I see that you are not currently registered on our forum. It only takes a second, and you can even login with your Facebook! If you would like to register now, pease click here: Register
Once registered please introduce yourself in our introduction thread which can be found here: Introduction Board
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Nice stuff... Can't say I'm not taking the news that Hulk Fucking Hogan is having a world title match with skepticism but you can probably work it out
The Bucks' opponents were probably the Florida team Dos Ben Dejos, who really were trying out for TNA in real life. I mention this because I love reminding people that one of that team was Jon Cruz aka Serpentico
Nice stuff... Can't say I'm not taking the news that Hulk Fucking Hogan is having a world title match with skepticism but you can probably work it out
The Bucks' opponents were probably the Florida team Dos Ben Dejos, who really were trying out for TNA in real life. I mention this because I love reminding people that one of that team was Jon Cruz aka Serpentico
Homie got inspiration from me yet still managed to put out his first proper show before me. Absolutely revolting.
Anyway, it's a solid format and it was a solid show overall. You are making it clear that you are actually going to lean into the zany Monday Night Wars era stuff that was present in real life instead of the classic 'we have a young and talented roster let's build them up and tell the old guys to fuck off' approach I think is taken more frequently during 2010 TNA re-bookings. I think it's a fresh air on that part and I am morbidly curious on how you're going to book Styles vs Hogan for the World Title.
Also when Angle returns I fully expect him to return with a cum truck.
Last but not least, I found the idea of old ass Flair taking nearly a minute to just do a single elbow drop on an unconscious dude hilarious.
Very enjoyable read, hope you end up finding the time and the motivation to write more.
If you want I can grab a list of everyone who had dark matches in the next 12 months. This is including people who actually made it to TV, so you can decide if you want to use them in a different role...
Gunner and Murphy make their first appearances in a dark match in July 2010, losing to Ink, Inc. Xavier (the one from Ring of Honor) faces reigning X Division Champ Douglas Williams in a dark match at a different July tapings Samuel Shaw (Dexter Lumis) is in a dark match in August 2010, but never actually makes TV until 2012 (he's also the fake Lupus at HardCORE Justice) Big Tilly, speaking of fakes, played the fake Blue Meanie at that show, so if you want someone to beat up a fat guy, there's an idea Robbie E's first dark match is August, but I wouldn't really count that as he gets teased for TV pretty soon Winter, ditto Christina von Eerie and Becky Bayless both appear in the same mixed tag dark match in September - both show up on TV in real life as valets Toxxin and Cookie respectively DeSean Bishop is a nobody who loses to Stevie Richards in September. He later shows up in FCW and does nothing Crimson has dark matches from September-December under his indie name Tommy Mercer Jessie Godderz has dark matches in October, then Mayl 2011, and then goes off to OVW until he makes TV in 2012 Neico is a Texas guy who has dark matches in October and December, no, me neither "Girl Dynamite" Jennifer Blake has a late October dark match, and is also working with AAA at the time so there's crossover potential there Brad Idol works dark on the same taping... he doesn't even have a Cagematch profile Dos Ben Dejos get another dark match in November, but this time against each other Rocky Santiago is a Florida indie no-name who has a dark match in November Jamin Olivencia, a many-year OVW mainstay, also has a November dark match TJ Perkins gets tryout matches in January 2011 but isn't picked up Divina Fly, the future Rosita/Zelina Vega, also gets a dark match in January El Generico (!!) shows up at the same taping (pretty sure this was a case where he turned them down because he was making more money working 100 indies) Mark Haskins is a passenger on the Impact UK tour in January 2011, and eventually makes TV in August Josh Daniels, northeastern indie guy, shows up on the post-tour tapings Dustin Starr (as Justin Star) is around in February. I don't know who he is either Niya, a Wild Samoan trainee woman and WSU regular, has a dark match in February Leva Bates faces Isis the Amazon (famously pulled from NXT season 3) in February. Neither is signed Jake Tarr gets a tryout in March - he doesn't have a Cagematch profile so who cares Bobby Shields, another East Coast nobody, works dark in March Slyck Wagner Brown - finally a name I've actually heard of again. He's in March Shawn Daivari and Ricky Reyes both show up in late March Serena Deeb has a dark match in April Melanie Cruise too (probably best known today as the one from the Nightmare Collective) Sterling James Keenan loses to Doug Williams in May... you could snipe Corey Graves if you wanted
There's also an archive of people who tried out for Gut Check, if you recognise some names you could have fun cameos out of it
(edit: here's a few I've found that I've heard of)
September 2010: Jeff Cobb, Sami Callihan, Papadon, Maven Bentley, Tommaso Ciampa
October 2010: N8 Mattson, VSK
January 2011 (London): RJ Singh, Bad Bones, Lionheart
February 2011: Slyck Wagner Brown, Kacee Carlisle, Ricky Reyes
March 2011: Aaron Solo
Finally, a reminder that you have Okada, and you could theoretically keep the NJPW relationship going if (1) you don't botch him, and (2) Jeff Hardy doesn't appear at Wrestle Kingdom 5
If you want I can grab a list of everyone who had dark matches in the next 12 months. This is including people who actually made it to TV, so you can decide if you want to use them in a different role...
Gunner and Murphy make their first appearances in a dark match in July 2010, losing to Ink, Inc. Xavier (the one from Ring of Honor) faces reigning X Division Champ Douglas Williams in a dark match at a different July tapings Samuel Shaw (Dexter Lumis) is in a dark match in August 2010, but never actually makes TV until 2012 (he's also the fake Lupus at HardCORE Justice) Big Tilly, speaking of fakes, played the fake Blue Meanie at that show, so if you want someone to beat up a fat guy, there's an idea Robbie E's first dark match is August, but I wouldn't really count that as he gets teased for TV pretty soon Winter, ditto Christina von Eerie and Becky Bayless both appear in the same mixed tag dark match in September - both show up on TV in real life as valets Toxxin and Cookie respectively DeSean Bishop is a nobody who loses to Stevie Richards in September. He later shows up in FCW and does nothing Crimson has dark matches from September-December under his indie name Tommy Mercer Jessie Godderz has dark matches in October, then Mayl 2011, and then goes off to OVW until he makes TV in 2012 Neico is a Texas guy who has dark matches in October and December, no, me neither "Girl Dynamite" Jennifer Blake has a late October dark match, and is also working with AAA at the time so there's crossover potential there Brad Idol works dark on the same taping... he doesn't even have a Cagematch profile Dos Ben Dejos get another dark match in November, but this time against each other Rocky Santiago is a Florida indie no-name who has a dark match in November Jamin Olivencia, a many-year OVW mainstay, also has a November dark match TJ Perkins gets tryout matches in January 2011 but isn't picked up Divina Fly, the future Rosita/Zelina Vega, also gets a dark match in January El Generico (!!) shows up at the same taping (pretty sure this was a case where he turned them down because he was making more money working 100 indies) Mark Haskins is a passenger on the Impact UK tour in January 2011, and eventually makes TV in August Josh Daniels, northeastern indie guy, shows up on the post-tour tapings Dustin Starr (as Justin Star) is around in February. I don't know who he is either Niya, a Wild Samoan trainee woman and WSU regular, has a dark match in February Leva Bates faces Isis the Amazon (famously pulled from NXT season 3) in February. Neither is signed Jake Tarr gets a tryout in March - he doesn't have a Cagematch profile so who cares Bobby Shields, another East Coast nobody, works dark in March Slyck Wagner Brown - finally a name I've actually heard of again. He's in March Shawn Daivari and Ricky Reyes both show up in late March Serena Deeb has a dark match in April Melanie Cruise too (probably best known today as the one from the Nightmare Collective) Sterling James Keenan loses to Doug Williams in May... you could snipe Corey Graves if you wanted
There's also an archive of people who tried out for Gut Check, if you recognise some names you could have fun cameos out of it
(edit: here's a few I've found that I've heard of)
September 2010: Jeff Cobb, Sami Callihan, Papadon, Maven Bentley, Tommaso Ciampa
October 2010: N8 Mattson, VSK
January 2011 (London): RJ Singh, Bad Bones, Lionheart
February 2011: Slyck Wagner Brown, Kacee Carlisle, Ricky Reyes
March 2011: Aaron Solo
Finally, a reminder that you have Okada, and you could theoretically keep the NJPW relationship going if (1) you don't botch him, and (2) Jeff Hardy doesn't appear at Wrestle Kingdom 5
Sky this is incredibly helpful because I assure you I would not have made the effort to undertake this myself. Thank you so much.
A couple of those names are ones I’ve been thinking about bringing in anyway. And as a sneak preview for the preview for the next show, Okada is booked on next week’s Impact!
Homie got inspiration from me yet still managed to put out his first proper show before me. Absolutely revolting.
Anyway, it's a solid format and it was a solid show overall. You are making it clear that you are actually going to lean into the zany Monday Night Wars era stuff that was present in real life instead of the classic 'we have a young and talented roster let's build them up and tell the old guys to fuck off' approach I think is taken more frequently during 2010 TNA re-bookings. I think it's a fresh air on that part and I am morbidly curious on how you're going to book Styles vs Hogan for the World Title.
Also when Angle returns I fully expect him to return with a cum truck.
Last but not least, I found the idea of old ass Flair taking nearly a minute to just do a single elbow drop on an unconscious dude hilarious.
Very enjoyable read, hope you end up finding the time and the motivation to write more.
It was definitely our conversation the other night that got me wanting to do this properly. In the words of our boy Claudio, iron sharpens iron. Glad you liked the format.
In the interests of realism, I won’t be giving this an immediate facelift as you’ve described can be typical of projects in this time period (although not that I have any issue with projects that do take that approach - I LOVE Tig’s BTB as a example of this). Moreso, I’m wanting to build towards what my vision for what TNA could have been around this time and it does involve changes, but I think the challenge is getting to that point in a realistic way and with the pieces I’ve got to work with.
Flair would have been strutting and taking all of his shit off before dropping that elbow, in fact the show was running short for time so it was quicker than usual.
Impact! April 26, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
Last week on Impact!, AJ Styles and Ric Flair believed that they had successfully found a loophole around the stipulations laid out by Hulk Hogan and as a result, ‘The Phenomenal One’ would not have to defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Sacrifice. Whilst no Team Hogan members won their matches to secure their spot, it was revealed by Eric Bischoff at the conclusion of Impact! that Hogan himself would be the one to challenge Styles on May 16. Hogan, Styles and Flair will all be in attendance in the Impact! Zone on Monday night to give their thoughts on the upcoming dream match.
The TNA World Tag Team Championships will be on the line when Matt Morgan defends the titles that he has held on his own for some time against ‘Big Sexy’ Kevin Nash. Nash announced last week that he would be cashing in his Feast or Fired briefcase on Morgan, along with Scott Hall. However, a vicious assault on The Band by Team 3D last week has ruled Hall out of this one. As a result, Nash will face Morgan on his own and the titles will be defended in a Singles Match.
That is not the only title match set to take place on Impact!, as Rob Terry will also defend the TNA Global Championship against Homicide. After Kazarian’s call for someone in the X Division to step up and become a worthy challenger for his X Division Championship, it was interestingly enough Terry who expressed some interest in adding some more gold to his collection. How Kazarian and the other members of the X Division will react to this is unknown, especially as Alex Shelley seems to be building a case of his own to challenge Kazarian.
Tommy Dreamer made his TNA debut on Impact! last week, when he rescued fellow former ECW competitor Rob Van Dam from Beer Money, after Robert Roode and James Storm had defeated RVD in a Handicap Match. This did not sit well with Beer Money, and they have demanded that they get an opportunity to get a bit of payback on ‘The Innovator of Violence’, so Dreamer will make his TNA in-ring debut against Robert Roode this week.
For the second time in two nights, Tara attacked Angelina Love after her match with Velvet Sky on Impact! last week. The two were formerly loose allies against The Beautiful People, but Tara has seemed to grow frustrated with Love in recent times. Tara has a chance to exact some punishment on The Beautiful People on Impact! this Monday though, as she teams up with the former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Taylor Wilde to take on Velvet Sky, Lacey Von Erich and the Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne.
‘The Pope’ D’Angelo Dinero is set to make his first appearance since losing to AJ Styles at Lockdown and failing once again to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. He will take on Okada, in what will be the young Japanese star’s singles debut in TNA. Also returning to Impact! is Mr. Anderson, after his loss to Kurt Angle at Lockdown. Team 3D, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Desmond Wolfe will also be in attendance!
Impact! April 26, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
STEEL CAGE SHOWDOWN
One of the biggest talking points in the wrestling world was the news that Hulk Hogan would be receiving a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Sacrifice on May 16 against current champion AJ Styles. Whilst many would have expected Hogan to be pleased about this (especially as it seemed that way at the end of Impact! last week), he did not seem to be too ecstatic when he came out from the back to open up Impact! this week in the Impact! Zone.
Hulk Hogan: “Now, there’s something that ‘The Hulkster’ needs to get off of his chest, brother. Ever since I was named the number one contender to AJ Styles last week, I’ve had people come up to me in the street, to my house and commenting online that this match is something that they have wanted to see ever since Hulk Hogan signed on the dotted line in TNA, brother. AJ Styles versus Hulk Hogan - past versus future! Well, there’s someone else that I think embodifies the history of TNA better than someone who has been loyal to me ever since I arrived here in TNA, and that is ‘The Monster’ Abyss, brother.
I have every intention of going to Sacrifice on May 16 and walking out as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, but I don’t want that match to be against AJ Styles. AJ Styles has lied and cheated his way through every challenge put in front of him and to be completely honest, he doesn’t deserve to be the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and he doesn’t deserve to step into the ring with a legend like Hulk Hogan, brother. So that’s why tonight here in the Impact! Zone, AJ Styles is going to defend the title against ‘The Monster’ Abyss!”
That announcement got the fans excited, and it was not long until Abyss made his way out from the back, of course wearing the Hall of Fame ring which was gifted to him by Hogan earlier this year. Abyss shows some doubts about taking the match against Styles given he lost to Ric Flair last week, but Hogan shook his finger right in his face. He said that Abyss needed to be more confident and he reminded Abyss that Flair only won last week because he needed the goons to come out and soften Abyss up before the match.
Hulk Hogan: “So that’s why tonight, Abyss, I’m going to make sure that the same thing won’t be happening to you again before your match. Because tonight, on Impact! your match with AJ Styles is going to be inside a steel cage, brother! There’s going to be no way out for AJ Styles and no way in for Ric Flair and the others, brother! That’s because I’m going to be patrolling the outskirts of the cage to make sure that they can’t get to you. Then, you’re going to play your part and hit AJ Styles with one of those sick Black Hole Slams and you’re gonna get the win, Abyss.
Then, what’s going to happen is that you’re going to bring that title to Sacrifice and face me in the main event, brother. We’re going to show each other the rightful respect that the other deserves and it is going to be an instant classic, brother. The people will be talking about what we do on May 16 for the rest of their lives because me and you, Abyss, are going to tear the roof off of the joint, dude.”
Abyss: “I like the sound of that, Hulk. I like it a lot. At Sacrifice, it’s going to be me against you and that’s what I think everyone here is going to call a dream match! So AJ Styles… WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN ‘THE MONSTER’ RUNS WILD ON YOU?!”
As Abyss prepared for his big main event in a steel cage with Styles, he found himself confronted by one of the men responsible for jumping him prior to his match with Ric Flair last week, Desmond Wolfe. Wolfe sent ‘The Monster’ an ominous warning about not being safe inside the cage and he still needs to watch his back. Abyss attempted to intimidate the Englishman, but Wolfe simply laughed it off and said the days of Abyss striking fear into the hearts of everyone on the TNA roster are over. This seemed to rile Abyss up, but the commentators posited whether this would actually motivate him instead.
Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff had a terse conversation in Bischoff’s office, where Eric questioned Hulk’s motives for making this match. He pointed out that there’s a locker room full of talented guys who want a shot at AJ Styles and Hogan has gifted an opportunity to the guy who lost to Ric Flair in less than a minute last week. Bischoff asks the question he thinks is on everyone’s mind; does Hogan not think he can beat AJ Styles? Hogan clapped back and reminded Bischoff who he was and the things he has done and affirmed that if anyone can beat Styles and dethrone him, it was Hogan. Bischoff snarkily commented that he knew Hogan didn’t really believe in Abyss.
When it came about time for the main event, Ric Flair was up in arms about something as he accompanied AJ Styles down to the ring for the match. Cameras picked up Flair complaining about Styles having to do this match. Abyss entered with Hogan at his side, to Hogan’s music. Once the bell rang and the match was underway, Abyss dominated Styles by using his size and strength advantage inside the steel cage. Styles was thrown against the cage walls and had his face grated by the mesh courtesy of Abyss. It was not long before Styles was bleeding, either.
The big turning point in the match came when Ric Flair attempted to enter the cage, but was unable to. Hogan pulled Flair down and struck him with a series of punches to keep him from getting involved in the match. This causes enough of a distraction for Styles to hit Abyss with THREE low blows. From there, Styles finished Abyss off with the Phenomenal Forearm to win in 13:12. As Impact! went off the air, Hogan comforted a distraught Abyss as Flair and Styles celebrated with Wolfe and Beer Money.
A POPE AND AN ASSHOLE WALK INTO A RING…
As previewed on last week’s Impact!, ‘The Pope’ D’Angelo Dinero made his return to TNA following his loss at Lockdown, where he failed to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion once again against AJ Styles. Whilst Mike Tenay and Don West pondered what the future could hold for Dinero, ‘The Pope’ was in action against young Japanese talent Okada. Despite Okada’s ties to New Japan Pro Wrestling, he was made quick work of by Dinero, as ‘Pope’ picked up a win in convincing fashion, pinning Okada at 2:10. It was noted by the commentary team and fans watching that Dinero was far more aggressive than usual, punctuated by the fact that he carelessly tossed his defeated opponent out of the ring following his victory.
‘The Pope’ was then spoken to by Jeremy Borash in the ring, and JB expressed his commiserations about what happened at Lockdown. Pope solemnly accepted these and then even appeared to show a hint of regret towards Okada and how he had treated him, ensuring to offer some respect to him as he left following the match.
D’Angelo Dinero: “I just… don’t know what has gotten into me, JB. At Lockdown, man, it looked like everything was finally falling into place and that everything was going to come good for ‘The Pope’. I spent all week leading up to that match with AJ Styles just imagining what ‘The Pope’ as the world champion was going to look like. Money falling from the rafters, balloons, confetti… but none of that happened because AJ Styles and Ric Flair took what was rightfully mine, AWAY FROM ME!
AJ, you were locked in a cage with me and you had no way out. You knew that your time was up so once again, you took the easy way out to get past ‘The Pope’. You see, I know now for a fact that my name strikes fear into your heart, AJ Styles. Well, I need to make sure it is your heart that I am affecting, because I don’t want Ric Flair to have a heart attack on us. But my point is that I’m not going to stop coming after you and that title, AJ. You can use Flair… Desmond Wolfe… Beer Money… it doesn’t matter! Eventually, I am coming for you and that TNA World Championship is going to be coming back with ‘The Pope’!”
Whilst the fans in the Impact! Zone seemed more than happy with Dinero continuing his pursuit of championship gold in TNA, there was somebody else who had an opposing view. That someone being Mr. Anderson. Anderson entered the Impact! Zone to raucous boos and carried all of his cockiness and swagger with him, despite losing to Kurt Angle at Lockdown. Pope immediately asked Anderson what he was doing out here, but Anderson initially ignored him. Anderson addressed the fans from the stage.
Mr. Anderson: “I know that you all missed me last week, but rest assured your favourite member of the TNA roster is back now and he’s back for good. The same cannot be said for Kurt Angle, who needs a few months out on the sidelines after what I did to him at Lockdown. Kurt Angle may have won the battle, but I’m the one standing here ready to go in this ring and he’s the one sitting at home drinking his milk like a good little boy, so it is safe so say that I won the war!”
No one seemed to be buying what Anderson was selling, especially Dinero. ‘The Pope’ called him delusional and then suggested he left so he could continue speaking to the people.
Mr. Anderson: “No, I think I’m going to stay actually, Pope. There’s also nothing you can do to make me leave, so there’s also that. I came out here because I heard what you were saying, and I wanted to tell you face to face, man to man, that I think you’re full of shit! The reason that you’re not the TNA World Heavyweight Champion right now has nothing to do with AJ Styles or Ric Flair. It’s because you don’t have the balls for it. That title isn’t rightfully yours until you’ve earned it and you haven’t earned it, not even close.
AJ Styles isn’t sweating about you, he isn’t thinking about you. Because it seems like you’re the only one that hasn’t clicked on that your time has passed. You’re at the back of the line, skip, and you’re not going to be able to work your way back to the front because now Kurt Angle is out of the picture, I’m in the line. I came here to TNA to realise the potential that people have seen in me ever since the first time I laced up a pair of boots and I’m not about to let someone like you get in my way.
Oh, by ‘someone like you’, I mean a coward. You didn’t have what it took to get business done against AJ Styles and tonight you finally showed a bit of what you need to be when you beat the piss out of that kid, but what do you do after? Apologise? Show respect? Winners don’t apologise and champions don’t show respect, they demand it from everyone else. Simply put, you do not have what it takes, Pope. But hey, that’s just one asshole’s opinion.”
D’Angelo Dinero: “Anderson, don’t come out here getting all high and mighty with a higher power, okay? You need to understand one thing about how the way things work around here in TNA; you never interrupt ‘The Pope’s business. As for your opinion, you can shove it up your ass if there’s any room left in there next to Kurt Angle’s foot!
I know that I have what it takes to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and all of these people do, too. I’m pretty sure if the two of us faced off in a match then you’d see it, too. You’d see exactly what my balls are made of! So how about it, Anderson, you and me, right now! I’m good to go again, baby!”
The crowd in the Impact! Zone wanted to see them go at it but Anderson shook his head and started laughing.
Mr. Anderson: “You don’t get to call the shots when I’m around, okay? That’s not how this is going to work. Plus, there’s no chance in hell that I’m going to degrade myself by wrestling you for free. So you know what? I’ll accept your challenge, but why don’t we do this on my terms? I’ll give you your match, but on May 16 at Sacrifice. And when - not if, but when - I beat you, I will show the whole world why the next TNA World Heavyweight Champion is none other than MMMMMMISSSTERRRRRRRR AAAAANNNDEERRRRSSSOONNNNN…. ANDERSON!”
The two men stared off as the commentary team received immediate word from the back that the match was official for Sacrifice.
TAG TEAM MUSICAL CHAIRS
The opening match on Impact! (and seemingly one bumped from the main event due to the steel cage match between Abyss and AJ Styles), was the singles bout between Matt Morgan and Kevin Nash, with Morgan’s TNA World Tag Team Championships on the line. As he was facing a single opponent, Eric Bischoff seemed that it was not necessary for Morgan to find a partner, but stipulated that should Nash win, he would have to find someone to reign alongside him as the champions. Nash was reminded that he could not nominate an inactive member of the roster, which ruled out the suspended Syxx-Pac and the injured Scott Hall. This did not deter Nash from the task at hand, as he did not back down in the face of the younger and fitter ‘DNA of TNA’.
Given his speed advantage, along with his explosive kicks and strikes, Morgan easily controlled the match from the onset. He seemed ready to strike down Nash with The Carbon Footprint, but something caught his eye in the crowd. A bald man was leaving the Impact! Zone through the crowd and Morgan called out after him. Seemingly forgetting the ongoing match, Morgan demanded that the man come back and face him. The cameras failed to get a proper look at the man’s face, but Taz on commentary questioned whether it could have been Morgan’s former partner Hernandez. This thought would have to wait though, as the distraction allowed Nash to get down and roll Morgan up and win the tag titles at 5:27.
Morgan was incensed by the result, but did not release his frustrations on Nash. Instead he exited the ring and barged through the crowd in the direction of the bald man. Nash’s celebration did not last for long though, because Team 3D emerged from the back along with Jesse Neal. Ray, Devon and Neal looked to set up the same spot which took out Scott Hall last week. However before they could do so, Eric Young made the save with a steel chair in hand. Young, reciprocating the respect shown to him by Nash last week, got in a couple of shots on Ray and Devon to clear them from the ring. Jesse Neal was then left all alone and he took a Jackknife Powerbomb from ‘Big Sexy’.
Backstage later on, it was decision time for Nash, under pressure from Eric Bischoff. Eric Young was standing with them and Nash passed one of the championship belts to EY, thanking him for saving him earlier on. Nash praised Young and told him that he’s shown how tough he is and he deserves to be a champion. Bischoff was pleased by this and said that Nash and Young will be defending their titles next week because Impact! will be a Tag Team Special and in the main event, the TNA World Tag Team Championships will be on the line. Young spoke on behalf of the team and said that they’re going to be ready for whoever Bischoff has for them, even if it is Team 3D.
ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR
The Knockouts match on Impact! this week featured The Beautiful People taking on Tara, Sarita and Taylor Wilde. Thanks to some underhanded tactics on the part of Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne, The Beautiful People got the win at 3:40 with Rayne pinning Sarita. Victory was not enough for Rayne, Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich. They tried to beat down Sarita and Wilde after the match and Tara seemed very on the fence about helping out, given her recent shift in attitude. Despite the crowd compelling her to help the former TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Tara walked up the ramp and looked to depart. Madison Rayne was shown to be very relieved that Tara was not willing to assist, knowing her to be a big threat to her own championship.
Before she could leave though, Angelina Love rushed out from the back, completely ignoring Tara. Love’s appearance was enough to help Wilde and Sarita mount a comeback and together they cleared The Beautiful People from the ring. With The Beautiful People on the ramp, they saw Tara on one side of them and the group of Love, Wilde and Sarita on the other. Inside the ring, Sarita and Wilde seemed grateful to Angelina despite their past issues when Love was a part of The Beautiful People herself. The three women then motioned around their waists that they were coming for The Beautiful People’s titles, causing Rayne to look on fearfully as Von Erich and Sky hurled abuse at Wilde and Sarita.
Backstage later on, The Beautiful People barged in on Eric Bischoff’s office after the latter had finished speaking with Hulk Hogan. Hogan greeted the ladies and then left. Rayne attempted to sweet talk Bischoff and ask him to do something about all of these women who were pursuing them. This fails and Bischoff says he has a series of matches to make which involve The Beautiful People. First, next week on the Impact! Tag Team Special, Sarita and Taylor Wilde will challenge for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships. Then, at Sacrifice on May 16, Madison Rayne will defend the TNA Knockouts Championship against… Tara.
Whilst Madison is terrified of this prospect, Von Erich remarks that at least it is not “that skank” Angelina Love, but Bischoff cuts her off. He says that in two weeks, Love will have the chance to also challenge Rayne at Sacrifice, if she can beat Von Erich in a Lumberjill Match, with the rest of the Knockouts roster surrounding the ring. The group are incensed and call Bischoff ugly before leaving in a huff.
KAZARIAN’S CHALLENGE ANSWERED?
A big point was made by Mike Tenay and Don West about Kazarian’s words following his retention of the X Division Championship last week against Shannon Moore, asking someone to step up and provide him with a challenge for the X Division Championship. Alex Shelley had already made his case known, picking up the pin fall in a Six Man Tag on Impact! last week and winning a Triple Threat match on Xplosion. When Shelley made his case to Eric Bischoff, Bischoff stated that he needed to do more, frustrating the Motor City Machine Guns member.
Another person to stake their claim was the TNA Global Champion, Rob Terry. Terry said that his size does not exclude him from the X Division and this week he made good to defend his own title against a member of the X Division, with Homicide stepping up to the plate. The two former World Elite allies fought a hard-hitting match up but Terry would emerge victorious and retain his championship with a Powerslam at 6:33. Kazarian, who was on commentary, seemed very impressed with the performance of his possible challenger; the two men both raised their titles above their heads and made a bit of talk at one another.
Alex Shelley was shown watching this unfold backstage on a monitor, unimpressed. He was encouraged to continue making his case by Chris Sabin.
WE GOTTA FILL TWO HOURS
Tommy Dreamer’s arrival in TNA last week was something that the fans were not expecting, but it was clear that Dreamer is in TNA to stand by the side of Rob Van Dam. It would seem that RVD was willing to do the same for Dreamer, as he accompanied ‘The Innovator of Violence’ out to the ring for his debut match against Beer Money’s Robert Roode. Roode of course has James Storm in his corner; and ‘The Cowboy’ tried his best to get involved in the match on several occasions. However, any such attempts were thwarted by Van Dam and the result of this was Dreamer picking up a win over Roode with a DDT in 6:10. After the match, Beer Money were furious, and were admonished by Ric Flair when they returned backstage. Flair told Roode and Storm that they were giving him a bad name and that next week, he’d arranged for them to challenge the new TNA World Tag Team Champions Kevin Nash and Eric Young for the titles on the Impact! Tag Team Special. Whilst this was happening, Dreamer was shown stealing Storm’s beer cooler in the background.
After their failed assault on Kevin Nash earlier on in the night, Team 3D were shown to be livid about Beer Money getting the shot at the titles next week on Impact! They trashed their locker room and Jesse Neal ended up having a water bottle thrown at his head by an irate Brother Ray. Ray barked at Neal and told him that he needed to toughen up, stating his disbelief that Neal was once in the Navy because of how much of a bitch he is. Team 3D apportion the blame on Neal for making them look weak by letting Nash and Young gang up on him and that’s why they was looked over in favour of Beer Money. Devon then brought up the music Neal played last week and expressed his doubts that Neal had what it takes to represent Team 3D. At this moment, Shannon Moore entered the locker room. Moore reassured Neal and said that even though he beat Neal on Xplosion, the kid put up a good fight and he doesn’t deserve to be picked on like this because he’s a bit different. Moore then offers to team with Neal against Team 3D next week on the Tag Team Special.
Whilst neither were in action on Impact!, Jeff Jarrett and Desmond Wolfe were shown clashing backstage. In fact it was Chelsea that Jarrett first collared and he asked her what she was thinking getting involved in his business last week and costing him a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Sacrifice. Before Chelsea could clap back, Wolfe backed her up and tried to placate Jarrett, saying he understood why ‘Double J’ was so upset. With people like Wolfe passing him by and others like Hogan taking the spotlight, it makes sense for Jarrett to be feeling put out. After a sarcastic slap on the cheek, Wolfe left, and Jarrett actually seemed to be considering his words.
Meanwhile, Matt Morgan’s pursuit of the bald man was a running thread throughout the remainder of the show. Eventually, Morgan found the man he believed to be Hernandez, but it was just a regular fan. Frustrated, Morgan was shown once more towards the end of the show. He happened upon Homicide, who was fresh off of his loss to Rob Terry. Morgan quizzed Homicide, Hernandez’s former partner, but ‘Cide made it clear he didn’t know where Hernandez was. This was not good enough for Morgan, who laid Homicide out with a Carbon Footprint.
It was also announced that Sting had been suspended from TNA for 30 days without pay following his attack on Jeff Hardy last week which followed a similar one at Lockdown so closely. Mike Tenay said that the safety of TNA wrestlers is of utmost importance and TNA management will not condone actions such as those taken by Sting against Jeff Hardy. As for Hardy, “test results are ongoing” to determine how long he will be away from Impact! And TNA for.
Another strange and short segment involving Eric Bischoff aired. Whilst last week he was called by no one, this week he noticed a strange gust of wind down one of the corridors backstage and was startled by a door slamming closed.
Impact! Quick Results: AJ Styles def. Abyss
Rob Terry def. Homicide
Kevin Nash def. Matt Morgan
Tommy Dreamer def. Robert Roode
The Beautiful People def. Tara, Sarita and Taylor Wilde
D’Angelo Dinero def. Okada
Xplosion Quick Results: Orlando Jordan def. Jay Cruz
Alex Shelley def. Shannon Moore
Chris Sabin def. Jeremy Buck
Desmond Wolfe def. Al Snow
Current Card for… TNA Sacrifice
May 16, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
- Despite internal protests from the likes of Jeff Jarrett over Impact!’s current time slot, the move to Monday nights does appear to be paying off for TNA, if the ratings from the two most recent episodes are to go by. Impact! pulled a 0.95 on April 19; the then second-highest rated show since the permanent switch to Monday nights. It was hoped that the announcement of Hulk Hogan once again challenging for world championship gold at the upcoming Sacrifice event would result in an increased viewership for the April 26 show, and this is what happened.
Impact! drew a 1.02, making it the first to breach the 1.0 barrier and the only time this had been achieved following the first Monday night show on January 4. Those internally believe this to be a big milestone and one that TNA can build on. The expectation now is that ratings under 1.0 are now a thing of the past. There is still of course a lot of ground to make up on Monday Night Raw.
- Whilst the ratings look positive for TNA and the bump can be attributed to Hulk Hogan versus AJ Styles, fan reaction to Hogan being in this position has been mixed. There is a feeling in the TNA fan base that Hogan is going to easily go over Styles at Sacrifice and potentially irreparably damage the reputation of TNA’s biggest home-grown star. These worries were exacerbated by Hogan’s (reportedly unscripted) comments on Impact! this week about Styles being the past of TNA whilst describing himself as the future.
Additionally, it is rumoured that Hogan is requiring several surgeries, and it is because of this that his tenure in TNA thus far has seen him involved in minimal physical interactions. Hogan’s back and both knees are reportedly hurt, but he has insisted that he will be good to go at Sacrifice to face AJ Styles.
- It was previously reported that Syxx-Pac (Sean Waltman) was suspended from TNA after no-showing Lockdown on April 18, it has since been revealed that Waltman was not suspended, but actually fired. This is as he was not able to offer any sort of explanation for his absence from the show for well over a week. Therefore, TNA higher-ups decided that it would be best to let him go. Given that The Band’s storyline has moved on rather seamlessly without him, it is not expected that this will have major repercussions anywhere within the company.
In other bad news for The Band, Scott Hall will be absent from television for an undisclosed period of time. This has been enforced by TNA management as there is great concern for Hall’s welfare, as he has been notably off the pace on TV the last couple of months. The angle on Impact! last week with Team 3D was designed to write Hall off so he could enter rehab and work on improving his health. Hall has been removed from the active roster page, but it is understood that the door will be open when he is ready to return.
It is believed that Kevin Nash was unhappy about this entire situation as both Hall and Waltman are close friends of his, but TNA’s promise to cover some of Hall’s medical expenses and also Nash winning the TNA World Tag Team Championships were enough to placate him. It is expected that Nash and Eric Young will continue their story together going into the summer.
- On Impact! this week, Mike Tenay provided reasons for why both Sting and Jeff Hardy were not on the shows. Sting has in-storyline been suspended for his repeated backstage assaults on Hardy, but in reality he has asked for some time off to allow some minor recurring injuries to heal. Hardy on the other hand, like Scott Hall, has been pulled from television to undergo treatment for his addiction issues. Hardy’s case is not considered to be as serious as Hall’s and close friend of Jeff’s Shannon Moore has been a crucial component in getting TNA and Hardy to work together to move past this. Both Hardy and Sting are expected to be back to work the Slammiversary show in June, where they will likely be facing each other as part of their ongoing feud.
- Kurt Angle has also requested some time off after Lockdown and his match with Mr. Anderson. The match received critical acclaim, with Angle receiving a lot of praise himself, but Angle has reportedly told TNA management that he would like some time off to focus on his personal life and recover from some injuries and this was granted. Angle is expected to be back in the latter half of the year, but his exact return date is as yet unknown.
- Tommy Dreamer debuted on Impact! on April 19, and was therefore the new signing that had been teased by the company. This was met with disappointment from the fans, as many had hoped for a younger talent to come in. Dreamer’s hiring is believed to have been instigated by Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan and already it has been seen on TV that TNA will be leaning on the history in ECW between Dreamer and Rob Van Dam. Dreamer is understood to have signed a one year deal with TNA, which can be extended or terminated at the company’s discretion. Dreamer is expected to be involved in a “significant” story heading into the summer. The appetite for this is going to need to be monitored closely, as Dreamer defeating Robert Roode in his first match has already caused some frustration in the locker room and with fans alike.
Dreamer is not the only name through the door, as TNA have also announced the signing of Daizee Haze. Haze is best known for her time in Chikara as well as both Ring of Honor and Shimmer. She has made a handful of appearances for TNA in the past; the most recent being a match against Cheerleader Melissa on Impact! In 2008. Haze and Dreamer are the firsts of an expected raft of new signings to TNA in the coming months as the company looks to bolster the Knockouts, Tag Team and X divisions.
- Speaking of the X Division, the current plan for Sacrifice is that TNA Global Champion Rob Terry will challenge Kazarian for the X Division title. There were existing reports of unrest in the X Division contingent and it is rumoured that this direction by management has pushed a couple of names to the brink of quitting. The X Division was for a long time something which caused TNA to stand out from the WWE, and the general feeling is that it is being under-utilised under the current Bischoff/Hogan regime.
- Lastly, WWE announced a number of releases on April 22; Shelton Benjamin, Mickie James, Slam Master J, Kung Fu Naki, Jimmy Wang Yang and Katie Lea Burchill. All of these talents will be able to start working for other companies once their 90 day non-compete periods are over, meaning it is expected that they will be seen once again July at the earliest, wherever they land.
Just to dip my feet into this, I can say right off the bat it's refreshing to see a form of show written like this. It's very akin to a news article on a website. It saves detail, it informs in quick form, and allows you to dedicate more focus on pay-per-views.
I admittedly do not have fond memories of TNA in 2010, and it's all thanks to Hulk Hogan and friends. I do hope we derive ourselves away from nonsense with the Hulkster in due time. Acting on this too soon would be detrimental to the project, I think. Ric Flair and AJ Styles is a combination I never really saw. It always felt very shoehorned. Styles getting the win over Abyss was fine, though. They've had plenty of matches over the years, their best being the Lockdown 2005 one, in my opinion.
It is funny seeing baby Okada on excursion, as misused as ever. D'Angelo Dinero was highly thought of around this time, and it's easy to see why. Mr. Anderson would have been a decent guy for him to play off of in this promo battle. I suspect this is an ongoing feud, which doesn't sound bad.
The visual image of Kevin Nash beating Matt Morgan by roll-up is hysterical. I wonder what the deal was with having a singles match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. The set up for next week's special sounds fun, though. Nash and Eric Young was a very unique combination, and it's crazy they made it work.
Sad to see the Beautiful People make short work of Sarita, but the Women's Knockouts Division rarely ever got great time.
I wouldn't mind seeing Kazarian win the TNA Global Championship, especially from a guy like Rob Terry.
Whenever I think of Tommy Dreamer popping up in TNA in 2010, I'm reminded of how disappointing it was seeing him go from losing to Zack Ryder and doing an emotional farewell speech on ECW, to then coming in. Sad to see him go over Robert Roode.
Elsewhere, hopefully we'll be getting Sting and Jeff Hardy in a match that doesn't go badly for either party. I really hope Orlando Jordan stays the hell away from Rob Terry. Chris Sabin and Jeremy Buck must've been a one-and-down, wonder how that match would play out nowadays. I hope Al Snow remains a backseat character at this stage of the game.
I'm overall very fond of the product you've outlined here. Good knowledge of product, well represented with an easy and concise way of catching the reader up to speed on all the goings on.
Impact!: TAG TEAM SPECIAL May 3, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
Last week on Impact! Hulk Hogan attempted to remove AJ Styles from the equation of the Sacrifice main event when he forced the TNA World Heavyweight Champion to defend his title against ‘The Monster’ Abyss inside a steel cage. The structure was not enough to stop Styles from retaining, as Ric Flair still found a way to become a difference maker. On Impact! Tag Team Special, Abyss has a chance to get some revenge on Styles as he teams with Jeff Jarrett to take on Styles and Desmond Wolfe. Wolfe has become a thorn in the side of both Abyss and Jarrett thanks to his teasing and underhanded tactics.
New TNA World Tag Team Champions were crowned on Impact! last week, when Kevin Nash defeated Matt Morgan and then announced that Eric Young would hold the titles along with him. There’s no rest for the new champions though, as Eric Bischoff immediately told the pair that they would be defending the belts this week. Their opponents were later revealed to be Beer Money, who were given the opportunity courtesy of Ric Flair. Storm and Roode have had their hands full with Tommy Dreamer and RVD the last couple of weeks, so will be hoping to correct course and become champions once again.
Also on the line on the Impact! Tag Team Special will be the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships. Two of the Beautiful People will defend the gold against former champions Sarita and Taylor Wilde. Madison Rayne learned that she will be defending the TNA Knockouts Championship against Tara at Sacrifice last week, with former ally Angelina Love having a chance to join them next week. With enemies in all directions, can The Beautiful People keep their composure and, more importantly, their titles?
The X Division has been heating up for a couple of weeks, following Kazarian’s instigation of the division. TNA Global Champion Rob Terry has stood up as a contender, as has Alex Shelley of the Motor City Machine Guns. The Guns are in action against Generation Me on Impact! this week, whilst Kazarian will team up with Jay Lethal to take on Terry and Matt Morgan. Morgan lost the tag titles after being distracted by someone he believed to be his former partner Hernandez so later in the night took out his frustrations on Hernandez’s friend Homicide.
Team 3D have expressed some recent frustration with their ward, Jesse Neal, in recent weeks, due to Neal’s unorthodox tastes. Brother Ray and Brother Devon have also found a scapegoat in Neal for their recent frustrations with Kevin Nash. Neal has found a sympathiser in Shannon Moore, who found some respect for Neal after facing him on Xplosion. Standing up to Team 3D, Moore offered to team with Neal to face them on the Impact! Tag Team Special.
It was decided by Mr. Anderson and ‘The Pope’ D’Angelo Dinero that they would face off at Sacrifice on May 16 - after their fiery confrontation last week, both will be in attendance once again so more fireworks can be expected. Angelina Love has requested some time to speak as has Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer!
Impact! May 3, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
ADDITIONAL MEASURES REQUIRED
Once again, Hulk Hogan opened this edition of Impact!, and it was clear that ‘The Immortal’ had something on his mind and he expressed his disappointment about the ending of last week’s main event between AJ Styles and Abyss inside a steel cage. The steel cage was supposed to prevent Styles from cheating Abyss out of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but once again, it was not enough. It was clear from Hogan’s mannerisms and his apparent desperation to get the championship off of Styles that this was a problem weighing heavily on his mind. Therefore, he had developed a solution.
Hulk Hogan: “Last week on Impact!, AJ Styles once again bent the rules as far as he could to stay on top, with the help of Ric Flair and those other guys he’s got running around for him. When I challenge AJ Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Sacrifice in thirteen days, I want there to be no interference because that way, there can be no excuses for when I take that title away from Styles and Flair. Then, this company is going to have the kind of champion that embodies the values of Hulkamania! I’m talking about integrity and a strong work ethic, brother!
A steel cage might not have been enough to keep Ric Flair out of the match, so I’ve been spending some time in the back today doing some thinking, brother. Ric Flair knows every trick in the book, that’s why he’s the ‘Dirtiest Player in the Game’ and well, from what I understand that’s not the only place that he’s dirty if you know what I mean! What we need at Sacrifice is someone who can keep an eye on Ric Flair to make sure that he and anyone else that would want to try, keeps away from the ring so I can give AJ Styles the ass beating that he has had coming to him for a long time, brother. That’s why, Eric Bischoff and I have decided to appoint a Special Guest Enforcer to the main event at Sacrifice to make sure that everything can run as smoothly as possible.
Now the only question is, who is going to be the person with enough intestinal fortitude inside their body to step up to the plate?”
After a long pause, some gesturing from Hogan and mild speculation from Mike Tenay and Taz, ‘My World’ blared through the speaker systems of the Impact! Zone, and Jeff Jarrett emerged from the back to a positive ovation from the fans. Hogan was pleased to see the man who was on his team at Lockdown stepping up to the mantle, but his friendly welcoming of Jarrett was met with a somewhat cold shoulder from ‘Double J’, who seemed very intent on getting down to business.
Jeff Jarrett: “Hulk, I’m gonna get straight down to brass tacks with you. I don’t believe that there’s anyone on this planet that is better suited to be the Special Guest Enforcer at Sacrifice than me, ‘Double J’, Jeff Jarrett. You see, I know everything that there is to know about AJ Styles, Ric Flair and YOU, Hulk. This match is undoubtedly the biggest in the entire history of this company. As you know, this company means the world to me. So it makes perfect sense that the man who got the whole thing started is the one to make sure that a match as important as this one, can go ahead without any trouble.
So, Hulk, if you and Bischoff are happy for me to be the man on the outside, making sure that things go off without a hitch, then I’m your guy. I only ask for one thing in return; you give me that British piece of crap Desmond Wolfe next week… and I want him in a Strap Match so the son of a bitch can’t get away from me again. Then tonight in the main event, I’ll give him a taste of what he’s got coming to him. Whaddya say?”
With a grin, Jarrett held his hand out and after a moment’s consideration, Hulk Hogan shook it and it would seem that he has found his Special Guest Enforcer at Sacrifice, and also made next wee’s main event - a Strap Match between Jeff Jarrett and Desmond Wolfe. As Hogan left the ring, leaving a content Jarrett, Taz made a point of questioning whether Jarrett can actually remain impartial enough at Sacrifice due to his association with Hogan.
That sentiment was not exclusive to Taz, as throughout the night, Jarrett found himself confronted by several others in the backstage area. They all asked him the same question - “Are you going to be impartial?” Ric Flair threatened Jarrett with some serious repercussions if was responsible for screwing his client AJ Styles out of the title at Sacrifice, whilst Eric Bischoff shared the same concerns. Bischoff expressed worry that TNA’s reputation could be called into question if Jarrett decided to go into business for himself. Hulk Hogan himself also found Jarrett backstage just before the main event and said that the others are right, and he wants to win the title the right way.
As Jarrett entered for the main event, where he would team with Abyss to face Styles and Wolfe, a conflicted expression covered his face. It was clear that the stress of plunging himself into this situation was already weighing heavily on him. However, when the bell rang, he was able to snap out of it and worked well with ‘The Monster’ to single out the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Some underhanded tactics from Wolfe and Flair allowed the Englishman to get his team back into the match. After the referee was knocked down, Wolfe grabbed Jarrett’s guitar, but Jarrett snatched it back. Jarrett went to strike Wolfe with the guitar, but Chelsea pulled him out of the way, leading to Abyss taking the guitar shot instead. Styles and Wolfe would then pick up the win at 9:42 after a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles to a remorseful Jarrett.
After the match, Flair led his consort out of the Impact! Zone, and Hogan tended to Abyss as a frustrated Jarrett watched on. Hogan gave a concerned look to Jarrett as he cradled Abyss’s head in his arms. Word then came through and fed back from the commentary team that Abyss would take on Desmond Wolfe at Sacrifice on May 16! Impact! went off the air with Taz asking another question; did Jarrett hit Abyss on purpose and are his loyalties not actually where they seem?
TAG TEAM SPECIAL
With the main event of the night featuring those involved with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, the first match of the Impact! Tag Team Special was for the TNA World Tag Team Championships, with new champions Kevin Nash and Eric Young taking on Beer Money’s James Storm and Robert Roode. Beer Money came out alone, without Ric Flair or any of their other allies. As the match unfolded, it was clear that Beer Money were the more experienced team, with Roode in particular enjoying toying with and punishing Eric Young given their history.
With Nash out of the equation following a Last Call from Storm to knock him from the apron, it looked as if Beer Money were about to zone in on their second TNA World Tag Team Championships as they prepared to strike Young with the DWI. However, Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam emerged onto the stage with Storm’s beer cooler that Dreamer had stolen last week. Roode made his partner keep his eyes on the prize, but Dreamer then began to pour the beer onto the floor. This was enough for Storm to leave the ring and give chase to the ECW alumni, but just as he reached them, he slipped on the spilled beer and bumped the back of his head.
This left Roode alone in the ring, and he was then put down by the champions following a Jackknife Powerbomb from Nash and then a Diving Elbow Drop from Young, meaning Young and Nash retained after 7:16. The champions celebrated with their titles but then locked eyes with Dreamer and RVD, and the former motioned around his waist, indicating that they have their eyes on the titles as well.
However, they would have to wait because new #1 Contenders for Nash and Young’s championships were named on Impact!, with Team 3D set to challenge at Sacrifice. This was after Team 3D defeated their protege Jesse Neal along with Shannon Moore after a 3D to Neal at 3:10. After the match, Neal was conflicted whether to go with his mentors who had done everything they could to stifle his personality, or Moore who was going to let him be himself. The rookie could not make a decision and left on his own.
Backstage, Team 3D made it clear that they were not done making Kevin Nash’s life a living hell - reminding everyone that they “scared off” Sean Waltman and took out Scott Hall. Ray and Devon made it clear that the tag titles were next and they’d leave Nash with “that nobody” Eric Young if he was lucky enough.
ANGELINA AIN’T A LADY TO MESS WITH
The other championship match on the Impact! Tag Team Special was for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships; with The Beautiful People defending against the former champions, Sarita and Taylor Wilde. It was determined that it would be Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky representing the champions, as Lacey Von Erich has a big Lumberjill Match against Angelina Love to prepare for next with, with Von Erich needing to win to ensure that Rayne’s defence of the TNA Knockouts Championship at Sacrifice is not a Triple Threat.
Having Rayne step in worked for the best, as The Beautiful People retained with Rayne pinning Sarita at 5:02. The champions went to assault the defeated challengers after the match, but the woman who is definitely facing Rayne at Sacrifice, Tara, ran out from the back to chase The Beautiful People off. However, as she has done several times in recent weeks, Tara turned and continued attacking the women that she had just saved; culminating in a Widow’s Peak to Taylor Wilde. Tara stared down the horrified Beautiful People on the ramp, making it clear that she is coming for Rayne’s gold.
Angelina Love was not in attendance in person on Impact! Instead, viewers were treated to what was promised to be a “candid and revealing” sit-down interview that was recorded over the weekend, with Mike Tenay. Mike asked a hard-hitting question immediately, asking why people should support her in this crusade against her former allies in The Beautiful People, given her past actions when she was a part of that group.
Angelina Love: “Mike, you’re absolutely right. The girls in the locker room and the TNA fans in the Impact! Zone and all over the world have no reason whatsoever to trust me or support me after everything that I did as a member of The Beautiful People over the last two years. I was mean-spirited and together, we did some absolutely wicked and disgusting things to the other Knockouts here in TNA. It was wrong, and I am truly ashamed of it.
Make no mistake about it, The Beautiful People are bullies. When I was with them, I was a bully too. All I can do now is apologise from the bottom of my heart and hope that people can find it in their hearts to forgive me. I am very, very sorry.”
Tenay acknowledged that aplogising must have been hard to do, and offered Angelina a tissue. He then asked her whether she feels ready for her match with Lacey Von Erich next week on Impact!, and also how she feels about her prospective match with both Madison Rayne and Tara at Sacrifice.
Angelina Love: “The Beautiful People used to say that we were ‘cleansing the world, one ugly person at a time’, but it only dawned on me recently that actually, we were the ugly ones. Lacey Von Erich might look nice, but trust me, looks can be deceiving. So next week, in the Lumberjill Match, I’m going to make sure that her face is as ugly as she is on the inside and I will be the one that does the cleansing. The other Knockouts on the outside can choose to stand with me, or against me, but no one is going to stop me from going to Sacrifice.
Then, when I get there, I’ll show both Madison and Tara what a big mistake it was to stab me in the back. Tara might not walk around putting bags on people’s heads or giving people makeovers, but make no mistake, she is just as much of a bully as The Beautiful People are. I know that Tara won’t like hearing that… and if she has a problem with me, maybe she’ll do something about it to my face this time, instead of from behind.”
BLUEPRINT FOR JUSTICE
Prior to his match on Impact!, Matt Morgan made his way out from the back for an interview in the ring with Jeremy Borash. JB asked Morgan about everything that happened last week; losing the TNA World Tag Team Championships, stalking a fan who he believed was his former partner Hernandez, and then attacking Hernandez’s former partner, Homicide, backstage. Morgan, extremely paranoid, made it clear that he believes that Hernandez is back and taunting him with body doubles and when he finds him, he’s going to pay.
However, Morgan’s tirade was cut off by none other than Konnan, making his first appearance in TNA since June 2007. The crowd was very happy to see him, especially as he looked in much better condition than the last time he was here. Showing no fear or intimidation towards a stunned Matt Morgan, Konnan snatched the microphone from Borash and then got as close as he could to ‘The Blueprint’.
Konnan “You listen to me, punk, and you better listen good, because I’m not going to repeat myself for the likes of you, got that? You made some mistakes, big man, you’ve made a lot of mistakes and the time is coming for you to pay for those mistakes… and it is going to be soon. The first mistake is what you did to Hernandez back in March and stealing those tag titles for yourself.
Now, Hernandez isn’t ready to come back and give you the ass beating that you deserve for what you did to him. That’s why whoever it was that you thought you saw in the crowd last week, wasn’t Hernandez. Your second mistake was following that fine, hardworking Latino gentleman through the Impact! Zone and making it so he could not enjoy the show with his familia that he had brought with him.
Then, right after that, you made your third mistake. You took that sasquatch boot of yours and ran through Homicide’s head with it just because he and Hernandez used to be tight? That mistake is going to prove the most deadly, Morgan. Hernandez might not be ready to make you pay for what you’ve done, but Homicide asked me to come here tonight and deliver you a message… because he is ready. So, on behalf of Homicide, I challenge you to a match at Sacrifice on May 16… Lucha Callejara… Street Fight. You’re going to pay for your crimes against the Latino people, my people. It’s gonna be your funeral, perro.”
Konnan then left, with an irate Matt Morgan steaming in the ring and he shouted after LAX’s former manager that he accepted the challenge.
GUNNING FOR THE GOLD
The Street Fight at Sacrifice against Homicide would have to wait for Morgan, though, because first he was to team with TNA Global Champion Rob Terry to take on the TNA X Division Champion Kazarian, and Jay Lethal. There was a clear size advantage for Morgan and Terry, and this along with Morgan’s anger over his confrontation with Konnan, led to a decisive victory for the pair. Morgan blasted Lethal with a Carbon Footprint to win at 4:27. Rob Terry made his intentions to capture Kazarian’s title clear once again post-match.
Elsewhere, The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Generation Me at 7:01. Both teams were given a bit of time to shine, and the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fast-paced affair. Despite Alex Shelley’s recent ambitions to challenge for the X Division Championship, he, along with Chris Sabin, showed why they are considered one of the best tag teams in the company on the Impact! Tag Team Special. MCMG shook the hands of Max and Jeremy Buck after the match to a good response from the fans.
In the locker room shortly after the match, Sabin suggested that the victory could propel them towards the TNA World Tag Team Championships once again, but Shelley doubled down on his goal to face Kazarian. Shelley then made a challenge to Rob Terry for next week on Impact!, stating that it was about time someone showed the “meathead” what the X Division was really about. Sabin, whilst initially dejected, seemed to accept his partner’s desire and assured him he’s got his back.
WE GOTTA FILL TWO HOURS
After it was made official last week on Impact! that D’Angelo Dinero and Mr. Anderson would face off at Sacrifice in a grudge match, neither appeared in person on Impact! this week. Instead, two pre-recorded vignettes of both men addressing their opponents were screened. Pope stated that Anderson was not going to use him as a stepping stone here in TNA, because before long he would once again be headlining Pay-Per-Views and next time, he would go one step further and finally become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Anderson, on the other hand, says that it is about time someone pops the hype bubble around ‘The Pope’ for good, because he showed last week that he doesn’t have what it takes. Mike Tenay then informed viewers that Anderson will be in action for the first time since Lockdown next week, taking on the man that ‘Pope’ defeated last week, Okada.
Trouble was brewing in the Ric Flair camp, as ‘The Nature Boy’ expressed his disappointment and frustration in Beer Money after they failed to capture the TNA World Tag Team Championships earlier in the night. James Storm was highlighted in particular; Flair singled him out for caring more about a bottle of beer than winning championships. In no uncertain terms, Flair demanded that the two of them sort their acts out otherwise they’d find themselves being frozen out of the group. When Storm mentions the former ECW wrestlers going after them, Flair spits on the floor and says that people like them don’t care about ECW because it was a shitstain on the wrestling business. Storm apologised to Roode after Flair left and Beer Money resolved to do something about Dreamer and Van Dam once and for all.
A big star on the rise on Xplosion is Orlando Jordan, who has picked up a couple of wins in recent weeks and as a result of this, Orlando threw himself a small celebration backstage. This gathering was attended by nobodies and lower carders, but someone who was making themselves too comfortable was Brian Kendrick. Jordan demanded that he left, but Kendrick refused, saying that actually he was the life of the party and the “it” person in attendance. Jordan offered to give Kendrick a chance to prove who was more valuable in a match on Xplosion.
Backstage, a new signing to the company was unveiled, as Daizee Haze was greeted by Christy Hemme and welcomed to the Knockouts Division. Being presented as someone quite carefree and easy-going Haze was incredibly laid back and nonchalant about the entire situation, but said that she was psyched to have joined TNA and couldn’t wait to get started. Unfortunately for her, the next person to welcome her to the company was Tara. Tara said that the Knockouts division was dog eat dog, not human eat mushrooms, and then gave Daizee a welcoming present of a punch to the jaw. Haze then switched from her carefree attitude and lunged for Tara, but was held back by security.
For the third week in a row, Eric Bischoff was sat in his office but was then subject to a strange occurrence. This time, someone knocked on his door but when he opened it, nobody was there. After a few seconds, Miss Tessmacher appeared and Bischoff asked if it was her, but she had no idea what he was talking about.
Impact! Quick Results: Abyss and Jeff Jarrett def. AJ Styles and Desmond Wolfe Kevin Nash and Eric Young def. Beer Money The Beautiful People def. Sarita and Taylor Wilde Matt Morgan and Rob Terry def. Kazarian and Jay Lethal Team 3D def. Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal Motor City Machine Guns def. Generation Me
Xplosion Quick Results: Amazing Red def. Jay Lethal Daizee Haze def. Leva Bates Generation Me def. Al Snow & D’Lo Brown Orlando Jordan def. Brian Kendrick
Current Card for… TNA Sacrifice
May 16, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
Impact! May 10, 2010
Impact! Zone - Orlando, Florida
With just six days to go until Sacrifice, there is still plenty up in the air when it comes to the show on Sunday, May 16. Namely, two championship matches have yet to be finalised and on this episode of Impact!, we will learn the identities of exactly who will be challenging for the TNA X Division Championship and the TNA Knockouts Championship.
Madison Rayne will already be defending her championship against Tara at Sacrifice, but Angelina Love has a chance to join them and make it a Triple Threat match. To do so, she will need to defeat Beautiful People member Lacey Von Erich in a Lumberjill Match. Love expressed last week on Impact! her regret and remorse over her actions when a member of The Beautiful People herself, and this week she will find out whether the rest of the Knockouts division is ready to forgive and forget and help her advance to Sacrifice.
After X Division Champion Kazarian made a call to the rest of the division three weeks ago to step up and offer him a challenge, there were two voices which stood up above the rest. There was Alex Shelley; a tenured member of the X Division and TNA stalwart. Also, Rob Terry, the TNA Global Champion, who does not exactly fit the mould of the traditional X Division wrestler. Terry picked up a win over Kazarian in tag team action last week, but this week he needs to defeat Shelley in order to get the shot at becoming a double champion that he craves.
It has been known for some time that Hulk Hogan will challenge AJ Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Sacrifice, but on Impact! this week, things will be made official when both men put pen to paper and sign their contract. Jeff Jarrett will oversee proceedings as the Special Guest Enforcer of the match, with his own motives called into question by both sides last week. As part of agreeing to assume the role, Jarrett will also take on Team Flair member Desmond Wolfe in a Strap Match in Impact!’s main event.
A blockbuster TWELVE Man Tag Team Match has been booked for Impact!, featuring most of the tag team division. #1 Contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championships Team 3D will team up with Beer Money as well as Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore. Neal’s loyalties seem split between his mentors and Moore. On the other side of the ring, champions Kevin Nash and Eric Young will be joined by Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, one half of the Motor City Machine Guns in Chris Sabin and a sixth mystery partner. It is unknown who this could be, whether they are already part of the TNA roster or not.
Two weeks ago, D’Angelo Dinero defeated Japanese rookie Okada on Impact! and then went to assault him after the match but relented and apologised. This action drew the ire of Mr. Anderson, who then challenged ‘The Pope’ to a match at Sacrifice in order to move ahead of Dinero in the queue for a TNA World Heavyweight title shot. This week, Anderson has a chance to show Dinero how it is done when he takes on Okada himself just six days before Sacrifice.
After making a surprise return to TNA last week, Konnan is anticipated to be back on Impact! once again this week to discuss his future plans!
Announced Matches:
Strap Match:
Desmond Wolfe vs. Jeff Jarrett
Singles Match:
Alex Shelley vs. Rob Terry
Lumberjill Match:
Angelina Love vs. Lacey Von Erich
Twelve Man Tag Team Match:
Beer Money, Team 3D, Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore vs. Kevin Nash, Eric Young, Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Chris Sabin and ???
