Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/19/2010
From: Orlando, FL
Moments ago, Jeff Hardy attacked Abyss backstage about a half hour before the show started, according to Mike Tenay. Abyss gained control by slamming Hardy face first onto a table. Abyss sends Hardy into the wall as they head towards the ringside area. They get to ringside where Abyss jabs Hardy with a kendo stick several times in the midsection. Hardy fights back with kendo stick shots to the back of Abyss. Abyss rams Hardy face first into the ring steps. The Impact Zone is starting to fill up as they continue to brawl around ringside. Production has been blurring Hardy’s ass crack throughout the brawling. Hardy tosses a chair into Abyss face. They brawl towards the backstage area again. Abyss chokes Hardy with a cord. Hardy pummels Abyss with punches as they continue to fight backstage. They end up going outside where more fans are waiting to enter the Impact Zone. Finally, security runs into the scene to break them apart.
Eric Bischoff makes his way down to the ring without any music. Bischoff seems to be in a serious mood tonight. Bischoff says in the twenty years of his wrestling career he’s never seen what he did last week before. Bischoff is holding Flair responsible for the attack on E.V. 2 and they will not stand for it. Bischoff addresses Dixie Carter and apologizes and promises to hold Flair accountable. Bischoff says that Abyss was inhumane and barbaric towards RVD last week. Bischoff declares that Abyss has no idea what is coming his way. Bischoff says that RVD’s condition is far worse then they had thought. Bischoff says that RVD has stitches covering his entire body. Bischoff reveals that RVD may have punctured organs and severe head trauma. Bischoff promises that everyone will welcome RVD back if and when he’s able to return to TNA. Bischoff has decided to vacate the TNA World Championship. There will be a single elimination tournament and conclude at Bound For Glory. The tournament will consist of the top eight wrestlers in their rankings and starts tonight.
Opening Contest: Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Terry in a first-round match for the TNA World Title Tournament: Hardy goes after Terry with right hands and a dropkick to the knee. Terry catches Hardy on a crossbody to deliver a slam. Terry chokeslams Hardy off the middle rope across the ring. Terry sends Hardy into the corner and delivers a few shoulder rams. Hardy drop toe holds Terry into the corner and delivers a couple dropkicks. Hardy tries for a cover, but Terry kicks out at two. Hardy nails Terry with the Whisper In The Wind, but Terry powers out at two. Hardy leaps off the middle rope and is met with a clothesline in midair. Terry drops Hardy with a standing spin kick, twice. Terry has Hardy over his shoulder, but is sent into the corner chest first. Hardy drops Terry with the Twist of Fate. Hardy removes his shirt and goes to the top rope hitting the Swanton Bomb, barely. Hardy covers and wins the match. (*. The crowd is noticeably silent for most of this match. It would have been humorous to see Hardy lose to Terry, but TNA isn’t that bad at booking. I think the match lacked due to the crowd not caring for Terry and Terry doesn’t really belong in this spot, at all. Hardy was working in “street clothes”, but that was really just the tank top he chose to wear.)
Outside, Fortune has arrived to the Impact Zone.
Outside, Hulk Hogan is on the phone talking about issues with the media. Hogan is talking about quitting and not signing up for this. Hogan was building the company around RVD, but they can’t replace RVD. Hogan knows this is their plan and doesn’t know if he can do this anymore.
Second Contest: Mr. Anderson vs. Jay Lethal in a first-round match for the TNA World Title Tournament: Anderson controls with a side headlock, but Lethal sends Anderson into the ropes only to be met with a shoulder block. Lethal avoids a clothesline, but Anderson tries for the Mic Drop. Lethal manages to break free and they have a standoff. Anderson tries for a hip toss, but Lethal counters with a hip toss and a dropkick for a two count. Lethal keeps control in the corner with strikes. Anderson catches Lethal in the corner to hit a rolling fireman’s carry for a near fall. Anderson forearms Lethal followed by a back elbow for a two count. Anderson keeps Lethal on the mat with a front face lock. Lethal atomic drops Anderson to break free, but runs into a clothesline. Anderson covers for a near fall. Lethal connects with a handspring back elbow and plays to the crowd. Lethal rams Anderson into the corner and delivers a chop. Anderson dumps Lethal to the apron. Lethal misses a springboard dropkick and Anderson hits the Mic Drop for the clean win. (*. A complete fumble here by TNA with how they have booked Lethal. Lethal had all the momentum in the world following his feud with Flair and they refuse to elevate Lethal.)
Backstage, Christy Hemme is with TNA Knockouts Champion Angelina Love. Love knows that Rayne will have her bodyguard because Rayne is scared. Love isn’t going to give the belt back to Rayne. Love says Rayne will have to pry the belt from her cold, dead hands. Love promises to have backup of her own.
A video package highlighting the TNA World Tag Team Champions Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley is aired.
Angelina Love reveals that Velvet Sky is here backup for the next match.
Third Contest: TNA Knockouts Champion Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne: Love kicks the bodyguard on the floor while Sky beats up Rayne. Rayne sends Sky into the ring steps. Love tries to remove the helmet, but Rayne stops Love. Rayne rams Love face first onto the apron a couple of times. Rayne stomps on Love and pulls the champs hair in the ring. Rayne drives Love’s face onto the mat several times leading to a near fall. Rayne knee lifts Love a few times, but Love delivers a jawbreaker. Love knocks Rayne down with a running strike and a slam. Love is distracted by the bodyguard until Sky runs over and attacks the bodyguard. Love nails Rayne with Botox Injection after Sky grabs Rayne’s leg and Love wins the match. (DUD. Who cares?) After the match, Love and Sky stare at each other and raise each others hands to play to the crowd. Rayne and the mystery bodyguard attack them from behind. Love and Rayne are left laying.
Backstage, Fortune is making their way towards the ring.
Fortune is in the ring with Ric Flair cutting a promo. Flair talks about power and says this is impact with power. Flair talks about adding Doug Williams, the TNA X-Division Champion. Flair mentions the addition of Matt Morgan as their insurance policy. Flair says this is TNA and that we better learn to love it. Flair brings up EV 2. Flair dares them to call themselves wrestlers. Flair doesn’t believe they belong in the business. The marquee reads pro wrestling and not kendo sticks, and tables. Flair says he can crash in a airplane and talk about it. Flair wants them to crash in an airplane before talking to him. Flair suggests they smile and be proud to be part of the company. AJ Styles chimes in about EV 2 having to get their glory shot. Styles says nobody has wrestled more in the ring than him. AJ proclaims he’s TNA and the Impact Zone is the house he built.
Dixie Carter makes her way out to the ramp to join the segment. Carter says she owns the house that AJ helped built. Dixie says if it’s her house, then it’s their house. EV 2.0 appears behind Dixie. They are battered, but standing. Dixie reveals that she has signed them to contracts. Flair doesn’t take crap from women. Tommy Dreamer chimes in and says Flair is a living legend. Dreamer would run into the ring to attack them, but Dixie told them to stand back. Dreamer says that Carter acknowledged the history. Mick Foley chimes in about a phone call from December. Foley talks about Flair being down on his luck. Flair is freaking out and trying to force himself to bleed. Foley wishes he had the phone call back and left Flair out of it. Flair wants to roll in tacks with Foley again. Foley reminds Flair that he works for Carter and not Flair. Flair yells that he works for himself and Fortune. Dreamer says that they will get Abyss in a way they know how. Dreamer credits Styles for building the house, but their respect for AJ ended last week. Dreamer challenges Styles to a match tonight and it will be extreme.
Kurt Angle cut a promo earlier in the day. Angle talks about the single-elimination tournament and he’s use to it. Angle sees that it’s three matches before he regains the TNA World Championship.
Fourth Contest: Kurt Angle vs. TNA X-Division Champion Douglas Williams in a first-round match for the TNA World Title Tournament: Angle backs Williams into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Angle takes Williams down with a headlock for the early advantage. Williams backs Angle into a corner and tries a cheap shot, but Angle blocked it. Williams kicks Angle on the knee in the corner and delivers a clothesline. Angle punches Williams, but is sent to the floor. Williams uppercuts Angle on the floor and they return to the ring where Williams scoop slams Angle. Williams continues with several knee drops leading to a near fall. Angle tries to fight back, but Williams delivers an uppercut and a gut wrench suplex for a two count. Williams controls Angle with a neck vice, but Angle arm drags free and clotheslines Williams followed by a backdrop. Williams boots Angle, but runs into an overhead suplex for a two count. Williams sends Angle into the corner and delivers a running knee strike. Williams heads to the top rope hitting a flying uppercut for a near fall. Angle takes Williams over with a series of German suplexs for a two count. Williams avoids the Angle Slam and tries for the Chaos Theory. Angle counters and sits down with the ankle lock to force a submission and wins the match. (***. The first match that the crowd actually cared about and they delivered a good TV match. Angle gave Williams enough for this to be competitive and hold interest.)
Backstage, Kevin Nash and Sting are walking towards the ring.
Backstage, Mr. Anderson cuts a promo about being in the final four. Anderson hopes that Rob Van Dam recovers, but the show must go on.
Sting and Kevin Nash make their way down to the ring to cut a promo. Nash says he’s known Sting for twenty years and even though they’ve had their disagreements there’s nobody he respects more. Nash has been called a cancer before in this business. Nash isn’t out here for the money, but rather because he loves to do what he does. Nash isn’t going to listen to people tell him it’s time he steps aside. Nash wants someone to come take his spot if they want it. Nash believes they are really close as a company to making this happen. Nash believes the cancer is backstage. Nash believes its smoke and mirrors. Nash wants to reveal the truth, but Jeff Jarrett comes out to join the segment. Jarrett says that Nash is full of BS. Jarrett has known Nash since day one and it has always been about Kevin Nash. Jarrett knows that Nash will never change about caring only about himself. Jarrett says they could talk about all of Sting’s skeletons and tell the world just who Sting really is, but he’s not going to do that. Jarrett says they are much better off since Hogan and Bischoff came to TNA. Jarrett is going to do something in honor of Bischoff and Hogan. Jarrett is going to get a chair and beat both their asses. Hulk Hogan appears and says he’s going to go to the ring with Jarrett. Hogan puts over Jarrett for starting the company from the ground up. Hogan thinks they are jealous due to the spotlight on the younger guys. Hogan suggests Sting put the bat to the side and do it like a real man. Sting tosses the bat onto the ramp. Jarrett and Hogan make their way down to the ring. The lights go out once they have a standoff. When the lights come back on Jarrett, Nash, and Hogan are down with Fortune in the ring. Fortune attacks Sting and Nash. With the lights on, Fortune never touches Hogan and Jarrett.
Backstage, Tommy Dreamer is talking with EV 2.0. Dreamer tells Raven to not be a rebel because Dixie Carter gave them a contract. Raven tells Dreamer that he has his back. Dreamer and Stevie Richards talk sense. Richards says they just have to wait a little bit before they go after them. Raven knows they make mistakes and they always will.
Fifth Contest: The Pope vs. Matt Morgan in a first-round match for the TNA World Title Tournament: Morgan taunts Pope for being short. Pope ducks a strike and decks Morgan with a punch. Morgan doesn’t move and Pope continues to punches. Morgan grabs Pope and tosses Pope into the corner. Pope continues with body shots and kicks in the corner to drop Morgan in the corner. Pope kicks Morgan and hits an elbow drop in the corner for a two count. Pope leaps off the middle rope, but is caught. Morgan ends up nailing Pope with a clothesline. Morgan chokes Pope in the corner with his boot. Morgan delivers several back elbow strikes in the corner and a splash. Morgan casually drops Pope to the mat. Morgan is met with a boot in the corner and Pope goes to the top looking for a sunset flip, but Morgan doesn’t go down. Morgan chokebombs Pope and taunts Pope. Morgan slaps Pope on the mat several times. Morgan chokes Pope over the top rope and splashes Pope over the top rope. Morgan rams Pope back first into the apron. Morgan misses a running big boot and hits the ring post. Pope delivers a strike and pins Morgan in the ring. (*. Well, that finish felt a little weird. Pope is another guy who continues to get start and stop pushes and it hurts his overall presentation. Morgan looks a little foolish here, which doesn’t make sense considering he’s a bodyguard for Fortune. He was just part of a beatdown segment on icons in wrestling and loses here.)
Backstage, Dreamer and Styles are on their way to the ring for the main event.
Backstage, Mick Foley cuts a promo about seeing what happened to EV 2.0. Foley was taken out by one shot. Foley is part of EV 2.0 and there will be vengeance. Foley has to decide to either take a step back or lead the charge. Either way, Foley is with them and will work with Dreamer every step of the way.
Main Event: TNA Television Champion AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer: Styles kicks Dreamer on the left leg causing Dreamer to limp already. Dreamer blocks a kick and decks Styles to the mat. Dreamer backdrops Styles over the top to the floor. Dreamer hits a cannonball dive onto Styles off the apron. Dreamer rams Styles into the guard railing and slams Styles on the floor. Styles punches Dreamer upon returning to the ring. Styles chops Dreamer in the corner, but Dreamer catches Styles with a running slam for a near fall. Dreamer chops Styles in the corner several times. Dreamer hits an overhead suplex, but Styles reaches the ropes. Dreamer mounts Styles with several punches. Styles throat thrusts Dreamer and connects with a Pele kick. Dreamer’s bleeding now after Styles focused his strikes on Dreamer’s forehead. Styles slams Dreamer and delivers a knee drop. Styles chokes Dreamer over the middle rope and says he’s going to kill Dreamer. Dreamer gets a sunset flip for a near fall. Styles regains control with a dropkick. Styles keeps Dreamer on the mat with a chin lock. Dreamer breaks free with a back suplex. Styles nails Dreamer with a Pele kick. Styles goes to the apron and attempts a springboard, but Dreamer connects with an atomic drop and DDT! Dreamer goes for the cover, but Fortune makes their way down to the ringside area. However, EV 2.0 runs over and that leads to a brawl. Abyss comes out from under the ring and attacks Dreamer. Abyss plants Dreamer with the Black Hole Slam. Styles covers Dreamer to win the match. After the match, the brawling continues as Abyss leaves through the crowd. (*1/2. There was no surprise that there would be a brawl between the two factions to close the show. Dreamer’s MMA style gimmick is not working for me whatsoever. Dreamer needs to be the brawler underdog that he was in ECW. Sometimes it’s okay not to evolve.)
Final Thoughts:
The crowd was mostly lifeless for the show. The second half was better than the first half, that’s for sure. I think it’s obvious that Hogan is aligned with Fortune in some way since they didn’t touch him whatsoever when the lights were on. There has been some teasing over the weeks that something is up. I’m not sure if it makes sense, but something is up. Overall, this week gets a thumbs down from me.
Thanks for reading.