Location: Orlando, Florida (Universal Studios)
Date: January 20, 2011 (Taped: January 10-11)
Commentators: Mike Tenay & Taz
[ REVIEWED BY STEVEN POST ]
VIDEO RECAP: iMPACT!! began with footage of Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett. The various moments over the past several months of how their feud grew into what it is today. After the video recap was over they showed Kurt Angle arrive at the iMPACT Zone and followed him as he walked into the arena. He demanded his music be played as he walked past some guy Kurt called, “Dilly” I believe. Jimmy Hart was there too shown working backstage.
IN THE RING: Kurt Angle continued his brisk pace down the ramp into the ring picking up a microphone on his way. Kurt wanted to tell his side of the story before Jeff & Karen Jarrett littered the iMPACT Zone with lies about him. Kurt told the story about how he got Karen into TNA. While Karen was working at TNA with Kurt, Kurt claimed he saw her standing with Jeff Jarrett a lot and when Kurt would ask Karen about it she would claim they were talking business and at the time Kurt had no proof otherwise. But a few months ago Jeff Jarrett made things personal by shoving his relationship with Karen in Kurt’s face. Kurt said that the one thing that Jeff and Karen could never take away from Kurt is his character. He said he was a good husband and a good father (starting to cry). He directed his next comments directly to Karen, challenging her to do things either the easy way or the hard way. The easy way Karen leaves the company. The hard way Kurt pulls out all the skeletons in Karen’s closet. He asked Karen what she was going to do but rather than Karen coming to the ring Jarrett’s entourage of body guards came to the ring in an attempt to take him out but Angle dispatched them pretty quickly. Again, instead of Karen coming out it was Eric Bischoff & Ric Flair who walked out followed by what appeared to be a team of police officers. The police officers got in the ring and directed Kurt Angle out of the arena.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett: As Jeff & Karen were entering the building they were stopped and asked if they heard Kurt Angle was ejected out of the building. Jeff acted like he felt bad for Kurt and Karen said that she was going to expose the real Kurt Angle to his fans tonight and thinks it’s a shame Kurt won’t be around to see it.
NON (TNA KNOCKOUTS) TITLE 4-WAY MATCH
Mickie James defeated TNA Knockout champion Madison Rayne and Sarita and Velvet Sky: Madison Rayne came to the ring wearing a beauty pageant sash that said, “queen” on it but most importantly she is still wearing that black MMA fighing glove that she can load up with something at a moments notice. Only two knockouts could be in the ring legally at the same time. It started with Mickie James and Velvet Sky and while they fought each other for a few seconds they quickly went got the other Knockouts involved. The match didn’t contain a lot of legal tags. The referee wasn’t too strict with the rules and while dealing with two Knockouts outside the ring Tara ran to ringside and hit Mickie James with her elbow brace. Madison appeared as though she was going to use the loaded glove on Mickie but Mickie ducked and Madison hit both Sarita and Velvet instead. Mickie used this opportunity to roll Madison up to get the pin. After the match, Madison began throwing a tantrum and Tara joined her in the ring in an attempt to calm her down.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Beer Money (Robert Roode & James Storm): Robert was working out while James pretended to work out with his beer bottles. Roode, racapped what happened last week when they were attacked my Anderson & RVD. Storm pointed out that Immortal had the last laugh. Roode told Storm that they’d prove they are the best tag team in the world when they defeat RVD & Anderson in a tag match later on iMPACT!.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: It was revealed that Kurt Angle was still in the building and was walking the backstage hallways.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Samoa Joe & Kazuchika Okada (unnamed): Joe was talking to someone we initially couldn’t see but it ended up being Kazuchika Okada. Joe said Kazuchika Okada has been doing great work and to continue following “him” around. I think its safe to assume he was referring to Pope D’Angelo Dinero.
IN THE RING
Matt Morgan defeated “The Freak” Rob Terry w/ Ric Flair: Ric Flair took a microphone referred to Rob Terry as the man and challenged Matt Morgan to come out. After Morgan made it to the ring, the bell rang, Rob Terry turned around and the only move performed in the match was Matt Morgan’s carbon footprint. Matt covered Big Rob to get the quick win. This agitated Flair and as he started to leave the ringside area Matt Morgan followed him. Flair attempted to attack Morgan but failed with every chop and punch. He got back in the ring and Morgan followed where Flair repeated the attempt with no success. Abyss ran down to the ring and attacked Morgan from behind. Abyss dominated Morgan until he tried a big splash and missed. But Morgan’s comeback was short lived. Eventually all three men (Flair, Abyss and Terry) were beating up on Morgan. Terry held Morgan down so that Abyss could hit Morgan with a big splash.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
A.J. Styles & Kazarian + Crimson: A.J. Styles was helping Kazarian get pumped up for his match against Jay Lethal. Kazarian asked Styles what he thought was up with Eric. Styles said that it’s not important and that what is important is Kazarian’s X-Division Championship. Kazarian put his hand up in the Fourtune sign and said that is important. Styles agreed and Kazarian walked out. Styles was immediately grabbed from behind and choked by Crimson. Crimson wanted to reminded Eric that “They” are coming on February 3rd and that no one in Immortal is safe. Crimson ran off leaving Styles on the floor coughing.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: Kurt Angle was still in the building and was walking the backstage hallways.
TNA X-DIVISION TITLE MATCH
Kazarian defeated Jay Lethal to retain the TNA X-Division title: Lethal had to slingshot Kazarian into the ring to get the match started. Lethal dominated the match to the point that Kazarian tried to walk to the back causing Lethal to chase after him and continuously get in and out of the ring to break up the ten count until Lethal got Kazarian back in the ring. Kazarian managed to get control for a minute but once Lethal got control again Kazarian tried to leave the ring again. Lethal caught Kazarian and put him in the lethal combination. Lethal climbed to the top rope and took his sweet time to deliver an elbow from the top rope. But Kazarian still kicked out of the pin attempt. Kazarian rolled himself out of the ring and Lethal had to go after him again. When Lethal was trying to get Kazarian back in the ring Kazarian took advantage of the situation and reversed a sunset flip attempt. Kazarian grabbed the ropes for additional leverage to get the win.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Rob Van Dam & Mr. Anderson & Tommy Dreamer: Anderson promoted his upcoming match with Jeff Hardy while also talking about the tag match he has on this week’s iMPACT with RVD against Beer Money. Dreamer interrupted and said for the first time ever he is facing Jeff Hardy and would soften Hardy up for Anderson – and get the job done like he always does.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: Kurt Angle was outside the iMPACT Zone and someone opened a door and let him in.
IN THE RING
Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett + Kurt Angle: Jeff was the first to speak as he lavished Karen with compliments. He referred to Karen as beautiful and having seen Karen in person I can personally vouch for that as well. The crowd chanted “sloppy seconds!” Jarrett referred to Karen as a victim of Kurt Angle and gave her the microphone. She claimed she had a prepared presentation but due to Kurt’s comments earlier in the evening she has some things to address. She made reference to being the wife of Kurt’s boss. She started talking about how Kurt crawled to her when he had won his gold medal back in 1996 but as she spoke Kurt Angle slowly crept into the ring from behind them. Kurt grabbed Jarrett and suplexed him. Karen was going to hit Angle with her shoe but stopped when Kurt turned to face her. They stared at each other for a moment. Karen was talking smack in Angle’s face and then slapped Angle in his face. This distraction allowed Jarrett to get Angle from behind with a low blow. From there Jarrett punched Angle in the head a few times. Jarrett gave Angle another low blow and left him lying in the ring.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: Kurt Angle was backstage throwing a tantrum while hitting and throwing garbage cans.
SINGLES MATCH
Jeff Hardy defeated Tommy Dreamer: Tommy managed to stay on top of Jeff for a large portion of the match. Even managing to get Jeff into the Dreamer Driver. But when Dreamer tried to get the pin Hardy got his foot on the bottom rope and the referee noticed. Jeff hit Dreamer with the Twist of Hate to win the match.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: Kurt Angle was walking the backstage hallways with a baseball bat in hand.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Pope D’Angelo Dinero: I guess I’m to assume that the camera work was being done by Kazuchika Okada. Pope was on his cell phone with someone but he got off the phone to sit down by a member of the backstage crew. Pope said he has some overseas transactions he has to check and asked the crew member if he could use the crew member’s laptop. The crew member said the Pope could use it but would have to wait until he was done with it. The camera zoomed into the the Pope’s phone where I could see the words “TNA Brian” at the top. Pope said he liked the crew member because the crew member doesn’t pass judgment like other people in TNA do. The crew member’s phone rang, he picked it up and left the room. This allowed Pope to take the laptop and even openly admit that he was taking it witout permission on his way out.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Ric Flair & A.J. Styles: Styles was still recuperating from being attacked by Crimson. Styles interrupted Flair from his phone conversation. But Flair didn’t take Styles seriously and even played the “iced” prank on him to get him to chug a bottle of some sort of alcoholic beverage. When Styles attempted to drink it though he was attacked from behind by Kurt Angle. Kurt got in Flair’s face and started choking Flair. He told Flair that Angle would be in the iMPACT Zone later and wanted Flair to make sure that Jarrett would be there too. Angle said if Jarrett doesn’t show up then he’s coming after Flair!
NON (TNA TAG TEAM) TITLE MATCH
TNA World Tag Team champions Beer Money (James Storm & Robert Roode) defeated Ken Anderson & Rob Van Dam: The match had a lot of steady back and forth action. Beer Money pulled the old trick of pretending to tag when the referee’s back was turned by Storm simply clapping his hands together to imitate the sound of a tag. RVD got into the ring off of a hot tag and it seemed as though RVD was going to dominate the match but Beer Money put a stop to that. Near the end, RVD hit Storm with the five star frog splash but Jeff Hardy had run down to the ring and distracted the referee from applying the three count and also allowing Matt Hardy to get in the ring and perfom the twist of hate onto RVD. Storm was able to cover RVD and get the pin.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Bully Ray + Brian Kendrick: Kendrick was lecturing Ray about something when he accidentally called him “Brother” Ray which infuriated Ray and Ray loudly corrected him and said he is “Bully” Ray. Kendrick apologized. Kendrick began giving Ray new age advice to help relax him. Kendrick walked him through breathing in through his nose with his eyes closed. Ray asked Kendrick to show him how to do it one more time and when Kendrick closed his eyes Ray shoved Kendrick hard into the lockers behind him.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT
Jeff Jarrett & Ric Flair & Eric Bischoff: Flair was incredibly angry that he had been pulled into the Jarrett/Angle situation and spent most of the time saying he is out of it and doesn’t want to be in it. Bischoff told Jarrett to go to the ring and that Bischoff would have Jarrett’s back.
IN THE RING
Brother Devon + Bully Ray: Devon criticized Ray for shoving people into lockers and asked Ray to get to the ring so they could finish what they started at the Genesis PPV. Bully Ray came out to the top of the ramp and taunted Devon. Devon kept inviting Ray into the ring and Ray kept asking Devon to meet him at the ramp. It was Brian Kendrick that solved the problem by attacking Ray from behind and shoving him in the ring. Ray attempted to use a steel chain on Devon but Devon stopped him and just as Devon was about to use the chain himself security intervened. This gave Ray the opportunity to attack Devon again. Ray then knocked out all the security members then got a steel chair from outside the ring. He placed Devon’s head into the steel chair then hit the chair hard with the steel chain.
BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: Kurt Angle was still walking the backstage hallways with a baseball bat in hand.
IN THE RING
Kurt Angle + Jeff Jarrett & Gunner & Murphy + Karen Angle + Immortal + Abyss + Crimson: Angle stood in the ring waiting for Jarrett. When he came out he was accompanied by Gunner & Murphy. Jarrett sent those two down to try to take out Angle but Angle took on both men with relative ease for a minute. Finally, Murphy got some offense in and Jeff Jarrett joined the fight. The three of them continued to beat down on Angle until Angle managed to duck a clothesline from Jarrett causing him to hit Gunner instead. Angle got rid of Gunner & Murphy and put Jarrett into a rear naked choke. Karen Angle ran down to the ring and started screaming for help. That’s when Immortal ran in. Ric Flair & Jeff Hardy & Beer Money (Robert Roode & James Storm) & Kazarian & A.J. Styles, & Rob Terry. Everyone continued to beat down on Angle until Abyss walked out onto the top of the ramp. He had his arms held out to his sides while Flair and others were waving at him to join them in the ring but instead Abyss fell face first onto the ground and we could see that 2X4 with nails driven through it (Abyss calls it Janice) sticking out of his back. Once the circumstances had set into those in the ring, Crimson walked out onto the ramp wearing a very nice black suit with a red tie. Crimson warned again that February 3rd “THEY” are coming. This distraction allowed Angle to recuperate and attack Immortal. He successful drove them out of the ring.
