We see a “Previously on Impact Wrestling” vignette, focusing on Chris Sabin’s shocking win over Bully Ray last week and the ongoing feud between Aces and Eights and the New Main Event Mafia.
We go into the arena in Louisville, Kentucky, and the New Main Event Mafia’s music hits and Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Magnus, and Rampage Jackson make their way to the ring. Sting congratulates Chris Sabin and says they won battle number one. Angle says the pain Aces and Eights has caused the past year will come back to them tenfold. Angle says they are here tonight for a celebration. Angle says they were formed to end Aces and Eights and to make sure Bully Ray lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and the second part was accomplished last week. Angle brings out the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Sabin. Sabin says if it wasn’t for the Main Event Mafia, he probably wouldn’t be the Champion and he thanks them. Sabin says it feels like he is living a dream, but he knows this is reality and he is walking around with a huge target on his back. He says he knows Joe and Magnus wants a shot, because they are in the Bound for Glory. Sabin says he challenges the winner of the Ultimate X Match later tonight to a match next week. Aces and Eights’ music hits and Bully Ray comes to the stage with someone behind him. Ray says the man is his attorney. The attorney takes the microphone and says they have filed a lawsuit against Impact Wrestling. The attorney says if they take the title from Sabin and return it to Ray, everything will be settled. He says if they don’t, the ramifications will go throughout the company and he will crush Impact Wrestling. He tells them to not make him rock their world. He says he will fight for Ray and will win for Ray and will win well. The attorney says Sabin has until the end of the show to return the title to Ray.
Mike Tenay and Jeremy Borash run down part of the card for tonight, including A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Hardy, and a Three-Way Ultimate X Match featuring Manik, Greg Marasciulo, and Sonjay Dutt. The Ultimate X Match will happen after the commercial break.
We see Hulk Hogan walking backstage and talking on the phone. Someone tries to get his attention, but he yells at them and goes back to talking on the phone.
Match #1: Three-Way Ultimate X Match for the vacant TNA X Division Championship – Greg Marasciulo vs. Manik vs. Sonjay Dutt
Marasciulo tosses Dutt out to the floor, but Manik takes Marasciulo to the outside and delivers a cross-body. Back in the ring, Dutt goes after Manik, but Manik sends him out to the floor. Dutt slams Manik down to the floor, but Marasciulo recovers and takes Dutt down with a clothesline. Marasciulo and Manik fight on the entrance ramp. Dutt begins to climb the structure, but Marasciulo stops him. Dutt takes Marasciulo down with a head-scissors. Dutt goes to climb again, but Marasciulo cuts him off. Manik gets back into the ring, but Dutt drops him and Marasciulo with a double-DDT. Dutt begins to climb the structure again, but Manik stops him and slams him down to the mat. Marasciulo grabs the cable, but Manik pulls him down. Marasciulo clotheslines Manik in the corner. Manik takes Dutt and Marasciulo down and then sends Dutt into the corner. Dutt and Marasciulo come back, but Manik drops them with a double-dropkick at we head to a commercial.
We’re back and Marasciulo drives Manik down onto the entrance ramp. Marasciulo gets into the ring and begins climbing the cables towards the title, but Dutt cuts him off. Marasciulo drives his knee int Dutt’s head, but Dutt takes him down with a superkick. Dutt and Marasciulo begin to climb the structure and get all the way to the top. Marasciulo and Dutt exchange right hands and Marasciulo kicks Dutt in the face. Manik gets back into the ring and climbs acros the cable and grabs the title. Marasiulo tries to stop him, but Manik sends him down to the mat and then grabs the title for the win.
Winner and new TNA X Division Champion: Manik.
We see Bully Ray and Mr. Anderson backstage. Ray says he would have voted for Anderson to be the Vice President. Ray says it’s very important that Anderson wins the Bound for Glory Series, and he wants Anderson to get the job done.
We are reminded that Hulk Hogan must make a decision regarding the World Heavyweight Championship before the end of the night, and we see that Mr. Anderson will go one-on-one with Hernandez after the commercial break.
Match #2: Bound for Glory Series Match – Hernandez vs. Mr. Anderson
Hernandez takes Anderson down to the mat and then sends him off the ropes. Hernandez drops Anderson with a shoulder block. Hernandez delivers a suplex to Anderson and goes for the cover, but Anderson kicks out at two. Anderson comes back and drops Hernandez in the corner. Anderson tosses Hernandez down to the mat and goes for the cover, but Hernandez kicks out at two. Anderson applies a chin-lock and delivers a few cross-face strikes on Hernandez. Hernandez tries to fight out, but Anderson drops him again. Anderson goes for the cover, but Hernandez kicks out at two. Anderson comes off the ropes, but Hernandez takes him down with a shoulder block. Hernandez takes Anderson down with a clothesline and then delivers a double-sledge to the chest. Hernandez delivers a back-breaker and goes for the cover, but Anderson kicks out at two. Hernandez takes Anderson down with another shoulder block. Hernandez exits the ring and charges all the way down the ramp. Hernandez goes for a shoulder block, but Anderson ducks out of the way. Anderson connects with the Mic Check and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Mr. Anderson.
Mickie James will defend the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship against Gail Kim after the commercial break.
We take a look back from earlier tonight, where Bully Ray’s attorney said he will ruin TNA if the title isn’t handed over to Ray. Someone tries to get Dixie Carter’s thoughts, but she says we will know when she knows.
We see Joseph Park and Eric Young backstage. Young shows Park footage of him snapping when he bleeds and says he is going to help him out.
Velvet Sky’s music hits and she will be at ringside for the next match. She cuts a promo and says she is coming after the Championship.
Match #3: TNA Women’s Knockout Championship Match – Mickie James (c) vs. Gail Kim
Gail takes Mickie down to the mat and then they tie up, but ODB separates them. Mickie takes Gail to the corner and stomps her down to the mat. Gail comes back and delivers a series of right hands in the corner. Gail gets Mickie in a headlock, but Mickie fights out. Mickie goes for a dropkick, but Gail moves. Gail takes Mickie down with a dropkick and goes for the cover, but Mickie kicks out at two. Gail slams Mickie down to the mat and goes after her, but Mickie connects with a kick that sends Gail down to the floor. Gail drapes Mickie over the top rope and goes for the Figure Four around the ring post, but Mickie counters. Mickie takes Gail down on the floor and slams her head into the floor. Mickie drops Gail in the ring with a neck-breaker and goes for the cover, but Gail kicks out at two. Mickie drops Gail to the mat and goes to the top. Gail moves and locks in a submission, but Mickie gets to the ropes. Gail charges Mickie in the corner, but Mickie gets her boots up. Mickie drops Gail with a powerbomb. Gail gets mad at ODB and slaps her across the face. Mickie drops Gail down to the mat. Mickie goes for the cover and gets the pin fall.
Winner and still TNA Women’s Knockout Champion: Mickie James.
After the match, Brooke Hogan comes to the stage. She tells Gail that ODB is still an active wrestler, and ODB is her problem now.
We see Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter backstage. Hogan is for Chris Sabin keeping the title, but Dixie wants to hand it back to Bully Ray to avoid the lawsuit. Dixie says they are stuck and they have to make the hard decision. Hogan says she’s right and asks her if she wants to be the one to tell him. She says no and we head to a commercial.
Match #4: Bound for Glory Series Match – Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe
Daniels comes off the ropes, but Joe takes him down with a shoulder block. Daniels comes back and wraps Joe up in the ropes. Daniels drops an elbow on Joe and goes for the cover with his feet on the ropes, but Joe kicks out at two. Daniels applies a submission down on the mat. Joe fights out and slams Daniels down to the mat. Daniels tries to box with Joe, but Joe drops him with a right hand. Joe goes for the cover, but Daniels kicks out at two. Daniels slams Joe into the corner and then slaps Joe. Joe comes back and slams Daniels down to the mat. Joe sets Daniels up for the Muscle Buster, but Mr. Anderson distracts Joe. Daniels takes Joe down from behind and connects with the Best Moosault Ever. Daniels goes for the cover, but Joe kicks out at two. Daniels hits another BME and gets the pin fall.
We see A.J. Styles and Jeff Hardy walking backstage. They will go one-on-one after the commercial break.
We see Sting and Kurt Angle backstage. Sting says they all need to be on the same page. Angle says he is worried about the Bully Ray situation. Sting says they know Ray can be beat, and Angle says they failed last week. Sting says they didn’t fail and they are still focused on Aces and Eights and Bully Ray.
Match #5: Bound for Glory Series Match – A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Hardy
They tie up and Styles sends Hardy to the corner. Styles charges, but Hardy goes over the top. Styles attempts a back-drop, but Hardy fights out. Hardy sends Styles to the outside as we head to a commercial.
We’re back and Styles slams Hardy into the announce table. Back in the ring, Hardy slams Styles down to the mat with a face-buster. Hardy drops Styles with a few clotheslines and the inverted atomic drop. Styles comes back and drops Hardy down to the mat. Style charges at Hardy in the corner, but Hardy counters and slams Styles to the mat. Hardy connects with a splash from the middle rope and goes for the cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Styles takes Hardy down to the mat, but Hardy counters with Whisper in the Wind. Hardy goes for the cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate, but Styles counters with the Pele Kick. Styles locks Hardy in the Calf Killer and Hardy taps out.
Winner: A.J. Styles.
After the match, Hardy extends his hand to Styles, but Styles just looks at him and exits the ring.
We go backstage and someone asks Hulk Hogan if a decision has been made. Hogan says he doesn’t want to do this, but he has to as we head to a commercial.
Aces and Eights’ music hits and Bully Ray comes to the ring. He says an injustice has happened to him. He says Chris Sabin hit him in the head with a hammer and asks what kind of man would hit the other in the head with such a deadly object. Ray says he will sue Sabin and everyone in the company in order to right the wrong that was bestowed upon him. Ray tells Sabin to walk out and hand the title over to him. Sabin comes to the ring. Ray says he’s not going to say anything negative towards Sabin because he is out here to do the right thing. Ray says Sabin is highly intimidated by him. Sabin says he is out here to see how big of a crybaby Ray has become. Sabin says he sat at home for two years and got motivated to get back into the ring. Sabin says there is no way he is going to hand the belt over. Ray says he going to sue Sabin. Ray asks Sabin how he can look at himself and call himself a man. Ray calls Hulk Hogan out to the ring. Hogan’s music hits and he comes to the stage with a piece of paper. Hogan says he has gone back and forth all day with his lawyers. Hogan says he has a counter for Ray with no negotiation. Hogan says Sabin will remain the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Hogan says Ray has a rematch clause. Hogan says Ray will get his rematch on August 15th in Norfolk, Virginia on a special Impact Wrestling entitled “Hardcore Justice,” and it will be a Steel Cage Match.
Quick Results:
1. Manik def. Greg Marasciulo and Sonjay Dutt in a Three-Way Ultimate X Match to win the TNA X Division Championship.
2. Mr. Anderson def. Hernandez via pin fall to earn 7 points in the Bound for Glory Series
3. Mickie James def. Gail Kim to retain the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship
4. Christopher Daniels def. Samoa Joe via pin fall to earn 7 points in the Bound for Glory Series
5. A.J. Styles def. Jeff Hardy via submission to earn 10 points in the Bound for Glory Series