Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/14/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Christian Cage & Rhino defeated Rock ’n’ Rave Infection (Jimmy Rave & Lance Rock)
2.) Matt Morgan defeated Johnny Devine
3.) Abdul Bashir defeated Jay Lethal
4.) Team 3D defeated TNA World Champion Samoa Joe & Kevin Nash by disqualification
5.) TNA Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde defeated Christy Hemme in a non-title match
6.) Hernandez defeated TNA Tag Team Champion James Storm
7.) AJ Styles defeated Kurt Angle in an Olympic Styles match for Kurt Angle’s gold medal
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Earlier today, TNA World Champion Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash arrive to the Impact Zone. Lauren runs up to them and asks Joe where did the guitar come from last night to help him defeat Booker T at Hard Justice. Joe says they’ll play tonight if Booker and Sting want to. Joe says things are getting exciting because everyone wants to get involved. Nash tells Lauren that he’s getting ready for their match against Team 3D. Nash tells Lauren that Joe only knows half of what’s going on.
2.) Rhino and Rave start the match with Rhino hitting a shoulder block. Rave kicks Rhino, but is met with a clothesline. Cage tags into the match and Rave is hip tossed to the mat. Rave knee lifts Cage, but Cage knee lifts Rave into the corner and Rock tags into the match. Rock kicks Cage followed by a strike over the back. Rock misses a boot and Cage delivers a few chops. Rhino tags into the match and Rock is sent into the corner. Rhino shoulder rams Rock in the corner followed by a belly to belly suplex. Rave trips Rhino from the floor and Rhino is pulled groin first into the ring post. Rock taunts Cage on the apron. Rave pummels Rhino with right hands on the mat for a two count. Rhino is met with a double back elbow coming off the ropes and a double elbow drop. Rock chokes Rhino over the middle rope. Hemme chokes Rhino over the ropes, as well. Rave stomps Rhino in the corner a few times. Rhino plants Rave with a spinebuster for a two count as Rock made the save. Rock strikes Rhino, but misses a clothesline. Rhino clotheslines Rock and tags in Cage. Cage cleans house with clotheslines. Cage avoids Rave in the corner and delivers a reverse DDT for a two count. Cage leaps off the middle rope to hit an uppercut. Cage tries for the Un-Prettier, but Rock nails Cage with a big boot. Rhino enters and helps his partner. Rhino dumps Rock to the floor and Rave is met with a double backdrop. Rhino GORES Rave! Cage hits a top rope frog splash for the win. (**. A decent tag match where they did a good job putting shine on Cage and Rhino. It’s a bit weird to see Cage focusing on tag wrestling, but I think if they challenge Beer Money for the tag titles it would be a good match.)
3.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle for an interview. Borash asks Angle how his neck feels after the top rope DDT at Hard Justice. Angle tells Borash that he’s hurt, but tosses the neck brace off camera. Angle notes it is Olympic week and recalls winning a gold medal in 1996. Angle notes everyone regarded him as the greatest wrestler, but TNA didn’t do that. Angle says a Last Man Standing match has nothing to do with wrestling and is all about violence. Angle says Styles did everything he could to cheat to win and believes Styles tried to break his neck on two instances. Angle is thankful Sting appeared to prevent a broken neck. Angle decides to book a match with Styles where there will be no ropes and three two minute periods where the points matter. The winner will win the gold medal. Borash doesn’t think this is a great idea. Angle believes he can beat Styles with a broken neck. Angle wants Styles to prepare for a mauling tonight.
4.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with AJ Styles for an interview. Borash talks about Hard Justice. Styles talks about how he made a guarantee that Angle wouldn’t get up, and he stood behind it as Angle didn’t get back up. Borash brings up Sting arriving and hitting a Scorpion Death Drop. Styles looked up to Sting and was made an example of at Hard Justice. Styles thinks Sting is no different than Angle and he’s not going to make an example out of Styles. Styles promises to be ready tonight for Angle. Styles guarantees the gold medal will be coming home with him.
5.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Matt Morgan about his goals in TNA. Morgan wants to realize his full potential and says he’s a guy who should be in the main event. He’s not waiting anymore and he’s making opportunities. Morgan’s second goal is to become the TNA World Champion. Morgan doesn’t care who he’ll have to go through because none of the will stop him from reaching his full potential. Morgan is going to knock them down.
6.) Devine slaps Morgan and runs around ringside to get away. Morgan shoves Devine away nd delivers a clothesline. Morgan splashes Devine in the corner, but misses a big boot into the ropes. Devine strikes Morgan over the ropes, but is shoved away. Morgan decks Devine with a big boot and signals for the end. Morgan plants Devine with a vertical suplex/swinging slam for the win. After the match, Team 3D attacks Morgan. Abyss makes his way out to make the save. Team 3D shove Devine into Abyss, who hits the Black Hole Slam. Morgan and Abyss have a stare down until Morgan offers a handshake. Abyss accepts the handshake. (NR. So, Morgan makes it clear he wants to go for the TNA World Championship and in the next segment he forms a partnership with Abyss? Which, I’d take as taking a step back from accomplishing his ultimate goal.)
7.) Karen’s Angle is up next with Karen interviewing the Beautiful People, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. Sky and Love requested to be on the segment. Sky says they are upset that nobody likes them and Love begins to cry. Karen asks why they think they are being treated this way. Sky believes it is because they are hot. Love doesn’t think anyone will be nice to them, so they will not be nice to them. They have hired someone to dress them and take care of them. Kip James enters the segment and insults a picture of Karen on the wall wondering if it is Halloween decorations. Kip insults Karen a few times before Karen ends the interview.
8.) Backstage, Lauren is with Jay Lethal for an interview. Lethal is distraught and says what he did to Sonjay Dutt at Hard Justice is nothing. Lethal says that Val needs to decide between himself and Dutt. Lethal wants to kill Sonjay and tells Lauren to tell Val for him. Lethal says it’s not over until he says it is.
9.) At Hard Justice, Sheik Abdul Bashir cost Consequences Creed for the TNA X-Division Championship. Bashir cuts an in-ring promo, but doesn’t speak in English at first. Bashir don’t care if the fans boo or cheer him. Bashir understands because he came to America and grabbed everything America has. It wasn’t difficult to take because America wanted to give it away. Bashir calls himself the Middle Eastern Nightmare and he grabbed the American Dream. Bashir doesn’t love lady America, but rather loves r**ing her. (That’s insane.)
10.) Lethal goes right after Bashir with right hands on the mat and continues to deliver strikes in the corner. Bashir counters with chops in the corner. Lethal responds with chops, as well. Lethal hip tosses Bashir followed by a seated dropkick. Bashir bails to the floor, but Lethal baseball slides Bashir and hits a suicide dive to the floor. Lethal rolls Bashir into the ring and hits an axe handle off the top for a two count. Lethal elbows Bashir, but is yanked off the middle rope. Bashir tries for a cover, but Lethal kicks out at two. Bashir continues with a neckbreaker. Bashir continues with another neckbreaker for a two count. Bashir knee strikes Lethal on the back several times. Lethal elbows free from the chin lock and lands on top for a two count. Lethal avoids a neckbreaker, but Bashir overhand chops Lethal for a two count. Lethal elbows Bashir, but is stopped again. Lethal avoids a back suplex and clotheslines Bashir a couple of times. Lethal strikes Bashir against the ropes followed by a chop. Lethal backdrops Bashir coming off the ropes for a two count. Bashir stops Lethal with a jawbreaker. Lethal kicks Bashir and hits a rolling fisherman suplex for a two count. Lethal strikes Bashir in the corner several times. Bashir grabs a spike out of his boot and jabs Lethal with it. Bashir kicks Lethal on the knee and delivers the WMD (DDT) for the win. After the match, Sonjay Dutt comes down to the ring and hits a top rope 450 splash. Dutt taunts Lethal and the fans to end the segment. (**. Bashir is quite an interesting character and his promo before the match was a bit… strong. Bashir should be able to generate some easy heel heat and this is a big win for the character since Lethal is beloved and a major fixture in the X-Division scene.)
11.) Backstage, Jeremey Borash interviews Booker T and asks what is on Booker’s mind. Booker says a silver and black guitar is on his mind and tells Borash that he still has the bump on his head. Booker believes he had Samoa Joe beat. Booker notes that Jarrett has a business interest in the company. Booker tells Borash if you mess with Booker T you get his foot.. but he stops himself and says his actions will speak louder than his words. Borash promises exclusive footage between Nash and Sting from Hard Justice.
12.) Backstage at Hard Justice, Sting told Nash that he’s not confused and told Nash that he’s running out of patience. Sting tells Nash it is now or never because his biological clock is ticking and so is Nash’s.
13.) Joe and Devon start the match with Joe hitting a few shoulder blocks and a kicks Devon in the corner. Devon eye pokes Joe into the corner and delivers a few strikes. Brother Ray enters and take Joe over with a double suplex for a two count. Joe strikes Ray a few times and comes off the ropes. Joe elbows Ray and delivers a kick to the chest followed by a knee drop. Joe tags in Nash to keep control of the match. Nash knee lifts Ray and delivers a running clothesline in the corner. Nash knee lifts Ray several times in the corner. Nash continues with elbow strikes and chokes Ray in the corner. Devon cheap shots Nash to help Ray. Nash side slams Devon for a two count as the show goes to commercial.
Devon works over the left knee of Nash to gain the advantage. Devon splashes down onto Nash’s knee over the bottom rope. Ray stomps Nash on the mat and decks Joe off the apron to the floor. Ray takes Nash down to the mat and keeps leg control. Ray keeps Nash on the mat keeping leg control and locks in a single leg Boston Crab. Devon tags into the match and runs into a boot by Nash. Nash nails Ray with a clothesline out of the corner. Joe tags in and cleans house with jabs and a kick to Ray followed by an atomic drop to Devon. Joe senton splashes Devon. Ray chops Joe against the ropes. Joe nails Ray with a leaping kick to the chest. Nash big boots Devon and Joe gets a two count. Ray decks Joe from behind and Team 3D hit an elevated reverse DDT combo for a near fall. Ray waits for Joe to get up, but Nash pulls Ray to the floor. Joe locks in a choke on Devon in the middle of the ring. Devon is forced to submit. (**. A bit better than I figured it would be, and I especially liked the clean finish.) After the match, Joe returns to the ring and whacks Devon over the back with a steel chair. Joe continues to beat on Devon with chair shots. Nash can’t believe Joe is doing this. Earl Hebner is livid and proceeds to be decked by Joe knocking Hebner to the floor. Hebner reverses the decision and gives Team 3D the victory by disqualification.
14.) Wilde arm drags Hemme a few times to kickoff the match. Hemme get a little frustrated, but Wilde takes Hemme down to the mat and keeps control with a chin lock. Hemme bites Wilde’s hand to break free. Hemme messes up a bulldog out of the corner for a two count. Hemme stands on Wilde’s hair and pulls the champs arms up. Hemme slams Wilde to the mat by her hair. Hemme strikes Wilde over the back a few times leading to a near fall. Wilde fires back with strikes into the corner, but Hemme yanks Wilde to the mat. Hemme overhand strikes Wilde a few times to maintain the advantage. Hemme strikes Wilde in the corner and gets a two count. Hemme chokes Wilde in the corner and taunts the crowd. Wilde arm drags Hemme and delivers a clothesline a few times. Wilde hits a bridging suplex for a two count. Wilde kicks Hemme a few times, but is yanked down to the mat. Hemme leg drops Wilde for a near fall. Hemme heads to the middle rope missing a split legged leg drop. Wilde hits a German suplex and holds on for the pin to win the match. (*. Hemme got a lot of offense far more than I expected her to get. I enjoy Wilde and hope she has a decent run.) After the match, Awesome Kong marches towards the ring. Wilde doesn’t backdown and delivers a few strikes, but is backed into a corner. Kong pummels Wilde with strikes. Traci Brooks, the special referee, gets slammed to the mat by Kong. Wilde tries to punch Kong, but is slammed to the mat, as well. Saed stands on Wilde while taunting the fans. Saed brings a chair into the ring, but Gail Kim runs into the ring and makes the save attacking Kong with strikes. Kim hits a Codebreaker on Kong and delivers a neckbreaker to Saed. Kong tosses Kim to stop her momentum. Kong chops Kim against the ropes, but Kim tries for a crossbody and is slammed to the mat. Kong misses a chair shot and Kim dropkicks the chair into Kong’s face. Kim whacks Kong over the head with a chair shot. Kim dropkicks Kong to the floor to stand tall.
15.) TNA Roughcut focusing on Consequences Creed is up next. Creed talks about wanting to be a wrestler since grad school. Creed has heard people say he can’t make it because of his genetics. Creed is going to make it based on his work ethic. Creed says it got serious for him in the 7th grade. Creed talks about overcoming his fear of performing in front of people and did choir.
16.) Backstage, Lauren is with LAX asking for an update on Homicide. Hector Guerrero gets cutoff by Hernandez. Hernandez says that Beer Money took everything from him when they took out Homicide. Hernandez hurts and bleeds when the same happens to Homicide. Hernandez is going straight back to his roots and he’s going to treat Beer Money are the newbies and they will either give it to him or he’ll take it.
17.) Backstage, Lauren tells TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money that Hernandez is upset. Roode and Storm don’t care and knows he’d be upset since they won the tag titles. Roode takes credit for damaging Homicide’s eye. Roode asks Storm where his tag belt is at and it’s under his shirt. Storm doesn’t care Hernandez is upset. They make a few Mexican jokes and a sexual joke when Jacqueline says she’d like a beef taco.
18.) Hernandez attacks Storm at ringside and sends Storm into the railing. Roode backs off on the aisle. Hernandez rolls Storm into the ring and delivers a splash in the corner. Hernandez tosses Storm over the top to the floor. Hernandez dives over the ropes onto Beer Money to take both men out. Hernandez clotheslines Storm and continues with chops in the corner. Hernandez dumps Storm to the apron, but Storm kicks Hernandez. Storm strikes Hernandez on the mat and delivers a snapmare. Storm knee drops Hernandez leading to a near fall. Storm keeps Hernandez on the mat with a sleeper. Storm knee strikes Hernandez and delivers a high knee strike leading to a near fall. Storm keeps Hernandez on the mat and taunts the crowd. Hernandez gets to his feet with Storm on his shoulders to hit an electric chair slam. Hernandez strikes Storm several times and shoulder blocks Storm. Hernandez clotheslines Storm followed by a backdrop. Hernandez tosses Storm overhead with a suplex. Hernandez covers Storm for a two count. Hernandez sits Storm on the top turnbuckle and delivers a strike. Hernandez hooks Storm for a suplex, but Jacqueline holds Hernandez’s leg. Storm hits a swinging neckbreaker out of the corner for a near fall. Hernandez backdrops Storm and lifts Storm up for a powerbomb. Roode gets on the apron and is decked by Hernandez. Storm boots Hernandez in the corner and leaps off the middle rope, but is caught. Hernandez hits a sit down powerbomb and cleanly pins Storm. (*1/2. I thought there’d be a bit more aggression from Hernandez considering the attack on Homicide. It’s fine for what it was, but it was a bit boring.)
19.) Jim Cornette comes out and has several announcements. Cornette announces that Hernandez will wrestle Robert Roode next week. Also, Gail Kim will wrestle Awesome Kong in a street fight. The main event for No Surrender will see TNA World Champion Samoa Joe defend against three challengers. The three challengers will be determined over the next three weeks. Next week, Booker T will wrestle Rhino in a qualifying match.
20.) The first round of the main event sees Angle quickly get a takedown on Styles and earns two points. Apparently. Rudy Charles knows Olympic wrestling rules. Angle leg sweeps Styles and gets another two points for a takedown. Angle is leading four to zero. Angle gets a third takedown and is now leading six to zero.
The second round begins with Styles down six points. Styles tries for a rollup, but Angle kicks out. Styles gets four points since there was a takedown and a near fall. Angle takes Styles down with another takedown and leads eight to four. Styles nearly wins with another rollup and earns four points to tie the contest at eight each.
Styles controls Angle with a waist lock, but Angle elbows Styles and takes Styles down again for another two points and goes up ten to eight. Styles suplexs Angle, but takes out the referee knocking the referee to the floor. Angle decks Styles with a clothesline. The lights go out and Angle looks up into the rafters as Sting’s music hits.
Angle has a baseball bat, but the lights go out again and Jeff Jarrett music hits. Styles has the guitar and whacks Angle over the head. Angle is busted wide open from the guitar shot. Styles covers and pins Angle to win the match and gold medals. (**. The main event didn’t go in a manner that would be considered surprising. Styles going down quickly and coming back to eventually win with an assist from Jarrett is right out of their playbook. It was a decent way to advance feuds, but not a good match.)
Final Thoughts:
An average episode of Impact this week as they are putting a big focus on Sting & Jarrett without having them on TV directly. Sting appears to be going full heel while Jarrett is the face and fighting for his company. I could get behind that storyline, but Sting never does well in a heel role no matter how many times they tried it over the years. Joe defending against three people at No Surrender is a good direction to go in. I’m figuring Kevin Nash will somehow be in the mix.
Thanks for reading.