411’s TNA Impact Report 04.16.09

Just to show how much I care about all of you getting your update on the wonderful world of TNA, I’m doing this report while having to watch the third period of the first game of the playoffs for my beloved Detroit Red Wings in silence on the picture in picture. I’m nothing if not committed to my work, especially in the face of some of the baffling things I have to sit through from TNA every week. This show had better be worth it or I will be a fairly unhappy camper by the end of it.

The show opens with another Lethal Lockdown promo package which plays heavily on Team Jarrett’s mystery partner as well as the final match in the Lethal Lockdown Advantage Series. There’s only three days left until Lockdown and Sting and Foley will have one more chance to up the ante heading into their TNA World Heavyweight Championship bout! With the regular Impact opening out of the way, we have lights, we have pyro and we are LIVE-ish from the Impact Zone in Orlando! AJ Styles’ music hits and he’s headed to the ring with a microphone. This is already a welcome change from the usual Main Event Mafia promo that opens the show. Look for them to interrupt shortly. Styles talks about his match with Scott Steiner and how Jeff Jarrett actually cost him the match. He says that they talked about it and that it’s water under the bridge, but now there are rumors backstage floating around about Jarrett and Styles can’t get them out of his head. He says he wants to make sure that they’re on the same page come Lockdown and before he can ask, Jeff Jarrett’s on his way to the ring to address the situation. Styles says that he understands Jarrett’s predicament and how he’s under a lot of pressure before telling him that any decision he makes could make or break the company. Styles says that once the roof drops and the Lethal Lockdown is underway, he doesn’t want to have to think about and worry about which side Jarrett is on.

Random Red Wings Observation #1: Johan Franzen puts the biscuit in the basket with a fantastic goal!! 4-1 Red Wings three minutes into the third period!! Hell to the yes!!

Styles asks Jarrett to look him in the eyes and tell him that he’s going to be behind him and Jarrett responds by saying that he’s insulted that he even has to answer that question. He reminds Styles that he named him team captain before Styles turned it down and asks if he would do that if he was planning on turning on him at the PPV. Styles says that he didn’t say anything about Jarrett turning on him and Jarrett gets in his face, saying he implied it. Jarrett says that’s what’s wrong with the younger generation in TNA and asks AJ where his trust is. He asks if AJ remembers who brought him into TNA and gave him every opportunity to help his career and to become a MAN in this business. Jarrett tells Styles he has a lot of balls to question him three days before Lethal Lockdown while Styles tries to apologize. Jarrett tells him to stick the apology and says that if Styles wants to know what kind of leader he is and where his loyalties lie, he’ll find out when the fourth member of Team Jarrett is revealed. By the way, he’s also a former TNA Champion. As surely as the sun rises in the East, Jarrett is interrupted by the Main Event Mafia’s music and here comes the Senior Circuit!!

Angle, Nash, Booker, Steiner and MEM Security make their way down to ringside with Angle actually getting into the ring to address Styles and Jarrett. Angle says he realizes that Jarrett is going through a lot and he sympathizes with him. He says that he wants to be up front with Jarrett about something and says that Kevin Nash can’t wrestle tonight in the Lethal Lockdown Advantage Series match because he’s not cleared to wrestle until the PPV on Sunday. Angle “respectfully” asks if he can take Nash’s place in the match tonight. Styles calls it bullshit and says that if Nash can’t wrestle, he forfeits and Team Jarrett will get the one-man advantage in Lethal Lockdown. Angle asks if Styles is the guy in charge this week and Jarrett assures Angle that he’s still the one calling the shots. He says that tonight was supposed to deliver the third and final match in the series and that that’s what the people are going to get. He tells Angle he appreciates his candor in disclosing Nash’s medical condition and makes an “executive decision” to allow Angle to take Nash’s place tonight. Jarrett promises that he’ll find out who his opponent is later tonight before leaving the ring and a confused AJ Styles in his wake.

Random Impact Observation #1: While I could do without the heel teasing on Jeff Jarrett’s part since I think it only clouds the waters a bit going into the main event of the pay-per-view, this was a great opening segment. AJ was strong on the mic, Jarrett and Angle had a nice interaction and for once the announcers didn’t talk all over it and make me want to send a pencil into my eardrums. I’m not sure if it’s “missing the Red Wings” good, but this is a strong start to the show. Let’s hope it stays that way.

After a video package showing the accomplishments of Suicide and building the X-scape match at Lockdown, we head to the back where Lauren has Sheik Abdul Bashir with her. She asks him about starting an anti-American faction and Sheik shuts her down, saying that Kiyoshi and No Limit volunteered to join him because they’re sick of being victimized in the United States. He adds that people will take him seriously because at Lockdown they’re going to bring the pain, bring the violence and bring their blood!! He ends with some phlegmy Arabic that would make the Iron Sheik proud and that leads us into…

Match One:
Chris Sabin w/Alex Shelley vs. Homicide w/Hernandez vs. Naito w/Yujiro

Naito and Sabin attack Homicide before the bell, kicking him down in the corner and trying a double-Irish whip before Homicide fights back and tries a tornado DDT on Sabin. Sabin flings him off and Naito grabs Homicide in a camel clutch as Sabin hits a low dropkick. Sabin grabs the camel clutch to allow Naito to do the same, but double-crosses Naito and clothesliens him down! Naito with some forearms on Sabin and he tries to run the ropes, but Sabin follows with a knee to the gut. Irish whip from Sabin and Naito comes off the ropes with a huge flying clothesline! Homicide drops Naito with a reverse elbow off the ropes and follows it with a beautiful-looking capture suplex!! Sabin attacks Homicide from behind as Naito rolls to the outside and as Sabin tries an Irish whip into a clothesline, Homicide ducks it and hits a suicide flip dive through the ropes onto Team No Limit!! Homicide went so far over No Limit, he ran his head into the wall of the Impact Zone!! In the ring, Naito has Sabin in the corner and hits a ropewalking twisting senton into a BEAUTIFUL BRIDGING GERMAN SUPLEX!! 1….2…Sabin JUST rolls the shoulder!! Naito drops Homicide off the apron with a forearm and follows up on Sabin again, trying for a Dragon Suplex before trading go-behinds. Sabin hits a low dropkick and follows with a low bulldog that gets him a two-count. Sabin with an Irish whip into the corner and a huge flying elbow on Naito leading into a Cradle Shock attempt. Naito fights out of it and Homicide gets up onto the top rope to hit a double-missile dropkick!! Right hands from Homicide on Naito and Sabin and he tries a monkey flip on Sabin, who lands on his feet!! Naito with a dropkick that takes Sabin down and Homicide stops Naito with a jawbreaker into a reverse neckbreaker. Double-underhook powerbomb from Homicide on Sabin!! 1….2…Sabin kicks out!! Homicide sets Naito up for the Gringo Killah, but Sabin makes the save into a Cradle Shock attempt on Homicide. Naito makes the save and Sabin kicks him in the gut and hits a RUNNING ENZIGURI ON HOMICIDE INTO A TORNADO DDT ON NAITO!! 1…..2…NAITO KICKS OUT!! Sabin Irish whips Naito into the corner, hitting a running kick before setting Naito up on the top rope. He’s setting up for a top rope super-rana, but Homicide shoves him off to the floor. SECOND-ROPE 187 ON NAITO!! There’s the cover and there’s the three-count!!

Winner: Homicide (pinfall, second-rope 187 on Naito) ***1/2

(A very spirited effort to open the wrestling portion of the show. Granted, it still had my pet peeve of the X-Division, which is the no-selling of anything, it was a great showcase for all three and a fast-paced match filled with some fun spots. If they could get people to care about these guys with a storyline or two followed by matches like this, TNA could easily be the place to be if you’re a fan of professional wrestling and talented in-ring performers.)

After the match, we head to the back to see a taxi pulling up to the Impact Zone with Brother Runt and Balls Mahoney inside. Mike Tenay wonders why they’re here and we go to break.

Random Red Wings Observation #2: The game is over and the Red Wings pulled out the 4-1 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Only fifteen more wins to go and it’s back-to-back Cups in Hockeytown baby!!

Abyss is in Jim Cornette’s office after the break and he says that he wants a match tonight to get his mind off of Dr. Stevie. Before Cornette can even get to an answer, ODB and Cody Deaner interrupt him with ODB asking about her cage match at Lockdown and mentioning that she hasn’t been on Impact in a few weeks. She asks what kinda place Cornette is running and Cornette says that it’s apparently a loonie bin. Cornette says he doesn’t have an opponent for either one of them, before saying that if Abyss can find a woman and ODB can find a man, they can have a mixed-tag match and they can both get out of his office. Cody Deaner offers to be ODB’s partner before they even leave the office and she asks if Deaner’s high off of his chewing tobacco. Cornette in the background saying “apparently” is fantastic. Cornette tells them to get into the locker room to get ready for the mixed-tag match and ODB looks like she’s already had enough of Deaner.

That leads into a sit-down interview with Jeff Jarrett and Mike Tenay and Tenay asks about what he thought Mick Foley’s involvement was going to be when he brought him into TNA. Jarrett says that he went places that no other wrestler could, including the New York Times bestseller list and that he thought it was going to be great to work hand in hand with him. Tenay asks about using Foley to try to recruit Sting away from the Main Event Mafia and how Foley hit the chairshot at the Impact after Destination X to ruin that plan. Jarrett says that everyone goes into a match wanting to win and that it was a bittersweet victory for him because as the minutes went by afterwards, he began to think about the cost of winning. Tenay asks him about the new DVD and how much the relationship between him and Foley has changed in the past twenty years. Jarrett says that things have changed and that when Foley came into TNA things went well, but now he doesn’t know if TNA shareholder Mick Foley is going to show up on Sunday or if Cactus Jack will show up. Tenay asks about the conversations with Scott Steiner as of late and the status of his relationship with Steiner. Jarrett says that Steiner’s another guy that he has a long history with and that it’s well-known that they’re close. Steiner was apparently Jarrett’s late wife’s favorite and he’s good with Jarrett’s girls and they’ve taken vacations together. Jarrett says that the business has driven a wedge between them lately and that over the past few weeks he’s done some soul searching and that he’s made some difficult decisions but that he’s got three beautiful girls and he’s got to take care of Jeff Jarrett first and foremost.

We come back from the break and JB is in Kurt Angle’s locker room with the rest of the Main Event Mafia. JB talks about the Lethal Lockdown Advantage Series and how Angle doesn’t know who his opponent is yet. Angle says he doesn’t have a clue and he doesn’t care because he knows how important it is for him to win this match. He calls himself money and guarantees that he’s going to win tonight for his team, no matter who it is across the ring from him.

Match Two: Six-Woman Tag Match
Taylor Wilde, Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed vs. The Beautiful People

In a moment that I’m sure caused Lansdell to shed some tears, the faces attack the heels on the ramp before Velvet Sky and Angelina Love can make their entrance and take it to them before throwing them into the ring. Kong knees away at Love in the corner as Saeed stomps on Sky in another corner. Kong and Love are left in the ring and Kong whips Love across into the corner. Kong charges, but Love gets out of the way and kicks Kong down to the mat with a series of boots. On the outside, Saeed slams Sky on the floor and on the inside, Kong hits a HUGE IMPLANT BUSTER ON LOVE!!! IT’S ALL OVER!!!

Winners: Taylor Wilde, Awesome Kong and Raisha Saeed (pinfall, Kong’s Implant Buster on Love) 3/4*

(Too short to mean anything, but in a way it’s good that they kept it short because these multi-woman matches are a disaster sometimes. The entirety of the rating goes to that massive Implant Buster that Kong hit as I’m surprised it didn’t send Love’s titties straight through to her back.)

After the match, Kong goes into the bag of TBP to try to get the scissors, but TBP cut her off and attack her three-on-one. They take the TNA Knockouts Championship belt and secure it across the top turnbuckle before sending both Raisha Saeed and Taylor Wilde face-first into it with double-flapjacks!! They try to do the same thing to Kong, but Kong fights back and starts laying out bitches left, right and center. Love gets a can of something and sprays it right into Kong’s eyes before laying her out cold with the belt!! Love’s got the scissors and she’s CUTTING KONG’S BRAIDS!! Mother of God, she’s taking her life into her hands!!! Sky and Rayne celebrate as Love poses with the TNA Knockouts belt and Kong’s hair as we head to a commercial break!!

Back from the break and Kong is WILD IN THE BACKSTAGE AREA!! SOMEONE GET A TRANQUILIZER GUN!! She throws around trash cans, screams and kicks shit over before we go back to the announce desk. Don West is smart and questions whether the Beautiful People made a tactical error in pissing Kong off this badly before she’s locked into a cage. We get the shill for Lockdown including the Young/Bonaduce pre-show match before heading into Rough Cuts with Team 3D.

This week it focuses on Tag Team World Domination and Brother Ray talks about how serious wrestling is in Japan and how holding the New Japan Tag Team titles is a huge honor. He even points out that they’re only the second gaijin team in fifteen years to hold the belts. Devon puts over the honor and Brother Ray calls the match at Lockdown a match for world tag team domination. He says that he fears for Beer Money’s life because the fans of Philly are going to want their blood spattered all over the arena before adding that he fears for his own because if they don’t solii that kind of blood the fans will turn on them. That leads us into a backstage promo with Lauren talking to Team 3D. Brother Ray says that it’s one match to determine who the greatest tag team in professional wrestling is and that tag team wrestling is alive and well. Before he can finish, he gets interrupted by Brother Runt and Balls Mahoney, who come into the locker room. They share some laughs and Runt and Balls wish Team 3D luck on Sunday before saying that Tommy, Raven, Taz, Sandman and the rest are all behind them. Mahoney says that they share blood and that they’re family and that sends us out to the ring for our next match.

Match Three: Mixed Tag Match
ODB and Cody Deaner vs. Abyss and Daffney

These are actually two teams that make sense, which is cool. Abyss rips his hair out by the roots and hands it to Daffney as a bit of a present to thank her for coming into the match with him I suppose. Daffney and ODB start out and bump chests, with ODB obviously winning. ODB with a kick tot he gut and she shoves Daffney into the corner, but Daffney ducks under and hits some vicious titty slaps. ODB fires back with some titty slaps of her own and drops Daffney with a big bodyslam. She misses the follow-up elbow and Daffney tries a cradle that gets a one-count. Daffney with some big right hands and she tries an Irish whip, but ODB reverses and charges. Daffney avoids and hits a spinning back kick to the gut, whipping ODB into the corner. Daffney misses a charge and ODB talks some shit as Daffney tags in Abyss. Don West is hilarious, saying that ODB actually stands a better chance against Abyss than Deaner does and Deaner looks like he’s seeing his life flash before his eyes as he makes the tag. Deaner inches towards Abyss and puts up his dukes, catching Abyss with a right hand. Abyss shrugs it off and Deaner sets up for another one. Abyss shrugs that one off and Deaner’s tweaking out!! He turns his baseball cap backwards and Abyss SLAPS IT OFF HIS HEAD!!! HELL YES!! BIG RIGHT HAND FROM ABYSS!! KILL HIM ABYSS!! KILL HIM BEFORE HE CAN GET ODB PREGNANT!! Deaner tries to get across to the corner for a tag, but ABYSS KILLS HIM WITH A BLACK HOLE SLAM!! 1…2….3!!!

Winners: Abyss and Daffney (pinfall, Abyss’ Black Hole Slam on Deaner) *

(This was quick and painless. Well, Deaner felt a LOT of pain, but I’m ok with that. I honestly thought that Abyss was going to lose him and throw him right out of the ring on that Black Hole Slam, that’s how huge it was. That and Abyss slapping the hat off of his head is good for a star right there. The match itself was terrible, but the finish was entertaining as SHIT!)

After the match, Matt Morgan makes his way down to the ring and attacks Abyss from behind, but Abyss fights him off and they trade right hands in the middle of the ring. Abyss misses a clothesline and eats a HUGE Carbon Footprint from Morgan!! Day-um. Backstage, Mick Foley is making his way to the Impact Zone to interview…Cactus Jack??

JB is with Scott Steiner in the MEM locker room and he asks about his conversations with Jeff Jarrett. Steiner says that they’re personal and it’ll remain personal between him and Jeff. Steiner says that he doesn’t have to say anything and that before the night’s over, Jarrett’s actions will do all of the talking for him. JB looks confused as always and we head into the ring to see Mick Foley’s interview with Cactus Jack. Foley says that it’s good to be back in the Impact Zone and gets a big “Foley” chant for that with Mick talking about how crazy things got in the Impact Zone last week. He promises things will be crazier at Lockdown between him and Sting and says that he thought he’d have a little bit of fun and interview one of the true greats of the sport, Cactus Jack. Foley turns into Jack and asks if Mick thinks it’s a joke before telling Mick to shut his mouth. He accuses Foley of having no guts and no spine and Foley comes back to say that he lost an ear in Germany and continued to wrestle. Jack cuts him off and says that that guy was him and that Foley losing an ear would find solace in the nearest banana split. Foley tries to keep him in line, but Jack cuts him off again, asking where Foley was on July 22, 2007. He talks about Foley being in San Diego signing copies of his book at ComicCon and how he didn’t do anything when he saw a couple of punk kid theives running away. Jack asks why Foley didn’t do anything and tells him to shut up, saying he didn’t try to stop them because he lost the heart, guts and desire a long time ago. He says he’s tired of Foley cashing the checks that Cactus Jack wrote and living off of the reputation that Cactus Jack formed. He says that when Foley is locked inside the Six Sides of Steel, Jack will be the one lacing up the leopard-skin boots and putting on the classic Cactus Jack gear. He says that he won’t let Foley have his moment of glory when he vanquishes his greatest rival. Mick tries to cut in, but Cactus shuts him up again and starts punching himself in the face.

Sting’s music cuts off the bizarre self-beating and here comes the Icon to the ring. Foley’s bleeding from his own punches as Sting says that he’s turning a twenty-year friendship into an out of control three-ring circus. Sting says he can’t believe what he just saw and says that the scary thing is that he thinks that Foley believes what he just did. Sting asks him if he’s lost his mind or if it’s just an act. Sting says he’s not going to be intimidated by a steel cage, ladders, chairs, tables, barbed wire bats and that it doesn’t really matter to him. Jack cuts him off and says that’s the Sting he wants to see because he was never intimidated by Cactus even back then. Sting was the only one that was never afraid and he says that he remembers when Sting was thrown off of his game by the “Cactus Jack” chants in Philadelphia. He asks Sting about how he’ll do when they’re locked in the cage and all of the fans in Philly are chanting “Cactus Jack” at him. The Main Event Mafia’s music hits and it’s a RUSE!! FOLEY ATTACKS STING FROM BEHIND!! He gets on the mic and talks to Sting as he lays the boots to him, saying there’s no Mafia to help him. Foley drops a chair-assisted elbow on Sting and says that he can hit anyone’s music he wants to because he runs this place. He makes them hit the Curry Man’s entrance as he continues to hammer away on Sting. He changes it to Shark Boy’s music and paces around the beaten Stinger, laying more boots in on him. He cues up Sting’s music last and leaves the ring to go outside and retreive his barbed-wire baseball bat. He crawls into the ring and kicks Sting in the head before menacing him with the bat, saying he runs TNA and he can do any damn thing he wants and Sting better not forget it. Cactus Jack promises at Lockdown, he’s going to tear Sting apart.

Random Impact Observation #2: That segment was fantastic. It’s a shame that this match will never be able to live up to the build that they’re giving it, but I hope that with a spirited performance from Foley and a few big bumps it might feel like it has. Foley punching himself so hard he drew blood was a great touch and him playing everyone’s music at the end while still pummeling Sting plays into him tapping into his deranged side before the match at Lockdown. Great stuff from Foley and Sting.

Back from the break, Beer Money Inc. are LAYING WASTE to Brother Runt and Balls Mahoney in the backstage area!! They beat them all the way into the Impact Zone and throw them into the ring with Balls busted wide open. Storm whips Runt into the ringside steps and Balls hits his jabs on Roode inside the ring before dropping Storm with a big right hand. Roode SCRAMBLES MAHONEY’S BRAINS with a chairshot and they set Runt up with his legs wrapped in the turnbuckles. His head is swinging next to the ringpost and Storm WAFFLES IT WITH A CHAIR!! Roode lays out Mahoney with another chairshot and Storm hits Runt with the suspension DDT onto a steel chair. Roode heads outside and gets a table before Storm lays out Runt with a VICIOUS chairshot!! Runt is busted wide open as well and they set Runt up for a Roode super-bomb through the table in the middle of the ring!! Roode continues to hammer away on Balls and Runt as the crowd boos and chants for Team 3D. They FINALLY make the save and send Beer Money scurrying up the ramp. Tenay promises that a match built on mutual respect is now going to be a war at Lockdown!!

After a commercial break, Brother Ray has a microphone and is inspecting the carnage, saying that he wants to talk to Beer Money face to face. They come back out to the ramp and Brother Ray calls them dirty bastards and asks them why they’d do that to their friends. Roode and Storm say that they did it because they can and they hate them like they hate Team 3D. Brother Ray calls it a Philadelphia Street Fight on Sunday night and apparently that means that the cage door will be open and the guys can go outside for any weapons they want. That leads us into the line-up for the show coming up on Sunday. From there, we head to the back with AJ Styles talking to Lauren. He says he has no idea who the mystery partner is and he has no idea where Jeff Jarrett’s head is at. He says that he can’t just believe that Jarrett is going to be on his side in Lethal Lockdown, he has to know it. He talks about how Jarrett founded this company on inegrity and he hopes that Jarrett shows that integrity tonight. Jarrett’s on his way to the ring to introduce the final member of Team Jarrett after the commercial break!!

Kurt Angle’s music hits and he makes his entrance for the final match of the Lethal Lockdown Advantage Series. Jeff Jarrett’s music hits and it’s time for the announcement of the mystery partner and the final member of Team Jarrett. Jarrett’s grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary so it should be good, I hope. I also love how Jarrett got his full pyro both times he entered the Imapct Zone to talk. It’s good to be the owner sometimes. Jarrett says that over the last few weeks he’s been giving it a lot of thought as to who he was going to name as the last member of Team Jarrett. He talks about how there have been questions as to his loyalty and that this decision had to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt where his allegiance lies. He says that this decision wasn’t just about him, but it was about AJ Styles and Samoa Joe and the Frontline, the TNA Originals. He says that most importantly it was about the TNA fans and with that in mind and as the founder of TNA…..Jarrett gets cut off by a HUGE “TNA” chant and says that as the founder he gets to make hard decisions and easy decisions and that this one was an easy one. He makes the announcement and it’s CHRISTOPHER DANIELS!! THE FALLEN ANGEL IS BACK IN TNA!!! ANGLE IS STUNNED!!! DANIELS LOOKS FANTASTIC!! He gets onto the apron and shouts at the hard camera “I NEVER LEFT!!!” as the crowd continues to roar for the Fallen Angel!!

Match Four: Lethal Lockdown Advantage Series
Christopher Daniels vs. Kurt Angle

They lock-up and Angle gets a go-behind into a takedown, but Daniels reverses into a hammerlock. Angle gets to the ropes to force a break and Daniels gives him a clean one, staring a hole right through him while he does. Angle with a side headlock into a shoot-off from Daniels and Angle drops him with a shoulderblock before taking him down with a side headlock. Daniels fights out and reverses, hitting a headlock of his own and a shoulderblock and a tumbling shoulderblock that sends Angle out to the floor. Daniels is on the apron and hits a SPLIT LEGGED MOONSAULT off the top rope to Angle on the floor!! Daniels picks him up and throws him back into the ring for a cover….1….2..Angle rolls the shoulder out. Daniels hammers away with right hands and tries an Irish whip, but Angle holds onto the top rope and sends Daniels over the top with a belly-to-belly suplex!! When Daniels hits the floor, it’s time for a commercial!!

Back from the commercial and Angle is in control, hitting a snap suplex into a cover that gets two. Angle works a reverse chinlock and Daniels hammers out with shots to the gut. Daniels off the ropes, but Angle stops him with a BEAUTIFUL release overhead suplex!! Another reverse chinlock and Daniels fights out again, but Angle cuts him off. They run the ropes after some missed clotheslines and both men go down off of a double-clothesline in the middle of the ring. Daniels drags himself to his feet and hits a flurry of clotheslines on Angle, into an STO!! Mounted punches from Daniels!! He takes off the top of his wrestling outfit, sends Angle into the ropes and hits a big tilt-a-whirl powerbomb. There’s the cover….1….2….Angle kicks out!!! Daniels sets Angle up on the top rope but misses a right hand and Angle takes over with a slap to the back of the head. Angle charges and eats a MASSIVE clothesline from Daniels that gets him a long, LONG two-count. Angle with a kick to the gut and a quick DDT into a cover for two. Angle’s up to his feet and he sets up for the Angle Slam, but Daniels counters to an armdrag and kicks Angle in the back of the head, putting both men down!! The referee counts them both out and Daniels is up first, hitting an overhead suplex into a pin that gets a long two-count. Daniels sets Angle up and tries for the BEST. MOONSAULT. EVER. but Angle rolls out of the way and Daniels lands on his feet. Angle with a quick go-behind into a German suplex and Angle holds on, FLIPPING DANIELS INSIDE OUT WITH A GERMAN!! 1…..2…..KICKOUT BY DANIELS!!! Forearm uppercut by Angle and another and as Angle tries for another, Daniels gets a backslide for a two-count!! ANGLE SLAM OUT OF NOWHERE….1….2…..DANIELS KICKS OUT AGAIN!! Angle is beside himself!! Angle is pissed and DOWN COME THE STRAPS!! ANKLELOCK!! Daniels kicks him away and hits some shots to the gut on Angle. Angle tries for the Angle Slam again, but Daniels reverses it into a cradle…1….2….3!!! Daniels picks up the huge win going into Lethal Lockdown!! Team Jarrett has the advantage!! AJ Styles celebrates in the ring with Daniels and Angle goes nuts on the officials!! Jim Cornette comes down to ringside and tells Angle to calm down. He says he knows why he’s upset and Angle says his shoulder was up before the three-count. Cornette says that he had a different angle on the situation and that he saw something different than what the referee saw. He says he has no choice but to say that KURT ANGLE IS A LOSER!!! THE DECISION STANDS!! Angle starts choking on Cornette and grabs the microphone, screaming at Jeff Jarrett to get down to the ring. Apparently Jarrett’s on his way to the production truck and this bout is still up in the air until after the commercial.

Angle and the rest of the Main Event Mafia are out there and Angle is still demanding that Jarrett get out and make things right. Jarrett comes rushing out to the ring and he says that he just came from the truck and that he’s seen the replay from multiple angles. He tells Booker T to shut the hell up and tells Angle that he knows what’s riding on this decision and that it could affect everyone’s careers. He gets the truck to roll the tape and we see that Daniels initiated the pin and that there was a three-count. Angle points out that his shoulder was up and Jarrett says that as the founder of TNA he knows he has to make some easy decisions and hard decisions and that the right decision is that the winner of the match is Kurt Angle because Daniels’ shoulders were down as well.

Winner: Kurt Angle (pinfall, double-pin with Daniels) ***3/4

(A great match from Daniels and Angle and if this is an appetizer of what we can expect in the Lethal Lockdown as well as what we might get to see going forward with Daniels as a main event star then I am all for it. I don’t agree with the way they went about the finish, but I understand why they had to do it because it plays into the Jarrett tease for the match. It knocked things down a bit in terms of the rating, but rest assured it’s no knock on Angle or Daniels because they had a hell of a match.)

The Mafia celebrate in the middle of the ring as AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels try to argue their case with Jarrett. As we fade out, Samoa Joe’s music hits and he’s making his way down the ramp!! We’re out of time in Orlando!!!