TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] A video recapped the latest events in TNA such as Hulk Hogan joining the company and the various ongoing feuds... "Is Mick The Turkey?" is the title of the show... The opening video aired...

Mike Tenay and Taz introduced the show and ran through the various tournament matches. The duo was seated at their ringside desk, which had Thanksgiving decorations on top of it...

1. Bobby Lashley (w/Kristal) defeated Abyss in a first-round tournament match in 4:45. Tenay noted that the wrestler who wins the tournament will earn a shot at the title in the division they compete in. He also noted that the tournament pairings were randomly drawn. Both wrestlers received good reactions from the live crowd. Lashley did a much better job of playing to the crowd than usual.

Lashley and Abyss ended up at ringside. Kristal ran toward the wrestlers and took an inadvertent elbow to the head from Abyss. She landed hard on the mat and came up holding her ankle. This distracted Abyss long enough for Lashley to lock in his submission finisher for the win. Afterward, Taz noted that Kristal seemed to make a miraculous recovery as she ran up the steps and joined her man in the ring... [C]

Powell's POV: There were some cool graphics that appeared on the screen as the wrestlers made their way to the ring. It listed their height, weight, years pro, and finishing moves. It was surprising to see that Abyss has been in the business for 14 years. It's downright odd that all the wrestlers in the tournament aren't competing for a TNA Title shot. That should be the ultimate goal for every wrestler in the company.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash told Mick Foley that it might not be such a bad thing that Hulk Hogan is coming to TNA. Borash said Foley's goal was to make TNA the No. 1 wrestling company in the planet, and Hogan joining the company does that. Foley was still pissed that Dixie Carter didn't bother to give him the news. He also expressed concern over Kevin Nash saying Hogan wasn't coming TNA alone. Foley said he was going to talk to Kurt Angle about it...

Powell's POV: It was a rare backstage segment with Borash just talking with Foley and not acting as a backstage interviewer. He didn't bring a microphone with him, which was a must when Jeff Jarrett was in control of the creative team. Maybe it's happened before and I've just missed it.

[Q2] 2. Desmond Wolfe beat Suicide in 4:00 in a first-round tournament match. Suicide was competing in the tournament for a shot at the X Division Title. Wolfe hit the Tower of London and got the clean pin. Tenay said Wolfe would face Lashley in the second round...

Powell's POV: I'm just not a fan of the graphic that notes how long wrestlers have been in the business. They listed Wolfe as a 10-year veteran, yet they've never bothered to tell us about his background. How many fans are wondering what Abyss did prior to joining TNA? Maybe it's just nitpicking, but I'd rather see years in TNA or even if they want to label WWE and TNA as major leagues.

3. Kurt Angle defeated D'Angelo Dinero in a first-round tournament match. Taz added strong commentary by saying Dinero couldn't outwrestle Angle and would have to outsmart him. He didn't demean Dinero, as he pointed out that few wrestlers could outwrestle Angle. Good, realistic sounding commentary.

Dinero was in control for the opening minute. Angle came back and hit a couple German suplexes. Angle went for the third, but Dinero blocked it and hit a German of his own.

[Q3] Later, Dinero went for the Elijah Express (or whatever he's calling it now), but Angle avoided it and hit the Angle Slam before getting the clean pin. Afterward, Angle shook Burke's hand and hugged him... [C]

Powell's POV: As much as I liked Taz's call early, I was hoping he'd point out that Burke was spending too much time playing to the crowd. Overall, a quality match. Angle showing respect and endorsing other wrestlers after matches will only work so many times, so I hope they save it and make it mean something.

During the cut-in, Homicide told a production crew member that he wanted some pyro for his entrance. The man said it wasn't his call, which upset Homicide...

Backstage, Foley, who is still wearing the eye patch, approached Angle in his locker room and asked where the other Main Event Mafia members. Angle pointed out that Sting hasn't been around for months and asked if Foley was nuts. Foley complained about Hogan coming in. Angle defended the move and said that Hogan and Dixie Carter teamed up to take the company to new levels. Foley said he hopes the man Hogan is bringing in has the right intensions. Angle told Foley to stop listening to Nash...

Powell's POV: So much for the NWO tease. Foley has shifted Nash's comments regarding Hogan not coming alone to meaning one person. Given the history, my guess is that his character is fretting over Eric Bischoff coming to TNA.

4. Robert Roode pinned Homicide in a first-round tournament match in 3:45. Homicide jumped Roode from behind to open the match. He got the better of the early exchanges, but Roode came back with a spinebuster and got the pin. Afterward, Homicide in a female production crew member's face and then threw a chair. He teased throwing the chair at a group of fans, but they didn't even flinch... [C]

Powell's POV: Tenay did a nice job of explaining why Roode was going after the tag titles. He noted that Beer Money can't get title shots against British Invasion per their recent match stipulation, but the random drawing opened the door for Beer Money to get a shot if Roode wins the tournament. No upsets in the tournament so far. By the way, if Homicide knows Suicide's identity, why isn't he blackmailing him and forcing him to help him win matches?

[Q4] Backstage, Kurt Angle told Borash that he would win the tournament. He said there was a small part of him that hoped Wolfe would advance to the finals so that he could beat him...

5. Tara won a battle royal to earn a TNA Knockouts Title match. The entrants were Velvet Sky, Lacey Von Erich, Madison Rayne, Hamda, Sarita, Taylor Wilde, Traci Brooks, Tara, Daffney, and Alissa Flash. The special referee was ODB. Daffney was eliminated by Hamada just seconds in to the match. The tag champs dropkicked Brooks and Flash to the floor. [C]

The cut-in showed Tara eliminating Lacey. Madison and Velvet eliminated Sarita. Taylor eliminated Hamada, but also eliminated herself in the process. The match came down to Tara, Madison, and Velvet. Velvet bumped her partner off the ring apron accidentally, and then Tara eliminated Velvet to win the match.

Afterward, ODB raised Tara's hand. Tara looked down at the Knockouts Title around ODB's waist. Tara offered her hand to ODB, who slapped it away and left the ring. Tenay said they would meet at Final Resolution...

Powell's POV: I'm surprised they didn't have the battle royal carry over past the top of the hour. It certainly would be an eye catching moment for anyone flipping channels.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Eric Young and Kevin Nash. Nash accused Borash of having a big man fetish. Young said no one in the tournament was going after his title because he refuses to defend the belt against American wrestlers or on American soil...

Powell's POV: Or maybe it's because no one cares about the little red title belt.

[Q5] A video featured Hulk Hogan talking about coming to TNA. He said he proved the fans and wrestlers will go where he is.

Powell's POV: Scratch what I wrote about having the Knockouts on at the top of the hour. Good move to have Hogan on in that spot. That said, they could have went right to the Knockouts battle royal after the Hogan video and kept viewers watching.

Backstage, Mick Foley asked Scott Steiner what Hulk Hogan is really like. Steiner asked Foley who the smartest man he knows is. Foley said a name that was bleeped out. He said the man came up "with the Ron Simmons "What?" gimmick." His words, not mine. Steiner said Hogan was like that times ten. Steiner went back to yelling at a seamstress... [C]

Powell's POV: Steiner was really good here. He did a nice job of going from the usual hothead Steiner character into mellowing out and talking with Foley about Hogan.

Backstage, Foley approached Nash and Young with a big brown bag. Nash assumed it was his money, but Foley said it was his lunch. Foley hit him up for info on Hogan. Nash teased that Virgil and The Disciple (a/k/a Ed Leslie, Brutus Beefcake) would be joining Hogan, but then laughed and said not really. Nash also cracked, "Between you and I if Knobbs comes in I'm quitting." Nash said he'd pass along any info Hogan gives him. Nash and Young laughed at Foley when he walked away...

Powell's POV: Nice play on the paranoia that Brutus Beefcake and The Nasty Boys will be joining Hogan.

6. Bobby Lashley (w/Kristal) defeated Desmond Wolfe by DQ in a second-round tournament match in 5:10. After some back and forth action, Wolfe came up bleeding from the mouth at 3:00. Lashley got a nice flurry of offense following a spear in the corner.

[Q6] Desmond went for the Tower of London at 4:30, but Lashley avoided it and applied the Dragon Sleeper. Desmond grabbed the ropes to break the hold. Moments later, Desmond put an arm lock on Lashley in the ropes. The referee counted to five and Desmond didn't break the hold, so Lashley won by DQ... [C]

Powell's POV: Well, at least they didn't have Wolfe lose clean. The announcers tried to sell it as if he was so obsessed with Angle that he got himself disqualified because he was talking to Angle via the camera while applying the hold. Did Wolfe really need to be in the tournament? This made him look dumb and didn't give Lashley and momentum heading into the finals.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Bobby Lashley and Kristal. She asked Lashley a question, but Kristal grabbed the mic and said no one can beat Bobby in TNA or MMA.

7. Robert Roode defeated Kurt Angle via countout in a second-round tournament match in 7:40. Angle controlled the bulk of the early action. Roode came back at 4:40 with a cool neck snap off the top rope. Later, Roode went for the fisherman's buster suplex, but Angle avoided it and hit a suplex of his own.

[Q7] Angle went for the Angle Slam, but Roode avoided it with an arm drag. Angle hit the move a few seconds later, but Roode kicked out of the pin attempt. Desmond Wolfe walked to ringside and spat on Angle. Kurt headed to ringside and beat on Wolfe until the referee counted him out. Angle made an effort to get back inside the ring, but was a second late... [C]

A.J. Styles came to the ring for a promo. He said it was Thanksgiving and he hadn't heard from Sting in a while. He asked Sting to contact him. Daniels came to the ring and complained that Styles never did anything to help him when he was fired. He said Styles has always known that Daniels was better than him. "That is why you wanted me to be your best friend, because you didn't want me to be your worst enemy," Daniels said... [C] The cut-in featured the announcers previewing the main event...

Powell's POV: There's not enough focus on A.J. during the shows. They have to find ways to mention him and put him over as the top wrestler in the company on a regular basis. Viewers should never go even 30 minutes without a reminder of who the top guy in the company is. The verbal exchange was okay. The fans gave Daniels the "Shut the hell up" chant.

[Q8] Another Hulk Hogan video aired. He said they were going to give the fans and talent a choice. "It's not going to be boring anymore," Hogan said...

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Robert Roode as James Storm stood behind him. Roode said he has nothing but respect for Lashley. He said he was going out there to win the match for him and his partner. Roode said British Invasion has been avoiding them and this was his chance to get his team a shot. He said Lashley will find out that it pays to be Roode...

Powell's POV: Yawn. TNA has failed to make this viewer care if Beer Money gets another title shot. It's too bad, because I like both teams, but I don't get the sense that the masses are dying to see Beer Money get their shot. For that matter, it's tough for Roode to hype a match against another babyface. Roode is good enough to get a good match out of Lashley, but it's an odd choice for a tournament final.

A video teased that Dixie Carter will answer "all the burning questions" regarding Hulk Hogan in an exclusive interview...

Powell's POV: So much for Dixie not being an on-air regular. I'm fine with that, though. My guess is that she announces Hogan will debut at the Jan. 4 taping. Here's hoping TNA worked out something with Spike for a live Monday night special that week. By the way, one can only wonder where Styles would be if they gave him as much attention as they're giving Hogan. I'm all for hyping the hell out of Hogan, but it frustrates me that the company doesn't do a better job of showcasing their top wrestlers.

8. Bobby Lashley defeated Robert Roode in 10:10 to win the tournament and a TNA Title shot. They recapped Lashley beating Abyss and Taz once again noted that Kristal made a remarkable recovery from her ankle injury. After some back and forth offense, they cut to a commercial break early. [C]

Powell's POV: At first, I thought Taz was just having some fun at Kristal's expense because she didn't sell the ankle injury after the match, but it's obviously part of the storyline since he keeps pointing it out.

After the break, Roode was working on the arm of Lashley. The announcers noted that Desmond targeted the same arm earlier. Good storytelling. They also hyped Dixie's Twitter page again.

Lashley made a comeback with what appeared to be a chokeslam. He stumbled a bit and it was hard to tell what he was going for. Roode came right back and went after the arm. Lashley charged at Roode in the corner, but missed and rammed his bad arm into the turnbuckle. Roode hit the fisherman's suplex for a nice near fall. However, Lashley came back and speared Roode for the win. Afterward, Kristal celebrated with Lashley in the ring to close the show...

Powell's POV: If they ever hold this tournament again, I hope they'll abandon the silly TCS name. I got my fill of listening to the announcers hype the silly name throughout the show. Great, it sounds like the BCS. Here's the thing, no one likes the BCS system. As for the match, Roode did a nice job of carrying Lashley to a good match. I still question going with a wrestler the fans haven't connected with against a tag team wrestler in the finals. I'd love to see an annual Thanksgiving tournament, but TNA needs to work on the presentation. More on that in the TNA Impact Hitlist on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

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