Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 6/26/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) AJ Styles defeated Consequences Creed
2.) Christian Cage defeated Brother Ray by disqualification
3.) TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong defeated Danielle in a non-title match
4.) Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero defeated Masato Yoshino & Naruki Do in a World X Cup match
5.) Moose defeated ODB in a Knockouts Bimbo Brawl
6.) Booker T defeated Kevin Nash in a no disqualification match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Styles takes Creed to the mat with a waist lock, but Creed counters quickly. We see Kurt Angle sitting in the parking lot waiting for Karen to arrive. Styles controls Creed with a headlock, but Creed counters with a wrist lock. Styles keeps Creed on the mat with a headlock, but Creed gets to his feet quickly. Creed forearms Styles, but Styles gets a rollup for a near fall. Creed takes Styles down with a rollup for a near fall. Creed back elbows Styles and comes off the ropes running into a dropkick. Styles misses a springboard attempt, but lands on his feet. Creed boots Styles in the corner and hits a somersault clothesline for a one count. Creed jabs Styles in the corner, but goes to the apron and tries for a springboard only to be caught. Creed fights free and jabs Styles before delivering a right hand for a near fall. Styles chops Creed several times, but Creed responds with strikes. Styles plants Creed with a spinebuster. Styles misses a splash in the corner and Creed tries for a suplex, but Styles avoids it and delivers a Pele kick. Styles hits the Styles Clash to pickup the clean victory. (**1/2. A sold encounter and it felt like they held back from what they could deliver with more time. I’m quite happy that goofy Styles is no longer and he’s back to having goof wrestling matches on TV.)
2.) Jeremy Borash comes out to the aisle and gets AJ’s attention. Borash tells Styles that Kurt is waiting for Karen in the parking lot. Styles runs backstage to the parking lot as the show goes to commercial.
3.) Backstage, Karen has arrived as Styles and Kurt are being held back by security. Styles wants Karen to stay with him and stay away from Kurt. Karen wanted to do her job, but Styles insists that’s not happening tonight.
4.) Brother Ray cuts a promo saying one punk is down and there’s one to go. Ray notes that they tried to break Rhino’s neck on the concrete floor and hopes Rhino’s neck is broken. Ray says that Christian Cage is going to be stretchered out of the arena tonight. Ray suggests the couch potatoes not go to the fridge or make love with their ugly wives so that they don’t miss the worst beating they’re ever going to see. Ray promises that tonight is Cage’s last night in professional wrestling.
5.) Cage works over Ray in the corner with right hands. Cage chops Ray, but Ray stops Cage with a backdrop. Ray misses a splash in the corner. Cage leaps off the top hitting a crossbody. Cage goes to the top rope again, but Ray chops Cage to stop his momentum. Ray tries for a superplex, but Cage fights free and bites Ray’s forehead. Ray falls to the mat and Cage hits a frog splash for a two count. Johnny Devine enters the ring with a kendo stick, but Cage takes Devine down to the mat. Ray plants Cage with a back suplex. Ray whacks Cage over the back with the kendo stick and that causes a disqualification. After the match, Ray calls for Brother Devon. Devon and Tomko come out with a glass table. Ray ends up powerbombing Cage through the glass table from the middle rope. Cage is attended to as Ray taunts the camera with a piece of broken glass. A trainer is applying a towel to Cage’s back to stop bleeding. Eric Young and Kazarian come out to check on Cage. (*. The match itself is nothing, but the aftermath angle was nicely done. I was not expecting the usage of a glass table. It’s a little comical that they faked the blood as the trainers towel had ‘blood stains’ on it before ever contacting Cage’s body. They also made sure to not actually show Cage’s back because it was not sliced in any way. But, disregarding that aspect of the angle, I thought it was good.)
6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Kevin Nash. Borash says that Nash is out to prove that he’s got some “diesel left in the tank.” Nash admits he hasn’t been himself lately. He’s tried to give Samoa Joe knowledge and there’s no motive behind it. Nash wants to show Joe whose running the show. Samoa Joe enters the scene to confront Nash. Joe makes a joke about Nash having bad knees. Joe wishes Nash the best of luck tonight. Nash notes he’s had twenty six times and deserves his warrior stripes. Nash doesn’t want to waste any energy at this point in his career. Nash doubts that Booker T is doing jumping jacks or anything and is saving energy. Nash says this is a mental game and not physical. Joe tells Nash he’ll be out there to watch and hopes to learn something from Nash.
7.) Jeremy Borash is in the ring for TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong’s open challenge. Kong works over a woman named Danielle with several strikes before going to the floor to continue the beating. Kong shoves Shantelle Taylor in the front row. Kong slaps Danielle across the face before returning to the ring. Kong hits the Awesome Bomb and wins the match to retain the title. (NR. Kong just kicking ass is always going to be fun. Looks like TNA may be looking to use Shantelle Taylor.) After the match, Taylor jumps the railing and brawls with Kong. Taylor decks Saeed and goes back after Kong until several officials and security get involved.
8.) Jim Cornette comes out and tells Taylor that she’s got to go through proper channels and not jumping the railing. Taylor wants to beat Saeed to get a chance at Kong again.
9.) Rough Cut segment is next focusing on Angelina Love. Scott D’Amore talks about how Love didn’t have the skills that Gail Kim or Traci Brooks had in Border City Wrestling. Love recalls Gail Kim being mean to her in BCW. D’Amore believes Angelina made a mistake leaving Canada and taking an opportunity with TNA early in her career. They showed footage from the Asylum where she lost to Trinity. D’Amore knew that Angelina would make it because she had an attitude after the loss. Angelina was driven to success after seeing Gail Kim reach success.
10.) Frank Trigg comes out before the World X Cup match. Trigg has a microphone. Trigg says he had a misunderstanding with AJ Styles last week. Trigg is bothered that Styles attacked him from behind in the parking lot. Trigg says he looks a man in the eye before knocking him out. Trigg calls Styles out to the ring and suggests Styles send Karen to the ring to fight his battles again. Styles is seen flipping out in the locker room and decides to leave the locker room to confront Trigg. Trigg taunts the crowd that Styles can’t face him man to man. AJ Styles makes his way out to the ring.
Kurt Angle has confronted Karen backstage while Styles is heading to the ring. Kurt doesn’t hit women, but knows who will and that’s when the Beautiful People appear. Karen pie faces Angelina and is attacked by Love and Sky. Styles runs backstage to make the save. Sky puts a paper bag over Karen’s head as Kurt taunts his ex-wife.
11.) Backstage, there’s a camera focusing on Booker T’s new locker room, which Samoa Joe handed to him recently. We’ll see the interior later tonight according to Mike Tenay.
12.) Yoshino and Bucanero kickoff the match. Yoshino runs the ropes before delivering a boot to Bucanero. Do tags in and delivers an axe handle. Yoshino double stomps Bucnaero on the arm from the top rope. Bucanero is met with a drop toe hold and dropkick combo. Do tries for a cover, but only gets a two count. Yoshino hits a springboard leg drop ad dropkicks Bucanero while he’s trapped in a Boston Crab. Yoshino is kicked by Guerrero from the apron and Guerrero tags in. Yoshino is driven to the mat face first by Guerrero and Bucanero. Do is met with a drop toe hold and double elbow drop. Do is met with a double dropkick to the floor. Do is sent chest first into the turnbuckle and Yoshino runs the roeps to head scissors Bucanero. Do and Yoshino hit stereo suicide dives to the floor. Bucanero slams Do to the mat, but misses a boot against the ropes. Do chops Bucanero in the ropes and dropkicsk Bucanero. Do holds Bucanero allowing Yoshino to hit a missile dropkick. Bucanero stops Yoshino with a clothesline. Guerrero tags in and goes to the middle rope hitting a front suplex to Yoshino. Guerrero baseball slides Yoshino to the floor where Bucanero hits a sliding splash to the floor. Guerrero hits a reverse suplex on Do and Bucanero chops Do over Guerrero’s knee. Bucanero hits a corkscrew splash onto Do over Guerrero’s knees to pickup the win. (***1/2. Yeah, that was a lot of fun, too. I feel like in the early years the World X-Cup matches were not all that good, but that seems to be not the case here this year. We’ve been getting some quality action from the X-Cup wrestlers.)
13.) Backstage, Lauren is sitting with Jay Lethal and So Cal Val. Sonjay ruined their wedding the friendship with Lethal. Lethal says he’s pissed and talks about being on the road with Sonjay Dutt since the beginning. Lethal wonders why Dutt didn’t talk to him like a man and waited for the wedding. Val notes that Dutt ruined the happiest night of their life. Val thinks they should postpone their wedding, which is news to Lethal. Val needs some time and walks off leaving Lethal confused.
14.) Sonjay Dutt makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Dutt sits in the middle of the ring and thanks the fans for joining his special cause. Dutt says it’s the “Save Val Foundation” and wants Val to be broken free from the vows. Dutt has several kids at ringside and Dutt sings “set Val free” several times. So Cal Val makes her way out and confronts Dutt. Val is asking what is wrong with Dutt. Jay Lethal runs into the ring and attacks Dutt with right hands. Lethal chokes Dutt and pummels his former friend with right hands. Dutt fights back with strikes. Lethal avoids Dutt, and Dutt hits an urn. Dutt manages to escape the ring. Lethal stands tall in the ring.
15.) Backstage, Booker T is with Jeremy Borash and shows off his new locker room that has been decorated. Borash is quite impressed by the room. Borash can’t believe Booker has a picture with Ali. Booker always speaks up and says he’s first class all the way. Booker says TNA is on the global map because of him. Booker is taking credit for buyrates being up because of his fans. Booker tells Borash that jealously never changes. Booker thinks Kevin Nash is jealous of him. Booker thinks that he’s on top and Nash is beneath him, which would be a role reversal from the past. Booker is going to prove to Nash that he’s the best. Booker is going to bust Nash’s punk ass.
16.) Matt Morgan is a focus on the TNA Rough Cut. Morgan talks about his basketball career. Morgan has been a wrestling fan his whole career and watched Tough Enough on MTV and believed he could do it. Matt’s wife never saw this coming, but as soon as Morgan was in the top 25 she knew he’d be in.
17.) Backstage, Tomko is telling Kurt Angle to get his head in the game. Borash thinks that Kurt is going overboard and asks when will it end. Kurt still believes Karen had an affair with AJ Styles. Kurt knows what they did despite nobody ever seeing them together. Team 3D enter the scene and Brother Ray tells Kurt to relax. Ray doesn’t know how Kurt had sex with Karen in the first place. Ray reminds Kurt he’s a medalist and should be treated better. Kurt doesn’t have time to meet anyone because of work. Kurt admits he’s settled. Ray has a book full of hot women and he’s going to provide them to Kurt. Ray is going to set Kurt up on a few blind dates next week. Kurt likes that idea. Kurt whispers to Ray that he doesn’t want any fat chicks because he knows Devon’s reputation. Ray says they only care about Kurt’s happiness.
18.) Moose gets in ODB’s face, but is met with a beer to the face. ODB strikes Moose against the ropes a few times and tosses Moose through the ropes to the floor. ODB sends Moose into the railing side first and empties weapons out of the shopping cart. ODB sends Moose into the railing and grabs a hockey stick among other stuff. ODB slams Moose into the shopping cart. ODB pushes the cart into the railing and tips the cart over. ODB plays to the crowd. ODB tries for a cover in the ring, but Moose kicks out at two. ODB sends Moose into the corner and is met with an elbow strike. Moose whacks ODB over the back with a hockey stick strike for a two count. Moose chokes ODB with a chain. Moose drags ODB around the ring while choking ODB some more. Moose is slammed off the top turnbuckle and ODB breaks free from the chain. ODB waits in the corner and delivers a clothesline a few times. ODB tosses Moose with a fallaway slam. ODB kips up and grab a shovel. ODB nails Moose with the shovel over the head. Moose is laid out. ODB covers, but Moose kicks out at two. ODB grabs a steel chair to lay it in the middle of the ring. ODB tries for a powerslam, but Moose sends ODB into the corner. ODB boots Moose, but misses a crossbody attempt. Moose spikes ODB with a double under hook DDT onto the chair for the win. (**. Not too bad of a brawl. I feel like ODB whacking Moose over the head with a shovel probably should have been the finish if you’re going to do that kind of spot.)
19.) Booker feels out Nash teasing a strike before they lockup. Nash sends Booker into a corner as Samoa Joe comes out with a steel chair. Joe sits at ringside to watch the main event. Nash strikes Booker several times in the corner. Nash knee lifts Booker in the corner. Booker eye rakes Nash followed by strikes. Nash clotheslines Booker over the top to the floor. Nash rams Booker face first onto the apron. Nash sends Booker into the ring post to maintain the advantage. Nash elbows Booker over the neck and rams Booker back first into the apron. Booker low blows Nash over the top rope and delivers several strikes in the corner as the show goes to commercial.
Back from break, Nash rams Booker face first onto the steps. Nash tries for a cover, but Booker kicks out at two. Booker ducks a clothesline and heel kicks Nash to the mat. Booker rams Nash into the railing chest first. Booker gets in Samoa Joe’s face, but backs off. Booker shoves Joe out of the chair and whacks Joe across the face with the chair. Booker forearms Nash followed by a heel kick. Booker grabs the chair and jabs Nash in the midsection and over the back. Booker covers, but Nash kicks out at two. Booker whacks Nash over the head with a chair shot. Joe gets in the ring and attacks Booker hitting a running knee in the corner. Joe accidentally thrust kicks Nash and Booker sends Joe to the floor before pinning Nash for the win. (*. It was an obvious booking decision to have Joe get involved and cost Nash the match. The match wasn’t good, which is no surprise. I’d imagine that Joe is going to retain at Victory Road and will defend against Nash afterward. That seems to be the next logical step.)
Final Thoughts:
Despite a lackluster main event, I thought this was a good show overall. The X-Cup tag match as worthwhile and they did a few angle advancements that added to the feuds. The usage of a glass table to likely setup a stipulation for 3D/Rhino & Cage was effective and the feud between Lethal/Dutt is going fairly well. I could do without the Trigg/Styles nonsense, but TNA is obsessed to have any kind of connection to MMA/UFC.
Thanks for reading.