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Impact Report for August 31, 2006
by Richard Trionfo
As we approach the end of the month, the road to No Surrender continues. We are slightly more than three weeks away from the next pay per view offering and things are starting to fall into place for the show. What will happen with Jeff Jarrett’s ‘public execution’ when he signs the contract for Bound for Glory? How will the new NWA World Tag Team Champions celebrate after their victory last week? What will happen in the 10,000 Thumbtack match between Abyss and Brother Runt? What is next for the ‘odd couple’ of Slick Johnson and Larry Zbyszko? What new matches will be announced for the pay per view?
We begin tonight’s show with a look back at the last few weeks of Impact. First we see Sting and Jeff Jarrett talk about the contract for Bound for Glory. Next we see the situation erupt between Rhino and Christian. Finally, we see LAX defeat A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels to become the new NWA World Tag Team Champions.
We are live on tape from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and your announcers are Mike ‘TNA’ Tenay and Don ‘you have got to be kidding me’ West.
The new tag team champions and Konnan cross the border and enter the ring. Konnan is on the mic and he addresses the crowd. He says that you can stop a revolutionary, but you cannot stop a revolution. He is leading the Latino nation by example. He dedicates the tag titles to the Latinos in the country, legal and illegal. The titles are also dedicated to their mothers. It is dedicated to the Latino wrestlers, Pedro Morales; Mil Mascaras; Carlos Colon; Tito Santana; Chavo, Hector, Mondo, and Eddie Guerrero. Konnan says that they don’t need any fake applause from the gringos. He tells TNA that they want the best around so they can continue to be humiliated. They defy anyone in the company to stop them or their movement.
A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels are on the JarrettTron. Christopher Daniels apologizes for breaking up the celebration. LAX pushed until they had to play by LAX’s rules. The titles are only temporarily around the waists of LAX. Daniels says that they have a rematch at No Surrender. They talked about a match to make it two-on-two so there is no interference from Konnan. A.J. says that they played LAX’s game, but now they will play theirs. It will be a tag team Ultimate X match at No Surrender.
Match Number One: Petey Williams and Senshi versus Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal
Williams and Sabin start things off. Sabin with a shoulder tackle and an arm drag. Sabin with an Irish whip but he charges into a forearm. Williams tries for a satellite side Russian leg sweep, but Sabin blocks it. Senshi comes in but he misses a clothesline. Lethal hits a springboard drop kick on Senshi that sends the X Division champion back to the apron. Lethal and Sabin with a double leg sweep and Lethal with a leap frog neck breaker followed by a running kick by Sabin to the back of Williams’s head. We go to commercial.
We are back and Senshi takes down Lethal. Lethal with an arm wringer followed by chops. Senshi with a back kick followed by a kick to Lethal’s head. Senshi with a series of kicks to Lethal’s chest and a snap mare. Williams tags in and he slams Lethal and puts him in the Tree of Woe, and Petey sings. Williams draws Sabin in but then he suplexes Lethal and then puts Lethal in a rear chin lock. Lethal gets back to his feet and Williams hits a spinning heel kick for a two count. Senshi tags back in and he kicks Lethal in the chest. Senshi with chops to Lethal but Lethal with a hip toss followed by a cartwheel and drop kick. Williams and Sabin tag in and Sabin punches Williams. Sabin with a running clothesline but Senshi attacks Sabin from behind. Lethal kicks Senshi and then Lethal with a spin kick. Lethal and Sabin put Williams in the Tree of Woe where Senshi is standing and then Sabin hits a baseball slide off Lethal’s back. Sabin covers Williams for a two count while Lethal and Senshi fight outside the ring. Senshi with a rolling kick after exchanging chops. Sabin with a baseball slide to Senshi on the floor. Sabin tries for a power bomb but Williams blocks it. Sabin gets Williams up for the Cradle Shock, but Senshi pulls Williams off. Senshi with a forearm to Sabin but Sabin with a jumping leg lariat. Williams tries for the Canadian Destroyer but Sabin gets out of the hold and Sabin pushes Williams into Senshi. Senshi stands in the ring while Sabin gets Williams on his shoulder and hits a DDT for the three count.
Winners: Jay Lethal and Chris Sabin
We go to a new video package for Bobby Roode. He says that he never understood the magnitude of this situation. He has sat down with some of the brightest minds of this sport and this world. He has seen the best that TNA has had to offer, but he is going outside the box. One lucky individual will manage him. We will find out next week. He says that he will be making someone a lot of money and he suggests that it be called the ‘Bobby Roode Sweepstakes’. The person that he chooses will have to be the perfect fit for him.
We see Abyss pour a bag of thumbtacks onto the camera and we go to commercial.
We are back with a video package for the TNA Knockouts DVD that is available in stores.
Match Number Two: Eric Young versus Shark Boy
Eric offers his hand to Shark Boy and Shark Boy shakes his hand. Eric is hesitant to lock up with Shark Boy. Eric with a wrist lock but Shark Boy reverses into a hammer lock and side head lock. Shark Boy with a face buster and then he tries to bite Eric Young but Eric moves and Eric returns the favor and he bites Shark Boy. Shark Boy goes outside the ring. Shark Boy tries for a sunset flip but Eric rolls through. Shark Boy with a neck breaker for a two count.
We see Larry Zbyszko standing at ringside.
Back to the action in the ring. Shark Boy tries for the Dead Sea Drop but Eric holds on to the ropes. Eric with a wheelbarrow move into a TKO for the three count.
Winner: Eric Young
After the match, Earl Hebner comes out and he attacks Slick Johnson. Larry Zbyszko pulls Earl out of the ring and Earl says that he will not take the bullet for Larry and Jarrett. He wants to tell the world what happened.
We go to a video feature showing Christian hitting Sting with the guitar at Hard Justice. Then we see Rhino confront Christian about the situation. Then we see Christian attack Rhino.
Christian is in the back with Jeremy Borash and he wants to know what Christian’s motives are. Christian says that he is now in the business of teaching lessons. At Hard Justice, he had to teach Sting a painful lesson. Last week, he had to teach a lesson to a guy that he considers a brother. It seems like until the guys realize that he is the biggest star and that he is the meal ticket. Until they strap on the rocket and take the ride. If they have a problem, they can step up to him and talk to him man to man.
Ron Killings stops by and he tells Christian that he has a problem. He says that before he came to TNA, they gave him an opportunity and he became the NWA World Heavyweight Champion two times. He never made any excuses when he came up short. Killings says that Christian is not man enough to take on Sting or Rhino, and he says that Christian is not man enough to handle him.
Christian tells Killings that he will not be the first rapping hip-hop poseur whose ass he has kicked. Ron says that he does not imitate, he demonstrates. Security arrives to separate Killings and Christian.
We see a board covered in thumbtacks as we go to commercial.
We are back with a video package for the thumbtack match. James Mitchell talks about 10,000 thumbtacks, 10,000 puncture wounds, and 10,000 streams of blood.
Before the match, we see footage of Abyss punching the thumbtacks in the mat from last week.
Match Number Three: Abyss (with James Mitchell) versus Brother Runt in a Match of Ten Thousand Thumbtacks
Brother Runt charges the ring and he hits a battering ram. Brother Runt with an Acid Drop and then he climbs the turnbuckle and gets a bag of thumbtacks. Runt hits Abyss with the bag of tacks and he knocks the big man down. Abyss leaves the ring and Runt pours the tacks on the mat.
We see Raven watching from the bleachers.
Back to the action and Runt tries for a splash off the apron but Abyss catches him and runs Runt into the ring post. Abyss and James Mitchell set up a table on the floor and then they place a board of thumbtacks onto the table. We go to commercial.
We are back and Abyss and James Mitchell bring another board of thumbtacks over to place on top of another table. Abyss returns to Brother Runt on the Ramp of Heelish Impact and he punches Runt in the head. Abyss sets for a power bomb through the tables, but Runt punches Abyss and gets out of the hold. They fight down the Ramp of Heelish Impact and back to the ring. Abyss rolls Brother Runt into the ring and Abyss returns to the ring. Abyss puts Runt’s head right above the tacks, but Abyss misses when Runt moves out of the way. Runt tries for the Acid Drop but Abyss blocks it and he drops Runt onto the thumbtacks.
Winner: Abyss
After the match, we see Raven watching the action as we see the replay of the end of the match. Abyss throws Brother Runt out of the ring and they move towards the two tables with the boards of thumbtacks. Abyss pulls Brother Runt up the Ramp of Heelish Impact. Abyss presses Brother Runt over his head but Raven stops Abyss and Raven tries for a discus punch. Abyss blocks it. Raven kicks Abyss and then he hits a knee lift that knocks Abyss off the stage and through the two tables covered with thumbtacks.
Raven carries Brother Runt to the back while we see three masked men with guns walk down the ramp as we go to commercial.
We are back with footage of Jeff Jarrett winning the title at Slammiversary and then we see him saying that he takes no responsibility for Earl Hebner or Larry Zbyszko’s actions. He says that he will take a lie detector test. We see footage of Sting saying that it was Christian who beat him at Hard Justice and he wants a rematch at Bound for Glory. We see Jarrett say that Sting puts his career on the line. We also hear Sting say that he is going away for a while. Jarrett talks about the contract, and we see the contract that is signed by Sting. We then hear Jarrett talk about the ‘public execution’.
Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring and there is a ‘firing squad’ in the ring along with a headstone and a noose from the ceiling. A fan throws a bottle at Jarrett and Jarrett wants security to remove him and they escort the fan out of the building. Jarrett says that it is time to deal with the matter at hand. Certain governments gather the people in the town square and they publicly execute their criminals. They do this for two reasons. One to kill the criminals, and two to make an example of anybody who goes against the law of the land. Jarrett says that capital punishment is alive and well on Planet Jarrett. He says that he will publicly execute the career of Sting. He says that he could put Sting’s career in front of a firing squad and his career would be dead. He could put Sting’s career in the noose and then watch him die a painful death. Jarrett says that he has a different weapon. In this case, the pen is mightier than the sword. Jarrett executes the contract. He says that by publicly executing this contract, he has sealed Sting’s fate. In Detroit, at Bound for Glory, as Planet Jarrett rolls into town and as the townspeople walk around the six sides of steel. When Jarrett leaves Sting in a pool of blood, he will execute Sting’s career. On October 22nd, at Bound for Glory, it will be Jarrett’s title against Sting’s career. His belt against Sting’s legacy. At the biggest show in TNA’s history, it will be his final match.
There is a phone ringing in the building and it is the red phone on the announce table. Don answers the phone and it is James Cornette. Cornette wants to know if Jarrett can hear him. Jarrett tells Cornette not to rain on his public execution. Cornette says that because he cannot be in Orlando that he is unable to see the satellite feed. Now that the contract has been executed for Bound for Glory, he has something to say to Jarrett. He says that he is sick of Jarrett’s grandstanding, his conspiracies, and plots. Whether it be Larry Zbyszko, Earl Hebner, or Christian Cage; whenever something crooked happens around here, someone else gets fired. It always seems that Jarrett benefits from the problems. If Jarrett wants to put things on trial and make things a farce, he will put Jarrett on trial next week. Jarrett said that he would take a polygraph, so next week he will take a polygraph. Cornette tells Jarrett if he passes the test, he will be able to take time off and train for Bound for Glory and not have to walk into the ring. If Jarrett fails any part of the lie detector test, then the fans will get the opportunity to get even with Jarrett personally. He will make Jarrett’s life hell. Will he have more to fear from Sting inside the ring or the fans outside the ring? We go to credits.
Impact Thoughts:
I liked the opening segment with LAX, Christopher Daniels, and A.J. Styles. I really liked it when Konnan said that they did not want the fake applause because of Eddie Guerrero’s name being mentioned. While it fit the storyline with LAX against everyone else, I liked that it reflected my thoughts about the situation where people try get a cheap pop by mentioning Eddie’s name. In this case Konnan was talking about the other wrestlers who paved the way for their success.
I am really looking forward to the Tag Team Ultimate X match. I wonder if they will tweak the rules of the regular Ultimate X match for the tag situation.
I liked how they teased the situation with Petey Williams and Senshi because they were opponents at Hard Justice and now they are tagging. They did a good job of building the Senshi/Sabin match for No Surrender.
I am interested in seeing who Bobby Roode chooses to be his manager. Since he is thinking ‘outside the box’, I wonder if he will even bring in someone associated with wrestling to be his manager. I have stated previously that I think So Cal Val could be a good choice since a lot of people are not familiar with Val’s managing so it would be something new on a national scale.
If Eric Young is trying to mount a grass roots campaign to keep his job, shouldn’t Eric Young be coming out of the Face Chute instead of the Heel Chute?
Enough with the Earl Hebner, Larry Zbyszko, Slick Johnson angle. Either have a match or move on. Right now, this angle is being given priority over the X Division. Speaking of one of the strengths of TNA in the past, what happened to the tag team division outside of the two teams in the Tag Title match?
I thought the Abyss/Brother Runt match could have been better. Obviously if it was done on a pay per view, they would be given more time to build the table spot without taking away from the match. Watching it live in the Impact Zone, they spent too much time to set up the two tables only to use the spot after the match instead of as the finish. I realize that it is setting to a possible Abyss/Raven match but it would have probably made for a better finish.
I have to say that I am at a loss for words to describe the final segment on this week’s show. I guess you could say it was over the top. I can only wonder what the lie detector test segment will be like on next week’s show.
The card right now for No Surrender is as follows:
LAX versus A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels for the NWA World Tag Team Titles in an Ultimate X Match
Senshi versus Chris Sabin for the X Division Title
Feel free to send feedback to richard@pwinsider.com
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