TNA iMPACT Report – June 17th, 2010
Report by Richard Trionfo, PWInsider
We open up with a video recap of this past weekend’s Slammiversary PPV, and then went to a segment with Eric Bischoff discussing the TNA Championship Committee’s decision to strip the Band of the TNA World Tag Team Title in light of Scott Hall’s personal issues, and a tournament will begin tonight to determine who will face the Motor City Machine Guns for the title at Victory Road.
And with that in mind, let’s go to the ring for our opening match…
Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Kevin Nash & Eric Young vs Ink, Inc
Nash and Young jump Ink Inc as they enter the ring, and a short brawl boils down to Young working over Jesse Neal. Young with a slam and a second rope elbowdrop for 2. Nash tags in and starts working Neal over in the corner and chokes him with his boot, and then Young gets a cheapshot from the outside. Young tags in and gets a clothesline for 2, and Neal tries a comeback but eats a double axhandle and Young gets 2. Young with another slam and then he goes up top and hits a flying elbowdrop for 2. Young charges Neal in the corner but runs into an elbow and then Neal takes Young out with a clothesline and makes the hot tag, and Moore comes in and cleans house on Young, hitting a leg lariat for 2. Moore whips Young into the corner and he does the Flair Flip, and Moore nails Nash off the apron then goes up top and hits a top rope Frankenstein for 2. Nash comes in and nails Moore, But Neal spears him and then Ink Inc hit a double team Samoan Drop for the win.
Winners: Ink Inc
We go to Taz and Mike, who again recap the events of Slammiversary, and then discuss how the Championship Committee couldn’t agree on the placement of the top three contenders in the Top Ten Rankings, so tonight we’re going to have a three way match between Mr Anderson, Jeff Hardy, and Abyss to decide the #1 Contender.
Ric Flair’s music hits, and we go to the entranceway where Flair is joined by his entire team. He’s about to make an announcement that will change the course of history in professional wrestling, and that announcement…is next!
We’re back, and Chelsea is backstage pleading with Abyss, saying that she doesn’t want to be with Desmond, she wants to be with him. Abyss says she knows the deal: it was 30 days and then she goes back to Desmond, and she’s not going to want to be around him tonight.
We head back to the ring with Flair and company, who says that he is going to reform the Four Horsemen, only they’re going to call the new group Fortune, and Fortune will change the destiny of TNA forever. He says the Horsemen were the best stable of all time because they were the best at whatever they did, whether it was wrestling or making love to the ladies. He compares each member of his group to a member of the Horsemen, including calling Desmond the Lex Luger of the group, then gets on AJ’s case about losing to Jay Lethal. This brings Lethal out in his Ric Flair gimmick, and he says that the Horsemen were the greatest group of men to ever grace God’s green earth, and it looks like the Horsemen were here, took a dump in the ring, and left. Lethal says he’s run the road with the Horsemen, and the guys in the ring are no Horsemen. Flair gets so mad at Lethal’s impression of him that he takes his coat off and throws his shoe at Lethal. Lethal responds by taking his own coat off and elbowdropping it. Flair and Lethal do their Ric Flair impersonations back and forth, right down to WOOOOing back and forth at each other. Flair seriously looks like he’s going to have a heart attack. Finally Desmond tells Lethal to shut up, because he’s not out here being a cheap imitation of the greatest wrestler to ever live, he’s making a reputation for himself, and he challenges Lethal to a match tonight, and Lethal responds by telling Desmond that Chelsea called him the 60 minute man. Flair tells Desmond that if he wins tonight, he’s the first member of Fortune, but if he loses, he’s history.
We go backstage to Lacey Von Erich getting a massage in preparation of her match with Angelina Love later tonight.
Backstage, Mr Anderson is arriving at the building and some unseen person off camera asks him if we’re going to see the real Mr Anderson tonight, and he says that depends on who we think the real Mr Anderson is.
Let’s go back to the ring for our next match…
Hernandez vs Samoa Joe
Why give this away on free TV again? Hernandez takes Joe to the corner but breaks clean. Now Joe takes Hernandez to the corner and nails him on the break, then pounds him down in the corner. Joe with a running forearm and enziguiri in the corner, Hernandez fights back but Joe with a back elbow and then takes Hernandez back to the corner as the crowd starts a “Joe is gonna kill you” chant. Joe sends Hernandez to the corner, but Hernandez with a flying shoulderblock over the ropes and a big clothesline, Joe with a few shots but Hernandez with another running shoulderblock sends Joe to the floor, and while the ref is checking on him, Matt Morgan comes running in and low blows Hernandez from behind then bails to the floor. Joe comes back in and hits a T-bone suplex for the win.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Joe sees the replay on the screen as he heads to the back and realizes what happens, and goes back to the ring to go after Morgan. Morgan is surrounded so he bails out of the ring and hightails it to the back.
Backstage, Desmond Wolfe says that he’s going to do what AJ couldn’t and beat Jay Lethal tonight. AJ says he needs to get his life together because he treated Chelsea bad and she doesn’t want to be with him anymore, and he better beat Lethal because Flair said if he doesn’t, he’s out.
Backstage, Jeff Hardy says he doesn’t know whether he can trust Mr Anderson or not. Anderson pops his head in to say hello and Hardy calls him an asshole.
We go back to the ring with Douglas Williams, who is still the X-Division Champion, who says that Slammiversary was a time for celebration, but a time for mourning as well, as the X-Division as we knew it is dead because he killed it with one spectacular flying maneuver. From now on, the X-Division will become famous for the ground and pound style Williams is known for. He’s going to give everyone a lesson in that style right here tonight, and that leads us right into out next match…
X-Division Champion Douglas Williams vs Max Buck
Williams chain wrestles Buck to start, but Buck sends Williams to the floor with a flying headscissors. Williams back in and gets a Samoan Drop, then we HIT THE CHINLOCK! Buck tries to fight his way out but instead finds himself in an abdominal stretch. Williams whips him into the corner, hits a running knee, then a snap suplex, gutwrench suplex, and belly to belly suplex for 2. Nice combo. Williams comes off the second rope, but Max dodges and hits a somersault Diamond Cutter for 2. Williams with a headbutt to the midsection and a tornado DDT for the win.
Winner: Douglas Williams
Williams tortures Buck after the match with a cravate, but Brian Kendrick comes running out to make the save and chokes Williams out with a rear naked choke and Williams taps out like crazy.
We now go to a video package detailing the history of the Sting-Jeff Jarrett feud, and later tonight, Jarrett’s going to call Sting out!
We got back to the ring with Angelina Love, who says she’s been sitting out with an injury for the last six weeks, and since injuries can end it at any time, she’s not going to waste any more time. Tonight it’s Lacey Von Erich, next week it’s Velvet Sky, and then at Victory Road, she’s going to take the Knockouts Title back from Madison Rayne.
Angelina Love vs Lacey Von Erich
Oh god, Lacey’s going to wrestle a singles match. Angelina nails Lacey coming into the ring and rams her back and forth to the turnbuckles, rams a series of knees to the ribs, then sweeps her legs. Angelina with a series of kicks in the corner, but Lacey with a moonsault out of the corner and she blows a drop toehold, but Angelina goes down anyway. Angelina’s pissed that she went down on her face and goes after Lacey, but Lacey with a hair yank and Angelina goes down. Lacey goes up for the ten punches in the corner, but Angelina powerbombs her out of the corner and then goes to the floor, grabs So Cal Val’s chair, and DDT’s Lacey on it to draw the DQ.
Winner: Lacey Von Erich by DQ
Backstage, Lethal is with Hulk Hogan saying how happy he is to be surrounded by so many famous names in TNA, and Hogan tells him that they weren’t attracted to Lethal for the impressions, they liked his energy and raw talent, and they gave him a shot and he’s come through. Lethal says he never dreamed of being in the same dressing room with guys like Hogan and Flair, but Hogan says that now that he’s up there, he’s got a target on his back so he’d better keep it up.
Christy is backstage with Jeff Hardy, who says that it’s a three way dance tonight with the winner becoming the #1 contender, and Christy asks if he can trust Anderson, but Anderson comes strolling in to interrupt and make mention of the people trying to stir the pot. He asks how many times he got in fights with his brother as kids and then worked it all in the end, and Hardy said he did. Tonight they’re going to have to do what they have to do as men, but no hard feelings. They do the fist pound and Hardy says it’s all good.
Back to the ring for our next tournament match…
Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Team 3D vs Beer Money
Roode and Devon start and Devon gets a hiptoss, but misses a legdrop and Roode with the Mr Perfect necksnap. Devon comes back with a flying clothesline for 2, then tags in Brother Ray and they hit a double team legdrop/side suplex for 2. Ray with a slam but misses an elbowdrop and Storm tags in. Beer Money with a double backdrop on Ray and then Storm gouges the face. Ink Inc joins Mike and Taz on commentary as 3D comes back and hits a double diving headbutt on Storm. Now Beer Money with a double team Russian Legsweep/kneedrop on Devon for 2. Beer Money with a double suplex, but Ray comes in and lays them both out. 3D with a Doomsday Device for 2 then they go for 3D, but Ray leaves the ring in the middle of the move to go after Ink Inc, leaving Devon alone in the ring where Storm spits beer in Devon’s eyes so Roode can roll him up for the win.
Winners: Beer Money
Backstage, Desmond Wolfe tells Chelsea he’s a ticking time bomb, but tonight she’s got a chance to redeem herself.
After commercial, we go back to the ring for our next match…
Desmond Wolfe vs Jay Lethal
Wolfe jumps Lethal before the bell and knocks him off the top rope to the floor. Desmond goes out and yells at Chelsea, then rolls Lethal back in the ring as Tommy Dreamer comes out into the crowd. Wolfe with an arm snap and then stops to yell at Chelsea some more, allowing Lethal the opportunity to get some shots in. Wolfe lays him out again and yells at Chelsea some more and she goes to leave, but she trips and falls down and Desmond goes out to stand over her and run her down some more. Again this opens up an opportunity for Lethal to nail him and toss him back in the ring. Lethal with a leg lariat and a handspring elbow, then a pop up neckbreaker gets the win for Lethal.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Lethal goes out into the crowd to celebrate with the fans as Tommy Dreamer applauds. Wolfe attacks Lethal from behind as he comes back to ringside and tosses him back in the ring, continuing to beat Lethal down. Ric Flair comes out to the ring and Wolfe holds Lethal as Flair beats him up and lowblows him. Hulk Hogan’s music hits and out comes Hogan, and Flair and Wolfe bail out to the floor as Hogan gets in the ring. Hogan shakes his finger at Flair and raises Lethal’s hand, then takes the mic and says that TNA is on fire right now because of guys like Jay Lethal. Who would have ever dreamed that a little Hulkamaniac would grow up in Elizabeth, New Jersey and then grow up to become a big time wrestler himself. Hogan has an announcement and calls Ric Flair back out, he tells him that he’s been a thorn in Lethal’s side for a long time now, and the little boy grew up to be a great big man, and now he’s going to make a man’s dream come true, because at Victory Road, it’s going to be Ric Flair vs Jay Lethal.
Sting is backstage, and he’s…WALKING! Up next, the Sting-Jarrett showdown!
First though, the new Top Ten Rankings are released, and they went by too quickly for me to transcribe them, but the top three will, of course, be decided in tonight’s main event.
Jeff Jarrett is in the ring and he calls out Sting, who comes out to the ring. Jeff asks “Steve” to take his sunglasses off because he wants him to hear what Jarrett says tonight, and also look in his eyes and see that he can hear and feel what he’s saying. Jarrett’s not going to ask him why again, he called him out to remind him of one thing: that it was Jarrett who called Sting when he first started TNA. He wanted Sting’s leadership and professionalism and his iconic status, and he didn’t want Sting to work for him, he wanted Sting to work with him. For the last 8 years, they’ve given as much as they could for TNA, and even though they haven’t always been on the same side of the fence, they’ve always treated each other with dignity, respect and honor, but that all ended at Sacrifice. Sting was hellbent on ending Jarrett’s career and destroying his livelihood, but he wants to tell Steve Borden that he made one mistake: he left Jeff Jarrett standing. He asks Sting if he thinks this is funny, but next week it won’t be a laughing matter when their rematch goes down. Jarrett knows what this is all about and Sting does too, and Sting is 100% wrong about both of them, because both of them (Hogan and Bischoff) have given their all for TNA since they got here, and next week Jarrett’s not just going to be fighting for himself and his family, but he’ll be fighting for Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan, and most importantly he’s going to be fighting for the TNA fans. And with that, Jarrett walks off as Sting suddenly looks less confident than he did before.
It’s main event time…
#1 Contender’s Match: Mr Anderson vs Jeff Hardy vs Abyss
Anderson and Hardy double team Abyss to start, they whip him into the corner and Anderson drops down to do the Hardy Boyz springboard leg lariat in the corner and then hit a double back elbow, Abyss tries to chokeslam them both but they fight out and get a double suplex on Abyss and Hardy covers for 2 but Anderson breaks, then Anderson tries a cover but Hardy breaks it up and they go face to face. Abyss uses the opportunity to spear both men as we see another shot of Tommy Dreamer in the crowd. Abyss charges Anderson in one corner then tries on Hardy but Hardy gets an elbow up and then hits the Whisper In The Wind. Abyss rolls to the floor so Hardy gets him with a baseball slide, and Anderson stands behind Hardy like he’s going to jump him, but instead baseball slides Abyss and then holds him for a Hardy dive. Anderson pounds on Abyss on the floor and the bell rings…and all three men have been counted out!
Triple Count Out
Anderson protests with the referee, but Abyss loses control and attacks both Anderson and Hardy, then chases the referee away from ringside. Abyss tosss both Hardy and Anderson into the ring, then lays out Hardy and hits the Shock Treatment on Anderson. Abyss ges under the ring and gets a kendo stick and lays Hardy out with it, then pulls out a bag and pours broken glass in the ring. He nails Anderson with the kendo stick over and over, then gives Anderson the Black Hole Slam in the glass. Abyss goes to leave, but thinks better of it and goes back after Hardy, ramming him with knees, tearing his shirt off, and then chokeslamming Hardy off the stage. Finally Hulk Hogan comes out and asks what this is all about, and Abyss points at him and goes “YOU!” as we go off the air.
