Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 9/18/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) AJ Styles & Christian Cage defeated Motor City Machine Guns (Sabin & Shelley)
2.) The Prince Justice Brotherhood (Curry Man, Shark Boy & Super Eric) defeated Petey Williams, Jimmy Rave & Johnny Devine
3.) Booker T defeated Jay Lethal
4.) Rhino & TNA Knockouts Champion Taylor Wilde defeated Cute Kip & Velvet Sky
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The program begins with a video package of No Surrender last Sunday. Sheik Abdul Bashir won the TNA X-Division Championship. Matt Morgan and Abyss seem to be having some issues. So Cal Val picked Sonjay Dutt over Jay Lethal. TNA World Champion Samoa Joe successfully defended the title.
2.) TNA World Champion Samoa Joe comes out to the ring to cut a promo. Mike Tenay notes that Booker T failed to arrive to No Surrender due to ice preventing travel. However, Sting worked out a contract with TNA and challenged the winner of the main event at No Surrender. Thus, at Bound For Glory it will be TNA World Champion Samoa Joe defending against Sting. Tenay notes the match will be based around respect. Joe says he was taken to the limit by Kurt Angle and Christian Cage at No Surrender. Joe gives them credit for giving all they got for the TNA World Championship. Joe turns his attention to Sting and says that they bust their ass while Sting is back at home having tea parties with his kids. Joe notes they are wrestling their asses off for the fans. Joe is sporting a black eye. Joe says he will die in the ring defending the title. Joe asks when was the last time Sting bled or sweat for the company. Joe asks when was the last time Sting missed his kids game. Joe keeps it simple and says Sting will be asking for Joe’s respect, but his hand will not be there and instead it will be his boot kicking Sting’s ass. Joe tells Sting to get ready to take his final bow and kiss his ass.
3.) Earlier today, Jeremy Borash met up with Jeff Jarrett arriving to the Impact Zone. Jarrett has something to say and hopes that Sting is listening before walking off.
4.) Kurt Angle makes his way down to the ring seemingly unexpected cutting off Don West and Mike Tenay. Angle says he has words for Jeff Jarrett for when they cross paths, but says he’s going to kick AJ Styles ass to get his gold medals back. Security escorts Angle away from the ringside area.
5.) Sabin and Styles kickoff the tag match with Sabin backing Styles into a corner, but backs off cleanly. Styles rams Sabin into the corner shoulder first. Sabin springboards off the ropes to arm drag Styles, but Styles responds with a dropkick. Cage tags into the bout and Styles forearms Sabin after jumping off of Cage’s back. Cage hits a middle rope uppercut onto Sabin for a two count. Sabin kicks Cage and Shelley enters to trade strikes with Cage. Cage chops Shelley in the corner a few times, but is met with a boot. Shelley bulldogs Cage from the middle rope and hits a springboard crossbody. Shelley kicks Cage on the leg, but Cage stops Shelley with a gut buster for a two count. Sabin enters and Cage strikes Sabin a few times. Shelley rams Cage into the corner and Sabin kicks Cage. Sabin strikes Cage in the corner a few times. Sabin puts Cage in the tree of woe and tags in Shelley to deliver a baseball slide and Sabin delivers a delayed dropkick. Shelley slingshots into the ring from the apron to elbow drop Cage. Cage elbows Shelley and Sabin accidentally kicks Sabin leading to Cage planting Sabin with a reverse DDT. Styles tags in and springboard dropkicks both Sabin and Shelley. Styles heel kicks Sabin, but Sabin delivers a jawbreaker. Styles takes Sabin down with an arm bar. Shelley kicks Styles on the mat. Shelley clotheslines Styles to the floor. Cage frog splashes Sabin and slams Shelley to the mat gut first. Styles nails Shelley with a springboard forearm smash. Cage takes Shelley out on the floor. Styles hits the Styles Clash on Sabin for the win. (**1/2. A good TV tag match with constant action. Cage is giving off a vibe that he’s being regulated to tags and not a main event focus after No Surrender. I enjoyed this and both teams looked good.) After the match, the Guns show respect for Styles, but Shelley flips off Cage! That leads to the referee stepping in. Cage being disrespected is interesting.
6.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Booker T and Sharmell in their locker room. Borash asks Booker about the respect issue in the locker room. Booker says the disrespect is all over the place in TNA. Booker believes what we just saw is exactly what Sting is talking about. Booker thinks that Jay Lethal is disrespecting Randy Savage and doesn’t believe that Lethal is honoring Savage by acting as him. Borash brings up Jarrett. Sharmell says Booker knows everything, but will watch and listen before reacting. Borash asks about the briefcase, but Booker dismisses Borash and tells him to never ask about the briefcase again.
7.) A video package promoting the steel asylum is shown.
8.) Backstage, Lauren interviews TNA X-Division Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir. Bashir says the American people cried when they lost all their money when the stock market crashed. Bashir tells us to think about losing their life like he did. Bashir insults Obama and McCain for lying. Bashir considers this the first step toward him reclaiming his life he once had. Bashir says the championship is his hostage and dares anyone to try and take it from him. Bashir wants people to ask if they are willing to lose everything, because he has nothing left to lose.
9.) Williams and Shark Boy kickoff the six man tag match. Petey sends Shark Boy into the corner to deliver a clothesline. Shark Boy pummels Williams on the mat with right hands. Curry tags into the match and elbow drops Williams for a two count. Curry jabs Williams several times and kicks Williams. Curry is stopped on the apron by Rave with a leg sweeps. Williams slingshot head scissors Curry onto the floor. Hemme slaps Curry before Rave rolls Curry back into the ring. Devine hooks Curry to deliver a snap suplex. Devine knee strikes Curry in the corner followed by a leaping knee strike for a two count. Curry elbow strikes Devine and tries to make the tag, but is stopped by Devine and rammed into the corner. Devine strikes Williams on accident allowing Curry to hit a Death Valley Driver on Devine. Eric gets the hot tag and cleans house. Eric slams Williams for a two count. Curry and Williams are in the ring where Williams delivers a side Russian leg sweep. Curry avoids the Destroyer. Williams is clotheslined by Rave and Devine on accident. Eric hits a top rope crossbody to pin Williams. (*. Williams goes from being the X-Division champion to losing to a comedy act cleanly on TV. Prince Justice Brotherhood is an enjoyable trio, but I’m not sure how much longer they have to be worth the time.) After the match, Rave shoves Shane Sewell, the referee. Lance Rock decks Shane, but Shane snaps and attacks the heels. Shane low blows Rock, but Rave decks Shane from behind. Williams strikes Rave on the mat. Shane clotheslines Devine to the floor. Rock is met with a double clothesline to the floor. Earl Hebner enters the ring to calm down Shane.
10.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash meets up with Sting. Sting tells Jarrett to speak now, or forever hold his peace.
11.) Earlier this week there was a press conference for Matt Morgan. Mike Tenay, Jim Cornette and Don West are there representing TNA. Tenay puts over Morgan saying that Morgan is donating his DNA for an immortality drive project. Morgan is awarded a plaque for his DNA donation. Should anything happen to us, Morgan’s DNA will be used to revive the world. Morgan is leaving his imprint on his legacy.
12.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Matt Morgan and Abyss. Morgan admits he was wrong for getting frustrated at No Surrender because Abyss didn’t hit him. Abyss accepts the apology and gives a gift of his hair to Morgan by ripping his hair out. Morgan thinks they are an unbeatable tag team and puts over how they beat Team 3D. Morgan wonders what they will become as long as they have each others backs. Morgan asks if Abyss is in for the tag team invitational at Bound For Glory. Abyss shakes Morgan’s hand as Team 3D enters the scene. Brother Ray says they are better than Abyss and Morgan saying their loss was a fluke. Brother Devon was with a big white woman and Ray pulled his groin. Ray promises they are in the same match as Morgan and Abyss.
13.) Backstage, Jacqueline is seen walking towards the LAX entrance.
14.) Jacqueline slaps Hector Guerrero at the Spanish announce table. Guerrero ends up getting attacked by TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money Inc. from behind. Roode and Storm pummel Guerrero before rolling Guerrero into the ring. LAX run into the ring and make the save as Beer Money Inc. escape any punishment. Traci Brooks comes out and says Jacqueline started this. Brooks wants Jacqueline and Hector in Jim Cornette’s office right now.
15.) TNA Roughcut focusing on Roxxi is shown. Roxxi was trained with the guys and notes she may be a bit more intense with the women. Terry Taylor puts over Roxxi as being sweet, but doesn’t hold back. Taylor Wilde talks about how hardcore hasn’t been seen much in women’s wrestling. Roxxi doesn’t like to be labeled hardcore, but it’s part of her career.
16.) Backstage, Jacqueline and Hector Guerrero are bickering in Cornette’s office. Traci talks about not knowing if Salinas will be back in TNA due to what Jacqueline did at No Surrender. Traci books a six person tag match where Beer Money Inc. will team with Jacqueline wrestles LAX and Hector Guerrero. However, the losing team loses their manager for good. Jacqueline is not thrilled with that announcement.
17.) Sting makes his way out to cut a promo. Sting says Joe’s words cut right to the bone. Sting says Joe is naive and immature to know what is really going on. Sting mentions how Joe is ticked off that he’s going to his sons game. Sting reminds Joe that he worked 300 nights a year working for nothing when Joe was a kid. Sting hasn’t forgotten where he came from after doing this for twenty years. Sting learned his respect a long time ago, Joe. Sting took example from the greatest. Sting asks what if Joe is going to do 15 years from now if Joe has that length. Sting wonders what Joe will do when he faces the same disrespect. Sting learned from Magnum, and Nikita. Sting shut his mouth and learned from Dusty Rhodes and Tully Blanchard. Sting listened intently to Ric Flair. Sting admits Joe is bigger, stronger, faster and younger. Sting has a few tricks up his sleeve. Sting 2006 and 2007 BFG were phenomenal. Sting promises it will be showtime at the 2008 Bound For Glory.
18.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews AJ Styles and Christian Cage. Styles tells Borash to stop talking about the disrespect shown to Cage. Styles knows people are picking sides and Styles is confident that they are on the same side. Cage asks what side that happens to be. Cage says this is backwards and he calls the shots. Cage doesn’t like people making decisions for him and tells Styles to not forget he put him in the spotlight.
19.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Jay Lethal. Lethal tells Lauren to stop right now and doesn’t need or want her pity. Lethal says he was screwed by So Cal Val. Lethal wants to kill Val and Dutt if he sees them. Lethal talks about Booker T not knowing a damn thing about him and how he takes great pride in honoring Savage. Lethal is pissed off by Booker suggesting he’s disrespecting Savage. Lethal is going to disrespect Booker’s ass all over the arena.
20.) Booker shoves Lethal at the start of the match, but Lethal responds with several strikes in the corner. Booker knee lifts Lethal followed by strikes of his own. Lethal avoids Booker in the corner to deliver an elbow. Lethal arm drags Booker and clotheslines Booker over the top to the floor. Lethal baseball slides to the floor and decks Booker from behind. Booker strikes Lethal around ringside several times followed by chops. Lethal sends Booker into the ring post shoulder first. Lethal continues with chops and rams Booker into the railing. Lethal rolls Booker into the ring and remains on the apron. Lethal springboard missile dropkicks Booker. Lethal heads to the top rope pointing at Sharmell. Lethal leaps off, but Booker nails Lethal with a heel kick in midair. Booker chops Lethal followed by strikes in the corner. Booker continues to pummel Lethal in the corner. Lethal fights back with strikes, but Booker knee lifts Lethal several times in the corner. Booker misses a superkick and Lethal jabs Booker. Booker eye pokes Lethal to stop his momentum. Booker mounts Lethal to deliver right hands on the mat. Booker covers Lethal for a two count. Booker puts a top wrist lock on Lethal. Lethal gets up trying to fight out of the hold. Lethal knee lifts Booker, but Booker drops Lethal with a spin heel kick. Booker kicks Lethal and misses a scissors kick. Lethal chops Booker and avoids a back suplex. Lethal clotheslines Booker after a flying forearm smash. Booker elbows Lethal and taunts the crowd. Booker tries for a hip toss, but Lethal counters and dropkicks Booker for a two count. Lethal is tripped by Sharmell allowing Booker to hit the scissors kick for the win. (**1/2. If the respect angle had been going on a bit longer, I feel like Lethal pulling off a victory here would make more sense. But, we’re building the respect aspect a bit more, so it doesn’t bother me too much. Booker gave a lot to Lethal and it was an enjoyable match.)
21.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Cute Kip and the Beautiful People. Kip says Rhino has stuck his horn into their business too many times. Kip says they have something bigger than Rhino to deal with. Angelina Love woke up with a blemish on her face and she’s distraught about it. Love hasn’t had a blemish since the third grade. They flip out that Lauren call it a pimple. Velvet Sky says pimples are for skanks and scrubs like Lauren. They walk off to end the segment.
22.) Wilde and Sky kickoff the mixed tag match. Sky pulls Wilde to the mat and delivers right hands on the mat. Sky rubs Wilde’s face onto the mat and chokes Wilde for a moment. Wilde arm drags Sky causing Sky to tag out to Kip as Rhino enters the match. Rhino puts a headlock on Kip and shoulder blocks Kip. Kip tries for a hip toss, but Rhino chops Kip several times. Kip collides with the referee, but Rhino hip tosses Kip. Rhino misses the Gore attempt. Kip argues with the referee allowing Sky to spray Rhino and Kip decks Rhino to the mat for a near fall. Sky chokes Rhino on the mat and kicks Rhino before choking Rhino over the middle rope. Kip punches Rhino from the floor and tags into the match. Kip stomps Rhino followed by a choke in the corner. Kip kicks Rhino and clubs Rhino over the back. Kip rams Rhino into the corner and misses a splash attempt crashing to the mat. Rhino manages to crawl to the corner and tags in Wilde. Wilde clotheslines Sky followed by a dropkick. Wilde hits a bridging suplex for a two count. Rhino GORES Kip and they go to the floor. Angelina Love hands a pip to Sky, but Wilde avoids the pipe. Wilde takes Sky down with a rollup and pins Sky for the win. (*1/2. Not too bad, but I’m a bit surprised this was in the main event slot. I’m wondering if the Knockouts are a greater draw at this point than Booker T would be.) After the match, Kip and the Beautiful People attack. Kip plants Rhino with the Fameasser to stand tall. Wilde clotheslines Sky and Love. Kip confronts Wilde, but Awesome Kong’s music hits. Wilde leaps off the top to hit a crossbody on Kong and attacks Kong as the show goes to commercial.
23.) The Beautiful People put brown paper bags over Wilde and Rhino in the middle of the ring.
24.) A video package promoting the TNA history is shown that also highlights Jeff Jarrett.
25.) Jeff Jarrett makes his way out to the ring to cut a promo to end the program. The fans chant ‘welcome back’ to Jarrett, who hadn’t been actively on TV for over a year. Jarrett says he felt he had no choice, but come out and address a few things. Jarrett says the last time he was here the fans were watching the founder of TNA Wrestling. Jarrett talks about WCW going out of business and how he had a vision. Jarrett wanted a company to give young hopefuls their big break. Jarrett knows how hard it is to get a break in this business. Jarrett wanted TNA to be the place where guys deserved their big break. Jarrett says a lot of credit goes to God, his late wife Jill, a great financial partner, and all the millions of fans. Jarrett thanks the fans, but the fans thank Jarrett. Jarrett can’t ignore what’s been going on. Jarrett doesn’t want to talk behind Sting’s back and calls out Sting to join him in the ring.
Sting’s music hits and Sting makes his way down the aisle to join Jarrett in the ring. Jarrett says they’ve been in the game for a long time and notes that Jerry Jarrett gave Sting his first big break in the business. Jarrett has watched Sting’s actions over the past few months and has been listening to what Sting has said. Jarrett thinks Sting is full of crap. Jarrett says Sting is trying to get on his high horse and claim it is about respect. Jarrett puts over Styles and Joe for carrying the company. Jarrett talks about how there’s been times where Joe and Styles have literally carried the company on their back and shown him the upmost respect, just as he has shown them. Jarrett wants to pull the curtain back and compares this to WCW where the veterans wouldn’t pass the torch because they wanted to hold onto their spots. Jarrett says this is about the twenty or thirty guys who aren’t over the age of thirty. Jarrett says Sting, Angle and Booker want to take everything and give nothing. Jarrett provides a newsflash for Sting saying this isn’t WCW, but rather TNA and he’s not going to stand for it.
Kurt Angle makes his way out to join the segment. Kurt Angle wants to get something right that Jarrett would be out here to talk behind his back after what he did to him at No Surrender. Jarrett talks about two years ago how he had to step away due to family health issues. Jarrett picked one guy to replace him because he had the same passion and work ethic as him. Jarret picked Kurt Angle to replace him and fill his shoes. Jarrett tells Angle it was the worst decision he made as founder. Jarrett is ashamed to say that Angle lost his family, wife, world title and gold medal! Jarrett says the last thing Angle has left to lose is his dignity. Angle asks to speak now. Angle thinks Jarrett left two years ago because he was expired and over the hill. Angle doesn’t think Jarrett had any more heart and went out to find a younger, better version of Jarrett and that was him. Angle takes credit for carrying the company by himself for two years. Angle has never gotten a thank you and says Jarrett and the fans are assholes. Angle demands respect since he’s an Olympic gold medalist. Angle challenges Jarrett to a match at Bound For Glory. Jarrett came out there as the founder and not a wrestler since he has nothing left to prove. Angle stops Jarrett from leaving. Angle tells Jarrett to leave his ring and never come back if he’s not a wrestler. Jarrett warns Angle to not push him and tells Angle he doesn’t want the pain he’s been carrying for two years… but..
Mick Foley appears on the big screen! Foley says it’s real, it’s damn real. Bang, Bang!
26.) A video package promoting Bound For Glory is shown as all the wrestlers hype up how big the event is for TNA.
Final Thoughts:
They went very, very heavy with segments, but it almost felt as if it needed to be the case going into Bound For Glory build. Joe’s promo didn’t come across well as he’s shaming Sting for being a good dad instead of a traveling wrestler. Sting doesn’t need to be away from his family to make a living anymore, so he’s not a bad guy for that. I think the live audience picked up on that, as well. Mick Foley debuting comes out of nowhere, but hey Foley is a good talker. I’m liking the respect angle between veterans and TNA originals. There’s a ton of potential here and it’s an angle that WCW never fully embraced. TNA can not let their originals lose the feud, though. Sting/Joe and Angle/Jarrett as the top matches for BFG are certainly strong enough to carry the main event side of the build. I’m interested to see how the undercard develops. I’ll consider this a good show as the segments were enjoyable and served a purpose for long-term build.
Thanks for reading.