IMPACT

April 19, 2007
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
thanks to: pwtorch.com
 

We open with a recap of Jeff Jarrett returning to the show last week before Jarrett gave Sting the #1 Contender win in Lethal Lockdown.

Don West opened the show by breaking down the card before going inside the ring with Mike Tenay, who welcomed out Jeff Jarrett. West brought up Jarrett's family situation and said we should never question Jarrett, the man, for what he's gone through personally. Tenay said we saw a different Jarrett last week on Impact and on the PPV. Jarrett said that when he reflected back on his career, he determined that it's not all about Jeff Jarrett and it's time to give back. Applause from the crowd. He choked back tears as he talked about giving back. Jarrett said he has to make something right and everyone will be shocked. Before Jarrett had a chance to elaborate, Kurt Angle's music hit. Jarrett's brilliance in making himself look good through the booking: Jarrett is having a heartfelt moment with the audience, then Angle interrupts like a complete jerk. Angle took the mic and said he had his integrity questioned by the wrestlers and the fans by having Jarrett on his team. He said Jarrett handed Sting a title shot when he's the guy who hates him more than anyone else. Jarrett then said he feels he doesn't have to make things right with Angle. He said he did what he said he would do: help Team Angle win at Lockdown. Jarrett with the applause. Angle was booed.

Sting's music then hit and Jarrett bailed. (Jarrett laying low.) Sting addressed Angle and said he must have a problem with him since he's complaining about the finish of the Lockdown match. He said while he was off fighting Abyss, all he's heard from Angle is that he's the leader of the company. Sting said Jarrett and himself have been wrestling for a combined 40 years, while Angle's only at 10 wrestling. Sting said if it weren't for guys like him and Jarrett, Angle would be a gold medalist gym teacher. Oohs and aahs from the crowd. They cut to a later point in the interview with Sting challenging Angle to a match next week with his #1 Contender slot on the line. They hurt Angle with how this was presented, but it makes sense based on who's booking the show. Angle is a threat to Jarrett as a babyface. Angle's not a threat to Jarrett as a conflicted face/heel jerk.

Backstage, Team Cage had a good laugh at the expense of the pseudo babyfaces arguing amongst themselves. Christian Cage said he pulled a few strings and got an NWA Tag Title shot tonight. He then picked Abyss at his partner. Abyss went into his X-cross pose, which everyone in the interview made fun of. Styles asked if he had a chocolate hot dog stuck in his rear end. It was a long time coming for that, since people have mocked that goofy pose for months. Abyss then stood upright and looked around the room in embarrassment. Cage threatened Abyss that if he didn't get the job done tonight, he'd be in for bad things.

Christopher Daniels came to the ring sporting a Sting mask with a Sting baseball bat in hand. Styles and Joe then followed out.

[Commercial Break]

Rhino was in the ring to make this a four-way match to open the show.

1 -- CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs. A.J. STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE vs. RHINO

Joe and Daniels started things off, with Joe dominating Daniels. Eventually, Daniels snuck across the ring and tagged in Rhino. Joe and Rhino toed it up, then Styles made a blind tag and danced around the ring. Rhino then let go of Joe and attacked Styles with clotheslines. Joe tagged in, then he dropped Styles with a stiff kick to the arm. He followed with a kick/slap combo before landing a running knee drop to the chest. Daniels made a tag, but Styles and Daniels couldn't get along working on Joe. The action broke down, then Joe flipped Styles over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Rhino hip tossed Daniels across the ring, then went for the spear, but Daniels nailed him in the face with a Sting bat while the ref had his back to the action. Daniels then covered Rhino for the win.

After the match, Joe nailed Styles in the face to clear him to the outside. Daniels then backed up the entrance ramp holding his bat in the air in victory.

WINNER: Daniels in 4:00. This was a good example of knocking four potential money-drawing stars back to mid-card purgatory. Joe, Daniels, and Styles had the match of the year two years ago in a PPV main event, but now they're having four-minute throwaway matches on free TV with no build up.

[Commercial Break]

Backstage, Jeremy Borash tried to get a word with Kurt Angle, who grabbed the mic from Borash. Angle said Sting was spewing out b.s. in the opening segment. He said having only been in the business for eight years, that means he's still in his prime. Angle threatened to push Sting aside if he's not going to step aside. He said Sting's title opportunity will be gone next week.

Chris Harris came to the ring with Gail Kim for a match. Amazing to see how smart they've been about burying Chris Harris. Here's a guy who turned face out of the AMW split, has a good look, could be a main eventer based on size, yet they stuck a patch over his eye and have given Kim a more credible push. Harris = threat as a babyface to Jarrett. Do the math. On the way to the ring, the camera was focused squarely on Gail. They posed on the ring apron, with Harris pushed to the side of the camera shot. As Gail was posing on the ring apron, Jackie Moore attacked Gail. They brawled around the ring, then into the stands. Harris vs. Roode up next.

[Commercial Break]

Bobby Roode came to the ring with Ms. Brooks and Eric Young. Notice the difference between Roode and Harris's entrances. The camera is focused on Roode while the valet is behind Roode, not in front of him. Roode needs to look credible as a heel for his next feud.

2 -- CHRIS HARRIS (w/Gail Kim) vs. BOBBY ROODE (w/Ms. Brooks and Eric Young)

Roode jumped Harris from behind too start the match, then we saw James Storm drinking a beer on the entrance ramp to get a closer look at the action. Tenay said Harris vs. Storm has been signed for the May PPV in a Texas Death Match. Harris made a one-eyed comeback with hard clotheslines before catching Roode off the ropes with the catatonic. He had the pin, but Ms. Brooks pulled the ref out of the ring. The ref argued with Brooks and Young on the outside, which allowed Roode to grab some handcuffs and drop Harris in the face with the cuffs. He then made the cover for the win.

After the match, Roode snapped on Young and said he's sick and tired of Young embarrassing him on a regular basis. He asked Young if he's mad about him beating up his friend, Petey Williams, at Lockdown. Young smiled and said he's not the friend. Roode sarcastically asked whether Young has two friends now. He demanded to know who the person is. Young refused. Roode then gave Young seven days to come up with the name of the person or he would fire him on TV next week.

WINNER: Roode in 3:00. Harris loses. No surprise. He's a threat to Jarrett's babyface push. It's as if the Republicans and Democrats are racing against each other for the 2008 presidential candidacy and they're trying to bury each other in subtle ways, but Jarrett is emerging at the top of the heap thanks to having the unfair advantage of controlling how the media presents each candidate.

***SPOILER ALERT*** Don't read the rest of the paragraph if you don't want to know who "the friend" is, but it's worth noting how they set this up for next week. Young is one of the only legit babyfaces in the company because they've used the sympathy card and the audience loves him. When Jarrett comes in as "the friend", Jarrett gets the rub by saving the lovable, huggable, sympathetic babyface. Going back to when this all started, the storyline was about Bobby Roode trying to use Young to get fan affection, leading to him hiring Young. That was simply foreshadowing for when Jarrett would return to ride in on the white horse and get Young's babyface rub by associating with him. After all these other babyfaces have been knocked down with crappy storylines, Jarrett establishes himself as the noble and commendable babyface by laying low in a nice little mid-card program to show he's a team player. But then he'll automatically assume the top position at the babyface level in a few months when the time is right.

Backstage, Borash found James Mitchell berating Abyss in their dark corner. He told Abyss to get it right tonight or his old woman would be going to jail for murder, perjury, and obstruction of justice. Mitchell walked away, then Abyss screamed and threw his chain against the wall.

[Commercial Break]

Out of the break, we saw this week's Eye Spy segment. Alex Shelley was talking to Kevin Nash about how hot Black Machismo is, but he wanted to know why he wasn't teaming with "the black kid." Lethal was muttering in the background, doing his Machoisms. Nash then said he booked a three-way meant for Lethal to go over. Lethal liked the sound of that. Sonjay Dutt then entered the picture sporting Nash's old Diesel get up. He looked he missed the boat on a Village People reunion. Lethal mocked Dutt that he can step over the top rope now. Dutt then cut a believable promo that he's sick and tired of being fed crap from Nash. He told him to stick it, then he threw the Diesel jacket at Nash. Well, there's the missing passion from Dutt.

Ringside, LAX joined Tenay and West on commentary. Actually, Konnan was on commentary and Homicide and Hernandez assumed the position over Konnan's shoulder of being the menacing thugs. Tenay and West talked about Team 3D winning the NWA Tag Titles, then we saw a video package on the highpoints in the match. The beauty of video to make a horrible match look like a match for the ages.

Christian Cage, Abyss, and Mitchell came to the ring for the main event. Konnan finally had a chance to speak and said they were ripped off at the PPV. Team 3D then hit the ring holding the NWA Tag Title belts. Ray was smiling from ear-to-ear and Tenay said they completed the grand slam of tag title belts, which Konnan said is usually reserved for the grand slam breakfast at Denny's. Related back to the grand slam of tag title belts, for a company that says they don't want to compare themselves to WWE, they sure do put themselves in the same sentence with WWE every chance they get.

3 -- TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON) vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE & ABYSS (w/James Mitchell) -- NWA Tag Title match

Devon dominated Christian Cage in the opening minute. 3D then double-teamed Christian with a sidewalk slam and guillotine leg drop. Christian escaped, then tagged out to Abyss. They cut to ringside where Hector Guerrero was watching the action. Konnan said he doesn't know whether Hector was paid off by TNA or if he attacked him at Lockdown on his own volition. Ray tagged in and slammed Abyss, then 3D gave Abyss a double-team pancake slam. Abyss finally made a comeback for the heels and tagged to Christian, who choked Devon with his boot. Good heat for the main event. The action broke down at 4:00, then Devon threw Abyss into Christian, who fell off the top rope to the floor. Abyss then stumbled backward into a 3D from Team 3D for the win.

WINNERS: Team 3D in 6:00. Good main event match based on the heat and back-and-forth action. Of note is that the heels were barely on offense here. Goes back to Lockdown when Christian entered the cage match at Lockdown and immediately took a pounding from Sting without having any offense. Don't worry, when it's time for Jarrett to get back in the title picture, they'll start to rebuild Christian, if he's still champion.

After the match, Mitchell was in Christian's ear about Abyss losing again. Team 3D quickly left the ring before Christian entered the ring and chewed out Abyss.

[Commercial Break]

Back from the break, Abyss was on his feet. Christian screamed at him, then Abyss grabbed him by the throat. The fans wanted Abyss to finally take out his anger on Christian, who then spit on Abyss. After looking to the crowd, Abyss punched Christian in the face while Mitchell stood stunned on the apron. Abyss threatened to give Christian the torture rack slam, but Mitchell stepped in and cut him off. The rest of Team Cage then hit the ring to make the save, but Abyss fought them all off. Mitchell was left alone in the ring, then he pulled out his cell phone and threatened to call the police, but Abyss slapped the phone away and gave Mitchell the Black Hole Slam. Big pop from the crowd.

Abyss didn't have much time to celebrate, though, as Team Cage jumped him again when he tried to introduce thumbtacks. They then beat him and beat him and beat him with chair shots. Styles even jumped in the air for his chair shot. Christian retrieved a barbed wire baseball bat, then took batting practice on Abyss's arms. They put him in the Conchairto position, with Abyss's neck lying on the barbed wire, then Christian gave him a chairshot to the back of the head. Konnan said it's gang mentality that teaches discipline. (The writers trying to re-create Horsemen-like factions here.) Team Cage stood tall in the ring with Abyss covered in blood from head to wrist. Raw, real heat in this segment. Abyss's babyface turn starts here, and it's comparable to Evolution turning on Randy Orton right after Orton won his first WWE Title, which set up Orton for a disastrous babyface turn. However, this one has a better starting point for Abyss, who can play the sympathy card with the audience in a more believable way, plus the fans were definitely clamoring for the face turn before he took the brutal beating.