wrestling / TV Reports
411’s TNA Impact Report 02.04.10
Hey yo, it’s another week of the TNA Impact Report. Earlier I was watching some ESPN and Deion Sanders was talking himself up. I never realized how much he and D’Angelo Dinero sounded alike. Hopefully we have some Pope this week. Anyways, let’s get to the recap. There was some confusion over the rating system, so let’s post it again.
• Video recapping last week’s events. Starts off with the confusing as hell Mick Foley story, discusses the Kurt Angle-AJ Styles drama (Is Earl Hebner suspended?) and some Jeff Jarrett goodness. “The Breaking of the Band” is our title this week. Let’s hope that equates to lots and lots of Scott Hall.
• Mike Tenay goes over the show. Three champions will be in action and we get more of that 8 Card Stud tournament.
• It starts now! Brutus Magnus is out for the first 8 Card Stud Qualifying match of the evening. Ken Anderson is his opponent. He does his whole introduction thing. Anderson calls himself the future of the four-sided ring, getting some boos from the fans. He even repeats it and drops Hulk Hogan’s name. Before the match begins, we see the ending from last week’s Jarrett-Anderson bout.
Match One
Brutus Magnus v. Ken Anderson
8 Card Stud Qualifying Match
So the match starts and they circle the ring. Anderson attacks with a knee and then punches Magnus in the head. In the corner, Anderson throws another punch. He throws another one but Magnus catches and throws some of his own. Anderson gets caught in the corner and Magnus works him over. Ref tries to break it up but Anderson attacks with a dropkick to the shin. Anderson kicks the downed Magnus several times and then adds in an elbow drop. Anderson whips Magnus into a corner and shouts some things at him. He slams Magnus’ head against the turnbuckle and then works him over with some kicks in the corner. Anderson and the ref argue while Anderson throws some more kicks. In the corner, Anderson throws another punch. He grabs Magnus’ head and tries to send it into a turnbuckle. Magnus blocks. Anderson throws a punch and Magnus replies with his own. Anderson kicks Magnus and sends him against the ropes. Magnus replies with a boot. Another one from Magnus. Rolling elbow from Magnus to Anderson. Magnus wrenches the arm and takes Anderson down. He covers and gets a two count.
Both men get up. Magnus gets Anderson into fireman’s carry position. Kennedy gouges the eyes and nails the Mic Check for the victory.
WINNER: Mr. Anderson
It was obvious who was going to win. It was just a decent opener.
• Anderson announces himself the winner after the match.
• We see Mick Foley driving into the Impact Zone.
• We return with a shot of the crowd. Tenay lets us know Kurt Angle and Tomko have an 8 Card Stud Qualifying match. He throws it backstage to Kurt Angle and Christy Hemme. Angle is angry that Hogan let THE BAND attack him from behind last week. Hemme questions Angle’s statement and he says that’s how Hogan’s always been. The screwing of Kurt Angle will end tonight. Angle is coming with a bad attitude.
• Tenay and Taz again discuss the card for tonight. Angelina Love and Tara will have a Knockouts Title bout, Team 3D and Matt Morgan and Hernandez will tangle for the tag straps and everybody’s favorite Pope will go up against AJ Styles.
• Eric Bischoff is out to grace us with his presence. Bischoff says that the Hulkster said Foley had to get on the same page as Easy E. Foley made it clear that he wasn’t interested in doing that. Bischoff says the decision will cost him dearly and that brings out Mick Foley.
Foley grabs a microphone and says his reputation says he has something wrong with his brain. People call him crazy because he likes everybody. He says people have been trying to get him to say bad stuff about Marcus Bagwell, Paul Heyman and Jim Hellwig. Foley doesn’t dislike any of them. But he does have a problem with Eric Bischoff. He calls Bischoff the opposite of everything he stands for. He then says Bischoff was the worst announcer of all time and Taz says Foley must not have heard of Mike Adamle. What a cheapshot. Mike Adamle was the greatest. At least twenty times more entertaining than Taz. Adamle as Raw General Manager was some entertaining TV. Taz is just mad or something.
Anyways, Foley goes off on why he hates Bischoff and Bischoff finally speaks. He says it isn’t about the two of them, it’s about Foley’s decision. Foley says he’s saved all of his money from his career so he won’t have to answer to idiots like Eric Bischoff. He shows us that he wrote two names on his hand. J.B and Abyss. He then takes Bischoff to task for playing with the careers of Jeremy Borash and Abyss.
Bischoff says power and control makes him tick. If Foley doesn’t want to get on the same page as him, Bischoff’ll have to turn the page. He tries to explain what he’s going to do but Foley talks about his book. “Power should be limited to those that are not in love with it,” is what Foley quotes. Foley brings up Bischoff’s failures in WCW and then the reality TV Eric has done. Foley talks about his love with pro-wrestling and that the relationship may someday end. He says he refuses to let Bischoff to have his way with the love of his life (pro-wrestling) and walks away.
Until Easy E reminds Foley that the careers of Borash and Abyss are in the palm of Eric Bischoff. He makes a match between Kevin Nash and Mick Foley; no-disqualification. Apparently Mick Foley attacked Kevin Nash sometime in the past and this is Big Sexy’s chance at revenge.
• We see Abyss and Jeremy Borash reacting to Foley’s decision. Abyss is scared. JB says he came for his last check and Abyss says no. Jeremy Borash brings up their days in WCW and says with Eric Bischoff, nobody is okay. Abyss commences to freak out.
• We get some comments from Tara. Tara reminds us that Angelina Love made the early part of Tara’s career a living hell but she seems to have changed. She has Love’s respect but plans on keeping the title.
• The World Tag Team Championship match is up next. Team 3D come out first. The champs follow soon after. Taz takes some time to bash Connecticut. Hmm.
Match Two
Team 3D v. Matt Morgan and Hernandez©
TNA Tag Team Championship Match
Hernandez and Bubba Ray start the match off. They grapple for position. Bubba takes Hernandez into the corner until the ref pulls him off. The grapple again, this time with Bubba getting a headlock. Bubba gets sent against the ropes and they reach a stalemate. Hernandez sends Bubba into the ropes and takes him to the ground with a shoulderblock. Hernandez charges him in the corner but Brother Ray moves out of the way. Hernandez gets sent into the other corner and Brother Ray attacks him. Brother Ray goes back for more but Hernandez kicks him and climbs the turnbuckle. Brother Ray and Hernandez trade blows until Bubba throws Hernandez to the mat. He elbow drops him and covers for the pin. Two count.
D-Von gets tagged in and Hernandez gains momentum with some elbows. He tags in Matt Morgan and D-Von attacks with some punches. Morgan sends D-Von into the ropes but D-Von replies with a clothesline. Leg drop from Brother D-Von to Morgan. One count.
D-Von bounces off the ropes for an attack but Morgan is here with a clothesline. Two count. Morgan tags in Hernandez and Hernandez locks the head of D-Von. D-Von elbows out. He runs off the ropes for momentum but runs into Super Mex’s shoulder. Hernandez pins and gets a two count. Hernandez places Brother D-Von on the top rope and joins him upstairs. He tries a superplex but D-Von bites Hernandez. Hernandez falls to the ground and D-Von flies down with a diving headbutt. Both men tag in their partners. Brother Ray attacks the Blueprint with multiple punches. Brother Ray tries to send Morgan into the ropes but Morgan stops and attacks with multiple elbows. German Suplex from Ray to Morgan. Super Mex comes in and Bubba Ray takes him out with a Samoan Drop. Team 3D attack Morgan with a double team neckbreaker. Two count.
D-Von goes for the What’s up but the Nasty Boys shove him to the ground. Brother Ray tries to attack Hernandez but Hernandez shoves him into the Carbon Footprint of Matt Morgan. Three count ends it.
WINNERS: Matt Morgan and Hernandez
Good TV match. Felt like it lasted a while and it made the Tag Team Champions look good while furthering the Team 3D-Nasty Boys angle.
• The Nasty Boys try to take out Team 3D but Matt Morgan and Hernandez return to make the save. The champs and Team 3D stare each other down for a bit. Team 3D realize Hernandez and Morgan made the save and they leave after trading fist bumps.
• We get a commercial cut-in seeing the Pope, D’Angelo Dinero, preparing backstage for his match against AJ Styles.
• Some guy named Jesse Neal is out for the match. Tenay and Taz discuss his time in TNA. Samoa Joe is Neal’s opponent for the evening.
Match Three
Samoa Joe v. Jesse Neal
Neal attacks Joe before he can get into the ring. Neal runs at Joe but Joe catches him and throws him to the mat with a T-Bone suplex. Joe beats down Neal in the corner with chops and punches. He sends Neal to the other corner and charges him with his body. He kicks the head of Jesse Neal. Neal tries to fight but but Joe is there with a headbutt. Jesse Neal attacks the eye of Samoa Joe stunning him for a while. Neal attacks the back of Joe and then attacks with a forearm. Neal climbs the ropes and flies with a crossbody. Joe lackadaisically walks out of the way. Joe attacks Neal with a flurry of open hand slaps. He sends Neal into the corner and attacks with a high knee. He positions Neal for the Musclebuster and nails it. Pinfall ends it.
WINNER: Samoa Joe
Basically a squash match. Pretty much needed since I don’t believe Joe was on last week.
• We get sent to the back with Christy Hemme and Hulk Hogan. She asks him about Angle’s comments and Hogan hasn’t heard them. She tells Hogan that Angle believes Hogan put the hit on him. Christy says Angle is coming after him and Hogan says he’ll be waiting for Kurt.
• We return from a commercial break with D’Angelo Dinero’s entrance. The announcer lets us know that the match between Pope and Styles will be a non-title one. AJ Styles and Ric Flair make their arrivals as Tenay and Taz discuss the transformation of AJ Styles. Taz redeems himself from the earlier Adamle comment by name dropping Tom Landry. Yeah, I am easily amused.
Match Four
D’Angelo Dinero v. AJ Styles (w/Ric Flair)
Pope and Styles grapple. Styles tries to go behind but Pope wrenches the arm. Styles takes Dinero into the corner and the ref breaks it up. Styles chops Dinero in the chest a couple of times but Dinero is there with a slap. Dinero takes Styles down and applies a headlock. He gets to his feet and locks in an arm wrench. Styles reverses and tries a body slam. Pope squirms out and throws three elbows. Pope whips Styles and sends him flying with a back body drop. Styles rolls out of the ring sending us to a mid-match commercial break.
Commercial cut-in seeing Styles delivering multiple elbows to D’Angelo Dinero.
We return. Styles takes Dinero down with a shoulderblock. He follows that up with an elbow and a chop. He sends Pope into the ropes and eventually connects with a dropkick. The Nature Boy does a little strut on the outside. Styles attacks the downed Dinero with multiple kicks. He chokes Pope with the ropes and the ref warns him. Styles chops Dinero in the corner and Dinero replies with one of his own. Styles throws two more causing the Pope to fall. Styles applies a chinlock on the Pope. Dinero gets to the ropes and the ref breaks it up. Styles goes back to choking Dinero with the ropes. He eventually stops and lifts Dinero for a snap suplex. Styles goes for the cover and gets a one count.
Styles punches the head of D’Angelo Dinero. Dinero gets to his knees and throws some punches. Styles sends Pope into the ropes but Dinero comes back with a sunset flip pin. Quick two count. Styles quickly attacks Pope with an elbow, sending him to the mat. He then re-applies a chinlock. Dinero gets to a vertical base and throws some elbows. AJ drives Pope’s head into the mat and then attacks with multiple kicks. Pope tries to slap Styles but the champ is there with more kicks. Styles lifts Dinero and measures him for a punch. Pope blocks it and connects with several strikes. He ducks a Styles punch and attacks with one of his own. Reverse atomic drop by Pope. He follows that up with a shoulderblock. Two count.
Dinero tries to pick Styles up but Styles gouges the eyes and connects with the Pele Kick. Flair talks down to Pope as he gets to his feet and AJ flies into the turnbuckle. Pope moves out of the way and delivers a chop of his own. Pope tries an attack in the ropes (that Taz calls the Coronation) but Styles moves out of the way. Styles picks Pope up for a suplex but Pope blocks and gets a quick roll-up for the win.
WINNER: D’Angelo Dinero
Best match since I’ve started recapping Impact. It was interesting, went a good while and had a fun feeling throughout.
• Flair and Styles attack Pope after the match. Samoa Joe’s music blares and he attacks AJ Styles. He chokes him with his shirt and throws more punches. Flair tries to chop Joe but Joe no-sells it. Joe stands over Flair but Styles chop blocks him from behind. Styles beats down on Joe as Flair attacks the leg. Dinero gets to his feet and attacks Styles and Flair. Joe gets to his feet and throws Flair out. Dinero attacks Styles in the corner. Joe tries to join in but security stops him allowing AJ to escape.
• We return to see Ric Flair asking Joe and Pope if they want to die tonight. Flair says they should know better because this is the new TNA. Pope and Joe are still being constrained by security. Flair mouths off some more until Joe tells him to shut up. Samoa Joe calls Styles a scumbag. Flair tries to talk back but Joe tells him to shut up. Joe says AJ gave up being a man for Ric Flair. Joe says he’s going to remind Styles how to be a man and that happens at Against All Odds. Joe is cashing in his title shot.
• Christy Hemme talks to Angelina Love about her match with Tara. Love says she taught the Beautiful People everything they know and she expects them to interfere in her match with Tara.
• Kevin Nash and Eric Young are talking backstage. Eric Bischoff walks in and doesn’t know Eric Young’s name. He asks Young to leave and Young obliges. Bischoff tells Nash he needs a favor. He wants Big Sexy to destroy Mick Foley in a no-disqualification match. Nash tries to talk Waltman and Hall and Bischoff says he can’t do anything about it. Bischoff says he can play the game like The Band or he can destroy Mick Foley for him.
• We come back from a commercial break with highlights of the mic exchange between Foley and Bischoff from earlier. They show a replay of Foley’s attack on Nash (that happened two months ago).
• Christy Hemme is with Mick Foley now. She asks if Foley is going to fall in line. Foley says he’s going to lace the boots up (that he got for Christmas) and is going to fight Nash. Abyss comes in and asks what Bischoff meant earlier. He asks Foley if he’s going to fall in line and Foley says he’s going to take care of everything by taking care of business. Mick Foley tells Abyss that he has to stay backstage. No matter what happens, Abyss has to stay backstage. Abyss agrees and leaves the scene.
• It’s time to fill the fourth spot of the 8 Card Stud Tournament. Tomko is out first. Tenay says Tomko may have a slight edge in knowing Kurt Angle’s focus is blurred by Hulk Hogan. Taz predicts a squash match.
Match Five
Kurt Angle v. Tomko
8 Card Stud Qualifying Match
Angle gets a quick German Suplex. Tomko replies with a big boot. They stare in the center of the ring and Angle attacks with a headbutt. He clotheslines Tomko out of the ring. Angle goes to the outside and slams Tomko’s head against the steel steps. He sends Tomko back inside and charges Tomko. Tomko replies with a scoop slam and lifts Angle. Angle gets sent into the corner and Tomko is there with a clothesline. Tomko sends Angle shoulder-first into the steel turnbuckle pole. Tomko takes Angle down with a powerslam and gets a two count.
Tomko applies a chinlock to Kurt Angle. Angle gets to his feet and elbows Tomko in the midsection. Angle runs against the ropes for momentum but Tomko catches him and slams him to the mat. Tomko climbs the turnbuckle and Angle meets him upstairs. He sends Tomko down with a belly to belly suplex. Angle gets to his feet first and takes Tomko out with two German suplexes. Tomko elbows his way out of the third but Angle gets an Angle slam. Tomko kicks out at two.
Tomko takes Angle down with a quick clothesline. He gets to his feet and measures Angle for an attack. He fires a Big Boot but Angle moves out of the way. He attacks with a German Suplex. He gets FIVE German suplexes and then takes the straps down. He locks in the Ankle Lock. He then grapevines it and Tomko taps.
WINNER: Kurt Angle
Kind of slow in the beginning but picked up in the end. Another solid match from this episode of Impact.
• Hernandez, Desmond Wolfe, Kurt Angle and Mr. Anderson are in the 8 Card Stud Tournament so far.
• Angelina Love and Tara are seen walking backstage split-screen. Their match is after the commercial break.
• A video package highlighting TNA’s recent Maximum Impact tour over seas.
• Video package highlighting the mini-feud between Kevin Nash and Mick Foley.
• Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash are in Hogan’s office. Nash says he’s a team player but he wants Hogan to give Pac and Scott another chance. Hogan says he wants him in but they’ve messed up. He tells Nash to distance himself from them. Nash says he’ll take out Foley tonight but wants Hogan to keep Hall and Waltman in mind.
• We now get another video package. This time highlighting the Beautiful People feud.
Match Six
Angelina Love v. Tara©
TNA Knockouts Championship Match
Tara and Love grapple. Tara applies a headlock and takes Love to the mat, keeping the side headlock on. Love rolls Tara over for a quick pin. One count. Love gets out of the hold by applying a leg scissors. Tara bridges into a pin and gets a two count. Angelina Love tries a backslide but can’t get a one. We get sent to a commercial seeing the ladies grapple.
We get a quick break from commercials seeing Tara applying a wristlock to Angelina Love.
We’re back on Impact. Love breaks out of a knuckle lock and knees Tara in the side. She wrenches Tara’s arm but Tara rolls out of it. Love sends Tara to the mat and covers. One count. Love sends Tara into a turnbuckle and slams her head against the pad. She tries to do it on the opposite turnbuckle but Love reverses. Lover gets quick rollup but it gets a two. Tara gets a sidewalk slam and covers. That gets a two count. Tara breaks out of Love’s grasp. She sends Tara against the ropes and misses a big boot. Tara lifts her the Widow’s Peak but Love rolls through. Tara rolls Love up and gets the three.
WINNER: Tara
Nothing special but nothing glaringly bad.
• Love and Tara shake hands after the bout. The Beautiful people run in and attack Angelina Love. Tara just watches the Beautiful People for a while but eventually attacks. Tara and Love clean house.
• Hall and Syxx-Pac are seen scurrying around the Impact Zone parking lot.
• Kurt Angle barges into Hulk Hogan’s office. He asks why Hogan let Hall and Syxx Pac attack him from behind. Hogan says he didn’t let Hall and Waltman into TNA because they’re thugs. He says Kurt Angle’s temper is the problem. Hogan hopes the temper doesn’t cost Angle any more opportunities. Angle says he can’t trust Hogan and says this is Hogan’s last warning. Hogan asks Angle to leave the office and Angle does.
• It’s main event time. Foley is the first participant out. Kevin Nash joins him soon after with a shopping cart full of weapons.
Match Seven
Mick Foley v. Kevin Nash
Foley attacks Nash with his barbed wire bat but Nash has a trash can for protection. The can falls so Nash grabs a steel chair. Foley keeps on attacking with the bat and Nash keeps on blocking with the chair. Nash picks up a hockey stick and takes Foley down by the legs. Nash grabs the bat and puts it in the face of Foley. Foley blocks the majority (if not all) of it and delvers a low blow to Big Sexy. Running punch from Foley to Nash that sends Nash to the mat. Kevin Nash rolls to the outside but Foley is there soon after. Foley sends Nash into the steel guardrail and then throws some punches at Nash. He slams Nash’s head against the apron and connects with more punches. Nash gets in the ring and Foley is there with a picture. He hesitates and Nash boots him in the head for the win.
WINNER: Kevin Nash
Neither man looked good and the finish was pretty lame. I thought there was going to be a run-in when the match started with 7 minutes left but it ended like it did.
• THE BAND is out with Nash. We see that the photo Foley was holding was of Abyss and Foley. Instead of attacking Foley, Hall and Syxx Pac attack Kevin Nash. Hall does his Scott Hall pose and we see a shot of the ring from above. Nash and Foley on the mat and Hall and Waltman standing tall.
Quick Results
» Ken Anderson def. Brutus Magnus [Pinfall, Mic check]
» Matt Morgan and Hernandez def. Team 3D [Pinfall, Morgan on Brother Ray]
» Samoa Joe def. Jesse Neal [Pinfall, Musclebuster]
» D’Angelo Dinero def. AJ Styles [Pinfall, Quick rollup]
» Kurt Angle def. Tomko [Submission, Ankle Lock]
» Tara def. Angelina Love [Pinfall, Quick rollup]
» Kevin Nash def. Mick Foley [Pinfall, Big Boot]
