TNA Impact August 12 TV results & recap: GFW vs. TNA supershow

By Jeremy Peeples, WrestlingObserver.com

Last week, TNA paid tribute to Roddy Piper with a video package – it wasn’t quite as long as Dusty’s, but still good.Ken Anderson beat the perpetually-contracted Bram, Gail Kim beat the Dollhouse, and Eli Drake stole a pin and debuted a new yellow and black taped-up #sitdown shirt. Rockstar Spud beat Austin Aries in a Rockstar name vs. Career match to send Aries out of the company for at least a little while. In bigger news, EC3 beat Matt Hardy in a TLC match, and Bully Ray was taken out by a mystery attacker. As a result, TNA was left without an authority figure until Jeff Jarrett volunteered.

 In the days since, TNA has released information on Facebook and Youtube about this being a GFW vs. TNA show. Instead of using their global TV show to announce this, they used social media, which seems like either forward thinking or not thinking things through. Either way, the company announced some new talent will be getting exposed nationally like Trevor Lee, while Lei’D Tapa returns to a TNA ring and the former Justin Gabriel PJ Black debuts in TNA alongside Chris Mortetsky as highly-talented WWE mid-carders that could have been used better than they were.

The show begins with Jeff Jarrett and some of his GFW crew entering the building as the hype video builds up GFW vs. TNA as an interpromotional war. We’ll get the Wolves against Trevor Lee and Bryan Myers and a defense of the King of the Mountain title. Jeff and Karen come down and slap hands with the fans. Jeff says that he’s now done with his TNA days thanks to GFW, which is about competing at the highest level…isn’t that what all companies should be? Jeff equates this to the Lakers-Celtics and says that the KOTM title will be vacated and defended tonight. EY comes down and tells Jeff that he isn’t the King of the Mountain, he is the King of the World and God, while Jeff is just “the booker man”. Yes folks, it’s 2015. EY jumps Jarrett and the GFW crew comes down to brawl with TNA stars like Robbie E and some other people that can’t be seen due to tight camera shots and jump cuts.

The GFW roster is pissed about this attack, but Jeff tells them it isn’t an invasion and it’s all about respect. “Mr. TNA” Josh Mathews and Elijah Burke, whose action figure has his WWE jacket, are angry about all these damned non-TNA guys coming in to TNA. Lei’D Tana comes down with her husband Royal Red to face Awesome King. Red tells Kong to bow to Tapa, so hopefully he gets beaten up a bit. Kong comes down and they talk more about this not being an invasion, but hating the GFW guys anyway.

Lei’D Tapa vs. Awesome Kong

They ram into each other a bit until Kong gets 2 off a crossbody. Kong clotheslines her down a few times before hitting a splash and getting 2. Tapa took a pretty awful bump for the final of three lariats there, but gets a Samoan drop for 2. Kong gets a chokeslam and clotheslines her to the floor over the top rope. They brawl on the floor for a double countount and brawl some more. Wow was this not good.

Josh talks about the KOTM match and we learn that PJ Black will be here and we get a brief interview with him saying he loves jumping out of planes and then hops back on his phone like he was when he came into the building with Jeff. After a break, Drew says he jumped off a shark cage in the KOTM match, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win.

Bobby Roode is in the ring talking about being pissed about Jarrett coming in and him not being in the main event. Bobby Roode is perhaps the only man angry about not being included in the king of the mountain match. He’s mad at Jeff, but even more mad at Spud for ending Austin Aries’s TNA career. Spud appears to be starstruck by Roode, but says he’s amazed at what a prick he is. Spud talks about Roode being a bully while Roode says there isn’t a person who can stop him, and Spud attacks him. Roode defends himself and chokes Spud with his jacket before hitting the Roode Bomb. Spud gets tossed to the floor and then shoulder-first into the steps before a crossface.

Jeff runs into Roode backstage and yells at him. “The Man” Jesse Godderz is mid-ring to face LASHLEY!? They’ve spent the better part of a year to build up Lashley in some way and he’s just back here with no hype or anything. Also, the winner goes onto the KOTM match.

Jesse Godderz vs. Lashley

Lashley clotheslines him down after some trash talk. Josh talks about “that woman Ronda Rousey beat up” while both Josh and Pope talk about how they don’t remember her name. Lashley gets a corner shoulder and a delayed suplex. Jesse gets a knee shot and lands a dropkick to the face before getting an inverted bearhug. Lashley lands a punch and a spinning back elbow to send Jesse down. Lashley takes him for a brief trip to suplex city with a German and overhead belly to belly. An Edge “spear, spear, spear” chant breaks out, but Jesse powerslams him for 2.  Jesse poses instead of doing the Adonis Crab, but gets kicked off and eats a spear for a loss.

Full Metal Mayhem clips from last week air. EC3 and Tyrus walk backstage, but we hear that there’s something going on and Drew is taken out – so TNA is down a man for the KOTM Title match. We get clips on the Drew attack again and Jeff talks to Dixie about this being “something”  and telling Dixie “trust me” over and over.

EC3 comes down to cut a promo, with Tyrus in an “I’m a Glorious Unicorn” singlet. EC3 says that Matt fought him in his own game and lost. When he defends the title, he’s in God mode and he’s the champion forever. Matt Hardy limps down and gives EC3 credit for beating a Hardy in a Hardy specialty. However, he’s not going to stop because he won’t die. EC3 says he now respects Matt, but it’s up to the people to give Matt a shot. EC3 says no, so Tyrus attacks him. EC3 hits him with the title and it appears that TNA is now using a replica belt judging by the cheap-looking leather backing. The Wolves walk backstage to face Trevor Lee and Bryan Myers.

Taryn tells the Dolls to take out Gail Kim next week inside a cage. It will be a very special “Turning Point” show. Josh talks about Myers and Lee while Bryan’s “@TheCurtHawkins” Twitter handle is shown. While that is needed for his account to be verified, I’m surprised they showed it on TV.

Bryan Myers and Trevor Lee vs. The Wolves

Josh hypes up TNA’s Youtube shows while Myers eats offense from the Wolves. The GFW team gets low-bridged and hit with a pair of baseball slides. Stero dives hit on the floor and Josh talks about Trevor growing up in Cameron, NC and growing up admiring Shane Helms. Bryan’s Jerry Lynn circa-ECW gear is nice. A Davey missile dropkick gets 2 on Lee before we get a forearm exchange between Lee and Davey. Trevor gets a slick deadlift German suplex for 2! The Wolves get the powerbomb>back cracker to win.

Lashley talks about defending TNA and being able to win in any fighting area he’s in. Tigre Uno comes down to face Sonjay Dutt, who has a very generic theme despite being in TNA for years. He also has no entrance video, which kind of makes sense on one level since he’s a GFW guy, but this is being done with TNA’s cooperation.

Tigre Uno vs. Sonjay Dutt

After Tigre ties Sonjay up using his own limbs, Sonjay gets a rana. They fight to the floor where Sonjay gets a running spinning rana. Sonjay sends him in and gets a springboard Rey Mysterio splash for 2. Josh reads his WWE commentator rulebook and talks about Drew being taken to a local medical facility while Tigre wins by rolling through a rana with a sunset flip and Josh brags about it being yet another win for TNA. Jeff Jarrett talks to EC3 and Tyrus – he’s proud of EC3 and says that next week, he’ll defend the TNA World Title against the winner of the King of the Mountain match.

We get a Mr. Anderson highlight video in TNA while he talks about what the mic represents. The mic stands for all of his success in TNA – his world titles, and it’s a symbol for him. He’ll face Bram next week in an open mic challenge. Robbie E comes down to replace Drew Galloway and defend TNA like he did in the opening brawl. The second entrant is PJ Black, who has the best theme of any of the GFW guys. Chris Mortetsky comes out while Josh buries him for being the second Adonis in TNA – behind Godderz. The World Class Maniac, the Lunatic Unhinged, the Deranged Eric Young comes down. Lashley is the last man out. Wow is this a random match.

TNA Legends/Global/World TV/King of the Mountain Title Match – Robbie E vs. PJ Black vs. Chris Mordetsky vs. Eric Young vs. Lashley

Lashley pins EY quickly and now Lashley is eligible for win. PJ gets a flash pin on Chris, so both EY and Chris are in the box. Robbie hits the Boom Drop onto PJ Black to send a third man into the box. Lashley beats Robbie E and then the first guys in the box, who we never saw, leave and brawl on the floor. EY and Mordetsky celebrate after the break, but EY eats a schoolboy and loses.

Pope points out several logic holes here, including why guys on opposite sides are talking to each other and why guys on the same “team” aren’t helping each other. During the Mortetsky lock on Lashley, Robbie E dives off the penalty box onto them to break it up. Robbie tosses PJ into the box, which pisses off EY. EY leaves the cage and hits him in the nuts before piledriving Robbie onto the steps so he can be sent into the box. Mordetsky and PJ Black brawl over the belt while Pope talks about the very prestigious King of the Mountain/World TV/Global/Legends title. Chris and PJ brawl on top of the ladder, but Lashley tips the ladder over and hits them with spears.

Lashley climbs up, but EY tips the ladder over. PJ does the Shelton rope to ladder hop and brawls with EY. Lashley climbs up top and spears EY off the ladder. That was easily the best spot of the night. PJ gets a 450 off the ladder sorta onto Lashley and wins the King of the Mountain title. This was quite the must-miss show even though the potential was there for everything here to be at least interesting to watch with new blood on Impact. Absolutely nothing clicked on the show and it’s sad to see how much worse the show has gotten over the past few weeks after a mostly good-to-great run of TV shows.

To see every screen taken for the show, just click here.