wrestling / TV Reports

411’s TNA IMPACT Wrestling Report 5.17.12

May 17, 2012 | Posted by Larry Csonka

Championship Roll Call:
TNA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Bobby Roode
TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Austin Aries
TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Daniels and Kazarian
TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP: Gail Kim
TNA KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Eric Young and ODB
TNA TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Devon

411’s IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT 5.17.12

Let the Pigeons Loose…

–Reminder, I do not rate matches that are under three minutes long…

-Starting May 31st, IMPACT IS LIVE at 8PM ET.

-TNA has also signed Brooke Hogan.

-Opening video package.

-Taz and Tenay welcome us to the show.

-TNA World Champion Bobby Roode makes his way to the ring. Roode says that he has had the odds stacked against him, yet he still overcomes the odds. At Sacrifice, he faced RVD in a match that RVD chose, a ladder match, a match that RVD had perfected through out his career. Roode says that RVD lived up to the hype as Mr. PPV, and put him through hell. It was a hard match, but at the end of the night, Roode climbed the ladder and retained the world title. Proving everyone wrong once again. In seven days, he will celebrate being the longest reigning world champion in TNA History. And next week, right here on IMPACT Wrestling, he will throw the biggest bash that anyone has ever seen. It will be his celebration of domination. For that to go perfect, he needs to call out one man. So he calls out Hulk Hogan…

Hogan makes his way out to the IMPACT Zone. Roode thanks him for joining him, and reiterates the fact that next week he will be the longest reigning champion ever in the company’s history. So he has demands for his party. He wants his dressing room redecorated with the best of everything, along with five bottles of chilled champagne. And some M&Ms, only green. For his entrance, he wants golden confetti, flown in from Canada, where real champions are from. Hogan takes the list of demands, and says that out of all the champions he has ever seen, he says that until Roode took that belt and became the champion, the company was in disarray. But Roode gave the company direction, because they are all after Roode. But as far as the list goes, Roode hasn’t broken any records yet. Hogan rips up the list and says next week is open fight night, and on that night there is always a title defense. Last month it was the tag champions, so he says that next week it will be Roode that will defend his title. Roode doesn’t want to defend his title, but Hogan doesn’t care. The good news is that he took a poll in the back to see who anted to challenge Roode. Hogan calls them out and Angle, Joe, Aries, and well, pretty much the entire locker room is out. Hogan says that a few of Roode’s friends are here, so tonight, he has to eliminate it down to four people. Tonight RVD faces Bully Ray. Also, Hardy will face off with Anderson again. Joe will face Angle, and then there will be a battle royal to determine the fourth guy. BROTHER!

-We see footage of Abyss’ return last week.

-RVD’s knee and elbow are taped up, selling the injuries from his PPV ladder match. I appreciate that.

OPEN FIGHT NIGHT QUALIFIER: RVD vs. Bully Ray
And here we go. Lock up, RVD works a headlock. Ray escapes, and works the top wristlock. Ray beats him down and works the injured elbow. RVD tries to fire back, to the corner and a kick to the face by RVD. Spin kick lands as well. Rolling thunder connects for 2. RVD misses another kick and Ray works over the injured knee. Ray yells at the crowd and then lays the boots to the knee of RVD but then misses the splash. Clotheslines by RVD, superkick lands and then RVD up top and misses a kick and that hurts his knee. Ray gets a cutter and that is all.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Bully Ray @ 3:00 via pin
RATING: NR

-Next they discuss the signing of King Mo.

-Bully Ray is pissed off backstage. He hates the Kardashians, because they are anti-bully. Joseph Park arrives and is here to apologize for getting involved at Sacrifice. He only did so because Ray was going to cheat. He mentions Abyss, and Ray tells him to stay away from him.

-Tenay and Taz discuss the signing of King Mo to TNA & Bellator. We get footage of King Mo on MMA Uncensored.

-Gail and Madison walk, and Gail is pissed about facing Velvet and Broke tonight. She then runs into her opponents as Madison leaves to fix her hair. Velvet says one of them will defeat Kim for her title tonight.

OPEN FIGHT NIGHT QUALIFIER BATTLE ROYAL: AJ Styles, Austin Aries, Robbie E, Robbie T, Devon, Garett Bischoff, Crimson, Magnus, Eric Young, ODB and Gunner
And the bell rings and we have a big old brawl to begin. ODB, Eric Young and Crimson all eliminate each other, so that is that. The Robbies attack Devon, as Styles and Garett attack Crimson. Aries then dropkicks Magnus and he is eliminated. Madison Rayne is out, and she is a smitten kitten, looking at her secret crush. Robbie T tries to toss Garett, while Devon and Gunner do battle in a corner. Aries with the save, and Robbie E eliminates Robbie T. BRO! Devon then tosses Robbie E. Garett and Devon battle mid-ring, and we head to a commercial @ 3:00.

Back from commercial @ 7:00 and we are down to AJ, Aries, Garett, Devon and Gunner. Devon beats down Garett for a bit, but Garett battles back. Shoulder block by Devon, charges, but Garett pulls down the ropes and Devon is gone. Devon looks to shake hands from the floor, but Garett is too smart for that. So AJ attacks him and throws him to the floor for another elimination. AJ and Aries go face to face, and then brawl as Gunner is down in the corner. Aries with a sweet elimination save, they exchange counters and a forearm by AJ rocks Aries. To the apron goes AJ, leaps over Aries and Gunner tosses Aries. AJ then grabs up Gunner and eliminates him to win the match.

OFFICIAL RESULT: AJ Styles @ 11:00
RATING: **

-Back from commercial and AJ Styles is going to discuss the BIG SECRET revealed last week. He wants the title shot next week, and promises to win the title. He also mentions the pictures, things are not always what they seem. He has been business partners with Dixie for 10-years, but they are both married, and happily at that. He can understand how people could take things the wrong way.

Daniels and Kazarian now arrive, and Daniels says AJ is a great athlete, and is a high flyer, but last week we saw the proof of the kinds of moves he put on Dixie. Kaz now says that it has never been about humiliating him, this is about exposing the truth. Now, AJ has claimed to be a man of high moral character, and he wants the truth. AJ says he told the truth, and Daniels says he is reasonable, and lets say that they have taken the images out of context, but that is why there is video. They have an iPad, and it has a video showing AJ and Dixie, at a hotel. Daniels says it may be their secret hideaway, and also claims it is more than a business relationship. We see them heading into a hotel room. AJ gets pissed and bails as Daniels says the truth hurts.

-We get a video history of the Joe vs. Angle feud.

-We then see them meeting backstage, and Joe says it is a shame he has to walk through Angle for a title shot, but this is business. Angle says it is all about who makes the first move. They start brawling backstage. RAGE!

-Anderson has an iPad as well and looks at the footage from the PPV, where he got the win over Hardy. He says the finish is disputable, and says he will be a professional and will give Hardy another shot tonight, and will win again.

-Our TNA moment is AJ vs. Daniels vs. Joe from Unbreakable.

OPEN FIGHT NIGHT QUALIFIER: Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy
And here we go with our Sacrifice rematch. Lock up, and they separate. Lock up, go behind and reversals, and then they stand off. They shake and smile, and then back to action. To the corner, they exchange shots and Jeff in control with the atomic drop and leg drop to the balls, and a cover for 2. Jeff clotheslines Anderson to the floor, misses a dropkick and Anderson slams him back onto the mat. Back in and Anderson covers for 2. Elbow drops by Anderson, and into the headlock. Jeff fights to his feet, to the corner and a clothesline by Anderson gets 2. Jeff to the apron, slingshots in with a dropkick and a cover gets 2. Anderson back with the neck breaker and a cover for 2 again. Anderson stalks Jeff, misses the kick and Jeff chop block the knee. They exchange rights now, backdrop by Jeff. A clothesline follows and then a back elbow. Flying forearm connects and a cover gets 2. Russian leg sweep by Jeff, Anderson then gets a roll up and gets 2. Back elbow and the whisper in the wind by Jeff gets 2. Jeff sets, twist of fate countered into the kamikaze roll for Anderson, but Jeff rolls him up for the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jeff Hardy @ 6:00 via pin
RATING: **½

-They hug it out after the match.

-We get highlights of Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle from Lockdown 2008.

Knockouts Title Match: Gail Kim © vs. Brooke Tessmacher vs. Velvet Sky
Kim tries to bail and that’s a no go as the faces beat her down. Knees by Sky, clothesline by Tessmacher. Kim to the floor, and Sky and Tessmacher face off. Roll up by Tessmacher for 1. Roll up by Sky for 1. Headlock by Sky, off the ropes and a boot by Sky. Kim pulls her to the floor and enters the ring and lands a clothesline to Tessmacher. She then chokes her out in the ropes, sends Sky back to the floor and then gets a side back breaker on Tessmacher. Kim works a Boston crab, and Sky is in and works a dragon sleeper on Kim. Kim escapes, and Sky kicks her in the back. Forearms by Sky, to the corner and misses the charge. Kim with the octopus on Tessmacher. Sky rolls them up and gets 2. Sky falls down after kicking Kim, Tessmacher grabs Sky by the foot and they trade shots. In yo Face try by Sky, countered and Kim flies in with the missile dropkick onto both of them. Tessmacher sends Kim to the corner, Sky gets the In yo Face, but Kim tosses her to the floor and steals the pin on Tessmacher.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Gail Kim @ 4:00 via pin
RATING: *½

-We get a video about the history of TNA.

-We see Bully Ray, AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy winning their matches tonight.

OPEN FIGHT NIGHT QUALIFIER: Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle
And here we go with the main event of the evening. Joe takes Angle to the corner, beats him down and Angle rolls to the floor. Angle back in, they circle and Angle shoots and takes Joe down. Mounted shots by Angle, and into a headlock. Off the ropes and a shoulder block by Joe. Another, snap mare and chops follow. Kicks and then the knee drop by Joe and a cover for 2. Face wash by Joe, picks Angle up and then runs into an overhead belly to belly suplex. Bobby Roode is out to watch as we head to a commercial @ 3:00.

Back form commercial @ 7:00as Angle beats down Joe in the corner. Roode has joined commentary. Snap suplex by Joe, Angle covers for 2. Angle works the rear chinlock now, Joe looks to escape, elbows out but Angle takes him back down. Angle back to the chinlock, Joe works to escape once again, to his feet, elbows out. Jabs follow, to the corner and a boot by Angle. Angle then leaps into an atomic drop big boot and back splash by Joe gets 2. Off the ropes, snap slam by Joe gets a close 2. Powerbomb by Joe, countered and a German by Angle. Lands the second and then the third. Angle drops the straps, Angle slam countered and Joe gets the choke only for Angle to counter. High kick by Joe in the corner, but Angle battles back with the Angle slam for a close 2. BOTH men are down here, the work to their feet and Angle with rights. They trade shots now kick by Joe and then Angle catches the next and gets an ankle lock. Joe tries to roll, Angle holds on and then Joe rolls Angle into the corner. Angle runs into the STJOE, and now Joe calls for the muscle buster. Gets Angle up in the corner, has him up, Angle escapes. Chops by Joe. Head butt by Angle, and then rolls up Joe for the victory.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Kurt Angle @ 13:00 via pin
RATING: ***¼

-Bully Ray, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and Kurt Angle have qualified for next week to have a chance to fight Bobby Roode for the TNA World Title.

-Roode and Angle jaw at each other, and we see Hardy in the crowd. Bully Ray is now out on the ramp behind Roode. AJ then comes out of the entrance way and the potential challengers stare down the champion.

-End scene.

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT TONIGHT’s

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