EC3 was shown sitting in the front row at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia tonight and has officially signed with WWE.
He appeared just before the video packages began for the Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Johnny Gargano main event. The graphic identified him as “EC 3,” and Mauro Ranallo called him one of NXT’s new arrivals.
EC3 finished up with Impact Wrestling at their most recent set of television tapings earlier this month, with him being written out by getting the “fired” briefcase in a Feast or Fired battle royal. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter following the tapings, Dave Meltzer reported that he was told months ago that EC3 was going to be leaving Impact and at the time was looking at going back to WWE.
EC3 was known as Derrick Bateman in WWE until being released in 2013. He was in developmental and appeared on two seasons of NXT in its previous format. In Impact wrestling, he was Ethan Carter III and played Dixie Carter’s storyline nephew.
Earlier in the night, Ricochet and War Machine were also shown on camera sitting in the crowd. Candice LeRae was featured in a backstage segment with Gargano and his family, sat in the crowd for the main event, and got involved to help neutralize Zelina Vega.
There was a lot of news coming out of tonight’s Impact tapings in Orlando. Among the key points are:
– Ethan Carter III is legitimately gone from the company. They taped the Feast or Fired briefcase show and he got the fired briefcase. As has been noted, his contract expires before the next set of tapings and he’s not renewing so this was a way to write him out.
– The April 22nd pay-per-view has been changed from Lockdown to Redemption. The new hierarchy in the company was against the idea of an all cage match show.
– Eddie Edwards was injured during the tapings. Sami Callihan hit a chair with a baseball bat and the bat ricocheted off the chair and hit his eye. It was a scary situation because there was so much blood and they were scared for his eye. Edwards was rushed to the hospital. I’m told he’s okay now.
– The Grand Championship has been dropped.
– Jerry Lynn was brought in as an agent. That’s because Tommy Dreamer had other commitments for this weekend. Dreamer was in because Sonjay Dutt wasn’t allowed to fly to Orlando because of his Achilles tendon surgery.
– Father James Mitchell returned.
Here are results from tonight’s tapings (courtesy of Jacob Cohen):
– El Hijo del Fantasma defeated Braxton Sutter
This was taped for the streaming service.
– Eddie Edwards defeated Sami Callihan
Callihan attacked Edwards after the match. This is where Edwards was injured.
– Next was the Feast or Fired battle royal. The four people who grabbed the briefcases were Petey Williams, Moose, EC3, and Eli Drake. They announced the briefcases would be opened later.
– Taya Valkyrie went to a double countout with Rosemary
They brawled after the match with Valkyrie laying her out.
– Kongo Kong came out with Jimmy Jacobs. Jacobs said that innocent people will get hurt because Joseph Park will not produce Abyss.
– James Mitchell entered to the old theme from the New Church group. Mitchell said that Jacobs is very similar to himself. Mitchell said he sold his soul to the devil to make his son Abyss the World Champion, but that Abyss has had a personality split. Mitchell said he did nothing when Jacobs hurt his cousin (Chandler Park), made his grandmother a basket case, and destroyed the law offices of Park, Park, and Park.
Mitchell said that Jacobs has woken up Abyss. They announced Abyss vs. Kongo Kong “next week” in Monster’s Ball.
– Matt Sydal came out and thanked Josh Mathews. Sydal gave Mathews a gift, which was the Grand Championship. This was done to eliminate the title, not to make Mathews the champion.
– Knockouts Champion Allie defeated Sienna to retain her title
– Braxton Sutter made his way out and was trying to make up to Allie and said how Allie is the most important thing in his life but instead of saying Allie, said Laurel Van Ness. Sutter went to propose to Allie but Su Yung attacked her.
– Alberto El Patron did an interview. He talked about challenging Austin Aries for the title at Redemption. This will be the PPV main event.
– Caleb Konley defeated Fallah Bahh
Konley won with help from Trevor Lee. This was taped for the streaming service.
– Matt Sydal defeated Rohit Raju
– Austin Aries came out with a contract for the title match and wanted Alberto to do a contract signing. Alberto entered and signed on the dotted line to make the match official. Alberto said he respected Aries. Alberto told them to play Aries’ music, then Aries told them to play Alberto’s music. Aries told Alberto to enjoy his music being played because after the match at Redemption, it will be Aries’ music playing at the end.
– Next was the briefcase reveal. Eli Drake will get the Tag Team title shot, Petey Williams will get the X Division title shot, and Moose will get a World title shot. EC3, of course, is fired. EC3 said after Moose’s briefcase revealed a World title shot, meaning he was getting fired, that it was Taiji Ishimori’s briefcase and not his. Then he refused to open it. Jeremy Borash opened it and said EC3 was fired.
EC3 said there’s no way and Borash said it’s real and EC3 is done. EC3 said there’s no way he should lose his job for picking a briefcase in an outdated match. He said he’s the franchise and has carried the company for four years. But in his last words he said he’s a professional and this will light a spark in him that will lead to greatness. EC3 then beat up Borash. Brian Cage ran in and destroyed EC3.
EC3 got up and said goodbye to everyone, left, and took a bow on the stage.
– Kongo Kong defeated Abyss in a Monster’s Ball match
Previously: GFW Global Champion Eli Drake defeated Johnny Impact to retain his title.
Tonight: James Storm & Ethan Carter III take on El Hijo Del Fantasma & Texano.
Show Recap —
– An in memoriam graphic paying tribute to Lance Russell aired. It was followed by a “Pray for Vegas” graphic.
– Eli Drake and Chris Adonis came down to the ring to open the episode. Drake bragged about beating Johnny Impact last week and revealed that Impact isn’t at the show. He took off his jacket and gave it his finisher — The Gravy Train. Drake got Adonis a match tonight against Garza Jr. Adonis wasn’t happy about the surprise match.
Chris Adonis defeated Garza Jr. by DQ
Drake joined the commentary team for the match and Adonis dominated the action early on. Garza was able to hit a hurricanrana, but he missed an attempt at a plancha.
Backstage, Johnny Impact arrived at the Impact Zone. Drake ran off from the commentary booth. In the ring, Garza made a comeback and scored a close near fall. Impact ran in and attacked Adonis for the disqualification, while Drake and Garza ended up brawling.
Jim Cornette then ran out and made a match between Impact and Garza for next week, with the winner getting a Global Championship title shot at Bound for Glory.
– Moose was on the phone and searching for Bobby Lashley. He arrived at the American Top Team gym and told the person on the phone he didn’t need their help.
– At the LAX Clubhouse, Konnan was irate that Santana and Ortiz lost the belts last week. This erupted into a heated argument.
GFW Global Tag Team Champions OVE defeated Jon Bolen & Trey Miguel
OVE dominated the match and picked up the easy win with a version of Total Elimination.
– Knockouts Champion Sienna and KM came down to the ring. Sienna was upset that she doesn’t have a title defense at Bound for Glory. She thinks it’s because she defeated all the women and will have to start fighting men soon. She then assumed she knows what Impact Wrestling has planned and announced that she’s the newest inductee into the Hall of Fame.
This brought out Gail Kim, who demanded a championship match at BFG. Taryn Terrell came down to the ring and pointed out that Kim has never defeated her. Terrell challenged Kim, which brought out Allie. She wanted a title shot too, and out came Karen Jarrett. She announced Sienna defending against Kim, Terrell, and Allie at Bound for Glory.
– Joseph Park organized a very successful autograph signing for Grado where he charged $100 per autograph.
Sonjay Dutt, Petey Williams & Matt Sydal defeated Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett & Caleb Konley
Everett and Lee were partners here despite being bitter rivals not long ago. The heels were in firm control, but the faces made a comeback by hitting suicide dives to the floor. The faces cut off Konley from his corner and worked him over, then Everett kneed Dutt in the back and the heels took over.
The heels isolated Dutt in their corner until Williams got the hot tag and ran wild. Sydal caught Everett with a hurricanrana and hit the shooting star press for the win.
After the match, Dutt, Williams, and Sydal all demanded an X Division title shot at Bound for Glory.
– Moose entered the American Top Team gym. He shoved Dan Lambert, then ATT jumped Moose and beat him down in the Octagon. ATT threw Moose out of the gym.
El Hijo Del Fantasma & Texano defeated James Storm & Ethan Carter III
Early on, Storm and EC3 weren’t working well together. Fantasma caught Storm from behind and the AAA team took over. EC3 and Storm finally worked together and briefly gained the advantage, but the heels took back control by isolating EC3. Pagano made his way to ringside, which distracted Storm as EC3 tried to make the tag.
Fantasma missed a big splash and Storm got the hot tag. Storm ran wild and scored a very close near fall on Fantasma. Pagano distracted Storm as AAA regained control. Storm tried to suplex Fantasma into the ring, but Pagano grabbed Storm’s legs and enabled Fantasma to score the win.
– At the LAX clubhouse, they made up after their earlier argument. They will challenge OVE to a 5150 street fight at Bound for Glory.
Next Week: Johnny Impact vs. Garza Jr. with the winner getting a GFW Global Championship title shot at Bound for Glory.
Previously: Alberto El Patron & James Storm battled Bobby Lashley & Ethan Carter III in a wild main event.
Tonight: It’s the last night in India and the final Impact before Slammiversary. It features Alberto El Patron, Eddie Edwards, James Storm & Mahabali Shera vs. Bobby Lashley, Davey Richards, Ethan Carter III & Kongo Kong.
Show Recap —
– Earlier tonight, Jeremy Borash and Bruce Prichard hosted several Slammiversary contract signings in the ring. The signings aired in quick succession and included Rosemary and Sienna, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards, James Storm and EC3, and Bobby Lashley and Alberto El Patron.
During the Lashley and El Patron signing, Edwards, Storm, Richards, and EC3 remained at the table. Before a brawl could break out, Prichard announced the eight-man main event for later tonight.
Sonjay Dutt & Matt Sydal defeated Low Ki & Trevor Lee
Dutt and Sydal controlled the early part of the match until the heels briefly took over. Dutt and Sydal made a comeback and cleared the ring. The heels isolated Sydal in their corner. Dutt got the hot tag and ran wild. Dutt took out Low Ki with a dive to the floor and Sydal hit the Shooting Star Press on Lee for the win.
– A training video of NFL free agent DeAngelo Williams aired. He discussed his passion for wrestling and the respect he has for wrestlers past and present.
Eli Drake & Chris Adonis defeated The Mumbai Cats
Adonis and Drake dominated the match, which came to an end when Drake hit the Gravy Train.
– King Mo was announced as Bobby Lashley’s corner man at Slammiversary to counter Alberto’s father Dos Caras.
Swoggle defeated Rockstar Spud in a Mumbai Street Fight
Spud viciously attacked Swoggle in the corner until the ref tried to stop him. Spud pulled the ref’s pants off and chased him in the corner. Swoggle pulled off Spud’s pants and put him through the table to win the match.
– J.B. and Joseph Park completed their training. J.B. told Park to find his inner monster and handed him an Abyss action figure.
Rosemary, Allie & Braxton Sutter defeated Sienna, Laurel Van Ness & KM
All six competitors brawled to start the match until the men went one-on-one. Rosemary scored a near fall on Van Ness and the match broke down into another brawl. Rosemary spit the green mist at Sienna, but she pushed Van Ness in the way. Allie took out Sienna, then Rosemary hit the Red Wedding on Van Ness to win the match.
– Joseph Park tried to find his inner monster and found Abyss’s favorite weapon Janice nearby.
Alberto El Patron, Eddie Edwards, James Storm & Mahabali Shera defeated Bobby Lashley, Davey Richards, Ethan Carter III & Kongo Kong
The heels jumped Shera before the match started and before his partners were introduced. Shera had to be taken to the back for medical attention — making it four-on-three.
EC3 teased starting the match with Storm but quickly tagged out to Lashley. The heels took over and kept Edwards on their side of the ring. Edwards tried to make a tag, but the heels pulled Storm and El Patron off the apron.
Shera made his return to the ring and ran wild on the heels. Kong missed a splash in the corner and Shera picked him up for a big slam. El Patron made the blind tag and hit the double foot stomp on Kong to win the match for his team.
Up Next: Impact’s second marquee event of the year, Slammiversary XV, takes place this Sunday night. The lineup features:
Impact World Champion Bobby Lashley (w/ King Mo) vs. GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron (w/ Dos Caras) with both titles on the line
Knockouts Champion Rosemary vs. GFW Woman’s Champion Sienna with both titles on the line
DeAngelo Williams & Moose vs. Eli Drake & Chris Adonis
James Storm vs. Ethan Carter III in a strap match
Jeremy Borash & Joseph Park vs. Josh Mathews & Scott Steiner
X Division Champion Sonjay Dutt vs. Low Ki in a two-out-of-three falls match for the title
Eddie Edwards & Alisha Edwards vs. Davey Richards & Angelina Love in a Full Metal Mayhem match
Impact/GFW Tag Champions LAX vs. Laredo Kid & Garza Jr. vs. Drago & El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Naomichi Marufuji & Taiji Ishimori for the titles
Previously: Sonjay Dutt defeated Low Ki to finally win the X Division Championship.
Tonight: Bobby Lashley & Ethan Carter III battle Alberto El Patron & James Storm in the main event.
Show Recap —
– In the back, Sienna informed Laurel Van Ness that Rosemary isn’t in the building and Allie is alone.
Matt Sydal defeated Davey Richards, Suicide, Braxton Sutter, Eddie Edwards, and Trevor Lee in an elimination match to win the Sony Six Trophy
The match started with two guys taking turns in the ring while the other four waited on the floor. Lee nailed Sutter with a forearm and rolled him up using the tights for the first elimination. The second elimination came when Lee caught Suicide with a knee.
Richards was eliminated after being disqualified for using a chair on Edwards. Edwards was eliminated moments later for giving Richards a fisherman buster on the chair.
The match came down to Sydal and Lee. Sydal scored a near fall with a jumping hurricanrana. He then caught Lee with a kick to the head, followed by a Shooting Star Press for the win.
– On the streets of Mumbai, Rockstar Spud and Swoggle ran into each other. They teased fighting until someone intervened.
– Earlier, Jeremy Borash gave Joseph Park a pep talk to get him pumped for their Slammiversary match. It ended with them doing the Mega Powers handshake. Later, they trained intensely.
Sienna & Laurel Van Ness defeated Rosemary & Allie
They played Rosemary’s music, but she didn’t come out. The heels went after Allie up the ramp, then Rosemary came from underneath the ring for the save.
The heels were in control until Allie got the hot tag. KM came down to ringside, but Braxton Sutter ran out. Van Ness hit a curb stomp on Rosemary and Sienna scored the pin on the Knockouts Champion.
– Back in the United States, LAX invaded local independent promotions. They attacked the tag team champions and took the promoter’s money.
– J.B. and Mahabali Shera introduced the new X Division Champion Sonjay Dutt for his celebration. He came out in traditional Indian attire with dancers.
Former champ Low Ki interrupted him. He congratulated Dutt on his win but challenged him to a rematch. The rematch will take place at Slammiversary and will be a two-out-of-three falls match.
Low Ki attacked Dutt and hit the Warrior’s Way on Shera. Low Ki attempted to hit the Warrior’s Way on Dutt until Sydal made the save.
Mahabali Shera defeated KM
The doctors tried to stop Shera from competing because of his injured ribs. KM was in control until Shera made a fiery comeback and won with the Sky High. After the match, Kongo Kong and KM attacked Shera and further injured his ribs.
– Eli Drake and Chris Adonis came to the ring to address Moose. They wondered about the identity of Moose’s Slammiversary partner. Moose came out and announced that his partner is NFL free agent DeAngelo Williams. A video package of Williams training aired and the heels attacked Moose during the video.
Alberto El Patron & James Storm defeated Bobby Lashley & Ethan Carter III by DQ
EC3 teased starting the match with James Storm but tagged out immediately. Lashley then teased starting with El Patron but tagged out. The faces ran wild and took out the heels.
Back from commercial, the heels were in control after Lashley shoved El Patron off the top. Storm came in and had EC3 in trouble, but Lashley attacked him from behind. El Patron got the hot tag and ran wild. El Patron and Storm gave EC3 a double superplex as Lashley gave them double powerbombs.
EC3 and Lashley were disqualified after EC3 whipped the referee with a strap. All four guys brawled all over the arena. El Patron posed with both belts to end the show.
Next Week: Impact will feature contract signings for Slammiversary. Plus, Rockstar Spud vs. Swoggle in a Mumbai street fight.
Previously: Ethan Carter III won a triple threat number one contender’s match to earn a spot in the Slammiversary main event. Plus, Scott Steiner made his Impact return.
Tonight: GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron defends against EC3 in Six Sides of Steel.
Show Recap —
– Ethan Carter III celebrated becoming the number one contender. He had a barbershop quartet sing his entrance music and “Goodbye Bobby Lashley.” EC3 promised to beat Impact World Champion Bobby Lashley at Slammiversary.
GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron interrupted and was immediately followed by Bruce Prichard, Dutch Mantell, Karen Jarrett, and Tyrus. Prichard announced that later El Patron defends against EC3 in a cage match with the winner facing Lashley at Slammiversary.
Grand Champion Moose defeated Eli Drake (w/ Chris Adonis) to retain his title
The special judges for the match were Mantell, Scott D’Amore, and Prichard. In round one, Drake controlled the majority of the action with all three judges scoring in his favor.
Round two started with Drake still in control as he worked the leg, but Moose made a late comeback to win the round. In round three, Drake continued to work over the leg, but Moose fought back. The time limit expired and Moose won the match on split decision.
– In the back, Allie didn’t understand why Rosemary helped her last week. Rosemary showed up and Allie was terrified. Rosemary told her not to be afraid and that we will protect her.
– Swoggle was shown sitting in the front row watching the show.
Allie (w/ Braxton Sutter) defeated Amber Nova
Allie couldn’t believe that she had the early advantage. She missed a charge in the corner and Nova took over. Allie made a comeback and used the Death Valley Driver to win the match.
After the match, Allie was so happy she won that she hugged Earl Hebner and Amber Nova.
Impact World Tag Team Champions LAX (w/ Konnan, Homicide, and Diamante) defeated VOW to win the GFW Global Tag Team Championship
This was the final of the GFW Global Tag Team Championship tournament. Homicide and Diamante joined in on beating down Wilcox for the brief advantage. Mayweather got the hot tag, but Santana attacked from behind to take over. Wilcox got the tag and ran wild on Ortiz.
Konnan hit Mayweather with a pipe to take him out. Homicide hit Wilcox with the tag belt and LAX hit the Street Sweeper to win the titles.
– In the back, McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Jeremy Borash and Joseph Park. J.B. wanted to get out of the match against Scott Steiner and Josh Mathews. Parks said they’ll train hard and learn everything about tag team wrestling. J.B. wasn’t convinced and walked away.
X Division Champion Low Ki defeated Andrew Everett to retain his title
Sonjay Dutt joined the announce team for the match and was wearing an eye patch. The match started out with a fast pace, but Low Ki slowed it down and grounded Everett.
Low Ki missed a charge in the corner and Everett briefly took over. Everett attempted the shooting star press, though Low Ki got his knees up and followed up with the Warrior’s Way to win. Low Ki then got in Dutt’s face and mocked his injured eye.
– In the crowd, Rockstar Spud made his return and jumped Swoggle. Spud viciously attacked Swoggle with a hammer.
GFW Global Champion Alberto El Patron defeated Ethan Carter III in Six Sides of Steel to retain his title and advance to the Slammiversary main event
El Patron tried to escape until EC3 hit a Samoan drop off the top rope. EC3 kept El Patron grounded and worked over his leg. EC3 tried to escape, but El Patron cut him off with a backcracker.
They traded shots in the center of the ring and El Patron hit a superkick for a close near fall. EC3 attempted the TK3 until El Patron countered into the cross armbreaker. EC3 broke free and scored another near fall.
El Patron and EC3 fought on top of the cage. EC3 got caught in the tree of woe and El Patron hit the double foot stomp from the top of the cage. El Patron then hit the frog splash to retain the GFW Global Championship and he’ll face Impact World Champion Bobby Lashley at Slammiversary.
Previously: X Division Champion Low Ki retained his title in an excellent Ultimate X match.
Tonight: Ethan Carter III, Magnus, and James Storm battle in a triple threat number one contender’s match. Plus, Eddie Edwards & Alisha face Davey Richards & Angelina Love in a mixed tag team match.
Show Recap —
– Bruce Prichard came down to the ring with his personal protection Tyrus. Prichard was selling the injuries from EC3’s attack last week. He announced that EC3’s actions are under review.
Prichard then introduced Impact World Champion Bobby Lashley. Lashley wanted to know who he gets to beat up at Slammiversary. This brought out EC3 and he promised to beat Lashley for the title.
Of course, this brought out Magnus. He felt he was screwed over by Prichard and promised to win the title as well. James Storm interrupted and wanted to have the triple threat right now. Prichard announced that if they touch each other before the match later they’d be suspended.
– Jeremy Borash and The Pope were the announcers tonight. Josh Mathews will reveal his partner for Slammiversary later.
KM & Kongo Kong (w/ Sienna and Laurel Van Ness) defeated Mahabali Shera & Braxton Sutter (w/ Allie)
Van Ness distracted Shera to give the heels the advantage. Sutter got the hot tag and ran wild, then he brawled with Kong on the floor. Allie took out Sienna and Van Ness with a flying crossbody. Kong gave Shera a headbutt and KM rolled him up for the win.
All four guys brawled to the back, leaving Allie alone. Sienna and Van Ness jumped Allie until Rosemary came out. She teased joining the heels but instead spit green mist in Sienna’s eyes and hit the Red Wedding on Van Ness. The Impact Zone loved this angle.
VOW (Wilcox & Mayweather) defeated Fallah Bahh & Mario Bokara to advance to the GFW Global tag team tournament finals
The heels got the brief advantage, but the VOW controlled most of the match. The finish came when Bahh fell to the outside and VOW hit their finisher on Bokara to win the match.
– Josh Mathews came down to the ring and he asked Borash to join him. Mathews cried and apologized to J.B. Borash considered shaking Mathews’ hand.
This brought out J.B.’s attorney/tag team partner Joseph Park. Park asked Mathews a series of questions until Mathews snapped. He didn’t really want to apologize to J.B. Park challenged Mathews to a match.
They teased fighting until Mathews’ partner Scott Steiner made his return to Impact. Steiner chased J.B. away and attacked a fan. Mathews gave Park a low blow, then Steiner locked on the Steiner recliner on Park. J.B. tried to help but ran away. Josh Mathews was then back on commentary.
– In the back, Eli Drake and Moose brawled and Chris Adonis joined in on the attack.
Eddie Edwards & Alisha defeated Davey Richards & Angelina Love
Edwards and Richards brawled on the floor until Love raked Edwards in the eyes. Alisha dove off the top turnbuckle to the floor on Love and Richards.
Richards missed a double stomp and Edwards hit a belly-to-belly suplex in the corner. Alisha got the hot tag and brawled with Love. Alisha missed a crossbody off the top. Love set up for a kick, but Alisha rolled her up to win the match.
After the match, Richards handcuffed Edwards to the bottom rope. Love powerbombed Alisha through a table while Richards forced Edwards to watch.
– Rockstar Spud conducted an interview from the UK. He promised to get revenge next week. Spud’s mom was yelling at him in the background.
Ethan Carter III defeated Magnus and James Storm in a triple threat number one contender’s match
The first part of the match was a basic triple threat match with one guy staying on the floor while the other two fought in the ring. Magnus and EC3 worked together and gave Storm a double suplex on the ramp.
The heels used a chair, trash can, and kendo stick on Storm. EC3 accidentally hit Magnus with the kendo stick but apologized immediately. Magnus took the kendo stick and accidentally hit EC3. Magnus and EC3 went back and forth.
Storm made a comeback and ran wild on the heels. He used the chair and trash can. Storm gave EC3 a sick looking hangman’s DDT on the apron.
Storm caught Magnus with the superkick, but EC3 knocked Storm to the floor and covered Magnus for the win. EC3 is the number one contender for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary.
Next Week: LAX vs. VOW in the GFW Global tag team tournament finals. Plus, Moose defends the Impact Grand Championship against Eli Drake
Previously: Karen Jarrett made her triumphant return to Impact and slapped the taste out of Josh Mathews’ mouth.
Tonight: Moose defends the Impact Grand Championship against Cody. Plus, LAX, Reno Scum, Decay, and Garza Jr. & Laredo Kid will battle to crown new Impact World Tag Team Champions.
Show Recap —
– Earlier today, a board meeting took place between Dutch Mantell, Bruce Prichard, Josh Mathews, and Jeremy Borash. Mathews and J.B. kept arguing during the meeting. Karen Jarrett ran into the meeting and demanded they find Sienna and send her to the ring.
Prichard agreed to take on the task. He was so irritated by Mathews and Borash that he threatened to make changes to commentary if they didn’t stop arguing. J.B. said that they should replace Mathews with his wife Madison Rayne because he’s not even the best commentator in his family.
– Karen Jarrett came down to the ring and said that Maria Kanellis had a nervous breakdown and left Impact. Karen called Sienna a bully and called her to the ring. Sienna said that she made it to where she is based on ability, not because of who she married. Karen gave Sienna 15 seconds to apologize and so the countdown began.
This brought out Sienna’s cousin, the debuting KM. He’s out here for his family and demanded Karen apologize and gave her 15 seconds. He started the countdown until Braxton Sutter and Allie made the save. Karen announced that later tonight Sutter will take on KM.
Andrew Everett defeated DJ Z
DJ Z hit a huge dive to the floor and took over. Everett made his comeback and went for the moonsault. DJ Z got his feet up and sent Everett to the other side of the ring. DJ Z attempted the ZDT but Everett rolled him up in a small package to win the match.
After the match, Gregory Helms and X Division Champion Trevor Lee came out. Helms congratulated Everett on finally winning a match. Helms agreed to give Everett a shot at Lee’s title.
– A promo aired for the upcoming debut of a new star to Impact. It ended with “Fury Will Be Unleashed 4.13.17.”
– Last week, ODB celebrated her victory over Rebel in the back. She said she’s looking for her husband EY (Eric Young) but he’s not there. Earl Hebner approached and said that he’s not her hubby but he can be.
– J.B. interviewed Rosemary in the ring. He said that she’s a dominant champion and wondered who is left for her to face. ODB interrupted and introduced herself. She said she’s a four-time “knocked up” champ. She gave cheers to Rosemary for being the Knockouts Champion but promised to win the title. The entire Knockouts roster came out and got into a huge brawl.
– EC3 apologized for his attitude towards Karen Jarrett last week. As EC3 made his way to the ring, Mathews challenged J.B. to put together teams to face each other to see who is the better coach. J.B. rejected the idea.
EC3 promised to be a three-time World Champion. James Storm came down to the ring and he too wanted a title shot. Storm was a babyface here and didn’t come out with the DCC. EC3 and Storm agreed to let the fans decide who will get the next shot at Lashley.
Impact Grand Champion Moose defeated “The American Nightmare” Cody (w/ Brandi Rhodes) to retain his title
They brawled on the floor in front of one of the judges. Moose ducked a superkick and Cody knocked out the judge instead. Bruce Prichard replaced the injured judge. The judges gave the first round to Moose. Mathews felt that the original judge would have given the round to Cody.
In the second round, Moose grabbed a chair but Cody used Brandi as a shield. Cody kicked the chair into Moose’s face. Cody locked on the figure four but Moose held on as time ran out. The judges gave the second round to Cody.
Cody went to give Brandi a kiss but she rejected him and walked away. The time limit ran out at the end of the third round. Moose won the third round and the match on a split decision to retain the Grand Championship.
KM (w/ Sienna) defeated Braxton Sutter (w/ Allie)
Sutter had KM beat when Sienna grabbed Allie, which distracted Sutter. KM hit the powerbomb into a lungblower to pick up the win. After the match, Allie and Sutter brawled with Sienna and KM. A drunken Laurel Van Ness still wearing her wedding dress came out.
– A cool video of the LAX at their clubhouse aired. They played poker and discussed business.
– Another “Fury Will Be Unleashed” video aired. It appeared to be Sienna looking at pictures of Braxton Sutter and Allie.
LAX (w/ Konnan, Homicide, and Diamante) defeated Reno Scum, Decay (w/ Rosemary), and Garza Jr. & Laredo Kid to win the Impact World Tag Team Championship
LAX, Decay, and Reno Scum were brawling on the floor when Laredo Kid hit an insane flip dive onto the group from the corner. Garza Jr. followed up with his own impressive dive. Crazzy Steve came in and isolated Laredo Kid in their corner but Luster the Legend tagged himself in.
LAX cleared the ring of all the teams and hit a sick move called the Street Sweeper where Santana leapt off of Ortiz’s back and hit a Swanton in the corner on Abyss. Rosemary tried to sneak in but Diamante took her out. The finish came when LAX hit a powerbomb/blockbuster combination on Laredo Kid to win the match.
Next Week: Eddie Edwards battles Davey Richards in a last man standing match. Also, a Knockouts gauntlet battle royal to determine the number one contender for Rosemary’s Knockouts Championship.
Previously: Bobby Lashley defeated Eddie Edwards in a 30-minute iron man match to win the World Heavyweight title.
Tonight: It’s the return of Open Fight Night. Jeff Hardy, The DCC, Trevor Lee, and Eli Drake will all be making open challenges in that order.
Show Recap —
– The Broken Hardys came down to the ring. The Seven Deities have told Matt that The Hardys must win all the tag team gold in the world. Matt mentioned that several teams were too scared to come to Total Non-Stop Deletion so they must go and find them.
He mentioned The Bucks of Youth, The Day of New, and The Family of Wyatt. The Seven Deities have provided The Hardys with a transportation device so they can go from place to place winning the tag team titles.
Jeff then made his open challenge and called out World Champion Bobby Lashley. Lashley knew Jeff would call him out and was prepared to defend the title. This meant that nobody else could challenge for the World title nor could anyone challenge for the tag titles. Jeff sent Matt to the back so he can do it on his own.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley defeated Jeff Hardy to retain his title
Lashley missed a charge in the corner and Jeff took over. They brawled on the floor and Lashley gave Jeff a sick looking powerbomb on the steps. Jeff hit the Twist of Fate and hit the Swanton bomb for a very close near fall.
Jeff hit a second Swanton bomb but Lashley got his leg on the bottom rope. They brawled on the floor. Jeff ran and leapt off the steps to rock Lashley with a dropkick. Jeff went for a flip dive to the floor but Lashley rolled underneath the ring and Jeff landed hard. Lashley hit the spear to pick up the win.
After the match, former World Champion Eddie Edwards interrupted Lashley’s celebration. Edwards congratulated Lashley and challenged him to a rematch. Lashley agreed to the match but if Edwards loses he doesn’t get another title shot.
– In the back, Tyrus and Eli Drake were discussing their open challenge for later. Tyrus promised that they’re going to shock the world.
– Backstage, Rosemary offered Brandi Rhodes a spot in Decay but Brandi declined. That angered Rosemary.
– A Day in the Life of Aron Rex showed Spud and Rex arriving in a golf cart. Spud rolled out the carpet for Rex.
Sienna (w/ Maria Kanellis) defeated Brooke
The match started with Brooke running wild on Sienna. Brooke chased Maria around ringside but got caught with a clothesline from Sienna. Brooke climbed to the top rope as Sienna distracted referee Earl Hebner, which enabled Maria to shove Brooke off the top. Sienna hit the Silencer for the pin and the win.
– A Day in the Life of Aron Rex continued with Rex getting his makeup applied. Spud complimented Rex and it ended with Spud and Rex saying that he looks “Rexellent.”
– The DCC came out to make their open challenge. They called out Decay and challenged them to a falls count anywhere match.
The DCC defeated Decay (w/ Rosemary) in a falls count anywhere match
All three members of The DCC were in the match. They brawled around ringside and in the crowd to start the match. Crazzy Steve climbed up into the stands and dove off onto The DCC. Abyss spread thumbtacks in the ring and Steve brought in a barbwire board. Rosemary blew green mist in Eddie Kingston’s eyes and Abyss chokeslammed him in the thumbtacks.
Abyss tried to chokeslam James Storm on the barbwire board but Storm fought it off. Bram hit Abyss with a beer bottle and Storm superkicked Abyss into the board. Bram and Storm hit a spiked piledriver on Steve through a table that was wedged between the apron and barricade for the win.
– In the back, Maria and Mike Bennett congratulated Braxton Sutter for an amazing date with Laurel Van Ness last week. Sutter had a terrible time on the date but Maria wants Sutter to propose to Laurel. Maria will do something to Allie if he doesn’t.
– Grand Champion Drew Galloway came out and said he’s going to make the Grand Championship the number one title in the world. Moose interrupted and pointed out that Galloway had to cheat to beat him. Moose wanted a shot at the title but Galloway already had an opponent.
Grand Champion Drew Galloway defeated Rob Ryzin to retain his title
Rob got in some early offense until Galloway rocked him with a big boot and dominated the rest of the first round. Galloway hit the Future Shock DDT to win the match in round one.
Trevor Lee defeated DJ Z in a ladder match to win the X Division Championship
Trevor Lee called out DJ Z for Open Fight Night. DJ Z came out selling the injured leg from last week. DJ Z knocked Lee off the ladder and followed up by hitting a DDT off the ladder. Shane Helms passed a chair to Lee who used it to knock down DJ Z and worked the leg.
Lee then put DJ Z’s leg in the chair and locked the chair in the bottom rung of the ladder. DJ Z was trapped and couldn’t get out, which enabled Lee to climb up the ladder to win the X Division title.
– In the back, Robbie E challenged Aron Rex to a match right now but Rex would only face him next week.
Ethan Carter III defeated Eli Drake (w/ Tyrus)
Before the match, Tyrus called out Ethan Carter III to face Eli Drake. EC3 had a large purple bruise on his side. Drake jumped EC3 to start the match. EC3 fought in his jeans and sold his ribs the entire match.
They fought at ringside and Drake continued to work over EC3’s ribs. Drake tried to use a baseball bat but EC3 fought him off. Suddenly, EC3 rolled up Drake to win the match.
After the match, Drake grabbed the bat and went crazy beating EC3 with it. The lights went out and The DCC appeared in the ring. They teased fighting Drake and Tyrus but instead attacked EC3. Drake and Tyrus were celebrating when DCC jumped them too. The DCC gave EC3 a spike piledriver on a steel chair to end the show.
Next Week: The only thing announced for next week is that Aron Rex will go one-on-one with Robbie E.
TNA presents its first pay-per-view of the Anthem era tonight with a One Night Only show taking place live at the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
The show will be headlined by TNA World Champion Eddie Edwards putting his title on the line against EC3. Other titles will up for grabs as well, with Rosemary defending the Knockouts Championship against Sienna, Eli Drake & Tyrus challenging The Broken Hardys for their tag titles, and DJZ putting his X Division title on the line in a fatal four-way match.
Elsewhere on the show, Bobby Lashley will face Davey Richards and Moose will take on “The Miracle” Mike Bennett in a no holds barred match.
Tonight’s PPV is part of a marathon period of tapings for TNA that kicked off with last night’s episode of Impact and will continue into next week.
Our live coverage begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
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Bobby Lashley defeated Davey Richards
Before the match, Lashley reminds us that Davey returned last night and prevented him from winning the World Championship. He claimed that Eddie is avoiding him but he gets the next best thing, Davey Richards.
Lashley jumped Richards to start the match. This was Richards’ first match back after suffering an ACL injury a year ago. Richards made a brief comeback and went for a handspring back elbow but Lashley caught him in the torture rack. Richards gained the advantage and hit three awesome suicide dives, rolling through on the last one. Lashley and Richards fought on the side of the ring until Lashley gave Davey an intense looking powerslam on the apron. Richards locked on an ankle lock, but Lashley fought off. He went for a spear but his leg gave out. Richards locked on the ankle lock again, however Lashley countered into an armbar for the submission win.
X Division Champion DJ Z defeated Andrew Everett, Braxton Sutter, and Trevor Lee in a four-way elimination match to retain his title
The match started off with DJ Z and Sutter working together against Lee and Everett. Sutter and DJ Z cleared the ring and went one-on-one. DJ Z went for the ZDT on Lee, but he threw him off and DJ Z rolled up Everett to eliminate him from the match. Lee knocked out DJ Z on the floor and worked over Sutter in the ring. Sutter blocked a ZDT attempt but Lee rocked Sutter with a knee and rolled him up for the next elimination. The final two are Lee and DJ Z. Lee was in control of the match until DJ Z hit the ZDT to retain the X Division Championship.
– Backstage, Davey and Eddie were talking. Richards was upset because he lost his match earlier and feels like he’s just a sidekick to Edwards. Edwards calmed him down and had something to tell him.
Bram defeated Robbie E
Robbie came out and made an open challenge to anyone in The DCC. Bram came out alone to accept the challenge but decided he wants the night off. Robbie E jumped off the top onto Bram to start the match. Bram took over and dominated a majority of the match. Bram hit move after move but Robbie kept kicking out, which frustrated Bram. Bram hit a low blow and followed up with the Brighter Side of Suffering to win the match.
– Jeremy Borash interviewed Mike Bennett and Maria. Bennett said Moose only retained the title last night because of crooked judges. He promised tonight will be different.
Moose defeated “The Miracle” Mike Bennett w/ Maria Kanellis in a no holds barred match
This match is not for the Impact Grand Championship. Moose put Bennett on a ladder that was wedged between the ring and guardrail. Moose missed a flip dive and crashed on the ladder. Moose made a comeback and set the ladder up in the corner. Bennett charged at Moose, but he backdropped Bennett into the ladder. Bennett tried to powerbomb Moose off the stairs onto a table but Moose countered into a backdrop sending Bennett through the table.
Moose set up a table in the ring. He ran up the turnbuckles and leaped off the top, but Bennett gave him a cutter through the table. Moose made a comeback and had the match won but Maria broke up the count. Bennett tired to spear Moose but he moved and Bennett speared Maria instead. Moose hit the Game Changer to score the win in a really good match.
– Backstage, Eli Drake revealed that his mystery partner to face the Broken Hardys is “The Fixer” Tyrus.
Mahabali Shera defeated Marshe Rocket
Before the match, Marshe Rocket said he’s the hottest commodity in TNA and he promises this is going to be his year. Marshe was in control of the match until Shera made a comeback and hit the Sky High to win the match.
– TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim made her way to the ring. She is here to answer questions about her possible retirement. She’s not medically cleared to wrestle but she will be back to regain her Knockouts Championship. This brought out Knockouts Champion Rosemary. Rosemary and Gail had a brief confrontation but referees quickly broke it up.
Knockouts Champion Rosemary defeated Sienna to retain her title
They fought on the ramp to start the match. Rosemary bit Sienna on the face but Sienna gained control with a Samoan drop. Sienna hit the Silencer but it sent Rosemary to the outside. Sienna pushed the referee out of the way and Rosemary spit the mist in Sienna eyes. Rosemary hit the Red Wedding to retain the Knockouts Championship.
James Storm w/ The DCC defeated Jesse Godderz
Jesse had the brief advantage in the match until Storm took over. Bram and Eddie Kingston interfered constantly in the match. Godderz started to build up momentum and knocked down both Bram and Kingston. Godderz locked on the Boston crab and Kingston and Bram tried to interfere but he fought them off. Storm caught Godderz with the Last Call superkick to score the win. Suddenly, the lights went out and Decay appeared in the ring. They spit mist in the eyes of Storm and Bram then double teamed Kingston.
– Jeremy Borash interviewed Ethan Carter III about his upcoming title shot against Eddie Edwards. He promised to win the championship tonight.
TNA World Tag Team Champions The Broken Hardys defeated Eli Drake & “The Fixer” Tyrus to retain their titles
Before the match, Broken Matt said The Hardys are on an odyssey to become the greatest team in all of space and time. He called his opponents the L.O.D., which stands for Legion of Dummies. Tyrus threw his shirt at The Pope before the match. Matt bit Eli’s finger to gain the early advantage in the match. Tyrus tagged in and worked over Jeff. Matt got the hot tag and ran wild until Tyrus cut him off.
Eli demanded to be tagged in and went for a Twist of Fate but Matt pushed him into Tyrus. Matt and Jeff both hit the Twist of Fate on Eli and Jeff followed up with a swanton. Matt scored the win to retain the Tag Championship.
– J.B. interviewed Eddie Edwards before the match. He promised to retain the title to prove who is the true champion and there will be no controversy.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eddie Edwards defeated Ethan Carter III to retain his title
Josh and The Pope pointed out that if EC3 loses, that’ll mean he lost two title matches in 24 hours. Lashley watched the match from ringside. Edwards dropped EC3 back first on the apron and worked over the injured back from last night. Lashley grabbed Edwards’ leg and the referee went out to yell at Lashley. Edwards hit a suicide dive taking out both Lashley and the referee.
EC3 hit a hangman’s One Percenter but there was no referee to make the count. Lashley entered the ring and handed a chair to EC3 but EC3 threw it away and flipped him off. Lashley speared EC3 and brought the chair back in. Lashley went to hit EC3 with the chair but Davey Richards ran out, took the chair from Lashley, and accidentally hit EC3 with it. Edwards hits the Boston Knee Party to win the match.
Previously: Broken Matt Hardy returned to Impact to save Jeff Hardy from a beat down by The DCC. Also, Rosemary defeated Jade in Six Sides of Steel to win the vacant Knockouts Championship.
Tonight: Eddie Edwards defends the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Ethan Carter III in the main event.
Show Recap:
New Grand Champion Moose is in the ring. He mentions this is his first championship and promised to take on all challengers. The returning Drew Galloway interrupts and reminds Moose that he made it to the finals of the Grand Championship tournament but had to drop out because of an injury. Drew challenges Moose for the title and Moose accepts but Aron Rex interrupts them. Rex says that Moose robbed him of the title and he evokes his rematch clause for a match right now.
TNA Grand Champion Moose defeated Aron Rex to retain
Rex controlled the first round after he punched Moose with the hand with the rings. All three judges give the first round to Rex. In between rounds, Rex rubbed his hands on his towel. Moose had the early advantage until Rex rubbed his hand in Moose’s eyes, blinding him to gain the advantage. The judges give the second round to Rex as well. Moose hit the Game Changer to win the match 30 seconds into round 3 to retain the title.
– In the back, Eddie Edwards promises to retain the title later in his match with EC3.
– Backstage, Drew is asked about being passed up for a title shot tonight. He feels TNA should have delayed the Grand Championship Tournament when he was injured and should have givin him a title shot tonight. He promises to win the Grand championship soon.
Mandrews defeated Aiden O’Shea
They recap Mandrews turning on DJ Z last week. Mandrews played the heel in this match even though the story of the match was a big guy against a little guy. O’Shea was in control until Mandrews made a comeback and hit a flip dive to the outside. Mandrews won the match with the shooting star press.
Al Snow & Mahabali Shera defeated The Tribunal (Basile Barka & Baron Dax) in a double strap match
The rules of the match are that both men must touch all six sides in succession to win. The finish came when Snow and Shera touched five corners, and The Tribunal tried to cut them off, but the faces sent the heels to the outside to touch the sixth corner to win the match.
– Broken Matt had a very vivid dream. In the dream, there are flashes of an empty arena with a ring. Matt wakes yelling, “Apocalypto!”
– In the back, EC3 talked about his upcoming title match with Edwards when Eli Drake approached him. EC3 asked Eli to talk but Eli can’t talk for the rest of 2016.
– TNA Tag Champions The Hardys, Reby and Maxel come out to the ring. Next week, Matt will present Total Nonstop Deletion, a two-hour edition of Impact all taking place at the Hardy Compound in Cameron, North Carolina. He invites the entire TNA roster and promises Knockout and X Division action. Matt says that Maxel will make his in-ring debut next week, which gets a huge pop from the crowd. The Hardys will defend the tag belts against all teams in an open challenge.
Gregory Shane Helms comes out and accepts on behalf of the Helms Dynasty. Decay comes out to accept the challenge as well. Broken Matt gives Helms the Twist of Fate to end the segment.
– A video airs from The DCC accepting The Hardys challenge at Total Nonstop Deletion.
Allie defeated Laurel Van Ness w/Maria Kanellis
Before the match, Allie announces she’s been training with Braxton Sutter who comes out in Allie’s corner. Allie and Laurel collided in the ring, which led to Mike Bennett running out and brawling with Sutter to the back. Finsh of the match came when Allie used the reverse DDT to score the win. After the match, Maria tried to jump Allie but Allie caught her and Maria backed off.
– In the back, Allie and Sutter celebrated her victory. Allie was so pumped up that she kissed Sutter and quickly left.
TNA World Champion Eddie Edwards defeated Ethan Carter III to retain
EC3 gained the early advantage and set up for a TK3 from the top, but Edwards countered into a top rope hurricanrana. EC3 made a brief comeback but Edwards sent him to the outside and a hit his trademark sick suicide dive. EC3 hit a German suplex but Edwards landed on his feet and hit the blue thunder bomb for a close near fall.
Edwards hit the Boston Knee Party but EC3 rolled to the outside. Edwards went for a plancha to the outside but EC3 caught him and hit the TK3 on the floor. EC3 locked on a chokehold on Edwards in the center of the ring. Edwards leaned back for the pin, the referee counted three and Edwards tapped out at the same time. The referee awarded the match to Edwards for the successful defense of the gold.
After the match, EC3 stormed off while Edwards celebrated.
Next Week: It’s Total Nonstop Deletion, which is a special edition of Impact with the entire broadcast talking place at The Hardy Compound. The entire TNA roster is invited to the compound and includes appearances by The DCC, The Helms Dynasty, Decay, Bobby Lashley and Eddie Edwards.
Amid turmoil over a potential sale of the company, TNA presents its biggest event of the year on Sunday night with Bound for Glory live on pay-per-view from the Impact Zone in Orlando, FL.
We’re looking for your thoughts on he show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected] We’re also looking for your thoughts on the ROH All-Star Extravaganza show.
While much of the focus has been on whether or not TNA would be sold before the show, the PPV will be headlined by a TNA World Championship match pitting Bobby Lashley against Ethan Carter III with no holds barred.
The PPV will also feature the finals of the Grand Championship tournament. Drew Galloway was originally scheduled to face Aron Rex for the newly created title, but Galloway was replaced by Eddie Edwards after having to pull out of the match due to an injury.
The next chapter in the Broken Matt and Jeff Hardy saga will also take place as the Hardys battle Decay in the “Great War.” And Cody Rhodes will make his first appearance in a TNA ring.
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X DIVISION CHAMPION DJ Z VS. TREVOR LEE
Very good opener where they did the modern X style with dives and reverse huracanrana spots. They traded three dives early. DJ Z kicked out of a powerslam. The finish saw DJ Z hit the Canadian Destroyer and the ZDT with a jumping DDT for the pin.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Drew Galloway. She’s very unconvincing. He said he doesn’t feel very good, and the doctor told him “a little to the left or a little to the right” and he would have been out for a year. He said he chose to fight but the company said no. He said he asked to hold back the tournament final and they said no. In reality, he knew he couldn’t wrestle tonight. He then said Billy Corgan is buying the company.
10 MAN GAUNTLET MATCH FOR A TNA TITLE SHOT
Eli Drake won the match by throwing Jessie Godderz and Tyrus over the top to win. So, he has a title shot whenever he wants…but has to give the promotion one week.
The match wasn’t good at all as nothing much happened. Rockstar Spud, Grado (who lasted about two seconds), Mahabali Shera, Robbie E, Baron Dax, Basille Baraka and Braxton Sutter were also in the match. There were no highlights.
– Jeremy Borash called out Robert “Batista” Irvine. He said he and his kids are here for Gail Kim’s induction into the Hall of Fame and tonight, he’s Mr. Gail Kim, not Robert Irvine. Maria Kanellis showed up with Mike Bennett. Irvine told them that tonight will be a bad night for both of them. Maria said she was the greatest Knockouts champion of all-time, while Mike said that Maria was the greatest female wrestler of all-time and he was the best pro wrestler in the world.
MIKE BENNETT VS. MOOSE
Moose won with a tree slam off the rope and the discus clothesline. They traded moves back and forth. The crowd was into the “Moose” chant but not the match. Even when Bennett used a piledriver and Moose kicked out, there wasn’t any pop. It was an okay match.
– We got an Aron Rex interview and said the Grand Championship title is going to revolutionize the way the sport is viewed. He talked about how he and Eddie Edwards were trained by the same guy. After the interview, Josh Mathews did mention Killer Kowalski even though Rex didn’t.
ARON REX VS. EDDIE EDWARDS IN THE FINALS FOR THE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP
This will be a five minute round match instead of a three minute round match. Rex won the match winning the first and third rounds. Borash is doing a UFC style interview. (I just hope Rex doesn’t thank Jesus Christ or say he’ll face whoever Joe Silva and Dana White puts him against.)
Match was average at best, but this format didn’t work. It’s good to tell jokes while watching it, but it didn’t help for the crowd. Edwards wasn’t bad but they never built any crowd momentum. After the third round, when Jeremy Borash went to read the scorecards, the graphics listed 30-27 for Rex even before Borash announced it as a split decision for Rex.
GAIL KIM HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Christy Hemme returned for the ceremony. They piped in fake crowd noise as she did an interview. Hemme introduced Taryn Tarrell, expecting her second child. Terrell said Gail Kim was a career maker, that she was a beginner and Kim gave her matches she could be proud of. She said she was the greatest woman wrestler of all-time. This got barely even polite applause.
Awesome Kong showed up, looking totally different like she’s lost a lot of weight. Kong said Kim was awesome and elevated every opponent to their best level possible and said how proud she was. Dixie Carter was out next. She said Gail was the perfect combination of beauty, brains, athletic ability, and unselfish. Chef Irvine, no relation to Chris Jericho, was shooting photos from ringside.
Dixie said she defined a generation of woman wrestlers and made the Knockouts the greatest women’s division of all-time. (Yes, TNA Knockouts and early 90s All Japan women is a close call.) The talking heads in the video were Hemme, Josh, Jeremy Borash, Pat Kenney, Dixie, Jade, Madison Rayne, Al Snow and Billy Corgan,
Corgan said Kim vs. Kong changed the way people think about women wrestlers around the world. This was easily the best thing on the show so far.
Gail Kim came out. Fans are chanting “You deserve it.” (Why are they piping in fake crowd noise? You’d want the crowd quiet and respectful.) She said wrestling has brought her creativity, self confidence, strength, fearlessness, and true passsion. She started thanking people, Ron Hutchinson, Rob Etcheverria, Fit Finlay (people popped for that name), Scott D’Amore, Pat Kenney/Simon Diamond, the crew, the production people, seamstresses, make-up people, “You make my job not a job. I love my life.”
She thanked Dixie Carter, Dutch Mantell, Jeff Jarrett, her stepdaughters, her goddaughter and her husband which got a big pop. “I’ve never met someone so inspiring and motivating as you.” She thanked Trish Stratus, Molly Holly, Victoria, Jazz and all the women she learned from. “They’re my sisters and I appreciate that I could share a locker room with these wonderful women.” Then she gave a special shoutout to Molly: “She’s the reason I’m in this business and why I got this opportunity. She taught me to be a good person in the ring or outside of the ring. She said if you’re a good person, success will follow.”
This was as well done as it could have been.
MATT & JEFF HARDY VS. TNA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS ABYSS & CRAZZY STEVE IN THE GREAT WAR
This was something.
The Hardys won the titles when Jeff came off the top of a 15 foot ladder with a swanton onto Steve through two tables for the pin. A lot of this match was pre-taped stuff out of the building which included Matt brawling with Abyss in the park in the back of a pickup truck, and Vanguard 1 blowing mist in Rosemary’s eyes. Matt made a barbed wire board sandwich with Abyss, and came off the top rope with an elbow on him.
Jeff had some magic water poured on him that allowed him to disappear and throw pumpkins at Steve. (Get it, smashing pumpkins?) Jeff showed up as a bunch of different characters. They came back in the ring, and Rosemary did a coast to coast dropkick into a garbage can like she was RVD. At another point, Rosemary gave Abyss “Janice”, but Matt set Janice on fire and threw the board out of the pickup truck. That may have been the idea that Janice and the Carters are dead. Who knows? Hopefully they won’t get mad at Matt’s ideas and threaten to sue.
– Bobby Lashley interview.
KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION MARIA KANELLIS VS. GAIL KIM
Maria said her hand was broken and the doctor wouldn’t clear her. Allie then said she must have misread it and she was cleared. Maria got mad about that. Anyway, the match started.
This match was pretty bad. Maria is just so limited. Mike Bennett threw a hand brace into the ring, and Maria used it but Kim kicked out. Allie got the brace and Maria wanted it again. She threw it over Maria’s head to Kim. Kim teased handing it to Maria, but instead threw it out of the ring. Kim used Eat Defeat, which Maria sold badly or it missed, for the pin.
– Bennett said he was shutting the show down and nobody could stop him. Cody & Brandi Rhodes showed up. Cody was really over to the crowd. Maria yelled at Cody and told him to go back to WWE. Brandi got in her face, and Maria attacked her. Brandi threw a knee. Cody & Bennett brawled. Cody used the disaster kick on Bennett and they left the ring.
TNA CHAMPION BOBBY LASHLEY VS. ECIII
They laid this out as a big show main event where each guy kicks out of big moves. Lashley won clean with a spear off the middle rope and nearly landed on his head when delivering the move. ECIII had kicked out of two spears earlier. He hit the One Percenter, did a spear, and also used a splash off the top rope.
The problem is these two didn’t work together well at all. They weren’t in the right position a lot, and the selling in a lot of cases looked mechanical. The crowd wasn’t much into it either. Even with all the kicking out of big moves, this wasn’t a good match and didn’t feel like a big show main event.
There was no Alberto del Rio at the finish even though he evidently no-showed the AAA show tonight.
We’ll have a full recap of the show on tonight’s Wrestling Observer Radio.
Previously on Impact: Last week on Impact, Bobby Lashley vacated the King of the Mountain and X Division titles but remains the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Also, The Hardy Boys won a four team Ascension to Hell ladder match to become the number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
Tonight on Impact: Tonight’s show has been dubbed “Turning Point.” In the main event, Ethan Carter III defends his Bound for Glory title shot against Drew Galloway with Aron Rex as the special guest referee. Additionally, Impact will feature a Battle Royal with the winner getting a shot at the TNA World Championship.
Show Recap —
– EC3 and Galloway meet on top of a hotel near the pool for a “summit.” They’re going to have some drinks and hash out their problems.
– Lashley makes his way to the ring and joins Josh Mathews on commentary. The Pope leaves for a “coffee break.”
“The Miracle” Mike Bennett won a Battle Royal
The order of eliminations was: Baron Dax, Mahabali Shera, Robbie E., Basile Baraka, Grado, Eli Drake, Jesse Godderz, Moose, and Eddie Edwards.
Miracle and Moose double teamed Edwards until he made a comeback. Edwards went for a hurricanrana but Moose blocked it and tried dumping him out of the ring. Edwards held on, but Miracle snuck up from behind and dumped out both men to pick up the win and earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
– Next, we get an infomercial for “The Fixer” Tyrus.
– Backstage, Moose was irate over Miracle double-crossing him but Bennett put the blame on Edwards.
– Broken Matt Hardy came out to the ring. He started to talk about the tag title shot contract but was interrupted by Jeff Hardy. Jeff said that he’s here to fight for himself and the creatures. They were then interrupted by Decay.
Matt said the he knows which member of Decay abducted King Maxel in his premonition and he’ll eat that person tonight. Matt challenged any member of Decay to face Jeff. Abyss agreed and Jeff gave him a sliding dropkick.
Abyss defeated “Brother Nero” Jeff Hardy
Jeff set up for the swanton bomb but Matt told him not to. Instead, Jeff hit a crossbody on Crazzy Steve and rolled him in the ring. Steve accidentally spit mist into Abyss’ eyes but Jeff only got a near fall with a twist of fate.
Matt revealed that it was Steve in his premonition abducting Maxel, so Matt started to bite Steve’s ear. Rosemary spit mist into Jeff’s eyes and Abyss scored the pin after the Black Hole Slam.
Post-match, Matt blamed Jeff’s loss on trying to do high-risk moves. Matt tells Jeff he needs to embrace being broken.
– In the back, Maria and Knockouts Champion Sienna were mad at Allie because Maria didn’t know about Sienna’s upcoming title defense. They ran into Billy Corgan who informed Sienna her match was next and might be against more than one person.
– Backstage, The Miracle and Lashley argued about next week’s title match. Miracle told Lashley to worry about next week but Lashley told him to worry about Moose.
Allie defeated Madison Rayne, Marti Bell, Jade, and Knockouts Champion Sienna to win the championship
Sienna and Allie worked together but Allie didn’t know what she was doing. Maria came down to ringside mid-match.
Finish of the match saw Jade hit the package piledriver on Madison Rayne. Marti Bell took out Jade. Bell and Allie fought over the baton and accidentally hit Sienna. Bell hit Allie with the baton and she landed on top of Rayne. Jade dropkicked Bell and the referee counted the pin. Allie is the new Knockouts Champion. Maria and Sienna were shocked.
– Backstage, Allie was overcome with joy after her victory and title win. The interviewer asked her what Maria is going to think and Allie was suddenly stressed out.
– We return to EC3 and Galloway drinking shots by the pool. They discuss the problems they’ve had. The conversation is intercut with recaps of the events that have transpired between them.
They work things out and look forward to facing each other. The segment ends with Galloway shoving EC3 into the pool. But despite that, they’re friends who respect each other.
– Moose is leaving the arena when Lashley drives by. Lashley continues to create problems between Moose and Miracle. Lashley gives Moose a card and invites him to dinner.
Facts of Life with Eli Drake
The guests are DJ Z, Braxton Sutter, Trevor Lee, Andrew Everett, Rockstar Spud, and Mandrews. Next week they’ll be fighting for the vacant X Division title. They all took turns talking on the mic.
Drake brought up that none of them are on the same level as former champion Lashley. DJ Z got in Drake’s face and promised to beat Lashley. They all ended up brawling, but it ended when DJ Z jumped over Drake and dove onto the rest of the guys on the floor.
Ethan Carter III defeated Drew Galloway w/ Aron Rex as the special guest referee
This was a really good competitive match. Aron Rex was a legit referee in this match and played no role in the match besides his referee duties. Galloway countered out of the One Percenter into a tombstone piledriver.
Galloway set up for the future shock DDT, but EC3 rolled him up for the pin and got the win. EC3 will challenge for the TNA World Championship at Bound For Glory.
After EC3 left, Rex applauded Galloway for his effort. Galloway snapped and turned on Rex by hitting him with a headbutt. Galloway beat Rex all over ringside and bashed his head repeatedly into the ring steps. Impact ended with Rex knocked out and Galloway walking away.
Next Week on Impact: Bobby Lashley will defend the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against “The Miracle” Mike Bennett. Also, Impact will feature an Ultimate X gauntlet match to crown a new X Division Champion.
Last week on Impact, Ethan Carter III defeated Broken Matt Hardy and “The Miracle” Mike Bennett defeated Drew Galloway in the semifinals of the Bound for Glory playoffs.
Tonight on Impact:
On tonight’s show, EC3 will battle it out with his old foe The Miracle in the finals of the BFG playoffs to determine the number one contender for the TNA World Championship. Also on tonight’s show, Eli Drake will defend the King of the Mountain title against James Storm.
Show Recap:
– Last week after losing to The Miracle, Galloway was interviewed and blamed his loss on EC3’s interference.
– In the arena, Jeremy Borash brought out both EC3 and The Miracle to the ring. Borash reminds us that one of these two will be challenging for the TNA title in the main event at Bound for Glory.
The Miracle accused EC3’s aunt Dixie of trying to screw him over. He thanked EC3 for his help with defeating Galloway by accidently hitting him with the kendo stick.
Moose came out and distracted EC3 long enough for The Miracle to jump EC3 from behind for a double team. They placed EC3 on the top in the corner and Moose gave him the Sky High Powerbomb.
Rosemary’s Story
– We get a recap of the events that resulted in Rosemary falling from a tree. When she awakes, she can communicate with the tree that told her about her little brother Montgomery. Her first true love, the unseen Johnny, did something unspeakable to her.
“Cowboy” James Storm defeated King of the Mountain Champion Eli Drake
Finish of the match came when Drake attempted a springboard move from the apron, but Storm caught him in mid-air with the Last Call Superkick for the win.
James Storm is the new King of the Mountain champion, but his celebration is cut short when TNA and X Division champ Bobby Lashley interrupts.
Lashley challenges Storm to a title-for-title match with the TNA and KOTM titles on the line. Storm agrees to the match.
– In the back, Maria announces that Gail Kim will take on Allie next. Both Gail and Allie are pretty shocked.
Rosemary’s Story Continues
– In the barn, Rosemary struggles to tell Bram about what Johnny did to her. Bram wants to leave but she promises to tell him.
Gail Kim defeated Allie & TNA Knockouts Champion Sienna
Before the match started, Maria came out and announced Gail would actually have two opponents, then brought out Sienna.
The finish came when Sienna accidently hit the Silencer on Allie. Gail dumped Sienna out of the ring and pinned Allie for the win.
– Broken Matt comes out and calls his obsolete mule Jeff Hardy to the ring. Broken Matt told Jeff he must go on a journey and win the TNA tag titles for them on his own. He also banned Jeff from jumping off the top rope.
Jeff Hardy & Broken Matt Hardy defeated Chuck Taylor & JT Dunn
This was a handicap match for most of the match, with Jeff having to fend for himself. Matt stayed on the floor and yelled at the audience on the mic to stop chanting for Jeff. At one point, Matt pulled an audience member over the guardrail and bit him.
Jeff hit the Twist of Fate on Dunn and went up to the top. Matt tried to stop him, but Jeff defied him and hit the Swanton Bomb. Matt hit the Twist of Fate on Jeff and tagged himself in. Matt pinned Dunn to win the match for his team.
Mahabali Shera & Grado defeated The Tribunal (Baron Dax & Basile Baraka) & Al Snow
Finish came when Shera and Grado cleared the ring of The Tribunal. Snow attempted to use an illegal object, but Shera blocked it and scored the pin with the Sky High.
– Rosemary’s Story Conclusion
Rosemary tells Bram she was so happy to be with Johnny on Valentine’s Day. Johnny put her hand on her knee. Basically, Johnny broke her heart. She snapped and mixed several different potions to get revenge.
Bram tells her to get over having her heart broken on Valentine’s Day. She snapped again and grabbed a weapon. Crazzy Steve and Abyss appeared, attacking Bram. They dragged an unconscious Bram to a car.
Decay threw Bram in the trunk and Rosemary happily climbed in with him. The segment ended with Steve and Abyss driving off in the car, laughing hysterically.
Ethan Carter III defeated “The Miracle” Mike Bennett w/ “The First Lady of Wrestling” Maria Kanellis-Bennett
Story of the match was that EC3 has injured ribs because of the attack by Moose and The Miracle earlier. Miracle worked over the ribs for the entire match. Maria tried to slip a kendo stick to Miracle, but the referee caught her and threw her out from ringside. Miracle used the kendo stick but only got a near fall.
Moose showed up at ringside, but Eddie Edwards ran down and took out Moose with a flip to the outside. Miracle and EC3 both countered out of each other’s finisher until EC3 hit the One Percenter for the win.
EC3 wins the BFG playoffs and will challenge for the TNA title at Bound for Glory.
Next time on Impact:
Next week on Impact, TNA Champion Bobby Lashley will take on King of the Mountain Champion James Storm in a title vs. title match.
– Braxton Sutter earned a future X Division Title shot by defeating Crazzy Steve, DJZ, Chuck Taylor, Eddie Edwards, Suicide and Marshe Rockett in a Ladder Match
– Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett defeated BroMans in an Ultimate X match with an assist from Shane Helms
TNA Impact Wrestling (Thursday, August 4th)
– Gail Kim defeated TNA Knockouts champion Sienna & Allie in a handicap match
– After defeating Eddie Edwards in a Six Sides of Steel match to become both the TNA world heavyweight and X Division champion at the Wednesday tapings, Bobby Lashley offered an open challenge for the belts. That led to…
– TNA World Heavyweight & X Division champion Bobby Lashley defeated DJ Z in a ladder match to retain his X Division title
– Moose and Mike Bennett attacked EC3
– Mahabali Shera & Grado defeated The Tribunal (Basile Baraka & Baron Dax)
– The Hardys defeated Chuck Taylor & JT Dunn. Matt said that Jeff would have to compete on his own when the match was announced, but stole the pinfall from him.
– James Storm defeated Eli Drake to win the King of the Mountain title. After the match, Lashley challenged Storm to another title vs. title match. It looks like Lashley is trying to win every TNA singles championship.
– EC3 defeated Mike Bennett in the Bound for Glory playoff finals.
