I normally don’t review television shows, especially those of TNA Wrestling. However tonight’s episode of Impact was a special pay per view-worthy episode entitled “The Whole F’N Show.†Tonight’s matches were those that were originally scheduled for August’s Hard Justice pay per view before it was transformed into the ECW tribute show that was renamed Hardcore Justice.
Here are the results:
In the opening match, Kurt Angle (#8) beat TNA Television Champion AJ Styles (#6) via submission after an ankle lock. This was a Top Ten contenders ranking match, and as a result the #8 ranked Angle will move up in the rankings. The Television Championship was not on the line in this match.
Angelina Love pinned Madison Rayne after a lifting reverse STO to win the TNA Women’s Championship. During the match the mysterious motorcycle chick interfered, which caused Velvet Sky to run out and attack her. Sky took off her motorcycle helmet to find out who it was but she was wearing a ski mask underneath, still concealing her identity.
In a triple threat match, Matt Morgan beat Mr. Anderson and “The Pope†D’Angelo Dinero when he pinned Dinero. Anderson hit Dinero with the Mic Check, but Morgan broke up the pinfall and got the pin himself.
Jeff Hardy pinned Shannon Moore after a Swanton Bomb. This was an open challenge match laid out previously by Hardy. Many expected that someone outside of the company (like Shane Helms or Shelton Benjamin) would be brought in for the challenge. Rather it was Hardy’s on/off screen long-time friend Moore who answered the call. Before the match started Moore said he wanted to challenge Hardy in order to prove he can hang with main event-caliber wrestlers like Hardy. Post-match the two friends shook hands and embraced.
In a 2-out-of-3 falls match, TNA World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machineguns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) successfully retained their Championships against Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and â€Tennessee Cowboy†James Storm).
In the first fall Beer Money pinned Sabin after hitting the DWI.
In the second fall, Shelley pinned Roode after a top rope splash/neckbreaker combo.
In the third and deciding fall, Sabin pinned Storm after the Machineguns hit two more splash/neckbreaker combos.
This was an absolutely phenomenal match and a great cap to the best-of-five series the two men had waged over the past month. Each of the previous matches had a stipulation attached to it with the first team to reach three wins won the TNA Tag Titles. This was the fifth and final match. Beer Money won the first match, which was a Ladder Match. They also won the second match, which was a Street Fight. The Machineguns rebounded and won the third and fourth matches, which were a Cage match and an Ultimate X match respectively. All five matches were off the charts and solidified these two as two of the best tag teams in the world, set their rivalry up as a potential Feud of the Year and set the new standard for a match series in pro wrestling. It also showed that tag team wrestling isn’t completely a dead concept in American pro wrestling.
In the main event, TNA World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam beat Abyss in a “Stairway to Janice†hardcore match. Janice was Abyss’ nail-filled board that was hung above the ring. A ladder was used to bring the weapon into play. In addition thumbtacks, shards of glass and barbed wire plywood board were also used during the match. Van Dam pinned Abyss after a Van Terminator that kicked the barbed wire board into Abyss. Eric Bischoff was the special guest referee.
After the match ended, Hulk Hogan came out give props to Van Dam and the extreme crew from Hardcore Justice. This brought out Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Stevie Richards, Team 3-D, Mick Foley, Little Guido, Tony Luke, Sabu and Bill Alfonso to celebrate with Van Dam. The lights went out and when they returned Fortune (AJ Styles, Kazarian & Beer Money), Matt Morgan and Douglas Williams were in the ring and laid waste to the EV2.0 guys. Sandman tried to help but he was attacked as well. Ric Flair then came out to celebrate with his henchmen. Abyss then returned and absolutely destroyed Van Dam to close the show.
