Austin Aries and Bobby Roode don’t think Jeff Hardy deserves to be TNA World Heavyweight Champion. So they plan to team up on him in their triple threat elimination match for the title at TNA Genesis. But as they say, even the best laid plans can go to waste. And more, James Storm and Christopher Daniels battle to become No. 1 contender.
The nine-match show from the Impact Zone saw three title matches, but none bigger than the one-fall triple threat elimination match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode and Austin Aries.
The name of the game is simple early: Roode and Aries teaming up on Hardy. Well, that doesn’t go so well. Hardy dumps Roode to the outside, suplexes Aries on his face and dives onto Roode on the outside, but also takes himself out in the process. Back in the ring, Roode plants Hardy with the Double R Spinebuster and goes to work.
Hardy gets some momentum and goes to the top but Aries comes flying in and knocks him off the ropes and starts beating up Hardy. Hardy is able to get going and throws Roode into Aries and then uses Roode to hit Poetry in Motion on Aries. He goes to the top but gets crotched again.
Now the challengers go to work on the champ. They take turns lighting him up with chops. Aries wants to do something but Roode pulls him off and hits a superplex for two. Roode and Aries try to set up a tower of doom with Hardy crotched again on the top rope, but pushes them away and clobbers Aries with the whisper in the wind. Hardy kicks Roode to the outside but gets blindsided by Aries and sent to the floor.
Roode sets Hardy up against the barricade for the suicide dive, but Hardy moves and Roode eats the move. Hardy is breathing fire now. He sends Aries tumbling over the steps and then launches himself over the steps and into Aries against the barricade. Now he enters the ring and sends himself right back out onto Roode with a slingshot crossbody.
Hardy suplexes Aries onto Roode and then hits Roode with a splash for two. He goes for another Poetry in Motion, this time on Roode with Aries as the pedestal, but Roode charges out and spears Hardy. Roode with a Vader Bomb for two. They are getting frustrated that they can’t finish Hardy.
Aries drills Hardy with the corner dropkick and hits the Brainbuster but Hardy kicks out at the last second. Roode tells Aries to go to the top and hit the 450 Splash. Roode holds Hardy, but swerves Aries and pulls Hardy out of the way and hits the Perfect Plex but Aries kicks out at two.
Now Roode and Aries going at it. Discus elbow lands for Aries. Roode wants a spear but Aries counters into the Last Chancery. Roode is able to get out by raking the eyes. Now Roode locks in the crossface but Aries rolls it over and Roode has to break it.
Aries wants the corner dropkick but Roode lifts him onto the top turnbuckle. Aries boxes the ears and hits Roode with a missile dropkick. He follows that with the corner dropkick and Roode is reeling. He hoists Roode but Roode slips out and goes for a roll up but Aries escapes. Aries rolls Roode right up and Hardy comes in and adds on and they eliminate Roode.
We’re down to Hardy and Aries and Hardy crashes and burns when hitting the Twist of Fate on Aries through the ropes. Aries ate more of it and Hardy goes to the top and hits the Swanton Bomb and that does it. Hardy retains the championship.
The next TNA pay-per-view is Lockdown on March 10.
Following a video package, Todd Keneley, Mike Tenay and Taz welcome us to tonight’s show, a nine-match affair from Orlando, Fla.
Match #1 – TNA World Tag Team Championship – (c) Chavo Guerrero (El Paso, Texas) & Hernandez (Houston, Texas) vs. Matt Morgan (Fairfield, Conn.) & Joey Ryan (Hollywood, Calif.)
The champs are rolling early, showing why they hold the gold, using some great teamwork on Ryan. Morgan, though, hits Guerrero with a cheap shot and that allows he and Ryan to take the match over. Guerrero hits a back elbow and then a series of flips, rolls and such allow Guerrero to bring in Hernandez, who comes in with a slingshot shoulder tackle before sending Ryan into orbit with a back drop.
Ryan is able to roll after the back drop and tag in Morgan and they use some more underhanded tactics to quell Hernandez and take control on him. Hernandez tries to fight his way out of the corner but Morgan is waiting for him with a discus clothesline and then shoves him right back into the bad corner.
Hernandez finally is able to get over and make the tag to Guerrero but the referee didn’t see it and the challengers drag Hernandez back. Now the referee says Morgan didn’t legally tag in, so Ryan comes back in for one second before he tags Morgan back in. Ryan back in and Hernandez hits him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and Hernandez finally gets the tag to Guerrero.
Guerrero with a drop-toe hold and a backsplash, followed by a head scissors take over. He follows that with the Three Amigos. Guerrero goes to the top but before he can do anything, Morgan comes and stands in front. Hernandez comes in and can’t take down Morgan, even after Guerrero hits him with a missile dropkick. They both go after Morgan but he catches them by the throat. They slip out and both dropkick him and he goes tumbling over a downed Ryan and to the floor.
Hernandez hits an absolutely horrendously botched, dangerous power bomb on Ryan and Guerrero finishes it with a Frog Splash.
Winners via pinfall and STILL TNA World Tag Team Champions: Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez
Match Rating: 6/10
Match #2 – Samoa Joe (Isle of Samoa) vs. Mr. Anderson (Green Bay, Wisc.)
Joe is all over Anderson, beating him from pillar to post on the outside, wanting to know if Anderson is aligned with Aces & Eights. Joe drops Anderson with a big chop to the chest, but Anderson rolls right back and is able to counter Joe and send him knee-first into the steps.
They finally go back into the ring after about 10 minutes, or so it seemed, and Anderson goes to work. Joe, though, reverses him in the corner and hits some strikes, but Anderson goes low with a dropkick, right to the knee. He follows with a chop block. Anderson keeps going after the knee, but Joe is able to dump Anderson to the outside and comes flying through with a suicide dive.
Back in the ring, Joe with an inverted atomic drop and a back splash for two. Joe wants the Coquina Clutch but Anderson hits a jawbreaker to snap the hold only to run into a uranage in the corner.
Joe wants to load Anderson up for the Muscle Buster but stops when Mike Knox appears in the crowd with a hammer. He breaks the hold and this allows Anderson to recover and hit the Mic Check for the win.
Winner via pinfall: Mr. Anderson
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #3 – Christian York (Culpeper, Va.) vs. Kenny King (Las Vegas, Nevada)
This is a pretty hot start to this one. Both men going crazy with high-flying moves. York snaps a head scissors on the outside and back in the ring, he goes for a tornado DDT, but King counters and sends York to the outside, where he smashes his head into the steps.
Back-and-forth they go. York with a sweep, corner clothesline and a knee. York to the apron and he and King battle there and York hits King with a cartwheel kick. York now goes to the top and hits a double stomp for two.
King, though, comes back and hits a leg lariat and a uranage for two. King puts York on the top but gets pushed off. York with a crossbody but King rolls through and puts his feet on the ropes but the referee sees it. York with a full nelson suplex and he goes for a cannonball roll into the corner but King moves. He hits the knees but York kicks out at two.
King wants a backslide but York slides out. King goes for a cradle but York counters into a pinning combination of his own and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Christian York
Match Rating: 6/10
Immediately after the match, King lays York out, which isn’t good for York.
Match #4 – TNA X Division Championship – (c) Rob Van Dam (Battle Creek, Mich.) vs. Christian York (Culpeper, Va.)
RVD goes to help York up but York hits him and its on from there. RVD hits a kick and then Rolling Thunder for two. RVD goes to work and hits a leg drop on the apron and then in the ring, a jackknife cover for two. York, though, is able to fire back with a huge knee that puts RVD down. They each counter each other multiple times and RVD hits a springboard kick out of the corner. He goes for a standing moonsault but York catches him with a roll up that RVD barely kicks out of.
RVD comes back with a kick and goes to the top but misses the Five-Star Frog Splash. York with a side roll off of that and RVD again barely kicks out in time and comes back and drops York with a thrust kick. RVD crotches York on the top rope and then comes off with a kick. He goes to the top and hits the Five Star and that does it.
Winner via pinfall and STILL TNA X Division Champion: Rob Van Dam
Match Rating: 5/10
Match #5 – Devon (New York City) vs. Joseph Park (Chicago, Ill.)
Some stalling here for Park’s first official match as a member of the TNA roster. They lock up to start. Devon gets the better of Park with some basic wrestling, pretty much showing him up. Now Devon goes into an amateur wrestling and Park counters him, slams him to the mat and slaps him in the back of the head. Devon is incensed.
Back in the ring, Park hits two arm drags and a body slam. He goes for a splash but Devon moves and knocks Park to the outside. Devon follows up and slams Park into the steps. He throws him back into the ring and exposes a turnbuckle. Devon with some punches. He goes to slam Park into the buckle but Park stops it and fires back, only to have Devon hit him with a back elbow.
Devon goes to the second rope but Park rolls. Park with some punches of his own and then a shoulder tackle and a clothesline. Now he goes into the corner and contemplates something. He tries to go up and hits a big splash off the second rope but Devon kicks out at two. Devon in the corner and Park charges, but Devon hits and elbow and then slams Park into the exposed turnbuckle.
Park gets to his feet and he’s bleeding. Ruh roh. Devon begs off but Park starts unloading and hits him with the Black Hole Slam. He calls for a choke slam and lifts Devon up when he snaps out of whatever he was in. Devon pushes Park into the corner and rolls him up for the finish.
Winner via pinfall: Devon
Match Rating: 7/10
After the match, Devon attacks Park.
Match #6 – Knockouts No. 1 Contender Gauntlet – Gail Kim (Toronto, Ontario) vs. Miss Tessmacher (Houston, Texas)
Kim takes out Tessmacher.
ODB enters
Kim eliminates ODB with a roll up and a hook of the shorts.
Mickie James enters
And Kim eliminates James the same way she did ODB.
Velvet Sky enters
Sky hits In Yo Face on Kim to get the pin, but Kim’s foot was under the ropes, but it went unseen by Taryn Terrell.
Winner and No. 1 Contender: Velvet Sky
Match Rating: NR
Match #7 – No. 1 Contender’s Match – Christopher Daniels (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. James Storm (Leiper’s Fork, Tenn.)
Storm all over Daniels as the two battle to earn a title shot on an upcoming edition of Impact.
Daniels, though, is able to take over after Kazarian beats Storm down on the outside behind the referee’s back. Daniels works some holds and is taking it to Storm here. Storm back to a vertical base, he hits a knee and a side Russian leg sweep. Storm with a flying forearm, an introverted atomic drop and a face-buster into a neckbreaker. Storm to the top and he hits a flying elbow for two.
Daniels, though, is able to recover and comeback and hits a big running elbow into the corner. He charges again but Storm props him to the top, grabs him and hit the Eye of the Storm for two.
Storm lines Daniels up for the Last Call Superkick, but Kazarian hops up on the apron and eats it, allow Daniels to come around and get a cover on Storm with his feet on the ropes.
Winner via pinfall: Christopher Daniels
Match Rating: 7/10
Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan are out. He basically invites everyone to the wedding Thursday on Impact.
Match #8 – Doc (The Clubhouse) vs. Sting (Venice Beach, Calif.)
They start brawling right from the onset and almost end up near the back right away. Of course, this leads to other members of Aces & Eights attacking Sting. Doc brings Sting back to the ring and the bell finally sounds to start the match.
Doc in control. It again spills to the floor and Sting is able to mount a brief offensive spurt before Doc goes back and nearly decapitates Sting with a huge shot. Doc keeps getting after it, but Sting fires back. He wants the Scorpion Death Drop but Doc hangs on to the ropes. Sting with some kicks and then hits a modified version of it but Doc kicks out at two.
Sting with some kicks and chops and then Sting sends him flying with a punch and then a Stinger Splash. He follows it with a Scorpion Death Drop and that does it.
Winner via pinfall: Sting
Match Rating: 5/10
Aces & Eights surrounds the ring after the match and goes to enter when Bully Ray comes flying down to make the save.
Match #9 – TNA World Heavyweight Championship – (c) Jeff Hardy (Cameron, NC) vs. Bobby Roode (Toronto, Ontario) vs. Austin Aries (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Winner via pinfall and STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion: Jeff Hardy
Match Rating: 7/10
Event Rating: 5/10
Matt Bishop can be reached at bishop20@gmail.com. Please include your name and hometown. Click here to follow Matt on Twitter. Should be a good one!.