The Chrononaut Chronicles: TNA iMPACT! – Thursday, October 26, 2006
– A pretty good video recap of Bound For Glory kicks us off before the usual Impact opening. That could generate some replay buys, especially the blowaway cage match.
– Sadly, we are back in Orlando’s Impact Zone as Mike Tenay & Don West confirm that Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe will happen on November 19 at Genesis. I must point out that TNA has really improved their PPV graphics the last couple of months.
– The lights dim as NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sting walks out to the ring and soaks in the cheers, but when the lights come back on Christian Cage is standing in the ring and claims that he’s just returning the favor since Sting stole his thunder when he was NWA Champion. Christian complains about having to compete for a title shot in the “Fight For The Right” tournament, accuses Sting of being scared because he knows Christian is a bigger star, and points out that Sting has enough stroke to give him the title shot at Genesis as he implores Sting to stop hiding behind his makeup and be a man. Sting responds that Cage will get his title shot when the Stinger wants to give it to him and introduces him to his “little friend” as he clotheslines Cage over the top rope with the baseball bat and stands tall in the ring.
– Jeremy Borash announces that Kurt Angle will speak tonight, but Samoa Joe interrupts JB and promises that he’ll get up close and personal with Kurt.
– NWA World Tag Team Title: The Naturals vs. Latin American eXchange [champions]
Shane Douglas introduces his “newly-Franchised” Naturals as Tenay recalls the Triple Chance battle royal they won last month to earn this title shot, while LAX no longer get their Spanish introduction and get attacked by AMW on their way out. Chris Harris pounds Hernandez on the Spanish table and even punches commentator Willie Urbina (what happened to Moody Jack?) while James Storm handles Homicide & Konnan around ringside. AMW throw LAX into the ring and the Naturals pounce on them, leveling the big man with a flying double shoulderblock and taking control until Homicide tosses Andy Douglas to the floor and murders Chase Stevens with the Gringo Killa. Andy returns to make the comeback, but Konnan slapjacks him from the apron and Hernandez launches Douglas with the Border Toss to give Homicide the uno-dos-tres to retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, LAX beat down the Naturals and leave while Shane Douglas steps in and slaps Stevens, but they hit him back and knock him on his ass. The Franchise bleeds from the mouth and grins as he nods in appreciation.
– In the latest Paparazzi Productions video, Alex Shelley wonders if Kevin Nash thinks that Austin Starr is better than him, but Big Kev responds that they’re “just different”. Shelley confirms that he fired Johnny Devine (good…he never really fit in) and Nash insinuates that it was because Johnny edited German snuff films. Starr arrives on the scene with his bowling trophy and Nash credits him with singlehandedly revitalizing the X Division at Bound For Glory as Big Kev tells Alex to record everything Austin does. When Shelley questions his assignment, Starr informs him that it’s because he is “THE Austin Starr”. Good stuff to build up to a possible babyface turn by Shelley.
– West shows the World Series program with the AJ Pierzynski article dogeared (Don of all people should know how much that will ruin its eventual value) and Tenay explains the “Fight For The Right” tournament: in Stage I, 18 wrestlers start outside the ring in a reverse battle royal with the first seven men to make it over the top rope into the ring continuing on; in Stage II, those seven wrestlers compete in a traditional battle royal with eliminations determining seeding in the tournament and the final two continuing on; and in Stage III, the final two wrestle one-on-one with the winner receiving a bye to the tournament final. That’s complicated, but at least it’s different.
– Fight For The Right – Stage I: Abyss, Christian Cage, Christopher Daniels, Brother Devon, Sonjay Dutt, Lance Hoyt, Kip James, Kazarian, Ron “The Truth” Killings, Jay Lethal, Raven, Robert Roode, Brother Runt, Chris Sabin, Senshi, “Cowboy” James Storm, AJ Styles, “Showtime” Eric Young
Eric Young runs around the ring trying to pick his spot as everybody slugs it out around ringside and struggle to get in. Roode is the first man in, followed by Sabin as West states that BG James packed his bags and left the building earlier. Maverick Matt, wearing Shannon Moore makeup, is shown watching from Raven’s usual perch in the bleachers as Tenay hypes the TNA November live events in Philadelphia & East Hartford, CT, and Styles & Daniels both spring into the ring. Team 3D argue with the Naturals & Shane Douglas on the ramp while Abyss steps in over the top and Hoyt does the same. With one spot remaining, Christian almost makes it in but Rhino roars out and drags Cage off the apron, pounding him up the ramp while LAX assault the Cowboy at ringside and Truth earns the final spot as we go to break.
– Fight For The Right – Stage II: Abyss, Christopher Daniels, Lance Hoyt, Ron “The Truth” Killings, Robert Roode, Chris Sabin, AJ Styles
Roode makes Killings the 7th seed in the tournament with the 1st elimination and tosses Sabin out for the 2nd elimination to make him the 6th seed. Daniels & Styles work together and level Abyss with the Hi-Lo, but Roode clobbers AJ with the Northern Lariat and the Fallen Angel goes after the former Bobby. Daniels almost has Roode out, but Ms. Traci Brooks interferes and Roode knocks Daniels over the top for the 3rd elimination, making him the 5th seed. Styles quickly strikes with a jumping kick and Roode collapses over the top as the 4th elimination and the 4th seed. The Phenomenal One fights valiantly, but Abyss hiptosses him over the top rope for the 5th elimination to make AJ the 3rd seed, leaving Hoyt vs. Abyss for Stage III as we go to break.
– Fight For The Right – Stage III: Abyss vs. Lance Hoyt
We come back and the bell rings as Abyss avalanches Hoyt in the corner and hammers away as West paints Lance as a huge underdog. Lance comes back with a flying forearm off the ropes, but Abyss levels him with the big boot and prepares to use a chair until the referee pulls it away from him. Hoyt scores with a running boot of his own and lands a sweet rope-climbing moonsault off the top for a near-fall, but Abyss drops him with the Shock Treatment for a two-count and misses a charge in the corner as the crowd rallies behind Lance and West compares it to Rocky. Hoyt hits a dropkick and places the chair on Abyss before climbing an opposite turnbuckle and leaping off with an impressive Van Terminator-like dropkick for another close near-fall. After escaping from a fireman’s carry, Abyss catches Hoyt in the Black Hole Slam for the three-count to earn a bye into the tournament final. For all the flak this concept received when the results of the TV tapings were posted, I thought it flowed fairly well and was interesting since it was something different. The Abyss/Hoyt match was a solid little matchup too, like an abbreviated version of their underrated Sacrifice 2005 match.
– In a locker room interview recorded on Sunday night after the main event at Bound For Glory, an emotional Jeff Jarrett explains to JB that he had Sting’s number for the first 10 minutes until something transformed inside the Stinger and he was the better man. When JB alludes to a rematch and questions where JJ goes from here, Jeff responds “Home” and tears up as he states that there comes a time in every athlete’s career where he has to step back and refocus. Jarrett remarks at how he went from being a “skinny punk kid” to starting a company from scratch and carrying it on his back and admits that he might have dropped the ball personally and professionally, but claims he’s exhausted and hopes that Sting is up to the task of carrying the ball now that he’s NWA Champion. Good emotional interview to begin his babyface turn. And it worked on Don West, who despite all the dastardly deeds Jarrett has done over the last three years, states that he has a newfound respect for him after the interview.
– A video recap of the Angle/Joe angle thus far airs before Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring live in the Impact Zone and tries to convince us that he quit WWE as some fans chant “They Suck”. Angle sucks up to the fans and puts over TNA pretty hard as he states that if you’re the best in TNA, you’re the best in the world. We get a “Joe’s Gonna Kill You” (uh, let’s hope not) chant as the Olympian notes that Joe was one of his main reasons for coming to TNA and admits that the Samoan Submission Machine terrifies the hell out of him, but claims that he loves fear and that’s when he wrestles his best and breaks ankles. Angle puts over Joe, but adds the one thing TNA forgot to tell him was that Joe’s a bleeder. I think those are fighting words, if I’m not mistaken. Indeed, Joe’s music plays as he charges into the ring and engages in another intense pullapart brawl with Angle. The entire babyface locker room flood the ring and try to hold the two warriors apart as they keep breaking free and going after each other.
– The “Adrenaline Rush” video recap closes the show.
Afterthoughts: My first thought was that was one damn fast hour. I couldn’t believe it was over, due mostly to the Fight For The Right, which I honestly don’t think was as bad as everybody expected. I liked the “reverse battle royal” concept and found it a unique way to determine the next NWA Title challenger with the different Stages setting up the tournament matches next week. At the end of the day, it’s all about the World Title and that’s important. Angle/Joe continues to be awesome, if just for the legit feeling of the whole thing, and I hope the match can live up to the expectations without killing Kurt, or Joe for that matter. The show also furthered the LAX/AMW feud which I’m looking forward to, built up an eventual Sting/Christian showdown (likely at Turning Point in December) which I’m also looking forward to, and laid the seeds for dissension between Nashelley with Starr possibly coming between them. A solid episode, although your mileage may vary.
