TNA Impact Insight 5.21.05

Hello everybody and welcome to TNA Impact Insight! I am the Impact Playa Steve Cook, and this week features a main event of Abyss vs. Chris Sabin and an interview with our new NWA World Champion! Boy, that feels nice to say.

I’m the only game in town this week, so let’s get it started!

This is TNA…the new face of professional wrestling.

We see some pictures from Haaaaaaaaaaard Justice if you weel.

Impact Zone! Fans! Pyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyro!

Match 1: 10 minute time limit

Sonny Siaki vs. Monty Brown

It’s been far too long since we’ve seen the Alpha Male in singles competition on Impact and he doesn’t disappoint, going to work right away on Siaki! Siaki fights back and hits a leg lariat, but Monty overpowers him with a fallaway slam. Are you not entertained? There’s the whip, and the POOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEE!

Winner: Monty Brown (:53)

My Insight: Ah, how I missed me some squash served up by the Alpha Male.

Terry Taylor is backstage with the reunited Michael Shane & Traci. In case you missed Hard Justice, Traci turned on Sabin and Shane turned on Trinity. Not in that way, you sick freaks! Shane says people have been playing games to keep them apart. Sabin is a loser, Trinity is a nobody stuntwoman. Traci notes the superkick from Shane at Hard Justice improved Trinity’s face. Shane is bigger, more muscular, and more talented than Sabin. But what Traci would really like is for Shane to get that X Division title. I’ve heard of women wanting gold on their birthday but this is ridiculous. Shane tells Taylor that he has some business to attend to.

Hard Justice replay commercial

Slammiversary commercial

“Iron” Mike Tenay is in the ring, and he introduces our new NWA World Champion, AJ Styles! The fans approve. AJ couldn’t have done it without the fans all around the world. Abyss is the #1 contender, having won the Gauntlet for the Gold, but before they can talk about that here comes the former champion. Jeff Jarrett claims it took 2 men to beat him, and he wants to exercise his rematch clause at Slammiversary. Styles invites him to try to take back the belt right now, but before that happens Monty Brown attacks Styles from behind! It’s a doubleteam on Styles, AJ briefly fights back before Monty hits the Alpha Bomb! Here comes Abyss! He shoves Jarrett, but delivers a Black Hole Slam to Styles! AMW & Sean Waltman come down to clear the ring, but the damage has already been done to the new champion!

We return from commercial and JJ is all up in Dusty Rhodes’ grill about wanting his rematch. Dusty declares that there will be a King of the Mountain Match at Slammiversary, and AJ will defend against Jarrett, Monty, Abyss, and a wild card. Jarrett is pleased.

Tenay & “Dandy” Don West are joined at the booth by TNA Championship Committee member Larry Zybysko. Raven enters the picture and demands to be the wild card in the KOTM match. Larry says he can’t divulge that information, but Raven will not be denied it! The only thing holding Larry together is chewing gum, paper clips, and the fact that he sold out Shea Stadium and laid out Bruno in 1980. Raven slaps off Larry’s headset and says that Tenay & West are next! Larry attacks Raven only to get hit with a chair! Raven tosses Larry in the ring and says that if he can’t be the savior of TNA, he will be its destroyer! Raven Effect to Larry! Another one! 2 security guards come down only to be beaten by Raven. Finally Dusty waddles down and he is pissed! As of this moment, Raven is suspended! No, Raven isn’t suspended because he quits! He tosses West’s papers around and leaves the Impact Zone.

Best of Raven DVD

Final Resolution DVD

B.G. James & Ron Killings are talking backstage…Killings is not happy that James “missed his flight” on Sunday. James says stuff, but Killings doesn’t buy it and leaves.

Match 2: non-title with a 10 minute time limit

Cassidy Riley vs. TNA X Division Champion Christopher Daniels

Wait a minute…Michael Shane comes from behind Daniels on his way out and yanks off his head towel! He wants a title shot, and Traci gets all up in Daniels’ face about it. Daniels is not amused and tells them to hit the bricks. We start with some punches back and forth, Daniels gains the advantage with a knee to the head in the corner, slams Riley down, and hits an elbow drop and knee drop. Gut buster by Daniels, cover gets 2. Daniels locks in the abdominal stretch while Tenay says that Terry Taylor is filling in for Larry as judge since Larry got beat down. Well who was filling in for him last week while he was out on some golf course? 2 count on Riley, he fights back with a handspring elbow and a series of clotheslines. A Michinoku Driver II by Riley followed up by a split legged moonsault gets 2. Fisherman buster by Riley, his moonsault gets nothing but knees! Daniels drives Riley chest first into his knees, then addresses Shane…”Michael Shane, you want this? You’re gonna have to take this…” Angel’s Wings finishes off Riley!

Your winner: Christopher Daniels (3:28)

Shane attacks from behind shortly after the bell! Shortly afterwards Chris Sabin comes down, and it’s a three way brawl! Security comes down and breaks it up. I blame Traci for all of this!

My Insight: From the looks of things we’ll be seeing a three way match for the X Division title at Slammiversary. With Shane and Sabin both wanting that X Division title, Daniels will likely be the tweener in the feud. Which works fine because while Daniels kicks ass as a heel, he kicks so much ass that the fans cheer him anyway because he’s the man. As far as the match goes…who knew Cassidy Riley had all that cool offense?

Hard Justice replay commercial

Slammiversary commercial

Dusty is joined in his board room by AJ Styles. Styles wants a piece of Jarrett, so Dusty gives him a tag match with Jarrett and Monty Brown next week on Impact. We later learn that Styles’ partner will be Sean Waltman.

Match 3: 30 minute time limit to determine the #1 contenders for the NWA Tag Team Titles

Team Canada (Williams & Young w/A-1 & D’Amore) vs. America’s Most Wanted (Harris & Storm)

Petey gets the early advantage on James Storm, Storm fights back with an inverted atomic drop, then a clothesline. Petey talks to A-1, but whatever advice A-1 gives doesn’t work, as Storm lands a German suplex. Tag to Eric Young, they try a double team but receive one of their own as we go to commercial…

Best of AMW DVD

Russian leg sweep by Petey on Chris Harris as we return. Tag to Young, who chokes away on Harris, an elbow block gets 2. Tag to Petey, he punches away on Harris…eventually Harris powerslams Petey and tags in Storm! Storm’s a house of fire, powerslam to Young, Eye of the Storm to Petey gets a 2 count, AMW tries a double team move on Petey but A-1 breaks it up! Petey puts Storm in a Sharpshooter and Young comes off the top with an elbowdrop! Cover gets 2, Petey tries a Canadian Destroyer but it’s reversed into an Alabama Slam. A superkick by Storm gets Petey down again, they set him up for Triple X’s old finisher, the Powerplex, but A-1’s in the ring! Harris spears him, but Petey rolls up Storm for the 3 count!

Your winners: Team Canada (8:07)

Team Canada are the #1 contenders, and AMW are all sorts of frustrated.

My Insight: OK match here that was gutted by commercials. It’ll be nice to see 2 teams in a tag team title match on pay per view that aren’t America’s Most Wanted. We seem to be hinting at a possible AMW breakup, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see on that…

We return from commercial and here comes JJ and Monty! JJ joins Tenay & West for commentary while Monty stands around in the background and looks bored for the most part. I would be too if I had to listen to Jarrett all day.

Match 4: 15 minute time limit

Abyss vs. Chris “Ham Sandwich” Sabin

Jarrett is quite happy that Abyss is on his side. Sabin tries some punches, and then an arm drag, but Abyss counters that by throwing Sabin down on his head. Abyss misses the lag drop, Sabin doesn’t miss the kick to the back and a dropkick to the back of Abyss’s head for a 1 count. Abyss hits the big splash in the corner, but misses the second time. Sabin goes up top and gets crotched, Abyss goes on the apron and gets knocked off…Sabin comes off the top and ranas Abyss on the floor! But he tries it one more time and Abyss just swings him into the steps. Ouch. Back in the ring now, a cover gets 2. Choke by Abyss, punches, big chop, Sabin fights back only to get a big boot from Abyss. Abyss gets a chair and places it in the corner…Sabin hits a running enziguri, another enziguri takes Abyss down. Inverted atomic drop by Sabin, kick, tornado DDT to the big man! Cover gets 2, Sabin rolls out of a power bomb attempt, then Abyss catapults him…Sabin misses the chair, but Abyss hits the chokeslam for 2! It’s a rule that everybody over 6’8 has to do a chokeslam. Abyss gets the chair but Sabin does a Van Daminator! Here comes Traci! She distracts the referee while Sabin gets Abyss up on his shoulders…Michael Shane enters the ring and superkicks Sabin! Abyss hits the Shock Treatment and it’s all over!

Your winner: Abyss (7:40)

Jarrett & Monty enter the ring and congratulate Abyss on his hard fought victory. JJ extends the hand of friendship…Abyss isn’t sure at first but he takes it…and turns it into a Black Hole Slam on Jarrett! Jarrrett is out! Monty & Abyss do the stare down over Jarrett’s limp carcass as we fade out!

My Insight: Well, so much for Jarrett having 2 big guys to back him up. Nice main event match here, as Sabin got to do his thing and look good, but Abyss was just too much for him. Michael Shane & Traci might be getting tired from doing all that running back and forth to the ring. Nevertheless, they’re getting their chance now to do their thing. TNA’s giving them the ball, and they better make me proud and run with it.

The same goes for AJ Styles and everybody else. TNA has new bookers, and from the looks of things they seem to have big plans in mind. If TNA is going to succeed, the talent will have to take it to the next level and prove that they belong on a prime time stage. Its all on them now…no more excuses about Dusty booking. The best thing this new creative team could do is use the talent they have the way they can be used the best. People say Shane & Traci are best working together as heels. They were apart for a while but now they’re getting that opportunity. No matter how it was set up, it’s on them to make it work and prove they belong in the upper echelon of TNA. I’ve argued that AJ Styles needs to have a chance to be champion as a babyface, which he excels at. Now he has that chance, and it’s on him to make it work better than Jarrett as champ ever did.

So if this doesn’t work, I’m pretty much out of ideas.

That’s all for this week…I should be able to review next week’s episode at some point…whether it’ll be sometime on the weekend of my birthday remains to be seen. See ya then!