TNA Impact on Spike TV
Taped in Orlando, Fla.

[Q1] The show opened with a recap of the No Surrender pay-per-view... The show is called "The One About The Broken Picture"... The World Elite exited a Hummer limo. Hernandez showed up and attacked a couple of them before he ran off due to being outnumbered... The opening montage aired...

Mike Tenay introduced the show and pointed out that the Main Event Mafia with former TNA Champion Kurt Angle were already in the ring. Angle said the group showed their dominance at the pay-per-view. He said he did not lose the TNA TItle. He said he was screwed by Matt Morgan. Angle said he would face Matt Morgan in a singles match at Bound For Glory.

The World Elite's music interrupted Angle. Eric Young led the faction to the ring and said Angle referring to the Mafia as the most dominant force bothered him. Young recalled saving Angle from Hernandez at the pay-per-view. He said Angle would return the favor by helping him take out Hernandez.

Booker T took the mic and said the Mafia rules TNA. Booker said he never liked Young or the other World Elite members. Young said he's not concerned about what Booker thinks about him or his men. Samoa Joe and Scott Steiner held back Booker from going after Young. Angle said he would team with Young to face Hernandez in a tag match...

Tenay and Taz hyped A.J. Styles appearing, a Knockouts Tag Title match, Booker and Steiner vs. Abyss and Mick Foley for the TNA Tag Titles. A shot aired of Bobby Lashley getting ready for his first match... [C]

Powell's POV: It looks like they're trying to establish the World Elite as equals with the Main Event Mafia, but they just don't have the heavy hitters. The fans cheered when Booker teased going after Young, which makes me think they aren't getting over the World Elite as much as they're getting the Mafia wrestlers cheered because they're stars going after mid-card heels.

[Q2] 1. Suicide defeated D'Angelo Dinero in a street fight. Suicide made his entrance on the stage only to be attacked from behind by Dinero. D'Angelo sold the pay-per-view match by coming out with his ribs taped. Suicide went right after the ribs by striking them with a kendo stick.

They fought inside the ring where weapons were scattered. Dinero picked up a cane and struck Suicide with it, then strutted while using the cane. Nice. They traded offense and used a variety of weapons, including a hockey stick, crutch, and trash cans. At 4:45, Suicide went for a springboard move, but Dinero ran, leapt off the chair, and speared Suicide in mid-air. Great move that scored a big pop. In the end, Suicide hit his finisher on a trash can and scored the clean pin...

Powell's POV: A good brawl. These two are working so hard, but the creative team never bothered to establish a purpose. They've hinted that there's a history between the two wrestlers, but they never bothered to tell the story. As such, the fans just sit back and cheer the moves more than one wrestler or another. Again, though, the wrestlers worked their asses off.

Backstage, Team 3D cut a promo about Rhino.... [C] Backstage, Lauren interviewed Kevin Nash, who said he's $50,000 richer after beating Abyss. He flirted with Lauren again and handed her another glass of wine. Two female little people entered the room and Nash joked about how big it would look in their hands. He claimed he was talking about the wine glasses...

[Q3] 2. Rhino fought Brother Devon to a double countout in 1:15. Rhino was introduced first and ran to the ring, only to be attacked by Devon. Wait, didn't something similar happen before the last match? The two wrestlers rolled inside the ring briefly and then fought at ringside until the referee counted them out. Devon was busted open.

Security ran out to pull them apart. Brother Ray joined them. After security cleared out, Ray stood between both bloody wrestlers and asked why they were fighting given their history together. He continued to talk without a mic while the camera mics picked up his comments. Rhino and Devon shook hands. Ray said the feud was over. Suddenly, Rhino gored Ray and left him lying. "That SOB," Taz said. "You gotta be kidding me"...

Powell's POV: It's good to see Taz pick sides. It's a heated feud between some of his longtime colleagues, so he can help get Rhino over by expressing his frustration and anger over Rhino's actions.

Backstage, Hernandez told Lauren he didn't need a partner in his match against Kurt Angle and Eric Young. Matt Morgan entered the picture and said he wanted Angle as much as Hernandez wants Young. Young agreed to team with him. Hernandez spoke in Spanish briefly. Morgan put his arm around him and said, "Yeah, what he said!"... [C]

Powell's POV: Funny stuff. The scary thing is that I don't get the sense Hernandez knows what he's saying in Spanish either.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviewed Mick Foley, who was still upset that his Tweet and Tweak Connection photo was injured. Borash said their trading card value has shot through the roof. Foley said it's not the same. Borash said he knows someone who is selling them for $300 on ebay. Foley told Borash to find that guy and they'd know who broke the original...

Powell's POV: Really? A whodunnit storyline about the Tweet and Tweak caricature?

An A.J. Styles video aired... A shot aired of Styles walking backstage with the TNA Title. Tenay said he was coming up next... [C]

Powell's POV: It's just a little thing and it happens all the time in wrestling, but it seems anticlimactic to show the new champion backstage with the belt before he makes his first appearance. Part of the appeal is seeing the new champ with the belt for the first time.

[Q4] A.J. Styles was introduced as the new TNA Champion. He was standing on the stage with the lights out and when they came back on he took a couple steps down the ramp and held up the belt and then looked at it with a big smile on his face. He headed to the ring and the fans chanted his name once his music stopped playing.

Styles said it's been seven long years and he's now the TNA Champion. "You deserve it," chanted the fans. Styles pointed at various fans and said it's for all the fans. Styles also said it's for Sting and then called for him to join him in the ring.

Sting walked out in street clothes. Tenay said Sting deserves to celebrate with A.J. because he talked to him and convinced him not to quit wrestling. Sting entered the ring and said he appreciates him coming out to be part of the celebration, but it's about Styles, not Sting. Sting introduced Styles as the champion and the fans cheered.

Sting left the ring, but Styles stopped the fans from cheering and said he knows what Sting did at the pay-per-view. Sting acted like he didn't know what Styles meant. Styles recalled Angle lying in the middle of the ring. He said Sting had the choice of pinning Angle or taking out Morgan. He said Sting took out Morgan, which allowed him to become the new TNA Champion.

Sting came back to the ring and said he gave Styles nothing at the pay-per-view. He said Styles wrestled the match of his life and earned the title. Styles said it was Sting who did something no one else does in the business. He said Sting rose above it and stepped aside to hand him the TNA Title. Styles said Sting passed him the torch.

Styles said he wants to do something for Sting. He said Bound For Glory is in Sting's home state of California. He said he wants to give Sting the opportunity to wrestle for the World Title in front of his friends and family. Sting smiled, put out his hand, and said he'd take him up on the offer. Styles said that Sting taught him that if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. Styles said he and Sting should give the fans something they'll never forget. They hugged to end the segment... [C]

Powell's POV: Excellent segment. The live crowd adored Styles, and the explanation for Sting's actions at the pay-per-view came across better here than it did during the actual match. It would have been so much more effective at the pay-per-view if the announcers had told the story and then Styles and Sting reiterated that tonight. What's done is done, though, and this segment was very well done.

[Q5] 3. Sarita and Taylor Wilde defeated Tara and ODB to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Title in 3:45. Tenay and Taz reminded viewers to double check their onscreen guides to insure it was properly set to record the show. Two minutes into the match, Awesome Kong came to ringside. Tara went right after Kong and they fought their way to the back.

ODB fought off the champs for a bit, but they hit her with the springboard dropkick into the suplex move they used at the pay-per-view to beat her. Tara returned to the ring afterward. ODB shoved Tara and they bickered briefly until the show went to commercial... [C]

Powell's POV: ODB had her title stolen by her boyfriend and she lost on the first show since she officially won the TNA Knockouts Title. Even Rey Mysterio is sitting at home saying, "Damn, that's a bad title reign." By the way, bonus points to Tenay for calling out Taz for making dated references. First, he mentioned Phil Espisito when hockey came up, and he referred to ODB's panties as bloomers in this match. Tenay asked if Civil War references were coming up next.

In a dark room, Borash and Foley interrogated Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed about the Tweet and Tweak caricature. Borash lit up a smoke as they went for the old school detective feel. After Lethal Consequences left the room, Borash told Foley he thinks Alex Shelley was the culprit...

Powell's POV: Well, at least they're going for light comedy rather than making this a serious storyline. Is Borash writing his own material now?

4. Samoa Joe defeated Homicide and Daniels in 6:10. Joe debuted a new look. It's like boxing shorts with a touch of gladiator. All three wrestlers went to ringside and Homicide asked a fan (Vince Russo) for a chair. The referee stopped Homicide from using it.

[Q6] Late in the match, Homicide hit a neckbreaker on Joe and then gloated. Joe stood up, suplexed Homicide, and applied the Kokina Clutch for the win...

Powell's POV: Wow, a Russo cameo. That's as much as I want to see of him on camera going forward. The presentation of this match was lousy. If you're going to give away title matches on television then you should at least hype them and make them seem meaningful. There's no reason this match couldn't have been a main event one week. Instead, it just came out of nowhere and they didn't even bother to give replays of the finish.

A shot aired of Morgan and Hernandez walking backstage... [C]

5. Hernandez and Matt Morgan defeated Kurt Angle and Eric Young in 2:25. Sheik Abdul Bashir sat in on commentary while Kiyoshi stood behind him. Bashir mentioned something about the Mexican who mows his lawn on commentary. Hernandez showed off his strength early by picking up Kurt and tossing him. In the end, Morgan hit the Carbon Footprint on Young and scored the pin while angle watched from ringside.

[Q7] Daivari wasn't happy with Angle. The British Invasion came out and stood on the entrance ramp to block Angle's path. Booker T and Scott Steiner came out and stood on the stage. The Invasion split to allow Angle to walk by. He did the Mafia hand sign in their faces as he walked by...

Powell's POV: Fun, short match. The babyfaces were both over. The only question I have is if Angle is wrestling Morgan at the pay-per-view, then why was all the focus placed on the bickering between the Mafia and World Elite?

Backstage, Borash and Foley interrogated the Motor City Machine Guns. Chris Sabin pointed out that he and Alex Shelley weren't guilty because they were on commentary at the time the frame was broken. Foley said they were still guilty...of having the worst theme music in wrestling. The Guns pointed out that there was a surveillance camera in the room so they could find out who the culprit was...

Powell's POV: Finally, they acknowledge just how shitty the Guns' entrance music is. It's awful. I've been saying this for a long time.

The announcers hyped Traci Brooks vs. Christy Hemme in a battle of Playboy models...

A pre-taped segment aired with Lauren interviewing Hamada via an interpreter in the bleachers. Alissa Flash showed up and complained about being overlooked and not getting promo time. Hamada said they could have a match. Flash walked off, but then returned and attacked the unsuspecting Hamada. Flash tossed Hamada down the bleachers and choked her until security pulled her off... [C]

Powell's POV: Nice angle and I'm sure those two will back it up in the ring. Here's hoping TNA has figured out that Flash has more charisma than most of their Knockouts. I'd push her over Sarita in a heartbeat.

Backstage, Daffney was sitting on Nash's lap. He recalled Taz saying she's "zombie hot," but he just think she's hot. He asked about her "old man." She said she can do whatever she wants with whomever she wants. She got between his legs and then elbowed himin the balls. She took a couple shots at him and then Stevie entered the room and placed the taser on his abdomen. Stevie bitched that Nash cost him $50,000...

Powell's POV: Nash sold more for Daffney than he did in 90 percent of his WCW Nitro matches. Sorry, too easy. The Daffney character rocks, but those screams were way too over the top.

[Q8] 6. Bobby Lahsley beat Jethro Holliday in 1:25. Lashley dominated the match and finished off Holliday with a submission hold...

Powell's POV: Poor hype throughout the show for this match. I honestly forgot about it. It's just a shame that they can't find anything for Holliday in TNA. He's a talented guy who they just won't get behind. His only offense in this match was a boot to the face.

Backstage, Foley left a trailer with the video tape and said the case was solved. "It all makes perfect sense," Foley said... [C]

Lauren interviewed Abyss backstage. She said it looked like everything with him and Mick Foley had been cleared up because now they're teaming in the main event. Abyss was giddy...

Powell's POV: I forgot about this one too. Foley seemed more concerned with clowning around than he did with the tag titles.

7. Scott Steiner and Booker T (w/Sharmell) defeated Mick Foley and Abyss to retain the TNA Tag Titles in 2:45. Foley brought the video tape to ringside and left it with the announcers. Tenay announced Nash vs. Stevie, and an X Division ladder match with the winner becoming No. 1 contender for next week.

The fans were behind Foley and Abyss. Foley tagged in and DDT'd Abyss, which received no reaction from the fans. The heels finished off Abyss for the win. After the match, Foley blamed Abyss for ruining the caricature. Foley slammed the videotape over his head. He continued to beat him down and talk to him over the mic at the same time.

Jeremy Borash came out and asked what Foley was doing. Foley clamed down and started to leave with Borash, but stopped and grabbed his barbwire baseball bat off the table. Foley returned to the ring and struck the already blood-soaked Abyss with the bat several times. Foley left the ring and said, "Now he's learned his lesson." Blood was pouring from Abyss's head as he cried out, "Why?" to close the show...

Powell's POV: I get that Foley is deranged and his character is big on the light comedy, but the whole caricature thing was just ridiculous. The fans didn't even know how to respond because they clearly like Foley more than Abyss at this point. I wish the roles were reversed and Foley was the babyface and Abyss was back in monster mode. Thanks for watching along with me tonight. Rich Twilling will be by in the morning with the TNA Impact Hitlist.

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