TNA Impact Wrestling Report
January 12, 2012
Taped in Orlando, Fla.
Report by Jay McQuade, PWTorch contributor

[Q1] A video package opened the program recapping the main event of Genesis between Jeff Hardy and Bobby Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The result of their match was that Roode got himself disqualified to retain his title.

World Champion Roode made his way out to the Impact Zone to officially open the show. As he made his way out, Mike Tenay and Taz agreed that Hardy was screwed out of winning the title from Roode at Genesis. The first piece of material Roode had to say is that he’s the greatest TNA World Champion of all-time. The fans in attendance chanted, ‘We Want Jeff,’ throughout his promo. As Roode called out Hardy to shake hands, Sting came to the ring instead.

Sting reminded Roode that he’s the boss, and Roode is his employee. After Sting mentioned that Roode’s victory was illegitimate, he announced that he would defend his title against Hardy in a re-match tonight. [CB]

[Q2]

1 – TNA tag champions MATT MORGAN & CRIMSON vs. ROBBIE E & ROB TERRY -- non-title match

Terry and Crimson started the match. Terry hit a shoulderblock and immediately tagged out. After being shoved, Robbie E. tagged out, but was then tagged back in after Terry shoved Crimson. Morgan was tagged in after Robbie E. was taken to his corner. Morgan hit the repeated elbow strikes on Robbie, then hit a Carbon Footprint on Terry. Crimson and Morgan double chokeslammed Robbie to get the pinfall and close out a quick match.

WINNERS: Morgan & Crimson in 2:00.

Samoa Joe and Magnus hit the ring after the match was over and beat down the Tag Team Champions. The picture ended with the two disgruntled wrestlers raising the championship belts. [CB]

A video package aired on Gunner, and how his feud with Eric Bischoff’s son lead him to seriously injure him. The video also included Sting making note to Bischoff that he’s now officially a wrestler for TNA.

[Q3] Eric Bischoff came out to the Impact Zone to discuss his son becoming a member of the TNA roster. After he said that his son has no future in the sport, Garett Bischoff made his way out to the ring. Garett said that he’s not going anywhere, and he’s going to continue to pursue a career as a wrestler. He then said that he has a new trainer, and Bischoff will be shocked when he finds out who it is.

The show cut backstage with Winter and Angelina Love discussing how the Knockouts division has faded now that they’re not on top. It was also mentioned that Winter has a match tonight with ODB.

Eric Young and ODB were backstage, and they were shown both on their way out to the Impact Zone for ODB’s match. [CB]

[Q4]

2 – WINTER (w/Angelina Love) vs. ODB (w/Eric Young)

ODB started the match with a chestbump, knocking down Winter. She then charged Winter in the corner, but missed. Winter got her in the tree of woe and choked her while in position. She then got ODB in a headlock, and ODB shoulderblocked her after being tossed to the ropes. She then hit a Bronco Buster after tossing Winter into the ropes, followed by a fallaway slam after she got up. Angelina Love got in the ring, but Eric Young picked her up and got her in an airplane spin. ODB then hit a TKO on a dazed Winter to get the pinfall. [CB]

WINNER: ODB in 3:00.

A.J. Styles made his way out to the ring after an extensive commercial break and immediately called out Kazarian. Styles said that he didn’t expect Kaz to turn his back on him, and then asked him why he did what he did last week. A reluctant Kaz said that he can’t tell him why, but Christopher Daniels came out to the ring and provided an explanation. He said that Styles is on a losing streak, and Kaz would rather be aligned with a winner like him. Styles then punched Daniels in the face and he quickly he left the ring with Kaz.

James Storm was backstage and on his way to the ring, and Tenay questioned why he was in his wrestling gear. [CB]

[Q5] Bully Ray was backstage with Roode, discussing how he was trending worldwide on Twitter after his match last week with Abyss. Roode vented about his upcoming match with Hardy tonight. Ray said that he has his back tonight, and maybe he could get a shot at Roode’s title in the future.

James Storm made his way out to the Impact Zone and called out Kurt Angle right away. Angle grabbed a mic, but Storm knocked it out of his hands. He then called Angle a cheater after his match with him at Genesis ended cheaply, and also told Angle to have a match with him tonight. Angle said that he will not give Storm a re-match tonight, but Sting came out and interrupted him. Sting made it official that right away - Storm and Angle would have a match, and the winner would receive an opportunity to face the World Heavyweight Champion.

[Q6]

3 – KURT ANGLE vs. JAMES STORM - #1 contender's match for the World Hvt. Title

The match began with Storm backing Angle into a corner and striking away. He then took him corner-to-corner with head smashes. Storm then tossed Angle to the outside, and smashed his head on the stairs. Angle got away from Storm and got control with a gut punch. The match went back inside the ring and Angle stomped away. Storm got control after a reverse Irish Whip into an elbow to the jaw. Angle went outside and Storm followed, but Angle hit a belly-to-belly suplex. At this point, the show went to a commercial break. [CB]

As the match resumed, Angle was stomping Storm in the corner. The taunting by Angle continued as he continued to stomp away on Storm. Storm tried to build momentum, but was brought down by a hard uppercut by Angle. After an Irish Whip, both attempted a crossbody, but hit each other and they went down. The two got up and Storm built offense with two clotheslines and a double knee backbreaker. Storm also pulled on a generic backbreaker before setting up for an Anklelock. Angle countered, though, and hit an Angle Slam, but only got a two count. In frustration, Angle grabbed Storm’s beer bottle and took a drink. He then spit beer in Storm’s face and hit a superkick, but only got a two count again. Storm recovered and hit Angle with a double knee jawbreaker, followed by superkick of his own and got the pinfall.

WINNER: Storm in 11:00.

[Q7] (Part of the Angle-Storm match bled into Q7.) [CB]

Jeff Hardy was seen walking backstage, discussing that he would end Roode's reign as World Champion tonight.

Madison Rayne approached Sting backstage, and asked him to name her the official vice president of the Knockouts Division. Sting laughed it off and told her that she would be in a steel cage match next week with Mickie James.

[Q8]

4 – TNA World Hvt. champion BOBBY ROODE vs. JEFF HARDY -- TNA World Title match

Hardy nailed Roode with a baseball slide as he was on the outside during introductions to begin the match. Hardy then continued the attack by slamming Roode’s face into the ringpost and the stairs, and a catapult into the post as well. The match was taken inside and Hardy stomped Roode in the corner. After dragging him out, he hit a short-arm clothesline followed by a front suplex. As he clotheslined Roode onto the outside, the show cut to a commercial. [CB]

The match resumed with Hardy repeatedly punching and kicking Roode on the outside. He then forced him into the steel steps, and set up for a spot while Roode was on the rail. Hardy went for a diving legdrop, but crashed and burned intensely. He beat a count-out by the last second, but Roode began the attack. After a headlock, Roode hit a rolling neck snap.

The champion taunted the fans while Hardy was down, but Hardy got control with a jawbreaker, followed by a Russian legsweep and double legdrop. Hardy then executed the Whisper in the Wind, but only got a two count. Roode then countered a Twist of Fate with a Double R Spinebuster. Hardy then hit the Twist of Fate after countering a vertical suplex. He went for a Swanton Bomb, but missed. Roode cradled him, but only got a two count. Hardy then gained momentum after getting to his feet and hit another Twist of Fate. He then executed the Swanton Bomb and went for a pinfall. As the ref was about to strike three, Bully Ray pulled the ref out of the ring.

WINNER: No Contest in 9:00; Roode retained the World Title.

After the match, Hardy attacked Bully Ray, but the match was over and Hardy was screwed again. The show ended with Hardy visibly disappointed.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Five minutes of wrestling in the first hour? Really? I can tell wrestling matters on this program, because they had 25 minutes of it on a two-hour program. The Angle-Storm match was actually pretty solid and so was the Hardy-Roode match until the finish. The way the show ended was pretty disappointing, as it looked like Hardy was going to win the title. Overall, there was entirely WAY too much talking on this edition of Impact. I didn’t feel like I was watching a wrestling program for much of the two hours.

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