By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

TNA Impact on Spike TV
November 26, 2005
Taped November 15, 2005
Orlando, Florida

In a nutshell: Jeff Jarrett defends NWA Title against newly minted member of the 4 Live Kru, Kip James, with Jackie Gayda debuting in an apparent Jerry Springer angle involving Gail Kim and Jarrett... Samoa Joe continues stalking A.J. Styles... Rhino receives strong video package treatment... Monty Brown squashes... Abyss is scared of barbed wire... Jeff Hardy = John Cena... There are no rules...

(1) Monty Brown beat Helvis at 0:35. Brown jumped the jobber before the bell as the fans chanted for Christian. Brown delivered the Pounce for the quick win to earn the supplementary diet pill move of the night.

- The quick win was immediately followed by a promo video for 3 Live Kru. (There's a lot to fit in tonight.) B.G. James, Konnan, and Ron Killings came to the ring with Kip James bringing up the rear. No time wasted here. B.G. took the mic and thanked TNA for allowing him to air out some dirty laundry. B.G. said he loves Konnan and Killings, but also loves Kip James. B.G. said his love for Konnan and Kip is "for real." Konnan said Kip just latches on to people to build himself up, citing Kip's role as valet for the Honky Tonk Man and former life partner of Chuck Palumbo, which drew a rise out of the Impact zone. Mike Tenay said it's a history lesson we'd like to forget. B.G. asked Konnan how Kip is supposed to react when Konnan treats Kip like crap and has never given him a chance. B.G. said they've spread all the love, now it's time to spread truth. B.G. asked Killings if he accepts Kip as a member of his family. Killings said he never doubted B.G. and said any family of B.G.'s is family of his. B.G. and Konnan got in each other's faces then B.G. said he's tired of Konnan bitching to him. B.G. asked Konnan if he's with the Kru or against the Kru. Konnan hesitated then agreed that Kip can be his brother in the group as well. Konnan and Kip shared a hug then B.G. announced the 4 Live Kru. Well, there's another chapter in the endless open book storyline. Solid segment with passion and energy to keep the storyline going. Now, if they could give the X Division its own segment to advance a storyline.

(Commercial Break)

- Brad M. Homan, D.D. gave us an update on Christopher Daniels's injury at the hands of Samoa Joe at the Genesis PPV two weeks ago. Homan said Daniels suffered a grade three concussion. (Showing video of the medics carelessly rolling Daniels out of the ring after Joe's post-match attack might hammer home the injury more than Joe's attack.) Homan said Daniels had blurry vision and will not be able to return to wrestling until he is "completely asymptomatic." That's the type of storyline write-off that can give a returning wrestler some momentum and a place on the card to have an impact on the show.

(2) A.J. Styles beat Chris Sabin at 10:28 in a non-title X Division match. Tenay said Styles exemplifies the unwritten code of conduct upheld by the X Division wrestlers, except for Samoa Joe. Good opening minute of exchanges and counters to set the tone for an extensive, non-three minute X Division match.

(Commercial Break)

Sabin snapped off a huricanrana out of the break before Styles came back with a dropsault and back breaker. Styles locked in the Muta Lock for show considering he hadn't worked Sabin's neck to that point in the match. Sabin and Styles exchanged power move attempts until Sabin rolled out of a sunset flip and hit a double kick to the chest. Sabin locked in a modified crossface submission, stretching Styles's left arm over Sabin's head. Styles reached the ropes with his right arm to break the hold and return to a vertical base. They exchanged forearm blows rocking each other backwards before attempting simultaneous drop kicks that resulted in an advantage for neither man. Styles caught Sabin off the ropes with his back flip reverse DDT for a nearfall. Samoa Joe walked to the entrance ramp and distracted Styles, allowing Sabin to take control with a running powerbomb for a nearfall. Sabin went for the Cradle Shock at 10:00, but Styles slipped out and hit the Styles Clash for the pin and the win. The camera zoomed in on Joe's emotionless expression as Styles caught his breath after winning the hotly contested match that delivered double the X Division action compared to last week's three-minute Joe squash victory.

- A video recap of the activity between Raven and Larry Zbyszko aired before we saw a clip from earlier today when Zbyszko offered Raven another opportunity to sign a release waiver. Raven, who was riding in the back of an SUV, threw the pen away then told the driver to take off. Zbyszko said he had a match for Raven next week, but didn't reveal the opponent.

(Commercial Break)

- Shane Douglas was backstage with Christian Cage. Christian said some people aren't happy with how he's conducted his business in TNA. Christian said he's not mad at Monty Brown for hitting him with the Pounce last week. Christian told Brown to throw in a semicolon or hyphen instead of a period. Christian said he walked into Larry Zbyszko's office and asked for Brown at Turning Point. Z confirmed Christian's request and told Brown to worry about him running through him at Turning Point. Gail Kim entered the picture and commended Christian for joining the TNA roster as she did. (Revisionist history at its finest.) Kim said Christian made the wrong choice by turning down the offer made by Jeff Jarrett and Scott D'Amore. America's Most Wanted entered the picture and said there's bad news ahead for Christian. James Storm said Christian's getting nowhere near the NWA World Title. Two weeks in a row for Christian having the deck stacked against him.

(3) Jeff Hardy beat Abyss (w/James Mitchell) at 4:05. Hardy ducked a clothesline before the opening bell then tried to knock Abyss off his feet. Hardy knocked Abyss to the outside then went for a slingshot splash, but Abyss caught Hardy and slammed him into the ringpost. Abyss sent Hardy into the guardrail then took him back into the ring. Tenay said there's something in Abyss's past that has made him afraid of barbed wire. Tenay followed up by saying TNA is advertising a barbed wire match between Abyss and Sabu at Turning Point and will deliver the match unlike "other promotions where the barbed wire doesn't even come into play." That would be a reference to No Way Out with JBL vs. Big Show. Hardy connected with a corkscrew splash off the top turnbuckle at 3:05 for a nearfall before receiving the John Cena treatment from the women and children after removing his t-shirt and climbing the top for a missed Sentaun splash. Abyss received a chair and measured Hardy before the lights went out to reveal Sabu standing outside of the ring. In the meantime, Hardy stole the chair from Abyss and smacked it over Abyss's back without prompting a DQ. The referee took the chair away from Hardy as he set up for a third shot because somehow the third shot wasn't legal, but the other two were. Hardy hit the Twist of Phate and scored the pin for the win. Afterwards, Sabu teased Abyss with a barbed wire chair. Abyss took off scared.

(Commercial Break)

- Rhino was profiled in a "hard upbringing" video package where Rhino narrated clips of himself walking through Detroit and his early days wrestling on the independent circuit in front of more empty seats than fans. Rhino said his tough upbringing and struggle through the early training days made him stronger. Good video profile. Now, if only we had something similar for Chris Sabin or any of the undefined X Division wrestlers.

(Commercial Break)

(4) Jeff Jarrett (w/Gail Kim) beat Kip James (w/Ron Killings, B.G. James, and Konnan) at 6:13 to retain the NWA Title. The match predictably started on the outside with Jarrett slamming Kip into the guardrail, a ringside chair, and the broadcast table after the Kru was kicked out of the ringside area. Jarrett drove a chair into Kip's stomach without prompting a DQ. Jarrett slammed Kip over the guardrail to the outside and stomped away. Jarrett continued the attack outside of the ring before taking Kip back into the ring at the two-minute mark. Jarrett mocked Kip's marketing slogan then missed with a seated splash as Kip laid on the middle rope, providing Kip with an opening at 3:00. Kip called for a high knee lift, but Jarrett avoided the move and bailed to the outside. As Jarrett recovered, Jackie Gayda stormed to the ringside area to go after Gail Kim. Jarrett confronted Jackie as if this was Springer and Jackie was the scorned lover going after Jarrett's new squeeze. (You can chalk this one up to the booking technique of making Jarrett seem desirable to females that was previously reserved for Dusty Rhodes earlier this year as the TNA authority figure.) Jarrett shoved Jackie and told her to leave, prompting a slap from Jackie. Gail and Jackie went at it until security intervened and separated the former WWE divas. Kip took Jarrett back into the ring and hit the Fameasser, which Jarrett kicked out of. With the referee distracted by the extracurricular activity outside of the ring, Bobby Roode of Team Canada ran into the ring and cracked a hockey stick over Kip's back. Jarrett hit the Stroke then scored the victory for the win. (So, Jarrett is now desirable by two ladies, can kick out of opponent's finishers, and still needs help from a hockey stick to win.)

Afterwards, B.G. James confronted Jarrett before taking Roode's Northern Lariat finisher from behind. The rest of the Kru hit the ring to make the save. The rest of Team Canada stormed the ring to work on 4 Live Kru as Jarrett retreated up the entrance way as the show closed with the traditional Impact schmoz.

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