5/31/12 TNA Impact Wrestling Recap

May 31, 2012 - by Steve Gerweck

* Live from Orlando, FL

(1) TNA World Champion Bobby Roode vs. Sting in a lumberjack match. The two go at it seconds before the bell rings. Kurt Angle, Austin Aries, Crimon, RVD, Eric Young, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson, are among the lumberjacks that surround the ring. Early Stinger splash attempt unsuccessful. RVD helped to toss champion Roode back into the ring in the early moments of the match up. As Sting battles the lumberjacks on the outside of the ring, we take our first commercial break.

Announcer say that during the break, Roode had been all over the Stinger. Sting gains control, and hits the Stinger splash in the corner. Sting dove over the top rope onto the lumberjacks. Fans start a “TNA, TNA” chant. Roode applied a crossface, as the fans chant “let’s go Sting.” Sting gets the break by getting to the ropes. Scorpion death drop, into a Scorpion death lock by Sting. Roode taps at 13:37. Sting wins.

General Manager Hulk Hogan makes his way to the ring after the lumberjack match. Hogan said Stinger is Impact’s #1 man. Hogan announces that Roode will defend the TNA title at Slammiversary against Sting. Hopefully Roode doesn’t bring his lawyer to the PPV as he does at house shows and makes it a non-title match.

For tonight:
– AJ Styles vs. Daniels
– Devon vs. ? (fans decide)
– Brooke Hogan is in the house

– We see a promo backstage with Madison Rayne saying she will get along fine with Brooke Hogan.

– In the ring, Bully Ray is looking for Joseph Parks. Who is sitting in the crowd eating popcorn. Bully Ray wants the truck to show what happened last week, with Ray attacking Parks in the ring with a chain. Bully Ray wants to fight Parks right now. Parks, dressed in a suit, doesn’t want to fight. Ray says he is a crowd, as is his mother, father, and brother Abyss. Security grabs Parks, but Ray tells security to ring. Parks gets into the ring, as the fans encourage him to “fight, fight, fight.” Parks doesn’t want to fight. Ray changes his plea to guilty for leaving Abyss for dead. Parks grabs Ray, but Bully Ray says if he gets hit by Parks, he’ll sue him. “Hit him, hit him” shouted the fans. But Parks says he will not stump to his level. Bully Ray said like his brother, Parks is a crowd. Ray walks away, but Parks says lets fight right now. Bully Ray says they will fight at Slammiversary. I guess he has booking power in TNA.

– Up next, Austin Aries vs. Chris Sabin for the X-division title.

– We see a video package for Crimson. Crimson says he can’t be beat.

(2) X-division title match: Austin Aries vs. Chris Sabin. Mike Tenay did acknowledge that Sabin has been predominately a tag team wrestler with partner Alex Shelley in recent times, but put over that Sabin is a four time X-division champion. Aries connects with a suicide dive, knocking Sabin into the security fence. Great missile drop kick by Aries. Sabin gets the upper hand, and baseball slides the champion out of the ring. Aries pins Sabin at 3:49 to retain the X-division title. Way too short for these guys.

– We see a recorded segment with Hulk Hogan talking to Taz about Gut Check. Hogan thanks Taz, Taz thanks him. Hogan wants him to call it like he sees it. Hogan said that Gut Check is the future of the company.

– We see Al Snow, Bruce Pritchard, and Taz looking at TNA Gut Check tapes in Nashville yesterday. They are evaluating Joey Ryan.

– Up next, Brooke Hogan.

– Backstage, Hardy, RVD, Anderson, and Robbie E are with Jeremy Borash. We will find out soon who will get the TNA TV title shot at Devon. JB encourages to vote quickly at impactwrestling.com

– Dixie Carter makes her way to the ring. Carter says we are days way from TNA turning 10 years ago. Dixie thanks the fans. She said at Slammiversary, they will announce the first inductee into the TNA HALL OF FAME. You read that correctly. Carter said Brooke Hogan was born into the wrestling business and introduces Brooke Hogan as the next executive in charge of the Knockout division. Carter is very excited for Brooke being apart of the company. Brooke thanks the fans for welcoming her. Brooke said she is passionate, and grew up in wrestling. She thanks Carter, and the knockouts.

– Backstage, Daniels and Kazarian can’t believe their ears.

– Up next, Devon vs. ?

– We relived Christian Cage coming to TNA.

(3) TNA Television title match: Devon vs. Jeff Hardy. Backstage, JB revealed that Jeff Hardy had won the fan voting, and will face Devon for the title. Jumping neck breaker by Devon, but only a two count. “Lets go Hardy, Lets Devon” chants the fans. Robbie T and Robbie E interferes and attacking both Devon and Hardy. Devon gains the upper hand, and Hardy & Devon clear the ring. The match is officially thrown out at 4:20. Guess RVD should have gotten the title shot.

– We see James Storm at his home with his horse and daughter. He says it doesn’t get any better than this. Storm talks about losing to Bobby Roode in Nashville. Storm said he doesn’t like letting people down. She doesn’t want to let Dixie Carter down. Ryan questions Prichard denying 87% of the TNA fan base wanting his services.

– We see a recap of the AJ/Dixie, Kaz/Daniels storyline.

– In the ring, Pritchard, Snow, and Taz with JB judging Gutcheck participant Joey Ryan. Ryan said he is trending world wide on Twitter, and said he is a big deal and people know him. Pritchard says no to Joey Ryan. Al Snow doesn’t like Ryan, but he says yes to Ryan. Ryan questions Pritchard saying no with 87% of the TNA fan base wanting his services. Ryan and Taz get into a verbal jousting, and ultimately Taz says no.

– Up next, AJ Styles vs. Daniels. Wrestling matters? Not much time devoted to wrestling thus far.

– We see Bobby Roode talking about doing it all, and becoming the longest reigning TNA champion.

(4) AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels. As Daniels kicks Styles on the outside of the ring, we go to a commercial break. Kazarian distracted AJ, but Styles regained the upper hand and hit the Styles Clash for the victory at 10:31. After the match, Styles and Kazarian beat down Styles, but Kurt Angles came out to make the save. Ankle lock applied on Kazarian, but Daniels hit a low blow on Angle. High Low on Angle. Daniels and Kazarian tie Angle to the ropes, and beat him down. Daniels grabs the mic, and fans chant “you suck.” Daniels said they have proof of the Styles-Dixie Carter relationship. They play a taped phone call between Daniels and Styles. Carter comes out and tells them to cut it off. “You are finished” is the last words we hear Carter yelling.

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