It seems TNA Impact did a 1.5 share, which is better than expected. This is not the first time they've gone up against the WWE before, BTW...last time their rating was like half that. Spike TV said they would have been happy with 1.1, so they did better than expected. Still nowhere near typical RAW numbers.
TNA iMPACT spoilers for 1/14/10:
spoiler (click to show/hide)
Written by Richard Gray & Tim Capture on Jan 5, 2010 - 5:23:20 PM
TNA Wrestling taped next Thursday's edition of Impact tonight from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Below are exclusive taping results by myself and Tim Capture:
Xplosion:
* Consequences Creed vs. TNA Global Champion Eric Young, it wasn't announced that the title was on the line. Winner via piledriver, Eric Young.
* It's announced that Ric Flair is at the Impact Zone.
TNA Impact (Airing 1/14 on Spike TV):
* Generation Me (formerly the Young Bucks) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns. Generation Me win with a 450 and top rope moonsault.
* Kurt Angle comes out for an in-ring promo. Angle gives credit to AJ Styles for beating him and proving that winning the TNA Championship was no fluke. He says AJ was the better man last week. He says you win some and you lose some. Angle says the real winner gets that last big win and at Genesis it will be him. He says it's real, it's damn real. AJ Styles comes out and says he appreciates Angle taking the loss like a man. He says if they had a series of matches, he would have won some, Angle would have won some - but in the end, he would still be Champion. Styles says he is going to give Angle one more shot [at Genesis] but it will be his last shot of 2010. The masked man attacks AJ and takes him out. He reveals himself as Tyson Tomko.
* Angelina Love just sat down at ringside of the Impact Zone. the Beautiful People come out and embrace Angelina, all of them except Lacey Von Erich who does not. Kong and Hamada come out for a non-title tag team match. Winners via sitdown powerbomb on Madison Rayne, Awesome Kong & Hamda. Angelina comes in the ring to check on Madison, but beats everyone up and cleans house. Velvet Sky starts crying.
* Backstage, AJ Styles barges into Eric Bischoff's office looking for Hulk Hogan. Hogan is busy but Bischoff asks if he can help. AJ is upset about Tomko and says he better not touch him. Bischoff asks what he should do as World Champion? AJ wants a match with Tomko tonight. Bischoff says if he wants that revenge it's quid pro quo. Bischoff says he needs a main event and AJ needs to put the title on the line for a main event. AJ agrees which sets up the shows main event - AJ Styles defending the TNA Championship against Tomko.
* Jeremy Borash is backstage and goes into Bischoff's office. JB needs answers on Mick Foley. He doesn't blame Eric for what happened last week but needs to know where Foley is. Bischoff says it's Borash's fault because he let Foley in. He also says if Borash ever does anything like it again it'll be the last thing he does in the building.
* Beer Money, Inc. comes in and says they don't have a problem with Bischoff or Hogan but they do with their boys Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. They want Nash and Hall at Genesis. Bischoff says he will think about it.
* Sean Morley comes out to ringside. His entrance video is like the old Val Venis video but he's working under his real name of Sean Morley. Morley gets on the mic and says - ladies, I'm here instead of "hello ladies". He says he worked elsewhere and had to use a stage name, but no more. Now Sean Morley is here to bring his artistry and film making skills. He says TNA was missing a film division. HE says his films will be works of art. Nothing direct-to-video but Daniels interrupts before he can finish. He has a big smile on his face and welcomes Morley and says he has a film idea to pitch. Daniels says there's an honorable hero type who meets a sleazy fast-talking type. There's some M Night Shamalan stuff, then in the end the sleaze ball gets his. Daniels then beats him up, gives him the Best Moonsault Ever and tells him to shut up. He says that Morley offends him. Daniels says he didn't work hard for scum, like Morley to come in and ruin it. He says he's going to take him out but Morley mounts a comeback and gets rid of Daniels.
* Hernandez & Matt Morgan vs. Beer Money, Inc. Rob Terry came out and attacked Hernandez. The referee called for the bell. The match ended in a no contest. Waltman, Nash and Hall come out and beat up Beer Money. TNA security and referees come out to break it up but they get beat up too. Bischoff comes out and gets things under control momentarily. Things fall apart and security gets beat up again. Bischoff tells Beer Money to be very careful what they wish for because the next round is on him.
* Bischoff comes back out and says the fans put a smile on his face. They make him happy, but the only way to be happier is to bring out three close personal friends. Out comes Nash, Hall and Waltman. Bischoff says he doesn't know what to do with them. Last week it was Foley, now it's Beer Money. Waltman thought it's what he wanted. Bischoff says no. What he wants is a match, so at Genesis it's Scott Hall and Kevin Nash vs. Beer Money, Inc.
* Desmond Wolfe b. Samoa Joe via Tower of London with The Pope on commentary. Wolfe won clean against Joe.
* A limousine just pulled up with Ric Flair in it.
* Lethal Consequences came out for a match but Bobby Lashley came out and beat them up. Kristal got on the mic and asks if they have Eric Bischoff's attention yet. She says until she gets her meeting with Hogan, Lashley will take out the entire roster, one-by-one. Team 3D come out for the match. They immediately hit 3D to end the match.
* Bubba gets on the mic and says he was in the Tokyo Dome last week wrestling in front of thousands of fans. The Japanese press asked how they felt about The Nasty Boys busting up their locker room. They didn't even know it happened but they mock the Nasty Boys and wonder where the hell they've been? They berate them, basically calling them old, fat Hogan lackeys riding his coattails. Bubba says they are going to take The Nasty Boys out.
* Jeff Jarrett busts into Hogan's office. He says he is mad at what is happening to his company. Jarrett says there is no real talent in TNA, it's always been only him. He has his lawyer with him and say he will sue. He goes on and on and Bischoff finally cuts him off. Bischoff gives Jarrett the facts that if it wasn't for Dixie Carter there would be no TNA. Bischoff explains she got her family to invest and made it what it is today. Bischoff says Jarrett needs to lace up his boots. Jarrett gets angry again and threatens Hogan. Hogan says he'll kick Jarrett's hillbilly ass and scares him off.
* Ric Flair makes his way to the ring and joins Mike Tenay and Taz at the announce table.
* Tomko vs. AJ Styles for the TNA Championship. Kurt Angle comes out to watch the match from the ramp. Winner via slop drop, AJ Styles. Tomko attacks Styles after the match but Angle makes the save. He puts his hand out for AJ to shake but AJ won't shake it.
Xplosion:
* Daffney w/Dr. Stevie vs. Tara. Tara wins the Widow's Peak.
To be fair I think at least starting off this is the only way it will work. The only reason a lot of people probably watched tonight was because of people like Flair, Hogan, the Nwo stuff, etc. The key will somehow be integrating the old with the new so you can capture both audiences. The WCW could never consistently do it with a lot of the same people so that doesn't bode well for TNA but somebody has to do something.
Well, we can see from the spoilers for next week that's business as usual. Most of the guys who debuted this week aren't even there, and the rest do backstage promos. ZZZZzzzz.
So is Val Venis back as the true Val Venis or is he just Sean Morley?
He is using his real name (Sean Morley), but he is Val Venis in character.
These guys CAN'T wrestle can they?
Scott Hall, for instance, looks completely out of shape. He has a manly beer gut 
He seemed more coherent than usual, at least.
