Source: TNAStars.com
Opening Segment
A video package plays, showing what Sting did as “Network Executive” and Bully Ray costing Anderson his match with Kurt Angle.
Immortal is in the ring and Bully Ray has a microphone. He tells the crowd that they (Immortal) don’t suck and they are Immortal. He brags about each member and notes Abyss as the only guy he is afraid of, that he idolizes Double J, and that Anderson is just an asshole. He talks about the Fortune/Immortal rivary and says that this company isn’t big enough for the two of them. Mister Anderson interrupts and says that he doesn’t think that this ring is big enough for him and Anderson. Anderson reminds Ray that it was his idea to get in the ring with Kurt Angle, and then screwed him once the match happened. Anderson says Ray hopes it was worth it, because one of these days, he’s going to get him back. Ray reminds Anderson that he lost the World Title after only one week, while he himself is a 23 time tag champion and he’s the guy in charge of the group when Hogan and Bischoff aren’t around. Ray’s going to be the World Champion, and Anderson is a piece of dog crap on his shoes. Anderson says they’re both not booked, and quotes Meatloaf in asking Ray if he wants to settle this. Anderson and Ray go at each other and the rest of Immortal pulls them apart.
Fortune comes out and says it sounded like Immortal was calling them out, and they will accept that invitation. Fortune rushes the ring and clears Immortal out, though James Storm appears to have hurt his back. ((Jarrett’s Jab – Not too sure what to think, on one hand, Immortal finally has rivals, on the other hand I would rather see the implosion than Storm hurting his back.))
-Commercial Break-
Madison Rayne vs Miss Tessmacher
Mickie James joins Taz and Tenay on commentary for this match. Madison has Tessmacher’s partner Tara ejected from ringside, but turns her back and Tessmacher blindsides her with a series of forearms, then sits her in the corner and rubs her ass in Madison’s face. Now Tessmacher commits a cardinal mistake and turns her back, and pays for it when Madison forearms her in the back of the head and gouges at her face. Madison with an old school Moolah toss across the ring by the hair, then does it again just to be a jerk. Maidson skullhumps Tessmacher’s head into the mat, but turns her back to mouth off to Mickie and Tessmacher gets a small package for the win.
Winner: Miss Tessmacher
Madison attacks Tessmacher after the match and Mickie gets up to try and intervene, but Angelina Love runs out of the back and attacks Mickie. Mickie fights back, but now Winter comes out of nowhere and lays Mickie out, then Angelina holds Mickie so Winter can lay her out with the title belt.
-Commercial Break-
We catch up on the Bound For Glory Series matches over the last week, and Crimson still remains in first place with 40 points.
Bound for Glory Series: AJ Styles vs. Devon
AJ starts with a waistlock and Devon backs into the corner. Wristlock by AJ is broken by Devon and we get stalemate time. AJ goes for a headlock and AJ handsprings when Devon tries to whip out of it, and reapplies it. This time however, Devon does rebound AJ off the ropes, but after a duck under and a leapfrog, gets nailed with a dropkick. The camera cuts to The Pope shaking hands with Devons kids. Devon watches, and tries to go for an armbar on AJ, but AJ backs into a corner and gets a cross-arm breaker. AJ goes for a sunset flip, but gets two. AJ goes for the Clash, but Devon powers out. A few right hands by Devon leads to a Pele kick by AJ. The cameras cut to Christopher Daniels, sitting at the bottom of the ramp. AJ goes for a pin for two. He asks Daniels what he is doing, and tries to hit the springboard forearm, but Devon ducks and AJ lands on his feet.
Winner by Pinfall: Devon
After the match AJ and Devon shake hands and then hug. Devon gets on The Pope, but the camera cuts to AJ and Daniels bickering. AJ asks why he was out there now, Daniels says that he wants an answer and he’s been waiting for two weeks. AJ says that it was a Bound for Glory Match, and Daniels retorts by asking “Is the match more important than our friendship?” ((Jarrett’s Jab – What could have been a great match was ruined by too much drama. Pope with Devon’s kids and Christopher Daniels sitting at the bottom of the ramp, that’s really bad for a company where wrestling is supposed to matter.))
-Commercial Break-
Taz and Tenay hype the main event of Hardcore Justice: Sting vs. Kurt Angle. They show a video that shows every match that Angle and Sting have been in and that Angle never won without outside interference. ((Jarrett’s Jab – It was hard for me to belive that Angle’s never beaten Sting, so the video was defiantely needed to back up Angle’s claims. The ending of the Empty Arena Brawl wasn’t shown, so I guess that doesn’t count as a match.))
Bound For Glory Series: The Pope vs Samoa Joe
Matt Morgan is going to be on commentary as an anasylis for future Bound for Glory Series Matches. Pope and Joe circle one another for a moment and then Pope ducks a couple of wild swings and pops Joe with an uppercut. Pope continues to outmaneuver Joe and gets a pair of armdrags and a dropkick for two. Pope tries another armdrag into an armbar, but Joe just powers Pope into the corner. Pope dodges a charge and goes out to the floor. Joe chases after him around ringside and back into the ring where Pope gets an inverted atomic drop and a flying shouderblock. Pope hits a series of high elbows and a double axhandle to the face. Devon comes out to ringside as Pope gets an O’Connor Roll, and Joe slides out and traps Pope in a choke until Pope taps out.
Winner by Sumbmission: Samoa Joe
Wait a minute, Joe won’t release the hold and his eyes are rolling back in his head, so the referee reverses the decision.
Winner via DQ (reverse): Devon
Joe is PISSED, and chases the Jackson James to the back as Devon argues with his sons at ringside.
Joe is backstage yelling about how he’s being screwed over by the company, and he knows they’re trying to kill him, and he’s not going to go silently. Going forward he is going to be held responsible for what happens out there.
Back in the Fortune locker room, James Storm’s back is still hurting and Bobby Roode offers to take his match tonight against Hernandez since they have to defend the World Tag Team Title against Mexican America at Hardcore Justice. Storm says okay, if he wants to. ((Jarrett’s Jab – What I love about Beer Money is that they put over those belts like they mean something. I sure wish more wrestlers would do that.))
Bully Ray is backstage arguing on the phone with Hulk Hogan, and reluctantly agrees to go apologize to Ken Anderson tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Street Fight: Bobby Roode (w/ James Storm) vs. Hernandez (w/ Anarquia, Sarita and Rosita)
Storm limps to the ring with Bobby Roode walking in front. Hernandez misses a big swing, and eats quite a few rights by Roode. Hernandez connects with an Irish whip, but eats a running clothesline by Roode. Roode knocks Hernandez to the outside, hits a crossbody, and hits him in the ribs with a steel chair. Roode starts throwing everything in sight to the ring before he nails Hernandez with a trash can lid. Herndandez ducks a shot and throws Roode into the turnbuckle post and gets a two count. Hernandez gets Roode in the ring and whips him with the belt before choking him with it. Roode starts a comeback with chops and right hands, but gets flattened by a sholderlock. Trash can lid shot by Hernandez gets two, and he starts to argue with referee Jackson James. Roode rolls to the floor and gets thrown into the steel steps, left shoulder first. Roode grabs a lid, while Hernandes grabs a kindo stick and Roode swings first. Roode gets two more shots, and tries a running shot, only to eat a boot to the face. Super Mex goes to the top, but gets nailed with a trash can. Roode hits a superplex . Roode gets to his feet and starts to nail Hernandez with a Kendo Stick. Roode pulls Hernandez up to chop him and hit a neckbreaker from the top rope for two. Hernandez is busted open from the top of his head. Roode gets a few shots before getting flat lined by a sholderblock. Hernandez taunts, but Roode slides out of the Border Toss and hits an Arn Anderson suplex. Roode gets an armbar and Hernandez taps. Anarquia hits Storm and Sarita hits Roode in the back with the Kendo Stick and while Roode is distracted, Hernandez rolls him up and grabs the ropes for three.
Winner by Pinfall: Hernandez
Bully Ray says he has respect for the business and the ones that came before him. He says he gonna do the right thing and apologize. Anderson hesitates and Bully Ray apologizes again. Anderson accepts and Bully Ray knees him in the nuts. Bully Ray asks “Who’s the asshole now?” as they show Anderson on the ground and they cut to commercial
-Commercial Break-
Aries attacks Shelley from behind, then drapes his neck across the bottom rope and hits a slingshot double axhandle to the floor. Aries tries to slingshot into a senton back in, but Shelley gets the knees up and pounds Aries with fists and a leaping enziguiri, then covers for a series of two counts. Aries tries to sucker Shelley with a kick, but Shelley catches the boot, ducks an enziguiri, and gets la magistral cradle for only two. Shelley opens up with a series of chops and hits a Flatliner into the second turnbuckle for a two count. Shelley connects with a leg whip and twists Aries into a seated inverted figure four, but Aries just barely manages to make the ropes. Aries dumps Shelley to the ring apron and hits a neckbreaker through the ropes, then comes off the ropes with a Macho Man double axhandle to the floor. Aries rolls Shelley back in for a series of two counts, then sits Shelley up top and tries for a superplex, but Shelley gourdbusters Aries into the ring and comes off the top with a missile dropkick that sends Aries crashing out to the floor. Shelley hits a dive through the ropes, then sends Aries back into the ring and tries a top rope double stomp, but Aries moves and hits him with a back elbow. Aries tries Sliced Bread #2, Shelley counters to a rollup for two, then Aries dumps Shelley to the floor and mocks Shelley by putting on Shelley’s jacket. The referee takes the jacket away from Aries and falls on his butt, Shelley tries for Sliced Bread #2 but Aries dumps him into a seated position on the second rope and kicks him in the nuts, then hits a brainbuster for the win.
Winner: Austin Aries
Aries puts the boots to Shelley while yelling at him that he just beat him with a legal wrestling maneuver, but Brian Kendrick runs out and chases Aries off. Aries says he’ll see Kendrick at the PPV and walks off.
-Commercial Break-
Eric Young tries out for movie and talk show roles, then we go to Jeremy Borash with Kurt Angle as they discuss the Empty Arena Match they had back when Angle was the head of the Main Event Mafia and Sting wanted to take his place. They didn’t show the whole thing, but we got a good sampling of them ramming one another into guardrails and rows of chairs, as well as one spot where Sting dumped Angle over a railing from the stands and to the floor from a pretty good height. ((Jarrett’s Jab – I remember that match very well, and I cringed when I first saw that because that is a pretty scary fall. As for EY, I really wish he’d either be serious or just go away. He’s a waste of TV time that could better be used trying to get people to care about Crimson or some other up-and coming star.))
-Commercial Break-
Bound For Glory Series: Gunner & Scott Steiner vs Crimson & Rob Van Dam
RVD and Steiner start us off and Steiner powers RVD into the corner, but stops to pose and RVD rolls him up with a bodyscissors cradle for two. Steiner kills him with a clothesline, then unloads with some heavy strikes in the corner. RVD comes back with a spinkick to the jaw and stops to taunt. That gives Steiner the chance to comes from behind and hit a full nelson slam for a two count. Gunner tags in and goes at it with RVD, who gets a legsweep and a standing moonsault for two. Gunner rams RVD to the corner and hits some forearms, but RVD with a high kick to the face of Gunner and then tags in Crimson. Crimson hits a slam and a T-bone suplex for two, Steiner tries a cheapshot from the outside and Crimson nails him, but Gunner runs him over with a back elbow for two. Gunner continuing to work Crimson over and then tags in Steiner, who opens up with another series of hard chops and then the rotating belly to belly suplex for two. Steiner hits a clothesline and then the elbowdrop and pushups, then Gunner tags in and hits a back suplex for two. Gunner comes off the second rope for a double axhandle and Crimson seems to blow the counter, but picks Gunner up and turns it into a spinning Flatliner and makes the hot tag to RVD, who comes in and unloads on Steiner with a leg lariat, but then Steiner catches RVD and hits an overhead release suplex. RVD with a springboard thrust kick and Rolling Thunder for two, and then Gunner and Crimson are in the ring and going at it as RVD and Steiner go out to the floor. Gunner knocks RVD off the apron, but Crimson hits a spear out of nowhere on Gunner and RVD comes off the top with the Dive Star, and then Steiner comes in and hits a Flatliner on RVD and wipes Crimson out with a clothesline efore covering RVD for two. Steiner puts RVD up top, but Crimson comes from behind and hits an Electric Chair and then RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: Crimson & Rob Van Dam (RVD scores the pin for 7 points)
With that win, RVD now rockets up to second place with 35 points, right behind Crimson. They do a postmatch promo with Christy Hemme, who points out that they’ll be facing each other in just three days at Hardcore Justice. Crimson says RVD got the win tonight, but this weekend, he’ll be the one walking out with the points.
-Commercial Break-
Mike Tenay and Taz run us down the card for this weekend’s Hardcore Justice PPV, then we’re off to the ring for the contract signing for the Sting-Kurt Angle contract signing. At Jeremy Borash’s direction, Angle signs the contract first, then Sting. Borash asks Angle for his final comments before this weekend, and he says that there are very few men in the business whom Angle respects, and Sting is one of them. He’s never politicked or screwed anyone, and if he ends up half the man Sting is, he knows he did a good job. But at Hardcore Justice, he’s coming after Sting and it’s strictly business, nothing personal, and after the match, it will end in a handshake and then man who is going to walk away with the World Title is Kurt Angle. Sting takes the microphone and says he suddenly doesn’t feel like laughing too much. He thanks Angle for the words because after 25 years in the business, he feels like he accomplished someone and had an effect on someone as great as Angle. He’s just as big a fan as Angle, and it doesn’t matter who he’s talking to, he says the best wrestler he’s ever faced has been Kurt Angle. There isn’t anything Kurt can’t do, and no matter what aspect of wrestling it is, Angle’s the best, and to top it all off, he’s done what no professional wrestler has and won an Olympic gold medal. The thing is that the title is his life blood and his way to right everything that’s wrong, and he made a vow to Dixie Carter, the wrestlers in the back, and the fans that before he hangs it up, he’ll return the company to Dixie Carter, and he can’t lose to Angle at Hardcore Justice. Angle won’t have to kill him to win the title, but he’ll have to come damn close, and he’s going to get his hand raised at Hardcore Justice, and that’s damn real. ((Jarrett’s Jab – I loved that instead of the ‘Insane Icon’, we got serious Sting. Not too happy Dixie Carter gets mentioned; I thought we were past this crap.))
