Turning Point went down this past Sunday and the shockwaves were felt all throughout the Impact Zone! Admittedly, it isn't difficult to accomplish seeing as how it's a small building that seats 1,100 but still!
The first of two sets of Impact tapings went down last night and thanks to The Wrestling Observer, we've got details on all the action that went down. What was taped?
Well, X-Division champ Austin Aries teams up with Kid Kash to take on Brian Kendrick and Jesse Sorensen while TV champ Robbie E and tag champs Mexican American put their straps on the line against Devon and the team of Matt Morgan and Crimson respectively. Also, a 10-Knockouts Gauntlet Match determines Knockouts Champion Gail Kim's first challenger.
All this plus the main event of Final Resolution is announced and we find out who attacked James Storm last week.
If you want to know what happened, read on!
The show starts out with TNA Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode talking smack on his former Fortune buddies. But lo and behold, James Storm shows up to try and take his former partner on before being stopped by security. While the boys in black are handling that, AJ Styles sneaks into the ring from the crowd and he and Roode go at it. They brawl, are separated and the Stinger shows up to announce the main event for TNA's last 2011 pay-per-view (PPV). At Final Resolution, it'll be a rematch between Roode and Styles in a 30-minute Iron Man Match.
I loathe Iron Man Match that aren't at least an hour. Wouldn't the main event usually go about 20 minutes anyway? What's an extra 10 minutes tacked on going to add?
Next up was Robbe E making his first successful TV title defense against Devon. The gorilla -- or is he a juicehead? -- picked up the win after Devon was distracted by his kids checking on Pope after a brawl broke out on the outside between him, Robbie T, and Eric Young.
So what's the deal with Pope and Devon? Are those kids Pope's or something? Or do they just wish Pope was their dad?
James Storm is backstage and he runs into Samoa Joe. "Did you beat me up last week, bro?" "Nah, homie." "Whatever, let's fight anyway." If this actually led to something, it would be cool. But it doesn't so it isn't.
In X-Division action, the team of Brian Kendrick and Jesse Sorensen beat Austin Aries and Kid Kash after the champ and his partner argued which led to "A Double" leaving the ring. Down two to one, Kash fell to the odds and was pinned after Sorensen nailed him with his finisher.
Mickie James became the number one contender for Gail Kim's Knockouts title. In a Gauntlet Match, James went through five other women culminating with a pinfall over Madison Rayne. The next to last opponent for James, ODB, nailed "Hardcore Country" after the pinfall which would have allowed Karen Jarrett's assistant to get the easy win. But she was arrogant and James was able to score the victory.
Crimson and Matt Morgan, fresh off their respect brawl or whatever from Turning Point, tell Sting that Mexican American is threatening to leave TNA due to lack of competition in the tag division. So the Stinger puts the two of them in a title match with the champs. This will not end well.
The awful, terrible Karen Jarrett is in the ring and calls Jeff Hardy out. She runs him down in typical heel fashion and goading him into hitting her. Classy. Meanwhile her hubby Jeff Jarrett comes in through the audience to attack the "Charismatic Enigma." Hardy is able to avoid the attack from both Jarretts much to "Double J's" chagrin.
Remember how I said the tag team title match wouldn't end well? Well, you've got Crimson and Matt Morgan as the new champs. Maybe they'll name the team The X-Factor as in "X-actly why am I supposed to care about these two?"
Back inside the ring, Garett Bischoff with Sting in his corner defeated Gunner with Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff in his corner. Yeah? This is the main event? I don't think Bischoff just hates internet wrestling fans, I think he hates all wrestling fans. Hell, I think he might hate wrestling.
The finale comes when James Storm hits the ring and demands to know who laid him out the week before. He brings up AJ Styles and is all, "Hey, that dude got a title shot at Turning Point and is getting another one at Final Resolution. This seems to have worked out pretty well for him, HINT HINT!" Styles comes out and is all, "Bro, don't even go down that path. It leads to fear. And fear leads to hate and hate ... well, we all saw Episode I, you know what I'm getting at." Storm gets pissed because he hates the prequels and they started brawling.
Okay, that really happened minus all the Star Wars stuff. Kazarian comes out to separate his Fortune brethren and leads Styles backstage. Storm hangs back for a bit and then decides to head out when Kurt Angle shows up and attacks him! Storm is rolled back into the ring where the former champ nails him with an Angle Slam.
"It was me! I did it for da Rock!"
Okay, Angle did reveal that he attacked Storm but didn't bring up The Rock.
That's what Impact needs. More Star Wars and Rikishi references.
And that's the show! Will you be watching?