“Lord Of The Ring”
Eric Bischoff gets out of his limo and is talking to someone on his cell phone. Memorable lines include: “If anyone can sign him, it’s you”, “Let him know TNA is better than the cesspool he’s used to working in”, and “Let the games begin”. Oh boy.
D’Angelo Dinero makes his way to the ring. He talks about how he is now the number one contender and calls out AJ Styles and “Dick” Flair. Very original Pope…very original. He will win the TNA World Title at Lockdown. Styles and Flair interrupt. Flair corrects Dinero on how to pronounce his name puts over Styles. Dinero still calls Flair a dick and tells Styles that he’s not a piece of work, he’s a piece of crap. More insults are traded. Dinero finally takes a swing at Styles and starts brawling until he falls to the numbers game. Flair works in a couple of low blows and uses a chair to work over Dinero’s left leg. Styles applies a figure four to end the segment. Although the insults were a little childish, there is no denying that Dinero is over. The man also has his character down to a science.
Opening Match: Daffney vs. Tara
Tara connects with punches and hits a spinning side slam. She follows with a back body drop but Daffney comes back with a spin kick. The action goes to the outside. Daffney utilizes a tool box, drawing the disqualification at 2:20. Not much of a match, but the ending makes sense when considering Daffney’s character. If these two women start a feud, I would be fine with it. ½*
Daffney uses a chair and a piece of the guardrail to continue her attack after the match. Dr. Stevie finally comes out to stop her.
Mick Foley enters Eric Bischoff’s office. He apologizes for not using the barbed wire bat at Against All Odds. Bischoff isn’t upset and has fitters present to get measurements on Foley for a new wardrobe. Bischoff sends Foley shopping and calls for Abyss.
Match #2: Orlando Jordan vs. Samoa Joe
Bischoff yells at Joe backstage before he makes his entrance. Jordan tries to jump before the bell but gets met with strikes in the corner. Joe connects with some kicks but walks into a spinebuster. Jordan hits a spinning neckbreaker and takes control. Joe comes back with a back body drop and a running knee in the corner. Jordan answers with a nice backcracker out of the corner for the win at 3:25. I understand the storyline elements involved with the finish. However, Orlando Jordan isn’t the most believable guy to use here. How about using someone like Desmond Wolfe, who needs a big win to get back into the main event. I get what they were going for, but it came off poorly. *½
Abyss is in Eric Bischoff’s office. Bischoff yells at Abyss for not using the barbed wire bat and announces that he is going to remove Abyss’ mask. Abyss storms out of the office, but Bischoff has security at every exit.
Bischoff walks into Jeff Jarrett’s trailer. He brings the barbed wire bat and tells Jarrett to use it against Abyss tonight.
Match #3: Doug Williams, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Brian Kendrick vs. Amazing Red, Jeremy Buck, Max Buck, and Kazarian
Williams attacks Kazarian before the bell. Generation Me connect with stereo dropkicks on Kendrick. The Motor City Machine Guns respond by double teaming Max. Red plants Sabin with a tornado DDT. He connects with a spin kick on Williams and Kazarian adds a spinning neckbreaker. Jeremy lands a dive to the floor on Kendrick. Red lands a double dropkick on the MCMG and follows with a swantan to the outside. Kazarian hits a slingshot DDT on Williams for the victory at 4:35. That was a fun spotfest that I imagine is a preview for Destination X. I don’t like Kazarian making his big return in an eight-man tag but he looked good in the end. **
Abyss tries to leave the building but the exit is locked. Slick Johnson tells Abyss to get to the ring.
Match #4: Jeff Jarrett vs. Abyss
Abyss shows his power with a shoulder block. Jarrett avoids Shock Treatment and connects with an enzuigiri. Abyss interrupts corner punches with an atomic drop. Jarrett clotheslines him to the floor. Jarrett introduces a chair but ends up getting slammed into it. Abyss props up a chair in the turnbuckles. A double clothesline ensues and both men are down. Eric Bischoff appears on the entrance ramp as we go to commercial. Back from break, Abyss hits a side slam. Jarrett blocks a charge but falls victim to a chokeslam. Jarrett comes back by hitting the Stroke and then ramming Abyss into the propped up chair. He grabs the barbed wire bat but doesn’t use it. Bischoff says on the microphone that he knew he couldn’t trust Jarrett. A bunch of random heels (Homicide, Rhino, Raven, Tomko, and Desmond Wolfe) rush the ring to cause a no contest at 11:48. Twelve minutes is a scary statistic on Impact these days. They worked a solid back and forth match and played up the barbed wire bat stipulation well. I’m actually into the whole “Bischoff uses the barbed wire bat to threaten people’s careers” angle. **½
The heels continue to beat down Abyss and Jarrett. They hold Abyss in place and Bischoff goes to remove his mask. Hulk Hogan interrupts before he can do it. Hogan tells Abyss to meet him in his office. Bischoff looks a little bewildered.
Match #5: Brutus Magnus and Rob Terry vs. James Storm and Robert Roode
Storm blocks a charging Magnus, but gets met with a clothesline from Rob on the apron. Rob hits a powerslam on Storm and Magnus demands to be the one who makes the cover. Roode lays out Magnus with a spinebuster and Beer Money hit a double team suplex on Rob. They clothesline Rob to the floor and Storm follows out with a plancha. Beer Money hit the DWI on Magnus for the win at 2:49. Purely for storyline advancement and to give Beer Money a much needed win. *
Magnus gets on the microphone post-match and yells at Rob. He calls him a disgrace and slaps him. Magnus takes the Global Title and Rob responds by laying him out with a clothesline. I’m not looking forward to seeing Rob Terry vs. Brutus Magnus. I really hope that they don’t push Rob to the moon as I see Magnus having more worth than Rob in the long run.
Abyss is in Hulk Hogan’s office. Bischoff tries to walk in but Hogan tells him to get out. Hogan tells Abyss that he will never cower or back down ever again. He gives Abyss his Hall of Fame ring and tells Abyss that he will be stronger than Hulk Hogan ever was. If this makes Abyss turn into the monster he once was, I support this greatly.
Match #6: Daniels vs. Kurt Angle
Daniels starts off hot with an attack in the corner. Angle reverses a sunset flip into an ankle lock. He grapevines the leg and Daniels taps at 1:08. The man that was in the main event of TNA’s December 2009 pay per view lost in one minute. Anyone could have filled Daniels’ place here. Was Shark Boy busy? Was Sean Morley too wrapped up in a game of strip poker? Amazing job TNA. ½*
Angle gets on the microphone and admits that Ken Anderson beat him at Against All Odds. He’s upset that Anderson used his dog tags and talks about the meaning of them. He explains some of the hard times that he’s been through in the past year. After he got out of jail, he made an appearance at an army base. A solider came up to him and presented him with the dog tags. Anderson didn’t just make Angle bleed, he made the soldiers bleed as well. Angle is going to make Anderson suffer. Anderson interrupts as we head to break. Back from commercial, Anderson pretends to cry and calls Angle a suck-up. If Angle has a problem with what happened at Against All Odds, he should come up the ramp and face Anderson. They start brawling. Anderson attacks the open wound of Angle and lays him out with the microphone. Great follow-up to what happened on Sunday. Anderson comes off as a hated heel and Angle comes off as very sympathetic after his speech. Good stuff.
Jeremy Borash tries to interview Samoa Joe as he leaves the building. Suddenly, a white van pulls up and some masked guys come out and kidnap Joe. Hopefully Brutus the Barber Beefcake is behind this ploy.
Kevin Nash and Eric Young make their way to the ring. Nash talks about how his friendship with Scott Hall and Sean Waltman has deteriorated. He calls them out to the ring and they come through the crowd. Young starts brawling with Waltman on the floor. Nash gets one punch in on Hall before security breaks it up. Hulk Hogan appears on the entrance ramp as the show ends.
Overall: This week’s episode actually did a lot of things right. Dinero is quickly becoming the most over wrestler on the roster, Abyss is finally reverting back to his old character, and the Angle/Anderson feud is being setup nicely. However, there was also some bad. Daniels was made to look like a complete jobber and I know that Samoa Joe being kidnapped will not end well. Somewhat of a mixed bag as usual, but the good outweighs the bad this week.
