TNA Impact – 7/22/10

TNA Impact is back, and in last night’s episode, we got an answer as to why TNA President Dixie Carter brought back the ECW originals into TNA, and that she’s got a big announcement to make when it comes to them.  What was it?  Read on to find out:

Video Package: Abyss believes that nobody understands him except for THEM who are leading him.  Clips are shown of ECW originals jumping rail and the melee that broke out with Dixie Carter diffusing the fight by saying that she invited them.

Global Title Match
AJ Styles with Kazarian vs. Rob Terry (Champion)
WINNER: Styles via pin fall after countering a suplex and Kaz holding Terry’s foot without the ref noticing

Taz & Mike Tenay talk a little bit about Mick Foley‘s return last week and the ECW originals jumping the rail.

Backstage: Sarita & Madison Rayne talking in the locker room about what Saritia did to Taylor Wilde last week in their street fight.  Madison rants a bit about Velvet Sky, who walks into the room behind her with Lacey Von Erich.  They jaw back and forth and Lacey tries to be the peacemaker, but it just pisses Velvet off.

Backstage: Dixie Carter reading the riot act to all of the road agents that got involved in the melee last week with the ECW originals.

Angelina Love & Taylor Wilde vs. Madison Rayne & Sarita
WINNERS: Love/Wilde via pin fall after Love hit Rayne with a Face Buster

• Before match, referee Earl Hebner had Love relinquish the Knockout’s Title because the TNA Board of Directors have reviewed the video tape from the last PPV and found the masked biker chick, not to be one of The Beautiful People and per stipulations of the match, Madison shouldn’t have been DQ’d or lose the title.
• Post match, biker chick to ring.  It’s not Sarita, Velvet Sky, or Lacey Von Erich (they come to the ramp).  Beat down in the ring of Love/Wilde (three-on-two).  When they leave the ring, Madison calls for Lacey to come with her.  Lacey is conflicted, but leaves Velvet on the ramp.

Video Package: Earlier today, ECW originals arrive at the Impact Zone.

Kurt Angle vs. Hernandez
WINNER: Angle via submission after slapping on the Ankle Lock

• Post match, Kevin Nash to the ring.  He and Angle shake hands on his way in.  He calls out Jeff Jarrett.

After commercial, Jarrett to the ring.  Nash says that he thought about last week and tells Jarrett that he’s good at what he does.  He says that Jeff almost convinced him about Sting, and then adds that there are young guys in the back who looks up to him.

• Jarrett has no idea what he’s talking about.  He says Nash has deceived people to get his friends into TNA.
• Nash asks Jarrett about his daughters, and hopes that when they grow up, they’ll know how big of a prick their dad was.

Backstage: Dixie Carter pacing around.  She greets Kurt Angle as he comes back from his match.  He asks her about her announcement, and she asks him to just trust her.  He says okay.

Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy
WINNER: Time Limit Draw (10-min)

• Mid match, Eric Bischoff talks to Taz & Tenay on the phone.  He says that he and Hulk Hogan don’t really know what Dixie’s announcement is, but they’re behind her 100%.
• Post match, fans upset with the draw and begin chanting, “Let them fight!”  Refs called to keep the two men at bay.

Backstage: Jeff Jarrett & Dixie Carter talking over things when it comes to her announcement.  She also asks him to trust her.  He says okay, anything to help.

Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson
WINNER: Anderson via pin fall after hitting the Mic Check

• Post match, Morgan attacks Anderson, and busts him open.

Video Package: A look at TNA Live Events

Best of Five Series – Street Fight (2 of 5)
Motor City Machine Guns (Champions) vs. Beer Money Inc.
WINNERS: Beer Money via pin fall after Storm used the beer bottle and Last Call Superkick

• Mid match, two refs taken out, and the Guns had the match won (again) after hitting a Sliced Bread/Power Bomb combo, but no ref to make count.
• Beer Money get to pick the stipulation for match three.

Backstage: Brother Devon heads into Brother Ray‘s locker room.  Devon tells him that he’s got the ECW guys back because they’re like family.  He asks Ray if he’s got their back.

• Ray asks “Why should he? We’ve done way more than they’ve ever have!”  Walks out.

Video Package: 10/10/10/ – Bound For Glory PPV happens.

Backstage: Christy Hemme is with Rob Van Dam.  She asks about being in the ring again with his former ECW friends.  RVD says it’s like being back at home again.  She asks also about Dixie Carter’s announcement later.  He says that he’s got an idea about what it might be, but he knows he has to keep his eyes firmly focused on Abyss.

Taz & Mike Tenay argue about Dixie Carter making her announcement tonight.  Tenay says that they all deserve an explanation.  Taz says that she’s the president of the company, and doesn’t have to answer to anyone.

Video Package: Past month of footage with ECW originals leading up to Dixie’s announcement tonight.

Dixie Carter to the ring.  She wants TNA to be a company about the fans, and loves the fact that she can get feedback from them through Facebook & Twitter.  She says that fans are always bringing up extreme/hardcore wrestling.  She introduces the ECW originals (Tommy Dreamer, Mick Foley, Rhino, Raven & Stevie Richards).  She wants them to talk to fans about what they’ve meant to them.

• Dixie then adds that it’s not about fat paychecks.  It’s about loving this business because of your love for your brothers in the ring, and your love of the fans…  Thanks them for setting the bar high.
• Mick Foley says, “We should be thanking you (Dixie)… for a second chance at our last chance…”
• Dreamer is handed the mic.  “I’ve watched TNA since the beginning at the Asylum… Friends here have told me to quit my job and join TNA.  I saw similarity between ECW and TNA…”  He then compares Samoa Joe to Taz, Jay Lethal/Ric Flair‘s rivalry to Terry Funk/Mick Foley, and the strong women of ECW to the Knockouts.  “When you invited me to Slammiversary, I saw men and women doing this for passion and every one of you (fans).”  He criticizes the rebirth of ECW saying “It hurt me so much that I HAD to quit my job… I sat in this crowd and saw all the similarities, and there’s only one person that could help put this plan that we have together, and that’s you (Dixie)…  This is about the men & women who lost their jobs.  This is for the fans that chanted.  This is for my friends who lived it, and so that our legacy is NOT destroyed.  I beg of you, for one night, give us the chance to let our legacy live forever.
• Dixie asks the crowd for their approval (CHEERS)… She gives them complete control to have one night to do things the right way.
• Dreamer proclaims, “Impact Zone, we’re going extreme!!!”

QUICK THOUGHTS:

Again, match of the night honors have to go to Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns.  They had another PPV quality match on their weekly program.  Kudos to those guys for busting their asses again and again.

I read a little bit online about the possible ECW show storyline (I normally don’t read spoilers), and I’m really excited to see how this is going to come to be.  I’ve seen some of the proposed names for the card, and there’s some great ECW names that are going to be coming back for one night only.

Fortune already has their first champion in AJ Styles, and they got it the same way that Ric Flair would’ve done it in his prime, through dirty tactics… Following in his footsteps already!