Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 2/19/2009
From: Orlando, FL
Backstage, Jim Cornette is warning Jeff Jarrett about going through with the empty arena match because they could get sued. Cornette wants Foley to talk some sense, but Foley references Halftime Heat and Cornette gets frustrated by that. Jarrett talks about the Main Event Mafia being a pain and suggests they allow Angle and Sting beat each other up and that will solve their issues. Cornette kicks out Borash to not have this on national TV, but the camera guy stays there before leading into the opening video package.
Kurt Angle makes his way out and warns Jim Cornette to step aside and allow Jeff Jarrett to make a smart decision. Angle says the fans are getting what they wanted and it is the demise of the Main Event Mafia. Angle notes that he said that the Mafia would only demise from within and that is what Sting has done. Angle is taking a stand for the Mafia and says it is either him or Sting. Angle only asks for the arena to be cleared out, and the fans don’t like that. Angle wants only himself and Sting in the ring with no distractions. Angle notes an offer like this doesn’t come very often. Angle proclaims this is real, it is damn real.
Backstage, Lauren interviews Motor City Machine Guns regarding their street fight with Lethal Consequences. Sabin wonders what is going on in TNA with the lying and stealing. Sabin is getting sick from what the Frontline has been doing. Sabin claims they put others before themselves. Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed crash the segment and brawl with the Guns for a bit before heading into a commercial.
MATCH #1: MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (SHELLEY & SABIN) VS. LETHAL CONSEQUENCES (CREED & LETHAL — STREET FIGHT
FINISH: Sabin nails Creed with a championship shot to save Shelley from Creed’s offense. Shelley pins Creed to win the match.
Bob’s Take: Luckily, the match isn’t started during the break and we see the start of the match upon returning from break. For those wondering, the Guns are wearing street clothes for the street fight. The action is fast pace, which is to be expected. They did a couple of good spots with a chair throughout the match including a chair shot on a suicide dive spot involving Sabin and a missile dropkick sending a chair into the face of Lethal. Lethal nails Sabin with the Lethal Combination onto a chair. Shelley accidentally hits Sabin with the championship at one point. Lethal takes a backdrop over the ropes onto a ladder. I don’t think Shelley hitting Sabin with the championship is going to lead to a split or anything. This was a very fun match. They have had a good TV feud.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is back in the office. Cornette says that a decision has been made by Jeff Jarrett, and makes it clear he does not support the decision. Cornette says the Impact Zone will be emptied for the match between Angle and Sting. There will only be cameras, a referee and announcers. Jarrett thinks this is going to be exciting.
Backstage, Main Event Mafia are bickering. Angle tells the members it will either be him or Sting. Scott Steiner doesn’t think it needs to be this way. Angle tells Steiner that Sting has been disrespecting them all. Booker T asks Angle who thinks that. Booker tells Angle that Sting has never disrespected him. Angle suggests that Booker get involved and make it a handicap match. Booker T can’t believe that suggestion and gets escorted out of the room by Sharmell. Borash follows to the hallway and asks Booker if this is the end of the Mafia. AJ Styles comes out of nowhere and attacks Booker T throwing him into the wall. Styles nails Booker with the TNA Legends Championship. Styles tells Booker that he is the only and original (legend).
TNA Tag Team Champions Beer Money Inc. and Jackie Moore make their way down to the ring to cut a promo. Roode says tonight show has been somewhat exciting, but they’ve found it to be boring. Roode brags that they are the TNA Tag Team Champions and that means they are the best. Roode notes they’ve beaten every team put in the ring with them. Roode teases they have a special idea and raise the stakes. The idea is called the Off The Wagon Challenge. James Storm chimes in and says they will put the tag titles on the line at any time, place and against anyone. If they win the match then they win the titles. If you lose the match then you have to leave TNA forever. You can’t wear a mask or work for the company in any capacity. Storm declares the challenge goes out to anyone. Storm insults Don West and Tenay references Artie Lange.
Backstage, Lauren interviews Roxxi, Taylor Wilde and the Governor. Roxxi hopes that challenge is applies to them because they’d be tag champions. Lauren asks Governor that she thought the prank would be over by now. Governor says it is too easy to prank the Beautiful People so they will continue to do so. Taylor Wilde wonders why Love and Sky can’t take a joke. Wilde notes that the Beautiful People have made everyone’s lives horrible since arriving in TNA. Wilde gives a match lesson saying that since Spike doesn’t allow male on female violence it is three against two and Velvet Sky’s luck sucks.
Abyss is having another therapy session with Dr. Stevie. Abyss describes the violence he thinks of doing to Matt Morgan. Abyss doesn’t know what it is about pain whether it is his or his opponent. Stevie ends the session and Abyss is looking forward to the next session. Dr. Stevie’s face is not shown.
MATCH #2: LAX (HOMICIDE & HERNANDEZ) & SHANE SEWELL VS. ABDUL BASHIR, BRUTUS MAGNUS & MATT MORGAN
FINISH: Sewell pins Bashir following a top rope elbow drop after Hernandez delivered a Border Toss.
Bob’s Take: LAX getting their spotlight of offense was a highlight of the match which including Homicide hitting his suicide dive and Hernandez delivering a sit down powerbomb. I’m glad that the babyfaces won here, but I honestly thought this was going to be a buildup for the heel side since Morgan is involved with Abyss and Magnus is brand new to the promotion. A pleasant surprise to give the push for LAX and Sewell getting revenge on Bashir with a TV clean win.
Match Rating: **
Mick Foley hosts Hardcore History 101 and talks about a match with Sting at Beach Blast. Foley claims he’s never hit an elbow drop like the way he did against Sting.
Jim Cornette goes to the announcers table and reveals that a team has accepted Beer Money’ s challenge and they haven’t teamed in a few years.
Backstage, Lauren asks Scott Steiner if they were able to talk down Kurt Angle. Steiner didn’t talk down Angle because he wouldn’t want anyone to call him down. Steiner notes that Angle has a similiar attitude to him. Steiner thinks they just need to work some things out. Steiner tells Lauren to take her clothes off if she wants to work out with him, but she declines. Steiner isn’t afraid of Samoa Joe and believes he’d beat him again just as he’s done before. Steiner is lifting weights when an arm appears on screen pressing the bar onto Steiner’s chest. It is Samoa Joe, but we don’t see his face. Joe tells Steiner that he could break Steiner’s repaired sternum. Joe wants Steiner to think long and hard about what he’s going to do to Steiner at Destination X. Joe warns Steiner that it is coming at Destination X and he’s going to kill Steiner.
Backstage, Lauren interviews Sojo Bolt. Bolt has earned a title match and she plans on taking the opportunity. Raisha Saeed enters the scene and confronts Bolt. Bolt understood Saeed, but she didn’t listen to her demands. Bolt isn’t told what to do unless it is her mother, and Saeed isn’t her mother. Saeed warns this is going to be a big problem.
MATCH #3: ANGELINA LOVE VS. TAYLOR WILDE
NOTE: Cute Kip is ejected from ringside during the match.
FINISH: Wilde manages to get a rollup on Love and wins the match.
Bob’s Take: This is starting to feel like a feud that will never end. I’m kind of over the feud and the matches that are associated with it. Wilde winning a rollup and the distraction throughout the match probably means we’re getting more of this.
Match Rating: 1/2*
A video package promoting one night with ODB and fans are sending videos in to win a date with ODB.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash meets with TNA World Champion Sting coming down from the rafters. Borash repeats that the arena will be empty for the match between Sting and Angle. Sting says whatever Angle wants he’s going to get at this point. Sting believes Angle should have known that he wanted the title just as much if not more than Angle at AAO. Sting tells Angle he can clear the arena, but wants the cameras to be rolling because he’s at his best when it is showtime.
TNA Roughcut focuses on the Ultimate X and how the match isn’t for everyone. This is shown since Destination X is the next PPV on March 15th. Several wrestlers share their opinions on the match.
MATCH #4: TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS BEER MONEY INC. (STORM & ROODE) VS. ERIC YOUNG & PETEY WILLIAMS — OFF THE WAGON CHALLENGE
NOTE: Eric Young and Petey Williams come out to Team Canada’s music. This is the first time since Team Canada had disbanded in 2006 that the music had been used.
FINISH: Storm nails Williams with the Last Call allowing Roode to pickup the win. As a result, Williams is gone from TNA. After the match, Petey shows emotion about losing the match and being gone from the company.
Bob’s Take: The fact that TNA went three years with not having Team Canada aligned when the team was split is a lot longer than I thought they would. I mean, Petey and EY have probably been associated before that I can’t think of, but they used the Team Canada music so it’s a bit different here. Petey really needs to disassociate with the vibes of Scott Steiner since the betrayal. It’s a mostly standard tag match. Williams did a good job with the hot tag and got a good near fall on Roode after a leg drop off the top by Young. After looking it up, Petey is actually gone from TNA because they aren’t renewing his contract.
Match Rating: **1/4
Backstage, Lauren is with Team 3D and Rhino for an interview. Rhino does not agree with the platform that Sting and Kurt Angle stand on. Rhino thinks money can impact a persons mindset. Rhino talks about a controlled environment and how injuries still happen, but now nobody will be there to keep an eye on things. Rhino hopes Sting and Angle survive tonight. Brother Ray asks why does Rhino even care about Angle and Sting when they don’t care about anyone. Ray reminds Rhino what they did to him a couple months ago and hopes they destroy each other tonight. Ray considers Sting and Angle to be poison to the company. Ray wants to go to the strip club. Rhino reminds Ray that he doesn’t drink anymore. Devon offers a woman, but Rhino asks if she’s fat because he knows Devon. Ray looks at the camera and says she’s fat, but Rhino doesn’t see that.
We see the fans getting escorted out of the Impact Zone.
Jeremy Borash gets some fan predictions, but the first female fan has no idea what he’s talking about and asks the other fans with two fans saying Sting and the other saying Kurt Angle.
MAIN EVENT: TNA WORLD CHAMPION STING VS. KURT ANGLE — EMPTY ARENA
NOTE: The audience can watch the show from outside the venue. The other Mafia members are watching a monitor at the gorilla position, which means the venue is not empty.
FINISH: Late in the match, Angle apologizes to Sting, but then calls him a bitch. Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner come out and keep them apart. Nash screams at Angle to make things right because they are a family. Sting offers his hand and says he can do it. Sting asks if Angle is man enough to do it. Angle shakes Sting’s hand. Angle spits in Sting’s face and they brawl more. Angle continues to stay he hates Sting and he’s going to kill him. This match ended in a no contest, well, I guess it would never have a finish since there’s no referee.
Bob’s Take: This is honestly an incredible approach on TV and nobody in the crowd. Halftime Heat is the only other recent example, but that was a spectacle taking place during the Super Bowl (and was genius). It shouldn’t be a surprise that they spend the majority of the match brawling in the crowd. Sting tossed Angle off the bleachers to the floor as if we’re back in the Asylum. Angle screams he hates Sting and wants to kill him, and then about twenty-seconds later he’s apologizing when Sting gets a chair. I think it’s safe to say this is the first time TNA did something dubbed as being “cinema”, which is a popular phrasing nowadays in wrestling.
Match Rating: **1/2
Backstage, Lauren tries to talk to Sting. Sting grabs the microphone and yells that he’s never been disrespected the way he was by Angle spitting in his face. Sting tells Angle the feeling is mutual with hatred.
Backstage, Kurt Angle is screaming that he wants Sting and he wants the title. Kevin Nash tells Angle that he caused this and is responsible for all this. Angle isn’t going to shake Sting’s hand. Angle wants Sting at Destination X and demands Jarrett make it happen.
Final Thoughts:
A strong episode of Impact this week. Starting off with a very good tag team street fight and finishing off with the cinematic empty arena match made this show worthwhile. Sting vs. Angle on arguably a second tier PPV makes Destination X 2009 already a bigger event than I thought it would be. This weeks episode gets a thumbs up from me.
Thanks for reading.