Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 3/13/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Curry Man defeated Petey Williams in a Lockdown Xscape qualifying match
2.) Black Reign & Rellik defeated Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley
3.) TNA World Champion Kurt Angle defeated Kaz
4.) Lance Hoyt, Jimmy Rave & Christy Hemme defeated Homicide, Hernandez & Salinas
5.) Gail Kim defeated Velvet Sky
6.) Christian Cage & Kevin Nash defeated TNA Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Tomko by disqualification
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Jim Cornette is standing in the ring to kickoff the program. Cornette announces the double main event for Lockdown on April 13th. The first match is the most anticipated title match when TNA World Champion Kurt Angle defends against Samoa Joe. The second main event is the two teams of four men. Lethal Lockdown match will conclude when someone gets a pin. The captain for the first team is Christian Cage. Cage makes his way out to join the segment. The other captain is Tomko, and Tomko also joins the segment. Cornette has them in the ring and goes over the rules for the match. Cornette says they have two weeks to give him the men on their teams. Cage grabs the microphone and says he doesn’t have any questions, but does have some things to get off his chest since this is the first he’s seen Tomko since getting screwed out of the title. Cage says Tomko is his own man now and wonders if it’s everything he’s dreamt of. Cage knows that Tomko dreamt about it because Samoa Joe choked Tomko at Destination X. Cage tells Tomko that he’s Kurt Angle’s lap dog now. Christian calls Tomko a bald headed, tattooed pussy. Tomko and Cage brawl until AJ Styles runs into the ring. Kevin Nash comes out to make the save and runs off Styles and Tomko.
2.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash meets up with Karen Angle, but she’s not interested in talking. Borash notes he’s not seen Karen in two weeks and mentions a text message from Karen regarding a major bombshell. Karen respects Kurt having a match, but afterward she’ll reveal their issue in front of everyone.
3.) Backstage, Crystal interviews Scott Steiner, Petey Williams and Rhaka Khan. Steiner owns two briefcases and says that he can command a title shot at any time and any place. Steiner controls the title picture. Steiner tells Petey he needs to provide something to the team and win a qualifying match for the Xscape match at Lockdown. Petey chimes in and thinks they should share things since they are a team. Steiner says nothing is free in this world and isn’t going to share the briefcases. Steiner tells Petey to step it up tonight because he doesn’t want to be initiated by him when he’s pissed off.
4.) Petey flexes, but Curry dances to start off the match. Curry walks on Petey’s back to taunt him. Petey sends Curry to the floor and hits a slingshot hurricanrana on the floor. Petey hits a slingshot Codebreaker into the ring for a near fall. Petey hits a backbreaker and a neckbreaker for a two count. Petey snapmares Curry and keeps control with a chin lock. Curry elbows free, but is met with a drop toe hold over the middle rope and Petey delivers a dropkick to the back. Petey misses a clothesline and Curry delivers a dropkick. Curry elbows Petey followed by a forearm and backdrop. Curry nails Petey with a running clothesline. Curry sits Petey over the middle rope and hits a splash over the middle rope. Curry heads to the top hitting a crossbody, but the referee is distracted by Khan. Curry dances, but avoids Petey. Curry sends Petey into Khan and hit a bridging suplex to pickup the win. (*1/2. The fans seem to be digging Curry Man, but I’d much rather Daniels be used. The match was rather basic and didn’t do much for me.) After the match, Scott Steiner makes his way out and Petey meets Steiner on the floor. Steiner handcuffs Petey and Khan puts a sack over Petey’s head to end the segment.
5.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Jim Cornette. Cornette tells Christian Cage to find a partner to wrestle AJ Styles and Tomko tonight. Team 3D enter the scene and Cornette isn’t thrilled. Brother Ray asks Cornette how it feels to be the captain of a sinking ship. Ray suggests Cornette blow his brains out. Ray is there to tell Cornette what they are going to do before they do it. Ray tells Cornette that he has inmates running the asylum. Ray talks about the Machine Guns making stipulations that they’d have to lose weight. Ray insults Shark Boy as a midcarder dressed as a fish and mentions reality stars trying to steal their spotlight. Ray promises that if they see any of the people they mentioned tonight then they’re dead.
6.) Samoa Joe makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Joe says in one month he gets something that he’s been asking for three years. Joe gets a fair opportunity at the TNA World Championship. Joe says with every opportunity comes risk, but Joe takes a moment to thank people who helped him and that includes Kevin Nash. Joe admits he was wrong about Nash and says Nash taught him a lesson in playing the games. Joe thanks the TNA fans, as well. Joe credits the fans for why he’s in TNA. Joe puts over the fans for supporting him when the world said he was too violent and his kind of wrestling wasn’t made for TV. Joe promises to do anything and everything to win the title from Kurt Angle. Joe says this is no longer a game and he’s hunting for Angle. Joe says that if he doesn’t win the title at Lockdown then it will be the last time we see Joe in an Impact ring. Joe knows the fans want a new champion and he’s that champion. Joe promises to be the new champion the next time the fans see him in the Impact Zone.
7.) Backstage, Crystal is with Christian Cage. Cage meets with Rhino and Rhino says that he thinks Cage is in the wrong locker room. Cage understands why Rhino didn’t respond to his messages. Cage didn’t take care of his business face to face. Rhino doesn’t care about what Cage has to say and walks off.
8.) Reign and Rellik attack before the bell with Reign and Sabin going to the floor. Reign sends Sabin into the guard railing. Rellik drops Shelley with a right hand and chokes Shelley on the mat. Reign leaps off the apron to strike Sabin on the floor. Shelley kicks Rellik and hits a Codebreaker. Reign punches Shelley from behind and Shelley is dropped over the ropes chest first. Rellik hits a sit out wheelbarrow slam as the show goes to commercial.
Shelley continues to be double teamed. Rellik drops Shelley with a strike and kicks Sabin off the apron to the floor. Rellik tries for a press slam, but Shelley counters and hits a DDT/flatliner combo. Sabin gets the hot tag and drops Rellik over the top rope. Sabin hits a springboard dropkick on Reign. Sabin hits a tilt a whirl head scissors. Sabin ducks a clothesline and kicks Rellik. Sabin splashes Rellik in the corner and Shelley hits a forearm strike. Sabin dropkicks Reign off the apron. Rellik is met with a double kick, but Reign makes the save on the cover. Shelley misses a knee strike in the corner and crashes to the floor. Reign drops Sabin over the top turnbuckle and Rellik decks Sabin with a clothesline. Rellik covers and pins Sabin to win the match. (*1/2. I wasn’t expecting a victory for Rellik and Reign, but they do seem to have a feud going on with Eric Young, so I suppose a victory makes sense.) After the match, Reign cuts a promo on Eric Young saying he wants to be a superhero and save the day then come into the ring and do it while they expect it. Super Eric makes his way down to the ring and cleans house. Eric clotheslines Rellik to the floor and dumps Reign over the top to the floor.
9.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with TNA Tag Team Champion AJ Styles. Borash says that Styles has someone that wants to see him. Styles enters the room and it’s Karen Angle. Styles is excited to see her and Karen says she’s been thinking about AJ. Karen has to tell Kurt something first as it’s only fair and promises AJ that everything is going to be okay. Tomko enters the scene and tells AJ that she better not be in his head. Tomko thinks they have Christian where they want him and tells AJ to get his head straight. AJ assures Tomko that he’s good. Tomko knocks AJ’s crown off his head before departing the scene.
10.) Angle gains wrist control on Kaz to start the bout, but Kaz manages to counter quickly with wrist control of his own. Kaz lifts Angle up and drops the champ to the mat. Angle forearms Kaz against the ropes followed by an uppercut. Kaz kicks Angle several times followed by a spinning heel kick for a two count. Angle kicks Kaz and tosses Kaz over the top to the floor with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Angle hits a snap suplex for a near fall. Angle keeps a sleeper on Kaz, but doesn’t get a submission. Kaz elbows Angle, but Angle hits a German suplex several times. Kaz lands on his feet and they collide on stereo clothesline attempts. Kaz fights back with right hands and forearms. Kaz ducks a clothesline to hit a forearm strike and clotheslines. Kaz avoids Angle in the corner and hits a slingshot DDT for a near fall. Angle knee strikes Kaz, but Kaz arm drags Angle followed by a kick for a two count. Angle takes Kaz down to the mat, but Kaz rolls free. Kaz hits the Wave of the Future, but Angle kicks out at two. Kaz sits Angle on the top rope, but Angle knocks Kaz to the mat. Kaz hits a Spanish Fly, but Angle kicks out at two! Angle takes Kaz down to the mat and locks in the ankle lock. Kaz is screaming in agony, but is refusing to submit. Kaz tries to reach the ropes, but is ultimately forced to submit. (***1/2. Love it. Angle showcasing his ability to make a guy look like a complete threat is done here. Kaz got plenty of offense and looked like a guy who could beat Angle. It’s matches like this where it’s clear that TNA could easily elevate people into the title picture. I’d love for more matches like this where Angle has fantastic matches with X-Division guys.)
11.) Kurt Angle cuts a promo on Samoa Joe saying Joe made a big mistake. Angle wants to kick Joe’s ass even more. Angle is a winner and not a loser like Joe. Angle wins when it’s on the line. Angle needs to beat Joe in order to be the best ever. Angle says Joe will need to be prepared. Angle tells Joe to train his ass off and get ready for Lockdown. Angle will consider Joe to be wrestling his final, but best match. Karen Angle makes her way out to confront Kurt with some news. Kurt says that Karen is always trying to upstage him. Karen wants a separation from Kurt. Kurt can’t believe it, but says it’s a great idea. Kurt can now concentrate everything on Samoa Joe. Kurt agrees to the offer, but Karen walks off. Kurt has lost his mind.
12.) TNA Rough Cut is up next. BG James was fired from WWE because of his drug use. BG was in a rehab facility when Jeff Jarrett called him to join TNA. Kip joined TNA after being fired by WWE. Kip wasn’t going to turn down a spot in TNA especially because BG was here. BG was conflicted because he was happy with 3LK. BG says there was added pressure both on and off screen when Kip came back into his life. Kip wanted the reunion with BG so much that he ignored the signs that BG didn’t want to do it. BG felt it was forced onto him and feels their relationship would be different.
13.) Backstage, Crystal interviews Christy Hemme, Jimmy Rave and Lance Rock. Hemme says that LAX and Salinas are nothing compared to them. Hemme sings horribly.
14.) Rave and Homicide kickoff the tag match with Homicide kicking Rave several times. Homicide clotheslines Rave coming off the ropes. Homicide headbutts Rave followed by a snap suplex for a two count. Homicide atomic drops Rave and hits a leaping elbow strike for a near fall. Rave stops Homicide with a jawbreaker and leg sweeps Homicide to the mat as the show goes to commercial. Rave forearms Homicide in the corner, but Homicide tosses Rave with an overhead suplex. Hernandez tags in and tosses Rave overhead with a suplex. Hernandez tosses Rave across the ring with his shirt and plants Hoyt with a spinebuster. Hernandez hits an overhead suplex on Rave for a two count. Hernandez dumps Hoyt over the top to the floor. Hernandez dives over the ropes to take Hoyt out with a dive. Homicide nails Rave with a cutter and tries for the Gringo Killer, but Rave breaks free and tags in Hemme. Salinas tags herself into the match and Homicide takes Rave out with a somersault suicide dive. Salinas tosses Hemme into the ring and hits a clothesline. Salinas drives Hemme down with a reverse DDT for a two count. Hemme whacks Salinas over the back with a Guitar Hero guitar and pins Salinas to win the match. (**. Hernandez looked great and his power moves looked really good. Hemme getting the pin doesn’t help Rave/Hoyt in gaining steam as a team. LAX are probably the best face team in TNA and need to be back in the title picture sooner rather than later.)
15.) Footage of Jay Lethal and So Cal Val having their first date at Universal Studios is shown. Lethal won a prize for Val. They went on a roller coaster. Sonjay Dutt joined the date at one point and he’s focused on Val. Dutt takes Val to show some secret spots.
16.) Backstage, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love are giving Roxxi a makeover, but Roxxi doesn’t want to continue. Velvet sprays something into Roxxi’s eyes and they proceed to attack Roxxi. Love tosses Roxxi over a table and rams Roxxi’s head onto the floor. Sky and Love cover Roxxi’s face in makeup and call her a freak.
17.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Gail Kim for an interview. Borash suggests that Kim is going to be put on the back burner. Kim says the issue with Awesome Kong is far from over and she will not stop until she regains the TNA Knockouts Championship.
18.) Kim controls Sky at the start with a headlock on the mat. Sky reaches the ropes to break the hold. Sky elbows Kim away and delivers a chop to the chest. Sky misses Kim in the corner and Kim delivers a dropkick. Kim clotheslines Sky and kicks Sky in the midsection. Kim arm drags Sky out of the corner. Sky drop toe holds Kim over the middle rope. Sky chokes Kim over the middle rope. Sky kicks Kim over the back and delivers a dropkick to the back for a near fall. Sky kicks Kim and hits a bulldog off the ropes for a two count. Sky rams Kim into the corner a few times. Sky misses a bronco buster. Kim clotheslines Sky and hits a slow monkey flip out of the corner. Kim plants Sky with a neckbreaker, but Angelina Love gets on the apron to cause a distraction. Sky tries for a slam, but Kim counters and hits a slam of her own for the win. (*. Kim is great. Sky, not so much.) After the match, Angelina Love confronts Kim in the ring and shoves Kim. Kim doesn’t backdown and they trade forearm strikes. Kim spears Love, but Sky recovers and attacks Kim for the two on one advantage. The fans want ODB. Kim is chopped against the ropes. Kim ducks a double clothesline and bails to the floor. Awesome Kong comes down from behind and clotheslines Kim from behind. Kong chops Kim on the floor and tosses Kim into the ring. Kong scares Earl Hebner from the ring and tosses Kim to the mat. Kim avoids a powerbomb and strikes Kong several times. Kim spears Kong to the mat after a Codebreaker. Saied decks Kim from behind with the TNA Knockouts Championship. Kong clotheslines Kim and Saied curb stomps Kim. Kong tries for a powerbomb, but ODB’s music hits and ODB runs into the ring with a steel chair. Kong and Saied leave the ring. They waited way too long for ODB’s save.
19.) Backstage, Crystal asks who Christian Cage will turn to tonight. Kevin Nash enters the scene and is pissed off that Cage didn’t approach him to be his partner. Nash asks if Cage is going down there alone or is he coming with him. Cage offers a too sweet and says “where have you been all my life?” and they walk off together.
20.) There is a vignette promoting a new wrestler arriving on April 13th. The theme of the vignette was consequences.
21.) Cage and Styles brawl on the floor while Tomko and Nash trade strikes, as well. Cage sends Styles into the railing before entering the ring. Styles forearms Cage, but is met with an elbow strike. Cage runs the ropes and plants Styles with a powerbomb. Cage knocks Tomko off the apron. Tomko tags in and slams Cage to the mat for a near fall. Tomko chops Cage in the corner several times. Styles tags back into the match and stomps Cage on the mat. Styles drops Cage with a right hand. Tomko returns to the match, but Cage delivers chops. Tomko has Cage over his shoulder and tries for a slam, but Cage hits a reverse DDT. Kurt Angle makes his way down to the ring and distracts Cage as the show goes to commercial.
Styles stomps Cage several times. During the break, Angle distracted Cage and was escorted from ringside. Tomko press slammed Cage over the top to the floor. Styles catapults Cage throat first into the bottom rope. Styles punches Cage several times on the mat. Styles rams Cage into the corner and delivers several strikes in the corner. Tomko pummels Cage with right hands several times in the corner. Styles chokes Cage while the referee is distracted. Tomko chops Cage and hits a snap suplex for a two count. Cage punches Tomko several times. Tomko prevents Cage from tagging out to Nash and rams Cage into the corner. Tomko sits Cage on the top turnbuckle, but Cage plants Tomko with a tornado DDT. Nash gets tagged in and cleans house with strikes on the champs. Styles jumps on Nash’s back, but Nash delivers a side slam for a two count as Tomko made the save. Cage pulls the ropes to cause Tomko to crash to the floor. Styles punches Nash and tries for the Styles Clash, but Nash backdrops Styles. Cage is tagged back into the match as Nash plants Styles with a Jackknife Powerbomb. Cage hits a top rope frog splash, but Tomko pulls the referee out. Team 3D comes down to the ring and brawls with Nash and Cage to cause a disqualification. (*1/2. I love the powerbomb/frog splash combo by Nash and Cage. Team 3D getting involved wasn’t all that exciting and the idea of Team 3D seemingly being on the team for Lockdown seems like a lackluster addition.)
22.) Cage knee strikes Tomko while Nash clotheslines Team 3D. Brother Ray low blows Cage and Tomko nails Nash with a big boot. Tomko and Styles hit a double team twisting suplex on Cage. Brother Ray holds a chair on Nash’s knee and Devon smashes the chair with another one several times. Cage crawls over to cover up Nash. Brother Ray chokes Cage with a chair. Security and Jim Cornette enter the ring to stop the beating. Team 3D pull Joel “Truck’ Anderson from Survivor over the railing and attack him to end the show,
Final Thoughts:
A decent show this week for Impact. Samoa Joe made it seem as if he’s not going to be on TV leading into Lockdown, and I kind of like that. I hope there is a pivot away from Team 3D as members on Tomko’s team. That team wouldn’t be nearly strong enough to make the Lethal Lockdown match interesting. Karen wanting a separation makes sense and isn’t entirely surprising. Though, I doubt this leads to a romantic angle between Karen and AJ. Kurt/Kaz was a fun match and a hidden gem for TV standards.
Thanks for reading.