TNA iMPACT!
Orlando, Florida (iMPACT! Zone @ Universal Studios)
March 26, 2009
Commentators: Mike Tenay & Don West
Report by: Josh Boutwell of WrestleView.com
I?m going to start off this week by once again saying rest in peace to Abismo Negro, read my lucha column for more information on the passing and funeral of Abismo Negro as well as a special ?Luchadore Spotlight? on his life and career.
The show starts off this week with a video package highlighting the big Six Sides of Steel Gauntlet Match tonight which is a first time ever match! Then, we go to the usual Impact opening video.
Jim Cornette is in the ring with the TNA roster on the entrance ramp and stage. Cornette puts over how this will be the 5th Lockdown event this coming April and we already know one half of this years double main event and that is of course Sting vs. Foley for the TNA Title. The other half will be the traditional Lethal Lockdown Match and this year will feature 4 man teams which I believe is the first time they have had 4 man teams since 2006. Cornette goes over the rules for Lockdown as the fans chant ?TNA? and he says that in the Cage Gauntlet the team captains for Lethal Lockdown will be decided! He says that 2 man start the match and every 2 minutes another man enters, the only form of elimination is pinfall or submission. The last 2 men in the match will be the Team Captains and earn the right to pick their teams at Lockdown. Cornette says everyone in TNA will be given the same opportunity and then the Mafia’s music hits and outcome the Mafia minus Sting. They get in the ring with Cornette. Cornette asks Angle what he wants and Angle asks how he could give the ?jabronis? at ring side an opportunity when he knows that the Mafia will be in the match. Angle says they will get no opportunity because the Mafia is going to position him as team captain and he says he is not only going to be a team captain but he will win the match. Angle says when he wins his team will consist of him, Booker, Steiner, & Nash. Angle says the Mafia has been dominating and they will continue to be dominating and there isn?t a damn thing him or anyone else in TNA can do about it. Jarrett’s music hits and Jarrett comes out in his ring gear! Jarrett says that the only jabroni he sees there is Kurt and he says tonight he will ?man up? and is going to be one of the 20 competitors in the match tonight. He says the only reason he will be in the match is to ensure that Kurt isn?t a team captain. Jeff tells Kurt to choke on that and then sucker punches him! The ring fills up with Frontline members that pull Jarrett out before the Mafia can jump him!
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercial they show a replay of what just happened between Kurt and Jeff. West says all that Jeff accomplished was ticking off ?the Godfather.? In the back JB is with the Mafia and Booker interrupts him pissed off that Nash has the Survivor chick in there and Angle tells Nash to take her out of the room. Nash mocks Booker and Steiner tells Nash to save some for him when he hits it. Angle says Jarrett won?t even make it to the match tonight and tells Steiner to hand him his steel pipe. He says he’s going to go to Jarrett’s office and bash it over Jarrett’s head and then shove it up his ass!
TNA X-Division Championship
Suicide (c) vs. Kiyoshi w/No Limit
This is Suicide’s first match on Impact and also his first title defense of his newly won X-Division Championship. They show highlights from Ultimate X including Suicide’s ?Fallen Angel Dive? to win the belt. Suicide goes after one of the members of No Limit who was on the apron and this allows Kiyoshi to nail him with a big spinning heel kick as he turns around. Kiyoshi with a front kick to the side of Suicide’s head and then hits a Neckbreaker. Kiyoshi climbs to the top rope and hits a chop to the head off the top rope for a nearfall. Kiyoshi goes for another chop but Suicide blocks it and hits 2 big headbutts and then comes off the ropes but Kiyoshi catches him in midair and hits a scoop slam. Kiyoshi follows up with a running lariat to a seated Suicide! 1?2?NO Suicide kicks out! Kiyoshi tosses Suicide to the floor and distracts the referee while No Limit put the boots to the champ. They toss Suicide back in the ring and Kiyoshi hits a Chop/Reverse DDT combination for another nearfall as Tenay reveals that No Limit are in line for another shot at the IWGP Jr. Tag Titles after their win over the Guns last week. Suicide comes back with back elbows and then retreats to the corner. Kiyoshi charges at Suicide but eats a back elbow and then Suicide backdrops Kiyoshi over the top rope. Kiyoshi lands on the apron, ducks a backhand from Suicide, hits a shoulderblock through the ropes, and then slingshots back into the ring and hits a release overhead belly-to-belly suplex! 1?2?NO Suicide kicks out! Kiyoshi climbs to the top and goes for a Diving Splash but Suicide moves and West blames the Suicide’s cable that he climbs down on (which was hanging by the turnbuckle) got in Kiyoshi’s way. Suicide with repeated leg kicks to Kiyoshi and then a big running dropkick that sends Kiyoshi into the corner. Suicide grabs Kiyoshi and hits a huge Leaping Spike DDT! 1?2?NO Kiyoshi kicks out! Suicide grabs Kiyoshi but he drives Suicide backfirst into the corner! Kiyoshi follows up with that sick move where he grabs Suicide in a wristlock and then puts his foot on the side of Suicide’s head and falls back. I?m sick of describing that move so I?m going to dub it the Kiyoshi Spike from here on out. Kiyoshi hits the Lightning Flash! 1?2?NO Suicide still kicks out! Kiyoshi climbs to the top for the Moonsault but Suicide pulls him off and slams Kiyoshi’s head into the top rope and then hits repeated knee strikes to the head of Kiyoshi as Naito is attempting to distract the referee. Suicide does that running Snapmare move but instead of throwing Kiyoshi’s head into the turnbuckle like usual he throws him into Naito knocking him off the apron onto his partner on the floor! Suicide grabs Kiyoshi and hits the Suicide Solution for the pin!
Winner & STILL X-Champ: Suicide via pinfall (Suicide Solution)
They show a great Six Sides of Steel hype package and then we cut to Angle walking backstage with his pipe in hand when he sees a poster of Jeff Jarrett hanging on the wall and then hits it with the pipe.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercial we see security holding Angle and the Frontline back as Angle is trying to enter Jarrett’s office where the Frontline are standing to protect him. Jarrett talks trash the whole time and says he’s taking Angle out tonight.
In the back Lauren is with the Beautiful People and she says that tonight after the comment Velvet made about Kong last week TNA has put them in a tag match tonight against Kong and Raisha Saeed! Angelina snatches the microphone from her and says they know and she screams at Lauren to leave and not touch her stuff. Angelina says she’s glad someone heard what she said about Kong because they don?t sweat Kong (because they don?t sweat, EVER). She says they get what they want, when they want and they have decided they want the TNA Knockouts Title. Velvet tells Madison that tonight the hazing continues because last week she passed for cutting Daffney’s hair. She says tonight she has to ‘shear? the ?bison?, Kong. She tells Kong that she will be their next victim and they walk off.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
TNA Rough Cut w/ Team 3D (Brother Ray)
Brother Ray talks about how difficult it was to get into the business when he was trying to. He says he wasn?t trained well at the first place he trained and he resents the guy that trained him to this day because he wasted his time there because he wasn?t trained correctly. Ray says that when he was first in ECW as a member of the ?Dudley Clan? (there were 9 members at that time), D-Von came in and they instantly clicked as a team. He says they have seen each other more over the last 13 years more than they?ve seen their wives, kids, friends, everybody. He says the fans don?t pay to see Brother Ray wrestle solo or Brother Devon solo, they pay to see Team 3D and they know that. He says they checked their egos at the door a long time ago and they are very happy sharing the spotlight. He says Steve Austin always said that if you?re not in the business to be World Heavyweight Champion then you shouldn?t be in the business at all, but he thinks if you?re not in the business to be ? of the World Tag Team Champions you shouldn?t be in the business. That was a really great segment.
They show a video package highlighting the history between 3D & Beer Money and then we cut to a sitdown interview that Beer Money and 3D did with Tenay. Tenay asks them what it means to be doing the match in Philadelphia. Storm says it doesn?t really matter where it takes place and it’s just another town, but Ray says that they will be locked inside of a Steel Cage in front of the most violent fans in the world. Devon says Philly is the place where they won their first titles and Philly made Team 3D. Storm says he has been in TNA since day 1 and they talk about how they say Philly is their backyard, but TNA is his backyard. He says after they beat them they become bigger than the Steiner, the Road Warriors, and 3D. Ray says they understand what it’s like to be a part of a company from day one. He says they have a friend that used to wrestle and every night before he would go to the ring he would look at his opponent and say: ?beat me if you can, survive if I let you? (Taz of course). He says at Lockdown, ?beat us if you can, survive if the fans let you.? Roode tells 3D to look at them, it’s just them, no Jackie, no beer bottle, no money being counted. He says this match means more to them than anything else and he asks if 3D knows what they have gotten themselves into.
They show highlights from Destination X where Foley hit Stinger with the chair. In the back Sting is with Lauren. Sting says after one week after thinking about it all week he has no idea what he will say to Foley tonight because there was nothing logical behind what Foley did to him, but there isn?t a lot that Foley has done that was logical in his career. Sting says he doesn?t know if it was the white collar or the tie that was choking him or what, but just like with AJ and Joe there is no excuses and he will see him in the ring. Sting stops from leaving and says that if Foley decides to come armed and snap again, he’s coming armed as well.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
In the back Lauren is with Mick Foley and she asks him what he’s going to say to Sting tonight. Foley makes a joke about ?The Bachelor? and he says he realizes that he did wrong and he is going to apologize to Sting tonight because he knows for a fact that the fans love nothing more than to see two grown men hug. She tells Foley that Sting is bring his bat tonight and Foley says there will be no need for violence. That whole interview was sarcastic if you didn?t get it.
Awesome Kong & Raisha Saeed vs. The Beautiful People w/Madison Rayne
The greatest entrance in wrestling history. Raisha and Velvet start the match off and Raisha puts Velvet in a waistlock but Velvet reverses it and then transitions into a snapmare for a one count. Raisha comes back with a forearm and then a single leg takedown, but Velvet kicks her off and then hits a running clothesline and tags Angelina. Angelina puts at Kong saying she wants the ?bison!? Angelina mocks her and then they lockup with Kong picking her up by the throat and throwing her into the corner. Kong then destroys Angelina in the corner when Velvet runs up and jumps on her back. Kong is pissed. She grabs Velvet by the throat and drops her with a Chokeslam and then throws Angelina across the ring! Kong then hits a running splash in the corner on Angelina and tags Raisha back into the match. Raisha attempts to whip Angelina into the ropes but she reverses it and Angelina goes for a Powerbomb but Raisha hits a seated senton for a nearfall. Raisha picks Velvet up and goes for a backbreaker but Angelina blocks it and then hits a swining neckbreaker and tags Velvet back in. Angelina & Velvet put the boots to Raisah and then Angelina hits a snapmare takeover and puts a reverse chinlock on Raisha. Raisha fights to her feet and hits a jawbreaker and Velvet tags out. Angelina storms into the ring but eats a double chop from Raisha and then another one and then a scoop slam. Raisha with repeated stiff right hands and then a single leg hotshot for a nearfall before Velvet runs in and breaks it up. Kong comes in and throws Velvet out of the ring. Angelina then counters a clothesline into the Lights Out! 1?2?3 BP get the upset!
Winners: Angelina Love & Velvet Sky via pinfall (Lights Out)
After the match Kong comes in and all 3 jump her! Angelina and Velvet hold Kong as Madison gets the scissors and go to cut Kong’s hair, but Kong slams Angelina and Velvet into each other and then nails Madison with a kick to the gut. Kong then clotheslines Velvet as Tenay puts over how things are changing in the Knockout Division as Kong is no longer looking unbeatable. We then see Sting and Foley in a split screen walking towards the ring.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Sting makes his way out to the ring, bat in hand. Sting calls Foley out to the ring to explain himself and Mick of course obliges him. Tenay puts over how Foley has always been known for his unpredictability and Sting found it out the hard way last week. Foley says he doesn?t blame Sting to be angry with him and he is going to give him one and in a few minutes they will be laughing about it. Foley says it was a mistake and he Keith Mitchell in the truck make a tape for him. He says he was Angle Slammed on the concrete and had been beaten all around the ring and he might have been in an altered state when he saw the following scene. He shows where Sting stopped Jarrett from using the guitar. Foley mockingly says he thought Sting was going to take the life of the founder so in an act of desperation he hits him with the chair. He says he lashed out to protect the man that founded TNA as the fans are booing him now. Sting asks Mick if he thinks it’s funny and if it’s some joke. He says he wasn?t funny when he hit him with the chair, he wasn?t laughing now and he isn?t laughing then. He says he was trying to protect Mick and he understand the physical pain Mick is in to just get up and out of a chair. He says Mick’s body is ravaged and Mick left a piece of himself in the ring all over the world and he did it for the fans. Sting says he didn?t just do it for the fans, he did it for all the boys in the business. He says last week he tried to help him because he respect him but now he’s starting to get a little pissed off (yep, the Stinger actually said pissed) now. Sting says he’s starting to lose that respect for Mick. Mick calls Sting a humanitarian and talks about how bad the economy is now and a lot of people could use Sting’s help but he’s not one of them! He asks Sting who in the hell he is to try and save him. He says maybe a few weeks ago he needed saving when he was sitting in a directors chair relieving the ?glory days? in Hardcore History 101 and mocks that segment. He says since last week things have changed because from the moment that chair made impact with Sting’s skull the tables of time have turned. Mick says no one’s talking about ?that other show in April?, they?re talking about Sting vs. Foley at Lockdown! He calls it Icon vs. Legend and says that’s exactly how it should be, but when that cage door is locked shut it won?t be some pathetic loser bragging about the old days. He says they won?t be reliving history, they will be making it! The fans are getting into this. Foley talks about the big dives he’s done off of cages and looks String right in the face and says he has a few of those left! Bang, bang! Mick Foley looks like he has lost his damn mind and he instantly just made himself relevant again with that promo!
We see Abyss and AJ walking towards the ring in a split-screen as they will be the first two entrants in the Gauntlet!
Six Sides of Steel Cage Gauntlet Captains Match
AJ Styles vs. Abyss vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal vs. Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin vs. Matt Morgan vs. Homicide vs. Scott Steiner vs. Consequences Creed vs. Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Yujiro vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shane Sewell vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Booker T. vs. Tetsuya Naito vs. Eric Young vs. Hernandez
Like it’s already been stated, the two men left in the ring at the end of the match will be the two captains for this year’s Lethal Lockdown. Abyss and AJ being in the ring first is giving me flashbacks from the first Lockdown where AJ and Abyss almost killed each other. They circle each other and then Abyss goes in for the lockup but AJ ducks it and starts laying in legkicks to Abyss. AJ tries to whip Abyss into the ropes but Abyss blocks it and then throws AJ into the ropes and lays him out with a shoulderblock. Abyss comes off the ropes AJ leapfrogs over him and then hits a beautiful dropkick. AJ mounts Abyss in the corner and reigns down right hands on him but Abyss throws him off and then hits a huge Big Boot to AJ as he charged at him. AJ fights back with body shots to Abyss but Abyss then hits a huge right hand to lay AJ out. Abyss chokes AJ on the middle rope as Don West says that ?coincidently? Jeff Jarrett will probably get the ?luck of the draw? and come in last. Abyss press slams AJ but he lands on his feet and hits big chops and right hands and then tries to whip Abyss in the corner but Abyss reverses it. Abyss comes charging at AJ but he hits a back elbow and then goes for the Phenomenon, but Abyss blocks it and hits the Shock Treatment as the clock ticks down to zero. The next man in is Alex Shelley! Shelley ducks a clothesline from Abyss and then spits water into his face and hits numerous leg kicks. Shelley then grabs AJ and hits a Tornado DDT on AJ and an Enziguri on Abyss at the same time! Shelley with a running back elbow on Abyss in the corner and then another Enziguri and a running front dropkick. Shelley comes off the ropes again but Abyss press slams him! AJ climbs up on the top rope and hits a Flying Forearm on Abyss! AJ puts to the boots to Abyss and then hits Shelley with an elbow. Shelley drives AJ into the corner and then hits repeated shoulder blocks. Shelley then hits a huge kick to Abyss in the corner and then stands on his head! AJ comes back and throws Shelley into the corner and puts to the boots to him as Jay Lethal is the next man in! Lethal comes in and goes for a whip on AJ, AJ reverses it, Lethal reverses AJ’s, and then AJ reverses Lethal again sending Lethal into the corner! AJ charges Lethal but he gets a boot up. Lethal climbs to the top and hits a Flying Leg Lariat off the top and then hits jabs on Shelley and tries to whip Shelley into the ropes, but Shelley reverses it! Shelley goes for a clothesline but Lethal ducks and then hits the handspring back elbow off the ropes! Lethal with shoulder bocks on Shelley in the corner and then a back handspring and he goes for another one, but Shelley catches him with a Front Chancery. Lethal blocks it and then hits jabs on Shelley again and then an elbow to the head. Lethal whips Shelley into the ropes and hits a running forearm smash. Lethal then goes to the opposite corner but as he turns around Shelley comes out of nowhere with a running forearm of his own! Lethal comes back with a dropkick as we go to break.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercial AJ misses a moonsault on Abyss and he throws AJ headfirst into the cage. The next man in is Matt Morgan. Chris Sabin entered during commercials and Morgan immediately goes after Abyss kicking him repeatedly in the head. Morgan chokes him and then taunts the fan as they show all the nice double team moves the Guns did during the break. Morgan press slams Shelley into the cage! Morgan whips Lethal into the ropes and goes for a press on him, but Lethal reverses it into a hurricanrana attempt but Morgan blocks it and then Powerbombs Lethal into the cage! Morgan then goes for a Chokeslam on AJ but he backflips out of the move and hits the Pele out of nowhere! AJ then pushes Morgan right into the Black Hole Slam from Abyss! 1?2?3 and Morgan is eliminated first! Abyss chokes Sabin in the corner with Sabin fighting out with back elbows as Homicide is the next man out. Homicide goes right at Sabin with chops and then whips him into the ropes and hits a belly-to-belly overhead suplex on him and then a T-Bone Suplex on Shelley! Homicide with big rights on Sabin and then whips him into the corner and hits a running clothesline. Homicide then throws Shelley into the cage and then throws Sabin into it! Shelley goes for a clothesline on Homicide but Homicide grabs his arm and reveres it into a waistlock and then transitions into a full nelson. Shelley reverses the full nelson and then Homicide reverses it right back into a full nelson of his own again. Shelley goes for a back elbow but Homicide ducks and then hits a back suplex on Shelley! Homicide is just flat out a house afire right now as he rakes Sabin’s eyes and Shelley puts the boots to Lethal and AJ chokes Abyss in the corner. West and Tenay are arguing again. Homicide puts Sabin up on the top rope as Shelley has Lethal in the Boston Crab! Homicide repeatedly slams the back of Sabin’s head into the cage and then chokes him all while standing on the top rope. Shelley breaks his hold on Lethal and knocks Homicide off the top. The Guns choke Lethal in the corner as Scott Steiner is the next man to enter. Steiner with Steinerlines to Homicide, Shelley, Sabin, Lethal, and Abyss as we go to commercials.
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercials they show what happened during the break. Sabin eliminated Homicide with the Cradle Shock and then Consequences Creed entered into the ring and they show the double team moves Lethal Consequences hit. Back to live action Sabin throws Lethal up over the top into the cage but Lethal was able to grab the cage and land on the top rope. Lethal kicks Sabin and Shelley and then hits a beautiful Moonsault on the Guns! He covers both men, 1?2?NO they kick out! Big ?TNA? chants now as Steiner chokes AJ and then Abyss knocks Steiner down. Lethal Consequences whip Sabin into the ropes and then hit a double hot shot on him for another near fall. Next man in is Rhino and he comes in and goes right after Steiner. Rhino puts the boots to Steiner as AJ beats down Lethal and the Guns hits nasty kicks to Creed. Shelley with a modified rollup for a nearfall on Creed and then Sabin rakes Creed’s eyes. Abyss and AJ go at it again as it’s just too much going on to keep up. Shelley has Lethal in the Texas Cloverleaf as Creed hits the Montifisto on Sabin for another nearfall. Creed with a top rope Bulldog on Shelley for yet another nearfall before Sabin broke it up. Shelley goes for a back suplex on Creed but then hits a single leg Codebreaker and Lethal then hits Shelley with a release Tiger Suplex! The next man in is Jeff Jarrett and Tenay makes sure to rub the fact that Jarrett isn?t the last man out in West’s face. Angle attacks Jarrett on the stage out of nowhere! Angle slams Jarrett into the guard rail as security runs out to pull Kurt off but Kurt lays them out too! Angle grabs a chair and hits Jarrett’s arm with it as he hung over the guardrail! Angle smiles at what he’s done and then walks off as they show a replay of what just happened. Back in the ring Sabin hits a springboard Tornado DDT on Lethal! AJ covers Lethal but Creed breaks it up. The next man in is Tetsuya Naito of No Limit! Naito with a springboard missile dropkick on Creed as he comes in! Naito with a flying forearm on Creed! Lethal whips Naito into the ropes but he springs to the top and hits a springboard cross body on Lethal and then powerslam for a nearfall. Doctor are checking on Jarrett. Naito & the Guns team up to hit a triple sliding dropkick to Creed as he hung upside down in the corner! Holy crap! The Guns whip Lethal into the corner and Sabin hits a flying forearm followed by Shelley diving off the back of Sabin and hitting a flying forearm of his own! Then, Naito dives off the back of Sabin and hits a flying dropkick on Lethal! Naito with a scoop slam to Lethal and then goes for an insane Corkscrew Moonsault but Lethal moves and Naito eats the mat! Lethal with the Lethal Injection on Shelley! 1?2?3 Shelley is eliminated! The next man in is Kurt Angle! Angle puts the boots to Jarrett again before he gets into the cage. West says Jarrett was blocking his way into the cage. As Angle comes into the ring Creed goes for a kick on Angle but he catches the boot and reverses it into the Ankle Lock! Creed immediately taps out and then Sabin hits a spinning back kick to the ribs on Angle and then comes off the ropes, but Angle destroys Sabin with a lariat and then the Angle Slam! 1?2?3 and Sabin is eliminated! Angle Slam to Lethal and he is eliminated! Angle has eliminated 3 men immediately as he came into the ring!
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercials Angle hits a German Suplex on Abyss and then they show that Naito was eliminated during the break by Steiner after an STO and Shane Sewell entered the match. Sewell with right hands and chops to Angle and then rakes his back! Angle comes back with the Angle Slam on Sewell and eliminated him too! Rhino beats on AJ and Steiner as Sheik Bashir is the next man in. Sewell goes fright after Rhino with kicks and punches and then throws him into the cage and puts the boots to him! Abyss with right hands on Angle in the corner and then Steiner lays AJ out and goes after Abyss and chokes him. Angle goes for a clothesline on AJ but he ducks and rolls Angle up! 1?2?NO he kicks out! Angle with an elbow to the back of the head on AJ and Steiner chokes Abyss. Angle with a snap suplex on AJ for another nearfall. Styles and Angle trade right hands but AJ then hits an enziguri out of nowhere! The next man in is Booker T.! Booker comes in and Steiner throws AJ to Booker who nails AJ with repeated knee strikes to the head and then hits the Book End! 1?2?3 and AJ is eliminated! Booker talks trash to AJ as the refs pull him out and then turns around and eats the Gore from Rhino! 1?2..3 Booker is eliminated! Angle is pissed and Bashir puts the boots to Rhino. On the outside AJ lays repeated right hands on Booker beating him all the way to the back. Abyss goes nuts and lays out Steiner and Angle and then goes for a Chokeslam on Steiner, but he kicks Abyss in the nuts! The next man in is Yujiro. Steiner goes for a Steinerline on Yujiro as he comes into the ring, but he ducks it and then and then hits an enziguri! Yujiro with a clothesline on Steiner and goes for the pin! 1?2?NO Angle breaks it up! Steiner kicks Yujiro in the groin and then Angle knocks him down. Steiner puts the boots to Yujiro as Bashir chokes Abyss in the corner and Angle puts the boots to Rhino. Bashir and Angle now double team Abyss in the corner and gives Angle a high five and then one to Steiner! Bashir then shakes Angle’s hand but he kicks Bashir in the gut and nails him with the Angle Slam to eliminate him! Next man in is Eric Young as Abyss slams Angle and Steiner into each other. Abyss goes for a double clothesline on Steiner and Angle but they block it and hit a double Rock Bottom on Abyss! They both cover Abyss, 1?2?3 and Abyss is eliminated! EY with clothesline and back elbows on both Steiner and Angle. EY with a dropkick to Steiner and then a scoop slam on Yujiro. EY goes for the DVD on Angle but Steiner pulls Angle off and Angle hits the Angle Slam! 1?2?3 and EY is eliminated! Rhino and Yujiro double team Rhino and then Rhino whips Yujiro into the ropes and hits the Gore! 1?2?3 and Yujiro is eliminated! As Rhino stands up Angle hits him with the Angle Slam from behind! 1?2?3 and Rhino is eliminated! That means Steiner and Angle are the only men left in the ring as the clock counts down. Angle drops to his back and lets Steiner pin him for a two count before he kicks out and then Steiner does the same for Angle as they taunt the crowd. The next man in is Hernandez! Hernandez comes in and hits a double clothesline on both men and then clotheslines them separately! Hernandez whips Steiner into the corner and hits a big corner splash on him and then one on Angle! Hernandez pulls his shirt off and then wraps it around Angle’s neck and throws him across the ring! Hernandez then puts Steiner up on his shoulder and hits an over the shoulder backbreaker! Angle attacks Hernandez from behind and then attempts to whip him into the ropes but Hernandez reverses it and goes for a backdrop, but Angle stops and kicks Hernandez in the head! Angle then comes off the ropes but Hernandez hits a shoulder block on Angle that sends him clear across the ring! Hernndez picks Steiner up and goes for the Border Toss but Angle pulls Steiner off and hits the Angle Slam! 1?2?3 and Hernandez is eliminated! Jeff Jarrett walks down to the ring as the clock is ticking down again! Jarrett with rights and lefts to both Jarrett & Angle! Jarrett beats on Steiner but Angle attacks him from behind and the beatdown is on. Jarrett and Steiner double team him with a double suplex. Steiner covers Jarrett for a nearfall. Steiner holds Jarrett as Angle punches him in the ribs and then goes for a clothesline, but Jarrett ducks and Angle hits Steiner! Jarrett rolls Angle up, 1?2?NO Angle kicks out! Steiner goes for a clothesline but Jarrett ducks and hits the Stroke on Steiner! 1?2?3 he’s eliminated! Angle goes for the Angle Slam on Jarrett but he reverses it with an armdrag! Jarrett with a clothesline and then the Pedigree attempt, but Angle back drops him and Jarrett rolls him up but Angle reverses it into the Ankle Lock! Jarrett kicks Angle off and then hits the Enziguri! Jarrett hits the Stroke! 1?2..NO Steiner stops the referee from making the count and then hits a Angle Slam on his own on Jarrett! Angle covers Jarrett, 1?2?3 and Jarrett is eliminated! Samoa Joe’s music hits as everybody forgot that the he was in the match! He was the final entrant but he bided his time in the back and that means that Joe & Angle are the team captains! Angle can?t believe it and West is pissed off trying to say that Joe is number 21, not 20. Joe comes right in and hits a nasty clothesline on Angle followed by another one and yet another one! Joe with rights and lefts and jabs to Angle and then the Coquina Clutch! Angle reverses it into the Ankle Lock but Joe kicks him off! Joe charges Angle in the corner but he moves and Angle hits the Angle Slam! Angle celebrates and pulls the straps down as Joe just stands up to his feet nonchalantly and the fans erupt! Angle turns around and the look on his face was priceless as Joe charged him! Angle hits a back elbow on Joe and then starts to climb to the top but Joe hits a leaping Enziguri out of nowhere that kills Angle! Joe hits the Muscle Buster! 1?2?3 and Joe wins it!
Winner: Samoa Joe (Angle & Joe are team captains)
—COMMERCIAL BREAK—
Back from commercials they show replays of the Main Event and then Jim Cornette sits down with Tenay and West. West screams at Cornette and asks him why Jarrett was allowed to enter the match the 2nd time and Cornette says it’s because he never got to enter the first time. West mocks Cornette and says he’s sure those rules apply to everybody that’s not the TNA founder too. In the back JB is with Angle but he says he has nothing to say, but he says no he does. He says he eliminated Jarrett 3 times in that match and says that Angle is the booker, the owner, whatever and he just changes the rules. Angle says he did everything right and he says the Mafia made a mistake when they should?ve ended his career but he guarantees they will end it at Lockdown! Angle screams for Joe to bring his nation of violence and he hopes to God he brings Jarrett because the Mafia will end both of their careers! He screams that Mafia will never die. West screams at Cornette that the blood will be on Cornette’s hands at Lockdown. We cut to the back where Lauren approaches Joe in the back. She asks Joe who he will pick to be on his team but he’s not interested in being a captain or to fight the good fight. Joe says his only purpose is to torture each member of the Mafia! Joe says he’s not concerned with the captain but he will be at Lethal Lockdown and his machete will be with him.
Final Thoughts
Holy crap, I have never typed that much for a single match. Tonight was fun as hell and chaotic as hell too. That last match went about 50 minutes which would be the longest match in Impact history if I?m not mistaken with that three way that Angle, Christian, & Rhino had a few years ago back when Impact was only an hour and they went almost the whole show (I think it was like 48 minutes or something). Anyway the match itself was fun as hell, all kinds of crazy stuff going on. The match wasn?t really the Gauntlet For The Gold match we?re used to in TNA it was more like a Royal Rumble mixed with an Elimination Match and a cage thrown in for good measure. Pretty much everybody added something to the match with the exception of Shane Sewell. Even Bashir was entertaining with him thinking he had a couple of buddies and then getting killed again. The X-Division guys really stood out while they were in there and Angle was super heel getting most of his pins with help from the Mafia. There was just a ton of good stuff in that match and it would be impossible just to go back and pick everything out. I did love the finish though, with everybody (including me) forgetting Joe was in the match and thinking it was down to Jarrett and Angle and then Joe came out and the fans went nuts. The crowd was really hot tonight the whole show, especially during the Gauntlet. Joe does look kind of out of shape though, he definitely needs to get that in check before Lockdown. But, overall I?m happy with it and with Joe not giving a crap about the captains spot I?m guessing Jarrett will take the captain role while Joe just goes around killing people. Hopefully, I really hope, they bring back Christopher Daniels (yes, I know Suicide is Christopher Daniels so don?t e-mail me about that) as a surprise member of Team Joe. They kind of teased his return on the website this weekend with them using the Fallen Angel symbol as the background on more than one occasion. Great match regardless and they gave you a hook to watch next week to see who Joe lets captain his team.
That wasn?t the only good thing this week, though. The X-Division Title was relatively short but both Suicide and Kiyoshi looked good and it was a fun little match. The Knockouts Match was decent and I?m interested in seeing where they?re going with the teasing of Kong not being indestructible anymore. The Beer Money and 3D sitdown interview was top notch and all 4 guys really did an awesome job putting over both Tag Titles and how much this match means to them. Foley and Sting’s promo was really good too and Foley was just awesome. He’s kind of straddling on the fence between Mankind and Cactus Jack and I?m looking forward to their match at Lockdown. The promos leading up the match should be really good between the two.
Overall, this week was even better than last week and I loved every minute of it. I wasn?t bored at any point and though it was extremely difficult to keep up with the action in the ring had fun even typing that main event. TNA is really picking it up going into Lockdown and hopefully they keep it up.
– Match of the Night: Six Sides of Steel Gauntlet (****)
– Promo/Segment of the Night: TIE (Mick Foley & Sting/Team 3D & Beer Money)
– Final Grade: A
Scheduled for Next Week:
– L.A.X. & Lethal Consequences vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir, Kiyoshi, & No Limit
– Taylor Wilde vs. Madison Rayne
– Plus, who will captain Joe’s team, a sitdown interview with Foley, & more!
Lineup for Lockdown so far:
– TNA World Title: Sting (c) vs. Mick Foley
– Lethal Lockdown: Kurt Angle, Booker T., Kevin Nash, & Scott Steiner vs. Samoa Joe & TBA
– TNA Tag Titles vs. IWGP Tag Titles: Beer Money vs. Team 3D
– Eric Young vs. Danny Bonaduce