Global iMPACT (1/17) Recap: A Champion Redeemed!
“Cultures clashed and worlds collided,” said the announcer on the opening video for the show that introduced US fans to the connection between New Japan Wrestling and TNA.
“TNA iMPACT goes Global!” was the tag line.
A video showed TNA wrestlers arriving in Tokyo on January 2, two days before they were to perform for 30,000 in the Tokyo Dome.
Kurt Angle, it is announced, will defend the IWGP championship against Yuji Nagata in the main event.
On the video, Angle pretty much abandoned his stateside heel persona. He praised the Japanese fans as knowledgeable and also said that they have very high standards. He added that, if you give fans that, they really respond.
Tomko indicated that he had gone further than most of the others in learning about Japan and adapting to its culture. He has even learned to speak the language a little during the year he has been going there to wrestle.
Brother Ray said that, after so longin the business, there are few things that remain really special. One of them, he divulged, was coming to Japan to wrestle in the Tokyo Dome. Ray said that Japanese fans will be in for a treat when they see TNA wrestling, but that US fans will also be in for a treat when they see the stars of New JapanWrestling.
Back from commercial, another video showed the TNA stars interacting with the people of the host country.
In another taped piece, Kurt Angle seemed tire, but happy. He said he’d been doing interviews all day and owuld probably still be doing them far into the night.
At a pre-card press conference. Kurt angle insisted on the legitimacy of his claim to the IWGP title. He said he beat Brock Lesner last year to win it and that he would demonstrate his ability to retain the strap in his match against former champion Yuji Nagata.
Back from commercial, the camera followed Kurt Angles march toward the arena. He said that this would be one of the best days of his career, “one of th ebest days of my life!”
AJ Styles, Petey Williams and Christian Cage comprised one of the teams in a six-man match. Petey Williams provided a little commentary as fans watched brief highlights from the match, which the American group won.
Yakamichi evidently gave Abyss all he could handle, to judge from the little clips of their match. Yakamichi won. In his post-match interview, Abyss vowed revenge on the Japanese grappler.
A nother short video showed Team 3D pulling out all the stops against an identified Japanese duo. They, too, saw their hands raised in triumph over the warriors from Nippon.
“It’s always an honor to come back to this fine country,” said Scott Steiner prior to the match between the Steiner Brothers and Tomko with his unidentified partner. Tomko came out on the victorious side.
Yuji Nakata claimed that Angle is a “false champion,” because he has not defended his title in the year since he won it.
Mike Tenay welcomed viewers to the Tokyo Dome on behalf of his announcer teammate Don West and himself.
The Professor’s introduction set up Nagata as a multi-time champion who is the equal of great North American stars like Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle d. Yuji Nagatta
When the show resumed after a commercial break, Jurt Angle was stomping Yuji Nagata in the corner. Kagata fought with with powerful Elbow Smmashes, but Angle shot him into the ropes and uncorked a Belly-to-Belly Suplex with a release! Angle tried to pick up some momentum by banging into the ropes, but this time it was the Japanese star who scored with a Belly-to-Belly Release Suplex!
Nakata grabbed a Waistlock. Kurt reversed, but Nagata quickly established a Hammerlock. Nagata Arm Dragged is foe to the mat and worked on his neck with a punishing Side Headlock.
Nakata connected with a Shoulder Block. Both men banged the ropes, but Negata brought down Angle with a very athletic Leg Trip to an Armlock, but the ropes gave Angle sanctuary.
Nagata tried to hang onto a Waistlock, but the IWGP champion went for a Wristlock, but Nagata reversed. That looked like an important move, until Angle rang his bell with a Forearm to the side of the head! The challenger responded with a series of kicks that targeted Angle’s left leg.
Kurt Angle ducked a kick that would’ve taken off his head and rocked Nagata with another Belly-to-Belly Suplex with a release.
Angle scored with an Uppercur, bur Nagara threw him into the ropes and leveled him with a Shoulder Block. Nagata seized a Rear Chinlock that Angle broke by simultaneously forcing his way to his feet and turning into his adversary’s body.
Angle took a couple of stiff shots to the neck but ducked under a Clothesline. He then felled Nagata with a Chop Block.
Angle followed the challenger out of the ring and continued the assault onhis leg with kick after kick.
Back in the ring, Angle applied a Grapevine and then turned it into a Stepover Toehold, a move so out of fasion in US wrestling that many newer fans may never have seen it. The victim used his other leg to kick away Kurt.
Kurt trapped Nagata in his version of the Figure-Four Leglock. The Japanese star tried to turn over to reverse the hold. His first two attempts failed, but the third one unraveled the Grapvine, but not the Anklelock! Finally, with one last desperate lunge, Nagata caught the rope!
As Kurt tried to work on Nagata’s leg, the challenger surprised him with an Arm submission hold! He was trying to wring an “I quit!” out of Angle as the show went to commercial break.
When they came back to the action, Angle bedeviled his foe with a pair of German Suplexes. Angle went for an Olympic Slam, only to have Nagata block – and then Suplexed Angle!
Nagata hit two straight Suplexes. Kurt again went for the leg, but Nagata emerged with the STF! Kurt screamed, but he refused to tap as Nagata ground away with the STF. Angle broke the hold ad reversed into an Anklelock. Now it was Nafata’s turn to howl with pain!
Nagata rolled through the hold and came up with a Crossface. Angle fought through the pain and pressure and came up with the Anklelock again! Nagata kicked free, but Angle came right back with a Clothesline that his opponent partially evaded. Nagata re-asserted the Crossface.
Angle seemed to be losing strength, bit by bit, and fans may have thought the end was near. Angle rolled through and Nagata hung on for dear life, but he couldn’t stop the Olympic Slam! Nagata’s kick-out just beat the third count.
Angle went for the Moonsault, but hit only the canvas! Angle staggered into a corner, where Nagata nailed him with a Cross-ring Charge to a High Knee. Nagata placed Angle on the top rope and then brought him back to earth with a Super Belly-to-Belly Suplex! Kurt barely raised his shoulder in time.
Nagata went back to the Crossface and just kept cranking away on Angle’s highly vulnerable neck. Nagata added an Armbar, making the hold a lot like Chris Benoits Crippler Crossface – and then tipped Angle sideways to put his shoulders on the mat! Angle used his own leverage to escape the predicament.
The pair slugged it out at center-ring, both men staggered by strikes that would’ve felled lesser men until Nagata broke the stalemte with a knee to the stomach. The IGWP title-holder caught Magata with a knee, but he was too spent to follow up this advantage/ Nagata executed a Release Suplex, but Angle avoided the pin in time.
Angle caught Nagata’s leg in mid-kick and turned it into the Anklelock! Angle added the Grapevine and Nagata couldn’t resist that extra pressure, that searing additional pain.
Yuji Nagara tapped. Kurt Angle had kept the IGWP title against the foremost challenger!
Grade: B+
Angle and Nagata hugged after the match and raised each other’s hands in victory.
In a post-shpw press conference, Kurt Angle praised Nagata
“I’m working for the best organization in the world,” Angle told the press. “When I go out there, I kick a$$ for TNA!”
– The Kingfish Arnie Katz
crossfire4@cox.net
(1/22/08)
Loading ...