Roode was supposed to be in the first match vs. Jay Lethal, but that match never happened, as Booker attacked Roode and chased him to the back.

Crystal is backstage with Jim Cornette & Matt Morgan, who wants a piece of Samoa Joe, obviously. Cornette plans to sign Joe once and for all tonight!

Match 1: Awesome Kong (w/Raisha Saed) vs. Traci Brooks (non-title) Protracted squash. Just as the match began, ODB appeared on the video screen and cut a promo on Kong. Brooks tried to take advantage of the distraction, but all this did was make the champion angry. Not good. Kong barely sold anything, if at all, that Brooks threw at her, mostly forearm shivers. Kong hit the Implant Buster (vertical suplex dropped face first, similar to what Michelle McCool used on a recent Smackdown), then the Awesome Bomb. Winner: Awesome Kong.

As Kong departs, Peyton Banks, Robert Roode's new aide, attacks the fallen Brooks. However, her boss is still on the run from Booker T and escapes in his rental car from the Impact Zone!

Jim Cornette is trying to mediate things between Petey Williams & Scott Steiner. What results is that on Sunday at Against All Odds, it's a winner take all match between the two, with both of their championship opportunities on the line. Insurance against the possible demise of the X division, no doubt.

Match 2: Black Reign vs. Kaz Next is a Vince Russo special. 4 poles. 4 boxes, 3 of which have mousetraps. One has Misty, Reign's pet rat, which Kaz abducted a few weeks back. Well, if you ask me, it's not the same rat, which they claim Kaz "dyed white". Please! We'll call her Misty II, then. Anyway, the process of elimination is painful, as Kaz & Reign both encounter the mousetraps. After the 3rd trap is sprung, Kaz crotches Reign on the ropes. As Reign writhes in pain, Kaz goes up, wobbling, and claims his prize. Winner: Kaz.

Then again, maybe not. Reign has recovered his wig and his Darkness Falls staff, which Kaz stole last week. He clobbers Kaz with the staff and completes the recovery by reclaiming Misty II.

Booker T interview. He's never felt this kind of hate for a person before, but after replaying the incident from Final Resolution over and over, and enduring the taunting of Robert Roode, Booker has nothing but hate for the man. Roode's mockery earlier represented contempt for his foe. Booker is driven by revenge.

Match 3: Johnny Devine vs. Homicide (w/Salinas)(X title) Potentially, this would be the best match on the card. It could also be the last X division title match in TNA's 5 1/2 year history if Team 3D & Devine have their way on Sunday. Homicide, a former Ring of Honor champion as well as a 2 time tag champ in TNA, dominates the match virtually from the opening bell. Devine shows plenty of fire and confidence, working on his own. He gets a near fall with his feet on the ropes, but Homicide kicked out at 2. Homicide hit the Gringo Stunner (RKO; they're not calling it the Gringo Cutter anymore because of the Shark Boy gimmick running concurrently) for 2, then hit the Gringo (Cop) Killa. That's when Team 3D came down and spoiled the party. Ref Mark Johnson called for the bell. Salinas slapped away a kendo stick from Brother Ray as Hernandez came down to even the sides. For the 2nd time, Team 3D left Devine behind to take punishment as Hernandez laid him out with the Border Toss.

Crystal is with Christian Cage. Cage plans to call out Tomko later to make sure he knows if Tomko's being straight with him. A far cry from last week.

Let's make note that Homicide won the last match via DQ for interference.

Jim Cornette is now in the ring to again attempt to sign Samoa Joe to a new 5-year deal. With Matt Morgan locked away in the office, Joe and advisor Kevin Nash are ready to close the deal. However, along comes another fly in the ointment, namely Kurt & Karen Angle. The TNA champ cuts a promo on Joe, ensuring that the 3-time X champ (and uncrowned TNA champion in many people's minds) will be next in line for the Olympic Pimp. Joe promises to call it down the middle and shakes hands with Kurt. That only is a set-up, as Angle is plunged through the table with a spinebuster. The contract still isn't signed, and this time, it's Angle's fault!

During the break, Jeremy Borash was with the Rock & Rave Infection, walking spokespersons for the Guitar Hero game. Now, I've mentioned before that Christy Hemme has her own band on the side, and they've played a few gigs of late. However, TNA Uncreative has decided that Jimmy Rave & Lance Hoyt make up the band. Uh, Vince Russo? 2000 called. They think you still suck.

Match 4: Rock & Rave Infection (w/Christy Hemme) vs. Curry Man & Shark Boy Two weeks ago, Curry & Tiger Mask gained the measure of the Infection, but why switch partners for the rematch to the cold-blooded Shark Boy? Clean-up on aisle common sense! At one point, Hoyt used Curry like a guitar before hitting a reverse TKO for 2. However, a jawbreaker allows Curry to make the hot tag to Sharky, who wastes little time in stomping a mudhole in Rave. Hoyt clubs Sharky in the back, then follows him in. Bad idea. Stunner for Hoyt, and for Rave, the latter leading to a Spicy Rack. Curry, remembering that his partner is the legal man, defers to Shark Boy to collect the fall. Winners: Curry Man & Shark Boy.

Crystal is with Tomko, who is as curious as anyone about what Christian Cage has to say later, and will say nothing further.

After the break, BG James & Bob Armstrong are interviewed. It's not the Voodoo Kin Mafia that will face Tomko & AJ Styles on Sunday, but the James Gang, as BG puts it. Kip joins the party, claiming to be 100% behind BG & the Bullet. Yeah, sure, with knives for their backs.

Match 5: AJ Styles vs. Tiger Mask As with the X title match earlier, this had the potential to be a great bout, provided they had more time----and did without a lame, lazy finish they would never have done in Japan. For all of Styles' talent---there is a reason he's called phenomenal---he has to resort to shortcuts to win this one. He backs Tiger into a corner, pancaking ref Rudy Charles. You know what's coming, don't you? Styles gets in a low blow to set up the Styles Clash, and the irony is that he committed his dirty deed in full view of some "Japanese photographers" convienently stationed at ringside for this bout. Winner: AJ Styles.

Christian Cage is out, and prior to the main event, he gets his meeting with Tomko. The "Instant Classic" does all the talking, and puts over the crowd accepting Tomko's stand as his own man. However, he's not sure if Tomko's 100% on his own, and invites the former "Problem Solver" to take a free shot. Tomko teases doing so, but then lets Cage go and leaves. Hmmmmmm.......

Match 6: Christian Cage vs. Judas Mesias (w/James Mitchell) As Mike Tenay duly noted, this is the first-ever meeting between these two. Unfortunately, we may never find out who really is the better man. Cage, the veteran, has the speed advantage, but will it be enough? He has Mesias off-balance early on, but Mesias recovers for several near-falls. His flaw is the lack of discipline in the pin covers, assuming his foe is incapacitated enough to allow for just laying his hands on Cage. This leads to several 1-counts. The turning point of the match comes when Abyss comes down, right arm wrapped in barbed wire. The man-monster chases Mitchell out of the arena. Disoriented, Mesias avoids the Unprettier once, but not a 2nd time. Winner: Christian Cage.

Post-match, Abyss returns and he chases Mesias to the back. AJ Styles comes out and ambushes Cage. Cage locks on a Texas Cloverleaf, miscalled as a sharpshooter by Tenay, who should know better. That brings Kurt Angle out, leading to a 2-on-1. Angle calls for Styles to hold him for a belt shot, but then Tomko returns to make the save. Tomko shows his allegiance to long-time pal Cage to end the show, but will that remain true blue come Sunday?