2/23/12 Impact Wrestling Recap

Feb 23, 2012 - by Jason Graening

A video package showing Bobby Roode retaining the TNA World Championship at any cost kicks off Impact. Last week James Storm became the #1 contender and will face Roode at Lockdown. Roode didn’t take the news too well and beat Sting down after he announced the match last week.

We head into the Impact Zone where the announce team hypes the return of NY Giants running back, Brandon Jacobs, and the main event of Bully Ray & Kurt Angle against Jeff Hardy and James Storm. Bobby Roode’s music then hits as he makes his way to the ring while the announce team talk about Sting’s recent tweet saying “I’m done.” They say Sting will be out later tonight to address what that means.

Roode grabs a microphone and talks about Sting’s message on Twitter and says he has quit Impact Wrestling. Roode says the fans will be able to give Sting the proper goodbye tonight when he tells the world that he is done. Roode begins to talk about his recent accomplishments and calls ending Sting’s career is the greatest accomplishment of his life, as he is the only man that can lay claim to that. Roode then tells Sting to remember one thing tonight and that is to not let the door hit him in the ass on the way out.

Footage of Matt Morgan and Crimson arguing in the parking lot earlier in the day is aired. Crimson says he is willing to put things behind them if they go get the titles back. Morgan says they go out there tonight and get their TNA Tag Team Championships back as a team. This match is up next.

Match 1: Crimson & Matt Morgan vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus (TNA Tag Team Championship)
Crimson and Morgan go after the champions as they pose with the titles. The two dump Magnus out to the floor before they team up against Samoa Joe. Joe is able to get to his corner and tags in Magnus, who is quickly taken down by Crimson and picks up a two count. Crimson then charges at Magnus but Joe pulls Magnus out of the way as Crimson catches the ring post and we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match to see Crimson take Joe down with a spinebuster and begins to crawl to his corner to make the tag to Morgan. Joe tags in Magnus and Morgan takes him down with a knee and then takes both Magnus and Joe down with a double clothesline. The match begins to break down with all four in the ring, however, Crimson nails Morgan with a clothesline. Crimson is then tossed out to the floor as Joe and Magnus hit their snap mare into elbow drop finisher to win the match and retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.

Highlights of last week’s Impact where Brandon Jacobs got physical with Bully Ray is aired. The announcers tell us that we will hear from Jacobs after the commercial break.

Brandon Jacobs comes out to the ring with his own theme music and wearing an Impact Wrestling shirt. Jacobs introduces himself and says that after winning a Super Bowl, you come on to Impact. He then talks about what happened between James Storm and Bully Ray last week and says he may have been a little out of place, but Ray shouldn’t have spit in his face. He then tells Bully that he is in his backyard and they have some unfinished business.

Ray’s music then hits as he comes out and tells Jacobs to settle down. Ray continues by saying that there is nothing more than he would like to do is beat up a Super Bowl champion that didn’t even score a touchdown in the game, however, he has a big tag team match later on tonight. Jacobs then chases after Ray and into the back as we head into a commercial break.

We then see Jacobs walking around saying that he will kick Ray’s ass when he finds him. He then runs into James Storm and Jeff Hardy and Storm tells him not to let his emotions get the best of him. Storm then whispers in his ear and the three walk away.

Match 2: Zema Ion vs. Alex Shelley
Ion dives through the ropes and takes Shelley down before the match starts. He rolls Shelley into the ring and tries to pick up a quick pin fall but Shelley is able to kick out. Austin Aries then walks out with some popcorn and a glass of wine to get a closer look as Shelley takes Ion down and picks up a near fall of his own. Shelley then takes Ion down with a missile dropkick and continues to work him over before sending him out to the floor with a clothesline. Shelley then dives through the ropes and sends Ion into the guard railing. Before Shelley can roll Ion back into the ring, though, Ion grabs his can of hairspray and tucks it in his trunks. Ion then counters an attempt at Sliced Bread #2 and sprays Shelley in the face while the referee’s back is turned. Ion then picks up the pin and Ion and Aries share a few words.

A video recap of the Bischoff father and son rivalry is aired. Garret Bischoff is backstage and says nobody can keep him from being in the Impact Zone every week as he will keep on fighting. Hulk Hogan walks up and says he isn’t surprised by not wanting to quit, but wants him to understand that there is a bullseye on his back. Hogan tells him if he stays in the business, his dad will do what he can to make it a living hell for him.

Madison Rayne is backstage and hopes that Sting is done because he hasn’t been fair with her. As for what she did last week, it was an act of friendship with Gail Kim as she knew the level of competition wasn’t suitable for her. Speaking of Gail, she will be taking on ODB after a commercial break.

Match 3: ODB vs. Gail Kim
Eric Young accompanies ODB to the ring for this match as Gail Kim comes out alone. The bell rings and Gail gives ODB a few words before ODB knocks her down. ODB then hits Gail with a bronco buster before going for a pin fall but Gail kicks out. ODB then takes her down with a fallaway slam, however, Gail takes ODB down with a well placed kick to the head. Gail then takes ODB down with a clothesline for a near fall.

Gail then locks on an octopus submission but ODB breaks it with a side slam. EY tries to rally the fans behind ODB, but she ends up getting leveled with a clothesline as Madison Rayne begins to make her way down to the ring. This distracts Gail as ODB fires off a series of clotheslines and begins to bash Gail’s face into the turnbuckle. ODB picks up a near fall after hitting a Lou Thesz Press and goes to put Gail away but she counters with the Eat Defeat for the pin fall. After the match, Madison runs into the ring and hugs Gail but Gail won’t have any of it and pushes her away.

The announce team talk about Robbie E. defending the TNA TV Championship against AJ Styles as a video of Styles is aired and says he can’t help that Kazarian and Christopher Daniels have lost their way. For now, he is going to care about himself for once and get back on track for the TNA World Championship as we head into a commercial break.

A video package on Jesse Sorensen is aired where his mom was interviewed and was watching the match as it happened. She talks about getting a phone call from Dixie Carter saying that they were going to take care of him. Sorensen is also interviewed and said he was knocked out and when he came to he heard the referee counting him out. He then talks about how he was unable to move and how scary the thought of that is, but he is trying to stay positive. The announcers then tell us that Sorensen has been released from the hospital and the recovery process he will have to go through before we head into the next match of the night.

Match 4: AJ Styles vs. Robbie E. (TNA Television Championship)
The bell sounds and Styles quickly takes Robbie down with a hip toss and a backbreaker to get things started. Styles then locks Robbie in a submission hold but Robbie is able to break the hold and heads out to the floor to regroup. Robbie T. stands in between Styles and Robbie as Robbie rolls back into the ring and gains control of the match by attacking Styles as he enters the ring. Robbie begins to showboat a little bit and picks up a near fall after hitting a knee drop from the middle rope.

Styles begins to fight back and he takes Robbie down with a couple of clotheslines and a pumphandle backbreaker for another near fall. Styles sets up for the Styles Clash as Robbie T. hops up on the apron and distracts Styles, which allows Robbie to knock Styles down. Styles, however, soon comes back with a Pele kick and heads out to the apron as Kazarian and Christopher Daniels comes out. Kazarian then pulls Styles down and throws him into the ring post causing a disqualification. Daniels even looks shocked at Kazarian’s actions as Kazarian walks back up the ramp and we head into a commercial break.

Match 5: Bully Ray & Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Hardy & James Storm (No Disqualification)
Jeremy Borash handles the formal introductions for this main event tag team match. Bully Ray interrupts Borash’s introductions and introduces himself before he lets Borash to continue. James Storm then grabs the microphone and introduces Brandon Jacobs, who comes and joins Storm and Hardy in the ring.

The bell rings as Jacobs stands ringside for this no disqualification tag team match. Storm and Angle start off against each other as Storm takes Angle down with a knee to the face, however, a small distraction from Bully Ray allows Angle to recover and turn the tide of the match. Storm is able to come back and takes Angle down with a clothesline before tagging Hardy into the match. Angle then retreats to the floor as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match to see Hardy take Ray down with a Whisper in the Wind for a near fall. Ray, though, comes back and levels Hardy with a clothesline and begins to talk trash to Jacobs. Ray then misses with an elbow drop but is able to make it to his corner to tag Angle back into the match. Angle begins to wear Hardy down and hits a belly-to-belly before tagging Ray back into the match. Hardy is able to take Ray down with a kick and make then make the hot tag to Storm.

Storm comes in and knocks Angle off the apron before hitting Ray with a neckbreaker. This match begins to break down as Storm and Hardy are knocked down. Ray and Angle then go to grab a table but Storm and Hardy knock it out of their hands with a double dropkick. Storm and Hardy then set up the table but Angle and Ray come back into the ring and knock them down.

Storm recovers and takes Angle down with a Last Call Superkick as Jacobs comes into the ring and stares down Ray. The two get into 3-point stances but Storm grabs Ray and punches him in the face. Ray then backs into Jacobs who chokeslams Ray through the table. Storm then makes the cover to pick up the pin fall in this no disqualification tag team match. To pour salt into the wound, Jacobs pulls up his pants to reveal his calves to Ray before celebrating the win with a beer with Storm. Jacobs then grabs a microphone and tells Ray “Sorry about your damn luck!” before leaving the ring.

A backstage hand is seen backstage and knocks on Sting’s door. He tells Sting that it’s showtime as we head into a commercial break.

Sting’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring as the announce team wonders if this will be the last time we see Sting on Impact Wrestling. Sting says he made it public that he is done as there is too much slipping through his fingers and there is too much for him to handle. Sting says Bobby Roode pushed him over the edge as Sting is then cut off by Roode’s music.

Roode comes out clapping his hands and wiping away some crocodile tears before making his way to the ring. Roode grabs a microphone and apologizes for interrupting, but felt like he had to stand beside him when he tells the world that Roode is the better man. Sting says Roode didn’t win any battle, however, Roode woke him up. Sting takes off his sunglasses and begins putting black paint all over his face and he tells Roode that he feels alive.

Sting says he isn’t going to do things half way and there will be no more Mr. Nice Guy. Sting says he is going to put on his boots, his tights, and his war paint and says he is going to kick the living crap out of Roode at Victory Road. Sting begins to laugh as Roode goes for a kick, but Sting catches him and puts Roode’s foot down. Sting then kicks Roode below the belt and says ta-ta for now, see you at Victory Road. Sting then leaves the ring and plays to the crowd as Impact Wrestling comes to a close.

Quick Results
– Samoa Joe & Magnus defeated Crimson & Matt Morgan by pin fall to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship.
– Zema Ion defeated Alex Shelley by pin fall.
– Gail Kim defeated ODB by pin fall.
– AJ Styles defeated Robbie E. by disqualification.
– Jeff Hardy & James Storm defeated Bully Ray & Kurt Angle by pin fall in a no disqualification tag team match.

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