Live from: Orlando, Florida
November 15, 2009
Your Host: Mike Tenay and Taz

• The show opens up with a well put together video package of the build up over the month. It is mostly clips of the feuds and matches; and also Hulk Hogan’s signing. There is some “epic” music playing in the background blended in Dixie Carter’s shoot motivation speech for the wrestlers on Impact.

Amazing Red (w/Don West) vs. Homicide for the X Division Title.

 

 

Don West comes out screaming and being the Mike Dicka of wrestling by coaching Red on. Homicide hits a closeline that flips Red in half. West was doing a great job of playing coach and cheerleader. Homicide gets heat on Red for a while. Red comes back with some babyface moves and a wild spinning DDT, which broke out the “He’s Amazing” chant. Homicide comes back with the Bronx Bomber. ONE-TWO-NO. West tells Amazing Red to fight through the pain. Don West really needs one of those Jimmy Hart microphones. Red goes for a moonsault off the top, but Homicide catches him with a Cutter on the way down. Homicide goes for a Franken Steiner, but Red pushes him off and nails the Code Red (not the drink) for the win @ 10:05. After the match, Don West comes in the ring and West gets the Gatorade bath for his amazing coaching performance. Just kidding, all they did was celebrate. Very effective opener; I much rather see a match like this than people almost dying in an Ultimate X. They both hid their flaws in this match nicely by complementing each other. Despite what people might say about Don West, I think he was a great manager because he fits the role well. When you are a manager you should be like a coach; you should not be like someone like Bam Neely who does nothing at all—expect pretending you are an intimidating bodyguard. It will be interesting to see where Amazing Red will go from here. ** ½

 

 

Women’s titles: ODB, Sarita, and Taylor Wilde vs. Madison Rayne, Velvet Sky, and Lacey Von Erich with Ugly Stick.

 The announcers talk about what Erich does with the ugly stick, and kids around with Tenay. Tenay breaks out with a pedophile laugh followed by three more scary laughs. The laugh kind of reminded me of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. Tenay explains that the women who pins ODB will be the TNA Knockouts Champ, and if one of the tag champs was pinned they would lose their titles. The faces hit some flashy moves early. Rayne starts beating down ODB. Tenay talks about Rayne finger on “fire” because she is hot, which leads to a creepy laugh. The Tag Champs hit some flashy moves. Von Erich comes in and closelines Wilde. Rayne works over Taylor and hits her with a neckbreaker.  Sky comes in and they hit a Russian leg sweep.  Sky does a beats up Wilde.  Von Erich gets tagged in and gets a “you can’t wrestle” chant. Sky puts in the octopus submission, but Taylor comes back and hits a spinning kick. Odb gets the hot tag and cleans house.  Odb chant breaks out. Odb hits the follow way slam. They all get in the ring. ODB is out numbered, but comes back.  ODB hits an F-5 into a cutter for the pinfall. Not much to say about this one; it was very short and had no botches, but didn’t have really have much going on. ODB gets the win and BP are chasing for the title, again. *

 

 

• Jeremy Borash interviews Desmond Wolfe—who said the wolf would devour every scrap that remains. He says that he just don’t know Angle; he knows Angle more than Angle knows himself. And Angle doesn’t know much about Wolfe (Angle never watched ROH).  

TNA Tag Team Titles: Beer Money vs. British Invasion vs. Motor City Machine Guns.

 

Machine Guns got a title opportunity by defeating Creed and Lethal in an Ultimate X. While on the other hand British Invasion screwed Beer Money out of their *so called* last title shot when they nailed a ref in a cage match. Yeah, I know stupid, but anyways they get the title shot always. Big Terry isn’t there tonight.  Shelley and Roode go move for move. Roode hits a tilt a world backbreaker.  On the outside, Shelley holds Roode and Sabin stiffs him with a kick. Williams gets a blind tag on Roode, but is distracted by Roode, and Shelley rolls him up, but only for 2. MCMG does some poetry in motion moves on Invasion.  Storm tags himself in and cleans house. Storm hits a rock bottom on Williams, but gets broken up. They hit a double team suplex. The match is starting to break down with everyone in. Shelley goes for slice bread, but misses and BI hits a super kick then suplex combination.  Beer Money hits some innovated tag moves. Eric Young comes in and helps Invasion. Roode rolls Doug up with a hand full of tights, but only gets two. Eric Young gets thrown out, but won’t leave. Nash comes down and takes the belt. Roode attacks EY, but Nash clocks him with the belt. Nash leaves with the belt, and EY looks puzzled. Back in the ring, British Invasion hit the heart attack, but with a European uppercut for the win @ 9:10. The action was fine at first, but then it broke down and became a spot-fest where the moves had no meaning. I really hate TNA tag matches lately because it’s basically a tag match with no rules. I mean if you want more than two people to be in the ring, make it a tornado tag match. I thought MCMG were just added to the match to eat the pin, and give Beer Money an “out”, but instead they went with the Nash swerve. Maybe on the next PPV they can give us British Invasion-MCMG straight up; one can only hope. * ¾

 

 

• JB interviews Nash in the back, and JB says a bad word. Nash tells some mom jokes because he’s awesome, but then he says he did it for Hulk. NWO 2.0 maybe? He says he will explain more on Thursday if Hulk would let him.

 

Six Sides of Almost Every Week You Can See on Impact Steel: Tara vs. Awesome Kong.

 

Why is this even happening in a cage? Do they know they have a cage match PPV for the reasoning seeing the vicious, violent and other things in the cell?  So why tamper one of your biggest PPV’S by giving away all the gimmicks on the PPV? Sometimes, I think there are morons writing this show; oh yeah that’s right—there are.  Kong starts off the match by using the cage to distrust Tara.  Kong goes for a suplex, but Tara counters with one of her own. Tara comes back and gets Kong off her feet. Tara hits a standing moonsault for two. Tara and Kong slug it out on the cage. They both knock each other down and crotch each other, but they both no sell it since Tara has no balls and Kong can take pain. Kong gets the advantage on the ropes. Tara hits a powerbombs Kong off the top rope. Tara climbs up the cage looking to escape, but then decides she wants to kill Kong, so she hits a Thez Press off the top of the cage. ONE-TWO-THREE! Tara wins @ 8:00. The build wasn’t great heading into the match, but everyone wanted to see it so it wasn’t irrelevant. The match was solid, but idiotically short. I also think the wrong person went over here; Kong should have won and became a dominate monster heel of the Women’s Division since that was the peak of it. I do hope these ladies work together again, but with more time so they can have a Women’s match of the year as they are more than likely capable of.  ** ¼

 

 

Rhino and Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan, Hernadez, and D’Angelo Dinero.

 

The Veterans are paranoid that the young guys are taking their spot in TNA. Bubba ribs up Popes money. Ray pushes Pope, but Pope comes back with a double leg take down. Bubba leaves. Bubba does his punch combo but misses his elbow. Pope does his own combo.  Pope goes for a closeline, but Bubba hits a Bubba Bomb. Morgan goes to work on Rhino, but misses on a splash. Morgan gets back on offense and goes for a cover. 3D breaks the cover up.  The heels beat down Pope. Devon puts in a sleeper hold, but Pope fights out. Pope hits a school boy, but only for 2.  Rhino beats up Pope.  Bubba hits an elbow drop to the outside, and talks about being a pimp to the camera. Bubba goes high risk and misses with a back first senton. Morgan gets the hot tag and goes after 3d but they drop down. Morgan hits a side slam on Rhino, but 3d break it up. Super Mex gets the tag and slingshot closelines 3d.  Super Mex powers Bubba and Rhino down, and gets a 2 count on Rhino. Super Mex does his vintage superman jump; big Splash on Rhino for two.  Morgan nails a chokeslam on Bubba, but Rhino throws him over and Morgan tweaked his knee. Pope powerbombs Rhino, but isn’t the legal man so the ref kicks him out since that rules applies in TNA now, I guess. Pope goes for the Express, but Bubba crotches him with the ring post. Ref is distracted, so Devon hits Mex with a chair. Rhino takes advantage and Rhino nails the GORE GORE GORE for the three @ 14:00. Good, solid formula tag match. The heels did a good job with getting heat on the beat down, and the faces did a good job at the hot tag comebacks. Everything worked well in a formula way. One thing I can say about 3D is that they can always have good structure to a match when they are heels. The finish was done well, also. I liked how they used the ref distraction and the chair shot realistically—instead of their usual ref distractions. Hernadez gets an “out” and this feud will most likely carry on. **  1/4

 

 

 

• In the back, Lauren is with Steiner and she says he’s a stocker and the match will be FCA. Steiner flips out and says that he is trying to be Lashley’s friend and tell him that she is in love with another man. He talks about Lashley’s muscles are oh show, and he tells some more sex jokes. He says they will be both covered, but Lashley’s wife will be the winner.

Falls Count Anywhere: Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley.

 

Steiner has been stalking Lashley’s wife on Impact. Lashley was getting very irate at the whole situation. Steiner then started attacking Lashley, but Steiner got the uperhand. They start brawling right away. Lashley gets the advantage. Back in the ring, Lashley is bringing it to Steiner. Lashley gets a two with a Snap Suplex. Duel chants start breaking out. Lashley closelines Steiner over the top. Steiner hits some low blows on Lashley. Back in, Steiner hits a belly-to-belly suplex into a pin but only for two. Steiner hits more suplexes, but still gets a two. They got to the top rope, and Steiner nails the Franken Steiner. ONE-TWO-NO.  Steiner goes to the top, but gets caught, and press slams him gut first on the rope; Steiner tumbles to the floor. Lashley rages on Steiner on the outside. They go to the back, and they have a horrible camera angle in place. Ugh.  You miss a blade job because of the camera angle. Ashley goes for the spear, but misses and goes through some wood, but not Steiner’s wood.  They brawl towards the Spanish announce table. Steiner hits Lashley with a pipe. ONE-TWO-THREE? Steiner wins @ 12:00. They took a shortcut by making this a FCA, and not giving these two that much time wrestling straight up. Steiner was pretty interesting in this feud and match, but still the match was too sluggish at times and the match they worked was out of date by a decade.  The finish was pretty out of no where, also. It will be interesting to see where Lashley goes after this. *

 

 

Name For a Name: Kurt Angle vs. Nigel Mcguniess Desmond Wolfe.

 

Angle admits he thought of the new talent wrongly, but he is insulted that Wolfe is trying to make a name off of Kurt Angle; but despite Angle’s anti-beliefs, Wolfe has beaten up Angle on several occasions. Angle has the old attire on and is reminding me of the old Angle back in 2006; the more serious Angle. Early on, they just do a feeling out each other process that leads to a “this is wrestling” chant. Tenay and Taz are impressed by Wolfe holding his own so far. Nigel works on the lower hand of Angle. Angle comes back and hits a snap suplex followed by a backbreaker. Angle starts to work over Wolfe. Another “this is wrestling” chant breaks out.  Nigel focuses on the arm again, as Angle sells it. Angle goes for a sunset flip, but Nigel counters by working on the arm.  Nigel does his vintage arm breaker move.  Angle counters into an ankle lock, but Wolfe counters. Wolfe gets a little cocky, and Angle takes advantage with a belly-to-belly suplex. Angle comes back with a flurry of closelines and a flying forearm. Angle ducks a closeline and hits one, two, three, four, five, six German suplexes! Angle pulls the straps down and means business; he goes for the Angle slam, but Nigel counters and hits the lariat. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO! Nigel goes for the Tower of London, but Angle counters into an Angleslam. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO! Wolfe goes to work on the arm, and puts a sitting arm-bar on Angle. Angle counters into an angle slam, but Nigel counters into a figure four arm lock. Angle counters again with an ankle lock! Wolfe gets to the ropes. “This is awesome” chant. Angle goes for an Angleslam, but yet again Wolfe counters into a ddt. Wolfe is going for the Tower of London and hits it. ONE-TWO-THR-NO! Nigel is setting up for the closeline, but Angle hits one of his own. Angle is going for a moonsault misses, and Nigel goes for that key-lock armbar with a knee in the back. Angle sells the tap out, but makes it to the topes by going backyards into the ropes.  Nigel puts Angle on the top, but Angle breaks out.  Angle hits a frogsplash. ONE-TWO-NO!  Angle goes for a Tombstone Piledriver; Nigel counters, but then Angle counters into the ankle lock. Angle out of desperation puts a triangle choke on Nigel and gets the win @ 17:00. I really didn’t think TNA could put a scientific classic match like this, but boy was I wrong. Everything was phenomenal in this match. Taz and Tenay did a great job of getting everything over calling this. Tenay almost went back to his old days of WCW calling and putting over move and situations over; and Taz showed a new side to his match calling. Nigel and Angle were just simply on tonight; everything they did was at the right time—and perfectly placed. Even though this wasn’t a “perfect” match, I can not find one flaw about the match expect maybe the quick finish. I also think Nigel needed this win more than Angle, but something tells me this rivalry isn’t over, and I hope I am right. Angle proved that he still could go and Nigel showed that he still could bring it no matter what company he is in; I can honestly say now I am happy he didn’t go to WWE. ****

 

 

TNA World Heavyweight Title: AJ Styles vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe.

 

It didn’t make too much sense why Daniels and Joe got the title shot; it was more so just for the internet fans to shut them up, or watch the show. AJ Styles was attacked outside of the Impact Zone, so that lead to finger pointing. Styles pointed fingers at people including Daniels. Daniels didn’t take the news that well, and started to turn on Styles while Joe was loving it. Daniels sucker punches AJ and goes after Joe. AJ recuperates and goes after both of them. Joe brings out the offense, but Daniels catches him with a spinning kick to the face.  Daniels out smarts AJ, but gets caught by a dropkick.  Joe hooks the leg of AJ and that gives Daniels time to plaint AJ down on the canvas. “This is wrestling” chant breaks out. I wonder what the exact definition is to these fans what “wrestling” is because when you watch wrestling— you usually see wrestling; so I suppose they are just reminding us that we are watching wrestling. Thank you Impact Zone; now shut up. Daniels scoop slams AJ onto Joe; then puts in a camel clutch and a Boston Crab on AJ. Joe bites Daniels, which leads to Daniels letting go.  Joe recovers and then hits face washes on both Aj and Daniels.  Joe does vintage stuff on both of them.  AJ goes slingshot, but Joe kicks the feet out on the jump over, but Daniels goes head first out of the ring on Joe. Daniels goes for a Moonsault, but AJ catches him—and Joe chops him. Joe puts in the choke, but AJ goes on the top with an over the top backflip.  AJ hits a head scissors on Joe.   AJ does some more flashy awesome moves.  AJ maintains on the offense, but Daniels stacks them up in the corners. Daniels monkey flips him into a powerbomb of Joe’s into Daniels. Joe hits his Powerbomb/Boston crap/stf combination, but AJ makes it to the ropes. Joe hits a powerslam on AJ for two. Daniels tries to hit Joe but he counters. Daniels hits a Rock bottom while he has Joe in a dragon sleeperhold.  Daniels tries to get a count on Joe but gets two. Daniels takes AJ up and hits a DVD for only two. Daniels goes for a suplex, but Aj counters into a suplex into a neckbreaker. Ref starts the count.  Joe comes inside—and cleans house until Daniels knocks him down. AJ then hits a PELE on Daniels!  AJ cleans house with flashy and power moves. AJ springboards and hits a flying forearm. ONE-TWO-NO.  AJ hit a spring board backwards DDT on Joe, but can’t hit it on Daniels. Daniels hits a German suplex on Joe.  Joe crotches Daniels and nails the Muscle Buster!!!!! ONE-TWO-THRE-NO! AJ broke it up.  Joe does a rolling pin on AJ, but only gets a two. Joe goes off the rope, but AJ hits a spinkick. AJ attempts for a Clash, but Daniels hits a step up kick. Daniels and AJ counter both of their finishers.  AJ and Daniels go high-low on Joe. They look at each other, and go after each other. On the turnbuckle, AJ gets chopped off, and Joe goes for a Muscle Buster, but Daniels counters. Daniels goes for BME, but AJ hits a Spring Board onto both of them. ONE-TWO-THREE!!! AJ retains at 22:00. I never thought this match could ever out do Nigel-Angle, but it actually did; just an awesome show of how a triple threat ought to be. The pacing, structure, psychology, and the innovative spots were a work of art. I never thought they could put anything on par with their 2005 match, but this was easily on par if not better. There is just so much to say about this match that you can’t even spit it all out. I will put it simple as simple can be; this match is awesome and should be watched by all wrestling fans around the world. MOTYC **** 1/4

 

 

 

 

 

Going Home: Did I take a time machine back to 2005? Seriously, the matches and the booking were actually both very good. I never thought I would ever say that about TNA, but it is really true. We saw good structured matches—that didn’t rely on spots and they also told a believable, well thought out story. The matches also had clean and finishes that made sense; with little to none Russo/Ferrera shenanigans.

 

While the undercard was solid, the last two matches were just the one-two punch that put this show on a new level. I can’t even recall the last PPV I gave back to back matches **** + stars; even Dragon Gate USA couldn’t even do it in both of their PPVS. While I can’t say this was better than the DGUSA PPV; however, I can easily say this is by far the most outstanding Mainstream PPV this year—and the best TNA PPV in four years.

 

 

 

 

Thumbs Up.