Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 12/21/2006
From: Orlando, FL
Opening Contest: Sting vs. Frankie Kazarian: Sting fights off Devine and Maverick Matt with strikes and hammers away on Kazarian. Sting is held by Maverick in the corner allowing Kazarian to deliver a kick in the corner. Sting dropkicks Kazarian into Bentley on the apron and continues with right hands. Sting backdrops Devine and plants Kazarian with the Scorpion Death Drop for the win. (1/2*. What better way to get over a new group by having them job out to Sting.) After the match, Sting has the NWA World Championship and wants to give it back to Abyss. Sting wants one thing in return and that is a rematch for the championship. Sting gives Cage until the end of the show to accept it. Sting doesn’t want Mitchell there.
Don West gives an update on his ankle and says he has a severe ankle sprain thanks to Angle’s ankle lock.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Rhino for an interview. Rhino says he made the last mistake with AJ Styles at Turning Point. He’s going to break AJ’s legs. Kurt Angle enters the scene and says he tried to do this the civil way with Joe. Angle can’t believe Joe said no. Angle is going to give Joe every reason to give him a rematch.
In the ring, Raven is in the ring and hits Kazarian with a kendo stick over the back several times as punishment for losing the match to Sting.
Backstage, Eric Young is hiding under a lamp and thinks that Ms. Brooks wants a rematch. Young doesn’t want to give her a rematch. Team 3D enter the scene and tell Young to leave. Brother Ray says that everyone remembers them. Tonight, the Naturals are going to get familiar with them. Ray says they’ve been in Japan for the last month and they haven’t forgotten about what happened last time. They are promising three minutes for Naturals to get their revenge.
Second Contest: The Naturals vs. Team 3D in a tables match: Naturals go on the attack before the bell hammering away on Team 3D in the corner. Douglas rubs Ray’s eyes over the top rope. Ray clotheslines the Naturals from behind and Devon hits a splash to both men in the corner. Bubba delivers a splash as well. Bubba hits a back suplex on Stevens and Devon hits a neckbreaker. Bubba slams Douglas and plays to the crowdd. Devon heads to the top rope to hit the What’s Up on Douglas. Ray sets a table up in the ring. Stevens is met with a 3D, but not through the table. Devon hands Ray Douglas on the middle rope to hit a powerbomb through the table. (1/4*. A complete and utter domination of the Naturals. This has to be the end of the Naturals experiment.) After the match, Shane Douglas is in the ring and yelling at the laid out Naturals saying that the experiment is officially over with.
Backstage, Tomko asks Jeremy Borash where the production truck is and Tomko has a DVD. Tomko says pepople are going to want to see this.
Ron Killings is in the ring with Lance Hoyt with other wrestlers at ringside. Killings is doing a Christmas rap.
Paparazzi Productions segment is next and they have their own fat oily guy. Senshi doesn’t get involved in the contest. They are jumping on pogo sticks. Dutt wins the competition even with pumps on his shoes, but it’s allowed by Nash. Austin Starr has ten points, Dutt, Senshi and Lethal are died at nine and Shelley has 8 points.
Santa Claus is in the ring, but the NWA Tag Team Champions LAX and Konnan make their way out to ruin the fun. Konnan says they are the best tag team and Konnan doesn’t think he needs to interfere in their matches. Konnan is bitter about the families going on vacation and they had their parents working. Konnan speaks in Spanish and Tenay apologizes for not having subtitles. Santa gets in the ring and tries to encourage positive vibes. Santa tells Konnan to shut up and attacks Konnan. LAX go on the attack and it’s Brother Runt. Runt is beaten up by LAX. Hernandez hits the Border Toss on Runt. The locker room empties to runoff LAX and Konnan.
VKM videos continue this week and they are going to Knoxville for a live WWE event. They meet with fans on the street and they are chanting for TNA.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with AJ Styles. Styles thinks that Rhino is a sore loser. Styles said that Rhino just needed to walkaway. Rhino isn’t a smart man. Styles doesn’t trust Samoa Joe. Joe exits a locker room and Styles walks off without saying a word. Joe thinks Styles is in the wrong business if he’s worried about trust. Joe says Angle will regret asking for a rematch.
A video promoting the former team known as America’s Most Wanted.
Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with James Storm. Storm doesn’t care that people were shocked by his actions last week. Storm says he’s a champion and survivor. Storm claims that everything was given to Harris. Storm doesn’t feel sorry at all for what he did. Storm tells Tenay that AMW isn’t over with. Storm says it’s not over until he looks Harris in the eye and tells him what he thinks of him. Storm walks off.
NWA World Champion Abyss makes his way out by himself. Sting makes his way out with the championship to confront Abyss. Sting says he has something that belongs to Abyss, but Abyss has something that belongs to him, too. Sting thinks Abyss needs to start going down different roads and stop thinking about his past. Sting reminds Abyss that you can’t change the past. Sting says they can change the future for Abyss. Sting wants a title shot at Final Resolution and offers a handshake. Abyss thinks about it, but Christian Cage appears on the big screen. Cage says this is his business. Cage is outside of a prison and thinks that this should remind Abyss of his past. Cage tells Abyss the past will never let him forget. Cage also wants a rematch for the NWA World Championship. Abyss is distraught over this development. Sting calls Cage a punk and wants Abyss to shake his hand and go down a different road. Abyss doesn’t go for a handshake and instead tried for a chokeslam. Sting fights free and tries to put a Scorpion Death Lock on Abyss, but security comes out to stop that. Tomko comes out and wants to know what Abyss is going to do. Christian Cage was dressed as security and hits Sting and Abyss with a nightstick. Cage knocked out the security guards, too. Cage rams the nightstick into Sting’s midsection. Abyss runs into the ring and has a baseball bat to make the save.
Main Event: Samoa Joe & AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle & Rhino: All four men brawl on the floor with Joe and Angle going at it. Rhino crotches Styles over the guard railing. Rhino continues to hammer away on Styles. Angle slams Joe face first onto the announcers table. Joe is sent into the railing ribs first. Angle uppercuts Joe a few times, but Joe fights back with strikes. Rhino plants Styles with a spinebuster and tags in Angle. Angel tosses Joe and Styles with German suplexs. Angle clotheslines Joe to the floor and locks the ankle lock on Styles. Joe makes the save with a kick. Rhino punches Joe a few times and delivers a shoulder ram in the corner. Rhino nails Styles with a leaping clothesline. Joe low blows Rhino, but Rhino hits a belly to belly suplex. Rhino waits in the corner, but is met with a boot. Joe gets a choke on Rhino, but Angle hits the Angle Slam! Styles gets a rollup on Rhino and wins the match. After the match, all four men continue to brawl. Angle brings Joe back into the ring and tries for the Angle Slam, but settles for the ankle lock after countering a kick. Joe is in pain but isn’t giving up. That’s how the show goes off the air. (*1/4. Please, TNA. You need to develop new finishes. It’s almost weekly that a guy steals a win after another guy did the offense. It’s played out and annoying. Styles winning is fine as he continues to get momentum against Rhino. There just wasn’t enough time to really get invested in this.)
Final Thoughts:
It’s been feeling like we’re in a rough patch in creative for TNA. I’m not connecting with the Abyss/Sting angle at all. I’m also bummed they are going to burn through Joe/Angle so quickly. They could have dragged that out for many more months. I think it’s just a matter of time before Christian Cage is the NWA World Champion. I’m going to give this episode a thumbs down, again.
Thanks for reading.