TNA Impact 6/24/2010

Written by: Bob Colling

Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 6/24/2010
From: Orlando, FL

Hulk Hogan makes his way out to the ring to start the program. Hogan says he’s felt this kind of energy before. Hogan puts over TNA’s momentum and can hear it with the crowd tonight. Hogan has some business to handle tonight. Hogan has decided the main event at Victory Road will be a four way since there was a triple count out. Abyss, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson and TNA World Champion Rob Van Dam will be in the match. Hogan is cut off by Abyss…

Abyss comes out to his original music and no longer has Hogan’s theme. Hogan is glad that Abyss is there since he was going to talk about his blood brother. Hogan says that he saw the most in Abyss when he first arrived in TNA. Hogan asks why Abyss took a sharp right turn last week. Abyss doesn’t think that Hogan or anyone else realize the seriousness of what is going on. Abyss is doing all of this because “they told me to.” Abyss is being vague about who “they” are, but they are telling him to destroy anyone that gets in his path. They are coming and they will be here sooner than you think. There will be nothing that anybody can do about it. Hogan tells Abyss to cut the crap and wants to know what’s going on. Abyss was told that he didn’t need Hogan anymore. Hogan wants to know who they are, but Abyss isn’t going to reveal that. Abyss doesn’t need the Hogan colors anymore. Hogan tells Abyss that it’s between them and the fans. Abyss tells Hogan that the fans won’t be able to do anything about it. Abyss proclaims that they will takeover TNA. Abyss doesn’t need the garbage ring anymore and chokes Hogan in the corner! Abyss puts the ring in Hogan’s mouth and tries to choke Hogan with the ring! Abyss chokes Hogan down into the corner as the crowd chants for Hogan. Abyss goes under the ring and grabs a bag of broken glass. TNA World Champion Rob Van Dam runs into the ring and hammers away on Abyss to make the save. RVD kicks Abyss several times and kicks Abyss into the corner. RVD is powerbombed out of the corner by Abyss. Mr. Anderson comes down with a chair and whacks Abyss over the back a few times. Abyss no sells it and Anderson bails to the floor to assist Hogan with RVD to end the segment.

Backstage, Hulk Hogan is talking with Eric Bischoff and he’s hurt that Abyss would do this. Bischoff knows that Hogan saw a lot in Abyss. Hogan feels like he’s been shot in the chest. Bischoff wonders what got to Abyss to change his attitude. Bischoff never saw this coming from Abyss. Hogan wonders if Flair got to Abyss, but Bischoff doesn’t think so. Hogan isn’t going to move on quite yet.

Backstage, Madison Rayne is with Velvet Sky talking about Lacey Von Erich and calling her a whore. Velvet doesn’t look thrilled to be there with Rayne. Rayne tells Velvet to get her head into the game or she’ll be the one leaving on a stretcher tonight. Velvet didn’t say a word.

Opening Contest: Angelina Love vs. TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion Velvet Sky: Sky knee lifts Love to start the match and kicks Love to the floor. Love pulls Sky to the floor and delivers a few strikes. Love spears Sky on the floor followed by right hands. Sky sends Love into the ring steps knee first. Sky chops Love a few times before they return to the ring. Sky pummels Love in the ring with right hands. Sky plants Love with the Sky Liner and taunts Love. Love fights back with a clothesline and a pump kick. Love rolls to the floor and grabs a steel chair. Love pump kicks Sky again and lays the chair down. Sky eye rakes Love and hits a flapjack. Sky tries for a DDT onto the chair, but Love counters with a DDT onto the chair and the referee calls for a disqualification. (1/4*. I didn’t care for this at all. There were a few awkward moments and it just wasn’t a good match.) After the match, Love says there’s just one more person to go after and that’s Madison Rayne, who is on the ramp taunting Love.

Backstage, Jay Lethal is getting ready for his match. Lethal has a visitor and it’s his brother. Lethal tells him to get some free food in catering and he’ll be there in a few minutes.

Backstage, Kevin Nash and Eric Young are walking in the hallway. Nash says he needs ti distance himself from Scott Hall. Nash has dealt with Bischoff and Hogan for fifteen years and Young is new to it. Nash tells Young that his shoes have grown on him. It looks like Nash and Young have mutually gone their own ways.

Matt Morgan makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Morgan says he told you so and points at various fans saying that he told all of them that he was walking out of Slammiversary victorious. Morgan doesn’t sweat Hernandez and he never will. Morgan calls out Hernandez right now, but Taz noted that Hernandez is in Mexico before that call out. Morgan is tired of the sneak attacks and wants Hernandez in the ring like a man. Morgan says that it proves his point that Hernandez isn’t there to fight him. Morgan considers a cage match at Victory Road to be music to his ears because there’s nowhere for Hernandez to run to now. Homicide comes in from behind and attacks Morgan! Morgan bails to the floor, but Homicide comes off the apron and is met with a strike to the midsection. Morgan big boots Homicide against the ring post. Morgan leaves Homicide laying on the floor. Morgan warns that this is Hernandez fate.

Backstage, AJ Styles asks Ric Flair if the package arrived, but Flair tells Styles to focus and not care about the package. Styles says that he’s here and saw him at the go position.

Second Contest: Kazarian vs. Jay Lethal: Kazarian takes Lethal down, but Lethal kicks Kazarian away and hits an arm drag. Kazarian leaps over the referee to forearm Lethal and says that’s for Flair. Kazarian tosses Lethal with a gut wrench suplex. Lethal delivers a few strikes, but is stopped by an eye rake. Kazarian plants Lethal with a spinebuster for a two count. Kazarian chokes Lethal on the mat. Kazarian drops Lethal over the top rope gut first and delivers a kick to the chest. Kazarian takes some time to taunt the fans while Lethal recovers on the apron. Kazarian scoop slams Lethal and hits a springboard leg drop, but goes for a headlock instead of a cover. We see Ric Flair and AJ Styles attacking Lethal’s brother backstage. Lethal isn’t aware of this and elbows free from Kazarian. Lethal forearms Kazarian followed by a clothesline and a handspring back elbow. Kazarian elbows Lethal and tries for a low blow, but Lethal blocks it and almost wins with a rollup. Kazarian decks Lethal with a clothesline. Lethal chops Kazarian a few times but Kazarian responds with strikes, too. Lethal tries for Lethal Combination, but Kazarian counters with the Wave of the Future for a near fall. Lethal hits the back suplex turned into a neckbreaker for the clean win. (*1/2. Not too bad of a match and a clean finish for Lethal is ideal. Kazarian sure seems to be eating a lot of pins lately, but he’s got association with Flair and Styles, which should help him.) After the match, Flair appears on the big screen and shows Lethal’s brother getting beaten up by Styles. Lethal isn’t running to save his brother. Lethal eventually runs backstage to save his brother, but the heels left.

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett is walking towards the ring. He’s got revenge on his mind against Sting. Jarrett goes to the ring, but Sting doesn’t come out during his entrance. Jarrett heads towards te rafters to find Sting. Jarrett meets Sting on the stairs and they trade right hands. Wait a minute, the real Sting is in the ring. Jarrett beats on the fake Sting on the floor. Jarrett rolls the fake Sting into the ring and doesn’t realize it. Jarrett eventually realizes it, but Sting chokes Jarrett with a baseball bat. Sting hits Jarrett on the legs with the baseball bat a few times. Sting continues with a bat strike to the ribs. Sting has a microphone and tells Jarrett that if he’s going to walk with them then he’s going to go down with them.

A video package promoting the issues between Kurt Angle and Desmond Wolfe, which started eight months and they had two great matches to close out 2009.

Third Contest: Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe: Angle controls Wolfe with a wrist lock in the opening moments of the match. Angle takes Wolfe down to the mat, but Wolfe counters with a front face lock. Angle breaks free and goes back to wrist control. Angle continues to counter Wolfe’s offense, but a strike by Wolfe gives him the advantage. Wolfe takes Angle down to the mat with a million dollar dream. Angle counters with a hammerlock, but Wolfe sends Angle into the ropes and kicks the ropes into Angle’s throat. Wolfe decides to yell at Chelsea. Angle hip tosses Wolfe coming off the ropes. Wolfe decks Angle with a strike to the midsection. Wolfe misses a splash in the corner, but Angle misses a spear and hits the post shoulder first. Wolfe tosses Angle overhead with a suplex. Wolfe goes back to taunting Chelsea. Angle tries to deliver a few strikes, but Wolfe yanks Angle down to the mat by his arm. Angle tries for a sunset flip, but Wolfe yanks on the arm again and locks in an arm submission, the same one Angle used on Wolfe in their first match back in 2009. Angle counters with the ankle lock, but Wolfe kicks free. Angle backdrops Wolfe coming off the ropes. Wolfe boots Angle in the corner, but Angle tosses Wolfe with an overhead belly to belly suplex for a two count. Angle tries for the Angle Slam, but Wolfe arm drags free. Angle gains control with a series of German suplexs for a near fall. Angle tries for the Angle Slam again, but Wolfe counters with a hammerlock DDT for another two count. Wolfe dumps Angle to the apron and is met with right hand. Wolfe punches Angle on the top rope and tries for the Tower of London, but Angle counters with the Angle Slam. Angle locks in the ankle lock in the middle of the ring to win the match. (***. Considering the storyline that Angle is currently in trying to earn his way to the title again, it’s no surprise the outcome. It’s a good match as they were given a good amount of TV time. These two have great chemistry. I just wish that Wolfe could have gotten a win over Angle, especially when he first arrived last year. Chelsea is likely going to be turning on Wolfe, but I’m not sure who she’d align herself with since Abyss turned heel recently, too.)

Backstage, Mr. Anderson is talking about his body being all cut up because of Abyss. Anderson is down to use whatever Abyss wants to use in their falls count anywhere match.

TNA X-Division Champion Douglas Williams is in the ring to cut a promo on Brian Kendrick. Williams is sure that Kendrick thinks he’s smart for attacking him and trapping him in a submission. Williams talks about a code of conduct and says he needs to teach the X-Division what professionalism is all about. Williams calls out Kendrick to meet him in the ring. Kendrick makes his way out to the ramp and says that Williams is going to want to hear this. Kendrick has talked to people in charge and reveals that there will be a title match at Victory Road. Kendrick tells Williams they will be wrestling in an Ultimate X match, but the match can end by submission, too. Williams is more than happy to get his revenge at the PPV. Williams tries to cheap shot Kendrick, but Kendrick blocks it and puts a cobra clutch on Williams on the mat. Kendrick yells that this is his destiny and walks off.

Backstage, Abyss is talking to himself and says that nobody understands the situation. Abyss promises that everyone will realize that he did what he did because they told him to do it. They told him to destroy anybody that gets in his way. When they arrive TNA will never be the same and they won’t be stopped.

Backstage, Shannon Moore is beating up Brother Ray until security breaks them up. Jesse Neal has been laid out and Ray is taking credit for that. Brother Devon enters the scene and asks what Ray is doing. Devon says that Ray made a fool of him recently and he warned Ray to leave Neal alone. Devon warns Ray to not test him and leaves the scene.

Fourth Contest: Beer Money Inc. vs. Ink Inc. in a number one contenders match: Shannon Moore is by himself since Jesse Neal was laid out. Roode and Moore starts the match with Roode dropping Moore with a right hand. Moore takes Roode over with a hurricanrana and a few dropkicks. Moore atomic drops Roode followed by a leg drop for a two count as Storm missed an elbow drop and hit his partner. Moore head scissors Storm to the floor and clotheslines Roode over the top to the floor. Tommy Dreamer is seen walking in the crowd watching and has Stevie Richards and Raven with him. Moore hammers away on Roode followed by a kick. Storm sends Moore chest first into the guard railing and sends Moore into the ring steps. Roode and Storm double team Moore briefly as Jesse Neal stumbles down to the ring. Neal is on the apron waiting for a tag. Storm nails Moore with a high knee lift. Roode slams Moore and Storm hits an elbow drop followed by a knee drop by Roode. Moore fights out of the corner, but Roode hits a full nelson slam for a near fall. Moore bulldogs Roode after kicking Storm away. Moore tags in Neal and Neal cleans house with clotheslines. Neal backdrops Roode and hits a belly to belly suplex on Storm. Moore dumps Roode over the top to the floor. Moore takes Roode out with a somersault dive to the floor. Storm hits a Codebreaker on Neal, but Neal blocks a superkick. Roode shoves Moore off the top rope. Neal gets a rollup on Storm and nearly won the match after Storm was sent into Roode on the apron. Roode holds Neal’s foot from the floor and Storm spits beer into Neal’s face. Beer Money hits the DWI to win the match. (*1/2. I am relieved that Beer Money won the match. I’ve yet to really understand why Ink Inc. has gotten such a focus in the tag division. The action wasn’t bad and Neal did do a decent job in his peril spot. There’s just a lot of better options than Ink Inc. to get a push in Impact.)

Backstage, AJ Styles is talking with Kazarian and they are arguing about beating Jay Lethal. Styles sees his package, and Kazarian says it’s too big to be his package. Styles opens the package and it’s his new action figure. Kazarian suggests Styles go play with himself.

Main Event: Mr. Anderson vs. Abyss in a falls count anywhere match: Anderson goes right after Abyss with right hands in the corner and stomps for the early advantage. Abyss drops Anderson with a back elbow strike. Abyss chokes Anderson over the middle rope. Anderson kicks Abyss and mounts Abyss with right hands. Abyss bails to the floor to regroup. Anderson grabs a chair from a fan, but Abyss punches the chair into Anderson’s face. Anderson drop toe holds Abyss faec first onto the chair for a near fall. Anderson has the chair and whacks Abyss over the back for a two count. Anderson wedges a chair in the corner, but slides to the floor and crawls under the ring after Abyss tried to send Anderson into the chair. Anderson returns with a kendo stick and beats on Abyss with the stick. Abyss avoids a shot with the stick and punches Anderson to gain control. Abyss chokes Anderson against the railing. Abyss sends Anderson back first into the ramp. Abyss pulls up the protective pad, but Anderson elbows free to avoid a chokeslam. Abyss jabs Anderson with a chair to the midsection in the ring a few times. Abyss tries for a sit down splash, but Anderson low blows Abyss with the chair. Anderson heads to the top rope, but Abyss blocks the swanton with his knees. Abyss sends Anderson into the wedged chair and hits the Shock Treatment for the win. (*1/4. There’s nothing really going on here as the action was rather dull considering the stipulation. Abyss getting clean wins is the right way to go especially if you want him to be a monster.) After the match, Abyss sends Anderson to the ramp and taunts the fans as Anderson tries to crawl away. Abyss stops Anderson at the top of the ramp and has Anderson over his shoulder. Anderson fights free and punches Abyss several times. Anderson tries for the Mic Check off the stage, but Abyss elbows free and chokeslams Anderson off the stage! Hulk Hogan appears with a chair and whacks Abyss over the back. Abyss no sells it and stares down Hogan. Abyss tosses security away and points at Hogan again.

Final Thoughts:
I thought this weeks episode was a decent one overall. I think there’s some potential in the Abyss storyline, but I’m not sure if they will keep him as a monster or make him look weak in short order. The Lethal/Flair feud has been progressing fairly well and the beatdown of Lethal’s brother makes it more personal. Wolfe/Angle had a good match, which shouldn’t be a surprise. I’m going to give this episode a mild thumbs up.

Thanks for reading.