6/2 Powell's TNA "Impact Wrestling" Live Coverage: The fight for power continues, the build toward Sting vs. Mr. Anderson and the rest of the Slammiversary pay-per-view


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TNA TV Reports


6/2 Powell's TNA "Impact Wrestling" Live Coverage: The fight for power continues, the build toward Sting vs. Mr. Anderson and the rest of the Slammiversary pay-per-view
Jun 2, 2011 - 10:00 PM


By Jason Powell

TNA "Impact Wrestling" on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla. at the Impact Zone


[Q1] The show opened with a shot of Eric Bischoff walking outside. A man approached him. Bischoff tried to blow him off by saying he doesn't sign autographs. The man served Bischoff with legal papers from The Network. Bischoff grumbled that they could have called him...

Inside the building, ODB and Velvet Sky had a backstage brawl. Velvet was wearing a long shirt and panties. The fight spilled into the studio as Mike Tenay and Taz checked in on commentary. Two security guards tried to break it up, but the women kept going.

The fight went inside the ring, where ODB eventually ripped off Velvet's shirt so that she was in her bra and panties. ODB choked Velvet with the shirt and pinned her while making her own three count...

Powell's POV: An attention grabbing segment with the women brawling. Call it trashy, call it what you will, but Velvet in her bra and panties won't turn off many in the coveted young male demographic. It's nothing I'd want kids to watch, but TNA isn't the first and won't be the last to use T&A, so I don't have a problem with it.

The announcers hyped Angelina Love vs. Miss Tessmacher, a confrontation between A.J. Styles and Bully Ray, and Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner vs. Kurt Angle and Matt Morgan...

Sting's music played. Mr. Anderson walked onto the stage dressed in the old Sting gear and face paint. Anderson told the announcers he was taking it to a whole new level. He said he was going to face one of Sting's most famous competitors later in the show in a singles match. Anderson told the fans to stay tuned while the announcers questioned who the opponent could be...

Backstage, Brian Kendrick interrupted Bischoff, who was on the phone discussing the legal papers. Kendrick said he needed to redeem himself and asked for another match against Abyss. Bischoff asked if the X Division wrestlers are gluttons for punishment. Bischoff said Kazarian has a rematch with Abyss at Slammiversary. Bischoff told Kendrick to face Kazarian and "X Division your ass off"... [C]

[Q2] Highlights aired from during the break of Bischoff talking with Hulk Hogan about the papers he was served with. Bischoff said it was a Spike TV issue, and told Hogan to get there soon...

Bischoff stood in the ring with the paperwork he received. He said he doesn't have much time apparently. He called out Beer Money. Bischoff told James Storm and Robert Roode that they have 30 days to defend the titles and it's not looking like Roode will be able to return from his injury in time. He told them to hand over the titles and save themselves the embarrassment.

Roode called Bischoff a son of a bitch. He noted that Immortal was responsible for the shoulder injury (he was wearing a sling). Roode said he'll be at the pay-per-view no matter what. Alex Shelley's music played and he headed to the ring.

Alex Shelley announced that Chris Sabin has a torn ACL and MCL and won't be back in the ring until 2012. Shelley said he gained respect for Beer Money during their best of five series. Shelley asked Roode if he could join Storm and defend the honor of the tag titles at the pay-per-view.

Bischoff wasn't happy. Shelley said there was nothing wrong with Roode finding a replacement, and The Network approved it. Shelley said he wanted to make "Gun Money" a reality. He took a beer from Storm and put some in his mouth and all over his face. Bischoff told Shelley he just made his shit (censored) list...

Powell's POV: It will be Storm and Shelley vs. British Invasion at the pay-per-view, which has the potential to be very good. It would have been nice to hear something from Storm during that segment. He's too good on the mic to waste. Roode has really improved on the mic, but he needs to tone down the swearing. No, I'm not being PC. Rather, I think he's better off doing it in small doses so that it packs more of a punch.

1. Crimson pinned Matt Hardy in 6:00. A video package recapped some of Crimson's recent wins while the announcers spoke about his winning streak. Crimson overpowered Hardy and clotheslined him early, and Hardy rolled to ringside.

[Q3] Hardy came back and hit a legdrop off the second rope for a near fall. Crimson came back with a double-armed DDT for a near fall of his own. Hardy got another near fall and went for a Twist of Hate, but Crimson avoided it and came back moments later with the Sky High slam for the clean pin. After the match, Samoa Joe charged the ring, but ate a spear from Crimson...

Powell's POV: The video package as Crimson was coming out did a nice job of making his winning streak feel special. However, it would be even more effective if they started counting his wins. Just imagine how annoying it would be if an MLB team was on a winning streak and the announcers never acknowledged the actual number. I also didn't like the way they had Joe come storming out. I know they're feuding, but Crimson beating a veteran like Hardy should have been treated like a big happening. Good match.

Backstage, Mr. Anderson, still dressed like Sting, spoke with Eric Young, who was wearing the old TNA Title belt and his TV Title belt. Anderson threw out the idea of Sting vs. The Great Muta. He said he wanted to recreate history, bring people back to their roots, and pay homage to Sting. Young agreed to it. When Anderson walked off, Young winked at the camera...

In another part of the backstage area, Winter told Angelina Love she has to defend her honor starting tonight with Miss Tessmacher. Love said they need to go back to being royalty and to a happier time when no one stood between them. "Tonight, I do this in your honor," Angelina said...

Powell's POV: I guess this means Love's zombie transformation is nearly complete now that she's also convinced they were royalty in a different dimension or a past life or wherever the hell this is going. I'm cool with it if the end result is The New Breed showing up in their prime and beating the hell out of a couple of jobbers. No, I'm not getting my hopes up. Is Vince Russo watching Sylvia Browne talk show appearances or something?

Bischoff spoke to the troops inside the Immortal locker room. He said he's been down this road before and he knows the politics and games. He said the network's ideas of what a wrestling company should be is different than their opinion. Bischoff said he and Hulk Hogan will never forget what the Immortal members have done. Jeff Jarrett told him it's not over...

[Q4] [C] 2. Angelina Love (w/Winter) beat Miss Tessmacher in 3:35. The usual Tessmacher stripper entrance. The looks on the faces of the catty women in the front row was classic, as was the cheering little boy next to them. Love hit side Codebreaker (for lack of a better term) and scored the pin. Per Winter's hand gesture, Love locked Tessmacher in a sleeper afterward...

Powell's POV: I'll save the complaints about the trashiness Tessmacher's entrance for Ryan Kester in his Impact Wrestling reviews. T&A worked in the Attitude Era, it worked for ECW, and it worked for Verne Gagne vs. Billy Robinson in the AWA. Okay, so I made up that last example, but you get the idea. I understand why it annoys some people and there are times when the show feels too trashy for me, but I haven't felt that way tonight.

A shot aired of Anderson in the Sting garb walking backstage... [C]

[Q5] Mr. Anderson made his entrance to the Sting music, and he was still wearing the Sting gear. He whispered in ring announcer Christy Hemme's ear. She introduced "The Not So Great Muta." Eric Young came out dressed like Great Muta...

Powell's POV:

3. The Not-So-Great Muta (Eric Young) beat Mr. Anderson in 4:00. Yes, it was Anderson dressed as Sting vs. Young dressed as Muta. Anderson intentionally missed Sting splashed and did the Sting howl a couple of times. Young scored a series of nearfalls in a surprisingly competitive match.

Young hit a Muta moonsault off the top rope. Gunner came out. Anderson tried to take advantage of the distraction, but Young sprayed green mist in his eyes and ended up pinning him. Anderson and Gunner roughed up Young until the real Sting came out and ran them off...

Powell's POV: It's been like 20 years since the Sting vs. Great Muta matches. Let's be real, the vast majority of the people who remember that feud are in that ten percent of the audience that Eric Bischoff claims doesn't matter. So is TNA just humoring themselves with this impostor match or do they secretly care about us lowly members of the so-called IWC more than they want to admit? Either way, why is the No. 1 contender to the TNA Title losing to the comedic character a little over a week before the pay-per-view?

4. Kazarian fought Brian Kendrick to a draw in 8:30 in a No. 1 contenders match to the X Division Title. Kazarian and Kendrick shook hands to start the match. Tenay said it was a No. 1 contenders match for a shot at the X Division Title.

[Q6] Kendrick was going for his Sliced Bread finisher, but Kazarian countered with a neckbreaker off the ropes for a good near fall. Kendrick came back with a top rope splash attempt, but Kazarian got his legs up. They traded near falls and the ref called for the end of the match at 8:30.

The ref listened to his ear piece, and had Hemme announce that Eric Bischoff was giving the match five more minutes. Abyss came out just seconds into the overtime. He hit a back breaker on Kendrick, and followed up with a Black Hole Slam on Kazarian. Abyss looked into the camera and delivered another "Art of War" quote before proclaiming the X Division dead... [C]

Powell's POV: I must have misheard Bischoff when he said Kazarian was getting the shot at the pay-per-view. It looks like we're getting a three-way at the pay-per-view, but nothing was announced. Kazarian has really cooled off since they took the title off him. Having a back and forth match with Kenrick, who has been portrayed as a low-end scrub more often than not, isn't going to help matters. Kendrick looked like he had breakout potential, but his stock is down right now and they really need to get him back on track.

[Q7] A.J. Styles came to the ring and said that no one calls him out in his house. Bully Ray walked onto the stage and took exception to Styles calling it his house. Ray said it was a building filled up with inbred rednecks, so it must be Styles's house. Ray called Tommy Dreamer a horrible tag team partner. "That's true," Taz chimed in. Funny.

Ray said Styles represents everything he hates about modern day wrestlers. He said Styles likes to play video games on his laptop, whereas he likes to go to the strip bar, drink whiskey, and get lap dances. Ray said he can see the fear in A.J.'s eyes. He said he puts the fear of God in everyone. "If God was a bully, he'd be me," Ray said.

Styles said those were big words coming from a guy who changed his name from Brother Ray to Bully Ray because he's so insecure about his penis size. Ray played it up by asking a bunch of women in the crowd what they were laughing at. "There is nothing wrong with my penis size," Ray said.

Styles said that a bully is like a balloon in that if you pop it once, it goes away forever. Styles challenged Ray to face him at Slammiversary in a Last Man Standing match. Ray entered the ring and asked if Styles has any idea what he's getting himself into. Styles said the questions is whether Ray knows what he's getting himself into...

Randy Marsh's POV: "By dividing the weight and the girth of the penis by the angle or the YAW of the shaft, what we finally get is the adjusted penis size or TMI."

The announcers hyped the main event tag match... [C]

Jeremy Borash handled the ring introductions for the main event tag match. Karen Jarrett came out with Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner. Kurt Angle and Matt Morgan came out next. Referee Earl Hebner ordered Karen to go backstage, and other referees came out to make sure she complied...

5. Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner defeated Kurt Angle and Matt Morgan in 6:25. Morgan and Jarrett were going to start. Morgan pointed at Angle and tagged him in. Jarrett quickly left the ring and tagged in Steiner to avoid facing Angle.

[Q8] During the match, they did a split screen shot to show Hulk Hogan arriving backstage. The big box featured Bischoff showing Hogan the legal papers, and the small box featured the match. Hogan shook his head in frustration. Tenay announced that Sting and Eric Young will team to face Mr. Anderson and Gunner next week.

Morgan checked into the match and at 4:30 and hit the heels with clotheslines and side slams. Angle and Jarrett brawled up the stage, where Angle applied the ankle lock. Jarrett tapped. Karen ran out and distracted Kurt. Jarrett hit Angle from behind, and all three of them disappeared behind the stage.

The camera went backstage to show that Jeff was tending to Karen at the bottom of the stairs. Jeff was calling for help for his injured wife. Kurt called him a freaking idiot and said it was his fault. Meanwhile, Steiner low-blowed Morgan and pinned him in the ring to win the match... [C]

Powell's POV: I'm not crazy about the finish of the match being completely overshadowed by the Karen angle backstage. They're just not living up to the "Wrestling Matters" slogan. I know people in the company have essentially said it's just a marketing campaign, but I strongly believe it's something they should be doing more to live up to. Is Karen playing the old Vickie Guerrero with all of these injuries she's racking up?

Footage was shown of Karen Jarrett being loaded into an ambulance. Tenay used a somber voice, and Taz said they hope for the best for Karen. They recalled Kurt telling Jeff earlier than Karen never should have been there. Their discussion about the angle was interrupted by Hulk Hogan's music.

Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff headed to the ring and pyro went off on the stage. Bischoff saidhes known Foley for 19 years since he worked as Cactus Jack in WCW. Bischoff said Foley was a good interview, but in the ring he just plain sucked. Bischoff said Foley made a career out of chasing people around with a stupid sock on his hand.

Bischoff said Foley convincing a network that he should run a wrestling company is a testament to his talking ability. Bischoff said that now that he's had a chance to say what he really feels, Hogan could make it official. Hogan asked Bischoff if he forgot who he is. He said they are partners, and the paperwork puts no fear in him whatsoever.

Hogan opened the envelope and read through the paperwork. "Wait a minute," Hogan said the network has exercised their right to terminate a position. "Mick Foley, you are fired," Hogan said. A shocked Bischoff hugged Hogan, and then closed the show by saying, "This is the happiest day of my life"...

Powell's POV: The battle for power of TNA continues to bore me. It drew the highest quarter-hour rating of the show last week, but I'm curious to see whether they can maintain that going forward. After all, Hogan and Bischoff have been all over television lately, and they haven't been drawing ratings like the one they did last week on a consistent basis. If they can, then I'll be more than willing to admit that the power saga is clicking with the majority of their viewers even if it's not for me.

Overall, the show was overbooked as usual, and I can't say the big tease for next week's Sting and Young vs. Anderson and Gunner match has me counting down the days until Impact. However, the show had its moments, and I enjoyed the majority of the first hour. Things just got a little too chaotic in hour two for my taste. I'll have more to say about the show on Friday in the TNA Impact Wrestling Hitlist. Thanks for watching along with me.

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