Impact Coverage by Bobby James
July 17, 2014
From the Manhattan Center in New York City, IMPACT Wrestling opens with Kurt Angle reintroducing TNA’s iconic 6-sided ring!
Taz enters through the crowd and says he was part of the last wrestling revolution – the crowd chants “ECW!” Taz declares that the locker room is full of men and women who will lead the next wrestling revolution – “The mood is about to change!”
Bully Ray and “The Innovator of Violence” Tommy Dreamer enter the IMPACT Zone. Bully praises NYC as the greatest wrestling city on the planet and promises tonight will take the wrestling world by storm! He vows to make good on his promise to put TNA President Dixie Carter through a table!
The crowd chants “We want tables!” Tommy Dreamer takes the mike and reminisces about a special night in 1997 – when wrestlers like Bully Ray and himself were given national exposure for the first time. He thanks fans for their continued support.
EC3 and Rhino interrupt. EC3 says Bully is only putting his Aunt D through a table over his dead body. Rhino threatens the crowd and says they should respect EC3 because he’s a Carter, to which they respond, “You sold out!”
As EC3 begins to talk, the crowd chants “You can’t wrestle,” to which EC3 replies, “I disagree – I’m very good!” Then he refers to NYC as “The big crap-ple!”
Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer attack!
MATCH #1:
BULLY RAY & TOMMY DREAMER vs. EC3 & RHINO
EC3 and Bully Ray are in the ring to start. Bully, with a hot crowd behind him, keeps EC3 reeling in the corner with a series of punishing chops. He tags Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer hammers EC3 with his own series of chops before hitting a suplex. Bully and Dreamer exchange tags, until EC3 makes the tag in Rhino, who rushes into the ring and dominates.
EC3 tags back into the bout, but misses a diving attack that allows Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer to shift the momentum. Across the ring from one another, Bully and Tommy mount a series of punches on their opponents. Rockstar Spud enters the IMPACT Zone to cause a distraction.
Following Spud’s intervention, Rhino changes the complexion of the match. EC3 continues to build upon Rhino’s advantage, but Dreamer is able to make the tag to Bully. Dreamer and Bully toss Rhino from the ring and double team EC3 for a two-count! Rhino attacks Bully and Dreamer and then takes his assault on Bully to the outside.
Spud hops onto the apron to provide another distraction, which EC3 uses to roll up Tommy Dreamer for the win.
Winners: EC3 & Rhino
Backstage: Kurt Angle says the fans are ready for some X-Division action before announcing Austin Aries will compete in an 8-man gauntlet match for the X-Division Championship!
[PAGE BREAK]
Backstage: James Storm confronts and slaps Sanada. Storm says Sanada is too disciplined and that he’ll end up a loser and choke artist.
MATCH #2:
Gauntlet Match for the X-Division Championship
AUSTIN ARIES (c) vs. EDDIE EDWARDS / TBA
Austin Aries squares off against tag team champion Eddie Edwards. Mike Tenay reminds fans that tonight’s contest is an over-the-top-rope elimination style match. He says a new competitor will enter every 90 seconds!
Edwards and Aries are so evenly matched that before either can gain the advantage, Christy Hemme is counting down from ten and Manik enters the bout! Manik infuses the match with a substantial amount of electricity – the pace drastically quickens until Davey Richards is announced as the fourth competitor.
The Wolves work together against Manik until Aries reenters the fray. DJ Z is the fifth entrant into the match. As soon as DJ Z enters the ring, he’s dropped to the canvas. Bodies are flying everywhere when Manik leaps from the turnbuckle and catches DJ Z with a hurricanrana that sends both competitors to the arena floor. Manik and DJ Z are eliminated.
Crazy Steve and Tigre Uno have joined the match when IMPACT returns from the break. Sanada is announced as the final competitor. Sanada blitzes the ring and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake.
Crazy Steve sprays Tigre Uno with silly string before eliminating him. The Wolves eliminate Crazy Steve! Sanada then reverses the charges of The Wolves and eliminates the tag team champions. Christy Hemme announces the match is now scheduled for one fall.
Aries sends Sanada flying from the ring, then drives Sanada into the barricade with a racing suicide dive! After some back and forth action, Sanada hits Aries with a springboard clothesline and a bridging pin attempt. Aries out at two!
Sanada attempts a moonsault, but Aries counters and attempts a knee breaker that Sanada reverses into a Tiger suplex! Sanada misses another attempt at his moonsault and is caught by Aries with two discuss forearms and a brainbuster!
Winner: Austin Aries
Backstage: Bobby Roode and Eric Young are backstage talking about teaming up. They discuss MVP being their common enemy and their upcoming match against MVP and Kenny King.
Backstage: James Storm greets Sanada backstage. Storm calls him a loser then savagely attacks him before yelling, “Muta is a fraud, and so are you!”
Backstage: Dixie Carter has arrived.
Backstage: Jeff Hardy hypes his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Bobby Lashley.
MVP says despite having a torn meniscus, he’s in the ring to compete. Kenny King says he can beat Bobby Roode and Eric Young by himself. MVP says he’ll still compete, but that he’ll do so “under protest.”
MATCH #3:
MVP & KENNY KING vs. BOBBY ROODE & ERIC YOUNG
Kenny King trash talks Eric Young to start the match, earning himself some aggressive offense from EY. Eric Young dominates Kenny King and scores an impressive dropkick! EY drags Kenny King to his corner and tags Booby Roode.
King is able to shift the advantage and tag out to MVP. While Kenny King holds Roode’s arms, MVP begins climbing into the ring. Roode escapes the hold and MVP rushes back to the outside, allowing Roode and EY to double team Kenny King.
MVP hits EY with a cheap shot, distracting the former champion long enough to be hung up on the top rope by Kenny King. King and MVP capitalize and mount a series of double-team attacks. King sets EY on the top rope, but he counters with a flying cross body, then tags Bobby Roode.
Bobby Roode locks in a cross-face on MVP! King breaks the hold. EY sends King to the outside. MVP assaults Bobby Roode with a crutch, earning the disqualification. After the match, MVP and Kenny King continue their assault on EY and Bobby Roode with the crutches.
Winners: Bobby Roode & Eric Young (via DQ)
MATCH #4:
No Disqualification
BRITTANY vs. MADISON RAYNE
Madison Rayne jumps on Brittany with a Thez press as the bell sounds. Madison dominates early-on with a series of clotheslines before driving Brittany face-first into several turnbuckles.
Brittany headbutts Madison, then flips to the outside. Madison hits Brittany with a baseball slide then scores a flying cross-body. Madison attempts a suplex on the ramp, but Brittany counters with a back drop.
Brittany drives Madison hard into the apron, then rolls her into the ring. Brittany attempts a pin following a side Russian leg sweep. Madison begins fighting back, but all her efforts are thwarted by Brittany – who tosses Madison to the outside.
Madison counters a DDT attempt with a suplex. Madison rolls Brittany back into the ring and is finally able to mount some offense. Madison hits Brittany in the side of the head with stiff kick, but Brittany powers out of the pin attempt.
Madison drops Brittany for the three-count.
Winner: Madison Rayne
Backstage: Dixie Carter says she’s in New York city because she owns TNA and because, unlike Bully Ray, she’s more bite than bark.
Backstage: Kurt Angle and Austin Aries discuss “Option C.”
MAIN EVENT:
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
JEFF HARDY vs. BOBBY LASHLEY (c)
Christy Hemme introduces “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy first. Hardy’s followed by the World Heavyweight Champion, Lashley.
The crowd is vocally behind Jeff Hardy as the opening bell sounds. Lashley dominates early with a hard clothesline and a spear into the turnbuckle. As Lashley attempts another turnbuckle assault, Hardy counters, sending the champion flying across the ring.
Lashley rolls out of the ring and Jeff Hardy flies over the top rope with a cross-body. Hardy positions the steel steps – in an effort to mount some kind of offense. Lashley counters, sending Hardy crashing down shoulder and face-first onto the unforgiving steel.
Lashley whips Hardy back-first into the steps before returning the action to the ring. Lashley chokes Hardy on the middle rope and continues his in-ring dominance. Hardy fights out of a torture rack and shifts the momentum in his direction.
Hardy battles back with a series of offensive moves including a dropkick and the Whisper in the Wind. Lashley hoists Hardy up for a slam, but Hardy reverses and nails the Twist of Fate! Hardy climbs the turnbuckle and comes crashing down with a Swanton Bomb! He covers, but Lashley powers out at two.
Hardy takes the action outside and slams Lashley face-first onto the steel steps. As Lashley lies motionless on the stairs, Hardy climbs the turnbuckle and attempts a second Swanton, but Lashley moves and Hardy crashes hard on the steel!
Capitalizing on Hardy’s misfortune, Lashley tosses his challenger into the ring and stalks him until tearing Hardy in half with a massive spear!
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Backstage: Kurt Angle says Bobby Lashley has proven that he’s the champion, when Dixie Carter passes by and says she’s going to the ring to talk to her people.
Backstage: MVP, Bobby Lashley and Kenny King are celebrating, when Kurt Angle walks in and books MVP vs. Bobby Roode in a Falls Count Anywhere match next week!
In the ring, Rockstar Spud introduces “The only flower in the Big Apple” and “The most influential woman in all of professional wrestling…” Madame Dixie Carter!
Dixie is escorted to the ring by EC3 and Rhino. She begins by insulting the New York City crowd. She says she appreciates the love they feel for her, but that she doesn’t feel the same about them. She calls NYC a dump and says, “I had to wear extra sparkles tonight, guys – just to give a little shine to this place.”
She refers to NYC as a classless place and that they’re all like Tommy Dreamer. She says Dreamer came back begging her to fix professional wrestling – but you don’t fix what’s already perfect.
Her focus then shifts to Bully Ray, who she says she’ll continue to put through table after table.
Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer enter the IMPACT Zone carrying a table with “DIXIE” painted on it. Bully and Dreamer attack Rhino, EC3 and Spud. Bully climbs the turnbuckle and as Dreamer begins hoisting Dixie up to Bully Ray, her henchmen make the save. Dixie and Co. retreat, but Devon returns and tosses EC3 back into the ring.
The crowd chants “Tables! Tables! Tables!” Team 3D sends EC3 crashing through a table and they celebrate as IMPACT goes off the air.
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