2/3/11 TNA Impact Recap (Expect the Unexpected)
Impacts open with footage from TNA’s overseas tour where Beer Money is calling out Scott Steiner and saying that coming back to TNA was his biggest mistake. Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson talk about their rematch that takes place tonight as Hardy says he knows Anderson’s weaknesses and Anderson says he isn’t going to give up the title so easily. Dixie Carter also appears and says there has been a lot going on behind the scenes that will surprise a lot of people.
We head into the Impact Zone where Immortal is in the ring and Eric Bischoff immediately calls Scott Steiner down to the ring to take care of business. Steiner comes down and Bischoff says that due to the judge giving Dixie Carter a continuance, Hulk Hogan will not be here tonight. Bischoff also says he knows there is no “they” as Kevin Nash dyed his hair, got his new action figure and rode off into the sunset. He also says Sting isn’t coming back and neither is Booker T, so Bischoff extends an invitation for Steiner to join Immortal.
Bischoff extends his arm for a handshake but Steiner isn’t receptive to the offer. Steiner says he would rather stick his foot up Bischoff’s ass and calls him a piece of crap. Steiner then goes on to say that he is more of a man than all of Immortal combined. Kurt Angle’s music then hits as Angle and Crimson come out. Angle agrees with Steiner’s assessment of Bischoff and reiterates that “they” are here and says it’s real, it’s damn real.
After a commercial break we see Immortal in the backstage area where Jeff Hardy says two things were supposed to happen tonight, Hogan was supposed to be here and he was supposed to get his title back. Bischoff again says Hogan couldn’t be there due to legal issues, but they will make sure he gets his title back. Bischoff then begins to wonder where Ric Flair is as Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner walk up and Angle again tells them that “they” are here and they are coming for them.
Match 1: Ink Inc. vs. Gunner & Murphy
The match starts as all four go at it with Gunner & Murphy gaining the quick advantage. The two then begin to isolate Jesse Neal and work him over with quick tags in their corner. Neal finally stops their relentless attack by nailing Gunner with a jawbreaker and tagging in Shannon Moore. Moore comes in like a ball of fire before Moore and Neal hit a top rope double team move on Murphy to pick up the pin fall victory.
Kurt Angle is backstage talking with Scott Steiner and Crimson and says everything will start to cruble for Immortal tonight. Angle’s cell phone then rings as he answers it and confirms that everything is still on for tonight and says he can’t wait to see the look on their faces.
The announce team review the legal ruling before airing video of Christy Hemme from earlier in the day where she is on location in Texas and she says the judge has pushed the ruling to March 3rd. Back at the announce table, Eric Young runs in behind them and says he knows “they” are here but can’t say who it is. EY says he can’t say anything of Kurt Angle will kill him before taking off.
We are treated to footage of the Jarrett’s home life as we see their house and they talk about raising their kids together. Karen Jarrett shows off her favorite photo where it has Jeff Jarrett nailing Kurt Angle in the head with a guitar. The kids point to another photo and say its their favorite since it has “Aunt Dixie” in it. Jarrett scolds the kids and says never to mention her name in the house again.
Mr. Anderson talks to the camera and says at the top of the hour he will be going out to the ring by himself and wants Jeff Hardy to do the same. Anderson says he wants to have a little chat before their match and talk about whatever comes up as we head into a commercial break.
Bully Ray and D’Angelo Dinero are in the ring together and Ray tells him that it feels great that he finally has a partner in his corner that he can count on. Ray warns Brother Devon that he has a new partner and he isn’t weak like Devon was. The Pope gets on the microphone and says he heard that Samoa Joe has requested a match against him at Against All Odds. Pope says the two could have talked things over but says he will expose for what he truly is, and that is a sloppy Joe.
Match 2: Bully Ray & D’Angelo Dinero vs. Samoa Joe & Brother Devon
Joe and Devon run down the ramp and go after their opponents in this tag team match as Pope begins to walk up the ramp by Okada is there and is blocking the way. Pope runs off back around the crowd as we head into the ring where Ray is choking Devon with a chain. Devon is able to free himself as Devon goes on the offensive and sends Ray out to the floor. Devon sends him into the guard railing before nailing him in the back with a chair. The two then battle up the entrance ramp as referee Jackson James tosses this match out and calls out for security. Security and referees break up the melee on the ramp but Ray adds fuel to the fire by spitting water on Devon’s sons faces, who are sitting in the front row. Devon then checks on his sons and chases after Ray as we head into a commercial break.
Max Buck joins the announce table to get a closer look at the upcoming 3-way X Division Championship qualifying match.
Match 3: Jeremy Buck vs. Jay Lethal vs. Douglas Williams
Douglas Williams tries to put Jeremy Buck away right away with a Rolling Chaos but Buck is able to counter out of it and dumps Williams out to the floor. Buck then takes out Williams with a moonsault but Lethal takes him out with a suicide dive through the ropes. Lethal rolls Buck into the ring and takes him out with a flying kick before picking up a near fall. Williams then comes in and takes both Lethal and Buck out before picking up near falls on both of them.
Williams then puts Buck on the turnbuckle as Max Buck says his brother’s shoe is untied and runs down to the ring as Lethal sends both Williams and Buck crashing down to the mat. Buck rolls out to the floor and Williams and Lethal go back and forth as Max tends to his brother. Williams then hits Lethal with the Rolling Chaos as Max Buck distracts the referee. With the referee distracted, Buck nails Williams between the legs and then covers Lethal for the pin fall to earn a shot to become the #1 contender to the X Division Championship at Against All Odds.
Eric Bischoff is in the office and is talking on the phone and then asks Immortal where Ric Flair is after hanging up the phone. Beer Money says they have nothing to worry about as there is no “they” and Angle is just trying to play head games with them. Roode assures Bischoff that they are the strongest faction in wrestling today and that they have nothing to be afraid of. Styles then tells Bischoff not to worry about the World Championship and say they will handle business tonight.
Sarita is in the locker room and says she doesn’t have a stragety for her taped fist match against Mickie James and says she won’t need one. She then says that she will have a surprise for all of the Knockouts next week as her cousin, Rosita, will be in the Impact Zone next week.
Video footage hyping the rematch between Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy is aired. Both Anderson and Hardy give their thoughts on the match, Hardy says he has been on a streak of bad luck as of late but vows to get his title back tonight.
Mr. Anderson’s music then hits as he comes down to the ring and calls out to Jeff Hardy to grace us with his presence. Hardy comes down and Anderson says they both have the same dream to be World Champion, although Anderson would prefer to hold a better looking title, and says that they both don’t deal with authority figures very well. Anderson goes on to say that whenever they have been in the ring there has always been some sort of interference and wants their match tonight to be just one-on-one.
Hardy says he respects what Anderson has to say and tells Anderson that he wrong to think that he needs Immortal to beat him. Hardy says he will prove it tonight and dedicates to both the Creatures of the Night and to Anderson’s Assholes. Hardy then holds out his hand and says “may the best man win,” as the champion and challenger shake hands in the middle of the ring.
Mickie James is in the back taping up her fist and says that while she has never been in a match like this, she has been in a few bar fights in her day. Mickie says she doesn’t expect this match to end any different than any of those have.
We see more footage of the Jarrett household where the Jarrett’s having supper around the table and each kid gets a chance to say what they are most thankful for. All of them talk about how they are thankful for having Jeff Jarrett as a father and Kurt Angle’s son is seen playing with a Jeff Jarrett action figure. Jarrett talks about having a big surprise for Karen, which will be revealed later.
Match 4: Sarita vs. Mickie James (Taped Fist Match)
The match starts as Mickie takes down Sarita a few times before she connects with a few shots to Sarita’s midsection. The fight then heads out to the floor where Mickie misses with a punch and nails the ring post. Sarita sees this and begins to focus on Mickie’s right hand and smashes it on the steel steps and the ring post. The action returns to the ring and Sarita continues on the hand but Mickie fights back and connects with a left hook as the referee calls for the bell as Sarita is laid out. After the match, Madison Rayne sneaks into the ring and uses her loaded glove to knock out Mickie from behind. Madison then blows a kiss towards Mickie and stands over her challenger before leaving the ring.
Eric Bischoff is talking with Jeff Hardy and says Kurt Angle has him worried with his threats but Hardy demands that no members of Immortal is around the ring during his match. Bischoff doesn’t like what he is saying but respects his wishes.
More footage from the Jarrett household is aired as the youngest of their kids begin to all dance to Jeff Jarrett’s theme music. Jeff and Karen are then seen standing outside talking about their marriage before Jeff gets down on one knee and proposes to her once more and asks to renew their vows in front of a live audience in the Impact Zone for the whole world to see on March 3rd.
Match 5: Mr. Anderson vs. Jeff Hardy (TNA World Championship)
Jeff Hardy attacks Mr. Anderson during his ring introduction as referee, Jackson James, tries to restore order and pull Hardy off of Anderson. The two continue to brawl around the ringside area as more referees come out and try to pull them apart. Al Snow and Pat Kenney come down to also assist with getting them pulled apart as we head into a commercial break.
We return to hear the opening bell as this match officially gets under way. Anderson quickly takes Hardy down with a clothesline and a cross body block before picking up the first pin attempt. Hardy then retreats to the floor before heading back in and gains control of the match with a neckbreaker as Anderson is trying to get back into the ring. Hardy then hits a clothesline that sends Anderson’s head hard into the mat as Hardy picks up a near fall.
Hardy begins to wear Anderson down with a headlock to slow this match down but Anderson fights his way out only to be taken down with another clothesline. Hardy then begins to focus on Anderson’s leg before crotching Anderson between the ring post. Anderson rolls out to the floor but Hardy goes out after him and sends him into the steel steps a couple of times. Hardy rolls Anderson back into the ring and applies another headlock before hitting a Whisper in the Wind that takes them both out.
They both get to their knees before exchanging blows as they both make it to their feet. Anderson gets the best of the exchange and then connects with a few clotheslines before taking Hardy down with a spinning neckbreaker for another near fall. Anderson then goes for the Mic Check but Hardy counters it, but Anderson is able to take Hardy off his feet with an RVD-like spinning kick. Anderson then sets up for a suplex but Hardy fights his way out and drops Anderson with a face front suplex for a near fall.
Hardy then gets to his feet and tries for the Twist of Hate but Anderson counters and shoves Hardy into the referee. Hardy, though, comes back and hits the Twist of Hate but there is no referee there to count. Matt Hardy, Rob Terry, Gunner, and Murphy all run down to the ring to assist Jeff Hardy while the referee is out as Fortune soon follows. Immortal beats down on Anderson as Fortune sets up to join in but instead flash the Fortune signal before clearing the ring of their Immortal mates.
Robert Roode then nails Jeff Hardy with a clothesline before Styles takes Hardy out with the Styles Clash. Styles then revives Anderson who covers Hardy as James Storm rolls the referee into the ring to make the three count to let Anderson retain the TNA World Championship. Fortune stands in the ring with Anderson as Immortal is livid on the outside. Styles hands the TNA World Championship to Anderson as we head into our final commercial break.
AJ Styles gets on the microphone and says he told Eric Bischoff that he wasn’t taking a back seat to anyone and that he brought it all upon himself. Styles says this is Fortune’s home and reveals that “them” is us. Bischoff comes out and calls Styles an ungrateful son of a bitch and calls Fortune a bunch of punks. He continues to say they were nothing until he and Hulk Hogan made them into something but Styles says they were able to see through his smoke and mirrors.
Styles says Bischoff ran a billion dollar company into the ground and they saw that he was doing the same thing in TNA. Styles says he signing guys that didn’t deserve jobs and changing things up as the fans begin a “we want six sides” chant. Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner and Crimson have joined Fortune and Mr. Anderson in the ring, as Bischoff says they were all nothing until he and Hogan showed up and tells them to mark March 3rd on the calendar as they will hang them out to dry. Styles says that won’t be happening as Fortune takes out Immortal one by one until they finally take out Bischoff as Impact comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Ink Inc. defeated Gunner & Murphy by pin fall.
– Bully Ray & D’Angelo Dinero fought Samoa Joe & Brother Devon to a no contest.
– Jeremy Buck defeated Jay Lethal and Douglas Williams in a 3-way X Division qualifying match.
– Mickie James defeated Sarita in a taped fist match.
– Mr. Anderson defeated Jeff Hardy by pin fall to retain the TNA World Championship.
