Impact *SPOILERS* for 12/4

[CubbyBr 0]

Filming for a future episode this year

Mike & Don on the ramp to start the show, what's they are saying is inaudible to the live crowd.

 

- They move to the ring to recap 2008...and hype matches airing on the Best of 2008 New Year's edition of Impact.

 

- The Beautiful People with Cute Kip defeated Roxxi & Taylor Wilde. Angelina Love pins Roxxi with a small package after Cute Kip reverses the one Roxxi had on Love.

 

Start of Impact for 12.04.08

- The Main Event Mafia comes out to start the show, Kevin Nash mentions how Team 3D got one over on them. He says they give 3D 60 seconds to come out or consider their death certificate signed. Team 3D comes out, Brother Ray says," First, let me introduce you to AJ Styles & Samoa Joe's tag team partners for Final Resolution". He also says that the MEM stole from every company.....actually, raped every company they've ever been with. He also says he hopes he and Devon never become the egomaniacs they have become. They have broken the code between all the boys in the back. If they stay in power, there won't be a TNA anymore, that's why himself, Devon and the rest of the Frontline will make sure that will never happen. The members of the Frontline make their way through the crowd and mingle throughout the fans. Rhino says this show is dedicated to the MEM and taking them out. He says to Sting that he should be alongside him and fighting the good fight instead of with MEM and he made the wrong choice. And he'll be kicking his ass tonight. Brother Ray leads a chant "Tonight we kick the Main Event Mafia's" as the crowd yells a**.

 

- TNA Legends Title Match: Booker T with Sharmell vs. Samoa Joe

Booker pins Joe after the Beautiful People run down and spray their perfume in Joe's eyes.

 

- Christy Hemme & AJ Styles defeated Amazing Kong & Scott Steiner when Hemme pinned Kong

 

- Consequences Creed, Jay Lethal & Eric Young def Jimmy Rave, Sonjay Dutt w/ So Cal Val when Creed pinned Rave. Sheik Abdul Bashir was Dutt & Rave's partner, but left the match after fans chanted USA and joined Mike & Don on commentary. Post match, he attacks Young and they fight up the ramp. Young steals the X Division title and celebrates in the ring with Creed & Lethal

 

- Kurt Angle comes out to the ring & asks Jeff Jarrett to come out before the live crowd. Jarrett comes out. Angle says for Jeff and all the fans here to enjoy themselves tonight. He says tonight could be his last Impact. He says he's more focused than ever for his match at Final Resolution and getting his match against Jeff Jarrett. He said that over 2 yrs ago when he came to TNA, he and Jarrett have always butted heads and that Jarrett is jealous of his success. He doesn't care what it takes or who's blood has to spill, he says he's never been this out of control in his life. Jarrett says he's going to make it short and sweet. If Angle thinks he's going to mess with his career, his company or his family. It'll be over his dead body. Angle smiles as Jarrett leaves.

 

- Non Title: Rhino defeated TNA champion Sting with a gore. During the match, both Angle & Styles make their way to ringside and brawl when Angle attempts to interfere, Rhino hits Sting with a Gore. The members of the Frontline rush to the ring to celebrate as Impact goes off the air.

 

Match taped for New Year's Edition of Impact

- TNA World Tag Team Title Match: Beer Money, Inc defeated LAX. Roode pinned Homicide with a rollup and handful of tights.

 

www.411mania.com

 

The addition of Team 3D to the "Front Line" just doesn't seem right. I guess their promo work could help but I would have much rather sen Abyss/Morgan or even Tomko added to the group.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

I see it as 3D will turn on the others at the next PPV.

[CubbyBr 0]

I thought about that too but I can't really see 3D fitting in with the suit-wearing Main Event Mafia either. Not that TNA ever cares about detail.

[luke-o 0]

EDIT: Nevermind, I didn't read this Thursdays first

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Unless TNA do a trademark pointless swerve, Rhino is losing to Kurt Angle at the PPV to further Angle's feud with Jarrett. Logically, Rhino pinning Sting, the TNA world champion, should lead to Rhino getting a title shot. Therefore, it could be that Rhino pinning Sting leads to Rhino getting the belt at some point soon, and his loss to Angle sets up a title match between the two, which Angle would likely win, and therefore set up the split between Sting and MEM with Angle kicking Sting out of the group because Sting lost the TNA title.

 

Either that or their world champion lost a match for no reason.

 

 

[The Truthiness 0]

So Joe has lost to all the members in the MEM but Steiner? I find that amusing.

 

Rhyno beats Stings in a non title match building to his match with Angle. While AJ (the guy feuding with Sting), fights Angle off. Ok, that might make a little sense.

 

I like how how Rhyno and 3D have basically took over the feud with MEM, because the "Originals" sucks.

[Chazz 0]

So Joe has lost to all the members in the MEM but Steiner? I find that amusing.

 

 

IIRC, Steiner beat Joe a couple of weeks ago on Impact when Nash interfered, so he has lost to all members of MEM.

 

[Silence 0]

Joe jobbing to perfume, damn.

[RedJed 0]

Joe has got to have one of the shittiest win-loss records this year in TNA for a guy who not only has been the companies champion for half of the year, but is a supposed main eventer. I'm missing where the payoff is to balance out the bullshit with the way he's booked. I gotta think they are intentionally pulling this shit on Joe now, perhaps envious he put over ROH so strong last week when he returned there? Because being defeated by a fucking perfume spray shot in the eyes is just ridiculous. And what in the hell are they doing even having those chicks run out to cause Joe the match? Talk about clusterfuck.

 

And still not impressed with this Dudley face turn and now subsequent pseudo-leaders of the face side. Having them re-turn heel would be stupid, just make the

"Front Line" more inept than they already are. They really should have just never turned in the first place, stayed out of the feuding with the factions, and just left it at that.

 

Rhino over Sting.....well, I give them credit as they are really pushing Rhino heavily lately (I thought his promo work was great last week on Impact), but it's really pretty transparent to me, considering the on and off push he's gotten the last few years. And I think we all can expect to see this push pulled back once again after the ppv, following an obvious loss to Angle.

[cd213 0]

I wonder if Rhino is getting the position in the Frontline that Christian was maybe supposed to get if he stayed? He came out the week after the beat down and took the Frontline's side after coming to the defense of Christian.

[RedJed 0]

I wonder if Rhino is getting the position in the Frontline that Christian was maybe supposed to get if he stayed? He came out the week after the beat down and took the Frontline's side after coming to the defense of Christian.

 

That's very possible, since the idea was that if Christian stayed, he would become the main mouthpiece of the group.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

I wonder if we'll be reminded that Rhino is a former TNA world champ.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I wonder if Rhino is getting the position in the Frontline that Christian was maybe supposed to get if he stayed? He came out the week after the beat down and took the Frontline's side after coming to the defense of Christian.

 

That's very possible, since the idea was that if Christian stayed, he would become the main mouthpiece of the group.

 

Then I wouldn't be surprised that Christian turned it down, since ultimately it looks like Sting might return to the babyface side of things as the leader once the speculated direction of Angle kicking him out of MEM takes hold.

[cabbageboy 0]

Rhino has never been a believable babyface though, even as recently as the past month or so on TNA. He's just too much of a natural heel and even as a face seems too much like an intense asshole. Ditto the Dudleys, those guys are just natural heels.

 

And what is up with the constant mentions of ECW in TNA? Rhino wasn't even a notable star in ECW during most of the Dudleys' run there, not becoming a star of any kind until the last year or so of the company when they were going under.

[garfieldsnose 0]

That's what we call selling the product. They were ECW when ECW was great! Except they weren't. And eight years ago shouldn't matter. But oh well!

[LuckyLopez 0]

I wonder if we'll be reminded that Rhino is a former TNA world champ.

West and Tenay made a point at the end of the show to recognize "how many championships were in that ring now" and how the "tables had turned on the MEM" in regard to all their titles. It seemed like they were really trying to make a distinction between the Joe and AJ led group of Creed, Lethal, Young, and MCMG and the Joe, AJ, Rhino, and Dudleyz group that has 3 former World Champions, 2 TNA "triple crown" winners, and the Dudleyz' 20zillion tag titles. So it was no longer "World Champions" vs "Kids" and became a more even playing field.

 

What that means for Creed, Lethal, and Co I don't know but then again I'm one of those who assumes the Dudleyz have to turn.

 

Rhino has never been a believable babyface though, even as recently as the past month or so on TNA. He's just too much of a natural heel and even as a face seems too much like an intense asshole. Ditto the Dudleys, those guys are just natural heels.

I do agree in general but if Rhino's going to work as a face at all I think this is the role he does it in. As basically the drill sergeant for the kids in the "Frontline" he's free to yell at them and push them around and its ok because he's doing it in the name of toughening them up. Its why I didn't think it was a big deal that he told Eric Young, Creed, Lethal, and Co that they weren't "experienced" enough to take on the MEM. Because he was addressing a bunch of kids who haven't accomplished much but who he's claiming to want to make ready to play at that level. Whether it plays out that way or not is another question.

[cd213 0]

I do like the fact that AJ and Joe didn't want 3D's help because of their past and how they can't be trusted.

[LuckyLopez 0]

Yeah, I'm really hoping that if The Dudleyz do torn that AJ and Joe are ready for it. I think that could go a long way towards making them look good. Rhino trusts the Dudleyz because of their ECW past but AJ and Joe SHOULD be suspicious. If the Dudleyz turn and they're caught off guard its going to look very stupid. The only positive might be that Sting would be able to empathize with them.

 

I'm hoping that Joe and AJ either don't accept the Dudleyz as their partners or have a plan in place for when/if they turn on them. I do notice that the Dudleyz aren't listed in the match on the website yet despite Tenay and West assuming they were the partners Thursday. And Bubba says they're in in those spoilers, not AJ or Joe. So I'm holding out hope that's designed (even if I have no desire to see Eric Young in the main event of a PPV). But I'm dreading the turn we all see coming except Joe and AJ.

[Jingus 0]

Someone else pointed out the plot hole in the Rhino & Dudleys' Time Together In ECW thing, but it really needs to be restated. They spent about four months together in ECW. Compare that to the 4+ years they spent together in WWF/E. Of course, going down that road would mean even more mentioning of the competition, so they're just kinda fucked all around there.

 

- The Beautiful People with Cute Kip defeated Roxxi & Taylor Wilde. Angelina Love pins Roxxi with a small package after Cute Kip reverses the one Roxxi had on Love.

You guys probably know me well enough to already fill in my complaint here.

 

- Christy Hemme & AJ Styles defeated Amazing Kong & Scott Steiner when Hemme pinned Kong

On the other hand, I might just watch this week's Impact just for this match. I mean, WOW. This has trainwreck possibilities beyond my wildest dreams. Also, I maintain that Christy Hemme is a perfectly tolerable wrestler, at least as long as her opponent is Awesome Kong. Remember the early days of Kong's tenure, when every time they got in the ring together, Christy ended up broken in half and sent out on a stretcher? Hemme takes a spinning backfist shot like no other woman in this country. Eventually, she just started screaming and running every time Kong even showed up. Now that's some quality television right there.

[haws bah gawd 0]

- Christy Hemme & AJ Styles defeated Amazing Kong & Scott Steiner when Hemme pinned Kong

On the other hand, I might just watch this week's Impact just for this match. I mean, WOW. This has trainwreck possibilities beyond my wildest dreams. Also, I maintain that Christy Hemme is a perfectly tolerable wrestler, at least as long as her opponent is Awesome Kong. Remember the early days of Kong's tenure, when every time they got in the ring together, Christy ended up broken in half and sent out on a stretcher? Hemme takes a spinning backfist shot like no other woman in this country. Eventually, she just started screaming and running every time Kong even showed up. Now that's some quality television right there.

 

HAHA, Hell yes! I remember that one Impact where they had the Knockouts in some Christmas themed Battle Royal. Kong got hold of Christy, who proceeded to scream like a Banshee and hold onto a teddy bear(?) for dear life as Awesome Kong broke her in half.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I'm actually off from work tonight and can watch the show as it airs. I'll probably be the only one...

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Joe's lost a lot of matches lately. He's lost to every member of the MEM but Angle since BFG

[cd213 0]

I love me some Roxxi.

[BUTT 0]

omg odb's angle

 

That was just mind-blowingly bad.

[cd213 0]

omg odb's angle

 

That was just mind-blowingly bad.

 

Yeah, it was. I like ODB, but she is better working in the ring then with an interview show.

 

That Sarah Palin thing was HORRIBLE.

[Boner Kawanger 0]

That was actually a pretty cool finish that sprung forth from the aspect of the whole "AJ can't touch Kong" rule they talked about on commentary.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

That was actually a pretty fun little match considering the massive styles clash (pun somewhat intended) going on all over that match.

[cd213 0]

I was digging the AJ/Christy team. It's an interesting story that "he's been training" her. Don't know if it's true, but I like it. I wonder if Christy is done with R&RI right now? Whatever it is, more Christy on my TV is always a damn good thing.

[Boner Kawanger 0]

If Christian pops up to cost Rhino the match with Angle, I'll be disappointed on a few different levels.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Is Joe going to turn on these people? He rolled his eyes when Rhino joined. He wanted no part of team 3D. Character wise it would make sense that he doesn't want AJ getting his title (that he can't have a shot at) by winning an 8 man tag...and he looks like he hates everyone on the team when you watch him.