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Welcome to our coverage of TNA Hard Justice. We will be updating this page throughout the night with reports on the show, so check back often for updates.
The PPV pre-show was the "Road To Hard Justice" special from SpikeTV focusing on Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe, with commercials pushing the Doomsday Chamber of Blood match and the appearance of Pacman Jones. I have to say, it seems strange to me how the special focuses on the athletic merits of Joe vs. Angle, with both men talking very seriously about the championship at stake. Meanwhile, on Impact, Angle is a blubbering basket case with Karen Angle being the focus of the storyline, something that wasn't even mentioned during this special until the final lineup rundown.
The PPV event opened with a video package focusing on the Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe match, primarily Karen Angle leaving Kurt Angle and saying their marriage is over. Don West and Mike Tenay welcomed us to the show, then we saw footage of Pacman Jones and his "entourage" (looked like two teenagers) arriving in a black Hummer earlier today. The live crowd booed, although when they went back to the crowd they showed a pro-Pacman sign. Tenay and West then ran down the card for tonight. This was followed by a video package on Pacman Jones and the media attention surrounding his appearance in TNA.
The Motor City Machineguns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley vs. Sonjay Dutt & Jay Lethal vs. Triple X (Christopher Daniels & Senshi, with Elix Skipper at ringside).
Everyone started going at it before the bell, including Skipper. Dutt and Lethal cleared the ring out, then Dutt squared off with Shelley. Shelley blocked a Shining Wizard, but Dutt knocked him out of the ring. Sabin came in, but Dutt took him down with a headscissors. Triple X xame in and worked over Dutt. Referee Earl Hebner managed to get Skipper out of the action. It finally settled into a tag team match. They kept cutting away to show "Police" (guys in T-Shirts that said POLICE on them) there for Pacman Jones' security, and to show empty chairs at ringside that were "reserved" for Karen Angle and a guest. Fast-paced action in the match, but no one really took control. Sabin shoved Lethal to the floor at one point, and Senshi slammed him on the floor. Daniels threw him back in, and Sabin & Shelley continued to work over Lethal, hitting a double suplex and a pair of legdrops for a two count.
Shelly stood on Lethal's hair and pulled up on his arms. Lethal fought back against Shelley, but Shelley decked him with a back elbow. Senshi tagged himself in off of Shelley's back, then hit Lethal with a dropkick for a two count. Daniels tagged in and threw Senshi into a legdrop on Lethal. Lethal fought back, but Daniels took him away from his corner and tagged in Senshi, who hit a powerdrive elbow. Senshi wrenched Lethal's neck, then decked him with a back elbow. Senshi threw Lethal in her corner, and Daniels stood on Lethal as he was slumped over the middle turnbuckle. Daniels put Lethal in a chinlock, and Lethal fought back. Lethal hit a leg lariat off the middle rope and made the hot tag to Dutt. Dutt gave Daniels a rana and shoved Senshi off the apron. Sabin and Shelley came in, but Dutt took them down with a springboard moonsault. Dutt then did a rope walk and gave Daniels a rana for a two count. Dutt went for a rollup, and went into a camel clutch, but Shelley broke it up with a superkick. Dutt and Shelley went at it, with Dutt hitting a Shining Wizard. The match started breaking down, with everyone running in and knocking each other down, culminating with Lethal, Daniels and Sabin all decking each other with clotheslines. There was a TNA chant.
Dutt and Shelley went at it on the floor, and Lethal dove onto them. Daniels then moonsaulted onto Lethal on the floor. Senshi gave Lethal a pescado, while Sabin gave one to Daniels. Dutt then did a top rope moonsault onto everyone on the floor. As they got up, Daniels rammed Dutt into the guard rail and threw Sabin into the ring. Sabin hit a big running kick, then put Daniels in the Tree of Woe. While Hebner tried to untie Daniels from the Tree, Skipper ran in, crotched Sabin on the top rope, then hit the ropewalk rana. Daniels covered for a two count. Shelley hit Daniels with a kick, then Senshi hit Shelley with an elbow. Lethal then took down Senshi, Sabin took down Lethal, then Dutt took down Sabin. Dutt and Lethal managed to get Daniels isolated, but then Sabin & Shelley broke things up as they went for a cover. Sabin and Shelley worked over Lethal, but Dutt broke up that cover. Sabin and Shelley piled up Lethal and Dutt for a double team face plant, but Senshi broke it up. Senshi slammed Shelley and went to the top rope, but Dutt stopped Senshi. While Dutt fought Senshi, Daniels gave Shelley an STO. Daniels put Dutt in a torture rack, then Senshi came off the top rope, onto Dutt's stomach, then into the double stomp on Shelley on the mat. The crowd went nuts for it. Lethal broke up the cover. Triple X cleaned house, and Senshi went to the top rope, but Lethal shoved Daniels into the corner, knocking Senshi to the floor, and Lethal rolled up Daniels for the pin at the fifteen minute mark.
Winners: Sonjay Dutt & Jay Lethal.
Backstage, Jeremy Borash went into Samoa Joe's dressing room, to find Karen Angle drinking champagne with some bald-headed guy. Karen said she was looking forward to being the "former Mrs. Kurt Angle". She gave Jeremy her glass and told him to leave and shut the door, implying she was going to get busy with the guy. Borash left, chugged the champagne, then went off to tell Kurt Angle.
Raven vs. Kaz
Raven was accompanied by Havoc and Martyr. Raven got on the mic and told Kaz he was willing to forgive everything and let him back in Serotonin.Kaz hugged Raven, then caned him with his kendo stick. Raven backdropped Kaz out of the ring, but Kaz landed on Havoc. Martyr tried a dive, but Kaz moved out of the way. The story was that Kaz was staying one step ahead of Raven, until Raven nailed him with two legsweeps into the guard rail. Back in the ring, Raven hit some legkicks and a victory roll for a two count. Raven grabbed a kendo stick and choked Kaz with it. Kaz fought back with punches, but Raven gave him a kneelift that sent him over the top rope and to the floor. Martyr and Havoc worked over Kaz at ringside. They rolled him back into the ring and Raven got a two count. Raven hit a lariat and a boot to the face. Raven hit some crossface shots, then slapped Kaz a few times. Kaz fought back with right hands, then hit a leg lariat. Havoc and Martyr ran in, but Havoc ended up superkicking Martyr when Kaz moved. Raven shoved them for messing up, and Kaz clothesline then from the ring. Kaz then gave Havoc, who was on the apron, a rana from the top rope to the floor. Raven nailed Kaz with a kendo stick and rolled him into the ring. Raven went for a DDT, but Kaz blocked it. Kaz knocked Martyr off the apron, ducked a Raven clothesline and hit a jumping kick for the win at the six minute mark.
Winner: Kaz.
Jeremy Borash told Kurt Angle that Karen brought a date with her to the show. Angle said Borash was lying, then asked Borash if the date was younger than him. Angle told Borash to point him in the direction of Joe's locker room, and took off.
A video package on the James Storm-Rhino feud was shown.
James Storm, with Jackie Moore, vs. Rhino - Barroom Brawl
This is basically an Anything Goes match, but a bar is set up at ringside with stools, bottles and a mannequin. There was also a card table set up in the ring with chairs. The announcers said they hadn't seen Rhino all day. Rhino ran out and threw a chair from the ring at Storm in the aisle, but the chair actually went into the crowd. They started brawling and immediately went into the crowd. Storm hit Rhino with a trash can, but Rhino fought back and dragged Storm up into the stands. Rhino dominated most of the fighting in the crowd, but Storm reversed a whip and Rhino made the obligatory "hole in the wall under the stands" that we see pretty much every PPV. They made it back to ringside after four minutes of brawling in the crowd. Rhino hit Storm with the bar stools. Rhino opened a beer and chugged it down, which is shocking since this whole storyline was based on Rhino being a former alcoholic. Rhino sprayed beer on Jackie Moore and pounded Storm some more. Rhino took a mini-keg and sprayed Jackie with it, then drank some more. There was a toilet set up at ringside (seriously) and Rhino tried to put Storm's head in it, but Storm stopped him and fought back, hitting some shots with a crutch. Storm suplexed Rhino on the rampway.
Storm then charged Rhino, and Rhino backdropped Storm onto the bar, which collapsed. Rhino picked up a bottle of vodka and chugged some, then chased it with some beer. The announcers put over how sad it was that Rhino had fallen off the wagon. Rhino rammed Storm's head into the toilet. Rhino then sat on the toilet. Then he decided to go get a ladder instead. Storm reversed a whip, but Rhino backdropped him to the apron, and then shoved him to the floor. Rhino bridged a ladder between the ring and the guardrail, but never got to use it, as Storm got back in the ring. Rhino took out a table and a trash can, then hit Storm with the lid. Jackie ran in and attacked Rhino, but Rhino lifted her for a press slam. Storm stopped him from slamming her and hit him with a trash can lid. Storm threw Rhino over the top rope, and he crashed through the ladder that has been set up at ringside earlier. Storm rolled Rhino into the ring and hit a series of right hands. Rhino hit Storm with a belly to belly suplex, then set up a table in a corner. Rhino gave Storm a spinebuster, then set up for a Gore through the table. Storm moved and Rhino went through the table alone. Storm covered Rhino for a two count. The announcers tried to put over that Rhino was "a step off" because he had taken two drinks during the match. Storm hit Rhino repeatedly with a trash can, then a chair shot to the head. Storm gave Rhino a one-man Conchairto. Storm waited for Rhino to stagger to his feet, then hit a superkick. Storm picked up a beer bottle, then broke it over Rhino's head and got the pin at the 14 minute mark.
Winner: James Storm.
Coverage continued on next page.
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