Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Here are the results from last night’s Against All Odds Pay-Per-View: ~ The Naturals def. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong at 10:29 ~ Jay Lethal def. Matt Bentley, Alex Shelley, and Petey Williams at 10:30 ~ The James Gang def. The Latin American Exchange at 5:59 ~ America’s Most Wanted def. Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt to retain the NWA Tag Team Championships at 10:43 ~ Rhino def. Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at 15:25 ~ Samoa Joe def. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels to retain the TNA X Division Championship at 16:07 ~ Team 3D def. Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young) at 13:12 ~ Christian Cage def. Jeff Jarrett to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at 16:14
TNA Management has recently come to terms with the release of Jackie Gayda. Last seen on Impact!, Gayda was involved with Jeff Jarrett & Co. With her storyline pretty much not very necessary to what the rest of Planet Jarrett was doing, her and the company came to terms on a release. Gayda says she is more focused on spending time with her husband Charlie Haas, who currently works on the independent circuit. There have been no reporting bad feelings reported between the two sides, as Gayda has stated that she enjoyed her time in TNA.
A name that has come up lately in wrestling circles has been Jeff Hardy, last seen in TNA during the end of 2005. Despite rumors, Jeff and the company have no parted ways, as Hardy is now suspended by the company after no-showing the Turning Point PPV in December. But he is rumored to be returning in the coming months, as management still views him as a valuable asset, given his large fan following. While he may not be returning immediately, expect the suspension to be lifted around the Destination X PPV in March.
Another wrestler that has not been seen since late 2005 in TNA is Sabu. According to reports, Sabu recently suffered an arm injury while wrestling overseas. This is viewed as a small blow to TNA, as management had plans to reintroduce the former ECW wrestler in the coming weeks, but that plan will now be put on hold for at least two months, with Sabu taking that time to recover.
With Christian Cage now the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion, expect the company to revolve around him for the next few months, probably throughout the summer. When Christian signed with TNA in November, he knew that he was getting the chance to be a main event talent, something he didn’t get when he was with the WWE. Now that he has been built up enough, management felt it was finally time to make him the top guy and see how he handles it. While he is expected to make his first title defense against Jeff Jarrett, the former champion with a rematch clause, expect other possible programs with Abyss, Rhino, Monty Brown and others. Now that he finally holds the World Title, Christian is set to become one of the most marketed and recognizable faces in professional wrestling.
While he announced his “retirement” at the end of January, Steve ‘Sting’ Borden has no plans to sit on the sidelines. He will be coming back in a wrestling role within the next few months, as the retirement angle was all part of a larger angle. The original plan was to have Alex Shelley follow Sting and ask him about coming back to TNA, but those plans have apparently been scratched, as Shelley is going to focus more on his wrestling. But Sting is still expected back by the Lockdown PPV at the latest, with an appearance as early as Destination X being another possibility. Sting set out to continue his legendary career when he signed with TNA, and a return to action is what he wants the most.
Spike! TV and TNA are on very good terms right now, with both sides happy with the numbers that the company is bringing in each week. But TNA believes that the next step should be a move to primetime, with a possible extension to 2 hours. But Spike! thinks that the show is fine where it is now. They have stated that they want at least another month before a possible month, something TNA has accepted. So expect a possible move, if the ratings are good, within the next few months.
Finally, here is the remainder of the 2006 TNA PPV Schedule: Destination X - March 12 Lockdown - April 23 Sacrifice - May 14 Slammiversary - June 18 Victory Road - July 16 Hard Justice - August 13 No Surrender - September 24 Bound For Glory - October 22 Genesis - November 19 Turning Point - December 10
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Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Roster Update - Feb. 13th
Face in Blue, Heel in Red, Tweener in Black
A1
‘The Monster’ Abyss
‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles
Alex Shelley
Andy Douglas
Austin Aires
BG James
‘The Canadian Enforcer’ Bobby Roode
Brother Devon
Brother Ray
Cassidy Riley
Chase Stevens
‘Wildcat’ Chris Harris
Chris Sabin
‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage
‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels
David Young
‘Prime Time’ Elix Skipper
Eric Young
Homicide
‘The Tennessee Cowboy’ James Storm
Jay Lethal
‘The King of the Mountain’ Jeff Jarrett
Jerrelle Clark
‘Hot Shot’ Johnny Devine
Kip James
Konnan
Lance Hoyt
Machete
Matt Bentley
‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown
‘The Canadian Destroyer’ Petey Williams
‘The War Machine’ Rhino
Roderick Strong
Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings
‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ Samoa Joe
Shannon Moore
Shark Boy
Simon Diamond
Sonjay Dutt
Managers & Other Personalities:
‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong (Allied with The James Gang)
Don West (Color Commentator)
Gail Kim (Valet of America’s Most Wanted & Team Jarrett)
‘Father’ James Mitchell (Manages Abyss)
Jeremy Borash (Backstage Interviewer)
‘The Living Legend’ Larry Zybszko (Director of Authority)
‘The Professor’ Mike Tenay (Play-by-Play Commentator)
Scott D’Amore (Manages Team Canada)
Shane Douglas (Road Agent)
Traci (Valet of Matt Bentley)
Inactive:
Jeff Hardy (Suspended)
‘Dynamic’ Jerry Lynn (Leave of Absense)
‘Big Sexy’ Kevin Nash (Recovering from a “Cardiac Episode”)
Sabu (Arm Injury, Out 2 Months)
‘The Icon’ Sting (“Retired”)
Raven (Leave of Absence)
Tag Teams & Stables:
America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm)
Diamonds In The Rough (David Young, Elix Skipper & Simon Diamond)
Generation X (Alex Shelley, Austin Aries & Roderick Strong)
The James Gang (BG James & Kip James)
Latin American Exchange (Konnan, Homicide & Machete)
Planet Jarrett (Jeff Jarrett, Gail Kim, Chris Harris & Lance Storm)
Sonjay Dutt & Chris Sabin
Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon)
Team Canada (Scott D’Amore, A1, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, Johnny Devine & Petey Williams)
TNA Champions: NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Christian Cage NWA Tag Team Champions: America’s Most Wanted TNA X Division Champion: Samoa Joe
Expect to see the TNA Impact! preview soon…
__________________
AS LONG AS IT MAY TAKE ... NOT REMOVING UNTIL
THE CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
Good update, Pat, that plan with Shelley following Sting asking about his return could have been good as it could have developed into a decent feud between the two, which would do Alex wonders. Christian seems to have a bright future with the options available to him for feuding, and a Christian/Hardy feud when Jeff returns would be very interesting.
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
You let Jackie Gayda go??
That's the death knell of the thread I'm afraid. How can this survive without her??
Onto the serious biz
Glad you're looking to focus the brand around the new top face champion. Refreshing to say the least.
Jeff Hardy and Sabu possibly coming back in could result in major injuries, lol. Not sure what either could really bring to the table in TNA at this point, but I'm guessing you've got plans for them upon their returns.
Sting could still be useful in a certain part time role. A good big name to bring in every few months for an angle here and there.
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
Nice round of updates there, Pat.
Jeff Hardy is someone I'd like to see return to the fold, but I think by this point I had gotten bored of seeing Sabu and Abyss fight every month. Gayda being released is as expected I guess, but most interestingly of the news if of Shelley and Sting - I'm a huge Alex Shelley fan and I'd love to see something go down between the two of them. At the moment the X-Division is stacked, and with Joe as champion - I don't see a way in for Alex.
I hope this stays as a one-hour deal, because I really would love for you to be putting out shows regularly and to be able to really get emersed in a TNA thread.
So yah, keep going. (Y)
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WF Hall Of Shame;Azuran, perro, Leechmaster, Pyro, afl2, Hajime No Blasko, SelfHighFive.
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
TNA Impact! Preview - February 18, 2006
The most exciting wrestling promotion in the world today gets ready to take the next step forward, with another explosive edition of TNA Impact! on tap for this Saturday night! Join ‘The Professor’ Mike Tenay and Don West and witness all of the great action that TNA promises to deliver, only on Spike! TV this Saturday at 11PM/10PM CST.
Just six days removed from Against All Odds, the entire landscape of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has been changed. Probably the biggest story coming out of last Sunday’s pay-per-view is the fact that we have a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and it’s ‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage! Coming to the company just this past November, Christian Cage has impressed in every match that he has wrestled in, and now he stands alone as the World Champion. But with the World Title comes added pressure, as Christian is sure to face challenges week in and week out, the first of which no doubt coming from the man he defeated this past Sunday, the former Champion, ‘The King of the Mountain’ Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett had held the title since the November 3rd edition of Impact!, and it’s safe to say that he isn’t happy that his reign with the title ended. While we are no doubt going to hear from Christian Cage this week, could Jeff Jarrett also make his voice heard, and possibly challenge Christian Cage to a rematch? Find out on Impact!
While one title changed hands at Against All Odds, the other two remained with the men who have held them for months. Withstanding the challenge of the young team of Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt, America’s Most Wanted, James Storm and Chris Harris, retained their titles following a Death Sentence to Dutt. Also at Against All Odds, ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ Samoa Joe retained his X Division Championship, pinning AJ Styles in a match also involving ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels. Two months into his reign as the X Division Champion, Samoa Joe looks unstoppable, and this Saturday on Impact!, he will be wrestling Sonjay Dutt in a non-title match. Will Samoa Joe continue his winning streak, or will Sonjay Dutt pull off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory? Tune into Impact! to find out the answer!
Also this week, expect an update on both ‘The Monster’ Abyss and ‘The War Machine’ Rhino following their barbaric Falls Count Anywhere match at Against All Odds. At last update, neither man was medically cleared to wrestle, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t make their way into the Impact! Zone. We are also expected to hear from The James Gang following their win against the Latin American Exchange, a win that was bittersweet due to the assault of the Latin American Exchange following the match. Expect BG and Kip James to be in a very foul mood after what went down last Sunday. Finally, after defeating Bobby Roode and Eric Young of Team Canada, Team 3D will again be in action, going against two other members of Team Canada, that being A-1 and Johnny Devine. Team 3D was assaulted by not only Team Canada, but also America’s Most Wanted after the match was over, so they will be ready to take out two of the men responsible for that attack. We begin to move toward Destination X on March 12th, so tune into Spike! TV this week to catch all the red-hot wrestling action!
Scheduled Matches for TNA Impact!: ~ Team 3D vs. Team Canada (A-1 & Johnny Devine)
~ Samoa Joe vs. Sonjay Dutt
__________________
AS LONG AS IT MAY TAKE ... NOT REMOVING UNTIL
THE CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
TNA Impact! - February 18, 2006
Before we get into the program, we get a video recap of the Against All Odds PPV. The Naturals beat Austin Aries & Roderick Strong; Jay Lethal defeated Matt Bentley, Alex Shelley, and Petey Williams in a Four Way Match; The James Gang beat The Latin American Exchange, with the aftermath shown, including ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong coming down to save BG & Kip; America’s Most Wanted defeated Chris Sabin & Sonjay Dutt to retain the NWA Tag Team Titles; Rhino defeated Abyss in a brutal Falls Count Anywhere Match, pinning Abyss after a Gore of the stage and through four tables; Samoa Joe beat AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels to retain the X Division Title; and Team 3D defeated Team Canada’s Bobby Roode & Eric Young, but after the match America’s Most Wanted attacked Ray & Devon, with Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings making the save. And in the main event of the evening, Christian Cage defeated Jeff Jarrett to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion, celebrating with his family as the PPV went off the air.
TNA IMPACT! OPENING VIDEO
After the pyro goes off inside the Impact! Zone, our familiar commentators take over.
Mike Tenay: Ladies and gentlemen, we are just six days removed from one of the biggest nights in our company’s history. Joined as always by my broadcast partner Don West, I am ‘The Professor’ Mike Tenay! And Don, how awesome was Against All Odds!?
Don West: Mike, we’ve certainly had some tremendous events in the past, but I gotta say that Against All Odds may have been our best yet. So many amazing matches, and, I mean, we have a new NWA World Champion!
Mike Tenay: That’s right folks. In case you missed it, Christian Cage, a man who’s only been with TNA since November, defeated the now former World Champion Jeff Jarrett to win the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Don West: Christian has been talking ever since he came to TNA about becoming the World Champion. The man had his doubters heading into the match, but now we can say with conviction that Christian Cage truly is the real deal.
Mike Tenay: And not only did Christian Cage prove himself, another man holding gold did the same thing. And I’m talking about the X Dvision Champion Samoa Joe.
Don West: Joe wrestled one hell of a match against two of the greatest X Division wrestlers we’ve ever seen in AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. But as great as those guys are, Joe proved why he is still the one holding the belt.
Mike Tenay: We will get to see the X Division Champion later tonight, as he goes up against one of the men who failed to capture the Tag Team Titles at Against All Odds, and that’s Sonjay Dutt.
Don West: Dutt and his partner, Chris Sabin, looked so close on so many occasions against America’s Most Wanted, but it just wasn’t meant to be. And things aren’t looking like they’re getting any easier for Sonjay.
Mike Tenay: Also tonight, we are supposed to get an update on both ‘The War Machine’ Rhino and ‘The Monster’ Abyss after their amazing Falls Count Anywhere match.
Don West: Both men pulled out all of the stops in that one, so I’d be shocked if either man is here tonight.
Mike Tenay: And finally, another match scheduled for tonight is between Team 3D and the team of A-1 and Johnny Devine. Ray and Devon defeated Team Canada members Bobby Roode and Eric Young last Sunday, but Team Canada still attacked them after the match.
Don West: And now I believe that Team Canada is going to have to pay the price. Brother Ray and Brother Devon will not be in a good mood for that match.
Mike Tenay: Let’s just hope that Team Canada doesn’t repeat what they did last Sunday!
On Top of the World
The crowd remains quiet until “Take Over” hits, causing the crowd to cheer, as we all know who’s starting this show. After a few seconds, the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion, the man who defeated Jeff Jarrett this past Sunday at Against All Odds, ‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage walks out onto the stage. After looking around the arena, Christian walks down the ramp and heads toward the ring. Getting himself a mic, the new “top dog” in TNA stands in the center of the ring, a huge smile on his face.
Christian Cage: It su-
The man doesn’t even get a second to talk, as the crowd still shows him love, with a “CHRIS-TIAN CAGE” chant picking up inside the Impact! Zone. The Champ smiles again, loving what he’s hearing from the fans. After a little while, it dies back down again.
Christian Cage: It sure does feel great to be out here with the kind of support that I get each and every week. And now it’s even better because I stand before you the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion!
Cage lifts the belt into the air, with crowd going nuts again.
Christian Cage: That’s right. Just six days ago I did something that should have been done a long time ago. I walked into the ring, man-to-man, and I beat that cancer that’s been running through TNA for years. I beat Jeff Jarrett and took the one thing he loves more than anything!
Another big cheer from the folks in the crowd.
Christian Cage: Jeff Jarrett won’t be able to monopolize your television screens anymore, I can guarantee that. Because now that he doesn’t have this shiny piece of gold, I imagine that he’s just gonna bug the Board of Directors, asking them to reverse what happened last Sunday. But guess what, Jeff? Christian Cage’s in the record books as the man who beat you and nothing’s gonna change that!
Christian lets out another arrogant grin as the crowd loves his Jarrett bashing.
Christian Cage: But enough with the joking, as I’d like to switch to something serious for just a few minutes. Because no matter how arrogant people may think I am, I can honestly say that when I entered this company three months ago, I never dreamed that I’d reach this moment so quickly.
The crowd quiets down, as Christian is now serious.
Christian Cage: Now don’t get me wrong, when I signed with TNA my main goal was to be holding this prestigious piece of gold. But I never thought things would go this well this quickly. After I turned down that ridiculous offer to join Team Canada, I had quite the ride. People said that I “shook the wrestling world” by signing with an up and coming company. My first pay-per-view, I defeated one hell of a wrestler in Monty Brown to earn the right to be number one contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. But before I got my title shot, I got the chance to do something I’ve wanted ever since I came into this business. Going up against Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown, I got to team up with one of the men I idolized. I think you guys refer to him as … Sting?
Christian lets out a huge smile as the crowd lets out a massive pop for ‘The Stinger’.
Christian Cage: Stinger and I, we made one hell of a team. And I know that you might be upset that Sting decided to hang it up, but I respect the man’s decision, as hard as it was to see him leave. But I’d like to state this right now. (Christian looks into the hard camera) Stinger, you ever decide to come back into this six-sided ring, anytime you want, you and me can go at it for this belt.
Another HUGE cheer from the fans, salivating at the possibility of a Christian-Sting encounter.
Christian Cage: So after I got to team with a man I consider a close friend; it was time to get down to business. You have all been watching the past few weeks, so you know how personal it got between Jeff Jarrett and myself. So last Sunday night, it was time for me to put up … or shut up. And I did exactly what I said I’d do, and that was prove that I am the best wrestler this company has. And I exposed Jeff Jarrett as the fraud he is!
Christian nods as the crowd pops again.
Christian Cage: Now, I’m the guy that everyone’s gunning for. I’m not denying that there’s a target on my back. I’m not going to go around thinking that everyone’s just gonna earn their shot. I know that I have to watch my back. I’m ready for the added responsibilities that come with being the World Champion. A certain company that I used to work for up north…
MAJOR heat from the crowd, as we all know who CC is talking about.
Christian Cage: That company didn’t think that I had what it took to lead them as World Champion. But now they are going to find out that they made the biggest mistake in wrestling history by letting me go. Because they’re gonna see the Christian Cage that they could have had … the Christian Cage who will lead to TNA for years to come!
Orlando goes wild again, with Christian looking ready to bring it home.
Christian Cage: I am not afraid to face anyone in that locker room. I am prepared to defend this title every single night if that’s what it takes. I challenge anyone who thinks that they can take this belt from me to step and try their luck. Unlike Jeff Jarrett, you’re not going to get any crap or any excuses from this World Heavyweight Champion. I’m the guy who’s willing to give the fans a title match each and every night. Now that I’m at the top of the mountain, I know that it’ll be a battle to stay here. So if you wanna face me, just say the word, and I’ll be happy to kick your ass to keep this belt around my waist. I’ve already beaten the man who’s held this belt in TNA more than anyone else, so it’s not like I haven’t proven myself. You face me, and you’re getting my absolute best on each night. Because that’s…
The crowd says this last part with him.
Christian Cage: HOW I ROLL!
“ALPHA MALE”
After Christian lifts the title high in the air again, the crowd changes from cheers to boo, as we all know the entrance music that’s playing. After a few moments … the returning ‘Alpha Male’ Monty Brown walks out onto the stage! Brown has a mic in hand, and he’s dressed to compete. Christian stares a hole through the former NFL linebacker as he makes his way through the ropes, nonchalantly entering the ring. Immediately raising the mic to his mouth, Monty begins talking to the World Champion.
Monty Brown: I’m real sorry for interrupting you tonight, Christian, but I thought that the fans need to know that the Alpha Male … is back!
The crowd boos the crap out of the charismatic superstar.
Monty Brown: And there was one person that I wanted to beat the crap out of the second that I came back … and that’s you.
“OHHHS” from the crowd, as Brown gets closer to Christian.
Monty Brown: And now that I’ve been cleared to wrestle again, I just wanna let you know whatever high you’ve been riding for the past six days, you better be ready to come crashing down. Ever since Final Resoltuion I’ve been sitting on the sidelines, waiting to get back into this ring. And now that The Alpha Male is back in Impact! Zone, I intend to do what I should have done months ago, and that’s take the NWA World Heavyweight Title!
A mixed reaction for this last statement; there’s always a few fans who want to see Monty as the Champion.
Monty Brown: So I’m out here for one reason and one reason only. You claim that you’re gonna be a fighting champion … so I expect you to stick to that claim. So how about tonight, you take on The Alpha Male for that belt you just won!?
A massive pop from the crowd, as Christian finally breaks his stare, smiling slightly, while Monty remains serious.
Monty Brown: Something I say make you laugh?
Christian finally brings his mic back up.
Christian Cage: Yeah, Monty, I do think that’s something’s pretty damn funny. Because I could have sworn that I just heard you ask for a title match against me. And yeah, I did say that I was a fighting champion, willing to put this belt on the line at any time and in any place. I’m just shocked that you’d wanna face me again, because that match would go just like Turning Point went, when I beat you right in the middle of this ring!
Another big pop for the NWA World Champion, with Monty Brown going nuts.
Christian Cage: Or it could be like at Final Resolution, when after weeks or running around with Jarrett, saying that you and him were gonna dominate me and Sting, you guys lost anyway! So yeah, if you really wanna suffer the embarrassment again, then I’d be glad to face you for my belt tonight. You fans wanna see that?
The crowd pops, as Christian smirks again and Monty brings the mic up, moving even closer to Cage.
Monty Brown: What happened at Tur-
“MY WORLD”
The heat from the crowd is pretty damn loud, as the party is interrupted yet again. Both Christian and Monty turn to face the (heel) ramp, as ‘The King of the Mountain’ Jeff Jarrett walks out. This being the first time in months that JJ isn’t holding the World Title, you could say that he looks pissed off. The former champion stays at the top of the ramp, bringing his mic up.
Jeff Jarrett: I’ve already had the worst six days of my life since Against All Odds, so I’d appreciate it if you idiots would shut your mouths for just a minute.
Heat for JJ, but he doesn’t seem to care.
Jeff Jarrett: I was already pretty mad that Christian is running around with my World Title … and now the last thing I wanted to see was Monty Brown coming out here, demanding the next shot.
Monty barks something at Jarrett, who just keeps talking.
Jeff Jarrett: Because, Monty Brown, you’re the damn reason that we lost at Final Resolution! So when you stayed away from Impact for the past month, I thought you’d finally left for good. But now that you’re back, let me set one thing straight. You aren’t getting the next title shot … I am!
More boos for Jarrett, as Brown continues to yell at him.
Jeff Jarrett: I have a guaranteed rematch for that belt, and I just got done talking with Larry Zbyszko. He reassured me that Christian won’t be defending the World Title against anyone until I get another match for it.
The crowd continues to give Jarrett heat, as the camera now focuses on Christian, who continues to smile.
Jeff Jarrett: So, champ, you better wipe that damn smile off your face. Because Larry has told me that we will know when our rematch is taking place by the end of tonight’s show. And then, it’ll only be a matter of time before your fluke title reign is over, and the belt is right back where it belongs. And that’s around my waist.
“My World” hits again, as Jarrett lowers the mic. All three men shift their eyes back and forth from one another, with Christian holding the title belt in his right hand. Jarrett, Brown, and Cage all look ready for a fight as the show cuts to its first…
Commercial Break
As we come back into the arena, Team Canada members A-1 and Johnny Devine, along with their manager Scott D’Amore, stand in the middle of the ring, their entrance music blasting throughout the arena. As D’Amore is giving his prized young jobbers wrestlers some final advice, “Watch Out, Watch Out” hits, resulting in a very big pop from the fans. After a second or so, Brother Ray and Brother Devon, the unit known as Team 3D, walk out through the entrance chute, ready for action. Ray and Devon don’t play to crowd at all during this walk down to the ring, as their sole focus is on the men in the ring, after the assault they laid on them at Against All Odds. After Team 3D enters the ring, and D’Amore exits, referee Rudy Charles calls for the bell.
Match #1 - Team 3D vs. Team Canada (A-1 & Johnny Devine) w/Scott D’Amore
Well, let’s see, Team 3D was able to defeat the two of the better members of Team Canada, that being Bobby Roode and Eric Young, at Against All Odds. So it’s safe to say that A-1 and Johnny Devine didn’t stand a chance in this one, especially with Ray and Devon as pissed off as they are. From the bell, Team 3D works like a well-oiled machine, isolating Devine for a decent amount of time, picking apart the young Team Canada member. After a cheap rake of the eyes, Devine makes the tag out to his bigger partner, A-1. After A-1 gets some offense in on Brother Ray, Team 3D gets back into the driver’s seat, and this time, it’s for good.
The finish comes with Ray and Devine going at it. After Ray knocked down Johnny with a wicked clothesline, Scott D’Amore decided to try and get himself involved, trying to distract Brother Ray. At this time, A-1 also gets into the ring, but before he can attack Ray, Devon comes running behind the big Canadian, leading him over the top rope, and onto D’Amore! Back to the action, Ray slips out of a suplex attempt by Devine, dropping him with a delayed vertical of his own. Now, Ray tags in Devon, with the two doing what they do best. As Ray lifts Devine to his feet and throws him off the ropes, Devon sets himself up, 3-D! The crowd pops, as Devon makes the cover and gets the easy one, two, three!
Winners: Team 3D over Team Canada; Brother Devon pins Johnny Devine at 5:41.
With Rudy Charles getting in between both members of Team 3D, the two veterans have their hands raised. Now that they aren’t as pissed off as before, the two play to the crowd a little bit, getting the fans riled up. Each man takes a turnbuckle and celebrates, as they watch Team Canada gingerly make their way up the ramp. Devon and Ray each step down and slap hands again, making title motions around their waists, letting everyone know what’s next on their agenda.
Mike Tenay: We just saw Team 3D pick up another big victory against Team Canada, but we also have breaking news from Larry Zbyszko! The main event for tonight has just been signed, and it is going to be a good one! ‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown, in his first match since Final Resolution, will be going one-on-one against one half of the NWA Tag Team Champions, James Storm!
Don West: That’s certainly going to be quite the test for Monty Brown, as he hasn’t wrestled in over a month!
Mike Tenay: Folks, we hope to hear the second announcement from Zybysko as soon as possible, as he will be announcing the next World Heavyweight Championship match sometime tonight! But until that happens, we have more to come on this show, and now, we send it to the back, where Jeremy Borash is standing by!
Some Backup … Sort Of
Jeremy Borash isn’t just standing by himself, oh no, he’s joined by three men that the crowd cheer. To both sides of the interviewer stand both members of The James Gang, as BG James stands on Borash’s right, while Kip James stands to his left. The third man? It’s ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong, and he stands next to BG.
Jeremy Borash: Gentlemen, you three requested this time to speak, and everyone seems to believe that it has to with what happened last Sunday night between yourselves and The Latin American Exchange.
BG quickly grabs the mic from the fruity interviewer.
BG James: You’re damn right that this has to do with what happened on Sunday, Borash! Because those damn thugs that we faced, they just couldn’t take the fact that the James Gang is better than them. And after we finished beating them, they went and made the dumbest mistake of their lives! Because, ya’ see, before they went and attacked us, we were only trading verbal blows with each other. But after that damn assault they laid on us, well, that made this thing between us personal.
Kip takes the mic from his tag team partner.
Kip James: You made a mistake boys, and now you’re gonna have to deal with the consequences. Because last Sunday, you got one over on BG and myself, but I can guarantee that won’t be happenin’ again. Because now we got ‘Bullet Bob’ by our sides, and the next time you try and sneak attack us, we’re gonna be ready.
A pop from the crowd, as BG takes the mic back.
BG James: Konnan, Homicide, and Machete, you may look at the man standing next to me and laugh because you think he’s old and brittle. You may think that he’s not even close to being in a position to fight with you three. But I’m gonna spoil the surprise for you guys and let you know that he’s just as fierce now as he was thirty years ago! And he hates you guys for what you did to us last Sunday, and he’s prepared to fight by our side! The next time you guys decide to show your faces around us, we’re gonna be right here waitin’ for ya’, ready to fight!
Another pop from the crowd, as ‘Bullet Bob’ actually grabs the mic.
Bob Armstrong: I’m here with my boys because I know that they need me to help them watch their backs. And I’m not afraid to back my boys and take down you thugs the next time you try a cheap attack!
Uh, that was pretty damn awful, Bullet. Anyway, he gives the mic back to Borash, as the crowd pops again, with the three men walking out of the shot.
Mike Tenay: Ladies and gentlemen, don’t change the channel, because when we come back from the break, the reigning X Division Champion, ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ Samoa Joe will be in action! Don’t go anywhere!
Commercial Break
Back inside the Impact! Zone, Sonjay Dutt stands in the middle of the ring, going through some of his pre-match tactics, getting himself mentally ready for the daunting task that lies ahead of him. With the crowd cheering Dutt a little bit, their tone changes as “Crush U Up” hits, getting an initial mixed reaction from the crowd. That mixed reaction turns into total heat, as the X Division Champion ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ Samoa Joe walks through the entrance chute. Carrying the X Division Championship on his left shoulder, and a towel on his right. Joe looks menacing as he gets into the ring, removing both items from his shoulders and handing them to referee Mark Johnson, who takes them and then calls for the bell.
Match #2 - Non-Title - Samoa Joe vs. Sonjay Dutt
With Dutt in the middle of a small push, such as challenging for the NWA Tag Team Titles at Against All Odds, it’s safe to say that this one won’t be a total squash. But make no mistake about it, Samoa Joe is one of the hottest wrestlers in the company, and I don’t intend on having him lose on Impact!. The match unfolds how many would expect, with Dutt trying to use his speed to keep the much bigger X Division Champion off balance. Dutt actually looks to be doing pretty well against Joe, but that only lasts until he goes for a tilt-a-whirl DDT off the top rope, which Joe counters by pushing Dutt off him and straight into the canvas.
The rest of the match goes pretty quickly, as Joe hits some of his signature moves, just beating the piss out of Dutt. The match comes to a close with Joe lifting Sonjay onto the top rope and hitting him with the Muscle Buster! Joe puts his forearm in Dutt’s face, with the referee making the one, two three!
Winner: Samoa Joe over Sonjay Dutt by pinfall at 4:56.
Joe immediately gets off the cover and doesn’t even allow Johnson to raise his hand, instead barking at him to get him the X Division Title. Not wanting to be killed, the referee does as he’s told, with Joe ripping the belt from him. Joe gets close to the camera, stating that “this stays with me!”. After Joe stops looking into the camera, he turns and faces the (face) entrance stage, where ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels stands, getting a great pop from the crowd. Daniels doesn’t move down the ramp, instead keeping his eyes locked on Joe from a distance, pointing to the belt now on Joe’s shoulder, making his intentions known.
Mike Tenay: Samoa Joe has certainly shown us just what kind of competitor he is here tonight, defeating the talented Sonjay Dutt with ease.
Don West: But enough about that Professor, it looks to me like Christopher Daniels wants the next shot at the X Division Title!
Mike Tenay: Daniels certainly has the right to get that next title shot, seeing as it was AJ Styles, not The Fallen Angel, who was pinned by Samoa Joe at Against All Odds. But after what happened at Final Resolution, I don’t think it’s the best idea for Daniels to get back into the ring and go one-on-one with Joe.
Don West: I don’t think Daniels is going to let that sway his decision. He wants Joe in the ring, and he doesn’t care what the possible consequences are.
Nothing Hurts the Monster
We get a break from the commentators, as the camera shifts backstage, where we are in some secluded area. The area is dimly lit with a red light shining, and two figures can be made out. One of them is close to the camera, and that is ‘Father’ James Mitchell, while the other is sitting on some equipment behind him, and that of course is ‘The Monster’ Abyss.
James Mitchell: Just six days ago, my monster Abyss went up against Rhino in one of the most hellacious matches in recent memory. Stepping into a Falls Count Anywhere match is one of the toughest things that a professional wrestler can do, and I can say with conviction that my monster did everything he needed to do to get himself ready mentally for the task that was set before him. And I was at ringside for that war, so I know that the man who calls himself a “war machine” went through hell last Sunday evening. Rhino has said for months that he is a better wrestler than Abyss, and he’s willing to put his body through anything. But while Rhino may have gotten the fluke win this past Sunday, I think we need to ask ourselves … at what price? Because as far as I can tell, Rhino is in too much physical pain to be in the Impact! Zone right now. I wonder if Rhino will ever be able to return to this place and perform for his fans again.
The crowd boos this last statement. Abyss rises from his sitting position in the background, with Mitchell getting even closer to the camera.
James Mitchell: And unlike Rhino, the man who stands behind, ‘The Monster’ Abyss was able to make it to the Impact! Zone tonight. He wanted to cause even more destruction tonight, but the board didn’t think it’d be a good idea for him to wrestle. I think that the board doesn’t want to lose another superstar like how they may have lost Rhino, and that’s why my monster is forced to sit on the sidelines.
Abyss is now standing very close to Mitchell.
James Mitchell: And should our precious war machine decide to try his luck against Abyss again, and I guarantee that he will be crushed to the point that he won’t be repaired. Abyss is going to win this war against Rhino, and Sunday night was nothing but a minor setback. Those things are inevitable in this business. But make no mistake about it, the best of Abyss is yet to come, and when you people see what I mean, you’ll see just how much destruction this monster can cause.
Abyss crosses his arms and the chain that he is always carrying, yelling loudly, while Mitchell simply laughs, the crowd booing the two. But Mitchell stops laughing and looks into the camera again.
James Mitchell:(whispering) Get well soon Rhino … because we’ll be waiting.
Mitchell continues to cackle while Abyss breathes heavily behind him, the two sending a message to Rhino tonight. The scene fades away, as Impact! cuts to what will be its final break.
Commercial Break
Mike Tenay: We are back here on TNA Impact!, just moments away from our scheduled main event between Monty Brown and James Storm, but Don, we’ve just heard huge news from Larry Zybyszko!
The graphic appears on the screen…
Mike Tenay: It has now been confirmed, Jeff Jarrett will indeed be in the next NWA World Heavyweight Championship match, but he’s not going to be the only challenger! On March 12th, at Destination X, Christian Cage will be defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Jeff Jarrett and ‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown in a Triple Threat Match!
Don West: What a match that promises to be, Professor! Jeff Jarrett can’t be happy about this, because he seemed very confident that he’d get a one-on-one match.
Mike Tenay: This will be Christian Cage’s first defense of his newly won World Title, and it promises to be a very difficult one. He doesn’t even need to be pinned to lose! And one of the men that he will be facing in just over three weeks will be wrestling in just a few moments.
Cut back to the entrance ramp, as “Guilty” hits, bringing some heat from the crowd. After a few seconds, ‘The Tennessee Cowboy’ James Storms emerges from the entrance chute, with both his tag team partner ‘Wildcat’ Chris Harris and their valet Gail Kim, by his side. Storm and Harris both have their tag titles, as Harris pumps his partner up, barking instructions in his ear as they walk down the ramp. After getting into the ring, Storm warms up a little bit, awaiting his opponent. Now, “Alpha Male” hits for the second time tonight, getting a mixed reaction from the crowd, as ‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown comes out, looking ready for his first action in about a month. Brown gets into the ring and keeps his eyes locked on Storm, as he hands his coat to a stagehand, while Earl Hebner calls for the bell.
Main Event - Monty Brown vs. James Storm (w/Chris Harris & Gail Kim)
A decent main event between these two, as Monty Brown gets back into the groove, looking like he hasn’t missed a step during his month on the sidelines. But James Storm is no scrub, not when he has multiple Tag Team Title reigns to his credit, and he looks good against Brown. Monty Brown seemed to start the match a little bit too aggressively, with Storm able to control the Alpha Male with some arm drags and other takedowns, taking control of the match very early. After the opening few minutes, we kick up the intensity a little bit, with Brown slipping away from a suplex attempt, and dropping Storm with the Alphalution! Brown makes the quick cover, but it’s far too early, and Storm kicks out after two.
Monty Brown now is finally rolling, and Harris and Kim at ringside know it. Trying to get their man back into the match, the two cheer on The Cowboy, but he gets taken down time and again by clotheslines from The Alpha Male. After a few minutes of domination from Brown, Storm is finally able to get back into the match, slipping out of an Alpha Bomb attempt, and hitting a Standing Enzuigiri! The crowd boos this, but Storm falls down to the mat immediately after hitting the move, finally getting a moment to rest. As both men get back into the match, Storm goes for another suplex on Brown, with the Alpha Male quickly slipping out and going behind, hitting Storm with a vicious belly-to-back suplex!
The crowd lets out a mixed reaction, as Brown looks ready to get the match over with, but as he goes for the cover, Hebner doesn’t make the count! Gail Kim is on the apron distracting him! As Brown sees this, Chris Harris slides into the ring and takes Brown down with a shoulder to the knee! Harris looks to continue the assault, but Brown rolls over and kicks Harris away. With Storm still down, it’s just Harris and Monty in the ring and Brown grabs Harris by the arm, whipping him off the ropes, and into Gail Kim! The valet falls down to the floor and Harris bounces back at Brown, who grabs him and throws him over the opposite ropes! Now that Brown turns back to the match, Storm is back on his feet, taking down Monty with a spear! The crowd boos this, as Storm looks ready to end this one, as he looks to set up Brown for the Last Call. Brown gets back to his feet, and Storm moves in and looks ready to hit the Superkick, but Brown ducks underneath! Storm turns around and gets grabbed by Monty, who whips him against the ropes and bounces off the opposite one, hitting THE POUNCE~! The crowd pops for the awesome finisher, as Brown drops down and makes the cover, getting the one, two, three!
Winner: Monty Brown over James Storm at 9:14.
After the bell rings, Monty Brown pops right back up, looking around the ring, but is relieved to see that Harris and Kim are still on the outside, not looking like their coming back for a fight. While Brown barks at them, James Storm gingerly rolls out of the ring, joining his two accomplices, looking pretty worse for wear after that match. The trio begin to head up the ramp, with Monty beginning to celebrate his victory, playing to the crowd and making the title motion around his waist. But the mixed reaction that greets Monty doesn’t last very long, as it changes into complete heat, as Jeff Jarrett comes running down the ramp, a guitar in hand!
With Monty Brown turning the other way, he has no idea that Jarrett is coming, but the crowd reaction is able to grab Brown’s attention, as he begins to turn around. Just as Jarrett hops on the apron, Brown turns around and faces him! Jarrett’s eyes bug out of his head a little bit, as he realizes that this sneak attack has absolutely no chance of working, so he hops down off the apron, still holding the guitar. Monty moves toward the ropes, yelling at Jarrett, telling the former World Champion to come into the ring and face him like a man, but JJ isn’t going to do that. As Jarrett looks around, trying to process what just happened, the crowd breaks into cheers, as Christian Cage emerges from the entrance chute and onto the stage!
Christian Cage doesn’t move down the ramp, instead simply staying at the top and staring at both men, proudly displaying the World Title on his shoulder. Jeff Jarrett shifts his head from Brown to Cage, now knowing that he has nowhere to go, this night going as badly as it possibly could have. With the show coming to a close, we get some final commentary from the two men at the booth.
Mike Tenay: These three men are locked in a staredown! Christian Cage, Monty Brown, and Jeff Jarrett all want the World Heavyweight Championship, and they are going to lock up for it at Destination X!
Don West: It was somewhat shocking earlier tonight when we saw Monty Brown return, and then it was even more shocking when we heard he, along with Jeff Jarrett, was going to get the title shot! Now, these three will be looking over their backs for the next three weeks.
Mike Tenay: Ladies and gentlemen, this is all the time we’ve have for tonight. It’s been quite hectic coming off the heels of Against All Odds, and now we look forward to Destination X. We hope you tune in next week, and so long from the Impact! Zone!
EWR Results:
Cage/Brown/Jarrett Segment - 80%
Team 3D over Team Canada - 70, 59, 81 - **1/2
James Gang/Bullet Bob Interview - 69%
Samoa Joe over Sonjay Dutt - 70, 62, 79 - **1/4
Mitchell/Abyss Segment - 59%
Monty Brown over James Storm - 56, 48, 78 - *3/4
Show Rating: 67%
TV Rating: 4.31
__________________
AS LONG AS IT MAY TAKE ... NOT REMOVING UNTIL
THE CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
iMPACT! Feedback
It’s been way too long since I’ve seen a show from you. Glad to see you back.
A video recap of the Pay-Per-View is always a fine way to start, with this being no exception, reminding us of how good of a Pay-Per-View it was. The recapping of the event from Tenay & West was good too, while also hyping a few of the matches for tonight, both of which look alright without being anything too special.
Christian Cage to kick things off? Definitely seems like the most logical decision. Having the crowd show how over Christian is was a nice way to start, as it really showed how big of a deal that Christian is champ (and how big of a deal that Jarrett finally isn’t). Christian was alright to begin with, doing the normal face stuff of talking p how big his victory is and getting the crowd behind him, although the line following that “Enough with the joking” seemed a little off, since Christian never really joked around (which is a bit odd for him, but I guess the serious situation demands a serious Christian). Christian going through his time in TNA was good, and the talk of Sting was also something I liked. Are seeds being planted for Christian vs. Sting here at some point down the line with the offer from Christian? I certainly wouldn’t object to it. Serious Christian from here was very good, putting himself forth as a fighting champion who’s ready for anything. The one thing I didn’t really like was the reference to the WWE, as I generally dislike when TNA do that as they should be worrying about their own show imo, although in this instance it does ass to the moment. Monty Brown interrupting? Interesting to see him being given a chance to run with the big boys, although he is a favourite in BTB, and he should have been kept in the main event scene following Final Resolution imo (even if his heel turn back in early ’05 cost him a shitload of momentum). I should also point out, before I say anything about Brown’s dialogue, that I liked you allowing Cage to finish his speech up before Brown interrupted. Anyway, Brown’s speech was alright. Kind of bland, but nothing wrong with it, laying down the gauntlet well. Cage’s ownage of Brown was pretty damn nice as well, before the Jarrett interruption that was expected all along. Jarrett was fine, talking himself up and declaring himself as the first contender. I also liked the shot against Brown, as it opened up possibilities for a three way feud with all three men going against one another. I was kind of disappointed neither man talked back to Jarrett, though with that said, it was still a pretty good way to kick things off.
Team 3D going over the two jobbers of Team Canada is a good move, finishing up the little deal between 3D and Team Canada so 3D can worry about the gold. The match writing seemed a little weird, with the tag at the end really unneeded, and maybe a smoother transition just been Ray pushing Devine off to the ropes after slipping out of the suplex attempt, however, the point remains that the result here was right, as was the match time. Right way to kick us off.
Brown vs. Storm? I guess Monty’s going to be used as a tweener for now since he’s facing a heel (and someone Jarrett’s aligned with). Since he was pretty popular as a face, I guess positioning him as one every now and then isn’t a bad move.
Kudos for continuing with the crappy Bob Armstrong storyline, although I’m struggling to see how you’ll put it to good use. As a whole, the promo was solid throughout, without being anything special. It did its job and that’s all it really had to do.
Total heat from Joe? I know he’s a heel, but he always got cheered at this time by the TNA fans for being awesome. While these two are capable of putting on a very good match, Joe picking up the win pretty convincingly was the right move, since Dutt’s much lower on the totem pole, despite having challenged for the tag titles at Against All Odds (sidenote: having Sabin and Dutt continue to chase AMW wouldn’t be a bad thing since their match at AAO was awesome. I’d like to see you continuing to team the duo up, at least for now). Daniels making his presence known after the match was well explained by the commentary team, and really, a meeting between Joe and Daniels wouldn’t be bad, despite it happening a few months earlier at Final Resolution. My only concern is that with the next Pay-Per-View being Destination X, it’ll pretty much have to be an Ultimate X match to go along with the gimmick, and one-on-one Ultimate X matches are often hard to pull off as it always results in no selling. I wouldn’t blame you for doing what TNA did in keeping AJ around the X Division Title, at least for now.
Mitchell here was alright, without being anything spectacular. In parts it sounded like Mitchell, and in parts it didn’t sound quite sadistic enough to be him. I liked how he sold the effects of a Falls Count Anywhere match though, and brought up how much damage it does, as well as why we’re not seeing Rhino tonight (nice way to sell the brutality of the match btw). I’m not sure about Rhino vs. Abyss continuing, because after Falls Count Anywhere, I’m not sure what else there is for these to do since I can’t see Rhino going extreme to the point of barbed wire massacre (as well as the fact that we just saw one of them at Turning Point). Regardless, a pretty good promo here from Mitchell.
Liking the main event for Destination X. Good to see you throwing Brown right back into the title picture and giving us a big main event, with a few possible feuds to come following it, whether it be Cage vs. Jarrett, Cage vs. Brown or even Brown vs. Jarrett.
First of all, it’s nice to see the main event get more detail in its write up than the other matches, really showing its importance. The match progressed fine up until the final paragraph, with the interference being a little weird. Why did Harris go immediately to the knee over any other part? Would have liked to have seen that explained if there was any significance. However, following that, the finish to the match was very nice. The staredown to finish the show also gives us a bit of a tease for the main event at Destination X, which is nice to see. Perhaps a bit of symbolism to with Brown caught in between the face and the heel, showing he’s the tweener? Don’t know if it was intentional, but if so, it was a pretty cool way to end the show.
As a whole this was a pretty damn good way to start, PatMan. There was nothing really wrong with this show, with things ranging from solid to good (the opening promo was certainly the highlight). While AMW haven’t gotten themselves involved with anything yet, and there was a lack of AJ Styles on the show (who was dubbed Mr. TNA at the start of the year by TNA), this was still a very good effort, and imo, a good way for you to come back. Good stuff.
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
TNA Impact! Preview - February 25, 2006
The most exciting wrestling promotion in the world today gets ready to take the next step forward, with another explosive edition of TNA Impact! on tap for this Saturday night! Join ‘The Professor’ Mike Tenay and Don West and witness all of the great action that TNA promises to deliver, only on Spike! TV this Saturday at 11PM/10PM CST.
The Against All Odds pay-per-view is nearly two weeks behind us, and now the wrestlers of TNA have their sights set on the next show on pay-per-view, and that’s Destination X on March 12th! And after last week’s Impact!, we know the main event for Destination X, and it is sure to be a great match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The man who won the belt thirteen days ago, ‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage will defend the belt against two formidable challengers in ‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown and the man who lost the title to Cage, ‘The King of the Mountain’ Jeff Jarrett. And while this triple threat match was not how Jarrett thought he was going to get his rematch, he knows that this may be his first and only shot at winning back the belt he covets more than anything. But this week on Impact!, both Christian Cage and Monty Brown will be wrestling in the main event, as they will be teaming together to face the reigning NWA Tag Team Champions, and known associates of Jeff Jarrett, America’s Most Wanted! Will Cage and Brown be able to coexist with their match looming in just over two weeks, or will the best tag team in the world defeat their leader’s opponents, giving him a certain advantage? Find out this Saturday!
And while last week we learned what was going to happen with the World Championship at Destination X, we now know who could be wrestling for the X Division Championship at that same event! Larry Zybysko has announced that at Destination X, the Ultimate X match will be making its return! But there is a catch, as the match will NOT be for the X Division Championship! Instead, four men will compete in the Ultimate X match early in the night, with the winner earning the opportunity to face the reigning X Division Champion ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ Samoa Joe later in the evening, with the title on the line! Two men have already been inserted into the Ultimate X match, due to their incredible match with Samoa Joe at Against All Odds, and those two men are ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles and ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels. The other two men looking for a shot at X Division gold will be decided over the next two weeks on Impact!. Starting this week, two qualifying matches will take place, with Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley wrestling this week, while Petey Williams and Jay Lethal will wrestle next week, with the two winners joining Daniels and Styles at Destination X! Who will be the four possible challengers for the undefeated Samoa Joe? We will begin to find out this week!
After racing to the ring to save Team 3D from an assault by both Team Canada and America’s Most Wanted at Destination X, Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings will see his first in-ring action in nearly two weeks, as he is set to go one-on-one with one of the Diamonds in the Rough, that being David Young! Also on Impact, we expect to hear from the Latin American Exchange, as they are going to respond to the challenge laid out by the James Gang and ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong last week. The LAX have never been ones to back down from a challenge, so we can expect them to be just as willing to wrestle again as the James Gang is! Finally, what will happen next between ‘The Monster’ Abyss and ‘The War Machine’ Rhino? Last week, Rhino was nowhere to be seen, seemingly recovering from his brutal Falls Count Anywhere match with Abyss at Against All Odds. Will this be the week that Rhino finally returns to confront Abyss and Mitchell, after they said last week that he should never return to wrestling? Tune in this Saturday for the answer to this and much more, as TNA Impact! is certain to deliver another exciting hour of wrestling!
Scheduled Matches For TNA Impact!: ~ Ron Killings vs. David Young
~ Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley
~ Christian Cage & Monty Brown vs. America’s Most Wanted
__________________
AS LONG AS IT MAY TAKE ... NOT REMOVING UNTIL
THE CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
TNA Impact! - February 25, 2006
Video recap from last week: The announcement that both Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown will wrestle Christian Cage for the NWA World Title at Destination X, in a Triple Threat Match. We then see highlights from the main event, where Monty Brown beat James Storm, and then Jeff Jarrett tried to attack him with the guitar, but Brown saw it coming. To end the show, Christian Cage comes out onto the ramp, and all three men have a staredown.
TNA IMPACT! OPENING VIDEO
After the pyro goes off inside the Impact! Zone, our familiar commentators take over.
Mike Tenay: Welcome everyone to another jam-packed edition of TNA Impact! I am ‘The Professor’ Mike Tenay, joined as always by Don West, and we are ready for the action to kick off here tonight!
Don West: We thought that last week was going to be tough to top, but I can say with certainty that this week’s show is going to be off the charts!
Mike Tenay: And what a main event Larry Zybysko has signed for tonight! After Monty Brown made his return last week and wrestled James Storm in the main event, BOTH of those men will again be in the main event tonight! It will be a tag team match pitting the reigning NWA Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted against ‘The Alpha Male’ and his partner, the man he will wrestle at Destination X, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion ‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage! That one is sure to be explosive.
Don West: It’s going to be interesting to see how Brown and Cage can work together. But what about the X Division Championship situation, Professor?
Mike Tenay: I’m glad that you brought that up, Don, because I was very impressed with the matches made by Larry Zybysko for Destination X. At the pay-per-view, four men, two of which we already know are AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, will wrestle in TNA’s most famous match, the Ultimate X Match! And the winner of that match will face Samoa Joe later in the evening for the X Division Championship!
Don West: And we are going to find out the other two competitors over the next two weeks!
Mike Tenay: Indeed we are. Tonight, Chris Sabin will wrestle Alex Shelley for a spot in the four-way Ultimate X match, while next week Jay Lethal and Petey Williams will go at it for the final spot.
Don West: And it looks like we are ready to see Sabin and Shelley right now!
Don is indeed correct, we are ready to get the action going on Impact!, as “Hail Sabin” hits in the arena. The crowd gives a big pop as Chris Sabin emerges from the back, bouncing up and down at the top of the ramp, looking ready to go in this one. Sabin slaps hands with the fans as he walks down the ramp before sliding into the ring and playing to them a little bit more. “Up Yours” hits now, bringing some heat from the crowd, as Alex Shelley walks out onto the ramp, a cocky grin across his face. Shelley walks down the ramp and slides into the ring, as Mark Johnson quickly calls for the bell, wasting no time getting this match started.
Match #1 - Ultimate X Qualifying Match - Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley
The crowd knows what this match is all about, and so do the two men wrestling in it. While Sabin has been X Division Champion before, this opportunity could lead to Shelley’s first shot, so you know that he is going to come at Sabin with everything he’s got. Due to orders from Larry Z, nobody is allowed at ringside, explaining why Shelley is out here by himself, sans his Generation Next running mates Roderick Strong and Austin Aries. The two don’t waste any time getting this match going, locking up right as the bell rings, and beginning a string of reversals, with each man trying to twist the other’s arm, only for the other to flip out of the grip and try to do the same thing. More X Division moves would follow, with neither man really getting a clean shot on the other, with too many reversals preventing it. The two engage in another string of counters, this time reversing pins into more pins, getting numerous two counts from the referee. Shelley bounces back up quickly from the final one and runs at Sabin, but Chris has it scouted perfectly, dropping Shelley with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown, causing Shelley to fly across the ring and then actually roll to the outside, trying to gather his thoughts.
The crowd boos the cowardice of Shelley, but then cheer as Sabin climbs onto the top rope and leaps to the outside, looking for a crossbody, but Alex kicks him right in the gut! Sabin grabs his midsection in pain, as Shelley wipes his hands before lifting Chris and whipping him hard into the guardrail! Rolling Sabin back into the ring, Shelley looks to pick up the quick victory, but only gets a two count. Shelley brings Sabin back up to his feet and whips him against the ropes, only for Sabin to come back with a dropkick! Chris catches his breath, and as both men try to get their wits about them, Samoa Joe emerges onto the stage, dressed in his usual attire, holding his title belt against his right shoulder. The stoic X Division Champion doesn’t move, instead staring at the two men in the ring, waiting for them to continue their match. As Sabin turns from the stage and focuses back on Shelley, Alex rakes his eyes! Shelley then quickly bounces off the ropes and drops Sabin with a bulldog, getting heat from the crowd. Shelley is in control for the next few minutes, keeping Sabin on the mat with various suplexes and takedowns, but is unable to get the three count. After looking pissed after another near fall, Shelley attempts to throw Sabin to the outside, but Chris lands on the apron, unbeknownst to Shelley. As Alex turns around to head out, Sabin springboards off the top rope and hits a flying forearm to the face!
Sabin makes the cover quickly but Shelley still gets his shoulder up. Grabbing him by the hair, Sabin tries to whips Shelley into the corner, but Alex is able to reverse the momentum, instead sending Sabin into the corner. Quick as a hiccup, Shelley bounces off the ropes and races at Sabin, hitting a double knee to the face! Shelley doesn’t go for the cover, instead climbing to the top rope and diving off, looking for the Frog Splash, but Sabin brings his knees up! Chris slowly reaches his feet and jumps onto the apron, taking a quick look at Samoa Joe before springboarding and looking for another flying forearm, but Shelley hits a kick to the gut! Sabin doesn’t get a second to breathe as Shelley hooks him, looking for the Shellshock, but Sabin reverses out and quickly lifts Shelley onto his shoulders! Sabin gets his grip before quickly dropping Shelley with the Cradle Shock! The crowd pops huge for the reversal and then finisher, as Sabin transitions into hooking the leg, one… two… three!
Winner: Chris Sabin over Alex Shelly by pinfall at 8:15.
After the bell rings, Sabin gets his hand raised by the official, as he locks his eyes on Samoa Joe. Being one of four men who could challenge Joe for the belt, Sabin acknowledges the X Division Champion, but neither man moves, as the crowd continues to cheer Sabin’s victory.
Mike Tenay: After a very good match, Chris Sabin joins AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels as one of the four men wrestling in the Ultimate X match.
Don West: A huge win for Sabin, actually it was out of nowhere, as Shelley looked poised to win that one!
Mike Tenay: And we just reaffirmed what we already knew, and that is that you can never count out Chris Sabin. He looked like a defeated man, before somehow countering and hitting that deadly Cradle Shock. And at least for tonight, Sabin is looking at Samoa Joe with some confidence, hoping to face the X Division Champion at Destination X. What a match to start the night off!
A final shot focusing on Sabin and Joe before we head to commercial.
Commercial Break
When we return to Impact!, we’re backstage…
Out For Revenge
In some random hallway, ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels is walking by himself. That doesn’t last very long, obviously, as Daniels stops in his tracks, staring at the man across from him, and that’s ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles. Both men stay quiet for a few seconds, before AJ breaks the ice.
AJ Styles: Chris, I know that we’ve had quite the rivalry over the past few years. But the fact is that we are again in the same match at Destination X, and I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page.
Daniels keeps his hard stare.
Christopher Daniels: And what would that page be, AJ? Last time I checked, we’re not on the same team at Destination X. It’s one of those “every man for himself” type matches, right?
Styles shakes his head, not liking how Daniels is talking.
AJ Styles: I’m not saying that we work together the entire match, Chris. I don’t think either of us would ever want to do that. No, I’m saying that we don’t try and take each other out before the match. We want the same exact thing, and that’s to see Samoa Joe lose the X Division Championship. And while we’ve both lost to him in the past, I think we both know that we need to be as healthy as possible before wrestling him again. Otherwise we are playing right into Joe’s hands. So I just wanted to call a truce right now, agreeing that we won’t attack each other before Ultimate X.
Styles looks ready to leave Daniels.
AJ Styles: Just to make sure we can get what we want.
Styles turns to leave but Daniels grabs him by the arm, causing Styles to turn around and stare at him.
Christopher Daniels: We want the same exact thing, huh?
Daniels takes his hand off of Styles before moving closer to him.
Christopher Daniels: I don’t think that you want anything close to what I want. I bet you just wanna win that belt one more time, right? You wanna add another X Division Championship reign to your record book, right? Just another win for AJ Styles, the “golden boy” of the X Division. Well while you may want that, I’m out for something quite different. I’m out for something that I should have gotten months ago.At Genesis, Joe turned his back on me and beat me to within an inch of my damn life! And then, when I finally got back into the ring, and got a shot at Joe, you threw in the towel to make me lose the match!
Heat for what Styles did at Final Resolution.
Christopher Daniels: And then at Against All Odds, you were the one who got pinned. And I was stuck on the outside, watching Joe celebrate with the title that should be mine. So no AJ, we’re not out for nearly the same thing. I’m out to destroy Samoa Joe and get revenge on him for what he did to me three months ago. And I plan on destroying anyone who gets in my way… no matter who that is.
A very mixed reaction from the crowd, as Daniels keeps his eyes locked on Styles.
Christopher Daniels: So you can go into Ultimate X thinking that we have the same goal, but when we get into that match, I plan on walking out the winner. And if you wanna try to stop me, I welcome you to it.
Another very big mixed reaction, as Daniels walks off, leaving Styles to wonder what just happened between the two of them.
Back inside the arena…
Bigger and Better Things?
The crowd immediately begins to boos, as “Down in the Catacombs” plays in the arena, with the entire Impact! Zone changing with a darkish red glow. ‘Father’ James Mitchell leads the way out, walking with his usual stick, as ‘The Monster’ Abyss follows closely behind his “leader”, looking as distraught and angry as always. Both men slowly walk down the ramp, with the crowd continuing to boo the duo. Mitchell enters the ring and walks across, grabbing a microphone from the stagehand, as Abyss slowly gets into the six-sided ring. As the darkish red glow stays in the arena, Mitchell brings the mic up for the first time, talking over the crowd.
James Mitchell: Where, oh where, could the man that they call Rhino be? For those of you wondering the answer to that question, you can stop hoping that the self-proclaimed “War Machine” will show up tonight. Because just like I stated last week, Rhino is too hurt after Falls Count Anywhere with Abyss, and he is not coming back anytime soon!
Very loud heat from the fans.
James Mitchell: He is learning what so many other wrestlers have learned in the past, and that is that you can never recover from a beating at the hands of Abyss. And we all know that Rhino won the match at Against All Odds, but I have to again ask: at what cost? Even before we saw Abyss and Rhino go to war, we knew that Rhino was a shell of his former self. Sure, he may have won the World Title back at Bound For Glory, but he wasn’t even able to hold it for more than a month. And then when he faced Jeff Jarrett again, two months after winning the belt, he was beaten soundly. Jeff Jarrett had time to prepare to wrestle Rhino, so he was able to find out his flaws. And Rhino, he has a ton of flaws. He is nowhere near that man who walked out of a failing company as the last ever “extreme” champion. Now, that same guy cannot wrestle a simple Falls Count Anywhere match, a match that he would be able to wrestle every night in that old company. And now, he needs rest a few weeks just to try and get out of bed!
Major heat from the fans, with Mitchell smiling.
James Mitchell: And while Rhino sits at home, wondering what has happened during the last few years of his life, Abyss came out of that Falls Count Anywhere without any injuries prohibiting him from doing his job. Abyss has come to the Impact! Zone that last two weeks, ready to wrestle in any match that he was given, and yet management hasn’t given him a single match. Instead, we have had to use other methods of getting our message across, including coming out here tonight. And we are here to say that if Larry Zybysko and the rest of management continue to keep Abyss out of the ring, they are simply delaying the inevitable. The longer that you make Abyss wait to step into the ring, the more punishment that he is going to inflict on whoever is unlucky enough to face him. You think that Rhino needing to leave this company for a few weeks is bad? Just wait to see what Abyss is capable of doing next!
Abyss yells behind Mitchell, causing the boos to be even louder.
James Mitchell: And if Rhino doesn’t want to come back and give Abyss the rematch that he obviously deserves, then the Monster is going to just have to move onto bigger and better things. I am talking about something that has eluded Abyss ever since he exploded into this business, and something that he should have won multiple times over the past few years. I think that all of you people know exactly what I am talking about, and no matter how much you may deny it, you know just as well as I do that Abyss deserves something that guys like Monty Brown and Rhino get for no apparent reason, and that is a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship!
Even more heat from the fans, no wanting to see Abyss get his hands anywhere near the World Title.
James Mitchell: The NWA World Championship should be held by someone who is the absolute best wrestler in TNA. And that is not Monty Brown, it is not Jeff Jarrett, and it’s certainly not the man running around with the belt right now, Christian Cage. The best wrestler in TNA is the same man it’s been for the past few years, and yet he gets overlooked time and time again… Abyss! That gold belt has been waiting for The Monster for quite some time, and he is ready to take it. We don’t care what Larry Zybysko says, because we are sick and tired of waiting around and watching guys who don’t have half the talent Abyss has get shot after shot at the most prestigious belt in this business. So I am going to put the rest of the TNA roster on notice and say that whoever is unlucky enough to be holding the belt after Destination X, Abyss is coming for it. And you can try as hard as you want to stop this monster, but it won’t do any good.
Abyss yells loudly again, crossing his massive metal chain across his face, while the crowd continues to shit over the duo in the ring. Mitchell lets the fans boo all they want, before they finally quiet down. Mitchell brings the mic up once again.
James Mitchell: So I really hope that management is listening to wha-
Mitchell doesn’t get a chance to say another word, as his mic appears to be cut! Mitchell flips out after he realizes this, yelling at anyone who will listen to put his mic back on. After a few seconds, “War Machine” hits, sending the crowd into an absolutely frenzy! If it’s possible, the crowd begins to cheer even louder, as ‘The War Machine’ Rhino finally walks out onto the stage, looking fired up and healthy as ever! Wearing his normal black singlet, Rhino bounces up and down a few times before looking around the arena, hearing all the cheers of the fans shouting his name. But Rhino doesn’t even let out a smile, instead breaking into a full-on sprint down the ramp!
Don West: The War Machine is here! Rhino has returned!
Mike Tenay: After beating Abyss at Against All Odds, Rhino has finally shut up James Mitchell and now looks set to tear apart Mitchell and Abyss! Listen to these fans, Don!
Rhino has now reached the apron, sliding into the ring very quickly, but just as Mitchell sneakily slides out of the ring. Abyss looks ready to go, but isn’t nearly ready for what Rhino has coming for him, as The War Machine gets up to his feet and charges right at Abyss, taking him down with a vicious clothesline! Abyss hits the mat hard but quickly gets back onto his feet, only to take another clothesline from Rhino! Abyss gets back up again but gets grabbed by Rhino, who tries to whip The Monster into the ropes, but Abyss reverses the momentum, instead sending Rhino into the ropes, dropping him with a Big Boot on the rebound! Usually, Rhino would be down for a few seconds, but he just came back from a small injury! He’s in the best physical shape of his life! So Rhino bounces back up and tackles Abyss to the ground, pounding on him with rights and lefts! Rhino continues to pound the much larger man, until Abyss’s weight advantage comes into play, as he turns Rhino over and begins to choke him with his right hand! Rhino struggles to get free, and he eventually rakes the eyes of Abyss. The Monster staggers backwards, and it looks like the fun might be over, as several officials and security guards run down the ramp, while Larry Zybysko stands on the stage, and get into the ring. Four men grab Abyss and restrain the 350-pounder, while two others push Rhino back into the ropes, keeping the War Machine away from his rival. James Mitchell now gets back into the ring, standing next to the distraught Abyss, telling him to calm down, while Rhino stands across from the ring and stares down the two men he hates. It looks like the fighting is over for tonight, but it doesn’t seem like this will be the last time Rhino and Abyss will share the ring.
Mike Tenay: You talk about an explosive situation! Rhino just made an impact upon his return, looking like he was ready to destroy Abyss! And this was after James Mitchell speculated that Rhino was done with wrestling for good!
Don West: Did you see the way both men took shots without even being affected by them!? They might be the two toughest guys on the roster!
Mike Tenay: We now know that what James Mitchell has been saying the last two weeks is far from true, as it appears that Rhino is in fine physical condition. And one thing is for sure, and that’s that this rivalry between Rhino and Abyss is far from over! Don’t go anywhere, folks, as we have plenty more coming up after the break!
Commercial Break
Back from the break, we are right back in the arena, as David Young stands in the ring, getting advice from Simon Diamond and Elxi Skipper. While Young tries to ready himself for this next match, “What’s Up?” hits in the arena, getting a very big pop from the fans. Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings dances out onto the stage, mic in his right hand. Like always, Truth plays to the fans, yelling “What’s Up?” multiple times, getting loud reactions from the fans. Killings ends his entrance by tossing the mic to Diamond outside the ring before looking across at Young, ready for this one to get going. Someone else who is ready is Andrew Thomas, and he calls for the bell!
Match #2 - Ron Killings vs. David Young w/Simon Diamond & Elix Skipper
Your basic Impact! match, obviously used to get Ron Killings over as a legit wrestler once again, while David Young just gets to be on TV. The match is fairly one-sided in the early going, with Killings controlling the match with his quickness and strikes, keeping Young off his game. But about halfway through the match, Young’s associates begin to work to his advantage, as Diamond distracts the referee while Skipper tries to attack Truth from behind, only for Ron to spot it and knock him off the apron! After this happens, Killings turns his attention back to Young, who hits him with a clothesline. David is in control for about a minute, but all that momentum comes to a screeching halt, as he goes for the moonsault, and misses as Killings rolls out of the way! After that happens, it’s academic for Killings, as he hits a kick to the gut to Young before bouncing off the ropes, dropping him with the Axe Kick! Ron makes the cover, getting the one, two, three.
Winner: Ron Killings over David Young by pinfall at 4:47.
The bell rings and Truth is announced as the winner, getting a good pop from the fans. Killings lets go of the cover and gets his hand raised in victory by Thomas, getting another decent pop from the crowd. As his music continues to blare throughout the arena, the crowd changes to boos, as Bobby Roode is seen running down the ramp, with a smiling Scott D’Amore walking behind him. Before The Truth can even begin to understand what is going on, Roode slides into the ring and turns him around, rocking Killings with a strong right hand. The crowd continues to boo as the music cuts out, with Roode landing another big right hand right to the skull of Truth. Killings is backed into the corner and tries to cover up, but it’s to no avail with Bobby continuing to punish him with rights and lefts. Roode backs off for a moment before charging at Killings in the corner and driving him into the corner with a clothesline! Truth stumbles out after the shot, with Roode grabbing him by the arm, pulling him in before delivering a crushing spinebuster! The crowd continues to shit over the young Team Canada member, as he backs up against the ropes, staring a hole through Killings as he struggles back to his feet. After a few seconds, Ron gets back to a vertical base, only for Roode to charge at him from behind, dropping him with the Northern Lariat! The crowd continues to boo (obviously), as D’Amore now enters the ring, patting his Canadian Enforcer on the back, congratulating him on a job well done. Killings looks to be out cold on the mat, as the two men just stand over his fallen body, looking happy with Roode’s work tonight.
Don West: What an attack by Bobby Roode! He just destroyed Ron Killings in a matter of moments!
And all the blind fans at home thank Don for summing that up…
Mike Tenay: That was absolutely sick! Ron Killings did nothing to deserve a beatdown! Bobby Roode, joined as always by that piece of scum Scott D’Amore, just came down here and mugged Ron Killings. I can guarantee one thing, once Killings gets back on his feet, there’s gonna be hell to pay for Bobby Roode!
Don West:If he ever gets back on his feet, Professor! That was quite a lariat he just got taken out with!
Mike Tenay: Ladies and gentlemen, we will continue to monitor the status of Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings throughout the program, and we wish him a speedy recovery. But now we are going to send it to the back, where Jeremy Borash is standing by with the Latin American Exchange! Take it away J.B!
It’ll Be a Mauling
JB is standing with Homicide, Machete, and Konnan. All three are dressed in their usual “ghetto” clothing, looking pissed off as Borash starts.
Jeremy Borash: Thank you, Professor. Jeremy Borash, standing by here with the three members of the Latin American Exchange. Guys, last week the James Gang had some strong words for you-
Konnan grabs the mic from Borash.
Konnan: Lemme stop ya’ right there, Borash, because we know jus’ what you’re gonna ask! And ima’ start by sayin’ ‘dat what we did ta’ BG n’ Kip, ‘dat was jus’ the beginnin’ for them. ‘Dey got lucky and somehow beat Homicide n’ Machete, but we got ‘da last laugh by kickin’ their *asses*!
Cheap heat from the fans.
Konnan: Those two guys, ‘dey way over ‘da hill. What’s funny is ‘dat ‘dey thought ‘da answer was ta’ bring in Bob Armstrong, but ‘dat guys hasn’t been in wrestlin’ condition in over twenty years! BG n’ Kip, ‘dey used to be good wrestlers, but ‘dat was a long time ago. ‘Dey need to know when it’s time ta’ hang it up. N’ ‘dat’s what ‘da Latin American Exchange is gonna help them do!
Ah, more cheap heat.
Konnan: LAX, we ‘da future of not only ‘dis tag team division, but we ‘da future of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. N’ ta’ prove ‘dat, we challengin’ ‘da James Gang ta’ a No Disqualification match at Destination X! We gonna end ‘dis once and for all! ‘Dis match, it’s gonna be a mauling by Homicide n’ Machete. Y’all saw what we did after ‘da match at Against All Odds, and it’s gonna be worse when we’re allowed ta’ do whatever we damn well please in ‘da match at Destination X!
Konnan shoves the mic into JB’s chest, leading his boys out of the shot, with the crowd continuing to heavily boo the trio.
Don West: The James Gang and the Latin American Exchange in a No Disqualification Match at Destination X!
Mike Tenay: That is certainly going to be a great match, and after what we saw the Latin American Exchange attempt at Against All Odds, we can be assured that it is going to be very personal on March 12th. But folks, don’t go anywhere, as we still have our main event to go, as Christian Cage and Monty Brown take on America’s Most Wanted! And it’s next!
Commercial Break
We come back into the arena, with “Guilty” hitting on the PA, causing the crowd to boo like mad. After a few seconds of waiting, the reigning NWA Tag Team Champions, James Storm and Chris Harris, known collectively as America’s Most Wanted walk onto the stage. Surprisingly, only Gail Kim accompanies them, as Jeff Jarrett appears to still be in the back, not wanting to be at ringside to watch his two opponents at Destination X wrestle. AMW does their normal pose at the top of the ramp, with the pyro shooting off behind them. The two men carry beer bottles, yelling at some loud fans as they pass them on their way down the ramp, getting more boos from the crowd. Harris and Storm enter the ring, as Earl Hebner is also inside, ready to call the match. Harris and Storm play to the crowd a little bit more before talking with each other briefly, awaiting their opponents.
While AMW strategize in the ring, “Alpha Male” hits, getting a huge mixed reaction from the crowd. ‘The Alpha Male’ Monty Brown quickly walks out onto the stage, with the mixed reaction now changing to boos, as Brown looks around at the fans, his eyes looking wild as always. Brown doesn’t pay much attention to the fans as he walks down the ramp, as he smartly stays outside the ring, not wanting to get in a two-on-one situation. Monty bounces up and down on the outside, staring at Harris and Storm, waiting for his tag team partner. After a few seconds of silence, “Take Over” hits, getting the loudest pop of the night from the fans, as NWA World Heavyweight Champion ‘The Instant Classic’ Christian Cage walks out onto the stage, his title proudly around his waist. Cage smiles as the fans scream for him, before he locks his eyes on the ring, walking slowly down the ramp, ready to go. Cage meets Brown at the bottom of the ramp, and the two don’t do anything to show that they are on the same page, as they simply enter the ring together, as Cage takes off his title and hands it to Earl Hebner. The senior official hands the belt to a stagehand before turning and calling for the bell.
Main Event - Non-Title - Monty Brown & Christian Cage vs. America’s Most Wanted (w/Gail Kim)
As the match is ready to begin, Monty Brown and Chris Harris appear to be the first two ready for action. It looks like the fans will have to wait a little bit before seeing their beloved World Champion Christian Cage wrestle for the first time since Against All Odds. Harris and Brown start the action slowly, locking up in the center of the ring, with Monty obviously having the strength advantage. Brown is able to push Harris back against the ropes, but Hebner immediately calls for the break, with Harris putting up his hands. Brown eventually breaks the hold but catches Harris with a knee to the gut after he leaves the ropes, before whipping him against the ropes, catching him with a shoulder on the rebound. The crowd lets out a mixed reaction for the Alpha Male, who stares at Christian after that last takedown, showing the Champion his skills. Brown and Harris continue to mix it up for the next two minutes or so, with neither man hitting anything big, before Harris rakes the eyes of the Alpha Male, quickly tagging out to James Storm.
Storm comes into the ring quickly, trying to catch Monty at his weakest, but Brown is ready for Storm and levels him with a clothesline! Monty rubs his eyes a few times before backing up into his corner, planning his next move, but Christian Cage blind tags in! The crowd goes nuts as Christian makes the tag, as the World Champion steps into the ring and tells Monty to “hit the apron”. Brown and Cage have a staredown for a second before Storm gets back onto his feet and decks Cage with a right hand! The crowd changes to all boos as Christian hits the canvas and Brown gets out of the ring, showing a little smile after his tag team partner got dropped.Storm goes to work on the man who beat Jeff Jarrett thirteen days ago, looking very strong after the blindside attack, keeping Christian grounded for a few minutes. Harris is tagged in once, and he continues the dominance of Christian, before tagging back out to Storm, who keeps the World Champion isolated. Cage is able to battle back a few times, but the comeback is always short-lived, as he is kept on the AMW side of the ring. Following a vertical suplex, Storm backs up into the corner, waiting for Christian to get back to his feet. Storm charges as Cage gets back up, looking for the Spear, but Christian moves out of the way and send Storm shoulder-first into the ringpost! As James stumbles out, holding his shoulder in pain, Cage schoolboys him, getting a count of two before Harris breaks it up!
Now it gets a little nuts inside the ring, with Brown entering the ring to combat Harris, going after the tag team champion and knocking him down with a clothesline. Cage and Storm continue to battle on their own, going at it with rights and lefts in a corner. Brown and Harris continue to exchange blows on the mat, with Harris eventually rolling over and both men roll to the outside! Brown and Harris quickly get to their feet outside the ring, with Brown sending Harris back-first into the fan guardrail! Inside the ring, Cage looks to be gaining the advantage, dropping Storm with a DDT! Christian waits a few seconds before getting back to his feet, bringing Storm up as well, hitting a kick to the gut before going for a suplex, but Storm lands behind him! Storm looks for a reverse neckbreaker, but Cage reverses the move and turns Storm around before nailing a kick to the gut. While Storm and Christian continue to battle inside the ring, the crowd begins to boo as Jeff Jarrett runs down the ramp, his trusty guitar in hand! With Harris keeping Brown occupied outside the ring, Jeff gets onto the apron without any trouble. As Christian hooks Storm, looking for the Unprettier, Jarrett enters the ring and smashes Cage over the head with the guitar! The crowd boos even more, as Earl Hebner was standing right there, and immediately calls for the bell!
Winners: Cage & Brown over AMW by DQ at 9:10.
Outside the ring, Harris and Brown are still brawling, with Harris sending Monty into the steel ringpost! Inside the ring, Jarrett stands over the fallen Christian Cage, as Storm is rolling away from the two, trying not only to recover, but also knowing that he should get out of Jeff’s way. Jarrett makes a threatening move towards Earl Hebner, which sends the referee scattering, leaving just Christian and Jarrett in the ring. Christian, probably not even knowing where he is now, tries to get back to his feet, with Jarrett standing over him. Jeff yells something at Cage before grabbing him by the hair and lifting him to his feet. Jarrett kicks Cage in the gut before grabbing him, looking for the Stroke, but Team 3D is running moving quickly down the ramp!
Brother Ray and Brother Devon slide into the ring just as Jarrett drops Christian, who rolls away from the three men going after each other. Ray drops Jarrett with a right hand as Devon moves toward Chris Harris, who is now on the apron, but he gets dropped with a right hand also! Harris is outside the ring and Jarrett has rolled away from Team 3D, knowing that he doesn’t stand a chance in a two-on-one situation. That only leaves James Storm, who tries foolishly to charge the tag team legends, but simply gets grabbed by Ray and flipped over the top rope, landing on Harris outside the ring! The crowd is going nuts for Ray and Devon, but they don’t look satisfied, as they motion for Planet Jarrett to get back inside the ring, telling them to “man up”. But Jarrett doesn’t let his boys get back into the ring, telling them to walk back up the ramp, and the three men, along with a frantic Gail Kim, slowly begin to walk up the steel ramp, living to fight another day.
As the crowd boos the four people cowardly walking up the ramp, the camera picks up a pissed off Monty Brown back on his feet outside the ring, hands on his hips, staring at Jarrett and Co. as they walk up the ramp. Inside the ring, Christian is trying to get back to his feet in the corner, and he has help from the two men who saved him, with Devon and Ray each offering him a hand, helping the World Champion get back up to a vertical base. He and Team 3D, along with Monty Brown, all look outside the ring, as Planet Jarrett is now at the top of the ramp, with Jeff yelling at Cage, telling him that he’s not going to have Team 3D watching his back at Destination X.
Don West: What a way to end Impact!, Professor! It looks to be like Team 3D just saved Christian Cage from quite the beatdown at the hands of Jeff Jarrett!
Mike Tenay: And that’s just like Jeff Jarrett, Don! He is willing to fight, but only when the numbers are in his favor! The second that Team 3D came out and went after Jarrett and AMW, that whole cowardly group headed out of the ring! I just hope that they eventually get what’s coming for them! It’s been a crazy night here at the Impact! Zone, and thanks very much for joining us! I’m Mike Tenay, saying goodbye for Don West, and we’ll see you next week!
Ultimate X - Four-Way Number One Contender’s Match: ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles vs. ‘The Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels vs. Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams ORJay Lethal
No Disqualification - Tag Team Match: The James Gang w/‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong vs. The Latin American Exchange
EWR Results:
Chris Sabin over Alex Shelley - 71, 56, 86 - **3/4
Daniels/Styles Segment - 77%
James Mitchell/Abyss Segment - 67%
Ron Killings over David Young - 69, 56, 83 - **1/2
LAX Interview - 62%
Cage & Brown over AMW - 80, 75, 85 - ***3/4
Show Rating: 72%
TV Rating: 4.45
__________________
AS LONG AS IT MAY TAKE ... NOT REMOVING UNTIL
THE CHICAGO CUBS WIN THE WORLD SERIES
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
Rocker's Feedback For PatMan's iMPACT!
Nice opening commentary to the show, and great way to kick iMPACT! off with Shelley vs. Sabin, a match that always delivers. Good action in the match, interesting that Samoa Joe showed up half-way through it but decent call so there's a story behind the match, and Sabin picking up the victory is great, shame that only one could go through to the Ultimate X Match, though, as both of them could do some awesome stuff in the match, especially with Styles and Daniels in there too, and most likely Williams as I see him beating Lethal.
Very interesting backstage segment between Styles and Daniels, I wasn't 100% sure about AJ's character in this but then again Styles can be quite difficult to write for in promos IMO, so not entirely your fault there, but Chris' characterisation was good, and not making a truce with AJ is the right way to go, to keep Daniels as a tweener character.
Great Mitchell promo, I liked the dark red glow staying in the arena as it adds a chilling feeling to the place which is ideal for James and Abyss, one thing though; Mitchell said Rhino was beaten soundly 2 MONTHS after winning it, when it was WEEKS, if I remember correctly, but it's no biggie. Looks like Abyss will be challenging whoever wins the triple threat World Title Match at Destination X, which is good, but Cage/Abyss happened IRL at Lockdown I think, and I expect Christian to win at the PPV as he only won the belt at AAO, so maybe it wouldn't be the ideal route to go down. I expected Rhino to appear and he did, and having a brawl with Abyss was obviously the right choice, but it had to be broken up, so of course it needed security, which always makes it seem hectic in the ring, and that's pretty much a suitable atmosphere for this rivalry.
Decent match with Killings/Young, I'm not a fan of David so obviously the right call with having Ron go over, but this had to have some sort of aftermath, and Roode decimating The Truth was a good thing to do. I can definitely see Killings/Roode at Destination X happening after this.
Good interview with Konnan, he was in character throughout this and James Gang/LAX at Destination X sounds like a very promising match. I'd have liked to see Konnan say some trademark catchphrases like "Olele Viva La Raza", but that's just my opinion, and it didn't really take away from the quality of this segment.
Great main event, one question though: Is Monty Brown face? Because I can't quite remember. Anyways, I expected Brown and Cage to go over in this one but at least a DQ finish makes sure that nobody loses momentum going into the PPV, and obviously the scores had to be evened when Jarrett was attacking Cage, and Team 3D coming down and making the save was cool. Decent way to end the show with Cage, Brown and Team 3D standing tall (Well, Christian just about standing after being hit with the Guitar) with Planet Jarrett running scared.
Overall, this is the first show I've read in-depth in this thread and I was definitely impressed. The majority of the characterization in your promos is good, the matches are solid and this show provided some adequate build-up for Destination X. Great job, Pat, and keep up the good work.
PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
Re: PatMan Presents: TNA 2006 - The New Face of Professional Wrestling
