Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 8/21/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) Hernandez defeated TNA Tag Team Champion Robert Roode
2.) BG James & Eric Young defeated Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley
3.) Matt Morgan defeated Frankie Capone
4.) Booker T defeated Rhino in a qualifying match for No Surrender
5.) Consequences Creed defeated TNA X-Division Champion Petey Williams by disqualification
6.) Awesome Kong defeated Gail Kim in a street fight
7.) AJ Styles defeated Kurt Angle in a ladder match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Earlier today, Kurt Angle arrived and is interviewed by Jeremy Borash. Angle is here for two reasons to get his gold medal back and get his hands on the SOB to get his hands on the man who got involved in the match. Angle is going to put his foot up his ass.
2.) Roode quickly goes on the attack hammering away on Hernandez around ringside. Roode tries to ram Hernandez into the railing, but Hernandez counters and rolls Roode into the ring. Roode strikes Hernandez several times in the corner. Hernandez counters with chops in the corner. Hernandez splashes Roode in the corner and delivers a delayed vertical suplex. Hernandez fakes a dive to the floor. Hernandez stalks Roode around ringside, but Storm delivers a clothesline on the floor to help Roode. Roode strikes Hernandez a few times and sends Hernandez into the ring steps shoulder first. Roode rolls Hernandez into the ring, but Hernandez powers out at two. Roode eye rakes Hernandez to keeps control. Roode rams Hernandez into the corner and delivers a few boots. Roode snapmares Hernandez followed by a rolling neck snap an taunts the fans. Roode knee lifts Hernandez and delivers a neckbreaker for a two count. Roode keeps Hernandez on the mat with a sleeper. Hernandez rams Roode back first into the corner and breaks free. Hernandez is dumped to the apron and nails Roode with a slingshot shoulder block and clothesline. Hernandez backdrops Roode coming off the ropes. Hernandez hits the Dominator and gets a two count. Hernandez shoulder rams Roode in the corner, but runs into an elbow and boot in the corner. Roode hits a middle rope blockbuster for a near fall. Roode tries for a suplex, but Hernandez hits a front suplex. Hernandez tries for a Border Toss, but Salinas enters to tackle Jacqueline. Roode breaks free. Hernandez shoulder blocks Roode and is held by Storm. Roode almost hits Storm, but Hernandez knocks Roode into Storm. Hernandez hits a modified backbreaker/Samoan Drop for the win. (**. Once the action picked up it became an entertaining bout. Hernandez gaining revenge on both tag champions in singles matches likely means LAX will be getting a rematch.)
3.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews AJ Styles, who wants to be called an Olympic gold medalist. Styles says there is no mystery about where Angle is getting the black bat comes from. Styles thinks it won’t be pretty when this soap opera is revealed. Styles offers Angle a chance to win the medal back and challenges Angle to a ladder match tonight. Styles tells Angle it is a long way down from the ladder. Kurt Angle enters the scene being held back by security demanding that Styles takes the gold medal off.
4.) Sabin and Young kickoff the tag match. Sabin arm drags Young to the mat and plays to the crowd for a moment before taunting Young. Sabin backs Young into a corner and delivers a kick to the midsection. Young dropkicks Sabin for a two count. Sabin nails Young with a kick to the midsection. Young drop toe holds Shelley and tags in BG. BG kicks Shelley a couple of times to maintain control of the bout. BG jabs Shelley a few times. Sabin missile dropkicks BG to allow Shelley to hit a flatliner. Sabin elbow drops James and delivers a dropkick as Shelley holds BG on the mat. BG delivers a double DDT to stop their momentum. Young tags into the match and cleans house. Young sends Shelley to the floor and gets a rollup on Sabin for a two count. Shelley hits a crossbody and Sabin dropkicks James off the apron. Sabin forearms Young in the corner and Shelley does the same. Young hits a wheelbarrow neckbreaker to pin Sabin for the win. After the match, Sabin spits in his hand and slaps BG. BG loses his cool and attacks Sabin until security gets involved.(*1/2. A little bizarre for a random team of Young and BG to pickup a win here, but I’m assuming Sabin and Shelley pissed someone off. Sabin and Shelley appear to be turning heel.)
5.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Kurt Angle outside of Booker T’s locker room. Angle doesn’t understand why Booker gets a locker room and he doesn’t get one. Booker asks Angle to remove his shoes. Angle asks for a favor and knows there’s a sting operation going on. Kurt asks for Booker to be in his corner for the match tonight in case someone comes out with a guitar. Booker thinks he can help out Angle, but he has a match with Rhino and needs to take care of him to qualify for No Surrender. Angle declines an offer to drink since he’s an Olympian.
6.) A video package promoting the feud between Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt over So Cal Val is shown.
7.) Karen’s Angle is next with So Cal Val as the guest. Val doesn’t know what to do or how to fell. Val feels lost about the whole situation. Karen tells Val she needs to make a choice between Lethal and Dutt. Dutt enters the scene and tells Val that he’s in love with her. Dutt would never put Val in a position that Lethal has put her in. Dutt wants to know what he has to do for Val to say she wants Dutt. Dut tries to kiss Val, but Lethal enters the scene and tackles Dutt over the couch. Lethal sends Dutt into the set a few times. Val gets knocked down during the brawl. Lethal looks a bit distraught as Val gets checked on.
8.) TNA Roughcut is up next with Consequences Creed talking about his love of wrestling. His friend says that Creed studies a lot of wrestling. Creed says that Angle is one of his favorites and watched all of Angle’s Olympic matches. Creed recalls a story of wrestling a guy far bigger than him, but overcame the difference to win the match.
9.) Capone tries to attack Morgan from behind, but that doesn’t last long. Capone strikes Morgan, but Morgan tosses Capone into a corner. Morgan hits a big splash in the corner. Morgan chokes Capone over the top rope. Morgan splashes Capone over the ropes. Morgan strikes Capone over the back. Morgan leg drops Capone over the bottom rope. Morgan misses a clothesline and big boots Capone. Morgan plants Capone with a swinging slam for the win. (NR. Not all that impressive Morgan.) After the match, Brother Ray comes out and taunts Morgan calling him stupid. Ray says Morgan beat a guy with no future in the business. Ray enters the ring and says if Morgan wants to fight maybe he can fight him. Brother Devon enters from behind and Morgan is double teamed. Abyss makes his way out and makes the save. Abyss cleans house with strikes to knock Team 3D down to the floor.
10.) Backstage, Gail Kim is getting ready for her street fight against Awesome Kong.
11.) Earlier today, Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with Kevin Nash. Tenay asks about the relationship between Nash and Joe. Nash takes credit for getting Joe into TNA and gave tapes to management. Nash believes they have become friends. Tenay brings up what happened last week where Joe cost them a tag match due to his temper. Nash doesn’t think he’s gotten it through Joe’s head about the business being mental, too. Nash wonders if Joe’s temper could cost him the TNA World Championship. Tenay asks Nash what’s going on with Sting. Nash notes they go back twenty years and the locker room was full of men and not boys. Nash tells a story about giving up his chair to Harley Race, but today the young guys don’t respect the legends. Nash thinks the young guys don’t care. Nash tells Tenay that Sting told him he’d be there next week and he’ll let Sting speak for himself.
12.) Earlier today, Lauren talks to Angelina Love about getting a match with Taylor Wilde for the TNA Knockouts Championship at No Surrender. Love says she’s going to win the title at No Surrender and decorate the title. Kip James enters the scene and kisses them both before entering the makeup room. Wilde ended up being attacked and had her face written on.
13.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Rhino. Rhino says there’s a lot of drama, but none of that involves wrestling. Rhino says the boys are choosing sides. Rhino says he’s here to wrestle and tonight he has to go through Booker T, which is what he’s going to do. Rhino will go to No Surrender and wrestle for the TNA World Title. Rhino is going to rip through Booker with a GORE!
14.) Rhino backs Booker into the corner, but Booker breaks free with a hammerlock. Booker elbows Rhino followed by strikes and chops in the corner. Booker tries for a hip toss, but Rhino clotheslines Booker. Rhino chops Booker in the corner several times. Rhino delivers a leg drop for a two count. Rhino punches Booker several times in the corner. Rhino chokes Booker on the mat. Booker eye rakes Rhino and misses a heel kick. Rhino responds with right hands before hitting a spinebuster for a two count as Sharmell puts Booker’s boot over the bottom rope. Sharmell claims she didn’t do anything, but Christian Cage walks down to the ringside area and blocks a slap. Cage carries Sharmell to the backstage area as the show heads to commercial.
Booker nails Rhino with a heel kick and gets a two count. Booker snapmares Rhino and puts a sleeper on Rhino for a few moments. During the break, Booker avoided a Gore to send Rhino into the corner and delivered a superkick. Rhino punches free, but is met with a leaping heel kick. Booker kicks Rhino, but misses a scissors kick. Rhino clotheslines Booker and both men are down. Booker misses a clothesline and Rhino delivers strikes. Rhino nails Booker with a clothesline. Rhino elbows Booker to the mat. Rhino sends Booker into the corner and delivers a shoulder ram followed by a belly to belly suplex. Rhino heads to the top rope. Rhino misses a diving headbutt attempt. Booker recovers to nail Rhino with a scissors kick for the win. (**. A decent match and I like the clean finish for Booker. Rhino seems to be the kind of act in TNA that can lose matches cleanly and it doesn’t hurt him all that much.)
15.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Gail Kim. Kim tells Lauren she’s asked her a dumb question about being in a street fight. Kim admits that Kong has beaten and hurt her. Kim says she’s not the good girl she portrays and she will do anything for the title. We will see a different side of Gail Kim tonight that we’ve never seen.
16.) A video package promoting the Creed/Williams match from Hard Justice where Bashir cost Creed the title with a chair shot.
17.) Creed controls Williams with a waist lock and a couple of arm drags to keep arm control. Creed takes Williams to the mat and keeps control with an arm bar. Creed puts a hammerlock on Williams, but Williams counters with a head scissors. Creed puts a headlock on Williams, but runs the ropes only for Williams to shoulder block Creed. Creed takes Williams down to the mat with a leg lock and a front face lock. Creed nails Williams with a somersault clothesline. Williams bails to the floor and sends Creed into the railing. Khan tries to kick Creed, but misses and hits the railing. Creed slingshots into the ring and nearly wins with a rollup. Williams yanks Creed to the mat by his hair. Williams tosses Creed across the ring to keep the advantage. Williams chokes Creed over the ropes to maintain the advantage. Williams dropkicks creed over the ropes. Creed misses a splash in the corner. Williams dropkicks Creed on the knee. Creed counters a cradle with an elbow drop. Bashir is watching from the aisle. Williams delivers a jawbreaker and a spinning heel kick. Williams clotheslines Creed, but misses an elbow drop. Williams chops Creed, but Creed hits a crossbody. Creed elbows Williams several times. Creed scoop slams Williams. Creed heads to the top rope hitting a leg drop for a near fall. Williams hits a side Russian leg sweep and signals for the Destroyer. Creed counters with an atomic drop. Williams nails Creed with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Creed blocks being rammed into the corner and knee strikes Williams. Creed hits a springboard bulldog. Creed floats over Williams and delivers a kick. Creed press slams Williams and delivers a gut buster. Bashir tries to get involved, but is decked by Creed. Creed tosses Williams to the floor and hits a somersault dive onto both men. Creed leaps off the top, but Williams blocks it. Creed nails Williams with a superkick. Bashir enters and kicks Creed followed by right hands causing a DQ. After the match, Bashir continues to beatdown Creed with strikes. Creed kicks Bashir away. Williams gets in Bashir’s face for getting involved. (**. An okay match with a cheap ending. I like Creed and his energy. The money may be in Bashir winning the title and Creed chasing Bashir to capitalize on the USA/evil foreigner aspect.)
18.) Backstage, Prince Justice Brotherhood confront Rock ’n’ Rave Connection for embarrassing rock music. Curry thinks he’d make beautiful music with Hemme. Shark Boy threatens to kick ass if they don’t turn down the music. Rock and Rave beat up Shark Boy and Curry Man with their controllers.
19.) Kim avoids a charging Kong and delivers several strikes at ringside. Kong strikes Kim to stop her momentum. Kong drops Kim over the railing chest first. Kim forearms Kong a few times. Kong sends Kim into the ring post to maintain the advantage. Kong tosses Kim over the railing into the crowd. Kong chops Kim in the crowd. Kong misses as back splash and hits the wall. Kim axe handles Kong from off the wall. Kim rams Kong onto the wooden hand railing. Kong chokes Kim in the crowd for a few moments. Kong hits Kim with an umbrella. Kim fights back with forearm strikes. Kong kicks Kim away in the crowd. Kong throws Kim back to the ringside area. Kong grabs a kendo stick and chokes Kim with it before tossing Kim to the floor. Kim fights back with a few kendo stick strikes. Kim kicks Saed and sends her into the railing. Kong misses a clothesline and hits the post. Kim rolls Saed into the ring and brings a kendo stick with her. Kim delivers a few shots before hitting a neckbreaker. Kong slides a chair into the ring and Kim dropkicks the chair into Kong’s face for a two count. Kim wedges the chair into the corner. Kim tries for a sunset flip and avoids a sit down splash by Kong. Kim clotheslines Kong a few times to stagger Kong. Kim delivers a Codebreaker. Kong strikes Kim, but runs into the chair. Kim nearly pins Kong with a rollup. Kim heads to the top rope, but is caught by Kong. Kong blocks a strike and delivers the Implant Buster to pin Kim for the win. (***. As expected, this was a good brawl and Kim showed great fire to try and overcome Kong, but couldn’t prevail in the end. These two are an underrated women’s feud and consistently have good matches.) After the match, Kong throws the referee to the floor. Gail’s sister Katie is distraught in the front row. Kong grabs another referee and tosses him to the mat. Katie gets in the ring to protect Gail. Kong stares into Katie’s eyes and touches her face. Kong grabs Katie by her hair. Roxxi, and ODB run into the ring with chairs to prevent an Awesome Bomb. Kong puts a sleeper on Katie and leaves the ring.
20.) Samoa Joe brawls with Booker T at ringside while Styles prevents Angle from quickly climbing the ladder. Angle eye rakes Styles and grabs the ladder. Angle misses a strike and ladder goes to the floor. Styles strikes Angle followed by a kick to the back. Angle tries for a German, but settles for an overhead suplex belly to belly. Angle grabs the ladder on the floor. Styles goes to the floor and Angle rams the ladder into Styles against the railing. Styles strikes Angle back into the ring. Angle runs the ropes, but is met with a dropkick. Styles hits a slingshot crossbody to the floor to take Angle out. Sharmell comes down to ringside as the show goes to commercial.
Angle chokes Styles with a t-shirt. Angle strikes Styles on the mat. Angle delivered a low blow during the break to gain the advantage. Styles chops Angle several times, but Angle drop toe holds Styles onto the ladder face first. Angle takes Styles over with a snap suplex. Angle grabs the ladder, but Styles stops Angle with chops. Styles forearms Angle into the corner. Angle hits a German suplex. Angle puts a choke on Styles. Styles punches Angle to break free. Angle clubs Styles, but Styles delivers a DDT to counter an Angle Slam attempt. Styles clotheslines Angle several times to keep control of the match. Styles drops Angle over his knee with a backbreaker. Styles grabs the ladder and sets it up. Styles ducks a clothesline and rams Angle onto the ladder face first. Styles begins to climb the ladder, but Angle grabs Styles to hit the Olympic Slam. Angle climbs the ladder, but Styles pushes the ladder over and Angle crashes the floor dangerously. Styles and Angle collide on stereo clothesline attempts. Angle backdrops Styles to the apron. Sharmell is kicked away by Styles, who hits a springboard forearm on Angle. Booker and Joe begin to brawl on the floor again. Booker gets the black bat and whacks Joe over the back. Styles sets the ladder up and begins to climb. Angle stops Styles with strikes, but the lights go out. Jarrett’s music hits. Styles whacks Angle with a guitar and manages to grab the gold medal to win the match. (***. I feel like the lights going out and someone using a weapon to win the match is getting a bit played out. It’s a bit hokey to suggest that Jarrett is doing this in the dark to help these guys. Why would he need to be in the dark? Anyway, it’s a good match and I wish I understood why Styles or anybody for that matter wants gold medals that don’t belong to them.)
Final Thoughts:
I’d say this was a good episode overall. It was refreshing that there wasn’t an extended talking segment and everything seemed to be tightened up fairly well. They are absolutely planting seed for a young guys vs. veterans angle, and I think that makes a ton of sense. It will be a matter of actually executing it and elevating the next batch of top stars for the company.
Thanks for reading.