2/28/13 IMPACT WRESTLING RECAP
Join the Starman as he covers tonight’s Impact Wrestling broadcast that takes place live from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
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A “Previously on Impact Wrestling” recap is aired that focuses on Hulk Hogan naming Sting as the captain of Team TNA for Lockdown and naming Bully Ray as the number one contender to the TNA World Championship. It also touches on Aces & Eights taking out Hogan in London. A video showing Bully Ray and Brooke arriving to the Impact Zone is aired as the camera man asks for an update and Brooke says he is resting at home, while Ray says he is messed up real bad before walking away.
The pyro goes off as the announce team hype tonight’s show that will feature the return of Gut Check. Ray’s music then hits and Ray walks over to the announce table where Taz is absent. Ray calls Taz a coward before making his way to the ring where he says he has never been more pissed off in his life. Ray says Aces & Eights have been taking out nearly everyone, ruined his wedding, and ruined the in-ring return of Hulk Hogan. Ray says he will get his hands on Devon and hurt him so bad that he won’t step in a ring every again.
Ray then turns his attention to Jeff Hardy and calls him down to the ring. Hardy’s music hits as he makes his way to the ring with both of his title belts over his shoulders. Hardy greets Ray in the ring with a fist bump as Ray says he never thought the two of them would be wrestling for the most prestigious singles championship in professional wrestling. Ray says he doesn’t feel right about it, though, as he feels he is getting a shot as he is Hogan’s son-in-law. Ray says there were others more deserving and he doesn’t know if he’s the right guy to be facing Hardy at Lockdown.
Hardy comes back and says he loves the fact that Hogan chose him based on their history together. Hardy says they have been through chairs, ladders, and tables, but now it’s inside a steel cage. Hardy goes on to say that they have reinvented themselves and at Lockdown they will reinvent their history. Bad Influence’s music cuts them off as Kazarian tells Ray that he doesn’t deserve a title shot but got it because of Hogan. Christopher Daniels steps in and says Hardy doesn’t deserve to be in the title match as Daniels was putting on a wrestling clinic against Hardy but he ended up having an allergic reaction to his makeup.
Ray steals the microphone away from Daniels, takes his martini and sucks it down in one gulp before spitting it back into the glass. Ray then says real men don’t drink appletini’s before Ray and Hardy go off on the two and chase them from the ring. Ray then challenges Bad Influence to a tag team match against the both of them.
The announce team hype tonight’s show with Gut Check and Velvet Sky putting the Knockouts Championship on the line against Tara. We then see Velvet Sky walking backstage as that match is up next after the commercial break.
Sting is in the office with Magnus and is looking at a list of names to be on Team TNA. Magnus says he deserves to be on the team as he wants to pay Sting back for all that he has done for him over the years.
Match 1: Tara vs. Velvet Sky (TNA Knockouts Championship)
Gail Kim joins the announce team to get a closer look at this match and take Taz’s spot on commentary. Jessie accompanies Tara to the ring for this title match. The bell sounds as Tara goes right on the attack and tosses Velvet around the ring. Tara picks up a couple of quick near falls before Velvet fights her way back and hits Tara with a couple of clotheslines and follows with a head scissors takedown. Velvet goes for a pin attempt but Jessie pulls Velvet off Tara as Taryn Terrell tosses him to the backstage area. Tara can’t believe it and Velvet takes advantage by hitting her with the In Yo Face to pick up the pin fall and retain the Knockouts Championship.
Austin Aries is backstage talking on the phone with Bobby Roode and tells Roode that he isn’t worried about a three way tag team match at Lockdown and is more concerned with their photo shoot. Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero walk in and says if Aries thinks he can beat anyone he will have no problem facing Hernandez tonight. The two then walk off as we head into a commercial break.
Kenny King is stopped by a camera man and says he doesn’t care if RVD is the X Division Champion as King is the X Division. King then meets up with RVD in the locker room and tells RVD his thoughts as RVD challenges him to a third match for the X Division Title tonight. However, if RVD wins, King can’t challenge anyone else in the X Division.
Match 2: Austin Aries vs. Hernandez
Taz has finally joined the announce booth and says he was late due to having to take care of some business. The match starts and Hernandez uses his strength to his advantage and sends Aries out to the floor with a clothesline. Aries then counters Hernandez’s attempt at a dive and sends him through the ropes and onto the floor. Aries then connects with a suicide dive before heading to the top rope and hitting Hernandez with a double ax handle. Aries rolls Hernandez into the ring and misses with a frog splash as Hernandez comes back with an overhead slam. Aries then slips out of a Border Toss but Hernandez comes back with a shoulder block. Aries then heads out to the floor, grabs his title, and begins leaving, but Hernandez brings him back to the ring. Aries and Hernandez begin fighting over the title and the referee takes it away. Aries then nails Hernandez with a foreign object while the referee is distracted and picks up the pin fall.
Joseph Park is in the office eating ribs and pleads with Sting to be a part of Team TNA. Sting then sees Matt Morgan walking by as Sting stops him and asks Morgan to join Team TNA. Morgan tells Sting no as he doesn’t want anything to do with Hogan and walks away and we head into a commercial break.
Match 3: Kenny King vs. Rob Van Dam (X Division Championship)
The match starts and the two go back and forth with a series of counters and reversals until RVD hits King with a German suplex and King lands hard on his neck. King is alright as he knocks RVD out to the floor, however, RVD dodges an attempt at a corkscrew dive over the top rop and RVD takes King out with a kick. RVD then hangs King on the guard railing and hits a spinning leg drop that knocks King into the crowd as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match and see King take RVD down with a kick and picks up a near fall. RVD comes back and hits King with a series of clotheslines and kicks before hitting Rolling Thunder. RVD then heads to the top rope and goes for a 450 but King rolls out of the way. King then goes for a pin but for some reason Earl Hebner stops the count. King then picks up RVD and hits the Royal Flush to pick up the pin fall and win the X Division Championship. King celebrates with the title as RVD has a look of disbelief on his face.
Kurt Angle catches up with Sting and asks if he can see the list for Team TNA. Sting shows him the list and Angle can’t believe a name that is on the list. Sting says he is sticking his neck out on that one and Angle says he is going to take care of his own business before walking away and we head into a commercial break.
Footage of Hulk Hogan being dragged out and beaten from last week’s episode is aired as Taz gloats about it. We are told that Hogan had to undergo surgery and we are shown a photo of Hogan’s knee and Taz says it was Photoshopped. Aces & Eights music hits as Devon, Mr. Andeson, DOC, Knox and Garett Bischoff make their way to the ring. Devon says he can’t believe Sting can put together a team that can dominate their club. Devon says all Sting’s team will get is broken necks and shattered dreams. Devon says they will reign supreme just like they did at Bound for Glory and Sting will lead his team to slaughter.
Sting’s music hits as he comes out to the stage to announce his team. Sting’s first member is the Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe, which Taz can’t believe Joe would be on a team as he is more out for himself. James Storm and Magnus are the next two members announced as part of Team TNA. Sting says he is thinking out of the box with his fifth member and says it’s showtime. Anderson tells Sting to stop saying his catch phrase but Sting says he is saying Showtime. Eric Young then appears in the ring behind Aces & Eights as Team TNA runs into the ring and beat down Aces & Eights and runs them from the ring.
A video package on Ivelise Felez is aired and she tells us that she has been wrestling for almost nine years and how she has been training in MMA. Felez talks about having to sacrifice her relationship with her mother due to her career path and having to live in the streets before getting her relationship back on track with her mother. Felez then puts over the Knockouts division as she will be fighting for a spot with Gut Check.
A recap of what just went down between Aces & Eights and Team TNA is aired. We then see Aces & Eights leaving the Impact Zone and Kurt Angle is closly following behind them. A video package on Lei’d Tapa is aired who says she has been wrestling for two years and is a second generation wrestler as her uncle is the Barbarian. Lei’d talks about training with her uncle and he told her how proud he is of her. Lei’d talks about getting her opportunity and how it will be a dream come true.
Jeremy Borash is standing in the ring and introduces tonight’s Gut Check contestants.
Match 4: Ivelise Felez vs. Lei’d Tapa (TNA Gut Check)
Lei’d hass a huge size advantage over Ivelise and she picks her up with a chokehold but Ivelise gets out and puts her into a guillotine choke. Lei’d fights out of it and Ivelise puts another submission hold but Lei’d again breaks out of it. Lei’d then connects with a big boot before leveling Ivelise with a clothesline. Lei’d connects with a headbutt but Ivelise manages to comeback with a DDT. Ivelise then takes Lei’d down with a hurricanrana but Lei’d comes back with a Samoan drop for a near fall. Lei’d begins to argue with Taryn Terrell, which gives Ivelise an opportunity to put Lei’d into another guillotine choke and makes Lei’d tap out as Ivelise wins the Gut Check match.
Austin Aries walks into the locker room where Jeff Hardy is getting ready for his match. Aries says he is pulling for Hardy to defeat Bully Ray as Ray is the new golden child. Aries says Hardy was the golden boy when he had the title and now he knows what it feels like. Aries then tells Hardy to take care of himself before leaving the locker room. The announce team then hype tonight’s main event, but first we will have an update on AJ Styles after the commercial break.
Footage of AJ Styles’ wife, Wendy Jones, and one of Styles’ friends being interviewed is aired. The two of them talk about how much he has changed over the past few months over what has gone down. His wife wonders about Claire Lynch and if her husband is drinking or doing drugs, while his friend pleads with Styles to get back to his family. Styles shows up during the interview and is sporting a beard but leaves on his motorcycle as soon as he sees the cameras.
A video package on the rocky relationship between Robbie E. and Robbie T. is aired. This came to a boil last week when Robbie E. slapped Robbie T. across the face. We then see Robbie E. in the ring and calls Rob Terry out to the ring and holds the ropes open for him but Rob comes in on his own. Robbie E. says things between the two of them have gotten out of hand and he crossed the line last week. Robbie says their friendship has meant the world to him and wants to tell the world that he is the better bro. He then wants to have one more Bro Off for old times sake and Rob Terry agrees to it.
Robbie E. starts dancing around the ring before turning it over to Rob Terry. Robbie E. says he will leave the ring so Rob can have the spotlight as the lights go down and Rob starts doing his Bro Off. Robbie E. then slides into the ring and nails Rob Terry with his VIP sign before calling Rob Terry a piece of garbage. Terry pops up with the sign hanging around his neck and then chases Robbie E. out of the ring.
Austin Aries catches up with Bully Ray in the back and tells him that he is pulling for him. Ray doesn’t buy it and says he won’t let Aries stir things up. Ray says he better get used to wearing the TNA Tag Team Championship as Ray will be the one holding the TNA World Championship. Ray then tells Aries to get out of his face as Aries tells him to say ‘hi’ to Brooke for him. The announce team then hype the main event as we head into a commercial break.
Kurt Angle is seen walking into the Aces & Eights clubhouse as he wants to take the fight to Wes Brisco and the rest of the thugs.
Match 5: Bad Influence vs. Bully Ray & Jeff Hardy
The match starts and Ray starts off strong against Daniels and hits him with a few hard chops. Kazarian then gets involved and allows Daniels to take control before tagging Kazarian into the match. The two start dancing Gundam style and Ray takes them both down with a few elbows. Hardy then joins in and sends Daniels out to the floor with a clothesline before joining Ray for a double team move on Kazarian. Ray and Hardy are standing tall in the ring as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match and see Hardy and Ray working together against Kazarian. Hardy hits Poetry in Motion on Kazarian before trying to do the same to Daniels but Kazarian clotheslines Hardy before he can do it. Daniels takes control of the match and begins working over Hardy with some stomps before tagging Kazarian into the match. Bad Influence hits a series of double team moves to pick up a near fall over Hardy. Hardy is able to get back into the match, though, and takes Daniels down with a Whisper in the Wind.
Hardy then makes a hot tag to Ray, who comes in and takes down both Daniels and Kazarian and picks up a near fall in the process but they are broken up by Kazarian. Kazarian is sent out to the floor and Hardy is tagged in and he heads to the top rope, but Kazarian knocks him down. All four begin fighting in the ring until Ray takes Kazarian down with a big boot. Ray then takes Daniels down with an electric chair drop and Hardy follows with a Swanton Bomb. Hardy then makes the cover to pick up the victory.
Angle is seen invading the Aces & Eights clubhouse and begins beating down a masked man and breaks a beer bottle over his head. Angle then unmasks him as Angle can’t believe who it is. The camera doesn’t show who it is as Angle asks how he could do this, however, the rest of the Aces & Eights gang comes out and attacks a shocked Angle and beat him down as Impact Wrestling comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Velvet Sky defeated Tara by pin fall to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship.
– Austin Aries defeated Hernandez by pin fall.
– Kenny King defeated Rob Van Dam by pin fall to win the X Division Championship.
– Ivelise Felez defeated Lei’d Tapa by submission in TNA Gut Check.
– Bully Ray & Jeff Hardy defeated Bad Influence by pin fall.
