Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 6/12/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) TNA World Champion Samoa Joe defeated Kaz to retain the title
2.) Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley defeated Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi
3.) TNA Tag Team Champions Homicide & Hernandez defeated James Storm & Robert Roode to retain the titles
4.) Gail Kim defeated Velvet Sky
5.) Alex Koslov defeated Curry Man
6.) Sonjay Dutt defeated Consequences Creed
7.) Kurt Angle defeated AJ Styles in a lumberjack match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The show is dedicated to Kevin ‘Angus’ Sinex. TNA suffered a tragedy at Slammiversary 2008 when Sinex tragically passed away when a scaffolding he was on collapsed and he crashed to the concrete floor.
2.) We get clips from Slammiversary in a short video package. It appears that TNA World Champion Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash are on the same page now.
3.) Kaz and Joe shake hands to show respect for each other. Joe counters a wrist lock with a hammerlock and puts a headlock on Kaz. Kaz counters with a headlock of his own. Kaz forearms Joe and delivers several right hands. Kaz kicks Joe a few times and leg sweeps Joe to the mat. Joe kicks Kaz away and they have a standoff as we see Kevin Nash watching backstage. Joe counters a sunset flip attempt wit a leg drop. Joe kicks Kaz over the chest followed by a knee drop for a two count. Joe sends Kaz into the corner and misses an elbow. Kaz misses a charge in the corner and Joe delivers a leaping kick. Joe strikes Kaz several times and comes off the ropes to deliver a clothesline for a two count. Kaz counters with a rollup for a near fall. Joe decks Kaz with a clothesline. Kaz counters a slam attempt and forearms Joe several times. Joe knee strikes Kaz coming off the ropes. Kaz avoids a clothesline and connects with a neckbreaker. Kaz avoids several strikes attempts and punches Joe several times. Kaz hits a springboard back elbow followed by a dropkick. Kaz hits a springboard leg drop for a two count. Joe avoids the Wave of the Future and snap powerslams Kaz for a near fall. Joe powerbombs Kaz for a near fall. Joe locks in an STF, but Kaz doesn’t submit.
Joe pulls Kaz out of the corner, but Kaz lands on his feet and pump kicks Joe to the mat for a near fall. Kaz climbs to the top rope and is met with a kick to the head. Joe tries for the Muscle Buster, but Kaz counters with a swinging neckbreaker for another near fall. Joe dumps Kaz to the apron. Kaz tries for a slingshot DDT, but Joe sits Kaz on the top turnbuckle to deliver a few strikes and hits the Muscle Buster to win the match. (***1/2. I don’t think there was ever a realistic shot for Kaz to win and become the champion. However, Kaz put on a good showing and we got a good TV match to kickoff Impact this week. That was likely the goal, and it was accomplished.)
4.) Booker T makes his way out as TNA World Champion Samoa Joe has remained in the ring. Booker gives Joe his props for winning the match against Kaz, but considers it not a big deal. Booker believes the fans don’t care about Joe. Booker wants to know what the fans think of Joe screwing him over at the PPV. Booker blames Kevin Nash getting involved for costing him the match at Slammiversary. Booker wants to know what’s going on between Joe and Nash. As Joe begins to speak, Booker says never mind. Booker asks if Joe can look in the mirror and say he beat Booker one on one. Booker is going to head backstage where the door is wide open. Booker says there’s no door on his locker room and wants Joe to show him what kind of champion he truly is.
5.) Backstage, Kurt Angle is interviewed by Lauren regarding his loss to AJ Styles at Slammiversary. Angle says this is why he hates women and it’s because of their dumb comments. Angle asks Lauren if she knows anything about wrestling, but Lauren says it’s not fair to ask how many matches she’s had. Angle tells Lauren that she’s only there because TNA thinks hot women equals ratings. Angle has a contract in hand where Karen has signed to be an on-air talent. Kurt notes that he can’t put his hands on Karen because of the no tolerance policy in place by Spike TV. So, Kurt has put a hit on Karen and says one of the TNA Knockouts is coming for Karen and she will not know when or where. Kurt envisions Karen and AJ laying on their back and they will be comatose. Kurt promises that tonight will be Karen’s final night.
6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Daivari, who is the captain of Team International for the World X Cup. Daivari decides to not speak English, but there are subtitles. Daivari is here to destroy Team Mexico, Team Japan, and Team TNA. Daivari has arrived with his friends Douglas Williams, Tyson Dux and Alex Kozlov. Raisha Saeed enters the scene telling Borash that Awesome Kong is not done beating up people. She claims that Kong has been kind and gentle. That will no longer be the case starting next week. Blood will be shed on innocent people.
7.) Doi and Shelley kickoff the tag match trading wrist locks. Shelley drop toe holds Doi, but Doi counters and they have a standoff. Sabin and Yoshino tag into the match. Yoshino runs the ropes and dropkicks Sabin before taunting the fans. Sabin responds with a dropkick and tags in Shelley. Sabin dropkicks Yoshino and Sabin delivers a dropkick as Shelley put a chin lock on Yoshino leading to a near fall. Yoshino locks in an abdominal stretch, but Doi enters and tosses Sabin over the top to the floor. Yoshino axe handles Shelley from the top and Doi delivers a double stomp to the arm. Shelley is met with a drop toe hold and Doi dropkicked Shelley. Yoshino drops Shelley to the mat and locks in an abdominal stretch. Yoshino keeps the hold locked in and Shelley drops to the mat. Yoshino gets a two count. Shelley is met with an elbow strike in the corner a few times. Yoshino leaps off the top to hit a swanton bomb as Shelley was held over the middle rope for a near fall. Shelley is worked over in the corner, but dumps Doi to the floor and sends Yoshino into the middle buckle face first.
Sabin gets the hot tag and cleans house. Sabin atomic drops Doi and does the same to Yoshino. Doi accidentally dropkicks Yoshino in the corner. Yoshino is met with stereo kicks. Sabin hits a springboard clothesline for a two count as Doi makes the save. Yoshino avoids a double clothesline and spikes Sabin with a brainbuster. Doi enters and kicks Sabin in the corner and gets a head scissors over the top rope. Yoshino dropkicks Sabin and puts Sabin in the tree of woe. Doi chops Shelley a few times. Shelley is double teamed and Yoshino cannonball splashes Sabin in the corner. Doi hits a missile dropkick off the top on Sabin for a two count. Doi strikes Sabin, but Shelley makes the save. Guns hit a slam/running neckbreaker combo. Shelley knocks Yoshino off the apron and Doi gets a double superkick to the face leading to a pin for Sabin to win the match. (****. Tag team wrestling at its finest. What a fast pace match and a ton of fun. If the X-Cup is going to feature matches such as this then it will be a fun tournament to watch.)
8.) Backstage, Karen Angle is interviewed by Jeremy Borash. Karen is officially a member of the roster. Borash notes that Karen has a hit on her by her ex-husband Kurt Angle. Karen thinks this whole thing has gone too far. Karen knows the real Kurt and thinks once Kurt thinks this through he’ll call it off. Karen believes Borash can defuse the situation. Velvet Sky and Angelina Love enter the scene and taunt Karen. Sky says that Karen is rumored to be making double the money that any other woman is making. Love says that Karen can’t walk into their world and make more money and get more TV time then them. Love says the pecking order goes the Beautiful People and then everyone else. They try to put a paper bag over Karen’s head, but AJ Styles enters the scene to prevent that from happening. Styles tells Sky to tell Kurt if anyone wants to get to Karen they’ll have to get through him first. Love flirts with Styles saying if he ever wants to experience a real woman to get with one of them.
9.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Kevin Nash and asks how he keeps getting involved in controversy. Nash says that Booker has been doing this for a long time and says when Booker touched him it allowed Nash to get involved at the PPV. Nash tells Lauren to decide if he cost Booker the match. TNA World Champion Samoa Joe comes out to the ring and calls out Kevin Nash to confront him in the ring.
10.) TNA World Champion Samoa Joe continues to call out Kevin Nash, and Nash makes his way through the crowd to join Joe. Nash tells Joe that they don’t need to do this out there and suggests they go backstage. Joe refuses and says Nash can tell him in front of everyone. Nash gets in Joe saying he doesn’t want to hear what he’s got to say. Nash suggests that Joe is only the champion because of Nash taking care of business at Slammiversary. Nash tells Joe that a simple thank you might be in order. Joe explains to Nash that Nash should thank him for riding his coattails every week. Nash reminds Joe that he’s Kevin Nash. Nash tells Joe that he can’t beat Booker T. Nash says it is mental that Joe can’t beat him. Joe tells Nash to stick his opinions up his ass and walks out of the ring.
11.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is looking for Kurt Angle. Borash walks into a darken room where Kurt is talking to Rhaka Khan, Petey Williams and Scott Steiner. Steiner kicks Borash out of the room.
12.) Homicide and Roode kickoff the tag title match. Roode takes Homicide down to the mat and gains control with a hammerlock. Roode quickly gets up and counters with a head scissors on the mat. Homicide counters with a headlock and runs the ropes. Homicide hip tosses Roode and delivers a boot to the midsection followed by a kick to the midsection for a one count. Roode forearms Homicide over the back and Storm tags in. Homicide drop toe holds Storm and delivers several strikes in the corner. Hernandez tags into the match and clotheslines Storm as Homicide delivered a shoulder ram. Hernandez knocks Storm to the mat with a body strike and Homicide follows up with a seated dropkick. Hernandez covers for a two count. Homicide tags back into the match and strikes Storm in the midsection followed by a headbutt. Homicide rams Storm into the corner and delivers a running clothesline. Homicide pummels Storm with right hands, but is dropped over the top rope by Roode from the apron. Jackie Moore chokes Homicide with a belt while the referee is distracted. Roode works over Homicide with right hands and strikes in the corner.
Moore chokes Homicide again as Hernandez is distracting the referee. Storm keeps control with a chin lock on the mat. Homicide elbows Storm and ducks a clothesline, but is met with a knee strike. Storm tries for a cover, but Homicide kicks out at two. Storm keeps wrist control on Homicide and Roode kicks Homicide in the midsection. Roode tries for a slam, but Homicide counters with an atomic drop. Hernandez slingshot shoulder blocks Roode and backdrops Roode after knocking Storm down. Hernandez tosses Storm across the ring and powerslams Roode for a near fall as Storm made the save. Storm punches Homicide on the apron. Storm kicks Hernandez, but Hernandez backdrops Storm over the top to the floor where Storm hit the ring steps. Storm kicks Hernandez from the apron. Homicide hits a cutter on Storm on the apron. Hernandez avoids a suplex by Roode and drops Roode to the mat. Hernandez puts Roode on his shoulders. Roode shoves Hernandez into the corner and crotches Homicide. Storm gets the belt from Jackie Moore. Hernandez clotheslines Roode. Storm puts the belt buckle on the bottom of his boot. Storm superkicks Hernandez! Roode covers Hernandez and gets the pin to win the titles! After the match, Hector Guerrero explains to the referee what happened. After a commercial, the match is restarted.
Roode keeps control with a chin lock on Hernandez and tags in Storm to work over Hernandez in the corner. Roode continues to beat on Hernandez in the corner. Hernandez delivers a double clothesline. Hernandez delivers an over the shoulder backbreaker on Storm and back suplexs Roode. Homicide leaps off the top to hit a senton splash. Storm decks Homicide to the floor. Storm leaps off the middle rope, but is caught and powerbombbed by Hernandez leading to the three count! After the match, Roode has a chair and whacks Hernandez over the head. Roode does the same to Homicide. Roode nails Hector with a chair shot, as well. Roode handcuffs Hernandez in the corner. Homicide is handcuffed in a corner, as well. Roode and Storm proceed to whip Hernandez and Homicide with belts over the back several times. (***1/2. Another good TV match on this episode. The crowd was invested in the action and they worked a solid match throughout. The dusty finish was done well and there was a clean finish. A clean finish can make or break a match and it helped here. The beating after the match was effective as well. I would imagine this is going to lead to a strap match.)
13.) Backstage, Gail Kim, ODB, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky were brawling when officials came over to break them apart.
14.) Bound For Glory IV takes place October 12th in Chicago.
15.) Gail Kim attacks Velvet Sky from behind during her entrance. Sky knee lifts Kim and rams Kim into the apron face first before rolling Kim into the ring to start the match. Sky mounts Kim and chokes Kim for a moment. Kim avoids Sky in the corner and gets a two count with a rollup. Kim dropkicks Sky a couple of times. Kim runs the ropes and arm drags Sky across the ring. Kim maintains control of the match and chops Sky in the corner. Kim is raked by Sky, but Sky dropkicks Kim off the apron to the floor. Sky continues with a strike. Sky drags Kim to the corner and wraps Kim’s knee around the ring post. Sky axe handles Kim and continues with strikes leading to a near fall. Kim tries to run the ropes, but her knee gives out. Sky kicks Kim on the injured knee and locks in a figure four leg lock in the middle of the ring. Kim counters the hold, but Sky reaches the ropes to break the hold. Kim elbows Sky followed by a clothesline a couple of times. Kim drives Sky to the mat and delivers a chop in the corner. Sky runs into a boot in the corner and Kim hits a middle rope blockbuster for a near fall. Kim heads to the top rope missing a missile dropkick attempt. Sky tries for a cover, but Kim kicks out at two. Sky grabs the paper bag and is kicked by Kim. Kim misses a spear attempt. Kim ducks a clothesline and delivers a neckbreaker for the win. (*1/2. A better match out of Sky than I’ve seen in the past thus far. Kim worked well despite the injury holding her back a bit.) After the match, Kim puts the paper bag over Sky’s head and plays to the crowd.
16.) Backstage, Robert Roode tells LAX that it was just a taste of what is to come. Roode says they are begging for a retaliation. Storm says that LAX can’t beat them. They have two things that make the world go around, and that’s beer and money. Storm says he’s from the hills of Tennessee. Storm does his catchphrase to end the segment.
17.) Curry controls Kozlov with a wrist lock, but Kozlov counters and elbows Curry over the arm. Curry counters with a headlock on the mat. Curry runs the ropes, but Kozlov stops Curry and taunts Curry by dancing. Curry does the same dancing and drop toe holds Kozlov. Curry strikes Kozlov a few times followed by a clothesline. Kozlov sends Curry into the corner and delivers a boot to the midsection. Kozlov spikes Curry with a brainbsuter. Kozlov grabs his hat and kicks Curry on the mat several times. Curry gets an inside cradle for a two count. Curry misses a clothesline and is met with a kick to the head for a two count. Kozlov keeps a sleeper on Curry, but doesn’t get a submission. Kozlov yanks Curry to the mat, but Curry delivers a jawbreaker and a strike to the face. Curry avoids Kozlov with a flying forearm and a backdrop. Curry dropkicks Kozlov to the floor. Curry sits Kozlov over the middle rope and hits a hip attack in the corner. Curry delivers a slingshot suplex for a near fall. Kozlov stops Curry with a slam. Kozlov goes to the apron and tries for a springboard, but misses. Curry boots Kozlov and tries for the Spice Rack, but Kozlov hits a side Russian leg sweep. Kozlov hits a springboard splash and pins Curry for the win. (*1/2. It’s not a bad match, but the comedy early on kind of took me out of it. The tournament has had a solid preview tonight.)
18.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Sonjay Dutt, who ruined the wedding between So Cal Val and Jay Lethal. Dutt says he has no comment and walks off. TNA World Champion Samoa Joe walks up to Booker T sitting down. Joe tells Booker he heard him loud and clear. Booker stands up and Joe tells Booker he’s not running from him. Joe tells Booker he’s got the title match at Victory Road if he wants it. Joe offers his hand and Booker accepts. Booker tells Joe that he’s making it too easy for him. Booker doesn’t like Joe, but he does respect him. Booker reminds Joe that Victory Road is in his hometown in Houston and he will not let people down. Booker tells joe there will not be any hard feelings when it’s over with. Joe tosses his key to Booker to use his locker room since it smells like piss in there because he won’t need it anymore.
19.) Sonjay Dutt dedicates his match to So Cal Val. Dutt says after he wins all Val has to do is come down to the ring and seal the deal with a kiss.
20.) Dutt controls Creed with a wrist lock, but Creed counters with a headlock. Creed shoulder blocks Dutt and comes off the ropes where Dutt hip tosses Creed. Creed jabs Dutt a few times and drops Dutt with a right hand after doing a split. Creed forearms Dutt in the corner several times. Creed hits a middle rope crossbody for a two count. Dutt stops Creed with a jawbreaker and rams Creed into the corner chest first. Dutt springboard dropkicks Creed. Dutt keeps a chin lock on Creed, but doesn’t get a submission. Dutt splashes Creed in the corner, but Creed nails Dutt with a running clothesline. Creed delivers another clothesline for a near fall. Dutt sneaks in a low blow to stop Creed. Dutt pummels Creed on the mat with right hands. Dutt slams Creed and heads to the top rope. Dutt hits the Hindu Press to win the match. After the match, Jay Lethal slides into the ring and attacks Dutt. Dutt bails to the floor. Lethal says that he’s wrestling Dutt next week at the Pink Taco. So Cal Val is out there rooting on Lethal. (**. A short match, but a decent one regardless. Creed displayed some great athletic ability and the crowd popped for him throughout the match. Creed could very well be a breakout guy for the X-Division.)
21.) Backstage, Tomko & Team 3D are walking to the ring. Christian Cage, Rhino and Matt Morgan are also walking to the ring to be the lumberjacks for the main event.
22.) Frank Trigg is on commentary for the main event.
23.) Angle controls Styles with a wrist lock. Styles hip tosses and slams Angle for a two count causing Angle to bail to the floor where Cage and Rhino get a few shots in. Angle is rolled back into the ring. Styles sends Angle to the floor again and Angle is beaten up by the three lumberjacks. Styles manages a two count on a rollup. Angle hip tosses Styles to the apron. Styles his a springboard forearm smash for a near fall. Angle backs Styles into a corner and tosses Styles to the floor. Styles avoids the lumberjacks and gets back into the ring. Styles runs the ropes and avoids a dropkick by holding the ropes. Styles covers for a two count. Styles nails Angle with a dropkick for a two count. Styles strikes Angle against the ropes, but Angle dumps Styles through the ropes to the floor. The lumberjacks begin to brawl on the floor. Team 3D hit a back suplex/neckbreaker combo on Rhino as the show goes to commercial.
Angle keeps control with a headlock on Styles, but Styles sends Angle into the middle turnbuckle. Styles tries for a springboard crossbody, but Angle delivers a gut buster. Angle drives Styles down with a backbreaker for a two count. Styles is dumped to the floor and worked over by the heels again. Angle takes Styles over with a snap suplex for a two count. Angle keeps Styles on the mat with a sleeper. Styles forearms Angle several times followed by a clothesline. Styles splashes Angle in the corner and hits a hammerlock back suplex for a two count. Angle tries for the Olympic Slam, but Styles arm drags free followed by a hurricanrana for a two count. Styles locks in a Torture Rack and slams Angle to the mat for a near fall. Styles knocks Brother Ray off the apron. Styles tries for a rollup, but the referee is distracted. Brother Ray drops Styles over the top rope and Angle hits the Olympic Slam to win the match. After the match, the lumberjacks continue to brawl as expected. (**. Angle gets a cheap win to even the feud at one win a piece. Obviously this is nowhere near the encounter on PPV.)
24.) After the match, the beatdown continues. Tomko brings a table into the equation. Brother Ray sets a table up in the corner and another one is setup traditionally. Cage is laid on the table, but Abyss makes his way out to make the save. Abyss cleans house on the heels with clotheslines. Abyss splashes Tomko in the corner and double clotheslines Team 3D. Tomko pummels Abyss with strikes, but can’t hit the chokebomb. Abyss chokeslams Tomko through the table. The lumberjacks brawl up the aisle as Styles nails Angle with a Pele kick. Styles throws Angle into the table in the corner. Styles sets the table up and lays Angle onto the table. Styles heads to the top rope missing a splash and crashes through the table. Angle lowers his straps and locks in an ankle lock. Karen Angle runs down to the ring and tells Kurt to stop. Karen dares Kurt to hit her. Kurt can’t do it and instead TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong makes her way down to the ring. Kong grabs Karen and tosses her to the mat. Kurt gives the thumbs down. Kong decks Karen with a strike to the face to lay Karen out.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a great episode of Impact. There was some great in-ring action and they followed up on the feuds coming out of Slammiversary very well. This may be the best episode of Impact thus far in 2008.
Thanks for reading.