TNA Impact Wrestling TV report
December 29, 2011
Orlando, Fla.
Report by Jay McQuade, PWTorch contributor

[Q1] The show opened with a video package recapping the Jarrett's firing, and a focus on the Knockouts division from last week’s Impact.

The show officially starts with Gail Kim and Madison Rayne entering the Impact Zone. Mike Tenay lamented on the occurrence of Rayne becoming the new boss of the female division. Taz played on John Laurinaitis by calling her the ‘Executive Vice President’ of the Knockouts Division. The pair called out Tara and Miss Tessmacher immediately. Rayne told the pair that they were both fired for ‘screwing’ with her last week. Sting then entered the Impact Zone and interjected on the issue. He told Rayne that she has no power over the Knockouts Division whatsoever. Sting then told Gail Kim that she would be defending her TNA Knockouts Title against Mickie James.

The show cut backstage, where Scott Steiner was seen with Abyss, hyping him up for their upcoming tag team match.

[Q2]

1 - A.J. STYLES & KAZARIAN vs. SCOTT STEINER & ABYSS

Mike Tenay announced that this would be a semi-final match in the Wild Card Tag Team Tournament.

Steiner opened the match with Kaz. Steiner began the match with tossing him from corner to corner. Kaz then countered with a crucifix pin attempt, followed by a spin kick when Steiner got up. Styles entered the match and did his leapfrog-laydown-dropkick routine. Abyss entered the match and began to overpower Styles. He included a Shock Treatment backbreaker while doing so. Steiner entered the match and performed two belly-to-belly suplexes. Styles got control of the match with a Pele kick. Kaz and Abyss were both tagged in and speed came into play as Kaz ran around him with a missile dropkick, followed by a tornado DDT.

As Abyss tagged in Steiner, he got his attention and delivered a Black Hole Slam. Abyss then allowed Kaz to pin him and get the victory for his team.

WINNERS: A.J. STYLES & KAZARIAN in 7:00.

After the match, Bully Ray hit the ring and began yelling and cursing at Abyss. He ranted to Abyss about how Immortal has benefited him, and he asked him what he wants from them for Abyss to rejoin. Abyss said he wants a Monster’s Ball match with Bully Ray at Genesis, and if he loses, he’ll rejoin Immortal.

[Q3] They cut backstage with Sting speaking with Kurt Angle. He said he wants Angle to wrestle and have a match tonight with Rob Van Dam.

Another scene backstage is shown as Ric Flair is talking to Gunner, speaking about how Gunner puts people in the hospital with his aggressive wrestling style.

2 - ZEMA ION vs. TONY NESE

TNA X Division champion Austin Aries is on commentary for the match. Mike Tenay announced that this is the final of a best of three series for a championship opportunity with Aries. There is a contract on a pole for one of the wrestlers to get in on the four-way championship match at Genesis, and one of the two has to grab it to win the match.

Nese opened with a unique kicking routine on Ion, and hit a running knee on him as Ion was in the corner. Ion then got control as Nese was attempting to grab the contract. As the match was taken outside, Nese hit a moonsault off the edge of the canvas. As Ion recovered and made his way up the pole, Nese suplexed him off and onto the ring. As he made his own way up the pole, Ion shoved him off and onto the outside. Ion seized the opportunity and grabbed the contract for the victory.

WINNER: Ion in 5:00.

[Q4]

3 – GUNNER (w/Ric Flair) vs. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS

The two opened the match with a technical showing, but Gunner shoved Williams as he wanted to start brawling. He then struck Williams several times with his forearm as he was on the ground. Gunner then shoved the referee and was immediately disqualified. After the match, Flair exposed the outside floor, where Gunner hit a DDT on Williams.

WINNER: Williams via DQ in 2:00.

[Q5] As the show resumed, a video package aired about Bobby Roode and his change of attitude on the way to becoming TNA World Hvt. champion. This included commentary from his family.

After the video, Roode entered the Impact Zone, ready to cut a promo. As he was in the ring, he spoke about how everyone is saying that he’s selfish. He also invited his friend Tracy from his hometown who was in attendance to the ring. He said that Roode’s attitude changed for the worse when he became champion. Eventually, he was attacked by the champion. After he attacked his friend, Jeff Hardy came to the ring after Roode, but he escaped.

The show cut backstage where Eric Young and ODB were preparing for their upcoming tag team match.

Another backstage segment aired with Kurt Angle, as he’s unhappy about facing RVD tonight. He also expressed how he’s unhappy with Sting’s decisions as the head of TNA Wrestling.

[Q6]

4 – SAMOA JOE & MAGNUS vs. ERIC YOUNG & ODB

Mike Tenay announced that this would be a semi-final match in the Wild Card Tag Team Tournament.

Eric Young opened the match with Magnus. ODB then demanded a tag into the match. After patting him on the ass, she slapped him in the face. ODB had more fun as she stuffed his face in her breast. She also performed a takedown, then tagged in Young. He also performed takedowns of his own, but was quickly taken over by Magnus with a lariat. Joe entered the match and did his corner routine with strikes and a jumping kick. ODB entered the ring, but was shoved into Young. Joe hit the Muscle Buster on Young and scored the pinfall.

WINNERS: Samoa Joe & Magnus in 5:00.

A backstage interview with Mickie James aired. She discusses how she works with Gail Kim in the ring, and that she’s confident she’s a better wrestler.

[Q7]

5 – ROB VAN DAM vs. KURT ANGLE

RVD gets Angle in a headlock, but Angle took a break and heads outside the ring. He made his way back into the match, and RVD missed with a few kicks, but got Angle into a body scissors pin, followed by a Rolling Thunder. Angle got control of the match with a belly-to-belly suplex as he was running towards him. After a few restholds by Angle, RVD hit a roundhouse kick as Angle charged him. Angle got control and hit an Angle Slam. The pinfall is unsuccessful, and he also unsuccessfully performed a superkick to mock James Storm. After a missed Five Star Frog Splash, Angle got RVD in the Anklelock.

Speaking of Storm, he hit the ring during the match and struck Angle with a superkick of his own.

WINNER: Angle via DQ in 6:00.

RVD was shown backstage after the match, discussing how he would have rather won the match than have Storm interfere. Angle was also shown, discussing his detest for Storm and his antics. Storm was also included in the segment with hard comments on Angle.

[Q8]

6 -- Knockouts champion GAIL KIM vs. MICKIE JAMES -- TNA Knockouts Title match

Kim charged James immediately, but James countered with a schoolboy pin attempt. James then went on the offense with strikes into the corner, and a running dropkick. As the match was taken outside, James hit Kim with a neckbreaker on the floor.

A commercial break aired in the middle of the match.

The match resumed with the two duking it out on the outside. Kim gets back in the ring and kept James out with a kick to the head. She then dragged James back in and forced her from corner to corner with intensity in the ring. Kim then hit a hard clothesline, and continued the offense with a hammer lock. Kim kept the taunting coming, but James got control for a shot while until Kim hit an octopus stretch, which Taz referenced as a New Japan-style submission hold. Continuing the offense, Kim charged James in the corner, then hit a missile dropkick off the top rope. After a submission attempt by Kim, James countered with a kick to the head. James gained momentum with a series of attacks, and a crossbody off the top rope onto the outside, as Kim made her way out there.

At this point in the match, a masked woman, which appeared to be Madison Rayne, hit the ring and performed an inverted overdrive on James. Kim then capitalized on the attack and pinned James to retain her title.

WINNER: Gail Kim in 10:00 to retain the Knockouts Title.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I was excited to see a women's wrestling main event for this show. The finish for the match was lame, but the body of the match was pretty good. There overall wasn’t enough wrestling, in my opinion, and the promo with Roode and his friend really had nothing to do with wrestling at all. The finish to the Angle-Van Dam match was also disappointing, as the two managed to have a pretty good bout until that point.

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