~DISC ONE~
The Beginning
This is Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Dixie Carter talking about how they all got into business together. Dixie said she had misgivings and such.
10-27-2009 Madison Square Garden
This is the press conference when TNA announced that Hulk Hogan had signed on with the company. Then Bischoff, Carter, and Hogan talk about it in kayfabe. They show footage of the employee meeting that Carter decided to air on Impact.
1-4-2010
Abyss, Bully Ray, Matt Hardy, Rob Terry, Kazarian, Robert Roode, James Storm, and Sting talk about their feelings on Hulk Hogan joining the company. This segues into Hogan’s debut promo on the special three-hour Monday night episode of Impact. They continue talking about everything in kayfabe, which I wouldn’t mind as much if they did all their DVDs this way but they don’t so it’s just confusing. They also show the debuts of Jeff Hardy and Ric Flair.
Factions and Friction
This is a chronicle of how the various pieces in Immortal, namely Hogan, Bischoff, Flair, and Jeff Jarrett all got together on the same page and why they had trouble doing so. They also show Jarrett beating Mick Foley in a loser-leaves-TNA match.
The Squared Circle?
This is about changing the six-sided ring back to a normal four-sided one. I actually wish TNA would have kept the hexagon, it gave them something unique. They show Hogan and Bischoff coming out at Genesis and trying to defend the four-sided ring to a chorus of boos and chants of “we want six sides.†Also at Genesis, Mr. Anderson debuted and beat Abyss using brass knuckles.
Stars Align
This starts off showing Hulk Hogan motivating Abyss with his WWE Hall of Fame ring, which gave Abyss superpowers. At the same time, Ric Flair was trying to make AJ Styles the “next Ric Flair.†Samoa Joe took offense to the way Styles changed and challenged him for the title.
TNA Makes the Move
This is a chapter on TNA’s attempt to challenge WWE Monday Night Raw on Monday’s. It didn’t really work out for them but it was a totally gutsy move.
MATCH #1: Hulk Hogan & Abyss vs. AJ Styles & Ric Flair, Impact, 3.8.10
Styles and Abyss start it out with some fast-paced back and forth. Abyss slams Styles into the mat so Flair is tagged in. The Nature Boy unloads with chops but Abyss shrugs them off and hits some of his own. Abyss whips Flair into the corner and hits a back body drop. Flair responds by hitting a low blow. Styles hits cheap shots from the floor, causing Hogan to come in illegally so Styles hits him with the Pele. Referee Mike Posey has lost control of the match. Flair and Styles are dominating, and then Sting’s music hits and the man is here with a baseball bat! For some reason Sting turns his baseball bat on Hogan and Abyss as the commentators are shocked. The referee never officially calls for the bell but the “match†lasted less than three minutes so I don’t think it’s necessary to rate this as a match. Sting, Flair, and Styles work Abyss and Hogan over and they both get busted open. Hogan gets on the mic to announce that later on tonight, this match will happen again but it will be a no-disqualification match!
We cut to the rematch and this time Hogan and Flair are starting. Hogan hits the back body drop and brings Flair over to his corner. Flair rolls to the floor and Hogan follows him out to deliver a beating. For some reason the Nature Boy is gushing blood. They trade chops on the floor and Hogan somehow wins that battle. Abyss beats on Flair for a bit before sending him back in the ring. Hogan takes off his weight lifting belt and whips Flair with it repeatedly. Flair hits Hogan with a low blow and makes the tag. Styles focuses on Hogan’s leg as Hogan’s daughter Brooke looks on concerned. Flair gets his licks in too as Hogan is getting brutalized by both of his opponents. Foolishly, Flair tries going up top and Hogan bodyslams him down. Tags are made and Abyss is running wild. Abyss clotheslines both Flair and Styles at the same time, and then squashes each of them in the corner. He then hits both guys with a chokeslam. The Phenomenal One fights back while Hogan and Flair take it to the floor. Tenay plugs some crappy show that’s coming on right after Impact. Hogan and Flair make it back to the ring so Hogan and Abyss can Double Hulk Up. Abyss then hits Styles with the Black Hole Slam to get the pin at 7:55. That was adequate given the limitations of half the participants.
Rating: **
Desmond Wolfe comes out to attack Hogan and Abyss, and D’Angelo Dinero comes out to make the save. Jeff Hardy also runs out to make the save in his first appearance since January 4.
This segues awkwardly into Sting talking about his feud with Hogan when Sting appeared to turn heel but it was later revealed that he was really a babyface all along.
MATCH #2: Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam) vs. Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe & Beer Money), Lockdown, 4.18.10
Team Captain Abyss is the first man out for his team, while Robert Roode gets the nod for Team Flair. These two will battle for five minutes before the next man makes his way out. Roode actually wins a slugging contest and then goes after the big man’s legs. Abyss comes back with a big boot and a series of punches in the corner. They continue going back and forth, with Roode holding his own with the Monster. Roode hits a Blockbuster and works Abyss over for their final minute in the ring alone together. Rob Van Dam is the next man out. He goes to work on Roode, giving Abyss a chance to recover. After two minutes of abuse, Desmond Wolfe (with Chelsea) makes his way out and doesn’t appear to be in any great hurry. Roode hits Abyss with a low blow and Wolfe dropkicks RVD’s head into the cage. Wolfe hurls RVD into the cage again. Team Flair controls the pace of the action now, but they’re about to be a man down again. Jeff Jarrett is the third man out for Team Hogan. He is a house afire, throwing both Roode and Wolfe into the cage. Wolfe and Roode are able to stay in the match despite their odds. James Storm is out to even the odds for Team Flair. He immediately spits beer in Abyss’s face and then attacks both Jarrett and RVD, who is badly bleeding. Jeff Hardy’s music hits but they cut backstage, and apparently Sting has injured the Charismatic Enigma with a baseball bat! Team Flair is in control as Team Captain Sting comes out.
Sting has his bat with him, and he’s not afraid to use it. He signals for the ceiling to be lowered and that’s exactly what happens. Now the weapons are in play, and Team Flair is absolutely destroying Team Hogan. Roode knocks Jarrett through the cage door all the way to the floor. Beer Money goes out after him while Abyss spreads out a bag of thumbtacks. Before any tack damage can be done, Storm blasts Abyss in the face with a beer bottle. Team Flair celebrates prematurely and Hardy’s music hits. Hardy comes out with a kendo stick and lays waste to Beer Money. Back in the ring Jarrett breaks a guitar on Wolfe’s head. RVD follows up with a Five-Star Frog Splash. Abyss then Chokeslams Sting onto the pile of tacks! Hardy climbs to the top of the cage and challenges Beer Money to join him. That proves to not be one of Hardy’s better ideas, as Beer Money quickly takes control of the handicap situation. They set up a table but Hardy fights them off and hits the Twist of Fate on Roode. Hardy then sets Storm on the table and sets up a ladder. He goes to the top of the ladder and splashes Storm through the table! Ric Flair’s music hits and the Nature Boy unofficially joins the match. Hulk Hogan follows suit. Eric Bischoff comes out and convinces Hogan not to fight. He then pulls brass knuckles out of his pocket and teases handing them to Flair before handing them to Hogan. Flair runs right into a brass knuckle beating and of course starts bleeding. Hogan continues the beating and Flair tries to Hulk Up but fails, and gets thrown onto the pile of tacks. Then from out of nowhere Abyss hits Wolfe with the Black Hole Slam for the pin at 30:13. There was a lot of good stuff in that match and the crowd got really hot for a lot of it. But watching Hogan and Flair steal the spotlight for the millionth time left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Rating: ***¼
Sting Takes His Stand
This is a chronicle of Sting’s lengthy feuds with Hulk Hogan, Dixie Carter, and Jeff Jarrett, in which he was supposedly a bad guy but was really doing the work of good all along.
MATCH #3: Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett, Sacrifice, 5.16.10
Before Jarrett can make his entrance they cut backstage, where Jarrett is already bleeding and Sting is working him over. He continues the abuse in the arena, using the baseball bat and just decimating Jarrett in every possible way. He throws Jarrett in the ring and hits a Scorpion Death Drop to get the pin at an official time of 0:13. Obviously that wasn’t much of a match.
Rating: DUD
Sting continues to beat on Jarrett after the bell and just generally hangs around. Finally Hulk Hogan comes out and gets Jarrett to the back.
“They†Are Coming
This is a chronicle of Hogan sidling up to Abyss and using him as a “gatekeeper†of sorts. Abyss was the one who introduced the term “They.â€
The End of Sting?
This is more about Sting, and Abyss talks about how he had to go because he, along with Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam, were Dixie Carter cronies. This focuses on Dixie and Sting’s confrontation in which she suspended Sting without pay for 30 days and Bischoff offered her a 24 hour bodyguard because of it.
The Road to 10.10.10
This chapter actually begins with a full match with no introduction.
MATCH #4: Falls Count Anywhere Match – Rhino vs. Abyss, No Surrender, 9.5.10
The fight starts in the aisle, and Rhino throws Abyss into the guardrail a couple of times. They take it into the ring and Rhino introduces a bunch of weapons into the fight. Rhino sets up a trash can in between the top and middle rope. Meanwhile Abyss is trying to catch his breath outside the ring and Rhino flattens him with a house show dive. They start fighting through the crowd and a camera man gets knocked down. Now they’re backstage, a TNA staple. They walk around and throw each other into stuff. Abyss takes control and brings Rhino back into the Impact Zone. Back in the ring Rhino blocks a hiptoss with a clothesline. Rhino then tries to whip Abyss into the garbage can but it gets reversed and he crashes into the trash can he set up earlier. They go back to the floor and Abyss whips Rhino into the guardrail for a two-count. Rhino comes back by hurling Abyss through a piece of the stage. They fight under there and the camera man has trouble following them and we lose sight of the wrestlers. After some dead air they come bursting out of the other side of the stage, and Abyss once again covers for two. Back around ringside Abyss grabs a guardrail and sets it up in the corner of the ring. Rhino fights back with a clothesline and then cracks a cookie sheet on Abyss’s head three times. He hits a belly-to-belly suplex and signals for the Gore. Abyss catches him by the throat and hits a chokeslam on a trash can but Rhino kicks out at two. He goes to the floor and grabs Janice. The idiot referee tries to talk him out of using it as if this isn’t a no-disqualification match. That gives Rhino the chance to hit a Gore but Abyss kicks out. Moments later Rhino runs right into a Black Hole Slam but it only gets two. Why does every match in TNA need to have multiple finisher kick outs? Tenay says you don’t see that very often but he lies. Abyss sets up for a powerbomb into the guardrail setup in the corner but Rhino escapes and hits another clothesline. Rhino goes for another Gore but Abyss sidesteps it and Rhino goes crashing into the guardrail. Abyss then hits the Black Hole Slam to get the pin at 12:39. That was okay, but I feel like they’ve had this exact match multiple times over the years.
Rating: *¾
~DISC TWO~
EV2 Invasion
This is a half hour chronicle of the EV2 invasion that that took up a good chunk of TNA’s fall and summer storylines. I love how Hogan just dumps on it “in kayfabe†and calls Dixie an idiot and stuff. They show a bunch of the promos and I’m reminded how much I don’t like Dixie Carter promos. They also introduced Dixie’s husband Serge. They segue over to the TNA Title Tournament necessitated when Abyss brutally took out Rob Van Dam. Also, apparently Abyss branded some poor schmuck with 10.10.10. I don’t remember that. They show the end of the Rob Van Dam versus Abyss match from Bound for Glory, which RVD won with a Five-Star Frog Splash.
Bound for Glory
Matt Hardy talks about his brother Jeff joining Immortal on 10.10.10. He takes credit for Jeff’s nickname and the heel turn and pretty much everything. A few others talk about everything coming to a head at Bound for Glory.
MATCH #5: Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle, Bound for Glory, 10.10.10
Everyone looks cautious in the opening seconds, and then Angle and Hardy unload on Kennedy. This match is no countout, no disqualification, and no time limit, by the way. Angle gets knocked to the floor and Hardy is in the driver’s seat. Anderson comes back with a neckbreaker for two. Angle is back in and he’s using suplexes and going after Anderson’s leg. He even executes a double German Suplex on both opponents and gets a near-fall on Anderson. He throws Anderson to the floor and covers Hardy for two. Hardy comes back and backdrops Angle to the floor. Anderson gets back in the ring and the pace in this one has just been non-stop. Angle pulls Anderson to the floor and they trade punches. Hardy then wipes them both out with a hilo. Back in the ring none of the men can gain a sustained advantage. Hardy goes up for the Swanton while Angle is in the corner. Anderson moves out of the way and Angle tries to catch Hardy or something, but they can’t complete the spot so Angle just covers for two. Moments later Angle starts handing out rolling German Suplexes, which the crowd appreciates. Angle locks Hardy in the Ankle Lock. Anderson tries to break it up so Angle puts the Ankle Lock on him. Angle then grabs Hardy’s ankle too, so it’s a double Ankle Lock! That’s cool. They roll through to break the hold and Angle goes up top. Anderson cuts him off and hits the Green Bay Plunge. He covers but Hardy comes off the top rope with the Swanton to break it up. Hardy covers and only gets two. Anderson gets knocked to the floor and Angle hits Hardy with the Angle Slam for two. Now Anderson goes up top and Angle cuts him off with a Super Angle Slam for two. Hardy catches Angle with the Whisper in the Wind, and then nails Anderson with the Twist of Fate. He goes up top and lands the Swanton but Angle breaks it up with the Ankle Lock! Hardy rolls Angle right into a Mic Check by Anderson but Angle kicks out at two. Angle comes back and hits Hardy with a moonsault for two. Hardy rolls to the floor to catch a breather. Anderson and Angle trade holds and counters and no one can land anything. Referee Brian Hebner gets in the way and Angle lights him up with a clothesline. Anderson hits Angle with another Mic Check but there’s no referee.
Eric Bischoff makes his way down with a steel chair. Before he can hit anyone Hulk Hogan’s music hits and the Immortal one is here! He’s on crutches from his most recent surgery. I love that NOW Angle and Anderson are selling like they’re dead. Hardy finally gets back in the ring while Hogan and Bischoff are squaring off with Hogan’s crutches. Hogan gives Hardy his crutch, and instead of hitting Bischoff, he blasts Kurt Angle across the back! He then hits Anderson with the other crutch, then delivers the Twist of Fate. Bischoff drags Hebner back to the ring to make the three-count at 18:39. Jeff Jarrett comes out along with Abyss and the new super group celebrates. Rob Van Dam comes down and comically tries to ask Jeff what he’s doing, and he gets clobbered for his troubles. The match was really fun until Hogan and Bischoff got there and it grinded to a halt.
Rating: ***½
The Alliance
This is more on Hogan and Bischoff pushing Dixie Carter out of power. Gunner and Murphy finally make their first appearance on the disc. Dixie Carter’s screeching at Hogan and Bischoff is absurd. Focus shifts to Immortal joining forces with Ric Flair and Fortune.
MATCH #6: TNA World Championship Match – Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson, Genesis, 1.9.11
First they show the closing moments of Mr. Anderson pinning Matt Morgan in the advertised main event of the pay-per-view with a small package. It was not a very good match. Eric Bischoff then came out and said Anderson would get his title shot immediately. Hardy has been the champion since 10.10.10 and this is his third defense. He is dressed in street clothes, though I’m not sure which street they wear those kinds of clothes on.
Hardy attacks from behind and hits a quick Twist of Hate but it only gets two. He picks Anderson up for another Twist of Hate but once again it only gets two. The champ continues kicking away at the challenger, who has shown incredible resolve so far. Finally Anderson shows some life and yanks Hardy forwards and out to the floor. Apparently Morgan was still there and he levels Hardy with a discuss clothesline! Back in the ring Anderson gets a two-count. Both men rise and trade punches. Hardy hits a boot but Anderson trumps him with a clothesline, a back elbow, and a swinging neckbreaker for two. The Charismatic Enigma comes back with the Whisper in the Wind and Anderson slips to the floor. Hardy goes out and grabs a steel chair, only to be stopped by Mick Foley for some reason. Ric Flair comes out to confront Foley. Back in the ring Hardy goes up top but Anderson knocks him down. Hardy in turn knocks Anderson down and then hits the Swanton but it only gets two! From out of nowhere Anderson grabs a Finlay Roll but he can’t cover. Hardy recovers first and hits a clothesline. He goes to the floor and calls for “Matt,†and the commentators somehow aren’t sure who he’s asking for. Some fat dreadlocked guy runs down to the ring but Rob Van Dam comes out to stop him. With the referee distracted, Bischoff sneaks in the ring and tries to hit Anderson with the chair, but Anderson hits him with the Mic Check. Hardy comes in and tries the Twist of Hate but Anderson counters with the Mic Check to get the pin and win the title at 9:07. That was an unadvertised, overbooked TNA World Title match that was quickly forgotten when Hardy won the title back.
Rating: *½
â€They†Are Here
Focus shifts to the New They, with Crimson telling Abyss to deliver the message. They also spend a little bit of time on the Kurt Angle versus Jeff Jarrett feud. The best part is that the cheesy bit where Abyss got the barbed wire board slammed into his back by Crimson and awkwardly fell face down on the ramp. Oh yeah, and Scott Steiner returned. Man, I forgot about a lot of this stuff already. It’s a bummer that they have to bleep “ass†on a DVD. They also bleep “damn.†That’s ridiculous. This version of “They†turned out to be Fortune – AJ Styles, Kazarian, and Beer Money. We get to see a clip of the Mr. Anderson versus Jeff Hardy TNA World Title match from the February 3, 2011 episode of Impact, which was when Fortune revealed themselves as “They.†Styles hit Hardy with a Styles Clash, allowing Anderson to get the pin and retain the title.
Champions
This chapter starts off with the Mr. Anderson versus Jeff Hardy ladder match for the TNA World Title at the Against All Odds pay-per-view in progress. I don’t really review half matches, but I will get to this show eventually.
Jeff Hardy vs. Sting
They start off with Dixie Carter trying to reveal the results of the court case before being interrupted by Eric Bischoff, Ric Flair, and the rest of Immortal. Fortune eventually comes out to her rescue.
MATCH #7: TNA World Championship Match – Jeff Hardy vs. Sting, Impact Wrestling, 3.3.11
Hardy has been the champion since 2.13.11 and this is his second defense. Sting starts the match off hot, hitting a clothesline and going for the Scorpion Deathlock and Hardy bails. Back in the ring the champion is able to take control, working Sting over in the corner. Hardy goes for a suplex but Sting counters it and this time he locks on the Scorpion Deathlock! The champ won’t quit though as he gets to the ropes and rolls to the floor. Sting follows Hardy out and suplexes him on the entrance ramp. He whips Hardy into the guardrail a couple of times. Sting then goes for a Stinger Splash but Hardy avoids it and Sting crashes into the guardrail. Back in the ring Hardy tries to wear Sting down and he goes for the Twist of Hate. Sting no-sells and unloads with right hands and a bulldog. He hits the Scorpion Death Drop and Hardy kicks out at two! Hardy goes for the Whisper in the Wind but Sting knocks him down and is able to hit a Scorpion Death Drop out of the corner! Sting then picks Hardy up for one more Scorpion Death Drop to get the pin and win the title for a fourth time at 6:15. That was a serviceable TV main event and about six times as long as the rematch on pay-per-view.
Rating: **¼
THE PULSE
This DVD is certainly thorough. If you haven’t watched TNA in a few years, this is a good snippet of a lot of main event storylines. How much you enjoy them of course may vary. The cover photo is of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Eric Bischoff, so that says something about where the focus is. A couple of the matches are pretty good, and for a six-hour DVD it goes by really quickly. If you like TNA, or especially Hulk Hogan, this DVD gets a recommendation. You can purchase “Immortal Forever†at ShopTNA.com.
