6/12 Powell's TNA Impact Live Coverage: Samoa Joe defends the TNA Title against Kaz, Gail Kim vs. Velvet Sky

TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped June 9 in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a graphic nothing that the episode is dedicated to Kevin "Angus" Sinxe, the crew member who died while taking down the set after the pay-per-view on Sunday... Highlights aired from the pay-per-view of Abyss's return, the wedding, and the top two matches... The show is entitled "I Put a Hit Out On My Wife"... The opening montage aired...

Mike Tenay and Don West introduced the show and hyped Kurt Angle vs. A.J. Styles in a lumberjack match, and Kaz challenging Samoa Joe for the TNA Title...

1. Samoa Joe pinned Kaz to retain the TNA Title in 7:00. A shot aired of Kevin Nash watching the match on a backstage monitor. Joe gave Kaz plenty of offense. Kaz avoided one Muscle Buster, but was caught on Joe's second attempt and Joe scored the clean pin. Good action from bell to bell. After the match, Booker T walked onto the stage stared down Joe... [C]

Powell's POV: Good match. I wish I had a reason to care about Kaz, though. I realize he's not good on the mic, but I just don't feel like I know anything about the guy's character.

[Q2] After the break, Booker addressed Joe from the stage. He mocked Joe for beating Kaz. He also claimed that he had the King of the Mountain match won until special enforcer Kevin Nash interfered for Joe. Booker asked if Joe could look him in the eye and say that he beat him at Slammiversary. Booker invited Joe to come back to his locker room and show what type of champion he is...

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Kurt Angle. He said the only reason Lauren was working for TNA is because Spike TV thinks hot women draw ratings. Angle said he received a letter from Spike TV's president informing him that TNA has signed Karen Angle as a talent. He said he'll be fired if he lays a hand on his wife.

"I agree with Spike TV," Angle said. "I don't think a man should ever hit a woman, which is why I put a hit out on my dear, sweet wife Karen." He said there is a locker room full of women wrestlers who don't think she belongs in the business and plan on coming after her... [C]

Powell's POV: Good promo. It felt like they were doing some serious ass kissing by forcing Spike TV and its president into the promo. I guess those guys must like to hear their names mentioned on their own network. Even so, I like the idea of Kurt sending the Knockouts after Karen. It beats the hell out of watching him spit on his wife like he did at the pay-per-view.

Tenay announced that TNA would be hosting the best X Division competition via the World X Cup. He introduced a backstage interview with Daivari. Backstage, Borash introduced Daivari as "straight out of Iran" and noted that he would be captaining the international team in the X Cup. Daivari spoke in Arabic while delivering his first TNA promo as subtitles were shown at the bottom of the screen...

After Daivari walked off. Raisha Saeed walked onto the interview set and announced that Awesome Kong will will be going back to work next week or something. She went too far with the accent this time and it was hard to make out everything she said...

Powell's POV: Horrible introduction for Daivari. I'm not saying he should have been made a huge fuss over him simply because of his WWE background, but they should have hyped that in a bigger way. That being said, I hope this is a long-term deal for Daivari. He would add a lot to the X Division, which is desperate for a strong heel.

[Q3] 2. The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi in 6:30. Tenay noted that the Japanese team is from Dragon Gate and this is their first appearance on national television in the United States. An incredibly fast-paced match. In the end, the Guns hit a double superkick and scored the pin.

Powell's POV: Tenay is clearly passionate about the X Cup and it came through on his commentary. West talked about how excited he was for the X Cup. It's hard to take him seriously, though, because he acts that way about everything. The match wasn't particularly memorable, but it was entertaining. I am surprised that Guns got the win simply because I thought they would build up the North American team as underdogs.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Karen about the hit that her husband put out on her. She said it was ridiculous and asked Borash to talk him out of it. Angelina Love and Velvet Sky walked on the set and complained that she was making double the money they are. Karen tried to walk away, but they grabbed her by the hair and tried to give her the brown bag treatment. A.J. Styles arrived on the scene and stopped them...

Powell's POV: Good segment that played on the true feelings that the male and female wrestlers have/had regarding Karen's role in the company. Love and Sky were tremendous here.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Nash, who declined to say whether he was responsible for Joe retaining the TNA Title in the King of the Mountain match. He told her to form her own opinion. Suddenly, Joe could be overheard in the background. He was on his way to the ring and he wasn't happy. He said if Nash had anything to say, he should join him in the ring.

Nash did just that and tried to ask Joe to discuss the matter backstage. Joe was pissed and told Nash to say what he had to say. Nash got upset and said Joe wouldn't have the belt if it wasn't for him. Joe accused Nash of riding his coattails. "I'm riding your coattails?," Nash responded. "I'm Kevin Nash." Nash told Joe that he couldn't beat Booker. "It's not physical, it's mental." Joe told Nash he could take his predictions and shove them up his ass. Joe dropped the mic and left the ring...

Powell's POV: "You can't win, Rock." All joking aside, I enjoyed that segment a lot. Good mic work from both men.

[Q4] Backstage, Borash searched for Kurt Angle. He opened a door, turned on a light, and found Angle sitting next to Rhaka Khan at a table with Scott Steiner on the other side and Petey Williams standing behind them. Strange.

3. LAX (w/Hector Guerrero) beat Robert Roode and james Storm (w/Jacqueline) to retain the TNA Tag Titles. Tenay said Salinas was on location for a TNA photo shoot. Jackie used her belt to choke Homicide early. The belt came into play later as she handed it to Storm, who wrapped it around his boot. Hernandez picked up Roode for the Border Toss, but Storm superkicked him with the belt wrapped around his boot. Roode covered Henrandez and got the pin. Hector protested to the ref. [C]

[Q5] After the break, the match restarted without any announcement from the ring announcer. Rather, Tenay explained that the referee had restarted the match, apparently because Hector protested. You know, because why wouldn't the referee believe a guy who brags about lying, cheating, and stealing. A couple minutes later, Hernandez powerbombed Storm for the win.

After the match, Roode attacked LAX with chairshots. The heels handcuffed LAX to the ropes and used duct tape to tie Hector to the ropes. They used belts (including one they took from a fan) and whipped LAX and Guerrero.

Powell's POV: Another entertaining match, but the restart was horribly done. Nevertheless, this has been an entertaining episode of Impact thus far.

Backstage, Gail Kim and ODB fought with Sky and Love in the makeup room... [C]

[Q6] 4. Gail Kim pinned Velvet Sky in 5:00. Kim sold her knee injury during the match. As such, the bulk of Sky's offense was knee related. Kim scored the clean pin and then placed Sky's brown paper bag over her own head.

Powell's POV: Sky is the worst of the Knockout regulars in the ring right now, which is why Love works more singles matches. However, Sky is so good on the mic that it's easy to see why TNA overlooks her lack of in-ring skills.

Backstage, Robert Roode and James Storm celebrated their, um, loss to LAX. Apparently, they weren't pissed about having the tag titles taken away from them on a restart and they weren't pissed about losing the match, but they were happy that they whipped LAX with straps. You know, because that's what really matters in wrestling... [C]

Powell's POV: By the way, didn't Roode learn his lesson about straps when he faced Booker T in a strap match a few months ago?

5. Alex Kozlov pinned Curry Man in 2:30. Tenay tried to explain Curry Man being placed on the North American roster. He said because Curry works for TNA full-time, he gets a spot on the roster. Tenay said Kozlov is a Russian who has trained in the New Japan dojo and works in Mexico. Curry went for his finisher, but Kozlov gouged his eyes. He followed up with a Russian leg sweep and a top rope splash for the win...

Backstage, Borash tried to interview Sonjay Dutt about ruining Jay Lethal's weapon, but Sonjay refused to comment. Samoa Joe walked into the same locker room and approached Booker T. He said he doesn't duck anyone and offered Booker a title shot at the Victory Road pay-per-view.

Booker shook Joe's hand and said he's making it too easy. "I don't like you, but after what you just did I do respect you," Booker said. Joe confirmed Booker's pay-per-view line about the locker room smelling like piss. He tossed him a key to his locker room and said he wouldn't be needing it anymore... [C]

[Q7] 6. Sonjay Dutt pinned Consequences Creed in 3:00. Before the match, Sonjay dedicated the match to SoCal Val and invited her to come out and kiss him. Way over the top delivery. Bush league. In the end, Dutt hit the Hindu splash for the win. Afterward, Jay Lethal ran out and attacked Dutt while Val cheered him on. Lethal announced that he's facing Dutt next week at the "Pink Taco" (get it), which was the studio bar where they had the bachelor party. You know they're hoping the company stocks the bar again... [C]

Powell's POV: If there's been a weakness tonight it's that there hasn't been much hype for the Styles vs. Angle match. The announcers mentioned it during the match, but Angle spent more time talking about his wife and A.J. spent his only camera time saving Karen, so it's kind of gotten lost in the shuffle tonight.

Frank Trigg joined the announcers on commentary. He stood and clapped for Kurt Angle's entrance...

[Q8] 7. Kurt Angle beat A.J. Styles in a lumberjack match in 10:43. The lumberjacks were Christian, Matt Morgan, Rhino, Tomko, and Team 3D. The lumberjacks got involved early. They brawled with each other at ringside and Team 3D hit 3D on Rhino at ringside before the break. [C]

Late in the match, Styles rolled up Angle and had him pinned, but the referee was distracted for some unknown reason by two of the lumberjacks fighting outside the ring. Brother Ray punched A.J. and then clotheslined him with the top rope. Angle followed up with the Olympic Slam for the win.

After the match, the heels leaned one table in the corner of the ring and set up another . They placed Christian on top of the table. Before they could do anything, Abyss came out wearing his white prison jumpsuit. He cleared most of the heels from the ring and then slammed Tomko through a table.

Kurt and A.J. began brawling in the ring after Abyss headed to ringside. Styles placed Kurt on a table and tried to splash him through it, but Kurt moved and Styles crashed through the table. Kurt locked Styles in the ankle lock. Karen came out and dared Kurt to strike her.

Awesome Kong's music played and she came out and grabbed Karen by the hair. Kurt held up his thumb and then turned it over in Triple H style. Kong punched Karen and knocked her out. Kurt raised Kong's hand in the ring and then stood over his wife. He picked up A.J. and placed him next to Karen...

Powell's POV: Good main event. Too much going on, which is par for the course in TNA. I can't believe Kurt did the thumbs down routine like Triple H did when Evolution turned on Randy Orton. That really made him and the company look like posers to anyone who remembers the Evolution angle.

All that said, this was one of TNA's better efforts. Every segment felt like it mattered. There wasn't much filler. The Joe, Booker, and Nash segments were particularly strong and it looks like they're getting Joe back on track. I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to next week's show and that's something I haven't been able to say about Impact in a while. I'll have more to say about the show in tomorrow's TNA Impact Hitlist.