By Chris Shore

TNA Impact Wrestling on SpikeTV
Aired live from Huntsville, Alabama.

[Q1] Taz and Mike Tenay opened cold and announced the show was dedicated to Mae Young. They each spoke about her and a graphic gave her birth and death dates…

The recap video was all about Magnus defeating AJ Styles last week in that mess of a main event… Rockstar Spud was in the ring and drew good heat while he tried to talk. He called it a "monumentous" night and introduced Dixie Carter. Dixie came out and dared anyone who wanted to challenge her.

Dixie buried AJ and put over Magnus in a promo that ran on for way too long and then introduced Magnus. Magnus came out with both belts.

Shore's Slant: IT'S TWO OF THE SAME F***ING BELT! GAH!

Magnus said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your champion speaking" to open his promo. A "You sold out" chant started. Magnus pointed out that he was wearing two title belts, which was obnoxious, but there was a reason. He called Dixie over and said she was a champion to the fans and the business so he was presenting her with one of the belts.

Shore's Slant: Not sure if this is better or worse.

Dixie thanked him and said she deserved it, but he was the real champion. She said she needed to thank the people who were loyal last week. Bro-Mans, DJ Zema, Gail Kim, Lei'D Tapa, Bad Influence, and Bobby Roode all came out together. Dixie said all of them went above and beyond last week, especially Bobby Roode. She said they were all going to benefit greatly.

Dixie called it the Genesis of a new TNA, Dixie Carter's TNA. She said this was the first time the company could be that, but her nephew had to take down Sting for it to happen. She introduced Ethan Carter III who came to the ring. EC3 started to speak, but Sting's music instantly cut him off. Sting stood at the top of the bowl with his bat…

Shore's Slant: A long and drawn out segment that really didn’t put any heat on the show tonight. Sting got a good reaction and I think his match will do well with the live crowd, but the crowd slowly died over that segment until Sting appeared. And I can't blame them. This was dreadfully boring. Especially Dixie. I had a hard time paying attention through her soliloquy.

[Q2][C] Sting cut a promo from the top of the bowl. Sting said he never knew Dixie could act like a mob boss. He said it was one thing to mess with the wrestlers, but messing with family's like Kurt Angle's was way out of line. Sting called Magnus a paper champion and said Magnus never earned anything. He said TNA was a house divided and that couldn’t stand. He said "I," and then corrected himself to "We are going to fight tonight." Dixie asked him who we was.

Joe Park, Eric Young, ODB, James Storm, Samoa Joe, and Gunner came onto the ramp and then ran to the ring. Sting said they were going to take back what was theirs and a brawl broke out. Everyone cleared leaving Sting in the ring with EC3. Sting backed him into a corner and hit him in the gut with the bat…[C]

Shore's Slant: Dear lord, this is a mess. There's just people everywhere and I don't think the chaos is translating well on TV. It just looks like everybody fighting for no real reason. It doesn't ring true.

The heels sold on the floor as the babyfaces played to the crowd in the ring. Joe took a mic and said they came for a fight. Spud came out with Brian Hebner and said since Joe wanted a fight he would get one. He booked the six in the ring against the six on the floor for right now. The bell rang and the brawl ensued again…

[Q3] 1. Joe Park, Eric Young, ODB, James Storm, Samoa Joe, and Gunner vs. Bro-Mans, DJ Zema, Lei'D Tapa, and Bad Influence. The first minute happened in the last quarter. The match slowly settled into a normal match. ODB hit a fall away slam on Zema, but Tapa hit her with a sick football tackle. Joe Park ended up in the ring and got his mouth busted open. He killed everyone, including Gunner and Storm before storming to the back. Joe locked in the rear naked choke on Daniels for the win…

Joe Park, Eric Young, ODB, James Storm, Samoa Joe, and Gunner defeated Bro-Mans, DJ Zema, Lei'D Tapa, and Bad Influence at 7:32.

Backstage, Velvet Sky was talking to Austin Aries. Velvet asked him what she could do and Aries told her to just think about it. He thanked her for the nice things she said about him on his collector card and left in a hurry as Chris Sabin walked up. Sabin yelled at Velvet and asked what that was all about. Velvet said she wasn't going to discuss it in front of all the people there. Sabin said they would discuss it in front of the world and snapped at her to come to the ring…[C]

Shore's Slant: So what I have learned over the last five quarters of TNA is that the "I want wrestling" guy has become the "I want a shit ton of people out there at one time so we cover up the wrestling." What a shame. I'm just waiting for some group to get all upset over Chris Sabin treating Velvet Sky that way. Yes, I know it’s a story and he's acting but the groups that get upset over these things don't usually seem to get that.

Backstage, Kurt Angle was banging on doors looking for Dixie Carter or Al Snow… In the ring, Sabin said Velvet was being very selfish. He said he was her boyfriend and the X Division Champion. He said he was champion for them and asked what her secret meeting with Aries was about.

Aries's music hit and he came out and said he had a better title for Sabin, "Worst Boyfriend that Ever Lived." Aries said he wasn't trying to get with Velvet but he might break his veganism for a piece of pigeon pie. He said he was simply telling Velvet she could do better than Sabin. He started to call her a hot piece of ass but Sabin cut him off and called Velvet "toots."

[Q4] Aries challenged Sabin to a title match next week with Velvet in a cage at ringside. Sabin said no, but Velvet agreed and said it was time for Sabin to step up. She said if he didn’t beat Aries next week she might have to find someone else to spend her time with. She left the ring as Aries left and Sabin sold upset… Backstage, Angle was still looking for Dixie…[C]

Shore's Slant: #inb4 Velvet turns next week by ramming Aries into the cage from within. A pretty good talking segment from all three participants, enough to make me look forward to the match.

An agent (drawing a blank) told the camera man to shoot everything backstage. Same Shaw was walking by and the guy stopped him and told Sam that he was a real player in TNA but he should forget about Christie. He turned to walk off and Shaw attacked him. He beat him down while screaming at him about Christie. He pulled off the guy's shoe and smelled it before slamming it on the guy…

In the dressing room, EC3 was psyching himself up. Magnus walked up and they snarked at each other with Magnus calling Carter a rookie who was unsure of himself. He talked about beating AJ alone, which Carter mocked, and beating Sting clean. He told Carter to believe in himself and left as Carter snarked some more…

Bully Ray started his ring entrance and Anderson attacked before he could get to the ring…[C]

Shore's Slant: Magnus has been wrestling for, like, 37 minutes and he's calling Carter a rookie? If the point is to make him look narcissistic to the point of absurdity that will only draw go-away heat because that quickly become a comedy act if they aren't careful.

Back from commercial Anderson rolled Ray in the ring to finally start the match…

[Q5] 2. Bully Ray vs. Ken Anderson in a no disqualification match. Anderson wrestled with the hospital band still on his arm from the birth of his kids. Both guys fought to the floor and grabbed chairs. They hit the chairs like swords a few times and then Anderson got the better of Bully with a chair. Bully came right back and whipped Anderson with the chain.

Bully and Earl Hebner did the shoving gimmick and Anderson hit Ray with the chair again. Anderson pulled out a guardrail without feet. Ray kicked it into Anderson and then slammed him on it. Anderson moved and Ray missed a splash on it. Anderson went to the top and missed a senton on it, but he came right back with a mic check on it for two.

Anderson slid a table in the ring and set in on one leg in the corner. Ray went to the top and Anderson hit him with a low blow, followed by a Finlay roll into the table for two. Anderson setup another table but Bully hit a Rock Bottom for two.

Ray went to the floor and got the lighter fluid and lighter. Ray said it was for Anderson's wife and his two nasty children. Anderson popped up and hit the mic check. Anderson took the lighter fluid and doused the table. He lit the lighter and held it high. Ray hit a low blow and followed with the piledriver for the win…

Bully Ray defeated Ken Anderson at 9:34.

Backstage, Kurt Angle found Al Snow. He jacked him up against the wall. Angle asked him what happened last week. Snow said he was doing what he was told. Angle asked who gave Snow the order and Snow begged off. saying he had a family. Angle threw him aside and stormed off…[C]

Shore's Slant: So Bully can take Anderson's finisher on the barricade and kick out but Anderson takes one piledriver and it’s over? Weak. Low blow or not, that really stood out. And Al will admit to doing what he was told but not who? Why? Angle can figure out who. Al gave up the goods by admitting he was told to do it. Poor psychology over that whole segment of TV.

[Q6] Kurt Angle made his ring entrance to a good pop. Angle said Dixie was the reason he came to TNA but he wanted to know what happened last night. He said she went too far by involving his family. He demanded answers and Dixie made her entrance. Again.

Dixie said Angle needed to realize things were different and this wasn't seven years ago. Angle agreed. He said Dixie was a good woman but look at her now. Dixie said she did it because she cares about Angle. She said they both knew he would make the wrong decision and get injured. She said he wasn't smart enough to make decisions for himself so he needed her to take care of him. She said she did what was best for him, just like she did with everybody on her team.

Angle said he wasn't on her team and after he beat Roode in the cage he was going to be in Sting's corner. Dixie said he was emotionally unstable and postponed his cage match with Roode. She said if Angle interfered in her nephew's match he might lose his job. Angle dared her to fire him. He said he was going to do the right thing.

Dixie said she had to protect him again and ordered security to escort him from the building. Security got in the ring but Angle wouldn’t go. Roode ran out and clotheslined Angle from behind. Dixie stopped security from doing anything and Roode hit the Roode Bomb. Dixie told security to now escort Angle out…

Backstage, Jeremy Borash tried to interview Madison Rayne, but Gail Kim and Lei'D Tapa attacked and beat her down…[C]

Shore's Slant: Sooooo much Dixie. Bleh. Dixie said she didn't want Angle hurt and then let Roode beat him up. There's a lot of that contradictory stuff going on tonight, huh?

Backstage, Dixie Carter informed Earl Hebner he wasn't working the main event after the stunt he pulled last week. Hebner asked who the ref was and Dixie told him to take the night off and find out when everyone else did… The Knockouts made their entrance…

[Q7] 3. Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne (w/Lei'D Tapa) for the Knockouts Championship. Madison sold the beating from earlier. The fight spilled to the floor and Tapa choked the hell out of Madison and the ref only ejected Tapa. What? Kim rolled Madison back in the ring and Madison hit a neckbreaker across the knee out of nowhere and covered for the win…

Madison Rayne won the Knockouts Championship at 4:06.

Backstage, Sting snatched the mic away from Jeremy Borash and said he knew there were a lot of guys who wanted to help him but they shouldn’t he said he was going to end this tonight by beating EC3…

Shore's Slant: Weak title change. Kim looks useless without Tapa, losing almost immediately after she was ejected. And the announcers didn’t sell the finisher at ALL, leading to a flat title change.

Backstage, Dixie talked to Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. She referred to them as "the Wolves." She said she was looking forward to their try out match next week. Davey said they were passed that. Dixie said that's why she brought them here. Eddie said they signed that morning. Dixie looked confused and Davey said "They said she might react like this." Eddie handed her a package and said that explained it all. Dixie read it and said, "A new TNA investor?" She started texting someone…

EC 3 made his ring entrance, followed by Sting. The special referee was Rockstar Spud. Apparently no one read my One Shots this week…

3. Ethan Carter III vs. Sting with Rockstar Spud as special guest referee. Spud irritated Sting for a few minutes as the little pest. The fight spilled to the floor and Sting hit a suplex on the ramp and Spud scurried around.

[Q8] Sting ran his offense and locked on the Scorpion. Carter started to tap so Spud jumped on Sting's back. Sting broke the hold and used Spud to hit Carter. He hit the Scorpion Death Drop and covered. Spud wouldn’t count. Sting dragged him down and forced him to count. Magnus ran out and pulled Spud from the ring. He pulled off his coat and shirt to reveal a ref shirt. Carter rolled Sing up and Magnus quick counted for the win…

EC3 defeated Sting at 4:53.

Magnus started to walk off and Sting grabbed a mic Sting said he wanted to fight Magnus and he would do anything to do it. Magnus turned and said, "Anything?" Sting said it again and Magnus headed toward the ring…[C]

Shore's Slant: Why would Sting be that desperate? I swear, this might be the worst psychology I have seen in a long time. None of this makes any sense. People are acting completely out of character.

Sting said this was all about he and Magnus. Sting said he picked Magnus and this is how Magnus repaid him. He said Magnus disrespected him, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy and the fans. He said Magnus needed to be set straight and the only way he could do that was to get one more shot at the title.

Magnus pointed out Sting can’t have any more title shots and he owed Sting nothing. Sting asked him if he owed himself to be a man and actually earn the title on his own. Sting said boys wore belts. He asked Magnus if he was going to be a man or a boy. He said boy and mocked it as girlish.

Magnus said he was a man and he wasn't going to fall for Sting's reverse psychology. He said he would give Sting a title match, but if Sting loses, he gets to tear up the contract and Sting would be done. Sting agreed and Magnus sad he couldn’t wait to rip the contract up in front of Sting's stupid, painted face. Magnus left the ring to end the show…

Shore's Slant: It was obvious where this was going as soon as Sting said he would do anything, and I don’t dislike the idea. I do dislike how they got there as Sting showed desperation too early. It does look like Sting's run in TNA is over. Let the WrestleMania 30 rumors run wild.

All in all this was a baffling episode of Impact. So many guys did things that seemed out of character for them, and there was way too much Dixie Carter. Jason Powell will have more tomorrow. Thanks for watching along tonight.

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