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The pre-game show was the "Road to No Surrender" hosted by Jeremy Borash and Crystal. Crystal was far better in the role than Leticia, but I still miss Christy Hemme.
The opening video was a play on the start of the football season, which was really well produced.
TNA blows up some pyro as Mike Tenay and Don West welcome everyone. There are tons of signs, most of which written in the same handwriting, so my guess is TNA production handed them out to add to the visual.
TNA Tag Team champions Kurt Angle & Sting vs. Ron Killings & Adam "Pacman" Jones
Did you ever think you'd see a TNA PPV open with Sting? Pacman Jones nearly tripped as he stepped out of the tunnel into the Impact Zone. Jones teases starting, then tags out. Killings and Sting start the match off. Killings evades a collar and elbowe lockup, then begins working over Sting with rights. Sting comes back with several arm drags and punches him. Killings tried to tag out but Jones waved him off. The crowd chanted, "Pacman sucks."
Sting tagged in Angle. Killings caught him with a kick to the gut then unloaded with punches. He whipped Angle into the ropes but was caught with an overhead belly to belly release suplex. Killings tried to tag out again but Pacman dropped to the arena floor. Angle chases Jones around the ring, but Killings cuts off Angle. Killing gets two count with a running powerslam. The crowd is taunting Jones, chanting he swallows.
Karen Angle makes her way to ringside. She starts screaming at Sting. Killings has a rear chinlock on Kurt. Karen starts shoving Sting and slapped him. He motioned for her to go to the back and she dropped like she had been hit. She started screaming for Kurt. Angle tagged in Sting and realized she was on the floor.
Sting started unloading on Killings and nailed the Scorpion death Drop. Killings got his shoulder up at the last second. Sting splashes Killings. Pacman Jones tagged in and faces off with Sting. Angle attacked Sting and hit the Olympic Slam. Jones covered Sting and pinned him, 1-2-3, and the cameras MISSED THE ENTIRE PINFALL BECAUSE THEY WERE SHOWING KAREN ANGLE ON THE FLOOR. So much for Sportscenter. Terrible finish, terrible camera work and when you think about it, the booking made no sense whatsoever because why would Karen want to cost her husband a title?
Karen and Karen Angle walked out, Sting looked on with no emotion and Pacman Jones won a World title in his first match without ever being physically involved. What a way to start the show, eh? A nothing match.
They aired a video feature on Rhino vs. James Storm.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Rhino backstage. Borash asked Rhino where he's been. He said that he took time to realize he's not a machine, he's a man. He said he, Terry Gerin is an alcoholic and he fell off the wagon five weeks ago, but tonight James Storm is going to know what it's like to fall when he cuts Storm in half with a gore, gore, GORE. I thought it was a good promo.
James Storm (with Jackie Moore) vs. Rhino
Rhino charged the ring and Storm retreated to the entrance ramp. Rhino followed and they brawled on the floor. Storm ran into the crowd and tried hiding behind the fans. That was awesome. Rhino found him and they started brawling in the crowd with Rhino controlling the battle. The announcers explained that Jim Cornette told the officials to give this match leeway because of the personal nature of the feud. They battled up one of the bleachers and Storm nailed Rhino, sending him down the steps. Rhino caught Storm and drilled him into the wall of the Impact Zone.
They battled back into the ringside area. Rhino hit Storm with a fan's side, then tossed him into the railing. He tried to suplex Storm on the entrance ramp but Storm reversed. Storm was whipped into the railing. Rhino tossed Storm into the ring and they rang the opening bell.
Rhino began beating Storm with tons of punches in the corner. He whipped Storm into the corner but Storm caught him with a boot to the face. Storm charged but Rhino caught him with a belly to belly suplex. Jackie Moore tried to grab Rhino by the hair but was scared off. Storm caught Rhino with a knee thanks to the distraction. Storm drilled Rhino with a lariat. Storm controlled Rhino and rode him with a rear chinlock.
Rhino finally fights his way back up. He clotheslines and powerslams Storm for a two count. Storm kicked Rhino in the gut and nailed a neckbreaker/suplex variation. Rhino shoulderblocked Storm in the corner, then hits another belly to belly. Rhino motioned for the Gore. He drills Storm with it but Storm kicked up at the last second. Rhino looked stunned. Everyone thought that was the finish. Rhino called for a chair and a planted fan handed him one from the front row. Rhino set up two chairs in a corner and dragged Storm up to the turnbuckle for the Rhinodriver off the ropes. Storm fought him and got the better of Rhino. Storm hit an Acecrusher off the ropes onto the chairs but Rhino still kicked up at the last second. The crowd chanted for TNA.
Storm was holding his ribs on the floor as he pulled a table from underneath. Storm set up the table. He misses a clothesline and Rhino hits a Samoan Drop. Rhino sees the table in the ring and sets it up in the corner to gore Storm through it. Storm grabs rhino and drops down into a jawbreaker. Rhino fires off with an elbow and goes to the top rope. Storm cuts him off and tries to attempt a superplex. He nails it.
Rhino nails the gore through the table and pins Storm cleanly.
Your winner, Rhino!
After the match, Rhino grabbed a small keg of beer and looked to be attempting to shove it where the sun doesn't shine (seriously) but Jackie Moore grabbed him by the hair. Rhino dragged her into the ring and gored her.
Match was good. It wasn't the best match they've had together but the brawl at the start was fun, the work was good and back and forth. It was nice to see a clean pinfall for Rhino. I am guessing the feud is over, but we'll see.
TNA showed the footage of Pacman Jones pinning Sting.
Backstage, Kurt Angle questioned Kevin Nash, asking him if he called Sting a good partner after what happened out at the ring. He threw a chair at the wall and claimed he lost the belts because Sting slapped his wife. Nash tells him that the only person that slapped anyone was Karen. Karen claimed Sting slapped her. Nash yelled at Angle to focus because he had two more matches tonight. Sting stormed in and slammed Angle against the wall demanding to know what happened. Angle told Sting that he slapped Karen and Sting denied it. Nash and Jim Cornette tried to break it up. Cornette told Sting to go back to the hotel and relax because nothing would be solved tonight. Sting let go and told Angle it wasn't over. Cornette then told Karen that she was leaving too. Angle protested but Cornette told her that she was leaving or the couple could both leave and Kurt could leave the belts behind. She began shrieking as she was walked out by Matt Morgan.
Don West and Mike Tenay discussed what we had just seen.
Kazarian vs. Robert Roode
They locked up in the center of the ring jockeying for position. Kazarian broke cleanly when they ended up in a corner. Roode kicked him in the midsection and then began working him over with side headlock. Kaz shoulderblocked Roode and nailed a deep armdrag. Ms. Brooks smiled at Kaz's work. Roode and Kaz went back and forth with some good wrestling.
Roode went for the Payoff but Kaz blocked it. They tumbled through the ropes to the floor. Brooks came over to them but didn't seem to know who to check on. Roode kneed Kaz in the gut but Kaz slammed him into the apron. They battled on the floor. Roode whipped Kaz into Brooks, but Kaz put the breaks on. Roode nailed him from behind. Roode slammed Kaz into the ring steps. Brooks started holding her wrist.
Roode tossed Kaz into the ring. Roode hit a back suplex but only got a two count. Roode berated Brooks, which gave Kaz a chance to come back with some chops and a backdrop. Roode cut him off, then whipped Kaz into the turnbuckle. He starts unloading with chops on Kaz, then clips his knee from behind. Roode covered him but Kaz kicked up at two. Match is solid.
Roode goes to the side chinlock. He continued to control the flow of the match but Kaz keeps kicking up. Kaz uses an enziguiri, but Roode catches him with a spinebuster for another two count. Roode grabbed brass knuckles but Kaz boots him in the face. They go flying and Roode yells at her to go get them. Kaz rolls him up for a two count and then nails a crucifix for another near fall. Roode calls for Brooks to give him the knucks. Kazarian hits a missile dropkick. Roode kicks up.
Roode backdropped Kaz onto the ring apron. Kaz goes for a springboard move but Roode cuts him off. Brooks realizes Roode wants the knucks so she discards it under the ring. Roode goes to the floor and begins screaming at her. Kaz went to hit a pescado but Brooks is pulled in the middle. Kaz bounces back into the ring but then hits a tope con hilo to the floor on Roode. Kaz kisses Brooks' hand, then returns to the ring.
Roode begs off. Kaz unleashes a bunch of punches. Kaz hits a springboard back elbow. He clotheslines Roode. Kaz hits a slingshot DDT for a twp count, as Roode gets his shoulder up at the last second. Kaz hit something similar to the kryptonite krunch and of course, the cameras missed the point of impact completely. Roode gets his shoulder up at the last minute. Kaz sets up Roode for the flux capacitor but Roode blocked him and began drilling Kaz with punches. Kax grabbed Roode with a faceplant off the ropes but again Roode kicked up. OK, this is officially a really good match.
Kaz missed a legdrop off the ropes. Roode nailed the Payoff (Fisherman's suplex) and scored the three count.
Your winner, Robert Roode!
A really good match telling a simple but good babyface vs. heel story mixed with some big moves and spots.
Roode berated Brooks after the match. It's kind of funny how Roode went from using Brooks to berate and bully Eric Young to bullying and berating Brooks.
Backstage, Crystal interviewed Jay Lethal. She said that tonight was considered a long shot for Lethal. Lethal said he was going to take out the Dragon and get the belt again. Crystal said they weren't talking about Ricky Steamboat, but Kurt Angle. Lethal name dropped Jake Roberts and George Steele. Kevin Nash showed up and told Lethal he was to take a dive tonight because Angle didn't have time for this with his World title match later.
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