wrestling reviews, thoughts and news - brought to you by the starman
The Squared Circle

11/30 TNA Impact Recap

Last week it was announced that LAX would be defending the NWA Tag Team Championships against Kurt Angle & Petey Williams.  Will LAX finally have the belts taken away from them?  Also, as promised, we will get to find out which X Division stars are on the juice and more from the Voodoo Kin Mafia’s war on the WWE, tonight on Impact.

The show starts with a recap of last week’s events, focusing on the LAX beat down of AMW with Kurt Angle coming to make the save followed by the announcement of the Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe rematch at Turning Point.  Also featured are highlights of the Christian Cage/Sting matchup and the arrival of Tyson Tomko.

We cut to the backstage area where LAX is standing by along with a blond female interviewer whose name I didn’t quite catch.  Konnan says that they are American citizens and last week they had their first amendment rights violated.  Konnan then goes on to tell Kurt Angle & Petey Williams that tonight they will feel what thug life is all about.

The TNA Impact intro hits and Mike Tenay hypes tonight’s program, which will feature LAX against Angle & Williams for the Tag Team Titles and they will be airing more footage of the Voodoo Kin Mafia at WWE Headquarters.

Christian Cage makes his way to the ring along with Tomko.  While they are heading towards the ring, Mike Tenay announces that TNA officials have signed a match for Turning Point in which Abyss will defend the championship against Cage and Sting in a three-way match.

Cage formally introduces Tomko to the fans by saying he is the only man he has ever trusted in this business.  Cage then goes on to say that he is still undefeated in TNA and is its biggest star, but they are trying to put the screws to him by booking him in a triple threat match at Turning Point.  However, he is going to turn it into a single threat match instead by taking out both Sting and Abyss tonight.

Cage then goes on to say that Tomko and Abyss have a past and he wants Abyss to come down to the ring so the two of them can get reacquainted.  Abyss’s music hits as he comes out along with James Mitchell.  Cage taunts Abyss to come down to the ring.  

Before anything can happen, though, the music of Sting is played as the lights go down and Sting descends from the rafters.  It is a fake Sting, however, as the real Sting enters the ring from the opposite side and chases Cage and Tomko out with a baseball bat.  Sting gets on the microphone and requests to talk to Abyss face-to-face, man-to-man, tonight in the ring – and he wants Abyss to come alone.

We see footage of VKM outside WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT.  BG has a cease and desist order for Vince McMahon to sign.  If he does not sign, it means war.  BG then states that he was ordered to go to the CNN Center long ago and now he is doing the same to them.  Finally, speaking on behalf of the wrestling fans, they have two words for them, “stop, please.”

- Commercial break –

We return from commercial to see that during the break LAX took out James Storm with a chair and a ladder.  Storm was shown laid out on the floor with blood coming out from his mouth.

Match 1: Chris Sabin vs. Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt (X Division #1 Contender Match)
Christopher Daniels joined Mike Tenay and Don West at the announce table for the match.  Chris Harris also came to the booth and told LAX that he was going to be looking for them.

Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal worked together as a team against Chris Sabin to start the match out.  Dutt rolls up Lethal for a quick pin attempt after Lethal sent Sabin to the outside.  Lethal gets back at Dutt by delivering a full nelson suplex.  Sabin returns to the ring and kicks Lethal out and covers Dutt for the pin fall.

Winner of the Match: Chris Sabin by pin fall to earn the #1 spot for the X Division Title.

After the match, Sabin confronts Daniels at the announce table.  Daniels makes his way around the table towards Sabin but Jerry Lynn enters the picture to stop Daniels.  Sabin taunts Daniels as he makes his way back up the ramp.

There is more commotion backstage as LAX is now on the attack on Chris Harris.  Harris is tied up to a stairway railing as Homicide & Hernandez are laying a beat down.  Gail Kim comes out to rescue Harris as LAX leaves.

- Commercial break –

A Turning Point promo is aired that features the rematch of Samoa Joe against Kurt Angle and the triple threat match for the NWA World Championship.

Part two of the VKM raid on WWE Headquarters is aired.  It is 10:44 in the morning and BG asks Kip if he brought the sound system.  Kip says he did and opens the trunk to find a guy hand him an orange parking cone.  BG uses it as a megaphone to tell McMahon to come out with his pants up, and leave the fat naked guy inside.

Back at the Impact Zone, Ms. Brooks is in the crowd asking the fans where Eric Young is  as we head to Jeremy Borash with the TNA Spotlight.  Borash shills TNA DVDs, as well as their new line of action figures, and of course, Turning Point on December 10th.

We see footage of a sit down interview conducted by Mike Tenay with AJ Styles.  Tenay questions AJ’s relationship with Christopher Daniels.  Styles responds by saying the two of them are like brothers and they will have their misunderstandings.  He says it’s not a big deal and they will get over it.  

Tenay then asks Styles about his relationship with Rhino.  Styles says that Rhino is a guy that wants something since he always seems to be around him and in his business.  Tenay tells Styles that Rhino may be trying to help him in which AJ takes offense and tells Tenay that he doesn’t know the real AJ at all.  

Styles goes on to tell Tenay of his past – growing up in a trailer with a kerosene heater.  Tenay apologizes and tells AJ that people like him, Daniels and Rhino are trying to help him.  Styles asks where they were to help when he needed it years ago.  

Rhino steps in and tells Styles that he didn’t have it great growing up either and that he did things that should have landed him in jail.  Rhino warns Styles not to make the same mistakes he once did.  AJ questions as to how they both always end up at same place at the same time.  He then warns Rhino that the next time they cross paths, he will be in trouble and walks away.

- Commercial break –

We see pre-taped footage of the PCS drug testing results.  The X Division stars are standing in the room holding urine samples.  Kevin Nash, in a doctor’s outfit, congratulates them all, as nobody tested positive for steroids, however, Alex Shelly does have chlamydia.  He announces that next week there will be psychological exams given and dismisses everyone except Alex Shelley and Austin Starr.  Nash tells them that he is counting on them to win tonight in their match.  Shelley says he will win, twice.  The PCS will start on December 10th.

Match 2: Ron Killings & Lance Hoyt vs. Alex Shelley & Austin Starr
All four are in the ring to start the match off.  Eric Young appears in the crowd as the fans tell him that Ms. Brooks is looking for him.  Back in the ring, Austin Starr has Lance Hoyt in the ring and is about to perform a high-risk move, but Shelley stops him and rolls up Hoyt for the pin as he is holding the tights.

Winners of the Match: Alex Shelley & Austin Starr by pin fall.

After the match, Starr grabs the paparazzi cam and shows the referee that Shelley had a hold of Hoyt’s tights during the pin fall.  The referee reverses his decision and awards the match to Killings & Hoyt by disqualification.  Shelley argues with his partner as Starr just smiles.

Winners of the Match: Ron Killings & Lance Hoyt by referee’s reversal.

More commotion is happening backstage as we see Ms. Brooks confronting Eric Young.  Brooks tells Young that he has to accept the challenge or else he will be fired.  Young accepts as the blond interview lady asks what challenge Ms. Brooks was talking about.  Young says that he was challenged to a bikini contest and that he needs to start a weight loss program.

A video package for Raven’s new group, Serotonin, aired to lead us into another commercial break.

- Commercial break –

Part three of VKM at WWE Headquarters aired.  In this segment, it is now 3:44 in the afternoon and BG states that they are willing to stand outside all night if they have to.  Time moves ahead to 1:23 in the morning and VKM are sleeping outside the doors.  Kip James wakes up and tells BG that he just had a nightmare about “Dumb to the eXtreme” were doing something with a fat oiled up man.  BG tells him that it wasn’t a nightmare as it actually happened on their program.  Kip wants to abort the mission but BG reminds him that they are America’s last line of defense against them a decent television.  More footage of their time at WWE Headquarters is available at www.tnawrestling.com.

Sting makes his way to the ring and calls out Abyss to have their face-to-face talk.  Abyss comes down to the ring alone.  Sting sets up a chair in the ring but Abyss continues to stand.  Sting tells Abyss that he has watched him go through thumbtacks and barbed wire on his way up the ladder in TNA to finally become the World Champion.  

Sting says that he doesn’t know anything about his past but he does know that he is a great athlete.  However, it seems to him that Abyss is being led around like a little puppy by James Mitchell and wants to know why.  Abyss finally sits down in the chair.  Sting refers to Abyss by his first name, Chris, as James Mitchell appears laughing on the video screen.

Mitchell tells Sting that he is wasting his time.  He goes on to say that Sting should look into a mirror, as he will see that he is exactly the same as them.  Mitchell tells him that he should worry about saving his own soul instead of theirs.  Sting tells Abyss to stop worrying about James Mitchell and start making his mind up for himself.

Sting leaves the ring and Christian and Tomko run into the ring and attack Abyss from behind.  Sting returns to the ring and chases them out, once again, with a baseball bat.  Sting offers his hand to Abyss to help him up but Abyss looks confused.  Mitchell makes his way down to the ring and stands in between the two.  Mitchell slaps Sting in the face and takes Abyss out of the ring, as Sting stays in the middle of the ring with a smile on his face.

We head backstage where the blond interview girl is with Petey Williams.  Before Williams is able to get a word out, LAX come in at attack him from behind.  Konnan shouts out to Kurt Angle and asks him how he will do against LAX by himself.

- Commercial break –

Match 3: LAX vs. Kurt Angle (NWA Tag Team Championship Match)
Petey Williams is out of the match, so Kurt Angle will be facing LAX alone.  Hernandez and Angle start the match off.  Angle gets the early advantage and lands a belly-to-belly overhead suplex on Hernandez.  

Hernandez makes the tag into Homicide and is immediately taken down by a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Angle.  Hernandez re-enters the ring and takes Angle down with a chop block.  Homicide continues to work on the leg of Angle.  Homicide makes the tag into Hernandez as we see Samoa Joe coming down to the ring to become Angle’s new tag partner.  Hernandez has a headlock on Angle, but Angle is able to turn it into a backdrop.

Angle tags in Joe and Joe comes in and takes down both members of LAX with kicks and slams.  Homicide tries for a neckbreaker on Joe but it is reversed into a rear naked choke.  Angle enters the ring and locks on the anklelock on Hernandez.  The referee calls for the bell, as it appears they are tapping out.  Jim Cornette comes down to ringside and says that since Samoa Joe was not the contracted wrestler to participate in the match, the titles cannot change hands and ruled the match a no-contest.

After the decision was announced, Angle and Joe shook hands in the middle of the ring as a video recap of tonight’s events takes place and brings this edition of Impact to a close.

Quick Results

Starman’s Thoughts
It is nights like these in which I really wish Impact were a two-hour show.  A lot of stuff happened tonight except one important thing – actual wrestling.  It is strange for a promotion that uses the tagline “We are wrestling,” would only feature approximately ten minutes of actual wrestling on their broadcast.

All of the matches tonight had the potential to be good matches, but when they are given a couple of minutes to work with, nothing great comes out of it.  A three-way match to decide the #1 spot for the X Division title – sounds good to me – however, it makes the other two wrestlers look weak when the match only goes on for two minutes.  

Sonjay Dutt was pinned after being on the receiving end of two actual wrestling maneuvers.  If that is the case, why exactly is he in a match to become a contender to the X Division title?  I’m not saying that Dutt doesn’t deserve a title shot, it just comes across that he isn’t worthy of it when a match doesn’t have the time to develop.

Furthermore, LAX came across tonight as a legitimate force to be reckoned with.  They crushed everyone in their path tonight with ease.  They go into the ring against Kurt Angle and are soon tapping out to the anklelock and Samoa Joe’s rear naked choke.  These are the tag team champions we are talking about – not Bentley & Kazarian.  

Again, this is due to the fact that Impact has a lack of time to work with.  Again, the fans are treated to a main event that goes to a no-contest for the second week in a row.  Had this match had some extra time to work with, it could have been a great matchup, even with the no-contest ending.  Instead, it looks like LAX got punked out by a throw together team that consists of two people who will be facing each other at the next PPV.

I remember one year ago when Impact would have three or four matches a week.  Yes, usually one was a squash match, but the others were usually of some quality.  Of course, the focus at the time was more so on wrestling than storytelling and storylines were basically evolved by in-ring action and pre-match interviews.  Much of the time now is used to set up and further feuds by giving the wrestlers mic time in and out of the ring and other pre-taped segments.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind seeing wrestlers cutting a promo in the ring or having events occur backstage as long as it is entertaining for me to watch and has an overall point or goal to reach.

Which brings me to one of the most pointless reoccurring segments that have happened over the past few weeks – the Voodoo Kin Mafia’s war on WWE.

Having VKM go to Stamford to film them at WWE Headquarters is one thing.  Having the segments draw on for weeks with no real end in sight is another.  VKM can accept the Hardy Boyz challenge and they can sit outside of the headquarters of their competition all they want, but do you know what is going to happen in the end?  Nothing.

Basically all they are doing is giving away free advertising for the WWE since nothing will come out of this.

Had it not been a rehash of something that happened years ago, it might be at least entertaining.  However, it has been done before – and these two were a part of that as well, nonetheless.  Not only that, but it just doesn’t have the same feeling of edginess or importance as it did when it happened the first time.

Back then it was at the peak of the Monday Night Wars.  Wrestling fans were interested in it, as it was something that had never been done before – a stable of wrestlers going off to a rival promotion’s headquarters, and even better, a live event.  Seeing DX mingle with the fans at a WCW Nitro and make them chant “WCW sucks,” was a sight to see.  I know am I not the only that thinks that was one of the top 10 wrestling moments of all time.

The VKM segments, on the other hand, seem like a watered-down version of that with no real point or reason.  Sure, the WWE is their competition, but they are not in the middle of a ratings war, nor are they exchanging cheap shots on their programming whenever the chance arises.  Hell, TNA is rarely acknowledged by the WWE, save for the time Paul Heyman offered anyone from any sided ring to come and challenge Kurt Angle at One Night Stand.

It seems to me that this isn’t going anywhere and is wasting valuable television time that could be better off used to showcase their talent’s in-ring abilities.  If they must play these VKM segments, I would much rather have to go online to see them than to have them come on during the broadcast three times a week.  Showing one to gain fan interest and having them go to the web site to view the rest wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially since that is basically what happened tonight anyway.

With that said, that concludes my two-cents for this week’s episode.

Posted by: starman on 12.01.2006 at 1:49 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink