TNA Impact TV taping results (Birmingham, UK): Kurt Angle’s final match; possible injury to a champion

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Submitted by Tom Griffiths

– Big Damo & Jimmy Havoc vs. Mike Bennett (No Maria) & Drew Galloway (Jokers Wild) (One Night Only)

The match was basically a handicap match, with Bennett & Galloway doing the partners not getting along deal, as they are currently in a program together, although by the time this airs it probably won’t be the case, but who knows. As I say, 2-on-1 with Galloway in-ring for his team, at one point he went to tag Bennett who dropped down from the apron, then later he wanted the tag and Drew wouldn’t give it to him, Galloway made his comeback, hit the double-arm DDT, Bennett made a tag without Drew’s consent, threw him from the ring, and stole the pin. Drew was one of the more over guys on the show, Havoc got a nice reaction, the match was fine.

– Matt Hardy promo to open, he’s said he has beaten EC3 so many times it’s now boring. He’ll never get a shot at Hardy again. Introduces Rockstar Spud (to his hometown). Points out that 1 year ago EC3 left him battered and bloodied, with his head shaved. Now the public are jumping on the latest bandwagon supporting EC3. He took some good old fashioned revenge, and took what EC3 craved. EC3 eventually interrupts with a run in and beats Tyrus, then Hardy. Spud tries to attack, but ends up getting away. EC3 challenges Spud to a “fight”, no ref, no rules.

Xplosion:

– Jessie Godderz beat Tigre Uno by submission with a Boston crab.

Impact Episode 1:

– Here came an hilarious part of the show for me personally. A time or two before this, Borash had added an incentive for the crowd being rowdy, the incentive being particular fans that were seen as the most rowdy would get backstage passes, which they seemed to follow through with. But this time he took it up another level. He encouraged the fans to give Gail a great ovation for the following segment, and said these extra rowdy fans would get to go in the knockouts locker room! Needless to say Gail came out, all the pervs and the place in general went nuts, and she got most probably the biggest reaction of the entire show. Maybe this is commonplace in wrestling, but this was a first for me, and I was in a fit of laughter. So when this airs, if you see some random guy in a second row laughing hysterically, that’s me.

Gail cut a promo on Maria and her involvement in the cage match, said the knockouts division has always been about wrestling and all Maria does is talk etc., calls her out, Maria comes out, doesn’t want to fight, waffles on-and-on (I was tired before the show, and I was already getting agitated as this was close to an-hour-and-a-half into the show and we’d seen two short matches, so I wasn’t paying great attention), they go back-and-forth on the mic, Maria walks-off (was standing outside the ring the whole time), Gail chases her, gets jumped by Jade who gives her a beating on the entrance ramp, grabs the mic, cuts a promo on Gail, holds the title aloft and makes clear our next knockouts program.    

Birmingham street fight: EC3 vs Rockstar Spud

We were told by JB beforehand Dixie had made this match. No ref, both guys in street clothes. Standard street fight, lots of brawling around ringside, chair involvement, Carter took a lot of the match with Spud getting on top via shortcuts, crowd wanted tables, eventually got a table, EC3 powerbombed Spud through the table in-ring, locked him in a Cobra Clutch, Spud began tapping frantically, refs, Pat Kenney and maybe some other officials came running down, pulled EC3 off and successfully persuaded him that enough-was-enough.

Impact Episode 2:

– Opens with Dixie carter in ring, TNA roster outside ring. They’re here to celebrate Kurt Angle. Dixie hoped this day would never come, and can’t thank Angle enough for everything he’s done. Drew Galloway gets in the ring, says it was an honor to be picked to wrestle him on his farewell tour. Asks him please don’t go, but then says thank you so much. Angle talks, says he came to TNA to find himself, he’s a better person for being here. Bobby Lashley interrupts. It’s a bad day, but a great experience, an amazing thing for him, so thank you. But, he can see it as he looks at
Angle’s eyes and Kurt’s just not ready to wrestle him.

– Borash mentions this is the Feast or Fired episode of impact, and we’ll find out who got what later.

Xplosion:

– Marti Bell and Rebel of Dollhouse vs Beautiful People (Rayne & Sky)

Crowd were really into The Beautiful People, especially Velvet, match was what you’d expect to be polite, but it wasn’t atrocious. Velvet won with a stunner, or some sort of variation. Not sure who she pinned.

Impact:

– King of The Mountain Title Match: Bram, EY, Will Osprey, Jimmy Havoc and Big Damo.

Match didn’t seem that long, Ospreay had his fans, Ospreay took a bump off the ladder into the turnbuckle and appeared to get momentarily wedged between buckle and ladder but seemed ok, Havoc did a dive off the penalty box onto multiple combatants, Young & Bram did the deal where heel partners start off working together and then prize gets between them, Havox took a piledriver from Young onto the steps, Ospreay was climbing the ladder and then Young leaped from the top rope and caught him with a flying neckbreaker from the ladder which led to the Young win. 

Feast or Fired briefcases:

  • Beer Money: Tag title shot
  • Eli Drake: KOTM title shot
  • Drew Galloway: World title shot
  • Grade: Fired

– Mike Bennett & Maria come out for a promo, Bennett talks about Angle leaving and Carter having his chances, says he’s going to be #1 contender and win the title, as well as save wrestling, asks Dixie to come out and grant his request, Drew comes out, they go back-and-forth on the mic, Bennett tells Drew to go and get Dixie for him, Drew turns to do so and then turns back around and attacks Bennett, Bennett powders to end the segment.

– Knockouts Champion Gail Kim vs Jade.

Nice match, been a big admirer of Gail’s for a number of years, crowd really got into it. Gail did this ridiculous spot where he did a rope-walk whilst holding onto Jade, then leaped onto Jade for a hurricanrana, who reversed it into a powerbomb. I think she was ok, but it didn’t look pretty and was a pretty risky spot. Finish came when Gail performed a flying crossbody, Jade reversed the pin, then Gail reversed again for the win. The crossbody may’ve came a little earlier, but it definitely ended with the pinning sequence. With the nature of the finish this appeared to set-up another match, and for the aftermath Jade was screaming at Gail from the ring while Gail was on the ramp in a way that seemed to suggest this.

– TNA Tag Champions Wolves vs Beer Money

Crowd were super into Beer Money, really hot for the match, probably the most over match on the show, nice match, probably really good (again, I was beat), loud “this is awesome” chants, Davey Richards got injured leaping from the top rope and taking a super Codebreaker, after taking it whilst lying on the mat he faced my side of the arena clearly in a lot of pain, clutch his knee or shin (would think he injured his knee), rolled outside, Earl Hebner communicated with him and threw up the X, there was a “conference” between the three guys, they went a few more minutes with just the three guys, Hebner communicated with Richards just before the finish, DWI on Edwards by Beer Money to win the titles. Richards was helped to back by doctors and officials. Wouldn’t like to speculate but didn’t look good.

– Borash is about to introduce the Angle-Lashley match, Grado comes running down (pretty over), says he has video evidence that he was screwed out of his job, is about to cue it when Drake & Godderz come out, cut a promo on Grado, 2-on-1 beatdown, Shera makes the save (who maybe the worst wrestler I’ve ever seen live, he looked terrible) Shera gets clobbered from behind with the briefcase by Drake, Drake & Godderz set Grado up for a briefcase shot, miscue, Jesse eats the briefcase, RKO on Drake, Grado steals the briefcase to end the segment.

– Kurt Angle vs Lashley:

Amateur wrestling to start-off, Germans from Kurt, Lashley powders, Kurt works over Lashley, Snake-Eyes for the transition move, Lashley works over Kurt, particularly his neck (being very careful of course), Angle makes his comeback with suplexes galore, Angle Slam nearfall, a Powerslam nearfall for Lashley in here somewhere, Angle Lock escape from Lashley, Spinebuster nearfall for Lashley, two nearfalls from two separate Spears, goes for a third and hits the post, very long Angle Lock escape, Kurt did his deal where he wraps his legs around the ankle, pulled him back to the middle, this went on maybe a couple of minutes, really putting over Lashley, third Spear for the clean Lashley win. Crowd was starting to get tired, so they weren’t super-hot, but had their moments. Good match, but nothing fantastic, but again I taped-out long ago.

They embraced post-match, then as they were standing with their arms linked and aloft, Lashley ambushed Kurt with a punch and then gave him a fourth Spear to turn heel. I think there may’ve been a fifth Spear on Angle I’m not sure, Galloway ran down and attempted to calm the situation, turned his back and got a Spear for his troubles, Edwards ran down and got a Spear, absolutely monster heel Lashley, EC3 came down, there was a mid-ring stare-down, Lashley shot him a sly smile and backed-off, so Lashley-EC3 appear to be an upcoming big program, if this part airs, which I assume it does. Crowd really got into the post-match. Babyfaces all embraced Kurt and stood with their arms aloft, they left the ring to Kurt who cut a short promo saying wrestlers don’t show enough appreciation to their fans and greatly thanked the crowd, before departing with “I’ll see you again soon, some day”, or something to that effect. It was a nice moment.

One Night Only PPV taping

16 man gauntlet match, which for some reason only had 13 entrants. Borash said everybody would be involved but I saw no EC3, Lashley, Beer Money, Angle, or Richards (for obvious reason). Final four were Grado, Hardy, Galloway & Bennett, Hardy was eliminated, then Grado shortly afterwards, Bennett & Galloway went at it for a few minutes with Drew getting the win. Not a lot of people seemed to leave and they appeared to enjoy the gauntlet, especially with Drew winning who remained pretty over despite his numerous appearances throughout the show.  

Order of entry: Bennett, Mandrews, Tigre Uno, Jade, Will Osprey, Bram, Eric Young, Eddie Edwards, Drew Galloway, Matt Hardy, Tyrus, Rockstar Spud, Grado.

Order of elimination:

  • Mandrews by Bennett
  • Jade by Maria
  • Tigre uno by Bram
  • Osprey by Young
  • Young and Bram by Edwards
  • Edwards by Hardy
  • Tyrus by Grado
  • Spud by Galloway
  • Hardy by Grado
  • Grado by Bennett
  • Bennett by Drew Galloway