After waiting for over 90 minutes in the pouring rain on our family vacation to Orlando, we finally were all let into the Impact Zone. This was after the VIPs and park ticket holders were seated first – which apparently is standard operating procedure but isn’t mentioned anywhere on the TNA website beckoning fans to join in on the tapings. The VIPs and Universal theme park ticket holders waited for the doors to open under an awning to keep them dry. An employee (of either TNA or Universal) came out and assured us they were trying to hurry up to get fans in early. By early, I assumed she meant before the advertised time the doors were opening which was 6 pm. Since the doors didn’t open until 6:12, this must not have been what she meant.
Since there were no seats left in the arena, we rain-soaked non-VIP fans were told to stand in the standing room only section that surrounded the ring opposite the hard cameras. I guess I should not complain too much since about 100 people waited in the rain over an hour and were then told the building was full and they could not enter the tapings. It seemed amateur and disorganized. More than one fan commented that TNA must not care about their fans since they left them out in the rain all evening. I have no plans to ever go to tapings at this theme park again. I am actually a fan who watches every Impact, orders several PPVs a year, buys DVDs, trading cards and action figures for my family’s enjoyment. But this left a bad taste in my mouth.
On to the show:
Booker T and Sharmelle came out to gloat with the TNA championship. Jim Cornette demanded they return the belt since Joe is still the champ. They refused. Joe came out. He said something about how he is going to face Booker at the next PPV and Booker can hold on to the belt til then as that will only infuriate Joe more every time he sees Booker with the belt. They have some intense words. It was hard to hear some of this.
Kurt Angle and Team 3D arrived wearing Sting masks.
Kaz said he felt like a loser for losing the World X Cup. He let us all down. Tonight he is going to make up for it by winning the X title.
Petey Williams defeated Kaz in an X Division title match. Good match. Kaz let us all down again.
Angle and 3D hit the ring with Sting masks still on. They are wearing trench coats and carrying baseball bats. The heels welcome Sting to the dark side. AJ Styles, Christian Cage and Rhino come out. AJ says he doesn’t know why Sting attacked Joe at the PPV, but he trusts Sting and knows he must have a reason for what he did. The 2 sides argue. They sign a 6 man tables elimination match for next week’s Impact.
It is announced the Booker T will pick his own opponent for tonight’s main event. He’ll also choose the stipulations for that match. It was never explained to the fans in the studio why he gets to do this.
Nash tried to convince Joe he is still on his side and he was just trying to get him riled up against Booker.
Matt Morgan crushed Jimmy Rave. After the quick squash, Lance Hoyt challenged Morgan to an immediate match. This one was longer but Morgan won.
Beer Money went around whipping people backstage out of anger for how they were whipped by fans the night before.
Velvet Sky won a 10 knockout gauntlet battle royal pinning Gail Kim at the end. As a result Sky gets to challenge for the Knockouts Title next week vs. Taylor Wilde.
Sonjay Dutt defeated Eric Young and Johnny Devine. Afterwards, Jay Lethal attacked Dutt and SoCal Val came out to try to stop him from hurting Dutt. There is more confusion afterwards further alienating Jay from Val that could all be straightened out if either of them watches Impact this week.
Beer Money is now out threatening to whip fans. They instead whip some refs and then whip Hector Guerrero really badly with belts. After LAX rescues Hector, Simon Diamond and Scott Damore try to get Beer Money to give them the straps they have been whipping people with. Damore tried to convince Roode since they used to work together to give up the straps. Beer Money starts whipping the agents. As Damore left the ring, Roode was still whipping him and pulling at his pants. His entire rear end was hanging out of his pants for a couple seconds that won’t be on TV – thankfully. Enjoy Canada Scott.
Booker picked Consequences Creed as his opponent and a stretcher match as the stips. Booker compared the scenario to the plot of the first Rocky movie giving this young kid a chance at the “champ.” Booker won pretty easily although Creed was given a few hope spots. As Booker went to load Creed into an ambulance, Joe jumped out of the ambulance and attacked Booker, throwing him into the ambulance. Sharmelle then attempted to attack Joe with a baseball bat. Joe grabbed the bat and she ran. The show ended as Joe wondered where she suddenly got a baseball bat from.
Post show, Curry Man defeated Kip James in the final match. I guess this was taped for syndication. Curry Man tried to get Kip to do the Curry Man dance during the match but he wouldn’t. He did after the match once the cameras stopped rolling. Then they did DX crotch chops together. Then they threw out T-shirts to the fans together.
-Matt and Belinda Elliott, Virginia Beach, VA {plug}
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