9/8/11 Impact Wrestling Recap
A video package focusing on Jeff Hardy’s return kicks off Impact Wrestling as several wrestlers give their thoughts on Hardy and his personal demons. The conclusion of last week’s episode is also highlighted which saw Kurt Angle retain the TNA World Championship over Sting and the return of Mr. Anderson.
Mr. Anderson’s music hits as he comes out to the live crowd in Huntsville, AL. Anderson comes down to the ring and says that he has made a deal with the devils, being Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, and regrets making that business decision. Anderson says because of Bully Ray, he is on the outside of Immortal and thanks him for that, before saying he is going to be a pain in their asses and it is going to start tonight as he plans on going after their new guy, Kurt Angle.
Anderson says Angle has been so concerned with Sting over the past few weeks that he has overlooked the fact that Anderson still has a rematch for the TNA World Championship, and he is going to cash in on that opportunity tonight. Anderson then says that he knows Angle won’t come alone, so he is bring backup of his own as Sting’s music hits.
Sting makes his way to the ring and says Immortal failed to take him out last week and this week he is wielding the power of the network. Sting says they gave him the power to be the special enforcer of tonight’s main event. Sting then says he is going to keep going after Hogan until he takes away all of the power that he has. Sting and Anderson then hug each other in the ring as the announce team hypes the main event.
The announce team run down tonight’s card that will feature a tag team Knockouts match, a four-way match with the final four Bound for Glory Series competitors, Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle for the TNA World Championship and the return of Jeff Hardy.
Match 1: Devon & D’Angelo Dinero vs. the British Invasion (#1 Contenders for TNA Tag Team Championship)
Mexican America joins the announce team for this match to get an up close view of who they will be facing this Sunday at No Surrender. The match starts and Devon quickly takes Magnus down and picks up a near fall. The Pope is tagged in and continues going after Magnus until Douglas Williams causes a distraction, which allows Magnus to take the Pope down to the canvas.
The British Invasion then work over Pope with quick tags in and out of the ring and Magnus picks up a near fall for his team after taking Pope down with a hard clothesline. The British Invasion hits a double team move to pick up another near fall, however, some miscommunication allows Pope to turn the tide of the match as he tags Devon into the match.
Devon comes in and takes out both members of the British Invasion and and picks up a few near falls in the process. Devon finally puts the match away by slamming Williams down to the mat and picks up the three count.
Kurt Angle is backstage and says he will believe that Jeff Hardy is coming back when he sees it with his own eyes. As for his match, he will be doing Hulk Hogan a favor by taking out both Mr. Anderson and Sting at the same time. MMA fighter, Eddie Alvarez, shows up as Angle walks off with him and talks about his training for his upcoming MMA bout.
A Bound for Glory Series video package is aired as the No Surrender matches are revealed and it will be Robert Roode facing Gunner and Bully Ray taking on James Storm. The four are then seen standing in the ring as Bully Ray chases off Jeremy Borash. Ray grabs the microphone and gives Beer Money respect for being a great tag team, however, he says it will eat them up since they are now thinking about competing for the World Championship. He then says he knows Gunner will do what is right and make sure Ray wins the series and says that he plans on inflicting pain on both of them tonight to make sure they can’t compete on Sunday.
Robert Roode grabs the microphone and says nothing that Ray says has any affect on him. Roode agrees that Beer Money will go down as one of the greatest tag teams of all time, but both he and James Storm have their eyes set on becoming the TNA World Champion and says it is a dream for both of them. Roode says it is a dream that all of the guys in the back have and asks Ray who will be the better man on Sunday night. Roode says he knows for a fact that it won’t be either Ray or Gunner. Roode then promises that either himself or Storm will walk out of Bound for Glory as the World Champion and they will be there to share it with each other. James Storm says he couldn’t have said it better himself as he adds in a “sorry about your damn luck.”
We see footage of Eddie Alvarez in action as he joins the announce team for the upcoming title match.
Match 2: Eric Young vs. Robbie E. (TNA Television Championship)
The match starts as EY quickly takes Robbie down but Robbie is able to trip up Young and picks up a near fall while using the ropes for leverage. Robbie continues on the attack as the announce team hype the upcoming Bellator event coming up this Saturday. Robbie continues to try to use the ropes for leverage as referee Earl Hebner catches on and refuses to even make a count. Robbie begins to argue with Hebner as Young takes control and almost puts Robbie away with an top rope elbow drop. EY then hits a piledriver to pick up the pin fall to retain the TNA Television Championship. After the match, Rob Terry comes out and takes EY out with a powerbomb as we head into a commercial break.
Rob Van Dam is seen walking backstage and walks into Jerry Lynn’s locker room. RVD says Lynn screwed him over and Lynn says he is tired of RVD being the superstar and how he only gets used to put on a good match. Lynn says Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff smartened him up and said he is on the same level as RVD. Lynn says he is better than him and admits to screwing him as RVD takes him out with a punch to the head and a kick to the gut. RVD says it looks like he is standing over him now and walks out.
Velvet Sky and Mickie James are in the locker room and Velvet wonders what it would be like to have the TNA Knockouts Championship around her waist. Mickie says it will happen someday but they need to focus on their match tonight. Karen Jarrett walks in and congratulates Mickie on becoming the Knockouts Champion and tells her that she granted Winter a rematch at No Surrender. She then tells Velvet to lose a few pounds and says that the order has come from management.
Jeff Hardy is seen walking around backstage as we head into the TNA World Championship match.
Match 3: Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle (TNA World Championship w/ Sting as Special Enforcer)
Jeremy Borash handles the formal introductions for this title match. The crowd starts an “Angle sucks!” chant as the bell rings. The match starts Anderson and Angle grapple back and forth as Angle takes Anderson down with a side headlock. Anderson fights his way out of it and takes Angle down before hitting a spinning neckbreaker. Anderson tries for a couple of pin attempts before Angle comes back with a clothesline and takes Anderson down.
Angle continues wearing down Anderson with a headlock and picks up a two count after connecting with a knee to Anderson’s midsection. Angle and Anderson then take each other out with clotheslines as the referee starts a 10 count, in which both get up at 8 and begin going back and forth with blows. Angle is finally able to take Anderson down with a belly-to-belly suplex and picks up another near fall. Angle then tries for an Angle Slam but Anderson counters and takes Angle down.
Anderson then sets up for the Mic Check but Angle counters and hits Anderson with a series of German suplexes for another near fall. Angle then puts Anderson in an ankle lock in the middle of the ring but Anderson rolls up Angle for a near fall. Anderson then connects with a Mic Check and nearly puts Angle away but he is able to get his shoulder up at the last second. The action continues as referee is inadvertently hit in the face. Angle then kicks Anderson below the belt and hits the Angle slam but Sting pulls out the referee as he is making the three count.
Sting explains his actions as Angle yells down at them from the ring. Anderson then grabs Angle and hits the Mic Check, however, Gunner runs in and interferes as the referee is making the count causing a disqualification. The rest of Immortal comes out and attacks both Anderson and Sting as the numbers game is too much for the two. Immortal continues beating them down as we head into a commercial break.
Immortal is seen celebrating in their locker room as Eric Bischoff tries to calm them down as he has a call he needs to take. Immortal leaves as Bischoff gets back on the phone and wonders if he is getting a prank call. Bischoff doesn’t seem to pleased as we head into the next match.
Match 4: Winter & Angelina Love vs. Mickie James & Velvet Sky
The match starts as Winter refuses to lock up with Mickie. Winter tags Angelina into the match as the two go at it. Mickie takes Angelina down with a hurricanrana and a clothesline but Angelina fights her way back into the match. Velvet makes the blind tag and goes after her former partner but Angelina quickly takes her down and tags Winter into the match. Velvet is able to counter Winter’s offense and takes her down with a head scissors but Angelina trips her up to give her partner the advantage.
Winter and Angelina isolate Velvet into their side of the ring and Winter picks up a near fall after hitting a bridging suplex. Angelina is tagged into the match and Velvet takes her down as she crawls to her corner and tags Mickie into the match as Winter is also tagged in. Mickie comes in and takes Winter down with a Lou Thesz press and picks up a near fall after hitting a neckbreaker. All four end up in the ring and Velvet takes Angelina out with a spear. Mickie goes after Winter, but Winter spits blood into Mickie’s face and picks up the pin fall. The announce team then hypes tonight’s main event as we head into a commercial break.
Austin Aries comes down to the ring and says that he has his sights set on Brian Kendrick and the X Division Championship. Aries calls Kendrick a hypocrite and says his actions don’t follow what he preaches. Austin then calls Kendrick out to face him man-to-man. Kendrick comes out wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Kendrick says he has been ridiculed all his life and says he is now dressing the part and cleaning up.
Kendrick asks the crowd if they like his look and says that he hates it while he begins to take off his suit. Kendrick begins to go off on a rant about society as Austin cuts him off and says that Kendrick has his championship. Austin calls Kendrick a fake and a fraud as Kendrick takes him down with a few punches. Kendrick then tries for the Sliced Bread #2 but Austin escapes the ring and runs up the ramp.
Hulk Hogan comes into the Immortal locker room and is all pumped up over what happened with Sting and Mr. Anderson. Eric Bischoff, though, sits on the couch with a concerned look on his face. Bischoff said the network called him and they want a three-way match at No Surrender with Kurt Angle defending the TNA World Championship against Mr. Anderson and Sting. Hogan freaks out and says he runs the company and they can’t do this. Bischoff says they have three days to figure something out. The announce team then hypes the main event as we head into a commercial break.
Jeff Hardy is seen walking backstage as we head to the announce team who hypes the No Surrender card by running down the matches on the card.
Match 5: Bully Ray vs. Gunner vs. James Storm vs. Robert Roode (Four Corners Tornado Match)
All four men will be in the match at the same time for this match. Prior to the bell, Samoa Joe begins to make his way towards the ring but Matt Morgan runs out after him and cuts him off. The two begin to brawl in the ringside area as the match begins in the ring. Security comes out to get Morgan and Joe out of there as the two members of Immortal is taking it to the two members of Beer Money.
Beer Money begins to work together and takes out Bully Ray before going after Gunner. Ray then sends Storm out to the floor as Gunner takes down Roode and goes for the pin fall. Roode kicks out and Ray begins to yell at Gunner and tells him that he is the one that is supposed to win the match. Gunner then continues to work over Roode as Ray goes for the pin attempt. Storm enters the ring and takes Ray down with a cross body block from the top rope and picks up a near fall. Storm then takes Gunner down with a neckbreaker for another near fall.
Ray ends up taking Storm out with a boot to the face as Roode rolls up Ray for a near fall. Roode then takes Ray down with a neckbreaker before turning his attention to Gunner. Roode takes Gunner down with a spinebuster but Ray breaks up the pin attempt. Roode then tosses Ray out to the floor as Beer Money look at each other before taking Gunner down with a double suplex. Beer Money then does their trademark chant as Ray sneaks in and takes them both down with clotheslines. Ray then takes Storm down with a Bubba Bomb as Gunner nails Ray with a running knee and picks up the pin fall.
Jeff Hardy is seen making his way towards the ring as we head into a commercial break.
A video package highlighting the upcoming match between Sting and Ric Flair is aired. If Sting wins, he will get a shot at Hulk Hogan at Bound for Glory.
Jeff Hardy’s music hits as he makes his way to the ring as he is greeted by the fans in Huntsville, AL. Hardy thanks the crowd but says he doesn’t deserve it. Hardy thanks the network for giving him the opportunity to come out and speak. Hardy talks about the last time he was in the ring and says he was messed up and let everyone down, including himself. Hardy continues by saying people are mad at him in the back and they have every right to be.
Hardy admits that he hit rock bottom at Victory Road as he becomes overwhelmed with emotion. Hardy says he can’t expect everyone to forgive him and says all he can do is ask to let him have one more shot. The crowd begins a “one more shot!” chant as he drops the microphone and leaves the ring and Impact Wrestling comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Devon & D’Angelo Dinero defeated the British Invasion by pin fall to become the #1 contenders to the TNA Tag Team Championship.
– Eric Young defeated Robbie E. by pin fall to retain the TNA Television Championship.
– Mr. Anderson defeated Kurt Angle by disqualification.
– Winter & Angelina Love defeated Mickie James & Velvet Sky by pin fall.
– Gunner defeated Bully Ray, James Storm and Robert Roode in a Four Corners Tornado Match.
