wrestling / Video Reviews
Hall’s TNA Impact Review 2.3.11
Image Credit: TNA
Loading...Impact
Date: February 3, 2011
Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz
Episode Title: Expect the Unexpected
I wasn’t sure what to go with this week so let’s take a look at something from my birthday one year. The big story here is the arrival of THEY, but in this case it’s the second THEY. For months in 2010, we were told that THEY were coming but THEY wound up being Immortal. Now though, apparently another THEY is coming, which is going to make things all the more interesting. Let’s get to it.
We open with a look at some recent chaos in Europe, with Jeff Hardy promising to get the World Title back from Mr. Anderson and Bobby Roode swearing revenge.
Here is Immortal (Hulk Hogan/Eric Bischoff’s mega heel stable), with Bischoff calling out Scott Steiner, who recently went nuts with Kurt Angle. Bischoff says that Dixie Carter’s lawyers have prevented Hogan from being here tonight, but Steiner’s threats that THEY are coming are nonsense.
Steiner needs to join Immortal and this is his last chance. He’s not interested, and instead offers to put his boot inside of Bischoff. Violence is threatened but here are Kurt Angle and Crimson (in suits, ala Steiner), who have also been saying that THEY are here. Angle says they’re already here and it’s real.
Post break, Immortal is panicking and Bischoff swears that Hogan will be back soon (he’s been missing since Thanksgiving) but for now, he needs Ric Flair (also not here). Angle, Steiner and Crimson come in for some mockery.
Gunner/Murphy vs. Ink Inc.
Gunner and Murphy are Immortal’s security guards. The brawl is on fast to start until we settle down to Murphy kicking Neal in the face. Gunner comes in for some choking and the chinlock, which doesn’t last long. Instead Neal gets up to bring Moore in to clean house, with Gunner and Murphy colliding. A middle rope G9 (Samoan drop/Blockbuster combination) finishes Murphy at 3:28.
Rating: C-. There was nothing to this one as Ink Inc. was a midcard team most of the time and didn’t feel like anything else here. I’m not sure what the point was in having them beat the guards but neither team really had much value. In other words, it was a match for the sake of a match, which makes sense after a long opening.
Kurt Angle gets a phone call and everything seems to still be on.
Earlier today, Christy Hemme told us that there is a continuance in the Hulk Hogan vs. Dixie Carter lawsuit until March 3. Great.
Eric Young storms commentary and says he has seen THEY but won’t say who they are.
We go to the Jarretts’ house, where neither Karen nor Jeff like Kurt Angle and don’t want the kids mentioning him.
Mr. Anderson is ready for Jeff Hardy but wants to talk to him before their title match tonight.
Brother Ray is in the ring with D’Angelo Dinero, who is the partner he can finally depend on. A few weeks ago, Ray took out D-Von and it was great to realize that he was always the real star of Team 3D. Dinero doesn’t think much of Samoa Joe and they’ll be fighting at Against All Odds. He’s ready to show that Joe is sloppy so get out here.
Cue Samoa Joe and D-Von to chase them off, with Dinero getting caught between Joe and Joe’s cameraman, Kazuchika Okada (making his Impact debut, with pretty much no fanfare or explanation of who he is). The chase is on and Ray wraps a chain around his fist as a referee comes in.
Granted the referee doesn’t call for the bell but D-Von fights back and they go out to the floor with D-Von getting the better of things. Referees have to drag D-Von off of him and Ray spits at D-Von’s sons in the crowd. No match obviously. It was a good segment, but Joe/D-Von doesn’t exactly feel like some top team, even if it’s just a one off.
Stop bullying people. It’s a PSA.
Jay Lethal vs. Douglas Williams vs. Jeremy Buck
The winner moves on to the #1 contenders match for an X-Division Title shot at Against All Odds. They all trade near falls to start and Lethal gives Jeremy (whose brother Max is on commentary) a springboard spinning kick to the face. Williams is back in but Max notices that Jeremy’s shoe is untied and goes down to ringside. Safety first you see. Lethal hammers on Williams until the rolling Chaos Theory plants Lethal, only for Max to kick Williams low. Jeremy steals the pin to advance at 4:30.
Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much here and a good chunk of it was spent on Max teasing going to the ring and then getting involved with the finish. As usual, the Bucks aren’t the most thrilling when they’re on their own but at least they were young here for a change. Lethal was still able to move around here and far different from the version he would become in ROH and elsewhere. Williams was….well you know what you get with him.
Eric Bischoff is still looking for Ric Flair but Bobby Roode says they’ve got this. Bischoff wants the World Title back tonight and AJ Styles says they’ll fix this because Fourtune (a subgroup of Immortal, comprised of Styles, Roode, James Storm and Kazarian) is strong. We’ve got this.
Sarita is ready for Mickie James and promises that her cousin Rosita will be here. Next week.
Video on Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy.
Here is Mr. Anderson, who wants to talk to Jeff Hardy. Anderson talks about how similar the two of them are, from wanting the World Title (even if he thinks that Hardy’s special purple title sucks) to having issues with authority. Kurt Angle has offered to have Anderson’s back but Anderson wants to do this on his own. Hardy says he can do this on his own and doesn’t need Immortal to win tonight, so he’s dedicating the match to his creatures of the night (in quite the mocking tone) and Anderson’s a*******, because that’s what Anderson called his fans. Spending this much time hyping up a match tonight is an odd choice.
Mickie James is ready for her taped fist match with Sarita. She even has a taped fist.
Come see TNA live! No you should have if you had the chance. I went around this time and it was easily one of the best live shows I had ever seen.
Back at the Jarrett house, the Jarretts have a perfectly happy and in no way terrifying family.
Mickie James vs. Sarita
Taped Fist match and fallout from Sarita using her cast to knock James out. James flips away from her to start so Sarita hides behind the referee. Sarita knocks her out to the floor, where James’ hand is rammed into the steps. It works so well that Sarita does it again, followed by some quick dancing.
Sarita teases the big right hand but slams her down instead, meaning we get the dancing sequel. The arm crank has James in trouble, with Sarita getting smart by going back to the wrist/hand. James spins out with a headscissors but gets knocked back down in the corner. A slide between Sarita’s legs legs James get in a big left hand for the knockout win at 6:06.
Rating: D+. So James, a natural right handed wrestler, spent six minutes waiting to throw a big left in one of her only big moves of the match. That kind of defeats the point of…well just about anything else. I can appreciate the idea of the tape making the punch stronger, but this just felt like a lame idea that they had no idea how to escape so they just finished out of nowhere.
Post match here is Madison Rayne to knock James silly with her cast.
Eric Bischoff thinks Jeff Hardy needs Immortal but he wants to do this on his own.
TNA thanks the fans for the European tour.
Back at the Jarrett house, we have something of a talent show and Karen calls Jeff “big daddy”. They’re going to renew their wedding vows. On Impact.
TNA World Title: Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy
Anderson is defending and gets jumped from behind by Hardy during the entrance. They slug it out on the floor with Hardy getting the better of things and referees trying to break it up. We take a break and come back with the opening bell as Anderson takes over. A running crossbody gives Anderson two so Hardy runs outside, where a cheap shot puts Anderson in trouble.
Back in and Hardy does his dance before stomping Anderson down for a change. A neckbreaker gives Hardy two more and we’re off to the chinlock. Anderson fights up and gets clotheslined down, allowing Hardy to flip the fans off (censored of course). Hardy shifts to the leg, which is wrapped around the post and they’re right back on the floor. Anderson is sent into the steps for two and we’re back to the chinlock inside. That doesn’t last long either as Anderson is up to slug it out and hit a backdrop, plus a swinging neckbreaker for two more.
The Mic Check is blocked so Anderson’s spinning kick to the head connects for two instead. Hardy’s sitout gordbuster gets the same but Anderson kicks him into the referee (you knew that was coming). Cue Immortal to go after Anderson…but AJ Styles stops and throws up the Fourtune sign. Fourtune clears the ring of Immortal and they are indeed THEY. The Styles Clash drops Hardy and Anderson gets the pin to retain at 12:04.
Rating: C+. Well that was the match of the night, which shouldn’t be a surprise, even if the whole thing was just a backdrop for the big THEY reveal. It helps that the two of them are capable of having a good match due to their impressive talent, but heel Hardy was never exactly the best fit. It’s not a great match, but after everything else tonight, this was worth a quick look.
Oh yeah and THEY are here too, which is one of the best things that could have happened. There were far too many members of Immortal (and that’s without all of them even being here) so putting the young stars together to fight the veterans is….well ok so it’s just the Millionaires Club vs. the New Blood again but this comes closer to making sense. Granted I have no reason to believe it’s going to work, but it was a pretty great moment and the fans bought the whole thing.
Post match Styles says he told Bischoff that Fourtune wasn’t taking a backseat to anyone. This is Fourtune’s home and of course they’re THEY. Cue Bischoff to rant about how Fourtune was nothing until he and Hulk Hogan got here. Styles asks if Bischoff is mad about them seeing through their smoke and mirrors. Bischoff wrecked a million dollar company and now they’re trying to do it again here. Bischoff says that Styles and company are here because of Immortal so we’ll get the result of the court case on March 3. Styles promises to take Immortal apart one by one to end the show.
Results
Ink Inc. b. Gunner/Murphy – Middle rope Blockbuster/Samoan drop combination to Murphy
Jeremy Buck b. Douglas Williams and Jay Lethal – Low blow to Williams
Mickie James b. Sarita via knockout
Mr. Anderson b. Jeff Hardy – Styles Clash
