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Josh and Pope welcome us to the show and run down tonight's card, then we're off to the ring for the Group X Division tiebreaker!
World Title Series - Group X Division: Tigre Uno vs Manik vs DJ Z
They do a lot of spots, do more spots outside the ring, then Tigre gets Manik in a weird submission hold inside the ring. Manik gets out and gets both Tigre and DJ Z in stereo submissions, but can't get either of them to quit. DJ Z avoids a collision that knocks Manik and Tigre Uno out, then DJ Z hits a stereo DDT on both men and covers Manik to advance to the round of 16. We're down to Manik and Tigre Uno, Tigre tries a sunset flip and Manik counters to a cradle for 2. They trade right hands, Tigre hits a way too complicated Stunner for 2, Manik dodges a twisting Lionsault, gets a cross armbreaker right in the middle of the ring, but Tigre makes it to the ropes against all odds. Manik puts Tigre on top for a back suplex, Tigre fights him off, Manik trips Tigre and gets him in an electric chair position, but Tigre rolls through, German suplexes Manik into the corner, and hits a split legged corkscrew press for the win.
Qualifiers: DJ Z and Tigre Uno
Sucks for Manik, who was ready to sweep Group X Division and wound up on the outside looking in.
Drew Galloway is at Glasgow Airport in Scotland, and he says it's the longest he's been home in a decade, but when he comes back all his friends are grown up and have kids. They ask him when he's getting married and settling down, and he says he's married to professional wrestling, but his new goal is to return to the UK as the TNA World Champion.
World Title Series - Group UK: Drew Galloway vs Rockstar Spud
Spud uses his speed to duck around Drew and get quick shots in, but nothing does much damage and Drew just powers Spud into the corner and tears into him with a big chop. Drew with a gorilla press, Spud tries to slip out into a sunset flip, but Drew yanks Spud up by the neck. Spud dropkicks Drew to the floor and comes off the apron with a twisting elbow, but Drew drills Spud with three spinebusters into the ring apron. He charges, but Spud moves and Drew crashes head first into the ring steps. Spud rolls inside and the referee counts, but Drew beats the count and Spud quickly covers for 2. Drew charges Spud in the corner, Spud moves and sends Drew crashing shoulder first into the ring post, and Spud is now on the offensive, knocking Drew down in the corner and charging in with a basement dropkick. Spud with a low enziguiri, he tears the bowtie off, and he's ready to go for the kill. Drew blocks the Underdog and backdrops Spud to the apron, he drills Spud with a big right hand, then follows Spud out to the apron and goes for a powerbomb, but he has second thoughts and changes his mind, and Spud responds by knocking Drew into the ring with an enziguiri and then hits a tornado DDT for 2. Drew catches Spud on another flying move and spinebusters him, ten drills Spud with the Claymore for the win.
Winner: Drew Galloway
Drew becomes the third man to sweep his field and has locked in his spot in the round of 16. Spud could still have a chance depending on what happens later between Bram and Grado.
World Title Series - Bram vs Grado
Grado makes a long entrance, and Bram schoolboys Grado when the bell rings and gets the three count.
Winner: Bram
Bram advances, and Grado and Spud are both now officially eliminated.
World Title Series - Group Future 4: Micah vs Jessie Godderz
Jessie starts aggressively, but Micah dumps Jessie to the floor with a butterfly suplex. Jessie nails Micah and hits a side backbreaker, then whips Micah hard into the corner. Micah mounts a comeback, hits a Stinger splash in the corner, and flattens Jessie with a bodybag. He makes a cover, but Jessie grabs the bottom rope to break the count. Jessie blatantly low blows Micah right in fron of the ref and goes for the Boston crab, Micah escapes and hits a Samoan drop, but Micaqh misses a top rope headbutt and Jessie gets the Boston crab again for the tapout win.
Winner: Jessie Godderz
Jessie is in the round of 16, and Micah is done.
We see a video package looking at the previous matches in Group Tag Team Specialist, then it's off to the ring for our next tournament match...
Well actually, first we catch up with Kurt Angle over in the UK, and he's doing promo for the upcoming TNA tour in January. Assuming that doesn't get postponed too. The UK tour will be his retirement tour for Impact Wrestling, and NOW it's time for the final match in Group Tag Team Specialist...
World Title Series - Group Tag Team Specialist: Robbie E vs Davey Richards
They do some basic chain wrestling to start, and they wind up at the indy stalemate. Robbie controls Davey with a series of armdrags, then takes Davey to the floor and takes him out with a rolling dive off the apron. Davey takes Robbie down and catches him in a trailer hitch, but Robbie fires back and has Davey in trouble after a hard clothesline for 2. Davey catches Robbie with a backslide, Robbie gets out, Davey with an O'Connor roll, Robbie gets out, Robbie goes for a sunset flip, Davey counters to a double stomp and covers Robbie for 2. Robbie avoids the top rope double stomp, but Davey catches Robbie with the Alarm Clock and Creeping death for the win.
Winner: Davey Richards
GREAT choice by TNA, and Group Tag Team Specialist is in the books with Davey and Hardy advancing, and Eddie and Robbie staying behind. Davey puts Robbie over to the fans and shakes his hand after the match.
World Title Series - Group Wildcard: Kenny King vs Crazzzzzzzzzzy Steve
The crowd is solidly behind the guy who's been working for ROH for the last two months, and indeed, King dominates Steve with a series of shoulderblocks, but then Steve takes King to the mat and outwits him with some slick mat wrestling. Well, at least he does until King takes his head off with a leg lariat. We see Aiden O'Shea backstage watching the match on the monitor as Steve hammers King down in the corner with a series of elbows. Steve and his clown horn come off the second rope with a headscissors for 2, then he gets a series of rollups for 2, but King reverses a monkey flip attempt to the Royal Flush for the win.
Winner: Kenny King
So Kenny King, who wrapped up with TNA in JULY, is now in the round of 16. Super.
Austin Aries is backstage with Thea Trinidad and says that Bobby Lashley is one of the toughest men he's ever faced, he's smarter than people give him credit for, but Lashley will need to be absolutely perfect to get by him tonight, and we're about to find out if Lashley can do that.
Josh and Pope talk over more of their hypothetical awards in the World Title Series, and then it's...MAIN EVENT TIME!
World Title Series - Group Champions: Austin Aries vs Bobby Lashley
Aries tries to wrestle around Lashley early on, but Lashley gets a waistlock and easily tosses Aries to the mat. Lashley runs over Aries with a shoulderblock, and Aries back to the corner as the crowd is pretty adamantly behind him. Some Lashley fans pipe up as Aries goes to a hammerlock, then kicks at Lashley's legs, uses his speed to hit and run, snaps Lashley's neck down on the top rope, connects with a missile dropkick...then gets his head taken off by a clothesline from Lashley. Lashley hits a series of shoulderblocks in the corner and Aries ducks out to the floor to catch a break. Lashley doesn't let up, slamming Aries' face into the ring apron and then rolling Aries into the ring. Lashley witha long delayed vertical suplex, Aries tries breaking free with kneestrikes to Lashley's head and drives him to his knees, but Lashley stand back up with Aries still in the suplex and drops him as we go to commercial.
We're back and Aries is kicking at Lashley's legs, but Lashley easily dumps Aries to the apron. Aries isn't deterred, and gives Lashley a neckbreaker over the middle rope. Aries connects with the missile dropkick, but an IED attempt runs right into Lashley's boots, and Lashley deadlifts Aries off the mat and powerslams him for 2. Aries avoids the speak by rolling to the floor, then runs back inside as Lashley chases him and Aries gets the Last Chancery as Lashley comes back into the ring. Aries goes for the brainbuster, Lashley easily reverses to a gorilla press, Aries slips out and hits a series of roaring elbows, hits the IED with under four minutes to go, Lashley escapes another brainbuster attempt and turns Aries inside out with a release German suplex. Aries dodges a spear and sends Lashley to the floor, Aries goes for the heat seeking missile but Lashley moves and Aries hits hard on the floor. Looks like he caught himself on the ropes on the way out, but Lashley don't care because he just dumps Aries back into the ring and sets up for the spear yet again. Aries is down and out, but Lashley yells at Aries to get up. Lashley walks over and goes to pick Aries up, but Aries collapses back to the mat. Lashley sets for the spear again as Aries struggles to get to his feet, but Lashley gets tired of waiting and picks Aries back up. Aries with a chop, Lashley takes his head off with a clothesline, he goes for the spear and Aries catches him coming in and goes back to the Last Chancery. He has Lashley right in the middle of the ring with less than a minute left, but Lashley makes it to the ropes. Aries goes to the top and goes for the 450 splash, Lashley moves and drills Aries with the spear, and that's all she wrote for Austin Aries.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Wow, Lashley earned that one. The field of 16 is completed, and group play is officially over. The brackets for the round of 16 will be revealed after the commercial break!
Okay, it's time to reveal the brackets for the Round of 16! Josh and Pope run through the matches and give their thoughts on the following...
Block A: Ethan Carter III vs DJ Z
Block A: Bram vs Davey Richards
Block B: Bobby Lashley vs Drew Galloway
Block B: Mahabali Shera vs Eli Drake
Block C: Tigre Uno vs Gail Kim
Block C: Eric Young vs Kenny King
Block D: Jessie Godderz vs Awesome Kong
Block D: Bobby Roode vs Matt Hardy
We hear comments from Ethan Carter III, DJ Z, Davey Richards, Eli Drake, Eric Young, Jessie Godderz, Bobby Roode, and Matt Hardy about their first round matches, and then we call it a night.
Thanks for reading the Impact Wrestling Report here on PWInsider.com! No Stu & Pid this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday here in America, but we'll be back next week to discuss the World Title Series and more!
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