IMPACT

July 12, 2007
Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
thanks to: pwtorch.com
 

They open with Abyss coming to the ring. No usual video intro. Mike Tenay and Don West talked about Abyss meeting with Sting last week and seeing Abyss sporting Sting's facepaint. Lance Hoyt came out with Christy Hemme for the opening match. They showed footage from Slammiversary when The Bashams were with Hoyt and Hemme. Bashams have disappeared since then.

1 -- ABYSS vs. LANCE HOYT (w/Christy Hemme)

They fought to the outside in the opening. Abyss took control abck in the ring, but he missed with a Vader Bomb. Hoyt then acquired a chair while Christy Hemme distracted referee Earl Hebner. Hoyt set up the coast-to-coast dropkick, but Abyss got up and threw the chair into Hoyt's face. He made a cover and Hebner returned to the ring to make a nearfall count. Hoyt made a comeback and called for a running boot, but Abyss countered with the Black Hole Slam for the win.

Abyss wasn't done after the match. He went under the ring and retrieved the thumbtack bag. He dumped glass in center ring while Basham ran down and pulled Hoyt out of the ring. Some tourists who looked like B.G. James and Kip James then hit the ringside area and beat up Basham and Hoyt. Back in the ring, A.J. Styles and Tomko attacked Abyss from behind when he approached Christy Hemme for a glass splash. The lights then went down and Sting was in the ring when the lights came back up. Sting cleared Styles and Tomko, then handed the baseball bat to Abyss. Sting took the mic and plugged their tag match at the PPV against Styles and Tomko. He then handed the mic to Abyss, who wasn't sure what to do with it. After a long pause, Abyss said: "Tomko. Styles. Three days. Click. Doomsday."

WINNER: Abyss in 4:00. Relatively clean win by TNA standards. Of course, post-match took precedence. Nice follow-up on last week with Abyss finally talking. Short, effective and to the point, which worked well. He'll be effective in small doses on the mic. (*)

They cut to the usual Impact intro, then Tenay and West broke down the PPV card. They're booking a ten-man Ultimate X gauntlet match. Just a bunch of generic man doing flips and stuff. They plugged Storm vs. Rhino, Christian vs. Harris, Sting & Abyss vs. Styles & Tomko, and the Match of Champions match.

They aired a video package to promote tonight's TV main event: Team 3D & Angle & Samoa Joe vs. Christian's team. Ray said they don't have a problem with Team 3D, but they haven't respected Angle since the day he stepped into TNA. Angle, a great heel now and being as smarmy as possible, said he doesn't understand why everyone hates him when he's just preaching the truth that he's the best man in the ring, while everyone in the locker room sucks. He took off his sunglasses in the backstage setting and said, "Man, it's great to be Kurt Angle." It's amazing what character definition can do for a wrestler.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

They cut backstage where Christian Cage was interviewed by Jeremy Borash. Christian wanted to know he wasn't told about Sting and Abyss teaming again. Styles and Tomko stopped arguing backstage, then told Christian to be quiet. He said he's held more championships than him. Christian stopped him with a glare, then Styles said he just wants to know who their fourth partner is for the eight-man tag match. Christian said he always wins, then Robert Roode walked into the shot with Ms. Brooks. Roode shook hands with Christian, then he said he's sick and tired of being screwed by TNA's politics. He said, "If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense." Christian walked away with Roode and Brooks, leaving a confused and despondent Styles. He went chasing after Christian, then Tomko smiled and told Borash, "Every week, the same thing."

Havok, Martyr, and Kaz came to the ring individually for a three-way match to qualify for the ten-men Ultimate X gauntlet at the PPV.

2 -- KAZ vs. MARTYR vs. HAVOK

Havok and Martyr ganged up on Kaz to start things off. Tenay said Kaz is the only one who's had a set to stand up to Raven. They plugged a text messaging service to vote for who gets the fall in the Match of Champions match at the PPV. Kaz made a comeback at 2:00 and ran over Havok with a high kick to the face, sending him to the floor. He then rolled up Martyr with a bridge pin for the win.

After the match, Raven walked to ringside and broke a Kendo Stick across Kaz's back. Martyr and Havok then repeated cane shots on Kaz. They held him against the ringpost and continued to cane him. Back in the ring, Raven blew his nose into a rag and rubbed it in Kaz's face. Martyr and Havok repeated cane shots on Kaz before they posed over Kaz's fallen body.

WINNER: Kaz in 3:00 to qualify for Ultimate X. Standard small-man's match. As usual, post-match took precedence. (3/4*)

They aired a video package on the Ultimate X match.

[Commercial Break]

Don West introduced a video package on him having a few beers with James Storm yesterday. Storm laughed about Rhino pouring his heart out last week. West has had a few too many to be doing an interview. Storm said it was just a rib that he poured alcohol down Rhino's, but now he knows he has a drinking buddy. He tried to convince Storm that he lost his own family to alcoholism, so he needs to take it seriously. How can we take West seriously here when he's been drinking a few himself? Storm talked about losing his virginity at 16 years old. He said something about Rhino needing a lift to AAA meetings. West said Storm needs to have compassion for his fellow competitor.

[Q3]

They aired a video package on Chris Harris in TNA. He repeated the key points on being a singles and tag wrestler from the On Point interview I did with Harris last year. He said the match with Christian at the PPV will be a make-it-or-break-it match for him as a singles wrestler. Harris said he's been put in the spot for a reason: to be noticed by the other top stars in the company. He said that win, lose, or draw, Christian and the rest of the wrestling world will know he's arrived after the PPV.

[Commercial Break]

Ron Killings did a PSA about quitting smoking for Spike TV. Is he still getting a royalty despite being off the payroll?

James Mitchell did a voice-over promo on his son's debut approaching. He said he has several monsters coming to care of his unfinished business. They aired scenes from Jesus being hung on a cross at Calvary. He said he's raising his glass to the destruction of people from his new monsters. The video said Judas Mesiah is coming. Basically, they're doing a story of Judas returning for his revenge on Christ-like figures.

They cut to Paparazzi Productions for Kevin Nash hosting an Old School vs. New School debate between Shelley & Sabin vs. Lynn & Backlund. Lynn said they need to be on the other side of the rail buying a ticket. Lynn said he took them under his wings, but they didn't appreciate it. Sabin and Shelley lifted up their shirts and mocked Lynn. Backlund snapped and tried to jump the youngsters while Nash signed off.

Christian Cage led his team to ringside for the main event. Team 3D, Samoa Joe, and Kurt Angle then came out, with Angle bringing up the rear. He smirked on the way to the ring, then backed up the ramp when he made eye contact with his tag partners. Ray pointed his finger at Angle before they cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

3 -- TNA Hvt. champion KURT ANGLE & X Division champion SAMOA JOE & TNA tag champions TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON) vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE & A.J. STYLES & TOMKO & ROBERT ROODE (w/Ms. Brooks)

Roode and Christian argued one minute into the match when Roode went for a tag after working Devon. The tag champs then double-teamed Christian. Ray with a high-vertical suplex for a nearfall. Joe tagged in and landed the high kick to the face. Christian didn't take his cue to fall on the mat for the big sentaun rear splash, so Joe crashed down on the back of his head and neck. Ouch. Joe smirked as he looked down at Christian, then he landed a second sentaun splash. Tomko tagged in for Christian, and Joe no-sold forearm blows before running into a big boot, only to answer Tomko's boot with a leaping enziguiri kick. Roode then took a tag and accepted chops to the chest. He then caught Roode in the air for a pancake slam. Joe made a tag to Devon, and Ray took exception to Joe's hard tag. Tension. Break.

[Commercial Break]

They returned with Roode in control on Devon. When Devon built a rally for a hot tag, Angle mock cheered with a sarcastic look on his face. Joe took the hot tag and gave Styles a powerbomb in center ring. Styles kicked out and Joe turned it into an STF. And the action broke down. Ray turned the Unprettier from Christian into the set-up for the Doomsday Device and Devon completed the double-team move. Roode then took the 3D in center ring, but Tomko ran over Team 3D. Joe re-entered the ring and dumped Tomko with a DVD. Styles answered Joe with a soccer kick, but Joe turned him inside-out with a big clothesline. Christian took a kick to the head for good measure, then Joe catapulted Styles into Christian's crotch. Joe had the Muscle buster on Styles, but Angle blind tagged himself into the ring and chop blocked Joe's legs. Styles crashed to the mat with Joe, then Angle opportunistically covered Styles for the win.

WINNERS: Champions in 13:00. Standard multiple-man TNA match before a PPV. Good action to get the big players on the show, while allowing Angle to develop his personality as a crafty heel. Still had that inconsequential feeling by match end with so many men in the ring. (**1/4)

They closed with a recap of the top feuds heading into the PPV.