1/3/13 IMPACT WRESTLING RECAP
Join the Starman as he covers tonight’s Impact Wrestling broadcast as it happens live from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
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A “Previously on Impact Wrestling” recap kicks off the show and features the recent ongoings between Bobby Roode and Austin Aries. The friction between Hulk Hogan and Bully Ray is also focused on and it’s 1.3.13, which means the return of Sting. We head into the Impact Zone where the pyro goes off and Jeremy Borash is standing in the ring. Borash is there to announce the 2012 Wrestler of the Year.
Borash introduces the five finalists, and they are Bully Ray, James Storm, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, and Jeff Hardy. All five finalists stand on the entrance ramp until Roode and Aries begin walking to the ring thinking they are going to be the winner. Borash then announces Hardy as the winner as he makes his way to the ring to get his trophy as Roode and Aries look on with a look of shock in their faces.
Hardy grabs a microphone and says the trophy means just as much as the TNA World Championship as he had a great 2012 and earned it. Roode comes into the ring and can’t believe what he just heard. Roode says there was nothing more important than the title when he had it and thinks he should have gotten the trophy as he set records with his title reign. Aries steps in and says the vote must have been rigged as he averaged over four stars in his PPV matches and never even lost his X Division Championship.
Hardy has had enough and says he will take them both on at Genesis and 2013 will be the Year of the Enigma. Aries and Roode then attack Hardy and Aries tries to hit Hardy with his trophy, but Hardy ducks and Aries nails Roode instead. Hardy then takes Aries out with a Twist of Fate before grabbing his newly broken trophy and leaves the ring.
We join the announce team that talks about tonight’s loaded Impact which will feature Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe taking on Aces & Eights in a steel cage. Hulk Hogan is also in the house and Sting also returns to get his vengeance on Aces & Eights. James Storm is backstage and are interrupted by Bad Influence as Christopher Daniels does an impersonation of Storm. Storm retaliates by giving them some social media trash talk before spitting in Daniels’ “piss water” drink. Storm says he is going to walk back to the ring and the two of them can decide who wants to get their ass kicked as we head into a commercial break.
Match 1: James Storm vs. Kazarian
Both Christopher Daniels and Kazarian walk down to the ringside area. Daniels takes of and heads into the ring as Kazarian runs in and attacks Storm from behind. Storm comes back and takes Kazarian down with a Lou Thesz Press and sends Kazarian out to the floor. Storm leaps over the top rope and takes Kazarian out, however, a distraction from Daniels allows Kazarian to come back as he sends Storm into the railing. Kazarian continues working over Storm in the ring until Storm hits Kazarian with the Closing Time. Storm follows with a Russian leg sweep before heading to the top rope and hits Kazarian with an elbow drop for a near fall. Daniels causes another distraction, which allows Kazarian to regain control of the match. Storm again takes Kazarian down with the Closing Time and then connects with a Last Call superkick to pick up the pin fall.
We join Aces & Eights in their clubhouse as they are trying to get an answer from Mr. Anderson. Anderson says he is having a good time and wants to think about it a little while longer as he is enjoying their recruitment process. DOC steps in and wants an answer now as Sting is coming back tonight. Anderson picks up a hammer and tells DOC not to forget his little buddy as Devon thinks it’s going to be a good night.
Kenny King bumps into Kid Kash in the backstage area and King says he remembers seeing Kash on VHS. King talks about their upcoming matches in the X Division Championship Tournament and King hopes Kash beats Christian York tonight so they can meet in the finals.
We see a video recap of what has gone down over the past few months with Aces & Eights and how they took out Sting. The music for Aces & Eights hits as DOC makes his way to the ring by himself. DOC calls out Sting and tells him to join the party. Sting doesn’t show and it makes DOC irate who has to be censored as he tells Sting to come out and meet the man who will cripple him. A bat them drops into the ring as DOC says he isn’t afraid of Sting and tells him to cut out as we then cut to a abrupt commercial break.
We return to the show as we see Brooke Hogan in the parking lot who says she hasn’t seen her dad yet. The announce team then begin to hype the X Division Tournament and we will see the first match happen tonight, and that match is next.
Match 2: Kid Kash vs. Christian York (TNA X Division Tournament)
The match starts and the two quickly battle out to the floor where Kash takes York down with a hurricanrana. The match returns to the ring where York takes Kash down with a big boot to the face. Kash quickly comes back and takes York down but York is able to counter an attempt at a moonsault. York then does a slow moving handstand spring off the ropes, which shows his age, and connects with a kick that takes Kash down. York and Kash then counter each other for a bit until York connects with the Mood Swing to pick up the pin fall and advances to the finals at Genesis.
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez are backstage and Chavo says he isn’t scared of Joey Ryan, Matt Morgan, or anybody on the TNA roster as we head into a commercial break.
Matt Morgan is introduced for his match against Hernandez but he comes out with his arm in a sling. Morgan says accidents happen when he tosses as much weight around as he does in the gym. Morgan says he will be ready for Genesis, but until then, his partner will take on Hernandez. Ryan doesn’t seem to like the idea, but he gets in the ring anyway after a little pep talk from Morgan.
Match 3: Hernandez vs. Joey Ryan
Ryan enters the ring and Hernandez easily powers him around the ring. Morgan then grabs Hernandez’s leg and shows that his arm is fine. Morgan then comes in and takes Hernandez down with a discuss clothesline before taking Chavo out with a carbon footprint. The referee tosses this match out as Morgan stares into the camera and Ryan celebrates the beat down.
Hulk Hogan is seen walking backstage and he is making his way to the ring as we head into a commercial break.
Kurt Angle is backstage with Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff and thanks them for having their backs but tells the two they can stay back for their cage match tonight. Bischoff says they want to be on their side but Joe steps in and says they got it. Angle then turns to Joe and says he doesn’t know where Sting is tonight but he wants to unmask all of the Aces & Eights members.
Miss Tessmacher, Gail Kim, Tara, and Mickie James warming up in the backstage area as the four will be in tag team action tonight. We then see footage of the Hulk Hogan/Bully Ray/Brooke Hogan saga. Hogan’s music then hits as he makes his way to the ring and grabs a microphone. Hogan says he wants to get right down to business and says he got caught off guard two weeks ago when he saw his daughter and Bully Ray making out in the parking lot. Hogan says he wants to take care of business and calls out both Ray and Brooke to the ring.
The two come out together as Hogan talks about how Bully Ray broke the code by not letting Hogan know what was going on between them and Hogan wants to know why. Ray says he should have come clean with Hogan earlier. Hogan, though, goes off on a rant and says if this was 20 years ago, one of them would be gone by now. Since he is the general manager now, he is suspending Ray without pay and tells his daughter to go live with the decisions she has made and tells her to get out of the ring too. Ray can’t believe what just happened as he takes Brooke’s hand and the two leave the ring together. Ray asks Brooke what the hell is wrong with her father as we head into a commercial break.
A video recap of what just happened is aired as the announce team say they didn’t see the suspension of Bully Ray coming. We then see more footage of Joseph Park training at OVW where Danny Davis says Park has impressed him with his training every day of the week and how he has been studying video tapes non-stop. Park says he has been watching videos of Samoa Joe and even of his brother Abyss and says he will be a student of the game. Davis is seen telling Park that he has heart and wishes him luck in the future as Park leaves his office.
Match 4: Gail Kim & Tara vs. Mickie James & Miss Tessmacher
The match starts as Gail and Tara works together against Tessmacher in the opening moments. Mickie makes a blind tag into the match and the two work together to take Tara down. Tara heads out to the floor to regroup and gets into an argument with Gail as Mickie and Tessmacher run out and push them into each other. Back in the ring, Gail and Tara take out Mickie as Taryn Terrell has her hands full with Tessmacher and we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match and see Mickie fight her way back into the match and makes the hot tag to Tessmacher. Tara goes out to the floor, which leaves Gail and opening to take Tessmacher down. Tara and Gail begin to wear down Tessmacher and pick up a few near falls in the process. Tessmacher finally dodges Gail’s assault as Gail falls out to the floor. Tessmacher tries to crawl to her corner to make the tag but Gail drops Mickie out to the floor. Tara is tagged into the match and continues to work over Tessmacher until Tessmacher is able to block a standing moonsault.
Mickie is finally tagged into the match as she takes both Gail and Tara down. Mickie then takes Gail down with a neckbreaker and goes for a cover but Tara breaks it up. Tessmacher then goes after Tara until she is drug out of the ring by Jesse. Tessmacher then takes them both out with a dive from the top rope as Mickie hits Gail with her signature DDT to pick up the pin fall.
Back in the Aces & Eights clubhouse, DOC is talking about how Kurt Angle wants to take their masks off but they can’t let that happen. The leader agrees and says they need to protect their masks with their lives. The announce team then hypes the upcoming steel cage match as we head into a commercial break.
ODB is backstage and says Aces & Eights have done a lot of bad things, but Sting will take care of them tonight. ODB then says EY won’t be back tonight, but she will be walking by his side when he does return.
The steel cage is being set up around the ring as we see footage of what happened at the start of tonight’s show between Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, and Bobby Roode. Speaking of Roode and Aries, they are both in Hulk Hogan’s office and they don’t want a three way match but Hogan says the match has already been booked and will go down. Hogan then tells the two that they will team up next week to go against Hardy and the partner of his choosing before telling them to get out of his office.
Match 5: Aces & Eights (Devon & Masked Man) vs. Samoa Joe & Kurt Angle (Steel Cage Match)
DOC attacks Angle as he tries to get into the cage before locking Joe in there with the other two members of Aces & Eights. For some reason, the referee decides to signal for the bell to start the match as Joe goes at it alone as DOC sends Angle into the cage wall. Joe holds his own in the opening moments but Devon is able to blindside Joe and take him out. Aces & Eights work together to wear Joe down as Angle begins to get up from the floor. Angle tries to take the door off its hinges but Devon kicks it into his face and Angle falls to the floor once again as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the cage match to see Joe doing his best against both members of Aces & Eights. Joe takes them both down as Angle is seen climbing up the side of the cage but DOC runs out and pulls Angle down. Angle takes DOC down and grabs the key to unlock the door and enter the cage. Angle comes in like a ball of fire and goes after the mask but a distraction from DOC on the outside allows DOC to nail Angle with the cage door, which busts him open. Devon, however, misses with a flying head butt as Joe gets up and takes the masked man of Aces & Eights down.
Angle gets up and takes both members of Aces & Eights down with German suplexes before Joe and Angle take turns sending Devon into the cage wall. Joe and Angle the double team the masked man and Angle hits the Angle Slam to pick up the pin fall to win the cage match. Angle again goes for the mask but Devon nails him from behind and DOC comes in and begins attacking Joe. Four more members of Aces & Eights then enter the cage and join in on the attack as Mr. Anderson is seen watching on from the outside.
The crowd begins a “We want Sting!” chant as he makes his way to the ring with a baseball bat in his hands. Sting takes care of the group and takes them out one at a time with his baseball bat. The cage is cleared of nearly all of them, except for one guy. Sting, Angle and Joe surround the guy as Angle rips off the mask and reveals Mike Knox with short hair. Mike Tenay acknowledges that it’s Knox and says he was formerly of the WWE as Knox escapes from the cage and retreats with the rest of the members. Sting, Angle and Joe celebrate in the ring as Impact Wrestling comes to a close.
Quick Results
– James Storm defeated Kazarian by pin fall.
– Christian York defeated Kid Kash by pin fall to advance in the X Division Tournament.
– Hernandez defeated Joey Ryan by disqualification.
– Mickie James & Miss Tessmacher defeated Gail Kim & Tara by pin fall.
– Samoa Joe & Kurt Angle defeated Aces & Eights (Devon & Masked Man) by pin fall in a steel cage match.
