Let’s take a look at the card!
1. Sting vs. Mr. Anderson *TNA World Championship Match
2. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett *The Final Battle
3. James Storm & Alex Shelley vs. British Invasion *TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
4. Abyss vs. Kazarian vs. Brian Kendrick *TNA X-Division Championship Match
5. Bully Ray vs. AJ Styles *Last Man Standing Match
6. Angelina Love vs. Mickie James *TNA Knockout Championship Match
7. Crimson vs. Samoa Joe
8. Matt Morgan vs. Scott Steiner
Mike Tenay and Taz are your hosts.
MATCH #1: World Tag Team Championship Match – British Invasion (Magnus and Douglas Williams) vs. Alex Shelley & James Storm
Everyone mat wrestles in the early going to get a feel for each other. The makeshift champions take the early control and demonstrate impressive teamwork. The match spills to the floor and the Invasion use some chicanery to take control of Shelley back in the ring. They wisely isolate his shoulder, which has been injured in the past. Magnus and Williams show some impressive teamwork in keeping Shelley isolated from his partner. Williams tries the Chaos Theory but Shelley avoids it and runs him into the turnbuckle. Storm gets the hot tag and drills Williams with a short DDT for two. He dumps the Invasion to the floor and then holds the ropes open for Shelley to hit a suicide dive. Back in the ring Storm plants Williams with a bodyslam and then Shelley joins him to double suplex Magnus right on top of his partner. Storm goes for the Eye of the Storm but Williams avoids it and Gun Money hits the double enziguiri in the corner! They follow up with a Storm backstabber and a Shelley double stomp off the top rope for a close near-fall. Storm accidentally spits beer into Shelley’s eyes and Shelley accidentally superkicks Storm. The Invasion hit their finisher but Storm kicks out at two! Magnus accidentally kicks Williams and Shelley comes back in to hit the Sliced Bread #2 for the victory in about 11 minutes.
WINNERS – Alex Shelley & James Storm (RETAIN), ***½
Jeremy Borash gets a word with Scott Steiner backstage. It’s the usual Steiner promo.
MATCH #2: Scott Steiner vs. Matt Morgan
I haven’t really been watching Impact Wrestling so I’m not sure who the face is and who the heel is. Morgan asserts his power early on and throws Steiner around. The fight spills to the floor and Morgan is working the back quite successfully. Back in the ring Steiner positions the referee just right to hit a low blow without him noticing. Now Steiner stomps away at his larger opponent. Steiner hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two. He continues with his usual offense. Morgan gets a boot up on a charging Steiner and now he goes to work. He hits a side suplex and a Michinoku Driver (really) for two. They go back and forth with power moves but neither man can put the other away. Steiner locks on the Steiner Recliner, which couldn’t look less painful. Morgan makes it to the ropes and stands up for an Electric Chari Drop, but Steiner catches him with a victory roll for two. Steiner goes to the second rope and jumps right into a choke. Moments later Morgan lands the Carbon Footprint for the pin at around 9:00.
WINNER – Matt Morgan, *¾
Borash is backstage to talk to Jeff Jarrett, who will face Kurt Angle tonight with Angle’s Olympic gold medals on the line.
MATCH #3: TNA X-Division Championship Match – Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Kazarian
The challengers try to swarm the big man and use their speed to subdue him, but Abyss sends Kendrick to the floor. Kazarian hits a dropkick but Abyss hits a running elbow to knock him to the floor. Kendrick gets back in and Abyss throws him around and then out to the floor right on Kazarian. The challengers regroup and swarm the champion, beating him down in the corner. They spill to the floor and The Two K’s wear him down. Back in the ring they continue slugging away. Abyss grabs Kendrick in the Black Hole Slam and he rolls to the floor. Kazarian runs right into a big boot and Abyss is right back in the driver’s seat. Abyss squashes Kazarian in the corner and then wrenches on his neck. Kazarian fights back with punches, but Abyss cuts him off with the Shock Treatment. Abyss tries the Abyss Bomb but Kazarian moves. Kendrick is back in and he attacks with a series of kicks. A missile dropkick knocks Abyss off his feet finally and it gets a near-fall. Kendrick hits a tornado DDT for a two-count. He goes for Sliced Bread #2 but Abyss is having none of it. Abyss hits Kendrick with a Chokeslam, and then Kazarian hits Abyss with a super hurricanrana. The challengers double dropkick the champ. Finally Kendrick and Kazarian turn on each other and start slugging. Kendrick hits Kazarian with a superkick but Abyss pulls him to the floor and steals his pin to retain the title at around 12 minutes in.
WINNER – Abyss (RETAIN), **¾
MATCH #4: Samoa Joe vs. Crimson
Crimson charges the ring and they trade fast and furious punches. Joe knocks Crimson to the floor and goes for the elbow suicida but Crimson hits a forearm to knock him out of the air. Back in the ring Crimson hits a big boot for two and then punches some more. Crimson uses the cravat and hits a neckbreaker. Joe comes back by catching a boot and hitting the Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Joe focuses on the leg and the knee now. Crimson comes back and targets the arm and shoulder. He hits a t-bone suplex, and then follows up with a double-arm DDT. Joe comes back with a huge suplex and a huge lariat but only gets two. He then locks Crimson in a half Boston Crab. Tempers flare and Crimson hits a Spear from out of nowhere! Both men are down. They exchange rights and lefts, and Joe wins that battle. Moments later Crimson hits a sit-out powerbomb for the win around 11 minutes.
WINNER – Crimson, **¼
MATCH #5: Knockouts Championship Match – Angelina Love vs. Mickie James
Mickie is distracted by Winter, and with good reason, because she does interfere early and often. Angelina controls most of the opening minutes both in and out of the ring. While on the floor Mickie is able to hurl Angelina into the steel steps. Back in the ring they exchange forearms from their knees. Mickie wins the battle and unleashes a flurry of offense. She hits a flapjack and the Thesz Press off the top rope. Winter interferes again and Mickie thwarts her and hits a spin kick but Winter puts Angelina’s foot on the bottom rope. Angelina drills Mickie with the Botox Injection and Winter tries to push Mickie’s hand off the bottom rope but referee Earl Hebner sees it. Mickie goes for the DDT but Winter gets up on the apron again so Mickie knocks her down. Moments later Mickie blows her own finishing move, hitting a terrible looking DDT to get the win around 8 minutes in.
WINNER – Mickie James, *¼
Winter and Love continue their assault after the bell.
Borash is backstage with Bully Ray, who will battle AJ Styles in a Last Man Standing match.
MATCH #6: Last Man Standing – Bully Ray vs. AJ Styles
Styles is the aggressor early on, hammering away at his much larger opponent, and even kicking him squarely in the nuts. Ray weathers the early storm and starts going to work with strikes. He hits a back body drop and then squashes him in the corner. Then Ray hurls Styles to the floor and joins him. Ray uses the steel steps as an effective weapon. Back in the ring Ray continues wearing Styles down with his size and power advantage. Styles refuses to back down, demanding that Ray hit him with an open handed chop as hard as he can. Ray obliges. Styles fights back with punches and an enziguiri to take Ray down. He follows up with the springboard flying forearm but Ray gets back up. Ray tries to go to the second rope but Styles nails him with the Pele. Styles then joins him up there, but Ray turns it into a sitout Super Bomb and both men are down. They get up and head back to the floor and Ray tries to use a steel chain but Styles avoids it. Styles grabs the chain and drills Ray with it. Ray is busted wide open. Back in the ring Styles hits the springboard 450 splash and the count is on. Ray gets back up before 10 but then gets dumped to the floor and then wiped out with a dive. It doesn’t last long for Styles though, as Ray fights back and takes Styles up the ramp. Ray goes for the big powerbomb but Styles avoids it and hits a Pele! Styles knocks Ray off the ramp to the pit below and then hits a flying forearm. Ray gingerly sets himself on the table, and then Styles jumps off and delivers an elbow. Styles tries to stand first but Ray kicks him head-first through a piece of the set to get the win at about 21 minutes.
WINNER – Bully Ray, ***¼
Borash gets a word with Mr. Anderson, who is obnoxious as ever.
MATCH #7: World Heavyweight Title Match – Sting vs. Mr. Anderson
Sting attacks Anderson on the floor. They get into the ring and the match starts officially. They pretty much just take it right back to the floor and Sting is throwing Anderson around. Sting takes the fight through the crowd and continues working the challenger over. This goes on for several minutes. They make it back to the ring and Anderson takes over, targeting Sting’s shoulder. This goes on forever and the crowd barely seems to care. Anderson hits a flying armbar for two. Finally Sting makes a comeback and unloads a series of right hands and clotheslines. Sting hits a back body drop and a Stinger Splash. He goes for the Scorpion Deathlock but Eric Bischoff runs out and distracts him. Sting misses another Stinger Splash and Anderson hits the Finlay Roll for two. Sting comes back and hits a Stinger Splash to the back and hits the Scorpion Death Drop, but Bischoff interferes in a complicated way and the crowd doesn’t seem to get it. If you need to explain several times with the aid of a replay what just happened, it’s not good. Sting then quite clearly calls for a low blow and Anderson kicks him in the junk right in front of the referee and then hits the Mic Check to regain the title at about 18 minutes. That was absolutely atrocious.
WINNER – Mr. Anderson (NEW CHAMPION), *
Before the main event, Karen Angle gets promo time via satellite from Hendersonville, Tennessee. She screeches a lot and Tenay tries to sound cool.
MATCH #8: The Final Battle – Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle
They’re so mad at each other that they lock up a couple of times. The anger then develops into some chain wrestling and Angle is in control. Jarrett comes back and hits a back body drop to send Angle crashing to the arena floor. He keeps Angle grounded and slugs away at him. Jarrett also uses a sleeper but Angle backs him into the corner to break it. Angle hits a release German Suplex and both men are down. Back up on their feet Angle slugs at Jarrett and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two. They do the stupid spot where Jarrett tries the rana, as if he ever does that, just so Angle can powerbomb him. Angle goes for the Ankle Lock but Jarrett avoids it and hits a DDT for two. Jarrett goes for the Stroke but Angle reverses to the Angle Slam for two. Angle tries a moonsault but Jarrett avoids it and hits the Stroke for two. I love how no one pops for finishers in TNA. They do the Tombstone reversal spot and Angle grabs the Ankle Lock. The referee takes a bump. Jarrett goes underneath the ring for a guitar and blasts Angle’s head with it. Earl Hebner comes running out but by then Angle is able to kick out at two. Angle comes back and hits three rolling German Suplexes for a two-count. He hits the run-up super belly-to-belly suplex but Jarrett kicks out at two. Jarrett avoids a charge and Angle runs into the steel post. He sets Angle up top for a Super Stroke but it only gets two. They trade holds and Jarrett locks in the Ankle Lock. Angle kicks his way out of it and locks on his own version. Jarrett taps out around 18 minutes in.
WINNER – Kurt Angle, ***
