TNA Impact Wrestling TV Results
September 16, 2015
Taped in Orlando, Fla.
Report by Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonPW), PWTorch contributor

In-arena: Josh Mathews introduces the show, promoting Lethal Lockdown while there are shots of the crowd.

In the ring, Jeremy Borash is standing by in front of a table. He introduces Jeff Jarrett and Dixie Carter to sign the contract for tonight’s main event. Jarrett heads to the ring with his wife, Karen. They enter the ring and Jarrett stares down Borash, but Karen looks even more evil than Jeff. Borash next introduces Dixie Carter as the “president of TNA Wrestling.”

Mathews says that Dixie has admitted her mistakes, and just wants the best for everyone. Jarrett pulls out Dixie’s chair for her in the ring. That was very gentlemanly. Borash says that tonight’s main event will be a Lethal Lockdown match with Team TNA vs. Team GFW for the control of Impact Wrestling. Borash says that once both parties sign the contracts, they will be placed in a locked briefcase and the contracts will be awarded to the winner of the match later tonight.

Dixie said it’s really sad that it’s come down to this. She said their partnership had great potential. Dixie said that Jeff knows, in his heart, that his own actions removed him from power and that she never wanted to see it happen. Dixie said that a few weeks ago, she was hopeful she would be able to re-write the ending with Jarrett. Dixie said she’s there to be loyal to the TNA roster, who were willing to stay and fight for the fans.

Karen said that Dixie is delusional. Jeff grabbed the microphone and said tonight is about the pro wrestling business forging forward. Jarrett said he wanted to talk about Eric Young. He asked her who Young is investing in? Jarrett said that Young is investing in GFW. Jarrett said that Young doesn’t believe in Dixie, and she has him under contract.

Jeff said he has invested his blood, tears, sweat, and the very first dollar in TNA Wrestling. He said he earned every right to be sitting at the table. He said Dixie made a fatal mistake years ago, removing him from power. Jeff thanked Karen for standing beside him and setting the wheels in motion for this corporate takeover. Jarrett said tonight is the final nail in the coffin. Tonight, he said when the night is done, he’ll be standing on top of two wrestling organizations.

Jeff said that tonight is about the GFW Amped Army. Tonight, Jeff said he’d be on top of the world and Dixie would be where she should have always been, on the outside of the wrestling business looking in. After both contracts were signed, Borash said the briefcase would remain in a safe location until the end of the match.

Jarrett then said this was something he always wanted to do, and he stood up and laid out Jeremy Borash with a punch. Karen told Borash to hold on to the briefcase and they would pick it up later.

[Reax: Somewhat of wasted segment. The contract signing wasn’t entirely necessary, unless there is an angle to play out later in the show with the actual briefcase and paperwork. At this point, everyone knows the match and contract signings are so over-done. It seems a bit unrealistic that a match they have been advertising for weeks didn’t have the contract signed until the night of the match?]

In-studio: Mathews said that tonight, TNA’s guys would hit back. Pope said he liked TNA’s chances with their team. Mathews continued to run down tonight’s card.

Backstage: Ethan Carter III’s car was shown arriving backstage. Jeff Hardy is driving and gets out, walks around, and opens the door for ECIII, who was complaining that Hardy took the turns too fast. ECIII told Hardy to go to the back and that he had a present in the locker room.

[Q2] In-arena: Shots of the crowd pan on the screen. Mathews said that tonight, with the main event, they would take various look backs on the history between Jarrett and Carter.

[Commercial Break at 9:16]

Back from the break, Mathews throws to a video that shows the history between The Revolution and Mahabali Shera.

1 -- MAHABALI SHERA vs. ABYSS

Prior to the match, Shera danced down the aisle during his ring entrance, including with someone in a Bigfoot costume at ringside. Shera then got into the ring and tried to get Abyss to dance. But, Abyss clocked him in the back of the head when he turned his back...

Abyss controls the match after the cheap shot at the beginning. Shera starts to fight back on the outside and runs Abyss into the ringpost. However, Abyss comes right back and whips Shera into the steps before rolling him back into the ring.

Abyss grabs Shera’s neck and goes for a chokeslam, but Shera tries to get out of the hold with some elbows. Abyss answers with a clothesline and he then tries to twist Shera’s head off his shoulders.

Shera gets back to his feet and fires elbows into Abyss’s gut. Shera tries to clothesline Abyss, but he doesn’t move. He then hits a flying shoulder tackle to get Abyss off his feet. Shera follows that with a splash in the corner. Abyss gets back in control by raking the eyes and then hits a chokeslam.

Abyss begins playing to the crowd, mocking Shera’s dance. Abyss then goes under the ring and grabs Janice. The referee, Brian Hebner, tries to stop him, but Abyss runs him off. Abyss misses with Janice and Shera hits a chokeslam.

[Q3] James Storm then hits the ring and goes to hit Shera with a cowbell and misses, hitting Abyss. That leads to Shera picking up the pin.

WINNER: Mahabali Shera at 4:40. Not a fan of this match. They made Shera look silly by dancing to the ring, and then getting hit from behind by Abyss after trying to make him dance, and turning his back on him. The finish didn’t help get Shera over, either. He won due to Storm’s inept outside interference.

Backstage: ECIII says that he’s going to party with Jeff Hardy.

[Commercial Break at 9:30]

Backstage: Team GFW is shown firing up for the main event tonight. Eric Young was dressed in his gear, which puzzled Mathews and Pope.

In-arena: ECIII is making his entrance.

He grabs a mic and says it’s not the man who makes the title, but the title that makes the man. He said he makes this look good. ECIII introduces out “the new version” of Jeff Hardy. Hardy’s music hits, and ECIII again yells to turn it off because he’s an assistant. Hardy emerges in a suit covered in little ECIII faces while carrying the big sign with ECIII’s face on it.

Pope said that Hardy actually looks decent. ECIII said, “You can’t shine up a turd, but you put an ECIII face on it and it looks pretty good.” The crowd chants “Hardy!” and ECIII asks Jeff to tell the crowd to stop. He refuses.

ECIII reminded Hardy that he needs this job to feed his family and pay his bills. ECIII again demanded he tell the crowd to stop chanting “Hardy!” Jeff looks around the Impact Zone and tells the fans to stop, which only prompts them to yell louder.

ECIII said he wanted to remind Jeff that he’s the greatest champion that ever lived, and the greatest pro wrestler alive. Rockstar Spud makes his way to the ring. Spud said that this looked familiar - ECIII and an assistant wearing a funny suit.

Spud told ECIII that when he came to TNA, he needed a job. That’s why he did everything ECIII told him to do. Spud said that this is Jeff “freaking” Hardy, and when that man comes out to the arena, the crowd goes absolutely nuts. Spud said that Hardy is everything ECIII isn’t. He said that compared to Hardy, ECIII is garbage.

ECIII asked if garbage would be the only undefeated TNA Champion in history? Spud just answered “yes,” and ECIII hit him with the belt. ECIII demanded that Hardy get out of the ring and said that they’re out of there.

As they make their way up the ramp, Spud attacks ECIII from behind, but Tyrus quickly cuts him off. ECIII starts screaming at Spud asking if he wants another beating. He’s about to throw a punch while Tyrus holds him, but then he pauses. ECIII begins to demand that Hardy hit Spud. Hardy looks torn as ECIII screams to hit him. Hardy then decked Spud with a right hand.

[Reax: This angle feels a lot like Big Show in 2013, when he was a the whipping boy for The Authority, with the story being that he needed the job and had to do what The Authority said. I didn’t buy it then, and I’m not now.]

[Commercial Break at 9:45]

[Q4] Back from the break, Mathews and Pope are talking about the main event and talk about Earl Hebner going into the TNA Hall of Fame.

2 -- TNA Knockouts champion BROOKE vs. GAIL KIM vs. Lei’D Tapa vs. AWESOME KONG -- four-way match for Knockouts Title

Brooke enters the ring and the bell rings. Kong and Tapa stare down at the start but Brooke and Kim attack. Tapa and Kong have Brooke and Kim up for simultaneous chokeslams and then again stare at each other before Kong fires from some right elbows. It’s a slugfest before Brooke and Kim jump Tapa. Brooke and Gail team up to take out Tapa heading to break.

[Commercial Break at 9:54]

Back from the break, everyone is down on the outside. Mathews said that Brooke’s hand is damaged because she broke her finger last week. Brooke rolls Kim back into the ring and gets a two count.

[Q5 -- second hour] Brooke takes down Kim with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and gets a two count. Brooke charges Kim in the corner but gets met with a Gail Kim boot. Gail then lands a flying clothesline. Kong takes out Brooke on the outside, but she was aiming at Lei’D Tapa. Brooke is out cold on the outside as Gail Kim shoots kicks at Tapa inside the ring.

Tapa counters after she catches Kim, who was attempting a cross-body, and throws her across the ring. Tapa picks up Kim by her hair and tosses her back down to the ring. Tapa tries to lift Kim, but she counters and then takes out Tapa at the knee. Kim hits a dropkick and climbs to the top rope. Tapa cuts her off, though. Brooke is back in the ring, as is Kong.

Tapa climbs to the top and hits a superplex on Kim off the turnbuckle. With Tapa down after the superplex, Kong hits a very impressive splash from the top. Brooke then flies in with an elbow on Kong from the top.

Kong lifts Brooke for a powerbomb, but Kim breaks it up. Tapa with a double clothesline on Kong and Brooke. Tapa puts Kong on her shoulders but Brooke hits a dropkick, and Tapa drops Kong to the outside. Brooke tosses Tapa out of the ring and Kim and Brooke are in the ring. Brooke goes for a sunset flip, but Kim catches her leg and secures a pinfall.

WINNER: Gail Kim wins the TNA Knockouts Title at 11:07. This was a very good match and the finish was very well done, reminiscent of the British Bulldog pinning Bret Hart at SummerSlam in 1992, hooking the leg on the sunset flip and falling forward. It looked similar to Bulldog catching Hart’s leg on the victory roll in that match and getting the pin.

Post-match, Kim climbs the turnbuckle to celebrate as Brooke looks stunned. She gets up and hugs Kim, congratulating her on the win.

Backstage: Galloway is delivering a pre-match speech to Team TNA.

[Commercial Break at 10:09]

Back from the break, a video airs recapping Hardy knocking out Rockstar Spud earlier tonight, at the behest of ECIII.

Backstage: ECIII is yelling at Hardy, asking why Spud has a World Title match next week? ECIII said that Spud can’t beat him and won’t beat him. ECIII said that Hardy would be in in his corner and it’s in his best interest that Spud doesn’t win the TNA Title.

In-studio: Mathews does a nice job keeping to the narrative, saying that despite that match being booked for next week, there might not be a next week if GFW wins the main event tonight.

[Reax: Seamless and really smart move by Mathews to play up the main event. That was smart.]

[Q6] Mathews then throws to another video, highlighting the history between Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett.

In-arena: Jeremy Borash introduces the main event, with 43 minutes to go in the program. Borash first goes over the Lethal Lockdown rules and introduces Sonjay Dutt as the first entrant into the match. Davey Richards is first for Team TNA.

[Commercial Break at 10:19]

3 -- TEAM TNA (Drew Galloway & Bobby Lashley & TNA tag champions Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards & a mystery partner) vs. TEAM GFW (Jeff Jarrett & Brian Myers & Chris Mordetzky & Sonjay Dutt & Eric Young) -- Lethal Lockdown match for control of TNA Wrestling

Back from the break, the match has already started. Richards and Dutt are brawling as the bell rings. Dutt and Richards continue to brawl for the first few minutes of the match. Mostly punches landing. Sonjay then grabs Richards's hand and bites down. Pope points out that Richards must incapacitate Dutt so that when the next GFW wrestler enters, he’s not at a disadvantage.

Richards slingshots Dutt into the turnbuckle as Eric Young enters the match for Team GFW at 3:05. Young immediately goes after Richards in the corner with boots. Richards locks a cloverleaf on Young, but Dutt hits him from behind to break it up. Mathews wonders how much damage will be done to Richards before the next TNA member is out in the match.

Dutt and EY take turns stomping on Richards as the crowd chants “you sold out!” at Young. Pope calls him a turncoat. At 4:45, Drew Galloway enters the match for Team TNA. Galloway hits a German Suplex on Dutt and then goes crazy on Young in the corner with right hands, then delivers a clothesline to take Young to the mat. Galloway hits a back body drop on Young.

[Commercial Break at 10:29]

[Q7] Back from the break, Dutt has Galloway in a Camel Clutch. It’s three-on-two now, as Myers entered the match during the break. At 10:51, Bobby Lashley enters for Team TNA, who evens the competition at three-on-three. Lashley starts hitting crazy German Suplexes on Dutt, practically throwing him across the entire ring. Lashley then hits a spear on Young, a spear on Dutt and a vertical suplex on Myers to take out all of Team GFW. Pope calls it “classic Lashley,” and somewhere Michael Cole yells “vintage!”

Team TNA is now clearly in control. Galloway hits a bodyslam on Myers. At 12:57, Chris Mordetzky enters the match for Team GFW, which brings the match to four-on-three in favor of GFW. He enters and goes after Richards and Lashley right away. Now GFW is in control.

Young shoves Richards's face into the cage, while on the other side of the ring, Lashley and Mordetzky are trading right hands. Myers and Galloway are trading punches near the ropes. At 15:06, Eddie Edwards enters for TNA, making it four-on-four. That gives Team TNA some life as he jumps Dutt.

Mathews said that normally the top of the cage would now come down and someone could score a pinfall for the win. But, Jarrett said earlier that Team GFW had five members, so there are still two more introductions to happen before a winner can take place. No one knows if TNA has a fifth man.

Team TNA is again in control every time the sides are even. GFW has only really been in control of the match when it has been at a numbers advantage. At 17:07, Jeff Jarrett enters for Team GFW. Pope wondered who it was going to be, and then said, “Oh wait, I guess we know.”

Jarrett enters for Team GFW and jumps on Bobby Lashley in the corner. It’s five-on-four for Team GFW, as Pope and Mathews wonder if TNA has a fifth man. Again with the number advantage, GFW controls the match. At 19:09, Bram comes out as TNA’s final entrant and the cage starts to lower.

[Reax: Certainly awkward for TNA to have Bram as its savior in this match, considering he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges after these tapings wrapped. Really, it would seem TNA had no choice here other than to let the show play out as it was recorded. What’s the alternative? Scrap the angle? Scrap the match? There’s no editing humanly possible to make it work as it was taped, if they wanted Bram out of the match. I don’t think TNA will use Bram moving forward, and this was probably a good spot for him to elevate himself as the “savior” for TNA in this match, but it’s now likely something won’t be followed up on - and with good reason - if TNA wins this match.]

[Commercial Break at 10:44]

[Q8] The cage is still lowering as the show returns from break. Weapons are now legal as the cage is closed.

[Reax: Did everyone stare at each other for the entire commercial?]

Team GFW has all of the weapons. Jarrett is smashing Lashley with a trash can while Dutt is wielding a kendo stick. Mordetzky holds Galloway for a double superkick by Dutt and Myers, but Galloway gets out of it and Mordetzky gets kicked. Now Team TNA starting to fight back into some control.

Lashley hits a spear on Mordetzky and Team TNA has taken out every member of GFW except Jarrett. He’s surrounded and then runs to one of the camera holes trying to escape, but Team TNA pulls him back in and starts to work him over. Lashley whips Jarrett into the corner, then he whips Bram into Jarrett, then he whips Richards and Edwards into Jarrett. Now Lashley hits a spear in the corner as well as a snap suplex.

Galloway tries to hit a DDT on Jarrett, but some members of Team GFW make a comeback. Young hits a piledriver on Galloway and Lashley with a spear on Young. Jarrett drops Lashley with a Stroke. The Wolves take out Jarrett, though. Really fast-paced action here.

Richards puts a trash can over Jarrett’s head and the Wolves hit a double dropkick from the top rope on the trash can covering Jarrett. Meanwhile, Mordetzky and Bram are fighting in the ring and Myers goes after Lashley with a trash can. Galloway kicks the trash can through Myers's face and then lands the Futureshock DDT for the win.

WINNER: Team TNA in 31:35. Taking the awkwardness with Bram out of it, it was a solid match. TNA did a nice job editing out most of Bram’s involvement, it seemed. He was there, but he didn’t seem to be overly involved. Lucky for them, he wasn’t the one who scored the pin.

Post-match, Mathews says to “get these guys out of our ring!” Galloway, Lashley and the rest of Team TNA celebrate while Jarrett lays in a trash can. Sonjay and Karen try to help Jarrett while Team TNA mocks them with a "good-bye" hand gesture.

Mordetzky and Dutt eventually help Jarrett to the back as Mathews throws to a replay of Galloway getting the win. Galloway raises the briefcase as Team TNA celebrates. Finally, Dixie Carter comes to the ring applauding. She’s helped into the ring to celebrate with her team. Galloway presents Dixie with the briefcase containing the full controlling shares of TNA Wrestling. Dixie then raises Team TNA’s hands in unison.

Galloway holds up a sign from a fan at ringside that says “We are TNA.” Team TNA exits the ring and go around ringside celebrating with fans as the show goes off the air.

[Final Thoughts: This was billed as a one-match show, and that one match delivered. It told a basic, but interesting story with TNA having to overcome the odds. Gail Kim winning the Knockouts Title was a nice surprise and it was also a really good match. We’ll see where TNA goes from here now that GFW and Jarrett are gone. The ECIII-Hardy angle has been underneath for the last several weeks and it’s safe to assume that it comes to the forefront. Also, with Galloway getting the win for TNA in this match, it’s safe to assume that he’s in for a big push. It's less than a month until Bound for Glory, so TNA needs to begin the build to that show very quickly.]

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