Report by Sean Hopkins & Wrestling News World:
-Impact opens with Eric Bischoff playing guitar, Spanish style, in the middle of the ring, in a spotlight. Yes, it’s surreal as it sounds.
-Bischoff finishes playing, and the crowd cheers, some people even holding up lighters. Bischoff grabs a mic, and says thank you, that that’s a piece he put together in ’92 when he was running with the bulls in Pamplona. It’s called “What you don’t know about me”. Bischoff is a classically trained musician, and it’s one of the reasons he hates Jarrett. He hates that Jarrett only uses his guitar as a silly prop, or gimmick. Bischoff says maybe Jarrett can play guitar, but he doesn’t think so, so he’s going to call Jarrett out, and ask him to prove whether he can play the guitar, or it’s just a silly prop.
-Jarrett makes his way out to the ring with no music but lots of cheers. Bischoff says he wasn’t sure if Jarrett would have the guts to come out and accept the challenge. He says the fans would love to hear Jarrett play, but Jarrett looks apprehensive. Bischoff says he didn’t think Jarrett had the guts. He says if Jarrett can’t play the guitar, why doesn’t he sing the crowd a tune. Jarrett says if Bischoff thinks he’s going to humiliate him, he’s got another thing coming. Bischoff says Jeff doesn’t have the stones, as bad as he wants to knock him out, he doesn’t have the guts and he can’t get the job done. Bischoff continues to goad Jarrett, daring him to do something. Jarrett grabs the guitar and the crowd goes nuts. He holds it up and it looks like he’s going to hit Bischoff, but he just won’t do it. Jarrett puts down the guitar and leaves the ring. Bischoff says he knew Jarrett couldn’t do it, so the best thing he can do is go home and tell his little girls that he just didn’t have the stones to do what he should have done, and that’s why he’s no longer running the company. Jarrett makes his way back to the ring, grabs the guitar, and wallops Bischoff over the head, laying him out to the delight of the crowd. Jarrett walks to the back, still with the neck of the guitar in his hand, to big “TNA” chants.
-In the back, Foley congratulates Jarrett. Jarrett asks if Foley has any idea how good that felt. Foley says he thinks that he does.
-Commercial break
-We get a replay of the events before the break, with Jarrett breaking the guitar over Bischoff’s head.
-Bischoff is still rolling around in the ring, finally coming to, and he looks pretty upset. He grabs the mic and says Jarrett and Mick Foley have both crossed the line. He says he could fire either one of them, but he’s not going to give them the satisfaction, instead he’s going to enjoy this. He says if Foley and Jarrett want to play games, tonight Foley and Jarrett will face each other in the middle of the ring, and it doesn’t matter who wins, and who loses, because whoever loses is fired from TNA, and the winner will be Bischoff’s bitch.
-Foley is shown backstage with Jarrett. Jarrett says it’s his fault, but Foley says it’s both their fault. He says they both knew what was at stake when they did what they did, they just got caught up, and it’s become clear to Foley that this is a fight that neither can win.
-Tenay and Taz talk for a bit, shocked that either the majority shareholder, or the TNA founder will be fired, live on Impact.
-We get ready to go into our first match of the night as the Knockout Tag Team Champions, Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne make their way to the ring accompanied by Lacy Von Erich.
-Daffney is announced next, and we get a recap of the events of last night where she was beaten by Tara, but in turn stole Tara’s tarantula. Even though Daffney will be tagging with the Beautiful People tonight, they look horrified when she holds up the spider.
-Tara doesn’t wait for her entrance as she’s right down to the ring, but she stops when Daffney teases stomping her tarantula. The Beautiful People and Daffney jump Tara, but Angelina Love, Taylor Wilde and Sarita run out to make the save. This one’s ready to go.
-Commercial break.
-Love and Sky are in the ring when we come back from break. Love looks to be controlling things, but she tags out to Wilde, who comes in and hits Rayne with a kick to the butt. Rayne tags in Sky, but she eats a neckbreaker from Wilde. Wilde turns in Sarita, and Sky is able to turn things around with a snap mare. Von Erich tags in, but she gets a dropkick and tags right out to Rayne. This one is really hard to follow. Tara is in, and she eats a cheap shot from Daffney from the outside. The faces come in to protest, but it just lets the heels cheat some more. Rayne tries for the pin, but she only gets two. Daffney brings in the tarantula and holds it over Tara, but Tara grabs her by her throat. Daffney is too close to the ropes though, and she tags in Sky, who stomps on Tara for a bit, but fights back with a big slap. A double team from Sky and Daffney is too much, and everything just breaks down with everyone going at it. Love hits a big move on Daffney, but she eats a big DDT from Sky. Sky celebrates, but she gets a Northern lights suplex from Wilde, but it’s broken up by Rayne. Rayne gets a powerbomb from Sarita, and Lacey is in next to give Sarita a powerslam. Tara is in to hit the widow’s peak on Von Erich, and she goes after the tarantula, but she’s caught by Daffney, who hits the lobotomy neckbreaker, and gets the pin and the three count.
–Winners: Daffney and The Beautiful People
-After the match, Daffney gloats, holding Tara’s spider over her.
-AJ Styles is shown coming in, in the back, walking with a crutch and his arm in a sling. Flair is being unloaded from the back of an ambulance, and he’s calling for Chelsea.
-Hulk Hogan is being hyped as having a huge announcement regarding TNA Lockdown.
-Commercial break.
-Flair is wheeling himself into the back with Styles’ belt on his lap, and Hogan’s major announcement is hyped again.
-Commercial break.
-We get a package showing some of the highlights from last night, it’s kicked off with footage from the AMAZING match between Generation Me and the Motor City Machine Guns, and the World Championship match between Styles and Abyss. Long story short, Abyss chokeslammed AJ through the ring last night, and Earl Hebner was forced to throw out the match, thus allowing AJ Styles to retain the title.
-Hulk Hogan’s music hits, and he makes his way out to the ring, with Abyss in tow.
-Hogan already has a mic in his hand as he climbs in the ring, but he still soaks up the cheers for a bit before talking. Every time Hogan does this, it feels like this is the only reason he came to TNA. Hogan says according to the sound of the fans, Abyss has TNA on fire. Hogan says it got real personal with he and Flair last night. He says Bischoff was right when they talked, and he said that Flair knew each and every button to push with Hogan. He says when they were laying in each other’s blood, it was strictly personal, and the way things went down tonight, Bischoff is starting to learn that this personal thing doesn’t work out. Hogan vows to the fans and Dixie Carter, that he’s going to get the company on the right track, and it’s going to be all business starting at Lockdown. At Lockdown, it will be Abyss captaining Team Hogan, vs. Team Flair. Abyss says he really hopes Flair and AJ stayed at the hotel tonight, because it’s a lot healthier than coming here and crashing through whatever part of the Impact Zone he sees fit. Abyss says thanks to the ring Hogan gave him, he can’t explain the power that was rushing through his body when he picked AJ Styles up over his head and chokeslammed him through the middle of the ring. It was then when he realized he’s not just Abyss, but he’s the 350 pound, pissed off monster Abyss. Abyss says he didn’t win the title last night, but what he won was his respect. It’s a new day in TNA, and at Lockdown, Abyss is going to take care of business for Hogan, and that means at Lockdown, he’s coming to get Flair, and when he does, he won’t need a wheelchair. He’ll need a mortician. Abyss says what’cha gonna do, when Abyss-a-mania runs fatal on you.
-Flair’s music hits, and Chelsea wheels him out to the top of the ramp, with AJ Styles limping behind. Flair says he’s got pissed off eyes, and he tells Hogan St. Louis is in the middle of Flair country, and he’s a cage match specialist. He says Abyss tried to kill he and AJ, but it didn’t work because they aren’t mortals, but wrestling Gods. AJ says he had Abyss beat until Hogan screwed it up, and Abyss tried to cripple AJ and kill him. Flair says to assure victory for team Flair, their team captain will be Sting.
-The lights go out, and Sting’s music hits. When they come back on, Sting is sitting on the top turnbuckle, and AJ is in the ring where he hits Abyss with his crutch, and Hogan is handcuffed to the ring ropes by both hands. AJ continues to pound down on Abyss while Hogan is forced to watch.
-Pope’s music hits, and he’s on his way to the ring where he goes right to work on Styles with a series of right hands. Styles walks into a boot from Hogan, a boot from Abyss, and he eats a DDE from Pope. Pope somehow has the handcuff keys, and he unlocks Hogan. Abyss, Hogan and Flair pose in the middle of the ring, while Flair tries to make it to the back.
-Flair is wheeling his heart out, but Hogan catches him, pushing him up to the top of the ramp, and rolling him back down, right into Abyss who hits a big clothesline that takes him right out of the wheelchair. Abyss comes up the rope, grabs a 20 out of his wad of cash, and stuffs it in Flair’s mouth.
-Commercial break.
-Jeff Hardy is shown walking in backstage with Shannon Moore and RVD. Hemme comes in and asks what they’re doing. Hardy says they’re going to have fun, but it’s at someone else’s expense. Hardy also points out his new shirt.
-We get a Global Championship match, and Tyson Tomko is already in the ring, just leaving Rob Terry to enter.
-Terry enters and the fight is on right away, with Tomko scoring a couple of big forearms and a slap across the face, but it doesn’t do anything as big Rob comes with back with a huge slam into the corner, and a big falling slam. Rob hits a spinning kick to Tomko’s face, and the crowd is just going wild. Rob picks up Tomko and hits a modified chokeslam, goes for the pin, and this one is over.
–Winner and STILL TNA Global Champion: Rob Terry
-Tenay and Taz bring up the match between Foley and Jarrett, again commenting how strange it is how completely their roles have been reversed since the Bischoff regime entered power.
-Foley is shown backstage walking… I guess toward the ring? Jarrett is also shown walking, so their match must be next.
-Commercial break.
-Beer Money Inc. are shown backstage in referee gear, apparently they will be dual special guest referees for the next match, as per an order from Eric Bischoff.
-Commercial break.
-JB is backstage with both Foley and Jarrett, following a video package showing their hard trials since the entrance of Hogan and Bischoff into TNA. Foley says over the last few months, he’s talked about leaving TNA, and if it happens, he’s going to do it on his own accord. Over the past few weeks, he was having to kiss Bischoff’s butt, and he’s been thinking about how to get Bischoff out of TNA, and that keeps him going. Jarrett says what keeps him going is TNA pride. They both deserve to be here, and stay here. Foley says they owe it to each other to have a good match, and the only way they do that is by winning. Jarrett says he was on the outs around here for a few months, and Foley put the passion back in him, so not only does he owe it to the fans, and his family, but he owes it to Foley.
-Beer Money Inc.’s music hits, and they make thier way down to the ring for referee duties.
-As Foley makes his way to the ring, this is announced as a NO DQ match. Foley gets a nice reaction from the crowd.
-Jarrett is out next, still without his entrance music, but with his entrance video for some reason. Jarrett still gets a decent reaction from the crowd.
-The bell rings and we’re ready to kick this one off. We get a handshake before both men lock up. We get a clean break after nothing. Another lock up, and Foley back Jarrett up into the corner, breaking clean again. Foley locks in a headlock, and Jarrett fights off, but he walks into a shoulder block. Another lock up, and a headlock from Jarrett this time. Foley fights out, and hits a back elbow that’s good enough for a near fall. Jarrett kicks Foley in the stomach, and surprises Foley with a sunset flip, but it’s only good for two. Foley connects with a backslide, but again it’s only good for two. Foley hits a big right hand to Jarrett’s face, and another. Foley goes for the double arm DDT, but Jarrett counters into the Stroke, Foley fights out of it and pushes Jarrett off, into the ropes. Roode grabs Jarrett’s foot and distracts him, allowing Foley to connect with a cheap shot and send Jarrett to the floor. Foley follows to the outside, where he slams Jarrett into the barricade.
-Eric Bischoff is headed out to the broadcast table.
-Commercial break.
-Back from commercial and Foley and Jarrett are brawling at the top of the entrance ramp. Jarrett beats Foley back toward the ring, and he hits a snap suplex on the entrance ramp. Roode asks Foley if he quits, but Foley won’t give up. Back in the ring, Jarrett pounds on Foley in the corner for a bit. Jarrett goes for a cover, but he can’t keep Foley down for three. Jarrett hits Foley, and goes for a pin, using the ropes for extra leverage, but he still can’t keep Foley down for three. Jarrett hits a DDT, and goes for another cover but it’s still not enough. Jarrett leaves the ring and grabs a chair, bringing it into the ring, but Foley catches him with a boot before he can use it. Foley hits the double arm DDT and he goes for the pin, but Jarrett gets his foot on the ropes to break the count. Jarrett breaks out Mr. Socko, and he applies the mandible claw to Jarrett, brings Jeff to his knees. Foley locks in what looks to be a cobra clutch/mandible claw combo with a body scissors, but Jarrett is able to fight out of it. Foley grabs the chair, and he charges Jarrett in the corner, but Jarrett gets his feet up, driving the chair into Foley’s face. Jarrett hits the stroke on the chair, rolls up Foley, and gets the three count.
–Winner and STILL a member of the TNA roster: Jeff Jarrett
-Jarrett looks despondent in the ring while Bischoff gloats on commentary. Foley puts his arm around Jarrett, and holds up Jeff’s arm. Jarrett returns the favor, lifting Foley’s arm. The two men shake hands and hug, with Bischoff mocking them the entire time.
-Foley begins his walk up to the ramp to the back. Bischoff waves at him, while Foley gets big “Thank you Mick” chants from the crowd. Bischoff says they aren’t quite done yet, and he grabs a mic. He tells BMI to give Double J a taste of their medicine.
-BMI begin to beat down Jarrett. Storm wedges a chair in between the ropes, and Roode sends Jarrett head first into the chair. Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy run down to the ring and Rood and Storm scatter, making their way to the back. RVD asks for a microphone.
-RVD says the the man next to him is Jeff Hardy, and of course he’s Rob Van Dam. He says they’re just looking to have some fun, and they agreed what a blast they could have bouncing BMI around the ring tonight. He asks if they’re in. He says Storm and Roode are obviously looking for action too. Storm and Roode agree to the match, and Bischoff looks pissed.
-Commercial break.
-We get a recap of the events before the break; the match between Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley that led to Foley being fired from TNA.
-Foley is shown backstage being walked out by security. A lot of the talent, including Pope, Abyss, and most of the face dives, as well as JB say goodbye. Bubba the Love Sponge interrupts Foley and asks how Foley feels. Foldey says if there was a list of people he’d want to talk to, Bubba would be last. Bubba says not to let the door hit him on the way out, and Foley goes nuts, laying Bubba out and saying “Bang Bang”.
-Bischoff walks into the back and tells Hogan what a great night it’s been. Hogan asks why Foley being gone is a good thing. Bischoff pushed him, Foley fights back, and Bischoff punishes him some more, only to fire him. Bischoff admits maybe he should be more patient. Hogan asks Bischoff to please lay off Jarrett. Bischoff says he can do it, and according to him, it’s a whole new day for him and Jeff Jarrett. Bischoff begins to ask if Hogan set up the BMI/RVD and Jeff Hardy match, but stops himself, walking out instead.
-Christy Hemme is backstage with BMI. Roode says they’ve been busy tonight, but that’s how they like it. They had some time off, and they reflected on what was most important to them, and that was to put BMI first. Storm says they don’t care about the stupid people, because they’re the greatest tag team in the world. They might not know now, but they’ll find out soon. Sorry about your damn luck.
-Up next, we get a battle between the current tag team champions as Matt Morgan and Hernandez will be facing each other in singles competition.
-Commercial break.
-JB is backstage with both Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy. Hardy is painting his face and RVD is taping his fists. Hardy says this might blow your mind, but he knows a thing or two about tag team wrestling. RVD says this isn’t their first shindig, and they know exactly what they’re doing. They’re going to show the entire TNA Universe why they’re special, and it starts with BMI, at the hands of Jeff Hardy, and Mr. Monday Night, Rob Van Dam.
-We get a video package, highlighting the recent problems between Matt Morgan and Hernandez, that culminated last night with Morgan delivering a carbon footprint to Hernandez last night following their match at Destination X.
-Morgan makes his way out to the ring first, with both belts in hand, but Hernandez immediately attacks from behind, and beats Morgan up and down the ramp before tossing him into the ring. The bell rings and this one is official as Hernandez destroys Morgan with a huge shoulder block that sends him to the outside. Hernandez follows and he goes to work with a series of right hands, before slamming Morgan into the barricade, then head first into the steel ring steps. Hernandez backs Morgan into the ring apron, and continues to work him over with forearms before sending him back into the ring. Morgan begs off, asking Hernandez to stop. Morgan is bleeding from his lip. Morgan offers his hand, but Hernandez kicks him in the chest instead. Hernandez wraps his shirt around Morgan’s neck and tosses him across the ring twice. Hernandez waits for Morgan to get up before hitting a big splash in the corner and a one handed spine buster. Hernandez charges Morgan in the corner, but Morgan counters with a back body drop that sends Hernandez over the top to the floor. Hernandez drags Morgan out to the floor, and he tries for a clothesline, but Morgan ducks and Hernandez connects with the ring post. While Hernandez is next to the post, Morgan connects with a carbon footprint to the side of Hernandez’s head, sandwiching it against the ring post. The referee goes to check on Morgan, and he throws up the “X” symbol, but it looks worked. They bring out medics and a stretcher. Homicide is also out, and people in the crowd look extremely upset. Tenay calls for a commercial break.
-Commercial break.
-Back from commercial and they get Hernandez up onto the stretcher.
-Commercial break.
-Back from commercial again, and they’re replaying the injury, Hernandez being put on the stretcher, and him being put in the back of the ambulance. Hogan is there and he asks if anyone has called his wife. All this extra publicity toward it makes me think it may be a work.
-Tenay and Taz speculate what it may be, whether it’s a neck injury to a man with a history of neck injuries, or possible brain damage, or something else. Again, not something I feel like they would do, out of respect, if the injury were legitimate.
-We get a video package highlighting the reformation of The Band last night, when Kevin Nash turned on Eric Young to help get Scott Hall and Sean Waltman contracts with TNA.
-BMI’s music hits, and Storm and Roode make their way out to the ring as the first entrants for the main event tonight.
-RVD is out next, as the first half of his team, follows by Jeff Hardy. Both men get very generous reactions from the Impact Zone crowd.
-Hardy and Storm start things out, with Storm immediately going for a couple of right hands to Hardy’s jaw. Storm sends Hardy into the ropes, but he goes to the outside, pulls Roode to the floor, then goes to the apron and back body drops Storm to the outside on top of Roode. Hardy grabs a ladder, and he and RVD prop it up between the ring and the barricade.
-Commercial break.
-Back from commercial, Tenay says they’ll stay with it to the conclusion, only to immediately go into a commercial.
-Commercial break.
-Back from commercial again, for real this time, Roode catches RVD in the stomach with a boot, but RVD comes back with a mid kick, and an asai moonsault that’s good for a two count. Roode makes the tag to Storm, who comes in and pokes RVD in the eye, only to walk into a spinning heel kick. Hardy tags in, and he goes right to work with an inverted atomic drop, and his signature low leg drop on Storm. Hardy hits a front suplex, and he goes for the cover but Roode breaks it up. RVD sends Roode to the floor, and Hardy tries for the whisper in the wind, but Roode knocks him down, and BMI use a ref distraction as an excuse to cheat. Roode hits a slow neckbreaker on Hardy, and he goes for the pin but he only gets two. Storm tags in, and BMI both choke Hardy with their boots. Storm locks in a sleeper hold to stop Hardy from tagging in RVD, and he slams him down before tagging in Roode. Roode goads Van Dam into distracting the referee so he uses the opportunity to choke Hardy. Roode locks in a sleeper, but Hardy is able to fight out with a jawbreaker. Hardy walks right into a high angle spinebuster from Roode that’s good for a two count. Storm tags in and kicks away at Hardy, before locking in another sleeper. Hardy fights out again, and both men go for the cross body, connecting. Both men are down. Hardy gets the tag, but the ref is distracted by BMI, who get away with an illegal tag in the process themselves. Storm tags back in and hits a right to Hardy’s ribs. Storm tries for the eye of the Storm, but Hardy fights out and connects with the whisper in the wind out of nowhere. Hardy is able to make the tag, and so is Storm, but it doesn’t matter because RVD comes in as a house of fire, going to work on both Roode and Storm, monkey flipping Roode over before connecting with the single leg dropkick from the top. RVD goes for the pin, but Storm is able to break it up. RVD retaliates, slamming Storm, and hitting the split legged moonsault in the corner. RVD turns right around into the big clothesline from Roode. Hardy is in, but a double team suplex from BMI takes him down. RVD tries to fight off both men, but BMI return with a catapult DDT, but it’s only good enough to keep Van Dam down for two. Hardy comes in out of nowhere with a twist of fate on Roode, but Storm pulls him to the outside. Hardy slides under the ladder and slides it into Storm’s face. In the ring, RVD hits rolling thunder on Roode. Hardy hits a swanton, RVD hits the 5 star frog splash, and RVD makes the pin, scoring the three count.
–Winners: RVD and Jeff Hardy
-Hardy and RVD celebrate, but from out of nowhere Eric Young rolls into the ring. Young says he’s going to keep this short and sweet. He’s just talked to Hogan and TNA management, and there’s going to be a 6-man tag next week. It’s going to be Hall, Waltman, and Nash against Eric Young, Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam.
-Young, Hardy and RVD pose with their hands held high, before posing on the ropes, and holding their hands high again to end the show.
