Pre-show: [Digital Media Championship Open Challenge] Brian Myers (c) vs. Dirty Dango (fka Fandango) — Winner: Brian Myers retains with the Roster Cut
Raven is to be inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is a former NWA World Champion and King of the Mountain during TNA’s early years. He is the 11th inductee after Sting, Kurt Angle, Team 3D, Jeff Jarrett, Earl Hebner, Gail Kim, Abyss, Ken Shamrock, and Awesome Kong. Impact Wrestling pays tribute to Raven with words from Tommy Dreamer, Sign Guy Dudley, Lance Storm, Eddie Edwards, Sami Callihan, Father James Mitchell, Mickie James, Scott D’Amore, and more.
Tommy Dreamer is on hand to induct Raven in front of the audience. He can’t believe this is happening. Everyone voted Dreamer to induct Raven into the Hall of Fame. Even when he can’t wrestle, he is still doing the job for Raven. In the 90s, he was grunge, he was counter culture. He was an anti-hero and everything about what that generation was about. Dreamer says that Raven is a legit genius, but he did something others didn’t do. He believed in the underdog and went out every week and sacrificed his blood for Stevie Richards, Blue Meanie, Nova, Beulah McGillicutty, Dudley Boys, CM Punk, Mickie James, and the many others he believed in.
As we get older, we get more reflective. When Tommy comes out, he feels younger. But as you get older, they work for moments and the fans give those moments. What he would do to get one more moment with Raven. He gets emotional saying that they didn’t truly appreciate those moments. Please shower the greatness of Raven, and it is his honor to induct the latest into the Hall of Fame. Raven! He thanks Impact for the honor.
People think he can be a dick. He has some disorders that make it hard to be liked, but are great qualities for a professional wrestler. Raven was lucky enough to be one of the last guys to go through the territory system and become a major star, but he wouldn’t have made it without a few key people. He was blessed to pick the brain of a true booking wizard. Raven asked him for a cage match, but got asked what he was going to do before that. He learned how to do things serially, instead of doing things for the sake of it.
Raven says he’s getting nervous. He’d like some boos to feel comfortable and the fans reciprocate. Paul Heyman was a big influence on his career. Creatively, he let him do almost anything he wanted. He even let him crucify Sandman. The stuff he did there, like his feuds with Dreamer and Sandman, he would stack them against any other feud in the business. He went to WCW, and that was a good move except that his ego got in the way and quit the company prematurely. Unfortunately, his WWE run was a disappointment. He started getting counselling after that for his disorders because he has been massively insecure. After WWE let him go, he didn’t feel right leaving his career on TV like that. TNA came calling, and he got another half a dozen years out of it and was mostly happy.
There are so many people he wants to thank, but there isn’t enough time. However, he will single out Tommy. He thanks him for inducting him and being the babyface to his heel. A 28-year feud finally ends tonight. They hug it out and shake hands. DDT! Raven drops him on his head and the crowd boos out of respect. He thanks for the fans. Quote the Raven nevermore.
[X Division Championship] ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey vs. Frankie Kazarian — Winner: Kazarian becomes the new champion via submission
[Mickie Retires If She Loses] Mickie James vs. Mia Yim — Winner: Mickie James
[Knockouts Tag Team Championship] ‘VXT’ Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green (c) vs. ‘Deathdolls’ Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka (w/ Rosemary) — Winners: Deathdolls become new champions
[World Tag Team Championship] The Kingdom’s Matt Taven & Mike Bennett (c) (w/ Maria Kanellis) vs. ‘Motor City Machine Guns’ Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin — Winners: The Kingdom retain
[Call Your Shot Gauntlet] Participants: Eric Young, Joe Hendry, Steve Maclin, Rich Swann, PCO, Savannah Evans, Johnny Swinger, Tasha Steelz, Killer Kelly, Moose, Sami Callihan, Taylor Wilde, Gisele Shaw, Bully Ray, Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, Bhupinder Gujjar, Heath, Bobby Fish, Matt Cardona. The final two: Bully Ray vs. Steve Maclin — Winner: Bully Ray
[Knockouts World Championship] Jordynne Grace (c) vs. ‘Undefeated’ Masha Slamovich — Winner: Jordynne Grace retains with a Super Grace Driver
[Impact World Championship] Josh Alexander (c) vs. Eddie Edwards — Winner: Josh Alexander retains with the C4 Spike
Honor No More attack Alexander after the match. Heath & Rich Swann fail to make the save. They get a table to make an emphatic statement. Here comes Bully Ray! He isn’t making the save. He’s cashing in the Call Your Shot Trophy on Josh Alexander.
No… wait, they team up to take out Honor No More. Afterward, Bully hands him his World Championship, but lets him know that he could be his next challenger. There’s a lot of respect there. Thanks for joining our live coverage. We come back after it looked like the end of the show. Josh Alexander & Bully Ray double powerbomb Mike Bennett through a table!
Source: EWrestlingNews
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