Week 1, August 2008The IMPACT opening video aired, followed by Mike Tenay and Don West running down tonight’s show.
Booker T makes his way to the ring to kick of IMPACT, grabbing a microphone and entering the ring. Booker announced that later tonight there would be an official contract signing between himself and Samoa Joe, and that if Joe was smart he just wouldn’t bother turning up tonight. TNA World Champion Samoa Joe interrupted him, telling him that there was no chance he would miss out on the chance of humiliating Booker T. Joe left while Booker watched on looking angry.
O.D.B Def. Velvet SkyThe Knockout’s of TNA feature in the opening match. Angelina Love and Gail Kim were both at ringside, and were very influential in the outcome of this match. O.D.B looked to have this match won when Angelina Love attempted to distract the referee. Gail Kim pulled Love off of the ring apron. Velvet Sky was distracted by the pair, and O.D.B connected with the Running Power Slam for the win.
Post match all four Knockout’s engaged in a brawl when Awesome Kong made her way to the ring, attacking Gail Kim and O.D.B. The numbers game looked to be too much for Kim and O.D.B when TNA Knockout’s champion Taylor Wilde ran to the ring to even the score. The two teams of women brawled until Kong and the Beautiful People were knocked out of the ring with a triple dropkick.
Mike Tenay announces that the winner of the upcoming six man elimination match will challenge Petey Williams for the X–Division Championship at Hard Justice.
Curry Man Def. Consequences Creed, Shark Boy, Sheik Abdul Bashir, Jay Lethal & Sonjay DuttAlthough this match was meant to be all about an X-Division championship shot, Jay Lethal was more interested in getting his hands on Sonjay Dutt, and chased him all the way to the backstage area, getting themselves eliminated and making this a four way match. Curry Man and Shark Boy worked together during the early parts of this match until Shark Boy was eliminated by Creed following a right hook. Curry Man then eliminated Bashir with the Spicy Drop. Curry Man and Creed fought it out, with several near falls, but Curry Man walked away with the win after connecting with another Curry Drop on Creed.
Post match TNA X-Division Champion Petey Williams attacked Curry Man from behind as soon as the bell rang, leaving him laying out cold following the Canadian Destroyer.
Jim Cornette announced that tonight’s main event will see Kurt Angle team with Team 3D to take on AJ Styles, Christian Cage & Rhino in a six man tag team match.
James Storm V. Homicide Went to a No ContestBoth men were accompanied to the ring by their tag team partner for Hard Justice, and it became obvious that this match was just about weakening their opponent ahead of the pay per view in two weeks time. This match became strength V. speed, with Storm focusing on overpowering Homicide, who was using more of a hit and run tactic, although there was a lack of chemistry between the two. Both men came close to winning numerous times, but Robert Roode passed Storm a Beer Bottle, leading to Hernandez making the save for Homicide by booting Storm in the face. Roode got involved and both teams began brawling, causing the referee to throw the match out and security to separate the two teams.
Booker T is backstage when Kevin Nash walks up to him. Nash tells Booker not to underestimate Samoa Joe anymore, because he has proven that he can beat Booker T once. Booker tells him to mind his own business and starts to walk off when Nash grabs him and tells him that “Joe is getting dangerous man”. Booker swats his hand away and walks off.
Awesome Kong Def. Traci BrooksThis match was brutal to watch, mainly because Kong just ran through Brooks. She had the match won within two minutes, but refused to pin Brooks, and just continued the punishment, eventually putting her away with the Spiral Bomb.
IMPACT cut to Kurt Angle & Team 3D backstage alongside Jeremy Borash. Angle does most of the talking, promising that tonight they will put a hurting on AJ Styles, Christian Cage & Rhino, and then they will put them away for good at Hard Justice.
Kip James Def. Matt MorganThese two really went at it here, with Kip James showing a new brutality during this match, working away at the ribs of Morgan throughout. Morgan refused to go down easily, and used his pure power to impressive degrees, at one point lifting James over his head and throwing him in the air, before catching him above his head once again, and planting him with a Gorilla Press Slam. Morgan looked like he would get the win, but when he charged at Kip aiming for a big boot Kip ducked and rolled Morgan up, using the ring ropes to get the three count.
A mysterious video package aired, showing a silhouette of a man holding a guitar. He lifts the guitar as the screen goes black.
IMPACT came back to the ring which was set up ready for the contract signing between Samoa Joe and Booker T. Jeremy Borash introduces both Booker T and Samoa Joe in turn. The two take turns bad mouthing each other, both claiming that by the end of Hard Justice they will hold the TNA World Heavyweight title. Both then sign the contract to confirm the match before the lights go out. When they come back on moments later Samoa Joe is laid out cold in the middle of the ring covered in blood, with a black baseball bat on the floor next to him. Booker leaves the ring as Joe slowly gets to his feet, laughing.
Kurt Angle & Team 3D Def. AJ Styles, Christian Cage & RhinoThe match started out with all six men brawling in the middle of the ring, and it took several minutes for the referee to gain order in the match. Kurt Angle attempted to avoid AJ Styles throughout this match, so much that AJ ended up knocking him off the ring apron with a dropkick. All six men got in some solid offence, but the match quickly descended into chaos once again, with the referee being knocked out with a stray fist from Rhino. Team 3D set up a table outside the ring, only for Cage to spear Ray to the ground, where the two began brawling, eventually spilling into the crowd, where the pair took each other out with duel clotheslines. Brother Devon got onto the ring apron, only for Rhino to charge at him, goring him through the ring ropes, sending both of them crashing through the table. Angle used the chaos to grab a chair and blast Styles over the head with it. Angle then got the referee to recover, and got the pin on an unconscious Styles.
As IMPACT came to an end Kurt Angle was the only man left standing over the train wreck of the other competitors. Angle screamed at AJ that he wasn’t going to make it to Hard Justice.
