iMPACT
January 3, 2008
Recap by Sassy
Previously on iMPACT: Last week encouters: Dustin Rhodes and Kaz’s, Samoa Joe’s and Jim Cornette, Angle’s Mrs.’s and Sharmell, Abyss and Mike Tenay, and AJ Styles’ and Angle and Christian.
"Rankings By Gauntlet”
Nope, wrestling fans, not my idea…It really is in big red
letters on the screen.
Jeremy Borash is at AJ Style’s Grandmother’s townhouse
and is looking for AJ who seems to have locked himself in a room and has not
come out for two days. Coach Butterman, AJ’ sister and a priest greet JB. JB
knocks on the door of AJ’s room but AJ refuses to open the door. JB wants to
know what AJ’s decision is regarding Angle and Christian. AJ’s son knocks on
the door but AJ still refuses to open the door. Coach Butterman does a “shout
out” to the fans and
WELCOME
TO THE iMPACT ZONE!
Ringside announcers: Mike Tenay and Don West
Backstage interviews: Crystal Loutham and Jeremy Borash
Ring announcer: David Penzer
Ringside valet: SoCal Val
Unfortunately, it appears that AJ’s decision will be taking
up most of the iMPACT two-hour time slot. Because of the way the show opened, I
don’t look for a lot of matches to be shown.
Mike Tenay welcomes everyone, wishes them happy New Year,
reminds everyone that Final Resolution is this Sunday, and tells everyone that
tonight there will be an unprecedented four gauntlet matches in one broadcast to
determine the rankings in all four divisions - Women’s Division, X-Division,
Tag Division and Heavyweight Division.
I read that James Mitchell had posted via his MySpace page,
remarks regarding Internet critics and the things that they say about wrestling
programs. While being a big James Mitchell fan (and I don’t recall ever saying
anything negative about Mitchell), I do have a problem with all the gauntlet
matches TNA keeps tossing at the fans. Gauntlets do not give an individual
wrestler or tag team a chance to shine and it seems that if this entire show is
going to be gauntlet matches both the wrestlers and the fans are the losers.
For Father Mitchell: You won’t see me come down on
individual wrestlers unless they are so bad they shouldn’t be involved in
wrestling at all, but you will see me come down on bad programming.
The reason fans sit down in front of their television sets weekly is to
see top quality entertainment. The reason fans part with their money to purchase
pay per views is to see top quality entertainment.
TNA has been lacking in the quality entertainment department recently and
if calling them on it causes them to step back, look at what they are doing and
perhaps improve their product, I’d wouldn’t be doing wrestling fans any
favors by letting my keyboard stand idly by.
Jim Cornette and Matt Morgan are in the ring and Cornette has
the mic. Cornette reminds us about the four gauntlet matches tonight and the
rankings of the four divisions. Cornette reminds us that Final Resolution will
be this Sunday and that a new match has been added to the card. Robert Roode has
asked for and been granted a mixed tag team match: Robert Roode and Ms. Brooks
versus Booker T and Sharmell.
Samoa Joe enters the ring to talk to Cornette about the Final
Resolution pay per view and the fact that Joe is not involved in the pay per
view this Sunday. I believe the fans want to know the answer to that question.
Joe wants to know why he hasn’t received his title shot. Another
question the fans would like to have answered.
While Joe is standing with his finger in Cornette’s face,
Kevin Nash enters the ring. The only one who doesn’t have a mic here is poor
Matt. Nash talks to Joe about the Turning Point match and the way that Joe
talked down about Scott Hall and Nash. Nash tells Joe that Scott Hall has more
problems in an hour than Joe will have in a lifetime and Joe has no right to run
his mouth about Scott Hall. Nash says that Joe has not reached the place The
Outsiders have in this business.
It looks like Joe and Nash may have words—or something else
– but Cornette says that he will give them both what they want. Nash does not
have partner for Final Resolution
because Hall was a no show at Turning Point. Cornette says the only fair thing
to do is partner Joe and Nash together in a tag team Championship match AJ
Styles and Tomko at Final Resolution and they can take it or leave it. Cornette
gives them some time to think about it as he exits the ring with Nash.
Crystal is backstage with Robert Roode and Ms. Brooks. Ms.
Brooks says she has nothing against Booker T and Sharmell but Roode tells Ms.
Brooks that she is his partner at Final Resolution. It was hard to guess what
else he said since most of his lines were bleeped out.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Crystal is backstage with Brother
Ray and Brother Devon of Team 3D, along with Johnny Devine. Ray gives Crystal a
hard time and she refuses to do the interview, giving Ray the mic and telling
Ray to interview himself. Ray is complaining about being in the gauntlet. He is
blaming Cornette or Matt or even the fans for setting up the gauntlet mess for
tag teams. Devine calls Devon "King Kong" and Devon is not happy with
Devine. Devon takes the mic to threaten Sabin, Shelley, and Lethal.
Kip and BG James enter the area. Kip has a mic and Team 3D
leaves after making fun of Kip’s wrestling attire. BG and Kip are still
arguing about BG’s tag team partner when BG uses the tag team championship
shot he won in the briefcase match. Kip gets mad and throws the mic at BG before
he storms out. Roxxi Laveaux has been standing in the background. She is still
in camera range as BG leaves the area.
Tag
Team Gauntlet Match
Two wrestlers begin the match and a new wrestler enters
every sixty seconds.
Referees Earl Hebner, Shane Sewell outside on the floor
Lance Hoyt
Rock ‘n Rave Infection
Vs.
Kip James
Voodoo Kin Mafia
Vs.
Brother Devon
Team 3D
Vs.
Alex Shelley
Motor City Machineguns
Vs.
Homicide
Latin American Exchange
ELIMINATED: Kim James by Homicide
Vs.
Jimmy Rave
Rock n’ Rave Infection
Vs.
BG James
Voodoo Kin Mafia
ELIMINATED: Devon by BG James
Vs.
Brother Ray
Team 3D
Vs.
Chris Sabin
Motor City Machineguns
ELIMINATED: BG James by Chris Sabin
Vs.
Hernandez
Voodoo Kin Mafia
ELIMINATED: Alex Shelley by Brother Ray
ELIMINATED: Brother Ray eliminated by Chris Sabin
COMMERCIAL
BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH
THAT’S
ONE!
Back from commercial break, we not only have finished the
previous gauntlet match, Tenay tells us that we have already moved into the tag
team match as a result of the gauntlet match.
Winners of gauntlet match: The Motor City Machineguns and Rock ‘n Rave Infection
(that would be my guess since they are the two teams in
the ring at the present time)
Tag Team Match (already
in progress – great job TNA!)
Chris Sabin
&
Alex Shelley
Motor City Machineguns
Vs.
Lance Hoyt
&
Jimmy Rave
Rock ‘n Rave Infection
Referee: Slick Johnson
We see part of what happened during the commercial break –
Lance Hoyt eliminated Hernandez and Rave eliminated Homicide.
Winners of the tag team match
Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley
Motor
City Machineguns
After the match, Johnny Devine enters the ring with a chair
as Brothers Ray and Devon come down the ramp with kendo sticks and the X
Division belt. As Ray and Devon start on Sabin and Shelley, Devine brings a
table into the ring. The table gets set up in the ring
Ray slams the kendo sticks on Sabin and Shelley’s hands and arms but
Jay Lethal, Petey Williams and Shark Boy enter the ring to make the save.
Crystal is backstage with Angle and his Mrs. Crystal wants to
know Angle’s thoughts about how AJ and Tomko might decide whom to go with at
Final Resolution. Angle says that he knows AJ won’t be there tonight but Angle
is going to call out Tomko to get his decision tonight.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for Final Resolution this
Sunday.
JB is still at AJ’s grandmother’s townhouse and JB is
trying to get AJ to make a decision. Mrs. McGuillicuty, AJ’s teacher, is there
to give JB an insight into AJ’s childhood. AJ calls his teacher a lie and says
he wasn’t fat and didn’t have zits. The teacher tells AJ it is time to make
a decision and swears at AJ. JB apologizes to the priest for the outburst.
Tenay and West give us a rundown of the matches for Final
Resolution this Sunday (no, TNA readers, I am not using the words Final
Resolution unless that’s what I hear or see on the screen…)
TNA Women’s Championship Match, No DQ
Awesome Kong versus Gail Kim, TNA Women’s Champion
Robert Roode and Ms. Brooks versus Booker T and Sharmell
TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
Kevin Nash and Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe versus The
Phenomenal AJ Styles and Tomko, TNA World Tag Team Champions
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Instant Classic Christian Cage versus Kurt Angle, TNA
World Heavyweight Champion
Women’s
Knockout Gauntlet Match
Referees: Shane Sewell and Rudy Charles outside on the
floor
Angelina Love from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Vs.
Ms. Brooks from Wall Street in Manhattan, NY
Vs.
The Pride of Tennessee Miss Jackie Moore
Vs.
Velvet Sky
Vs.
Christy Hemme
Vs.
ODB
ELIMINATED: Ms. Brooks by ODB
Vs.
Roxxi Laveaux
Vs.
Awesome Kong
ELIMINATED: Christy Hemme and Velvet Sky by Awesome Kong
ELIMINATED: Angelina Love by Awesome Kong
COMMERCIAL
BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH!
THAT’S
TWO
Back from commercial break, Tenay tells us that during the
commercial break it has been a three on one beat down: ODB, Jackie and Roxxi
taking on Awesome Kong.
ELIMINATED: Awesome Kong by ODB, Jackie and Roxxi
ELIMINATED: Miss Jackie Moore by Roxxi Laveaux
Winners of the gauntlet match
ODB
and Roxxi Laveaux
ODB got the biggest pop entering the ring. She may have been
slated to be a heel in TNA but she’s not getting that from the fans.
One on One Women’s Match
ODB
Vs.
Roxxi Laveaux
Referee: Shane Sewell
Winner
of the one on one match: ODB
And the ODB chants couldn’t get much louder…ODB
unfortunately has an empty flask when the match is over.
Crystal is backstage with Tomko and she wants to know which
side Tomko is going to choose. Tomko says that he isn’t doing anything he
doesn’t want to do. Tomko says he will call Angle out to the ring and he will
demand Angle’s respect. Tomko says he is sick and tired of Angle, Christian,
and AJ.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Tomko is in the ring with a mic.
Tomko tells Angle if he wants an answer he needs to come to the ring and get it.
Angle comes to the ring with his Mrs. Angle says he demanded that Tomko come out
and give him an answer and Angle isn’t going to wait around for anyone. Tomko
says he thought he had his mind made up two weeks ago but now that Angle has
mentioned the army and that means something to Tomko. Tomko says he wouldn’t
take a bullet for Angle or Christian. (He gets interrupted because Angle has to
stop and swear at the crowd). Tomko says he would only take a bullet for
himself. Tomko says he is not with the Angle Alliance and he is not with the
Christian Coalition. He is with Tomko and Tomko only. Angle tells Tomko that he
doesn’t agree with his decision but he can respect it and they shake hands but
Angle decides to go after Tomko. Tomko catches Angle by the throat and tells him
this time he will give him a pass. Tomko says if he ever tries it again, he will
break Angle’s neck. I think this is the most Tomko has ever been able to open
his mouth and talk.
JB is still at AJ’s grandmothers house and is standing
outside AJ’s door. Mr. Butterbean (that's what JB called him), AJ’s
Gainesville Vo Tech Wrestling Coach is still there, oops Coach Butterman. He
relates a story about AJ wrestling a girl in a match and how AJ wet his trunks.
AJ opened up the door and he tells the Coach that it was a Mountain Dew stain
before he slams the door shut in the Coach’s face.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for Final Resolution pay
per view this Sunday.
JB is still with AJ, sort of, AJ’s kids, dogs, and priest.
Mary Jane, AJ’s sister, is threatening AJ with telling a story about AJ and
her catching him in the bathroom. AJ opens the door and yells at her and asks
her to get him a sandwich and she says she will do that as soon as AJ tells her
which team is he on. AJ slams the door. AJ again opens the door and tells JB
that he thinks Tomko has changed his number. AJ wants to know if JB has
Tomko’s new number.
Crystal is backstage with Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Lethal
calls her John Stossel and Lethal is upset that Sonjay kissed SoCal Val at the
Christmas party. Sonjay says that he only gave her a peck on the cheek but
Lethal says it was on the lips. Sonjay offers to give Lethal a kiss but Lethal
says “I don’t swing like that Adonis”.
Christian Cage appears and tells Crystal he is there to tell
Tomko that he is proud of him and Christian understands that Tomko wants to be
his own man. Christian wants to know what AJ is going to do and when he is going
to decide whom he will side with.
X
Division Gauntlet Match
Referees: Shane Sewell and Rudy Charles on the floor
The Guru Sonjay from Bomay, India
Vs.
Petey Williams
COMMERCIAL
BREAK!
ANYONE
WANT TO BET THE MATCH HAS STARTED BEFORE WE RETURN?
THAT’S
THREE!
The bell rings and Sonjay and Petey lock up in the middle of
the ring. (sorry everyone, TNA really waited till AFTER the commercial break to
start the match...they just held it up to get the commercial break over with --
they couldn't do that before they started the introductions?)
Vs.
Shark Boy
Vs.
Prime Time Elix Skipper
ELIMINATED: Elix Skipper by Elix Skipper (don’t ask)
Vs.
Johnny Devine
ELIMINATED: Shark Boy by Johnny Devine
Vs.
Senshi
ELIMINATED: Johnny Devine by Senshi, Sonjay and Petey
ELIMINATED: Sonjay Dutt by Senshi
Winners of the gauntlet match
Senshi
and Petey Williams
One on one match
Senshi
Vs.
Petey Williams
Referee: Rudy Charles
Winner:
Maple Leaf Muscle Petey Williams
As much as I hated the gauntlet to get to this point, this
wasn’t a bad match when we got down to the two wrestlers. Both of them are
quick and play well against each other. Petey hits the Canadian Destroyer and
gets the cover and the three count. Petey is very well defined as he has pointed
out to us in recent weeks, however, I thought Sonjay Dutt was looking a little
more defined than he had in the past.
Crystal is backstage with Cowboy James Storm and Miss Jackie
Moore. Storm claims he is the number one beer drinker in the United State and
Miss Jackie says that she is number two but Crystal reminds them that Eric Young
is the champ. Storm says they will have a two out of three DCS – Drinking
Championship Series – between Storm and Eric at Final Resolution.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for Final Resolution this
Sunday on pay per view.
JB is still in GA with AJ’s children and dogs and sister
and JB says that AJ has not made a decision and he introduces the priest and JB
says that AJ was formerly an altar boy and the priest says that he was an altar
boy and that he was a wonderful young man. JB wants to know what advice the
priest has given AJ and the priest says that he personally had chosen Christian.
AJ opens the door and tells his Uncle Jimmy and his sister that they are
Baptist. The priest points at AJ and says that he isn’t AJ Snipes.
Tenay and West give us a rundown of the matches for Final
Resolution on pay per view this Sunday.
Women’s Championship Match, No Disqualification
Awesome Kong versus Gail Kim, TNA Women’s Champion
Mixed Tag Team Match
Robert Roode and Miss Brooks versus Booker T and Sharmell
TNA World Tag Team Match
Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash versus Tomko and AJ Styles, TNA
World Tag Team Champions
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Christian Cage versus Kurt Angle, TNA World Heavyweight
Champion
Crystal is backstage with Booker T and Sharmell. She wants to
know about their match at Final Resolution. Booker T says that he didn’t come
to TNA to put Sharmell in the wrestling ring. Booker says that he is going to
Cornette’s office and find out what he is thinking to make a match like that.
Sharmell interrupts to tell Booker that she wants to fight. Booker says that now
Sharmell is mad.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break.
Main
Event
Heavyweight
Division Gauntlet
Match
Matt Morgan is at ringside to watch the match.
Referees: Rudy Charles, Earl Hebner and Shane Sewell on
the floor
Booker T from Houston, TX
Vs.
Cowboy James Storm, TN
Vs.
Robert Roode
Vs.
Showtime Eric Young
COMMERCIAL
BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH!
THAT’S FOUR
TNA STILL HOLDS THE WORLD RECORD
FOR MOST COMMERCIAL BREAKS
IN
THE MIDDLE OF A MATCH!
Back from commercial break, added to the match during the
commercial break:
Vs.
Kaz
Vs.
Black Reign
Vs.
Wildcat Chris Harris
Vs.
Rellik
Back from commercial break.
Vs
Big Poppa Pump Scott Steiner.
ELIMINATED: Cowboy James Storm by Chris Harris and Kaz
ELIMINATED: Robert Roode by Scott Steiner
Vs.
Judas Mesias
ELIMINATED: Wildcat Chris Harris by Scott Steiner
ELIMINATED: Kaz by Judas Mesias
Vs.
Kevin Nash
Vs.
The Monster Abyss
ELIMINATED: Scott Steiner by Judas Mesias
ELIMINATED: Showtime Eric Young by Judas Mesias
Lights out in the iMPACT Zone and when the lights come on,
Abyss is behind Judas Mesias.
ELIMINATED: Judas Mesias and Abyss by Abyss
Vs.
Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe
Vs.
The Instant Classic Christian Cage
ELIMINATED: Booker T by Black Reign
Christian Cage has been announced and Angle appears going up
the entrance ramp to wait for Christian to enter the arena. Christian does not
appear, however, leaving Angle to wait for him to show up. Angle turns around to
ask Matt Morgan where Christian as Christian comes through the tunnel to attack
Angle from behind.
ELIMINATED: Rellik by Kevin Nash
ELIMINATED: Black Reign by Kevin Nash
Angle and Christian are fighting on the floor and security
hits the arena to break up the two men on the floor. Kevin Nash and Samoa Joe
are in the ring and Earl Hebner enters to referee the match between the two
winners of the gauntlet. Nash shakes Joe’s hand and then Nash steps over the
top rope and exits the ring but Christian comes in behind Joe and goes for a
roll up to get the three count.
Winner: The Instant Classic Christian Cage
– who bails out of the ring and goes out through the
audience to get away from Joe and possibly Nash.
Back to JB who is still with AJ, sort of, and AJ opens the
door when JB says they need an answer tonight. AJ says he is going with
Christian and then AJ changes his mind and says he is going with Angle and then
says he is going with Cangle and then he can’t decide which side he will be on.
AJ says he will give everyone his answer at Final Resolution.
Promo for TNA’s pay per view, Final Resolution, this
Sunday, January 6, 2008.
Matches also scheduled for Final Resolution that were not
mentioned by Tenay earlier are:
Judas Mesias versus Abyss
Ultimate X Match: Team 3D and Johnny Devine versus the Motor
City Machineguns and Black Machismo Jay Lethal
Kaz versus Black Reign
Rock ‘n Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave) versus
LAX (Homicide and Hernandez)
I don't understand the gauntlet thing anymore now than I did
when it began. I do understand that TNA has talent they are not using in the
ring and I don't understand why. Homicide and Hernandez (as a team or as
individuals) are very talented. Jimmy Rave and Sonjay Dutt are very talented.
Why toss these three in matches where they aren't allowed to use that talent?
How do I know these men are talented? I have seen them work outside of the
TNA ring.
TNA iMPACT !!! / DECEMBER 27
TNA Wrestling . Com
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