TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] A video hyped the gauntlet and tables matches. "Your two hour bloodbath begins now," said the narrator... The opening montage aired.. Don West pointed out that there were clips from the forthcoming TNA video game in the opening video...

In the ring, stood in the ring and introduced the show. He turned it over to Jeremy Borash, who was standing in the live crowd. He also previewed the show. Lauren and B.G. James introduced the show from another area of the crowd and said Team 3D was bringing a glass table. James predicted "violence" would occur during the show...

Powell's POV: How many announcers and backstage interviewers does one show need? Nice to see a different look with Borash in the crowd. The camera angle showed off size of the Impact Zone in a positive light. They've really upped the hardcore stuff in recent weeks. It feels like they're taking a step backward by cranking up the hardcore factor.

1. Roxxi defeated Jacqueline in 4:00. Traci Brooks was the special referee for no real reason. There were a bunch of weapons in this match too. Jackie smacked Roxxi with cookie sheets several times and each shot popped the crowd. In the end, Roxxi hit the Voodoo Drop and scored the pin...

Powell's POV: Why is still called the Voodoo Drop? Haven't they abandoned that silly part of her character yet? Creative issues aside, this was an entertaining television match and the live crowd was into the action.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Christian Cage and Rhino. Christian said Team 3D were the best team in TNA until he and Rhino started teaming on a regular basis. Rhino took the mic and asked what would happen when he set up the glass table and gored one of his opponents... [C]

[Q2] Backstage, Jeremy Borash stood by while Super Eric told SoCal Val that Sonjay Dutt stole her engagement ring. She didn't want to believe it...

Powell's POV: She didn't want to believe it because she hasn't watched the last two episodes of Impact. She must be turning heel because only babyfaces are portrayed this poorly in TNA.

2. Sonjay Dutt pinned Curry Man in 2:15. Val walked to ringside and started yelling about her ring. In the end, Sonjay pinned Curry with his feet on the ropes. Afterward, Sonjay denied stealing the ring and backed up the ramp. Shark Boy came out and roughed him up. Shark tossed Sonjay back inside the ring. Super Eric came out and took the ring out of Sonjay's trunks. Yes, you read that right.

Sonjay too the mic and claimed that he found the ring when she dropped it at the hospital. He suggested that she subconsciously dropped the ring. He played the nice guy by saying he's happy she got her ring back. She hugged him...

Powell's POV: Moron. Actually, Jay Lethal is an even bigger moron for not showing her the footage of Sonjay stealing the ring.

Backstage, Lauren asked Team 3D, Robert Roode, and James Storm whatever happened to good old fashioned wresting matches. He said they were like she is in bed: boring. Ray said Storm and Roode will pick up where they leave off as the best tag team in the business. Storm spoke briefly. Devon said his one line. Roode stood there and nodded his head a lot... [C]

[Q3] Another Sheik Abdul Bashir vignette aired. He defended gas prices by saying Americans believe everything should be free...

Powell's POV: Another good vignette.

3. Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed defeated The Motor City Machine Guns in 7:30. Tenay said Abdul Bashir will be in attendance at the pay-per-view. In the end, Creed rolled up Alex Shelley for the win. Afterward, Chris Sabin shook hands with his opponents. Shelley thought about it and then shoved Creed before leaving the ring....

Powell's POV: Good acrobatic action. The Guns might pose during their matches more than any team in the history of wrestling. Here's hoping they're ready to turn these guys heel.

Karen Angle interviwed Frank Trigg in the latest Karen's Angle segment. She said Spike asked her to do the interview. He took jabs at her by talking about how supportive his wife was. "She never wanted to be on TV, she just wanted to be a supportive wife," he said. He accused her of sleeping with A.J. Styles. He got in her face, so she slapped him. Someone tried to jump in, but Frank punched him and went back to chewing her out. He called her pathetic as he walked away...

Powell's POV: After the Tomko thing last week, it seems rather cruel of Spike to ask her to do the interview. That being said, the segment was well done. Trigg is a very good talker.

[Q4] [C] Tenay and West ran through the pay-per-view lineup... Backstage, Borash interviewed Kurt Angle about his last man standing match with Styles. Kurt claimed he "turned a nobody into a somebody" by taking Styles under his wing, only to have Styles sleep with his wife. Angle said it's personal and he vowed to hurt Styles... [C]

Powell's POV: There was nothing about that promo that made me want to pay to see Angle get his ass kicked. It wasn't a bad promo, but I don't think it accomplished the purpose it was meant to serve.

Backstage, Lauren tried to interview Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Awesome Kong, and Raisha Saeed. The Beautiful people made Lauren leave the set. "You remember the movie King Kong," Angelina Love said. "Well this (Awesome Kong) is Queen Kong"...

Powell's POV: GLOW fans will remember the real Queen Kong of wrestling.

4. LAX and Christian Cage and Rhino defeated Team 3D and James Storm and Robert Roode in a no DQ match in 7:45. All eight wrestlers brawled to start the match. Rhino gored three heels to ringside and then the other babyfaces performed highspot dives to ringside onto the heels.

[Q5] [C] Late in the match, Storm caught Homicide with a superkick. However, he turned around and walked toward Christian, who spit beer in his face. Homicide hit the Gringo Cutter on Storm and scored the pin.

After the match, Johnny Devine walked out and handed Team 3D a kendo stick. The heels roughed up the babyfaces and eventually brought the glass table into the ring. Storm and Roode powerbombed Homicide through the glass table. The announcers questioned whether pieces of glass ended up in Homicide's eyes. "Let's go to break, guys," said a semi-somber Tenay... [C]

Powell's POV: Good match with nonstop action. The beer finish was kind of silly, but everyone worked hard and the crowd was really into the match. I'm not a fan of using the glass table again so soon. They should save that for special occasions.

The latest Rough Cuts with Taylor Wilde aired. She said she likes to start at the bottom and work her way to the top, which is really the exact opposite of what she's done in TNA. Bill DeMott (by telephone) and the other babyface Knockouts said positive things about Wilde...

Powell's POV: I'd like to see a version where all the heel women say negative things about Wilde next week.

[Q6] 5. Awesome Kong (w/Saeed, Love, Sky) squashed Salinas in 0:30. Not much to this one. Kong finished off Salinas with the Awesome Bomb. After the match, the Beautiful People cut a promo and had Kong deliver the Implant Buster on Salinas.

They teased having Kong powerbomb Salinas on a chair, but ODB, Gail Kim, and Taylor Wilde ran out for the save. Kong roughed up Wilde until 911, er, Abyss came out. Abyss teased going after Kong, but Spike TV won't let him, er, Saeed stepped in and made Kong back off. Then Saeed slapped Abyss. He picked up a chair and she ran away. A security guard came in and took the chair, so Abyss gave him the Blackhole Slam... [C]

Powell's POV: The announcers said Abyss wants to be a savior. Is he joining the Prince Justice Brotherhood? Is he the leader? A reader pointed out last week that Abyss once wrestled as Prince Justice. Good lord.

West hyped Bound for Glory as the biggest pay-per-view of the year. That would be fine if this weren't the "go home" edition leading into Sunday's Hard Justice pay-per-view...

Borash interviewed Booker T while Sharmell sat by inside their dressing room. Booker said Sting would make an appearance on Impact and at Sunday's pay-per-view... The announcers ran through the pay-per-view matches again...

In the shitty locker room, Lauren informed Samoa Joe that Booker claims Sting will be in the building. Angry Joe yelled that the mistake he showed at the last pay-per-view was showing mercy on Booker...

[Q7] [C] A video recapped the Sting, Samoa Joe, and Booker T storyline... Backstage, Borash interviewed A.J. Styles, who took offense to Angle's line about making him. Styles said he helped build the company and then Angle jumped on the bandwagon...

A shot aired of three wrestlers walking backstage with weapons as a teaser for the main event... [C] Borash stood in the ring and explained the rules for the weapons gauntlet match. Standard gauntlet rules with six over the top rope eliminations and then pinfall or submissions for the final elimination. Each wrestler is allowed to bring a weapon to the ring...

Powell's POV: Nice job of explaining the rules. They have a lively crowd this week that is really adding to atmosphere.

6. Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles and and Booker T and Matt Morgan and Tomko and B.G. James and Kip James in an eight-man gauntlet match in 14:15. Angle and Styles were the first two in the ring. Tenay assumed that Jim Cornette handpicked the two of them to start the match. So how does he determine who is No. 8?

[Q8] Matt Morgan and Tomko were out next. They brawled out of the ring and to the backstage area quickly, leaving more time for Angle and Styles to preview their pay-per-view match.

B.G. and Kip were out next. That killed the crowd momentarily. In the ring, Angle and Styles set up a ladder in the ring. Styles whipped Styled toward the ladder. Angle ducked under the arch of the ladder and bounced off the ropes. Styles shoved the ladder at Angle as he was coming off and the ladder, and Kurt was instantly a bloody mess. Booker and Joe were the last two men in the ring. Still no sign of Tomko and Morgan. [C]

After the break, highlights aired of Morgan (he and Tomko are back) eliminating James. Back live, Angle and Styles were eliminated in rapid fire order. Angle applied the ankle lock at ringside. Angle was bleeding big time as he headed backstage. Later, Tomko and Booker eliminated Morgan.

Tomko and Booker worked over Joe. Booker went for a kick and missed. Joe whipped Tomko into Booker, which knocked Booker out of the ring. The match came down to Joe and Tomko (not sure what happened to B.G. James, but who cares?). It didn't last long. Joe hit the muscle buster and scored the pin.

After the match, Joe took the mic and said he's coming for Booker at the pay-per-view. He said Sting was next. The lights went out and Sting's music played. Sting appeared in the rafters and pointed at Joe, who pointed back...

A video hyped the pay-per-view matches to close the show...

Powell's POV: I thought Booker should have gone over in the gauntlet match since he looked so weak at the pay-per-view last month. That being said, they are still trying to establish Joe as the champion, so no complaints. Tomko losing at the end didn't feel like a big blowoff, but I guess they at least have footage of Joe pinning him.

The overall show featured too much hardcore action for a show in 2008. It just feels so passe. That being said, this was much better than last week, as the show didn't make me feel like I never wanted to watch wrestling again when it was over. I know that's not exactly high praise, but this was a better show. I'll have a lot more to say about the show tomorrow in the TNA Impact Hitlist.

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