3/3 TNA Impact Recap (The Return of an Icon)

Impact opens with a shot at the crowd in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as Jeremy Borash introduces Dixie Carter. Dixie comes out and thanks the fans for all of the support, however, the court ruling that was handed down this morning was not what she had hoped for. Immortal’s music then cuts her off as Eric Bischoff, Matt Hardy, Gunner, Murphy, Rob Terry, and Ric Flair make their way to the ring.

Eric Bischoff says they are busy guys tonight and their time is more valuable than having her go on with her sob story, but gives Dixie credit for putting up a fight. Flair steps in and tells Dixie that she is in Flair Country and rambles on about having money and power before introducing Hulk Hogan. Hogan’s music hits as he makes his way down to the ring.

Hogan says he is all pumped up tonight because he now controls 100% of TNA. Hogan says he can make all of the decisions and tells Dixie that she is unemployed. Hogan says they used her to get back on top of the wrestling business and that she only supplied the money. Hogan says the only thing she has left is her fans, but they have nothing to say about the situation.

New Fortune music hits as Fortune comes out on the entrance ramp. AJ Styles says they can do things the easy way or the hard way, but they prefer to do it the hard way. Styles continues by saying they care for Dixie since she gave them all an opportunity and asks for her to get out of the ring. Dixie leaves as Robert Roode and says he can’t believe he got in the wrestling business because of him, but his once idol has let him down.

Ric Flair steps in and says Roode should kiss their asses and keep walking. Fortune then begins making their way towards the ring but are cut off by security as we head into a commercial break.

We return to see Immortal walking in the backstage area as Bart Scott from the New York Jets meets them in the hallway. Hogan greets him and introduces him to the members of Immortal as Matt Hardy walks off with him to show him around his home state. The two then run into Dixie Carter, AJ Styles and Kazarian. Dixie runs off as the two sides exchange words and Scott charges at Kazarian as the four get into a brawl. Security breaks them up as Jeff and Karen Jarrett walk by and are all giddy about their wedding.

We are treated to a video package about the Jarrett and Angle saga and how the Jarrett’s will be renewing the wedding vows tonight and Kurt Angle will have to walk his ex-wife down the aisle to give her away.

Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan are talking in their office and Bischoff is talking about having to deal with the network. Bischoff talks about how they are making Jeff Hardy defend the title tonight and they won’t tell him who his opponent is. Bischoff thinks it is Mr. Anderson but Hogan tells him to not assume it’s Anderson as anything can and will happen in wrestling.

Match 1: Beer Money vs. Gunner & Murphy (TNA Tag Team Championship)
The first match of the night takes place 30 minutes into the broadcast and Gunner and Murphy take the early advantage as the attack Beer Money as they enter the ring. Gunner and Murphy single out James Storm for a moment before he is able to turn the tide of the match booting Gunner in the face and taking Murphy out with a jawbreaker. Roode is finally tagged in and he explodes on Gunner and Murphy before picking up a near fall on Gunner.

Murphy then drops Roode with a big boot but Gunner accidentally nails Murphy with a double axe handle. The match breaks down with all four in the ring as Beer Money takes Murphy out with a double suplex and drop Gunner with a DWI to pick up the pin fall and retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.

After the match, Ink Inc. comes out as Shannon Moore says the crowd here are his people and this is his house. Moore continues to say that the marquee at Victory Road will say Beer Money vs. Ink Inc. if they are man enough. James Storm says they are the best tag team in wrestling today and welcomes their challenge.

The Jarrett’s are seen getting ready in their dressing room as Karen tells Jeff that she got a 10 foot wedding cake for the occasion. Eric Young is in the bathroom and talks to them and is begging to be a part of their wedding and offers to be a bridesmaid, flower girl or ring bearer. Jarrett finally said he could be the ring bearer before closing the door on him.

Angelina from the Jersey Shore is seen arriving to the arena and the announce team hypes the Jarrett’s renewing their wedding vows and the TNA World Championship match that will take place later on tonight on Impact.

Kurt Angle is seen walking in the backstage area and is with his son as we head into the next match of the night.

Match 2: Sarita vs. Velvet Sky (Velvet’s Career on the Line)
Rosita is in Sarita’s corner and Angelina Love is with Velvet Sky for this match. Velvet is serious for this match and doesn’t do her usual entrance. After some back and forth action, both Rosita and Angelina get involved in the match as referee Earl Hebner sends them both to the back. Sarita continues working over Velvet but she is able to counter with a DDT and pick up the pin fall to keep her job in TNA.

Angelina runs out to congratulate her partner but their celebration is cut off by Shore’s music. Cookie asks if the two remember bringing Jwoww to Impact a few months ago. Cookie says they beat her down 4-on-1 and tonight she brought some backup in the form of Angelina from Jersey Shore. Angelina gets on the microphone and says she wants to take on Jwoww next week on Impact. Velvet says if she has something to say to Jwoww she should say it to her face. Angelina then kicks Velvet as the two sides go at it until Sarita jumps in and helps them out to beat down the Beautiful People. As they leave them in the ring, Angelina Love challenges them to a six-way match next week.

Mr. Anderson is walking in the backstage area and says that he is getting a shot at the TNA World Championship tonight. He says the network knows they made a mistake by giving Rob Van Dam a title shot and they are going to make up for it by giving him a shot. Anderson says he is going to take back what it rightfully his.

Eric Young is in the locker room with Orlando Jordan and tells him that Jeff Jarrett made him the ring bearer and Jordan is going to be the flower girl. EY then can’t finds the wedding ring and takes OJ down thinking that he stole it. Jordan says it’s probably in his shoe and EY checks and finds it there.

Jeff Jarrett is getting ready for his wedding and is talking to Ric Flair about his honeymoon. Jarrett says they are going to go to Orlando, Florida, and they have VIP tickets to Harry Potter. Flair doesn’t like the plan and tries to get him to change his minds but Jarrett says he doesn’t understand what their relationship is all about. Meanwhile, Kurt Angle is seen in the back taping his fists as the wedding is up next.

Hulk Hogan is seen talking on the phone in the back and says Jeff Hardy is a fighting champion. Hogan says Mr. Anderson is the perfect guy for ratings and doesn’t agree with the fact that surprises increase ratings. Hogan finally comes to an agreement to the other person on the phone before hanging up.

Eric Young and Orlando Jordan come out as the ring bearer and the flower girl, with Jordan wearing a black dress. Jeff Jarrett then comes out to a chorus of boos and is attacked from behind by Kurt Angle. The two of them fight near the wedding cake and Angle motions that he is going to send Jarrett through it but Karen Jarrett comes out first and stops him. Angle then tosses his ex-wife head first into the cake as the Jarrett’s can’t believe what just happened.

Hulk Hogan is seen talking with Jeff Hardy and asks him to not be in any more ladder matches. Hogan then tells him that the network wants him to be in another match tonight and how they need him to step up once again tonight, however, Hogan says he can’t tell him who he is going up against. Hogan says the network smells ratings and he fought as hard as he could to get it out of them but they wouldn’t budge. Hogan tells Hardy to be on his A-game and to handle the situation for them. Hardy agrees and says it’s a done deal.

The Jarrett’s are backstage screaming at the top of their lungs at Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair. Jarrett says their wedding must take place tonight as they storm out of the room. Bischoff says he hates weddings as Hulk Hogan walks in and talks to Bischoff about who the network is putting against Jeff Hardy. Hogan wonders if they are thinking about the same person and Bischoff thinks it just might happen. Bischoff then asks Ric Flair to take care of the Jarrett situation.

Match 3: Rob Terry vs. Scott Steiner
Terry goes on the attack before the opening bell but Steiner is quick to recover and takes him down with a t-bone suplex. Steiner then dumps Terry over the ropes and out to the floor but Terry is able to turn the tide of the match and send Steiner into the ring post. The match returns to the ring and Terry powers Steiner around and picks up a near fall after hitting a power slam. Steiner is able to regain control of the match after hitting a boot to Terry’s face and takes Terry down with a clothesline. Steiner then hits a fallaway slam off the middle rope and puts Terry in the Steiner Recliner as Terry taps out.

Ric Flair and Bart Scott meet Kurt Angle in the locker room. Flair says the way he conducted himself and gotten him in trouble and says he has an enforcer in the form of Bart Scott. Flair warns Angle to not mess with the Jarrett wedding later tonight or he will have to deal with Scott.

Joe Warren, the Bellator Featherweight Champion, joins the announce team and plugs the Bellator MMA show on MTV2 and talks about his transition from amateur wrestling to MMA. He is going to help call the next match, which is up next.

Match 3: Hernandez vs. Matt Morgan
The bell rings and Morgan quickly takes down Hernandez with a clothesline and stomps on him in the corner. Morgan hits a side slam and picks up a near fall before Hernandez rolls out to the floor to regroup. Morgan chases after him and the two fight on the entrance ramp before Morgan tosses him back into the ring. Hernandez then begins to beg for mercy but Morgan boots him in the face. Morgan then does Hernandez’s shirt spot and sends him across the ring and then clotheslines him out to the floor.

Morgan again goes out to the floor where Hernandez begs for mercy. Hernandez is able to lure him in and send him into the steel steps and rams his head into the steps a few more times for good measure. The referee then calls for the bell and disqualifies Hernandez as Morgan is bleeding from his forehead and is laid out on the floor.

Hulk Hogan is in the back and is once again on the phone, this time demanding to know who is in the main event. Hogan then calls for Mr. Anderson and he enters the office. Hogan says he hates Anderson but he smells money on him, however, he won’t be getting a title shot tonight. Anderson wants to know why he keeps getting screwed over and says it’s his job to become the TNA World Champion. Anderson then says that Hogan’s disgusts him before leaving the room.

We are treated to a preview of Spike’s new show Roy Meets Girl before we get on with the Jarrett wedding once again. Eric Young and Orlando Jordan come out once again as the ring bearer and flower girl. Jeff Jarrett comes out to another chorus of boos and stands next to the podium in the ring. Karen Jarrett then comes out and is being escorted by her ex-husband, Kurt Angle. Angle has a big smirk on his face as he walks with her down to the ring before joining the couple in the ring.

Karen still has frosting in her hair and on her face as the pastor gets on with the proceedings. Jeff Jarrett reads his vows and says that Karen is now married to a real man and will treat her as the princess that she is. Karen says Jeff isn’t selfish and takes care of her princess, unlike another man, and says that he completes her. The couple then exchange rings to complete the wedding as Angle steps in and asks if the wedding is over. He then knocks over the podium to reveal an axe and starts chopping down the set as the ring clears.

Angle holds the referee over his head and smiles as Eric Bischoff comes out and sends Bart Scott to the ring. Scott enters the ring and gets in Angle’s face and pushes him back a couple of times and pie faces him when Angle tries to walk away. Angle then takes him down and puts him in the ankle lock as Scott taps out. Security comes out and breaks it up as Mike Tenay says the Jets have been taping out since 1969.

Hardy is backstage and says it doesn’t matter who he faces tonight as he is in his home state and will walk out as champion. A limo is seen arriving in the parking lot and we are told that we will find out who the mystery challenger is after the commercial break.

After Jeff Hardy’s ring introduction, we are treated to a 3-3-11 video and it is revealed that Sting is Jeff Hardy’s mystery opponent and Hardy has a look of shock on his face.

Match 5: Jeff Hardy vs. Sting (TNA World Championship)
The bell rings and Sting hits Hardy with a flurry of offense until Hardy retreats to the floor to regroup. Hardy comes back into the ring and takes control of the match but Sting is able to counter an attempt at a suplex and puts Hardy is a Scorpion Death Lock. Hardy doesn’t submit and is able to make it to the ropes to break the hold and again goes out to the floor. Hardy begins walking up the ramp and Sting goes after him and hits a suplex on the ramp. Sting then sends Hardy into the guard railing but misses with a Stinger Splash to slow down his momentum.

Hardy rolls Sting into the ring and slows the pace of the match with a head lock. Hardy tries to take Sting down with a series of punches but they have little effect on Sting as he regains control of the match and takes Hardy down with a bulldog. Sting then hits the Scorpion Death Drop but Hardy is able to kick out of the pin attempt. Sting then hits another Scorpion Death Drop from the top rope and finally puts Hardy away with a third Scorpion Death Drop to pick up the pin fall and become the new TNA World Champion.

Sting poses with the World Championship as the announce team are shocked at what just went down. Mike Tenay and Taz wonder how Immortal will deal with this now that they have full control of TNA as Impact comes to a close.

Quick Results
– Beer Money defeated Gunner & Murphy by pin fall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.
– Velvet Sky defeated Sarita by pin fall to keep her job in TNA.
– Scott Steiner defeated Rob Terry by pin fall.
– Matt Morgan defeated Hernandez by disqualification.
– Sting defeated Jeff Hardy to win the TNA World Championship.

Starman’s Thoughts
I want to start out tonight by saying how refreshing it was to see Impact outside of the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. The live crowd was hot most of the night and it was a perfect venue that appeared full on television. Impact in Fayetteville was a huge upgrade from the last road show that took place in some banquet room at a hotel in Las Vegas.

Even though the crowd seemed to be loving the show, it almost seemed that TNA went above and beyond to make sure the audience had little to see in terms of in ring action. There was way too much backstage segments, and when there were people in the ring it was in the form of a drawn out opening segment and a two part wedding. I wish TNA would have taken advantage of being on the road and giving the fans a quality in ring product. They failed miserably at that aspect. Just think of where TNA would be if they put as much effort in their in ring product as they did with their backstage segments.

The big news coming out of tonight’s show was the return of Sting and him being revealed as Jeff Hardy’s mystery opponent for the TNA World Championship. I have no problems with Sting coming back to TNA, and feel that his name and appeal can work in TNA’s best interest, however, I do have a few problems with him holding the top title in the company.

Even at his age, Sting is still a big draw but doesn’t need to hold a championship to get over with the fans. Due to Jeff Hardy’s legal issues, I didn’t like the fact that he was crowned as the champion of the company, and I don’t like this title change any more. There is a ton of top talent that could have been in Sting’s place, such as Mr. Anderson, AJ Styles, RVD or Matt Morgan, any of which would have been more well suited to be billed as the top guy of the company.

Furthermore, I do not like how often the TNA World Championship has changed hands as of late. Both Anderson and Hardy have had short title runs as of late and Sting’s victory over Hardy marks the fourth championship reign this year, and we are only in early March. It was bad enough that RVD recently put over the World Championship as an afterthought, but nothing can ruin the credibility of a championship more than a series of quick title changes.

Another story coming out of tonight’s show was the Jarrett wedding and I was happy about how short it played out with Kurt Angle shoving his ex-wife into the wedding cake. Unfortunately, the wedding was resumed later on in the show with the payoff being Angle acting civil during the ceremony only to take out the set with an hidden axe after the vows were exchanged. Destroying the set is one thing, and should have been expected, but there was no need for the axe. It came across as too over the top for me and ruined what would have been a decent, albeit too long, of a segment.

The other major news in tonight’s show was the revealing of the court decision of who rightfully controls TNA. Dixie Carter came out at the start and it was revealed that Hulk Hogan owns the company in a very lackluster way. After hyping this for weeks, the reveal was extremely weak with little effort or emotion to it. The only good aspect of the whole segment was Fortune stepping up and looking strong and great on the microphone. It’s too bad Fortune didn’t get more time to shine on this show than they actually did.

Beer Money represented Fortune and defended the TNA Tag Team Championship against Gunner & Murphy. Gunner & Murphy need a little more polish and shouldn’t even be near a title shot, but Beer Money made the most of it and looked strong in this match, even though it was given little time to develop. At the end, Ink Inc. challenged Beer Money in a match at Victory Road, and while I wish there was more to the story than that, it could be an entertaining match. More so than Beer Money defending the titles against Gunner & Murphy.

Velvet Sky put her career on the line and defeated Sarita in a forgetful match. The match was basically used to transition into the Jersey Shore angle with Cookie, Sarita and Angelina going up against the Beautiful People and Jwoww next week. TNA is milking this Jersey Shore crossover all that they can, but do we really need to see this? TNA can use all of the extra promotion that they can get their hands on, however, I really wish this would just end. I don’t know of a single wrestling fan who is getting any enjoyment from the Jersey Shore involvement.

TNA got an extra rub tonight in the form of middle linebacker Bart Scott of the NY Jets. For being a linebacker and showing his promo skills in a post-game interview after embarrassing the New England Patriots in the playoffs, Scott did tap out pretty quickly to Kurt Angle’s ankle lock. At any rate, I will take a pro sports athlete in the ring before cast members of Jersey Shore.

In closing, I was excited for tonight’s show but it fell flat even with the title change. Next week’s show was also taped in front of the hot crowd in Fayetteville, hopefully TNA gives them something more to cheer about instead of more backstage segments and non-stop talking.