On Friday, May 26, 2006 at 2:29 AM EST Full TNA iMPACT! Results – 5/25/06
Taped From: Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mike Tenay & Don West
Report by: Ryan Droste of WrestleView.com
-The show starts with a full screen shot of Senshi's entrance video as he makes his way to the ring right away.
Senshi vs. Shark Boy vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal
Senshi and Lethal start. They exchange positions at the beginning back and forth. Lethal gets in a hip toss and a dropkick. Shelley makes the blind tag on Senshi. Shelley calls for Shark Boy and Lethal makes the tag. They exchange holds. Shelley with a shoulder block. Shark Boy with an arm drag, Shelley with one right back. Shark Boy with a dropkick. Shark Boy with a neckbreaker. 1 count. Shark Boy with a facebuster to the knee. Shark Boy mounts Shelley in the corner, but Shelley slips out and drops him. Senshi makes the blind tag on Shelley. Senshi with a chop on Shark Boy. Shark Boy bites him on top of the head. Shark Boy comes off the ropes but runs into some kicks. Senshi makes the cover, but Shelley and Lethal break it. Senshi with a loud chop on Shelley. Shelley comes back with a knee lift and chop. Shelley puts on an armbar. Senshi springboards off the middle rope with a spin kick. Lethal comes off the middle rope with a spin kick to Senshi. Lethal with a suplex. Lethal goes up top, but Shelley cuts him off. Shelley bites him on top of the head. Senshi now comes over on top. Shark Boy climbs up as well. Shark Boy powerbombs Senshi off the top, who in turn brings down Lethal and Shelley with a double suplex. The crowd erupts into a loud TNA chant. LAX is shown at the Spanish broadcast table protesting again. Lethal with a dropkick to Shark Boy, who was going to huracanrana Shelley. Senshi dropkicks Shelley into Lethal in the corner. Shelley then rolls out of the ring. Senshi slams Lethal to the mat. He goes up top and comes off with a double foot stomp to the ribs. Senshi makes the cover and gets the pinfall. (Good opening match with some cool spots even though it was only about 5 minutes long.)
Winner: Senshi
-Kevin Nash walks out after the match. He comes into the ring with the fallen Jay Lethal. Alex Shelley comes back into the ring with his camera. Nash gives Lethal his Jacknife Powerbomb. He gets on the mic and calls himself the undefeated cruiserweight bully. The soon to be X Division champion who is in front of us again, he says. He tells Lethal that "size matters." (I honestly can't imagine what TNA is thinking by doing this storyline, it's going to just bury the X Division which is their main calling card. The only advantage they have over WWE. I'm sorry, but Nash has been in this situation before working with the smaller guys and it never benefited them at all.)
-Jeremy Borash is backstage with the King of the Mountain qualifying participants. Jeff Jarrett, Monty Brown and Scott Steiner are shown. Borash builds up the qualifying match coming up later.
--COMMERCIAL BREAK--
-A King of the Mountain video package airs, explaining the match with highlights of past KOTM matches.
Diamonds in the Rough (Elix Skipper & David Young) w/ Simon Diamond vs. Christopher Daniels & AJ Styles
Styles pairs up against Skipper, while Daniels works over Young at the beginning. Skipper is thrown to the outside as they double up on Young. Now it's Daniels and Young. Daniels with a high leg lariat to Young. Styles is tagged in. Daniels slams Young, and Styles nails a knee drop. Skipper kicks Styles in the back and Young slams him. Young nails Daniels, knocking him off the apron. Styles is crotched in the middle of the ropes, and Skipper walks the rope and nails a huracanrana. He makes the cover for a near fall. Young is tagged in. Styles fights back, but his comeback is short lived. Styles ducks a double clothesline, then moonsaults off the middle rope, grabs his opponents, and nails a double reverse DDT. Styles makes the tag. Daniels takes out his opponents with clotheslines and forearms around. He kicks Skipper and plans Young with a bulldog. Daniels throws Young into Skipper on the apron. Styles then jumps off a crouching David Young, going over the top rope with a flip dive on top of Skipper. Daniels nails the Angel's Wings on Young. AMW has made their way to ringside, and the ref has gone to the outside, distracted by James Storm. Chris Harris nails Daniels with a baton and puts Young on top of him. The ref makes the 3 count. (Were already two matches in, just under 18 minutes into the show. Another very short match, but it was another good match as well. Good way to use AMW's interference to continue the feud with Styles and Daniels and to also give the Diamonds in the Rough a much needed victory.)
Winners: Diamonds in the Rough
-Borash is backstage with Sting. Borash asks him if he's ready if his number is called tonight, and Sting says he was born ready. He says he's seen wrestling companies and wrestlers come and go. He says he doesn't want to see TNA go. He says this is where the best wrestling in the world is and that's why he came here. He says he wants the company to move into the future, and he says the only way to do that is to remove people who are affecting the company negatively. He says he has to get rid of Jarrett, and he's going to come after him until he's gone once and for all. He says he's ready, and he's coming for Steiner too if he gets in his way. He tells Jarrett he needs to have eyes in the back of his head, because it is never going to end.
--COMMERCIAL BREAK--
-A TNA Slammiversary commercial airs. It has Tenay and West doing commentary on a golf course as a Tiger Woods look alike putts. Jarrett smashes the fake Woods in the head with a guitar on the green. A pretty good commercial actually.
-West and Tenay talk, building up Slammiversary and the King of the Mountain match.
-Team 3D's theme comes on and BG and Kip James come out dressed as them. BG is dressed as Brother Ray, and Kip is dressed as Devon. Kip is painted black. BG gets on the mic immitating Ray, saying they are the "second best tag team in pro wrestling history." Kip then does the "testify" line. BG says they are second only behind the infamous James Gang. He says the James Gang are genuinely good guys. He says not only 7 years ago, when he could actually button his shirt (BG has a big pillow or something under his shirt). Kip gets in the testify line again. BG says Team 3D has wrestled all over the wor....Philadelphia. Kip says testify again. Kip is down on his knee exhausted already for saying testify. BG asks him how he is going to get the tables if he's down on the mat like he was at Sacrifice. BG tells him when he gets the tables to set it for 3 because lately he's eating for 2. BG then says they beat the "Starbucks Twins" in Philadelphia for the "BFW" tag titles. He's just throwing out random words now. He says if that doesn't say they are the best tag team in wrestling he doesn't know what does. Kip says testify. BG says the fun and games are over, and he takes off his costume. He says its time to get rid of the flanel because it went out with Paul Bunyon. BG says everyone watching knows the James Gang is the best tag team in wrestling history. He says Team 3D were just big fish in a small pond when they elevated them way back when. He says now they look to the future. He asks them if they think they are the creators of "extreme credibility"? He talks about them saying if they can swing it, they should bring it. BG says he doesn't care what the stips are, they will whoop their ass. He has accepted the challenge. Kip says "nobody moves, nobody gets hurt."
-A Raven video package airs. He says he was a two time ECW Champ, and he will soon be a two time NWA Champ.
--COMMERCIAL BREAK--
-Borash is with Steiner and Jarrett. Jarrett says going home is not an option. He says Slammiversary is the night he gets his title back. Steiner tells him to shut up. He says he came to TNA for two reasons. To watch his back and to beat up Sting. He says the only reason Sting is still walking is because of luck. Steiner says he doesn't have a problem beating up Larry Zbyszko. He says he wants him to pull out Sting and his name tonight to wrestle. He also sends out a message to Samoa Joe. He tells him not to eyeball him. He says next time he's going to smack him. He says nobody eyeballs the Big Bad Booty Daddy, because it makes him want to snap.
Bobby Roode w/ Scott D'Amore vs. Andy Douglas
Roode has a Flair-esque robe he wears to the ring. The crowd "Wooo"s. Roode takes the early advantage in the struggle for position. Roode pushes him, and Douglas pushes back. Roode with a kick. Roode runs right into a back body drop. Douglas with a couple clotheslines. Roode rolls to the outside. Douglas chases him back into the ring. Douglas with a right hand. Douglas with a kick to the gut. Roode comes back with a back elbow. Roode with a big right hand and a chop in the corner. Roode whips Douglas into the corner. Roode with some stomps to a fallen Douglas in the corner. He chokes him with his boot. Roode with a side suplex. 2 count. Roode puts on a chinlock. Douglas fights to his feet and breaks the hold. They exchange right hands. Douglas comes off the ropes and nails a running high knee. Douglas with a clothesline. Roode runs into a boot in the corner. Douglas with a neckbreaker. 2 count. D'Amore gets on the apron and Douglas goes to hit him. D'Amore dodges it, jumping off the apron. Roode and Douglas exchange right hands. Douglas misses a clothesline in the corner, and Roode comes off the ropes and nails the Northern Lariat from behind. He makes the cover for the pinfall. (Not a bad match, but not as good as the first two. Tenay and West briefly talked about Ref Slick Johnson's outfit. He's been wearing black shorts the past two weeks. I've been wondering why as well, it looks pretty goofy. They should also ask who he pissed off to have a name like Slick Johnson.)
Winner: Bobby Roode
-After the match, Roode tosses Douglas to the outside. D'Amore grabs a chair. Roode is about to nail him with it, but Chase Stevens runs out for the save. he fights with Roode. The rest of Team Canada run out and beat down Chase Stevens. They roll him into the ring. They beat down Stevens in the corner of the ring. Rhino then runs out and cleans house on Team Canada. He nails a Gore on A1 as Roode dodged it and bailed. Rhino gets on the mic and says he went to Larry Z and told him what match he wanted at Slammiversary. He says it's a handicap match, him versus Bobby Roode and any member of Team Canada he himself chooses. He asks the crowd who he wants. He says it will be him versus Roode and D'Amore. He says they will both get their asses Gored at Slammiversary. Shane Douglas is out on the ramp, once again watching the Naturals. Tenay asks what his interest is with them?
-Borash is backstage with Ron Killings. He says Killings has been to the mountain top before, and he asks him if he's ready to do it again? He says he's ready. He says your looking at the 2 time NWA Champ, and he's about ready to do it again. He busts out a short rap about how he doesn't care who he faces, and he ends with his trademark "what's up."
--COMMERCIAL BREAK--
-NWA World Champion Christian Cage comes out to be guest commentator on the main event.
King of the Mountain Qualifying Match
Monty Brown vs. Ron Killings
Brown attacks Killings from behind as he was dancing during his entrance in the ring. Brown with right hands and a kick in the corner. He whips Killings into the opposite corner and comes in with a clothesline. He turns around to taunt, and when he turns back to Killings, Killings comes off the top with a dropkick. Killings with a hip toss. Killings with a head scissors takeover. Brown dodges a right hand and elevates Killings over the ropes to the apron. He then hits him with a right hand, knocking him to the floor. They fight on the outside as we go to commercial.
--COMMERCIAL BREAK--
Killings slingshots over top with a crossbody on top of Brown on the outside. Brown gets to his feet first afterwards. He takes Killings over by the announce position. He points at Christian and nails a right hand to Killings. He throws Killings into the guardrail. Killings fights back with rapid fire rights. Brown cuts him off and nails some forearms to the back. He throws Killings back in the ring. Killings fights back again, but Brown gets in a kick to the gut to cut him off. Killings comes off the ropes with a twisting forearm. He goes to a staggered Brown and nails a right hand. Killings with a leg lariat. Killings nails a STO for a near fall. Killings with a small package for another 2 count. Brown gets in a kick to the gut and nails a powerbomb. Brown makes the cover for a 2 count. Brown with some right hands on the mat to Killings. Brown with an overhead release slam. Brown goes for the Pounce, but Killings grabs the ropes to block it. He dodges a right hand from Brown and rolls him up from behind for the 3 count. (Most probably would have expected Brown to win this match, so it was a nice surprise to see Killings come out on top. It'll be good to see Killings in a title match again after a long absense. Another solid match, the longest match of the show. Good way to end this week's Impact on a high note.)
Winner: Ron Killings
-Brown looks shocked as the show ends.
-A video package to the "Adrenaline Rush" song airs, recapping tonight's events.
Closing Thoughts: I thought this was one of the more enjoyable episodes of Impact in recent weeks in regards to wrestling matches. Match quality was very good, given you are going to have very short matches when you cram 4 matches into such a short show. The non-wrestling segments were a little so-so at times. I'm not a fan of "Nash vs. the X Division" and the James Gang segment dressed as 3D was a little lame and went on too long. Parts of it were funny, but some of their jokes seemed to fall flat. I'm interested to see where the Shane Douglas thing with the Naturals is heading. It seems as though they are going to put him with them to coach them, in the role that Candido had. It'd be nice to see him lace up the boots and get into some matches with them, though. All in all, it's worth catching the replay Saturday night if you're a TNA fan and didn't catch Impact tonight.