TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a video recap of the Turning Point pay-per-view... The opening video aired... Mike Tenay and Taz introduced the show and hyped the main event tag match...

Mick Foley and Abyss came to the ring. Foley had a white patch over his eye. He said he nearly lost his sight, yet everything became illuminated at the same time. "I'm not sure that Dixie Carter values me anymore here in TNA," Foley said. He questioned why she didn't consult him about signing Hulk Hogan. He complained that he had to show his I.D. just to enter the Impact Zone.

Foley said Raven would learn that you don't mess around with him when they meet in a tag match later in the show. Abyss spazzed out and tried to talk him out of wrestling with an injured eye.

Raven, Dr. Stevie, and Daffney walked onto the stage. Stevie told a bunch of jokes about how Foley is hot under the collar and fired up. Raven questioned whether Foley had the stroke left to even book them in a match. He said Foley had to ask Dixie Carter's permission. "Quote Mick Foley, the match is on," Foley said... [C]

Powell's POV: It sure looks like Foley, who just turned heel and back babyface, will be turning heel again to face Hulk Hogan. By the way, I'm digging the oddball trio of Raven, Stevie, and Daffney. My only complaint about the opening segment is that it really didn't focus on any major talking points coming out of the pay-per-view. Here's hoping they spend more time putting over the Turning Point matches than they did after Bound For Glory.

The announcers hyped the Sting interview for later in the show. Tenay said it "evolved into an unprecedented turn of events" and told viewers to stay tuned...

Backstage, Jeremy Borash told Kurt Angle that Desmond Wolfe claims Angle didn't beat him at Turning Point. Wolfe claims he chose to fight another day. He said Daniels pointed out that Styles pinned Samoa Joe on Sunday rather than him. Styles said they could throw their friendship out the window because of the rivalry.

Angle said he has a few questions. He wanted to know how he lost the TNA Title to Styles when Matt Morgan hit him with the big boot to set up the pin. Angle also complained that Styles seemed to be giving Daniels a title match at the pay-per-view. Styles said he couldn't back down from a challenge. He said he would love nothing more than to prove he's the best. Angle told him to stop talking about it. Borash reminded them that they have to team later in the show. They both walked off in opposite directions...

Powell's POV: Nice followup to the pay-per-view. They established who won the top matches and how, established the TNA Title match for the next show, and created tension between Styles and Angle.

[Q2] As Scott Steiner came to the ring, the announcers recapped his pay-per-view win over Bobby Lashley...

1. Amazing Red (w/Don West) beat Scott Steiner by DQ in 3:25. Taz pointed out that it looked like West got his shirt out of the Michael Jackson collection. Tenay said it looked like a Red Roof in shower curtain. West was mic'd at ringside. He bitched about Red having to face non-X Division wrestler Steiner.

West hollered at Red to use his speed to stay away and to be careful. "It's not worth it," West said. Steiner dominated the match and then hit Red with the lead pipe for the DQ. Steiner continued the beatdown until Bobby Lashley came out and ran him off... [C]

Powell's POV: West would be a great heel manager, but I just don't care for him with Red. It's a weird dynamic. They were trying to create sympathy for Red by having West bitch about him having to face Steiner, but it really made Red look like a bitch who can't hang with the big boys.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Kevin Nash and Eric Young. Nash said the belt he took last week wasn't the former TNA Legend's Championship, it's Young's Global Championship belt. He handed the belt to Young. He said that if Young could do what he did to him, that made Young a guy he wanted to hang with.

After Nash and Young shook hands, Nash said Foley was looking for answers. "I'll be on the phone here shortly to Hulk and by the end of the night your answer will be here," Nash said. Borash made the Furley eyes...

Powell's POV: Nash has apparently joined World Elite. He asked Young if it bothered him that he's American. Young asked Nash if it bothers him that he's from Detroit. Nash said he doesn't live there now.

[Q3] 2. The Motor City Machine Guns and Beer Money defeated British Invasion, Kiyoshi, and Sheik Abdul Bashir in 5:20. Young sat in on commentary while Nash stood behind him. Referee Earl Hebner ordered Young to remain in the chair. After some solid action, Rob Terry ran out. He tried to clothesline Chris Sabin while Brutus Magnus hooked his arms, but Sabin broke away and Terry clotheslined Magnus. A short time later, the Guns got the win for their team...

After the match, the heels chewed out Rob Terry and blamed him for the loss... [C]

Powell's POV: The Guns wore some type of weird laser tag t-shirts to the ring before the match. Weak. Please tell me they're not going to turn Rob Terry babyface and put him in the ring. During the cut-in that aired in the middle of the commercials, the announcers wondered what happened to Kevin Nash.

Backstage, Mick Foley told Kevin Nash that everyone knows he's Hogan's boys. Nash took offense to the "boy" comment. Foley said Nash knew what Hogan was up to and he wanted to know what that was. "It's Hulk," Nash said. "He's here for business, man, and business only."

Nash complained about being suspended for two weeks without pay. Foley said he was overruled. Nash said he's out of money and told Foley he'd give him all the answers he wanted if he got him his money. Nash told Foley that Hogan wouldn't be coming alone. Foley questioned what that meant...

Powell's POV: Good and bad here. How many viewers have no clue that Nash was even suspended? Meanwhile, I like the Nash tease that Hogan isn't coming alone. Obviously, that will get people wondering whether the NWO is coming to TNA.

A video featured footage from a Hogan book signing. He said it will be an awesome moment when he steps into "that building" for the first time. "I can't wait," Hogan said... [C]

[Q4] Backstage, Abyss tried to talk Foley out of working the match. He asked Borash, who was in the room, to help him out. Foley clowned around and then went serious in a snap as he spoke about "doing what he has to do." Abyss begged Foley not to go out there. Foley said the choice is his and there's nothing Abyss or anyone else can do about it. "Everyone has choices to make," Abyss said. Foley said Dixie Carter made a choice by not telling him that Hogan was coming to TNA...

Powell's POV: Damn, I haven't seen Abyss like this since he and Matt Morgan were in Ambiguously Gay Duo tag team mode.

3. Hamada pinned Taylor Wilde in 2:45. Tenay hyped the one-hour post-show that Borash and West are holding on the TNA website after the show. Hamada won clean with the Hamada Driver...

Powell's POV: A good match with some quality near falls for both women. However, Hamada just isn't over. She usually wins over the fans with her in-ring work, but it's not like they pop when she comes out. She doesn't have the look that American fans have been conditioned to expect, so TNA production should put together some video packages that put her over as a big deal. The announcers try their best, but their hype doesn't stand out because they have to put over wrestlers in every match.

Backstage, Abyss placed a desk in front of Foley's office door... [C]

Powell's POV: Um, it looked like that door opened inward. Plus, I don't think it would be too hard to push a desk over with a door. I hate the cartoon character that Abyss has become. He's the pro wrestling version of Snuffleupagus. The cut-in showed Daffney sending off Raven and Stevie to the ring.

Another Hogan video aired. He said the company would be No. 1 "in the shortest time period that has ever happened in this business"...

Powell's POV: Why didn't they hype comments from Hogan for tonight's show?

[Q5] 4. Abyss beat Dr. Stevie and Raven in 3:45. Foley's music played, but he never came out. "I can only assume that Mick Foley was inside that office," Tenay said. No shit, Mike. The heels worked over Foley in what turned into a handicap match. Abyss got in some offense, but Raven cut him off.

Raven pulled a lighter out of his pocket and waited to hit the fireball. Abyss kicked the lighter out of Raven's hand. The referee DQ'd Raven even though he never actually used the fireball. After the match, Daffney came out and handed Stevie a cable. The heels were choking Abyss when the show went to break... [C]

Powell's POV: Stay tuned to find out whether Abyss was choked to death during the commercial break!!!

ODB's "Trash Talking" show debuted. It was backstage with car seats, a recliner, and a pair of her panties hanging up. Homicide was the first guest. Homicide said Suicide wears a mask because he has crabs. He pulled a stuffed crab out of his pocket and threw it onto a laughing ODB. Homicide said Suicide is his bitch because he saw him unmasked. They started moshing as music played to close the segment...

Powell's POV: WTF was that?

Backstage, Lauren welcomed Tomko back to TNA. He thanked her and said TNA looks better than ever. Tomko recalled Dixie telling everyone to step it up. "Who am I not to give the boss what she wants," he said. "I'll see you later...

Tomko left the scene and The Beautiful People walked onto the set. They said there was a blonde whore backstage annoying wrestlers with stupid questions. They were mocking Lauren. As they walked off, it sounded like Lacey farted...

Powell's POV: What's up with the fart sound? Did I miss something? Nothing says hot like women farting. Please tell me that was a fart and not a...

A teaser aired with A.J. Styles saying everything Hulk Hogan has touched turned to gold...

[Q6] 5. Sarita pinned Alissa Flash in 3:45. Tenay said he received word that Foley was looking for Raven and Stevie, so apparently he figured out how to open the inward door and push the desk out the way. I always knew Foley was a bright guy. Sarita hit a great overhead suplex at 2:20. Flash unzipped and zipped her top a couple times during the match. In the end, Sarita hit a kick and scored the pin.

After the match, Traci Brooks ran out and attacked Flash...

Powell's POV: Sarita gets a rare win this week, but loses to Sarita for the 10th time. Sigh.

Backstage, Foley walked into an ambush. Raven choked Foley with the cord while Stevie mocked him. They let him fall as the show went to break... [C]

Powell's POV: Oh yeah, did they choke Abyss to death earlier? I like Raven, Stevie, Daffney, and Foley, but it's so hard to take Abyss programs seriously. Hell, I like Abyss when they don't have him acting like a four year-old. Bring back the monster. By the way, they keep airing these ads for ShopTNA.com with Don West talking in a way that makes him sound just like Eric Young.

[Q7] 6. Team 3D and Rhino pinned D'Angelo Dinero, Matt Morgan, and Hernandez in a street fight in 7:25. The announcers narrated a brief clip from the pay-per-view match these six had on Sunday. Tenay said the babyfaces asked for the rematch. Weapons were legal this time arounds, as Dinero hit Brother Ray with trash can lids that got a big pop from the crowd.

The wrestlers also used kendo sticks, cake pans, etc. The babyface trio dominated the match. Pope put a kendo stick between Devon's legs. Morgan and Hernandez held Devon's legs while Dinero dropped an elbow on Devon's balls. Morgan set up a table at ringside and then went for a leg drop, but Brother Ray moved, causing Morgan to crash through the table.

Later, Hernandez speared Rhino and had him pinned, but the referee was pulled out of the ring. Jesse Neal showed up with a spiked mohawk and hit Hernandez with a chair. Neal put Rhino on top of Hernandez, who appeared to be opened hardway from the shot. Rhino got the win...

Powell's POV: Again, why are two of the young stars the company has identified as the guys they want to push involved in this feud? More importantly, why is Hernandez losing a match because of Jesse Neal? I'll be okay with it if there's a Border Toss in the very near future for Neal, and both Hernandez and Morgan move on to bigger and better things.

The cut-in featured a clip of Styles and Angle arguing over when their title rematch would be. Tenay delivered a comment that reminded viewers they would be teaming later in the show... [C]

Powell's POV: TNA is doing a much better job with the cut-ins.

Backstage, Rhino welcomed Neal to "the cause." Neal made mean faces and glared into the camera. Brother Ray said Neal was the real future of TNA. Neal gritted his teeth while talking about needing to train with hardcore wrestlers in order to be hardcore. Devon called Neal the real future of TNA...

Powell's POV: Neal looks better than he did when he was playing the nice guy routine.

At ringside, Tenay and West apologized for Sting no-showing the interview they had planned. They even showed a shot of a camera crew sitting outside Sting's home...

Powell's POV: Um, you couldn't have let us know that at the top of the show? Obviously, they went with this approach by design to keep people watching, but it does hurt their credibility to tease something all week long and then not deliver. Weak.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Desmond Wolfe and Daniels. Wolfe claimed Angle "surprised him with an illegal submission maneuver." Daniels questioned why Lauren didn't point out that this is the first time he and Wolfe were teaming up. He said it's TNA propaganda designed to make Styles and Angle look better...

[Q8] [C] 7. Desmond Wolfe and Daniels beat Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles in 6:45. Angle and Daniels started the match. Styles eventually tagged in for the big showdown with Daniels, but Daniels backed off and tagged out. Later, the heels took turns working over Angle until he made the hot tag to Styles.

A.J. hit some flash offense on Desmond. Wolfe went for the clothesline, but Styles ducked and hit the Pele kick. Styles went up top only to have Daniels trip him. Desmond hit the Tower of London, which Taz called by name. Angle entered the ring and chased Desmond to the back. Daniels tagged himself in as Desmond was leaving. Daniels hit the Best Moonsault Ever on Styles and scored the pin...

Powell's POV: The announcers did a good job of putting over the importance of Daniels pinning the TNA Champion. Good tag match. I wish there had been an actual heel turn for Daniels, but this win should go a long way toward giving him main event credibility as long as they continue to make a big deal out of it next week. Rich Twilling will be by with the TNA Impact Hitlist on Friday. Thanks for watching along with me tonight.

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