Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 3/12/2009
From: Orlando, FL
A video package promoting the issues between TNA World Champion Sting and Kurt Angle opens the show. The issue has created tension amongst the Main Event Mafia members. Sting defends against Kurt Angle at Destination X on Sunday.
Backstage, Kurt Angle is walking toward the ring.
Kurt Angle makes his way out to the ring to kickoff the program and cut a promo. Angle notes that his suspension is over and warns that Jarrett crossed the line last week. Angle thinks Jarrett crossed the line by kissing up to his “butt buddies” and he’s pissed about Jarrett buying suits. Angle warns Jarrett he’s messed up in the head and declares that the world is his and doesn’t want Jarrett to forget it. Angle wants Jarrett in the ring tonight because he’s gonna end Sting at Destination X.
Jeff Jarrett makes his way out to join the segment and has a guitar with him. Mick Foley and BG James have came out and try to prevent Jarrett from getting in the ring. BG is pleading with Jarrett to go back to the hotel. Foley is saying he’ll take care of it and tells Jarrett to go back to the hotel. Jarrett ends up going back with BG. Foley asks Angle what the hell is wrong with him and asks if Angle has lost his mind. Foley asks what happened to the Olympic hero he met ten years ago. Angle tells Foley this has nothing to do with him. Foley disagrees and says it has everything to do with him. It had everything to do with him before Angle tried to break his ankle. Foley has put his own money on the line because he believes in the company and in guys like Styles, Joe and Angle. Foley puts over Angle as being the best he’s ever seen. Foley has seen the ego and self preservation. Foley knows Angle will do whatever it takes to hold onto his spot, even if that meant TNA would crumble. Foley says the other Mafia members are just as bad as Angle. Foley only has faith in TNA World Champion Sting. Foley believes Sting has realized he has nothing in common with the Mafia and has been used. Foley think Sting will leave as champion and balance of power will change. Foley thinks Angle’s reign of terror will end. Foley suggests Angle fight him if he wants a fight tonight. Foley tells Angle to take his best shot. Foley warns Angle to give him the opportunity to Cactus Jack his ass. Angle gets in Foley’s face, but backs off without incident.
Backstage, Jim Cornette meets with TNA World Champion Sting and needs his help. Cornette asks for one favor. Cornette says there are a lot of wrestlers not getting TV time and not getting paid because Sting and Angle are constantly on TV. Cornette asks Sting to give someone else the limelight. Cornette offers Sting a chance to support a wrestler and Angle will get the same opportunity. Sting and Angle will be at ringside for the match, which means he’ll still be on TV taking time away from someone else. Sting agrees to the favor. Cornette tells Borash that chaos is good to have as long as it is controlled and business is about to pickup.
Backstage, Lauren is with Mick Foley and 2003 Survivor Winner Jenna Morasca. Morasca notes that she met Foley at a business meeting a few months back and they became friends. Jenna claims she watches TNA each week and is a fan of Kevin Nash. Lauren asks what Jenna did with the million dollars won and she says that she invested it into making millions more. Matt Morgan enters the scene and asks where Abyss is at. Morgan has been waiting for Abyss to accept his challenge at Destination X. Lauren tells Morgan that Abyss isn’t going to accept it because he’s been to therapy. Morgan is going to make sure Abyss answers his challenge tonight. Morgan gets whatever he wants whenever he wants. Morgan grabs Lauren’s ass, but is pushed away and he laughs.
MATCH #1: SHEIK ABDUL BASHIR VS. RHINO
NOTE: Don West shows up late to the show and arrives just as the match starts.
FINISH: Rhino pins Bashir following a rollup. After the match, Bashir low blows Rhino from behind. Bashir goes under the ring to grab a steel chair. Bashir smashes Rhino over the face to leave Rhino laying. Bashir puts his headdress over Rhino and taunts the crowd.
Bob’s Take: Bashir controls a good portion of the match, which I’m not sure I thought he’d be in control of the bout. Bashir has cooled off considerably as a heel for TNA. Rhino continues to get great support from the TNA crowd no matter the role he’s in. Rhino had a solid comeback sequence before kind of the lame rollup finish. I’m guessing with the aftermath these two would be wrestling at the PPV. The match was mostly by the book, but the aftermath was good.
Match Rating: *1/2
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with the Beautiful People and Cute Kip. Velvet Sky laughs at the thought that anyone thinks they could get one over on them. Sky showed they are beautiful and smart. Sky says they will play and they play dirty. Sky says it is on like Donkey Kong at Destination X. Angelina Love chimes in and says tonight is Madison Rayne’s initiation into theri group. Love insults Traci Brooks for being the special referee. They will be at ringside and they will bring the hazing to a whole new level if they need to.
Backstage, Main Event Mafia are chatting where Scott Steiner tells Kurt Angle he needs to figure it out with Sting at Destination X. Kevin Nash can’t help Angle tonight. Angle knows there’s a bunch of guys who would want to represent him. Angle sends his security out to find someone to represent him tonight.
Backstage, Booker T meets with Jim Cornette trying to get his TNA Legends Championship back. Booker can only get it back if he agrees to not press charges against AJ Styles. Booker agrees to sign the paper because he wants a piece of AJ Styles. Cornette has a contract for Destination X. Booker isn’t signing anything without his lawyer and Sharmell. Cornette manages to gaslight Booker into signing the contract. Booker warns Cornette that the beating AJ is going to get is on Cornette’s head.
Backstage, Eric Young meets with Sting asking how is he suppose to get to the next level without being given the chance. Sting tells Young he can’t send him out there with a clear conscience. Young is asking Sting to not make the same mistakes other have made in not taking him serious. Young wants the same chance that Sting was given by Flair. Sting accepts and agrees to give Young the spot tonight. They shake hands before Young walking off.
A video package promoting Samoa Joe is shown.
Backstage, Lauren is with Lethal Consequences for an interview. Lauren promotes the eight man tag match taking place later on. Lethal says Scott Steiner and Booker T have been wiping their feet on them as if they are doormats. Lethal chooses LAX to be their partners tonight. LAX enter the scene to join their partners. Hernandez says the talking is over and tonight they take the first step toward regaining their tag titles.
Backstage, Kurt Angle attempts to recruit Kiyoshi to represent him. Angle doesn’t understand the bowing and says he doesn’t have time for this. Angle gets frustrated and decks Kiyoshi. Mafia security keeps them apart.
MATCH #2: TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS BEER MONEY INC. (JAMES STORM & ROBERT ROODE) & MATT MORGAN VS. ABYSS & TEAM 3D — ELIMINATION MATCH
FINISH: Late in the match, Lauren tries to stop Abyss from using the bag of tacks, and is nailed by the Carbon Footprint leading to the win. After the match, Abyss knocks Morgan through the ropes to the floor.
Bob’s Take: There seems to be crowd interest in Team 3D vs. Beer Money, but we only get a taste of it as Devon gets eliminated very early following the Last Call. Storm actually gets DQ’d for spitting beer into Ray’s face, which is crazy thing to do. Ray pins Roode as the elimination quickly pile up as Morgan eliminates Ray right after and it came down to Morgan and Abyss. I’m kind of surprised they’d have Morgan and Abyss as the final two and not hold off on their battle until the PPV. Morgan tries to use the bag of tacks, but Abyss gets possesion of it and because this is a soap opera, Lauren comes out to try and talk sense into Abyss leading to the finish. They sped through the eliminations and action by default. Abyss has to win at the PPV. I’d be stunned if he doesn’t prevail.
Match Rating: *1/2
Mike Tenay and Don West bicker at the commentary table. Don proceeds to leave the commentary table and heads to the hotel bar.
Backstage, Abyss is losing his mind and is pissed that Morgan tried to kiss his girlfriend and tried to dump her into his tacks. Abyss promises he’s going to get Morgan at Destination X. Abyss says Morgan will have more holes in him than A-Rod’s story. Abyss is going to avenge himself and his girlfriend by making Morgan his bitch.
Mick Foley has joined Mike Tenay at the commentary table.
MATCH #3: MADISON RAYNE VS. TAYLOR WILDE
NOTE: Traci Brooks is the special referee.
FINISH: Rayne tries to hold onto Brooks to avoid a sunset flip, but Brooks shoves her and counts the pin right afterward. After the match, there is a brawl that included Cute Kip getting crotched on the post. Kip uses a spray on Governor and the Beautiful People stand tall after hitting their finishers.
Bob’s Take: It sure is a logical direction to have Madison join the Beautiful People as the idea of egotistical blonde bombshells makes a ton of sense. Wilde comes across as the girl next door and that’s why I feel like she’s not with the Beautiful People, nor should she be. This was hardly a match and felt like another layer to the feud
Match Rating: 1/2*
Backstage, Jeremy Borash chats with ODB regarding the contest to have one night with her at Destination X. ODB tells Borash that usually “hello” works with her, and Borash makes her laugh by saying “hello.” Borash is hitting on ODB throughout this segment. Borash asks what it would take to reach various bases as he’s leaning into baseball references with it being Spring Training time. ODB mounts Borash on a table because she’s horny. Borash probably loves his job.
Booker T, Kevin Nash & Scott Steiner confront Mick Foley and Mike Tenay at the commentary table. Booker seems to be defending Don West. Booker gets in Foley’s face, but there’s not an altercation. The crowd wants them to fight, but security keeps them apart. Scott Steiner attacks Foley with several lead pipe strikes. Steiner taunts Foley from the aisle as BG James is out there checking on Foley. Foley is bleeding from the top of his head.
During the break, Foley refused medical attention and went back into the Impact Zone.
TNA Roughcut promoting Ultimate X is shown.
MATCH #4: SCOTT STEINER, BOOKER T & MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (SHELLEY & SABIN) VS. LETHAL CONSEQUENCES (LETHAL & CREED) & LAX (HERNANDEZ & HOMICIDE)
FINISH: Hernandez pins Sabin after the Border Toss.
Bob’s Take: The booking of the Guns have been rather odd as they are still being presented as heels within the feud of the Frontline vs. Mafia, but then they are cheered within the division. It hasn’t connected with me as to why they wouldn’t support the Frontline. I still feel like I’d rather have Lethal Consequences chasing Beer Money for the tag titles. Lethal has a good hot tag cleaning house on the Guns. As expected, order is not maintained and there’s a massive brawl on the floor. A short match, but Lethal and Hernandez notably shined here.
Match Rating: **
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is with Mick Foley and BG James. Foley is holding his head and says he doesn’t want anything good to happen. Foley wants bad things to happen because of this. Foley needs to be ringside and knows that Angle called for the hit on him. Foley says this is exactly why he got involved in this business. Foley will make a difference and promises things will change for the worse. BG flips out saying this wasn’t suppose to happen. Foley says it makes him happy and he has an evil laugh.
Backstage, Kurt Angle tries to recruit Brutus Magnus, but Magnus declines due to what Angle did to Jeff Jarrett. Angle hasn’t found anyone and proceeds to pick one of his security guys to take on Eric Young. Rocco is stepping up to the plate.
MAIN EVENT: ERIC YOUNG VS. ROCCO
FINISH: Eric Young hits the Death Valley Driver for the win. After the match, Angle decks Young and brawls with Sting. Angle and his security outnumber Sting and beat him down. Mick Foley makes his way down to the ring to make the save. Scott Steiner runs into the ring and attacks Foley. Jeff Jarret comes down and whacks the heels with chair shots. Sting prevents Jarrett from hitting Steiner and Nash. Jarrett tells Angle that the three ring circus ends now. Jarrett announces that he’s the special referee and Mick Foley will be the special enforcer. Jarrett tells Angle to choke on those nut to end the show.
Bob’s Take: Rocco has competed in TNA before as a member of Phi Delta Slam back in 2005. This is a bizarre main event, and I can’t believe a lot of people would stick around for this. Rocco controls the early stages with a splash in the corner and a slam. Rocco misses a top rope splash. The aftermath was the whole point of this, but I’m not sure if a lot of people would have stuck around for it even with the match being short.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Final Thoughts:
Sting vs. Angle has been built strongly for Destination X, and now with the addition of Jarrett and Foley being involved in the match it likely means something dirty is going to transpire. Add in Ultimate X, and those two matches alone should make for a good show. The feuds have been given enough attention to justify PPV matches. This weeks episode of Impact didn’t necessarily make me want to buy it any more than I did previously. There’s a lot of talking and they’ve shifted further away from a focus on in-ring action, and that’s a bit disappointing.
Thanks for reading.