2/12 Robinson's TNA Impact Coverage: Sting and Kurt Angle vs. Team 3D, Headdress on a Pole Match with Petey Williams and Scott Steiner, Beer Money vs. Abyss and Rhino for the TNA Tag Titles

TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.


[Q1] A video recap of Against All Odds aired... This week’s title is “Mafia Meltdown...”

1. Team 3D defeated Kurt Angle and Sting in 11:00. Kurt Angle has a scar above his right eye. Angle wouldn't tag Sting in early on but eventually did. Angle and Sting argued only to see the Main Event Mafia come down to calm them down. [C]

[Q2] Back from the break, Sting was battling Brother Ray while Kurt Angle refused to be tagged in. Sting eventually tagged in the Gold Medalist then brought him in forcefully and pushed him. With Angle distracted Brother Devon rolled him up for the win. After the match Sting and Angle brawled while the Mafia split them up...[C]

Talon’s Thoughts: They teased the heat between Angle and Sting at Against All Odds. I like the dynamic between the two. I wish they would focus on the young guys like they originally planned to do.

Kurt Angle has a mic and complained about Sting saying the way he is acting is breaking the Main Event Mafia pact. Angle said he would have won the World Title at the PPV had Sting not cost him the belt. Angle tells Sting that he will make things right by laying down for him later in the show and forfeiting the World Title belt.

Jeff Jarrett made his return and told Angle that since it’s his company he won’t allow Kurt to do that. Angle told Jarrett that it has nothing to do with him. Jarrett claimed they will get closure in the future. Sting told Jarrett that he can handle it himself...[C]

Talon’s Thoughts: We know that Jarrett is the “Founder of TNA” but why does he need to say it every time he grabs a mic? Kurt Angle would be gullible to believe Sting would lie down for him. I smell Angle vs Jarrett III at Lockdown in Philadelphia.

[Q3] Mike Tenay and Don West ran down what we just saw...

In the back JB was with Booker T. He asked if this was the beginning of the end for the Mafia. Booker said Sting has to do what needs to be done. When asked, Booker said AJ stole his Legends Belt. Booker said he is calling the FBI and AJ Styles is going to jail. After he went into his Locker Room, AJ Styles was shown beating him down. AJ told him “I am Legend”…[C]

Talon’s Thoughts: I wonder how the FBI would react if someone using a fake African accent reported that a wrestling character stole his championship belt?

During the break Scott Steiner had a few words for Joe calling him a fat half-bred Samoan...

2. Scott Steiner defeats Petey Williams in a “Headdress on a Pole match” in 6:30. Petey attacks Steiner to start the match. Don West explained that Petey dressed like Steiner to get into his head. Scott Steiner hits a Frankensteiner but Petey fights back with a Powerbomb. Petey goes for the Destroyer but Steiner reverses into the Fly Swatter. Petey hits Steiner with his pipe and nearly grabs the chain mail but Steiner cuts him off and hits a huge move from the top turnbuckle. Steiner then grabs the chain mail for the win...

[Q4] After the match, Steiner continued to berate Petey and told him not to wear the headdress anymore. All of a sudden, Samoa Joe appeared on the screen and once again spoke to Scott Steiner about his “Nation of Violence”…

Talon’s Thoughts: I like the build for the encounter between Joe and Steiner, which will likely take place at Destination X. I hate how much Petey was buried tonight. Petey is a talent you could make tons of money off of but TNA just doesn’t get it.

Borash was backstage with Mick Foley. Foley gave his comments about the Sting and Angle situation. Foley hyped his “Hardcore History” which debuts later in the night. Foley asked JB if he saw "The Wrestler." He said it kinda made him think… [C]

3. Sojourner Bolt won the “TNA Knockout Gauntlet Match” last eliminating Madison Rayne in 10:00. The winner of this match would earn a TNA Knockout Title shot at Awesome Kong later on. Every 60 seconds, a new knockout entered. Angelina Love and Taylor Wilde started things off. Velvet Sky entered third. No. 4 was Sojourner Bolt, who went after everyone. Out next was the “Hardcore Knockout” Roxxi. Roxxi nearly eliminated Sky, but Cute Kip caught her and put her back in the ring. The newest TNA Knockout, Madison Rayne, was the next entrant.

[Q5] After Raisha Saeed entered, Cute Kip prevented Angelina from being eliminated. Rhaka Khan entered and there were three members of the Kongtourage are in the ring. ODB was the final entrant. ODB eliminated Rhaka Khan followed by Raisha Saeed. Taylor Wilde and Angelina Love eliminated each other. Roxxi eliminated Velvet Sky. Sojourner quickly eliminated Roxxi. Rayne eliminated ODB and the rules shifted to first pinfall to the finish. Sojo hit a modified Gory Bomb on Rayne for the win…

Talon’s Thoughts: Not a great Gauntlet Match but not a bad one either. TNA might be able to get viewers in the advertise these matches weeks in advance like Smackdown used to. Madison Rayne had an okay return to TNA. I am interested to see what they do with Bolt vs Kong

Kurt Angle was shown preparing for Sting. He smashes a picture of Sting into pieces… [C]

We got a Rough Cut on the Ultimate X match with comments from the stars of the X Division and others. It is called one of the most difficult matches built only for athletes. Next week is “Ultimate X: Defining a division...”

Talon’s Thoughts: At least they are actually building towards a match. Nice hype video.

[Q6] 4. Lethal Consequences defeated the Motor City Machine Guns in 4:30. This match was supposed to happen last week when Beer Money assaulted Lethal Consequences. Creed and Machismo have a new theme song and video that shows they are a team. Both teams showed some great double team moves. Lethal got the win with a Leg Hook Facebuster. After the match, the Machine Guns went to shake the hands of Lethal Consequences, but low blowed them instead...

Talon’s Thoughts: Could we be seeing these four in the Ultimate X Match at Destination X for the X Title?

Borash hyped TNA Mobile about a new Internationally known tag team coming to TNA. He went to get a word from Sting but ran into Jeff Jarrett instead. Jarrett said everyone would have to wait and see if Sting would lay down for Angle... [C]

ODB’s Angle returned. She said at Destination X she would announce who would win a date with her. She welcomed Brutus Magnus on the show. Magnus talked a little about his open challenge. There was a drum playing every time ODB said something she would think would be funny...

Talon’s Thoughts: Who would want a date with ODB? I hate this segment. These are forced talk shows that hurt the TNA ratings when they come out. I now like the Magnus character and hope he goes somewhere in TNA.

Lauren was with Kevin Nash who talked about the Godfather lifestyle. Nash said Sting has what’s coming to him. He said he had to see Johnny Sacks about that one thing...[C]

[Q7] We were in the back with Abyss’ therapy sessions. He talked about Obama’s kids. His doctor is “Doctor Stevie." He said he gets in a state of mind where he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He then brought up "Lost" and said Kate was hot...

Talon’s Thoughts: The identify of the therapist was obvious. Parts of that segment were funny but others were stupid. Abyss plays his part well.

5. Beer Money defeated Rhino and Abyss to retain the World Tag Team Titles in 7:30. Beer Money jumped Abyss at the start to get the advantage. We went to commercials as James Storm shoved Rhino hard to the outside. [C]

[Q8] Beer Money had control of Rhino when we returned from break. Abyss with a hot tag to Abyss! The referee was distracted by Rhino and Robert Roode brawling on the outside. Abyss stopped Storm from using a beer bottle when Matt Morgan came in and nailed Abyss with a chair allowing James Storm to pick up the win. Beer Money held off Rhino outside the ring while Morgan hits Abyss again with a chair...

A split screen showed Sting and Kurt Angle walking to the ring separately... [C]

Talon’s Thoughts: I hate it when wrestling companies do this. WWE is bad with the walking to the ring segments. Just preview the match with a graphic.

Back from commercials, we had “Hardcore History 101” with Mick Foley. He spoke about his Barbed Wire Match against Terry Funk. He said you’d have to be almost psychotic to be in that match. He said he had huge chunks of meat hanging from his fingers when they caught the wire. He said it smelled of iron when he left the arena. Funk hugged him when he got to the bus...

Talon’s Thoughts: These segments would be more effective if TNA wasn’t a huge blast to the past every week. Good segment though.

Both Sting and Kurt Angle came to the ring. Kurt Angle spoke about the Code of Honor that the Main Event Mafia goes by, which he accused Sting of breaking. Angle instructed Sting to make it right by laying down. Sting said Kurt Angle wouldn’t ask someone at the Olympic Games to lay down if he got beat. Sting spoke about honor and how Kurt is dishonorable.

Sting slowly laid down. He said Angle's most insignificant loss was at AAO because he lost his family and his respect before then. Sting talked trash and told Angle to pin him but Angle won’t pin Sting, saying he will take his title and his ass with it. The two began brawling. Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner come out and tried to break it up. Kurt Angle challenged Sting to an Empty Arena Match next week...

Final Thoughts: Good final segment and good mic work from both Sting and Angle. The Empty Arena match is a TNA spin on the Half-time Heat match (although it has been done elsewhere).

I enjoyed portions of this show. Tell me what you thought by emailing me at Talon_DR@yahoo.com