Andrew’s TNA IMPACT! Episode 1 Results & Match Ratings: 6.4.2004

With the 1000th’s episode airing later tonight, I figured a fun way to hype things up could be hoping in the time machine to the first IMPACT! episode. The Impact Wrestling YouTube channel uploaded it in its entirety a few days ago, and it seems like the perfect springboard for a momentous occasion!

People have been decrying that TNA/Impact will die in no time. Well 19 years of IMPACT! and 21 years of TNA seem to have proven most of the detractors wrong. Were there dark times? Sure. Are their Claire Lynch storylines that I wish were fever dreams? Extra yes! But lets enjoy the throwback episode for the Little Engine That Could, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling!

Ratings:

• Team Canada (Bobby Roode, Petey Williams & Eric Young w/Coach D’Amore) vs Amazing Red, Sonjay Dutt & Hector Garza: Hector Garza wins via Tornillo – ***
• Shark Boy vs Abyss: Abyss wins via Blackhole Slam – N/A
• NWA Tag Team Championship: America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) vs Kid Kash & Dallas (c):  Wildcat wins via School Boy – *** – TITLE CHANGE!!!
• X Division #1 Contender: Chris Sabin vs Michael Shane vs Elix Skipper vs AJ Styles: Styles wins via Styles Clash – *** 1/4

Results:

Team Canada (Bobby Roode, Petey Williams & Eric Young w/Coach D’Amore) vs Amazing Red, Sonjay Dutt & Hector Garza

Ahh the six sided ring is nice to see again, and the international team Dives right on Team Canada and starts things off fast and sexy. EY and Sonjay get in the ring, Spinning Headscissors from Sonjay gives the time for Sonjay to tag in Red; and we see a little tandem work. Team Canada mobs Red though and helps EY tag out to Bobby, and Roode showing all those classic Triple H moves that we loved him for. Roode tags to Petey for an Electric Chair Bulldog combination, and a 2 count.

Petey places Red on the ropes, goads the babyface international squad and Coach D’Amore takes a cheap shot. Garza gets annoyed at all of the heel stuff and forces himself in to break up the pinfall. Red finally counters EY and Red, hot tag to Hector Garza, he takes out Petey and EY, but Bobby stops him with a Sitout Powerbomb. Sonjay takes out Bobby, EY with the Wheelbarrow Suplex to lay out Sonjay, Code Red from Amazing Red on EY and then a Canadian Destroyer from Petey! The signature spam leads to a big avalanche Frankensteiner from Sonjay into a Tornillo from Hector Garza for the win!

Classic TNA flashback to Toby Keith getting his revenge on Jeff Jarrett. 

Shark Boy vs Abyss

Ahh Greg Demarco’s favorite wrestler, Abyss. I have missed his twisted circus music though.

Abyss goozles Shark Boy immediately, but he bites the hand, tries to use his speed to rock Abyss…but then he pulls a stupid. Shark Boy goes for the Crossbody, Abyss catches him, eats him, Shock Therapy attempt but catches him in a Blackhole Slam and Abyss wins easily.

Popeye consoles Shark Boy, because remember they film in Orlando. 

NWA Tag Team Championship: America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) vs Kid Kash & Dallas (c)

For anyone who doesn’t know, Dallas thinks EVERYBODY DIES! Always fun to see old school Lance Archer gimmicks. And its very weird to see James Storm win no beard.

Tennessee Cowboy and Kid Kash start, a stall into rope run and then Storm catches Kash with the Monkey Flip. Chris Harris tags in, a little tandem corner moves into a Space Jam, and Dallas has to break up the pin. Kash finally grabs the ropes to slow down Storm, Storm charges, Stun Gun and Dallas gets tagged in; tandem action and a 2 count.

Commercial break and Tenay said the “keep the tape machines rolling” line, so I popped for dumb reasons. Kash is legal and working over the Cowboy. Kash and Dallas go for a tandem move where Dallas is perched, Kash climbs Dallas and goes for a Sky High Moonsault, but misses! Tags happen and Wildcat throwing haymakers and his body at the big man, keeping the offense rolling. Kash breaks up the pin, signature spam moment. Blackout/Frog Splash tandem on Roode but the Wildcat hits a Spear from out of frame on Kash to stop a pinfall. Dallas gets crotched then rolled up by Harris…AMW wins!

The American Dream daddy, is introduced as the special judge! For clarification, because they did time limits on Fox Sports Net, anything that went to time would be voted on by Judges like a boxing match. Dream gets cut off by the King of Mountain, Jeff Jarrett! My World is still one of the best wrestling themes, period. Dusty gets an “elbow” chant from the fans. The drawing power of dream is relevant in Florida even in 2004. 

Jarrett runs down Dusty as a has been, asks him if he needs money, and its decent heel work. Jeff equates it to High Noon, takes 5 paces in the Jackie Fargo strut style that Dusty shadows in a mock way, then paintbrushes Jarrett with his cowboy hat when Jarrett turns. Ron “The Truth” Killings makes the save for Dusty when Jarrett turns it around and the rest of the 3 Live Kru (Konnan and BG James) shows up to run Jarrett up the ramp.

Chris Sabin vs Michael Shane vs Elix Skipper vs AJ Styles

YOU ARE, YOU ARE, I AM, I AM! 

A few early strikes, early high spot is Skipper flying over Sabin and Shane to grab AJ before Sabin and Skipper wipe each other out. Shane tries to get something rolling but the classic Styles Dropkick into the I AM pose pops the crowd hard. Skipper and Sabin land a few shots, Sabin Crossbody into a pin, but Skipper Matrix escape and kicks Sabin in the teeth. Shane connects on the Wheelbarrow Suplex making him look like King of the Hill.

AJ picks the foot and drags Shane out but Shane reverses the Vertical Suplex. Elix hits the snap STO on the inside but Shane breaks it up, Implant DDT from Shane, broken up by AJ. Ins, outs, Springboards, PHENOMENON from AJ for 2 because Sabin breaks it up. Springboard Tornado DDT from Sabin but AJ kicks out. Tiger Wall Kick from Sabin on Elix, Low Dropkick and then Shane lays out Sabin with a Butterfly Suplex. Shane goes to the top, AJ crotches him, Elix walks the ropes and Frankensteiner to the outside where both crash and are out for a while. AJ ole’s Sabin so he crashes in Elix, FOSBURY FLOP from AJ!

Sabin and Shane are inside somehow, Sabin gets posted, AJ springboards in with the sunset on Shane, rolls it into the Styles Clash and wins! Number 1 contender, AJ Styles.

X Division champion Frankie Kazarian comes down to talk smack with AJ as the show fades out.

Overall Score: 8/10

Given the fact it was their first chance at a larger audience than just the Weekly PPV gimmick, this had everything. Fast action, old names that people could sink their teeth into (Shane Douglas, Dusty Rhodes, Vince Russo, Jeff Jarrett, Hector Garza, Mike Tenay, Kid Kash) and the younger wrestlers looked interesting. Sure there wasn’t any real personality work, but when Fox Sports Net only gave them an hour, I think they threw enough at the fans to entice a few back.

Also in retrospect its fun to see some of the names that are still active, still in TNA/Impact and even some no longer around. Hearing Don West and Mike Tenay again was really refreshing. Never understood the hate on Don West’s style, and I’m very happy that Tenay and West are getting recognized in this year’s Impact Hall of Fame.

ICYMI: At #BoundForGlory we will honor the iconic, incomparable announce team of @RealMikeTenay and Don West as they will be inducted into the IMPACT Hall of Fame on October 21 in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/y16MncbkWB

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) September 10, 2023