We start with a look at last week as Robert Roode was ordered to defend the World Title against Jeff Hardy in a match where he’d lose the title if he was intentionally disqualified, and did end up losing by DQ, but saved his title because it was due to interference from Bully Ray and not anything he did on his own.
In the meantime, James Storm defeated Kurt Angle to earn a shot at the winner of the Roode-Hardy match, and he comes out to start the show and say how good it feels to be the #1 contender. He said Kurt Angle is the greatest wrestler in the history of the business, but he said he was going to beat him and he did. Now Bobby Roode will have to stand face to face with him at Against All Odds and get his ass whooped, and all he has to say to him is that he’s sorry about Roode’s- wait a minute, Storm is cut off by Jeff Hardy’s music, and the Charismatic Enigma himself comes out in his “sleeping on a park bench” duds to high five fans and get his name chanted. Well, while he’s out here, he also has some stuff to discuss with Storm. He got screwed at the PPV and again last week, and it seems the Creatures keep getting screwed, and he wants Storm to know that nobody else gets a shot at Roode until he has his final encounter with him. Storm says he got screwed too, and with all the screwing he’s been doing, Roode’s got to be paying a lot of child support by now, but- wait, here comes the World Champion! He tells Hardy and Storm to stop it so they can all get along for once. He’s flattered that they’re fighting over a shot at his title, but he reminded Storm that Sting said he’d become the #1 contender to the winner of the match between himself and Hardy, but since there was no winner, that means that Storm’s title shot is now null and void. As far as Hardy’s concerned, he’s allabout giving to the needy, but come on, he came him two title shots within five days and Hardy failed both times, so no more title shots for him either.
Sting’s music hits, and I have a feeling he’s going to set things straight. Shouldn’t Roode be expecting this when he comes out and says these things by now? Sting congratulates Roode for finding a loophole with the Bully Ray thing, but we’re going to fix this all tonight by having a #1 contender match tonight, IN THIS VERY RING, between…Who? Jim Neidhart is wrestling tonight? He says it’s going to be between Jeff Hardy and James Storm, and bids the fans ta-ta for now. As Mike Tenay says, short and to the point and a good way to start the show.
Tonight: Madison Rayne faces Mickie James in a steel cage!
The Mystery Cameraman is backstage asking Angelina Love how she feels about Eric Young getting up close and personal with her, and she says that it was disgusting, but if he wants to put his hands on her, to come to the ring and face her in a match tonight and to leave her boyfriend ODB at home.
Gunner vs AJ Styles
Tie up to start and AJ takes Gunner to the corner, but breaks clean. Gunner shoves him, so AJ slaps him and kicks at Gunner’s knee. AJ with a side headlock, but Gunner shoots him into the corner and clubs him from behind with a double axhandle. AJ counters a hiptoss attempt to a backslide for 2, then shoots Gunner to the ropes and hits a dropkick that sends Gunner scurrying to the floor. Gunner is angry, and kicks the stairs until the guy who’s going to be showing up at the competition’s Hall of Fame ceremony comes over to calm him down. Gunner heads back in and chops at AJ’s throat and rains down with heavy elbow smashes and a hard vertical suplex for 2. Gunner with a seated bearhug on AJ, lets him go briefly to attack the ribs, and goes back to the bearhug. AJ does a smart job of escaping the bearhug by shimmying his arm between Gunner’s hand and indeed escapes, but comes off the ropes right into a high knee from Gunner that gets 2. Gunner with a big kneedrop off the ropes for 2, AJ tries to fire back with right hands from his knees but Gunner shuts him down. Gunner shoots AJ to the corner and goes for a charge, but AJ gets the boot up and takes him out with a clothesline, then goes out to the apron and comes back in with a springboard forearm. Christopher Daniels drags Frankie Kazarian down the ramp and tells him he knows what he has to do and to do it as Gunner gets AJ in a fireman’s carry. AJ slips out and hits an enziguiri, but Flair distracts the referee as Kazarian jumps up onto the apron and clotheslines AJ, setting Gunner up to hit a NASTY spike DDT for the win.
Winner: Gunner
Excellent match, and I’m glad to see Gunner’s push has returned, he could use a bit of momentum coming off the losses to Garett Bischoff. Gunner pulls back the ringside mats and Kazarian looks like he wants to help, but Daniels stops him and AJ has to escape on his own and go into the crowd to save himself.
Brutus Magnus is backstage with Samoa Joe and says he’s ready and he’s going to take it to that meathead Crimson. Matt Morgan and Crimson come in and Crimson says they can go right now, but Morgan says to save it and take care of Magnus in the ring. Magnus closes the promo by turning to the Mystery Cameraman and assuring him that he’s got this.
Bully Ray is backstage with Sting and he knows that Sting’s not happy with him, but he hasn’t lost one singles match since he’sbecome a singles wrestler, so he wants Sting to do him a favah and grant him a title shot. Sting says he’s not going to do him a favah, and to remember that he’s the boss and Bubba’s the employee, and next time he wants to talk to him, to make an appointment. Bubba says he doesn’t make appointments because he’s Bully Ray, and Sting shoves Bubba hard on the chest and takes off his sunglasses, then when Bubba doesn’t do anything, Sting says he thought so and walks off as Bubba stares angrily after him.
Brutus Magnus vs Crimson
Magnus jumps Crimson from behind before the bell and nearly tears through him with a running clothesline. Magnus chokes Crimson with his knee, then pops Crimson up and drops him in a vertical suplex. Magnus goes for a series of pinfall attempts, but can’t get morethan a two count, so he repeatedly rams Crimson into the turnbuckle instead. Magnus tries a charge in the corner, but Crimson catches him coming in and hits the Red Sky for the win.
Winner: Crimson
Quick, but Magnus looked great here. Samoa Joe runs in and attacks Crimson from behind, beating him down to the mat and putting the boots to him before knocking out the referee when he tries to intervene. Joe goes back to beating down Crimson and yells at him to get up. Magnus comes over to join in and chokes Magnus out with his boot, and now FINALLY Morgan runs in to save his partner, but barely makes a dent before Joe clips Morgan’s knee and then they hit their tag team finish on Morgan and Magnus looks really pleased with himself as Joe just looks like he wants to kill someone. We see Crimson laid out on the floor as Joe stands over Morgan and gets right in his face shouting at him.
Eric Young is running around somewhere and sees a giant poster for a Bellator Fighting Championship show and thinks about becoming a pro fighter. He sees one of the catering women come over and he wants to spar with her, but she says she’s just a caterer and not a fighter. Young says it’s okay because he doesn’t fight women, but ODB comes over and says he’s got a match tonight. Young seems less than enthusiastic, but ODB says if he does a number on Angelina, she’ll do a number on his booty. My mind fills up with all kinds of ideas of what that could have meant,but Eric assumes she meant holding hands and that’s just one step away from marriage.
We take a look back at Garett Bischoff standing up to his father last week, and mentioning that he’s got a new trainer, then we go to a training montage as Garett Bischoff trains hard to become a professional wrestler while mixing in his regular MMA training. He finally turns to the camera and tells his old man that he can’t wait to get back to the Impact Zone and see the look on his face when he finds out who his trainer is.
From there, we go to a video package detailing the history of the latest chapter of the Mickie James-Madison Rayne feud leading into last week when Sting made tonight’s cage match. We then go to the Knockouts locker room as Madison’s freaking out over having to do this match, but Gail Kim tells her to relax because they’re a team and she’ll be there for Madison just like she always has been for Gail.
Time for main event #1!
Cage Match: Mickie James vs Madison Rayne
Gail walks off before the match, leaving a perplexed and terrified Madison alone to face Mickie in the cage. Mickie goes right after Madison, yanking her down by the hair and plowing over her with a clothesline before putting the boots to her in the corner. Madison tries to climb out of the cage, but Mickie carries her out to the middle of the ring and hits a sitout powerbomb. Mickie looks like she’s dropped some weight recently and looks in good shape as she hits a snapmare and running boot to the face for 2. Mickie catches Madison in the Tazmission, and Taz just describes the hold and says she might get a submission out of it, completely no-selling how many matches he’s won with that very same hold. Madison does manage to escape and PUNTS Mickie square in the face. DAMN THAT WAS UGLY! We’re at commercial while Mickie pulls her jaw out of her nose.
Okay, we’re back and Mickie has recovered enough to fire off several forearms in the corner, but Madison goes to the eyes and tries to climb the cage. Mickie drags her down and hits a flapjack and tries to go to the top rope, but Madison nails her and hits a neckbreaker over the top rope. Madison grinds Mickie’s face into the cage and hits a snap suplex, then rolls through and gets a textbook neckbreaker for 2. I was hoping she’d do two more suplexes so I could call in the Three BFFs, but alas. Madison yanks Mickie down to the mat by the hair, then humps Mickie’s face repeatedly into the mat, or as Mike Tenay calls it, a scissor stomp. Madison goes to a rear chinlock, Mickie tries to fight out, but Madison gets a kneelift to the ribs and shoots her to the corner, charges in with a running knee, then a spinning bulldog puts Mickie down on the mat. Madison yells at Mickie to get up and then whips her to the corner, following in with a butt splash a la Yokozuna, albeit with far less mass to do damage with. Indeed, Mickie still has enough to hit a neckbreaker out of nowhere, and Madison slams her face into the mat, but Mickie elbows her and then repeatedly slams Madison’s face into the mat. They go strike for strike before Mickie connects with a series of clotheslines and forearms, but Madison again breaks the momentum by going to Mickie’s eyes. Madison with another kick right to the head and covers Mickie for 2, then mounts her and drills several right hands into the skull of Mickie. Madison tries to ram Mickie into the cage, but Mickie reverses and sends Madison into the steel with an audible thwack, then does it again before hitting the spike DDT for the win.
Winner: Mickie James
Austin Aries is backstage saying that all he’s going to do is talk about what he’s going to talk about in the next segment, and people still can’t tear themselves away from the TV, and then says to imagine how amazed people will be when he actually goes out to the ring to say what he’s got to say. What a card that Austin Aries is!
We go backstage as Tara and Velvet Sky are all “OMG OMG OMG” as Mickie comes to the back after her match and tell her how hardcore she is. Mickie says she feels amazing, but there’s one more girl she wants to get her hands on and she’s coming for Gail Kim’s Knockouts Title. Madison screwed her over and over, but Gail was really quick to leave Madison hanging and then talks about a knee injury she suffered last time she faced Gail before the girls go to celebrate with some shots.
Jeff Hardy is backstage saying he’s been screwed twice now, and he’s in desperate need for a payoff, and that payoff’s going to be the World Title. It’s not fair, and it would be better to get Roode in a no DQ match, but right now he has to beat James Storm and earn another shot at the World Title.
We go to a video package as Austin Aries puts himself over as not just the best men, but the greatest man and nobody’s going to stop him. He walked in wearing a shiny, turquoise outfit and people don’t take him seriously, but he’s a tough MF and he uses that to throw people off their game. He’s had to be smart his whole life because he’s never been the biggest or strongest, but he may have been the toughest and smartest and he might just have to retire with the X Division Title.
Speaking of Aries, the X Division Champion makes his way out to the ring in a slick button down shirt and grabs a microphone out of So Cal Val’s hand to share his thoughts on SOPA and Rick Perry dropping out of the GOP nomination race. Oh yes, and he also says everyone’s going to need to excuse him for sounding like a broken record, but this is the time of month when he comes out after another successful title defense and says again that there’s nobody here in Impact Wrestling who’s in his league. He’s beaten every X Division wrestler put in front of him, and the fans can say he sucks all they want, but if he sucks so bad, how come he’s still holding the X Division Title? Crowd starts chanting for Aries, and he says that if they think he wants them chanting his name, they’re sadly mistaken because he doesn’t need a bunch of nobodies telling him that he’s the Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. There’s nobody in the back to take him on, so maybe it’s time to set sail and see if there’s real competition elsewhere because there’s obviously none in Impact Wrestling.
Suddenly, the Motor City Machine Guns music hits and Alex Shelley comes out to go face to face with a man he knows very well and has battled many times. Shelley thanks the fans for their cheers and tells them he missed them, and says that he separated his shoulder a year ago and four mounths later, he comes back and Chris Sabin tears his ACL and goes on the shelf as well. Shelley’s life has always revolved around wrestling, with some punk rock and video games thrown in. He was going to wait around and come back with Sabin because he knows the fans love the MCMGs, but he wishes TNA PPVs came with a noose because Aries’ matches are so painful to watch. I can think of other reasons I wish they came with a noose, but I’ll continue recapping as Aries says he wants men to challenge him, and Shelley tells him to shut up because last time he faced Aries, he had to low blow him to beat him. Aries says that’s all very sad and it’s too bad Sabin’s not here because he’s been latching onto his coattails for three years because before they teamed up, Shelley was nobody. Shelley says if he sucks so bad, then he should have no problem putting that title on the line against him. Aries says he needs to earn a title shot just like everyone else around him, so he suggests Shelley go to the back and find an X Division wrestler he’s beaten, which is all of them, and when he beats them, he’ll get a title shot. Shelley says he’ll let Aries pick his opponent, and then when Shelley beats him, he’ll be coming for the title at Against All Odds. Another great promo, really good stuff!
ODB is backstage getting liquored up, and the Mystery Cameraman asks what she wants EY to do to Angelina tonight. ODB says she wants her to go tear Angelina’s weave out and all kinds of stuff like that, but Winter runs in and attacks ODB from behind and they brawl until Winter cracks ODB in the ribs with a metal pipe, then takes her belt off and whips ODB with it, then chokes ODB with the belt and tells her that they’re going to take care of her little boyfriend.
Angelina Love vs Eric Young
Eric goes and ties up with the referee, and Angelina keeps telling him to fight her, but he keeps going back to tie up with the referee. The referee finally has enough and says he’s the official and he needs to wrestle Angelina, so Eric goes to the floor and ties up with a fan instead. He finally comes back into the ring and tries to shake her hand, but instead goes back after the referee and gets a go behind into a waistlock, then uses his body to bulldoze Angelina into the corner and counts at him for a break. Angelina finally has enough and kicks Eric in the cajones…
Winner: Eric Young by DQ
…and then she and Winter begin pummeling Eric and stomping the crap out of him. ODB runs in and goes after Winter, but Angelina blindsides her and the two of them put the boots to ODB. Winter gets her belt again, but EY grabs the belt out of her hand and dumps the both of them to the floor. Eric is still holding his nuts, but helps ODB back to her feet so she makes out with him. Angelina looks absolutely appalled from the rampway, and even ODB can’t help but smile at Eric before they walk out arm in arm. What a crew.
James Storm is backstage saying he’s all in for otnight because he helped build this company and he’s seen people come and go, but it’s his time to be World Champion and he’s not going to let Hardy stop him. The Mystery Cameraman asks if he’s been watching Hardy’s matches, and he says of course he has because he needs to do his homework when he wants to be the World Champion. The time for talking is done, and it’s time to go do it and prove that he can be the World Champion in this company.
It’s main event time!
James Storm vs Jeff Hardy
They tie up and Storm takes Hardy down with a side headlock, but Hardy escapes and gets a headlock takeover of his own. Storm pries Hardy off with a headscissors, then they trade armdrags with Hardy again coming out on top. Storm makes it to his feet and gets a headlock, Hardy fires Storm into the ropes and Storm takes Hardy down with a shoulderblock. Hardy comes back with a series of clotheslines, then a double leg takedown and the double legdrop to the nads. Storm dodges a charging forearm in the corner and both men go down as we head to commercial.
We’re back, and Storm gets backdropped to the apron on a charge into the corner and Hardy knocks him to the floor and comes over the top rope to wipe him out with a dive. Hardy slams Storm’s face into the ring apron and rolls him back into the ring to cover for 2. Storm starts a comeback and hits a slingshot suplex that was not quite Tully Blanchard quality, but still good enough for a two count, and then he goes to a rear chinlock. Hardy gets a Russian legsweep and the double leg cradle for 2, then comes off the top rope with the Whisper In The Wind for 2. Now Hardy goes to the chinlock, but Storm gets out and goes for the Eye Of The Storm, Hardy slips out, but Storm with a move that starts like an Air Raid Crash, but then spins Hardy around and plants him face first like the Wave of the Future. It looked cool, anyway. Storm sets for the Last Call, but Hardy blocks it and hits a Twist of Fate. Hardy tears off his shirt and goes up top for the Swanton, but Storm nails him to disrupt the move. Storm goes for a top rope superplex, but Hardy shoves him off into the ring and goes for the Swanton again, but Storm with a leaping enziguiri and goes back up for another shot at the superplex. He hits it this time and makes a cover, but Bully Ray casually slides into the ring and lays the referee out, then takes the chain out of his pocket and begins whipping both Storm and Hardy with it. He takes a sip of Storm’s beer and spits it in his face, then goes back to working them over with the chain. Okay, I think it’s fair to call it…
NO CONTEST
…at this point. Another referee comes out but Bubba lays him out too and goes back to enjoying himself with the chain until, finally, Sting comes out and goes after Bubba with the bat, laying in several nice shots and sending Bubba running to the back with Sting in pursuit. After all that, Bobby Roode now comes into the ring and lays the both of them out with the title belt, then takes a microphone and tells the fans that with the power vested in him as the most dominant World Champion in the history of Impact Wrestling, he declares this match a no contest. Hey, great minds think alike. He then declares himself still the World Heavyweight Champion and mugs for the camera as Storm and Hardy are both out cold. Storm finally starts to stir and stares out at Roode as his former partner makes his way back up the ramp with the belt held high.
Source: PWInsider.com
