NWA-TNA Impact 3/15/2007

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 3/15/2007
From: Orlando, FL

Jim Cornette is in the ring with a cage setup. Cornette promotes the Lockdown PPV on April 15th in St. Louis. There will be a Lethal Lockdown match with two teams of five. Cornette explains the rules to the match which is basically War Games. Cornette welcomes NWA World Champion Christian Cage. Cage retained the championship at Destination X against Samoa Joe this past weekend. Cage will be a captain and the other team will be captained by Kurt Angle. Cornette says they can pick their own teammates and suggests they do that quickly and wisely. Cage doesn’t like the sound of all this and Cornette tells him to shut up. Cornette doesn’t care about Cage and his concerns to end the segment.

AJ Styles makes his way out to the ring where the steel cage is still up. Styles is hobbling out wearing a neck brace and using crutches. Styles asks if this is what Rhino wanted. Styles says his neck, back and ankle will never be the same because of Rhino. Styles wouldn’t want this to happen to Rhino. Styles talks about not being able to provide for his kids. Styles demands that Rhino come out here and call his wife and tell her what he did to him. Rhino makes his way down to the ring to join the segment. Rhino gets in Styles face and asks what makes Styles think he hasn’t already called her. Rhino asks if Styles wants him to kick his ass one more time. Rhino asks what this is all about and Styles asks for a minute. Styles understands Rhino was trying to help him and just wants this to be over. Rhino asks the fans if they want it to be over and they respond by saying no. Styles doesn’t want to go down the same road as Christian Cage with Rhino. Rhino tells Styles that it’s over. They shake hands and Rhino turns around. Styles tries to use the crutch, but Rhino blocks it. Styles low blows Rhino and attacks Rhino with the crutch. Styles was faking the injury the whole time! After a commercial, Rhino sends Styles into the steel cage followed by a clothesline and pummels Styles with right hands. Christian Cage runs into the ring and nails Rhino with a crutch from behind. Christian jabs Rhino several times with the crutch and Styles uses the other crutch to beatdown Rhino. Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe run down to the ring to make the save. Christian is trapped in the cage, but manages to climb out to avoid Angle and Joe.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with LAX and Alex Shelley. Shelley says that they didn’t get a round off on him and credits LAX for having his back against Team 3D. Konnan uses a few metaphors and reminds us they are the tag champs. Konnan isn’t going to be in a wheelchair forever, but tonight they will kick Team 3Ds ass all over the Impact Zone.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with NWA X-Division Champion Chris Sabin, who was playing a video game. Sabin is the god of wrestling. Bob Backlund is there as well and asks if they are excluding him. Backlund doesn’t like Borash pointing out the obvious as to what he was doing. Backlund is annoyed with Borash for playing video games when they are suppose to be training. Backlund is getting a little angry and walks off. Sabin goes back to playing video games.

In the ring, Kevin Nash is in the ring with Sonjay Dutt and reveals a new theme music for Lethal, which is a remix of Randy Savage’s theme song. Lethal comes out and isn’t doing the impression, but he does a few macho man mannerisms.

Opening Contest: Frankie Kazarian vs. Jay Lethal vs. Jerry Lynn: Kazarian goes after Lethal and is almost pinned by Lynn. Lethal gets a backslide on Lynn for a two count. Lethal dropkicks Lynn coming off the ropes. Lethal tries for a slingshot, but Kazarian hits a cutter in midair for a two count. Lynn tries for a suplex, but Kazarian counters. Lynn plants Kazarian with a reverse DDT for a two count as Lethal made the save. Lynn kicks Lethal, but Kazarian comes back with a suplex/bridging pin on Lethal and Lynn for a two count. Lethal dropkicks a seated Kazarian. Lynn avoids a kick by Lethal and almost wins with a victory roll. Lynn signals for a cradle piledriver, but Kazarian kicks Lynn. Lethal plants Kazarian with the Lethal Combination to win the match. (*1/4. It’s just too quick of a match to really amount to anything from an entertainment aspect.) After the match, Christopher Daniels hits all three men with a baseball bat. Daniels lays out Lynn with the Last Rites.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews NWA World Champion Christian Cage and AJ Styles. Cage says that Styles is his first teammate for Lockdown. Styles reminds Cage that he was promised a title shot. Cage thought that was a secret between them. Cage doesn’t care who Angle picks for Lockdown because he’s probably beaten them. Cage promises the third member of his team tonight.

Main Event: NWA Tag Team Champions LAX & Alex Shelley vs. Team 3D & Brother Runt: Hernandez and Devon kickoff the main event. Hernandez knee lifts Devon followed by chops. Devon responds with chops of his own. Devon hits a Thez Press and hammers away on Hernandez with right hands. Devon scoop slams Hernandez followed by an elbow drop. Ray tags in and Hernandez is met with a double shoulder block. Hernandez kick Ray on his injured arm and clotheslines Ray for a two count. Homicide delivers an axe handle off the top onto Ray’s injured arm. Homicide wraps Ray’s arm under the top rope to keep control. Homicide walks to the top rope and drops Ray’s arm over the top rope. Homicide continues to deliver strikes to Ray’s arm. Ray side slams Homicide for a near fall. Ray scoop slams Homicide and tags in Runt to hit a double stomp off the top. Runt clotheslines Homicide for a one count and drop toe holds Hernandez. Shelley rams Runt into the guard railing and over the apron as the show goes to commercial.

During the break, Runt has been hit with a chair and tossed overhead by Hernandez. Shelley and Hernandez hit splashes off the top onto Runt. Shelley is ran over by Hernandez on accident. Devon shoulder blocks Hernandez and elbow strikes Homicide. Devon plants Homicide with a spinebuster. Devon grabs Shelley and tosses him into the ring. Ray decks Shelley from the apron. Devon splashes Shelley in the corner followed by a clothesline and a running powerslam. Devon flapjacks Hernandez for a two count. Ray beats on Homicide while Hernandez press slams Runt over the top onto Johnny Rodz at ringside. Ray slams Shelley and Homicide hits a diving headbutt to the groin. Devon slides a table into the ring as the referee is distracted by Machete. Shelley it put through the table with a 3D! Hernandez has a rollup on Devon to win the match. (**. It’s a decent match, but that finish came out of nowhere it felt like. I do like how much momentum LAX has gotten over Team 3D during this feud.) After the match, Konnan cuts a promo saying they are going to tarnish 3D’s legacy since that’s all that is left.

Backstage, Raven is with Serotonin saying that they are going to venture into pain. Raven doesn’t care about wins and losses. Raven cares about inflicting psychological punishment. Raven says they must be the parent themselves. Martyr refuses to hit Kazarian with a kendo stick. Raven slaps Martyr several times and tells him to leave. Devine doesn’t do it either and Raven hits Devine with the kendo stick.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash enters the mens bathroom and Eric Young is there cleaning the toilet. Young needs help getting out of the contract. Borash reminds Young of his friend and suggests calling him for help. Robert Roode enters the bathroom and tells Borash that Young is his property and kicks Borash out. Roode says that things are only going to get worse working for him.

In the ring, NWA World Champion Christian Cage and AJ Styles are going to cut a promo. Cage tells the crowd that he’s the champion. Cage is going to introduce the third member of his team for Lockdown. Cage welcomes Abyss as his third teammate. Abyss makes his way down to the ring to join his teammates. Abyss remains on the floor and Cage encourages Abyss to join the family. Sting’s music hits and Sting makes his way out to join the segment. Sting is on the aisle and says that Abyss doesn’t want to be on Cage’s team. Sting knows that Abyss can see through Cage. Sting thinks that Abyss is a new man after seeing the light at Destination X. Sting talks about more stuff from Abyss’s past. Cage thinks this is crap and reminds Abyss that Sting revealed the secret.

Jim Cornette comes out and proceeds to make a tag match where Abyss teams with Sting against Styles and Cage. Cornette says we’ll find out which side Abyss is on. Sting wants to do the tag match right now. Sting and Abyss enter the ring to brawl with Cage and Styles to end the program.

Final Thoughts:
Heavy on promos this week coming off of the PPV and looking to setup their top feuds for Lockdown. TV should be focusing on the Lethal Lockdown and revealing the teammates for the next few weeks. I’m sure there will be several tag matches among the men involved leading into the PPV, as well. I’d consider this an average week of TV, but nothing noteworthy.

Thanks for reading.