Post by Woo on Sept 26, 2008 15:00:15 GMT -1
The road to Bound For Glory begins with a bang~bang!
Okay well with my now rejuvenated love of wrestling again and now that TNA has become watchable at last I have decided to review their Impact's. I know this episode is over a week old for those of you in the USA, but whatever. I probably won't write as much as this in future episodes, in fact I'll probably get bored and this may be the only one, but here goes!
TNA IMPACT! 18/09/08
The show opens with a video package showing what happened at No Surrender- Jarrett’s return and costing Angle the belt. Samoa Joe kicks off Impact proper by coming to the ring sporting a nasty black eye he got at the PPV. Joe puts over Christian Cage and Booker T and says that went all out in their PPV match and Joe says although he doesn’t like Cage or Angle he respects them for that….Sting on the other-hand well… Joe points to his black eye and asks Sting when the last time he bled for the company was. In fact when was the last time he sacrificed anything for this company. Joe says that AJ Styles doesn’t get to see his son often because of his wrestling schedule and asks Sting when the last time he missed one of his son’s football games for TNA. Joe then says at Bound For Glory he will be the one earning respect from Sting and that he will kick his ass etc…
Very good promo from Joe despite all the clichéd ass-kicking sayings he used towards the end of the promo. Besides The Rock who else on the planet uses the phrase “god’s-green-earth?” Anyway a lot of people have been worried that Joe is coming off as a heel in this storyline, but the fans in the Impact Zone (I preferred it when it was called ‘The Asylum.’). Great opening segment.
JB is in the back as Jarrett arrives at the arena. JJ says he has something to say to Sting later on tonight.
*BREAK*
Back from the break and the commentators talk about the matches later tonight when Angle interrupts them and walks out. Kurt says that while Jarrett may have something to say to Sting, he in turn will be having words with Jeff tonight. He then says he will take his gold medals back from AJ Styles tonight. Styles previously won Kurt’s medals and now has possession of them in a hugely original storyline.
Motor City Machineguns vs. Christian Cage & AJ Styles
Sabin and Shelly are both wearing strange masks that give me bad memories of Serotonin. Cage is out next and then Styles makes his entrance. AJ has a black eye too- Against All Odds must has been extremely violent… Angle is restrained and taken to the back by security guards.
I could watch these 4 wrestle for hours, sadly it’s only about a five minute match. A good 5 minute match though that ends with Styles giving Sabin the Unprettier while Cage prevents Shelly getting into the ring.
After the match the Guns shake Styles hand and then Cage shakes the hand of Sabin too. However this angers Shelly, who breaks the handshake and flips off Christian. Shelly and Cage get into a brawl before things can escalate. It seems this whole respect storyline is continuing here, which is fine by me, though in this instance Shelly really was the heel, which is either a great way to keep the heel/face lines blurred or it’s going to end up becoming very confusing…
*A Video package of Booker T*. Apparently Booker T crosses the line every Thursday…..unless there is a hurricane nearby of course.
We go backstage with Booker T and Shamall. Booker missed the PPV due to hurricane Ike. Either that or he was having an accent transplant as he now sounds like a Jamaican pimp. He calls JB “Jeremiah” which is awesome and then he comments on what happened “earlier tonight” between Cage and Shelly…come on it was only 2 minutes ago! He stirs things up by saying how Christian has been given now respect from Shelly while Styles just stood there and did nothing. He also has a briefcase with him, but it’s never explained what’s inside when JB asks. My theory is that Booker is turning into Samuel L Jackson from Pulp Fiction, he already does the wide-eyed-anger expression perfectly. Now if only we can cast a John Travolta character and we’ll be set. Angle can be Bruce Willis and Sharkboy can be the gimp. This works out great
Booker also insults Jay Lethal and says he is making fun of a legend with his gimmick. Booker says that he knows Savage and reckons Randy will not take this lying down, despite the fact JB says Jay’s doing it to honour the Machoman. “Honour? I’ll teach him how to be honoured!” counters Booker.
Another great promo and I like the inclusion of Lethal into the overall respect storyline. It took forever but the Black Machismo gimmick has some relevance in a storyline at last.
*BREAK*
*Video package for Styles!* Styles crosses the line on Thursdays.*
*Video package for the Steel Asylum match at Bound For Glory!* What is a steal asylum match? I have no idea whatsoever but it looks pretty awesome.*
Promo with Sheik Abdul Bashir. He does his usually promo about who he accomplished everything in his life, before it was taken away. Blah Blah Blah. He speaks in a different language for some reason. He sucks.
Petey Williams, Johnny Devine & Jimmy Rave vs. The Prince Justice Brotherhood
Before the match Devine sets up a camera at ringside. When did he become Alex Shelly? Maybe this is him trying to ‘honour’ Alex? Pfft, he has no respect for his elders. There really isn’t much to say about this match other than this- Christy Hemme is hot!!!
Curryman is hot too, hot spicy and victorious and pins Williams after the Maple Leaf is hit with an accidental double clothesline from Devine and Rave. Devine and Rave somehow blame Williams for that defeat and attack him. Lance Rock joins in on the assault and pushes the referee down to the mat. The mat then snaps and goes mental like in a Ken Shamrock kind of way, only crap. Williams and the World’s Most Dangerous Ref clear the ring, perhaps Williams will be turning face after this? I like him best as a heel, but hopefully he’ll turn face and lose the Scott Steiner gimmick. I don’t approve of that and Booker T probably wouldn’t either. A pointless match, but Christy Hemme makes up for it.
*Video package for Alex Shelly. Yes, Alex Shelly!!* Wow they did a better job of hyping Shelly with that video than they did over the last few years. He crosses the line too if you care. One thing I don’t care about is Matt Morgan. They say something about space and his DNA….not sure what’s going on….maybe they are sending apes back into space, hence why they need his DNA. As long as it doesn’t lead to Planet Of The Morgan’s.
Matt Morgan and Abyss do a promo where Morgan says sorry to Abyss for having a go at him at the PPV. Abyss says it’s okay and then rips his own hair out and gives it to Matt as a gift. Pretty funny. Matt mentions that at Bound For Glory there is a tag team invitational and they should enter it, but Abyss has to check with his counsellor. Team 3D then interrupt and Bubba does a fantastic promo saying that at the PPV they weren’t prepared. D-Von was shacked up with a 300lbs white guy and Bubba was in the gym working out and pulled his groin. He then address the female interview and says “no, not like you pulled my groin” and continues with- “at Bound For Glory someone’s getting knocked-down, knocked-out or…” he looks at the interviewer again “maybe even knocked-up!” Man I love Bubba’s promos. He’s no longer as entertaining in the ring as he was in the WWE, but he’s fantastic on the mic these days.
*Video package- Chris Sabin’s turn!” He crosses the line!!”
Miss Jacqueline walks out the LAX entrance and slaps Hector Guerrero. Hector like a real man tries to attack her but Bear Money make the save and beat on him until LAX come to his aid. Miss Traci Brooks then comes out and asks to speak to Hector and Guerrero in Cornette’s office- now! Can she not get her own office, really?
*Video package for Roxi!* The fellow Knock-outs put over her hardcore style. The Red Rooster says she’s a lovely girl and Traci says “what makes her hardcore? She got busted open a few times.” God ECW must be rolling over in it’s grave.*
*Video package for lots of wrestlers.* What do you know?! They ALL cross the line together!
We go to Cornette’s office. Brooks says that due to Jackie LAX’s manager Salinas was attacked and may never return and Jackie sums up everyone’s views on that with just two words “Who cares?” Yeah take that Salinas! That’s what you get for leaving to pursue your dream. Brooks announces LAX & Hector vs. Bear Money & Jackie next week and the losing team loses their manager. If they mean Hector or Salinas. If it’s the latter then we know who will win that match…
Sting now comes out and does a promo. He gets loud “you suck” chants from the fans, which means the whole angle is working. Sting says “Joe, you are angry at me for going to my son’s football games?!” Great line. He says he himself leant respect from legends like Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard and Ric Flair. Sting says that Joe may be bigger, stronger and yes- younger but he will win and at BFG it will be “Showtime!”
Wow, I never used to like Sting, but his promo work has been nothing short of amazing during this feud.
*Break*
*Another cross-the-line promo*…….It’s getting silly now.
*Video package for ‘Suicide’ Ookay…*
*A 3rd promo in a row?! This one is about the Knockout’s not being “Divas”….didn’t they have a beauty pageant last week?”
We get a backstage interview with Cage and Styles now. Styles says that he can speak for both of them and that everything is now cool and him and Cage are on the same side despite Booker T trying to stir things up. Cage agrees……but then asks who’s side they are on. AJ replies “our side” but Cage continues and says Styles should know that Cage doesn’t like anything talking for him and he has to remember that he made AJ famous…..DUN DUN DUN! I smell a heel turn!!
Promo with Lethal now. He address the stupid Dutt/Val feud but then things pick up and he says he idolizes Savage and if Booker wants to talk about disrespect, well he’ll be disrespecting Booker all over the ring tonight! Not a great insult really, what is he not going to shake his hand? Is he going to stick his tongue out at Booker and refuse to make eye contact? Regardless, it was a good solid promo. Besides Bashir’s every promo has been gold…just as well really seeing as promos have probably been 80% of the show so far- with 15% the viewer being told to ‘Cross the line’ leaving us with 5% actual wrestling.
Booker T w/ Shamall vs. Black Machismo Jay Lethal
I should point out that Tenay and West made to comment at all as to why Booker wasn’t at Against All Odds, which must have confused TNA fans that didn’t order the PPV. Tbh though Tenay and West talking less is a good thing. I was worried that Lethal would get squashed in this match, but that wasn’t the case at all. He more then held his own and only lost due to Shamall’s interference. The match was okay, not great by any means, but alright. I don’t really rate Booker’s ring work, he is far too slow these days and Lethal seemed to slow down himself to compensate.
We go backstage with the Beautiful People. Velvet Sky is looking damn fine and wearing a “My boyfriend is cuter than you.” Really, Gregory Helms? What does she see in that guy? Angelina Love is annoyed she has a pimple and I am annoyed that Billy Gunn is now more annoying than ever as “Cute Kip.”
*Advert break!*
*Robert Roode video promo*. They mention that Roode’s only goal is to be world champion even though he has been nowhere near the world title thus far in his career. He crosses the line btw.*
Velvet Sky & Cute Kip vs. Taylor Wilde & Rhino
Velvet Sky and Kip come down to the ring and I am trying to work out who’s the best looking TNA knockout- Velvet Sky or Christy Hemme. Hmm, Hemme, just. Out next is Taylor Wilder and Rhino. Taylor is soooo bland. She has stupid hair too, how did she get over? Velvet Sky sprays something into Rhino’s eyes and West says that will “distract the War Machine” before Tenay points out the obvious “….and blind him too.” West is stupid. The match ends with a roll-forward-pin-thing from Wilde on Sky.
Rhino and Wilde seem very close to me…anyway The Beautiful People, including Love, attack the winners until Awesome Kong’s music plays and Kip does a great terrified expression. Wilde Jumps off the turnbuckles onto Kong and……we go to a break. What a stupid, stupid time for commercials, just as things got interesting.
*Adverts, already.*
*Angle cross the line. I don’t care!*
They show the ‘assault’ that took place during the break- Kong weakly whipped Wilde into the barrier twice. Or maybe she only did it once and they replayed it twice. Whatever the fact is that after that Wilde is easy pickings. What a wuss. I wanted to see Kong destroy Sky, Love and Kip too, but sadly that oesn’t transpire.
*A promo for Jeff Jarrett and the history of TNA including the footage of Hulk Hogan being attacked with the guitar for the 10,000th time.*
*Another freaking video package. This one features the stars putting over Bound For Glory. Seeing as this is their Wrestlemania this promo isn’t great. The WWE do a much better job with their production values. Booker T did his awesome black pimp accent again though, which never gets old.*
*Another one!!!! Booker T again. He crosses etc….”
Jeff Jarrett comes out with his trademark guitar. JJ gets a great “welcome back” chant from the fans, proving people wrong that say JJ can’t ever be a face. JJ reminds people that he is the founder of TNA before giving a little history lesson about WCW’s downfall and how he started TNA to give new young guys a chance to get their big break. “However” he continues “lately there has been something going on that I can’t ignore and I need to say it to Sting. But I want to do it face-to-face.”
Sting walks into the ring and JJ tells Sting that his father is the one who gave Sting his big break and Sting nods to this. Jeff says that he’s heard what Sting’s been saying over the last few weeks and thinks he is full of crap. Jarrett says TNA became a success because of young guys like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe and says that guys like them literally carried TNA on their backs at times and they showed him the up-most respect, just like he showed them. Jeff says that WCW went out of business because the veterans didn’t give the new guys a chance just because they wanted to hold onto their spot. (I hope Kevin Nash is listening to this in the back…) “It’s guys like you, Booker and Angle who rather than give, give, give to the new guys, all you do is take, take, take and I’m not going to take it!”
Kurt Angle then walks to the ring. “Let me get this straight, You want a face-to-face with Sting, but you want to talk about me behind me back?” Kurt asks. “I’ve been wanting to say this to you for a long time. When I left TNA due to family reasons I picked one guy to replace me, Kurt that one guy was you. I hand-picked you to fill my shoes and it was the worst decision I ever made!” (What about Pac-man Jones?) “Kurt, you’ve lost your health, your wife (Ouch!), you’ve even lost your gold medals and all you have to lose is your dignity.”
“Jeff, the only reason you left TNA is because you were over-the-hill, you were expired. You left after Bond For Glory because Sting kicked your ass! You realized you didn’t have the heart anymore, so you found someone to replace you, someone better. You found Kurt Angle. When you left TNA I had to carry this company on my back for two years, two stinking years! And I did all by myself! Not AJ, not Joe, but me! You want to talk about respect, well not once did you ever give me the respect or thank me for saving your company! I’m an Olympic Gold medallist for crying out loud, I demand respect! You wanna trade insults well how about we trade punches at Bound For Glory instead?!”
“Kurt, I came out here as the owner of TNA, not as a wrestler. I have nothing left to prove.” JJ goes to leave, but Kurt stops him. “Wait, wait. You say you’re not a wrestler? Then get the hell out of my ring and never come back. This ring is for wrestlers not washed up has-beens like you.” I should point out that Sting has been stood in the ring looking on doing nothing during all of this, was there any point of him being out here? Anyway Jeff replies to this saying “don’t push me Kurt, because you don’t want any part of the pain I have been carrying for the lat two years….but” Jeff points to the TNAtron were the picture of the smiley face wrapped in barbed wire appears followed by Mick Foley! “Hey Kurt, remember me?” asks Mick and Kurt looks like he’s seen a ghost. “Hello to everyone in the Impact Zone! Kurt, I think what Jeff is trying to say is- it’s real. It’s damn real. Bang Bang!
The show goes off-air.
--------
Okay first of all I have to say 15 video promos?! That’s far, far too many! Whatever happened to wrestling? The matches ranged from good to not that bad , just far too short and there was no need at all the Jacqueline/Guerrero segment and wtf was the whole Matt Morgan space thing about?!
There were a lot of promos on this show, but they were fantastic. Joe, Styles, Cage, Booker, Lethal, Ray, Sting, Jarrett, Angle and Foley all delivered great promos on this show and helped the Wrestling veterans vs. TNA Originals feud continue to fascinate. Along with HBK vs. Y2K this is the feud of the year and while I think TNA will cock it all up in the end it’s a case of so far, so good. I’m even willing to overlook the fact Jarrett kept on the title repeatedly by cheating over the likes of AJ and Joe which makes what he’s saying a bit hypocritical. Bu whatever, great job tonight.
****
Okay well with my now rejuvenated love of wrestling again and now that TNA has become watchable at last I have decided to review their Impact's. I know this episode is over a week old for those of you in the USA, but whatever. I probably won't write as much as this in future episodes, in fact I'll probably get bored and this may be the only one, but here goes!
TNA IMPACT! 18/09/08
The show opens with a video package showing what happened at No Surrender- Jarrett’s return and costing Angle the belt. Samoa Joe kicks off Impact proper by coming to the ring sporting a nasty black eye he got at the PPV. Joe puts over Christian Cage and Booker T and says that went all out in their PPV match and Joe says although he doesn’t like Cage or Angle he respects them for that….Sting on the other-hand well… Joe points to his black eye and asks Sting when the last time he bled for the company was. In fact when was the last time he sacrificed anything for this company. Joe says that AJ Styles doesn’t get to see his son often because of his wrestling schedule and asks Sting when the last time he missed one of his son’s football games for TNA. Joe then says at Bound For Glory he will be the one earning respect from Sting and that he will kick his ass etc…
Very good promo from Joe despite all the clichéd ass-kicking sayings he used towards the end of the promo. Besides The Rock who else on the planet uses the phrase “god’s-green-earth?” Anyway a lot of people have been worried that Joe is coming off as a heel in this storyline, but the fans in the Impact Zone (I preferred it when it was called ‘The Asylum.’). Great opening segment.
JB is in the back as Jarrett arrives at the arena. JJ says he has something to say to Sting later on tonight.
*BREAK*
Back from the break and the commentators talk about the matches later tonight when Angle interrupts them and walks out. Kurt says that while Jarrett may have something to say to Sting, he in turn will be having words with Jeff tonight. He then says he will take his gold medals back from AJ Styles tonight. Styles previously won Kurt’s medals and now has possession of them in a hugely original storyline.
Motor City Machineguns vs. Christian Cage & AJ Styles
Sabin and Shelly are both wearing strange masks that give me bad memories of Serotonin. Cage is out next and then Styles makes his entrance. AJ has a black eye too- Against All Odds must has been extremely violent… Angle is restrained and taken to the back by security guards.
I could watch these 4 wrestle for hours, sadly it’s only about a five minute match. A good 5 minute match though that ends with Styles giving Sabin the Unprettier while Cage prevents Shelly getting into the ring.
After the match the Guns shake Styles hand and then Cage shakes the hand of Sabin too. However this angers Shelly, who breaks the handshake and flips off Christian. Shelly and Cage get into a brawl before things can escalate. It seems this whole respect storyline is continuing here, which is fine by me, though in this instance Shelly really was the heel, which is either a great way to keep the heel/face lines blurred or it’s going to end up becoming very confusing…
*A Video package of Booker T*. Apparently Booker T crosses the line every Thursday…..unless there is a hurricane nearby of course.
We go backstage with Booker T and Shamall. Booker missed the PPV due to hurricane Ike. Either that or he was having an accent transplant as he now sounds like a Jamaican pimp. He calls JB “Jeremiah” which is awesome and then he comments on what happened “earlier tonight” between Cage and Shelly…come on it was only 2 minutes ago! He stirs things up by saying how Christian has been given now respect from Shelly while Styles just stood there and did nothing. He also has a briefcase with him, but it’s never explained what’s inside when JB asks. My theory is that Booker is turning into Samuel L Jackson from Pulp Fiction, he already does the wide-eyed-anger expression perfectly. Now if only we can cast a John Travolta character and we’ll be set. Angle can be Bruce Willis and Sharkboy can be the gimp. This works out great
Booker also insults Jay Lethal and says he is making fun of a legend with his gimmick. Booker says that he knows Savage and reckons Randy will not take this lying down, despite the fact JB says Jay’s doing it to honour the Machoman. “Honour? I’ll teach him how to be honoured!” counters Booker.
Another great promo and I like the inclusion of Lethal into the overall respect storyline. It took forever but the Black Machismo gimmick has some relevance in a storyline at last.
*BREAK*
*Video package for Styles!* Styles crosses the line on Thursdays.*
*Video package for the Steel Asylum match at Bound For Glory!* What is a steal asylum match? I have no idea whatsoever but it looks pretty awesome.*
Promo with Sheik Abdul Bashir. He does his usually promo about who he accomplished everything in his life, before it was taken away. Blah Blah Blah. He speaks in a different language for some reason. He sucks.
Petey Williams, Johnny Devine & Jimmy Rave vs. The Prince Justice Brotherhood
Before the match Devine sets up a camera at ringside. When did he become Alex Shelly? Maybe this is him trying to ‘honour’ Alex? Pfft, he has no respect for his elders. There really isn’t much to say about this match other than this- Christy Hemme is hot!!!
Curryman is hot too, hot spicy and victorious and pins Williams after the Maple Leaf is hit with an accidental double clothesline from Devine and Rave. Devine and Rave somehow blame Williams for that defeat and attack him. Lance Rock joins in on the assault and pushes the referee down to the mat. The mat then snaps and goes mental like in a Ken Shamrock kind of way, only crap. Williams and the World’s Most Dangerous Ref clear the ring, perhaps Williams will be turning face after this? I like him best as a heel, but hopefully he’ll turn face and lose the Scott Steiner gimmick. I don’t approve of that and Booker T probably wouldn’t either. A pointless match, but Christy Hemme makes up for it.
*Video package for Alex Shelly. Yes, Alex Shelly!!* Wow they did a better job of hyping Shelly with that video than they did over the last few years. He crosses the line too if you care. One thing I don’t care about is Matt Morgan. They say something about space and his DNA….not sure what’s going on….maybe they are sending apes back into space, hence why they need his DNA. As long as it doesn’t lead to Planet Of The Morgan’s.
Matt Morgan and Abyss do a promo where Morgan says sorry to Abyss for having a go at him at the PPV. Abyss says it’s okay and then rips his own hair out and gives it to Matt as a gift. Pretty funny. Matt mentions that at Bound For Glory there is a tag team invitational and they should enter it, but Abyss has to check with his counsellor. Team 3D then interrupt and Bubba does a fantastic promo saying that at the PPV they weren’t prepared. D-Von was shacked up with a 300lbs white guy and Bubba was in the gym working out and pulled his groin. He then address the female interview and says “no, not like you pulled my groin” and continues with- “at Bound For Glory someone’s getting knocked-down, knocked-out or…” he looks at the interviewer again “maybe even knocked-up!” Man I love Bubba’s promos. He’s no longer as entertaining in the ring as he was in the WWE, but he’s fantastic on the mic these days.
*Video package- Chris Sabin’s turn!” He crosses the line!!”
Miss Jacqueline walks out the LAX entrance and slaps Hector Guerrero. Hector like a real man tries to attack her but Bear Money make the save and beat on him until LAX come to his aid. Miss Traci Brooks then comes out and asks to speak to Hector and Guerrero in Cornette’s office- now! Can she not get her own office, really?
*Video package for Roxi!* The fellow Knock-outs put over her hardcore style. The Red Rooster says she’s a lovely girl and Traci says “what makes her hardcore? She got busted open a few times.” God ECW must be rolling over in it’s grave.*
*Video package for lots of wrestlers.* What do you know?! They ALL cross the line together!
We go to Cornette’s office. Brooks says that due to Jackie LAX’s manager Salinas was attacked and may never return and Jackie sums up everyone’s views on that with just two words “Who cares?” Yeah take that Salinas! That’s what you get for leaving to pursue your dream. Brooks announces LAX & Hector vs. Bear Money & Jackie next week and the losing team loses their manager. If they mean Hector or Salinas. If it’s the latter then we know who will win that match…
Sting now comes out and does a promo. He gets loud “you suck” chants from the fans, which means the whole angle is working. Sting says “Joe, you are angry at me for going to my son’s football games?!” Great line. He says he himself leant respect from legends like Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard and Ric Flair. Sting says that Joe may be bigger, stronger and yes- younger but he will win and at BFG it will be “Showtime!”
Wow, I never used to like Sting, but his promo work has been nothing short of amazing during this feud.
*Break*
*Another cross-the-line promo*…….It’s getting silly now.
*Video package for ‘Suicide’ Ookay…*
*A 3rd promo in a row?! This one is about the Knockout’s not being “Divas”….didn’t they have a beauty pageant last week?”
We get a backstage interview with Cage and Styles now. Styles says that he can speak for both of them and that everything is now cool and him and Cage are on the same side despite Booker T trying to stir things up. Cage agrees……but then asks who’s side they are on. AJ replies “our side” but Cage continues and says Styles should know that Cage doesn’t like anything talking for him and he has to remember that he made AJ famous…..DUN DUN DUN! I smell a heel turn!!
Promo with Lethal now. He address the stupid Dutt/Val feud but then things pick up and he says he idolizes Savage and if Booker wants to talk about disrespect, well he’ll be disrespecting Booker all over the ring tonight! Not a great insult really, what is he not going to shake his hand? Is he going to stick his tongue out at Booker and refuse to make eye contact? Regardless, it was a good solid promo. Besides Bashir’s every promo has been gold…just as well really seeing as promos have probably been 80% of the show so far- with 15% the viewer being told to ‘Cross the line’ leaving us with 5% actual wrestling.
Booker T w/ Shamall vs. Black Machismo Jay Lethal
I should point out that Tenay and West made to comment at all as to why Booker wasn’t at Against All Odds, which must have confused TNA fans that didn’t order the PPV. Tbh though Tenay and West talking less is a good thing. I was worried that Lethal would get squashed in this match, but that wasn’t the case at all. He more then held his own and only lost due to Shamall’s interference. The match was okay, not great by any means, but alright. I don’t really rate Booker’s ring work, he is far too slow these days and Lethal seemed to slow down himself to compensate.
We go backstage with the Beautiful People. Velvet Sky is looking damn fine and wearing a “My boyfriend is cuter than you.” Really, Gregory Helms? What does she see in that guy? Angelina Love is annoyed she has a pimple and I am annoyed that Billy Gunn is now more annoying than ever as “Cute Kip.”
*Advert break!*
*Robert Roode video promo*. They mention that Roode’s only goal is to be world champion even though he has been nowhere near the world title thus far in his career. He crosses the line btw.*
Velvet Sky & Cute Kip vs. Taylor Wilde & Rhino
Velvet Sky and Kip come down to the ring and I am trying to work out who’s the best looking TNA knockout- Velvet Sky or Christy Hemme. Hmm, Hemme, just. Out next is Taylor Wilder and Rhino. Taylor is soooo bland. She has stupid hair too, how did she get over? Velvet Sky sprays something into Rhino’s eyes and West says that will “distract the War Machine” before Tenay points out the obvious “….and blind him too.” West is stupid. The match ends with a roll-forward-pin-thing from Wilde on Sky.
Rhino and Wilde seem very close to me…anyway The Beautiful People, including Love, attack the winners until Awesome Kong’s music plays and Kip does a great terrified expression. Wilde Jumps off the turnbuckles onto Kong and……we go to a break. What a stupid, stupid time for commercials, just as things got interesting.
*Adverts, already.*
*Angle cross the line. I don’t care!*
They show the ‘assault’ that took place during the break- Kong weakly whipped Wilde into the barrier twice. Or maybe she only did it once and they replayed it twice. Whatever the fact is that after that Wilde is easy pickings. What a wuss. I wanted to see Kong destroy Sky, Love and Kip too, but sadly that oesn’t transpire.
*A promo for Jeff Jarrett and the history of TNA including the footage of Hulk Hogan being attacked with the guitar for the 10,000th time.*
*Another freaking video package. This one features the stars putting over Bound For Glory. Seeing as this is their Wrestlemania this promo isn’t great. The WWE do a much better job with their production values. Booker T did his awesome black pimp accent again though, which never gets old.*
*Another one!!!! Booker T again. He crosses etc….”
Jeff Jarrett comes out with his trademark guitar. JJ gets a great “welcome back” chant from the fans, proving people wrong that say JJ can’t ever be a face. JJ reminds people that he is the founder of TNA before giving a little history lesson about WCW’s downfall and how he started TNA to give new young guys a chance to get their big break. “However” he continues “lately there has been something going on that I can’t ignore and I need to say it to Sting. But I want to do it face-to-face.”
Sting walks into the ring and JJ tells Sting that his father is the one who gave Sting his big break and Sting nods to this. Jeff says that he’s heard what Sting’s been saying over the last few weeks and thinks he is full of crap. Jarrett says TNA became a success because of young guys like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe and says that guys like them literally carried TNA on their backs at times and they showed him the up-most respect, just like he showed them. Jeff says that WCW went out of business because the veterans didn’t give the new guys a chance just because they wanted to hold onto their spot. (I hope Kevin Nash is listening to this in the back…) “It’s guys like you, Booker and Angle who rather than give, give, give to the new guys, all you do is take, take, take and I’m not going to take it!”
Kurt Angle then walks to the ring. “Let me get this straight, You want a face-to-face with Sting, but you want to talk about me behind me back?” Kurt asks. “I’ve been wanting to say this to you for a long time. When I left TNA due to family reasons I picked one guy to replace me, Kurt that one guy was you. I hand-picked you to fill my shoes and it was the worst decision I ever made!” (What about Pac-man Jones?) “Kurt, you’ve lost your health, your wife (Ouch!), you’ve even lost your gold medals and all you have to lose is your dignity.”
“Jeff, the only reason you left TNA is because you were over-the-hill, you were expired. You left after Bond For Glory because Sting kicked your ass! You realized you didn’t have the heart anymore, so you found someone to replace you, someone better. You found Kurt Angle. When you left TNA I had to carry this company on my back for two years, two stinking years! And I did all by myself! Not AJ, not Joe, but me! You want to talk about respect, well not once did you ever give me the respect or thank me for saving your company! I’m an Olympic Gold medallist for crying out loud, I demand respect! You wanna trade insults well how about we trade punches at Bound For Glory instead?!”
“Kurt, I came out here as the owner of TNA, not as a wrestler. I have nothing left to prove.” JJ goes to leave, but Kurt stops him. “Wait, wait. You say you’re not a wrestler? Then get the hell out of my ring and never come back. This ring is for wrestlers not washed up has-beens like you.” I should point out that Sting has been stood in the ring looking on doing nothing during all of this, was there any point of him being out here? Anyway Jeff replies to this saying “don’t push me Kurt, because you don’t want any part of the pain I have been carrying for the lat two years….but” Jeff points to the TNAtron were the picture of the smiley face wrapped in barbed wire appears followed by Mick Foley! “Hey Kurt, remember me?” asks Mick and Kurt looks like he’s seen a ghost. “Hello to everyone in the Impact Zone! Kurt, I think what Jeff is trying to say is- it’s real. It’s damn real. Bang Bang!
The show goes off-air.
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Okay first of all I have to say 15 video promos?! That’s far, far too many! Whatever happened to wrestling? The matches ranged from good to not that bad , just far too short and there was no need at all the Jacqueline/Guerrero segment and wtf was the whole Matt Morgan space thing about?!
There were a lot of promos on this show, but they were fantastic. Joe, Styles, Cage, Booker, Lethal, Ray, Sting, Jarrett, Angle and Foley all delivered great promos on this show and helped the Wrestling veterans vs. TNA Originals feud continue to fascinate. Along with HBK vs. Y2K this is the feud of the year and while I think TNA will cock it all up in the end it’s a case of so far, so good. I’m even willing to overlook the fact Jarrett kept on the title repeatedly by cheating over the likes of AJ and Joe which makes what he’s saying a bit hypocritical. Bu whatever, great job tonight.
****
