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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of TNA Slammiversary 2016 from Orlando, Florida!
A note from Mike: Before we go any further, I want to make a note of the tragedies this weekend in Orlando, Florida and express my deepest personal condolences. As many people know, I am a huge theme park junkie so I have spent countless vacations in Orlando and I love the hell out of that city but the location of what happened last night shouldn't matter - the senseless loss of life on what should have just been another night out for people looking to enjoy their Saturday night is tragic and horrible. The Red Cross is overwhelmed right now with blood donations, which is a wonderful gesture from a truly wonderful community in Orlando, and if you want to truly pay tribute to those who lost their lives last night, find out where you can locally donate blood. You can find details by clicking here. What happened last night is awful. Life is far too short and choosing to let hate govern your life never ends in any way but tragic. Choose love folks. God bless all the families that are going through the worst 24 hours imaginable right now.
Onto Slammiversary: This should be a really interesting show. TNA TV has, most weeks, been very good and the build to the main event TNA championship bout has been nothing short of excellent. Tonight won't turn the tide for TNA but if the company can put on a great PPV, it will help add to the conversation that things have gotten better after the go-home show was very, very good and the Hardys vignettes received a lot of attention for their camp factor. If the crew had a good show tonight, it can only benefit TNA short term. If they don't have that show, it's another case of the company taking steps forward only to run backwards when the next big step is theirs to take.
The Slammiversary pre-show is all pre-produced material featuring video features on Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy, Gail Kim vs. Maria Kanellis (which won't be happening but there will at least be storyline related advancement tonight), EC3 vs. Mike Bennett and TNA champion Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley.
The PPV opened with the entire TNA roster standing on the stage as the company held a moment of silence for everyone who was hurt in this morning's shootings in Orlando as well as their families. Very classy move by TNA.
TNA X-Division champion Trevor Lee (with Gregory Shane Helms) vs. Eddie Edwards vs. DJ Zema vs. Andrew Everett.
They announced Helms was banned from ringside. He obviously wasn't happy about that!
Everyone battled. Zema nailed a rana on the floor on Lee. Everett was whipped into a backdrop onto the steel steps on the floor. Ouch. Edwards and Zema stomped the heck out of Lee on the floor, then tossed him into the ring. The ring officially rang and they took turns pinballing Lee before back and forth with punches and chops.
Lee pulled Zema out of the ring and hit the ring on Edwards. Edwards suplexed him out of the ring to the floor atop of Zema. Everett hit a springboard twisting corkscrew that looked awesome to the floor. The crowd chanted "TNA." Lee and Everett worked over Edwards. Lee bit Edwards on the nose. Lots of fast paced back and forth sequences. Zema speared Lee and held the ropes for Edwards to nail a tope suicida on Everett on the floor.
Lee went for the German suplex but Zema rolled through for a two count with a pinfall combination. Zema went of the top but missed. Lee caught him. Everett nailed a running shooting star press for a two count. Edwards came off the rope with a missile dropkick on the champ and Everett. Edwards nailed an inverted atomic drop on Everett and peppered Lee with chops in the corner. Everett tried to run interference but Edwards sent him into the corner for chops as well.
Everett was nailed with a Blue Thunder Bomb but Lee drilled Edwards. Lee nailed Zema and covered him for a two count. He grabbed Zema for a suplex but Edwards nailed an enziguiri. Zema went for a move but was caught with an awesome double stomp for a two count by Lee. Edwards broke up the pin and scored a two count of his own Lee. Really fun pacing and back and forth action.
Edwards went to the top and stopped to howl. That allowed Everett to attack him but Edwards fought him off. Lee grabbed Edwards but was sent off to the ring. Zema grabbed him for a superplex but Lee grabbed him and nailed a German suplex off the buckles on Zema. Everett nailed a top rope rana on Eddie for a two count.
Everett went for a 450 but Edwards moved out of the way. Everett landed on his feet but was DDT'd by Zema for another two count. Great stuff. Edwards and Lee battled back and forth with forearms and punches. Lee nailed a leaping knee on Edwards, sending him to the mat. He grabbed Eddie who surprised him with a small package and scored the pin.
Your winner and new X-Division champion, Eddie Edwards!
Fun adrenaline junkie match. Lots of really cool near falls and spots here. A fun opener.
They showed TNA champion Drew Galloway and Bobby Lashley in the back preparing for the main event.
Jeremy Borash interviewed EC3 backstage. He said it was Slammiversary Sunday and he will not rest. He said his road to redemption begins tonight. Bennett was the first person to defeat him in TNA and that loss was the catalyst he needed to become the best. He said that Bennett called himself a wrestling God. He said that just like Moses coming down the mountain with ten commandments, he was going to come down with ten fingers full of fists and Old Testament vengeance. Great promo!
They showed footage of Sting becoming the first TNA Hall of Famer and announced the latest member of the Hall would be announced this Tuesday on Pop during Impact Wrestling.
Grado and Mahabali Shera vs. The Tribunal with Al Snow
Snow cut a promo noting his hero was Donald Trump. The Tribunal worked over Shera early on, tagging in and out. Shera made a comeback on Baron Dax but was taken down and worked over with a series of right hands on the mat. The Tribunal continued working over Shera, scoring several two counts. Basille Baracca worked over Shera, who came back with a Sky High. Grado was about to be tagged in but Dax pulled Grado off the apron.
Grado finally made the tag and battled with Dax. Shera returned with big power spots. Shera has improved. Shera and Grado worked over the Tribunal with right hands. Grado and Shera celebrated and that allowed The Tribunal to work them over. Grado ducked a double clothesline and nailed Dax with a big boot as Shera pulled Basille out. Al Snow distracted the referee, who missed the cover and when he made it, Dax had recovered enough to kick out.
The Tribunal nailed Grado with Devastation and scored the pin.
Your winner, The Tribunal.
OK match. Not smooth at times but it was solid and not bad at all if you remember who was in this and graded it accordingly.
Backstage, Braxton Sutter was walking through backstage. Rafael Mori even had a cameo. He came across James Storm cutting a promo and introduced himself. He said he's been watching Storm since the start of TNA. Storm asked if he was calling him old. Sutter said he was not and asked if he could talk to James about something. They walked off camera.
Gail Kim vs. Maria Kanellis
Kim came to the ring first. Out came Maria with Allie. Allie took the mic and accused Gail of claiming she has an injury to get out of wrestling. She said Kim doesn't deserve any sympathy. Only Maria does. Maria showed off her broken hand. Kim said her knee is taped up and hurt but she's ready to go and will come get Maria right now. She left the ring but out came Billy Corgan. He said the injury was legitimate and said his own personal doctor checked them. They showed the x-rays on the big screen.
Corgan said that as soon as Maria is cleared, Gail will get her match. Maria said it may take a long time for her hand to heal and she may never wrestle again. Kim said this was garbage and Billy had to make the match happen because Maria cost her the Knockouts championship. Corgan agreed and said that he was making the Knockouts championship a three-way and it was happening now.
TNA Knockouts champion Jade vs. Gail Kim vs. Sienna (with Maria and Allie)
Lots of back and forth spots with fast near falls early on. Sienna enforced her will on Jade, choking her in the corner. Gail went for a move but something went awry. Sienna tied her upside down in the tree of woe and ripped at Jade's face. Kim returned to the fray and sent her into the buckles. Kim was placed on the top. Sienna nailed a double stacked Samoan Drop on Jade and Kim. Kim's knee must be hurt as she seems a step off for sure.
On the floor, Sienna picked up Jade for a move but Kim came off the steel steps with a kick. Jade rolled through and sent Sienna face first into the steps. They battled back into the ring. Jade nailed a top rope rana on Sienna. She went for the package piledriver but Sienna avoided it. She went for her finisher, which they said ended the career of Velvet Sky. I'm sure that's news to Sports Illustrated. Kim broke it up and nailed Sienna. She covered Sienna but Allie pulled her out of the ring. Kim chased Allie and Maria.
Marti Belle hit the ring and nailed Jade with a weapon, allowing Sienna to score the pin.
Your winner and new Knockouts champion, Sienna!
There was a lot of dysfunctional stuff here. I wish they had just gone with a singles bout, but I can see them wanting to show Kim respect by having her work on such a big show. This just didn't click in my mind.
Backstage, Bobby Lashley was interviewed by Jeremy Borash. He said that he played Drew Galloway like a puppet and now Drew is in his world as the match can only end via KO and Tapout. He demanded Borash announce him as the new champion. Borash wasn't down with that so Lashley bullied him and made him do it.
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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