The Countdown to TNA Against All Odds gets underway from the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
* Ash, Heather, & M by Elegance defeated Xia Brookside, Harley Hudson, & Myla Grace. The Elegance brand were dressed as devils to honor the ASU Sun Devils. The match broke down into moves all around. Ash stood tall to do a dance. Grace grabbed a waist-lock. Ash reversed into the ropes, and the Personal Concierge hit Grace with the devil fork. Ash won on a swanton.
* The return of the IInspiration take place after the pre-show opener. After the match, the Personal Concierge hyped his team. Elegance were interrupted by the return of the IInspiration (IIconics). Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee posed on stage to make clear that they want the Knockouts tag titles.
* Steph De Lander comes out and bullies the commentators to gloat about the De Lander Warner Era, and how Mance Warner will be leaving tonight as the new TNA International Champion.
* Out next comes Santino Marella and Arianna Grace to talk about the TNA Director of Authority match for tonight against Robert Stone. Stone ends up coming out with Victoria Crawford and Tessa Blanchard. It is revealed that Matt Cardona will be the special referee for the Santino-Stone match later tonight.
* The pre-show wraps up soon after this, and the main pay-per-view portion of the show gets underway. Kicking things off in the opening match will be Steve Maclin vs. Mance Warner for the TNA International Championship. After a little over ten minutes of action, which saw the match outside of the ring nearly as much as inside, it was “Bulletproof” Maclin who emerged victorious, retaining his TNA International title in the process.
* The Hardys came out accompanied by Leon Slater after their opponents made their ring entrances first. With The System at ringside, Matt Hardy gets on the microphone and announces “The Home Town Star” (Cody Deaner dressed up as a masked man) is their tag-team partner. This eight-man tag bout then gets underway. Home Town Man had a good showing, but the finish was about Slater. Moose speared him out of the air. When Moose went for a second spear, Slater countered for a roll-up to win. Slater just pinned the X-Division champion.
* John Skyler comes down to join on special guest commentary for the next match. Jason Hotch comes out next, followed by Mustafa Ali. The bell sounds and a battle between members of the same group begins. Ali bridges out of an early pin attempt and seems to be taking Hotch lightly. Tight cradle from Hotch, backslide as well, both just getting a two-count. Ali catches Hotch on a corner dive and delivers a quick snap German suplex on the apron!! Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker delivered onto the edge of the apron too, nice! Back inside the ring, low springboard cutter connects. We see a wild tornado DDT off the top-rope from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Hotch hits a Pele kick and a standing Spanish Fly. Ali fights back and ties up the referee, but Tasha Steelz refuses to cheat on his behalf. Ali hits a satelitte DDT and a 450 splash, but refuses to pin him. Skyler didn’t like that. Ali goes for another 450 splash, but Hotch gets his knees up. Hotch tries charging at Ali, but Ali launches him overhead into the turnbuckles. He climbs up and hits another 450 splash for the win. Hotch tries shaking Ali’s hand afterwards, but Ali simply walks away.
* The IInspiration’s return from the Countdown to TNA Against All Odds pre-show earlier tonight is shown. We return live backstage, where Gia Miller is standing by with the duo. Jessie McKay and Cassie Lee say they’ve been gone from TNA for three years. They say the Elegance brand doesn’t dominate, instead, they are back to “IInspire.”
* The First Class Penthouse segment with Mike Santana is up next. AJ Francis and KC Navaro loudly aired their grievances with Santana while the crowd tried to drown them out with boos. Francis assumed Santana wasn’t in the building — until Santana appeared from the crowd. Despite Francis bringing his own security team, Santana fought his way through them. Francis uses Navaro as a shield, allowing Santana to slam him through a table. Francis then smashed a champagne glass over Santana’s head before fleeing the scene.
* Masha Slamovich defends her TNA Knockouts Championship against Lei Ying Lee in the next match of the evening. Lee pushed the pace with strikes. She had a sweet counter by catching a high kick into a stretch muffler suplex. Slamovich rallied for an avalanche Death Valley driver. The finish saw counter escapes from move to move, then Slamovich got the upper hand for a piledriver to win. After the match, the lights went red. Killer Kelly returned. She was Slamovich’s former tag team partner. Kelly dropped the symbolic steel chain at Slamovich’s feet. It seems like Kelly wants a shot at Slamovich. Indi Hartwell was on commentary during this one.
* Joe Hendry and Frankie Kazarian make their respective ring entrances. Their singles match is up next. Hendry was aggressive with slams. Kaz took control by targeting the left leg. He did serious damage. That didn’t stop Hendry from his signature moves, such as a one-legged fallaway slam. Hendry went for the Standing Ovation slam several times, but he could never execute the finisher. Kaz was quick on defense. At one point, Kaz had the chicken wing submission locked in tight. Hendry faded with the arm shooting up with life at 3. Hendry mounted Kaz for punches in the corner. Kaz slipped down low for a chop block on the knee, then he rolled up Hendry with feet on the ropes for leverage to win.
* The Nemeths (Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth) defend their TNA World Tag-Team Championships against The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) in the next match of the evening. Ryan was in trouble down the stretch. Nic saved his little brother by shoving Wentz off the turnbuckles. The Nemeths double-teamed Trey. Danger Zone from Nic and a Hollywood Ending from Ryan earned the win. With the win, The Nemeths retain their TNA tag titles.
* Santino Marella and Robert “Sheriff” Stone do battle next for the right to call themselves the TNA Director of Authority going forward. Backstage before the match, Stone tried to bribe special guest referee Matt Cardona. Cardona didn’t turn down the free money. Arianna Grace, Tessa Blanchard, and Victoria Crawford were ringside for this one. Despite the bribe, Cardona called a clean match. He stopped his count when Stone had feet on the ropes for leverage on a roll-up. Cardona also blocked Stone from using the sheriff badge as a weapon. Referee is a difficult job though. Cardona was often distracted, and that allowed physical interference from Blanchard and Crawford. When Santino had momentum to strike with the Cobra, Tessa snatched the Cobra and ran away. On the finish, Arianna helped her father by shoving Stone on the turnbuckles. Santino hit his moves, but he was lost without the Cobra. Arianna passed him a backup Cobra. Santino struck Stone with the Cobra to win. With the victory, Santino remains the TNA Director of Authority.
* It’s main event time. The TNA World Championship is on-the-line, as reigning champion, WWE NXT Superstar Trick Williams, defends against Elijah. Elijah has vowed to regain the TNA title for the company tonight. The two make their way to the ring and this one gets underway. Elijah and Trick Williams battled in a back-and-forth match with high energy and several near falls. Early on, Elijah controlled the action around ringside, while Williams used his athleticism to shift momentum with big strikes and slams. Both men exchanged signature offense, including a sit-out Death Valley Driver from Williams and a helicopter slam from Elijah. AJ Francis got involved late in the match, tripping Elijah and sparking a ringside brawl. Elijah nearly turned things around, but interference continued. Williams tried to use Elijah’s guitar, then capitalized on Francis handing him the title belt. After hitting Elijah with the belt and sending him into an exposed turnbuckle, Williams connected with the Trick Shot knee strike to pick up the win. With the win, Trick Williams, an “outsider” from the TNA roster, remains in control of the top prize in the company as the reigning TNA World Champion.
(H/T: CageSide Seats)
