 We open with the usual highlight reel, accompanied by some appropriate narrative describing highs & lows. Outside the Impact Zone, Kurt & Karen Angle are awaiting the arrival of Kevin Nash. Kurt gives Big Sexy a peace offering of the vain kind. A autographed picture of himself. He thinks he & Nash are BFF's---Best Friends Forever. Right, and chickens have lips. Nash acts as if he still wants to see Sting whip Angle again in the title rematch later tonight.
Match 1: Tomko & AJ Styles and Voodoo Kin Mafia (BG & Kip James w/Roxxi Laveau) vs. The Steiner Brothers & LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) Mike Tenay tells us that LAX will face Tomko & Styles for the tag titles next week, with the former champions having earned the shot by beating Triple X at Bound For Glory. They're familiar with Styles, of course, having feuded with him & Christopher Daniels last year, but Tenay doesn't bring that up at all. As usually happens with top shelf matchups like this, they cut away for a commercial just as the action's getting hot, and when they come back, they virtually go right to the finish. Hernandez has Kip set for a border toss, but Roxxi jumps in and spits some "mist" in Hernandez's eyes. Kip hits the Fameasser, but only gets 2. A masked member of the Latino Nation comes down and hands Homicide a slapjack (loaded sock), which he uses on Kip while the ref is still busy with Roxxi and trying to restore order as everything else is breaking down. Hernandez gets the pin, giving LAX momentum going into next week's title match! Winners: Steiner Bros. & LAX.Crystal is with Sting, who cuts a money promo on Kurt Angle, asking if Kurt can picture someone attacking his kids. Yep, the Stinger is still pissed over Garrett being attacked. Back in the dressing room, Karen is angry at Kurt, who then proposes that his wife seduce Kevin Nash to get Big Sexy back on their side. Right now, I think Karen wishes she was back in Pittsburgh rooting for the Penguins and Steelers.
Match 2: James Storm (w/Jackie Moore) vs. Eric Young The winner goes on to face Kaz in the semi-finals of the #1 contender's tournament. Eric wants a handshake, but gets a poke in the eyes instead. Pretty even match. Storm went for a fistdrop, only to jump into a boot to the head from Young. Storm went for an inverted tornado DDT, only to have Young throw him off. Young hit the Death Valley Driver, but got 2 instead. Moore got on the apron, and Eric, oblivious, offered a high five. Storm charged, and Moore ate a clothesline intended for Young. As Eric went to check on Moore, Storm hit the superkick to advance. Winner: James Storm. Post-match, Moore & Storm had an argument, due to Moore appearing to offer Young Storm's beer for at least having enough compassion to check on her. She finally coaxes the Tennessee Cowboy to give Young the beer. Eric pops open the top and chugs it down. Jeremy Borash is with Karen Angle. She tries to put some moves on Kevin Nash, who acts like he'll go for it, but then he throws her down on the sofa. He's not buying.
"Earlier today", Mike Tenay interviewed Team 3D. Devon's point of view is, they just want the tag titles back after they were screwed out of the titles a few months back, at least that's their party line. Ray, on the other hand, has no respect for the X division, calling them "boys in a man's world". Team 3D, he says, will not rest until every X division wrestler is "done". The Motor City Machine Gunns were taken out because of their involvement in the Team 3D-Steiners match at Bound For Glory. Gotta wonder if they're also riled that Brother Runt was fired......
Match 3: Havok vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Petey Williams vs. Shark Boy X-Division showcase match, which is almost an open invitation to Team 3D to show up again. And sure enough, after Dutt hit an Asai moonsault on the others, Ray & Devon come down and promptly assault the four competitors, prompting ref Earl Hebner to call for the bell. Ray grabs Havok's kendo stick and uses it on Havok & Shark Boy. Havok & Williams end up eating wood with twin power bombs through tables. Winner: None. Match ruled no contest.
Robert Roode interview. He interfered in the Samoa Joe-Christian Cage match last week to make a statement. The best way to be the top dog in TNA is to take out the top dog in the tournament, whom he perceived to be Joe. He rips Junior Fatu, his opponent tonight, for disrespecting him last week. Well, actually, Fatu did have it right to a fault. Roode is a poor man's Ted DiBiase, and twice as annoying.
Match 4: Sting vs. Kurt Angle(w/Karen Angle) (TNA World title) They have hyped this match since the show started. Angle has had too much air time already tonight, and this adds to it. They're giving this the big fight treatment and have Jeremy Borash do the intros after both men arrive in the ring. Angle didn't even bother shaving the stubble off his head. Another even matchup early on, and the drama picks up when Kevin Nash comes down to the ring and takes a seat near the desk. After the commercial, Angle pushes Sting into a seated Nash, who simply grabs hold of Sting to cushion the impact. Defensive move, yes, but Sting's battle instincts convince him that maybe, just maybe, Nash & Angle are in cahoots after all, and he pops Nash in the jaw. Back in the ring, Angle tries twice to hit the Olympic Slam only to have it countered. An anklelock is countered. Sting applies the Scorpion Deathlock, and then Nash steps up to the apron. Sting hits him again and ref Rudy Charles gets in between them. Angle crashes into all three. Charles is KO'd, Angle hits the Olympic Slam, and backup ref Earl Hebner comes back and tolls the final 3. Winner & New TNA champion: Kurt Angle. Post-match, Nash acts like he's willing to shake hands with Kurt, but the new champ flips him off and runs off. Meanwhile, referees Hebner & Charles are arguing over the finish, and Jim Cornette comes running out to try to separate them.
Back from commercial, and Cornette decides to have the referees meet him backstage to sort things out. Tenay's not happy, and lets Cornette know about it. Cornette, though, advises Tenay to cool it. Hmmmm.
Match 5: Angel Williams vs. Awesome Kong Squashola. Williams had little offense, and Kong no sold everything. Halfway, a perturbed Tenay left the desk to have it out with Cornette, leaving Don West to call the match himself. Not that it mattered. Winner: Awesome Kong. Backstage, Abyss is rampaging, searching for Black Reign, but Reign finds him instead after a distraction by Jim Mitchell. Reign taped Abyss' hands together and put the man-monster's head in a vise, then put Misty, his pet rat, on Abyss' head. Stop the pain!
Backstage, Kevin Nash joins the discussion, and wants a crack at Kurt Angle. He threatens Cornette, and of course Matt Morgan gets in between them, only to have Earl Hebner come between Morgan & Nash.
Match 6: Robert Roode (w/Ms. Brooks) vs. Junior Fatu Fatu is looking for his first singles win since arriving in TNA. Roode grabs a chair and has Brooks sit in it, continuing to be the overbearing bully. Christian Cage, carrying a ladder, comes down and joins Don West for commentary. Of course, he denies Roode's involvement last week, but video doesn't lie as shown at the top of the show. Roode threw everything he had at Fatu---and they even traded DDT's---but it just wasn't enough. The tide turned toward Fatu after he accidentally bumped the ref down with a corner splash meant for Roode. He superkicked Roode right into the prone arbiter and hit the stinkface. Roode made a brief ocmeback, then took the chair out from under Brooks. However, Samoa Joe showed up and took the chair from Roode. Fatu hit the Michinoku Driver, and the ref recovered in time to count the fall. Winner: Junior Fatu. The semi-finals of the tournament have Fatu vs. Cage and Kaz vs. Storm. Post-match, Joe chased Cage out of the arena. Meanwhile, Nash is trying to catch Kurt Angle, who leaves Karen behind. Some husband. Jim Cornette & Mike Tenay return to the ring. Cornette apologizes for his earlier behavior. After reviewing the footage, Cornette determines that Nash didn't interfere at all, and Sting attacked him first. Angle is the champ, but now the title will be on the line at Genesis in a tag match. Nash & Angle will team vs. Sting and a mystery partner (Jeff Jarrett, most likely). Sting appears and says he'll pick his own partner, promising to ensure Angle will not have the title after the PPV.
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