10/19/07: Mike Poulin's TNA Impact Recap

10/18/07 TNA Impact Recap

“TNA: We are Wrestling.” Good for you.

A big video package showing highlights from Bound for Glory being shown.
Tonight on Impact the new champions will be presented with new titles. WHY? Plus the beginning of the fight for the right tournament continues.

Kurt Angle comes out and calls out Sting, who doesn't appear. Angle then calls Kevin Nash a has-been and says that he's a number one zero. Nash comes out and says that it sounds like Kurt has something to say to him and he thinks that Kurt should say it to his face. Angle says that Nash is no doctor and his advice sucks. He also says that he had Sting beat, and if it wasn't for Nash he would still be champion. Nash says that Sting was kicking Kurt's ass all over Atlanta. Nash also says that tonight Angle doesn't have a fight with Sting, but with him. Kurt attempts to attack Nash who quickly kicks him in the gut and gives him the Jackknife Powerbomb. End Segment. Nothing overly horrible here.

Chris Sabin vs Alex Shelley

Shelley and Sabin come out to a split crowd with dueling chants. Shelley and Sabin lock up. Sabin goes for the Cradle Shock early, but Shelley reverses it and the two trade hip tosses. Suddenly, Brother Ray comes out and says that this match sucks. Well of course! You didn't give it any time to progress. D-Von nails Sabin from behind and Brother Ray comes in and attacks Shelley. Obvious, No Contest here. Dammit, they ruined what could have been an awesome match. Brother Ray tells D-Von to get to the tables, and says that 3D will destroy the X Division because it's not wrestling. Wow… Brother Ray telling us what wrestling is, is not contradictory at the least, seeing that he came from ECW. Team 3D put both MMGs through two tables. Great -- Team 3D's going to destroy the best part of TNA.

Christian barges in to Cornette's Office and says that since there is an open spot in the “Fight for the Right”, that he should be in it, and his match should be a ladder match. Joe comes in and says that Christian hasn't beaten anyone, especially not him, and we cut to commercial with Matt Morgan pulling them apart.

Awesome Kong vs Talia Madison

Kong is just what the graphic says: Awesome. Talia attempts a go-behind early, but Kong shoves her off. Kong whips her in to the corner, but Talia gets the boots up. Talia attempts a cross-body block, but gets caught and driven face-first into the mat. Kong lands a big back fist followed by the sit-out powerbomb, and another squash victory for Kong.

We go backstage where Jeremy Borash is with Kevin Nash. Karen Angle interjects and asks Nash to work this out, but Nash doesn't want anything to do with her.
We are backstage with Blonde Kristal who is with Chris Harris and a missing Rhino. Harris says that Robert Roode and James Storm are his favorite people to knock around. Rhino eventually shows up to the interview. Harris says that a tag team should show up to an interview together. He also tells Rhino to say sober tonight Ouch.

James Storm & Robert Roode vs Rhino & Chris Harris

Storm is accompanied by Jackie Moore, and Roode accompanied by Ms Brooks. Rhino and Roode start us out, with Rhino dominating the opening minutes of the match. Storm and Roode basically double-up on Rhino throughout the match, and show very good teamwork and continuity throughout the match. Harris gets the tag in and clears the ring for his partner. Roode goes for The Payoff, but Harris reverses and attempts the Catatonic, which Roode escapes. Harris attempts a roll-up, but Storm has the official distracted. Rhino tries to clear the ring of Storm, but instead ends up making more trouble for his team, and Storm lands a kick to the head leading, to The Payoff for the win.

I could see a lot of promise from the team of Roode and Storm; they seem to mesh together well. After the match, Rhino and Harris get in each others faces and blame each other for the loss. Please don’t tell me TNA’s building a match between these two for the Genesis PPV.

Next, we are in the ring with Mike Tenay and Jim Cornette for the parade of champions. Jay Lethal comes out, but Cornette tells Lethal that he’s not a new champion, but congratulates him anyway. Gail Kim comes out next; Cornette says that she’s an inspiration to women’s wrestling. Next up are AJ Styles & Tomko, who come out with by Christian. We hear from Tomko, who says he had his doubts, but he and AJ won the titles. I skipped the AJ stuff because I despise what TNA has turned him into in the last year.

Christian gets the microphone and says that he wants the final spot in the “Fight for the Right” tournament. Cornette says he’ll get the spot if he beats Samoa Joe later tonight. Sting comes out to chants of, “You’ve still got it.” He says that Angle took him to places he’s never been, but he’s still got it. Tenay asks Sting if he will accept Angle’s challenge for a rematch tonight, and Sting accepts it, of course. Kurt Angle comes out in a wheelchair and says that he can’t wrestle tonight due to severe spinal chord trauma, but he will face Sting next week. Sting says he better bring the wheelchair with him, because next week he’s going to cripple Angle.

TNA Hard Justice DVD Promo with special footage featuring Mike Tenay. Oh, boy! Just let me rush out to FYE and buy that now.

We are backstage with Kurt Angle whining about what he’s going to next week. Jesus, Mother of God, I’ve heard of being a chicken-shit heel, but this is too much.

“Fight for the Right” Tournament Match #2:
Lance Hoyt (w/ Jimmy Rave & Christy Hemme) vs Kaz

Wow I’m surprised to see Christy out there with Hoyt after Awesome Kong nearly destroyed her last Sunday. Hoyt attacks Kaz from behind and sends him into the corner hard. Hoyt pretty much dominates Kaz for most of the match. Hoyt attempts to finish Kaz with the inverted Razor’s Edge, but Kaz escapes and lands a Paul London-like dropkick for a near-fall. Rave attempts to distract Kaz, but gets knocked off the apron. Hemme and Hoyt argue… Wait! Aren’t they supposed to be teammates? Kaz gets distracted by Hemme, and Hoyt lands a big bodyslam. Hoyt tries to finish off Kaz, but instead lands another big dropkick and scores the pin on Hoyt.

We are backstage with Blonde Kristal, who is talking with some random guy to try to hype some show that’s on Spike later tonight. Way to use up TV time! Junior Fatu comes in and says that next week he will beat Robert Roode and advance to the semifinals of the “Fight for the Right” tournament.

We are backstage again where Karen Angle, who is looking for Kevin Nash, instead finds Black Reign. Black Reign shows her the rat and she runs off screaming. Kurt Angle is still selling the cripple thing from earlier. Where’s Ron Simmons when you need him.

Abyss vs Disco Inferno

This is Disco’s first match since his return to TNA. Unfortunately for Disco, he’s got to face Abyss. This match goes for all of about 50 seconds before Abyss lands the Spine Shank followed by the Black Hole Slam for the win.

Tenay and West hype next week’s show, and then it’s time for tonight’s Main Event. Thank God.

“Fight for the Right” Tournament Match #3:
Christian Cage (w/ AJ Styles & Tyson Tomko) vs Samoa Joe

Christian catches Joe coming into the ring, and they duke it out trading punches. Joe whips Christian in to the ropes but Christian bails. Joe chases Christian back in to the ring. Christian comes off the ropes but Joe catches him with an Atomic Drop followed by a boot to the face. Joe forces Christian into the corner and scrapes his boot across the face of Christian. Christian attempts the Unprettier, but can’t apply it, so lands a reverse DDT instead. Christian goes for an Irish Whip, but is reversed and Joe lands a big running boot in the corner, as Don West wonders how he can get his boot that high, and Christian falls to the floor. Joe goes for a dive to the floor but Christian rolls back in to the ring. Christian goes for the same move, but as he ducks his head under the ropes, Joe catches him with a boot to the head. Christian and Joe fight it out on the apron and Christian eventually lands a reverse DDT on the apron on Joe. Joe attempts to fight back, but Christian shoves him to the floor. Christian comes off the ropes to the outside with a Double Axehandle Smash, and we go to commercial. For one of the rare occasions they actually picked the right spot in the match to go to break.

We come back with Christian landing a Neckbreaker on Joe and choking him. Christian locks in a Neck Vice on Joe, but Joe fights out of it. Christian locks in a Sleeperhold on Joe, Joe escapes with a Jawbreaker. Christian climbs up to the middle turnbuckle, but Joe catches him in mid-air with a Diamond Cutter. Joe lands several chops to Christian, snaps him over, and lands a Spinal Tap to the back of Christian. Joe goes for the Muscle Buster, but Christian blocks it. Christian takes Joe to the top and lands a big Suplex. Ref gets bumped and Joe nails the Muscle Buster.

Matt Morgan comes out and chases off Tomko. AJ Style goes for the chair, but Joe catches him and slams him down to the mat. Joe goes for the Kokina Clutch on Cage, but Robert Roode comes out and blasts Joe across the back with the chair. Christian lays across Joe for the fall. Christian now advances in the “Fight for the Right” tournament, and will face the winner of Fatu vs Robert Roode next week.

We finish with a video recap of Impact, and creepy voice guy tells us that next week Sting will face Kurt Angle for the TNA Championship in a Bound for Glory PPV rematch.

Well, after a decent Bound for Glory, this show really failed to intrest me. Joe vs. Christian was decent, but predictable. Team 3D attacking the MMGs served no purpose. Everything else was pure crap, pretty much.