KELLER'S TNA IMPACT REPORT
JUNE 20, 2010
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA.
AIRED ON SPIKE TV

[Q1]

-A video recap aired of the happenings at TNA Slammiversary. It included a clip of Rob Van Dam beating Sting to retain the TNA Title with the help of Jeff Jarrett "evening the playing field."

-They went to Eric Bischoff backstage at his desk. He said TNA had decided to strip The Band of the TNA Tag Team Titles. He said the TNA Championship Committee agreed that being part of TNA is an honor and a privilege, but being a champion brings a higher level of responsibility. He said they wish Scott Hall the best in the future and hope he takes of personal issues and will be back in the organization. He said there will be a tournament to see who faces the Motor City Machine Guns for the vacated tag team titles.

1 -- KEVIN NASH & ERIC YOUNG vs. INK INC. (Shannon Moore & Jesse Neal)

Nash and Young walked to the ring with body language that suggested they weren't pleased with the decision. Taz said he doesn't blame Nash and Young for being angry. He didn't bring up that two of the three members of the Band are left, and only two members had to defend the tag team titles, so Hall leaving shouldn't affect their tag team title status. Tenay announced that the Championship Committee were deadlocked on the final three members of the top ten, so Abyss, Jeff Hardy, and Mr. Anderson will battle in a three-way match to determine who will face RVD at the next PPV. Taz and Tenay wondered what the dynamic would be between Hardy and Anderson. Nash beat up Neal in the corner with his signature knees and elbows. Tenay said he's interested to see the rest of the top ten since the committee was deadlocked on the top three. Young scored a two count on Neal at 2:00 after a flying elbow. Moore hot-tagged in and worked over Young with rapid-fire offense. He took Young off the top rope with a huracanrana for a two count. Nash broke up the pin and then was going to give a Jackknife to Moore. Neal speared Nash first. Neal then lifted Young onto his back and Moore hit a top rope neckbreaker for the pin.

WINNERS: Ink Inc. to advance toward no. 1 contender status in 4:00.

-They went to Tenay and Taz at ringside. They aired clips from Slammiversary including RVD's win, Kurt Angle's win, Jay Lethal's win, Tommy Dreamer showing up, and more. Tenay referred to Hulk Hogan as the "managing partner" when discussing the three members of the TNA Championship Committee. Bischoff got no title. Ric Flair's music interrupted them. They wondered if it was going to be Flair or Lethal. Flair walked out. Tenay said, "That's not Memorex, that's the real deal." Taz rightfully replied, "1980 wants their commercial back."

-Flair stepped onto the stage with Beer Money, Kaz, Desmond Wolfe, and A.J. Styles. Flair said he's about to make a history-making announcement. [c]

[Q2]

-Backstage Chelsea whined to Abyss about the mental abuse she's faced with Desmond Wolfe for years. She said she wants to be with him, not Wolfe. Abyss said she knew the rules and the 30 days are up, so she has to go back to Wolfe. What, is she contractually tied to being with him and has no freedom of association? He insisted that she wouldn't want to be around him after tonight. He seethed and huffed and puffed. Chelsea buried her face in her hands.

-Flair and his faction were in the ring. He said they're going to reform the Four Horsemen, only they're going to call this new group Fortune. The crowd popped for the Horsement announcement, but not the term Fortune. He said Fortune will change the destiny of the industry going forward and TNA forever. He told a story about the Four Horsemen being the most dominant group in pro wrestling of all time. He said they lived and breathed and died being the best at whatever they were doing, be it wrestling, making love to women, and drinking in a bar. "We were the best," he said. He lectured Styles, Kaz, and Beer Money about how Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham would act. Apparently Flair likes to remember the best version of the Horsemen, leaving out Ole Anderson and various others in the ranks from Lex Luger to the one who shall not be named to Paul Roma. He said those are the four leading contenders. Wolfe walked into Flair's view. Flair said he is the Lex Luger of the Horsemen. Wolfe almost cracked a smile at that. Flair said he was nothing until he aligned with him. "Now let's see what you've got going forward." He said it's the same fingers, but they represent Fortune, not Four Horsemen. He said it's time for a change.

Flair got in Styles's face and talked about Lethal. He asked if he has any idea what he did to himself. He said he committed suicide. He called Lethal "a little pissant from New Jersey." Lethal's music played and walked onto the stage wearing a suit. He let out a "whoo!" Then he broke into his Flair imitation. "Did I hear that punk right there say anything about the Four Horsemen? The greatest group of men to ever grace God's green Earth. As far as I'm concerned, it looks like the Horsemen were here, they took a dump in the ring, and they left that." He said he had the privilege of being on the road up and down, late night parties, kissing the girls, and making them cry. He said the men in the ring are no Horsemen. He said that is disrespectful to him and the wrestling business. Flair shot back and then began to disrobe. He threw one of his shoes toward Lethal on the ramp. Lethal took off his jacket and slammed it to the ground, then strutte and dropped an elbow on it. Flair said, "You can't be me, you can't do me, and I'm cutting you off right now!" Flair let out a "whoo!" and said he can kiss any girl in the crowd, "including that fat one," and make her cry. Lethal said Flair shouldn't be mad they tore Space Mountain down. Flair said, "Oldest ride, longest line." Lethal smiled at that one. Taz exclaimed, "This is insane." They had a frenetic battle of "Whoos." Tenay said, "This is the damnedest thing I've ever seen."

Wolfe finally intervened and told Lethal to shut his mouth. He said he's a cheap imitation of the greatest wrestler who ever lived. Wolfe, who had been insulted by Flair earlier, was the first to come to his defense for some reason. Lethal said he heard from Chelsea that young men are faster and stronger and 60 minute men. "You don't know what 60 is in the bedroom or in the ring." Lethal and Flair argued over who was stealing whose line. Flair told Wolfe if he takes care of business, he will be the first member of Fortune, but if he loses, he's "history forever." He then pointed at someone in the crowd and told her to "get ready to ride the mountain tonight."

-They showed Lacey Von Erich getting a massage to prepare for her match later. She was lying face down and topless getting a back rub.

[Q3] [c]

-They showed Mr. Anderson arriving backstage. A voice asked him if he was ready for his three-way match against Abyss and Hardy. The voice asked if they'll see "the real Mr. Anderson tonight." He said that depends on who he thinks the real Mr. Anderson is.

2 -- HERNANDEZ vs. SAMOA JOE

Tenay said Joe has been unstoppable since his return to TNA. His return from what? The kidnapping angle that was abandoned (and for good reason)? The crowd chanted "Joe! Joe! Joe!" early. Joe acknowledged them. Joe punched Hernandez in the corner repeatedly then hit a running elbow to the chest in the other corner. Hernandez went down the crowd cheered. A chant of "Joe's gonna kill you!" broke out. Fans like aggressive ass-kickers, and Joe is that. Hernandez fired back at 2:00 with a slingshot shoulder tackle and two clotheslines. Taz said Hernandez flies through the air like a junior heavyweight or cruiserweight. Hernandez knocked Joe down and out of the ring with a shoulder block. Matt Morgan entered the ring and gave Hernandez a low blow from behind. The ref didn't see it. Morgan sat out of site at ringside. Joe re-entered the ring and gave Hernandez a T-Bone suplex for the win.

WINNER: Joe in 3:00.

-Joe saw the replay of Morgan's interference and wasn't happy to find out his win was tainted. Morgan challenged Joe to come at him in the ring. Joe did, and Hernandez joined him, so Morgan bailed out. Joe and Hernandez stood together in the ring, somewhat leery of one another. They left separately.

-Styles approached Wolfe backstage as he readied for his match. Styles said he heard his girl Chelsea doesn't want to be with him anymore because he treated her poorly. He said he should get his girl in line. He said he better beat Lethal tonight or else he's out. [c]

[Q4]

-Hardy was shown talking about facing Abyss and "the Asshole." He said he's still not sure he trusts Mr. Anderson. Aderson poked his head into the room and asked, "Are you ready for your big match tonight there, sweetheart." Hardy said, "You got it." Anderson left. Hardy then chuckled and said, "Asshole." Anderson heard it and said, "Yes I am!" in the distance.

-Douglas Williams stood in the ring and talked about TNA celebrating its eight years of existence and everything it stands for, including the X Division. He said it was also a time for mourning the end of what the X Division once was. He said he has rendered the high-flying moves of the X Division "redundant." He said from now on the X Division will be known for the ground and pound mat-based technical style he is famous for. He said he's going to give everyone a lesson in that style tonight.

3 -- DOUGLAS WILLIAMS vs. MAX BUCK

Buck tried to counter Williams's early mat work with a flying move, but Williams countered it and did his head bobbing deal for the camera. As Williams grounded Max with a chinlock mid-ring, Taz and Tenay talked about whether Anderson would stick a knife in Hardy's back in the TV main event. Max came back and hit a top rope neckbreaker for a near fall. Williams caught a charging Max with an elbow to the chest. He hit a forearm uppercut and then a tornado DDT for the win. Williams applied a choke hold afterward. Brian Kendrick ran to the ring and tried to choke out Williams with a cobra clutch. Williams frantically tapped, but Kendrick wouldn't release the hold for a while. The crowd chanted "Brian Kendrick! Brian Kendrick!" He finally released the hold and Williams was knocked out.

WINNER: Williams in 3:00.

-A video package aired on the Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett feud to the song "Ten Things To Do If I Live" by The Wake Effect. [c]

-A video package aired on the TNA action figures press conference last Sunday. They showed Styles joking that he doesn't have a beard anymore. Kurt Angle marveled, "It looks like me. Wow!"

-Angelina Love stood in the ring. She said with her recent injury, she realized a career can be cut short with a single move. She said he's not going to waste another second of her career. She said tonight she is facing Lacey and then next week it's Velvet, and at Victory Road she will reclaim her TNA Knockouts Title against Madison Rayne. She asked Lacey to get her happy ending and roll her "lazy ass" off that massage table and head to the ring for their match.

[Q5]

4 -- ANGELINA LOVE vs. LACEY VON ERICH

Lacey backflipped out of the corner and then dropped Love face-first to the mat with a drop toe hold. A minute later Love powerbombed Lacey out of the corner to stop a series of punches. Love then shoved So Cal Val out of her chair at ringside and slid it into the ring. That wasn't very nice. Love DDT'd Lacey on a chair, which caused the ref to DQ her. Taz said Love "could care less about getting disqualified." (He meant she "could NOT care less about getting disqualified.")

WINNER: Lacey via DQ in 2:00.

-Lethal talked to Hulk Hogan backstage. Lethal said he can't get over the fact that he's sharing a locker room with idols of his growing up. Hogan said Andre would have loved him. He said imitating wrestlers like Macho and Nature Boy is "all he he ha ha icing on the cake, but that's not why we were attracted to you." He said they saw something in him that they hadn't seen in a long time. He said when they saw all that raw talent, they wanted to put him a higher spot and now that he's there, he's staying there and performing at a main event status. He said he's gifted with talent and more than a "he he ha ha" act. He said he is at a place where a lot of guys want to get so he has a target on his back. Hogan said he needs to learn how to do a Hulk Hogan imitation. He said he'll tweak the Savage imitation. These conversational and candid segments backstage are great stylistically. That locker room was a mess!

-Tenay hyped that Dixie Carter would call out Sting later. Taz hyped the three-way main event. [c]

-Christy Hemme interviewed Hardy backstage. He said he'd like nothing more than to mix it up with "the Whole F'n Show" at Victory Road. Mr. Anderson interrupted and said people are trying to stir the pot between them. Anderson asked Hardy how often he and his brother fought, but the hugged it out and still were brothers. Anderson said that's what going on between them. He said they are in TNA to mix it up for a title, but then look each other in the eye and know they did what they did as men. He told Hardy not to buy into what he's hearing.

-Brother Ray had some words with Devon on their way to the ring. "What, are you going to stay mad at me forever?" He said the Jesse Neal situation is over and now they should focus on the tag team titles.

[Q6]

5 -- TEAM 3D vs. BEER MONEY

It appears they've dropped the "Inc." from Beer Money's name in honor of letting Ink Inc. stand out more. Ink Inc. joined Tenay and Taz on commentary. Taz asked Moore whom they'd rather face. Moore said they do want a piece of Bubba. Are they allowed to call him that, or are they still talking about Mr. Love Sponge? Team 3D hit a top rope Doomsday Clothesline on Roode at 2:00 for a near fall. Ray left the ring when he noticed Neal and Moore were at the announce table. Storm sprayed a mouthful of beer in Devon's face and then Roode schoolboyed him for the win.

WINNERS: Beer Money in 3:00.

-Wolfe told Chelsea backstage she has a chance to redeem herself. He asked her in a mean voice, "Is that clear? Is that clear!?!" [c]

6 -- JAY LETHAL vs. DESMOND WOLFE (w/Chelsea)

They showed Tommy Dreamer in the crowd. Tenay was surprised given Taz's history with Dreamer that he didn't know why he was there. Wolfe stalked Chelsea on the stage and yelled at her some more. Lethal dragged Wolfe back to the ring and hit some rapid-fire offense. Lethal won with a neckbreaker. Wolfe attacked Lethal in anger afterward.

WINNER: Lethal in 2:00. Wolfe shouldn't be jobbed out like this repeatedly. He's got more of an upside and this really is damaging his main event potential with these short-match clean losses, no matter what he does after matches to "get his heat back." I know the "booking excuse" is that Wolfe was distracted by Chelsea defying him, but it doesn't register as an excuse to lose so quickly and easily.

-Flair came out to join Wolfe in attacking Lethal. Hulk Hogan walked out to the ring. Flair and Wolfe bailed out. Hogan said TNA is "on fire right now" because of people like Lethal. He said Lethal was a little Hulkamaniac one day and now he's a main eventer on national TV.

[Q7]

Hogan said he's so high on him he forgot he is a TNA executive. He said he's getting ready to make a huge announcement. He called Flair out to listen to the announcement. Flair walked back onto the stage. Hogan told him to stop there. Hogan said he's been a thorn in Lethal's side and has tried to hold him down. He said he is going to make a man's dream come true by booking Lethal vs. Flair at Victory Road. Flair gasped in protest. Tenay said Hogan does make dreams come true.

-They showed Sting walking down from the rafters. Tenay said the Jarrett-Sting showdown is next. [c]

-Tenay announced the new TNA Top Ten: (10) Angle, (9) Desmond Wolfe; (8) The Pope; (7) Jay Lethal; (6) Samoa Joe, (5) Sting, (4) A.J. Styles, (3, 2, 1) Anderson, Abyss, Hardy.

-Jarrett stood mid-ring and called Sting to the ring. He said he had some words he needed to get off his chest now. Jarrett called him "Steve," so we know this is serious. He asked Sting to take off his glasses. He said he wants to look into his eyes so he knows he feels what he is saying. Sting took off the glasses. Jarrett said he won't ask him why again. He said he doesn't want to hear his reasons or excuses. He wants to remind him of one thing - that it was he who called him when he first started the company. He said he wanted him on the team for his professionalism, experience, and "real, true iconic status." He said he made it really clear he didn't want him to work for him, but rather with him. He said they've given so much to this great company called TNA. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" He said even though they haven't always been on the same side of the fence, when their careers have crossed paths, they've treated each other with dignity and respect and some honor, but that all ended last month at Sacrifice.

[Q8]

He said Sting was hell-bent on ending his career. He said the demons inside of him wanted to destroy his livelihood and everything he is about and how he provides for his family. That annoying women kept screaming. "Steve Borden, I'm going to tell you something real plain and simple. You made one mistake. You left me standing." Sting smiled and laughed. Jarrett walked up to his face and asked him if he thinks it's funny. He said next week it won't be a laughing matter when their rematch goes down. He said Sting is 100 percent wrong about both of his assumptions. He said every minute of every hour those two guys (Bischoff and Hogan) have given their heart and soul. He said Hogan has even given his body, and at this stage of his career he thinks that's too much to ask. He said he won't be fighting next week just for his family, but he'll be fighting for Bischoff and Hogan. He said he'll also be fighting more than anything for the TNA fans. Tenay said the cocky smile on the face of Sting is gone because he has to fight a P.O.'d Jeff Jarrett next week.

That was a very well constructed and delivered promo by Jarrett, who is a pro. That's never a criticism of Jarrett. The problem is that even though he's a pro at what he does, he's just not "the guy" TNA should have spent so much time investing TV time and main event angles in year after year after year without the reasonably expected results, and he's not getting the reactions or the ratings of a main eventer in 2010. A veteran role player is fine, and younger wrestlers can learn a lot from him, but he's not a national main event star in terms of age, athleticism, appearance, or the "cool" and "crediblity" factor that is really needed to get TNA to the next level. [c]

7 -- MR. ANDERSON vs. JEFF HARDY vs. ABYSS

Anderson introduced himself on the stage. Nobody enters the ring through the ropes quite like Anderson does. Abyss came out next, then Hardy last. Anderson and Hardy beat up Abyss at the start. Taz said they can work together early, but they'll have to fight each other eventually. Tenay thought Hogan probably voted for Abyss, but who were Dixie and Bischoff touting for the no. 1 contender ranking spot. Hardy and Anderson had a brief scuffle as each fought over who got to try to score a pin on Abyss. Abyss got up and clotheslined both of them. They cut to Dreamer watching in the crowd again. This is good use of Dreamer because they're not making too big of a deal out of him showing up at TNA, but acknowledging that he's had a lot of TV time over the years and does project himself as someone who can make waves. Hardy teased a dive onto Abyss on the floor. Anderson walked up behind him, but instead of attacking Hardy, he slide-kicked Abyss. Then he held him so Hardy could dive onto him. Anderson punched away at Abyss on the floor. All three were counted out. Abyss made a Eugene-like cartoon face on the floor as Anderson yelled at the ref. Tenay wondered what the championship committee would do now. Abyss also hit Hardy.

WINNERS: Triple Countout in 3:00.

-Abyss continued to beat up Hardy and Anderson afterward, ignoring the bell ringing over and over. Taz said maybe he didn't realize the match was over. He gave Anderson his Shock Treatment. The announcers sold it as Abyss having a bit of meltdown. He pulled a black bag and then a trash can with weapons out from under the ring. He hit Hardy with a kendo stick at ringside. He then poured broken glass all over the canvas. Taz wondered what Hogan was thinking watching this. He then his Anderson with the kendo stick. Taz called for security to intervene. Tenay wondered what was behind this and said he was shocked by his actions. He said he had seen Abyss act like this in the past, but that was years ago. Abyss then gave Anderson a Black Hole Slam on the broken glass shards. Abyss went after Hardy on the ramp. Hardy tried to fight back, but Abyss easily beat him down and dragged him to the stage. Medics tended to Anderson in the ring, gently rolling him over. They did the trick where they used the pre-bloodied towel to make it appear Anderson was bleeding out his back. It's a good trick. Abyss then gave Hardy a Black Hole Slam through the stage. Hogan walked up onto the stage to confront Abyss. "What was that all about? What is wrong with you?" Abyss pointed at Hogan and yelled, "You!" The show abruptly ended.

FINAL THOUGHTS (7.0): A lot of improvements are showing through. The Abyss situation with Hogan and a potential major turn in their relationship is a solid hook for next week. The Jarrett-Sting promo was good, solid stuff. The major matches are still so short so often it really undercuts the ability of TNA to be able to sell people on similar matches on PPV with a straight face since these major star vs. major star matches that fans see on TV are so short, PPVs seem like shouldn't last more than 30 or 40 minutes with the line-ups they present. The backstage candid conversational segments really add to the show and they've worked out the kinks since they started several weeks back. The booking of the main event with the tease of Anderson attacking Hardy, but instead slidekicking Abyss, was a nice moment that they built up all show. The push of Jay Lethal is focused and doesn't feel totally lost in a crowd of rushed angles and storylines.

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