TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The opening video aired... Mike Tenay and Don West introduced the show and hyped the Sacrifice pay-per-view and this week's main event... Jim Cornette stood in the ring in front of a table were the tag titles were placed. He introduced the "Egotistical Eight" wrestlers who came out separately.

Cornette said everyone other than Sting drove him nuts throughout the week by calling and asking who they would be teaming with. Cornette said he was going to draw two teams tonight and two more at the pay-per-view. He drew Sting's name. Sting walked to the ring and drew James Storm as his tag partner.

Storm took the mic from Cornette and said he's not Sting's friend or buddy. Sting punched Storm and cleared him from the ring. Cornette announced that the two teams drawn tonight would face each other later in the show. He announced Sting vs. Storm would be a No DQ match. The other drawing will take place later in the show...

Outside the building, Jeremy Borash greeted Scott Steiner, Rhaka Khan, and Petey Williams. Kurt Angle approached Steiner and they agreed to put their differences aside to take out Samoa Joe... The voiceover guy hyped the main event... [C]

Powell's POV: I strongly dislike the "Egotistical Eight" tag. It's not like all eight guys are heels. Granted, Cornette put over Sting, but what about the rest of the babyfaces? Otherwise, the opening segment was fine if not somewhat confusing with the mystery draw followed by the new team members facing off later in the show.

[Q2] 1. Jimmy Rave (w/Christy Hemme, Lance Hoyt) defeated Consequences Creed and Curry Man and Petey Williams and Shark Boy and Johnny Devine in 8:00. Good action and the pace increased throughout the match. It appeared the Williams injury occurred when Rave went for a kick and accidentally struck Petey in the face with his other knee. Petey was in immediate pain and rolled out of the ring. In the end, Hoyt interfered and helped Rave pin Curry...

Backstage, Borash interviewed Sting, who said he wanted to fight things out with Storm later tonight and then go on and become tag team champions on Sunday... The narrator hyped the main event again...

Powell's POV: Sting said wrestling is a three ring circus, but said that's just the way he likes it. Wait. What? Sting likes wrestling? There are times when he and Cornette come across like their characters don't like pro wrestling, so a little line like that a big positive.

[Q3] [C] West hyped upcoming house shows... A video recapped the history of LAX. Well, at least the announcers claimed it did, but there was no mention of Konnan. Rather, they just focussed on some of the team's cooler moves and last week's storyline with Hector Guerrero...

Back at ringside, Tenay said the relationship between LAX and Guerrero takes the team back to it's roots. What? West hyped Storm vs. Sting for later in the show...

Backstage, Crystal, who had some weird hair thing going on, held the mic while Cornette addressed the Knockouts. He announced that the winner of a match later in the show will receive immunity from having her head shaved at the pay-per-view. He announced a barber shears on a pole match. He said the woman who gets immunity finishes second at the pay-per-view than the third person left in the battle royal will have her head shaved... [C]

Powell's POV: Let me get this straight. There will be a battle royal and the last two women in the ring will then have a ladder match. One of those women get a title shot. One of those women might her head shaved unless she wins the shears on a pole match, in which case the woman who finishes third in the battle royal will have her head shaved? I think I got it, but could someone please prescribe high doses of Ritalin to the writing staff? This is ridiculous.

Back from the break, they hyped more house shows... In the back, Borash interviewed Christian and Rhino and said they are favorites to win tag team tournament. Team 3D walked onto the set and reminded everyone that they're 20-time tag team champions.

[Q4] Brother Ray made a comment about Devon poking Christian's wife, which sparked a brawl. LAX arrived on he scene and beat up both teams. Hernandez picked up Christian and performed the Border Toss on the concrete floor... [C]

Powell's POV: The Border Toss was pretty tame because Hernandez performed it near a wall, so Christian didn't take that big of a bump. It looked good the first time I watched it, though.

2. Gail Kim defeated Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Jackie Moore, Traci Brooks, Salinas, Christy Hemme, Roxxi Laveaux, and ODB in a barber's shears on a pole immunity match at 5:20. There were some wild spots throughout the match with the women all taking turns hitting big moves.

[Q5] In the end, ODB dropped Jackie on her back and then Kim came out of nowhere to climb the role and steal the shears. She kissed her own hair after the match...

Backstage, Crystal interviewed Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash. Joe cut his usual mellow and then yelling promo while Nash stood there with the TNA Title belt draped over his shoulder. Nash said it was going to take more than strength to beat that animal (Joe). He then pointed at his own head... [C]

3. Sting defeated James Storm in a No DQ match. A good brawl with both wrestlers trying hard. Jackie Moore came out to help Storm, but Sting splashed Storm through a table and then hit the Scorpion Death Drop for the win.

Powell's POV: Good effort by both men. I'm still not sure how Storm benefits from losing to Sting repeatedly.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Kip James, who now refers to himself as the Megastar. James took shots at his former DX partners (yes, he's still going there) and said it won't matter who is partner in the tournament is because they can't measure up to him...

[Q6] [C] Cornette called out Morgan, Kip, B.G., Booker, Roode, and Kong for the drawing. Cornette drew Morgan's name. Morgan drew Kip's name. Cornette laughed the phoniest laugh in the history of wrestling. Kip entered the ring and told Morgan he'll call the shots. Morgan nodded. Cornette asked him if he had anything to say. "Jimmy, I got two words for this jackass...suck it."

Powell's POV: Are you kidding me?

4. Matt Morgan pinned Kip James in 4:00. Morgan and James brawled and then Cornette told the referees who ran out to let them fight. [C] We got about two minutes of actual in-ring action following the break. Morgan won with a kick to the face...

[Q7] Backstage, Crystal interviewed B.G. James, who welcomed the idea of teaming with Awesome Kong. He said the only way he'd look good is by standing next to her... [C]

Powell's POV: By the way, Crystal's hair might be odd this week (you know, because I'm like an expert on female hairstyles), but I dig her in the backstage interview role way more than Lauren.

At ringside, the announcers ran through the pay-per-view lineup. The winner of the TerrorDome match will win a shot at the X Division Title... Backstage, Borash interviewed Angle and Steiner while Khan and Petey stood by. Steiner and Angle bickered until Petey stepped in and told them they had to get along for ten minutes... [C]

Powell's POV: Obviously that interview was done in pre-tapes because Petey didn't look injured.

Ring introductions for the main event took place... [C]

Powell's POV: Wow, that's three commercial breaks in the last 15-20 minutes.

[Q8] 5. Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner beat Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash in 6:00. During the match, Tenay said Rick Steiner will be in attendance for his brother, while West noted that Frank Trigg will be at the show with Angle. Late in the match, Angle hit Joe with the Olympic Slam on Joe.

Angle climbed to the second rope and jumped onto Nash, who grabbed him by the throat. Steiner grabbed his dumb lead pipe from ringside and struck Nash from behind while the ref was distracted. Angle hit the Olympic Slam on Nash and celebrated. Steiner snuck in and scored the pin. After the match, Angle took offense to Steiner stealing the pin. Kurt locked him in the ankle lock and Steiner tapped repeatedly...

The voiceover guy narrated a video preview of the Sacrifice pay-per-view...

Powell's POV: The match was good for what it was. Joe looked strong and Nash did the bulk of the selling for his team. They just haven't done enough to establish Steiner as a credible threat to Joe's title. Overall, they did a good job of hyping the pay-per-view with frequent reminders and the closing video. I'll have more to say about the show in Friday's TNA Impact Hitlist...

Don't forget to check out Rich Twilling's live review of Impact.

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