1/17 TNA Impact Recap (A Fish Out of Water)

Impact opens with the Angle Alliance coming out of a limousine with Angle & Styles
wearing tuxedos. Jeremy Borash asks what the occasion is and Angle says it’s always
a celebration with the Angle Alliance. He compares it to Christmas, which gets a
nearby Eric Young excited. Angle tells him that Santa Claus is in his limo and
locks him inside. Angle then goes on to say that they are also celebrating Styles’
triple threat match that will earn him a free pass from defending the title at
Against All Odds.

The Impact intro airs and we are welcomed to tonight’s show that will feature a
triple threat match between Samoa Joe, Christian Cage and AJ Styles, plus James
Mitchell will reveal Abyss’ deep, dark secret to the world.

Jay Lethal and the Motorcity Machine Guns make their way to the ring to kick things
off. Alex Shelley says that he heard Team 3D issue a challenge to the Motorcity
Machismo Guns and having to disband the X Division if they lose. Shelley adds to
the stipulation that if they win they will institute a weight limit of the X
Division of 275 pounds. Team 3D interrupts and Brother Ray informs Shelley that he
already weighs 275. Team 3D & Johnny Devine enter the ring to shake on it to make
it official and it turns into a donnybrook after the handshake is complete.
Security along with Matt Morgan come out to separate the two squads.

Crystal is standing by with Abyss who asks about the revealing of his secret. Abyss
says that it will happen over his dead body and will mark the end of James Mitchell
and Judas Mesias.

We are then treated to a video package highlighting the injuries suffered by Shark
Boy. This is followed by a clip of Jeremy Borash visiting the home of Shark Boy
earlier in the week where he is in a coma and surrounded by his family all wearing
shark masks. Dr. Fishman believes that Shark Boy may have reached low tide.

Match 1: Tomko vs. Eric Young
Eric Young fails to make it to the ring as we head to the back where he is still
inside Angle’s limousine. Sonjay Dutt is on the outside telling him that he is not
locked in and to pull on the handle. Young does what he says and gets out and runs
to the ring with his drinking championship as Mike Tenay says that James Storm wants
a match against Young at Against All Odds for that title belt.

The match starts and a handshake is offered, but Young pulls back. Tomko nails a
power slam and gets a near fall. Young comes back with a fall away slam but misses
with a moonsault, which leaves himself open for a devastating clothesline from Tomko
for the pin fall.

James Storm comes out after it is over and delivers the Eye of the Storm to Young
and taunts him with the drinking championship. Storm then offers a beer to Tomko
who returns the favor by tossing Storm over the top rope and onto the floor. Tomko
then hands the belt and the beer to Young and leaves the ring.

Crystal is backstage with Christian Cage who commends Tomko for his actions and
keeping his word, unlike his partner AJ Styles, who stabbed him in the back. Cage
goes on to say that tonight, Samoa Joe will come to the ring to prove he deserves
more money and Styles will want to protect Kurt Angle, however, he will be in the
match to prove that he is the champ and will walk out the number one contender.

After a commercial break, we see Crystal with Dustin Rhodes who is taking him into
Black Reign’s backstage hangout. Rhodes trips and begins to crawl on the floor as
he tells Crystal that she shouldn’t have brought him there. Crystal leaves with a
terrified look on her face.

Match 2: ODB vs. Angelina Love
ODB attacks Love prior to the bell and powers her around the ring in the opening
moments until Love sidesteps a high risk attempt that sends ODB crashing down to the
mat. Love delivers a hurricanrana and a jawbreaker to ODB which scores her a two
count over her opponent. That isn’t enough to keep ODB down as she fights her way
back and picks up the win after a hard clothesline and a running power slam.

After the match, ODB grabs the microphone and says that Awesome Kong has defeated
every broad in TNA except for the ODB and issues a challenge for the title at
Against All Odds.

Crystal is outside of Kevin Nash’s dressing room where we see Nash talking to Joe
about winning his match tonight and going on to win the World title to get his
money, power and ladies. Nash then tells him to light the fuse and go out there and
do it.

We see more footage from Shark Boy’s bedside and Chris Harris is sitting nearby.
Harris complains that he had to resort to seeing Shark Boy to get some TV time on
Impact. Harris wonders if Shark Boy’s last name is Angle as the LAX come into the
picture to visit Shark Boy and lift some of his items scattered about his room.

Match 3: Senshi vs. Kaz
The bell rings and these two go back and forth with some fast paced action. Senshi
picks up a near fall after delivering a dropkick to Kaz and then slows the pace of
the match down with some mat wrestling. Kaz fights his way back into the match by
taking down Senshi with a leg sweep followed by a springboard leg drop. Kaz then
lands the Wave of the Future on Senshi for the pin fall.

Black Reign enters the ring after the match and nails Kaz with his club. Reign goes
for his rat cage but soon finds out that there is no rat inside. Reign then smashes
the cage over Kaz’s head and begins an assault on Kaz until it is broken up by
security.

Jeremy Borash is backstage with James Mitchell and Judas Mesias and asks about
Abyss’ secret. Mitchell says that wrestling fans are used to the bait and switch
and promises that won’t happen tonight. Mitchell promises to reveal the secret in a
short while.

After a commercial break, we see Jeremy Borash with AJ Styles who is seeking Tomko’s
advice about taking a title shot or giving Angle time off. Tomko says it is as
simple as doing what he wants to do, not what someone else thinks he should do.

Match 4: Lance Hoyt vs. Abyss
The match starts and Abyss sends Hoyt out to the floor and tosses Jimmy Rave on top
of him for good measure. James Mitchell interrupts the match and gives Abyss one
last chance at telling the secret. Abyss refuses, so Mitchell makes a camera man
follow him to the back. Meanwhile, Hoyt attacks a distracted Abyss but misses with
a moonsault off the top rope. This gives Abyss an opening for the Black Hole slam
and the victory.

After the match, Mitchell appears on the screen as Abyss motions to the cameras to
shut off. Mitchell then reveals that, although he legally changed his last name to
his mother’s maiden name of Parks, Abyss is in fact a Mitchell as he is his father.
Abyss screams in the ring as Tenay says that finally all the pieces have come
together.

Crystal catches up with Abyss after a commercial break but he offers no comments and
heads for the exit.

Match 5: Robert Roode vs. Sonjay Dutt
During his ring entrance, Dutt tries for another kiss from So Cal Val but pinches
her behind instead. The match starts and Dutt goes on the offensive and takes Roode
out to the floor and follows with a dive over the top rope. Roode’s new manager,
Peyton Banks, distracts Dutt for a moment which allows Roode to gain control of the
match. Ms Brooks comes down to the ringside area. After a commercial break, Dutt
uses his quickness to regain control of the match and picks up a near fall after
landing a springboard seated senton. Dutt goes for another springboard but Roode
knocks him off of the ropes and follows with the Payoff for the pin fall.

After the match, Ms. Brooks enters the ring and gets into a cat fight with Peyton
Banks until Roode pulls Brooks off of her. Brooks answers back with a slap across
Roode’s face and spears Banks. Roode again grabs Brooks and hold her as Banks slaps
her across the face a couple of times until Matt Morgan comes out and clears the
ring.

Borash is backstage with Styles and Karen Angle and asks Styles what he is going to
do if he wins tonight’s triple threat match. Karen tries seducing Styles into
saying what she wants him to say before leaving the room. Styles wonders outloud if
he has lipstick on his cheek after being kissed by her.

Meanwhile, VKM are out in the hallway arguing as BG tells Kip that his partner is on
his way to the Impact Zone as they speak. Kip says he better be a bigger man than
him or else they will both get their asses kicked by him and walks away.

Another segment from Shark Boy’s bedside is aired and this time Velvet Sky &
Angelina Love pay him a visit. The two are about to give him mouth to mouth when
one of Shark Boy’s relatives hop on top to try to get that instead.

VKM are in the ring and Kip says he has always been there for BG James for the past
10 years. BG tells him to shut up and let him have five minutes of his time. BG
talks about having a hero growing up and always wanting to stand in the ring
together with the baddest man he has ever known and introduces his new partner, his
father, Bullet Bob Armstrong. Bob Armstrong comes to the ring and Kip gives him a
hug and stands together with the father and son team.

We take one last visit to Shark Boy’s bedside and Eric Young has come around to
offer some words of encouragement. Shark Boy finally comes out of his coma and
delivers a spot on Steve Austin impersonation by saying that’s the bottom line
‘cause Shark Boy said so. Borash believes it is a miracle.

Kurt Angle comes to the ring and says that two great things are going to happen
tonight. One, AJ Styles will win the triple threat match and give Angle a pass on
defending his title at Against All Odds, and two, Global Impact will be airing after
Impact which will show him defend his “other” World title against Yuji Nagata in
Japan.

Jim Cornette is in his office with Scott Steiner and Petey Williams. Cornette is
trying to sell Steiner on the idea of the X Division. Steiner wants to make it
clear that it is not about being four feet tall and weighing 125 pounds. Cornette
assures him that it isn’t and is about being the best. Steiner heard enough and
switches his case back with Petey Williams and leaves the office.

Match 6: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage (Triple Threat Elimination Match)
The bell rings and Cage goes and attacks Styles as Joe looks on and waits. Joe soon
gets his turn as Cage and Joe work together on Styles and sends him out to the
floor. Both Cage and Joe go after Styles on the outside. Joe takes out both of
them with a dive through the ropes as we head to a commercial.

We return to see Joe still in control and working on both Styles and Cage. Joe
picks up a near fall on Cage after landing a snap suplex but Cage sends Joe flying
to the outside as Styles lands a flying forearm on Cage for his first real offensive
attack of the match. Styles sets up Cage for the Styles Clash, but Cage counters
into a submission maneuver.

Joe comes in a kicks Cage in the face and tries for the rear naked choke but instead
tosses Cage into Styles. Joe grabs Cage again and inadvertently nails the referee
with Cage’s boots as Joe then locks in the rear naked choke. Styles heads out of
the ring to grab a chair and nails both of his opponents with it. It isn’t enough
to keep Joe down, though, as Joe kicks the chair into Styles’ face. Joe then tosses
the chair out to the floor, which the referee sees and disqualifies Joe from the
match. Matt Morgan comes out and tells Joe to head to the back as Joe shoves the
ref. Kevin Nash comes in between Joe and Morgan as we head to another commercial
break.

We return from the commercial with only Cage and Styles in or around the ring. The
two battle back and forth, with both picking up near falls on one another. Cage
goes for the Unprettier, but Styles is able to counter and land the Pele instead,
however, that doesn’t keep Cage down for long as he comes at Styles with a spear and
picks up another near fall. The two begin to counter and reverse each others moves
until Styles tries for an Unprettier of his own on Cage, which is reversed into
Cage’s Unprettier for the pin fall.

Christian Cage stands over AJ Styles as he has won the opportunity to face Kurt
Angle for the World title at Against All Odds. A video package highlighting the
show then closes out the show.

Quick Results
- Tomko defeated Eric Young by pin fall.
- ODB defeated Angelina Love by pin fall.
- Kaz defeated Senshi by pin fall.
- Abyss defeated Lance Hoyt by pin fall.
- Robert Roode defeated Sonjay Dutt by pin fall.
- Cage defeated AJ Styles & Samoa Joe to become the #1 Contender.

Match of the Night
- AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage (Triple Threat Elimination Match)

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