TNA Impact! – 1/4/10

This week’s Impact kicked off with a look back at last week.  Would Mick Foley snap on Eric Bischoff and if Hulk Hogan responsible for the attack on Kurt Angle?  Here’s what went down last night:

8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifier
Brutus Magnus vs. Mr. Anderson
WINNER: Mr. Anderson via pin fall after hitting the Mic Check

Backstage: Mick Foley arrives to the Impact Zone in his POS car.

Backstage: Christy Hemme talks with Kurt Angle who’s pissed off about what went down last week.  He doesn’t know how Hulk could let his jackals, Scott Hall & Pac aka Sean Waltman, attack him from behind.  He sends out a word of warning, “prepare for a visit from me tonight!”

Eric Bischoff comes to the ring, “last week, Hulk made it clear that Mick Foley had to be on the same page as me… Foley made it clear that he doesn’t want to work for me.”

• Foley interrupts, “My reputation is that something’s wrong up here (points to his head)… I like just about everyone, but you (Bischoff) are the exception.  You’re the polar opposite of me and everything I believe in!”  Has more disparaging words about how Bischoff got his break in the business.  “How dare you try to control people’s lives!  You know how many hats Jeremy Borash wears around here…?  It shows that you don’t care!”
• “What’s unfortunate, is that since we can’t be on the same page, I’m going to turn the page for you…” said Bischoff.
• Foley responds, “Power should be limited to those who aren’t in love with it!  You haven’t learned a thing since WCW!”
• Bischoff then makes a No DQ match for Foley against Kevin Nash.

Backstage: Abyss and Jeremy Borash are watching the statement on the monitor.  Abyss is freaking out, and JB says that he’s just here to get his check.  He tells Abyss directly, “I used to work with Eric Bischoff.  When he’s around, nothing’s going to be okay!”

Backstage: Christy Hemme with Tara who has to defend her TNA Knockout’s Title tonight against Angelina Love.  Tara says, “Love seems to be a different person, but I’m sure she has her eyes on the prize… I hope you’re ready for me!”

World Tag Team Title Match
Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) vs. Matt Morgan & Hernandez (Champions)
WINNERS: Morgan/Hernandez via pin fall after Morgan hit the Carbon Footprint on Brother Ray.

• Nasty Boys ran in and distracted Team 3D just enough to cost them the match.
• After the match, Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags, attack 3D, but the Champions come back and clear the ring.

Jesse Neal vs. Samoa Joe
WINNER: Samoa Joe via pin fall after hitting the Muscle Buster

Backstage: Christy Hemme tracks down Hulk Hogan who doesn’t know about what Kurt said in the ring about the attack.  When Christy fills him in, he’s a little disgusted and says, “I’m not hard to find.”

“Pope” D’Angelo Dinero vs. AJ Styles with Ric Flair (Non-Title Match)
WINNER: Pope via small package pin fall

• After match, Styles & Flair beat down Pope… Samoa Joe comes in to attack AJ.  Back and forth for a little bit, and the Champ and Flair bail out.
• Flair grabs a mic, “You ought to know better (points to Joe).”
• Joe grabs a mic to respond, “AJ Styles, you’re an unrepentant scumbag!  You were always a warrior, a man, and a champion!  You gave it all up for and over priced suit and some of his (Flair’s) wholesale hookers!  I need to remind you how to be a man and a champion!  At Against All Odds, I’m cashing in my title shot!”

Backstage: Christy Hemme with Angelina Love.  She’s aware that The Beautiful People are going to try to get involved in her title match tonight with Tara.  However, she says, “success is the best revenge, and I’m awesome at revenge!”

Backstage: Kevin Nash and Eric Young are talking when Eric Bischoff walks in and asks for a moment with Kevin.  EY leaves.

• Bischoff says that “he needs Nash to go out to the ring and destroy Foley in a No DQ match.”
• Nash says, “that sounds like a favor to me… you know Pac and Hall don’t have contracts still…”
• Bischoff replies, “Those guys are screw ups!  They wanted to play their own tune… if you like it, you can play it too, or you can destroy Foley for me!”

Backstage: Christy Hemme is with Mick Foley who responds to the No DQ match tonight, “I was told to either fall in line, or to lace them up… I got another pair of athletic shoes under my Christmas tree this year!”

• Abyss interrupts the interview, frantic about his job.  Mick makes him promise to not come out to the ring tonight whatsoever happens.

8 Card Stud Tournament Qualifier
Kurt Angle vs. Tomko
WINNER: Kurt Angle via submission to the Ankle Lock

Video Package: Clips/Photos from TNA’s European Tour

Video Package: History of Mick Foley and Kevin Nash leading up to Hulk Hogan’s arrival.

Backstage: Kevin Nash enters Hogan’s office and let’s Hulk know about the talk with Bischoff, and then asks again about Waltman and Hall.

• Hogan responds to Nash by telling him to distance himself from those two.

Video Package: What happened to Angelina Love when she left?  What happened between her and the Beautiful People when she got back to TNA?

TNA Knockout’s Title Match
Angelina Love vs. Tara (Champion)
WINNER: Tara via counter to a roll up to get the victory

• After the match, the Beautiful People attack Angelina, and Tara helps her to fend them off.

Backstage: Scott Hall and Sean Waltman are lurking around the parking lot.

Backstage: Kurt Angle busts into Hulk Hogan’s office and demands an explanation for last week’s attack from Hall/Waltman.

• Hogan responds, “You think I wouldn’t give them a contract to wrestle, then hire them to do my dirty work?  You’re temper is the problem here…”
• Kurt replies, “I’m worried about your agenda.  I’ve heard horror stories… consider this your last warning!”

No DQ Match
Mick Foley vs. Kevin Nash
WINNER: Kevin Nash via pin fall after Foley hesitated to hit Nash with a photo frame… the photo in it, was a caricature of Mick and Abyss.

• After the match, Hall and Waltman come from the crowd and jump the rail.  They get into the ring and attack both Kevin Nash and Mick Foley.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

The end of the night I didn’t see coming.  Why would Hall and Waltman attack Nash?  He’s been the ONLY person fighting for them from within the company, they have no real reason to attack him.  The No DQ match was really, really tame, and slightly disappointing for a Mick Foley match.

It was good to see Samoa Joe on the show tonight.  He absolutely destroyed Jesse Neal!  The best part is that they’re actually pushing the title match between him and AJ Styles.  Glad they went the route they did with Joe telling AJ flat out that he’s a scumbag!  Also, when was the last time you heard someone say hooker on television?  That line from Joe was classic!  I was also shocked to see that Pope got an upset win against AJ.  Maybe that’s a sign that they’re high on Pope and he might be getting a push soon…?

I saw the Nasty Boys’ run in before the Tag Team Title match even started.  There’s NO WAY that Morgan/Hernandez would lose the titles this soon to Team 3D, and considering the rivalry that’s recently started between the “old guys” and one of the best tag teams of all time, I knew this distraction would occur.

I can’t stand a very demure Kurt Angle, so I’m really loving this fire we’re seeing in his interview and backstage segments.  When he was all respectful to AJ, Joe, or whoever, it just sort of seemed corny and boring to me.  I like seeing Kurt Angle flip that switch and go from mild mannered dude to psychopath who’ll snap your leg in half!  The story line may not be the greatest, but when Kurt’s on the screen and he’s pissed you can bet your ass I’m paying attention.