TNA Impact Wrestling
Orlando, Florida
January 26, 2012
Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz
Report by: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com
Impact Wrestling opens up this week with a video package highlighting the World Title drama between Storm, Roode, and Hardy.
We cut to the back where Jeff Hardy is assaulting Bully Ray! Hardy slams Ray into a table repeatedly and then tosses him onto a nearby stage and chokes him with a broom! Hardy nails Ray with the broom and then finally Ray kicks Hardy in the knee to finally get a little breathing room. He then tries to drop an elbow on Hardy but he moves out of the way and then tosses Ray into some stacked ladders nearby. The brawl quickly spills into a nearby hallway where the two exchange stiff right hands. Hardy kicks Ray and then slams him into a door and then the two spill out into the parking lot.
A truck pulls up and Bobby Roode jumps out! Roode hits Hardy from behind and then slams Hardy into a fence nearby and stomps on him repeatedly. Ray picks up a pipe and slams it into Hardy several times while Roode screams at Hardy! Ray picks up a big wooden crate and slams it on Hardy’s legs. Ray grabs Hardy and then he and Roode toss Hardy into the back of the truck! James Storm blindsides Roode and slams him into a guardrail nearby and then grabs Ray and tosses him into a table. Storm takes it to the heels for awhile but the numbers game eventually gets the better of him and the heels start assaulting him. Finally Sting walks up with a bat and takes out both Roode & Ray with it! He swings wildly at the two heels but they avoid it and run away. Sting screams at Roode to come back and then we cut to the Impact Wrestling intro.
TNA Knockouts Title #1 Contenders Triple Threat
Velvet Sky vs. Tara vs. “Hardcore Country” Mickie James
We’re just going to call this one the “Battle of the Booties” because these are the 3 nicest ones in the business right here, oh my lord. The winner of this one faces Gail Kim for the Knockouts Title at Against All Odds. All 3 girls are former Knockouts Champions. All 3 girls circle each other and prepare to lockup but then they stop and shake hands. Tara then kicks Velvet and goes to slap Mickie but Mickie blocks it and connects with a series of right hands. Mickie attempts to whip Tara into the ropes but Tara reverses it and goes for a backdrop, but Mickie stops and kicks Tara. Mickie then attempts a running clothesline but Tara does a little Matrix action and she drops down to avoid the clothesline causing Mickie to take out Velvet! Tara just bridges back to avoid it and then stands back up and attempts a German Suplex on Mickie. Mickie blocks it and quickly gets to the ropes but Tara rolls her up anyway! 1…2…NO Velvet breaks it up with a dropkick. Velvet grabs Mickie and tosses her out to the floor and then covers Tara for a nearfall. Velvet grabs Tara but Tara gets up and then lifts Velvet into the air and slams her hard into the corner. Tara slams her shoulder into Velvet repeatedly and then goes for the Widow’s Peak, but Mickie comes in and nails Tara with a Spinning Back Kick followed by a Leaping Front Kick. Mickie then rolls Tara up, 1…2…NO Tara kicks out! Mickie tosses Tara into the corner and puts the boots to her until Tara answers with a kick of her own. Tara slams Mickie into the corner and then tosses Mickie down to the mat. Tara puts Mickie in a modified Vice Grip and then whips her into the corner. Tara charges at Mickie but eats a back elbow from Thickie.
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Back from commercials Tara has Mickie in a Boston Crab but Velvet runs over and breaks it up by Monkey Flipping Tara! Velvet then kicks Tara and goes for the In Yo Face but Mickie cuts her off. Velvet goes for a clothesline but Mickie counters into a Hangman’s Neckbreaker! 1…2…NO Tara breaks it up. Tara grabs Mickie and hits a Scoop Slam and then follows up with an attempt at her Standing Moonsault, but Mickie rolls out of the way. Both Mickie & Tara stand up at the same time and Velvet lights them both up with chops and kicks. Velvet attempts to whip Mickie into the ropes but Mickie reverses it only to have Velvet explode off the ropes with a Spinning Headscissors Takeover! Velvet hits the ropes but Tara takes her out with a clothesline. Mickie then catches Tara with a Flapjack! Mickie nips up to her feet and then climbs up top. Mickie dives off the top with a Flying Thesz Press on Velvet! 1…2…NO she kicks out! Tara grabs Velvet and tosses her out to the floor and then turns around into the Mick Kick! 1…2..NO Tara grabs the bottom rope with her hand to break up the pin! Mickie kicks Tara and then sets up for the Mickie-DT but Velvet comes from behind and Bulldogs her! Velvet then walks into a kick from Tara followed by the Spider’s Web slamming Velvet down on top of Mickie! Tara rolls Mickie over and covers her, 1…2…3! That finish was nasty!
Winner & NEW #1 Contender: Tara via pinfall (Spider’s Web)
In the back Gail Kim says congratulations to Tara and she guesses the best woman won tonight, but she’s looking forward to proving once again why she’s the most dominant Knockout in TNA at Against All Odds. Gail says she has a lot of history with Tara and they know each other inside and out, but right now she’s the Champion and that’s all that matters. She says that they’ll see who the best woman really is at AAO.
Sting is shown walking backstage with a baseball bat and we’ll hear from him next.
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Footage of the brawl that opened the show airs and then Sting makes his way down to the ring alongside Jeff Hardy (still selling his injuries from earlier) and James Storm. Sting calls Roode and Ray to come down the ring now. The heels stall for a minute but then finally walk out from the crowd, it looks like Roode’s knuckles are bloody (nice touch) from the brawl earlier. Ray throws a chair at the ring and then the four men start fighting yet again! Sting screams at them to stop and finally settles it down, he even holds Hardy back with the bat at one point. Ray screams at Sting to get out of his face so Sting hits him in the gut with the bat and tells him to chill out.
Sting finally separates them and then the brawl starts right back as a “let them fight” chant erupts. Sting separates them and says it’s obvious that you can’t tame rabid animals and the fans are right, he’s going to “let them fight” tonight! Sting says in a Tag Match tonight it will be Storm & Hardy against Roode & Ray. Storm grabs the microphone which pisses Ray off because Sting is letting them talk instead of the heels so Storm screams at him to “shut the hell up fat boy!” Ray jumps on Storm again! The brawl is on again! Finally it settles down again and Storms says if they want to fight then they should make it a Tables Match and Sting agrees! Ray’s head is busted open a little it looks like on the forehead.
In the back Alex Shelley says that the past few months have been the longest he’s gone without being in a wrestling ring so it’s glad to be back home tonight. He says he’s facing Zema Ion tonight and he knows Zema is very good but he has a lot of room for improvement, and after him Austin Aries is on the list.
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In the back Eric Young sees some guy walk by and starts rambling when Winter & Angelina Love walk up. Angelina says they just want to apologize to him for what they did last week. She says instead of fighting there is a lot of other things they could be doing with their time while Winter rubs on EY’s face. EY asks Angelina, hilariously, if Winter is putting a spell on him. Winter says with a beard as magnificent as Eric’s two beautiful women like Winter & Angelina are not that hard to get. EY asks if she is going to turn him into stone and Winter says they are actually quite easy, but then Angelina knees EY in the balls again! Angelina screams in pain and EY starts laughing and then pulls a cup out from his pants and shows it to them. That weirdo then sniffs the cup and asks if they want to borrow it and then says something about a yeast infection. ODB walks in and snatches the cup away from EY and says she was wondering who took that. Yikes.
Zema Ion vs. Alex Shelley
Good for Zema that there’s no Rick Ross in the front row to flip him off this time. This is Alex Shelley’s first match in quite some time and if he beats Zema then he gets his shot at Aries at AAO. They lockup and Zema forces Shelley into the ropes. They go to break the lockup but Zema swings at Shelley. Shelley blocks it and locks in a side headlock. Zema shoves Shelley into the ropes and then goes for a Hip Toss, but Shelley grabs his arm rolls him up with a an armdrag cradle type move. Instead of going for a pin he rolls right through into a weird submission, but then right back into a crazy pinning predicament! 1…2…NO Zema kicks out! Taz says, “I feel like I’m in Mexico” and that was a very Lucha-esque sequence. Zema gets up and shoves Shelley so Shelley nails him with a series of STIFF chops! Shelley hits a Snapmare Takeover and then kicks him in the back. Zema retreats to the corner as Shelley goes to punch him, Zema covers up and screams “not the face!” Zema then kicks Shelley and then leaps over a charging Shelley! Shelley attempts a Roaring Elbow but Zema ducks and then connects with the Springboard Corkscrew Body Splash! 1…2…NO Shelley kicks out! Zema hits the ropes and goes for a Spinning Head Scissors, but Shelley blocks it and slams Zema down to the mat. Shelley then clotheslines Zema over the top to the floor and then sets up for a dive, but Zema sees it coming and gets out of the way. Shelley catches himself and slides out to the floor. Zema rolls back into the ring and then attempts to Elbow Drop Shelley as he was sliding back in, but Shelley saw THAT coming and quickly slides back out to the floor causing Zema to hit nothing but canvas. Shelley climbs back in the ring and charges at Zema but Zema Hotshots him off the top rope and then follows up with a Neckbreaker. 1…2…NO Shelley kicks out! Zema puts an Armbar on Shelley but Shelley fights to his feet and breaks the hold with Forearm Smashes. Shelley then goes for the Roaring Elbow again but this time Zema pokes him in the eyes. Shelley starts swinging wildly (blinded) and Zema is able to avoid them easily and then dropkicks Shelley sending him out to the floor. Zema sets up for a dive of his own but Shelley quickly slides back into the ring and catches Zema with a Running Knee! Shelley follows up with a clothesline and then a Running Enziguri! Shelley charges Zema in the corner but Zema ducks him and then charges at Shelley. Shelley catches him and hits the Reverse STO into the turnbuckles! Shelley climbs up top for the Diving Double Foot Stomp but Zema rolls out of the way. Shelley then charges at Zema with a Mafia Kick attempt, but Zema catches his foot and then nails him with a nasty Spike DDT! Zema climbs up top and attempts the 450 Splash! Shelley rolls out of the way and hits Sliced Bread! 1…2…3!
Winner: Shelley via pinfall (Sliced Bread)
In the back AJ Styles says he’s just watching the match that just happened and enjoying it, something he hasn’t been able to do for awhile. AJ asks if the business has changed this much and says it seems like it’s changed everybody and Frankie (Kazarian) was just next on the list. He says he’s going to get down to the bottom of what’s going on tonight.
Tara says she and Gail have had some tremendous matches and she’ll have to train her butt off to get some new tactics to get back her gold. Tara says she knows Gail will do anything to keep the title but so will she to get it and if she wants to play dirty, Tara can to.
Footage of Eric Bischoff walking into a gym looking for his sown is shown and more of it will be shown next.
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A video package highlighting Lockdown and announcing it coming to Nashville, TN in a few months is shown, it says tickets on sale starting tomorrow. My favorite PPV of the year.
Tenay and Taz discuss the issues between Bischoff and his son and then we cut to that video of Bischoff coming to his sons gym is shown. Eric asks where his new trainer is and Garett looks in the distance and then Eric looks over and sees who it is and freaks out. He screams at the camera man to leave before whoever it is, is shown.
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Intergender Tag Team Match
Angelina Love & Winter vs. Eric Young & ODB
EY does his goofy lockup with the referee stuff and then after repeated stalling ODB tags in and clotheslines Angelina. ODB follows up with a Splash in the corner followed by the Carpet Muncher! ODB knocks Winter off the apron and then EY climbs in the corner and asks for the same move to happen to him. ODB nails Angelina in with right hands instead and then attempts to whip her into the ropes, but Angelina reverses it and Winter trips her from the outside. Angelina then grabs ODB by the hair and slams her to the mat for a nearfall. Winter tags in and then Angelina whips Winter into a Forearm Smash in the corner on ODB! Winter then follows up with a Backbreaker for a nearfall. Winter slams ODB into the corner and then hangs her up in the corner and chokes her. Winter pulls her back down and then covers her for another nearfall. Winter locks in a rear chinlock on ODB but ODB fights it off with back elbows. ODB then hits a Jawbreaker and then takes a swig of her liquid courage. Winter tags in Angelina and ODB nails her with right hands. ODB hits the ropes and connects with a Shoulder Block followed by a 2nd and 3rd one. ODB then hits her Fall Away Slam! Winter goes for a clothesline on ODB but she ducks and EY catches Winter on his shoulders! ODB then puts Angelina up on her shoulders and they hit Double Airplane Spins. EY and Winter both stagger out to the floor and ODB hits the TKO on Angelina for the pin!
Winners: ODB & EY via pinfall (TKO)
In the back Ray and Roode talk about the match tonight and Ray asks Roode when Storm finally grew a set of balls, and he says he didn’t keep Storm in check like Ray kept Devon in check.
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A video package highlighting the Magnus & Joe vs. Morgan & Crimson feud is shown.
“Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe w/Magnus vs. “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan w/Crimson
Joe kicks the match off kicking Morgan repeatedly with leg kicks and then follows up with several jabs that send Morgan into the corner. Morgan grabs Joe by the throat and then connects with a series of right hands. Morgan hits a big chop and then chokes Joe on the top rope and follows up with the Running Body Guillotine on Joe! Morgan drags Joe onto the apron and then hits a Leg Drop on him! Morgan follows up with a headbutt that sends Joe into the corner and then he sets up for those Back Elbows, but Joe climbs to the top and locks Morgan in the Coquina Clutch! Morgan walks to the center of the ring and then backs hard into the corner slamming Joe into the turnbuckles. Morgan then follows up with the Back Elbows he was setting up for earlier. Morgan hits the ropes and connects with a clothesline for a nearfall. Morgan charges at Joe but Joe catches him with a back elbow and then a front kick. Joe climbs up top and dives off with a Flying Leg Lariat! Joe picks Morgan up and connects with a headbutt and then a Running Back Elbow followed by the Leaping Enziguri! 1…2…NO Morgan kicks out! Joe spits at Crimson and then turns around and walks into a series of strikes from Morgan. The two exchange right hands until Joe pokes him in the eyes! Joe hits the ropes but eats a back elbow from Morgan followed by a series of clotheslines. Morgan then hits a Corner Splash and then whips him into the opposite corner and connects with a running clothesline followed by a Sidewalk Slam! 1…2…NO Joe kicks out! Morgan goes for the Hellevator but Joe counters into an Atomic Drop followed by a Running Mafia Kick! Joe then hits the Backsplash Senton! 1…2…NO Morgan kicks out! Joe talks trash to Crimson on the outside and then grabs Morgan’s leg and sets up for a submission but Morgan kicks him into the corner and follows up with a Spinning Clothesline for the pin!
Winner: Morgan via pinfall (Spinning Clothesline)
Immediately after the win Magnus attacks Crimson and slams him into the ring steps and then Joe chop blocks Morgan taking out his knee. Joe then holds Morgan down by his legs as Magnus dives off the top with a Diving Elbow Drop! Joe and Magnus then leave the champs laying.
AJ Styles is shown walking backstage. He confronts Daniels & Kaz next.
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In the back James Storm says it’s funny how they go from kicking each other’s butts to having each other’s backs, because they don’t take it personally against each other. He says he and Hardy are going to beat Ray at his own game tonight, in a Tables Match.
AJ Styles makes his way down to the ring and he says two weeks ago he asks Kazarian “why” and last week Kaz took his head off with a clothesline while he was wrestling Gunner, costing him the match. AJ says after going back and watching the tape of that, he saw someone telling Kazarian what to do and when to do like Kaz was a dog so it comes back to that question “why.” Why was Christopher Daniels telling Kazarian what to do and why was Kaz allowing it. Daniels music hits and he makes his way down to ringside followed by Kazarian.
Daniels says this is a familiar sight, AJ Styles in the ring complaining. He says this is the same song he’s been singing for 10 years when he doesn’t get his way. Daniels says whenever AJ faces a little adversity, the first thing he does is grab a microphone and start complaining. He says when he doesn’t get what he wants he starts throwing a tantrum but Daniels says they’re not playing that game and Kazarian doesn’t owe AJ a damn thing, answers or anything else. AJ says that’s fine because there’s other ways of getting answers and then he starts to get out of the ring to confront them.
Daniels cuts him off and says that’s what they do in Gainesville, GA (he says it in a redneck way), they throw fists when they don’t get their way and he calls AJ a thug. AJ stops and says he has a better way of getting an answer and he then turns his back and says he’ll allow Kaz to get in the ring and take his head off right now. He tells Kaz to go do it but Kaz starts to leave until Daniels stops him. Daniels tells AJ to go do it now so Kaz goes to the ring, but stops and turns around. Daniels tells him to go take his head off but Kaz shakes his head. Daniels rolls into the ring but eats an Enziguri from AJ! Daniels rolls back out to the floor and AJ screams at Kaz to look at him.
AJ says he doesn’t care what’s going on between he and Daniels, he needs to get in the ring and shake AJ’s hand right now and it’ll be over. Kaz looks down at Daniels and climbs into the ring with AJ! He goes to shake AJ’s hand but Daniels screams at them to stop. Daniels tells Kaz that he knows he’s not going to shake AJ’s hand and he knows WHY he won’t. He tells Kaz to get out of the ring and Kaz drops his head and then leaves the ring. Daniels says he’s had it with AJ’s tantrums and he’s put his hands on him for the last time so he’s going to go to Sting and propose a match for AAO between AJ… and KAZ! Kaz didn’t look happy about that one and Daniels looks at Kaz and tells him to go to Sting to ask for that match now.
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Tag Team Tables Match
James Storm & Jeff Hardy vs. Bobby Roode & Bully Ray
All four guys are selling their injuries from earlier in the show, in the brawl. Boxing style intros for this one. The brawl starts immediately and all four guys go at it on the outside. Hardy slams Ray into the ring steps and Storm tosses Roode into the guardrail. The brawl continues with Ray turning things around and slamming Hardy into the ring steps now and Storm slams Roode’s head into a table at ringside. Hardy attempts to Suplex Hardy into one of the tables but Hardy actually hooks the top rope with his leg to block it! Hardy slams Ray into the ring post and Storm spits beer into Roode’s face on the ramp! Storm attempts to Suplex Roode onto the ramp but Roode reverses it into a suplex of his own! Hardy attempts to Suplex Ray into the table but Ray blocks it and Scoop Slams Ray on the floor! Roode and Ray double team Storm now and Ray nails Storm with a chain! He swings again but Storm avoids it and starts swinging wildly at both Roode & Ray! Hardy comes from out of nowhere and dives onto Roode!
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Back from the break Ray nails Hardy with a chair and then he rakes the back of Storm with his nails. Storm comes back by spitting bear in Ray’s face! Storm slams Ray into the guardrail and then follows with an uppercut. Roode attempts to Piledrive Hardy on the floor but Hardy counters into a Catapult sending Roode into the ring post! Hardy then grabs a table and slides it in the ring. Storm then rolls Roode into the ring as Hardy sets up the table. Hardy & Storm grab Roode and set up for a Double Suplex through the table but Ray rolls in and pulls the table out of the way! Ray then hits a Double Clothesline on Hardy & Storm! Ray sets the table back up and attempts to backdrop Hardy through it but Storm moves the table out of the way! Storm with a big uppercut and then he clotheslines Ray over the top to the floor! Storm follows Ray out but Roode follows him and kicks him in the head. Roode then turns around and puts the boots to Hardy before setting the table up yet again, this time in the corner. Roode attempts to whip Hardy into the table but Hardy puts on the breaks and then nails Roode with a Leaping Clothesline! Ray back in the ring now and he takes Hardy out with a clothesline of his own. Ray attempts to kick Hardy through the table but Hardy moves out of the way and Ray’s foot goes THROUGH the table (that doesn’t count sine he put HIMSELF through the table and you have to put be put through the table by your opponent for it to count as a fall)! Storm catches Ray with a Leaping Enziguri from behind followed by the Codebreaker! Storm then walks into the Double-R Spinebuster from Roode! Roode climbs out to the floor and grabs another table and rolls it into the ring. Ray beats on Hardy in the corner as Roode sets up the other table. Ray holds Hardy’s head up against the ring post and punches him into it! Roode then slams Storm into the ring post and then he rolls back into the ring and grabs Hardy. Ray climbs in and goes to the top as Roode lays Hardy out on the top rope. Storm climbs up on the apron and catches Ray with a Leaping Enziguri from the apron! Roode punches Storm and then drags him to the otp rope and attempts to Superplex Storm through both the table and Hardy! Hardy rolls off the table and Storm blocks the suplex attempt. Storm knocks Roode off the apron and then Hardy grabs Roode and hits the Twist of Fate! Hardy puts Roode on the top rope and holds him down as Roode sets back up on the top rope and doves off with a Flying Elbow Drop putting Roode through the table!
Winners: Storm & Hardy via putting Roode through a table
After the match Ray takes Hardy out with a chair and then starts beating on Storm with the chair! Ray continues to beat on Storm & Hardy and then he pulls out another table. The heels set it up in the ring and then Ray climbs up top and Roode lifts Hardy up onto Ray’s shoulders. Ray Superbombs Hardy off the top through the table!
FINAL THOUGHTS
I liked the different way Impact kicked off tonight, rather than a long promo or match we had a big brawl. The ensuing promo afterward was short and sweet and really put over well that these guys just don’t like each other. The Tables Match was a really fun brawl and the babyfaces got their win with the heels getting their heat right back with the brutal beatdown afterward.
Good Knockouts Match with all 3 girls working hard but a few clunky spots (mainly Velvet, she tries hard but just isn’t at the level of Tara, Madison, Mickie, Angelina, Gail, etc.) and Tara winning surprised me. It freshens up the title picture a bit but hopefully it’s a small break between the Gail & Mickie feud because that needs a resolution.
Zema-Shelley was a fun match that was there really to just put Shelley over and let him hit a few cool spots while getting back into the thick of things. Zema looked good in defeat too.
EY and ODB’s stuff is funny in very short installments, there was just too much tonight. The match was WAY too long.
Morgan-Joe had a good but short match but damn these two need a win bad against these guys at some point, even if it’s cheating somehow. They always quickly get the heat back by beating down the champs, but they need a win at some point.
I like the AJ-Daniels-Kaz drama and I really want to see what they’re going to come up with in this story. Kaz-AJ should be a great match, just hope the interference is kept to a minimum.
Overall another solid show this week, there was a little too much thrown at us at times but they were attempting to cram in a lot.
QUICK RESULTS:
1) Knockouts #1 Contender 3-Way: Tara def. Mickie James & Velvet Sky
2) Alex Shelley def. Zema Ion
3) Intergender Match: Eric Young & ODB def. Winter & Angelina Love
4) Matt Morgan def. Samoa Joe
5) Tag Team Tables Match: James Storm & Jeff Hardy def. Bobby Roode & Bully Ray
– Promo/Segment of the Night: Storm/Roode/Bully/Hardy brawl and promo
– Match of the Night: Tables Match (**1/2)
– Overall Grade: B
Scheduled for Next Week:
-Gail Kim vs. Tara
Against All Odds Lineup:
– TNA World Title: Bobby Roode (c) vs. TBA
– TNA Tag Team Titles: Crimson & Matt Morgan (c) vs. Magnus & Samoa Joe
– TNA Knockouts Title: Gail Kim (c) vs. Tara
– TNA X-Division Title: Austin Aries (c) vs. Alex Shelley
– AJ Styles vs. Kazarian
– TNA X-Division Title #1 Contender Match: Jesse Sorensen vs. Zema Ion