Thanks to Alan Wojcik

Welcome to the first TNA Impact tapings for broadcast on Spike TV as part of “Slammin’ Saturday Nights.” These two shows will air on October 1st and 8th respectively. As someone that has been covering the promotion since those shows in Alabama and the two Nashville venues this is surreal to be part of a national TV taping that can be viewed by 80 million homes. I am happy for guys like AMW, the Naturals, AJ Styles, Ron Killings and others that were on the initial events when people thought TNA was a joke.

There are some minor changes to the sets. On either side of the heel entry way are two big screens for the fans to hopefully see the behind the scenes stuff the home audience will view. The babyface entry way is open again. Two banners are hanging on the hard camera side hyping the “Bound for Glory” PPV. The Spanish announcers were moved into the top of the seats by the babyface entry way. Behind Mike Tenay and Don West TNA placed a flat screen TV. During the two hours we will supposedly see footage of Jeff Jarrett regaining the NWA World Heavyweight title with the assistance of America’s Most Wanted (“Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris) which Jeremy Borash reminded them of before the taping began. Plus we might see the debuts of Team 3D, Gail Kim and the return of Tito Ortiz.

Before cameras rolled for the main show, AMW was brought to the ring by Borash and the crowd booed accordingly, calling them “Pussycat and Cowgirl.” AMW were dressed up for the occasion. Storm said since TNA had some free time before Spike TV launched they had some things to say. Storm called each and every person in the building “assholes.” Harris said there were some changes in TNA and AMW is the biggest one since they will not be performing for the office or the fans of TNA. Harris said for three years they gave the fans their heart and soul and they got nothing in return. Harris demanded the fans stand for the cornerstone of TNA Wrestling, Jeff Jarrett. During a promo that will air 10 minutes before the show on Saturday Raven rushed the ring to confront AMW and Jarrett but TNA security cut him off. In the ring Mike Tenay and Don West did another opening with Jeff Hardy that will air at 10pm before one of the shows. Shockingly Rhino and Abyss with Jim Mitchell came out to confront Hardy but he too was stopped by security. Lastly they filmed another bumper, this one with Jeff Hardy, “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, Raven, AJ Styles, 3 Live Kru, Tito Ortiz, Jeff Jarrett and AMW, Team Canada and Rhino all arguing or standing on a rampway.

TNA Xplosion match or warm up match:

(1) Lance Hoyt and the NWA World Tag Team champions the Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas) defeated “Primetime” Elix Skipper, David Young and Cassidy Reilly.

Hoyt was jumped by his opponents but that didn’t last long and Hoyt took over almost chokelamming Reilly through the mat. The Naturals doubleteamed Reilly, who was back suplexed over the top rope by Stevens, who then backdropped Douglas onto Reilly and Young. Hoyt followed as did Skipper and then Stevens did a shooting star press off the top onto all of them. Finally the action came back to the ring Stevens and Skipper faced off. The Naturals worked over Skipper but Skipper hit Douglas with a spinning kick to the ribs. Skipper and his partners took turns beating down Douglas but couldn’t get the pin. Reilly got careless and let Douglas tag out to Stevens who was joined by Hoyt in throwing punches. The match ended with the Naturals hitting Reilly with the Natural Disaster.

Hour one of Spike TV opened with a brief video from David Sahadi and Kevin Sullivan introducing the new fans to the product that is TNA Wrestling.

(1) NWA World X Division champion “Phenomenal” AJ Styles defeated “the Master of the Backbreaker” Roderick Strong.

Strong was waiting in the ring for Styles. Both men traded armdrags and chest chops but Styles picked Strong up and tossed him to a corner. Both men went for waistlocks but Styles scored a dropkick which sent Strong to the floor. Styles followed with a forward flip that almost made him part of the TNA pit. Christopher Daniels came down to watch the match and that allowed Strong to take over on Styles. Strong took Styles to the mat with a body scissor of sorts but Styles fought to his feet and took over on Strong with a flip into the inverted DDT. Strong countered out of the Styles Clash and went for a half nelson backbreaker but Styles blocked it and got the pin with a small package. Styles stood in the ring holding the title and mocking Daniels.

Before the next match they played a: 45 second reel on the background of Monty Brown. He was then interviewed by Shane Douglas. And as usual Brown was boisterous. They cut to a backstage shot of Raven beating down people and was stopped by security and Larry Zybzsko.

(2) “Alpha Male” Monty Brown defeated Lex Lovett.

Shame for Lovett that the match was over before it ever began. Brown wasted little time hitting Lovett with a T Bone suplex and a fallaway slam that almost sent Lovett to the floor. The fans chanted it and they got it as Brown hit Lovett with the POUNCE!!!!!

Back from commercial they played the Bound for Glory PPV commercial. It was followed by a :45 second feature on the X Division.

(3) In a three way X Division dance, “the Future” Chris Sabin defeated Alex Shelley and Team Canada’s “Canadian Destroyer” Petey Williams.

Like any three way X Division match this was non stop highspots with each man having their time to dominate the other two. Williams ended up on the floor and Shelley joined him with a tope through Sabin’s legs. Sabin followed both men out over the ropes. Sabin placed Shelley in the tree of woe and delivered a dropkick to the face. Williams rejoined the match as he hit Sabin with a tornado DDT for two. Shelley and Williams played nice for a moment working over Sabin. The partnership ended when they butted heads after hitting Sabin with a DDT. Sabin recovered and dropkicked both men in the face. Sabin took over but his attempt at the Cradle shock was blocked by Shelley who went for a DDT but Williams hit Shelley with a Canadian legsweep and went for the Canadian Destroyer. Williams got halfway into the move when Sabin caught him and hit a running powerbomb for two. The end of the match saw Sabin hit two enziguris and the Cradle Shock. After the bell Williams hit Sabin with the Canadian Destroyer.

Before commercial Shane Douglas witnessed Tito Ortiz enter the office of Larry Zybzsko. The bumper to commercial said “Controversy in Canada” and “Jeff Hardy vs. Rhino.” In the soundstage they didn’t play the footage until after the next match. A promo from TNA Home Video played. It was followed by a :45 second promo about 3 Live Kru.

(4) Jeff Hardy vs. Rhino ended in a no-contest.
As Hardy posed for the fans Rhino jumped him. Hardy tried to comeback but Rhino cut him off until Hardy got him in the corner and laid in some kicks but walked into an elbow. Rhino caught Hardy’s leg but Hardy did a RVD like kick to escape. Both men traded two count pins and Rhino took over on Hardy using the ropes to choke him out. Hardy fought back but was hit with a bodyslam but Rhino missed a second rope legdrop. The fists began to fly in Rhino’s face and the kicks followed soon after. Rhino hit a belly to belly suplex and got ready for the Gore but Hardy moved and hit the Twist of Fate just as Abyss and “Father” James Mitchell came down the rampway and jumped Hardy in the ring. The bell sounded as Rhino and Abyss seemed to be working together until the lights went out in the building and Sabu was in the ring. Hardy and Sabu took to the air hitting planchas to the floor.

The ending of the NWA World title match in Windsor, Canada played for all to see on the big screens. To the ring came the NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett and AMW. Jarrett bragged about how everything TNA has achieved was his doing and his alone. Jarrett thanked AMW and called them the cornerstones of TNA Wrestling. Jarrett said he had a fourth part of the puzzle to bring to the ring, Coach Scott D’amore (who runs Border City Wrestling where the title change took place.) D’amore said his deal with Jarrett was still not done since Jarrett owed him one favor. Jarrett was talking when 3 Live Kru came out to stop his rambling. Konnan told Jarrett that TNA wasn’t built by him, it was built by the fans and the locker room. This led to a fight in the ring with Team Canada, 3LK and AMW.

This was ended as Team 3D (BRD and Devon wearing new shirts with “Trademark This” on the back.) hit the rampway and the fans blew the roof off the venue. Team 3D hit the 3D on AMW and but Jarrett avoided it. Not to be upstaged Kevin Nash (not as big an ovation a Team 3D) came down to the ring as Jarrett got hit with Devon’s headbutt from the top rope and Nash hit a Jackknife powerbomb. Nash took the mic and said Planet Jarrett was off axis tonight and he had some unfinished business with the owner of Planet Jarrett at “Bound for Glory”. Nash and Team 3D called out Jarrett and AMW for matches. BRD told the people of Stamford to “Trademark This” as both men flicked off the camera. Who knew that NEITHER team was the reining World champions??

Between shows Borash, $o Cal Val and the other girl tossed out shirts to the fans. Roderick Strong came out and claimed AJ Styles couldn’t defeat him a second time and called Styles to the ring. Not a shock to the fans Styles appeared in the ring for a match with Strong.

NWA World X Division champion “Phenomenal” AJ Styles defeated Roderick Strong.
Styles locked on a side headlock and it was countered by Strong but once again he ran into a Styles dropkick. Again Styles did the suicide dive over the top and into the Pit. Back in the ring Styles got a two count and locked in a reverse chinlock with a bridge. Daniels came out again and Styles looked to him, so Strong dropkicked him in the back of the head, followed by a modified camel clutch. Styles made it to the ropes before submitting and hit an enziguri, followed by the flip into the inverted DDT. Styles hit the Clash to win the match as Daniels stood around ringside.

Hour two matches to air on October 8th 11pm.

They played a quick video of Raven being taken out of the building in handcuffs.

(1) 3 Live Kru (Ron “the Truth” Killings, BG James and Konnan as Random Task) defeated Team Canada (“Showtime” Eric Young, A1 and Bobby Roode with Coach Scott D’amore).

After 3LK did their shtick on the mic, Team Canada jumped them so they could isolate BG. The hard camera side of the venue sang the Star Spangled Banner, very off key. BG fought back defeat and made the tag to Killings who took on all of the Canadians, but didn’t get the three count. Konnan hit his rolling clothesline and threw his shoe at Young who was crotched on the top rope. Next the shoe was thrown at Roode. Killings got the pin by hitting Young with the scissor kick. After the bell Team Canada jumped 3LK until Kip James ran out to protect BG from any further damage. Konnan got in Kip’s face as they went to commercial.

Mike Tenay and Don West spoke on camera about something. They were followed by a spot on the Ultimate X match played.

(2) “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels defeated Matt Bentley (with Traci Brooks) and Austin Aries.

This match belonged on PPV. Each man hit the other with armdrags from all around the ring. Aries hit Daniels with a sling shot corkscrew splash from the apron for two. Bentley hit his opponents with a DDT/neckbreaker. Daniels countered out a Bentley tilt a whirl move into an STO for two. Daniels hit Aries with an STO and Bentley with a modified Last Rites for two. Daniels was tossed off the top rope by Aries and Bentley. Aries hit both men with clotheslines but didn’t get the pin. Aries got on Bentley’s shoulders and victory rolled him to the floor. Daniels followed them out but missed his springboard moonsault to the floor. Bentley and Aries hit each other with cross bodyblocks as Petey Williams came out to interfere but he was stopped on the rampway by Chris Sabin. Bentley forgot his opponents and dove onto Sabin and Williams. Aries went up top to follow him but Daniels cut him off and delivered the Angel’s Wings to end the match.

The “Bound for Glory” PPV promo played. It was followed by a :45 second promo of Rhino.

(3) Abyss (with Jim Mitchell) defeated Sonny Siaki.

Siaki held his own as Abyss’ right elbow bled until Abyss chopped Siaki. Abyss missed a corner splash and got kicked twice and got hit with a huricurana. Mitchell got on the apron to distract Siaki and it worked as Siaki got kicked in the face, hit with a corner splash, Shock Treatment and the infamous Black Hole Slam to end the match.

A :45 second promo on Samoa Joe played. Mike Tenay and TNA championship committee member Larry Zbyszko were in the ring. Larry told the fans that the committee was still trying to figure out how Jeff Jarrett got his title match. Next he announced at Bound for Glory in the main event Jeff Jarrett will take on Kevin Nash and the special referee for the match will be Tito Ortiz. Ortiz came out to the ring and said the fans will get to see an impartial main event.

Ortiz demanded that both men respect him as a referee or he will break them down with punishment. He was cut off by Jeff Jarrett, minus AMW. Jarrett said he had no rules for Ortiz but if he laid hands on him he would break Ortiz down. After Jarrett put over Nash’s appearance in the Longest Yard (now on DVD) Nash came out and the two fought again. This time Ortiz put Nash in what looked like the Kokina Clutch and then was about to do the same to Jarrett as TNA security hit the ring.

The TNA home Video commercial played. Shane Douglas spoke to “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels about the “Bound for Glory” match. Daniels challenged Styles to find three X Division wrestlers to beat him inside of fifteen minutes. Styles came over and accepted the challenge and said he had three men in mind for Daniels.

(4) America’s Most Wanted (“Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris) vs. Team 3D (BRD and Devon).

I doubted it could happen but AMW got over as heels. At the bell Devon and BRD tossed AMW around the ring and sent them to the floor after hitting them with corner splashes.

The crowd called for tables as the show took a commercial break. AMW stalled on the floor during this time. BRD took over on Storm but he got too close to Harris who hit a clothesline. That was all AMW needed to take control of the match and beat down BRD for several minutes. BRD some separation by hitting Storm with chest chops a full nelson bomb and tagging Devon who took on both members of AMW. Team 3D hit Storm with a Road Warrior clothesline but Harris saved his partner and GAIL KIM slid into the ring to crotch shot BRD.

Devon was ready for a power bomb but Jeff Jarrett hit the ring and belt shotted Devon. Jarrett busted open BRD with a belt shot. AMW hit BRD and Devon with the Death Sentence a Gail Kim delivered marching orders. Jarrett broke the guitar on BRD’s head and Harris chair shotted Devon as the show ended. Harris teased he was going to handcuff one of Team 3D but security sent AMW, Jarrett and Gail Kim to the locker room.

Apparently this will appear on Xplosion:

(1) Samoa Joe and Alex Shelley defeated “the Future” Chris Sabin and Apolo.

Apolo tossed Shelley around the ring for a while and then kicked Joe to the floor. Sabin tagged in and dropkicked Shelley in the face. Sabin got too close to the ropes and Joe kicked him in the face. Joe came into the match, delivered the facewash and the Ole kick to Sabin before tagging Shelley back in.

Shelley hit Sabin with a back suplex and then face planted Sabin into the mat. Joe tagged back in and beat Sabin down some more but Sabin wouldn’t be pinned nor would he submit even after being powerslammed. Sabin hit Shelley with a kick and made the tag to Apolo who hit Joe with an acecrusher for two. Apolo hit Shelley with a superkick but when he turned around Joe blocked the kick and hit a legwhip, before he locked Apolo in the Kokina Clutch and got the submission win.

Announced matches for TNA Bound for Glory PPV:

NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett vs. Kevin Nash with special referee Tito Ortiz

In a 30 minute iron man match, NWA World X Division champion “Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels

In an Ultimate X match, Matt Bentley (with Traci Brooks) vs. Team Canada’s Petey Williams vs. “the Future” Chris Sabin
Samoa Joe vs. Japanese legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger

In a Monster’s Ball two match, Abyss vs. Rhino vs. Sabu vs. Jeff Hardy
(Guessing) America’s Most Wanted vs. NWA World Tag Team champions the Naturals