Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 11/6/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money Inc. (Roode & Storm) & Booker T defeated Christian Cage, & The Motor City Machine Guns (Shelley & Sabin)
2.) Abyss & Matt Morgan defeated Team 3D, LAX, & Hiroshi Tanahashi & Volador in a number contenders ladder match
3.) TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong & Raisha Seed defeated Rhaka Khan & Taylor Wilde
4.) TNA World Champion Sting, Kurt Angle & Kevin Nash defeated Consequences Creed, Eric Young & Jay Lethal
5.) Scott Steiner defeated Samoa Joe
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The Main Event Mafia make their way out to the ring to kickoff Impact. Kurt Angle leads the group, noticeably ahead of TNA World Champion Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T, and Sharmell. Angle proudly introduces the newest member to the Main Event Mafia their hitman, Scott Steiner. Steiner comes out to his own entrance to meet with his new allies. Everyone is wearing a suit, other than Booker T due to Booker having a match early on the show. Steiner says he’s been at home rehabbing his knee, but he’s been watching the wrestlers disrespect the guys who paved the way for them. Steiner wants people to realize this is the greatest collection of wrestlers to come together. Steiner says they earned their respect and they’ve come together due to respect. Steiner talks about giving the blood, sweat and tears for the business because they love it and they earned it. Steiner talks about wrestling all over the country noting the Boston Gardens and Madison Square Garden. Steiner notes they’ve been to Japan, too. Steiner says the difference between them and the young kids is they go backstage and play their video games and read their comics. Steiner insults them for playing video games at home and going online to read the mark websites to see their star rating. Steiner says they’ll tell them they suck. Steiner never heard of any of the wrestlers before he arrived to TNA after wrestling for 22-years. Steiner says they were in TNA since the beginning because he had no other options. Steiner insults Styles and Joe for being unknowns. Steiner says the fans show up to the matches for the stars and their names are on the marquee. Steiner declares it is a new day where they are going to kick ass and look good while doing it.
Samoa Joe’s music hit and Joe comes out with the TNA locker room joining him on the stage. Joe says Steiner had some strong words and says they aren’t denying what Steiner has done. Joe notes they didn’t understand half of what Steiner has said. Joe brings up Ultimate X, Lethal Lockdown, and the X-Division as stuff they’ve accomplished. Joe calls Nash a backstabber, traitor, SOB and isn’t kicking Nash’s ass because he wants to save that for Turning Point. Joe warns Steiner he can tell Nash what he’s in for after their match tonight. Joe claims they’ve done some recruiting and introduces their new soldier. Christian Cage makes his way out to join the segment.
Christian Cage tells Joe that he thought he made himself clear backstage. Cage doesn’t need to pick a side and isn’t going to pick a side. However, he doesn’t mind lending a hand against the veterans. Cage heard the Mafia badmouthing the younger generation. Cage knows they aren’t going to talk about him, especially Booker. Cage talks about the young guys trying to reach the top. Cage asks if Booker stepping into the business and became a world champion, because Cage busted his ass to reach that point. Cage says he’s going to win the TNA Legends Championship at Turning Point and he’s going to embarrass Booker T. Cage will say “I am legend.” Booker grabs the microphone and says Cage is wrong. Booker says Cage will be standing with the Mafia after Turning Point. Booker tells Cage he’ll know the real meaning of master because he’s going to own Cage, sucka.
2.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash meets with AJ Styles and Mick Foley arriving to the arena. Foley has something to tell Styles, but hasn’t told Styles yet. Foley wants everyone to hear it and will tell Styles later.
3.) Roode and Shelley kickoff the tag match with Roode backing Shelley into the corner and delivers several chops. Sabin enters the match and clotheslines Roode followed by a forearm by Shelley. Guns kick Roode leading to a near fall for Sabin. Sabin kicks Roode in the corner, but Storm kicks Sabin from the apron allowing Roode to hit a spinebuster for a near fall. Booker tags into the match and nails Sabin with a heel kick. Booker tags out to Roode, who keeps control with strikes to the body. Roode rams Sabin into Storm’s boot in the corner. Beer Money take Sabin over with a double suplex and taunt the crowd. Sabin strikes Storm to break free, but is met with a boot and a neckbreaker for a two count. Storm keeps a sleeper on Sabin in the middle of the ring. Sabin elbows Storm, but is yanked to the mat. Storm strikes Sabin in the corner several times. Sabin avoids Storm in the corner and delivers a kick to the head. Cage tags into the match and decks Beer Money. Roode kicks Cage and Cage avoids a back suplex. Cage hits a double reverse DDT. Cage decks Booker off the apron and clotheslines Roode over the top to the floor. Cage plants Storm with a lifting DDT for a near fall.
Cage heads to the top rope, but Roode shoves Cage off the top. Booker tags into the match, but Cage ducks a leaping kick. Booker sends Cage to the apron. Cage yanks Booker to the mat and heads to the top hitting a frog splash for a two count as Beer Money makes the save. The match breaks loose and all six men are going at it. Shelley is caught on the floor, but Sabin hits a suicide dive to take the champs out. Cage avoids a scissors kick and yanks Booker down, but Jacqueline distracts the referee. Booker gets the TNA Legends Championship from Sharmell and decks Cage with it to pickup the win. (*1/2. Kind of the expected finish here. The action wasn’t all that exciting, but it wasn’t a bad match by any means. Booker is a little bit frustrating as I’m kind of annoyed by his character and not in the good heel way.)
4.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Jeff Jarrett. Borash says Kurt Angle is on his way and he’s not happy. Jarrett notes Angle can come into his office whenever he likes. Borash brings up Angle wanting Jarrett in the ring again, but Jarrett insists that’s not going to happen. Jarrett isn’t going to get in the ring when Angle wants him, but rather when Jarrett wants to.
5.) A video package airs where Jarrett says the talent of tomorrow are here and that’s why people watch. TNA World Champion Sting and Kurt Angle disagree with that notion and they take credit for the PPV buys while Joe and others do not. Angle says if he saw Samoa Joe in the airport he wouldn’t know who he is. Sting recalls Jarrett needing him for Spike TV to pick them up. Booker T doesn’t think the young guys will ever breakthrough. Joe isn’t happy about the veterans making 2 or 3 times more than them and not showing up nearly as much. Booker notes that his contract is coming up and it’s going to be great for him since ratings have been going up since he’s been there. Styles says this isn’t about respect, but rather the veterans losing their spotlight. Joe says Sting’s past accomplishments have nothing to do with the now. Sting knows that Jarrett true colors will come out. Booker considers Jarrett to be a kiss ass. Jarrett wants to see TNA prosper into the future and admits he has an agenda towards the young guys. Angle thinks the veterans need to control TNA.
6.) Backstage, Kurt Angle enters Jarrett’s office. Angle asks how long Jarrett is going to hide behind the desk. Angle isn’t going to forget what happened at Bound For Glory and tells Foley he’s next on his hit list. Jarrett reminds Angle it was one and done and it’s over with now. Angle brings up Jarrett girls again and mentions they’d open the door for him while Jarrett’s on a business trip and wants Jarrett to think about that.
7.) Backstage, TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed have attacked Roxxi. After a commercial break, Roxxi is still getting checked out by officials. Lauren will give us an update as soon as she knows.
8.) All eight men start brawling in the ladder match as there’s a contract hanging above the ring for the number one contenders spot for the tag titles. Homicide and Hernandez toss Tanahashi and Volador to the mat in the early moments. Team 3D brawl in the ring with LAX. D-Von hits the What’s Up on Hernandez. Morgan and Abyss brawl with Team 3D. Morgan splashes D-Von in the corner followed by a side slam as the show goes to commercial.
Hernandez tips the ladder over and sends Morgan to the floor over the top. During the break, Morgan kicked the ladder into Team 3D. Hernandez dives over the ropes, but misses Morgan and Abyss hitting the ladder instead. Homicide and D-Von climb the ladder, but Homicide bulldogs D-Von off the ladder to the mat. Homicide sets the ladder up and climbs towards the contract. Abyss stops Homicide and hits the Shock Treatment. Ray hits the Rock Bottom on Abyss. Ray splashes the referee against the ropes on accident. Tanahashi works over Ray with strikes and a jawbreaker. Tanahashi hits a sling blade on Ray. Tanahashi forearms D-Von and hits another sling blade. Tanahashi heads to the top rope missing a frog splash. Team 3D hit the 3D on Tanahashi. Beer Money get in the ring and low blow Team 3D before leaving the ring. Abyss sets the ladder up and climbs towards the contract. Abyss gets the contract to win the match. (**. There wasn’t much to this ladder match, which is a bit disappointing because I feel like a ladder match is one of the easier matches to get quality entertainment out of. The logic doesn’t make a ton of sense to me as I feel like Beer Money would rather have Team 3D than the monster duo of Morgan and Abyss.)
9.) Mick Foley is headed to the Impact Zone to start the second hour.
10.) A vignette promoting Suicide (the video game character) is shown.
11.) Mick Foley makes his way down to the ring to cut a promo. Foley takes pride in the new and improved Impact Zone. Foley introduces one of the mainstays in TNA and the man challenging for the TNA World Championship at Turning Point, AJ Styles. Styles makes his way out to join the segment. Foley talks about seeing clips of Styles doing things that he had never seen before. Foley name drops Raven as saying Styles is phenomenal. Foley puts over Styles as the first triple crown winner in TNA. Foley talks about Turning Point where Styles needs to keep his cool, maintain the topes and dreams of the young guys, and find a way to beat TNA World Champion Sting. Foley believes Styles can do it and says change is inevitable. Foley says the issues with Sting have gotten ugly and Styles needs to put an end to it. Foley says Styles is their president elect for the new movement in TNA. Foley wants Styles to take his oath to office at Turning Point. Foley hopes Sting will come to his senses, which prompts Sting to join the segment.
TNA World Champion Sting makes his way out to join the segment. Sting remains on the aisle tells Foley he’s never lost his senses. Sting has spoken the truth since day one. Sting says you’ve got to tell the young guys what they want to hear, or there are tantrums. Sting respects Foley and everything he’s done for professional wrestling. Sting says Foley is doing what he tried to do, but failed. Sting promises Foley they’ll disrespect Foley just as they did to him. Styles chimes in and says Sting has gotten everything in his TNA contract and thinks Sting gets the silver spoon treatment. Styles doesn’t understand how they got to this point. Sting makes his way down to ringside area saying they got here when Styles spat in his face. Sting says Styles is never wrong, right? Sting tells Styles his father had the right to kick Styles out of the house when he was fifteen. Styles gets mad about that mention. Sting suggests the same will happen to AJ’s son, which pisses Styles off more, but Foley holds Styles back in the ring.
12.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Taylor Wilde. Wilde doesn’t know what she’s suppose to do tonight and says all she can do is fight. Rhaka Khan steps into the scene and offers her help to Wilde as the weapon of mass destruction.
13.) Kong catches Wilde on a crossbody, but Wilde counters with a cradle for a two count. Wilde kicks Kong on the knee a few times and heel kicks Kong, but Kong doesn’t go down. Kong stops Wilde coming off the ropes and tags in Saeed, who keeps control with chops. Wilde springboards off the middle rope and arm drags Saeed. Wilde head scissors Saeed and gets a two count. Wilde forearms Saeed, but collides with Kong on the apron. Saeed keeps control with a scoop slam and runs the ropes to deliver an elbow drop for a two count. Kong returns to the match and tosses Wilde across the ring by her hair. Wilde strikes Kong against te ropes and jumps on Kong’s back. Kong yanks Wilde to the mat and misses a splash. Khan gets the tag into the match and confronts Kong in the middle of the ring. Khan turns around and grabs Wilde to deliver a chokeslam. Khan shoves Wilde to Kong, who hits the Implant Buster. Kong covers Wilde to win the match. (*. Wilde wasn’t the legal woman since Khan tagged in, but whatever. I’m not sure what the point is to have Kong and Khan connected as a unit. I think I prefer Kong on her own.)
14.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Kevin Nash. Borash says Nash’s match with Joe at Turning Point has been a year in the making. Nash says Joe has been talking a lot, but talk is cheap. Nash trained for eight weeks for this match and asks if Joe is ready. Nash says he’s bigger, stronger and wrestled longer. Nash has lost count how many times he’s been world champion. Nash asks if Joe has ever wrestled a man his size and pissed off before. Nash has wrestled guys like Joe before, but Joe has never met a guy like him.
15.) Earlier today, Mike Tenay interviewed TNA X-Division Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir. Bashir thought he was normal, but after 9/11 everything changed and it was because of how he looked. Tenay brings up Bashir anti-USA slant. Bashir loves America and his ability to say what he wants to say, but it’s the American people who make it hard to live here. Tenay mentions Bashir has said Americans are mindless sheep. Bashir is sure he’s the most hated man in TNA, but he’s a champion. Bashir claims he’s a fan favorite in other countries, but not in America. Tenay admits Bashir is good in the ring and there’s no way to deny it. Tenay tells Bashir that he lobbied for him to work in the World X Cup. Bashir finds it ironic that Tenay turned on him when he spoke his feelings. Tenay says everyone lost something due to 9/11. Bashir asks what Tenay has lost, and Tenay is silent. Bashir stands up and gets mad about promoters not booking him for how he looks. Security gets involved and escort Bashir out of the interview segment.
16.) Angle and Lethal kickoff the six man tag match. Angle works over Lethal with strikes against the ropes for a few moments. Lethal ducks a clothesline and does a handspring before hip tossing Angle followed by a seated dropkick for a two count. Angle decks Lethal with a clothesline. Nash tags into the match and elbows Lethal over the neck. Nash backs Lethal into the corner and tosses Lethal to the mat. Nash lifts Lethal over his shoulder and delivers a Dominator. Nash knee lifts Lethal in the corner followed by a forearm smash. Nash chokes Lethal in the corner and Sting kicks Lethal upon tagging into the match. Sting kicks Lethal a few times and Angle tags in to suplex Lethal for a near fall. Angle brings Lethal to the ropes and Sting tags into the match to strike Lethal. Lethal avoids a back suplex and tags in Young. Young cleans house knocking Nash off the apron and decks Angle. Young slams Sting for a two count. Young baseball slides Nash on the floor. Angle tags in as Young has Sting for a Death Valley Driver, but Ange chop blocks Young and tries for an ankle lock. Young kicks Angle away and almost wins with an inside cradle. Angle avoids the Death Valley Driver and puts the ankle lock on Young. Young rolls through to break free and tags in Creed. Creed leaps off the top to crossbody Angle and superkicks Nash. Creed clotheslines Angle for a two count. Lethal takes Sting out with a slingshot crossbody on the floor. Angle avoids a superkick by Creed to hit the Angle Slam for the win. (**1/4. A quick six man tag, but an enjoyable match. The youngsters got some momentum, but there was never a doubt here. Regardless, it was enjoyable.)
17.) Backstage, Lauren interviews Rhino. Lauren brings up his match with Bashir. Rhino asks how many times they will open their arms to foreigners and let them abuse them. Rhino notes Bashir was born there and says if he doesn’t like it he can leave it. Lauren corrects him on the phrasing and Rhino kicks her out of the segment. Rhino promises to deport Bashir via the GORE!
18.) Joe strikes Steiner to kickoff the main event. Steiner knee lifts Joe, but is met with an elbow in the corner. Joe rams Steiner into the corner and delivers a kick. Joe strikes Steiner in the corner a few times. Joe snapmares Steiner and delivers a chop to the back followed by a kick to the chest and delivers a knee drop. Joe covers Steiner, but only gets a two count. Joe tries for a German suplex, but Steiner blocks it and low blows Joe as the referee was out of position. Steiner chops Joe in the corner several times. Steiner tosses Joe overhead with a suplex. Steiner tries for a cover, but Joe kicks out at two. Joe elbows free from Steiner, but an eye rake stops Joe’s momentum. Steiner chops Joe followed by a clothesline. Steiner connects with an elbow drop and does pushups as the show goes to commercial.
Steiner continues to work over Joe in the corner with chops. Joe sunset flips Steiner, but Steiner tries for a punch and misses. Joe boots Steiner followed by a back splash for a two count. Joe works over Steiner with headbutts. Steiner low blows Joe and delivers a chop. Joe overhead suplexs Steiner. Kevin Nash sneaks his way down to ringside and gets on the apron to distract Joe. Steiner decks Joe from behind, but Joe ducks a clothesline and suicide dives onto Nash! Steiner has gotten brass knuckles around his fist. Joe gets back in the ring and Steiner decks Joe with the brass knuckles to win the match. (*. This was nowhere near the quality they had a couple of years ago. The vibe is just drastically off. Joe losing on TV even with a brass knuckles shot makes it clear he’s just another guy on the TNA roster.)
19.) Kevin Nash pummels Samao Joe, but AJ Styles runs into the ring with a steel chair to make the save. The Main Event Mafia comes out to applaud Nash and Steiner. Styles remains standing in the ring with Joe to end the program.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a little bit of a dull episode overall. Turning Point has a solid card attached to it, so hopefully that delivers and they can end the year on a stronger note television wise.
Thanks for reading.