We open with a video package looking back at last week when Bobby Lashley showed up running his mouth about being the man in TNA, only to lose the TNA World Title to Eddie Edwards in last week’s main event.
Speaking of the new champion, Eddie Edwards comes out and says this moment is the culmination of 14 years, and he thanks all the members of the Wolves Nation. Lashley beat him twice, but this time was different, and he’s not the biggest or most athletic guy, he just never gave up on his dream. He’s going to be a fighting champion, he won’t walk away from any fight, he will represent Impact Wrestling to the best of his ability, and you will have to kill him to take it away from him. He proved Lashley can be beaten, and he can come out here and he’ll prove it again. Indeed, Lashley comes to the ring and he doesn’t look happy. He takes Eddie down and chokes the bejeezus out of him, then picks up the TNA World Title belt. Eddie goes back after Lashley, but Lashley tosses him and drills him with a spear. Lashley gets a mic and tells Eddie that if he’s not gonna run and hide, he’s gonna punish him and take his title, and hme wants his rematch right now. He says to get a ref out here, then goes back to brutalizing Eddie. Lashley gets a chair and goes after Eddie with it, but Moose and EC3 run out to chase him off before helping Eddie to his feet.
The Tribunal finds Aiden O’Shea backstage and say they want to see Billy Corgan right now, but O’Shea tells them that they haven’t been impressing anyone lately, and are on the bubble right now, and he suggests they go do something impressive.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with TNA President Billy Corgan, who says he has a problem when wrestlers attack other wrestlers like that. He says Lashley’s automatic title shot is gone just like that, and we’ll find out who Eddie’s first challenger will be later on tonight.
Time for our opening match!
Grand Championship Match: Aron Rex vs Jessie Godderz
Not a whole hell of a lot happens in the first round, they just trade headlocks and takedowns, but Jessie wins a unanimous decision for the first round. Jessie maintains control of Rex on the mat as the second round begins, then gets Rex in the Adonis Lock. Rex makes the ropes, so Jessie makes a cover for 2, then goes to the arm. Rex gets out and drills Jessie with a right hand, but Jessie knocks Rex on his butt with a return right hand as the bell rings, and Jessie wins a unanimous score for the second round, and we’re at commercial.
We’re back, and Rex needs to pin or submit Jessie to win at this point since he’s already lost two rounds. Jessie continues to control Rex, then dropkicks him to the floor. He holds the ropes so Rex can re-enter the ring as we hit the two minute mark, and Rex hits a forearm to knock Jessie out to the floor. Jessie takes his time and now Rex holds the ropes for Jessie, who slowly comes in…and gets sucker kicked by Rex, who follows up with a roaring elbow for the win.
Winner: Aron Rex
Wow, kinda heelish by Rex, but got us to the expected finish. Jessie has looked great in these matches.
Lashley comes out of Billy Corgan’s office, and Aiden O’Shea asks what happened in there, and Lashley says they came to a compromise like businessmen.
The Hardyz are backstage, and Jeff says he broke his leg a year ago, but he repaid his debt when the BROKEN HARDYS won the TNA World Tag Team Title. Matt wants to make sure Jeff avoids his ladder addiction, but tonight we will celebrate the BROKEN ERA!
Maria and Allie are backstage, and Maria is wondering where Sienna and Laurel are, and Allie says she got an email about this and they’re both banned from ringside. Maria asks what she’s supposed to do now, and Allie says maybe she can win on her own. Maria says she is SO STUPID and walks off.
Bobby Lashley comes up to Ethan Carter III and Moose backstage, and EC3 asks if he’s happy he lost his rematch clause, and Lashley says he’s going to beat Eddie for his title, then beat whoever he’s up against next week because he talked to Billy and found two guys who would be perfect for tonight’s main event: Ethan and Moose fighting each other. He wishes both men good luck, and walks off.
The BROKEN Hardys come to the ring and Matt says he sent his Brother Nero on an odyssey to regain the Tag Team Championship OF THE WORLD, and at the Great War, Brother Nero repaid his debt to him. The fans chant for Brother Nero, and Matt says it’s a delightful chant. Now the BROKEN brilliance of Matt Hardy and the personalities of the nefarious Brother Nero have established that they are the greatest tag team in all of space and time, and that includes all of tag teams, including false champions like the Bucks of Youth and the Day of New, and they will defend this title AGIN, and AGIN, and AGIN, and AGIN! Brother Nero says that Decay will fade away and classify themselves as obsolete (OBSOLETE!), and Matt says that he had a potent PREEMONEESHIN! The next challenger will be determined tonight, in the Zone of Impact, and regardless of who they are, they will suffer the most lethal one-two punch in the wrestling business, which is DELETE-OBSOLETE! DELETE-OBSOLETE! DELETE-OBSOLETE! DELETE-OBSOLETE! DELETE-OBSOLETE! DELETE-OBSOLETE! Oh wait, the Tribunal runs in to attack the Hardys, and they kick Brother Nero in the ding ding.
We see a video package of Mike Bennett and Cody (Rhodes) cutting promos on each other, and they’ll face off in tonight’s main event!
Cody Rhodes vs Mike Bennett
Feeling out process to start, then they go out to the floor where Bennett boots Cody onto the guardrail, then hits a DDT on the floor. They head back in the ring where Bennett puts the boots to Rhodes, and then he takes control with a rear chinlock and a series of corner clotheslines. Rhodes hits a running forearm out of the corner and an Alabama Slam, hits the Beautiful Disaster kick, but foregoes the cover. He waits for Bennett to get to his feet, but gets rammed into the corner. Bennett charges into an elbow, then Rhodes goes to the top for a moonsault…and misses. Bennett hits a superkick and a Pedigree, but that only gets 2. Bennett goes to the top, Rhodes knocks him down and goes for a superplex, and hits it. Cody goes for a figure four, but gets distracted by Maria and Bennett kicks him off They trade right hands, Cody hits CrossRhodes, and gets the win.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Brandi comes in to join Cody and they make out as Bennett rolls to the outside to be consoled by Maria.
Moose says he’s been busting his ass all his life to be a champion, and tonight is the beginning of his quest to be the TNA World Champion. He and EC3 are friends, but that goes out the window when they get in the ring, because he’ll do what he has to do.
X Division Title Match: DJ Z vs Marshe Rockett
We see a video package hyping Rockett before the match, then DJ Z comes in with no entrance music. That’s weird, and the same thing happened to Mike Bennett earlier. Rockett tosses Z around and boots him in the chest to slow him down, but Z hits a dropkick and a top rope bodypress for 2. Rockett just LAUNCHES Z to the floor, then they go to the floor where Rockett suplexes Z onto the ring apron. Rockett with a side backbreaker for 2, Z tries to come off the ropes with a crossbody, but Rockett connects with a dropkick for 2. Z dumps Rockett to the floor and hits a dive, then they come back inside where Z hits a springboard clothesline, but Rockett blocks the ZDT and hits an axe kick. Z dodges a corner splash and hits the ZDT for the win.
Winner: DJ Z
Good match and a great showing by Rockett.
The Bennetts are backstage with Allie, complaining about how TNA has been treating them, but Mike says he’ll be out there to support her tonight. Allie informs them that Mike is banned from ringside too, and Maria starts freaking out over what she’s gonna do. Bennett says he’s the Miracle and he believes in her because she has this.
Knockouts Title Match: Gail Kim vs Maria Kannelis
Madison Rayne joins the announce team as Maria comes out to the ring and throws a bunch of weapons into the ring. If Maria loses this match, she loses control of the Knockouts Division. Maria tries to run up the ramp as soon as the bell rings, Gail goes after her and lays her out, then throws her in a cart and bowls her down the ramp into the ringpost. Maria suckerpunches Gail as she comes back in the ring and goes after her with a cookie sheet, but Gail mounts a comeback and goes for a crossbody…but Maria moves. Maria has a kendo stick and hammers Gail with it, but Gail grabs the stick and hits Eat DaFeet, goes for a cover, and pulls Maria up at 2. She gets a trash can lid and uses it to hit a super Eat DaFeet for the win.
Winner: Gail Kim
And that’s it, Gail is out of control, and the title is firmly in Gail Kim’s hands.
Ethan Carter III is backstage cutting a promo tonight, and Eli Drake comes in and asks him if it feels good watching Eddie Edwards do what he coudn’t. Ethan said it’ll feel good when he presses that button again so he can kick his ass. Drake says not to worry about his button, but to worry about beating Moose.
Cody Rhodes comes up to Eddie Edwards backstage to check on him, and Eddie says he respects what Cody is trying to accomplish, and he’s a fighting champion. Cody says Eddie has defined tht anything can happen on any given night, and Eddie says if he’s ready to do it, they’re going to do it.
We get a promo from Sanity, who say that they’re not just another anti-establishement group, they’re here to take a stand and bring order back to Impact Wrestling.
It’s main event time!
#1 Contender’s Match: Ethan Carter III vs Moose
They tie up, then trade chops, and EC3 hits a dropkick before Moose responds with one of his own. EC3 goes to the floor and mashes Moose’s face into the ring apron, then gets a Tazmission in the middle of the ring. Carter goes to the top rope, Moose drills him with another dropkick, but EC3 comes off the top with a dropkick of his own. Moose pops EC3 up and drills him with a spinebuster and an elbowdrop for 2, but EC3 fires back with elbows and clotheslines before hitting a Stinger Splash and a flapjack. EC3 goes to the second rope, but Moose grabs him and hits a sitout powerbomb, then he goes for a roaring elbow, EC3 blocks and goes for the 1%, Moose gets out and drills EC3 in the back of the head with a roaring elbow for the win.
Winner: Moose
It’s really weird to see EC3 losing all these matches now, I gotta say. Bobby Lashley comes out and goes face-to-face with Moose as we call it a night.
