NWA-TNA Impact 4/19/2007

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 4/19/2007
From: Orlando, FL

Matches:
1.) Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles, Rhino and Samoa Joe
2.) Robert Roode defeated Chris Harris
3.) NWA Tag Team Champions Team 3D defeated NWA World Champion Christian Cage & Abyss to retain the titles

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) At Lockdown, Team Angle won the Lethal Lockdown match when Jarrett allowed Sting to get the pin. Thus, Sting will be in line for a NWA World Championship match against Christian Cage. It was noticeable that Kurt Angle was annoyed by Jarrett’s actions.

2.) Mike Tenay is in the ring and introduces Jeff Jarrett for an interview. The fans chant “welcome back” to Jarrett as Teany hypes up Jarrett’s return last week and his actions at Lockdown when Jarrett handed Sting the title shot next month. Jarrett had time to reflect on his career and knew that he was going to change. Not everything revolves around Jarrett and it is time to give back. Jarrett looks back on his career and looked back on the past seventeen days. It is time for him to give back. Jarrett notes that Sting has been giving back and he’s going to do the same. Jarrett says that step three is going to surprise people. Kurt Angle’s music hits and Angle makes his way out to the ring.

Angle tells Jarrett how to make things right. Angle is the guy who called Jarrett to come back to TNA. Angle is pissed because Jarrett handed over a title to Sting. Angle wants Jarrett to make things right with him. Jarrett doesn’t feel like he needs to make anything right with Angle. Jarrett promised to win Lethal Lockdown and that’s what he did. Jarrett says that Sting was in the right place at the right time. Angle tells Jarrett he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sting’s music hits…

Sting makes his way down to the ring to join the segment. Sting says that Angle has a problem with him if he has an issue with how he won the title shot. Sting thinks that Angle feels like a leader in TNA. Sting says they have been wrestling for twenty years and Angle has wrestled for less than ten. Sting claims that Angle would be a gold medalist gym teacher if it weren’t for him and Jarrett. Sting challenges Angle to a match next week on Impact with the winner getting a title shot against Christian Cage.

3.) Backstage, Team Cage is laughing at Sting and Angle fighting over Cage. Cage says he has a shot to become a tag team champion and will have Abyss as his partner. They mock Abyss for his taunt and Abyss stops the taunt. Cage calls Abyss an embarrassment and they blame Abyss for losing the Lethal Lockdown match. Cage is going to be pissed if he doesn’t leave tonight with three titles. Cage tells Abyss tonight is his last chance.

4.) Christopher Daniels came down to the ring wearing a Sting mask.

5.) Joe and Daniels start the four way match with Joe kicking Daniels on the leg a few times. Daniels ducks a high kick and puts a headlock on Joe. Daniels tries for a shoulder block, but Joe doesn’t budge. Daniels hits Joe on the leg followed by a forearm strike to stagger Joe. Joe atomic drops Daniels and tries for a big boot, but Daniels bails to the floor. Joe and Rhino trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Joe knee lifts Rhino and Styles tags in to battle Rhino. Rhino ducks a strike and backdrops Styles coming off the ropes followed by a clothesline. Joe returns to the match and kicks Styles in the midsection. Joe kicks Styles a few times and delivers a knee drop. Joe jabs Styles, but an eye rake stops him. Daniels tags into the match and they try to double team Joe, but fail. Joe fights back with strikes and nails Daniels with a knee strike. Rhino tags in and cleans house. Rhino plants Styles with a TKO and a spinebuster to Daniels for a two count. Joe backdrops Styles over the top to the floor. Rhino tosses Daniels with a belly to belly suplex. Rhino looks for the GORE, but Daniels nails Rhino with a baseball bat shot to win the match. (*1/2. That’s bit of a shocker for Daniels to win, but if he’s going to be feuding with Sting he’s going to need these kinds of wins. Rhino taking the pin explains why he’s even in the match. They were a little sloppy in spots, but that’s bound to happen in a rushed match.) After the match, Joe attacks Styles with jabs to send Styles to the floor.

6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Kurt Angle. Angle says Sting made the biggest mistake of his career. Angle says he’s still in his prime and thinks maybe Sting should step aside. Angle promises the title shot at Sacrifice is his and Sting’s run will be over.

7.) Jackie Moore attacks Gail Kim during the entrance for Chris Harris and tosses Kim into the crowd. They brawl into the crowd before the match even takes place.

8.) Roode decks Harris from behind to get the cheap advantage and stomps on Harris in the corner. Roode chops Harris against the ropes and delivers an elbow strike. Roode comes off the ropes to knee drop Harris for a two count. Harris blocks a backdrop with a strike to the back. Roode battles back with a back suplex for a two count. James Storm is watching the match from the aisle drinking a beer. Roode knee lifts Harris, but Harris hits a leaping clothesline. Harris bulldogs Roode out of the corner for a two count. Roode boots Harris in the corner and tries for a clothesline, but Harris counters with the Catatonic. Harris has the cover, but Traci pulls the referee out. Roode grabs the handcuffs in the corner and decks Harris with them. Roode covers Harris to win the match. After the match, Eric Young knocks Traci down. Roode rolls Young into the ring and tells him he’s tired of being embarrassed by him. Roode tells Young that he’s aware of his actions during his matches. Young tells Roode that Petey Williams isn’t his friend that he’s been talking about. Roode tells Young that he doesn’t have a friend. Young refuses to name the other friend. Roode gives Young a week to tell him his friends name. If Young doesn’t tell him then he’s fired next week. (*. An interesting decision to have Harris lose, but he was kind of distracted. It feels like Roode/Young is the lesser feud than Harris/Storm, so it’s just weird to me to have Roode go over.)

9.) Backstage, Father James Mitchell is yelling at Abyss and demanding that Abyss deliver on his final chance. This is the final chance for Abyss. If he loses then his mother is going to jail. Abyss is freaking out.

10.) Paparazzi Productions is next and Alex Shelley can’t believe that the Black Machismo thing has gotten over really well. Shelley wonders why he’s not teaming with Lethal. Nash says there’s a three way booked for next week. Sonjay Dutt enters the scene and is dressed like Diesel. Dutt is pissed at Lethal and tells Nash he’s tired of this. Dutt knows that Nash doesn’t have anything for him and tells Nash to stick it.

11.) Devon and Cage kickoff the tag title main event. Cage works over Devon with strikes against the ropes. Cage misses a clothesline and Devon hits a leaping shoulder block. Devon hammers away on Cage in the corner, but runs into an elbow. Devon hits a neckbreaker off the middle rope for a two count. Ray tags into the match and Devon hits a leg drop while Ray connects with a side slam. Cage tags out to Abyss. Abyss knee lifts Ray, but Ray fires back with jabs. Abyss runs into an elbow in the corner, but Ray hits a slam for a near fall. Abyss is sent into the ropes and driven down with a double flapjack for a two count. Abyss kicks Devon and a clothesline to gain control. Cage tags back into the match delivering a strike from the top rope. Cage steps on Devon and chokes him for a few moments. Cage takes Devon down with a snapmare and a kick to the back. Cage taunts Ray on the apron and taunts the fans. Abyss tags into the match and continues to hammer away on Devon. Abyss misses a splash and Devon connects with a crossbody for a near fall. Devon tosses Cage into the ring and Ray jabs Cage followed by a backdrop. Cage is backdropped coming off the ropes. Ray hammers away on Abyss in the corner. Devon pummels Cage until Abyss comes over and has Devon on his shoulders. Cage goes to the top, but Abyss is sent into Cage sending Cage off the top to the floor. Abyss turns around and is met with the 3D to give the champs the win. (*1/2. They got some decent time and I love that there was a clean finish. It’s clearly just a matter of time before Abyss turns full fledged face so he can eat pins as a heel. I’m really glad they allowed a legit finish for Team 3D’s first title defense.)

12.) Christian Cage is yelling at Abyss in the ring, but Abyss grabs Cage by the throat. Abyss lets go and is shoved by Cage followed by some spit. Abyss decks Cage with a right hand and a splash in the corner. Abyss goes for the Shock Treatment, but Mitchell tells Abyss not to do it. Mitchell slaps Abyss and Abyss grabs Mitchell. Tomko, Styles and Steiner run into the ring to save Mitchell. Abyss fights them off with right hands and clotheslines Tomko over the top to the floor. Styles is sent to the floor as is Steiner. Mitchell threatens to call and send his mother to jail, but Abyss swipes the phone away and hits the Black Hole Slam! Abyss goes under the ring and grabs a bag. Tomko decks Abyss from behind and Abyss is triple teamed. Cage smashes Abyss over the head with a steel chair shot. Cage, Tomko, Steiner and Styles taunt the fans. Tomko gets the chair as Abyss has been busted wide open. Tomko viciously whacks Abyss over the head with the chair. Steiner also delivers a chair shot over the head. Styles has the chair and whacks Abyss over the head. Cage and Steiner continue with chair shots. Styles brings in a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Cage hits Abyss on the arms with the barbed wire bat. Abyss is bleeding quite a bit. Tomko lays Abyss over the chair with the barbed wire on his face. Cage delivers a con-chair-to to leave Abyss laying and has gashes on his arms.

Final Thoughts:
I’ll say that the final segment beating down Abyss was quite good and I find myself interested in seeing Abyss get his revenge on Cage and Mitchell once and for all. This weeks episode was solid overall and they are advancing things for next week rather well. Angle/Sting on free TV could be a great decision. It was another fun hour of TV for Impact.

Thanks for reading.