by The opening night of the new regime of TNA started on January 4, 2010, as they looked to go head-to-head with Monday Night RAW and the WWE. With Hulk Hogan on the scene, Ric Flair and a host of others showing up, TNA made a strong first “Impact” on the new Monday Night Wars. Let’s go back and take a look at January 4, 2010 as TNA made their attempt to compete with the WWE courtesy of the TNA Plus App.
The show began with what TNA was known for, a classic X Division Match with multiple competitors in it, including Suicide and Jay Lethal. With Vince Russo writing the script it was sure to be overbooked however and they put it in a giant red cage for some reason. The match had plenty of action and was quite entertaining until Russo went full Russo with a swerve.
Towards the end when everything was really heating up, Homicide showed up and started taking people out with a giant lead pipe. From there, a returning Jeff Hardy saved the day with a huge pop from the crowd, stopping the attack and climbing up the outside of the cage as his new “song” blared from the speaker. His song was horrendous but the moment was very cool.
Back from break and the next match saw ODB reclaim her TNA Women’s Championship from Tara ( the former Victoria ). This represented two straight matches featuring former WWE headline talent in Victoria and Hardy. The match was rushed and it seemed like an odd title change out of nowhere.
Before we can go to break this time however, Ric Flair arrives in a long white limo and everyone is shocked. TNA had been advertising Hogan very heavily, but this was a genuine surprise to many, including Taz on commentary who lost his mind alongside Mike Tenay.
The theme of former WWE headline talent continued as we come back from break to see Mick Foley trying to get in the arena when he is stopped by Christy Hemme to remind him that he has been banned from the Impact Zone. This is quickly feeling like a 1999 version of RAW at this point but still intriguing enough early on.
Back in the ring we have former WWE Headliner Bobby Lashley in the ring with his wife Crystal running down the crowd and the TNA roster. She goes as far as to ask for Lashley’s immediate release from TNA. The segment is short and the Vince Russo booking is apparent now as the segments are quick, somewhat shocking and it keeps you feeling hectic and frantic as to what will happen next.
From here, we get an extremely sexy looking Velvet Sky and the Beautiful People inviting the audience at home to watch them play Strip Poker. As shocking as that is, you don’t have too much time for the blood to rush back into your head before Sean Waltman ( X-Pac) and Scott Hall arrive in the crowd as we go to break.
As we come back from break it is time for the long awaited debut of Hulk Hogan in TNA Wrestling as the crowd pops hard for it. After a chant for Hogan that last several minutes, including shots of his daughter Brooke in the crowd, The Hulkster proceeds to inform everyone that TNA will now feature a blend of young up and comers along with a lot of faces we have grown up with.
He does make one major mistake however and mentions how he has been there all day long with the young talent in the back, despite the fact that the production made it seem like he had just arrived, complete with a police escort for his limo. But maybe that was Flair we saw with the escort after all? Who knows…
In the middle of the speech, Waltman and Hall jump the barricade and join Hogan in the ring. Hall is in bad shape and looks loaded as he attempts to cut a promo. He tells Hogan he wants a big paycheck and a big party. Waltman makes the same point as Hall as this is going nowhere fast. Hogan shuts it all down and says this time will be different and this is not the old days.
Kevin Nash then shows up and backs Waltman and Hall as he too is surprised that Hogan is taking the corporate side with Dixie Carter. A half-drunk Hall begins to stumble around until Eric Bischoff shows up to calm the troops. Easy E agrees with Hogan and promptly rips up the format for the show and tells everyone that they are starting over as they show Dixie Carter smiling in the crowd.
Everyone seems excited as they show Sting up in the rafters looking concerned. Tell me that doesn’t scream WCW Nitro with him up there. As we come back from the break a TNA Knockouts tag match has already began with Taylor Wilde and her partner Sareda defending against Awesome Kong with her partner Hamada. The match doesn’t go long until they cut to the back where the Motor City Machine Guns have been attacked and laid out. You would be led to believe by “The Band” of Hall, Nash and Waltman.
After the women’s match results in Hamada and Kong winning the championships, they flash backstage to the Strip Poker game that suddenly has Val Venis as the dealer. Yet another WWE once star far past is prime inserted into the mix. The women are also now closer to being naked, so stay tuned for more on that soon.
Thus far, the show has only had three matches with two women’s title changes. Any chance of another match will have to wait as we are treated to Mick Foley still trying to get into the building. Not much to say there, more of the same.
Meanwhile, if anyone was wondering how many of Hogans old washed up friends would cash in on a Dixie Carter paycheck, say no more as The Nasty Boys, ( last relevant in 1995 ) arrive out of nowhere, who, like Foley are denied access into the building.
By the way, remember Elijah Burke from the failed ECW brand in WWE, he is now in TNA as Deangelo ”The Pope” Dinero and in a match with Desmond Wolf who would go on to success in ROH as Nigel McGuinness. On this night, the win went to “The Pope” however. A short match but still nice to see some in ring action.
From there, they continue to use a WCW and WWE staple of showing people show up backstage and slowly walk towards the ring. This time it is Double J Jeff Jarrett arriving and for some extremely odd reason Taz sounds confused.
Jarrett clears up the mystery by taking the microphone and reminding everyone that it was he who founded this company in the first place as he mentions a bunch of TNA originals like Beer Money and AJ Styles. It was an extremely self-serving promo praising himself until Hogan cuts him off and credits Dixie Carter for the TNA success, not him.
Hogan mentions the young guys in the back for about the 87th time while reminding Double JJ it is he is will lead TNA from now on, not Jarrett. Oddly, the fans turn on Hogan instantly and cheer Jarrett. I’m not sure this that is what Russo had planned or not. It was shortly after this that they handed Jarrett a miserable MMA gimmick.
After a quick shot of Bubba the Love Sponge helping the Nasty Boys sneak in, we get a match between two more TNA Stallworth’s with Abyss vs Samoa Joe. Again, a nice mix of originals with new throughout the show. Joe gets the win by tap to remind everyone how good he is.
Two more bits of Gaga backstage show Crystal Marshall reminded Easy E that Lashley put in his notice before he tells her to take a number. Also, The Nasty Boys destroy The Dudley Boyz locker room for no apparent reason other then they needed something to do on the show.
The one thing that they nailed on this night was the Main Event, an outstanding match between Kurt Angle and AJ Styles for the latter’s TNA World Championship reminded everyone what TNA did best at the time, in ring action! An incredible match ends when Styles picks up the win after 20 amazing minutes of pure action. The two would fight again at TNA Genesis where Styles won again, that time in nearly 30 minutes.
Instead of the show going off air with Styles reigning supreme, leaving everyone on a good note about the future, they went for the Russo swerve bro as the show instead ends with The Band attacking Foley in Hogan’s office as Eric Bischoff encourages them to do so.
That’s it folks! All in all a fun night with a bit of nostalgia. Hall and Venis looked awful but the match with Styles and Angle is one of the best you will ever see on free tv in your life!
