1/26/12 Impact Wrestling Recap
A recap of the #1 contenders match last week between James Storm and Jeff Hardy that ended in a no contest due to interference from Bully Ray. This lead to Sting hitting Ray with a baseball bat and chasing him to the back.
We then head to the Impact Zone where Jeff Hardy is beating down Bully Ray in the backstage area. Hardy chokes him with a broomstick before the two make their way to the parking lot. Bobby Roode pulls up in a truck and helps Ray out by nailing Hardy from behind. The two begin to stomp on him before Ray throws him in the back of the truck. James Storm then runs in but the numbers game works against him. Sting then walks in with a baseball bat and chases Roode and Ray away. The Impact Wrestling intro hits as we head into the first match of the night.
Match 1: Velvet Sky vs. Tara vs. Mickie James (#1 Contenders Match for the Knockouts Championship)
The bell rings and the three shake hands before getting this match underway. Velvet tosses Mickie out to the floor and Tara takes control of the match. Tara powers around Velvet and Mickie as we head into a commercial break. We return to the match to see Velvet has taken control until Mickie hits her with a neckbreaker. Tara comes back and slams Mickie down but misses with her standing moonsault.
All three go back and forth for a moment and Mickie picks up a near fall over Tara after hitting a superkick. Mickie goes for her DDT on Tara but Velvet breaks it up and hits Mickie with a bulldog. Tara then picks up Velvet and drops her top of Mickie before picking up the pin fall on Mickie to win the match and earn a shot Gail Kim for the Knockouts Championship at Against All Odds. Gail Kim is watching from a monitor in back and says she is looking forward to facing Tara at Against All Odds to prove that she is the best female wrestler in the business.
We see a recap of the brawl that kicked off tonight’s show. Sting, James Storm and Jeff Hardy then make their way to the ring. Sting grabs a microphone and calls out Bobby Roode and Bully Ray out to the ring and they come to the ring and immediately go at it again. Sting tries to get control of the situation and makes the two sides go into separate corners, but it does little to stop the fighting. Sting begins to use it bat to take control and puts the four in separate corners. Sting then books the four in a tag team match tonight as they start going at it again and Storm suggests that he makes it a tables match. Sting polls the crowd and agrees to the stipulation as the four stare at each other.
Alex Shelley is backstage and says he is wrestling Zema Ion tonight. Shelley puts over Ion for his skills but says he isn’t X Division Champion material. Shelley says after Ion, Austin Aries is on the list and says the odds are in his favor as we head into a commercial break.
Eric Young is backstage warming up for a match as he talks to a stage hand as he thinks he is Samy Davis Jr. Angelina Love and Winter then walk in and Angelina apologizes to him for what she did last week and wants to make up for it. Angelina and Winter begin to flirt with him as Angelina tries to hit him with a low blow but EY reveals that he is wearing a cup. They run off as ODB comes in and tells him that they have a tag team match tonight and to get ready.
Match 2: Zema Ion vs. Alex Shelley
The bell rings and Shelley quickly takes Ion down for a two count. Ion comes back with some flashy offense but Shelley flattens him on the mat before sending him out to the floor with a clothesline. The match returns to the ring where Ion hangs Shelley up on the ropes before hitting him with a neckbreaker. Shelley comes back with a series of kicks before dropping him face first into the turnbuckle. Ion is able to reverse Shelley’s offense and plants him with a DDT but misses with a 450 splash. Shelley then hits Ion with Sliced Bread #2 to pick up the pin fall to earn a shot at Austin Aries for the X Division Championship at Against All Odds.
AJ Styles is backstage and wonders how the business can change people so much. Styles says Bobby Roode and Christopher Daniels changed, and now, so has Kazarian. Styles says he is going to get to the bottom of Kazarian’s change tonight.
Elsewhere, Tara is backstage and says she has had some tremedous matches with Gail Kim in the past. She goes on to say that it is hard to know what Gail is thinking but thinks that the Knockouts Championship will look great around her waist.
The announce team runs down the recent events of what has gone down with Eric Bischoff and his son, Garett. Video footage is aired where Bischoff goes to the gym looking for his son and to put an end to his wrestling dreams. Bischoff finds him and wants to know where his trainer is and sees him and looks shocked. Bischoff then tells the cameras to get the cameras out of here before his trainer is revealed.
Match 3: Winter & Angelina Love vs. Eric Young & ODB
The bell rings and EY locks up with Earl Hebner and gets the fans to rally behind him to get this match started. Young again locks up with Hebner as Winter hits him from behind, which causes EY to take off his pants and go down to his wrestling trunks. Angelina is tagged in and ODB tags herself in and takes Angelina down before hitting her with a bronco buster. EY then distracts the referee as Winter trips up ODB and is tagged into the match.
Winter picks up a near fall after hitting a backbreaker and continues to work her over. ODB fights back with a jawbreaker as EY slides in ODB’s flask and she takes a drink out of it. Angelina is tagged in and ODB nails her with a series of shoulder blocks before hitting her with a fallaway slam. EY then comes into the ring as the two give Winter and Angelina airplane spins. ODB then finishes Angelina off with a slam and picks up the pin fall.
Bully Ray and Bobby Roode are in the locker room and can’t believe James Storm challenged them to a tables match. Roode says Ray is the best at tables matches and Ray says they need to take care of business but seem to be having some trust issues as Ray says Roode isn’t going to be champion for long.
A video package highlighting the rivalry between Matt Morgan & Crimson and Samoa Joe & Magnus. This brings us to the next match of the night.
Match 4: Samoa Joe vs. Matt Morgan
Magnus and Crimson come out and stand ringside for this match. The bell rings and Joe hits Morgan with a series of kicks and punches to get things started. Morgan comes back with some of the same and powers Joe to the mat before landing a leg drop on the ring apron. Morgan goes for his trademark elbows but Joe puts Morgan in a headlock. Morgan breaks the hold by crushing Joe in the corner before picking up a near fall after hitting a clothesline.
Joe manages to come back and takes Morgan off his feet with a kick to the head for a near fall. The two begin to trade blows in the ring until Morgan takes Joe with a side slam for another near fall. Joe fights back and picks up a near fall of his own after hitting a back splash, however, Morgan comes back and picks up the surprising victory after hitting a discus clothesline. After the match, the two sides go at it with Joe and Magnus laying out the tag team champs.
James Storm and Jeff Hardy are backstage and talk about beating Bully Ray and Bobby Roode at their own game. Hardy says they started off Impact with a bang and are going to end it with a boom.
AJ Styles makes his way to the ring and asks why Kazarian turned on him two weeks ago. Styles says after seeing the tape of his match last week, he saw Christopher Daniels telling Kazarian what to do and wants to know why he was following his orders. Daniels’ music hits as he comes out with Kazarian and make their way to the ringside area. Daniels says Styles has a history of complaining and if he doesn’t get his way, he throws a tantrum. Daniels says they are no longer playing that game and Kazarian doesn’t owe him any answers.
Styles says there is other way of getting answers and begins to make his way out of the ring as the two back up. Styles says he has a better way of getting an answer and turns his back on them and tells Kazarian to come take his head off. Daniels tells Kazarian to go do it, but Kazarian has second thoughts. Daniels then goes in the ring but Styles turns around and clocks him.
Styles tells Kazarian to make things right and come in the ring and shake hands with him. Kazarian walks into the ring but Daniels tells Kazarian to stop and orders him out of the ring. Kazarian then turns around and leaves and tells Styles that he is going to Sting to propose a match to end things once and for all between Styles and Kazarian. Daniels then tells Kazarian to go to Sting and order the match right now.
Match 5: Jeff Hardy & James Storm vs. Bully Ray & Bobby Roode (Tag Team Tables Match)
Jeremy Borash handles the formal introductions for this tag team main event. The bell rings as both sides go at it outside of the ring with Hardy going after Ray and Storm going after Roode. Ray tries to send Hardy through a table with a suplex but Hardy is able to prevent it by grabbing on to the ropes with his legs. Meanwhile, Roode and Storm are fighting on the ramp and Roode takes Storm down with a suplex. Ray then takes out Hardy and goes over to help Roode with Storm, however, Storm fights back. Hardy then flies in from nowhere and takes out Roode as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match to see Ray nail Hardy with a chair before raking Storm’s back. Storm then spits beer into Ray’s face as Hardy catapults Roode into the ring post. Hardy then slides a table into the ring and Storm helps him set it up as they try to suplex Roode onto it, but Ray moves it out of the way. Ray then takes both Storm and Hardy down with a clothesline and positions the table before trying to give Hardy a back body drop on top of it, but Storm moves it out of the way.
Roode comes in and stomps Storm out to the floor before setting up the table in the corner of the ring. Roode tries to send Hardy into it but he is able to stop himself and nails Roode with a clothesline. Ray comes in and levels Hardy with a clothesline before charging at him near the table, however, Hardy gets out of the way and Ray puts his boot through the table. Storm then connects with an enziguri but Roode quickly takes Storm out with a spinebuster.
Roode then slides another table into the ring and sets it up in the ring as Ray is wearing down Hardy in the corner. Roode then puts Hardy on the table as Ray goes to the middle rope but Storm saves his partner by kicking Ray and knocking him down to the canvas. Roode comes in and fights with Storm on the ring ropes until Hardy comes in and takes Roode out with a Twist of Fate. Hardy then puts Roode on the table as Storm drops an elbow from the top rope and drives Roode through the table to win the match.
After the match, Ray comes in with a steel chair and nails Hardy and Storm repeatedly with chair shots. Ray then goes out for another table and sets it up in the ring. Ray grabs Hardy as Roode assists Ray as he powerbombs Hardy through the table from the middle rope. Medical personnel come out to check on Hardy amidst the broken tables as Impact Wrestling comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Tara defeated Mickie James and Velvet Sky to become the #1 contender to the Knockouts Championship.
– Alex Shelley defeated Zema Ion by pin fall to earn a shot at the X Division Championship.
– Eric Young & ODB defeated Angelina Love & Winter by pin fall.
– Matt Morgan defeated Samoa Joe by pin fall.
– Jeff Hardy & James Storm defeated Bully Ray & Bobby Roode in a tables match.
