Total Non-Stop Action presents Impact
Date: 4/16/2009
From: Orlando, FL
A video package promoting Lockdown and the Lethal Lockdown match is shown. Jarrett’s mystery partner tonight will be revealed in a match against Kevin Nash. The video package also promotes the match between TNA World Champion Sting and Mick Foley taking place at Lockdown.
AJ Styles makes his way out to the ring to kickoff the program. Styles talks about losing to Scott Steiner because of a miscue with Jeff Jarrett, and notes they talked about it and it’s water under the bridge. Styles doesn’t want to believe rumors he’s hearing backstage. Styles wants to make sure they are on the same page at Lockdown.
Jeff Jarrett makes his way out to join the segment and has his guitar with him. Styles talks about the young guys letting Jarrett down and knows he’s under a lot of pressure. Styles doesn’t envy Jarrett at all. Styles wants to know if Jarrett is going to be on his side at Lethal Lockdown. Jarrett is insulted that Styles would even ask him that. Jarrett reminds Styles that he named him captain before Styles switched it on him. Jarrett is frustrated with Styles for implying he’d turn on him and wants to know where the trust is with the younger generation. Jarrett tells Styles he has a lot of balls to question his integrity. Styles tries to apologize, but Jarrett doesn’t want to hear it. Jarrett says Styles will see where his loyalty is when we see the mystery former TNA champion in action tonight.
Kurt Angle makes his way out with the Main Event Mafia to join the segment. Angle gets in the ring to confront Styles and Jarrett. Angle has sympathy for Jarrett, and reveals that Kevin Nash is not cleared to compete due to his elbow. Angle respectfully asks if he can replace Nash tonight. Styles thinks that would be a forfeit and they would get the main advantage. Angle is asking to replace Nash tonight. Jarrett allows Angle to replace Nash tonight. Jarrett will tell Angle who his opponent is later tonight.
Backstage, Lauren interviews Sheik Abdul Bashir, who says that No Limits and Kiyoshi decided to join his cause. They will bring the violence at Lockdown and he’s all sorts of mad.
MATCH #1: HOMICIDE VS. CHRIS SABIN VS. NAITO
FINISH: Homicide pins Naito after a middle rope cutter.
Bob’s Take: Homicide is worked over by Sabin and Naito at the start. Sabin quickly turns on Naito, though. Homicide tossed Naito with an overhead suplex. Homicide hits his somersault suicide dive to the floor onto No Limit and his momentum sent him into the wall in the crowd. Naito almost won with a German suplex on Sabin. Homicide recovered to hit a double missile dropkick and cleaned out for a moment. Homicide almost pinned Sabin after a double under hook powerbomb. Sabin is shoved off the ropes to the floor allowing Homicide to hit a middle rope cutter on Naito for the win. There’s some decent action here with a good pace, but I’m not sure why I’m suppose to care about this one. It’s an average three way dance for the most part.
Match Rating: **1/4
Outside, Balls Mahoney and Brother Runt have arrived to the Impact Zone.
Backstage, Abyss is in Jim Cornette’s office trying to get a match to get his mind off the Dr. Stevie stuff. ODB barges into the office and complains about not having a match on TV, but is getting sent into a cage match. ODB is with her new boyfriend Cody Deaner. Cornette decides to book a mixed tag match. Abyss says Lauren doesn’t wrestle, but Cornette tells Abyss to find a Knockout. Deaner volunteers to team with ODB. ODB is confused as to why Deaner is hanging out with her when it was a one-night deal. Deaner is convinced ODB is liking him. Deaner carries ODB out of the room.
Earlier today, Mike Tenay talked with Jeff Jarrett and asked what Jarrett had planned for Mick Foley upon his signing. Jarrett puts over Foley’s accolades. Jarrett says every competitor goes into a match looking to win. Jarrett wonders at what cost did it take for them to win their match. We see footage of Cactus vs. Jarrett from Memphis when their relationship is brought up. Jarrett doesn’t know if Foley or Cactus Jack will show up. Tenay asks for the status on Jeff’s friendship with Scott Steiner. Jarrett notes that Scott was a favorite of his wife, Jill. Jarrett has done some soul searching and he’s made tough decisions, but he needs to take care of Jeff Jarrett.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash is in the locker room of the Main Event Mafia to talk with Kurt Angle. Kevin Nash is behind them talking to Jenna from Survivor the entire time. Borash asks Angle if he has any clue who his opponent is tonight, but Kurt has no idea and doesn’t care. Angle guarantees that he’s going to win no matter the opponent.
A video package promoting the Beautiful People and their recent antics.
MATCH #2: THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (LOVE, SKY & RAYNE) VS. TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION AWESOME KONG, RAISHA SAEED, & TAYLOR WILDE
FINISH: Kong pins Love following the Implant Driver. After the match, Kong is attacked and Saeed is dropped face first onto the Knockouts Championship in the corner. Wilde suffers the same fate. Kong gets up and cleans house, but Love sprays something into Kong’s face. Love decks Kong with the championship. Love cuts some of Kong’s hair.
Bob’s Take: They wasted no time brawling during the Beautiful People’s entrance. I’m not kidding this match is maybe thirty-seconds before Kong pinned Love. I feel like this doesn’t help Love look like a serious threat to Kong. Remember when the Knockouts were given substantial time on these shows? The aftermath proved that Love needs to blind Kong and have people help her. This is basically just angle advancement stuff.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Backstage, Awesome Kong is throwing a temper tantrum throwing stuff around.
TNA Roughcut continues with more focus on Team 3D and their careers in Japan. They also talk about Philadelphia being a hostile environment.
Backstage, Lauren interviews Team 3D about Lockdown. Brother Ray repeats the fact about IWGP and TNA Tag Team Champions competing in one match. Brother Runt enters the locker room and says he’s proud of them. Balls Mahoney enters the room next to surprise Team 3D. Mahoney does a pep talk about how Team 3D is going to conquer the tag division and knows that they are going to win.
MATCH #3: ABYSS & DAFFNEY VS. CODY DEANER & ODB
FINISH: Abyss pins Deaner following the Black Hole Slam. After the match, Matt Morgan attacks Abyss delivering the Carbon Footprint to leave Abyss laying.
Bob’s Take: ODB and Daffney start off the match trading strikes in the early stages. Abyss gets tagged in and Deaner looks terrified to have to get in the match. Deaner fired up and delivered a couple of strikes, but Abyss doesn’t budge. Deaner accomplished nothing and this was mostly a comedy match in that regard. The crowd responded well to the bit, so there’s that.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviews Scott Steiner. Steiner tells Borash that what they talked about will remain between them and believes that by the end of the night Jarrett’s actions will do all the talking.
Mick Foley makes his way down to the ring to interview himself. Foley is going to be interviewing his another personality, Cactus Jack. Foley admits things got crazy last week, but things will get crazier at Lockdown against Sting. Cactus asks Foley if he thinks it is funny. Cactus says Foley has no heart and no guys along with no spine. Foley tries to cool down Cactus, but Cactus fires back. Cactus takes credit for losing his ear not Foley. Cactus asks Foley where he was on July 27th, 2007 and he was in San Diego signing his book. Cactus recalls Foley allowing two young kids steal. Cactus is tired of Foley cashing checks on stories that Cactus wrote. Cactus is lacing up the leopard skin boots. Cactus isn’t going to allow Foley have his moment of glory. Cactus begins to hit Foley, which is himself.
TNA World Champion Sting makes his way out to confront Cactus Jack. Sting tells Cactus that he’s turning a twenty year old friendship into an out of control circus. Cactus is bleeding from above his eyebrow and is smiling. Sting asks if Foley has lost his mind. Sting is not intimidated by a cage or several weapons that he lists. Cactus gets up and says that’s the kind of Sting he wants to see. Cactus says Sting has never been intimidated by him. Cactus recalls Sting being thrown off when Cactus got chants before and tells Sting to think about what he’s going to do trapped in a cage with thousands chanting his name. MEM’s music hits, but that distracts Sting allowing Cactus Jack to attack Sting. Cactus drives a wooden chair onto Sting. Cactus has Curry Man’s music because he can do that. Cactus has Shark Boy’s music play. Cactus has Sting’s music play before departing the ring and goes under the ring to grab a barbed wire bat. Cactus hits Sting with the barbed wire bat. Foley runs the place and can do whatever he wants. Foley is going to tear Sting apart at Lockdown.
Backstage, Beer Money Inc. have attacked Balls Mahoney and Brother Runt. The attack is brought to the ringside area. Mahoney is gushing blood as they head toward the ringside area. Mahoney fights back on Roode, but gets waffled with a chair shot by Roode laying Mahoney out. Storm puts Runt in a tree of woe and delivers a chair shot against the ring post. Roode whacks Mahoney with another vicious chair shot. Storm plants Runt with an elevated DDT onto the chair. Runt is busted wide open, too. Roode puts Runt through the table with a middle rope powerbomb. Team 3D finally make the save to runoff Beer Money Inc.
Team 3D remains in the ring to cut a promo. Brother Ray wants to talk to Beer Money face to face. Beer Money return to the ramp. Brother Ray wants to know why they’d do this to their brothers. Roode says they hate them just as they hate Team 3D. Ray challenges Beer Money Inc. to a street fight… in a cage match.
Backstage, TNA Legends Champion AJ Styles is interviewed by Lauren. Styles has no idea who could be the fourth member. Styles doesn’t know what is going on with Jarrett as sometimes it seems like he’s with them and sometimes it feels like he’s not. Styles thinks the same integrity Jarrett had to start the company will show tonight.
Jeff Jarrett comes out to reveal the final member of his Lockdown team. Jarrett gave this a lot of thought. Jarrett knows there’s been doubt over who he is loyal to. Jarrett realizes this decision isn’t about him, but rather his teammates and the TNA fans. Jarrett reveals… Christopher Daniels! AJ Styles is happy backstage. Kurt Angle looks stunned.
MAIN EVENT: CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS. KURT ANGLE
FINISH: Daniels wins after pinning Angle with a cradle. After the match, Angle is livid claiming his shoulder is up. Cornette comes out because Angle is threatening to harm the referees. Angle spits at Cornette. Cornette calls Angle a loser and the decision stands.
Bob’s Take: There were instances of the mystery opponent being a champion or world champion. Jarrett had said champion, and Daniels fits the description there. Daniels hits a moonsault to the floor. Angle fought back with an overhead suplex over the top to the floor. They collided on a double clothesline to even the momentum. Daniels gets the momentum with an STO. Angle stops Daniels with a DDT. Daniels almost pinned Angle with a bridging suplex. Angle tosses Daniels over with a series of German suplexs. Daniels nearly with a backslide, but Angle quickly hit the Angle Slam, but couldn’t win. Daniels gets out of the ankle lock and cradles Angle for the win! It’s a fine match, but not any sort of classic TV bout.
Match Rating: **1/2
Kurt Angle is remaining in the ring with the MEM demanding Jeff Jarrett to come out and wants Jarrett to watch the replay. Jarrett makes his way out to the ring and confronts Angle. Jarrett has watched the replay from several different angles. Jarrett asks for the tape to be shown and it shows that Daniels shoulder was down while Angle got his shoulder up. Jarrett proceeds to award the match to Kurt Angle. Angle actually hugs Jarrett and celebrates. Styles and Daniels are complaining to Jarrett. Samoa Joe makes his way out and heads to the ring to end the program.
Final Thoughts:
I’m glad the build to Lockdown is over with because I feel exhausted having seen the same guys multiple times on the show to provide little new content. I understand the big names draw a big ratings number, but the roster is large and they could easily spotlight far more people than they are doing. An average episode at best this week, and I’m hopeful for more wrestling coming out of Lockdown on TV.
Thanks for reading.