IMPACT

June 14, 2007
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
thanks to: pwtorch.com
 

We open with a recap of last week's show, including the non-finish to Chris Harris vs. James Storm and a tease of Christian Cage's mystery opponent tonight in a King of the Mountain qualifying match.

In the building, Tenay and West talked about the KOTM match at Slammiversary. They cut backstage where Leticia found Jim Cornette, who knocked on Kurt Angle's locker room door and told him to meet him in his office in ten minutes. He found Samoa Joe in the hallway and told him about the meeting. Cornette then knocked on Christian Cage's door and told him about the meeting. In Christian's room, Styles was doing calisthenics while Tomko provided a spot. Christian narrowed down his opponent tonight to Shark Boy. Cornette wasn't amused.

Christy Hemme led out the Bashams to the ring for an eight-man tag match. They alternated to the babyface team, as VKM walked out next. Scott Steiner then led out Rick Steiner for the heel team. Finally, Team 3D came out for the face team.

1 -- DAMAJA & BASHAM (w/Christy Hemme) & STEINER BROTHERS (RICK & SCOTT) vs. VKM (KIP & B.G. JAMES) & TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON)

The bell sounded and Devon started against Basham. The fans didn't waste any time chanting for tables. Ray then tagged in and ran over Basham with a shoulder block. Scott Steiner managed a tag, then he went face-to-face with Ray, but B.G. blind tagged in to square off with Scott. B.G. ducked a clothesline, then landed rock-n-roll right hands, but Scott punched him in the face and tagged out to Rick, who caught B.G. in the air and slammed him to the mat. In the middle of the match, Tenay and West plugged a contest to win a date with Christy Hemme and one week free of TNA Mobile. Back to the action, Scott gave B.G. a turnaround belly-to-belly suplex before the heels started tagging in and out to work on B.G. The Bashams lost control, and Kip took a hot tag. He cleaned house before catching Damaja with the Fameasser, but Basham caught him with the flying leg whip. The action broke down at 4:00, then Scott put B.G. in position for a top rope bulldog by Rick Steiner. It came down to Steiners vs. Dudleys in the ring. They paused before exchanging right hand blows. Their fight spilled to the outside, while Kip had a pin on Basham, but Christy used a referee distraction to spray something in Kip's eyes. Basham then rolled up Kip for the win. As usual, Lance Hoyt hit the ring too late, trying to make a save.

WINNERS: Bashams & Steiners in 5:00. Decent action to give everyone some time in the ring. They set the stage for the feuds going into the PPV, but there were too many men in too short a period of time for everything to sink in. (*1/2)

They cut to footage from the Slammiversary press conference when James Storm interrupted Frank Wychek's comments and sprayed water on him. They showed Jerry Lynn coming to Wychek's aid, setting up Lynn and Wychek teaming together at the PPV. West asked if Wychek's training will be enough to overcome Storm.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

Backstage, Jim Cornette told security to buzz off, while Leticia held the mic and Cornette addressed Angle, Joe, and Styles. Joe and Angle nearly came to blows until Cornette calmed them down. He said Joe and Angle hate each other, and have held the program hostage for six months, which he's sick of. Cornette then ripped Styles a new one, saying he's tired of watching Styles acting like a fool and playing Christian's sock puppet. He then booked Styles, Joe, and Angle in a six-man tag match against the three men they beat for the KOTM spot. He said if one of the opponents pins one member of Team Angle, the person who gets pinned loses his spot in KOTM. Team Angle was furious. "All I want is ratings," Cornette said. "That's my job." Yikes. Cornette told them not to work together like a well-oiled machine, but tear each other apart. "Why? Because it's good for ratings and fans want to see it." Geez.

They went to a video package on the King of the Mountain match, explaining all of the rules.

[Commercial Break]

They aired a video package on the LAX vs. Hector Guerrero feud.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash plugged TNA's text service and asked us to answer a question on where TNA's first PPV was held to possibly win $500. Chris Harris and Hector Guerrero then entered the camera shot and Harris said he's going to have Hector's back when they go to war against LAX. Hector then cut a promo in Spanish about facing Konnan at Slammiversary. It definitely was not clear what exactly the match is at the PPV.

Back live, Tomko's music hit, but he didn't emerge. Rhino's music then hit and he stormed the ring. Sting then came out like any ordinary wrestler. Joe led out Team Angle, then A.J. Styles came out second. Angle did his big entrance to round out the two-on-three match. With everyone in the ring, they cut backstage where Tomko was asleep...er...flat on his back with a giant electrical cable neatly and meticulously wrapped around his neck. Tenay wondered who took out Tomko.

[Q3]

2 -- RHINO & STING vs. SAMOA JOE & KURT ANGLE & A.J. STYLES

Joe and Rhino took center stage early on, then Joe slapped Angle hard on the chest to make a tag. Angle slowly entered the ring, then walked into a clothesline from Rhino. Angle came back with a release German suplex in center ring for a nearfall.

[Commercial Break]

Back live, Sting worked on Angle, who couldn't make a tag to his unwilling partners. Sting caught Angle with a dropkick, then Joe exploded on Sting with right hand blows after Sting knocked him off the apron. Joe and Angle exchanged words in the ring, then ran over Sting with a double elbow smash. Suddenly, Christopher Daniels hit the ring and stood on the apron looking for a tag. Sting then ran over to Daniels and tagged him in. What the? Daniels then entered the ring, smiled at how easy this was, and dropped Sting with Last Rites. Goodness, they made Sting look even more dumb, and that's quite a feat. Angle and Joe fought over who would pin Sting, then Angle got the pin on Sting for the win. Joe chased Angle from the ring, then Angle posed on the entrance ramp.

WINNERS: Angle & Joe & Styles in 8:00; Team Angle retains spots in KOTM. Unbelievable how little Sting means on this show these days. He's treated like a regular guy, and they book him like a gullible face every chance they get. Match meant nothing, really. Disappointing use of TNA's top stars. (3/4*)

[Commercial Break]

We join Eye Spy with Sonjay Dutt, Kevin Nash, and Jay Lethal having a passive discussion about the X Division Title while in the middle of a loving circle. Dutt spoke quietly and sincerely to Lethal. Nash went for the homoerotic overtone that no one knows what another man wants more than another man. Dutt started humming, while Nash went high-pitched. Pointless. Certainly doesn't seem like there's an X Title match at the PPV.

Christian Cage came to the ring motioning around his waist that he wants the TNA Title. Abyss's music then hit, and Christian freaked. This felt like a missed opportunity, though, as I don't feel they did a good job of building up the "mystery" aspect of the opponent - posing relevant questions along the way to get viewers thinking and anticipating who the opponent could be. As a result, Abyss came out and the crowd politely reacted like they would for any other wrestler, not the guy who's been off TV for months and finally has a chance to get his revenge on Christian. Abyss's return should have meant something and generated a huge pop, but they didn't plant any seeds the last few weeks to hint at Abyss's return. He was just a forgotten man with an "oh yeah, that guy" reaction from the crowd.

3 -- CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. ABYSS -- King of the Mountain qualifying match

Abyss hit the ring and jumped Christina. He splashed him in the corner, then knocked Christian to the floor. Abyss stalked Christian around ringside and threw him head-first into the entrance ramp. They brawled to the base of the stands, then the show cut to a break.

[Q4]

[Commercial Break]

Back in the Impact zone, Christian sent Abyss to the ropes and caught him with a double boot to the face. Christian then kicked Abyss in the legs and Abyss went flying into the air before crashing to the mat. Tenay told us Sting vs. Daniels has been added to the PPV and the fifth person in the KOTM match won't be announced until the PPV. He said the fifth person might not even be on the TNA roster. Back to live action, Abyss and Christian countered each other's finishers before Abyss caught him with a chokeslam for a nearfall. Behind the ref's back, Christian low blowed Abyss. Tomko made a miraculous recovery from falling asleep backstage and nailed Abyss with a big boot while Christian had the ref distracted. Christian then hit a top rope frog splash, but Abyss kicked out. Christian, upset, chased the ref out of the ring Tom & Jerry style. Christian was blown up from running, then he ran into the Black Hole Slam back in the ring. Of course, the ref was distracted by Tomko, so Abyss got his visual three count. A.J. Styles then slipped a chair into the ring and Abyss punched it into Christian's face before press slamming Styles to the floor on top of Tomko. Abyss picked up the chair and pointed it at Christian, but the ref got in the way. Abyss thought about it for a second, then nailed Christian with a chair shot, earning a DQ. The ref took a chair shot to the head for good measure, popping the crowd.

WINNER: Christian via DQ in 9:00 to earn the fourth KOTM spot. Exciting final few minutes, and in the Impact tradition of a non-finish in the final TV match before a PPV, Christian won without really winning while flat on his back. (**)

After the match, Abyss went under the ring and got the bag of thumbtacks. Security hit the ring and bumped for Abyss. Terry Taylor and Simon Diamond, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, then entered the ring looking like security guards and took blows from Abyss. Abyss then dumped broken glass in center ring instead of tacks. He set up Christian for a chokeslam, but Tomko and Styles made the save. They set up Abyss for a chokeslam onto the glass, but Christian told them to hold on while he retrieved his barbed wire baseball bat. Christian went for a bat shot, but Abyss landed a big boot and cleared Styles and Tomko to the floor. Christian bailed, then Abyss picked up the baseball bat and held it in the air to close the show. Wait, is there a PPV on Sunday? Sure doesn't seem like it when the main event isn't finalized and the post-main event angle had nothing to do with setting up a PPV match since Abyss isn't even on the card.

They closed with a video package hyping the Slammiversary PPV.