Full Credit: WrestlingObserver.com
On Sunday August 13th TNA Wrestling held the second annual Hard Justice PPV from Universal Studios. One more PPV to go before they leave for Detroit for Bound For Glory. Still no sign of Lance Hoyt, Traci Brooks, Roderick Strong or Austin Aires on the TV screens. But we had a Jason Rumble, Lex Lovett, Cassidy Riley and Joey Ryan sighting along with several members of FPWA based out of Pinellas Park (www.fpwawrestling.com). The pre-show was once again hosted by Jeremy Borash and Christy Hemme as Dave Penzer was our emcee. Alex Shelley came out and claimed Kevin Nash was injured after doing an 840 degree splash. Shelley said he was going to take Nash’s place against Chris Sabin. The following were the pre-show matches:
Ron “the Truth” Killings defeated A1 with the scissor kick.
Cassidy Riley and Sonjay Dutt defeated Jimmy Jacobs (no fuzzy boots) and El Diablo (or something like that) after Dutt hit the masked man with a standing shooting star press.
The PPV was opened with a video chronicling Sting’s return to TNA and his match tonight.
(1) “Showtime” Eric Young defeated “Hotshot” Johnny Devine of Paparazzi Productions (wearing a KEV armband.)
Young was led to the ring by several members of the Pit, who are in on his secret. Devine badmouthed young on the mic and the match began. Young looked more lost then usual as Devine took him to the mat with a chinlock. Young got to his feet and got a crucifix for two only to be clotheslined to the mat. The pyro from the opening looked to set off a small fire on the catwalks and had to be extinguished. The fumes flooded the venue as the action continued. Young made a comeback and scored a two count. As people struggled to breath Young managed to hit a wheelbarrel into an Acecrusher to get the win as the fans chanted the roof is on fire. From the crowd came a disheveled looking Earl Hebner and I think attacked Slick Johnson. Larry Zbyszko came out and with securities help they removed him to the backstage area.
Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner were shown walking backstage then footage of Sting and Christian Cage arriving. That was when the building was cleared after the fire possibly to check for other danger. I think some other stuff played for the home viewers as we were evacuated and Orlando Fire inspected the building. Apparently the number one contender’s matchup, “Maverick” Matt Bentley and Frankie “the Future” Kazarian vs. the Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas w/Shane Douglas) vs. the James Gang vs. America’s Most Wanted (“Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris) was cancelled to beat the 11pm replay start time. It took a while but the Orlando FD cleared the venue and we were ready to begin the show again.
(2) Winner Gets X Division title shot, “the Future” Chris Sabin defeated Alex Shelley (w/Johnny Devine and Kevin Nash.)
Johnny Devine wheeled Kevin Nash out to the ring, showing the “damage” of the 840 splash. Shelley and Sabin traded Lucha moves and ended at a stand still. The move trading went on until Sabin hit a missile dropkick for two. Sabin mocked Nash who was wearing a neck brace. This backfired as Shelley got on the offensive with a springboard moonsault for two. Sabin hip tossed Shelley to the floor and then followed out with a mid rope tope’. Shelley was sent back in the ring and when Sabin landed, Shelley grabbed his package. Sabin went for a top rope huricurana but Shelley countered out and ended up with a crossface submission but Sabin got to the ropes. Shelley went up top but Sabin got to his feet and met him, knocking Shelley into a tree of woe for the dropkick to the face. Sabin hit a Razor’s Edge like move into a facebuster for two. Shelley hit a backcracker and Devine distracted the referee. Nash gained some mobility and slid a chair into the ring as Shelley hit a fisherman buster. Shelley went to hit Sabin with the chair, swung and missed and had the chair kicked into his face. Sabin used this chance to hit the Cradle Shock to win.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Father James Mitchell about the match between Runt and Abyss. Mitchell said he knows Raven is pumping Runt’s head with ideas of defeating Abyss.
(3) Abyss (w/Father James Mitchell) defeated Brother Runt.
According to people who attended the Philadelphia house show, this was a kick ass match. Hopefully we get some of that tonight. Runt sported a new hairstyle and played hit/run with Abyss. That was until Abyss sent Runt flying into the fans. Abyss went after him and got hit with a Dudley Driver on the guard rail. As this action happened Raven appeared in the crowd three times. Runt grabbed a chair but Slick Johnson refused to allow it in. But this whole Abyss logged on in the corner and when the action came back to the ring, Runt was sent right into it. Runt used Abyss’ chain on him and then hit a double stomp into Abyss after he fell to the mat. Slick Johnson went nighty night after Runt got caught in front of him then Abyss splashed him. With Johnson down Abyss grabbed his trusty satchel of tacks and spread them in the ring. Abyss rubbed Runt’s face in them and then stomped his face into them. Runt fought back but his rope move led to him being press slammed and dropped chest first into the tacks. The coupe de grace was a Black Hole Slam into them. After the match Raven and Abyss had a stare down as Runt struggled to regain his mobility. His face, chest and back were all littered with tacks.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Rhino about the Falls Count Anywhere match with Samoa Joe and Monty Brown.
(4) In a Falls Count Anywhere match, Samoa Joe defeated “Alpha Male” Monty Brown and “War Machine” Rhino.
Needless to say this one went EVERYWHERE. Rhino sent Brown to the floor and hit a slingshot bodypress. Joe hit both of them with a forearm driven tope. Brown was hit with the Ole Kick as he was lodged on the rail. Joe and Rhino traded shots with weapons of all kind. As Rhino and Joe fought in the crowd Brown hit them with a leaping tackle. All three men drove each other into the support wall under the stands, damaging it with each shot. Next they entered the seating area and brawled all around the fans. FPWA wrestler Jose Ryu Vazques had his crutch taken from him and used as a weapon. The action made its way to the good guy rampway where garbage lid shots were delivered. Rhino went to GORE Joe but ran into a boot then a Brown delivered double underhook suplex onto the rampway. Finally Rhino tossed Brown in the ring. But Joe soon followed with a garbage lid shot for both men and Brown’s package. Rhino slugged it out with Joe and hit a spinebuster on a chair for two. Rhino placed Joe on the top turnbuckle and went up but his move was countered by Joe into a sunset power bomb for two. Joe went after Brown on the floor. After sending Joe into the announce table, Brown got a table but the action ended up on the heel entry way where Brown hit Joe with a spinning neckbreaker. Rhino came to the action and lid shotted Joe and Rhino. Rhino set a table against the wall but he ended up crashing through it as Brown sent him off the rampway into the tables. Joe and Brown fought on the rampway and Brown ended up going into the table he set up thanks to Joe and a spear into it. Joe took the house mic and said the fight wasn’t over tonight.
Jeremy Borash asked Larry Zbyszko about Earl Hebner but was told that Hebner was ejected from the building. Borash tried to get a confession from Larry about the controversial ending to the Slammiversary PPV. Borash and Zbyszko were joined by Slick Johnson who wanted to know what was going on.
(5) Gail Kim defeated Sirelda.
The crowd was not behind Sirelda despite the way things have gone between AMW and Styles/Daniels. Sirelda used her size to beat down Kim but Kim used a leverage move to gain control. Kim draped Sirelda on the middle rope and choked her out. Kim climbed on top of Sirelda and threw some punches. Kim used her veteran skills to lock Sirelda in a tarantula which had to be released. Sirelda got to her feet and hit two clotheslines and a slam for two. Sirelda grabbed Kim and went for another slam. But Kim slid over into a sleeper and Sirelda dumped her on the top turnbuckle. This backfired as Kim hit a neckbreaker like move to win the match.
Scott Steiner spoke to Jeremy Borash about his involvement in tonight’s main event. A video played recapping how we got to the X Division title match.
(6) NWA World X Division champion Senshe vs. Petey Williams vs. Jay Lethal.
This was the highflying match we expected as all three went to the air in and outside the ring. Williams hit a kick to Senshe then mocked his martial arts skills. Lethal ended up on the mat in a chinlock but Senshe kicked Williams right in the chest. For a brief moment Senshe and Williams worked on Lethal with chops and kicks. The alliance died when Williams did his Canadian salute on Lethal’s package and Senshe chopped Williams’ chest. Senshe slammed Williams and went up top but Lethal caught him. Williams and Senshe ended up fight in the ring as Lethal hit both with a missile dropkick. All three men got to their feet and traded punches, kicks and anything to knock the other out of breath. Lethal got a two count from a Northern Light suplex. Williams went to reel in Lethal for the Destroyer but Lethal countered into a German suplex for two. The trio traded several two counts which ended when Senshe double kicked Williams in the chest. Williams recovered and locked Lethal in the sharpshooter but Senshe kicked Williams in the face to get a two count. Lethal avoided a corner move and hit Senshe with a full nelson suplex for two. Lethal dropped Williams and went up top but missed a headbutt. This let Williams hit him with the Canadian Destroyer. But Williams lost track of Senshe, who hit the double kicks to the chest again. Senshe covered the still immobile Lethal to retain the title. Williams and Senshe had a stare down but left without further conflict.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Konnan and the LAX about their title shot.
(7) NWA World Tag Team champions “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels and “Phenomenal” AJ Styles defeated Latin American Exchange members Hotstuff Hernandez and “Notorious 187” Homicide (w/Konnan).
Finally TNA unleashed the Homicide wrestling fans have seen in other promotions. Several LAX supporters sat behind Moody Jack Melendez’s tale to cheer their team on. Daniels and Styles played mind games with LAX, spitting in their faces and using leverage moves to send them to the floor. Styles and Homicide traded punches in the middle of the ring and then huricuranas. Styles and Daniels worked over Homicide until Styles ended up on the wrong side of town, I mean the ring. Hernandez distracted Styles long enough so Homicide could hit a neckbreaker. LAX took turns beating down Styles but neither could get a pin or submission. At one point Homicide hit Styles with his trademark tope’ to the floor on Styles, sending them crashing into the safety railing. Somehow Styles survived this onslaught and tagged in the well rested Daniels. All kinds of collisions took place in the ring as Daniels went to work on LAX. Daniels and Homicide ended up on the floor, so Hernandez followed out with a body block. Styles soon followed with a shooting star press onto all three men! Styles and Daniels hit Homicide with a double team move but got two. LAX followed when they hit Daniels with a top rope bulldog for two. A Tower of Doom occurred and after the dust settled Daniels was hit with Hernandez’s choke toss move. All four went for finishers on the other man, leaving all of them lying in the ring. The fighting went on as Konnan stopped Styles’ Spiral Tap. Styles countered out of the Cop Killer as Hernandez was going to hit Daniels with the Border Crossing. Styles grabbed Homicide and tossed him to Hernandez. They tossed Hernandez to the floor so they could hit Homicide with a tackle/legsweep move to retain the belts.
A commercial for the No Surrender PPV played. Christian Cage was interviewed by Jeremy Borash about his role in the main event. At this point I took a moment to buy Chris Harris a beer, sorry Bobby Roode not enough cash to buy you one.
(8) NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett (w/Scott Steiner) defeated Sting (w/Christian Cage).
All three referees were at ringside for this match, possibly to keep Cage and Steiner in their corners. Rudy Charles was the in ring official to begin the match. Sting had the early advantage even as Jarrett tried to play mind games. The action quickly left the ring and onto the announce table as Sting tossed Jarrett onto it. Next they fought over into the fans using guard rails and walls as weapons. Cage and Steiner followed them to make sure neither got in a sneak attack. Finally Sting tossed Jarrett over the guard rail and back to the ring. As Rudy Charles ordered Cage to his side of the ring, Steiner used his chair to hit Sting who was climbing to the top. The shot hit Sting in the leg and soon a shot decked Cage who came over to confront Steiner. Jarrett drew a bullseye on the injured leg and went on the attack with a figure four leg lock in the ring. Cage got to his corner and cheered Sting on. Sting refused to submit and eventually reversed the hold. Both men got to their feet and traded punches and clotheslines. Jarrett avoided the Singer Splash and Sting countered the Stroke to hit the Scorpion Death drop. As Rudy counted the pin, Steiner pulled him out. Steiner and Cage occupied the referee. Steiner tossed the title belt into the ring where Jarrett went for and missed Sting’s head. Sting decked Jarrett with the belt but Jarrett got his foot on the rope. Sting got too close to Steiner and he was hit with a chair. Cage grabbed the chair while Charles argued with Steiner and decked Jarrett. Charles had seen enough and ejected both men to the locker room. Jarrett locked in the Scorpion Deathlock but Sting escaped and put Jarrett in the hold. Somehow Jarrett made it to the ropes. Charles ended up down after Sting’s splash missed Jarrett. Cage and Steiner came back with a guitar and a bat. Cage got rid of Steiner and told Sting to go up top. But when Sting came off for a splash, Cage waffled his head with the guitar. Cage tossed Jarrett on top of Sting and the pin occurred. After the pin Jarrett had a look of shock on his face as he had no clue what happened. The insanity that occurred at Slammiversary happened again as several fans tossed soda bottles into the ring. I think the Orlando PD and the TNA security caught several people red handed.
