5/29 Powell's TNA Impact Live Coverage: Tomko vs. Christian Cage, Rhino vs. James Storm in King of the Mountain qualifying matches, Angelina Love vs. Roxxi

TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped May 26 in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] Highlights aired of last week's heel attack on A.J. Styles along with various clips of the Angle family drama... Tonight's show is called "A.J.'s Revenge"... The opening montage aired... Mike Tenay introduced the show and hyped that Styles would be looking for revenge and would address the Karen Angle drama...

Powell's POV: I still wonder how many people tuned out before the big attack at the end of the show last week due to that poorly placed commercial break. I'm surprised Styles is on the show this week. I suppose it's good to followup right away, but he has to sell that big attack by the heels that aired last Thursday.

Booker T and Team 3D walked to the ring for a promo. Brother Ray took the mic and said they do bad things to good people and like it. He added that Tomko was backstage and Kurt Angle was in Hollywood filming his next project. Ray had a big photo of Styles's trading card lowered from the rafters of the building.

Ray said the card would be a collector's item because no one could find Styles. He said Styles is a scum bag, a wife stealer, a home wrecker, and an adulterer. They took the card down and stood on it. Ray accused Styles of sleeping with Karen while Kurt's children were asleep in their beds. Tenay got pissed and said, "There's no proof of those accusations." Mike can't act.

Booker introduced himself as royalty (or was that Royal T?). He said he promised to bring TNA to prominence and he's done that. Um, sure. He said he's received nothing in return. He said he will prove in the King of the Mountain why he is the best. "I will make all of you bow down and kiss my royal feet," he said. He said that goes especially for Joe. Devon called out LAX.

Hector Guerrero and Salinas led LAX to ringside. Hector said Jim Cornette booked LAX vs. Team 3D for the pay-per-view, but said they could settle their differences on the spot. Christian and Rhino walked out. Christian cut a promo on Booker. He brought up Booker's five-time WCW Champion routine and said he's nothing in TNA until he wears the TNA Title. Christian vowed that he and Rhino would qualify for the King of the Mountain match.

[Q2] Diamond Dallas Page, er, Samoa Joe walked out and stood in the crowd. Don West chimed in to say that he was with his people. Joe ripped on Booker and then invited LAX, Christian, and Rhino to join him in attacking the heels. They all hit the ring and the heels ran off. Tenay and West mocked them for leaving.

The heels stood at ringside and then Styles ran out and attacked them from behind with a chair. They cut away quickly and went to a backstage promo...

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviewed Karen Angle, who said she didn't know what Styles wanted to say... [C]

Powell's POV: Way too much going on in that segment. Booker wants to be King Booker, but I don't think anyone really wants to see King Booker return. He's doing everything but the silly voice. It was a fun gimmick but it ran out of steam. They built up Styles getting revenge as the theme of the show, but he ran out for 20 seconds and then they cut away to Karen. The other guys ramble on forever, but the supposed new star gets cut off for a backstage interview. Ugh.

The announcers recapped Styles attacking the heels... Backstage, Lauren interviewed Ace Young, Black Machismo, SoCal Val, and Sonjay Dutt. Young said it's his honor to be involved with the wedding. Val marked out for Ace and said she's so excited he's going to be there. Sonjay accused Machismo of having cold feet and said it's not too late. Young said he had a surprise for the bride and groom.

Lauren tried to follow Young and the babyfaces, but Awesome Kong showed up and pulled her back into the picture. Raisha Saeed told Lauren to tell people through the microphone that Kong will beat up another American fan tonight...

Powell's POV: Is there any fringe celebrity that TNA won't use?

Hermie Sadler joined the announcers on commentary for the next match...

Powell's POV: Nope.

1. Black Machismo and Sonjay Dutt (w/SoCal Val, Ace Young) defeated The Rock-n-Rave Infection (w/Christy Hemme) in 3:30. After some forgettable action, Young reached inside the ring and tripped Lance Hoyt, enabling Machismo to score the pin for his team.

[Q3] After the match, Machismo called for Dutt to join him in the center of the ring and said he had something to ask him... [C]

Powell's POV: Do you ever get that not-so-fresh feeling?

After the break, Machismo said he's been watching Sonjay lately and had a question for him. Sonjay got nervous and assumed that Machismo was onto him, but Machismo is the only person in the world who is oblivious to Dutt's actions. Rather, Machismo asked Sonjay to be his best man. Sonjay accepted. Young took the mic and said he had a surprise for the couple. He pointed to the video screen and his new video aired with clips of Machismo and Val were included...

Powell's POV: Bwahahahaha! We've had one super long verbal exchange, a three-minute match with the Rock-n-Rave Infection, and some American Idol pussy's pop music video. This is WCW Thunder painful. Just pathetic.

Backstage, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky placed a bag over Lauren's head and sent her away so that they could finish the rest of their promo. Good mic work that fit the theme of their characters... [C]

[Q4] 2. Angelina Love (w/Velvet Sky) pinned Roxxi in 3:30. In the end, Sky sprayed hairspray at Roxxi while the ref's back was turned. Love scored the pin. Afterward, the heels put a brown bag over Roxxi's head. Well, she couldn't see anyway. Gail Kim, on crutches, and ODB walked onto the ramp. ODB grabbed one of Kim's crutches and then ran off the heels...

Backstage, Jim Cornette reamed on Borash for letting Kong wrestle a fan last week. Borash pulled out the ratings for last week's show. Cornette broke into Hulk Hogan's carny speak and told Borash to make sure the idiot fans sign releases. Borash flashed some terrific facials.

Booker and Team 3D barged onto the scene. Booker complained about how his locker room smelled. Booker ordered Cornette to leave his own office so that he could dress there instead. Cornette said he was going to the ring and suggested that the heels clear out before he returns... [C]

After the break, highlights aired of Eric Young continuing his search for Elvis inside a recording studio...

Powell's POV: Roughly seven minutes of wrestling in the first hour of the show. That's nonstop action, baby! A bad race car driver, a wannabe pop star, and now Eric Young searching for Elvis. Horrible.

[Q5] Cornette stood in the ring and officially announced LAX vs. Team 3D, and Kurt Angle vs. A.J. Styles for the pay-per-view. Cornette warned that Booker and Team 3D shouldn't be in his locker room. Kevin Nash walked out and said Cornette has lost control of his office. He said TNA security couldn't handle the crowd at a Jonas Brothers concert, let alone with the three thugs in the back.

Nash offered to help Cornette get the heels out of his locker room. In return, he asked to be the special enforcer for the King of the Mountain match. Cornette agreed. Nash made Cornette ask him nicely. Cornette obliged...

The latest Abyss video aired. He said the doctors say he's no longer a danger to himself. "What about society?" Abyss asked... Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed headed to the ring. Tenay said we'd find out after the break which fan she'll wrestle... [C]

3. Awesome Kong (w/Raisha Saeed) squashed a fan in 2:20. No introduction for the fan this week. They gave her a name, but they didn't show her coming out of the stands. They just went right to the match and it was all Kong. The fan ran away several times. Kong finished her off with the Awesome Bomb.

Powell's POV: I think it's important to introduce the fan even if it seems a tad repetitive. Overall, though, I still enjoy the Kong vs. fan gimmick.

Backstage, Nash entered Cornette's office and told Booker and Team 3D to hit the bricks. They pointed out that there was one of him and three of them. He used the oldest line in the book by saying he had his buddy Louis with him and then pulled out a bat (Louisville Slugger, get it). He smashed a photo on the wall and the heels scattered...

A Rhino vs. Storm video package started to air, but they cut backstage to a brawl between the two wrestlers. Tenay said the wrestlers couldn't even wait for the announcements. Storm took control of Rhino. Two security members ran out and Storm knocked them both out...

[Q6] [C] The brawl continued at ringside for a few minutes. The wrestlers finally rolled into the ring and the referee called for the bell to start the match...

4. Rhino beat James Storm (w/Jackie) in a King of the Mountain qualifying match in 6:50. Just before the break, Jackie climbed onto the ring apron and rubbed her tits in Rhino's face. Well, at least it looked like that's what she was doing. I think she was rubbing his face on the ropes or something. [C] Storm dominated the match, but Rhino won with a gore.

A highlight package recapped the history of Christian Cage and Tomko... Backstage, Borash approached Tomko, who was working out. Tomko said he was tired of hearing about Styles and he vowed to wear Christian's blood this week just as he wore Styles's blood last week... [C]

Powell's POV: Tomko looked much better physically than he did last week. Good promo.

5. Christian Cage pinned Tomko in a King of the Mountain qualifier in 9:30. Tomko took control of the opening minutes of the match and dumped Christian to ringside before the break. [C] Tomko continued control the bulk of the offense, but Christian fought back with an inverted DDT.

[Q7] Christian went for a top rope splash, but Tomko ducked out of the way. Later, Christian went for the Unprettier, but Tomko slipped out and went for double-throat chokeslam for a good nearfall. Christian came back with the top rope splash for a nearfall of his own. Christian hit the Unprettier for the win.

Powell's POV: Really nice television match. Honestly, I'd rather see Tomko in the King of the Mountain match than Rhino.

Backstage, Styles, who looked like he was wearing black paint around his left eye, told Borash that he would make his statement to Karen in the ring... A shot aired of Kurt Angle walking backstage... [C]

Karen Angle stood in the ring. Styles's music started, but cameras cut backstage where Kurt was beating up Styles. Angle left Styles and some security members lying. "Come on, Kurt, you have to hear what A.J. has to say," Tenay protested on commentary. Kurt stormed to the ring and got in Karen's face. He yelled at her and added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." He said he wanted her to tell the world about how she broke up their family. He was mid-way through calling her a whore when Karen slapped him.

Styles ran out and attacked Kurt. Team 3D, Tomko, and Booker ran out to help Angle. Christian Cage ran out to help, but he was outnumbered. Most of the heels beat up Christian, while Kurt punched Styles repeatedly. Team 3D held Christian and Booker superkicked him. The heels beat the hell out of Styles and Christian and then posed together to close the show...

Powell's POV: Wait, didn't Tomko decide he wanted to be his own man? Nevertheless, they've put good heat on the heels over the last two weeks. Angle was super intense while working over Styles. The first hour of the show was dreadful, but the second hour was much better. I'll have more to say about the show in Friday's TNA Impact Hitlist.