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Ken Anderson did a promo, mocking Jeff Hardy's "Creatures Of The Night" while annoying Christy Hemme. Anderson wondered if he could be one of Hardy's fans, but then said he couldn't be one, because he was "an a**holes" and that his fans, "Anderson's A**holes" would be louder than Hardy's fans. Anderson got a pop for this, and the fans delivered his catchphrase of repeating his name, prompting Anderson to say "Thanks, a**holes," which got another big pop.
Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson.
Anderson had his ribs taped as a result of Hardy putting him through a table on Impact. They two locked up and jockeyed for position. There were chants of "I'm an A**hole" and "You're an A**hole" from the crowd. Seriously. Hardy gave Anderson a spinebuster and hit some punches, then attacked the ribs. Anderson dodged a flying bodypress and Hardy fell to the floor. Anderson threw Hardy back first into the apron, and then put him back in the ring. There was a "We are A**holes" chant now. Anderson missed an elbow, and Hardy whipped Anderson into a corner and hit a forearm. Hardy went for the elevated kick in the corner, but Anderson kicked him as he came down. Anderson stomped Jeff in the midsection, then got a two count. The chant now is "Let's go a**hole" and then it was "Major a**hole" for a bit. Hardy hit a shot to the ribs to try and stop Anderson, but Anderson hit a flurry of punches.
Anderson hit some forearms to the back, then applied an abdominal stretch. Hardy powered out of it, but Anderson hit a knee to the gut for a two count. Anderson got on the second rope and jumped, but Hardy got his feet up. Anderson put on the brakes, and instead dropped an elbow on Hardy's chest. Anderson drove a knee into Hardy's back twice, then punched him in the kidneys and got a two count. There were dueling chants for Hardy and A**hole. Anderson went back to the abdominal stretch. Hardy broke out, and went for a leapfrog in the corner, but Anderson caught it and crotched Jeff on the top rope. Anderson charged Jeff, but was backdropped onto the ramp. Hardy pulled out a chair and set it up on the ramp. Hardy took a big running start, jumped off the chair, and gave Anderson a leg lariat, sending them both over the top and back into the ring. Hardy scored a two count.
Anderson and Hardy traded punches, then Hardy hit a pair of clotheslines and a Slingblade clothesline for a two count. Hardy clotheslined Anderson in the corner, then hit a bulldog for a two count. Hardy went for a suplex, but Anderson blocked it and hit a rolling Samoan Drop for a two count. Anderson went for a Mic Check, but Hardy elbowed out of it. Anderson grabbed Hardy's pants and yanked him throat first into the middle rope, then hit the Mic Check for a two count, as Hardy grabbed the ropes. Anderson pulled Jeff away from the ropes and got another two count. Jeff hit a mule kick after getting to his feet, then hit a gourdbuster. Hardy went to the top rope, but Anderson was starting to get up, so Hardy got back into the ring and kicked Anderson.
Hardy hit Anderson with a Twist Of Fate, then took off his shirt. Hardy went to the top rope, but Anderson cut him off. Anderson got on the middle rope and picked up Hardy in a fireman's carry. Hardy hit some elbows, and Anderson fell forward into the ring, with Hardy's weight landing on the back of Anderson's head. Hardy then hit a Swanton Bomb to the back of Anderson and turned him over to get the pin at the sixteen minute mark.
Winner: Jeff Hardy.
Post-match, Anderson and Hardy stared each other down in the ring. Anderson offered Hardy a handshake, but Hardy refused it and walked off. Hardy pointed to his head, insinuating that he wasn't going to fall for any tricks. He left, and Anderson had a thoughtful look on his face.
Christy Hemme interviewed Ric Flair and AJ Styles. Styles said that these were "dark days" for TNA, and that Rob Van Dam's title win was a fluke. Styles said he was going to win the title for Ric Flair, because he deserved to be "surrounded by greatness" and promised to win the belt tonight.
A video on the Sting-Jeff Jarrett match was shown.
Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett.
Jarrett's music played, but no one came out. They went to the back, and Sting, with baseball bat in hand, was pounding a bloody Jeff Jarrett. Sting rammed Jarrett into some lockers, while referees prompted him to take it to the ring. Sting used the baseball bat to pop Jeff Jarrett's shoulder out twice, and I think Jeff said "Oh s***" after the first one. They made their way to the ramp and stage area, and Sting blasted the bloody Jarrett with punches. They went to the floor, and Sting dragged Jarrett to ringside, saying "You want to play make-believe, don't you?" Jarrett clutched his shoulder, and Sting rammed him into the guardrail. Sting gave Jarrett a baseball bat shot to the leg. Sting put Jarrett's arm across the ringsteps, then put the baseball bat on it and stomped the bat into the shoulder. Sting yanked Jarrett's arm with the bat again. Sting responded to a referee by saying "You want it in the ring?" and yanked Jarrett into the ring by his injured arm. They actually rang the bell, and Sting hit a Scorpion Deathdrop and pinned Jarrett.
Winner: Sting.
Sting yelled something at Jeff, then got a mic. Sting said "You want to play the deception game, Jeff? You're no different than 'those guys' and they're going to pay just like you did tonight." Referees and trainers checked on Jarrett, and the trainers were "popping" Jarrett's shoulder back in while he screamed in pain. Sting stayed in the ring and watched them load Jarrett on a stretcher. Sting walked off, then came back and tipped over the stretcher, knocking Jarrett on the floor. Hulk Hogan walked out, and Sting got in the ring and waited on him. Hogan went to the floor and made sure the trainers could get Jarrett into the back. Sting then just left. They replayed parts of the attack, while Taz and Tenay discussed how vicious Sting was.
Christy Hemme interviewed Rob Van Dam, who said that in the past, his championships meant so little, he would forget the belt on the way to the ring. RVD said being the TNA Champion was different, and that the title meant he is the best wrestler in the world. Van Dam said he wasn't surprised to see Styles drag his name through the mud, and commented that Styles should be happy he is around, since more people watch TNA as a result, and he makes more money off it. Van Dam also noted Styles would continued to get his ass kicked as long as he kept coming after him.
They showed a video package for the main event.
World Champion Rob Van Dam vs. AJ Styles.
They did the "big match" introductions for the bout. They circled each other a lot before making any contact, with Van Dam stopping to soak in cheers. They started to trash talk, and Styles threw a kick. Van Dam caught it, went for a spinkick, and Styles ducked it. Van Dam applauded it. They locked up again, and Styles backed Van Dam into a corner by pulling the hair. The referee admonished him for it. There was more trash talk, and Styles threw a punch, but Van Dam ducked and clotheslined Styles to the floor. Styles pulled Van Dam to the outside and hit some chops. They traded punches, and they tried to ram each other into the ramp, but neither was successful. Styles jumped onto the ramp and moonsaulted off. Van Dam dodged it, and Styles landed on his feet. Van Dam then did the same move, hitting Styles. Back in the ring, Styles hit Van Dam from the apron and went for a slingshot senton, but Van Dam moved out of the ring. Ric Flair then tripped Van Dam, and Earl Hebner went to the floor and ordered Flair away from ringside. Flair shoved Hebner, and Hebner shoved back ... and Ric Flair went down.
Flair was sent away from ringside and Styles argued with the referee, then clotheslined Van Dam on the floor. Flair joined the announcers, saying Earl Hebner was a "dead man" and that he wasn't leaving. Styles knocked Van Dam off the apron and then hit a somersault dive over the top rope to the floor on RVD. Back in the ring, Styles stomped Van Dam. Flair complained about RVD's pose. Styles hit a knee drop for a two count. Van Dam sprung up and hit Styles with a spinkick. Styles reversed a whip and sent Van Dam into a corner. Styles ran into an elbow, and Van Dam went to the top rope, but Styles shoved him off and to the floor. Flair said no one was telling him what to do, and that he might have to take Dixie Carter back to his suite in the hotel.
Styles put Van Dam in the ring and got a two count. Styles applied a chinlock, then chopped Van Dam. Van Dam responded with a forearm, but Styles got the better of him with punches. Van Dam then rallied with right hands, but ran into a boot by Styles. AJ hit a tornado DDT for a two count. Styles told Hebner he needs to learn to count. Styles snap mared Van Dam and hit some kicks to the back. Styles choked Van Dam against the middle rope, then hit some punches and dropkicked Van Dam in the face for a two count. Flair discussed the importance of being World Champion, noting he was more popular than any other athlete when he would walk through the airport. Van Dam came back, dodging some shots by AJ, and hit a kick off the second rope.
Styles was checking his teeth after the kick. Van Dam hit some punches, a pair of clotheslines, then a superkick. Van Dam missed a spinkick in the corner and Styles chopped Van Dam. Van Dam reversed a whip and hit a big monkey flip. Van Dam went to the top and missed a frog splash. Styles hit a springboard clothesline for a two count. Styles rolled up Van Dam with a cradle for a two count. Van Dam hit a jawbreaker, then they traded reversals on a waistlock. AJ hit a Pele kick for a two count. Styles missed a dive in a corner and RVD hit a Northern Lights suplex with a bridge for a two count. Van Dam went to pick up Styles, and Styles rolled him into a small package for a two count.
Van Dam hit a reverse atomic drop, then crotched Styles on the top rope. Van Dam went to the top and hit a leaping kick on Styles, knocking him off the ropes and into the ring. Van Dam went for the Rolling Thunder backsplash, but Styles got his knees up and then covered Van Dam for a two count. Styles put Van Dam in a Torture Rack, then spun Van Dam into a powerbomb for a two count. Van Dam kicked away Styles as he tried to grab his legs. Van Dam got up slowly in a corner, and Styles nailed him with a flying forearm for a two count. Van Dam hit some upkicks from the mat, but Styles kicked his leg an then set up for a Styles Clash. Van Dam turned it into a sunset flip, and they traded reversals on it for two counts. Van Dam and Styles then clotheslined each other.
Both men got up slowly, and they traded shots. Styles caught a kick by Van Dam, but RVD turned it into a bodyscissors for a two count. Styles tripped Van Dam and went for a figure four, but Van Dam turned it into a small package for a two count. Van Dam backdropped Styles to the apron. Styles slingshotted in, jumped to the middle rope and moonsaulted into a standing RVD. They almost crumbled to the mat, but AJ held onto RVD and gave him a reverse DDT. AJ went for a springboard DDT, but Van Dam moved out of the way and Styles crashed to the mat.
Ric Flair started to run down to ringside, but music hit and Jay Lethal walked out. Flair looked at Lethal, then went back towards walking to the ring. Lethal stopped him, and Flair chopped Lethal down. Lethal hit Flair with a low blow, and Lethal then put Ric Flair in a figure four leglock on the ramp, keeping him from interfering.
In the ring, Van Dam was climbing to the top rope, but Styles cut him off. Styles set up for a superplex, but Van Dam battled with him as they both stood on the top rope. They jumped off, with Van Dam landing on his feet on the ring apron and yanking Styles throat first across the top rope. Van Dam hit the five star frog splash for the pin at the 25-minute mark.
Winner: Rob Van Dam.
We saw that Flair was sitting on the ramp, glaring at Jay Lethal, who had released the figure four and was by the stage. They showed a bunch of replays. We then saw RVD in the ring celebrating, while Styles and Flair were on the floor by the ramp. The announcers said the official announcement of the top ten contenders to the World Title would be made this Thursday on Impact. That ended the show.
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