TNA Impact Wrestling Results
February 23, 2012
Taped in Orlando, Fla.
Report by Scott Turner, PWTorch Contributor

[Q1] Impact Wrestling opened with a video package highlighting the drama between Bobby Roode, Sting, and James Storm, who won last week to become number one contender for the TNA Heavyweight Title. Mike Tenay and Taz hyped Brandon Jacobs’s appearance and tonight’s main event of Bully Ray teaming with Kurt Angle in a match against Storm and Jeff Hardy.

Roode made his way to the ring as Tenay talked about Sting’s tweet where he declared, “I’m done.” Roode got on the mic and informed the crowd that they could say their final goodbyes to Sting later in the night as they chanted, “You suck,” and Sting’s name. He then went on to gloat about how he was the man who ended Sting’s career. Roode told Sting to “not let the door hit you in your a** on the way out.”

Matt Morgan and Crimson were shown backstage bickering about losing the titles and who was to blame for their loss at Against All Odds. They made amends and agreed to go out and win their match.

1 - TNA World Tag Team champions MAGNUS & SAMOA JOE vs. MATT MORGAN & CRIMSON - TNA World Tag Team Championship match

Morgan and Crimson were quick to attack as the bell rang. They disposed Magnus to the outside and double-teamed Joe. Joe regained his bearings and tagged Magnus in to do battle with Crimson. The “undefeated” Crimson hit a wind-up slam on Magnus for a two count. Crimson went for a spear on Magnus in the corner, but Joe made the save leaving Crimson to crash shoulder-first into the ringpost.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2] The show came back with Crimson fighting Joe and Magnus out of the corner. Crimson hit Joe with a Spinebuster, then both wrestlers tagged in their respective partners. Morgan dominated Joe and Magnus and got a close two count on Magnus that was broken up by Joe. Morgan and Crimson seemed to be in control of the offense until Crimson accidentally hit Morgan with a clothesline. Joe threw Crimson out of the ring, which left Morgan open to receive a double team sequence from Joe and Magnus. This led to Magnus getting the pin after an elbow from the second rope.

WINNERS: Joe & Magnus via pinfall at 9:00 to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles.

Turner Reax: I like that this program got Joe and Magnus over as a credible team that gels well and it also led into the third, and presumably final, chapter in the Morgan and Crimson feud. The match was what it was. Nothing too special, but not a bad match by any means.

An ad aired for Brandon Jacobs’s appearance, which was next on the show.

[Commercial Break]

Jacobs came out to his own theme song with an ad for Victory Road playing on the screen. The commentators talked about Jacobs’s physical involvement on last week’s show. Once in the ring, Jacobs introduced himself and championed his Super Bowl victory. He said the thing to do after winning the Super Bowl is to come to Impact Wrestling. Jacobs said he and Storm both drink beer, which is why they are friends. The Super Bowl champion admitted that he probably should not have crossed the guardrail and got in Bully Ray’s face, but that Ray should have never spit on his face. Jacobs then proceeded to call Ray out. Ray came out and called Jacobs "Brenda" and reintroduced himself and his calves to him.

[Q3] Ray mockingly compared both of their accolades in their respective sports as the crowd broke into a “Brandon Jacobs” chant. He went as far as making fun of Jacobs’s lack of yardage and touchdowns in the Super Bowl. Jacobs motioned for Ray to get into the ring, and Ray retorted that even though he would love to get in the ring to fight him that he would not be able to since has a tag team match tonight. Jacobs said if Ray wasn’t going to come to him that he was going to make his way to him.

[Commercial Break]

Jacobs was shown backstage looking for Ray. Storm and Hardy intercepted Jacobs and Storm whispered something that seemed to delight Jacobs.

2 - X Division champion ALEX SHELLEY vs. ZEMA ION

Ion went after Shelley before the bell with baseball slide. After putting Shelley down, Ion sprayed the hairspray as Austin Aries made his way out to the ring with popcorn and a glass of wine in hand. Shelley blindsided Ion and hit a springboard splash from the outside apron into the ring on Ion for a two count. Ion got the best of Shelley on a few exchanges before locking him in an armbar. Shelley made his way to the ropes and hit a Dragon Screw on Ion.

After an enziguiri, Shelley clotheslined Ion to the outside, and followed it up with suicide elbow through the ropes to the outside. Shelley went to the top rope for the double foot stomp, but missed. Ion pushed Shelley towards the ref, but Shelley put the brakes on it. In a moment of a disarray, Ion caught Shelley in the eyes with the hairspray. With Shelley on his knees, Ion hit him with a pair of running knees for the pin.

WINNER: Ion via pinfall at 4:03.

Turner Reax: Too short to be anything special, but Ion needed to win on his way towards facing Aries for the X Division Title. I’m not sure what story they are trying to tell and I’m sure the match will be good, but the heel vs. heel dynamic in the Aries vs. Ion program is kind of strange. Aries is a really good heel for babyfaces to play off, though.

An ad aired for tonight’s main event.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4] A video packaged recapped the Bischoff saga that culminated into a backstage segment with Garett Bischoff talking about he was going to keep on fighting and that he was not leaving Impact Wrestling. Hogan came in and doubted Garrett’s confidence. He told him if he was going to stay in the business that Garett’s dad was going to make his life difficult. Hogan told him he had nothing to prove and that he had a decision to make.

Madison Rayne was shown backstage talking about approving Sting leaving the business. She addressed her number one contender status and said the only reason she got involved in last week’s Knockouts battle royal was because she was aware of Gail Kim’s competitive spirit and wanted to be the one give her a competitive match.

[Commercial Break]

3--TNA Knockouts champion and Knockout Tag Team champion GAIL KIM vs. ODB (w/Eric Young)

As the match started, the crowd started chanting “ODB,” which Kim took exception to. She began to highlight her assets while putting down ODB’s. ODB knocked Kim down with her chest. ODB got Kim in the corner and hit her with a Bronco Buster for a failed pin attempt. Kim tried to mount some offense, but was caught off by ODB who hit a fallaway slam. Another “ODB” chant broke out as Kim began to take over on offense. Kim hit a flying clothesline for a two count.

[Q5] Kim threw ODB face-first into the mat from the ropes akin to Randy Orton’s signature DDT. The Knockouts champion got ODB in her “octopus style submission,” which she reversed by slamming Kim into the floor. Kim maintained offense in the corner, putting her boot the neck of ODB. Rayne made her way out, distracting Kim long enough for Young to pour some of the liquid from a flask into ODB’s mouth, giving her Popeye-like strength. ODB hit a Thesz Press from the corner for a two count. Kim went for a kick that was reversed into a "Bam" attempt, only to have that countered into Kim’s Eat Defeat.

WINNER: Kim via pinfall in 6:10.

Post-match, Rayne tried celebrating with Kim in the ring, but Kim rejected her “friendly” advances.

Turner Reax: Sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s canned and what isn’t with TNA, but it truly seemed that on this night the crowd loved ODB. It’s not saying much, but so far the Knockouts have match of the night honors.

A.J. Styles was shown sitting in an empty Impact Zone at the ring earlier in the day talking about being over his feud with Kazarian and Daniels. He said it was time to focus on winning the World Heavyweight TItle.

[Commercial Break]

A video package concerning Jesse Sorensen's injury was shown. Sorensen's mother spoke about her fear for her son’s health after witnessing the injury. Sorensen himself gave his testimonial about what happened in his match against Zema Ion at Against All Odds. After the video, Tenay informed the audience that Sorensen has since been released from the hospital.

[Q6]

3 - TNA Television champion ROBBIE E. (w/Robbie T.) vs. A.J. STYLES - TNA Television championship match

Styles was quick to put the offense to Robbie E. as the crowd quickly broke into an “AJ” chant. AJ put Robbie into the Cattle Mutilation submission hold until Robbie E. broke free. Robbie tried to hide to behind Terry, which distracted Styles long enough for Robbie to enough offense in to get a two count. Robbie threw Styles into corner allowing Terry to take a free shot at Styles behind the referee’s back. Robbie hit a knee drop of the middle rope on Styles for a close two count. Styles fought back and hit a sick-looking dropkick on Robbie and then picked him up for a sloppy pumphandle backbreaker. As Styles took to the outside ring apron, Kazarian and Daniels made their way to the ring. Kazarian pulled Styles down and threw him into the ringpost. The referee called for the disqualification.

WINNER: A.J. Styles via DQ at 4:49; Robbie retained the TV Title.

Turner Reax: Ah yes, the prestigious TNA Television Title...Anyways, it seems like A.J. is going to continue his feud with his former Fortune running mates.

The announcers hyped Sting’s appearance later in the night and tonight’s main event.

[Commercial Break]

The heels made their way out first followed by Hardy and Storm, who received a nice reception from the crowd. Jeremy Borash tried introducing the match, but Ray cut him off and told he doesn’t need anyone introducing him. Borash continued on with his introductions for the rest of the wrestlers in the ring.

[Q7] Storm took to the mic and asked if there were any beer drinkers in the Impact Zone. He said he had a friend that was a beer drinker with unfinished business with Ray. Storm introduced Jacobs as his favorite running back. As Jacobs made his way to the ring Ray became apprehensive and bowed out of the ring.

4 - BULLY RAY & KURT ANGLE vs. JAMES STORM & JEFF HARDY (w/Brandon Jacobs)

Storm and Angle started things out for their teams and exchanged blows until Storm hit Angle with a running knee to the face. After another knee to Angle, Ray distracted Storm long enough for Angle to take advantage and put the boots on Storm in the corner. Storm tagged Hardy in as the show went to commercial break.

[Commercial Break]

As the show came back, Hardy hit the Whisper in the Wind on Ray for a close two count. Jeff took off running to the ropes, but was stopped by a clothesline from Ray. Ray kept hold of the referee’s attention long enough for Angle to take Hardy down and pull him, groin-first, into the ringpost. Tenay said that he had just gotten word that Styles was livid backstage and was demanding a gauntlet match against Kazarian and Styles for next week’s Impact.

Ray tagged in Angle, who kept Hardy at bay with an over head belly-to-belly suplex. Angle tagged Ray back into the match and attempted to capitalize on Hardy’s weak state, only to be countered with a boot to the face. Hardy tagged Storm in, which led to a series of all the wrestlers subsequently taking each other out. Ray and Angle went for a table under the ring and as they were pulling it out they received a double baseball slide kick from Hardy and Storm. As Ray and Angle set up the table, Storm nailed Angle with Last Call superkick. Bully Ray took Storm down, which led to Jacobs entering the ring.

[Q8] Ray and Jacobs had a stand-off, which saw both of them getting into a three point stance. Storm punched Ray in the face and Jacobs put Ray through the table, allowing Storm to score the pin.

WINNERS: Storm and Hardy via pinfall at 14:11.

Storm and Jacobs drank beer together in the ring as a replay for Jacobs’s spot aired. Jacobs got on the mic and told Ray he was “sorry about your damn luck.”

A program director was shown knocking on Sting’s door. When the door opened all he said was “showtime.”

[Commercial Break]

Sting made his way to the ring decked out in street clothes. Sting acknowledged that it has been made public that he’s done. He admitted that too much had slipped through his fingers, that Roode had pushed them over the edge, and that it was true that he was “done.” Roode came out feigning grief over Sting’s announcement. Roode said he wanted to apologize for interrupting Sting’s speech, but that he felt he had to be out there to hear Sting proclaim him the better man and to hear him announce the he was done.

Sting told Roode that he had helped him out, that he had woken him up. Sting then began to smear facepaint all over himself and thanked Roode again for waking him up. He informed Roode that he was no longer going to be Mr. Nice Guy. Sting reverted to his Heath Ledger Joker character and claimed that at Victory Road he was going to “kick the living crap” out of Roode. Roode tried to hit Sting with a low blow in the same manner he did last week, but Sting grabbed a hold of his foot and returned the favor. Sting had trouble deciding between ending the exchange by saying, “It’s showtime,” or “Tata for now” before deciding on “Tata for now.”

Turner Reax: Color me guilty, but I enjoy the whole Insane Icon gimmick with Sting. If this leads to Roode beating Sting at Victory Road to build him up even more in time for his confrontation with Storm at Lockdown, I’m for it. Maybe it’s just been enough time for Roode to feel comfortable in his heel skin, but this program with Sting has really highlighted it for me.

Overall, another logical, less-than-stellar edition of Impact that furthered the major storylines. I don’t get the sense that there is anything really there for people to truly sink their teeth into. Sure, this is a better product than it was a year or two ago, but it’s not like it’s spectacular, must-watch television. Thanks again for reading a long and be sure to read a long next week.

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