Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 4/24/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Team 3D defeated Rellik & Black Reign in a Deuces Wild Tag Tournament Match
2.) Christian Cage & Rhino defeated Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley in a Deuces Wild Tag Tournament Match
3.) Booker T & Sting defeated Robert Roode & James Storm
4.) TNA World Champion Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle to retain the title
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Backstage, Lauren is with Matt Morgan, who says he’s going to show what it takes to be famous. Kip James is casually walking by and Morgan proceeds to attack Kip. Morgan calls Kip an old man and nails Kip with a big boot. Morgan says “let the games begin” before walking off.
2.) Booker T makes his way out to begin the program and has a microphone. Booker has a few things to talk about and focuses on Sting. Booker calls out Sting to come to the ring so he can get a few things off his chest. Sting’s music hits and Sting comes out to join the segment. Booker tells Sting they go a long way back and recalls the wars they’ve gone through. Booker notes they watched a company crumble and notes they were always there for each other. Booker admits he got a little heated and disrespected Sting, and wishes to never do that. Booker apologizes to Sting and they shake hands. However, Robert Roode and James Storm make their way out to cutoff the segment. Storm mocks them for having a touching segment. Storm thinks they need to get married on national television. Storm says Sting’s face paint is ready for showtime and says Booker’s weave has never looked better. Roode notes that Sting and Booker promised them a fight last week. Roode wants to see them fight and he’s sure that everyone in the Impact Zone and at home would like to see them fight.
Jim Cornette comes out and joins the segment saying he has the authority to sign matches. Cornette has an announcement to make and say he’s sick and tired of people thinking of themselves. Cornette has come up with a concept for Sacrifice and it’s called the Deuces Wild Tag Tournament. There are eight teams and four matches where the winners go to Sacrifice. Then at Sacrifice, four more tag teams will consist of singles wrestlers and they’ll be picked at random. Cornette says that you could hate your partner, but it doesn’t matter. Cornette reveals that the winner at the Sacrifice will be the tag team champions. Cornette announces a tag team match tonight where Sting teams up with Booker T to take on James Storm and Robert Roode.
3.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash meets up with AJ Styles who thinks the tournament is crap, but it’s not his decision. Styles tells Borash he’s going to win the tag titles with Tomko. Styles isn’t worried about Jim Cornette and says Tomko is one of the baddest guys in wrestling. Styles keeps looking behind a door and tells Borash to not worry about it. Karen Angle comes out of the room and she says this is a bad idea. Karen feels that she doesn’t belong here and Styles assures Karen that she belongs with him. Karen is worried and wants Kurt to not find out about this.
4.) Rellik and Ray kickoff the tag match. Rellik shoulder rams Ray in the corner and delivers a few strikes. Ray side slams Rellik coming off the ropes for a two count. Devon tags into the match and Rellik is taken over with a double suplex for a near fall. Rellik knee lifts Devon and tags in Reign. Reign punches Devon several times, but misses a clothesline. Devon nails Reign with a leaping clothesline for a two count. Ray sends Rellik to the floor. Reign punches Devon, but Ray jabs Reign several times. Ray and Devon almost collide and they argue as the show goes to commercial.
Devon is met with a boot by Rellik and a swinging neckbreaker by Reign for a two count. Rellik controls Devon on the mat with a sleeper hold. Devon elbows free, but Rellik kicks Devon several times. Devon blocks a kick and is nailed by Rellik with a kick to the chest. Rellik covers Devon for a two count. Rellik heads to the top, but Devon cuts off Rellik. Devon hits a superplex and both men are down. Reign makes the save on the cover attempt by Devon. Ray gets the tag and clotheslines Rellik several times. Ray backdrops Rellik and does the same to Reign. Ray delivers a double clothesline. Ray sends Reign into the corner with Rellik and hits a double splash. Ray plants Rellik with a chokeslam for a two count. That count looked like a three to me. Ray can’t believe it. Ray scoop slams Reign and Devon goes to the top, but is shoved off by Rellik. Reign clotheslines Ray and Rellik nails Ray with a boot, but Devon breaks the cover. Rellik ends up getting hit with the 3D and Ray pins Rellik for the win. (*1/2. Okay, so this is bizarre to me. Team 3D have been heels and they worked this match completely as babyfaces and the crowd acted as if they were faces. Is this a random turn by Team 3D?) After the match, Team 3D embrace and seem to put their recent issues behind each other.
5.) Backstage, Lauren is with the Knockouts and gives them invitations. Angelina Love suggests there could be something creepy going on by Cornette. ODB says she’d take greasy over skanky any day. They all argue to end the segment.
6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle. Borash seems to be wanting to tell Kurt about Karen, but Kurt is focused on Samoa Joe. Kurt knows that this could be his final shot, but he’s never lost to the same person twice. Kurt has studied the Lockdown tape and he’s focused on countering Joe and that’s happening tonight. Kurt will win the title and retain the title against Rick Steiner at Sacrifice. Borash reminds Kurt that it’s Scott Steiner, but Kurt doesn’t care. Borash ends up snitching and telling Kurt prompting Kurt to get up and leave the room to find them.
7.) A video package promoting the match between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle is aired.
8.) Earlier today, Mike Tenay met with TNA World Champion Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash during a training session. Nash says the training never stops and Joe isn’t going to let anyone down. Tenay tells Joe that this could be Kurt’s last title match for a while. Joe knows that Kurt has always given his best against him. Joe promises the punishment will continue past Kurt and onto Scott Steiner.
9.) Backstage, Lauren is with Eric Young and Kaz for an interview. Young appears to be going delusional and Kaz blames the head shots. Young says he’s not a liar and he’s not going to become one. Kaz says that he could be one-half of the tag champs, but Young messed it up. Kaz can’t stay mad at Young and tells Young they have another shot to win the tag titles next week. Kaz wants Young to tell Super Eric to stay away from the Impact Zone. Young will call Super Eric to stay away next week. They agree to still be partners.
10.) Shelley and Cage kickoff the tag match with Cage getting a waist lock, but Shelley counters with a wrist lock. Shelley takes Cage down to the mat and delivers a knee drop to the arm. Shelley keeps Cage on the mat with an arm bar for a moment. Cage puts a headlock on Shelley and delivers a shoulder block. Shelley runs the ropes and kicks Cage in the midsection. Shelley tries for a Slice Bread, but Cage avoids it and tries for the Un-Prettier. Shelley elbows Cage and hits a springboard crossbody for a near fall. Cage tags in Rhino to keep control on Shelley. Shelley kicks Rhino on the knee and drops down with a jawbreaker. Sabin enters and splashes onto Rhino’s arm. Rhino kicks Sabin and delivers chops in the corner. Sabin kicks Rhino, but is met with a clothesline. Rhino gets a two count. Rhino tosses Sabin with a belly to belly suplex and waits in the corner. Sabin avoids the GORE and Rhino goes to the floor. Sabin climbs to the top, but Cage shoves Sabin off onto the railing. Shelley spin kicks Cage to the floor. Shelley hits a somersault dive onto Cage and Rhino on the floor as the show goes to commercial.
Shelley hits a slingshot elbow drop and Sabin hits a slingshot senton on Rhino for a two count. Shelley is stopped by a spinebuster and Rhino gets a two count. Cage returns to the match and stomps Shelley followed by a chop. Cage keeps Shelley on the mat with a sleeper. Shelley elbows Cage and fights free. Shelley runs into an elbow strike and Cage gets a two count. Rhino tags into the match and punches Shelley in the ribs. Rhino spears Shelley in the corner. Rhino rams Shelley into the corner and tags in Cage. Cage powerslams Shelley for a near fall. Cage keeps a neck vice on Shelley, but Shelley elbows free only for a knee strike to stop him. Shelley manages to drop Cage with the Slice Bread! Sabin hits a springboard dropkick on Cage and kicks Rhino. Sabin backdrops Cage and tosses Rhino over the top to the floor. Sabin splashes Cage in the corner. Sabin goes to the apron and hits a springboard clothesline for a near fall. Cage punches Sabin in the midsection and is met with a kick. Sabin holds Cage on his shoulders, but Cage breaks free. Cage plants Sabin with a DDT as Rhino hit a TKO on Shelley. Cage covers Sabin for a near fall. Sabin connects with a double DDT, but only gets a two count on Cage. Sabin sits Cage on the top turnbuckle and tries for a suplex, but Cage knocks Sabin off. Cage misses a frog splash off the top. Cage is kicked by the Guns, but Rhino GORES Shelley. Cage avoids a kick by Sabin and hits the Un-Prettier for the win. (***1/4. A good tag match, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. I wish the Guns could have gotten the win and started a push here, but Cage and Rhino are the big names and need to be on the PPV. I don’t think Cage and Rhino are going to win the tag titles by any means, though.)
11.) The Knockouts are heading to the ring to find out what the invitations are all about from Jim Cornette.
12.) Jim Cornette has another special match to announce for Sacrifice, but he needs the Knockouts to join him in the ring. Cornette has a special match for the women and mentions makeovers. It’s a TNA Knockout Makeover Battle Royal. All the women are going to compete. It starts as a battle royal and then a ladder gets brought into the mix. A contract will be hung above the ring and the two women will fight to grab the contract. The winner gets a TNA Knockouts Championship match with Awesome Kong. Cornette says the runner-up will get a makeover. Cornette says they will get a Britney Spears makeover. The runner-up will get their head shaved. The women don’t like that development.
13.) Backstage, Lauren is with Sting and Booker T for an interview. Booker tells Lauren their thoughts are about winning and mentions a match from 1996 against Road Warriors. Booker tells Roode and Storm they are in for a rude awakening. Booker promises it will get real ugly tonight. Sting can handle what Booker is saying.
14.) Booker and Storm kickoff the match. Roode attacks Booker from behind to give Storm the advantage in the corner. Booker comes off the ropes to forearm Storm and continues with strikes in the corner. Booker nails Storm with a standing heel kick and tags in Sting. Sting kicks Storm in the midsection, but Storm eye rakes Sting and rams Sting into the corner. Roode enters and works over Sting with strikes in the corner. Sting fires back with right hands out of the corner. Sting punches Roode in the corner several times. Sting hip tosses Roode out of the corner followed by a dropkick for a two count. Booker tags into the match and sends Roode into the ropes to deliver an elbow strike. Booker backs Roode into a corner and delivers a chop several times. Booker knee strikes Roode, but Roode counters and eye rakes Booker. Booker elbows Roode in the corner, but Storm kicks Booker on the back of the head from the apron. Roode dropkicks Booker for a two count as the show goes to commercial.
Storm eye rakes Booker in the corner and tags in Roode to continue the bout. Roode clotheslines Booker in the corner and hits a rolling neck snap. Storm delivers a leg drop and Roode hits a knee drop for a two count. Storm returns to the match and double teams Booker with Roode. Storm continues to pummel Booker in the corner with right hands and bites Booker’s forehead. Roode tags into the match and strikes Booker to the mat with a blow to the ribs. Roode keeps Booker on the mat with a front face lock. Booker tries to fight out, but Roode knocks Booker to the mat and delivers a right hand strike. Booker plants Roode with a spinebuster. Booker rolls to the corner and tags in Sting. Sting cleans house on the heels with right hands. Sting splashes Storm and Roode in opposite corners. Sting plants Storm with a bulldog, but Roode makes the save on the cover. Booker kicks Roode a few times and tries for a scissors kick, but Jackie Moore trips Booker allowing Roode to deliver a DDT.
Roode heads to the top rope, but Sting cuts off Roode with a strike. Sting hooks Roode for a suplex, but Storm comes over and powerbombs Sting, but Sting still suplexs Roode to the mat. Booker and Storm collide on stereo clothesline attempts. Roode dumps Sting through the ropes to the floor. Roode grabs a beer bottle and almost hits Storm on accident. Sting plants Storm with a Scorpion Death Drop and pins Storm for the win. (**1/4. Of course the faces are going to go over. There’s no heat on Roode and Storm to be seen as serious threats to guys like Booker and Sting. It was a fine tag match, though.) After the match, Roode and Storm argue while Jackie tries to keep the peace.
15.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle as Kurt is searching for Karen and AJ. Kurt finds them sitting on a couch. Kurt flips a table over and yells at Karen. Kurt tells Karen as long as there is a Kurt vs. Joe then there’s no them. Kurt tells Karen that once he wins the title they can talk about her getting back home. AJ steps in and Kurt shoves AJ telling them to leave. (AJ didn’t come across as a complete goof here. It may be they are finally dropping his silly persona.)
16.) Backstage, Lauren is with Jim Cornette. Cornette thinks they have too many spoiled wrestlers both men and women. Cornette talks about wrestlers wrestling far more often back in the day. Cornette has some plans and knows that the wrestlers hate him. Cornette reveals there are plans for a special match at Sacrifice. Cornette promises he’s going to get even for how people have been treating him in TNA. Lauren says that Cornette is acting kind of evil. Cornette is giddy when leaving the segment as he wants his employees to toe the company line.
17.) Joe backs Angle into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Angle gets a waist lock on Joe, but Joe counters and Angle quickly goes to the ropes to get a rope break. Angle puts a headlock on Joe and is met with a shoulder block. Angle bails to the floor to regroup. Joe puts a headlock on Angle for a moment and shoulder blocks Angle to the floor again. Angle sends Joe into the ropes and tries for a hip toss, but Joe delivers a clothesline. Joe takes Angle down with a side headlock. Angle backs Joe into a corner and gets a clean break. Angle continues with right hands in the corner. Angle misses a splash and Joe takes Angle over with another headlock on the mat. Angle backs Joe into a corner and eye rakes Joe to break free. Angle uppercuts Joe and continues with strikes. Angle uppercuts Joe in the corner and misses a spear in the corner hitting the post and crashes to the floor. Joe nails Angle with a suicide dive to the floor as the show goes to commercial.
Angle uppercuts Joe to gain the advantage and sends joe into the ropes, but is met with an atomic drop and a running boot. Joe hits a senton back splash for a near fall. Joe kicks Angle on the chest and hits a knee drop for a near fall. Joe chokes Angle in the corner and delivers several boot scrapes. Joe hits a running face wash in the corner. Joe takes Angle over with a snap suplex for a near fall. Joe locks in an arm bar, but Angle doesn’t submit in the middle of the ring. Angle manages to reach the ropes to force a rope break. Joe strikes Angle against the ropes, but Angle tosses Joe with a German suplex. Angle puts a chin lock on Joe in the middle of the ring, but Joe doesn’t submit. Joe elbows free and comes off the ropes, but Angle hits an overhead belly to belly suplex. Angle keeps Joe on the mat with a sleeper. Joe elbows Angle, but is stopped by an eye rake. Joe slam a charging Angle out of the corner. Joe hammers away on Angle against the ropes. Joe charges, but Angle drops down and Joe falls to the floor. Joe grabs his knee and sells his left knee. Angle quickly goes to the floor and kicks the left knee of Joe. The show goes to commercial.
Angle continues to elbow drop Joe’s left knee and locks in a figure four leg lock. During the break, Kevin Nash came out and offered words of support for Joe. Joe tries to counter, but can’t rollover. Joe refuses to give in to the pain as Angle keeps the hold locked in. Joe reaches for the ropes, but Angle stops Joe. Joe manages to reach the ropes to force a rope break. Angle continues to work over the left knee, but Joe delivers a few chops to knock Angle to the mat. They begin to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Joe gets the advantage in the corner. Angle elbows Joe in the corner, but Joe plants Angle with a spinebuster for a near fall. Angle uppercuts Joe and runs into a snap powerslam, which gets Joe a two count. Angle takes Joe down and puts the ankle lock on Joe. Joe rolls Angle into the corner chest first. Angle manages to hit the Angle Slam for a near fall. Angle climbs the ropes and misses a moonsault. Joe tries to lock in the choke, but Angle drops down and puts the ankle lock on Joe! Joe tries to kick free, but Angle holds onto the ankle. Joe manages to twist free and Angle drops down into the choke! Joe has the choke locked in! Angle manage to reach the ropes to break the hold. Joe sits Angle on the top turnbuckle, but Angle fights free. Joe accidentally hits the referee with a kick. Angle plants Joe with the Angle Slam! Angle checks on the referee and drags the referee over as Angle pus the ankle lock on Joe. Joe kicks Angle into the ropes and Scott Steiner was there to hit Angle with a lead pipe. Joe plants Angle with the Island Driver and pins Angle to retain the title. (***1/2. Alright, the finish is bullshit. Scott Steiner’s involvement isn’t needed at all. What’s the purpose of it, really? Joe should have beaten Angle cleanly on TV just as he did on the PPV. This is Joe’s era as champion and a clean TV win over Angle would have cemented that even more. There’s no reason to protect Angle here.) After the match, Steiner tells Angle to never disrespect him. Steiner faces off with Joe and promises he can knock Joe out with a snap of his fingers. Joe knocks Steiner down. Cornette comes out and says he’ll fine Steiner six months worth of pay if Steiner touches anyone. Cornette says we’ve settled nothing and at Sacrifice we’ll settle everything. Cornette announces that at Sacrifice Samoa Joe will defend the title against Scott Steiner AND Kurt Angle.
Final Thoughts:
It’s a good show as the focus on Sacrifice is going well and the in-ring this week was solid overall. I don’t care about the Deuces Wild tournament at all. Clearly they didn’t see Steiner as a draw on his own for the PPV, which is absolutely accurate and the switch to a three-way is the right call.
Thanks for reading.