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Rhino said that real men put on boots and wrestle. He asked Lashley if he saw an Octagon. He said, No, you see a six sided ring. He said that Lashley was in his world. He said that Rhino was going to bring him violence right to his face. He said that he won't quit and he doesn't submit. Rhino said he doesn't feel pain and tonight, he was going to rip Lashley in half with a gore. Real good Rhino promo but seriously, to try and claim Lashley is a top MMA fighter is hilariously bad, storyline or not. That never should have been stated.
Rhino vs. Bobby Lashley.
They acted like this was a major moment for TNA by having Lashley wrestling and MMA at the same time. Rhino tried to get in the first shot but Lashley caught him and began beating him in the corner with strikes. Lashley suplexed Rhino. Rhino caught Lashley as he charged in the corner. Rhino went to the floor to regroup but Lashley followed. They battled outside near the ramp.
Rhino whipped Lashley into the railing. He worked over Lashley on the floor. Back in the ring, Rhino nailed a spinebuster for a two count. He slammed Lashley into the turnbuckles, then nailed him across the back. Rhino dropped a knee over Lashley's back and smothered him with a choke. Rhino continued to work over Lashley's back.
Rhino continued to control the bout with right hands, then locked on a rear chinlock. Rhino misses a charge and Lashley began cleaning house. He whipped Rhino into the corner and nailed a series of shoulderblocks. Lashley went for a spear but Rhino moved and the referee got killed. Rhino nailed the gore and a second referee counted two. Rhino charged Lashley but was nailed with a right hand knockout punch and pinned.
Your winner, Bobby Lashley!
Match was OK. I didn't get the impression the fans live were really into Lashley. Match was fine.
Jeremy Borash interviewed AJ Styles and Sting. Borash noted that Styles went from wanting to retire to being in a World title bout with his mentor Sting. Styles said that when he got out of his funk, he made a promise to himself - no more excuses. He said he was going to leave the building TNA champion. Sting asked him if he was ready and Sting said it was showtime then. He said that it was time for one of them to make tonight the first night in the rest of their lives. Styles had a good serious promo. Sting was Sting.
TNA champ Kurt Angle vs. Sting vs. Matt Morgan vs. AJ Styles
As Jeremy Borash introduced TNA champ Kurt Angle, Hernandez came out and announced he was cashing in his TNA championship match. Angle was pissed about it. Angle yelled at Hernandez and punched him in the face. Hernandez shoulderblocked Angle and then flung him across the ring. Hernandez picked up Angle for a high vertical suplex. Everyone else just stood there watching. He dropped Angle and then clotheslined him over the top. TNA then rang the bell and everyone began wrestling.
Hernandez slammed Angle into the announcer's table. Styles and Sting began working over Morgan. Hernandez hit a suplex on Angle outside on the ramp. Morgan backdropped Styles over the top top the floor. Hernandez and Angle battled on the ramp and went for the Border Toss on the ramp but Eric Young nailed him from behind in the legs with a baton. Young then hit a piledriver on the stage. The announcers pointed out Hernandez' neck surgery.
Back in the ring, Morgan and Sting took turns ping ponging Morgan with punches. They nailed a double suplex on Morgan. Sting and Styles faced off as the trainers checked out Hernandez on the stage. Styles drilled Sting with a dropkick. Styles dove off the apron onto Angle and Morgan. Morgan recovered first and dragged Sting out of the ring.
All four battled outside. Morgan tried to build an alliance with Angle as they agreed to pair off on Styles and Sting. Sting tossed Morgan into the railing outside. In the ring, Angle went for a piledriver but Styles reversed it. Angle caught Styles with an anklelock but Styles escaped and rolled him up for a two count. Styles pulled Angle out of the ring, flipping him with a rana-esque move.
Back in the ring, Sting was caught by Morgan with a kick. Morgan began peppering him with back elbows in the corner. Morgan teased a sideslam on Sting, then dropped him and covered him for a two count. Outside, Angle nailed a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker on Styles on the floor, then returned to the ring.
Angle and Morgan began working over Sting together. You know that won't last long! Morgan held Sting for Angle, who began nailing him in the gut. They continued to work over Sting. Styles returned with a dive off the top on Morgan. Morgan grabbed him with a Fall Away Slam. Sting began nailing Morgan with a series of kicks. Sting turned his attention to Angle and clotheslined him over the top but turned into a kick by Morgan. Morgan covered him for a two count.
Styles began working over Morgan but was caught with an overhead belly to belly suplex by Angle. Angle slammed Styles. Morgan then scooped up Styles and tossed him far across the mat. They took turns stomping Styles. Styles escaped an Angle charge but was caught with a Morgan kick.
Morgan nailed a sideslam on Styles for a two count. Styles avoided a Morgan big boot. Morgan crotched himself on the ropes and Styles nailed the Pele Kick. Angle drilled Styles with a German suplex. Sting nailed a missile dropkick on Angle, but grabbed his left shoulder, which the announcers noted. Sting began punching Morgan and Angle. He slammed each of them and hit the Stinger Splash on them. Sting began punching Morgan in the corner.
Angle grabbed Sting with the Angleslam but Styles broke up the pin at two. Styles went for the Angleslam but Styles reversed it and hit the Styles Clash. Morgan kicked Styles in the mush at two. Styles caught Morgan with a kick to the head. Morgan whipped Styles into the corner. Styles kicked him off but was caught with a clothesline as he leaped off the ropes. Morgan hit the Hellavator but Sting broke up the pinfall attempt.
Sting hit the Scorpion Deathdrop on Morgan but Angle broke up the pinfall. Angle whipped Sting into the corner but missed a charge. Sting locked on the Scorpion Deathlock but Angle turned it into an anklelock. Morgan nailed the Carbon Footprint, turning on Angle. He charged Sting, who dropped down and Morgan went to the floor. He began grabbing at his thigh.
This left Sting and Styles in the ring. Sting looked at Styles, then left the ring and dove on Morgan. Styles hit a 450 springboard splash and scored the pin on Angle clean in the middle.
Your winner and new TNA champion, AJ Styles!
TNA dropped confetti as Christopher Daniels hit the ring to hug him. TNA fans hit the ring to celebrate with Styles. TNA had staffers recruiting fans to do that before the show and it created a pretty nice moment to close the show. The story of Sting "giving" Styles his chance to win the World title is an interesting one. Jeremy Borash was in the ring to get a promo from Styles afterwards but you couldn't hear the audio. Tenay said it would air on the TNA website.
We closed with a PPV promo for Bound for Glory, which certainly looks to be Styles vs. Sting based on the advertising.
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