NWA-TNA Impact 3/1/2007

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 3/1/2007
From: Orlando, FL

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews NWA World Champion Christian Cage and Tomko. Tomko is wrestling Samoa Joe tonight. Cage says that Tomko has a chance to take out Samoa Joe before the PPV defense that Cage has against Joe. Cage thinks this feels like old times and says that Tomko has to take care of business. Tomko asks how this benefits him to take out Joe tonight. Cage says that if Tomko takes out Joe then he’ll give Tomko a title match. Tomko likes the sound of that and walks off after a handshake.

A half-hour before Impact went on the air, Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner brawled in the crowd and they showed footage of the brawling.

Backstage, Jim Cornette is with Kurt Angle in his office and doesn’t like that Angle brawled with Steiner in the crowd. Angle says he can’t be in the same building without wanting to get his hands on Steiner. Cornette asks Angle to not screw up his television program. Angle says he’ll do what he has to do.

Kevin Nash comes down to the ring before the next match and has a microphone for Jay Lethal. Nash is pressuring Lethal to embrace his Randy Savage impersonation. Lethal does his impression and is attacked.

Opening Contest: TNA X-Division Champion Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley & Austin Starr vs. Jay Lethal, Jerry Lynn & Senshi: All six men are in the ring to start the match. Senshi and Lynn hit stereo dropkicks on Sabin and Starr. Shelley is sent over the top onto his partners. Lethal, Senshi and Lynn hit stereo dives to the floor as Bob Backlund comes out before a commercial. Starr gets a two count on Lethal upon returning from commercial. Starr works over Lethal in the corner for a near fall. Starr sends Lethal into Sabin’s boot in the corner and Sabin enters to jab Lethal a few times. Sabin dropkicks Lethal after a neck snap by Shelley for a two count. Shelley taunts the crowd while Backlund is yelling at the commentators. Lethal is dropkicked into the corner shoulder first. Shelley tags in Sabin, but Lethal kicks Sabin and sends Shelley onto Sabin with a senton off the middle rope. Senshi tags into the match and chops Starr several times. Senshi clotheslines Sabin and kicks Shelley a few times. Senshi kicks Starr several times, but Sabin grabs Senshi to hit the Cradle Shock! Lynn dropkicks Sabin from behind and hits the TKO. Lynn goes for the cradle piledriver, but Shelley makes the save with a Slice Bread. Lethal tosses Shelley away to hit a flatliner. Backlund is helping Senshi while Starr spikes Lethal with a brainbuster. Backlund distracts Starr by grabbing his leg. Senshi gets a rollup on Starr and wins the match. (**. The involvement from Backlund is clearly leading to a match between him and Starr, so I guess it makes sense. I enjoyed this for the sprint that it was. All six guys were fun in there. Lethal is probably about to get a mega push with the eventual Macho Man impersonator gimmick.) After the match, Starr slaps Backlund and then avoids the cross face chicken wing by bailing to the floor.

A day in the life of Eric Young video package is up next. Young meets with Traci Brooks in her hotel room. Robert Roode is there as well with a list of things for Young to do. Young is their servant. Young signed a contract and is now stuck in the situation.

A video package promoting Elevation X between AJ Styles and Rhino. Rhino promises the demise of AJ Styles at Destination X.

A video package promoting the Last Rites match between Sting and Abyss is shown. Sting is laying in a casket saying that Abyss will die at Destination X. Abyss will have the choice in which he days at the PPV. Sting wants Abyss to choose a new life and a rebirth at Destination X.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash is hovering over Abyss saying he’s staring at a picture of Father James Mitchell. Borash leaves when Abyss attacks a stage hand nearby.

Kurt Angle attacks Scott Steiner during his entrance for the next match. The X-Division guys come out and make the save. Jim Cornette comes out as well to keep Angle on the floor. Angle breaks free to get on the apron, but is stopped by the X-Division again.

Second Contest: Scott Steiner vs. Chase Stevens: Steiner wins the match in quick fashion with a middle rope overhead belly to belly suplex. After the match, Scott Steiner grabs a microphone and brags about leaving Angle in his own blood. Steiner made Angle look like a fool and embarrassed him in front of his fans and family. Steiner says that Angle’s wife said that he’s only half the man he once was. Angle runs into the scene and tackles Steiner. They proceed to have a pull apart brawl. Jim Cornette asks if Angle has lost his mind. Cornette says that Angle can’t do that and Angle takes Cornette down trying to put the ankle lock on Cornette! Angle is pulled away by the X-Division. Cornette takes off his coat and tells Angle that he’s his best friend in this company. Cornette orders everyone to escort Angle out of the building.

During the break, Angle was escorted out of the building with Don Harris making an appearance to help the X-Division wrestlers to leave.

Chris Harris had a sit down interview with Leticia Cline. Harris says he’s at 35% of his vision and doctors aren’t sure when or if it will return to 100%. Harris knows that James Storm is watching. Harris promises to get a piece of Storm one way or another.

Alex Shelley makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Shelley goes over his list of credits and reveals Massacre In New York as his next piece. The video starts with LAX walking up to Johnny Rodz training school. Rodz had trained Brother Devon. Homicide attacks Rodz and pulls down Devon’s promo photo off his wall. Homicide pummeled Rodz with forearms on the ground. Shelley is proud of his production. Shelley goes to bring out LAX, but Brother Ray instead comes out to confront Shelley. Shelley knows he’s in trouble here as Ray enters the ring. Shelley says that film making is his passion. Ray tells Shelley he needs to shut up before he wrecks him. Ray says that film made him sick and swipes his microphone away. Ray says that Rodz is a legend and asks who Shelley is and Ray says he’s a nobody. Ray wonders why Shelley would even partake in the filming. Shelley wants to apologize because he didn’t really know what he was getting himself into. Ray puts over Shelley as a guy who has a bright future in pro wrestling. Kevin Nash makes his way down to seemingly help Shelley. Ray tells Nash that this has nothing to do with them. Ray calls Shelley his butt buddy. LAX slide into the ring from behind, but Ray is able to fight them off. Ray tosses Hernandez with a German suplex. Shelley low blows Ray and Homicide beats on Ray. Tenay tells us that Brother Devon is in Brooklyn. Konnan is on the aisle in a wheelchair and says everyone will soon speak Spanish. Konnan called for them to get a table. Hernandez puts Ray through the table to end the segment.

Another video of Ron Killings doing a fake movie poster and this is Rambuck. There was a notice saying that Killings was hurt during filming.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Samoa Joe. Joe says that the inevitable is staring Cage in the face right now. Joe says he’s going to take the NWA World Championship from Christian Cage at Destination X. Joe says Tomko will pay for the sins of their father. Abyss is seen choking a random guy, but Joe runs over and gets in Abyss face asking if Abyss will continue to be a puppet or get over it. Joe suggests that Abyss listen to Sting and actually standup for himself for once.

Backstage, Christian Cage is watching the main event.

Main Event: Samoa Joe vs. Tomko: Tomko goes after Joe with strikes in the corner for the early advantage. Tomko clotheslines Joe and taunts the crowd. Tomko and Joe trade forearm strike in the middle of the ring. Tomko big boots Joe, but Joe responds with a boot of his own. Joe clotheslines Tomko over the top to the floor. Joe takes Tomko out with a suicide dive! Christian Cage leaves his room as the show goes to commercial.

During the break, Tomko sent Joe into the ring post. Tomko plants Joe with a spinebuster for a near fall. Tomko keeps a chin lock on Joe, but doesn’t get a submission. Tomko knee lifts Joe, but runs into a back elbow. Joe boots Tomko in the corner and leaps off the middle rope to deliver a knee strike for a two count. Joe jabs Tomko several times and hits a snap powerslam for a two count. Tomko misses a splash in the corner and is kicked by Joe. Joe tries for the Muscle Buster, but Christian Cage whacks Joe with a chair from behind. The referee went down and Tomko nails Joe with a lariat to win the match! (*. I am rather shocked that Joe would take a pin fall loss even with the help from Cage and a steel chair. It’s a huge investment for Tomko to go over Joe, who had been undefeated prior to losing to Angle at the end of 2006.)

NWA World Champion Christian Cage tells Mike Tenay that Samoa Joe is going to get a close encounter with the championship. Cage returns to the ring and slaps Joe a few times. Joe breaks free and hits Tomko with the championship. Joe puts a chokehold on Cage in the middle of the ring. Scott Steiner slides into the ring and pummels Joe with right hands. Joe is beaten down in the corner by all three men. Cage plants Joe with the Un-Prettier.

Abyss makes his way down to the ring. The heels bail to the floor as Abyss has saved Joe. Tomko motioned to Abyss and that leads to Abyss hitting the Black Hole Slam on Joe to leave Joe laying to end Impact.

Final Thoughts:
I thought the episode was a good one this week as the angle advancements were strong this time around. The LAX/Shelley/Ray segment was effective to advance the 3D/LAX feud. Destination X is proving to be an interesting card and the hype for it has gone fairly well, in my opinion.

Thanks for reading.