnny Devine and says Young better not lose.
Main Event: Christian Cage vs. Scott Steiner: Cornette is on commentary for the main event. Steiner shoves Cage to the mat and poses to taunt the fans and Cage. Cage chops Steiner a few times and almost wins with a sloppy looking rollup. Cage tries for a monkey flip, but Steiner shoves Cage away. Steiner tries for a press slam, but Cage breaks free and elbows Steiner in the corner. Cage chokes Steiner in the corner for a moment. Steiner backdrops Cage over the top to the floor. Steiner sends Cage into the guard railing as we go to commercial. Steiner elbow drops Cage and does some pushups. Steiner connects with a belly to belly suplex for a near fall. Steiner pummels Cage with right hands on the mat. Cage forearms Steiner a few times. Cage comes off the ropes with a forearm smash for a two count. Cage plants Steiner with a reverse DDT for a near fall. Cage drop toe holds Steiner over the middle rope and chokes Steiner. Steiner tosses Cage overhead with a suplex. Cage boots Steiner in the corner and almost wins with his feet on the ropes.
Cage goes to the top rope, but Steiner stops Cage with a Samoan Drop off the middle rope. Steiner locks in the Steiner Recliner in the middle of the ring. Cage tries to the reach the ropes, but is stopped. Cage bites Steiner’s hand and tries for the Un-Prettier. Jeff Jarrett comes out and hits Steiner on accident. Jarrett tries for the Stroke, but Cage counters only to be met with a low blow by Steiner. Jarrett locks in the Scorpion Death Lock on Cage until the lights go out!
Sting appears and already had the Scorpion Death Lock on Jarrett! Sting atomic drops Steiner and clotheslines Steiner to the floor. Sting clotheslines Jarrett over the top to the floor, as well. Cage hands the NWA World Championship to Sting to end the program. (*1/2 The match was okay and went as best as it could, I guess. I just wish that Steiner didn’t get so big that his mobility was impacted negatively. The aftermath was effective in promoting the PPV main event.)
Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the episode as they were able to highlight the key feuds heading into the PPV. Impact has a focus for their TV and most of the their segments serve a purpose and make for a quick show to get through.
Thanks for reading.