Jeff Hamlin looks at TNA Impact
8.21 TNA Impact
By Jeff Hamlin (
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The Big News: A.J. Styles defeated Kurt Angle in a ladder match to retain the gold medal. It was a show that was the best and worst of TNA, with lousy angles and great wrestling.
Kurt Angle got out of his SUV where Jeremy Borash asked him about A.J. Styles winning his gold medal last week. Angle vowed to get his medal back tonight, and also vowed to find out who stuck his nose in his business last week. Angle said we all know who it is, and it isn’t two years ago. This is “Planet Angle” now. For the 900,000 viewers who didn’t see TNA during the Fox Sports Net days in 2005, Angle was referring to Jeff Jarrett’s old “Planet Jarrett” catchphrase. Again, Jarrett’s name was never brought up during the interview, so it’s reminiscent of when the N.W.O. invaded WCW and the announcers referred to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall as “you know who they are.”
1. Hernandez defeated Robert Roode. Mike Tenay mentioned Homicide doesn’t have a medical release to wrestle in the Impact Zone because of his eye injury. Hernandez hit a hanging vertical suplex and teased the tope, but Roode ran away. James Storm interfered freely at ringside. Roode got more offense than you would think, though Hernandez is so-so at selling. Hernandez made his comeback with a slingshot shoulder block and debuted a dominator for a near fall. Roode responded with a blockbuster for a two count. There was interference left and right in front of the ref without a DQ down the stretch. Hernandez went for the border toss, but Jacqueline ran in. So Salinas stopped Jacqueline for the cat fight spot. Then Storm jumped up on the apron, but Roode collided with him, and Hernandez pinned Roode after a face-first Samoan drop. **1/4
A.J. Styles was backstage bragging about the gold medal he won last week. Free tip for TNA. It doesn’t help your company to make your announcers look like morons. In the first two segments, Tenay, Borash and Don West were fawning over “the mystery of the guitar.” Exactly what mystery is there? They have to play dumb and pretend like Jarrett isn’t coming back when the whole world knows he is. Of course, Mike Tenay lost his credibility long ago, and his best announcer votes went with it. Anyway, Styles challenged Angle to a ladder match tonight with the gold medal suspended 15 feet in the air. Angle ran in and had to be held back by security.
2. B.G. James and Eric Young defeated the Motor City Machine Guns. The point to this was Alex Shelley is teasing a heel turn. West said he can’t understand why Shelley has a bad attitude. Maybe it comes from constantly jobbing to tag teams that don’t have one-tenth of the guns potential. James was the wrong person to have in this match because he doesn’t work the guns style, but they still bumped well for him. Young actually got the hot tag and pinned Sabin with an ocean cycle suplex into a neckbreaker. Postmatch, Shelley shook Young and James hands, but Sabin slapped James, leading to another pull apart brawl. That’s already two appearances by security with more to come. Too short. *3/4.
Kurt Angle was about to enter Booker T’s dressing room. He asked why does Booker get that lavish room? He must have read my review last week. Angle played subservient to Booker like he was visiting royalty. Booker even made him take his shoes off before entering. Angle asked Booker to be in his corner tonight for his match with Styles in case “a certain person with a guitar” showed up. Booker agreed, but asked Angle to watch his back for his match with a “Rhinoceros” tonight.
In the horrid timing department, they ran a promo for Bound for Glory coming to Chicago. That’s TNA’s Wrestlemania. The punchline is the piece consisted of Karen Angle walking down the street—with Gail Kim. It can’t be called a WCW moment unless they show the same ad in three weeks.
The latest Karen’s Angle was with So Cal Val. Just by reading that sentence, you knew this would be abysmal. And it was. The acting here was just horrible. It’s amazing how quickly Karen has worn out her welcome. Last year, she was a good heel manager. Now, I have no idea what her purpose is, particularly as a face. She told Val she had to choose between Black Machismo and Sonjay Dutt. Dutt walked in and said he loved her and would never make her choose. Then he pleaded that if she had to choose, let it be him. Dutt shot in for a kiss, but Machismo ran in for a spear. They destroyed the set, which I hopes means the end of the show. It ended with Machismo rearing back to punch Dutt, but his elbow struck Val in the jaw. The announcers claimed that Val had suffered a concussion and a black eye. It was almost portrayed like Machismo was the heel now. In the end, it’s two men fighting over a ditzy girl in a storyline that grew tiresome long ago and I have no idea why anyone should care.
Rough Cut was with Consequences Creed. He grew up a big Kurt Angle fan based on his victory in the 1996 Olympics. Then he pulled an upset in a high school wrestling match. The end.
Matt Morgan defeated Frankie Capone. Mike Tenay talked about how anyone put in front of Morgan joins the Mile High Club. That means the person jobs to the Hellevator, not getting busy in the airplane. At least I hope not. Tenay said that includes Tomko. Last time I saw Tomko, he threw Morgan out in a battle royal. Morgan won with the Hellevator. At least Capone didn’t get in any offense. ¼*
Postmatch, Brother Ray came out and challenged Morgan. Brother Dvon ran in and attacked Morgan from behind, leading to Abyss making the save. Morgan and Abyss are about to team.
Mike Tenay did an interesting sit-down interview with Kevin Nash. Ordinarily, this would be approaching interview overload, but Nash is a compelling speaker, if not honest. First, Nash took credit for bringing Samoa Joe into TNA. Keep in mind, Joe made his debut in June 2005, during a period when Nash was out of the company after suffering a staph infection. Nash said Joe was his friends. Even though they’ve broken up about three times this year. Then again, Nash turned on Sting about four times in 1999, so he’s still got ground to make up. He said Joe couldn’t keep his temper in check and it was three steps forward and two steps back. In regards to his relationship with Sting, Nash said it was a different business twenty years ago. He told a story of sitting in a dressing room in his first house show, and Harley Race walked in. Nash immediately jumped up, let Race take his seat and dressing standing up. Race asked him who brought him into the business. Nash said Jody Hamilton, and Race said he was brought up right. Nash claimed that the young guys today aren’t brought up right, and Tenay agreed with him. Clearly, they were paving the way to a old vs. new feud. Problem is, the mistake WCW made in 2000 was portraying the New Blood as whiny crybabies, and look what that’s done to Joe.
This we got yet another backstage segment with the Beautiful People and Kip James. It was now officially interview overload. They announced Angelina Love would face Taylor Wilde at No Surrender for the Knockouts title. Then they barged into Wilde’s dressing room, where she was getting her hair done. James lifted a curtain over Wilde, and they slammed a box of sewing supplies across her head. This was edited so odd, that they showed them slamming the box three times in a row at regular speed. Then they drew make-up on her face. It was rushed to the max to the point that Tenay barely acknowledged it. With Kim out of the company, Wilde needs as much help as she can get. This did her no favors.
The last thing the show needed at this point was an interview, so they cut backstage to Rhino doing an interview. So to sum it up, the last 30 minutes has consisted of five interviews and a Morgan squash. He said there’s a lot of drama and none of it has to do with wrestling. What? Doesn’t he know he’s on an action adventure show? You know, like 24 and Lost. By the way, anybody know when the next 24 PPV is?
Booker T defeated Rhino in a four ways to glory qualifying match. So Booker will be in the four-way at No Surrender with Samoa Joe for the TNA World Title. First big move was Rhino doing an Anderson spinebuster, but Sharmell pulled Booker’s leg over the rope for a break. Then Christian Cage came down to carry Sharmell to the back. This is the monthly reminder of how talented Sharmell is as a performer. They went to a commercial, during which Rhino missed a gore and caught turnbuckles. Booker’s offense consisted mainly of kicks. Rhino dodged an ax kick and hit a mistimed clothesline that Booker flipped for. Rhino followed with another mistimed clothesline. After a belly to belly suplex, Rhino missed a head butt off the top rope. Boker hit an ax kick to get the clean pin. **1/2
Backstage, Gail Kim did her final interview with Lauren. They appeared to play off the fact she had one foot out the door. Lauren brought up how Kong joined TNA almost a year ago, and since then she’s defeated Kim for the TNA title and injured her repeatedly. Kim did a total heel response saying it was a dumb question.
Consequences Creed defeated Petey Williams by DQ, so Williams retained the X Division title. Sheik Abdul Bashir was watching from the ramp. Odd spot midway through the match where Rhaka Kahn went to kick Creed outside the ring, but Creed moved and Kahn kicked the rail. Naturally, she wasn’t selling it seconds later. Rough match in spots as Creed still hasn’t fully transformed into the X Division style. Creed hit a legdrop off the top for a two count. Williams did a float over Russian leg sweep, then a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Creed did a springboard facebuster, enzuigiri and press slam into a rib breaker. Bashir interfered in front of the ref, but Creed caught him, threw him out of the ring, and hit both Bashir and Williams with a flip tope. Creed teased a TKO, but Bashir ran in. This time they called it a DQ.
Awesome Kong defeated Gail Kim in a street fight. Katie Kim was constantly shown at ringside. Kong missed a charge and bumped over the top rope, and they were brawling on the floor immediately. Kim gone thrown into the crowd and they fought into the crowd, complete with Kim jumping off the bleachers with a double axehandle. Kong recovered and delivered several umbrella shots. Back at ringside, they traded blows with a kendo stick. Raisha Saaed interfered, but Kong threw her into the ring and laid her out with kendo stick shots and the neck tie neckbreaker. Kong came back in the ring with a chair, but Kim dropkicked it into her face. Kong missed a sit-down splash, and Kim threw three clotheslines and a codebreaker but still couldn’t take her down. Kong then missed a charge into the corner, but ran into a chair that Saeed had previously wedged into a corner. Finish was Kim going for a crossbody block, but Kong caught her and hit the implant buster for the pin. Postmatch, Kong and Saaed put the boots to Kim and teased an awesome omb on a chair. As referees ran into the ring to stop her, Katie Kim ran over to protect Gail. Kong and Saaed teased giving her an awesome bomb. It was sold really well with Katie as this defenseless young girl who was about to be laid out by a monster. Finally, ODB and Roxxi ran in with chairs for the save. I know the WWE may pay better, but TNA has utilized its women ten times better than the WWE. Fortunately for Taylor Wilde, the fans like her and she likely won’t suffer a backlash. Bad news is, the days of great matches like this one are over. Wilde trying to fill the shoes of Kim could be a thankless task. ***1/2
7. A.J. Styles defeated Kurt Angle in a ladder match to retain Angle’s gold medal. Angle, who’s forehead is still bandaged from the weapons gauntlet match two weeks ago, tried to climb right up and get his medals back during the ring entrance. But Styles ran out to stop him, only to be stopped by Booker, who came out with Angle. This brought out Samoa Joe, who brawled with Booker while Styles stopped Angle. They traded big spots early, with Angle doing the overhead belly to belly. Styles and Angle fought for the ladder on the floor, but Angle pushed the ladder into Styles, who ran into a barricade. Styles responded with his perfect dropkick and a pescado. Sharmell walked down to ringside before a commercial. During the break, Styles went for the Styles clash, but Angle gave him a low blow while Booker distracted the ref. Since when is there a DQ in a ladder match? Angle gave Styles a drop toe hold into the ladder. Angle delivered a Takada-style German suplex. After a chinlock, Angle went for the Olympic slam, but Styles countered it into a DDT. Styles did a fireman’s carry into a backbreaker, then went for the medal. Angle knocked him down, but Styles rammed him into the ladder. TNA chants at this point. Styles went for the medal, but Angle knocked him down and gave him the Olympic slam. This time Angle went up the ladder, but Styles tipped the ladder over. Angle landed hard on his left leg, and appeared to be shaken up. Styles got the springboard forearm, while Joe and Booker started brawling at ringside. Sharmell gave Booker Sting’s black bat, and Booker railroaded Joe from behind. This was one time where Sharmell screwed up, where she clearly slid Booker the bat while Joe was looking right at him. Then Joe had to turn his back and pretend he never saw the bat. It ended with Styles and Angle fighting atop the ladder when the dreaded lights went out and Jarrett’s music played. When the lights came on, Styles was holding a guitar, and he clubbed Angle over the head with it. Styles then got the gold medal. ***
SUMMARY: The middle of the show hit the wall, but the final half hour was excellent. The final two matches in particular were better than anything that’s been on Raw as of late.
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