SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
TNA IMPACT REPORT
NOVMBER 23, 2006
TAPED 11/19 IN ORLANDO, FL.
AIRED ON SPIKE TV
-A brief “Dave Sahadi Special” aired, a video of clips ffrom the Genesis PPV and last week’s Impact.
-Abyss and James Mitchell came out at the start of the show. Mike Tenay said that Sting fell victim to Mitchell’s mindgames “and it was a side of Sting we have never seen before.” Don West noted that the ref warned Sting “repeatedly! repeatedly,” but he just went too far. Mitchell entered the ring with Abyss. He said he stands in the ring like a proud father with the new NWA World Hvt. Champion. He said he tried to tell everyone it’s better to laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. He said despite Sting’s preaching about dignity and righteousness, he’s no different than they are. He said, “At Genesis, you once again walked down a path you once knew very well, a path of enlightenment that feebleminded call the Highway to Hell.” He said they welcome him home with open arms. Sting’s music played and he ran to the ring swinging a baseball bat, clearing the ring of Mitchell and Abyss. Then “Sting” demasked and revealed himself to be Christian.
Christian took off the Sting black robe and dropped the bat. He asked if that’s the type of thing he has to do to get his title shot, “dressing up as a complete moron.” He said he’s not waiting for Sting to take his rematch at Turning Point against “The Masked Retard Abyss.” He said if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. He said Sting would lose his no. 1 contender spot if he didn’t make it to Turning Point. The real Sting then stepped out with a baseball bat in hand. He said he would get his rematch tonight even if he has to walk over him to get it. He challenged him to a match later, then warned Christian he’s in a bad mood tonight. Sting entered the ring and Christian bailed out. Christian said he doesn’t care about his mood swings, but he’s up for a singles match as long as Sting puts his no. 1 contender’s spot on the line. Sting said, “It’s showtime!”
Good opening segment. They started with the new champion, which is what you have to do after a World Title change (and X Title changes should be treated the same way). Christian was his usual strong self, with something to talk about. Sting came through well with his few lines and overall projected a sense of purpose and emotion that usually wanes when he doesn’t have much to work with. The downside is Mitchell’s promo was focused entirely on messing with Sting’s head and not at all on what it meant for Abyss to be NWA Champion. What does it mean to Abyss to have won that belt? He’s an unconventional champion, so there’s potential to define his title reign and its impact in an unconventional way.
-The TNA Impact opening aired.
-A.J. Styles’s ring entrance music played as he and Christopher Daniels came out. The Naturals were already standing in the ring. Tenay said that tag match would take place after the break.
-They cut outside to Kurt Angle getting out of a car with his bag.
[Commercial Break]
[Q2]
1 — THE NATURALS (w/Shane Douglas) vs A.J. STYLES & CHRISTOPHER DANIELS
Tenay said this was the final match with Styles and Daniels as a team. Tenay said it’s been an on-again, off-again relationship with Styles and Daniels, but now “they’ve decided to go their own separate ways.” He said it’s a nice tribute for them to team one final time. West said it’s also a chance for Styles to show that whatever he’s going through, it’s not personal with Daniels. Styles hit a springboard frog splash followed immediately by a Daniels BME for the win.
WINNERS: Styles & Daniels in 3:00.
STAR RATING: *1/4 — Too short to amount to much, but a nice dose of Styles athleticism.
-After the match, Rhino entered the ring and held the arms of Daniels and Styles up. Styles yanked him arm down and bailed out firs. He seemed to be displeased with Rhino grabbing his arm. He yelled back at the ring and he backed up the ramp. They showed Alex Shelley, Austin Starr, and Senshi watching events unfold from one part of the arena. Jerry Lynn, Jay Lethal, and Sonjay Dutt watched from another area.
-West and Tenay plugged Sting vs. Christian again, plus noted they are awaiting the arrival of LAX who have to turn in their NWA Tag Team Title belts tonight. Eric young showed uyp in a turkey outfit. Tenay said it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Eric Young in a turkey outfit. Tenay also noted that Voodoo Kin Mafia had declared war.
-They went to a segment of VKM at a Stamford. Conn. hotel in the basement. B.G. James said they are headed to WWE Headquarters to confront Billionaire Vince, Michael Hickenbottom, and Paul Levesque. They said the attack was yet to come. A brief clip aired of them running through a street like two 13 year olds who just played Ding Dong Ditch.
[Commercial Break]
-Jim Cornette introduced Petey Williams, touting that he made an impact recently. Tenay said he is a hero who refused to succumb to peer pressure and defended the American flag. Cornette interviewed him in an OVW-like moment. Petey said everybody knows he’s a Canadian citizen. He said he has had problems with America in general, but he had an opportunity. He said what LAX had planned for the flag was not right and he knew the person to stop them was him. Petey hung the flag. Cornette asked everyone to rise for the playing of the National Anthem. Just as it began, LAX interrupted.
Konnan, Hernandez, and Homicide walked out. Cornette said the only question he had for them is whether they were there to return the belts. Konnan said no. “We came here to serve you with some papers,” he said. A guy who was supposedly their attorney handd over some paperwork. Petey said, “With all due respect, since you served us, I’ll serve you.” He punched Konnan. He was soon overwhelmed by a three-on-one attack and then had the Mexican flag draped over him. America’s Most Wanted and Gail Kim charged to the ring. Kim dove off the top rope onto Homicide. Konnan threw her to the mat by her hair. Chris Harris jumped on Kim to protect her. Kurrt Angle ran to the ring and gave Homicide and Hernandez each German suplexes. Angle stood center ring under the American flag with AMW.
Samoa Joe’s music played. As he headed to the ring, they cut to a break.
[Q3]
[Commercial Break]
-Samoa Joe said for 18 months, he did something that hasn’t been done in modern wrestling – he went undefeated. Joe said he knew inevitably that some day, he’d look across the ring and a better man would have his hand raised. He said his only consolation is he lost to a man who has been a champion everywhere he’s been, an Olympic Gold Medalist. He said that was just one night, but now he wanted to ask again for a rematch. “Kurt Angle, will you give yourself the satisfaction of a rematch,” he said. Tenay said he wouldn’t give him an answer at Genesis. Angle took a step back, took out his mouthguard, and paused. Angle then said, “Samoa Joe, you gave me a fight of my life. I’ll give you a rematch on one condition.” He said if they watch each other’s back between now and Turning Point, he’s got his rematch. Joe smiled and nodded.
-They went to “Operation Cease and Desist,” starting at 9:47 p.m. B.G. said they will not put the wrestling fans through those horrible skits anymore. At 11:54 p.m., they showed them running across the street to Target. B.G. said he wanted them to go after “The target, not a Target.” B.G. accused Kip of being dumb.
-Jeremy Borash hosted a “TNA Spotlight” segment. He plugged upcoming TNA live events and DVD releases and PPV.
-Robert Roode stood in the ring and told Young he is an embarrassment to the sport. The crowd chanted, “You suck! You suck!” Roode said he had to cheat to win on Sunday. He challenged him a match.
[Commercial Break]
[Q4]
2 — ROBERT ROODE (w/Ms. Brooks) vs. ERIC YOUNG
Tenay said Roode was embarrassed on the Genesis preshow when he cheated to pin Young, the fans told that he used the ropes to leverage, the match was restarted, and Young scored a pin. Roode set up a piledriver, but Young slipped out and rolled him up for a pin.
WINNER: Young in 1:00.
STAR RATING: 1/4*
-After the match, Roode ranted on the mic. he accused Brooks of not doing her job. He said he didn’t hire her to flaunt her body.
-A Paparazzi Produuction video aired. Nash told a gathering of X Division wrestlers they had to rebrand the X Division. Nash said if they are using steroids, he needs to know as they begin the Paparazzi Championship Series. Senshi looked bored in the corner. Sonjay protested. Nash said, “You gonna drive that Ford Maverick the rest of your life?” Dutt corrected him: “Honda Protege.” Nash asked everyone to join hands in a sign of brotherhood. Shelley and Nash held hands. Starr joined in. Nash sung “Kumbaya.” Dutt and Lethal walked out. Nash called them “juiceheads” as they walked away.
3 — CHRISTIAN vs. STING
Cornette joined Tenay at ringside. Sting followed right behind Christian during his ring intro, then jump-started the match with a punch to the face. He dropped Christian over the security railing, then into the crowd. They brawled up the bleachers as they cut to a break.
[Commercial Break – In a change of roles, a spot aired plugging UFC Unleashed up next; until the timeslot change, it was UFC’s audience helping to feed TNA viewers]
Christian had control in the ring. Cornette said he’s rooting for Angle and Williams in the situation with LAX. Christian pulled Sting’s shirt over his face and slapped his chest. As Christian gloated, Sting flexed and no-sold his subsequent punch. Cornette said he thinks a champion should retain his title by pinfall of submission, but Sting just took it too far and was out of control. Sting pressed Christian and tossed him to the mat, then hit him with a Stinger Splash in the corner. On a second Stinger splash attempt, Christian pulled the ref in his path. Sting went for a Scorpion, but Christian raked his eyes. Sting then hit his inverted DDT and applied the Scorpion. Tomko came out through the crowd and attacked Sting. (Tyson) Tomko was Christian’s old bodyguard in WWE. Cornette said he’s not a contracted wrestler in TNA. Tomko attacked Sting. Tenay said they had no decision in the match, so nothing was settled. Cornette said he had a lot of thinking to do.
WINNER: No decision in 5:00.
STAR RATING: 3/4* – Not enough time to develop into a full-fledged match. The reintroduction of Tomko to Christian’s act has some potential. The finish of the match – or non-finish – leads to the match being a three-way at Turning Point. The problem is, if Sting lost the title via DQ for hitting a ref, why would Christian not be DQ’d for throwing the ref in Sting’s path and then having an old friend attack Sting? We’ll see if they cover that inconsistency in future weeks.
-They went to a video featuring highlights of the just completed show.
-They went back to Kip and B.G. wandering the streets of Connecticut. B.G. ranted about Kip screwing up his simple mission. He said he’s been in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but he can’t find the WWE Headquarters. he blamed the GPS system. kip then pointed at a building in the distance – and it was the WWE Headquarters.
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