Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/7/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Roxxi defeated Jacqueline in a Bimbo Brawl match
2.) Sonjay Dutt defeated Curry Man
3.) Consequences Creed & Jay Lethal defeated Motor City Machine Guns (Sabin & Shelley)
4.) Christian Cage, Rhino, & TNA Tag Team Champions LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) defeated Beer Money Inc. (Roode & Storm) & Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) in a no disqualification match
5.) Awesome Kong defeated Salinas
6.) TNA World Champion Samoa Joe defeated AJ Styles, BG James, Booker T, Kip James, Kurt Angle, Matt Morgan & Tomko in an eight man weapons gauntlet match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Mike Tenay is in the ring promoting the most hardcore pay per view of the year, Hard Justice. Tenay hypes up TNA World Champion Samoa Joe taking on Booker T inside a weapons steel cage. Jeremy Borash is in the crowd hyping up the matches scheduled to take place on the show. There’s an eight man tag no disqualification match. Lauren is in the crowd with BG James. BG promotes an eight man gauntlet match where the wrestlers bring a weapon of their choice to the match. BG predicts violence in the Impact Zone.
2.) Traci is the special referee for the opening match.
3.) Roxxi tries to bring weapons into the match, but Jacqueline tosses them to the floor. Jacqueline works over Roxxi with strikes and rams Roxxi into the corner to kickoff the match. Jacqueline delivers a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Roxxi tosses Jacqueline through the ropes to the floor. Roxxi overhand strikes Jacqueline and rams Jacqueline onto the apron. Roxxi sends Jacqueline into the ring steps. Roxxi slides a chair into the ring along with a tray and trash can lid. Jacqueline sends Roxxi face first into the steel chair for a near fall. Jacqueline nails Roxxi with the tray a few times. Roxxi only staggers and doesn’t go down. Jacqueline finally nails Jacqueline with both trays to finally get Roxxi to the mat for a two count. Roxxi side slams Jacqueline onto the trash can lid for a near fall. Jacqueline knee lifts Roxxi and hits an overhead suplex. Jacqueline grabs the chair, but Roxxi big boots the chair into Jacqueline’s face. Roxxi hits the Voodoo Drop for the win. (*. A good win for Roxxi, but the action here wasn’t all that great. I wouldn’t mind if Roxxi got a push in the division. Her style would have fit for the theme of Hard Justice to get a title shot.)
4.) Backstage, Lauren is with Christian Cage and Rhino talking about their upcoming match tonight. She mentions Brother Ray has promised to bring the glass table. Cage has decided to get involved with Ray because he’s the champ and that’s what he does. Cage will never forget the four hours it took to get the glass out of his back. Cage says Team 3D can claim to be the best tag team ever because he became a singles wrestler. Cage thinks Team 3D are trying to take them out because they are a threat to their legacies. Rhino chimes in and says Team 3D wants to end their careers and if that is the case then they’re in for it. Rhino asks what they’re going to do when he puts them through the glass table with the GORE!
5.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with So Cal Val when Super Eric enters the scene and has solved the engagement ring. Val asks where the ring is at. Super Eric says the ring was stolen. Val doesn’t know who stole the ring. Eric reveals that Sonjay Dutt stole the ring. Eric says if she finds Sonjay then she finds the ring.
6.) Curry blocks a kick and tries for a back suplex, but Dutt lands on his feet and dropkicks Curry on the knee. Dutt walks on Curry’s back, but Curry does the same to Dutt. Curry arm drags Dutt followed by a hip toss and a scoop slam. Curry does some dancing and arm drags Dutt followed by a clothesline. Dutt rams Curry into the corner chest first. So Cal Val makes her way down to the ring and is yelling at Dutt, who is not paying attention. Dutt delivers a backbreaker and sends Curry into the corner, but misses a splash. Curry splashes Dutt over the middle rope. Dutt eye rakes Curry and bulldogs Curry into the corner followed by a double kick and leg drops Curry over the middle rope. Dutt covers with his feet on the ropes to win the match. After the match, Dutt low blows Curry. Val enters the ring and confronts Dutt, but Dutt bails to the floor claiming he did nothing. Shark Boy comes out and attacks Dutt sending Dutt back into the ring. Dutt drops Shark Boy over the top rope. Super Eric arrives and press slams Dutt. Eric goes into Dutt’s tights and finds the ring that Dutt stole. Val freaks out. Dutt promises it was a misunderstanding. Dutt claims the ring fell onto the bed when he was in the hospital. Dutt thought Val had left the ring on purpose and she was ready to leave Jay Lethal. Val wonders why the ring wasn’t given back to her. Dutt is happy that Val got the ring back and Val gives him a hug. (*. The main purpose here was the angle involving the ring. It can get a bit frustrating knowing these guys are capable of some great wrestling and they aren’t given the opportunity to deliver in-ring.)
7.) Backstage, Lauren is with Team 3D and Beer Money for an interview. She asks Brother Ray why there is a no disqualification match tonight and not a regular match. Brother Ray says nobody wants to see an old fashion wrestling match and says it would be boring like sleeping with Lauren, who is lame as a duck he’s heard. Ray reminds everyone of their success. Ray considers Beer Money to be the future of the tag division when Team 3D is all done. Ray says Rhino has an X on his back and that X is going through a glass table. James Storm chimes in and says they like them because they are reminded of themselves. Storm believes they are future tag team champions and they are just going to get hurt. Devon delivers his testify line. Roode didn’t provide anything for the segment.
8.) A video package promoting Sheik Abdul Bashir is shown. Bashir continues to put down Americans. Remember, Bashir was previously known as Daivari in WWE.
9.) Shelley and Lethal start the tag match. Shelley locks in a Billy Goats Curse, but Lethal breaks free with a rollup and hits a backbreaker. Shelley counters with another rollup and they have a standoff. They shake hands to show respect. Creed and Sabin tag into the match. Sabin head scissors Creed, but Creed fights back with strikes. Creed body strikes Sabin in the corner. Sabin clotheslines Creed in the corner. Creed responds with a clothesline for a one count. Lethal tags into the match and Sabin is double teamed. Creed and Lethal drop Sabin with a double strike for a two count. Lethal elbow strikes Sabin, but Sabin locks in a modified abdominal stretch. Lethal reaches the ropes to break the hold. Sabin chops Lethal, but Lethal arm drags Sabin and Shelley tags into the match. Sabin returns and sends Lethal to the floor. Sabin leaps off Shelley’s back to dropkick Creed off the apron. Shelley takes Lethal out with a crossbody to the floor. Sabin covers Lethal for a two count. Sabin delivers a standing fist drop. Shelley tags back into the bout and drop toe holds Lethal for Sabin to deliver an elbow drop. Shelley surfboards Lethal and Sabin hits a bulldog for a near fall. Shelley kicks Lethal on the ribs. Lethal tries to deliver strikes, but is tackled to the mat by Shelley.
Sabin tags back into the match and Lethal is met with a kick to the midsection and head for a near fall. Sabin chokes Lethal in the corner. Shelley enters and is dumped to the floor. Lethal leaps off the middle rope to heel kick Sabin. Creed gets the tag and strikes Sabin several times. Shelley drops Creed over the top rope. Creed plants Shelley with a TKO for a near fall. Shelley stops Creed with a jawbreaker. Sabin holds Creed over his knees and Shelley hits a swanton off the top for a near fall. Lethal is stopped by Shelley, but Lethal avoids them and Creed hit a double crossbody off the top for a two count. Lethal suicide dives Sabin on the floor. Shelley kicks Creed in the midsection and tries for a Slice Bread, but Creed counters and rolls Shelley up for the win. (***. A good match that got time to develop. I enjoyed the team of Creed and Lethal. Creed winning is helpful towards his push towards the X-Division Championship.) After the match, Shelley shoves Creed after shaking Lethal’s hand.
10.) Karen’s Angle is up next with Frank Trigg as a guest. Trigg asks Karen how long she had been cheating on Kurt, but Karen asks to keep it professionally. Trigg discusses his career in MMA and had a supportive wife who didn’t want to be on TV. Trigg has known Kurt longer than Karen has ever known him. Trigg suggests that Karen changed Kurt due to banging AJ in Kurt’s bed. Trigg thinks that Karen is attracted to him and she slaps Trigg. Trigg tells Karen that whatever Kurt says go and calls her pathetic.
11.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle for an interview. Angle says that he’s a wrestler and happens to be the best ever. Angle asks if Styles really wants to make this a Last Man Standing Match because he’s not going to be responsible for what happens. Angle can’t get the vision out of his head of Styles sleeping with his wife. Angle says that Styles spat in his face. It is time for Angle to hurt Styles because this is personal and the pain game starts tonight.
12.) Backstage, Lauren is with the Beautiful People and Awesome Kong. Angelina Love to leave the segment because every time they talk Lauren disrespects them. Love says they have bigger sluts to fry and they kick Lauren off the scene. Love says Kim, ODB and Wilde have gotten what they wished for. Love says they are going to have to call the military to stop the carnage. Love claims Kong loves Chinese, pure white bread and obnoxious dirty bitches.
13.) As expected the eight man tag match starts off with everyone brawling in the ring. Rhino GORES Devon, Roode, Ray & Storm! Homicide takes Devon out with a somersault suicide dive. Cage dives off the top to crossbody on the floor. Hernandez dives over the ropes onto Beer Money as the show goes to commercial.
The brawling has continued on the floor during the break. Roode and Storm double team Homicide in the corner. Hernandez hits a slingshot double clothesline, but Ray stops Hernandez with a clothesline. Ray splashes Hernandez in the corner. Hernandez boots Ray in the corner and goes to the top rope, but Ray delivers a chop to stop Hernandez. Ray suplexs Hernandez off the top. Cage chops Ray several times, but Ray backdrops Cage coming off the ropes. Homicide strikes Devon on the floor and stops Ray on the middle rope. Cage hits a hurricanrana off the top on Ray and Homicide hits a top rope elbow drop. Roode sends Cage into the railing. Devon plants Homicide with a lifting reverse DDT. Rhino clotheslines Devon but is double teamed by Beer Money with a double suplex. Hernandez double clotheslines Beer Money. Brother Ray slams Hernandez and Devon climbs to the top rope. Rhino shoves Devon off the top rope and is decked by Ray. Hernandez plants Ray with a spinebuster. Hernandez tries to Border Toss Roode, but Storm superkicks Hernandez. Cage spits beer into Storm’s face allowing Homicide to hit a cutter and pins Storm for the win. After the match, Ray attacks the winners with a kendo stick. Hernandez is planted with the 3D. Beer Money hit the DUI on Cage. Devine and Devon bring out a glass table. Beer Money powerbomb Homicide through the glass table! Team 3D don’t look thrilled as they wanted to put Rhino through the glass table. (**1/2. An enjoyable brawl, but I’m surprised the heels didn’t get a win to get some momentum. The aftermath attack likely was the momentum they wanted to get going for the PPV. Team 3D acting annoyed by Beer Money could be a sign of a future turn especially if Beer Money win the tag titles.)
14.) TNA Roughcut focusing on TNA Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde and how she’s always wrestled as an underdog. Gail Kim and Traci Brooks note that Wilde has to watch her back because people are coming for the title. Roxxi thinks Wilde can have the stress of representing the division that she doesn’t want. Wilde knows she has to be one step ahead of the game.
15.) Salinas tries to strike Kong, but is tossed to the mat quickly. Kong plants Salinas with the Awesome Bomb and wins the match. (NR. Kong is a badass and unstoppable.) After the match, Angelina Love taunts Salinas. Love tells Kim, ODB and Wilde to get a good luck of their preview at Hard Justice. Love directs Kong to hurt Salinas some more. Kong drives Salinas with the Implant Driver. Velvet Sky goes to the floor and grabs a steel chair. Gail Kim runs into the ring to make the save. ODB and TNA Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde are out there as well to brawl. Wilde avoids the Awesome Bomb and dropkicks Kong. Wilde leaps off the top, but Kong clotheslines Wilde in midair. Kong tries for the Awesome Bomb onto the chair, but Abyss comes out and prevents the beating. Abyss has a brief confrontation with Kong. Saed slaps Abyss and Abyss picks up the chair. Saed bails to the floor when Abyss lifts the chair up. A security guard takes the chair away and Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam.
16.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Booker T and Sharmell for an interview. Borash asks if Booker will be the new champion on the couch next week. Booker recalls saying two months ago that Samoa Joe can’t beat him and he’s proved that. Booker took a punishing attack, but Joe couldn’t beat him. Booker promises to hurt Samoa Joe. Booker came to TNA to prove that he’s the best without a doubt. Borash asks about Sting and if he’s going to be there at Hard Justice. Booker promises Sting wouldn’t miss it for the world.
17.) Backstage, Lauren is with TNA World Champion Samoa Joe for an interview. Lauren tells Joe that Booker said Sting would show his face tonight. Joe wants to know why Sting hasn’t shown his face for three weeks. Joe calls Sting a coward and is going to turn his clown white makeup red. Joe didn’t go far enough at Victory Road and showed mercy. His heart is cold and his nerves are steel. Joe is coming for the belt and Booker can’t do anything about it.
18.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews AJ Styles. Borash has never seen Kurt Angle more determined and focused for Hard Justice. Styles asks how Angle could say AJ was a nobody and was turned into a somebody. Styles recalls being a guy who helped build this company. Styles thinks Angle jumped onto the bandwagon. Styles says there’s nothing else he can do when saying he didn’t sleep with Kurt’s wife. Styles thinks Angle got lucky and won a gold medal. Styles promises to be the Last Man Standing at Hard Justice.
19.) Backstage, Samoa Joe, Matt Morgan and BG James are walking toward the ring with weapons in hand.
20.) Kurt Angle and AJ Styles start the gauntlet. Kurt has a trash can while Styles has a ladder. Styles goes right after Angle with a flurry of strikes in the corner and chokes Angle. Styles continues with a chop, but Angle eye rakes Styles to the mat. Angle uppercuts Styles and runs the ropes until Styles delivers a dropkick. Styles goes to the floor and grabs the ladder. Styles slides the ladder into the ring. Angle smashes Styles over the head with the trash can. Angle uppercuts Styles to the mat. Angle tries to dump Styles over the ropes, but Styles holds onto the ropes. Styles chops Angle against the ropes, but a kick to the midsection stops Styles. Angle continues to strike Styles. Styles elbows Angle and they collide on stereo crossbody attempts.
Matt Morgan is the next entrant with a steel chair. Tomko is also out with a 2×4. Morgan blocks the 2×4 with chair shots. Tomko bails to the floor and runs backstage. Morgan chases Tomko. Angle and Styles trade strikes until Styles clotheslines and forearms Angle to the mat. Styles is dumped to the apron and hits a springboard forearm smash on Angle. Angle uppercuts Styles and manages to catapult Styles head first into the chair in the corner.
BG James comes out with a chair. Kip James has a road sign. BG and Kip brawl on the floor. Kip sends BG into the railing. BG whacks Kip over the head with the street sign. BG chokes Kip with a chair. Styles shoves the ladder into Kurt’s head and Kurt is busted wide open quickly. Kurt is bleeding a lot. There’s a puddle of blood. It was an immediate cut. Styles chops Angle, but Angle tosses Styles overhead with a suplex. Styles ducks a clothesline to Pele kick Angle.
Booker T comes out with a bat. Samoa Joe has a baton. Joe hits Booker with the baton several times on the mat. Angle stops Joe with strikes. We go to commercial.
Angle shoulder rams Styles in the corner several times. During the break, Morgan eliminated Kip with a big boot. Styles eliminates Angle over the top to the floor. Booker decks Styles from behind to eliminate Styles. Angle puts the ankle lock on Styles! Morgan clotheslines Tomko and Booker. Morgan nails Booker with a big boot. Morgan splashes Tomko in the corner followed by a side slam. Morgan tries for a chokeslam, but Booker stops Morgan from behind. Booker and Tomko eliminate Morgan over the top to the floor. Tomko and Booker double team Joe in the corner. Joe fights back with strikes and pummels Booker in the corner. Tomko strikes Joe and Booker nails Joe with a superkick. Booker taunts Joe saying that he can’t beat him. Joe knocks Tomko into Booker and Booker falls over the top to the floor. Tomko big boots Joe. Tomko goes to the middle rope with the trash can, but Joe kicks the trash can into Tomko. Joe delivers the Muscle Buster and pins Tomko to win the match. (**1/2. That was a lot more entertaining than I thought it was going to be. I liked that they touched base on several feuds. Joe not pinning Booker to end it is smart to keep Booker’s claim that Joe can’t beat him intact. Angle bleeding buckets on an accidental ladder shot added my interest in the match, too.)
21.) Samoa Joe grabs a microphone and tells Booker T that he’s coming for the belt at Hard Justice. Joe says Sting is next when he’s done with Booker. Sting’s music hits. The lights go out and Sting’s music plays. There’s a spotlight on Sting in the rafters and Joe points the baton at Sting to end the program.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a good go-home show heading into Hard Justice. There was some good in-ring action and they didn’t go heavy on segments. They touched base on all the major feuds and put a good focus on the PPV. I have interest in Hard Justice, and especially interested in Angle/Styles.
Thanks for reading.