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Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 12-31-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - MADISON RAYNE vs. HAMADA - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH

Crowd was into Hamada early on. Hamada worked over Madison's right arm, with an arm-wringer and elbows. Rayne reversed with a wrist-lock take-down. Straight boot to the face by Hamada as Rayne was doing some taunting. Hamda went Old School, Undertaker-style, but she missed the arm drag off the top as it looked like she may have accidentally let go of Rayne. Neck-breaker from Rayne got two. After some more offense from Rayne, another front kick from Hamada put Rayne down. Then a standing side-kick nearly took Rayne's head off. Headbutts and chops from the import. Rayne dodged a moonsault, and Hamada tried to land on her feet, but lost her balance. Spin kick by Hamada, then a Hamada Driver for the win.

WINNER: Hamda, at 4:25. Wasn't Hamada's smoothest performance, but still better than most of the women's wrestling on TV.

2 - TRACI BROOKS vs. ODB - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH

ODB spit whatever she drank out of the flask, into Traci's eyes to start the match. Traci fired back with some weak forearms, but ODB slammed her down. ODB went to work on the arm of Traci that was exposed as having a birth defect. Double-leg take-down by Brooks and she continued her brawling offense. Single-arm DDT by ODB though, only getting a two-count on the pin. Spear by Brooks as the back-and-forth action went on. ODB got to her feet first, but Brooks landed a few chops. Atomic drop by Brooks, then she ripped off her half t-shirt (honoring the incoming Hulkster?), with a small bra barely containing her cleavage. High-impact move by ODB on the arm, then a TKO for the win. Who would've thought that they'd use the name Marc Mero used for that move, rather than Brock Lesnar's F5?

WINNER: ODB, at 4:16. Well, it had some psychology, which is a plus for a women's match.

3 - ROXXI vs. VELVET SKY - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH

Hard to believe Roxxi is the same woman that played the Voodoo Queen a few years ago. Big splash in the corner by Sky (well, I don't know that it was "big" per se), then a bulldog. She locked in the octopus, then bit Roxxi on the arm. Roxxi came back with rights then elbowed Velvet in the chest in the corner. Velvet dodged a slam but Roxxi locked in a front hammer-lock and hit the Voodoo Drop for the win.

WINNER: Roxxi, at 2:13. Fine for what it was.

4 - DAFFNEY vs. AWESOME KONG - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH

Daffney tried a test of strength, but thought better of it. She took Kong down to one knee and tried the test from there but again, it didn't work. Couple chops to Daffney's chest. Kong put the boot right in the neck of Daffney in the corner. She dropped down, landing right on Daffney's leg and knee. Kong picked Daffney up and put her on her shoulders, taking Daffney's foot and bending her so she kicked herself in the back of the head. Daffney tried to run away, but Kong whipped the Scream Queen into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Daffney got a few kicks in, but her offense seemed largely ineffective. Daffney missed a clotheslined and Kong rocked her with an Implant Buster. Game over.

WINNER: Kong, at 3:30. Dominant performance from Kong, probably what it needed to be. Too bad it was against Daffney.

Continued in next post...

Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 12-31-09

Continued from previous post...

5 - LORELAI & APRIL HUNTER vs. TAYLOR WILDE & SARITA

April Hunter, that's a name from the past. The Invasion noted that they considered Taylor and Sarita possible opponents for their tag titles. Double-teaming by the faces on Lorelai. Williams gets pointes for mentioning how the skullduggery for the heels went south. April took over on offense but quickly tagged out and Lorelai got a face-buster for two. Tag to Hunter, who teased Wilde. But Wilde came back with a Codebreaker. Both women made tags and Sarita landeda hip=lock take-over. Sarita dodged Hunter, who hit the floor. Some not-so-great double-teaming ended with the win for the champs.

WINNERS: Wilde and Sarita, at 2:46. The Invasion were awesome on commentary. That's all I have constructive to say about that segment.

6 - ROXXI vs. HAMADA - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMNET SEMI-FINAL MATCH

Hamada wrapped Roxxi up on the mat, but Roxxi came back with a few headlocks. Test of strength won by Hamada as she twisted the boot. A few reversals later and Hamada got the ropes to break. Hamada and Roxxi traded arm-drags, and simultaneously dropkicked each other. The fans expressed their appreciation for the match. Abdominal stretch by Hamada, then a double-stomp onto Roxxi's back. Boston crab by Hamada, turned into a single-leg. Boot to the face by Roxxi that turned the tide for a two-count. Hamada met Roxxi up on the top rope, but couldn't suplex her off. Jumping kick by Hamada though. Hurricanrana off the top for only two by Hamada. Dropkick off the top, but Roxxi slid out of a move for a two-count roll-up. Hamada Driver, but a reversal into a roll-up for two. Voodoo Drop, but Hamada kicked out. Another near-fall for Roxxi. Hamada was able to avoid another Voodoo Drop and rolled up Roxxi for three.

WINNER: Hamada, at 7:49. I've arrived at my family's New Year's party, so some of them gathered in the living room to watch me and the show; I was too distracted by their little side comments to really enjoy this match.

7 - ODB vs. AWESOME KONG - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINAL MATCH

ODB met Kong in the aisle and started brawling with her. ODB got thrown into the steps, hitting thigh-first in a painful looking move. ODB turned things around and slammed Kong's head off the ring steps. Kong turned ODB around and slapped her in the chest. Kong began to drag ODB back into the ring but ODB took over on offense as they went to break at about three minutes.

ODB tried a sleeper hold, but that worked about as well as you'd think. Same went with the shoulder-block attempts. Splash into the corner by ODB, then she preceeded to kick away at Kong. Bronco Buster by ODB. Pin attemtpt for two. She tried to slam Kong, but Kong fell on her for two. Hard clothesline by Kong after one attempt by ODB. Kong backed into ODB in the corner, butg it showed a lot of light. ODB pulled the ref into the corner on a charge and Jamie Tucker took the brunt of Kong's splash. Kong got ODB up for a powerbomb, but ODB used the alcohol bottle on Kong's head. She got the pin as the referee came to.

WINNER: ODB, at 9:41. You had to know neither woman was going over cleanly here, so the finish was smart.

8 - HAMADA vs. ODB - KNOCKOUTS TOURNAMENT FINALS MATCH

So if Hamada wins, does this mean she has two matches Monday night: One for the Tag Titles and one for the Knockouts Title? ODB pie-faced Hamada, and Hamada responded with headbutts. Springboard DDT by Hamada for a quick two-count. ODB wanted a break, so she went to the outside. She took her sweet time recovering on the outside. Kick to the face by ODB for two, but Magistral cradle by Hamada got two as well. ODB hung Hamada upside down in the corner and worked her over as they went to break.

ODB was getting frustrated by the near-fallas at this point in the match. Splash missed by ODB in the corner and Hamada came back with an enziguiri. The women traded chops and open-handed slaps until Hamada ended that with four straight headbutts. Spring-board cross-body for two by Hamada. Another spin kick variation by Hamada for two. Jaw-breaker by ODB turned the momentum her way. At this point, Awesome Kong walked down the ramp with a table. This distracted ODB, who demanded referee Slick Johnson kick her out. Kong set up the table as a few more refs came out to try to get Kong to the back. She left, with the table still standing. Kick to the head by Hamada and ODB rolled to ringside. Hamada came off the apron and somersaulted onto ODB. She pointed toward the table, of course, getting a pop from the blood-thirsty fans. Bigger than usual table too. Headbutt sent ODB onto the table. Hamada went to the top for a moonsault and missed, as ODB was able to slide off the table just in time. ODB rolled Hamada into the ring and hit the TKO to win the tournament.

WINNER: ODB, at 14:34. Longest women's match in some time. Pretty good too, though they may have telegraphed putting Hamada in this match when she's already in one on Monday night.

Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 1-1-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 – C.M. PUNK vs. MATT HARDY – BEAT-THE-CLOCK CHALLENGE MATCH

The bell rang as soon as they came back from break. Quick roll-up by Hardy for a one-count. Inside cradle by Hardy a minute later for two. They went through a bit of a feeling-out process. Striker lauded the opportunity Punk has given people to join the Straight-Edge society. Front suplex by Hardy, but Punk turned the tables by choking Hardy on the top rope. Punk didn’t seem to be in a hurry as he settled into a head-scissors about 3:15 into the match. He again took his time after hitting a move to stand around a bit before going for a cover. Striker acknowledged that Punk was trying to wear Hardy down, rather than go for a quick win. Hardy made his comeback just shy of six minutes in, which included a bulldog out of the corner for a near-fall. Striker talked about the time between six and eight minutes, when wrestlers may start to lose their juice. Punk finished off Hardy with the GTS.

WINNER: Punk, at 7:20. Technically fine, but aside from the first few seconds, neither man really showed the desire to finish the match as soon as possible.

2 – KANE vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER – BEAT-THE-CLOCK CHALLENGE MATCH

Striker suggested that because of Ziggler’s amateur background, where he’s used to trying to win as quickly as possible, this kind of match could favor him. Ziggler and Kane did some chain wrestling and Kane held his own with the Kent State graduate. Standing vertical suplex by Kane about 1:30 into the match. Low dropkick by the big man for two. Ziggler held on during a back-body drop attempt, and turned it into somewhat of a DDT. Punk and Gallows were shown watching this match on the monitor backstage. Grisham laughably said that Ziggler ended 2009 on quite a winning streak. Kane awkwardly slammed Ziggler but missed an elbowdrop. Fameasser by Ziggler for two. The other thing about this is how the announcers talk about 7:20 as being a difficult time to beat, when on Raw, hardly any matches last that long. Big boot by Kane on Ziggler. He couldn’t pick up the win, however. Sidewalk slam for another two-count. Running powerslam by the Big Red Machine for only two. He went to the top, but Ziggler stopped him with 1:30 to go. Kane found the mark on a top rope clothesline, but again, couldn’t seal the deal. Under a minute to go, Kane went for a chokeslam, but Ziggler choked him on the ropes. Sleeper by Ziggler with :40 to go. It was more of a headlock, really. Ziggler got Kane to the mat, but he did not give up by the time the buzzer rang.

WINNER: No Contest, at 7:20. Didn’t really expect Ziggler or Kane to set the mark here, but a win over someone the caliber of Kane at some point wouldn’t hurt Ziggler.

3 – THE CAROLINA PANTHER vs. THE GREAT KHALI

The Panther was some jobber wearing a Julius Peppers jersey, likely to get heat in front of the New York Giants-loving crowd after the Giants laid an egg against the Panther. The Panther got down in a football stance and tried to punch away at the mid-section of Khali. Khali just gave the Khali Bomb to Panther.

WINNER: Khali, at :28. Just like the real Carolina Panthers in 2009, this Carolina Panther was going nowhere.

4 – JOHN MORRISON vs. DREW MCINTYRE – INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Flying leg kick by Morrison soon after the bell rang, then he sent Mac to the outside. Morrison went off the barricade to land on McIntyre, but Drew moved and Morrison landed on his feet. He went back up and ended up flipping onto McIntyre, though it looked like McIntyre was going to pull him down. Morrison’s leg ended up getting caught in the middle and bottom rope and McIntyre took full advantage, weakening the leg. Striker said the last time this title changed hands in this city was in 1999. Morrison tried to fight out of McIntyre’s leg holds and did end up catching McIntyre with a Flying Chuck for a two-count. Nice back-breaker by McIntyre for two. The champ removed the top turnbuckle pad and the referee had to physically restrain Morrison from beating on McIntyre. McIntyre pushed Morrison into the referee, who only saw Morrison running him over, and disqualified Morrison.

WINNER: McIntyre, by DQ, at 4:47. Disappointingly short, but this DQ finish by the heel to keep his belt is a lot easier to stomach the ones that are happening on Raw.

After the match, Morrison and McIntyre brawled on the ramp as the entire referee locker room emptied to break things up. I miss the agents breaking stuff like this up.

5 – BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES

Back-breaker by Phoenix for a quick two-count. Mickie came off the top with a Thesz Press for two. Layla jumped up on the apron to distract the ref. McCool got on the apron as well and went to kick James, but she kicked Beth accidentally. James then rolled Beth up for the win.

WINNER: Mickie, at 1:02. I wonder if they were running long, because this seemed shorter than usual.

6 – CHRIS JERICHO vs. REY MYSTERIO – BEAT-THE-CLOCK MATCH

Jericho gave a beating to Rey, then threw him under the bottom rope and this time, Rey did not do a flip recovery. Punk and Gallows were again shown watching this match backstage. Rey got back on the apron at seven and got a ton of air on a springboard cross-body for two. Jericho quickly turned things back in his favor and headbutted Mysterio down. Enziguiri by Rey set Jericho up for a 619, but Jericho with a lucha-libre style back-drop (according to Striker). Four minutes in, Jericho had Rey locked in a potential submission hold on the mat. Rey got out of it and went to the top, landing a flying headbutt to the chest, shades of El Hijo del Santo (again, according to Striker). Springboard cross-body off the second rope for two. Rey powered out of a Walls of Jericho attempt, but couldn’t capitalize. Back-breaker by Jericho for two. With 1:30 left, Jericho taunted Rey , but got set up again for the 619. Jericho caught the attempt and locked in the Walls of Jericho. Mysterio re-positioned himself to escape and finally hit the 619. With 30 seconds left, Rey tried a springboard, but Jericho caught him in mid-air with an awesome-looking Codebreaker. Jericho couldn’t make the cover in time, as he was still nursing injuries. Ten seconds to go, he tried to get Rey off the mat for a move, but Rey got an inside cradle and registered the pin with one second left.

WINNER: Mysterio, at 7:19. Great timing by all three of the men in the ring on that one, as it all looked very fluid and no one had to go purposely fast/slow to meet the necessary time.

7 – R-TRUTH vs. BATISTA – BEAT-THE-CLOCK MATCH

Batista slammed into Truth in the corner and kept an eye on Mysterio. Roll-up out of the corner by Truth for two. Leg-drop followed that up. Batista was back on offense in no time and landed a suplex on the former K-Kwik. Truth dodged a charge in the corner and did his usual dance, but Batista kicked him in the face when he went for a split. Truth got out of a Batista Bomb attempt and kicked his opponent in the head, sending him to the outside. He launched himself onto Batista on the outside. The two went at it on the outside, but Batista caught Truth coming in and slammed him shoulder-first into the ring post. Batista threw Truth into the steel steps as Striker proclaimed this beating a message to Rey Mysterio. With three minutes to go, Batista continued toying with R-Truth. Truth fought back with rights and a dropkick. Bossman slam by The Animal got two. With 2:00 to go, Truth got a desperation DDT for a two-count. Spinning axe kick for another near-fall. Batista didn’t connect on either of two charges in the corner, but he swatted Truth away on a dropkick off the top rope. Under a minute to go, and Batista speared Truth. He kept making sure to look at Rey after each high-impact move. Spinebuster by Batista with :25 to go. Batista Bomb found the mark with under ten seconds to go, but on a two-count, the referee got pulled out of the ring by Mysterio. Isn’t that a DQ?

WINNER: No Contest, at 7:19. Boy, WWE is actively trying to make their referees look like idiots apparently. How is that not a DQ, allowing Batista to move on? I mean, I’d prefer to see Rey vs. Taker as well (for the reasons I listed at the top of the report), but the last few weeks has been TNA-level booking of finishes and referee incompetence.

- Rey celebrated on the ramp as Batista glared at him from the ring. That looked like the ending, but Vickie Guerrero came out. She said Rey just cheated Batista, so Rey will take on Batista next week to determine the true number one contender. Didn’t we just have this match for the number one contender, like, two weeks ago?

Arcademan:
WWE RAW Results: 1-4-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- MARYSE vs. BRIE BELLA (w/Nikki Bella) -- Divas Title first round tournament match

The action moved to the floor early on where Nikki rammed Maryse head-first into the announce table behind the ref's back. Wait, who's face and heel here? Behind the ref's back again, Nikki and Brie did the switch. Maryse saw it, though, and dropped Nikki with the hair-flip DDT for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Maryse at 2:15. The favorite advances in the tournament. Okay action for two minutes. (n/a)

2 -- JACK SWAGGER vs. MVP vs. CARLITO vs. MARK HENRY

The match was joined in progress with Carlito and Mark Henry added to the mix. Miz name-dropped Spencer Pratt for a reality TV plug-in. Henry was on the outside at the start of this, then he came into the ring for a pop to attack Swagger. Suddenly, Henry and MVP turned on each other and Henry dumped MVP to the floor. Henry then used Carlito's feet as a battering ram on Swagger. Miz kept talking like a great heel before Henry teased a victory with a bear hug on Carlito. Swagger broke it up and Miz said Henry should be on "Biggest Loser." Nice NBC promotional tie-in. Henry then put Swagger in a modified Torture Rack. It's official - we're in 1997. The action broke down and MVP teased the Playmaker on Swagger. After a struggle to set up the move, MVP executed to score the pin for the win. After the match, Miz stood up and told him he's a pretender while MVP did his Ballin' motion toward Miz.

WINNER: MVP at 3:40 to become #1 contender to the U.S. Title. Fine organized chaos. No word on when the U.S. Title match is taking place. (*)

3 -- Unified tag champions DX (SHAWN MICHAELS & TRIPLE H w/Hornswoggle) vs. BIG SHOW & CHRIS JERICHO -- Unified tag title match

After intros took place, Michaels executed a round of chops that generated "Whoos" from the crowd. Sorry, wrong show tonight. Big Show then executed a double suplex to send them into a commercial 47 seconds into the match.

They returned from break about 30 seconds before the top of the hour with Big Show in control working over Hunter. Cole reset the action at the top of the hour with a chat on Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels hugging at the top of the show. Another plug for McMahon confronting Hart on his terms tonight. Jericho then entered and took control. Jericho suddenly cupped his ear ala Hulk Hogan, which drew a mix of boos and cheers. Jericho smiled, then went to work on Hunter. (Announcers did not acknowledge the ear-cupping, by the way.) Michaels finally took a hot tag at 7:45 and went "vintage" on Big Show with multiple flying forearms following kip-ups before going to the knees with a dropkick to get Show off his feet. Michaels then went up top for an elbow, but Jericho ran across the ring and crotched him. Suddenly, Hornswoggle entered and sat on Show's chest, which only scored a nearfall.

Michaels then warmed up the band for a superkick, but Show countered with a big chokeslam. He didn't make an immediate cover, which gave Michaels an out to kick out just before a three count. Jericho then tagged in and tried the Walls of Jericho, but Michaels flung him away and in came Hunter. Hunter quickly smashed Jericho with the Pedigree for a big pop, but Show broke it up. Hot action here. Hunter then wanted the Pedigree on Show and he connected with Michaels...jumping across the ring to help. Almost seemed like a superkick was coming on Hunter. Suddenly, Jericho shoved Hunter into Michaels and Jericho nearly rolled up Hunter, but only scored a two count. Jericho then smashed Hunter with the codebreaker, but both men collapsed to the mat. Jericho eventually made a cover, but Michaels flew into the ring for a break. Horny then entered the ring and tuned up for a superkick, but Jericho smashed Hornswoggle in the head. Hunter teased the Pedigree, but Jericho countered with the Walls of Jericho. With the ref focused on clearing Horny out of there, Michaels superkicked Jericho and Hunter made the cover for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: DX at 12:01 to retain the Unified tag titles. Very strong title match for TV. Good nearfalls, a strong tease of a title change, and good use of star power. (**3/4)

4 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. LITTLE EVAN BOURNE -- non-title match

The bell sounded and Bourne blasted Sheamus with kick strikes. Bourne then went up top and nailed the Air Bourne splash 30 seconds in, but Sheamus kicked out at two. Crowd popped thinking they were seeing history. Bourne then went back up top for a splash, but Sheamus dropped him with a front slam. Sheamus followed with a clubbing blow to the skull and went on the attack as the crowd chanted Cena's name. Must not be football fans. Sheamus then set up Bourne for the Iron Cross Outsider's Edge drop and he connected for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Sheamus at 1:45. Well, at least Bourne got some quality TV time, a promo, and his finisher on live TV on a big night. Finish was expected, but it was a good way to use Bourne when Cena is at the Fiesta Bowl and they can "waste a week" on the WWE Title picture without a PPV to promote in the immediate future. (*)

5 -- KOFI KINGSTON vs. RANDY ORTON

Kofi took it to Orton early on before dropkicking Orton through the ropes to the outside. Orton then kicked him away again and Orton stared at DiBiase and Rhodes, who stared at him to say, "Show us something." Orton stumbled on the floor before they cut to break.

Back from break, Orton was in control as the announcers talked up Hart-McMahon to come. Orton continued to work over Kofi while they cut to shots of DiBiase and Rhodes sitting ringside watching intently. The announcers sold not knowing whether they want Orton to be successful or not. Kofi then made a comeback, but they collided mid-air. Both men came to their feet after a pause and Kofi hit a top-rope splash for a two count center ring. Kofi then tried the Trouble in Paradise, but Orton blocked and immediately dropped Kofi with the RKO for the pin and the win. After the bell sounded, DiBiase and Rhodes no-sold the victory. They remained in their seats with blank looks on their faces. Orton left the ring and turned back to look at DiBiase and Cody, who eventually stood up and folded their arms.

WINNER: Orton at 11:02. Okay match. Just didn't move into a higher gear and Kofi seems to have lost some of his edge after peaking at MSG with the Boom Drop. The deal with DiBiase and Rhodes has potential for good follow-up next week, but this whole segment seemed to be "just there" this week. (*1/2)

Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 1-4-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- X DIVISION EIGHT-MAN BATTLE IN THE STEEL ASYLUM

Tenay called the X Division a "natural extension of the cruiserweights." He said it's more about a mindset than a weight division. I remember Jerry Jarrett trying to explain that to me back when TNA launched, and it's was vague then and vague now, but that's about as close as you can get to pegging it. Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Kiyoshi, Homicide, "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed, Suicide, and Amazing Red. Tenay said Mick Foley was denied access to the Impact Zone earlier. (Obviously an angle, just in case anyone is confused.) This match began nine minutes into the show. The crowd chanted, "Let's go, bitches! Let's go, bitches!" At least I think that's what they were chanting. Homicide used an extendible baton as a weapon, but then turned on Kiyoshi. The ref called for the bell. Bad start to have a lame DQ finish in the TV opener. The crowd chanted, "This is bullsh--! This is bullsh--!" Well, there's some feedback for TNA if they were looking for it. They had to silence the "sh--" part of the chant over and over. Clumsy and embarrassing. Homicide tried to climb out after hitting everyone else with his batton. The other wrestlers climbed after him. This turned into quite the clustermess.

WINNER: No contest in 4:00.

2 -- TARA vs. ODB -- TNA Knockouts Title

Tenay plugged that fans can ask questions by email and Twitter tonight at http://www.mycontent.com/tna. Tenay plugged there'd be more TNA Knockout action, plus again plugged Hogan's pending arrival. The crowd was decked out, by the way, in yellow Hulk Hogan shirts. Tenay plugged Dixie Carter's Twitter account. It diminished the value of the TNA Knockouts Title to have Tenay talking about anything but this match, not to mention it was another ridiculously short title match, with ODB winning at 2:00. You can't sell a title as important or its matches as an attraction worth paying for (or just staying tuned for) if the epitome of the champion and top challenge battle for two whole minutes and the announcers talk about everything but the match most of that two minutes. A lot of the same mistakes being made that seems smart at the time (we gotta plug what's next!!!), but with a long-term cost of deflating the value of the actual product they're ultimately trying to convince people is important enough to watch and buy. There was a small production glitch as they cut to a wide shot of the Asylum with an empty cage over the ring, presumably from before the X Division match started.

WINNER: ODB in 2:00 to capture the TNA Knockouts Title.

-Tara attacked ODB afterward, then took out her tarantula. She has to be so careful with it because if she drops it, it could easily die. Those types of spiders are extreme fragile.

3 -- TAYLOR WILDE & SARITA vs. AWESOME KONG & HAMADA -- TNA Knockouts Tag Team Title match

A minute into the match they cut backstage where Jeremy Borash was picking up chairs lying over the fallen bodies of Sabin and Shelley. He said, "We've got a traitor here." After a dive to the floor and a pile of bodies, they cut to a break at 3:00. [c] They showed a clip from during the break of a near fall by Wilde on Kong, then Kong making a comeback. Hamada had Wilde on the defensive back live in the ring. Tenay said this is a night they will never forget. He listed all of the big names appearing on the show including Flair and Hardy. Taz said they might see more surprises. In the end, Hamada finished Sarita with a top rope dropkick as Sarita was suspended on Kong's shoulders. Taz said he thinks everyone is picking up their game with Hogan and Bischoff watching.

WINNERS: Kong & Hamada in 10:00 to capture the tag team titles. It's a shame they didn't have any time to promote the actual wrestling matches on this show ahead of time. Two title changes already. Too bad title changes were rendered much less important thanks to the late-'90s booking frenzy when titles and title changes were devalued. This is more of the same, actually.

4 -- RAVEN & DR. STEVIE (w/Daffney) vs. HERNANDEZ & MATT MORGAN

As the backdrop to the announcing began (known in previous decades as a "wrestling match"), Tenay said Ric Flair was seen walking into A.J. Styles's locker room earlier and he hasn't left. Wait! TNA has a World Champion? And his name is what? A.J. Styles? Good to know. Morgan finished Stevie with a Carbon Footprint in less than a minute.

WINNER: Morgan & Hernandez in 1:00.

5 -- DESMOND WOLFE vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO EINERO

Taz said Hogan inspired a lot of wrestlers to get into pro wrestling. At 2:00 the crowd chanted loudly: "This is wrestling! This is wrestling!" They hadn't seen much of it yet, nearly two hours after the show began. Pope hit a corner swing elbow drop. Wolfe came right back with a Tower of London attempt. Pope escaped. They struggled for leverage, and Pope finished Wolfe with a small package.

WINNER: Pope in 3:00.

6 -- ABYSS vs. SAMOA JOE

Tenay said they had announced Abyss vs. Rhino, but Bischoff threw out the format sheet and instead booked the first-ever meeting between Abyss and Joe. Taz talked about the immense respect he has for Joe. Some high-impact fast-paced action in the opening minutes. It's strange, but pleasant, to see Abyss wrestling without weapons or special stips. Abyss got a near fall at 4:00 after a chokeslam. Abyss threw the ref aside at one point, so Joe seized the chance to hit Abyss with a chair across the side of his head and shoulder as Abyss reached out to grab him at ringside. Joe then applied his submission for the win.

WINNER: Joe in 5:00 via tapout.

7 -- A.J. STYLES vs. KURT ANGLE -- TNA World Hvt. Title Match

During ring intros, Taz said: "I'll tell you something right now straight up from a pure wrestling perspective, you will not find a wrestling contest at the level of what you are about to witness, nowhere on TV right now live as we speak. Trust me on that my friends." Tenay called it a PPV-quality main event. They locked up at 10:36 p.m., with lots of time to tell a story and have a classic. Styles flip dove onto Angle at ringside at 1:00. Taz said, "I told you! And this thing just started." A man in a black outfit and black mask attacked Styles from behind, knocking Styles into the ref. Angle knocked him out of the ring. Angle helped Styles to his feet and soon took control with a powerbomb into the corner turnbuckles. Tenay told viewers not to go anywhere as they'll be back with more action after this break. Mid-break, they showed Angle on offense and Tenay thanking Hogan and Bischoff for putting this classic on TV tonight.

Back live, the crowd chanted, "This is wrestling!" Tenay said, "You're damn right this is wrestling." At 8:00 Angle went into a series of unreleased back suplexes. Angle's turning more to the side on those, seemingly protecting his neck. Styles came back with a Pele kick, but Angle ducked it and applied the anklelock. Styles rolled him into a near fall. Styles then hit a Pele kick and scored another near fall.

Tenay said the lack of preparation time hasn't affected Styles or Angle. Styles hit a springboard flying forearm. Taz called him the best pure wrestling champion in the world today. Angle got up and threw Styles off the top rope for a near fall. Angle hit a frog splash for another two count a minute later at 12:00. Styles gave Angle a DDT as a countermove. That led to another two count. Taz said Angle had a dazed look in his eyes. "Who Needs Bret!" chanted the crowd. Wow. Was that prompted? No comment from Tenay or Taz. Angle went for an anklelock. Styles escaped. Angle hit another suplex for another two count. More near falls, one after another. Taz called it "an historic night." Angle applied a legbar. Ric Flair then walked out. Tenay said he wanted to watch the match in person. Taz said Flair spent along time in Styles's locker room earlier. Tenay said that they're staying with the World Title match until it's conclusion. He said, "No matter how long it takes, we're staying with it until we have a winner." Then they cut to a break. Kind of ironic to promise they'd stay with the match until it's over only to cut away immediately. But what they're saying is we might still be here after Raw ends, so check back in if you flip channels in the mean time.

More fast-paced action after the break. Styles hit the Styles Clash, but he was slow to make the cover. They showed Flair again on the stage. Styles moved to the ring apron and hit a springboard flip splash for the three count. They showed Carter giving the match a standing ovation.

WINNER: Styles in 22:00.

STAR RATING: ****

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