The show opens with comments by announcers Mike Tenay and Don West as they show the wrestlers arriving for tonight’s PPV. They remark that the Main Event Mafia arrive without Sting, who arrives later on his own. Team 3D arrive together.
Next is a video talking about the combatants in tonight’s PPV, and their quests to make their marks in wrestling history.
Tenay and West are at ringside to welcome fans amid a display of pyro, and talk about tonight’s card.
X Division Championship Match
Eric Young
vs.
Alex Shelley (C)
Eric Young has insisted that Shelley’s partner Chris Sabin not be at ringside. This high flying, high impact match gets the crowd hot and cheering for the rest of the show. Young and Sabin set a fast pace with loads of reversals and near falls to make this an exciting contest.
One of the highlights is when Eric slingshots off the ropes for a flying cross body onto Shelley on the floor. Shelley gets the advantage when Eric tries a leap off the top onto Alex on the floor, but Shelley side steps and Young lands on his ribs on the guard rail.
Eric goes for a Death Valley Driver off the top, but Shelley slides off and his face hits the turnbuckle. Shelley plays injured, causing the ref to pull Eric away. As EY argues with the ref, Shelley sneaks up and gets the pin with a rollup, in the same way he defeated Sabin to get the title.
Jeremy Borash interviews Kurt Angle, who has two security guards with him. JB asks Kurt about Sting arriving separately from MEM, and Kurt says it’s just a natural rivalry, and the Heavyweight Title will stay with MEM, whichever of them wins.
“Maple Leaf Muscle” Petey Williams
vs.
“Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner
Tenay and West point out that while Steiner has a size and power advantage, Williams has a speed and endurance advantage. The crowd is solidly behind Petey. Although Petey gets in some good offense, Steiner’s power is too much, and Scott gets the advantage but keeps refusing to pin Petey, pulling him up at the two count over and over.
Petey makes a comeback, and even attempts a Canadian Destroyer, but Scott escapes. Petey decides to play possum himself, and rolls up Steiner but only gets two. Later. Petey tries a hurricanarana, but Steiner catches him and powerbombs the Canadian. Then Petey gets caught in the Steiner Recliner but manages to force Scott over to the ropes for the break. Towards the end of the match, Scott gets a few chants from some fans.
Steiner gets the win with a Steiner Screwdriver pile driver. After the match Scott tells the fans he doesn’t want or need chants from the white trash. He hits Williams with a fall away suplex off the top, and then goes for the Steiner Recliner, but he stops when Samoa Joe’s music plays. Joe doesn’t come out though, they just play a video of Joe threatening to make Scott the first of his victims when he returns.
They cut back to Jeremy Borash with Mick Foley and Sting. Foley says he just doesn’t want Angle to win, because he doesn’t want to give the belt to someone he can’t stand. Sting objects to Foley’s criticism of his team mate, but Foley says that he’s not saying it’s “not a professional rebuke, just a personal observation.” Sting accepts that, and says he’s going to defend his belt and remain the champion.
Borash asks Sting about facing Angle, and Sting says that whichever of them wins, the MEM will still joining together to fight for respect afterward.
Open Challenge Match
Brutus Magnus
vs.
Chris Sabin
Tenay mentions that Magnus was a member of the UK Gladiators as well as a wrestler in the UK. Brutus delivers a promo putting down ignorant American fans as well as lager swilling English football fans and weak aristocrats. Sabin is clearly the crowd favorite, but Brutus has a big power and size advantage on Sabin.
The match is a good mix of mat wrestling, power moves, and X Division style, as Magnus is very agile despite being noticeably bigger than Shelley. At one point, Sabin tries for a cross body block off the turnbuckle, but Magnus catches him in midair. Sabin makes a comeback, and even hits Brutus on the floor with a cross body block off the top.
In a complicated finish that involves the referee falling into the ropes and accidentally crotching Sabin on the top turnbuckle, Magnus gets the win with his Tormentum finisher.
Lauren interviews Team 3D, who say that Sting and Angle are making a big mistake by overlooking them in the Heavyweight Title match. They go on to say that no matter what happens tonight, they will remain brothers and 21 time World Tag Team Champions, because “Dudley blood is thicker than water.” Then they tell Lauren to come with them while they go talk to Sting.
Knockouts Championship Match
Awesome King (C) with The Kongtourage: Sojourner Bolt, Rhaka Khan & Raisha Saeed
vs.
ODB
Jim Cornette had ordered the Kongtourage not to be at ringside tonight, but they come out with Kong anyway. Cornette comes out after them and orders the ref not to start the match until the Kongtourage leaves. Then he tells the Kongtourage that Kong will forfeit her belt to ODB if they do not leave by the time he counts to ten. Kong tries to assault Cornette, but ODB stops her, and the Kongtourage are forced to leave.
ODB and Kong brawl around ringside, and when they finally do enter the ring, ODB puts the boots to Kong, then nails her with a bulldog, but only gets two. The fans are solidly behind ODB. Later, ODB scoop slams Kong, a first in TNA. Kong wins the brutal match with the implant buster and retains her title.
Lauren is there with her microphone as Team 3D talk to Sting. They say they know that deep down Sting hates what the rest of MEM is doing with the beat downs, and that tonight is the night he can redeem himself and do the right thing. Ray says that MEM stands for ego, but Sting stands for respect, and just in case the old Sting shows up, 3D will have his back.
After 3D leave, Lauren tells Sting that Angle told her to tell him that he has something to say to him.
Legends Championship Match
Referee Shane Sewell
vs.
Booker T (C) with Sharmell
Booker starts off the match by showboating and stalling, refusing to even look at Shane Sewell. When they finally lock up, they go to a collar and elbow tie-up, and Shane quickly forces Booker back into the ropes, so they break. Booker grabs a wrist lock, but Shane quickly reverses Booker’s hold and forces him to go for a rope break.
Booker eventually gains the advantage and tries humiliating Sewell. When the ref Slick Johnson tries to stop Booker’s illegal moves, he goes after Johnson and tries to intimidate him. Finally, it’s too much for Shane, and he loses his temper and unloads on Booker. Shane seems about to win when Sharmell grabs his ankle and trips him, allowing Booker to hit the axe kick and get the win.
When Booker goes to beat down Sewell, AJ Styles runs out to a huge pop, and makes the save. After Booker and Sharmell retreat up the ramp, AJ grabs Booker’s belt and says what got him to where he is, is his dream of becoming a legend. A legend isn’t the one with the most money or the biggest car, it’s when you go out every time and give the fans the all you have. Now it’s time for AJ Styles to “step up and be that legend — there can be only one, the Phenomenal One, AJ Styles.”
Lauren is with Matt Morgan, begging him to give Abyss another chance at being partners. Morgan refuses, saying Abyss was the weak link of the team, and if she comes near the ring, he will lay her out right next to Abyss.
“The Monster” Abyss
vs.
“The Blueprint” Matt Morgan
Don West says that Morgan had surgery earlier this week for a strep infection in his shoulder, and Mike Tenay adds that Morgan is wrestling against doctor’s orders.
This is an all out brawl, not a wrestling match. They battle up to the top of the bleachers, where Abyss rams Morgan’s head into the metal barrier. Morgan slumps down onto the bench, but Abyss does not let up. On the way back down, Morgan his Abyss with a mule kick to the head.
When they finally return to the ring, Abyss goes under the ring and starts throwing trash cans and chairs into the ring. When he gets back into the ring, the ref Rudy Charles stops him. As Abyss is talking to the ref, Morgan hits him with the Carbon Footprint.
They battle on, with the ref often having to stop Abyss from using a chair or his bag of tacks. Then Abyss charges Morgan, who steps aside, causing Abyss to bump the ref. Morgan slams Abyss with the chair, and then goes for the pin, but by the time Rudy can make the count, Abyss kicks out. Morgan choke slams Abyss onto the chair but only gets two.
Abyss Black Hole Slams Matt, and Ref. Slick Johnson runs out, but Abyss only gets two. Abyss hits Morgan with another Black Hole Slam and gets the win. Then he dumps the tacks and tries to slam Morgan on the tacks, but Morgan escapes.
They cut to Borash with the MEM, where Booker T is crying about AJ Styles having his belt. Kevin Nash tells him to calm down, and it’s not about him. Sting comes in to talk to Angle, who tells Sting that only MEM care about him, because they are his family. Sting and Angle hug, but after Sting leaves, Angle tells Nash to keep an eye on Sting.
TNA World Tag Team Championship Match:
Lethal Consequences, Jay Lethal & Consequences Creed
vs.
Beer Money Inc., James Storm & Robert Roode (C), with Jacqueline
Creed has his shoulder taped, and Tenay and West wonder if his injury will affect the outcome of the match. Beer Money work a classic tag team strategy, keeping their opponents isolated on their side of the ring and working them over; They also go in and out without legal tags whenever the ref is not looking. First they work over Lethal, and later Creed, concentrating on his shoulder. Jacqueline also interferes throughout.
The match is a balanced mix of X Division and power moves, fast paced and action packed, with numerous near falls. The end comes when Jacqueline hands a steel chain to Storm, who wraps it around his hand and slugs Lethal, knocking him out so Roode can cover him for the pin.
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
“The Icon” Sting (C)
vs.
Brother Ray
vs.
Brother Devon
vs.
Kurt Angle
Mick Foley joins Tenay and West at the announce desk and quotes Randy “The Ram” Robinson from The Wrestler, “Brother, I’m good to go.” [Incidentally, Mickey Rourke won a BAFTA Award tonight for his performance.] Sting plays to the crowd as he makes his entrance, giving the Stinger yell to the kids lining the entrance ramp.
As you’d expect, the match starts off with Ray and Devon united against Sting and Angle, brawling inside and outside of the ring. When Ray and Devon are finally alone in the ring for long enough to have to face off against each other, Ray hits the mat and allows Devon to make the pin, but Angle quickly breaks it up. Later, when they find themselves in the same situation, they does some nice holds and exchanges, but then they say no, and start slugging it out, which is more their style.
Foley and Tenay kid around, and at one point West asks Foley what it’s like to finally announce without having someone screaming into his headpiece. Foley then shouts, “Watch those pronouns, Tenay!”
The match is an old school brawl, with plenty of action. They battle all around ringside, using railings, chairs, camera cables, and anything else they can find. Ray and Angle collide and bump heads, leaving Angle bleeding from his forehead. Ray gets Sting in a Figure Four leglock, and Devon gets Angle into a Boston Crab. Finally Angle rolls through to escape, sending Devon out of the ring, and instead of trying to free Sting, he tries to pin him.
Sting confronts Angle, and Angle attacks Sting’s knee, which is already weakened from the Figure Four. Sting comes back with a series of clotheslines and a Stinger Splash. The finish comes when Brother Ray clotheslines Angle over the ropes to the floor. Sting then hits Brother Ray with the Scorpion Death Drop to retain the title.
Kurt Angle is clearly upset as he goes back up the ramp without congratulating Sting. Mick Foley goes into the ring and congratulates Sting.
This was another good PPV from TNA, with not one bad match on the card. I recommend you get the replay.
TNA’s next PPV is Destination X on March 15 at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.
— Karen Belcher
Courtesy of ProWrestlingDigest.com