TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a still shot recap of the Hard Justice pay-per-view... The show is called "Blueprint For Disaster"... Mike Tenay introduced the show while sitting by himself at ringside. Tenay said he had an announcement. He said Don West had accepted a new role in merchandising. He mentioned their seven-year history together and then introduced his new broadcast partner.

Taz walked to ringside stood next to Tenay. He put the headsets on and shook hands with Tenay, who said he couldn't wait to hear what insight Taz could add to the broadcasts...

Powell's POV: Simple transition. I would have considered having West at ringside to say a quick goodbye and then pass the torch to Taz, but only if he was comfortable doing so.

Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Scott Steiner, Sharmell, and Traci Brooks headed to the ring. Angle started to talk, but he was quickly interrupted by Matt Morgan's entrance music. Morgan came out carrying an axe handle. Morgan recalled the proposition Angle made at the pay-per-view.

Morgan accused Angle of going into business for himself at the pay-per-view. Morgan said he or Angle were supposed to pin Sting, but Angle screwed him over. Morgan demanded an excuse in ten seconds or said he'd start swinging the axe handle. Angle said it was Morgan who actually went into business for himself when he caught Kurt with the Carbon Footprint.

Angle said he lost feeling in his arms and legs after taking that move. He said he recovered and pulled the referee out of the ring because he thought Sting was pinning Morgan. The crowd wasn't buying it. Angle said Morgan didn't know his way around the ring and made a rookie mistake, which led to him being pinned.

Kurt said they still set out what they did set out to do, which is keep the TNA Title in the Main Event Mafia. Angle said he'd give Morgan one more chance to prove himself by letting him be his partner in a tables match against Team 3D. "The Godfather has spoken," Angle said.

Morgan said Angle has lost his mind. He's not the only person saying that these days. Morgan teased hitting Angle with the axe handle, but Kurt talked him out of it. Morgan said he was with Angle on this one. He agreed that it was his inexperience that cost him the match. He said Angle has always had his best interest in mind. He agreed to be Angle's partner in the main event. The live crowd cheered Morgan...

Powell's POV: Good opening segment. It came across like Morgan is one step ahead of Angle, which is why the live crowd cheered him. It makes Angle look dim for not picking up on what the fans did, but maybe they'll cover that later.

Backstage, Lauren frantically tried to ask A.J. Styles about his big announcement, but he walked right past her...

[Q2] [C] 1. Beer Money defeated The British Invasion in a non-title street fight in 5:30. Before the match, other members of World Elite tried to accompany the Invasion to ringside, but referee Earl Hebner wouldn't allow it. Tenay said the referees had been empowered via a new edict passed down by TNA management.

Beer Money went right at the Invasion by attacking them with trash cans and straps. They fought to ringside, where James Storm and Robert Roode teamed up to hit a double suplex on Brutus Magnus. The heels came back and tied Storm to the ring post, but a second referee came out and cut him loose.

Storm brought a board in the ring and slammed it over the head of Doug Williams. He beat Brutus with the board and a trash can and fired up the crowd in a big way. Williams bled heavily from the head. Storm and Roode hit the DWI on Magnus on top of a trash can and pinned him for the win.

Powell's POV: It was odd to see the referees enforce their new power in a street fight, but I like the idea of getting away with some of the campy run-ins. Great intensity throughout the match. Beer Money might be the most over act in TNA right now.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Angelina Love and Velvet Sky while they sat on their thrones. Love said Madison Rayne will pay tonight for her mistake at the pay-per-view. Sky said Rayne is no longer VIP, and added that the Beautiful People made her and can break her... [C]

Still shot photos aired of the ODB and Cody Deaner mess at the pay-per-view... Backstage, Jeremy Borash was talking with Mick Foley about the intensity of the match with Kevin Nash when ODB and Cody Deaner came into the picture and were bickering. Deaner claimed he should be the TNA Knockouts Champion because he scored the pinfall.

Borash told a joke about NASCAR not being a real sport. Foley said Dick Trickle is a real athlete. Borash said it's also a personal problem. Funny. Foley said he was going back to his office to make a ruling on the Knockouts Title. He said he would announce his decision next week.

[Q3] After ODB and Deaner left the picture, Abyss walked into the picture. Foley thanked Abyss for saving him at the pay-per-view. He handed him a brown paper bag as a sign of his appreciation. Abyss thanked him for the groceries. Funny. There was actually a blue flannel inside the bag. Abyss was overjoyed. Foley told him there's no crying in wrestling. Abyss hugged Foley, who told him to wear the flannel with pride.

Foley noted that they've both bled a lot during their matches, and said the feeling of his own warm blood running down his face wasn't the worst feeling in the world. Abyss agreed...

Powell's POV: Dick Trickle jokes never get old.

Tenay and Taz ran through the rest of the lineup for the show...

2. Angelina Love defeated Madison Rayne in 0:50. Love attacked Rayne at ringide and then dominated the brief match. Afterward, Velvet Sky came out and joined Love in putting the boots to Rayne. They gave her the brown paper bag treatment. Tara's music played and she came out with Christy Hemme to run off the Love and Sky... [C]

Powell's POV: Good show so far. I don't miss all the clowning around with West on commentary. He improved a lot in recent months, but I like the no nonsense approach that Taz is bringing to the show.

An "Official Motor City Machine Guns Website" video aired. They said they haven't been on Impact lately because they don't play political games, hang out with the right people afterward, or kiss the right asses. Shelley said they're about three things: entertaining the fans, getting laid, and getting paid.

Sabin said their checks have gone down as a result, so they are now selling their services to the fans. For $2,000 per hour, they'll hang out and play video games or go to the movies. Shelley said they're happy to bleed the bank accounts of the fans dry. They said fans could call 1-696-696-6969. They said they'd even throw in a free sham-wow...

Powell's POV: Funny, but the concept of it being a website video didn't make much sense.

Backstage, security had to keep Love and Sky away from Madison Rayne... Ring introductions for the Samoa Joe vs. Homicide match took place. Taz questioned if he could get his towel back from Joe and then laughed...

[Q4] [C]

Powell's POV: A Wranglers commercial aired during the break with my new favorite quarterback. Damn, I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated those commercials.

3. Samoa Joe pinned Homicide in 4:00. They joined the match in progress. Taz said he brought Joe to the promised land by leading him to the X Division Title. He said that despite his relationship with Joe, he likes Homicide, in part because they're both from Brooklyn. Taz said he completed his task by leading Joe to the title win.

The in-ring action was intense. Joe hit a nasty looking German suplex and followed up with a powerbomb for a good near fall. He went for it again, but Homicide hit him with punches to the head and went on the offensive. Joe came back and hit the Muscle Buster for the clean win... [C]

Powell's POV: Fun while it lasted. Another frustratingly short match, but they did manage to cram a lot into those four minutes. It's a shame the creative team won't turn Homicide and Joe loose and let them go for a couple segments.

A shot aired of a white limo. D'Angelo Dinero exited the limo, but they only aired a shot of his feet...

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Tara, Christy Hemme, Taylor Wilde, and Sarita regarding a tournament for the TNA Knockouts Tag Titles that kicks off next week. Tara said WWE never would have done this...

Powell's POV: Everyone was way too happy go lucky to the point that it just became annoying. Knockouts Tag Titles? Well, they do the best ratings on the show and they do have an abundance of women. That said, the shot at WWE probably isn't something they should be taking when the TNA Knockouts Title is currently possessed by Cody Deaner.

[Q5] 3. Traci Brooks (w/Sharmell) defeated Christy Hemme (w/Tara), Awesome Kong (w/Raisha Saeed), and Sarita (w/Taylor) in a four-way in 7:05. There was some clunky action with Hemme and Traci, but then the women took turns hitting big moves at ringside before the break. [C]

After the break, Kong had Hemme set up for a top rope splash, but Traci snuck in and scored the pin. Kong flipped out afterward by throwing chairs at ringside. Tenay announced that Kong would get her shot at revenge next week when she teamed with Saeed to face Traci and Sharmell in the first round of the Knockouts tag tournament...

Another shot aired of Dinero's boots... [C]

Powell's POV: I like the way they're teasing the debut of Dinero. Sure, he wrestled on pay-per-view, but only a fraction of the audience saw that?

Ring introductions for the next match took place...

[Q6] 4. DeAngelo Dinero pinned Consequences Creed in 3:25. Jay Lethal came out with Creed, but referee Andrew Thomas sent him and his tired gimmick to the back. Dinero hit a great uppercut punch early. Later, he lowered his knee pads and hit the move formerly known as the Elijah Express for the win. The fans popped big.

After the match, Suicide's music played and he appeared on the stage. Dinero's eyes got big as he watched Dinero's entrance. Suicide came out and got the better of a brief exchange between the two. Tenay explained that Suicide was getting revenge for something Dinero did at the pay-per-view... [C]

Powell's POV: There's a case of cramming too much into one segment. There was no reason for Suicide to come out. Dinero was over big and they should have just left the fans with the image of him winning his first match in impressive style. The fans want to cheer the flashy Dinero, so I hope they're not making him a heel. That said, an impressive Impact debut for Dinero. Creed and Lethal have become the jobbers of TNA.

Tenay hyped TNA's Texas tour for next weekend and hyped that Bobby Lashley would appear... Taz hyped the Bound For Glory pay-per-view for October...

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Matt Morgan. She was concerned for Morgan. He said Kurt never lies. "You can trust Kurt Angle," he said. "Everybody knows this." She shook her head in disbelief. Morgan said Kurt will have his back, and Kurt will get his boot. He said he was so nervous he said boot...

Powell's POV: Why do they make the announcers and backstage interviewers look like morons who don't understand sarcasm?

A.J. Styles came to the ring and said he was about do one of the hardest things he's ever had to do in the ring. The fans chanted, "Don't quit." Styles said he's had it rough, but he never quit. He said his father never knew how to show his kids that he loved them. He said he wasn't saying that for sympathy (bullshit), but it's because of the man he's become.

Styles said he's not proud of losing the TNA Legends Title or losing the match to Matt Morgan last week. He said he's not proud of losing friends like Eric Young and Samoa Joe. He said it affects a person personally when you're as passionate about the company as he is. He spoke about how he's on the road and he doesn't get to see his kids much. He said he's still caught up in work, so he yells at his wife and kids for petty stuff.

[Q7] A.J. said there comes a point in life where you have to look at yourself and ask whether it's worth it. He said the answer is no. The crowd clapped. He said it's not worth another setback or letting the TNA fans down. "With that being said, I think it's time for A.J. Styles..." He paused and the crowd chanted, "Please don't go." He said he's spent seven years in TNA and the fans are some of the best in the world.

Styles said he thinks it's time he say goodbye to professional wrestling. He said he loves the fans and apologized. Sting walked to the ring in street clothes and with his shades covering his makeup-free face. Sting asked Styles if that's the legacy that he wants to leave behind. Sting said Styles is basically saying that he's quitting.

Sting said Styles is quitting on himself and his son. He told Styles to look into the crowd and see all the little kids who want to be A.J. Styles. Sting took off his glasses and told Styles to look at him. He said Styles was quitting on him. He said losers quit. Sting said he's suffered professionally and personally, but he never quit.

Sting said he's been talking about honor and respect for months because he wants someone to step up to the plate so that he can pass the torch. "A.J., you're the person that I've been talking about all this time," Sting said. "This whole time it's been you that I've been talking about." Sting said A.J. was the chosen one, but he can throw that out now because Styles said goodbye to pro wrestling.

Sting told Styles to look him in the eye and tell him that he quits and that he's a loser. Sting told Styles to do that or go backstage, get his tights, and get his head back in the game. The crowd cheered Sting's passionate speech as Styles pondered it for a minute. Styles hugged Sting. Sting told him, "You are A.J. Styles, you are supposed to be the man." They walked backstage together... [C]

Powell's POV: So does Sting want A.J. to suck it up and take it out on his wife and kids? I'm kidding. A.J. looked whiney, but the live crowd ate it up. Sting was great. He was fired up and had the crowd cheering everything he said. Sadly, the announcers looked like dopes for still questioning at the end whether they'd seen Styles for the last time.

Backstage, Lauren asked Hernandez when he plans to cash in the briefcase that contains a TNA Title shot. He said that whenever it is he'll become the new champion. Eric Young entered the picture and invited Hernandez to talk to him about the World Elite...

Bobby Lashley came to the ring in street clothes and sat down at the announcers' table. Tenay said he didn't know Lashley was going to join them on commentary. Lashley announced that Dixie Carter will make her television debut next week and announce what Lashley's role will be in TNA. Tenay asked Lashley if he would join them on commentary for the main event...

Powell's POV: Um, Mike, he's already sitting down next to you on commentary. Anyway, it will be interesting to see whether this is a rare appearance or the beginning of an on-air role for Carter. I'm looking forward to seeing how she does next week. A fun hook for next week's show.

[Q8] Ring introductions for the main event took place. Angle walked over to Lashley and pie-faced him. Lashley responded by knocking Kurt down with a punch. Security came out and separated them quickly. The crowd chanted Lashley's name...

5. Team 3D defeated Kurt Angle and Matt Morgan in a tables match in 12:55. Taz slipped and called Brother Ray by the "Bubba" name early. "I call him Bubba," Taz said. "Whatever." Here comes the legal letter. Team 3D was in control of the match when they cut to commercial a few minutes in. [C]

After the break, Team 3D was still in control. Ray led the crowd in chanting for Devon to get the tables. Morgan cut them off and knocked down Ray and Devon. He set up a table in the middle of the ring. He grabbed Devon by the throat and went for a chokeslam, but Ray moved the table.

Later, Team 3D attempted to double suplex Morgan through a table. Kurt moved it, but not before Morgan's legs hit the table. The referee quickly ruled that Morgan's legs didn't go through the table. Later, Morgan and Angle placed Devonon a table. Angle instructed Morgan to go up top for a move. Team 3D came back and threw Morgan off the top rope and through the table for the win. Morgan was pissed at Angle afterward...

Powell's POV: Wow, maybe Morgan is an idiot. Nevertheless, this was a strong show. A significant improvement over what we've seen from TNA lately. A strong and newsworthy episode with a good tease for a Lashley vs. Angle match, the debut of Taz on commentary, a strong Impact debut for Dinero, the announcement of the new Knockouts Tag Titles, and a live crowd that was hot throughout the night. The show wasn't flawless, but I enjoyed it.

Rich Twilling and I will have a lot more to say about it in the member exclusive Dot Net Weekly audio show on Friday. See below for details on how to sign up for just $5 per month. Plus, Rich will also be by with the TNA Impact Hitlist. Thanks for watching along with me tonight.

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