TNA Impact 5/24/2007

Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 5/24/2007
From: Orlando, FL

Matches:
1.) Doug Basham & Damaja defeated Kip James & Lance Hoyt
2.) Christian Cage & Tomko defeated LAX
3.) Samoa Joe defeated Sting in a King of the Mountain qualifying match

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) TNA Tag Team Champions Team 3D make their way down to the ring to begin the show. Brother Ray says that he heard the Steiner Brothers want to talk with them. That brings out the Steiner Brothers to join the segment. Steiner Brothers enter the ring to confront Team 3D. Brother Ray tells Scott Steiner it is a pleasure to be standing across from one of the best tag teams to ever compete. Ray credits the Steiner’s for creating a path for other teams. The crowd gives the Steiner Brothers a standing ovation. Scott Steiner says they don’t need the crowd to tell them how great they were. Scott wants to talk about Team 3D’s lack of history. Scott reminds Team 3D of their history and says that Team 3D was never in WCW when they were there. Scott brings up ECW and the world titles there. Scott says that ECW didn’t travel the world. Scott says that Team 3D never left the bingo hall. Scott thinks Team 3D is more city or bingo hall champs. Scott dismisses the notion of being world champions based by the paychecks they got. Scott claims they beat nobody. Rick has a long piece of paper and reads off all the teams they have beaten. Scott says they have beaten all the HOF tag teams. Ray says they are giving them the respect they deserve. Ray says they realize that the Steiner Brothers deserve their respect and they appreciate them. They like and respect the Steiner Brothers unlike the younger teams. Scott says that Team 3Ds legacy doesn’t mean shit to them. Devon gets in Scott’s face and says that the Steiner’s may have been a great team in their era, but there’s one team they haven’t beaten and that’s Team 3D. Scott says that’s about to change and issues a challenge for Slammiversary. Ray says he hopes they kick their ass on PPV. Ray wants to beat them while taking their best at the PPV.

2.) Backstage, Leticia Cline is with Christian Cage and Tomko. Cage dismisses getting more into tag matches. Cage says that Tomko called her fat, which Tomko denies. Cage isn’t a tag wrestler and says nobody is better than him in the ring. Tomko notes Cage is a former champion and Cage wants him to take that back, but Tomko doesn’t do that. Tomko tells Cage that Cornette has something against Cage and not him. Tomko blames Cage and his mouth for the issues. Tomoo has an idea who Cage might have to fight and doesn’t tell Cage because he didn’t get a title match a few months ago.

3.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kip James and Lance Hoyt. Kip has an update on BG James saying he’ll be back next week. Kip tells Hoyt it is his time to step-up tonight. Hoyt has only ever wanted a chance and management hasn’t done that for him. Hoyt credits Kip and BG for helping him and he won’t let them down tonight. Hoyt isn’t afraid to hit a girl.

4.) Basham and Kip start the match with Kip delivering a right hand and chop. Kip shoulder blocks Basham and delivers another right hand to the mat. Basham eye rakes Kip and tries for a slam, but Kip counters. Damaja tags in and bulldogs Kip followed by an elbow drop. Basham hits a middle rope leg drop and taunts the crowd before getting a two count. Damaja returns to the match working over Kip in the corner. Damaja jabs Kip a few times. Kip elbows Damaja and clotheslines Basham on the apron. Hoyt picks Hemme up onto his shoulders and carries Hemme to the backstage area. Damaja atomic drops Kip and Basham hits a leg lariat for the clean pin. After the match, Hoyt returns to the ring, but it was too late. (1/2*. Hoyt is turning and joining Hemme, right? That’s got to be the case.)

5.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Samoa Joe. Joe is in a familiar position and now has direction. Joe notes that Cornette has given everyone a golden opportunity. Sting is his golden opportunity. Joe says there will be no lights and no cameras. There will only be action. Joe will break what Sting is and he’ll get Sting out of his way. Joe says it is showtime tonight.

6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Robert Roode and Traci. Roode says he wants to address the KOTM match. Roode says that he is the top dog and should be involved in the match. Roode claims he’s going to be the next TNA World Champion. Nobody is going to stop him. Roode has given Eric Young one week to answer his attorney’s letter. Roode will take his career and every single dime that he’s made in his career. Roode will prove that it pays to be roode.

7.) Hernandez and Cage kickoff the tag match with Cage getting a headlock. Hector Guerrero is watching the match in the crowd. Homicide tags into the match and clotheslines Cage in the corner. Hernandez splashes Cage in the corner and Homicide delivers a leaping forearm smash. Cage delivers a sit out vertical suplex for a two count on Homicide. Cage tags in Tomko and Homicide tries to chop Tomko with no luck. Tomko tries for a slam, but Homicide breaks free and kicks Tomko in the corner. Tomko sends Homicide hard into the corner and slowly follows up with right hands in the corner. Konnan taunts Hector Guerrero in the crowd. Tomko press slams Homicide switching to a fallaway slam as the show goes to commercial.

Cage continues to work over Homicide with stomps. Cage chokes Homicide over the middle rope. Konnan continues to argue with Hector in the crowd. Cage drops Homicide over his knee with a gut buster for a near fall. Tomko tags into the match and kicks Homicide in the corner. Tomko has Homicide over his shoulder hitting a powerslam for a two count. Cage kicks Homicide some more, but Homicide sends Cage into the ropes where Hernandez hits a slingshot shoulder block after tagging in. Hernandez sends Cage into the corner where Cage tries for a sunset flip, but Hernandez tosses Cage overhead. Tomko decks Hernandez from behind. Hernandez backdrops Homicide into both Cage and Tomko. Hernandez dumps Tomko to the floor. Homicide senton splashes Cage onto Hernandez knees. Hernandez has Cage set for the Border Toss, but Tomko delivers a boot and Cage hits a frog splash off the top for the clean win. After the match, Konnan knocks Hector Guerrero down and chokes him with his crutch. Hector gets in the ring and wants Konnan to fight him. Hector wants Konnan, who is injured, to fight him. Chris Harris and Rhino slide into the ring to stand next to Hector. (**. A solid tag match and the clean finish is always going to earn bonus points with me. The aftermath with Harris and Rhino joining Hector was a little bizarre, but whatever. This was a quality tag match and I just hope that Cage isn’t going to be working a tag with Tomko. Cage has been fantastic in this heel run as a main event guy.)

8.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle for an interview. Angle is the only man to qualify for kOTM thus far. Angle can’t stand either Joe or Sting and doesn’t respect them. Angle says the difference between the three of them is that he will admit that he’ll do underhanded tactics to win. Angle teases that he’ll see them out there for the match.

9.) Joe backs Sting into the ropes, but cleanly backs off. Sting backs Joe into the corner and backs off, as well. Sting shoulder blocks Joe, but Joe doesn’t go down. Joe atomic drops Sting and misses a big boot attempt. Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but Joe gets out of it and gets a choke on Sting. Sting leg sweeps Joe and goes for the Scorpion Death Lock again, but Joe reaches the ropes. Joe kicks Sting in the midsection and delivers a few jabs to knock Sting to the mat. Joe works over Sting in the corner with several strikes to the body. Christopher Daniels comes down to the ringside area with a bat. Sting misses a splash in the corner. Joe delivers a kick to Sting in the corner as the show goes to commercial.

Joe stomps on Sting several times followed by a scoop slam. Joe pulls back on Sting’s arms looking for a submission. During the break, Sting tried to tell Daniels to leave. Sting elbows Joe and ducks a clothesline, but Joe delivers a running boot for a near fall. Joe keeps Sting on the mat with a headlock. Sting elbows free, but is yanked down to the mat. Joe delivers an elbow drop for a two count. Joe hooks Sting for a suplex, but Sting counters with the Scorpion Death Drop (commentary doesn’t even acknowledge that). Daniels gets on the apron and tosses the bat to Sting, but Sting knocks Daniels off the apron. Joe kicks Sting followed by several strikes. Joe misses a boot, but Daniels whacks Sting over the back with the bat. Joe delivers a Samoan Drop and pins Sting to advance to the KOTM match on PPV. (*1/2. Well, they clearly tricked us into thinking Angle would get involved but it was Daniels instead. It’s an interesting decision to have Daniels feud with Sting and likely getting a PPV match out of it. Daniels being potentially elevated into a main event scene is something I can support, but there likely should have been a slower build instead of just going right into Sting. I’m surprised they wouldn’t have Sting in the title match over Joe considering Sting’s involvement with Angle and Cage over the last several months.)

10.) Next week, AJ Styles battles Jeff Jarrett in a KOTM qualifying match.

Final Thoughts:
There was some positive advancements as we head into the PPV. Steiners/Team 3D is a legit dream match amongst a lot of wrestling fans, so that’s kind of cool even if the Steiner’s are well past their prime. I thought the episode was a breeze to get through this week despite there not being a standout match. The storylines seem to be going fairly well.

Thanks for reading.