Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 4/3/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Homicide & Hernandez defeated Lance Hoyt, Jimmy Rave, Black Reign, & Rellik
2.) TNA Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Tomko defeated Christian Cage & Rhino by disqualification
3.) Shark Boy defeated Elix Skipper in a Lockdown Xscape qualifying match
4.) Traci Brooks defeated Payton Banks
5.) Sting defeated James Storm
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is standing outside Jim Cornette’s office. Borash reveals that Tracy Brooks will wrestle Payton Banks. AJ Styles and Tomko will battle Christian Cage and Rhino tonight. The main event will see Sting square off against James Storm. Cornette comes out of his office and says he went to the doctor and was late to it. Cornette reveals that Matt Morgan allowed a fifth member for Team Tomko at Lethal Lockdown. Matt Morgan leaves the office and says he allowed it because Tomko asked him and Cornette wasn’t there. Morgan made the decision. Morgan has to live with the decision and Christian Cage will have to live with it, as well.
2.) Team Tomko makes their way down to the ring to cut a promo. Tomko focuses on Christian Cage and Tomko says that they all do some thinking instead of just Cage. Brother Ray grabs the microphone and says having the tag champions the best tag team ever in the same ring is absolutely incredible. Ray wants to shoutout two people. The first person being Matt Morgan for having an open mind unlike Jim Cornette. Ray appreciates having a fifth member. Ray’s second shoutout is to their fifth member for Lethal Lockdown, James Storm. Ray credits Storm for turning the wrestling world upside down when Storm smashed a beer bottle over Sting’s head. Ray introduces Storm to join the segment.
James Storm makes his way down alongside Jackie Moore. Storm goes to speak, but is cutoff by Christian Cage’s music. Cage makes his way out to the ramp alongside Rhino, Kevin Nash and Sting. Storm asks if Cage is stupid for cutting into his interview time. Cage thinks the fans are thanking him for preventing Storm from slurring his speech. Cage thinks that Storm is semi-retarded. Cage reveals that Storm is wrestling Sting in a singles match tonight. Cage tells Tomko that Tomko and Styles will be wrestling Cage and Rhino tonight, as well. Cage says “it’s showtime.” Cage wants to address something and calls out Matt Morgan to join the segment. Morgan comes out from behind the commentary table and enters the ring. Morgan embraces the heels, and the crowd quickly chants that Morgan sucks. Cage mentions that Morgan has allowed five members for Team Tomko and puts them at a disadvantage. Cage wants to know what Morgan will do for their team. Morgan tells Bubba to relax and promises to have this under control. Morgan tells Cage to go outside the company to find a fifth member. Cage fells foolish for asking a stupid question and getting a stupid answer. Cage is confident with his team of four. Cage declares that the match is on whether there is disadvantage or not. Cage suggests that he could have one last ace up his sleeve. Morgan is left confused in the ring with the heels.
3.) TNA World Champion Kurt Angle has arrived to the arena. Borash meets up with Angle about their potential sparring match, but Angle acknowledges it was a joke and is letting Borash off the hook this week. Angle assures Borash that he’s fine with AJ Styles and doesn’t know who Karen Angle is anymore. Angle is going to make sure that Samoa Joe leaves TNA and tells Borash to watch what he means tonight. Eric Young enters the scene and tells Borash that Super Eric is here. Angle calls Young a moron and says he’s the only superhero here.
4.) Earlier today, Petey Williams is on the hood of a car that Scott Steiner was driving. Steiner tells Borash they are just having fun and Steiner has news tonight. Steiner says he controls the landscape and mentions cashing in his TNA World Championship opportunity.
5.) Backstage, Crystal is with the Monsters Of Rock (Black Reign, Rellik, Lance Hoyt, Jimmy Rave and Christy Hemme). Reign says that the Motor City Machine Guns have stepped into an insane asylum. Rave shoutouts a random town. Rellik heard about Super Eric being in the arena tonight and tells Eric to take his mask and cape because they aren’t Smallville anymore.
6.) Sabin and Rave kickoff the tag match with Rave taking Sabin down to the mat with an arm drag. Sabin nails Rave with a spin kick and tags in Shelley. Shelley atomic drops Rave and the Guns double team Rave with a dropkick. Hoyt is knocked off the apron as Rave continues to be double teamed by the Guns. Homicide leaps off the top and senton splashes Rave as the Guns held Rave. Rellik and Reign enter the match and drop Homicide over the top rope leading to Rellik hitting a sit out wheelbarrow slam. Eric Young is seen in the crowd as the show goes to commercial.
Rave and Hoyt elbow strike Homicide coming off the ropes followed by a double elbow drop for a two count. Rave scoop slams Homicide and plays to the crowd. Homicide atomic drops Rave and hits a cutter. Hernandez hits a slingshot clothesline to Hoyt and Rave. Hernandez tosses Rave overhead and plants Hoyt with a spinebuster. Hernandez catches Rave on a crossbody to hit a sit down powerbomb for a two count as Hoyt breaks the cover. Hoyt clotheslines Hernandez to the floor. Guns takeout Rellik and Reigns on the floor. Homicide nails Hoyt with a suicide dive to the floor. Hernandez tosses Rave with the Border Toss to win the match. (**. A quick match, but clearly the shine was for the babyfaces and mostly LAX. Hernandez seems to be getting some more shine and his power moves are coming across well.) After the match, Rellik attacks LAX. Reign tries to hit Hernandez with a weapon, but Kazarian comes out to make the save. Hoyt chokeslams Kaz. Rellik decks Kaz with a right hand. Super Eric makes his way out to make the save. Eric cleans house with strikes on the heels. Eric clotheslines Hoyt to the floor and dropkicks both Reign and Rellik to the floor to stand tall to end the segment.
7.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Sting for an interview. Sting says it feels really good to be back in TNA where he belongs. Sting feels like he still has something to give back to the company. Sting felt like he had to step up to the plate one more time. Sting didn’t have a glass beer bottle to his head planned, but it’s going to work for him and considers it gasoline on his fire. Sting picks up where he never left tonight and is going to make James Storm a star tonight.
8.) TNA Rough Cut shows footage of Kip James hitting Bob Armstrong with a crutch. Kip says it was rage that caused him to do it. Kip considers Bob a drive by casualty. BG heard Kip saying he was a 250lb sack of crap that Kip left aside. BG is going to his best to hurt more than Kip’s ego. Kip would hit BG several times if BG was there. BG tells Kip to not bring his family into the mix. Kip thinks BG tossed his career away to work with his father. BG can’t see himself teaming with Kip. BG considers this them fighting and then maybe afterward talk it out. Kip doesn’t want a relationship with BG after their match.
9.) Earlier today, Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed. Tenay has been wanting to do the interview for a long time, but notes that Saeed had several conditions. Tenay isn’t allowed to ask about the personal lives of the both of them and the interview could be ended if the content strayed away from what they wanted. Saeed says she’s from Syria and came here when she was 15. Kong is American, but made her home in Japan. Saeed has known Kong for many years and learned together at a dojo in Japan. Saeed says that her attire is none of Tenay’d concern. Tenay notes that Kong has defeated everyone put in her way. Tenay asks if there is anyone on the horizon who could beat Kong and Saeed simply says no to end the segment.
10.) A vignette promoting Consequences Creed is shown. Creed asks if we are prepared to face the consequences. Creed debuts next week.
11.) Backstage, Crystal interviews James Storm with Jackie Moore. Storm tells Crystal that a 20ft fall isn’t going to keep him out for long. Storm says it gave him and Jackie time to drink. Storm sat at home watching Christian Cage and Rhino making up, and people call him broke back. Storm brings up Sting saying Sting was at the wrong place and the wrong time. Storm doesn’t respect Sting and doesn’t care that he’s an icon and legend. Storm says he’s already famous and tonight he becomes an icon. Storm is going to slap the paint off Sting’s face. Storm says that Sting will hear “sorry about your damn luck” after his fist is shoved down his throat.
12.) Tomko and Cage kickoff the tag match. Tomko backs Cage into a corner, but misses a strike and Cage chops Tomko a few times. Cage avoids a clothesline and hits a spinning heel kick. Tomko tosses Cage into the corner, but misses a splash. Cage dumps Styles to the floor and pummels Tomko with right hands in the corner. Tomko kicks Cage and tries for a press slam, but Cage counters and avoids a strike. Rhino tags in and nails Tomko with a double elbow with Cage. Styles enters and is tossed with a double backdrop. Tomko knee lifts Rhino followed by strikes in the corner. Styles works over Rhino with a strike in the corner, but Rhino fights back with chops. Styles nails Rhino with a dropkick as Rhino ran the ropes. Styles eye rakes Rhino and delivers a boot in the corner. Rhino plants Styles with a powerslam for a two count. Cage tags back into the match and kicks Styles in the ribs. Styles sends Cage into the corner, but Cage fights out of the corner with elbows. Tomko drops Cage over the top rope throat first and Styles hits a Pele kick for a two count. The show goes to commercial.
Tomko plants Cage with a powerslam for a two count. Tomko keeps a headlock on Cage, but Cage quickly gets to his feet and chops Tomko. Cage runs into an elbow strike and Styles tags into the match. Styles stomps Cage on the mat and puts a chin lock on Cage. Styles rams Cage into the corner and delivers a boot to the midsection. Cage chops Tomko a few times and tags in Rhino. However, the referee didn’t see the tag. Cage chops Styles a few times and tries to tag in Rhino again, but Styles prevents the tag and hits a kip up head scissors for a two count. Tomko tags back into the match and hits a vertical suplex for a two count. Styles kicks Cage on the mat before putting a front face lock on Cage. Cage tries to tag in Rhino, but is stopped. Cage plants Styles with a DDT for a two count. Cage reaches to tag Rhino and manages to make the tag. Rhino decks Tomko off the apron, but the referee didn’t see the tag again. Rhino waits in the corner and GORES the referee! Rhino has snapped and cleans house on the tag champs. Tomko pummels Rhino, but Cage makes the save. Tomko and Styles try for a double team slam, but Rhino makes the save. Rhino sends Styles into the corner and hits the GORE after Cage hit the Un-Prettier on Tomko. However, Team 3D runs into the ring to make the save and beat down Cage and Rhino. Kevin Nash runs into the ring with a steel chair to chase Team 3D from the ring. The bell sounds as Rhino and Cage have been disqualified. (***. I enjoyed that more than I expected. It’s honestly a bit baffling to me that they are not putting the heels over cleanly in any match leading into the Lethal Lockdown showdown. The heel side is so much weaker than the faces that they need to prevail in these TV matches to make them stronger for the PPV match. Rhino snapping and hitting the Gore on the referee got a big reaction from the crowd.)
13.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Jim Cornette and Matt Morgan. Cornette blames Morgan for what has been happening on the show. Cornette thinks this could be the worst night of his life. Morgan promises to get Cornette out of this mess that he created. Morgan is going to be the special referee for the main event and promises nobody will get involved. Cornette allows it. Morgan warns Christian Cage that they will see who gets the last laugh.
14.) Footage of another date between Jay Lethal and So Cal Val is shown. They are hanging out in a hot tub. Lethal thinks they should talk and thinks they take things to the next level. They go to kiss, but Sonjay Dutt pops up from under the water and wants to see Val’s bikini. Lethal is livid!
15.) Skipper attacks Shark Boy before the bell and delivers a kick to the midsection in the corner. Boy pummels Skipper with strikes and stomps in the corner. Boy plays to the crowd before sending Skipper into the corner and hits a bulldog out of the corner. Boy leaps off the middle rope, but misses a fist drop. Skipper nails Boy with a standing side kick and delivers a kick to Boy’s back. Skipper continues with a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Skipper hits a double under hook suplex and kicks Boy over the apron to the floor. Skipper crotches Boy over the top rope and walks the ropes, but Boy avoids it and hits a dropkick. Boy takes Skipper down with a Thez Press and rams the back of Skipper’s head onto the apron. Boy delivers an elbow drop and avoids a kick to hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Boy tries for a suplex, but Skipper knee lift free and drops Boy over the top rope gut first. Skipper leaps off the top to leg drop Boy over the top rope for a near fall. Boy crotches Skipper on the top rope. Boy hits a top rope hurricanrana and hits a stunner for the win. (**. Skipper had some good moments and would probably be a far better option for Lockdown, but Shark Boy is in the midst of the biggest push of his career and Skipper doesn’t have any direction whatsoever.)
16.) Backstage, Traci Brooks cuts a promo about her back healing well. Brooks says her bruises and welts are gone, but what Robert Roode and Payton Banks did to her at Destination X will live in her head forever. Brooks promises payback tonight and says payback is a bitch. Angelina Love and Velvet Sky enter the scene and tells Brooks she’s picking on a non-wrestler. Love is tired of Brooks bossing everyone around because she’s a veteran. Love threatens Brooks that she will end up like Roxxi if she doesn’t watch her back.
17.) Backstage, Crystal interviews Shark Boy regarding the Xscape match at Lockdown. She explains the rules of the match and asks Shark Boy about Consequences Creed. Shark Boy seemingly ignores that and promises that he’s going to win the match at Lockdown. Curry Man enters the scene dancing. Curry speaks Japanese and Shark Boy calls Curry a piece of trash. Shark Boy says that Curry’s bass is his at Lockdown. Curry dances with Crystal off camera.
18.) Brooks chases Banks around ringside, but they get in the ring where Brooks takes Banks down and rams her head onto the mat. They trade chops in the middle of the ring. Brooks clotheslines Banks and plays to the crowd. Banks sends Brooks into the corner and hits a backstabber for a two count. Banks delivers a few crossface strikes on the mat and chokes Brooks for a moment. Banks forearms Brooks into the corner and sends Brooks into the corner. Brooks kicks Banks away a couple of times. Brooks spears Banks out of the corner! Brooks kicks Banks and delivers a facebuster followed by a running boot strike. Brooks leaps off the middle rope to deliver a bulldog for the win. (DUD. I understand the revenge aspect for Brooks, but Banks is literally in a PPV match with Roode and does a clean job on TV a week before the match? Why not do this after the PPV? TNA creative is really not doing the heels any favors.) After the match, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky run into the ring and attack Brooks. Salinas enters the ring and makes the save. Jackie Moore comes out and takes out Salinas. Roxxi comes out and goes after Velvet Sky. Christy Hemme enters the ring and gets involved with the brawling. Sharmell comes out with a strap and whips the heels. Is Sharmell about to be the TNA Knockouts Champion? Booker T comes out and he’s pissed that Sharmell got involved.
19.) Backstage, TNA World Champion Kurt Angle is walking to the ring.
20.) Backstage, Booker T is upset with Sharmell, but Sharmell tells Booker that he knows he married a wild cat and tells him “welcome to the jungle, honey.”
21.) Footage of Samoa Joe training for his title match is shown. Joe is training with champions and he wants to be one. Joe says the gold medal doesn’t mean shit.
22.) TNA World Champion Kurt Angle makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Angle says he’s going to make this short and sweet. Angle notes that three weeks ago Samoa Joe promised that if he didn’t win at Lockdown that he’d quit wrestling all together. Angle says that samoans are lying SOBs and wants Samoa Joe to sign a legal document next week. Angle wants Joe to sign the document that he’ll quit wrestling. Scott Steiner’s music and comes out to cutoff Kurt Angle. Steiner makes his way down to the ring with Rhaka Khan and also has his briefcase with him. Steiner hears Angle trying to set Joe straight, but Steiner is out here to set Angle straight. Steiner says he’s cashing in his title shot after the cage match. Steiner says neither one of them can beat him on their best day. Steiner clarifies that he’s cashing in at Sacrifice. Angle offers a handshake, but Steiner isn’t shaking Angle’s hand. Steiner tells Angle that he doesn’t think Angle will win after seeing who Joe has been training with.
23.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Jim Cornette and Matt Morgan. Morgan sees money in the women brawling and suggests they do a Queen of the Cage match. Morgan wants them to fight outside the cage and the first two to get in the ring proceed to have a match. Cornette wants Morgan to focus on the main event tonight that he’s being the special referee. Morgan leaves and Cornette proceeds to pitch the same match that Morgan pitched to him for Lockdown.
24.) Storm tries to attack before the bell, but it doesn’t work and Sting knocks Storm to the floor. Sting rams Storm onto the announcers table face first. Sting hits Storm with a drink. Sting punches Storm on the ramp and hip tosses Storm down the ramp. Sting clotheslines Storm over the railing into the crowd. Sting sends Storm into the wall a couple of times. Storm gets back into the ring and Jackie holds Sting’s foot allowing Storm to hit an elevated DDT for a near fall. The show goes to commercial as Storm sends Sting to the floor.
Storm rams Sting into the corner, but Sting no sells the offense. Sting fights back with a right hand to drop Storm to the mat. Sting backdrops Storm coming off the ropes. Storm eye rakes Sting and heads to the top rope. Sting eye rakes Storm on the middle rope. Sting hits a superplex off the top for a near fall. Storm kicks Sting, but Sting holds onto the ropes to avoid a backstabber. Sting quickly goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but Storm eye rakes free. Storm avoids a splash in the corner and hits a swinging reverse DDT for a two count. Storm dumps beer over his head, but misses a superkick. Sting takes Storm down and locks in the Scorpion Death Lock. Jackie Moore tries to hit a crossbody off the top, but Matt Morgan catches her. Storm low blows Sting and tries to use the baseball bat, but Morgan takes it away. Sting gets the bat handed to him by Morgan. Morgan turns his back and Sting hits the Scorpion Death Drop to win the match. (*1/2. How does this help anyone or anything? It doesn’t, at all. If a match ever needed a DQ or something this was it and instead they let Storm eat the pin. The booking for Lockdown has been incredibly questionable at best.)
25.) Team Tomko head down to the ring to confront Matt Morgan. Tomko gets in Morgan’s face and Brother Ray yells at Morgan. Ray shoves Morgan from behind. Team Cage runs into the ring and a brawl ensues. Morgan stands in the corner while the brawling takes place. Morgan nails Brother Devon with a bicycle kick. Morgan knee lifts Styles and hits a swinging slam out of a vertical suplex position. Cage rips off the referee shirt and it reveals a Team Cage shirt. Morgan is the fifth man for Team Cage.
Final Thoughts:
If Samoa Joe returns next week to sign the contract in the Impact Zone it will contradict what he said a few weeks ago about not being in the arena until he’s champion after Lockdown. The booking for Lockdown has been horrible. The heels have zero steam. They should be dominating TV, but they are not and they will likely get defeated at the PPV. I do not care about Matt Morgan and he’s always came across as a heel in TNA, so now being a face doesn’t make much sense to me. Morgan is a better big man heel. I’ve got to give this a thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.