TNA Impact 8/2/2007

Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/2/2007
From: Orlando, FL

Matches:
1.) Team 3D defeated Chris Harris & Eric Young
2.) Christopher Daniels & Senshi defeated Jay Lethal & Sonjay Dutt
3.) Sting & Abyss defeated Christian Cage & AJ Styles in a ladder match

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Backstage, Samoa Joe has arrived to the venue is walking.

2.) Backstage, Jim Cornette wants Christian Cage to tell him that he had nothing to do with Abyss being pulled under the ring. Cage promises that he’s not lying. Cornette books Cage and Styles in a ladder match against Abyss and Sting. Cornette says a contract will be hanging and if Abyss and Sting then they will wrestle at Hard Justice and Abyss will choose the stipulation. Kurt Angle walks by with a young girl and Karen Angle. Cage says that Karen could carry Tomko’s toy belt, too.

3.) Devon attacks Harris from behind and keeps control with stomps on the mat. Harris comes off the ropes with a leaping clothesline and a bulldog out of the corner. Harris continues with a delayed vertical suplex. Harris goes for the cover managing a two count. Young gets tagged in, but Devon backs off. Devon tags out to Ray. Ray knee lifts Young and continues with strikes in the corner. Young arm drags Ray a few times to get momentum followed by a dropkick. Young hip tosses and dropkicks Devon. Ray misses a strike and Young hammers away on Ray. Devon trips Young from the floor and Ray delivers a clothesline from behind. Ray chokes Young on the mat. Devon tags back into the match and pummels Young in the corner. Devon chokes Young in the corner briefly. Ray tags back into the contest, but Young dropkicks both men. Young crawls to the corner, but Dustin Rhodes pulls Harris off the apron. Harris hammers away on Rhodes at ringside and they brawl into the crowd. Young almost pins Ray with a rollup after Ray collided with Devon. 3D hit a back suplex/neckbreaker combo on Young. Harris has left the building. 3D spike Young with a spike piledriver to win the match. (*1/2. Rhodes once again getting involved in a Harris match was not a surprise at all. Team 3D are a far more interesting and entertaining heel team as they get a better crowd reaction when the crowd gets to hate them. Brother Ray is especially much better as a heel. The match wasn’t anything memorable, but did its job.)

4.) Robert Roode comes down to ringside with Traci Brooks after a commercial and are beating up Eric Young. Roode has a microphone and says nobody embarrasses him. Roode puts honey on Young and then dumps feathers on Young. Roode stomps on Young to add insult to injury.

5.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Samoa Joe. Joe says that training doesn’t describe what he’s been doing for his match with Angle at Hard Justice. Joe is bringing a war to Angle and having his family there makes no difference to him.

6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash runs up to Kurt Angle and Karen. Kurt tells her to go get her coffee to get some needed exercise. Kurt’s daughter wants a candy bar and asks if she wants to be fat like Joe or have thunder thighs like Karen. Karen didn’t appreciate that. Kurt says that Karen has a bunch of rolls and need to look the part of being his wife.

7.) Daniels and Senshi attack before the bell, but Lethal dumps Daniels to the floor with a backdrop and a double dropkick to Senshi. Dutt is caught on a crossbody to the floor, but Lethal hits a suicide dive. Lethal covers Senshi for a two count as Shelley and Sabin are at ringside now. Senshi lands poorly on his foot, but was faking it and Daniels decked Lethal. Daniels legally tags in and Lethal is double teamed in the corner. Daniels chokes Lethal and taunts the fans. Daniels headbutts Lethal into the corner, but Lethal fires back with strikes. Lethal jabs Daniels a few times but is held by Daniels allowing a springboard kick by Senshi for a two count. Daniels stomps on Lethal and keeps a headlock on Lethal. Lethal elbows free and avoids a heel kick. Dutt head scissors Daniels and kicks Senshi in the corner followed by a leg drop over the middle rope. Dutt hits a springboard Thez Press for a two count on Daniels. Dutt works over Daniels, but Senshi helps out from behind. Dutt hits a Slice Bread and Lethal goes to the top, but Skipper shoves Lethal off. Daniels nails Dutt with an STO. Daniels slams Lethal and Senshi hits a double stomp followed by the BME by Daniels for the win. (***. That’s a solid TV match by these two teams with a great finish. This is another example of a match that I wish went a little longer.)

8.) Backstage, Sting is on the top of a ladder. Sting asks if Christian, Tomko and AJ want to play. Sting says it doesn’t matter what is used because they are grabbing the contract and it is payback at Hard Justice. Sting teases they may have a surprise. Abyss speaks and says no more tricks, no more surprises. Tonight, retribution begins.

9.) Backstage, Kurt Angle is with Dr. Nash and asks him to evaluate his wife, Karen. Kurt tells Karen to not play with his titles because they are his and they are not toys. Kurt says his wife has problems. Kurt thinks that Karen was checking out Nash. Nash admits he was feeling uncomfortable and Kurt calls his wife a slut. Kurt continues to call her fat. Nash says he’s no gold medalist and tells Karen he’s got an acting career going on. Karen leaves disgusted and Nash says that from that angle, Kurt is right about her ass.

10.) Abyss attacks Cage and Styles on the floor to start with Sting joining and dropping Cage over the railing chest first. Abyss and Styles are in the ring where Abyss nails Styles with a big boot. Abyss has both Styles and Cage, but is stopped by a right hand. Abyss clotheslines both men and Sting leaps ooff the top to hit a crossbody. Abyss and Sting have a ladder and hit both Styles and Cage on the floor with it. They slide the ladder back into the ring as the show goes to commercial.

Sting dropkicks the ladder into Styles and Cage. During the break, Sting and Abyss splashed the ladder into Cage and Styles. Cage stops Sting from climbing the ladder and Sting hits a bulldog off the ladder to the mat. Sting climbs the ladder, but AJ hits a springboard forearm to knock Sting off the ladder. Abyss gets back in the ring and meets Styles on the ladder. AJ is grabbed by Abyss and Abyss chokeslams Styles to the mat. Tomko enters the ring with a chair and whacks Abyss over the back. Andrew Martin (Test in WWE) comes down and attacks Tomko. Tomko accidentally tips over the ladder to send Cage to the floor. Martin sends Tomko to the floor. Martin catches Styles and press slams Styles over the top to the floor. Abyss climbs the ladder and grabs the contract to win the match. (*. I’m not sure what the point of having Andrew Martin in TNA really is all about other than an example of an ex-WWE guy getting some shine. There’s no connection between Martin, Sting and Abyss to make this even worthwhile.)

11.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Andrew Martin, Abyss and Sting. Martin says that the sides are now even. Martin has been watching Christian, AJ and Tomko running rampant on TNA and he picked his spot. Martin says he’s the new enforcer in TNA… Andrew “The Punisher” Martin.

12.) TNA World Champion Kurt Angle makes his way down to the ring. Karen is with him, but she is not thrilled to be with her husband. Karen holds the ropes open for Kurt to enter the ring and flaunt the titles to the crowd. Kurt claims that he’s misunderstood in pro wrestling and says he’s a compassionate father and husband. Kurt brought Karen to the ring so that the fans can get to know him better. Kurt says that Karen never shuts up at home, so this shouldn’t be hard for her. Kurt knows this is tough to live with an Olympian like himself. Kurt asks how it is to live with someone like Kurt, the best wrestler to ever live. Karen doesn’t seem interested in speaking and rather looks upset. Kurt continues to make fat jokes about Karen and asks if there are cookies in her mouth. Kurt will describe himself, but Samoa Joe comes out and says Kurt is a jackass. Joe enters the ring, but Kurt is hiding behind Karen like a coward. Kurt asks if Joe will hurt his wife. Joe tells Karen to get out of the way. Karen gets the microphone and says that twelve years with Kurt has been living hell. Karen says that Kurt has taken her dignity away. Karen has wanted to say something for twelve years. Karen thinks this is the right time and place to say what she wants to say. Joe grabs the microphone and says he wants to hear what Karen has to say. Karen says she has loved Kurt for twelve years, but she is sick of Kurt’s world titles and attitude. Karen she is sick of his arrogance, but the gold medals are even worse. Karen reveals that as of tonight, their marriage is OVER. Joe is laughing at Kurt. Kurt demands Karen get back in the ring, but Karen storms off. Kurt tries to smooth things over, but that’s not going to work. Joe says that Kurt has lost everything and promises to take the titles at Hard Justice. Joe attacks Kurt with strikes in the corner and rips off Kurt’s clothing. Joe hits Angle in the midsection with a championship. Joe takes off Kurt’s belt, but Kurt bails to the floor. Joe has all the gold and plays to the crowd to end the show.

Final Thoughts:
A solid episode of Impact this week. I thought Karen was going to swerve Joe, but actually seeking a divorce from Kurt after one appearance on TNA television felt a little rushed. I think they could have dragged out that story and make the divorce announcement mean a lot more. The X-Division tag match was a fun match, but the main event was a little disappointing.

Thanks for reading.