TNA Impact TV results & recap (August 19): EC3 vs. PJ Black World title match
By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com
Last week, we got the “GFW/TNA supershow” which was hyped up mainly on Youtube and social media with zero mentions of it happening on TV the prior week. Jeff Jarrett opened Impact Wrestling by talking about how Global Force Wrestling was the place to go for world-class competition and the best wrestlers in the planet. He also announced that his in-ring story has been told in TNA, and vacated the Legends/Global/World TV/King of the Mountain/Western States Heritage Championship and put it on the line in a KOTM match.
Instead of TNA fans chanting “drop the title” at him, the goal was to hang Jarrett’s title from a ring, and PJ Black did just that. He also chatted on his phone at all times and said before that the match was just another match and didn’t really seem to care if he won or lost. Despite being the Darewolf, he didn’t do much other than a 450 off the middle of the ladder, while Robbie E dove off the penalty box and ate a piledriver on the steps from Eric Young to take him out of the match. Jeff Jarrett also told Dixie to trust him over and over, The Wolves beat GFW’s Trevor Lee and Bryan Myers like a pair of jobbers, and Lei’D Tapa returned with her husband as a manager to face and go to a double countout with Awesome Kong in a fairly bad match. It wasn’t exactly a good show, but kudos to Jeff for getting his non-TV company broadcast on global television without paying a dime for it and actually ensuring paydays for himself and his roster.
Tonight’s show is a “No Surrender” edition of Impact, which wasn’t brought up until last week’s show. Ken Anderson faces Bram in an open mic match, Gail faces the Dollhouse in a cage, and PJ Black’s KOTM Title win gets him a shot at EC3’s World Title. The show opens with a recap of all of last week’s card and Lashley’s super-spear giving PJ Black the title. According to the graphics, this show is now Turning Point – and according to Josh, the term has never meant more. This show has had one week of hype – it could literally not mean less unless they just announced it tonight.
In the arena, the show begins with TNA/GFW’s husband and wife duo Jeff and Karen Jarrett coming out. Jeff is in torn jeans and a GFW shirt talking about how the baseball stadium shows are setting the world on fire and now a “Global Force” chant is starting. Jeff hypes up PJ Black vs. EC3 as the first-ever match of a GFW athlete going for the TNA World title. EC3 in red and gold gear comes down with Tyrus and mocks his early ’90s WWF gimmick with an awful Southern accent. EC3 boycotts the title match before Karen shuts him down and says that Jeff still has an ownership stake in it. Karen says EC3’s just upset over Jeff being put in charge over him. Karen implies that EC3 attacked Bully and Drew Galloway. EC3 says that this isn’t CSI and she has no evidence. EC3 tries to leave before Jeff calls him Eddie Haskel and Jeff says he’ll talk to Aunt D and he’ll either defend it or get stripped. Hopefully of the title and not his clothes, although Jeff wasn’t specific.
At the announcing area, Pope has the KOTM Title toy belt on his action figure and he bickers with Josh about tonight’s matches – which now includes Drew vs. Eli in a no DQ match. Drew arrives to the building and says he got attacked, Bully got attacked, and Eli took him out apparently. Perpetual TNA re-signee Bram came down to face Mr. Anderson. Anderson comes down and Josh says they’ll explain the rules after the break. Heaven forbid rules be explained before the match or anything. Jeff Hardy’s DVD ad airs.
Mr. Anderson vs. Bram in an Open Mic Challenge
Ken jumps the gun with a lariat and some punches. He gets a neckbreaker and goes for a table. Josh says that the man who gets the mic can use it. Anderson sets the table up at ringside and gets the Lambeau Leap off the apron through the table to the floor. Now he’s got a ladder – why even go for the mic when you can use longer range weapons like these? The ladder is set up and now the ladder makes sense – the mic is suspended above the ring, so it’s just a ladder match with a mic instead of a title. Bram gets the impaler DDT, but Ken gets up and eats some shots into the ladder. Bram gets a lariat.
Bram throws a ton of chairs into the ring here in this mic-based match. He piles the chairs up ala Ambrose in that awesome Cesaro-Ambrose street fight on SmackDown a year or so ago. Ken throws him into the ladder and hits a very weak lariat. Anderson goes up, but eats a powerbomb onto the chairs off the ladder. Bram grabs the mic and sings to Ken, but he gets caught going for a mic shot and eats a Mic Check onto the chairs before hitting him a ton with the mic. Ken cuts a promo on Bram, says his name twice and smashes him with the mic for the win. Boy howdy did this turn around – it started off as nothing special and then got both really fun to watch and pretty good. This was Anderson’s best match on Impact in a while.
Backstage, Bobby Roode is pissed off at Jeff Jarrett for not putting him in the main event last week – Jeff leaves and Bobby is still angry. After a break, EC3 is interviewed and mocks Jeff’s accent again and pleads to Dixie to not be stripped of the title. Storm, Manik, and Abyss come down to the ring. Josh talks about the issues Storm has had with Sheera while Storm talks about all of the rewards you get in the Revolution without being specific. Unlimited access to the clubhouse? Free ghosthunting services from the Destination America guys? 10% off dental discounts? Storm says he helped teach Sheera English, took him into his home, and rode with him to teach him the way.
Sheera says he did everything, but Storm didn’t do anything for him. They argue over his name for a bit before getting into a great exchange. I LOVE DANCE AND THESE PEOPLE LOVE DANCE! Sheera showed something here. Sheera does “the Sheera dance” according to Josh and he does it with the fans and moves Manik’s arms around to do it too. Sheera attacks Storm and now Josh is a face and is for Sheera, while Pope is defending the Revolution attacking him. Abyss chokeslams him and then Manik frogsplashes him while Josh says that maybe he was apprehensive about that. Stiorm superkicks Sheera and says he’ll cut him down. Gail Kim is walking backstage before facing the Dolls next.
Backstage, JB talks about how this a historic event. He meets with PJ Black who says that in week one, he won the KOTM Title, but in week two, he’ll be World champ. Then Eric Young runs in and rants and raves. Jade and Marti come down to face Gail, and we see the history of their story for both that intro and during Gail’s. Josh says that Taryn ran out of Florida last time, and since she was in lingerie, I hope she at least changed into something else before hailing a cab or whatever.
Gail Kim vs. The Dolls – Cage Match
Gail uses defensive rolls to create offense and gets the edge with some lariats and a dropkick before stomping a mudhole in the corner. A legsweep and stomach kick hit for the Dolls and get a 2 count. Jade gets a cannonball after a double knee shot from Marti for 2. After a break, Gail gets a seated Octopus stretch, but Jade kicks her back. The Dolls hit a Kaientai clutch dropkick for 2. The Dolls go to escape, but Gail hits Jade with a rana off the top rope. Jade lifts her up into a tree slam and runs her into the cage a few times. Pope is apparently a heel now and is supporting the Dolls. Gail gets 3/4 of the way up the cage and does a blind diving bodypress onto the Dolls. Gail counters a double suplex into a DDT to both. After a cage dive miscue hits the wrong person, Gail beats Marti with Eat Defeat. Josh praises Gail for her “performance” and I’m sure he’ll soon say the Dolls are headed to a “local medical facility”.
Backstage, Jeff met with Dixie and told her he was here as TNA Shareholder Jeff Jarrett and not GFW Owner Jeff Jarrett, while in a GFW shirt. EC3 comes in and Dixie says they’ve made a decision – he’d better get in the ring tonight. Okay then. Eli Drake vs. Drew Galloway is up next. A World Cup of Wrestling PPV ad airs and then we get some highlights from the cage match. Backstage, Gail runs around backstage to look for Taryn with some bad acting. EC3 talks to Tyrus while Matt Hardy yells at him about how they aren’t done. Why? EC3 beat him cleanly and now Matt’s bullying EC3. Matt is facing Tyrus at some point. Josh runs down the Road to BFG tour dates. Eli Drake is mid-ring in a goofy X-shaped vest with ED on it? Is he a superhero who suffers from erectile dysfunction?
Eli Drake vs. Drew Galloway – No DQ Match
Drew punches and kicks away before they fight on the floor and Drew gets a chair that is used against his own midsection by Eli. Drew slams him against the steps and slaps him. Drew eats another chairshot to the ribs while Josh talks like this match has been going on for ages two minutes in. Eli gets a chinlock before slamming him for 2. Drew comes back with clotheslines and gets about a billion good punches in the corner. After a match full of chair use, Josh notes that since this is a no DQ match, Drew can bring the chair in and not be DQed. Drake kicks the rope into his crotch and gets a DDT into the chair for 2. Drew sends Eli headfirst into a corner-set chair and then Drew stomps his foot.
Instead of signalling for a superkick, he’s “standing up”, so he goes out and gets a table. Eli kicks the table into his face and gets his crutch from under the ring. Drew hits an overhead belly to belly and tries to toss Drake into a corner table, but he stops shirt, kicks him in the balls and hits him with the crutch in the back. Eli sets up a second table, puts Drew on it, but he eats a Sick Kick up top and hits a super Kryptonite Krunch for the win. This was pretty good – not amazing, but they’ve got solid chemistry together.
Backstage, Velvet traps Taryn for Gail. After a break, Gail gets to Taryn and she sets her own hand up to be broken while Velvet takes the camera man away…so they’re heels now, right? Shouldn’t babyfaces hold themselves to a higher standard than the heels instead of lowering themselves to their level?
Eric Young rants about being a world class maniac and how the world title goes through him. Chris Melendez, a true hero, came down to save us from more of this promo. Eric rants about him being done with Melendez and screeches at him to leave. Melendez says he’ll do anything to get this rematch and EY makes him put his leg on the line for the match. Melendez accepts and they get into a brief brawl won by Melendez while Josh runs down “the story”. Next, Matt Hardy faces Tyrus.
Backstage, Jeff meets with Dixie about EC3. Dixie says she’s prepared to strip the title from him if need be, while Jeff wants to talk about something else. Tyrus and his new very orange tron come down to EC3’s theme. Matt Hardy has a new one with a giant neon green “MH” with one letter taking up each of the left and right side trons.
Matt Hardy vs. Tyrus
Matt punches away at the midsection, which is pretty stupid and Tyrus takes control with a slam. Tyrus has the right half of his head shaved, a mohawk, and thicker growth on the left side – it’s a weird look. Matt sends Tyrus into a ringpost while Josh talks about Turning Point trending and recaps the events of tonight’s show. Tyrus gets a t-bone and a Vader bomb, but eats a Twist of Fate, gets up, and eats a second for a loss. EC3 jumps Matt, which Josh supports – so he’s a heel in this segment. EC3 says that he wants Jeff’s best so he can sacrifice them on his alter. PJ comes down to his theme sung by Jeff Hardy and the main event is ready to go…after a break.
EC3 vs. PJ Black – TNA World Title Match
EC3 gets an early edge, but eats a series of corner chops and forearms. PJ hits a sliding dropkick and a corkscrew dive over the top. A springboard crossbody is met with a dropkick for 2. Some kids chant for PJ Black, which bodes well for him already having some fan support. EC3 gets a chinlock and Josh yammers on about how EC3 is defending TNA for all of us. PJ takes EC3 down and gets a springboard splash for 2. He goes up for a 450, but EC3 meets him and gets a superplex for 2.
PJ gets a nice spinning back elbow and a high kick to send him down. Moonsault off the top gets 2. PJ is shining brightly here. PJ goes for a top-rope Lionsault, but rolls through it when EC3 moves, leading to EC3 getting a seated Rampage powerbomb for 2.5. PJ counters the headlock driver with a Blue Thunder bomb for 2. Josh, who has been with TNA for under a year, says that the chants for PJ infuriate him as a TNA guy. PJ gets the springboard 450, but EC3 kicks out. PJ goes up top, but he gets crotched, hit with a headlock driver, and EC3 wins. This overdelivered, and it was a perfect showcase for what PJ Black could’ve done in WWE if he had been given much of a chance outside of Superstars.
Jeff and Dixie talk backstage. Jeff is impressed by EC3, and says they’ve got to do back to back big matches. Last week, they had KOTM, tonight, they had a World Title match. He plays on Dixie’s nostalgia for the glory days of TNA by wanting to run TNA Impact on a weekly basis. She feels good about it, and wants one week to decide. Next week, we find out who has been attacking people and get three title matches.
To see every screenshot taken for the show, just click here.