By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Mike Tenay & Don West
This week on iMPACT! It’s all about the X-Division as AJ Styles defends his newly won X-Division Title against the man he beat this past Wednesday at the PPV Frankie Kazarian. Also on the show Kid Kash takes on The Amazing Red, Team Mexico takes on Team Canada in the main event, and we get the first Impact appearance of “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown.
CHAMPIONS
- NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Jeff Jarrett
- NWA X-DIVISION CHAMPION: “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles
- NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: America’s Most Wanted (“Wildcat” Chris Harris & “Cowboy” James Storm)
LINEUP
- Amazing Red vs. Kid Kash (***1/4)
- AJ Styles [c] vs. Frankie Kazarian for the TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
- 3 Live Kru vs. David Young & The Naturals (*)
- Sonny Siaki vs. Monty Brown (SQUASH)
*****
-LAST WEDNESDAY: AJ Styles wins the X-Division Title, is immediately attacked by Kid Kash and Dallas. Frankie Kazarian, the man that Styles beat at the PPV, has invoked his rematch clause for tonight hoping to take advantage of a weakened Styles.
-Tenay welcomes the home audience, pyro and ballyhoo.
The Amazing Red vs. “The Notorious K.I.D.” Kid Kash [w/ Dallas]
Kash with an Irish whip, Red with a pair of armdrags. Kid goes for a power bomb, Red counters with another armdrag and backdrops him to the apron, sending Kash to the floor with a spinkick. Red takes flight, somersault plancha (or “flip dive” if we go by Tenay Speak, which I also like tbh). Back in the ring Kash asks for a time-out then grabs the tights and sends Red to the floor, distracting the ref after so Dallas can do some damage. Back in the ring Kid connects with an over the shoulder backbreaker in a butterfly position for a two-count. Kash with a moonsault from the bottom buckle and middle buckle, his top rope moonsault countered with a pair of knees. Red belts Kash with a kick followed by the 718 (the 619) and a springboard splash for the 1…2…Kash kicks out. Red misses a corner splash, Kid climbs the corner but gets crotched. Kash counters a superplex attempt with a power bomb attempt but THAT gets countered mid-move with a hurricanrana by Red. NICE. Red misses a top-rope elbowdrop, Kash follows up with a double underhook piledriver for the 1…2…3.
Kid Kash defeated The Amazing Red via pinfall (4:11)
- The “Fox Box” says this only went a hair over four minutes but it felt like they put at least 15 minutes worth of action in there. Not complaining in the slightest this was super fun; Amazing Red lived up to his name with his moveset but sometimes you can’t outbattle the NUMBERS GAME or the veteran prowess of Kid Kash. (***1/4)
-BACKSTAGE: Shane Douglas is standing by with “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, the special judge for this week’s title match. Rhodes puts over the X-Division as revolutionary to professional wrestling and will call it like he sees it. In walks Director of Authority Vince Russo who requests to speak with him about a problem. He’s got a match to judge though so not yet.
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian for the NWA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Styles takes Kazarian to the mat with a side headlock, crowd going wild for The Phenomenal One. Tenay mentions that disqualifications do not protect the champions; lose the match, lose the championship. Hell yeah. Kazarian charges, Styles connects with a beautiful dropkick and Kazarian hides in the ropes. Styles pulls him out and goes for the Styles Clash, Kazarian counters with a headscissors that sends him into the buckle. Styles backdrops Kazarian to the floor. Styles teases taking flight and does a little flip instead to throw some shade. Kazarian drops Styles’ throat across the top rope, follows up with a slingshot DDT for a two-count. Kazarian connects with a slam followed by a slingshot legdrop but the champ kicks out once again. Kazarian rakes the eyes and catches Styles when he tries to float over, turning it into an electric chair with a bridge for the 1…2…Styles kicks out and Kazarian rains down rights in the full mount. Kazarian continues the offense as we go to commercial.
Back live and both men are down. Styles mounts his comeback with a string of clotheslines and a backflip into an inverted DDT for the 1…2…Kaz kicks out. Kazarian connects with a flatliner, Styles taking it on the top of his head, for the 1…2…champ isn’t done yet. Styles catches Kazarian with a kick followed by a crucifix into the STYLES CLASH for the 1…2…3.
AJ Styles [c] defeated Frankie Kazarian via pinfall to retain the TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (7:27)
- Loved this so much. Helluva sprint, Styles showing why he’s TNA’s top guy even if he’s not being marketed as such. That crucifix into the Styles Clash was a thing of goddamned beauty. (***3/4)
Kid Kash attacks Styles, Styles gets the better of him until Dallas comes from behind and hits the Blackout. In comes Don Harris of the security team and a host of referees come in to break it up.
-HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jeff Jarrett is the king of the mountain in TNA.
3 Live Kru (Ron “The Truth” Killings, BG James, & Konnan) vs. David Young & The Naturals (Chase Stevens & Andy Douglas)
Young is in the midst of a 56 match losing streak and is teaming with The Naturals to hopefully try and end it. I don’t like his chances. Call it a hunch.
Konnan rolls under a leapfrog, connects with a rolling clothesline on Douglas. Stevens runs in, Konnan tosses him out and connects with count-a-long rights in a corner mount. James and Killings get their hits in as well but they’re good guys so it’s fine. Killings tags in and dodges a clothesline with the splits. James holds Douglas up, Killings with a flying kick and James covers for the 1…2…Stevens breaks it up. James with a double clothesline to The Naturals. Killings and Young tag in. Young misses a clothesline, Killings hits a flying forearm followed by an Ax Kick for the 1…2…3.
3 Live Kru defeated David Young & The Naturals via pinfall (2:45)
- Essentially a squash win for 3LK, with the added bonus of Young’s streak now reaching 57 losses in a row. I wonder if that storyline ever pays off in any meaningful way, I can’t remember that far back. (*)t
Jeff Jarrett interrupts 3LK’s celebration to say there’s two things they will never be: the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and the first-ever King of the Mountain. Jarrett goes to announce something for the Wednesday PPV but he’s interrupted by Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes says he has talked to Vince Russo, who has a problem with Jarrett. Rhodes has a solution for that problem: on TNA’s 2nd anniversary show on June 23rd he will defend the World Title against…RON KILLINGS. Rhodes reminds Killings what he told him when he was won his first World Title: a black man didn’t win, a MAN won and a MAN will win once again. Well that’s oddly shitty and dismissive. Killings says he will knock Jarrett off the top of the mountain. Jarrett says that’s fine and dandy, but this Wednesday he will be bringing his “court” and there will be a public execution at the Asylum. DUN DUN DUN.
NEXT: “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown is in action.
COMING SOON: D’Lo Brown
Sonny Siaki vs. “The Alpha Male” Monty Brown
One of these guys is probably the biggest ball dropped in TNA history, while the other is…Sonny Siaki.
Brown attacks Siaki right at the bell, dropping him with a belly-to-back suplex on the floor. Brown rolls him back in, Siaki kicks out before a count is even made. Brown is teaming with Abyss on Wednesday to challenge AMW for the Tag Team Titles. That’s a lot of beef! Insert live footage of Abyss and Goldilocks watching backstage. Siaki mounts a mini-comeback, finally taking the Alpha Male off his feet but it’s short-lived and soon enough we get a POOOOOOOUNCE. PERIOD.
Monty Brown defeated Sonny Siaki via pinfall (2:03)
- One of these men is arguably the biggest example of TNA dropping the ball in its entire existence, the other is Sonny Siaki. I f*cking LOVE Monty Brown, great matches and a somewhat goofy gimmick that he took so seriously that it was hard not to get behind. I’m going to get SO ANGRY if I continue down this Impact path when TNA doesn’t realize what they have and refuse to rocket him up the top. (SQUASH)
Desire, the girlfriend of Siaki, checks on her man as Brown and his Disturbed rip-off theme celebrate. Tag Champs America’s Most Wanted are briefly shown watching from the babyface tunnel.
-2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FLASHBACK: Brian Urlacher beats up Red Shirt Security and former Survivor contestant Johnny Fairplay, throwing the latter onto the former. Y’all sure you wanna highlight this? Clip of an interview with Urlacher plays picture-in-picture where he admits that wrestling is harder than football.
-Cut to the announce table where Tenay and West talk about that Urlacher moment, then West goes into salesman mode for Wednesday’s PPV. He announces AJ Styles vs. Dallas, a Flag Match between Team NWA vs. Team Canada, AMW defends the Tag Titles against Monty Brown & Abyss, Jeff Jarrett & his mystery court will take on 3 Live Kru, and we will find out if Sabu answers Raven’s challenge. Tenay says Raven and Sabu had a pact not to face each other due to being trained by The Sheik, but Raven wants to break it in his quest for the NWA World Title.
-HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: Raven loves giving them DDTs to folk.
-The Spanish announce team is briefly highlighted during Team Mexico’s entrance.
Team Mexico (Abismo Negro, Heavy Metal, & Mr. Aguila) vs. Team Canada (Petey Williams, Bobby Roode, & “Showtime” Eric Young) [w/ Scott D’Amore]
Team Canada attacks at the bell, Team Mexico use their flippy flips to clear the ring. Williams rolls Negro up with a hurricanrana, Negro counters with a sunset flip for a two-count. Aguila tags in, Roode kicks him from behind and Williams kicks him in front for a two-count. Roode tags in and goes ground & pound followed by a butterfly suplex for a two-count. Young tags in, connects with a backbreaker for a two-count. West does the hard sell for the weekly PPV, doing what he does best. Young drops Aguila with rights, D’Amore and Williams get their shots in behind the ref’s back. Williams tags in, Aguila flips over a double clothesline and hits one of his own. Negro tags in, clothesline and running kick to Roode followed by a lionsault to Roode’s legs, Young breaks up the pinfall. All six men battle in the ring, Negro and Aguila with suicide dives to Young and Williams. Metal swipes at D’Amore, Roode hits a powerslam for the 1…2…not yet. Metal escapes a power bomb and connects with a spin kick for the 1…2…Roode kicks out. Metal plants Roode and climbs the buckles, D’Amore trips him up with a hockey stick and Roode connects with a Death Valley Slam for the 1…2…3.
Team Canada defeated Team Mexico via pinfall (5:36)
- Team Canada picks up the win a week after getting routed by Team International. I guess this all ties into an X-Cup thing they were doing on the weekly PPVs but I’m not going to back and watch them yet so I don’t care. Cool to see Essa Rios again. No idea why this main evented when Styles/Kazarian was on the same show but whatevs. (**1/2)
Team Canada attacks Team Mexico, Hector Garza tries to make the save but the DAMNED NUMBERS GAME and all that. Team NWA (Jerry Lynn, Chris Sabin, & “Primetime” Elix Skipper) finally come out to make the save and a brawl breaks out as the show concludes to hype their six-man match coming up for Wednesday.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Styles/Kazarian and Red/Kash both rocked, loved seeing Monty Brown again. Rest of the show was fine. I forgot just how much of a B-show this was when it first debuted and I won’t lie it’s bumming me out a bit. I’ll power through though, thanks for your concern.
- MATCH OF THE NIGHT: AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian
- MOMENT OF THE NIGHT: POOOOOOOUNCE
