TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a video that focussed on Hulk Hogan joining the company and various clips from past shows discussing it... The show is called "Sexy's Got a Secret"... The opening video aired...

Mike Tenay introduced the show and hyped that Dixie Carter's interview would feature comments on Hulk Hogan. The accompanying graphic also showed Sting and Jeff Jarrett. Taz chimed in on commentary for the first time...

In the ring, Desmond Wolfe, who was wearing a suit, was surrounded by the six sides of steel cage structure. He admitted he tapped out to Kurt Angle at Turning Point. He claimed that Angle used an illegal hold. He claimed Angle didn't beat him because beating someone means punishing them mentally and physically.

Wolfe said he's gotten his jollies and now it's time to end Angle. He said that's why he's inside the cage. He said that he would face Angle in a "three degrees of pain" match at the Final Resolution pay-per-view. He said the first fall is pinfall, the second fall is submission, and the third fall is escape the cage.

Desmond predicted that he would use the Tower of London to get the pin and then force Angle to submit to the London Dungeon. He said he'd climb over the cage and win 3-0 just to humiliate angle. Wolfe called out Angle.

Kurt walked onto the stage wearing his ring gear. Meanwhile, Wolfe made sure the cage door was locked. Angle teased going to the ring and kicking Wolfe's ass. "I think I will," Angle said. He walked to the ring, as Taz pointed out that Wolfe locked the door. Angle pulled at the door and couldn't get in.

Angle climbed over the cage and entered the ring. He knocked Wolfe down. However, Wolfe pulled out a pair of brass knuckles and blasted Angle with a punch to the head. Wolfe picked up Angle and rammed him into the cage a couple times. With Angle lying on the match, Wolfe unlocked the cage door and headed backstage... [C]

Powell's POV: A decent angle. I am really looking forward to their pay-per-view match. It seems way too early in their feud to have a three falls match with the cage gimmick, but that's par for the course with TNA creative. Wolfe needs a couple of meaningful wins soon. They're giving him quality mic time, but wins over some established wrestlers are necessary. Maybe one of those wins will come at Final Resolution.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash spoke with a frazzled Mick Foley, who was paranoid about Hulk Hogan again this week. He made a crack about Brutus Beefcake and Brian Knobs playing on-air roles in TNA. Angle stormed into the room and demanded a match with Wolfe. Foley said he'd give it to him if he told him what he knew about Hogan. Angle told him to get over it and said the real issue is Foley's jealousy...

Powell's POV: So are we getting the match tonight?

[Q2] 2. Alex Shelley (w/Chris Sabin) defeated Doug Williams in 4:15. Before the match, the referee ordered Rob Terry, Brutus Magnus, and Chris Sabin to the back. Magnus took a cheap shot at Sabin along the way. The match was back and forth until Shelley hit Sliced Bread and scored the clean pin...

Backstage, D'Angelo Dinero approached Suicide and told him that TNA management had booked him, Matt Morgan, and Hernandez vs. Team 3D, Rhino, and Jesse Neal at the pay-per-view. Dinero acknowledged their history together. He said he realized when Suicide drove him through a table that he'd do anything to win. He gave him an autographed piece of the table and told him to consider his offer of being the final man on their team...

A shot aired of Mike Tenay and Dixie Carter walking in front of her mansion. The announcers teased the interview would be coming up later... [C]

Powell's POV: So that's what a $2.3 million mansion looks like. Damn. I hope Dixie remembers that I've already invited myself to crash on her couch on Feb. 14 now that TNA has booked a pay-per-view for that night and put me in the doghouse, as it's Valentine's Day and my anniversary with my girlfriend all rolled into one.

Backstage, Mike Foley spoke with D-Lo Brown as Borash watched on for no apparent reason. Foley was pumping him for info about Hogan. D-Lo said Dixie brought in Hogan to help TNA. After Brown left the room, Foley threw a tantrum and asked if Hogan was going to give D-Lo a run with the European Title...

Powell's POV: Foley said Brown mentors some of the younger wrestlers in TNA. For those who haven't been following along, D-Lo is a backstage agent for TNA.

[Q3] 2. Suicide pinned Homicide in 4:40. The announcers pointed out that Homicide knows Suicide's identity. Taz said he doesn't believe Homicide cares about World Elite. He said he believes Homicide marches to the beat of his own drum. Homicide was in control of the match and had Suicide pinned, but pulled him up (it looked like Suicide was kicking out anyway).

Homicide controlled the match, but Suicide used a backslide to get the pin. Homicide was pissed off about losing, so he tried to pull Suicide's mask off. There's a white dude under the hood, so I guess that means it's not Koko Ware, Kamala, Lil' Wayne, or Billy Dee Williams. Dinero came out and ran off Homicide. He offered his hand to Suicide, who made his silly Suicide hand signal rather than shake his hand... [C]

Powell's POV: It was nice to hear Taz say he doesn't think Homicide cares about World Elite. He's not a good fit with the group, so I'm hoping they let him do his own thing. During the cut-in, they showed a production member putting a mic on ODB.

Backstage, Daniels bumped into The Beautiful People as they were talking about doing a Mean Girls 3. Daniels told them he had the perfect plot for their movie. They all headed off to discuss it...

The announcers hyped the Dixie interview... The latest edition of Trash Talk with ODB aired. ODB interviewed Victoria on the backstage set. ODB acknowledged that Tara came from WWE and was a Diva. She complained that Tara thought she could just come to TNA and take over the division.

Tara got emotional as said she gave up two years on her deal with WWE to come to TNA. She said she was humiliated by being forced to be a trainer to Barbie dolls, and complained about wearing a fat suit. She said she came to TNA because she respected the Knockouts. ODB teased apologizing, but then slapped Tara and called her a has been. Two guys who were dressed in bad biker outfits entered the room and pulled ODB off. Tara ran away crying... [C]

Powell's POV: WTF was up with the two guys in the bad Village People biker costumes? Why is Tara so damn emotional all of a sudden? Why does this campy talk show segment even exist? At least it was storyline driven this week.

[Q4] 3. D'Angelo Dinero pinned Jesse Neal in 2:50. Neal attacked Dinero early, but The Pope came back and hit the DDE for the clean pin. Afterward, Neal attacked him from behind and gored him. The lights went out and when they came back on Suicide was on the top rope. Suicide hit a missile dropkick on Neal. Suicide and Dinero shook hands.

Team 3D and Rhino came out and joined Neal in surrounding Suicide and Dinero in the ring. Hernandez and Matt Morgan ran out for the save. Taz noted that the crowd popped big for the babyfaces...

Another tease aired for the Dixie interview. This time they showed Tenay and Dixie walking and talking in a scene right out of one of those commercials for the romantic compilation albums that you can only buy on television... [C] During the cut-in, a shot aired of Kevin Nash and Eric Young getting ready for their match...

4. Eric Young and Kevin Nash defeated Beer Money in 5:00. Young brought the little red toy belt to the ring with him. The announcers reminded viewers that Nash attacked James Storm at Turning Point. It came into play early when Storm entered the ring as the illegal man and hit Nash with a series of kicks and punches. Good intensity.

[Q5] The heels worked over Robert Roode until he made the hot tag to Storm at 4:00. Roode took Nash to the floor and then Storm hit a twisting crucifix slam for a near fall. Storm set up for the Last Call superkick, but Nash grabbed his leg. Young low-blowed Storm and then piledrove him for the win.

After the match, Mick Foley came to the ring and questioned Nash about Hogan. Nash said Foley should have bought a suit and a haircut rather than TNA stock. He said Foley could have used those things because he'll be looking for a job in a couple weeks. Foley demanded to know what the relationship between Hogan and Dixie is. Nash told Foley to call Hogan. When Foley asked for his number, Nash said Hogan said not to give it to him. Nash said they were thinking about putting the band back together and then left the ring... [C]

Powell's POV: The fans were into Beer Money, but they were really flat after Young and Nash got the win. Is there a reason that the established tag team lost to a non-team? I suppose it's possible that Nash and Young are going to work in the tag division, but Beer Money deserves better. Nash's comments got the NWO tease back on track. That's more intriguing to me than Foley implying last week that one person was joining Hogan.

Bobby Lashley and Kristal Lashley came to the ring as highlights aired of their feud with Scott Steiner. Bobby tried to look mean and intense as he said he'd do all his talking about Final Resolution. Kristal took the mic and said she came to TNA to support her husband. She said she's never been harassed at MMA events. "I guess things are a little bit different around here," she said. She added that when she barks, Bobby bites. "At Final Resolution, the big dog is going to eat you for lunch"...

Powell's POV: Good mic work by Kristal. She's better on the mic than her husband. No joke.

[Q6] Backstage, Lauren interviewed Daniels, who said he was dedicating his match tonight to A.J. Styles. He said it will be a preview of what happens to Styles at Final Resolution. Lauren questioned whether Daniels should be more focussed on his opponent, Abyss. He said Lauren and Abyss deserve each other...

Another teaser for the Dixie interview aired... [C]

Powell's POV: Daniels hasn't gone all the way with his heel turn. He's cocky, but there wasn't a defining moment designed to turn the fans against him. The jealousy bit is okay, but it's not producing heat.

A.J. Styles came out and joined the announcers on commentary. He looked into the camera and asked Sting to contact him. He said he's worried about Sting and is already down one friend, so he hopes Sting will call him...

5. Daniels defeated Abyss in 4:05. Styles said he was there to scout Daniels. He said he was going to let the announcers do what they do best. Styles took off the headsets and stood next to their table to watch the match. Abyss was in control of the match late and went for a chokeslam. However, Daniels motioned for a video to play.

The video on the big screen showed The Beautiful People harassing Lauren. Idiot Abyss was distracted long enough for Daniels to low blow him and then get the win. Afterward, Daniels motioned for Styles to join him in the ring. However, A.J.'s mystery attacker showed up and punched him in the back of the head... [C]

Powell's POV: There's no heat on Daniels and now they make it seem like he can't beat Abyss without a distraction. Why should people pay money to see him challenge Styles at the pay-per-view?

[Q7] At ringside, the announcers discussed the mystery man attacking Styles. They also ran through the pay-per-view lineup and officially added Steiner vs. Lashley in a Last Man Standing match, and the Angle vs. Wolfe three falls match...

They cut to Tenay's interview with Dixie Carter. Tenay asked her about the meeting she held with that talent that aired on Impact. She said she wanted to make sure everyone was there to make TNA the top wrestling company in the world. She said she didn't want the meeting aired at first, but decided that if it was documented it would hold everyone, including herself, accountable.

Dixie said she spoke to Sting two weeks ago and asked him what he was going to do about Hulk Hogan coming to TNA. She said she was surprised he didn't show up for the interview. She said she's giving him space and hopes that he'll make the decision to stay with the company.

Tenay asked her about Jeff Jarrett's future. "The bottom line is that there was a personal situation that affected the company," she said. "It put all of us in a very difficult position. Jeff was placed on leave both as a talent and in his capacity with the company. I'd like to leave it at that."

Tenay asked her how the negotiations between her and Hulk Hogan started. She said she heard him talking about TNA on the radio, so he decided to call her. She said they had spoken twice before that, but it didn't work out. She said she had Hogan come to her house and they sat and talked for two hours. She said it was a very easy negotiation.

Dixie said Hogan brings "so much" to TNA. She said the company needs better awareness and Hogan can deliver that. "He's probably one of the most recognizable people on this planet," she said. She said his contribution is going to be tremendous. "He will be working very closely with me in a variety of different capacities," she said. She said they would be going over every aspect of the company. Dixie said they're not trying to recreate history by bringing in Hogan. Rather, they're trying to make history...

Powell's POV: Not as newsworthy as I hoped. The Jarrett answer had to fly over the heads of casual fans who have no idea why he's off television. Tenay looks like a jackass for not asking Carter when Hogan will debut and some of the other obvious questions. The Sting comments were pure storyline. All that hype for a rather forgettable interview. That said, here's hoping they look back at the way they hyped this interview with the boss and start hyping the television main events in the same manner.

The cut-in showed Desmond Wolfe pacing outside Foley's office door... After the break, another Hogan video aired...

Backstage, Wolfe said he's always been a fan of Foley, who assured him that he would not be wrestling Angle. Foley told Wolfe he still has the stroke. Foley thought about the world stroke and said, "This has got to work." He dialed the telephone and told the person who answered to show up at Impact next week. "Screw you and screw TNA," Jeff Jarrett said before hanging up...

Powell's POV: The reintroduction of Jeff Jarrett begins.

6. Hamada pinned Sarita in 3:20. Tenay told viewers they could watch the rest of the Carter interview on the TNA website. Taz said he was impressed by the interview and noted that it was the first time Dixie spoke publicly about Hogan since the press conference.

[Q8] At 2:00, Hamada went for her finisher, but Sarita countered by turning it into a pin attempt for a nice near fall. Later, Hamada hit a couple of kicks to the head and then played to the crowd. Taz questioned why she would waste time. She followed up with a Hamada driver for the clean pin. Taz pointed out that Hamada has defeated each tag champion in back-to-back matches...

Powell's POV: A short match. Hamada has been disappointing in TNA because the company hasn't done much with her since her hot debut. Here's hoping the wins over Sarita and Taylor Wilde is the start of something more for her. Hamada needs a mouthpiece.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Styles, who threw a fit about the mystery man jumping him from behind. He said the next time it happens will be the last time the mystery man is able to "do anything"...

Kurt Angle came to the ring for his match. Mick Foley came out and said it's been a tough couple of weeks for him. He said people can say whatever they want about him, but he's not jealous of anyone. Foley recalled telling Angle that he could have his match with Wolfe if he told him everything he knew about Hogan. He said that didn't happen, so he was booking him in a match against Raven and Dr. Stevie. "They might hurt you or you might hurt them, but either way I win," Foley said...

Powell's POV: And viewers lose. Honestly, I'm happy they're not giving away another Angle vs. Wolfe match on television. They didn't hype the match enough for this to be a bait and switch. That said, I would have held this match earlier in the show because it's not main event segment material. Maybe there's an angle that will justify it's placement.

7. Kurt Angle defeated Raven and Dr. Stevie (w/Daffney) in a handicap match in 3:15. Tenay stated that the TNA cameras had been invited to join Mick Foley as he headed to Tennessee to visit Jeff Jarrett at his home. Stevie tried to leave with Daffney, but Abyss came out and hit him with a black hole slam on the stage. In the ring, Angle put Raven in the ankle lock and forced him to tap.

After the match, Wolfe hit the ring and attacked Angle from behind. After driving Angle onto the mat, Wolfe casually reached into his pocket and put his shades on. Wolfe knelt down over the fallen Angle to close the show...

Powell's POV: TNA is turning into MTV Cribs with all these house visits. We saw the outside of Sting's house last week, Dixie's pad this week, and now we're going back to Jarrett's place next week. I'm out if they head to Mike Tenay's house in two weeks. The Dixie interview was disappointing, but the tease for Jarrett's return entertained me (while probably confusing casual fans). I'm looking forward to seeing how Dixie's segment did in the ratings. I'll have more to say about the show in the TNA Impact Hitlist on Friday. Thanks for watching along with me tonight.

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