411’s TNA Against All Odds Report 02.09.09

Greetings, humanity! Welcome to the live coverage of TNA’s Against All Odds with me, Chris Lansdell. What could be the most predictable PPV in recent memory has some serious work to do to live up to Genesis…will it manage it?

We start off with the MEM arriving earlier today, sans Sting, in a Hummer limo. Team 3D arrive together, and Sting arrives solo in a yellow Corvette.

Video package highlighting the feuds.

PYRO!

TNA X-Division Title Match: Alex Shelley © vs. Eric Young

Interewsting choice to open, I guess they don’t want the MEM curtain-jerking. Shelley is out solo, whether or not it will stay that way is anyone’s guess. Since the commentators are talking about Shelley winning one on his own, I doubt it.

Quick drop toehold by Young followed by a series of elbow drops and a clothesline taking Shelley to the floor. Young looks focused. Shelley slides in and Young slides out. Shelley goes out, Young goes in and hits the Chris Jericho triangle dropkick knocking Shelley off the paron to the floor. Slingshot crossbody by Young, he poses on the apron but Shelley takes his feet out and Young hits the apron face-first. Shots on the apron by Shelley, he shoves Young into the post and then hits a flying knee lift from the apron to the floor, driving Young to the railing. Young yanks Shelley off the apron, climbs up top and MISSES the attack from the top to the floor. Young eats some steel railing instead. He needed more iron in his diet anyway. Chop by Shelley and he poses. Hey, remember count-outs? Shelley toys with Young, whip to the corner, Young leapfrogs a charging Shelley and runs to the opposite corner, tries to come off with a crossbody but Shelley dropkicks him in the gut. Bow and arrow lock by Shelley, Young escapes so Shelley hits a kneelift to the gut, a big kick to the head and an elbow drop. Whip by Shelley, Young goes up and over the ropes to avoid the charge and hits a clothesline. Shelley avoids a shoulder, kicks Young hard in the chest and drapes him over the middle rope for a knee drop from the second rope. Shelley and Young both on the apron again, Young tries a DVD but Shelley escapes and tries a catapult. Blocked by Young, he backs up and tries a Stinger Splash on the apron but Shelley moves and EY hits the turnbuckle and goes to the floor.

Back inside, Shelley hits two charging back elbows in the corner, followed by a basement dropkick for 2. Stiff spine kick and Shelley applies a combo cobra clutch/back stretch over the knee. Young powers out abd gets a flapjack to Shelley! Young fights back with shots and a back elbow, inverted atmoic drop and a BIG roaring lariat for 2. Young to the top, Shelley catches him and hits a top rope jawbreaker! Damn, that’ll loosen some chiclets. Shelley removes the elbow pad, hits a charging lariat in the corner and tries a second, blocked by Young! DVD try, Shelley rolls through but Young still has hold and rolls over! Sheley escapes again and hits a back kick to the gut, Young counters a run to the ropes and hits a springboard Sicillian Slice for 2. Young up top again, MOONSAULT misses, rollup from Shelley gets 2. Spinning STO gets 2 for Shelley. This is really getting good. Shelley measures Young, Shiranui countered to a wheelbarrow position! Shelley grabs the ropes, Young tries to kick him off but Shelley turns it into a standing Shiranui for 2! Shelley places Young on the top, Young turns it into the wheelbarrow position again! He tries to drop him but Shelley reverses to a bulldog! Frog Splash! 2.771!!! Again Shelley puts Young up top, Young picks him up for a DVD from the top, but Shelley blocks it! Young drops Shelley with a Stun Gun from the top! Damn this is counters to counters! Young decides to argue with the ref for some reason, Shelley gets a schoolboy and we have 3!

Winner and still X-Division champion: Alex Shelley via pinfall (Schoolboy)
Rating: ***¼ I wanted to give this a much better rating, but so much of the match was fought on the apron and it just felt wrong. TNA have sometimes said they have a no countout rule, and yet West and Tenay said several times that the ref was giving them a lot of leeway outside the ring. I don’t foresee this being a long feud, hence the clean pin, it’s really just a way to give Shelley a title defence before moving on to the next feud.

JB is backstage with Angle, telling him how the story has unfolded. Angle wants to make one thing clear: the only thing JB ever competed in was homecoming queen, but Angle and Sting are winners. Losing makes a part of them die. Will he and Sting get along? There is no doubt in his mind. They push each other, and regardless of who wins, the MEM will be closer than before. Now make like an amoeba and split.

Video package for Steiner-Petey.

Scott Steiner vs. Petey Williams

They still have identical beards. Sigh.

Steiner starts by showing off his strength. I hear Steiner is in Joe Torre’s book too. Big scoop slam by Steiner, and then Steiner goes to work on Petey’s arm. Petey reverses it and hits some kicks to the gut before applying a top wristlock. Steiner powers out but Petey hits a dropkick to the knee and a running cutter, followed by the missile dropkick for 1. According to West, Petey could have landed on his feet had Steiner moved. Sure, that happens all the time. Fuckhead. Steiner to the outside, baseball slide sends him to the rail. Steiner back in, Petey ducks a clothesline and hits a jawbreaker and a spin kick. Petey up top, but Steiner catches him and LAUNCHES him with a top rope belly to belly. “You still suck!” – Orlando. Whip, Steinerline, elbow drop, pin, roll off, pushups. I should set a macro for that spot. Whip, Steiner charges into Petey’s boot but he reverses an attempted tornado DDT with pure power, just throwing Petey off. Gets 2 off the cover and pulls him up. Pateneted Steiner belly to belly gets 2 before he pulls him up again. Steiner drapes Petey over the ropes and hits an elevated Flatliner for 2 before AGAIN pulling him up. Haven’t people been DQ’d for doing that 3 times? And now my picture has died. Sorry folks. It comes back with Petey trying the Destroyer, Steiner stands up and hits the Alabama Slam. Petey comes back with an enziguiri then a slingshot chest buster from the outside in. Petey is playing possum in the corner, Steiner throws him to the center of the ring and gets schoolboyed for 2. Chops by Petey, a charging forearm rocks Steiner and a dropkick sends him to the floor. Slingshot rana by Petey…NO!!! Caught and powerbombed by Steiner ON THE FLOOR! Ouch. Back inside and it’s La-Z-Boy time! Steiner Recliner applied! Petey fights to the ropes and makes it. Steiner is favouring the leg and looks shocked at the competition level. Steiner sets for a suplex…STEINER MUTHAFUCKING SCREWDRIVER~!!!! YOU ARE MY FUCKING HERO FOR TAKING THAT PETEY!!! 3 count is elementary.

Winner: Scott Steiner by pinfall (Steiner fucking Screwdriver!!!)
Rating: ***½ Strangely I liked this better than the previous match, and not just because of the finish. Petey and Steiner had one of those rare matches where the contrasting styles actually improved the match quality, and Petey didn’t look outclassed at all. I’d like to see them go again with Petey getting a rollup win.

Post-match Steiner kills Petey with a top rope Samoan Drop. He’s not even Samoan, but SAMOA JOE IS HERE and he is! My bad. Joe is actually not here, just on the DixieTron, and Steiner is going to be his first victim.

JB is with Foley and…Sting? What in the name of GOD is Foley wearing? He looks like one of Taker’s druids. Foley and Sting mutually fellate each other, Foley leaves and Sting says a whole lot of nothing.

Brutus Magnus vs Chris Sabin

Magnus’ ring gear rocks. He should wear that spiked helmet and hit a Benoit headbutt on someone. Magnus cuts a great promo talking about stupid stereotypes of Brits and about how he’s going to kill a bitch. SWERVE as it’s Sabin, not Rhino as reported! Wait, I thought they were turning the Guns heel?

Magnus throws Sabin around a bit and Sabin now wants a test of strength. S-M-R-T. Sabin turns it into an arm wringer, reversed by Magnus. Sabin tries some flippy stuff so Magnus just throws him down. Sabin hits some chops and tries to take Magnus down with forearms off the ropes. Back kick by Sabin doubles him over, but Magnus doesn’t stay that way and lifts Sabin HIGH overhead with a military press…Sabin escapes and hits some kicks to the knee, dropkick sends Magnus to the corner. A whip by Sabin is reversed, Sabin tries a crossbody but gets caught, stungunned and eats a high knee for 2. Magnus stretches Sabin on the ropes and lays in the boots, then steps on Sabin’s throat. “Fire Russo!” – Orlando. Geez, that’s hardly fair! Suplex by Magnus, a slam and Magnus comes over the top with a slingshot elbow! Not bad by the young man. Reverse chinlock and now we have a boring chant. Sabin fights out, they work some counters until Sabin hits an inverted atomic that Magnus almost botched. A couple of clotheslines by Sabin stagger the big man, springboard clothesline takes Magnus down for 2. Sabin goes for Cradle Shock, countered into a rear waistlock by Magnus. Sabin elbows out and tries a sunset flip, Magnus grabs him, lifts him and hits a stiff powerbomb for 2. Damn, they gave this guy some serious instruction. Sabin tricks Magnus into following him outside, then hits a springboiard crossbody from the ring to the outside! Sabin goes up top, Magnus crotches him and WHAM Tormentum (much better than the one he hit Thursday) gets 3 and the win.

Winner: Brutus Magnus by pinfall (Tormentum)
Rating: **3/4 It’s easy to look good when you’re up against Sabin, especially when you’re a big dude. Still, Magnus showed some real skill and will only get better. With him, Morgan and Hernandez TNA have 3 big men who can all do impressive things. I’d like to see Magnus take on some larger guys before I anoint him as a great find, but he’s certainly showing potential.

Lauren is with Team 3D, and they cut the typical “two faces about to fight but still want to be friends” promo.

TNA Knockouts Title Match: Awesome Kong © vs. ODB

ODB is wearing pink, yet somehow looks more masculine that JB. I would not do her with Cook’s penis. If I could even find it. Kong has the Kong-tourage with her, despite being told to fight this one alone. At this point I would like to remind you that Kong kills bitches dead. Ah, here’s Cornette to evict the Kong-tourage. Either they leave, or ODB gets the belt by forfeit. Kong goes to annihilate Cornette but ODB attacks! They brawl on the floor, when they get in the ring ODB is in control. She tries a scoop slam but can’t do it, Kong tries one but ODB slips out, hits some kicks to the back of the knee and gets a facebuster for 2. Forearms by ODB, she goes to the second rope but Kong kills a bitch with a clothesline as she comes off the ropes. Whip by Kong and a chargin avalanche. Some kid in the crowd just did a Nelson Muntz impression. Gold, I tell you. Kong has ODB by the hair, she tries to fight back but Kong just throws her down and then applies a bear hug. ODB uses the bell-ringer escape, ODB tries the slam again and gets the Andre squash spot. 2 count for Kong. Oh snap Kong is going up top! ODB moves and stays three dimensional for the time being. ODB blocks some shots and hits some of her own, tries a leaping clothesline but Kong will not go down. Turnbuckle shots by OPDB, another slam try and SHE GOT IT!!! Now the boot and the legdrop? Guess not. 2 count only off the slam for ODB, the slam seems to have hurt her just as much. BACKFIST misses, Kong blocks a clothesline, busts some Implants and that’s all she wrote. Let’s got to Blaccu-Weather meteorologist Ollie Williams for the result of that one:

Kong killed a bitch dead!

Thanks Ollie. Now this!

Winner:, and still Knockouts champion: Awesome KONG~! via pinfall (Implant Buster)
Rating: *½ Wow, no. It was mercifully short, and the bodyslam was a nice way to both hearken back to Hogan-Andre and to put over ODB as a physical threat to Kong, but ODB is just not very good in the ring right now. I don’t know why TNA took 3 people who COULD look credible as threats to Kong and put them in her stable, but they did and now they are left with no challengers.

Lauren has Sting as Brother Ray lectures him on respect and the MEM being big bad meanies.

TNA Legends Championship: Booker T vs. Shane Sewell

Sewell is out in his ref’s vest again. Just let him be a full-time wrestler already! Booker looks completely unconcerned. Sharmell was MADE to play a stuck-up bitch.

Booker does some stretching in the corner before locking up. It’s important to stay supple at his age. Booker believes Sewell is scared. They finally lock up and Sewell backs Booker to the corner. Another lockup, Booker starts on the arm and Sewell reverses it, Booker flees to the ropes. Another lockup, Booker backs Sewell to the corner and of course we do not get a clean break. Knees, chops and a kne to the head take Sewell down. Stomping time for Booker, then he rips at Sewell’s face. Arm twist and kick by Booker, Book End gets 2.808! Sewell is reffing up! He takes a few shots, ducks the side kick and starts laying in the bombs! 10 punches in the corner! Clotheslines a-plenty! Scoop slam and a bulldog! Sewell measures Booker, he comes off the ropes but Sharmell trips him! Axe kick! 3!

Winner, and still TNA Legends Champion: Booker T via pinfall (Axe kick after Sharmell-terference)
Rating: *½ The evening started so well, and now the suckage has commenced. I thought for sure these two could have a decent match, but what we got was an extended squash that should have been done on Impact. Sewell’s OK, but he’d better have more to offer or he’ll get old fast.

Post-match, Booker starts to trash talk Sewell, but AJ STYLES! He blitzes Booker and sends him packing! Booker retreats, AJ has the belt and a mic. He grew up dirt poor, and what got him from there to here was a dream to be the best wrestler in the world. There’s about 4 ahead of you sunshine. Not just that, but to be a legend. A legend is about being rich, it’s about the fans spending their hard-earned money and knowing that AJ Styles gives 100% every night. Cliché much? There are pieces, pieces, pieces of him scattered on every Ashlee Simpson album, err in every arena across the country, and now it’s time for him to step up and be a legend.

Morgan is with Lauren, who thinks that Morgan shouldn’t do this because Abyss still cares about him. Next, on Ricki Lake. Morgan cuts a violent little promo and threatens to beat up even Lauren if she comes to ringside.

Abyss vs Matt Morgan

Hour and a half to go, 3 matches left. Once again Morgan reminds us of his heelitude by knocking a sign out of a kid’s hand. Abyss is out with a bag of something undoubtedly unpleasant. To my knowledge this is NOT a no DQ match. West and Tenay talk about Morgan having surgery less than a week ago. So umm…why not scrap the match?

The charge and collide right away. Double goozle! Morgan breaks it with a knee and beats Abyss down. Morgan takes him to the turnbuckles, Abyss no-sells and beats Morgan down in the corner. The ref tries to stop him but bolts as Abyss turns on him. Morgan tries a Carbon Footprint, Abyss ducks and Morgan crotches himself. Abyss goes udner the ring and emerges with a Singapore cane, which the ref confiscates. Whip by Abyss, he drops his head and eats a Morgan boot. Morgan charges but Abyss takes him over the top. On the outside, shots by Abyss but Morgan comes back and takes Abyss into the fans. Typical crowd brawl now. Abyss thrown into the wall, Morgan chokes him with both hands, then chokes him over the stair rail. They’re heading upstairs now. Hey, remember count outs? Abyss takes Morgan into a chainlink fence at the top of the stairs and pounds at the head of Morgan. Morgan tries to flee down the stairs, Abyss follows and gets caught with a back kick by Morgan. A whip is reversed, Abyss is back in control and still in the crowd. Wait, they’re heading for the ring! Or not, more slugging by Abyss on the outside and now Abyss is throwing weaponry into the ring. He comes in with a chair, Rudy Charles takes it away and Morgan nails the Carbon Footprint. Back elbows in the corner, running avalanche and a Russian leg sweep gets 2.Morgan chokes Abyss on the top rope, runs the ropes and jumps onto Abyss. Impressive. Legdrop on the apron by Morgan. He goes up top and hits a HUGE crossbody for 2. Dropkick by Morgan! Again a 2 count. Abyss with a sudden kneelift and some big right hands, he goes for a whip but Morgan vaults over the top and catches Abyss coming in with an elbow. Morgan up top, CAUGHT with a goozle! Morgan fights it off and both men are down after a double clothesline. Abyss is up first, shots and a clothesline followed by an avalanche. Side slam gets 2 for Abyss. He signals for the bag and the crowd want it. Morgan stops that idea with a weak-looking clothesline. The ref throws the bag to the outside and it opened, revealing tacks. DOH! We have a ref bump, Abyss goes for the bag but Morgan has a chair! BAM! Morgan revives the ref…1…2…2.881! Morgan tries another chair shot, goozle! Chokeslam! 1…2…2.7496! Abyss sets the chair on Morgan’s chest, Abyss goes for the flying biscuit but OH FUCK ME Morgan turns the chair on it’s side and Abyss lands nuts first. Damn. Chokeslam on the chair by Morgan gets 2! Morgan has the chair again, Abyss with kneelifts and now HE has the chair. Morgan pulls the ref in front of the chair shot! Black Hole Slam! No ref though…here’s Slick! 1…2…2.901! Low blow by Morgan, he goes for the Footprint again…Black Hole Slam! 1…2…3!

Winner: Abyss via pinfall (Black Hole Slam)
Rating: ** Nothing but respect for Morgan for working after surgery, but it really hurt the match. A lot of his blows looked weak, and you could almost feel Abyss holding back. The tacks being spilled outside probably changed the finishe too. I hate crowd brawls where nothing happens, and I hate regular matches where weapons get involved. Oh yeah, and back to the count out thing again! The feud is not over, and I hope the next match is better, because this was a majot disappointment. Monster’s Ball next time please!

Here come the tacks! Abyss rips off Morgan’s shirt…ah, that’s why he wrestled with it on, he’s strapped up like a woman about to peg her man. That will be the surgery wound then. Abyss tries for the Black Hole into the tacks but Morgan escapes.

JB is in the MEM dressing room. Angle gives Sting a pep talk and they hug. Snap that for Hallmark, it won’t happen again. Angle tells Nash to keep an eye on Sting. An eye might be the only thing on Nash that isn’t surgically repaired.

TNA World Tag Team Title Match: Beer Money Inc. © vs. Lethal Consequences

Creed has his shoulder strapped heavily, selling Thursday’s injury. Storm is on the Boozer Cruiser, and Roode is on a keg! Roode Beer Float~! Is there no end to the awesome?

Lethal to start with Roode. Roode with a headlock and then a shoulder block. Again to the ropes, Lethal with an elbow this time. Lethal tries to take control with jabs, poke to the eyes by Roode and a whip is reversed, back body drop by Lethal! Another one for Storm! Tag to creed and a pair of double drop kicks leave the faces standing tall in the ring. The heels recuperate and come back in with Storm facing Creed. Kneelifts from the lockup by Storm, whip reversed and a hip toss by creed followed by a scoop slam. Whip reversed, Storm drops his head and Creed rides over the top and hits a headscissors. Basement dropkick, Creed steps off Storm’s back and hits an elbow drop. Roode in and right into a drop toehold. Tag to Lethal, they hang Roode in the tree of woe and whip Storm into him. Storm goes down and both Lethal and Creed slide to the outside and yank Storm’s legs so his crotch rams into Roode’s face. That also snapped Roode’s head back but that small fact is overlooked as Roode falls onto Storm and they are in an unfortunate position. Fun spot but typical Russo. Dare I even say…vintage Russo? Roode takes a gulp of beer, Storm slaps him on the chest and Roode spits beer in Storm’s face. Stereo baseball slides and the beer is down! The beer is down! Roode is back in, Lethal with a double axehandle from the top gets 1. Lethal goes for a rollup, Roode gets the blind tage and Storm hgits a bulldog to regain momentum. 2 count after some heel tactics. Tag to Storm, double whip a scoop slam and a pair of elbow drops gets 2. Tag back to Storm, combo spinebuster/lungblower gets 2 but Creed breaks it. Roode in off the heel switch. Tag to Storm who applies the rear chinlock. Lethal fights out, ducks a clohtesline but eats a high knee. Tag to Roode who baits Creed before choking Lethal. Lethal again fights back, whip and a charge, Lethal gets elevated to the apron but that goes nowhere as Storm comes over and they hit a double superplex…wait for it…wait for it…
Csonka: BEEEER!
Lansdell: MONEY!

So awesome. Tag to Storm, both men drop their heads and Lethal is able to make Beer Money knock each other down! He ducks under the double clotheslinbe and Creed is in! Dropkick to Storm! Punches everywhere! Double clothesline! Crossbody from the top to Storm gets 2, broken up by Roode. Lethal and Roode in one corner, Creed climbs the ropes and Jackie distracts him long enough for Storm to push him off. He landed shoulder-first on the rail. Storm goes to work on the outside, then throws him in. Roode applies an armbar, Storm tags in and comes off the top to the arm. The heels take turns going to work on the injured arm of Creed. Creed tries to fight back but fails. Double underhook slam by Storm gets 2. Tag to Roode and they both beat down on Creed in the corner. Lethal comes charging in and hits a noggin knocker on Beer Money! He drags Creed to his corner and tags in! Double missile dropkick! Clotheslines, dropkicks, cartwheels…he’s a house~! En~! FUEGO~! Hiptoss, cartwheel and low drpokick to Roode! Cover gets 2, Storm breaks it up but hits his partner! Whip to Storm, enziguiri! Lethal up top, Roode follows but gets pushed off and hits the elbow! 1…2…Storm breaks it! Creed has Storm, Lethal has Roode. Jackie comes in and gets bodydropped by Lethal! LETHAL COMBO! 1…2…2.9005! Creed and Lethal have Roode…double flapjack!!! 1…2…2.948! Jackie hands Storm a chain! Roode is whipped in, Lethal goes for a monkey flip but Roode holds on and Storm creams him with the loaded fist! 1…2…3!

Winners and still TNA Tag Team Champions: Beer Money Inc by pinfall (loaded fist)
Rating: ***½ You sometimes forget that Beer Money have fought off LAX, Team 3D, Abyss and Morgan and now Lethal Consequences, 4 different teams with totally different styles, and they were able to get good matches out of all of them. They can up the speed for the small guys and slug it out with the big ones. Lethal and Creed did their part, and the result was the Match of the Night for me. The final rating was hurt by the childish, yet somewhat amusing, Russo-style antics in the early going.

Video package for the main event. Are you ready?

TNA World Title Match: Sting © vs. Brother Ray vs. Kurt Angle vs. Brother Devon

Angle is out, then Team 3D, and finally Sting. SUPAH SPECIAL RING ANNOUNCING! This should be challenging.

We have a four-way staredown to start. Ray goes for Angle, then switches to Sting and takes him outside. Big shoulder block by Devon gets 1. Devon mounts Angle and lays in the rights. Double shoulderblock as Ray comes back in, 2 count for Devon on Angle. Clothesline for Sting, Ray gets 2 on the cover. Angle attacks from behind, shoving Devon into Ray and MEM are on top. Angle has Ray. MEM try to whiop 3D into each other, they counter and clothesline the heels down. 3D are in the ring alone now. Ray lays down, Devon covers him! Angle breaks it up at 2. Brilliant. Double flapjack to Sting. Ray and Devon alone again, they work some waistlock reversals then shrug and haul off on each other. Boot, scoop and slam by Ray, Devon stands up and slams Ray. Double clothesline and both men are up. Hardly Sabin-Shelley but the crowd liked it. The MEM are in now and take control. Angle takes Devon to the stairs, Sting take Ray to the rail. Ray fights back against Sting while Devon chokes Angle. Ray tries to slam Stings head into the announce table, Sting blockss and hits some stiff shots then throws Ray into the fans. Devon takes Angle’s face to the table! Devon chokes Angle with a camera cable, we hear a chair shot but see nothing. Back in the ring now, Sting has the Deathlock! Angle has the Ankle Lock! Ray kicks Angle off and he runs into Sting! Nicely choreographed. Team 3D back in control, Ray tries to go for the worst figure 4 ever but changes his mind. Angle got busted open on the collision. Ray DOES now lock in a crappy figure four, Devon has a Boston Crab, of sorts, on Angle. Angle crawls over and covers Sting while both are in the hold! Brilliant. They work the spot again before Angle breaks the crab. He goes for another pin on Sting and then decides to break up the figure four. Kick to Ray blocked, enziguiri by Angle! Sting and Angle alone in the ring, Angle goes right for Sting’s knee. Repeated kicks to the back of the knee by Angle now. I just noticed how small Angle looks. Sting is coming back with a series of clotheslines! Stinger Splash! Deathdrop countered into an ankle lock! Team 3D break it up, double whip to Angle, he holds the ropes and Sting attacks from behind with a double clothesline. KICK WHAM Angle Slam to Sting! 1…2…No! Saving Grace to Angle! 1…2…2.894! Uranage to Devon by Ray! 1…2…no! Why did he kick out? BIG DDT by Sting on Ray gets 2 more. Angle throws Sting outside, then goes for the 10-count punches on Devon. Ray breaks it up…Doomsday Device! 2 count before Sting breaks it. Chop to Sting by Ray, they set for the 3D but Sting kicks Devon and gets a back suplex on Ray for 2. Stinger Splash misses, scoop slam by Ray and Devon goes up for the Wazzup…No! Angle runs up with the super belly to belly! Straps down! Ray takes Angle to the floor with a clothesline! Scorpion Deathdrop!!! 1…2…3???

Winner, and still TNA World Heavyweight champion: Sting
Rating: **¼ Huh? Sting’s knees are shot, right? So WHY is he still champion? WHY do we need more split teasing? The match itself was better than it had a right to be, they pulled some nicely-written spots and it never felt dragged out, but I just don’t get the booking. Even for Russo.

Foley and his horrible jacket head to the ring to present Sting with the belt. Foley and Sting shake hands as Angle looks anguished.