TNA Wrestling: Takeover

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[B][U]Prelude[/U][/B] "So, what do you think?" she asked, sliding a manilla folder across her desk. I took it and glanced briefly through some of the bullet points in the contract before picking up the pen and signing my name. [B]Dixie Carter[/B] had been a lot more saavy to the wrestling business than I had expected. Not to mention that coming in from the outside and being as well respected as she is with the TNA lockerroom gave me some hope. Wait, let me back up. . . I've never been much of a storyteller. My name is [B]Michael Black[/B], and I've just become one of the most hated men in wrestling. Not that I actually [I]did[/I] anything to anyone; I was recently named the winner of the 'TNA/SpikeTV Fantasy Booking Contest.' Believe me, its not easy to walk into a lockerroom and make friends when they see you as some IWC mark, even in TNA. The concept was created by [B]Terry Taylor[/B] and [B]Dixie Carter[/B] with the influence of SpikeTV: let wrestling fans write sample scripts for [B][I]Impact![/I][/B], and the winner gets a three month contract to be a member of the booking team. That seems simple enough, and a dream come true for a guy like me: I've always loved wrestling, and despite being in good health I have a back problem that forced me off of the wrestling team in high school and effectively put an end to my dreams of training for the professional circuit. But me winning that contest was just the catalyst for a huge shake-up across the wrestling world. . .

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[B][U]Background[/U][/B] With the WWE Wellness Policy in place, and the tragedy surronding Chris Benoit, WWE scrambles to find something that will both draw an audience and distance them from any negative publicity while things blow over. Rather than deciding on an 'illegitimate child' angle, [B]Vince McMahon[/B] desides to go through with an overhaul of how he runs his company. The first months of August see over half of the McMahons' 'inner-circle' of agents being released and replaced with more Hollywood writers while the more accepting veterans are promoted into the vacant positions. Not wanting to alienate the WWE fanbase, Vince decides that the product will remain the same but the matches will be downplayed to ease the pressure of performing at a high atheletic level. (i.e. a lower match-to-angle ratio) The WWE roster is rife with injured stars, and the new direction sees a nearly week-long process of releases. Morale in the business, and in the fanbase, begins to hit an all-time low as ratings start to slope downward. The WWE's storylines are changed on the fly to accomodate suspensions & terminations of talent who violate the Wellness program. In one of their more embarassing moments, WWE rehire [B]Tyson Tomko[/B] and [B]Test[/B] only to release Tomko the day before his contract was to begin for failing his initial drug test. Even after debuting on TV, many still doubt Test will be around much longer. In TNA, the decisions of the booking team start to damage the credibility of their company. Only a few short months prior people had started to see that TNA was gaining momentum, their TV programs made much more sense, and their matches were mostly above anything WWE could offer. But several missed opportunities, stupid decisions, and WWE rejects later they are starting to be viewed as the next WCW, rather than the next alternative. Rather than negotiate for a two-hour timeslot, SpikeTV insisted that they make some drastic changes or face losing primetime as well. The idea was to bring in some new blood, with SpikeTV felt would help bring in ratings so would-be bookers could familiarize themselves with the product before the contest began. Now, you already know that I won, so I'll spare you the details of the actual contest and get to the explosion at the end. At my first TV taping, SpikeTV executives came in to meet with [B]Dixie Carter[/B] before calling a meeting with the booking comittee. It seems that the script format TNA was using documented the writer for each segment, and the driving force behind each storyline. It also seems that the segments SpikeTV were most disappointed with all had [B]Vince Russo[/B]'s name on them, and he was rather unceremoniously terminated on the spot. Following the meeting, the executives took the rough drafts of the scripts for TV and said to forget everything in them. We were instructed to do whatever we had to do to establish some sort of continuity, but that all storylines were on reset. Then they left, leaving a bewildered booking commitee behind with roughly 8 hours to write two weeks worth of TV.

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Things were rocky throughout the month of August as we all struggled to find a place on TV for our roster. The new booking team for now would be [B]Terry Taylor, Dutch Mantell, Scott D'Amore, Mike Tenay[/B], and myself, but Dixie mentioned negotiations with a few of the respected veterans WWE had cast aside. We focused TV heading into [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B] promoting a [B]Kurt Angle[/B] vs. [B]Sting[/B] main event, as well as the boiling fued between [B]Team 3D[/B] and [B]The Steiner Brothers[/B] (with the seeds to introduce [B]The James Gang[/B] into the mix). The booking was just one big clusterf--k and it came across as such on PPV, getting reviews as lackluster from the IWC and drawing a fairly low buyrate. We had a lot to accomplish in the days following [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B], even changing the taping date of [B][I]Impact![/I][/B] to Thursday as we got contracts in order and prepared to relaunch with a new focus. For TNA Wrestling, and for me, [B]Michael Black[/B], it is now. . . or never. . .

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[U]Impact! Taping, Week 3 of August 2007[/U] I showed up to the studio as early as I possibly could, hoping to get a head start on some of the major work I had on my plate. We had an entire company to refocus from the ground-up, and a two hour timeslot off in the distance as our reward. [B]TNA Champions[/B] TNA World Champion - Kurt Angle TNA X Division Champion - Jay Lethal TNA Tag Team Champions - vacant The only clear cut storyline we had after [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B] was the fued between [B]Team 3D[/B] and [B]The Steiners[/B], which was also starting to involve [B]The James Gang[/B]. Three of the most prolific teams of the past few decades fueding on TNA television over which was the best while [B]LAX[/B], once the hottest angle in the company, sat by and watched. One of our plans was to revitalize the tag team division, which was once a strong point for us. Ideas were kicked around for an [B]America's Most Wanted[/B] reunion, but the idea was nixed in favor of [B]Chris Harris[/B] fueding with [B]Robert Roode[/B] and his Roode International stable (with [B]James Storm[/B] joining the stable at [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B]. The [B]Seretonin[/B] group was being disbanded without explination, [B]Kazarian[/B] and [B]Michael Shane[/B] being repackaged during some time off TV. Both would be big players in the X Division in the coming months as we tried to kickstart what was once the most popular concept in wrestling. And of course, there is the World title picture. [B]Kurt Angle[/B] had pretty much dominated since entering the company, which is one of the main reasons we were drawing criticism. The ball had been dropped on [B]Samoa Joe[/B] as a contender even though the comittee decided it was a goal to make Joe the World Champion. My first assignment of the day was to create a set of polls for the web crew to post on our website. . .

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TNAWrestling.com presents [I]The Impact! Poll[/I]. . . [QUOTE]Hello out there TNA fans, and welcome to the very first Impact! Poll on TNAWrestling.com. Just hours after [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B], TNA now stands on the verge of a major breakthrough in professional wrestling. That's why we want to know what YOU think! Take a few short moments to fill out our survey, and tune into [B][I]Impact![/I][/B] this Thursday in a special LIVE edition of [B][I]Impact![/I][/B][/QUOTE] [B]1. Who should challenge Kurt Angle for the TNA World Title at No Surrender?[/B] 1- Samoa Joe, who dealt Christian Cage his very first pinfall loss inTNA at [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B] 2- Sting, who recently went toe-to-toe with Angle before falling to the Ankle Lock 3- Abyss, who triumphed over Tomko in a brutal hardcore match [B]2. Who should challenge Jay Lethal for the X Division Title at No Surrender?[/B] 1- AJ Styles, who was pinned in an upset by Lethal at [I][B]Sacrifice[/B][/I] 2- Alex Shelley, who orchestrated a post-match beatdown on Lethal with his partner-in-crime Chris Sabin 3- Chris Sabin, who participated in Lethal's beatdown [B] 3. How should the new TNA Tag Team Champions be decided?[/B] 1- Tournament 2- Tag Team Gauntlet 3- Other (specify) [I]((Anyone interested can post here, or PM me with their poll and/or other comments about this dynasty. I've had a few dynasties but they were unfortunately lost to either computer problems or apathy. I want to get a feel of what people want to see from TNA, and merge it with my own ideas for a starting point. I'll be posting a full roster sometime today.[/I]))

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1. Who should challenge Kurt Angle for the TNA World Title at No Surrender? 1- Samoa Joe, who dealt Christian Cage his very first pinfall loss inTNA at Sacrifice 2- Sting, who recently went toe-to-toe with Angle before falling to the Ankle Lock [B]3- Abyss, who triumphed over Tomko in a brutal hardcore match[/B] [I]Because he would be fresh(er)[/I] 2. Who should challenge Jay Lethal for the X Division Title at No Surrender? 1- AJ Styles, who was pinned in aup by Lethal at Sacrifice [B]2- Alex Shelley, who orchestrated a post-match beatdown on Lethal with his partner-in-crime Chris Sabin[/B] 3- Chris Sabin, who participated in Lethal's beatdown [I]Its criminal that Shelley has never been X-Champ, Sabin has held it too often and AJ is about a country mile beyond the belt[/I] 3. How should the new TNA Tag Team Champions be decided? [B]1- Tournament[/B] 2- Tag Team Gauntlet 3- Other (specify) [I]Gauntlets are fun and all but Tournaments are always better, much more suspense and second guessing[/I]

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[U][B]TNA Wrestling: Current Roster[/B][/U] [B]MAIN EVENT[/B] World Champion: Kurt Angle Christian Cage Samoa Joe Jeff Jarrett Sting Rhino [B]UPPER MIDCARDERS[/B] Abyss AJ Styles Rick Steiner Scott Steiner Brother Ray Brother Devon BG James Kip James [B]MIDCARDERS[/B] Homicide Hernandez James Storm Tomko Chris Harris Robert Roode Christopher Daniels Alex Shelley Brother Runt [B]LOWER MIDCARDERS[/B] X Divison Champion: Jay Lethal Petey Williams Chris Sabin Matt Bentley [B]OPENERS[/B] Lance Hoyt Shark Boy Sonjay Dutt [B]ENHANCEMENT TALENT[/B] Kazarian [I]Notable Changes: [B]"Black Reign" Dustin Rhodes[/B] resigned with WWE to reprise his Goldust character just after [B]Sacrifice[/B]. [B]Senshi[/B] also left the company to work some freelance dates up north. [B]Eric Young[/B], [B]Basham[/B], [B]Damaja[/B], and [B]"The Punisher" Andrew Martin[/B] were all given their release as were many other members of the backstage crew. The new members of the booking team will be revealed soon.[/I]

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[U]Impact! Taping, Week 3 of August 2007[/U] After getting hit with a huge bit of inspiration, I spent the next hour scrawling away an epic fued between [B]Team 3D[/B] and [B]The Steiner Brothers[/B] in hopes of having it finished before the booking team arrived. With luck, just as I jotted down the notes for the fued as of [B][I]No Surrender[/I][/B], [B]Dixie Carter[/B] entered the room with five other people trailing behind her. [I]"Alright gentlemen," she said as they all took seats around the table I was at. I looked up and nearly fell out of my seat. "Meet the other members of the booking team. I'll go around the table and introduce everyone and we'll save the getting to know you stuff for later. First we still have [B]Jim Cornette, Scott D'Amore,[/B] and [B]Terry Taylor[/B] with us. And, of course, TNA's little prodigy [B]Michael Black[/B]. Unfortunately [B]Dutch Mantell[/B] was let go despite his dedication in favor of some more credible names. Gentlemen, meet [B]Arn Anderson[/B] and [B]Tom Pritchard[/B]."[/I] Her little spiel there was sure to be one of the most memorable moments of my life; despite actually wanting to work with [B]Vince Russo[/B], I was elated to meet Double A himself and to be working with him. . . wow. Dixie noticed I had a lot of papers in front of me and asked what I had been working on. I showed them the 'Impact! Poll' for the website, which they all liked as all the contenders mentioned were strong with the fans. Next, with a deep breath, I started to slide forward my plans for the big tag team fued; this was probably going to make or break me with the team. [I]"Well, I've been working on some plans for a massive tag team fued," I tell them with an obvious nervous stammer in my voice. "We are lucky to have three very well recognized tag teams on our roster, and I think this is a good way to draw in past fans while letting each team evolve into something new for the TNA product."[/I] I watched, paralyzed with fear as the others went through the program. . . it felt as if my heart would beat out of my chest. Arn looked up at me with a stern face and I thought I might pass out. Then he spoke. [I]"You did good, kid."[/I]

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[I]TNAWRESTLING.COM'S IMPACT! PREVIEW. . .[/I] [QUOTE][CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][COLOR="Blue"]TNA WRESTLING: IMPACT! SPECIAL LIVE EDITION THURSDAY NIGHT AT 9PM![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE="4"][B]MAIN EVENT[/SIZE] #1 CONTENDER'S MATCH - THREE-WAY DANCE STING -VS- ABYSS -VS- SAMOA JOE[/B][/CENTER] This Thursday on a special LIVE edition of Impact! we will be determining the #1 contender to Kurt Angle's TNA World Heavyweight title. The contestants are three of the biggest names in TNA: Sting, Samoa Joe, and "The Monster" Abyss! Who will come out on top? Tune in to find out! Also on tap, we will hear from Team 3D concerning their rivalry with The Steiner Brothers. Rick & Scott will see tag action when they take on LAX! All of this and much more, this week on Impact![/QUOTE]

[W3LSHY]

This is without a doubt my favorite diary on this boards (And you haven't even run a show yet :D ) I just love the way its setout and what not. Keep up the good work.

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[CENTER][B][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]TNA IMPACT! - WEEK 3, AUGUST 2007[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] [QUOTE]In matches taped for Xplosion, Lance Hoyt defeated Jerry Lynn and Christopher Daniels defeated Tomko[/QUOTE] [B][COLOR="Red"][I]BOOM![/I][/COLOR][/B] [I]The opening pyro kicks off with the Impact! Zone going wild for this LIVE edition of the show. The camera pans around to several fans holding signs, one particularly interesting that reads "[COLOR="Blue"]DUSTIN RHODES IS A SELLOUT![/COLOR]" Rumour going around before he resigned with the 'E was that a push was being planned for him to break into the main event as a heel version of his father's old character - "The American Nightmare" Dustin Rhodes.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Welcome to the Impact Zone! I'm Mike Tenay, along with Don West here as always, and. . .[/COLOR] [I]Mike was cut off by the opening guitar riffs of [B]Sting[/B]'s entrance music as the crowd popped for "The Icon."[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Sting: Last night at Sacrifice I had one of the toughest matches of my life. And while I'm a bit disappointed, I'm not ashamed to say that last night: Kurt Angle, you were the better man.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: What a sport, Don![/COLOR] [I] The crowd cheers and claps, showing their appreciation of the classic match between the pair at [B]Sacrifice[/B].[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Sting: BUT. . . Kurt, you'd be a liar if you didn't admit to yourself that I ALMOST. . . had you. Now, with [B]No Surrender[/B] just around the corner I see no reason to give up now, so how about it Kurt? One more time, Sting vesus An. . . [/COLOR] [I]Sting is interupted by the haunting opening of [B]Abyss[/B]'s entrance music as "The Monster" makes his way into the Impact Zone. He enters the ring and paces around for a moment, Sting watching his newfound friend tentatively. Eventually "The Monster" motions around his waist, then points to Sting and starts to shake the ring in protest.[/I] [COLOR="SeaGreen"]Jim Cornette: Hold it!! Now just hold on you two. . .[/COLOR] [I]The resident authority, Jim Cornette, makes his way into the ring as the crowd rumbles in anticipation.[/I] [COLOR="SeaGreen"]Jim Cornette: Neither one of you has any sort of authority around here, so I don't see why you're out here jacking your jaws about the TNA World Title match, coming up at [B][I]No Surrender[/I][/B]. It just so happens, I already have someone in mind for [B]Kurt Angle[/B] to face.[/COLOR] [I]Just then, [B]Samoa Joe[/B]'s entrance music kicks in and the crowd goes wild. "The Samoan Submission Machine" makes his way to the ring, his face all business.[/I] [COLOR="SandyBrown"]Samoa Joe: Cornette, if you even think for ONE SECOND that I'm not the one facing Angle, you're out of your damn mind! I beat Cage last night, his FIRST loss in this company! That puts me head-and-shoulders above everyone else for the next shot![/COLOR] [COLOR="SeaGreen"]Jim Cornette: Well, Joe, there's an old saying: you don't get something for nothing. By the end of tonight, gentlemen. . . uh, and Abyss. . . we will have a number one contender. And that number one contender will be. . . decided in a three-way dance, LIVE TONIGHT ON IMPACT![/COLOR] [I]The crowd goes berserk as each man in the ring looks around at the others. Each one seems happy enough with the decision, nodding their heads as we take our first commercial break.[/I] [SIZE="1"]((I'm not planning to post every show in seperate replies, but for this one I wanted to post the opening segment and let the anticipation build for a bit. . . I might get antsy myself and finish the card tonight but it will more likely be up in the morning. Thanks for the positive feedback and input so far, I hope everyone enjoys this dynasty. For those interested, the opening segment got a B rating.))[/SIZE]

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[COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, and what a night we have in store for you! Just announced by Director of Authority Jim Cornette, tonight we're going to see a three-way dance to determine who gets the shot at Kurt Angle next month at [B][I]No Surrender[/I][/B].[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: Boy, you're not kidding, Mike! Sting, Samoa Joe, and "The Monster" Abyss all fighting to earn a shot at Kurt Angle's TNA World title; it's going to be absolutely electric in the Impact Zone tonight![/COLOR] [I]Entrance music in the Impact Zone signals our first match of the night as [B]Alex Shelley[/B] comes out with his tag team partner [B]Chris Sabin[/B]. Shelley will be taking on X Division Champion [B]Jay Lethal[/B] in a non-title match.[/I] [B]NON-TITLE MATCH: JAY LETHAL (C) -VS- ALEX SHELLEY[/B] The match starts off with some back-and-forth chain wrestling before Jay Lethal gains the initial upper-hand. For several minutes it looks as if Lethal will pick up the win, but while referee is distracted [B]Chris Sabin[/B] interferes allowing Shelley to pick up a quick, tainted victory at the 4:00 mark. [B]WINNER: ALEX SHELLEY[/B] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: Oh, of all the cheap. . .[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: And to think they actually look proud of themselves![/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"][B]"WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT. . .[/B][/COLOR] [I][B]Team 3D[/B]'s entrance music hits, and the pair come out looking fairly pissed off. [B]Brother Ray[/B] slides into the ring with a microphone while [B]Brother Devon[/B] grabs a table and starts to set it up outside the ring.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Brother Ray: At [B][I]Sacrifice[/I][/B], what happened before our match with [B]The Steiner Brothers[/B] was COMPLETE BULL---T![/COLOR] [I]The crowd starts to jeer; [B]Scott Steiner[/B] was not cleared to wrestle so the tag match was replaced with a dull match between [B]Rick Steiner[/B] and [B]Brother Ray[/B][/I]. [COLOR="Red"]Brother Ray: And now, not four days later, this freak expects us to believe he is all better? Where I came from, we've got a name for people like Scott Steiner: p---y!! You talk a lot of trash until its time to put up and then you stick your tail between your legs and scamper away.[/COLOR] [I]While Brother Ray is talking, Brother Devon has been pacing around ringside. Not he grabs TNA ring girl [B]So Cal Val[/B] by her hair and drags her into the ring.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Brother Ray: So, Rick. . . Scott. . . here's the deal.[/COLOR] [I]Val struggles to get away, but Devon holds her easily in his arms as they stand on the other side of the table in the ring.[/I] [COLOR="Red"]Brother Ray: We're going to destroy every. . . single. . . person on this roster until you meet us in the ring![/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: This isn't right, Scott Steiner had a devastating injury! Ray, stop it, she's just the ring girl!![/COLOR] [I]With a sadistic laugh, Devon lifts Val up and they nail her with a sick looking 3D through the table. Fans in the Impact Zone are livid, booing and hurling drink cups into the ring. With satisfied smiles on their face, Team 3D walk out of the arena as we go to commercial. When Impact returns, [B]The Steiner Brothers[/B] are in the ring but [B]Team 3D[/B] is nowhere to be found. Before [B]Scott[/B] can grab a microphone, gunshots ring out in the crowd, signalling the entrance of [B]LAX[/B]. [B]Homicide[/B] & [B]Hernandez[/B] make their way to the ring and our next match is under way.[/I] [B]THE STEINER BROTHERS -VS- LAX[/B] The two teams tried to put together a competent brawl, but the older stlye of Rick & Scott just didn't seem to mesh well with the guys in LAX. Thankfully it was a passable TV match that showed how angry The Steiners were as Scott disposed of Homicide with a brutal backbreaker at 8:04. [B]WINNERS: THE STEINER BROTHERS[/B] [I]There is a quick commercial break, and when we return [B]Robert Roode[/B] is standing in the ring with [B]Ms. Brooks[/B] and [B]James Storm[/B].[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Welcome back to Impact, in the ring you see the members of Roode International who have just called out [B]Dustin Rhodes[/B] to face Robert Roode in a match.[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: It's been well documented in the past weeks that Dustin Rhodes signed a new contract with another company, despite being courted by Roode & Ms. Brooks for a spot in Roode International.[/COLOR] [I]While Tenay & West talk, Rhodes makes his way out with no entrance music not even dressed to wrestle. Robert Roode shakes his head and launches an attack.[/I] [B]ROBERT ROODE -VS- DUSTIN RHODES[/B] Roode is on the offensive most of the match, and Rhodes was obviously not happy about it. Rhodes is obviously just in there to give Roode a rub as his push starts, and they made him look like a jobber in his last appearance. [B]WINNER: ROBERT ROODE VIA PINFALL[/B] [I]After the match, Roode grabs a microphone while Rhodes limps out of the ring.[/I] [COLOR="Green"]Robert Roode: Being a sellout isn't a bad thing when you buy into the right company, Dustin! We offered you a chance to make money like you haven't made in years with Roode International, but you were stupid! You sold out to the WRONG people, Dustin![/COLOR] [I]The crowd starts to chant "Goodbye Goldust!" as Dustin Rhodes walks out of the arena looking legitamitely pissed off.[/I] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: Wow. . .[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: I've never seen anything like this, Don. This is just. . .[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: Wow. . .[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Yeah, you said it, Don.[/COLOR] [I]The screen fades to black, and a video plays hyping tonight's main event. Clips are used of [B]Samoa Joe[/B] pinning [B]Christian Cage[/B] after a Muscle Buster, [B]Abyss[/B] in his brutal hardcore match against [B]Tomko[/B], and [B]Sting[/B] wrestling Kurt Angle at Sacrifice. A voice hypes up the match as a "Prelude to a date with destiny."[/I] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our main event here on Impact![/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: I can't believe we're about to see this here on Impact, Mike; three of the biggest names in TNA colliding in one ring to earn a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Title![/COLOR] [I]Tenay & West run through a 'tale of the tape' for each competitor as he makes his entrance, each man taking his own corner until the match begins.[/I] [B]MAIN EVENT - THREE-WAY DANCE TO DETERMINE #1 CONTENDER STING -VS- SAMOA JOE -VS- ABYSS[/B] These three men fought for nearly 20 minutes before the first elimination was even made. Sting & Abyss temporarily held their union to dismantle Samoa Joe before Abyss blindsided Sting while Joe was on the outside. The Monster & The Icon worked a solo brawl inside the ring for a few minutes before Joe got back up, Abyss eventually being eliminated after a Scorpion Death Drop. Joe wasted no time taking it to Sting, nailing him from behind as he stood up from making the pin on Abyss. With Abyss still in the ring, Joe & Sting go at it for a few minutes until The Monster gets back on his feet. After taking Joe down, Sting turns to Abyss and demands that he leave the ring; Abyss refuses. After Joe gets up, Abyss is eventually provoked into double clotheslining the remaining competitors before taking them both out with a Black Hole Slam! [B]WINNER: NO CONTEST[/B] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Don West: What in the world?! Abyss just took out both competitors![/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Mike Tenay: Who's the number one contender?! Fans, we have to go, but. . . oh my God. . .[/COLOR] [I]Abyss looks down at Sting, shaking in anger that his 'friend' stopped him from becoming the #1 contender. Samoa Joe is recovering on the outside, angry and confused as we fade to black.[/I] [SIZE="1"]MAIN EVENT RATING: B FINAL OVERALL RATING: C+ ATTENDANCE: 2000 (SELL OUT)[/SIZE]

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We did it! A few unpleasentries aside, we pulled it off; the live show went over well, and the executives at SpikeTV called to give us some encouragment but stressed that we weren't out of hot water just yet. [B]Arn Anderson:[/B] Alright everyone, good job tonight. [B]Michael[/B], 3D's promo against the Steiners came across very well tonight. And with their attack on the girl, I have a feeling the fans here can really get behind this angle and root for the Steiners again. My heart skipped a beat; I thanked him for the compliment graciously, but out of the corner of my eye I noticed Terry Taylor shooting me a jealous eye. Before I could say anything more, [B]Dixie Carter[/B] burst into the room. [B]Dixie:[/B] Now just who in the hell told Roode to do that out there?! We can NOT afford to have [B]Vince McMahon[/B] breathing down our necks anymore than he is already. [B]Dutch Mantell[/B], who was still on as a road agent, spoke up and admitted he told Bobby to get the crowd riled up after the match by taking shots at Dustin for signing with WWE. Dixie fired him on the spot, and Arn stepped up to take his spot as a road agent so he could work more closely with developing talent. [B]Scott D'Amore:[/B] Did ya' see how hot the crowd was at the end? I think no matter who we go with to face [B]Angle[/B], we've got a winner on our hands. [B]Dixie:[/B] Where ARE we going with the World title?

[W3LSHY]

That show was a great read, well done ;)

[falling_star]

[QUOTE=W3LSHY;290852]That show was a great read, well done ;)[/QUOTE] Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! There will be a preview for next week posted later tonight, along with some more backstage stuff.

[falling_star]

Dixie raised a good point; where [I]were[/I] we going with the World title? At this point in my tenure with TNA I wasn't privy to much about the bigger storylines. I knew going into the show as I do now; [B]Samoa Joe, Sting[/B] and [B]Abyss[/B] are the top contenders. [B]Arn Anderson:[/B] "Not to shut you out, Ms. Carter, but leave that to me. Me & [B]Sting[/B] go way back and we've got something special cooking up." She seemed satisfied with that and said goodbye, leaving all of the bookers around the table. [B]Terry Taylor[/B] kept looking at me; was he trying to rib me? If so, it was working. Arn told us to prepare for an all nighter at the office; the first show went well, and now things needed to be put in place faster than greased lightning because we needed a preview for next week on the website by morning. Arn told us that the main event next week would be [B]Samoa Joe vs. Sting[/B]. We needed to start having solid main events to help sell the one hour program if we expected to keep up with our competition. Since [B]Abyss[/B] had already eliminated from the match, he was no longer a contender so it made sense to have Joe and Sting as a strong main event for the show. [B]Tom Pritchard:[/B] One of the main problems right now is the lack of overness in our undercard. I'm going to be working personally with guys who have the potential to break into the upper-ranks; guys like [B]Bobby Roode[/B] & [B]Chris Harris[/B], and [B]Matt Bently[/B]. We have a good five weeks of TV before the next PPV which gives us plenty of time to build a [I]strong[/I] card to bounce back from the last PPV. [B]Scott D'Amore:[/B] Yeah, that was kind of a disaster. Lemme' tell you, when I found out [B]Russo[/B] was outta' here I could've kissed that guy from SpikeTV. We're finally rescued from the Sting Gimmick Match O' DOOM~! on every freaking show. We all shared a laugh, and it seemed as if we were all finally starting to click; but Terry Taylor is still giving me the evil eye!

[Dustin]

Looking good.

[falling_star]

TNAWrestling.com [QUOTE][CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][COLOR="Blue"]TNA IMPACT! ON SPIKETV [/COLOR]THUSDAY NIGHT @ 9:00PM[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] OFFICIAL PREVIEW At the end of last week's special live edition of Impact!, fans were left speechless as "The Monster" [B]Abyss[/B] took out [B]Samoa Joe[/B] as well as recent ally [B]Sting[/B] before the three-way dance to determine a number one contender could come to a close. This week, Director of Authority [B]Jim Cornette[/B] has announced that Sting and Samoa Joe will face off one-on-one to determine who will face [B]Kurt Angle[/B] at [B][I]No Surrender[/I][/B] [B]Team 3D[/B] made a shocking impact last week, attacking TNA ring girl [B]So Cal Val[/B] while demanding a match with [B]The Steiner Brothers[/B]. Will Rick & Scott respond? [B]Robert Roode[/B], along with the rest of Roode International have promised a surprise after last weeks embarassment of [B]Dustin Rhodes[/B]. What will it be? You'll have to tune in to find out! All of this, plus [B]LAX[/B] take on [B]The James Gang[/B], and "The War Machine" [B]Rhino[/B] makes his return to Impact![/QUOTE] [SIZE="1"]CONFIRMED BOUTS MAIN EVENT - #1 CONTENDER'S MATCH: SAMOA JOE -VS- STING THE JAMES GANG -VS- LAX[/SIZE]

[Lexa90]

I still have a soft spot for TNA diaries, and this looks like beeing one of the best. MAIN EVENT - #1 CONTENDER'S MATCH: SAMOA JOE -VS- [B]STING[/B] THE JAMES GANG -VS- [B]LAX[/B]

[falling_star]

It was about 5AM when the phone rang. . . I hadn't been in bed more than an hour. Answering still half-asleep, [B]Arn Anderson[/B]'s voice snapped me to conciousness. [B]Arn:[/B] Have you heard the news?! I groaned a little, and he knew I hadn't. [B]Arn:[/B] WWE.com has just announced a huge batch of releases; they sent out a press release talking about downsizing! Now, I don't want to screw things up by brining in more of the WWE castoffs, but I'm putting you in charge of evaluating all the releases & their possible value here in TNA. I couldn't believe it! Arn Anderson actually had faith in me! He talked for a few minutes about how this is going to help make the playing field a lot closer to level. WWE announced the end of their brand splits, and expect to lose the slot on Sci-Fi to cut down on costs (though for now it will be renamed [B][I]Tuesday Night Heat[/I][/B]). This will make it easier for us to gain comparisons, as now its one company with one brand against another. After we hung up, I started a pot of coffee and sat down at my computer. Pulling up WWE.com, I looked at the article about all of the releases. Oh. . . my. . . God. . . this list reads like an X Division wish list! [B]Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Jamie Knoble, Kid Kash,[/B] and [B]Jimmy Yang[/B] were all on there. [B]Joey Styles[/B] was released due to the ECW brand being ended. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that [B]Goldust[/B]'s contract was terminated before it began. I jotted down a quick list of people that could be useful over the next several months so we could all kick around some ideas. Fate must love me today.

[W3LSHY]

Still a great read, loving this dynasty, keep it up! Kendrick and London for X Gold! Dustin for retirment!

[falling_star]

[U]Impact! Taping, Week 4 of August 2007[/U] [B]Arn Anderson:[/B] WHERE THE HELL IS [B]KURT[/B]?! Our World champion hadn't shown up at the arena, and it was less than two hours until the show was scheduled to begin. [B]Arn:[/B] We've got a big angle to set off tonight, and that Olympic ******* isn't here yet! This blow-up was so contrary to Arn's backstage reputation; I was starting to believe that Arn had a passion for the success of this company. He saw something in TNA that he hadn't seen in any other company for quite some time, and he wanted it succeed for the [I]wrestling[/I] industry so that 'sports entertainment' didn't take over entirely. He sighed, and took a seat at the table, drinking eagerly from a cup of water. [B]Arn:[/B] [B]Tom (Pritchard)[/B], go get with [B]Sting[/B] and [B]Joe[/B] about the finish of the match. [B]D'Amore[/B], I want you to do everything you can to find out where Angle is, and if he plans on showing up. Arn took a deep breath. . . it was just myself, Arn, and [B]Terry Taylor[/B] in the room now. Terry was signing off on some production notes when Arn sent him off to check on production. Taylor glanced back at me with a sort of sneer before heading out. [B]Arn:[/B] Alright kid, I need to take my mind off this Angle thing or I'm liable to blow a gasket. What's the word on those released guys? I told him I agreed with him about hiring a bunch of castoffs, but explained how some of the guys could help us rebuild the X Division with ease. WWE had so much talent that was being wasted, and a lot of our fanbase would be elated at seeing them perform unrestricted. He told me to get with Tom and share my ideas, and together the two of us were to re-establish the credibility of the X Division. . . starting tonight. . .

[falling_star]

[CENTER][SIZE="5"][FONT="Impact"]TNA IMPACT! -WEEK 4, AUGUST 2007[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER] [QUOTE]In matches filmed for Xplosion, X Division Champion [B]Jay Lethal[/B] succesfully defending against Chris Sabin in what is said to be the best Xplosion main event in a long time. Also, [B]Roode International (Robert Roode & James Storm) w/ Ms. Brooks[/B] faced [B]Chris Harris[/B] and partner [B]Christopher Daniels[/B]. Harris & Daniels picked up the win, much to the disappointment of Roode.[/QUOTE] [B][COLOR="Red"][I]BOOM![/I][/COLOR][/B] [I]The opening pyro explodes, and we're ready for another addition of [B]TNA Impact![/B] on SpikeTV. [B]Mike Tenay[/B] and [B]Don West[/B] on commentary begin to welcome us, but are interupted quickly by TNA Commisioner [B]Jim Cornette[/B], who makes his way to the ring.[/I] [COLOR="Teal"][B]Jim Cornette:[/B] Ladies and gentlemen, last week I promised you a new #1 contender. But unfortunately, thanks to [B]Abyss[/B], that never happened.[/COLOR] [I]The crowd starts to jeer, still anxious to know who the number one contender might be.[/I] [COLOR="Teal"][B]Jim Cornette:[/B] Well tonight you're gonna' find out, because in this very ring, the two competitors remaining from last week will square off to determine just who the new number one contender will be. It's gonna' be [B]Sting[/B] versus [B]Samoa Joe[/B], no countouts, and if anyone interferes, they're fired![/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] Wow![/COLOR] [COLOR="Teal"][B]Jim Cornette:[/B] And just to be sure, because I know how hard it for someone as stupid as Abyss to listen, I've got a security team in the back right now with orders to remove him from the building![/COLOR] [I]The crowd cheers, and on the screens we see a team of security officers backstage. "There he is!" one of them yells, rushing towards as Abyss and ordering him to comply. Tossing the first one carelessly aside, Abyss obviously doesn't like being thrown out of the building! [B]Robert Roode[/B] walks onto the scene, cringing a bit as he passes the hideous Abyss. . . and getting thrown into the wall by "The Monster!" Abyss dismantles Roode until a few members of security manage to wrestle him down and cuff him.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] What a way to kick off Impact![/COLOR] [SIZE="1"]((I'm headed to work now, but I'll finish posting the rest of the show sometime late tonight after I get home. Look for it to be up around 1AM eastern, or failing that sometime early tomorrow.))[/SIZE]

[W3LSHY]

Can't wait for the rest...

[falling_star]

[I]We come back from commercial with [B]Petey Williams[/B] standing in the ring just as new entrance music starts to play.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] Welcome back to Impact! ladies and gentlemen. We were scheduled to have an announcement from [B]Robert Roode[/B], but after that brutal attack by [B]Abyss[/B] I don't think we're going to hear from Roode International this week, Don.[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] Neither do I, but as you know, Mike, here in TNA the action never stops. And coming up next we have a four-way X Division invitational! In the ring you see "The Canadian Destroyer" Petey Williams, and coming to the ring now is face we haven't seen in a while, [B]Jason Jett[/B]![/COLOR] [I]The former EZ Money makes his way to the ring, playing up a ****y heel role in his debut showing. Out next is Alex Shelley, along with partner [B]Chris Sabin[/B], who plays to the camera about being overlooked in the X Divison. A loud gong sounds through the arena, the crowd looking back-and-forth between the entry ramps as traditional Japanese music, fused with some guitars & heavy drums, plays over the soundsystem. Finally, a familiar face emerges from the face entrance tunnel.[/I] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] IT'S [B]TAJIRI!![/B][/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] "The Japanese Buzzsaw" is in TNA!![/COLOR] [I]TAJIRI draws a nice pop from the crowd, slapping hands on his way down to the ring while the heels (Jett, Shelley, and Sabin) all freak out.[/I] [B]X DIVISION #1 CONTENDER'S MATCH PETEY WILLIAMS -VS- JASON JETT -VS- ALEX SHELLEY -VS- TAJIRI[/B] From bell to bell these guys put on the kind of match you'd expect to see in the X Division, with TAJIRI and Alex Shelley particularly shining. Jason Jett did exactly what he was there to do, enhance the performance of the others guys; Jett provided good performance skills to the less-studied youngsters, and has the potential for a push at the strap himself. One particularly crowd-pleasing spot was when Chris Sabin tried to give Shelley the win by smashing Petey Williams on the outside with a chair; Sabin turned around only to be blasted with green mist by TAJIRI. The finish saw Williams and Jett on the outside recovering from a sick dive spot that had the crowd believing both men were hurt, with TAJIRI nailing a Buzzsaw Kick from seemingly nowhere to pick up the win. [B]WINNER, AND #1 CONTENDER FOR THE X DIVISION TITLE: TAJIRI[/B] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] Can you believe it, Don?! TAJIRI is the new number one conteder for the X Division title![/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] This is certainly unexpected, Mike, but a welcome surprise! It looks likeTAJIRI has a match with [B]Jay Lethal[/B] in his future.[/COLOR] [I]We take a quick commercial break, and return with [B]The James Gang[/B] making their entrance into the Impact Zone. [B]BG & Kip[/B] play to the crowd a little, but head quickly to the ring where BG grabs a microphone.[/I] [COLOR="Red"][B]BG James:[/B] Let me get right down to the nitty-gritty, because you see me & Kip got a little problem with something that's going down in TNA right now. First off, let me remind of a time when Kipper & me were up north, and we won FIVE tag team titles. Now we might not be quite as travelled as these two teams running around yappin' about which one is the best. . . who was champion of the bingo hall, which one sold out first, who b--------- first.[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] WOW!![/COLOR] [I]The crowd pops, though the cenors preven the audience from hearing what was just said. We gave BG permission to give a 'worked shoot' (unlike Roode, who wasn't punished because it was Dutch Mantell's idea) so that the team could start to regain their edge, and it seemed to be working.[/I] [COLOR="Red"][B]BG James:[/B] In case you're too busy tootin' your own horns in the back, we're talking to you [B]Team 3D[/B]. . . and we're talking to you, [B]Steiner Brothers[/B]. If you want to decide who the best team in wrestling is, you look no further than [B]The James Gang[/B]![/COLOR] [I]BG throws the microphone down, and the crowd simmers for a moment. Then the gunshots signal the arrival of [B]LAX[/B], and Kip & BG stand in the ring ready for a fight.[/I] [B]THE JAMES GANG -VS- LAX[/B] From the first bell, these two teams fought a chaotic brawl all around the six-sided ring. For nearly four minutes the brawl is so intense there is no clear cut advantage until Kip takes down Hernandez long enough for The James Gang to nail Homicide with a sick looking double team where Kip lifts 'Cide up and fall back into a DDT by BG. [B]WINNERS: THE JAMES GANG[/B] [I]The James Gang celebrate in the ring as we go to commercial. We come back with the entrance of [B]Christian Cage[/B] with [B]Tomko[/B]. He looks ready for a promo, but [B]Rhino[/B]'s music starts, and "The War Machine" charges into the ring ready for action![/I] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] IT'S RHINO!! THE WAR MACHINE IS BACK!![/COLOR] [B]RHINO -VS- CHRISTIAN CAGE[/B] Rhino looked magnificent in his return to TV after being lost in the shuffle for the better part of two months. The two worked a decent pre-main event match, with tension building between Rhino and Tomko on the outside the whole time. The finish comes when Tomko tries to put out Rhino with a shot from the ringbell, but gets ducked and nails Cage instead. [B]WINNER: "THE WAR MACHINE" RHINO[/B] [I]After being thrown out of the ring before the pinfall, Tomko charges back into the ring with a big boot to Rhino's head. The effects are only temporary, as Rhino pops back up and the two begin a wild brawl. Christian Cage hightails it out of the ring as the two big men throw stiff shots at each other, eventually spilling into the crowd.[/I] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] Their out of control!! Rhino and Tomko are fighting like wild dogs!![/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Don West:[/B] These two are going to destroy each other! [/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"][B]Mike Tenay:[/B] Ladies and gentlemen we have to take a break, but when we return we will have our MAIN EVENT! It's [B]Sting versus Samoa Joe, NEXT![/B][/COLOR] [I]After the break, [B]Samoa Joe[/B]'s entrance begins immediately. The two are scheduled to go for nearly the last 20 minutes. "The Samoan Submission Machine" makes his way into the ring, then motions towards the entrance tunnel for Sting to 'bring it on.' [B]Sting[/B] makes his way out to the ring, and the two stand off waiting for the bell to sound.[/I] [B]#1 CONTENDER'S MATCH STING -VS- SAMOA JOE[/B] The two start out with a classic setup, fighting for leverage in a lock-up until Joe manages to start with the upper-hand. But it is short lived before Sting counters and they go to another stand off. They work in the ring for about 6 minues until things spill outside, and they spend a few minutes brawling for a good commercial break. They brawl throughout, and when TV comes back they are just rolling into the ring. Joe works Sting over for a bit before preparing him for a Muscle Buster, which somehow only gets a two count. Frustrated, Joe goes for an Island Driver and again only gets two. Joe starts to argue with referee Earl Hebner as Sting gets up, charging but Joe manages to grab hold and get a sloppy rear naked choke as the crow goes wild. Unable to lock in the Coqina Clutch, Joe braces himself and nails a Coqina-Plex. Again only a two count! As Joe argues with the ref some more, Sting gets up and grabs Joe by the hair, pulling him back into a Scorpion Death Drop!! Taking a moment to recover, Sting locks in the Scorion Deathlock, eventually drawing a submission from Joe after nearly a minute in the hold. [B]WINNER, AND #1 CONTENDER FOR THE TNA WORLD TITLE: STING[/B] [I]TV goes off with Sting celebrating his win, the crowd cheering as Tenay sends us off.[/I] [SIZE="1"]MAIN EVENT RATING: B FINAL OVERALL RATING: C+ ATTENDANCE: 2000 (SELL OUT)[/SIZE]