National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 3/22/2007
From: Orlando, FL
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe and Rhino. Angle says they have egos and they pride themselves being the best. Angle wants people to imagine them united and working as one. Angle tells Christian Cage that they are going to run over Christian Cage and his team at Lockdown.
Opening Contest: Frankie Kazarian, Havoc & Martyr vs. Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe & Rhino: Martyr and Rhino start the match with Rhino delivering a clothesline before tagging in Angle. Kazarian tags into the match to confront Angle. Angle tosses Kazarian with a German suplex followed by an uppercut and stomps on the mat. Joe enters the match, but Kazarian bails and tags in Havoc. Joe snap powerslams Havoc and continues with jabs. Joe kicks Havoc, but is kneed by Martyr on the apron. Joe atomic drops Kazarian and delivers a yakuza kick. Rhino hits a GORE and Angle hits the Angle Slam. Joe finishes Martyr off with the Muscle Buster. (NR. It’s a squash for the face Lethal Lockdown team. I have no problem with it.)
Backstage, AJ Styles and Christian Cage are stressing out about what they just saw. Styles wonders where Tomko and Abyss are. Styles is worried about wrestling Sting and Abyss tonight. Styles said he only did this for the title shot he was promised. Cage threatens to take back the title opportunity. Cage promises that the sides will be even tonight.
Backstage, Raven is with Havoc, Martyr and Kazarian and is torturing them with hot wax because they lost the six man tag match.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Sting and Abyss. Sting says that hell has frozen over as he has been trying to lead Abyss into the right direction. Sting tells Abyss that he will overcome. Sting has done everything for Abyss own good. Sting notes that he almost lost his eye because of Abyss. Sting says that Styles and Cage will have their last rites tonight.
Team 3D are in the ring and they call out the NWA Tag Team Champions LAX for a talk. 3D have two cases with them in the ring. Brother Ray admits that LAX has gotten the best of them in their tag battles. Ray says they have broken women’s necks, put them through tables and tosses an old woman off a stage. Ray says they are just as bad as LAX. 3D recalls Konnan wanting their legacy, which is something they have earned. In the cases, 3D has all their tag team titles that they won throughout their career, which was ECW, WWE and WCW tag titles. They want to shake hands before their tag title match, but Konnan makes his way out to interrupt the segment. Konnan says those titles mean nothing to them. Konnan notes they are already NWA tag champs. Konnan offers an electrified steel cage match at Lockdown.
Backstage, Jim Cornette is not happy about the match stipulation.
Backstage, Bob Backlund wants a match at Lockdown, but Cornette reminds Backlund he’s been retired for years. Cornette offers Backlund a referee spot in Austin Starr vs. Senshi at the PPV. However, if Backlund interferes in Starr’s match tonight then he can not.
Second Contest: Eric Young vs. Austin Starr: Starr attacks Young from behind with left hands in the corner as Young was doing crowd work. Young rams Starr into the corner face first, but Starr responds with a dropkick in the corner. Starr sits Young on the top turnbuckle and delivers a back rake. Bobby Roode and Traci come down to the ring to watch the match. Starr leg sweeps Young to the mat and misses an elbow drop. Young forearms Starr followed by a clothesline and a backdrop. Young punches Starr from the apron and hits a top rope elbow drop. Bobby Roode enters and decks Young from behind as Traci was distracting the referee. Starr spikes Young with a brainbuster to win the match. (*1/4. Just some more advancement for the feud between Roode and Young.) After the match, Roode yells at Young until Petey Williams comes out and trades strikes with Roode. Traci jumps on Williams back, but is taken down to the mat. Williams sends Roode to the floor with a spinning heel kick. Williams wants to shake hands with Young, but Roode pulls Young out to the floor and they walk backstage.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Jerry Lynn to talk about his first match with James Storm. Lynn has never had an issue with Storm, but knows what he can bring in the ring. Lynn notes that he’ll use the beer bottle on Storm if it’s brought in. Lynn brings up Christopher Daniels and saying that if they have a problem that he’ll kick his ass. The lights go out and Lynn is attacked. It was Christopher Daniels wearing a jacket and apparently used a bat.
Backstage. Chris Harris is meeting with Jim Cornette. Cornette reminds Harris that he’s 60% blind and Harris is pissed about something. Cornette can’t take the risk of Harris getting blind fully. Cornette demands a note that he’s cleared, but he can’t do anything before then. Harris tells Cornette that his best isn’t good enough.
James Storm comes out for his match, but Jerry Lynn has been injured. Storm grabs a microphone and says he’s sick and tired of this. Storm demands a match tonight. Chris Harris makes his way out and Gail Kim tries to keep Harris back. Storm calls Kim a hoe. Jacqueline insults Kim and wants her in the ring. Kim takes Jacqueline down and Storm bails to the floor as Harris chases after his former partner. Harris gets his hands on Storm, but Storm escapes to the backstage area. Referees pull the ladies apart in the ring.
Backstage, Gail Kim demands a match with Jacqueline, but is attacked by Jacqueline from behind in Cornette’s office. Jacqueline tossed Kim over the desk and they continue to fight until security gets involved.
Main Event: NWA World Champion Christian Cage & AJ Styles vs. Sting & Abyss: Styles and Cage attack before the bell, but Sting and Abyss fight back with splashes in opposite corners. Sting hammers away on Cage in the corner ten times. Styles drops Sting throat first over the top rope. Cage hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Cage beats on Sting with right hands on the mat. Styles tags into the match and punches Sting in the ribs a few times. Sting kicks Styles followed by a right hand. Styles nails Sting with a dropkick for a two count as the show goes to commercial,
Sting avoids a dropkick by Cage, but misses a splash as Cage got his knees up. Cage heads to the top rope missing a diving headbutt. Styles and Abyss tag into the match with Abyss cleaning house. Abyss tried for a double chokeslam, but settles for tossing both men to the mat gut first. Cage is decked on the apron and Abyss big boots Styles coming off the ropes. Abyss tosses Cage into the ring. Abyss goes for the Shock Treatment and hits it as Styles knocked Cage down on accident. Abyss manages a two count on Styles. Abyss tries for the Shock Treatment on Cage, but Styles saves his partner. Abyss hits a double clothesline and Sting comes off the top with a crossbody. Abyss clotheslines Cage over the top to the floor. Sting stomps on Styles in the ring to keep control of the match. Father James Mitchell has a woman with him on the ramp. Abyss reacts nervously and walks up the ramp as Sting is double teamed. Abyss walks backstage trying to embrace the woman. Sting is double teamed in the ring and no sells punches. Sting sends Cage into Styles and hits a double splash in the corner. Sting tosses Cage over the top to the floor and locks in the Scorpion Death Lock on Styles. Cage tries to get in the ring, but Scott Steiner slides in and whacks Sting with a pipe. The referee didn’t see it and Styles pins Sting to win the match. (*1/2. The action wasn’t too bad this week for the main event. I’m assuming the mystery woman with Mitchell will be revealed as being Abyss’ mother. The match held my interest and advanced the main event angle, so it was a successful segment.)
Final Thoughts:
There’s nothing that stands out in-ring wise this week, but there was some good angle advancements for the top feuds heading into Lockdown. I’ll consider this an average episode overall.
Thanks for reading.