Here are the results from last night’s (Thurs. March 2, 2017) episode of TNA Impact Wrestling (courtesy of Wrestling Inc.):
Impact Wrestling
Taped @ The ‘Impact Zone’ in Orlando, Florida
The show opens with World Champion Bobby Lashley and his opponent tonight, former UFC Champ Josh Barnett. They are both shown separately arriving to the arena.
We are now in The Impact Zone and the show kicks off with this match.
Last Knockouts Standing Match For The Knockouts Championship
Rosemary (c) Vs. Jade
During Rosemary’s entrance. Jade wastes no time and heads directly to the ramp way to start brawling with Rosemary. When they get back to ringside. Jade gets into the ring and then leaps onto Rosemary with a suicide dive. Moments later, Jade attempts a package piledriver on Rosemary but it gets blocked. Both women go through reversals and counters until Jade hits Rosemary with two straight german suplexes. Referee Earl Hebner makes the matches first official standing 10 count. When Rosemary eventually rises to her feet. Jade knocks her to the outside with a missile dropkick. She then attempts another suicide dive but this time, Rosemary strikes her in mid-air with a forearm. Rosemary then introduces weapons into the match when she throws a trash can and kendo stick into the ring. Jade picks up the Kendo stick and attempts to strike Rosemary with it, but she is unsuccessful. Rosemary then roughs up Jade for a bit. She sets her near the ropes and gets Jade in a modified tarantula submission using the ring ropes. Rosemary then strikes Jade repeatedly with the steel trash can. Jade falls into the corner and Rosemary sets up the trash can next to her. The first five minutes of this match are in the video below.
Rosemary now leaps from corner to corner to hit The Van Daminator on Jade. Moments later , She tries to strike with the trash can. Jade battles back and starts striking Rosemary with the kendo stick . Shen then lands a punt kick on Rosemary. Jade follows that up by power bombing Rosemary onto the trash can. The standing count begins by Hebner and Rosemary makes it to her feet at the count of nine. Jade attempts to leap off the top rope but Rosemary spews her mist at her in mid-air.
With Jade now blinded from the mist. Rosemary hits The “Red Wedding” on her. Jade is able to beat the standing ten count, but when she gets to her feet. Rosemary lands a sharp elbow that sends her to the outside. Rosemary then picks up Jade and hits the Red Wedding again, this time on the ringside floor. Jade is once again counted down. This time, she gets back to her feet by using the ringpost. When Rosemary sees this, She charges at Jade, who moves out of the way and Rosemary ends up running into the ringpost instead. When Rosemary gets up, She attempts to retreat and head back into the ring. Jade stops her by spewing water into her face. She then grabs Rosemary and power bombs her onto the ring side steps. Rosemary is counted down but is able to get to her feet at the last second.
Jade now grabs Rosemary and they head to the stage area. Jade attempts to power bomb Rosemary there. Rosemary counters and spews her again with her mist. An exhausted Rosemary then hits The Red Wedding for a third time in the match. This time on the stage. Both women are down for the count. Rosemary makes it back up right before the count of 10 and secures the victory.
Rosemary defeats Jade in a Last Knockouts Standing Match to retain The Knockouts Championship
After the match. Rosemary stands over Jade and Josh Mathews sells this on commentary as the final chapter in this rivalry.
Moose is now shown backstage. He addresses Cody. He calls Cody jealous and tells him that he made a mistake last week attacking him. Moose promises to come to the ring later to call out Cody….. Josh Mathews hypes up The World Championship main event between Lashley and Barnett set for tonight. He then says that The ‘Expedition of Gold’ will continue after the break.
Back from the break. The show returns and we are at The Hardy Compound in Cameron, North Carolina. ‘Broken’ Matt addresses his family at their personal zoo. On hand is Reby, King Maxel, Brother Nero, Vanguard One and Senor Benjamin. Matt tells Nero, that now that he has his abilities stored in his vessel. That he wants him to test out those abilities. Matt wants Nero to seek out his obsolete mule “Vincent Van Goh”. He wants him to communicate with his soul and test out his newfound broken brilliance.
Moose is in the ring. He grabs the mic and paces back and forth. Moose says that he doesn’t care what “Club” Cody is a part of. That he doesn’t care if Cody is the grand son of a plumber or the star that left him in the dust. Moose insults Cody and challenges him….. Mathews on commentary states that Cody isn’t here tonight. Moose says that Cody is going to regret the day he crossed him and tries to lead the crowd in a Moose chant. Mathews again sells the fact that Cody isn’t here. Moments later, Cody appears. He leaps out of the crowd, jumps into the ring and attacks Moose. Cody and Moose start exchanging strikes. Security runs out to break them up. Both Moose and Cody fight them off. Moose actually grabs one of the security members and power bombs him over the top rope. Moose and Cody then go back to brawling with each other. Moose wins the exchange and clotheslines Cody over the top rope. More security and officials come out and attempt to split the two up. The locker room empties with producers, agents and wrestlers all attempting to control the chaos at ringside. Brandi runs out and starts screaming at Cody to get him to stop. Cody promises Brandi that he is going to leave. He then grabs Josh Mathews and does the Impact audience a favor, and throws him halfway across the outside the floor. Eli Drake is now out to ringside with several others. The chaos continues and then Moose leaps over the top rope onto everyone at ringside surrounding Cody. The chaos finally settles down and the show goes to break.
James Storm Vs. Jessie Godderz
Much to the chagrin of the audience. Josh Mathews is back on commentary…. Amusingly enough though, Mathews puts himself over on commentary for being able to return to the broadcast table, only minutes after being thrown at ringside by Cody. Mathews makes mention of hall of fame commentators like Jim Ross and Tony Schiavonie. Mathews says if this had happened to them. They would be out for months but he was able to recover quickly and didn’t even need to get his ribs taped. Mathews ends up suggesting to The Pope that Cody was mistaken and didn’t know it was him. That they are good friends and that Cody probably thought he was The Pope. Mathews even takes a crack at Pope by promoting Don West and suggested that he could replace him on commentary. Mathews even goes on to say that he has elevated The Pope on commentary. He even takes a shot at Jeremy Borash. That he needs to be replaced and that he is probably out right now flying his drones…..
Evenly contested battle here between Storm and Godderz. When Jessie takes control. Eddie Kingston of The DCC show up at ringside. The distraction helps Storm re-take advantage of the match. Storm distracts the referee so that Kingston can interfere and choke out Godderz by the ring ropes. Godderz starts to rally and hits a flurry of moves on Storm. He ends the flurry with a blockbuster and gets a 2 count out of it. Meanwhile Mathews on commentary puts over his ability as an in ring wrestler and lays claim to being undefeated in his career…… Storm has now turned the tide and hits a spinebuster for a 2 count. James then goes for the “eye of the storm”. Godderz counters and attempts the Adonis crab submission. Kingston runs into the ring but Godderz knocks him down. The referee turns his back to get Kingston out of the ring. Storm misses with the last call kick. Godderz puts him back into The Adonis Crab. Storm is tapping out but the ref does not see it. Bram runs down to the ring and strikes Godderz from behind with a steel chair. Storm then hits the Last Call kick on Jessie and pins him.
James Storm defeats Jessie Godderz by pinfall
X Division Championship Match
Trevor Lee (c) Vs. Andrew Everett
The two former Helms dynasty members take to the air early here while Shane Helms watches at ringside. Everett gains the early edge when he leaps over the top rope and onto Lee at ringside. Everett continues his aerial assault and connects with a springboard moonsault onto Trevor Lee.
When the action gets back into the ring. Both men run feel speed and leap into the air. In an innovative looking spot, Trevor Lee catches Everett in mid-air and hits what looks like a fall away slam. A move which Lee calls “Collision Course”….. The Pope announces on commentary that next week “The New Owners” will be in the building at Impact. That there will be several changes announced. Mathews sells being scared of what can happen…. Trevor Lee now controls the action for the next few minutes. In another good looking spot, Trevor Lee flings Andrew Everett across the ring, and his head lands directly into the top turnbuckle. Lee then attempts to german suplex Andrew but he lands on his feet. Everett then hits a springboard dropkick. Both men now take turns spring off the ropes and connecting with European uppercuts. Andrew Everett then hits a wicked looking spike rana that plants Trevor Lee’s head directly into the mat.
Everett goes for the cover but Shane Helms pulls the referee aside and starts complaining about Trevor Lee’s neck and how it landed during the last move. Everett sees Helms and chases after him on the outside. When he heads back to the ring. He attempts to leap from the top rope with a shooting star press. Trevor Lee brings up his knees at the last moment. He then rolls up Everett, pulls his tights and gets the pinfall victory.
Trevor Lee defeats Andrew Everett to retain The X Division Championship
Back to The Hardy compound. Brother Nero is following Broken Matt’s orders. He is walking through the zoo to search for the obsolete mule “Vincent Van Gogh”. Jeff has food in his hands and starts asking the various mules, which one of them is Van Gogh. When Nero finds Vincent and starts to feed him. A Llama attempts to interfere and take the food away but Jeff runs him off. “Van Gogh” “communicates” with Nero and tells him to go get a pet shark. Jeff then has a premoneeetion that The Hardy’s will be outnumbered, and that they must go now. Nero runs over to his brother Matt and tells him that they must now transport to the next stop in their “expedition of gold”. Senor Benjamin, Reby Hardy and King Maxel come along with The Hardy’s and they use Vanguard One to transport themselves away from the zoo at the compound.
When the show returns from the break. The Hardy’s have been transported. Matt says that the seven deities have teleported them to a flea market. Jeff says that if this is the market of fleas, that there must be a wrestling match close by. Matt agrees with Jeff that the seven deities wouldn’t have transported them to a “Bingo Hall”.
When The Hardy family gets outside the flea market. They are greeted by fans who chant their catchphrases. Matt starts asking the people where the tag team champs of this territory are. They then head inside a location next to the market and find a wrestling ring, and they make their way to it…. Matt and Jeff start asking random wrestlers if they are the tag team champs. They look for the promoter and eventually find him. Matt says that he and Jeff want to go for their “National Tag Team Championships”. The promoter tells Matt that he already has a title match booked. Meanwhile, two tag team wrestlers are talking to each other backstage. Senor Benjamin walks up to one of the wrestlers and asks for his autograph… The wrestler acts all happy and says that he can’t believe that Senor Benjamin wants his autograph. Meanwhile the promoter is still talking to The Hardy’s and tells them there was a 64 man tournament for the national titles and that he can’t just change the final. Senor Benjamin has now pulled out his taser and he shocks the tag team backstage and lays them out. This team is supposedly the team that was supposed to be contending for the titles. The tag team is revealed as The Appalachian Outlaws when the promoter is informed that they have been injured. The Hardy’s ask to be booked as the replacements. The promoter says that he doesn’t have enough money to pay them. Jeff grabs the promoter and tells him that “money is for marks”. That they don’t need to be paid. The promoter agrees to the match. The Hardy’s then confront the tag champs “The Ecktourage” and inform them that they are the new challengers for their belts.
Highlights are then shown of the match.
MCW National Tag Team Championship Match
The Broken Hardy’s Vs. The Ecktourage
Another highlights package during this next and perhaps last chapter of Expedition of Gold. The Hardy’s control most of the action. The Appalachian Outlaws get involved and grab Brother Nero and bring him backstage. They double team him while Matt is left alone in the ring. The brawl is actually taking place in the flea market. Chairs and Ladders are thrown into the mix. Jeff disappears and then reappears with Senor Benjamin.They light up fireworks and shoot them at the outlaws. Back in the ring, Matt is still being double teamed until Nero returns to aid his brother. The Hardy’s then hit their twist of fate/swanton bomb combo finish and get the victory.
The Hardy’s defeat The Ecktourage to “procure” The National Tag Team Championships
After their victory. The entire Hardy family celebrates in the ring. They then pose for a photo shoot backstage with all their titles. The Hardy family transports and disappears.
Moose is now shown backstage being checked on by a doctor, as a result from his brawl earlier with Cody. Drew Galloway approaches Moose and grants him an Impact Grand Championship match for later tonight.
After the break. A video package airs that chronicles the Allie-Braxton Sutter-Laurel Van Ness storyline. Which ends with footage from the results of last week’s wedding. McKenzie Mitchell is now shown backstage. She is in a production area hyping a youtube video when she turns on the light in one of the rooms, she finds Laurel Van Ness crying on the floor. She is still in her wedding gown. McKenzie tries to cheer up Laurel. She tells her that she can find another man. Laurel starts singing and yelling how she hates Braxton and Allie.
Impact Grand Championship Match
Drew Galloway (c) Vs. Moose
Round One: Evenly contested with a lot of striking. Both men end up brawling on the outside. Moose takes control when he throws Galloway into the ring post. Galloway battles back and drops Moose onto the guardrail. Moments later with under a minute left in the round. Galloway and Moose battle on the ring apron. Galloway gets Moose up and hits the Celtic Cross on the ring steps. Galloway crawls into the ring and tries to get the ref to count out Moose but time runs out in the round.
Round One Scorecard: Judge 1 scores the round 10-9 for Moose. While Judges 2 and 3 score the round 10-9 for Galloway. Drew wins the round 29-28
Round Two: A lot like the start of round one with both men hitting heavy strikes. Moose wins the exchange and hits a pop up power bomb on Galloway. He follows that up with a standing swanton and moonsault. He covers Galloway for a 2 count. Moose stays on the offensive and hits a standing dropkick on Galloway and then a sky high from the top rope. Galloway takes a powder and bides some time on the outside to recover. The strategy pays off when Moose comes outside to go after him. Drew lifts up Moose and hits a death valley driver onto the ring apron. Moments later, Moose recovers and hits a pop up apron power bomb on Galloway. Time runs out in the round with both men down on the outside.
Round Two Scorecard: Judge 2 scores the round 10-9 for Galloway. Judges 1 and 3 score it 10-9 for Moose.
Round Three: Moose and Galloway hit a double boot at the start of the match and knock each other down. With 2 minutes left, Galloway goes for the claymore but Moose evades it. He picks up Drew and hits a buckle bomb on him. It nearly sends Drew crashing to the outside. Moose stops from him falling. He brings him back into the ring and hits the game changer. This leads to a near fall. Drew then hits a low blow on Moose. He then follows that up with The Claymore with under a minute left. Galloway connects with a tombstone piledriver. He covers Moose but he kicks out. Galloway then goes for the future shock DDT. Moose counters out of it. Both men stand toe to toe exchanging strikes. Under 20 seconds left, Galloway hits the Claymore, Moose springs back up and hits the game changer. Both men are laid out on the mat and time expires in the round.
Final Decision: Moose defeats Drew Galloway by split decision to regain The Impact Grand Championship
After the match. Drew Galloway throws a fit at ringside. He grabs one of the judges by the throat and throws his chair down the ramp way……. Before the show goes to break. A hype video airs for the main event. It features most of Josh Barnett’s promo from last week’s Impact.
Impact Main Event
TNA World Championship Match
Bobby Lashley Vs. ‘The Warmaster’ Josh Barnett
The introductions and entrance are almost as long as the match itself. The bout is about 6 or 7 minutes in real time. Billed as The TNA world title with the logo still on it. This may be the last time, It’s referred to as The TNA World Championship. As this company is now officially known as Impact Wrestling.
Both men spend a lot of time on the mat early on. Quite a few standing switches and takedowns are also a part of the early action. Barnett gets the early advantage with a succession of kicks. He gets Lashley off his feet. He starts chain wrestling and tries to lock in an armbar on Lashley. Bobby powers out and slams Barnett. He then grounds and pounds him as the show goes to the break.
Lashley is still in control when the show returns. He is beating down Barnett in the corner. Josh battles back and hits several knees. He then does a leaping high knee strike to Lashley. Bobby fires back and knocks down Barnett with an elbow. He then attempts to apply a cross arm breaker on Barnett. Josh gets out of it and hits a palm strike. Lashley battles back and hits a neck breaker. Lashley then attempts to spear Barnett but gets caught in an armbar submission. Lashley is able to break the hold when he gets to the ropes. Barnett tries to go back to the arm and Lashley finds a way to escape. Both men then start trading some stiff strikes. Lashley hits Barnett with a spear and then covers him and gets the pinfall victory. Despite an awkward looking pin attempt by Lashley where it appeared that Barnett’s shoulders came up before the count of three.
Bobby Lashley defeats Josh Barnett by pinfall to retain The TNA Wolrd Championship
After the match. Lashley celebrates with his title and heads up the ramp. As the show is ending, The Pope and Mathews hype up the arrival of “the new owners” for next week’s Impact.
