TNA Wrestling returns tonight.
TNA iMPACT takes place this evening at 9/8c from Denver, CO.
TNA World Championship: Mike Santana (c) vs. Eric Young
The show is getting off with a bang, as the TNA World Championship is on-the-line, with Mike Santana defending against Eric Young in a high stakes opening contest.
Last week, Young delivered a piledriver to Santana after babbling about how TNA needs saving. I don’t thing Santana disagreed, per se, but he was pretty mad about the piledriver. Nic Nemeth gets whoever the champion is at Slammiversary. It could be Young, could be Sanatana. Heck, it could even be me, but that’s very unlikely.
After the ref did the thing where he held up the belt so everyone could see, the match was on. Santana just kind of hung out in the corner, seemingly encouraging Young to come get him. When he didn’t, Santana hit a superkick and jumping slam for an early two count.
Santana continued taking it to Young with a cannonball in the corner and a sit out powerbomb. Young tried a come back, but Santana put it down with some well-placed chops on the outside. Young managed to turn the tide and sent Santana shoulder first into the steel steps, then hit a neckbreaker on the apron (the worldliest part of the ring!)
Back from a commercial break, Young was in control, sending Santana flying over the top rope to the outside. Young rolled him back in for a cover, but Santana kicked out at two. Young started jawing at the ref before throwing some rights at Santana in the corner.
Young went up top, but Santana met him there with a big Spanish Fly. Santana kipped up and big booted Young leading into a spinning kick. Santana countered a waistlock into a bulldog and then a cutter, but Young wasn’t ready to quit.
Santana called for Spin The Block, but Young dodged and knocked over the ref in the process. Santana connected with a second Spin The Block, but there was no ref to make the count. Young kicked Santana right in the shnutz and grabbed the belt while Carlos Silva did nothing.
Young clocked Santana with the belt then hit a pile driver. The ref came to and started counting, but Santana got his hand on the ropes to break the count.
Then Ricky Sosa’s music hit and he came wandering out to the top of the entrance ramp. Young was distracted enough that Santana was able to roll him up and retain the title.
Match Result: Mike Santana defeated Eric Young to retain the TNA World Championship
Young then chased Sosa up the ramp while Santana got to his feet, clutching his neck. But of course, that conjured Nic Nemeth who considered cashing in his trophy but then helped Santana to his feet instead. Nemeth grabbed a mic and said he didn’t want to be Champion that way because he’s a man of his word.
Then while the crowd chanted “do it now” Nemeth challenged Santana for Slammiversary, a match that as you may recall, was already booked. Since that was the case, Santana accepted and we all pretended that this was a shocking development.
-Backstage, International Champion Mustafa Ali and Order 4 were interviewed about his match tonight with KC Navarro. Ali said that KC Navarro’s uncle passed away this past week and Navarro wants to dedicated their match to him. Ali said that tonight, Navarro will lose, just like his uncle. He then offered Order 4’s condolences.
Elijah vs. Mr. Elegance
Last week, AJ Francis revealed that he had signed Elijah to a Name/Image/Likeness deal with out telling him and he now owned the rights to all of Elijah’s music, name and, well, likeness. That made Elijah so mad that he felt the need to take it out on
Elijah came out with his usually excitement about being a pedestrian and was immediately served papers that were so shocking, Mr. Elegance was able to roll him up and steal a victory.
Match Result: Mr. Elegance defeated Elijah
AJ Francis then wandered out and said that the papers were a lawsuit because Elijah ignored his cease and desist. Elijah clotheslined Francis over the top rope about it (which is how all lawsuits should be settled) and they fought into the crowd while Mr. Elegance posed in the ring.
Knockouts Champion Léi Yǐng Lee then stomped down to the ring to get some revenge for her loss to Mr. Elegance last week. She beat him up for a bit and then Lee’s actual opponent for Slammiversary, Xia Brookside came down to the ring to make the save. Lee beat her up, but Brookside bailed before she could finish the job.
Back from break, Nic Nemeth approached KC Navarro backstage who was warming up in the hallway like all wrestlers do. Ryan Nemeth wandered by and then so did Mike Santana. Santana said that he respected Nic for wanting to win the title the right way. They both agreed to shake each other’s hand whoever won.
Navarro then interrupted, reminded everyone his uncle died and that he needed to warm up. then Santana and Nic left. So did Ryan, but no one seemed to care.
TNA X-Division Champion Cedric Alexander & Eddie Edwards vs. Leon Slater & Fabian Aichner
Alexander quashed Slater’s attempts to be the longest X-Division Champion of all time (rude) so they have definite beef. Edwards hates Aichner because he interrupted Alexander’s celebration after winning the title, like any good friend would. Edwards and Aicher had a singles match a couple of weeks ago that deteriorated into a beatdown from The System. So they’ll try again with partners this time.
Slater and Edwards kicked things off, literally, as Edwards laid some boots into Slater’s gut. That didn’t keep him down for long though and Slater sent Edwards into the corner. Aichner tagged in and took out Alexander before turning his attention to Edwards, the legal man. Edwards sent Aichner to the outside where Alexander dropped him on his head.
Back from break, Alexander and Aichner were legal and Alexander whipped him into the corner before mocking Slater. Edwards tagged in and they double teamed Aichner. Edwards went for a cover, but Aichner kicked out at two.
Alexander hit a snap suplex, isolating Aichner in the corner, before knocking Slater off the apron. Both men collided in the center of the ring and Aicher shrugged off Alexander to get a tag to Slater. Slater came in and cleared house. He went up top and hit a crossbody on Alexander, but only got a two count.
Slater superkicked Alexander and Aichner added a tornado DDT. Slater went up top, but Bear Bronson and Bryan Myers came down to pull him down. So Aichner hit them with a dive over the top rope and Slater did the same for good measure.
Alicia Edwards tried to get involved and that caused enough of a distraction that Alexander was able to hit a Lumbar Check on Slater and pick up the three count.
Match Result: Cedric Alexander & Eddie Edwards defeated Leon Slater & Fabian Aichner
After the match, Aichner and Slater fell victim to the damn numbers game and were subject to. a beatdown when suddenly a wild Moose appeared to even the odds. The System wanted no part of Moose and they bailed. Moose grabbed a mic and said it was time to put an end to The System. He then announced that Santino Marella had made it Moose vs Eddie Edwards at Slammiversary.
-Speaking of the Director of Authority, he appeared in a backstage promo, saying that he and Indi Hartwell put Ariana Grace and Stacks in their rearview mirror. Hartwell then showed up and asked for a rematch against Eleyna Black. Santino said sure why not because sure, why not?
-Back from break, The Righteous came to the ring to address their Wicked Garden match against the Hardys from last week that ended in the poisoning of Jeff Hardy. Vincent spoke first and called the match historic. Vincent said that poisoning Jeff with Lily of The Valley was meant to show that even legends decay.
Vincent said the Righteous made the Hardy’s obsolete and Dutch stepped in to say that watching Jeff convulse was great and tomorrow belongs to The Righteous. Vincent took the mic back and said that now that they have dispatched the Hardys, they want the TNA World Tag Team Championships.
That brought out Santino Marella who said that they were right. The Wicked Garden was historic and they do deserve a title shot, but the Hardys have a rematch clause for the titles. So Santino made a three way match for the titles: The System vs The Hardys vs The Righteous. Oh, and it would be a LAAAADDDDER MATCH!
Vincent said that The Hardys were gone after the Wicked Garden and the lights went out. Broken Matt’s laugh echoed through the arena and when the lights came back on there was a ladder in the ring with the Righteous, which terrified them.
TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champions The Elegance Brand (Ash, Heather and M) vs. Rosemary, Allie, and Mara Sadé
Mr Elegance sideswiped Sade during her entrance and all six women started brawling. The Elegance brand found themselves on the receiving end of a triple clothesline and Sade and Heather entered the ring, starting the match officially.
Sade hit a missile dropkick on Heather for a two count and that brought in Rosemary. Ash was the only one brave enough to face her, but Rosemary rolled out of the ring and pulled a blonde doll from under the ring. She then used her voodoo powers (?) and used the doll to make Ash dance. She then beat up the doll with Ash taking the damage.
Then for no reason, she threw the doll to M? I mean, if you have your opponent under a voodoo curse, why would you not use that to win the match? Also, is magic legal now in a six-woman tag match? Asking for a friend.
Anyway, after giving up the doll, Rosemary found herself on the receiving end of a triple team that ended with M putting her in a crossface. Rosemary fought out of it and crawled over to tag Allie. Heather came in and Allie hit her with a back elbow.
Allie choked M in a tarantula hold and Ash came in to break it up. Everyone started running around and in the melee, the Concierge got punched.
In the ring, Allie and Heather fought on the top turn buckle. Allie hit a codebreaker and pinned Heather and that was the bewildering end.
Match Result: Rosemary, Allie, and Mara Sadé defeated The Elegance Brand
TNA International Championship: Mustafa Ali (c) vs. KC Navarro
It’s main event time!
Back to the ring we go for another high stakes title tilt here on the June 11 episode of TNA iMPACT, as Mustafa Ali defends his TNA International Championship against KC Navarro in one-on-one action.
We get the ring entrances and then the bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running with our final bout of the evening. After some early back-and-forth action, we see things start to get interesting.
In the end, Ali managed to secure a victory by way of Scorpion Deathlock to successfully retain his TNA International Championship. Once the match wrapped up, however, things continued to unfold inside and around the ring.
When Ali put the hold back on after the bell, Nic Nemeth and Mike Santana came out to make the save and fought off Ali and the other Order 4 members. Nemeth then hit Santana with a superkick and stood tall to end the segment, and the show.
Match Result: Mustafa Ali defeated KC Navarro to retain the TNA International Championship
(H/T: Jeff Moss and F4WOnline.com)
