A change is brewing in TNA and perhaps it kicks off tonight as a tournament will be held to crown a brand new number one contender. Eight guys enter the tournament, each wanting a shot at their division's champion. Plus, Mick Foley continues to question TNA management as to why he was not informed of the decision to sign Hulk Hogan. Happy Thanksgiving to our fans in the U.S.!
We are welcomed to Impact this
week by a very lively crowd at the Impact Zone and already announced
is a tournament, which makes little to no sense. Of the eight guys entered
in the tournament, only five are competing for a TNA World title shot,
while the others are competing for either X-Division or tag team title
shots. Why would anyone favour winning a mid-card or tag team title
over the world title?
Match #1: Bobby Lashley vs.
Abyss in a first round match in the championship tournament
Lashley is escorted by his
wife Krystal and holds the ropes open for his woman (what a gentleman).
I still don't get how Abyss' hoodie is supposed to add to his monster
character. Nevertheless, the two big men collide mid-ring to kick things
off and then Abyss literally kicks off with a well placed boot to Lashley's
chin. Abyss misses an avalanche and gets dropped by one of Lashley's
devastating clotheslines. Taz makes a great point that guys like Lashley
and Kurt Angle would have the advantage in this tournament, as they've
both had tournament experience in the amateurs. Abyss regains the advantage
and applies a neck vice, which Lashley fights out of, only to fall victim
to a bearhug. Lashley escapes after a series of headbutts and delivers
a drop toe hold, landing Abyss throat-first against the middle rope.
Abyss starts clutching his throat, as he's still selling the effects
of the hanging last week at the hands of Raven and Dr. Stevie. Lashley
delivers a spinebuster and clotheslines Abyss 360 over the top rope.
Abyss drags Lashley out with him and they brawl for a bit, until Abyss
miscalculates an elbow and grazes Krystal, who falls and appears to
have twisted her ankle going down. This distracts both the referee and
Abyss, who turns around and walks right into a spear from Lashley. Lashley
then forces Abyss to tap out to the dragon sleeper, as Krystal makes
a miraculous recovery and apparently feigned the injury.
Winner: Bobby Lashley by submission
JB is in Mick Foley's office
and Foley has switched from a bandage to an eye patch (Aye matey!).
JB tries to convince Foley that Hogan signing with TNA might not be
a bad thing after all, but Foley isn't hearing any of it and says
Dixie still should have told him about the signing. He keeps going on
and on about how everyone knew about this but him and as the executive
shareholder (is this an actual position?), he should have been informed.
Foley says he's going to have a word with the one man who knows more
than he does about backstage politics, Kurt Angle.
Match #2: Desmond Wolfe vs.
Suicide in a first round match in the championship tournament
Suicide hasn't been seen
in weeks, so why is he in this tournament? Wolfe works over the arm
of Suicide in the early going with a single underhook suplex, followed
by an armdrag and a running back elbow for two. He then applies a modified
cobra clutch, shades of Sgt. Slaughter. Suicide fights free and delivers
a springboard back elbow, followed by a steamroller and then a slingshot
legdrop, shades of Sabu for two. Wolfe regains the advantage and tries
the tower of London (Stunner off the top), but Suicide counters and
delivers a dropkick, blasting Wolfe into the far corner. Suicide heads
to the third floor, but Wolfe cuts him off and delivers the tower of
London, which was botched, but still gave Wolfe the win.
Winner: Desmond Wolfe by pinfall
Match #3: Kurt Angle vs. Pope
D'Angelo Dinero in a first round match in the championship tournament
Angle applies a side headlock
to begin things, but gets shoved to the ropes, only to come back with
a shoulderblock. Pope delivers an armdrag in retaliation. He then delivers
a high shoulderblock for two, but Angle responds with an overhead belly-to-belly
suplex and then a snap suplex for two. Angle applies a rear chinlock,
while driving a knee into Pope's spine for added pressure. He then
starts delivering the rolling German suplexes, but Pope counters the
third one with one of his own and then delivers an STO for two. Pope
runs across the ring and uses the ropes to elevate himself to drop an
elbow on Angle down below. As Pope charges in, Angle avoids him and
utilizes a schoolboy, but rolls right into the ankle lock. Pope kicks
away, but is victimized by the Angle slam for the win.
Winner: Kurt Angle by pinfall
After the match, Angle shows
good sportsmanship by offering a handshake to the Pope, which Pope accepts.
Mick Foley interrupts a Kurt
Angle interview in the former Main Event Mafia office (it took him that
long to find him?) and asks Kurt where Kevin, Scott and Sting are. Angle
tells Foley that the Mafia is no more. Foley then changes the subject
and says that Angle is the most valuable acquisition in TNA history.
He then asks Angle what he knows and thinks about the Hogan situation.
Angle says this could change TNA for the better and Foley needs to put
his worries to rest. Foley says he's not willing to let Hogan walk
in the door and take his spot, but Angle responds that Hogan and Dixie
are going to take TNA to new heights (I'd have to see it to believe
it). Foley then brings up what Nash said last week that Hogan isn't
coming alone and Angle says he's an idiot for believing Nash.
Match #4: Homicide vs. Robert
Roode in a first round match in the championship tournament
Homicide blindsides Roode to
begin things and continues his assault on the outside with a rake of
the back (haven't seen that in a while). Back in the ring, Homicide
applies a nerve hold, which Roode fights out of and delivers a tilt-a-whirl
backbreaker for two. Homicide tries the gringo killer, which is countered
and Roode tries the pay off which is also countered, but manages to
deliver a spinebuster on the rebound for the win.
Winner: Robert Roode by pinfall
After the match, Homicide starts
going nuts on the outside and threatening a whole bunch of random people.
JB interviews Kurt Angle in
the back, who says he's looking at this upcoming tournament match
in two ways. He says he respects Robert Roode on the one hand and he's
one of the guys that helped change his mind about the young talent in
TNA. But he's still keeping his eyes on the prize and doesn't expect
any handouts. He says he's going to beat Roode and then beat the winner
of Lashley vs. Wolfe later. Angle says he hopes that Wolfe makes it
past this next round, because it would be that much better for him to
beat Wolfe in the finals.
Match #5: A Knockout battle
royal to determine number one contender for the TNA Women's Knockout
title
ODB comes out, dressed as an
official (why does a battle royal need a referee?). Hamada eliminates
Daffney in the early going. Traci and Alyssa Flash then reignite their
rivalry, trying to eliminate each other and end up both being eliminated
by the Women's Knockout tag champs Taylor Wilde and Sarita. The brawl
between Traci and Alyssa continues on the floor. Tara eliminates one-third
of TBP, Lacey Von Erich during the break. The remaining TBP members
gang up and eliminate Sarita next. Taylor makes the mistake of the match
with a hurricanrana to the outside, which eliminates both herself and
Hamada. Tara is now left alone with the remaining TBP members and takes
them down with a double clothesline. Madison gets positioned on the
apron and after a miscue by TBP, Velvet accidentally eliminates her
own partner. Tara then elevates Velvet, who lands on the apron, only
to eat a mafia kick, leading to her elimination.
Winner: Tara
After the match, ODB comes
in the ring and raises Tara's hand. Tara then tries to shake hands
with him/her, but ODB just slaps some skin and then walks away.
JB is backstage with Eric Young
and Kevin Nash and asks about why a shot at Young's Global Championship
isn't up for grabs in the tournament. He poses the question to Nash,
who asks if JB has a big man fetish and tells him to ask the champ.
Young says the entire company is based on discrimination and they refuse
to recognize talent. He says Thanksgiving is an American tradition,
but instead of celebrating it, the American wrestlers would rather maul
each other, in their quests for gold, which is typical of the greedy
Americans. Young says he promised never to defend his title on American
soil and never against an American wrestler (how does Eric Young have
the authority to make that call?). Young says he'll decide the who,
when and where.
Mick Foley is walking through
the hallway, still trying to get a hold of Dixie Carter, without any
luck. He overhears a brouhaha going on in the back, so he checks it
out, and Scott Steiner is really giving it to the merchandise lady for
refusing to create Main Event Mafia attire. Foley asks Scott what's
going on and Steiner says this "bimbo" as he so eloquently put it,
is refusing to create new Main Event Mafia attire. Foley then tells
Steiner that Kurt Angle alluded to the fact that the Main Event Mafia
is no more. This left Steiner confused and he questioned Foley if there's
no Mafia and Foley said Kurt just alluded to it, but he didn't actually
say it. Steiner then felt better about himself and Foley asked his opinion
on the deal with Hogan. Steiner says it's not like he dated Hogan,
but the NWO were a band of thieves that did whatever they wanted whenever
they wanted. Foley then asked Steiner about what Nash said about how
Hogan isn't coming alone. Steiner said if Nash said that, it must
be true (oh yeah, why would Nash lie?)
After the break, Foley finds
Nash and Eric Young backstage. Nash keeps asking for his money and Foley
says he really doesn't have any money to give Nash. He then asks Nash
to fill him in on who Hogan's bringing with him and Nash just throws
out a bunch of names to mess with Foley. Foley questions the possibility
of Scott Hall coming in and Foley says he's worried that Hogan's
going to lead this company in the wrong direction (oh I think they've
been headed that way for some time).
Match #6: Bobby Lashley vs.
Desmond Wolfe in a semi-final match in the championship tournament
Wolfe applies a full nelson
in the early going, but Lashley breaks free and applies his own full
nelson. Wolfe makes it to the ropes for the break. The two then go counter
for counter in the next little while, until Lashley delivers a stomach
breaker, followed by a full nelson slam. Wolfe nearly yanks Lashley's
arm out of its socket with a snapping arm ringer. He tries the tower
of London, but Lashley escapes and applies the dragon sleeper, which
Wolfe grabs the ropes to break. Wolfe then gains the advantage and applies
an armbar around the rope, which the referee tries to break unsuccessfully,
as Wolfe keeps yelling "this is you Mr. Mangled" and eventually
the ref calls for the disqualification.
Winner: Bobby Lashley by DQ
Match #7: Robert Roode vs.
Kurt Angle in a semi-final match in the championship tournament
This match starts much like
Angle's previous match started with a side headlock and Roode shoves
him to the ropes, but Angle comes back with a shoulderblock. Roode delivers
a neckbreaker for two and then follows it up with a slam and a kneedrop
for two. He then delivers a neck snap, shades of the late Curt Hennig,
but Angle uses Roode's tights to send him to the outside and bounces
his head off the steel steps. Back in the ring, Angle delivers a snap
suplex for two and applies a waistlock/inverted bearhug. Roode fights
out, but gets caught with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two.
Angle then applies a body scissors. Roode fights out and delivers a
blockbuster, shades of Buff Bagwell and then a flying forearm for two.
Angle tries the ankle lock, but Roode kicks free and delivers the spinebuster
for two. Roode tries the payoff, which Angle counters into a German
suplex and then tries the Angle slam, which Roode counters with an armdrag.
Angle delivers an Angle slam in the second attempt, but Roode, to everyone's
surprise, kicks out. Desmond Wolfe then shows up at ringside and spits
at Angle, who chases him up the ramp and proceeds to deliver a beat
down, but Angle loses track of the time and gets counted out.
Winner: Robert Roode by count-out
AJ Styles comes out to address
what happened last week, but says before he gets into that, he wants
to send a message to Sting, because he hasn't heard from him in a
while and asks Sting to give him a call. Daniels interrupts and says
Sting doesn't realize that AJ's friendship costs more than it's
worth. Daniels says he's been a better friend to AJ than AJ has to
him, because he was with AJ through good times and bad and supported
him the entire way and led him to a new TNA World title. Daniels said
AJ's friendship didn't do anything for him. He questions where AJ
was when he got fired and why he didn't help him get his job back.
Daniels says he was always a better wrestler than AJ and since AJ won't
accept Daniels as his best friend, he'll have to accept him as his
worst enemy. AJ basically tells Daniels that at Final Resolution, he'll
find out what AJ Styles is all about (what's the point of this tournament
again?)
JB is backstage with Beer Money
and Robert Roode says he's not only in this tournament for himself,
but he's representing his partner as well. He says the British Invasion
have been dodging them for far too long and Beer Money is the best tag
team on the planet. Roode says they plan on taking back what is rightfully
theirs and unfortunately, Bobby Lashley is going to find out that it
pays to be Roode.
Match #8: Robert Roode vs.
Bobby Lashley in the championship tournament finals
Roode utilizes a go-behind
to begin things, but Lashley is a step ahead of him with a standing
switch and takes Roode down. He tries the dragon sleeper early, but
Roode immediately reaches the rope. Roode then works over Lashley's
injured arm, which was injured at the hands of Desmond Wolfe, with a
fujiwara armbar. Lashley squirms free and delivers a full nelson slam,
followed by a spinbuster for two. Lashley tries the torture rack backbreaker,
but Roode slips out and delivers a single-arm DDT for two. Roode tries
the payoff, but Lashley counters with a back body drop. He misses an
avalanche in the corner and Roode delivers the payoff for two. Roode
then overshoots the blockbuster, allowing Lashley to deliver the spear
for the win.
Winner and number one contender:
Bobby Lashley
Final thoughts:
A very lackluster edition of
Impact this week. While the focus was on wrestling, where it definitely
should have been, a lot of the show did not make sense. I didn't get
the whole tournament concept where different guys are going for different
titles. I also don't know where Samoa Joe has been lately. This thing
with Foley is getting annoying. I'm tired of his transitional heel
and face runs. He needs to just pick one and stick with it. The segment
with Steiner was kind of funny though. I also enjoyed the segment with
AJ and Daniels, but how is that match already penciled in for Final
Resolution if Lashley is the number one contender? And I guess they
must have dropped the mystery attacker storyline. I did think they did
a good job of keeping certain guys strong like Lashley and Desmond Wolfe
and Robert Roode especially. But overall, I was kind of bored with the
show, so I'll give it 5 out of 10 this week.
