IMPACT

June 28, 2007
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
thanks to: tnaheadlines.com
 

It’s such a pleasure to write these reports for you every week on this website formed by three people I respect so much. I hope I make it worth your time.

The Big News: Kurt Angle will be Samoa Joe’s partner in the match of champions in the longest TNA Impact match in the show’s history. It was a solid battle, but I thought the Harris-Storm match was better two weeks ago. Also, Team 3-D’s opponents in the final Match of Champions qualifying match were announced.

Either Jim Cornette had a role in the creative direction of this show or this company has taken a cue from UFC. It was completely designed around the three-way match, and solely that. It had a strong build-up package and a tale of the tape. Jeremy Borash was back doing the introductions from the ring (very well, I might add) after the entrances. Very similar to the Doug Basham vs. Damaja loser leaves town match from 2003 Ohio Valley Wrestling, which is living proof a company can get itself over with one-hour TV shows.

Samoa Joe was introduced as the first man to qualify for the match of champions. Joe was about to shake hands with Angle, but jumped him instead and started brawling around ringside. He threw him around everywhere, telling the story that he wanted Angle to lose so Joe wouldn’t have to team with him at Victory Road. It ended up backstage, where the wrestlers pulled them apart. Jim Cornette ordered Joe out of the building. The only problem was Angle wasn’t selling anything after the commercial break.

1. Kurt Angle defeated Rhino and Christian Cage to retain the TNA title and earn a spot as Rhino’s partner in the Match of Champions. It was a no-DQ match. Angle is a total heel now, as Rhino worked as the lone face. Cage and Angle double-teamed early. Cage teased a partnership with Angle, and gave Rhino an elbow. Angle landed a back suplex. Cage and Angle continued to play the numbers game until Angle missed a clotheline in the corner, and Rhino fired clotheslines to Angle and Cage. Rhino delivered a backdrop and a powerslam on Cage for a two count before Angle broke it up. Rhino momentarily took Cage out of the match with a belly to belly suplex, but Angle pounced right on Rhino and gave him a backbreaker. Following a chinlock, Rhino picked Angle up for an electric chair. Angle raked the face, but Rhino responded with a vertical suplex. He teased the gore, but Cage pulled Rhino down from behind a crotched him into the post. Angle tried a shoulder block on Cage but also ran into the post, and Cage covered him for a two count. Cage responded with a hangman’s neckbreaker on Angle for a two count. Angle got knocked out of the ring, and Rhino started selling his knee. Cage nailed Rhino with an inverted atomic drop and a drop kick for a two count. Cage put on the abdominal stretch. Rhino broke it, and threw Cage over the top. Cage landed on the apron, went to the top rope, but Rhino caught him and attempted a superplex. However, Cage gave Rhino a gordbuster onto Angle. The referee counted that as a pin, and at two Cage came off the top rope with a frog splash onto Rhino’s back, which got a two count. After a commercial, Rhino hit a flying clothesline on Cage, and followed with a shoulder block into the corner. Angle decked Rhino, and threw Cage onto Rhino’s head. Angle came back with five rolling German suplexes on Cage. Crowd started chanting “you suck” at Angle. Angle came back with the ankle lock, but Rhino made his way to his feet with a schoolboy cradle on Angle for a two count. Rhino tried a powerslam, but Angle escaped and put Rhino in the ankle lock. As Cage tried to break it up, Angle put him into the ankle lock, as well. Cage and Rhino both rolled through to break it, and actually teamed up for a double clothesline on Angle. Then Cage and Rhino clotheslined each other, and all three were down, leading to a big “TNA” chant. Cage got up first, went to the top rope, where Rhino crotched him. Cage threw Rhino off, and Angle gave Rhino a german suplex. Angle gave Cage the arm drag off the top for a two count. Cage threw Angle into Rhino, who was on the apron, and hit the unprettier on Angle for a two count. Big pop for the kick out. Angle threw Cage out of the ring, but Rhino flew off the top for a clothesline for a great near fall. Rhino got the Boston Crab on Angle in the center of the ring. Rhino let go when he saw Cage climbing onto the apron, and gave him a shoulder block to the floor. Angle got the Olympic slam on Rhino, but got only a two count. Meanwhile, Cage got a table out from under the ring. Cage threw Angle into the table, but Rhino returned the favor on Cage and set the table up in the corner. Cage raked the face of Rhino and started putting the boots onto Angle. Suddenly, Abyss came out to ringside and chased Cage backstage. This is where the match lost me. Just too many run-ins. They went to a break, and Abyss laid waste to Cage backstage, throwing him into a dumpster. Angle gave Rhino a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Abyss tried to ram a trash cart into Cage, but A.J. Styles and Tomko showed up and jumped Abyss from behind. Tomko rammed a guard rail on Abyss, and Cage made his way back inside. In the ring, Angle gave Rhino another German suplex for a two count. Rhino came back with a belly-to-belly, and gave Angle the gore through the table for a big pop. We even got replays from two different angles. What made me cringe was that’s the same spot that caused Rhino to get neck fusion surgery in 2003. With Rhino still down selling the neck, Cage staggered his way back to the ring, and covered Angle. When he got to two, Chris Harris pulled Cage out of the ring and started brawling around the ring. Pretty soon, Styles and Tomko showed up to lay Harris out. Rhino covered Angle for a great near fall. Abyss came back out and went after Styles and Tomko. Cage went wild on Harris until Sting appeared for some reason. They tried to explain Sting’s involvement was because he respected Rhino. Whatever. The ring was full of guys at this point, yet only three had anything to with the match. Cage and Harris brawled into the crowd, and Cage was never seen again. Rhino and Abyss went to the announcer’s table, and Sting hit Styles with a baseball bat up the ramp. Tomko hit Abyss hard with chair shots as they fought into the crowd. Angle and Rhino were left alone in the ring. Rhino got up and gave Angle a TKO for another great two count. Angle caught an elbow on Rhino, put him on the top rope and got a belly to belly superplex for a near fall. Crowd was on its feet at this point. Angle charged after Rhino, who countered into a spine buster for a two count. Angle grabbed Rhino leg for an ankle lock in the middle of the ring. They were past the 40:00 mark at this point, and Rhino kicked him off. Angle ran into another belly to belly, and attempted the gore, but James Storm ran in and spit beer in Rhino’s face. As Rhino turned his back, Angle gave him an Olympic slam for the pin. ***1/2.

Next week, it was announced LAX and A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels will oppose Team 3-D in a match to determine who will face Angle & Joe in the Match of Champions.