Reviewing the 11/24/11 episode of IMPACT WRESTLING…
1. While the finish was muddled in the Lingerie Knockouts match, besides serving up the goodies, it also served it’s purpose as a backdrop for a bigger Gail Kim vs. Mickie James feud with Mickie defending the Knockouts honor as competitors and Gail with a nonchalant attitude as long as she’s champion. Not sure how long the title feud will last, but Gail vs. Mickie should give us everything we’d like to see in a Knockouts match. Two beautiful women who can go tell a story and entertain us with a solid match. After getting beat down from Gail Kim with a Madison Rayne assist in a believable exchange in the back, Mickie came out to settle the score by preventing Rayne from waffling Velvet Sky with the belt leading to a victory for Velvet and TnT(Tara and Tessmacher) in their Lingerie match.
2. You know how far someone has fallen(Mr. Anderson) when they are pinned after a transitional signature move by Bully Ray and many seconds later by a fresh World Champion(Bobby Roode). Ouch.
3. Add Christopher Daniels to the Busted Open Stiff Kick Hardway Club by Rob Van Dam.
4. Especially in her high heels, I can’t help but think giraffe every time I see Karen Jarrett now.
5. Speaking of Jarrett, the battle of the Jeffs feud continued this week with Jeff Jarrett’s impersonation and injury of Jeff Hardy this week which led to Hardy’s “miracle” return in the main event thus building up Hardy even more. Thankfully the focus shifted back to AJ at the end to finish the match with a sweet move by AJ to win it.
6. Move of the Night:
AJ Styles– Springboard cross body onto Bully Ray to get the win. Would have loved to see him stay on him for the pin but possibly a little too much momentum. But still a thing of beauty nonetheless.
7. Lines of the Night:
a. & b. Taz during the Knockout Thanksgiving Thong Thunder match
Taz– “Winter…she’s just a pasty wildcat in there.”
“Small package right there by Brooke. It’s not good to say Small Package during a Knockouts match, by the way.”
c. James Storm to Kurt Angle
Storm– “You look at me in the eyes… You said you’ll whip a man when you look at me in the eyes. Here it is. Jump. Jump, bitch(bleeped).”
8. Notable Matches of the Night
a. Survivor Series Type Elimination Tag Match
Team Storm: Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam and Mr. Anderson led by Capt. James Storm vs. Team Angle: World Champion Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, Double J Jeff Jarrett w/ Karen and Bully Ray led by Kurt Angle
They let a Taz slip insinuate it was a 5 on 5 at the beginning, but that was never mentioned again. No explanation why Jeff Hardy and Bobby Roode weren’t in the opening show brawl following the Angle/Storm segment. Roode, I can understand, but maybe it would have explained something to show Jeff arrive split screen during the Jarrett impersonation segment or show something that explained why he was not there to start the show. Perhaps showing the proverbial “Arrive Fashionably Late” segment may not have looked good for rebuilding Hardy’s image. But still, neither does not appearing to help your teammates in the show opening brawl. Also weird to see Kurt lead a team with Jeff Jarrett on it. I guess I have to learn to have short term memory here. The match was set up to 3 on 1 to have AJ down with the odds stacked against him after his partners were eliminated and Jeff Hardy was storyline injured earlier. Hardy made a miraculous comeback once the match became 3 on 1, AJ hot tagged him in, Jeff eliminated two guys and AJ ended up getting the final pin on Bully Ray before World Champion Bobby Roode clocked both Hardy and him to end the show. {cue horrible show ending music}
b.Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match
b. Thanksgiving Thong Thunder(Lingerie Bowl) 6 Knockout Tag Match
Velvet Sky and TNT(Tara & Brooke Tessmacher) vs. Tag Champion Madison Rayne, Winter and Angelina Love
The Knockouts match was entertaining as it was last week. The scenery was nice and it did it’s job, so to speak. I give TNA credit for working the horrible boss angle to include all of the Knockouts and give them time to sell the story along with giving Mickie and Gail time to build up their match as well. Clever.
9. Final Show Thoughts:
The Turkey match with Eric Young and Robbie E. was ridiculous but if anyone is a turkey, then Robbie T. is it. I don’t know how much more I can stomach, tho. I loved Eric Young when he bordered the line of insanity, but full all out there crazy EY is a bit much at time. I did like his semi-serious line with Rudy Charles when he asked him if Sting approved the match and he said not a chance. The ominous music at the end of Impact doesn’t work for me. I’m not sure why they feel the need to oversell a climatic ending to a show, but they actually are ruining it by drowning out the sound with cliffhanger dramatic music. Not good. Overall, this was a very forgettable show which shows TNA has not reached a point of consistency in their programming. The Storm/Angle exchange at the start was solid even if Storm didn’t immediately take his head off as maybe one would think he should, but he did get the nice cheap slap in before running off. Lots of bleeps censoring stuff in that opening exchange, but Storm and Angle did a great job laying the story out and setting up/building their feud further. The show did seem to go downhill from there, however. Not sure where they are going to go with Crimson & Matt Morgan tagging, but the video recap of the tag situation was really well done. The rematch was not however. Roode was okay on commentary at the end of the program, but not extraordinary as he has been. Jeff Hardy continues to be built up as the messiah babyface which really shows TNA is leaning on him hard here since he’s been back. There is no question Jeff is over huge with the crowd and is a huge addition to their programming/roster, but they are gambling hard here. Hopefully Jeff is serious as his song implies and he keeps it together.
10. IMPACT PLAYERs of the WEEK:Â
Jeff Hardy, James Storm, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles
Hardy was booked to shine, Storm and Angle had a nice in ring exchange to start the show and AJ impresses as he usually does in the main event.
That is all.
M.C. Brown
You can find me on Twitter as
ShocXwavE
