The show opens with some mysterious person walking around and picking up a note telling him that a limo bus will take him to the Manhattan Center for Impact’s debut on Destination America.
From there, we go to a video package with the stars of Impact Wrestling leaving the hotel and riding public transit to the Manhattan Center for tonight’s live debut. James Storm tells his troops that 2015 will be the year of the Revolution, then Bobby Roode gives the rest of the roster a pep talk to hype them up for tonight. MVP, Kenny King, and Lashley have their own wheels, and the package ends with Roode and Lashley starting a brawl out on the sidewalk, with guys in their wrestling hear in what is legitimately like 15 degree weather with wind chill added in. Poor guys.
The brawl spills inside as almost the entire roster continues fighting their way out of the back and down the aisle toward the six sided ring. I see they have a new set as Atlas Security tries in vain to break the huge fight up, as literally the entire roster is engaged in what has to embody the true spirit of a Pier Six brawl. (For the record, the Manhattan Center is about a 20 minute ride from the actual Pier Six in Brooklyn.) There’s way too much going on here for me to try and recap, but the roster has basically broken down into the factions I mentioned during the opening video package and are trying to tear each other up. Kurt Angle comes out and says that this is the Manhattan Center in New York City, and he says if the fans want the fight to continue, they’ve got it. He tells Low Ki, Taryn Terrell, Storm & Abyss, and Bobby Roode that every champion will defend their title tonight, and the main event will be Roode-Lashley III.
Angle has one more important announcement to make right now, but MVP gets in his face and asks if he’s going to announce how he assaulted MVP. Half of MVP’s promo is getting cut out because Destination America is bleeping out the crowd going “shut the F up”, but the gyst is that MVP wants Angle to go ahead and take another shot at him. He says Angle is a shadow of who he used to be, the Kurt Angle he used to know struck fear into people and made them tap out, but that Angle is gone. 1996 Kurt Angle was an Olympic medalist, but 2015 Kurt Angle wears a suit and tie and has no balls, and he is done as a wrestler. Angle tells MVP he’s right, he’s stepping down as Director of Wrestling Operations, but he was reinstated as a wrestler 15 minutes ago, so the last match he’s making is Angle vs MVP in a street fight, and that match starts right now! Angle lays into MVP and clotheslines him over the top rope to the floor as we go to commercial.
Street Fight: Kurt Angle vs MVP
We’re back and Angle is working MVP over in the corner until the ref gets in the way, at which point MVP rakes Angle’s eyes and lays him out with a big boot. Now MVP is in control and gets Angle in an armbar submission. Angle reverses to a headscissors, then lets MVP roll out far enough to catch him in a waistlock and hit a series of rolling German suplexes. MVP grapevines Angle’s leg to block the Hacker Slam, then he takes Angle down and locks him in a heel hook (babyfaces can’t use this move). Angle gets out, so MVP takes his shirt off, goes to the floor, and rams Angle’s knee into the ringpost. I really hope Destination America lightens up on the bleeping because half this show is going to be bleeped at the rate the crowd is going. MVP puts Angle’s leg on the ring steps and slams a chair into the knee, then they head back in and MVP goes for a piledriver, but Angle backdrops MVP and gets him in the anklelock. MVP rolls out and catches Angle in what looks like a modified version of the Anaconda Vice. Angle rolls out and goes back to the anklelock again, but MVP rolls out and sends Angle crashing into the corner. Angle dodges a running Yakuza kick in the corner and hits the Hacker Slam for the win.
Winner: Kurt Angle
MVP looks surprised that he lost that one, but Angle is back in action after nearly a year and starts off on the right foot with a big win as the fans inform Angle that he’s still got it.
We go backstage and see each of the champions getting warmed up for tonight as we go to commercial.
MVP is backstage chewing Kenny King out and asking him where he was, then he says he’s going to go find Lashley and remind him why he became TNA Champion in the first place.
We go to Josh Mathews and Taz in the broadcast booth while they finally have a chance to say hi, then we go backstage to Ethan Carter III and Tyrus as they interrupt Crazzy Steve’s interview time. EC3 has been undefeated for 15 months, and he promised that he would take Spud out, so while he’s been taking him out piece by piece, he’s planning on taking the whole package tonight.
Back to Josh and Taz as Josh says he’s honored to have the opportunity to take the reigns from Mike Tenay, but Mike’s not going anywhere, and we go to Mike as he informs us that he’ll be moving to TNA Unlocked, as he takes us beyond Impact with a deeper look at everything and interviews like the one he conducted earlier today with James Storm. Mike says he’s known Storm for 13 years, and he never saw the Revolution coming. Storm says if he can blindside the Professor, everyone else is easy. Mike asks him what his motives are, and Storm says he’s been here a long time and has done everything management asked him to, but management wasn’t there for him, so he’s going to start taking what he wants. Mike goes over the recruitment of the members of the Revolution, and Storm says he’s the one who will speak the truth and that’s why they follow him. Mike gives Storm credit for cashing in the title shot and winning the tag title from the Wolves, but he wants to know the long term plan. Storm says they’re not here for matches or to entertain the fans, they’re here for blood. Storm asks Tenay if he believes in God and if his mother warned him about the devil, and says she should have warned Mike about him.
Speaking of Storm, he and Abyss come out to the ring to make their first title defense…well actually, Matt & Jeff Hardy come down to ringside before the match begins. Guess we’ll find out what that’s about after this commercial break!
TNA World Tag Team Title Match: James Storm & Abyss vs The Wolves
The Wolves quickly dispose of Abyss and toss Storm over the top onto his partner, then they hit four stereo dives through the ropes. Storm comes back inside and gets caught with a series of double teams, but Abyss drags Davey out to the floor and chokeslams him in the ring apron, allowing Storm to dump Eddie hard to the floor. We’ve wound down to Storm and Davey in the ring as the Hardys stand at ringside and observe the action. Davey gets caught in the wrong part of town, but quickly fights his way out and tags in Eddie, who catches Storm with a flurry and hits the backpack driver for 2. Abyss comes in and tries to chokeslam both Wolves, but they escape, take Abyss down, and drill him in the head with stereo kicks. Storm misses a charge in the corner and falls victim to a lungblower/double stomp combo. Eddie makes a cover, but Storm is out at 2, so the Wolves set Storm up for the double top rope double stomp. Manik distracts Davey and Storm manages to dump him out to the floor so he and Abyss can hit the catapult/DDT combo. Eddie is out at 2, so Davey comes back in, tries the handspring enziguiri on Abyss, but gets caught with Shock Treatment. Eddie comes in and lays Abyss out with a charging kneestrike, but Manik is back up on the ring apron. The Hardys run in and take Manik and Sanada out, then Abyss dumps Matt Hardy and goes for Storm’s bullrope. Jeff gets into a tug of war and stumbles back into Eddie, allowing Storm to nail him with the Last Call and get the win.
Winners: James Storm & Abyss
Davey looks up at the Hardys and looks really pissed off that they cost them the match. Can’t hardly blame them.
We go to a video package looking back at the first Roode-Lashley match that Lashley won, then we go backstage as EC3 grabs a cameraman and leads him somewhere in the back to something we’ll probably find out after the commercial break.
We go back to the locker room where MVP is chewing Bobby Lashley out for not helping him out and is doing the whole “I brought you to TNA, you’d be nothing and have no MMA career if it weren’t for me” routine, and Lashley finally has enough and shoves him into the wall. King asks him what he’s doing, but Lashley shuts him down with a look, then tells MVP that he’s not here for him, he’s here to win his title back. MVP says if that’s the way it’s going to be, then good luck tonight. He tells King to come with him and they leave as Lashley glares after them.
Jeremy Borash is in the ring to say hi to the fans, but Ethan Carter III interrupts him and says that 2015 is going to be his year. But before he begins his quest to be TNA World Champion, he has some business to take care of. He razzes the fans as he gets in the ring, and as half the fans tell him he can’t wrestle while the other half says he can. He said he would take out Rockstar Spud and would take him apart piece by piece until his career is over, and he wants Spud to come out here and finish this right now. Spud comes crawling out, and we see why when Tyrus comes through the curtain behind him. Spud gets up and tries to fight Tyrus, who picks him up and slams him HARD on the floor. Ouch, that was really stiff, man! Tyrus rolls Spud into the ring and EC3 stands over him and says he took some of his hair last year, and now he’s going to finish the job. He says it’s time to let the scalping begin, and he tries unsuccessfully to start a scalp chant. Borash asks EC3 if he thinks he’s done enough, but EC3 tells Borash to stand down. Borash slaps EC3 in the face, and Tyrus grabs him by the neck for the inevitable retaliation. Instead of coming from EC3, Tyrus shoves Borash into the corner and takes him out with an avalanche, then holds Spud when he tries to save Borash. EC3 says there’s been a change of plans, and he picks Borash up to shave his head like he planned to do to Spud. EC3 quickly puzzes a big chunk out of Borash’s hair, then releases him as Spud finally manages to scurry over to his friend as EC3 and Tyrus look at them disdainfully before leaving.
King is backstage telling MVP that Lashley put his hands on him and MVP can’t let him get away with that because they made him. MVP says it’s time to go back and tell him something…I can’t quite make out what he says because they were talking quietly, but it looks like MVP has a plan here.
We see a video package putting over the history of the X Division, then it’s time for our next title match…
X Division Title Match: Low Ki vs Austin Aries
These guys had a killer match in ROH about ten years ago in New York, but they probably won’t get the time to match it tonight. Too bad, I think they ought to do a rematch on PPV. Slow feeling out process as Josh puts over that Low Ki was the third ever X Division Champion and the first ever Ring of Honor Champion. They do some basic mat work until Aries catches Low Ki with the kickout dropkick for 2. They exchange hard chops which, having seen these two live as many times as I have, are way more vicious than they look and sound on TV. Ki mule kicks Aries, but gets backdropped to the apron where Aries dropkicks him to the floor. Aries tries a heat seeking missile, but Low Ki catches Aries with a leaping enziguiri and covers for 2. Ki unloads on Aries with more chops and kicks, but Aries dumps Ki to the floor and catches him with the second try at the heat seeking missile, then rolls Ki inside and nails him with a missile dropkick, the IED, and he goes for the brainbuster, but Ki slips out and catches Aries in a dragon sleeper. Aries collapses onto the bottom rope to force a break, so Ki puts Aries on the top rope to go for the Ki Krusher. Aries tries to fight Ki off and knocks him to the mat, but takes too long getting off the corner and Ki hits him with another leaping enziguiri. Ki kicks Aries off the top rope, but Aries pops right up and dropkicks Ki onto the top rope, kicks him in the ribs, and hits the brainbuster to regain the X Division Title.
Winner and New X Division Champion: Austin Aries
Well, that was a little unexpected. Great match, but like I said, I want to see them do it again on PPV.
All the Knockouts are backstage getting ready for the Knockouts Title Battle Royal, which is up after this break.
We come back to Zema Ion and Jessie Godderz accompanying the Beautiful People to the ring, and Zema gets a mic and welcomes Robbie E back after his excursion on the Amazing Race. The crowd is big into Robbie, and he says he may not have won a million dollars, but he looks like a million dollars, and anyway it was the fault of his ex-girlfriend Brooke, who he kicked to the curb.
Knockouts Title Battle Royal: Taryn Terrell vs Gail Kim vs Velvet Sky vs Angelina Love vs Havok vs Madison Rayne vs Rebel
Battle royals are impossible to recap, but I’ll do my best here. Everyone goes at it, and the Beuatiful People double team Rebel and eliminate her. Madison is trying to make friends with Havok, but Havok isn’t buying it, so she takes a shot. No luck there, as Havok grabs Madison and easily tosses her. Gail hits Velvet with Eat DaFeet as Taryn snap suplexes Angelina. Jessie tries to distract Taryn, but only succeeds in standing there watching Angelina get eliminated by Terrell. Terrell and Gail double team Havok, but fail to eliminate her as Velvet is down in the corner. Havok has them both by the hair and dumps them to the apron, but Gail and Taryn fight their way back in and take Havok out with a double missile dropkick. Velvet takes Gail and Terrell out with a double clothesline as Brooke comes out of the crowd and attacks Robbie, and holy holy is she going to town on him. Velvet gets tossed and the entire crew runs to the back to get away from Brooke as Havok continues beating Taryn and Gail up by herself. Havok tries to powerbomb Gail to the floor, but Taryn dumps them both to retain.
Winner: Taryn Terrell
Okay, it was what it was. Havok, as you might imagine, comes back in and absolutely beats the crap out of Taryn after the match. She tosses her across the ring by the hair, picks her up by the neck and screams at her, then just dumps Taryn and stomps on her ribs before punting her. Havok hits Taryn with the spinebuster, but the lights go out and when they come back up…KONG IS IN THE RING! Well now, this is getting interesting! They go nose to nose as the fans chant holy shizzle, and Havok actually backs down for the first time! A referee gets in Kong’s face, so she chokeslams him into next week and smiles in a truly evil way.
Bobby Roode is backstage, and he’s…WALKING! And Lashley is also backstage and…that’s right, he’s WALKING! They’ll face off for the TNA World Title after this break!
It’s…MAIN EVENT TIME!
TNA World Title Match: Bobby Roode vs Bobby Lashley
They start brawling as soon as Roode enters the ring, and Roode gets the early advantage, hammering Lashley with right hands. Lashley quickly gets a double leg and takes Roode into the corner and rams shoulderblocks into his breadbasket. Josh informs us that the Hardys will face the Wolves next week as Lashley pops Roode up for a delayed vertical suplex, doing it one handed for the last few seconds before dropping the champ and covering him for 2. Lashley misses a couple of elbowdrops and Roode goes for the crossface, but Lashley makes the ropes. Roode takes him down again and gets the crossface this time, but Lashley manages to muscle his way to the ropes to force a break. Lashley slides out to the floor to break the momentum, but Roode doesn’t let up, baseball sliding Lashley and ramming him into the barricade. Lashley returns the favor, but Roode charges out of the barricade and nearly rips Lashley’s head off with a clothesline as we go backstage and see MVP and Kenny King backstage with a couple of guys in masks. Security won’t let them in, so the guys in masks lay the security guy out. Lashley has Roode in the ring and is in control as we go to commercial.
We’re back and the two men are trading blows until Lashley pops Roode into the air and flapjacks him on the mat. Lashley with more shoulderblocks in the corner before locking Roode in a chinlock. Lashley changes that up to a bearhug, and uses it to gutwrench Roode to his back for a 2 count. Lashley maintains the bearhug, but Roode gets out and nails Lashley with a clothesline that doesn’t faze Lashley. Another one and still no effect, so Roode comes off the ropes and hits a flying clothesline that finally takes Lashley down. Roode with a charging clothesline in the corner and then a Blockbuster off the second rope for 2. Roode goes for the Roode Bomb, Lashley escapes and hits the powerslam for 2. They wind up fighting on the top rope and Roode hits a sunset bomb for 2. Lashley hits Roode with his own Roode Bomb for 2, but he misses a spear and Roode hits one on Lashley for 2. MVP suddenly comes out to the ring with Kenny King and his two guys in masks as Lashley cradles Roode for 2, and Roode kicks out and gets Lashley right in the crossface. Lashley literally powers his way to his feet to escape, but Roode hits the Roode Bomb and covers Lashley for 2. Roode back to the crossface and the ref checks Lashley’s arm, but King pulls the ref out to the floor and knocks him out. Kurt Angle runs out to intervene, but gets his ass kicked 4-on-1 as Roode looks on. The masked men get on the ring apron and take their masks off to reveal Low Ki and Samoa Joe, then Eric Young runs in and chases everyone off with a chair…then nails Roode with the chair. Lashley spears Roode and covers him for the win.
Winner and New TNA World Champion: Bobby Lashley
Lashley regains the title and Eric Young looks real intense as he walks back up the ramp. Lashley doesn’t quite look sure what just happened, but he is once again the champion to wrap up the debut episode on Destination America.
Source: PWInsider
