Welcome to the Pulse Wrestling TNA IMPACT Wrestling Report for 12.08.11. I am Alexander Miezin and I will be doing the TNA IMPACT recaps starting today.
We are LIVE! (and by LIVE!, I mean taped two weeks ago), from the IMPACT Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida. Your hosts for the evening are Mike Tenay and Taz.
A recap video of last week’s main event is shown where Jarrett screwed Jeff Hardy out of the match. A small recap of the Storm vs. Angle feud is aired and we are told they will confront each other tonight.
Sting enters the IMPACT Zone naked of his face paint per usual. Final Resolution is this weekend. Tonight Jeff Hardy will team with AJ Styles to take on the World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode and Jeff Jarrett. Sting tells Roode to come to the ring to a chorus of boos. This is beginning almost identical to last week. Roode will defend against AJ Styles at Final Resolution in a 30-minute Ironman match for the title. Sting informs Bobby that he still has consequences to deal with. Dixie Carter is called out to the ring! Sting reminds Roode of when Bobby used Dixie as a shield to battle AJ. Bobby Roode is told to apologize in front of everyone to Dixie Carter. Roode says he will apologize, but he wants some space. Dixie walks up to Roode. Roode publicly apologizes and is sorry for not being honest with her. Roode says that Dixie “needs him”, and business is better than ever. Mmmmmmkay. Roode says Carter isn’t woman enough to last the whole ride. He calls Dixie a fake and that she couldn’t run a lemonade stand. Roode is the face of the wrestling company. He then spits in her face. Wow. Tenay calls it the low point of Roode’s career. Carter looks like she is going to cry.
There’s a commercial for the Video Game Awards with Abyss, Robbie E., and Robert Roode. We then head to our first commercial break.
Mike Tenay brings us back from commercial break replaying Roode spitting in Carter’s face then running off. Styles is backstage and shoves Bobby Roode from behind. He says that Carter gave Roode everything. Styles tells Roode he is taking it all at Final Resolution. Sting is held back by security, Hardy, and AJ.
Samoa Joe vs. Abyss
First match of the night here. Joe looks angry. Wonder if he will pick up a win tonight? Hard to believe years ago that this would be a huge match, now it’s an opening match on IMPACT. Bell sounds and we are underway Crowd chants for Joe. Joe opens with strikes followed by a chop, but is met with a shoulder by Abyss. Abyss pounds away, charges in, misses, and is kicked in the face by Samoa Joe. Joe face washes Abyss, but as he comes off the ropes catches a boot instead as we go to another commercial break.
Finally back from the break. Abyss scares the referee to the floor. Joe kicks Abyss in the face and back splashes him for a near fall. Joe looks red tonight. Punches from Joe as Abyss is on his knees. Joe goes to the second, jumps off, but is caught. Abyss clotheslines Joe then calls for the chokeslam. Joe breaks it and kicks Abyss in the face. Running high knee by Joe. Joe lifts Abyss to the top rope setting him up for the Muscle Buster. Scott Steiner comes to ringside. Bully Ray in the ring. Ray catches Joe with the chain in the neck? Chokeslam by Abyss for the win. 1/4*. Dumb match. Even dumber finish.
After the match Ray and Steiner say good job to Abyss as he looks puzzled. They are united again……maybe not. Blackhole Slam to Steiner. Abyss is angry! They are gonna swing. Bully Ray runs away.
Karen Jarrett is in the locker room. She tells Madison Rayne that she is the ace in the hole. She needs Rayne to tear Mickie James apart before Final Resolution when she challenges the Knockouts Champion Gail Kim. Gail Kim has a match tonight as well with Traci Brooks. Gail is mad. Karen slams the door as we go to break.
These Knockouts commercials are awesome by the way. Tessmacher makes my third leg stand up.
Sting is yelling at Gunner backstage. He tells him it’s over. Gunner wants a piece of Garett Bischoff again. I don’t. Gunner wants one more rematch with him. No Flair. No Bischoff. So Garett won’t be there? Zing. Sting shakes hands with Gunner. He has Gunner’s word.
Devon and The Pope D’Angelo Dinero make their way to the squared circle. They are the #1 Contenders for the TNA Tag Team Championship this Sunday against the champs Matt Morgan and Crimson. Devon calls them to the ring. Devon’s pants are bedazzled. The champs come to the ring with the crowd going nuts. I like this team. Devon informs them that he brought them out to congratulate them on their tag title victory. Devon is sweating. He says thank you for beating the hell out of Mexican America. He reminds everyone of his past in the tag division with Team 3D. The Hardy Boyz get mentioned, even Matt by name. Somewhere in a jail cell Matt is jumping up and down. Devon tells the champs that they have the total package. Devon and Pope are now a tag team. They will face them at Final Resolution. He wants them to bring their best. They will bring their A game. There are no excuses at the end. Hemme will be announcing new tag team champions. He testifies. May the best team win. Devon shakes hands with Morgan and Crimson. Pope grabs the microphone from Devon. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Pope calls Morgan and Crimson “dumb honkies”. That’s racist. Pope says this is about the dollar. This is about the gold. With the gold comes the money. Pope and Captain Him are coming for the gold. Pope will do whatever it takes to win the straps. “Pope has spoken.” Morgan hits Pope in the face. Devon pushes Crimson. All four are decking each other. What a surprise. Morgan puts on Pope’s sunglasses as he beats him down. Crimson and Devon battle up the ramp as Pope low blows Morgan. Beautiful. Pope calls Devon’s kids into the ring. They start beating down Morgan as well! Morgan gets to his feet. Morgan scares them all off. Pope is proud of Devon’s children.
TNA Women’s Knockout Tag Champions Madison Rayne and Gail Kim along with Karen Jarrett are headed to the ring for Rayne’s match with Mickie James. That match is next.
James Storm has arrived with beer in hand.
Mickie James vs. 1/2 of the TNA Women’s Knockout Tag Team Champions Madison RayneÂ
Will Madison be able to take out James before Kim’s title defense Sunday? Let’s hope not. Mickie beat ODB last week in a street fight. Rayne attacks James during her pose in the ring. Madison tries choking Mickie with a boot. Madison sends Mickie head first into two corners. Face buster by Madison for two. Mickie tries to fight back with the crowd chanting for her. Madison fish hooks Mickie. First Twitter reference of the evening fifty-one minutes in. She slaps on a choke. Mickie fights her way back to her feet and elbows her way out. Madison puts the hold back on. Mickie gets back to her feet and breaks the hold. Mickie snapmares Madison off. Mickie kips up after a face drop. Mickie goes to the top, misses a splash, and is bulldoged kind of. Kick to Mickie’s face for a near fall. Madison is irate with the count. Madison rubs Mickie’s face into the mat. Mickie pushes Madison off. Madison drapes Mickie’s face over the middle rope choking her. Madison suplexes Mickie. She rolls her hips back up into a neckbreaker for two again. Mickie reverses Madison. Jumping DDT for the win! *. Meh match.
Gail Kim comes to the top of the stage with her belts as Mickie James stares her down. This Sunday, the belt will be in the ground. Impact of the Night is the Jumping DDT by Mickie James.
Garett Bischoff is headed to the ring for his match with Gunner. It’s break time.
Bully Ray and Scott Steiner try to come up with a new way to get Abyss back. Steiner says he’s tight and heads to Bischoff’s office. “I’m gonna talk to him!” “Good go talk to him!”. Great segment.
Recap video of Garett punching his father in the face. Gunner says his father used to deal with him when he disrespected him. They show Garett’s two victories over Gunner in the past few weeks.
Gunner w/Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff vs. Garett Bischoff
Um..I thought Flair and Eric weren’t going to be at ringside? Tenay and Taz are puzzled as well. This has five stars all over it. Garett still doesn’t have wrestling attire. Just black pants and Converses. Flair and Eric yell at Garett. Match begins as we are over the halfway point in the show. Gunner sends Eric and Flair to the back. “You’ve got my word.” Gunner throws Garett into the corner and pounds away. Face first into the padded turnbuckle. Punches some more. Kick to the gut by Garett. Bulldog! Face plant! Clothesline! Gunner jumps right up and elbows Garett down before kicking him to the floor. Gunner slugs his back before sending him shoulder first into the ring post. Again. Gunner sends him back into the ring. More punches. Crowd is in Garett’s corner. Garett fights back, but is punched in the face again. Illegal choke by Gunner. Breaks at four. Third Twitter reference. Gunner taunts him in the corner. This looks like two Create-A-Superstars going at it. Garett gets a single leg takedown and upsets Gunner! After the match, Gunner mounts Garett and beats him down. He sends him to the floor. Ring step treatment for Garett. “You suck!” chants fill the IMPACT Wrestling Zone. Gunner sets Garett up for a piledriver on the floor! Eric runs out. He asks Gunner to stop. Then he removes the mat from the floor! Oh snap! Piledriver on the concrete floor! That’s gotta hurt! Looked botched too. 1/2* for the match, but the post match was great. Gunner is booed by everyone! Break time.
Garett Bischoff is wheeled off an ambulance with Eric clapping for him. Flair slaps him in the chest about twenty times. Flair and erie hug each other. Eric says he’ll tell mom Garett is doing just fine. Awesome.
Mike Tenay and Taz recap the situation that just happened. They are disgusted. Taz has a orange pen. Nice touch. They will update us when they know more. Yeah, okay.
James Storm’s music hits. Here he comes to the ring. Even longer beard than last week. He mentions Kurt Angle calling him out last week to meet this week in the ring. He calls Angle to the ring. Kurt Angle’s music plays. He comes to the ring. In a dress shirt this time instead of a $10 t-shirt with Batman on it. Angle looks healthy tonight. Angle gives Storm a lot of credit. Calls him tough or stupid. Storm got a concussion from Angle’s attack three weeks ago. He says he screwed up. He won’t screw up at Final Resolution. He calls the ring “his world”. Angle is the “best wrestler in the world.” Sound familiar? Angle is prepared this time to face Storm. Storm doesn’t need Kurt to think of him when he goes to bed at night. Storm says to Kurt that Kurt wins most of his matches before they even start. James Storm says he had two brothers die from drunk driving, his dad died when he was a kid, wow. Crowd goes silent. Have to respect Storm. Nothing intimidates him. He recently put his dog down, too. Storm reminds Kurt of when he won the belt from him.Storm will crush Angle’s noggin like a beer can. Storm says he’s gonna turn around and if Angle “feels froggy, jump.” Angle doesn’t attack. Storm will see Angle this Sunday. “Oh it’s real, it’s damn real”. Storm’s music plays. The two look at each other in the eyes. Can’t wait for this one.
Traci Brooks is with Karen Jarrett and Gail Kim. Karen has to put Gail in a match to be fair. Karen says she’s not fair. Traci will go to the ring, climb in the ring, and lay down for Gail Kim to pin her. Finger poke of Doom! Karen is great. Â Commercial time.
Wahoo! Another Knockouts Christmas commercial! Man, these are so good!
Devon shoves his kids backstage. He will knock the hell out of them. He trains them not Pope. He calls the shots. Devon throws Pope up against the wall. Devon almost hits Pope, but is stopped by his son. Child abuse. Â Devon tells them to think long and hard about what they did. Devon leaves. Pope comes back. Pope says they did good.
Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles say they both have something to prove tonight.
Non-title: TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs. Traci Brooks
I can smell the ring from here. Shampoo and hair spray galore. Taz calls Kim a firecracker. Opening bell sounds. Traci lays down reluctantly. Kim covers for a two count! Traci takes Kim down and punches her! Pulls her hair as well. Clothesline by Traci. Spear in the corner. Shoulders to the stomach. Kim gets thrown to the mat by her hair. Two count for Traci. Knee to the back of the head of Kim. Another clothesline. Traci sets her up and hits a spear. Karen comes down the ramp telling Traci to get out of the ring. Traci tries to hit Karen, but Madison comes in from behind with the tag title belt. Kim pins Traci. 1/4*. At least is was a match, right? Madison and Karen help the champion to her feet. Kim won without hitting one move. Replays are aired of what just happened twenty seconds ago.
Jeff Jarrett and Bobby Roode are talking backstage with their title belts. Jarrett says Hardy’s career will be done Sunday. Roode yells that nobody will do anything to him tonight. AJ will be another victim of Bobby Roode. Commercials again.
Mmmm Brooke Tessmacher in the Christmas commercial. Christy Hemme as well.
Christopher Daniels calls RVD “Bob Van Dam”. He wants Rob Van Dam in a grappling wrestling match at Final Resolution. Go that, Bob?
Mike Tenay and Taz rundown the Final Resolution card:
TNA Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs. Mickie James
TNA Television Champion Robbie E. vs. Eric Young
TNA X-Division Champion Austin Aries vs. Kid Kash
TNA Tag Team Champions Crimson and Matt Morgan vs. Pope and Devon
Rob Van Dam vs. Christopher Daniels
James Storm vs. Kurt Angle
Steel Cage Match (Title Shot vs. Career;Karen handcuffed to Sting)Â Jeff Hardy vs. Jeff Jarrett
30-minute Ironman Match: TNA World Heavyweight Champion  Bobby Roode vs. AJ Styles
Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles vs. TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode and Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett is accompanied to the ring by his wife Karen. Karen will be handcuffed to Sting outside of the steel cage this Sunday. I wish I was handcuffed to Karen. Main event time tonight with fourteen minutes left on the clock. Should be a good one. We get main event in ring introductions from Jeremy Borash. I love when TNA does these. This bout has a big match feel. Main event brought to you by Wrangler jeans. Styles and Hardy attack before introductions begin. The four battle on the floor. Hardy and Jarrett, Styles and Roode. Jarrett’s face eats the steps hilariously. Styles throws Roode into the guardrail. Hardy nails the ring post with his face. Jarrett throws AJ in the ring. Punches from Double J. Dropkick by AJ. Springboard misses. AJ tweaked his knee or hamstring. He tags in Hardy. Roode gets tagged in as well, but is afraid to enter the ring. Final commercial break of the evening as Roode and Hardy are about to go at it.
We are back. Â Hardy and Roode still in the ring. Dropkick preceded by legs to the crotch and a near fall. Hardy tags Styles. Styles punches AJ. AJ is favoring his knee. Chops and stomps. Roode catches AJ in the knee with a knick. Roode tags Jarrett. Styles hip tosses Jarrett. Styles gets sent into the corner, but elbows Jarrett and clotheslines the champ. Roode grabs Styles on the floor though tripping him up. He tags in Jarrett who targets that injured knee. Another tag to Bobby. He stomps that knee. Rakes the back with fingernails. Yee haw! Kick to the hammy. Steps on his knee cap then rakes the eyes. Jarrett gets tagged in and lands on the knee of Styles. Jarrett “Tebow’s” in the ring. Greatness! Hardy comes in, Styles rolls up Jarrett, but the ref was distracted. Roode tags himself into the ring. Roode steps on the private part region of AJ. Ouch. Corner stomps to the knee of AJ. Left knee is in pain. AJ elbows then Pele kicks Roode! Both men are down. Crowd is into it with claps. Styles gets to Hardy, but right before Jarrett knocks Jeff off the apron. Hardy rip his shirt off and tackles Jarrett to the floor. They fight up the ramp. Karen follows pulling Hardy’s hair. They are officially in the backstage area. Karen holding her boobs as she runs behind them. She rakes the back of Hardy. In the ring, Roode has a single leg Boston crab on Styles. Will he give it up? Jarrett sends Hardy into the steel fence in the back. AJ gets to the ropes. Roode shoves Brian “T-shirt Bandit” Hebner. AJ clotheslinse Roode. Again. Back elbow. Back drop. AJ tries to get Roode up, but his knee gives out. Spinebuster by Roode. Roode stalks Styles. He tries his Fisherman Suplex, but AJ counters and school boy’s him for the victory! **1/2. I liked the attack of the knee in this match. AJ clutches the knee after the match and catches Bobby trying to attack him. Styles dives to the floor onto the champion. Styles hobbles up the ramp behind Roode. Roode runs away. AJ can’t catch up.
Styles poses as the show closes……..or not. Roobe chop blocks AJ from behind clipping the injured knee. Roode targets it again and slams him knee first on the ramp. Roode throws AJ’s knee into a support beam. He yells “thirty minutes!” towards the #1 Contender. Roode gets the title belt. He shoves it in AJ’s face. “you can’t beat me!.” Random music plays as the show closes.
Decent show. Not much besides the main event in terms of good in ring stuff, but the storylines progressed very well. They sold Final Resolution very well.
