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Welcome to the Impact Wrestling Report here on PWInsider.com!
We start off with a look at last week when Eddie Edwards successfully defended the TNA World Title against Bobby Lashley, but he doesn't get to celebrate for long, because he has to defend his title tonight against Feast or Fired winner Eli Drake!
Eddie comes out to the ring to open the show to a raucous chant from the crowd. He says had a lot of great support over the years, but there's also been a lot of naysayers who said he'd never have that title over his should. He learned to use that negativity as motivation, and with his never say die attitude, he beat the most dominant champion in the history of this company. Lashley thinks he got screwed, but he wants Lashley to keep winning because he's not running from him. Eli Drake comes out to the ring to confront the champion, and says that Bobby Lashley should be thanking his lucky stars that he's not going to have to face Eli Drake tonight, and while Eddie is doing it for everyone else, he's going to do something for himself by taking that title off of Eddie and check one more name off the list. Now Ethan Carter III joins the party and commends Eli on nutting up, and whichever of them wins, there's going to need to be a new #1 contender because he will choke the life out of anyone to get what he lost back. He looks Eli dead in the eyes and can see that he's not ready to be champion, and he's betting on Eddie tonight. Eli says that's EC3's problem: he's dummy enough to bet against Eli Drake. EC3 says he's not just betting against him, he's betting the whole house against him because he's not ready. Here comes Mike and Maria Bennett to share their thoughts as well! He says we've got the World Champion and two people who want to be the champion, and he asks EC3 if he bet the house against Eli Drake, then reminds him that when he bet the streak, Mike Bennett beat him. EC3 wants to hop on the road to becoming the World Champion, but he's hit a detour at Highway Miracle, and he's standing at the exit. Bennett says it doesn't matter which of them walk out with the title, he's going to win and save this company once and for all. Drake tells Bennett not to steal his catchphrase, then dummies at the crowd, says he's taking the title tonight, and #1 dummy EC3 says if he has a problem with him, then- oh wait, Drake and Bennett jump EC3 and Edwards, but that only lasts long enough for Moose to come charging out and chase the heels off.
The #1 contender tournament starts right after this break!
#1 Contender Tournament: Moose vs Mike Bennett
We're back and the match is in progress with Moose unloading on Bennett with right hands before drilling him with a dropkick. Bennett ducks out to the floor, but the referee ejects Maria and tells Bennett to get back in the ring. Bennett takes Moose down and puts the boots to his leg, and now his plan is to ground Moose to keep him from using his power. Bennett continues working over Moose's legs until Moose hits him with a pop-up powerbomb and a senton. Moose goes for his roaring elbow, but Bennett superkicked the knee out, drilled him in the face with another, and hits a piledriver for 2. Bennett counters another roaring elbow attempt to a pair of superkicks and hits an Ace Crusher for 2. Bennett baseball slides Moose to the floor and dives off the apron, but Moose catches him and hits a snake eyes onto the steps. Moose tries a spear, but Bennett moves out of the way and Moose crashes into the steps. Bennett rolls into the ring and beats the count.
Winner by countout: Mike Bennett
Great pyschology! Bennett is one step closer to another shot at the TNA World Title.
We look back at last week's confrontation between the BROKEN Hardys and the DCC that culminated with Matt Hardy getting amnesia.
Al Snow is back, he's stronger than ever, and his boys the Tribunal have a big surprise in the ring and he can't wait to see what they have for him!
Jeff Hardy comes to the Hardy Compund and asks how Matt is, and Reby says he's not himself any more, and Jeff just needs to see it for himself. We see Senor Benjamin sitting in the basement having a beverage and singing "LAID BACK WITH MY MIND ON MY MONEY AND MY MONEY ON MY MIND" (in Spanish, of course) while a sweater-clad Matt Hardy is building a new dining room in the basement. Jeff and Reby walk in and ask him what he's doing, and Matt says it's obvious that he's building a new dining room. Jeff asks if Matt remembers who he is, and turns around and says "BROTHER NERO...I KNEW YOU'D COME!" Matt asks him what the hell he's doing, and Jeff says they're the tag team champions. Matt asks if that's like the wrestling stuff on TV, and says that's violent and he's not a violent person. Jeff says he's been doing this for 25 years, and Matt says he doesn't think so, he's an engineer and we can see him doing engineering work down here. Reby says she thinks she has something that'll jog his memory and leaves. Jeff looks at Senor Benjamin as he hammers a nail into the wall, and Benjamin glances at Jeff and then quickly looks away again.
The Tribunal is in the ring, and they're here tonight to make a statement that the world will take notice of. They wouldn't be here today if it weren't for one man, and he asks everyone to stand up and welcome Coach Al Snow. Snow comes out to the ring and starts to chill with his boys when they stop him and say they would have beaten the Hardys if it weren't for him, and they don't need him. Snow says they wouldn't be here if it weren't for him, but they insist they don't need him, and that Snow has been hanging on to them since they came in. They put the boots to Snow, and Mahabali Shera comes in and is quickly confronted by the Tribunal, who tell him to get lost. He doesn't, so they beat the piss out of him too, then punt him in the ding ding.
Jessie Godderz is in the parking lot waiting for Aron Rex to get here, and we will want to watch what happens when he gets here.
#1 Contender's Tournament: Abyss vs Ethan Carter III
They scuffle early and Abyss goes for a chokeslam, EC3 breaks free, but Abyss crushes him with an avalanche in the corner. Abyss hammers EC3 for a bit until EC3 fires back with a series of clotheslines, a Stinger Splash, and a second rope dropkick. Abyss blocks the 1% and hits a chokeslam for 2. EC3 goes behind and gets a rear naked choke for the quick tapout win.
Winner: Ethan Carter III
Quick but fine for what it was.
Gail Kim is backstage, and she's...WALKING! She has an announcement tonight!
We see a video package hyping tonight's main event, then we go back to the Hardy Compound where Reby calls Matt into the sitting room. He just made some bisque, but Jeff asks him to put it down so Reby can play the OBSOLETE song for Matt. They fade away and classify themselves as obsolete...but Matt just stares at them when they throw it to him for the OBSOLETE! part. Matt asks them if it's ironic, and Jeff asks him to come for a ride. Matt asks Debbie if he can trust him, she corrects him that it's Reby, and then he goes outside and asks Brother Hero where his car is. He says it's Brother Nero, and he doesn't have a car, just a two-wheeler...you know, the one he broke his leg on! Matt doesn't comprehend.
We go to the ring where Jeremy Borash says he's out here not as Jeremy Borash the announcer, but as Jeremy Borash the friend who wants to call Gail Kim out here to say something he didn't get the chance to say at Bound For Glory. Gail comes out with the Knockouts Title belt in hand and holds it up for the fans to see. Gail thanks Jeremy for being such a good friend over the years, and indeed family, and this job has made her a better everything, and wants to thank everyone. The fans thank Gail, and all she ever hoped for was to be Knockouts Champion and inspire others, so right now, she wants to call Jade out to the ring. Jade comes out and gives Gail a big hug, and Gail says she thinks she'll be important to the future of the division, and she sees a younger version of herself when she looks at her, and she wants to let her know that she believes in her, believes that she has everything it takes to succeed in this company, and she's not only the future of the division, she's the future of women's wrestling. That's why it's important for Gail to have Jade, her friends, and the family out here for this, and she has had something she's been thinking about for the last while, and it's hard for her to say this...but it'll be a bit longer before she can, because here comes Rosemary with Decay in tow. Rosemary comes into the ring, mists Gail in the eyes, gives Jade an F5, then gets Gail in a front guillotine choke. Gail does the stupid thing I hate by trying to tap out when it's not a damn match, and Steve holds Jade back while Rosemary chokes Gail unconscious, then Rosemary releases Gail and unloads on Jade. Abyss tosses a trash can into the ring, holds it in front of Jade, waves bye bye to her, and then moves out of the way as Rosemary comes across the ring with a coast to coast that drives the trash can into Jade's face. Just like that, Rosemary has laid waste to the two top women in the Knockouts division.
#1 Contender's Tournament: DJ Z vs Rockstar Spud vs Trevor Lee
They go right to the floor, then they go in the ring, then they go back to the floor and DJ Z hits a dive. They go back in the ring, they flip, they dip, Trevor Lee tosses both of the others around, Spud clips DJ Z's leg, Trevor German suplexes Spud out of the ring, DJ Z flippy dips, Spud punches DJ Z in the ding ding and gets a cover, DJ Z kicks him off right into a fisherman's buster by Lee for the win.
Winner: Trevor Lee
This match was brought to you by Every Match Looks The Same Productions, the letter X, and the color green.
Aiden O'Shea is backstage with Robbie E and Grado saying they have a match tonight as a team, and it's a handicap match. Robbie and Grado are happy to hear this and start to leave, and O'Shea says they didn't even hear who their opponent is. He says it's Bobby Lashley, and suddenly they're not so happy.
Brandi Rhodes finds Allie backstage while shes watching one of Braxton Sutter's matches, and says they'd be cute together. She was impressed with how Allie held her own against Lana Van Ness and says she could use her help against Maria. Allie's not so sure because she still works for Maria, and Brandi says she can walk away from Maria and fight alongside her. Allie says she's sorry and walks off.
#1 Contender's Tournament: Bobby Lashley vs Robbie E & Grado
Grado goes behind Lashley and goes for a German suplex, but no dice. He walks over and tags Robbie, and Lashley LAUNCHES Robbie into the ring, pops him up for a delayed vertical suplex, and holds him up while Grado runs in and punches him in the ribs. Lashley shoves Grado away by the face, continues to hold Robbie up, and drops Robbie. Grado comes off the otp rope with a double axhandle, then Robbie nails him and puts Lashley down. They try to double team Lashley, go for a double suplex, and pop him over. Lashley dumps Robbie over the top rope, Grado fearlessley swings at Lashley, goes to the eyes, and gets planted in the mat with a spinebuster. Lashley sets up for the spear, but Robbie comes in and...gets speared. Lashley makes a cover for the easy win.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Someone didn't want to break a sweat before his MMA fight!
We look back at last week when Aron Rex cheated to beat Jessie Godderz, then we go to Aron Rex's limo and he polishes the Grand Championship Belt in the back of his limo on his way to the building. They arrive at the arena, Rex gets out of the limo to see what Jessie wants...andwe go to commercial.
Rex walks up to Jessie in his puffy pirate shirt and asks what's going on, and Jessie says he's here to kick Aron Rex's ass. Rex says Jessie lost, it's okay, he has the second best jawline in the company, and to keep at it. Jessie says it's not about his jawline, it's about kicking his ass, and he proceeds to beat the piss out of Aron Rex. Jessie chases Rex into the production trailer (which is empty for some reason), beats his ass some more, and rams him through the door back out into the garage. Jessie asks where his towel is at now, but Rex goes to the eyes, runs back ot the car, and tells his driver to take off.
Back to the Hardy Compound, where Jeff takes a terrified Matt for a ride on his dirt bike. They go the side of the lake and tells Matt to talk to Skarsgard the boat. Matt says he can't talk to a boat because it's not alive and asks Jeff if he thinks he's magical or something, and Jeff says Matt healed him in this lake once. Matt's note-taking guy shows up and Matt asks who he is, but then Jeff says to step into the lake so he can be healed too. Matt dips his toe in and says it's too cold, but Jeff tries to shove him into the lake and he falls knee deep then tells Jeff he's rude for doing something like that. Jeff says he'll go to the arena by himself, and Matt says fighting is not the answer, communication is, and tells Jeff that they should seek counseling.
It's main event time!
TNA World Title Match: Eddie Edwards vs Eli Drake
The match is underway, they trade hammerlocks and wristlocks, and Drake catches Eddie with a cheap right hand. but Eddie takes Drake to the mat and controls him there. Drake gets out and Eddie unloads with a series of chops, dumps Drake to the floor, goes for a baseball slide, Drake dodges, so Eddie gives him a Frankensteiner on the floor instead. Drake then pulls off the coolest move I've seen in YEARS when Eddie charges, Drake pops him up into a running powerslam position, but then chucks Eddie backward and BASHES his back on the ring apron. THAT...WAS...AWESOME! They go back in and Drake covers for 2, then goes to work on Eddie's back. Drake goes to the top, but Eddie follows him up and hits a superplex. They trade shots, Eddie dumps Drake to the floor, and he comes diving through the ropes that he not only crashes ribs first on the barricade Sabu-style, but he also seems to tweak Drake's arm on the barricade on the way down. That was sick. Eddie with a second rope lungblower and a schoolboy rollup for 2. Eddie to the top again, Drake runs up the corner to go for a suplex, Eddie shoves him off and goes for a double stomp, Drake dodges and hits Blunt Force Trauma, but Eddie kicks out at 2. Drake hits a uranage for another close 2, but then Eddie connects with the Boston Knee Party for the win.
Winner: Eddie Edwards
Eddie has barely been handed the belt when the DCC appears in the ring and triple team Eddie. One of them picks up the TNA World Title and drapes it across Eddie's waist,then they take off their masks one by one to reveal Eddie Kingston, Bram, and James Storm! Hell of an end to a great wrestling show.
Thanks for reading the Impact Wrestling Report here on PWInsider.com! I'll be back on Sunday to discuss Impact and more with Dave Scherer on the Stu & Pid Show!
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