Impact! Taping Results from Orlando, FL for next three weeks...
On Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 12:11 AM EST Alan J. Wojcik of http://alanwojcik.com sent in the following report...
TNA Impact tapings from rainy Orlando, Florida.
This will be the only taping for the lead to Hard Justice starring Steven Segal (sorry inside joke among the fans.) As usual much of the PPV crowd did not return for Impact. Apparently on Sunday the ringleader of the "Hardy Marks" was banished from Universal for one year, there was much rejoicing among the other fans. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was taking pictures with some fans before the show. Not too sure why Diamond Dallas Page, Monty Brown, Phi Delta Slam, Sean Waltman nor the DOD weren't used today.
Impact Hour one:
The show began with a highlight package from Sunday?s Lockdown PPV.
(1)"1000% Guapo" Shocker defeated Team Canada's Petey Williams (minus Scott D'amore).
Shocker was out to show why he was the new number one contender to the X title and Williams was the opponent. Shocker had control until an ariel move went array. Williams tried to work on Shocker's back but Shocker fired back with a Tilt A Whirl backbreaker and two kicks to the face. Williams countered out of a huricurana into a legsweep. Williams went for the Canadian Destroyer but Shocker countered, so Williams went for a pin followed by the Sharpshooter but Shocker made it to the ropes. Williams went for the sharpshooter again but Shocker got in a few punches and a sunset flip led to the win. After the bell, Mike Tenay spoke to Shocker about his title shot.
Back from commercial, Tenay and Don West spoke on camera showing the damage done to Chris Candido?s leg at Lockdown.
(2) Sonjay Dutt defeated "Iceman" Buck Quartermain.
To begin the match Dutt hit Quartermain with a tope to the floor and a suplex back into the ring. Quartermain hit a flapjack to get control. Dutt hit a head scissor but his second attempt was turned into a facebuster. Quartermain hit a back suplex and locked in a chinlock submission. Quartermain went for the Triple Elbow but got only two. Quartermain tried to toss Dutt over the top rope but Dutt skinned back onto the apron. Dutt got the pinfall on Quartermain.
(3) The Outlaw defeated Mikey Batts.
Batts looked small against Outlaw but the fans were solidly behind his effort in the ring. Batts got in some good offense but he was not match for Outlaw's size as Outlaw locked in a Cobra Clutch and threw Batts to the mat. Batts was pinned and 3 Live Kru came out to confront Outlaw's attempted split of the group. Konnan challenged Outlaw to a match and looks like it was accepted. Killings and Konnan left BG James standing in the ring.
After commercial Tenay and West spoke before Dusty Rhodes came on the video screens to announce at Hard Justice starring Steven Segal, the special referee for the NWA World Heavyweight title match would be none other then....UFC fighter Tito Ortiz?? (Welcome to WrestleMania 13 Redux. When the fans heard Ken Shamrock mentioned by Rhodes they popped thinking he was the referee.) NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett charged out of the tunnel to confront Tenay and West about the announcement of Tito Ortiz, he bragged about not fearing anyone and ran down the list of people he has beaten to keep the title.
(4) The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens w/Chris Candido) regained the NWA World Tag Team championships by beating America's Most Wanted ("Tennessee Cowboy" James Storm and "Wildcat" Chris Harris)
On the last taping the Naturals won a non-title match with some help from Chris Candido. Before the match Candido ripped TNA for showing the footage of his leg snapping. AMW and the Naturals picked up where they left off, brawling around the ringside area and into the stands for several minutes even as the show went and came back from commercial break. Finally Stevens and Storm made their way into the ring where Stevens and Candido choked down Storm. The Naturals made tags but Storm got some distance and tagged in Harris who took it to the Naturals. Harris focused Douglas but Stevens hit Harris in the back on a rope run, Douglas followed with a running knee as the fans chanted AMW. Douglas stretched Harris on the mat before tagging in Stevens who Irish whipped Harris and hit a clothesline before sinching in a camel clutch. Storm cheered on Harris as he powered out of the hold. Stevens tossed Harris to the floor where Douglas hit him with one of Candido's crutches. Back in the ring Stevens covered but got two. Douglas and Stevens continued to wear down Harris but he blocked a suplex and hit Douglas with one to make the tag that Rudy Charles missed as Stevens distracted him. The punishment continued until Harris finally tagged out to Storm and AMW got back on the offensive. AMW went for a Hart Attack but Stevens blocked it. Douglas went for the title belt but got stopped. Stevens hit Storm with a chairshot but was hit by a spear from Harris. Candido interfered and the match ended with new champions.
After the match Tenay blamed Candido for the title change, Candido called himself the difference maker in the career of the Naturals. Between shows Borash brought a kid in the ring to get a shirt and meet "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan who sent well wishes to the US servicemen stationed around the world.
Impact Hour Two:
(1) Abyss defeated Cassidy Reilly.
Reilly was smart in playing hit and run with Abyss but it didn't last long as Abyss tossed Reilly around ringside. Back in the ring Abyss got the win, showing no ill effects of a separated shoulder from Sunday's match with AJ Styles.
Back from commercial NWA World X Division champion and Mr. TNA "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels joined Tenay and West for commentary.
(2) Shocker defeated Sonjay Dutt.
Both men showed off their technical prowess but Shocker sent Dutt to the floor but his baseball slide missed. Dutt's tope to the floor didn't miss and back in the ring Dutt took over but Shocker slapped on a STF. Dutt refused to submit so Shocker released the hold. Dutt and Shocker exchanged offense again but Shocker hit a dropkick to the chest. Shocker went for a sunset flip but Dut countered and hit a dropkick to Shocker's face. Dutt put Shocker on the top rope and came down with a huricurana but got two. Dutt hit a clothesline and went up for another huricurana but Shocker countered into a power bomb to win the match. Afterwards Daniels confronted Shocker.
Raven spoke on camera about Jeff Hardy and said he was out to be the person to make Hardy extinct. Raven also got philosophical confusing the fans in the building. Raven called out Hardy on May 15th.
(3) The Outlaw vs 3 Live Kru's Konnan I think was declared a no contest.
The slugfest began before the bell. Konnan once again became Random Task again by throwing a shoe (honestly who does that) at the Outlaw. They brawled on the floor where Outlaw hit Konnan in the head with a chair knocking him out. BG James and Ron Killings came out to protect Konnan. Outlaw and BG had another face off, this time with dueling chairs. During the break 3LK helped Konnan to the floor.
(4) Chris Sabin (w/Tracy Brooks) defeated Michael Shane (w/Trinity).
I am still not used to Shane without Brooks, especially since they were a duo before Frankie Kazarian left for WWE. Shane jumped Sabin at the bell and the match began with high flying action in and out of the ring. Brooks and Trinity looked ready to fight but Andrews Thomas made them stay apart. Back in the ring, Shane took over on Sabin with a powerslam for a two count. Shane locked in a chinlock with a knee in Sabin's neck. Sabin fought to his feet but Shane hit a knee to the mid section. Shane placed Sabin in the Tree of Woe and dropkicked him in the face. Shane went back to the chinlock, this time leglocking Sabin?s body. Sabin fought to his feet again but this time ran into a boot from Shane. Shane got in a body block as Sabin was lying on the floor but his feet hanging on the ring apron. Sabin got some momentum but it sent him flying to the floor as Shane moved out of the way of a punch. The show went to and came back from commercial during this match. Shane went for a third chinlock and again Sabin didn't submit. This time sabin got on the offense only to be stopped by a clothesline. Shane hit a standing suplex but got two. Shane chocked Sabin on the second rope and then Trinity did the same as Shane argued with Brooks. Shane went for a clothesline but Sabin ducked, hit a huricurana and got two. Shane hit two short clotheslines but his third was ducked and Sabin hit a German suplex. Punches flew as well as Shane as Sabin hit a backbreaker into a facebuster. Shane countered out of the Cradle Shock and hit an STO for two. Shane blocked a tornado DDT but his superkick was countered into a pin by Sabin. After the bell Shane jumped Sabin as Tracy was jumped by Trinity. Brooks made her way into the ring to protect Sabin, Shane went to superkick Brooks but TNA black shirt security ran out to save her and end hour two.
Impact Hour Three:
To open the show, Tenay and West spoke on camera.
(1) In a four way elimination match, NWA World X Division champion and Mr. TNA "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels fought "Primetime" Elix Skipper, Team Canada's Eric Young (w/Scott D'amore) and Jeff Hardy to a time limit draw
This match was real good. Early on Hardy was apparently eliminated by Raven who came out, jumped and dragged Hardy to the back. The show went to and came back from commercial as Daniels kept tossing Skipper and Young from the ring even getting in a shot on D'amore. Daniels suplexed Skipper back in the ring then tossed him back to the floor. Skipper flipped himself into the ring and hit Daniels with a shoulder tackle to get on the offensive. Skipper hit Daniels with the trapeze head scissors and then eliminated Young with a fisherman buster. Apparently the time limit expired as Skipper went to pin Daniels .
(2) NWA World Tag Team champions, The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens w/Chris Candido) defeated Buck Quartermain and Lex Lovett.
I think the new champs took Lovett and Quartermain lightly as they were taken to school in the opening minutes until Stevens distracted Quartermain long enough for Douglas to attack. The Naturals made several tags (with aid from some Candido punches) wearing down Quartermain but didn't get the pin. Douglas missed a top rope elbow drop and Quartermain tagged in Lovett who fought off Douglas and Stevens, hitting Stevens with a Blue Thunder Driver but he was hit with the "Natural Disaster" and a pinfall defeat.
Between matches T Shirt Mike's spinning Dusty Rhodes title belt was spun by Andrew Thomas and Borash.
(3) In a 10 man Gauntlet match, Abyss defeated Lance Hoyt by pinfall.
By winning the match Abyss became number 20 and by being eliminated first, Bobby Roode became number 1 on May 15th. (1) Michael Shane (eliminated by Trytan)(2) Chris Sabin (his head wrapped in gauze and eliminated by Abyss) Tracy and Trinity brawled around ringside before running to the back (3) Bobby Roode (eliminated by Sabin) (4) Petey Williams (eliminated by Trytan I think) (5) David Young (eliminated by Trytan) (6)Trytan (eliminated by Hoyt) (7)A1 (eliminated by Abyss) (8)Lance Hoyt (9) Abyss (10) Gran Apolo (eliminated by missing a splash on Abyss). During the final part of the match the Naturals ran down to attack Hoyt, who got hit with the Black Hole Slam. After the bell the Naturals jumped Hoyt again and he was saved by America's Most Wanted
Announced Hard Justice matches:
-NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett vs AJ Styles with special referee Tito Ortiz
-NWA World Tag Team champions the Naturals vs America?s Most Wanted
-NWA World X Division champion "Fallen Angel Christopher" Daniels vs Shocker
-Clockwork Orange House of Fun Match, Raven vs Jeff Hardy
- A 20 Man Gauntlet match to determine the number one contender to NWA World championship at the Slamiversary PPV
Possible matchup:
-Chris Sabin and Tracy Brooks vs Michael Shane and Trinity