Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 11/13/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong & Rhaka Khan defeated Roxxi & Taylor Wilde
2.) Eric Young defeated TNA X-Division Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir to win the title
3.) Scott Steiner defeated Rhino
4.) TNA World Champion Sting defeated Jay Lethal to retain the title
5.) TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money Inc. defeated AJ Styles & Samoa Joe by disqualification to retain the titles
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Highlights from Turning Point are shown where the Main Event Mafia won their respective matches.
2.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett. Borash notes that MEM won all their matches. Jarrett says you win and lose matches, but a true professional gets back up and shake it off. Foley doesn’t know if Jarrett’s words will motivate, but Foley thinks someone else’s voice will help lift them up. Foley tells Borash that he was embarrassed on Sunday. Foley mentions Alex Shelley getting distracted and losing his match because he joked about the size of his butt.
3.) Mick Foley makes his way out to the ring to cut a promo. Foley says it was not a stellar night at Turning Point for the TNA originals. Foley wants to call out several wrestlers and calls out AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Motor City Machine Guns, Petey Williams, Eric Young, Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed. All the wrestlers come out to join Foley in the ring. Foley wasn’t embarrassed by their effort. Foley says you don’t win respect with four losses. Foley thinks they need to step up to the plate. Foley gets distracted by Shelley playing with a booger. Foley tells Shelley he needs to understand the power of words. Foley tells Shelley he’s a valuable piece of talent, but he’s not invaluable. Foley promises to deal with Shelley next week. Foley switches his attention to AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. Foley says Kevin Nash wasn’t just talking when he said he was the smartest man in wrestling. Foley tells Joe no more mental mistakes. Foley brings up Sting and tells Styles it’s a new day full of opportunities. Foley promises MEM will strike them out every single time. Foley believes in second chances and says Eric Young earned a shot against TNA X-Division Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir. Foley makes the match for tonight. Foley puts over Styles talent and recalls writing in his book that Joe is a badass. Foley books a tag title match where Samoa Joe and AJ Styles will challenge TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money tonight. Foley asks the fans if they should have a TNA World Championship match and books Jay Lethal to challenge TNA World Champion Sting tonight. Foley suggests they step up to the plate tonight and knock it out of the park.
4.) Earlier today, Lauren caught up with Christian Cage regarding his loss at Turning Point and now having to join the Main Event Mafia. Cage doesn’t think his thoughts matter because he has no choice. MEM walk up and welcome Cage to the family. Angle says they are going to give him a welcome party with woman, booze and music. Angle says Cage comes a made man tonight and Scott Steiner gives Cage a suit. Booker welcomes Cage to the family and Nash sniffs Lauren. Cage looks at the suit and proceeds to put it in the trash after MEM walked off.
5.) Backstage, ODB is building a set for her new talk show that is debuts next week. She found all her stuff in the trash. ODB thinks if Barbara Walters and Oprah can have their own show then she can too.
6.) The four women brawl on the floor to kickoff the Knockouts tag match. Kong sends Wilde into the railing back first and chokes Wilde. Bolt forearms Roxxi on the other side. Kong sends Wilde across the ring. Kong splashes Wilde in the corner to keep control before tagging in Bolt. Bolt slams Wilde and delivers a knee drop for a two count. Bolt chokes Wilde in the corner, but is forced to let go. Bolt hits a snap suplex on Wilde for a near fall. Kong tags into the match and sends Wilde into the corner, but misses a splash. Wilde hits a Codebreaker to drop Kong to the mat. Wilde tags in Roxxi and Roxxi forearms Kong several times. Roxxi jumps onto Kong’s back putting a choke on Kong. Khan axe kicks Roxxi leading Wilde to get in the ring. Khan is met with a double clothesline. Kong is nailed by a double dropkick and Roxxi splashes Wilde onto Kong. Roxxi ducks a clothesline by Khan and sends Khan to the floor. Khan grabs Wilde to the floor, but Wilde forearms Khan. Kong knocks Roxxi to the mat with a body strike. Kong drives Roxxi to the mat with the Implant Buster for the win. (*1/2. A decent match with a good pacing between the two teams. I’m still not sure that Khan is needed to be with Kong as it feels like it kind of waters down Kong’s impact.)
7.) Backstage, Lauren is with the Motor City Machine Guns. Shelley tells Lauren that with wins there will be loses, as well. Shelley thinks it is like a snake where there’s a head and a tail. Shelley isn’t sure how Styles and Joe got to the head while everyone else is the tail. Shelley believes they are the toughest, fastest and most handsome and they should be at the top. Sabin agrees and thinks Styles and Joe should take their lead, which is get it done by any means necessary.
8.) Backstage, Lauren is with Traci who is talking with TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong, Raisha Saeed and Rhaka Khan. Saeed demands that Kong get more challengers. Saeed suggests that Kong will beat up innocent people if Traci doesn’t get the job done. Khan asks Lauren who wouldn’t want to be on the side of the beast when asked why she bailed on Taylor Wilde last week.
9.) Young hip tosses Bashir at the start of the bout. Young hits a belly to belly suplex on Bashir out of the corner for a two count. Bashir drop toe holds Young chest first into the corner and stomps Young on the mat. Bashir eye rakes Young on the mat and keeps control with a right hand to the mat. Bashir covers for a two count. Bashir controls Young on the mat with a body scissors. Bashir eye rakes Young and yells at the referee. Young rams Bashir into the corner and delivers a forearm smash. Young misses a clothesline and hits a powerslam for a two count. Bashir knee lifts Young, but is met with a kick. Young decks Bashir with a discus clothesline and pummels Bashir in the corner. Bashir stops Young with a low blow. The referee decides against making the count. Shane Sewell asks the fans and they tell Shane what happened. Bashir shoves Shane, which pisses off Shane. Shane takes off his referee shirt and decks Bashir. Shane scoop slams Bashir and is fired up. Shane dropkicks Bashir and Young hits the Death Valley Driver for the win. (*1/2. Is this TNA ruining the X-Division now? Young isn’t exactly the definition of the X-Division, but it has always been about no limits. The true focus here seemed to be on Shane Sewell costing Bashir the match. The crowd loved it, though.) After the match, the locker room celebrates with Eric Young treating this as a major moment.
10.) Backstage, Lauren is with the new TNA X-Division Champion Eric Young and the locker room where they are celebrating and Young dedicates the win to Mick Foley. Young thinks it is their time to shine from this point forward. AJ Styles and Samoa Joe are off to the side and not all that excited. Young says this is one done and two to go.
11.) TNA Roughcut focuses on LAX. Hernandez talks about not being allowed to play football due to his parents, but the coaches begged and got Hernandez to play football. Hernandez gave up football due to money issues. Hernandez looked out for others. Hernandez wrestled in Mexico as Mr. Texas wearing a mask. Hernandez talks about teaming with Homicide and they bonded quickly. Hernandez puts over Homicide’s mind and considers Homicide a mentor.
12.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with the Main Event Mafia. Kurt Angle says Eric Young didn’t beat anyone in the Main Event Mafia. Angle promises the domination continues tonight. Petey Williams enters the room to talk to Scott Steiner. Steiner tells Williams they can talk after his match and tells Williams to leave.
13.) Backstage, Lauren is with Jay Lethal for an interview. Lethal feels the power shifting and blesses Mick Foley. Lethal calls them Men on a Mission, but is corrected by Lauren. Petey Williams is there and dabs up Lethal. Lauren talks to Williams telling him to be careful talking to Scott Steiner. Williams is worried and says he’s boys with Steiner.
14.) Kurt Angle is on commentary for the next match.
15.) Steiner arm drags Rhino to the mat and poses for the crowd. Rhino backs Steiner into a corner, but is shoved away. Rhino responds with a shove and punches Steiner several times. Rhino shoulder blocks Steiner and runs the ropes. Rhino blocks a hip toss and chops Steiner several times. Steiner kicks Rhino to block a backdrop and tosses Rhino overhead with a suplex for a two count. Steiner argues with the referee. Steiner chokes Rhino in the corner for a moment. Steiner decks Rhino with a clothesline and an elbow drop for a near fall. Steiner chops Rhino in the corner a few times. Rhino elbows Steiner in the corner, but Steiner eye rakes Rhino. Rhino plants Steiner with a TKO. Rhino strikes Steiner several times, but Rhino hits a leaping clothesline. Rhino spears Steiner in the corner and hits a belly to belly suplex. Rhino waits in the corner, but Angle gets up and grabs Rhino’s foot. Steiner takes advantage hitting an overhead suplex and pins Rhino for the win. (*. Steiner is nowhere near the worker he was even just a year or so in TNA. This wasn’t good and the finish wasn’t creative or anything.)
16.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews TNA World Champion Sting. Sting says Lethal and his buddies are their own worst enemies. Sting believes the fingers will point at each other when the losses pile up. That’s the difference between men and boys. The difference between us and them.
17.) Sting backs Lethal into a corner, but Lethal jabs Sting several times followed by a dropkick and more right hands to stagger Sting. Lethal nails Sting with a leaping forearm for a two count. Lethal climbs to the top rope and axe handles Sting for a near fall. Lethal rams Sting into the corner and continues with right hands. Lethal sends Sting into the corner, but is dumped to the apron. Lethal hits a springboard dropkick sending Sting to the floor. Lethal suicide dives onto Sting on the floor! Lethal rolls back into the ring as Sting struggles at ringside limping a little bit. Lethal pummels Sting on the mat with right hands. Sting clotheslines Lethal as the show goes to commercial.
Sting clotheslines Lethal again to keep control of the bout. Sting suplexs Lethal and hits a leaping fist drop causing Lethal to regroup on the floor. Sting sends Lethal chest first into the railing. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley come down to ringside to watch the match. Sting sends Lethal into the railing again. Sting puts a sleeper on Lethal in the middle of the ring. Lethal elbows free from Sting, but Sting clubs Lethal over the back. Lethal ducks a clothesline and forearms Sting to the mat followed by a clothesline. Lethal hip tosses Sting followed by a dropkick to a seated Sting for a two count. Lethal strikes Sting against the ropes. Lethal runs the ropes, but collides with Sting and both men are down. Shelley gets on the apron to distract the referee. Sabin gets in the ring to hold Sting. Lethal gets up and refuses the help sending Sabin to the floor. Sting kicks Lethal from behind and hits the Scorpion Death Drop for the win. (*. I had gone into this hoping for a hidden gem of an encounter, but that did not end up happening. Lethal not using the interference should be a sign that there’s some respect there, which is what Sting has been demanding. Sabin and Shelley are playing their roles pretty well.) After the match, Samoa Joe confronts Shelley and Sabin as Styles has come down to the ring, as well. The four men bicker as Consequences Creed and ODB enter the ring. Eric Young also gets in the ring to calm things between the men.
18.) Backstage, Main Event Mafia have attacked Petey Williams. Scott Steiner is there involved in the beating hitting Williams with a trash can. Steiner shoves Williams off a ladder to the floor.
19.) Backstage, Petey Williams is checked on by wrestlers and officials as there is a pool of blood by his head.
20.) Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money & Jacqueline. Roode asks who Mick Foley thinks he is for ordering them to do anything. Roode reminds us that they are the champs and the greatest champs in the sport today. Roode says he will buy and sell Foley ten times over. Roode insults Foley’s appearance and tells Foley to hit the road. Storm tells AJ Styles and Samoa Joe to concentrate on them and not the soap opera they are involved in.
21.) Storm and Styles kickoff the main event with Styles controlling Storm with a headlock. Storm backs Styles into a corner, but Storm counters with shoulder rams and decks Styles to the mat. Styles float over Storm and delivers a slam followed by a knee drop. Joe tags into the match and jabs Storm on the ribs. Roode tags into the match and rams Joe into the corner followed by a chop and strike. Joe jabs Roode several times out of the corner. Joe elbows Roode followed by a kick in the corner. Joe keeps a wrist lock on Roode and tags in Styles. Roode is knocked to the mat by a double back elbow. Storm tries to get involved and is met with a double hip toss. Joe clotheslines Roode to the floor and Styles baseball slides Storm to the floor. Team 3D make their way down to ringside as the show goes to commercial.
Styles delivers a backbreaker on Roode as Team 3D have joined commentary. Roode gains control with strikes and rams Styles into the corner. Roode dumps Styles to the apron where Styles decks Storm off the apron. Styles tries for a springboard, but Roode knee strikes Styles. Roode rams Styles into the corner and Storm strikes Styles in the corner. Storm knee lifts Styles coming off the ropes and tags in Roode. Roode slams Styles and Storm delivers an elbow drop, as does Roode leading to a near fall. Roode keeps Styles on the mat with a waist lock. Styles elbows Roode, but Roode decks Styles from behind. Styles tries to tag in Joe, but is taken down to the mat. Styles nails Roode with a boot to the head. Storm knocks Joe off the apron to prevent a tag. Roode and Jacqueline double team Styles on the floor. Storm covers Styles for a near fall. Storm knee strikes Styles on the mat a few times. Roode tags in and assists Storm to hit a double suplex on Styles and they taunt the fans. Storm tags into the match and strikes Styles in the ribs. Storm sets up for a whirly slam, but Styles breaks free and nails Storm with a Pele kick. Styles crawls to the corner and tags in Joe. Joe cleans house with strikes. Joe nails Roode with a boot and plants Storm with a Samoan Drop. Joe hits an over the shoulder slam on Roode. Styles dives onto Storm on the floor. Roode strikes Joe in the corner, but Joe hits a snap powerslam for a near fall on Roode. Roode eye rakes Joe into the corner. Roode punches Joe in the corner. Styles is sent into the railing on the floor. Roode elbows Joe in the corner, but is met with a kick by Joe. Joe tries for the Muscle Buster, but Storm makes the save. Team 3D leave the commentary table. Brotehr Ray spits beer into storm’s face causing a disqualification. After the match, Team 3D attack Beer Money. Styles and Joe confront Team 3D, but there’s no blows thrown. (**. A basic match that didn’t seem to get out of first gear. The finish is lame, but expected to prevent a title change. Team 3D are clearly babyfaces again, and I don’t like it. Just a few weeks ago they were trying to murder Abyss, but now we like them? That doesn’t track for me.)
22.) A vignette promoting Suicide is shown.
23.) Backstage, Cute Kip and the Beautiful People hold a public service announcement. Angelina Love says they admire Sarah Palin. Love talks about Palin spending $150k on new clothing. They are offering Palin a position in their group. They will give her $50k toward a charity of her choice. Velvet Sky says she can tan with them worry free.
24.) Main Event Mafia come down to the ring to welcome Christian Cage into the group. However, TNA World Champion Sting is not part of the segment. Christian Cage joins the ring to talk to Main Event Mafia. Kurt Angle tells Cage when they give him a suit to wear, he wears it. Angle admits they’ve had their differences in the past, but notes Cage has had issues with everyone in the ring. Angle wants to welcome Cage to their family. Angle says family is helping brothers and sister (Sharmell) no matter what even if it’s wrong. Angle says family is commitment. Angle says Steiner is commitment who came back from a career ending knee injury to be the hitman of the group. Nash and Booker T got major offers, but declined them to make TNA the best company in the world. Angle heard earlier in the week that Cage and his attorney refused contract talks with TNA. Angle has heard that Cage is going to jump ship to the WWE. Angle says that Cage said he is tired of being the big fish. Angle notes they all had that offer, but Cage is in the ring for a certain reason. Angle says this is a going away party and not a welcoming party. Angle says the young guys aren’t going to help Cage. Angle hopes the trip up north is worth the ass kicking he’s getting tonight. Cage tries to fight off the MEM, but he’s quickly outnumbered. Steiner sits Cage on the top turnbuckle and hits an overhead suplex. Booker kicks Cage in the midsection and delivers a scissors kick. Nash grabs Cage and delivers a Jackknife powerbomb. Angle hits the Angle Slam on Cage. The MEM stand over Cage to end the program.
Final Thoughts:
This episode did essentially nothing for the TNA Originals. Eric Young won the title, but due to the referee getting involved. Lethal lost, the Guns are causing issues and Joe/Styles were overshadowed by Team 3D. I’m not sure how any of this makes them look like a threat to MEM. This also marks the end of Christian Cage’s run in TNA, which has to be one of the best runs in TNA history. Cage will be sorely missed, no doubt about it. I’m going to consider this a bit of a downer of an episode.
Thanks for reading.