Retro Review: TNA Slammiversary 2014 live results & recap: Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Aries vs. Eric Young, Samoa Joe

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Editor’s Note: Since Destination America is re-airing TNA Slammiversary from last year in place of a new Impact Wrestling, here’s Dave Meltzer’s original coverage from that night.

By Dave Meltzer, WrestlingObserver.com

Welcome to our live coverage of TNA’s Slammiversary PPV from Arlington, TX.  We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

SEIYA SANADA VS. TIGRE UNO VS. MANIK VS. CRAZZY STEVE VS. EDDIE EDWARDS VS. DAVEY RICHARDS FOR X TITLE IN A LADDER MATCH

Sanada retained the title pulling down the ladder. This was an amazing spectacle that I couldn’t even being to describe.  There were crazy dives, great acrobatic spots and more.  The climax saw Richards about the grab the belt when Manik springboarded and landed on the ladder and then gave Richards a sunset flip power bomb into a ladder that bridged the other ladder and the ring.  Another big spot was Edwards doing a power bomb spot on Uno and Richards gave off the top rope with a back stabber.  Uno did crazy dives and also took a German suplex by Richards into a ladder on the floor.  The crowd, which looks impressive on TV, was really into Steve.

MVP, Bobby Lashley and Kenny King are all out.  MVP was on crutches.  He had good heat.  MVP said he should be in the hospital and he people are booing.  He said Dixie Carter went to the board of directors and he’s been censored.  He announced Young defending in a cage match against the winners of Joe vs. Lashley and King vs. Aries.  He said he can’t be anymore fair than that.  MVP vowed not to be involved in any of the matches.  King ripped on the Dallas Cowboys saying they can’t win any playoff games.  MVP got the fans to chant “Joe is gonna kill you.”  Lashley didn’t talk.

SAMOA JOE VS. BOBBY LASHLEY

Crowd was really hot for this.  In fact, the crowd looks like they’re going to make this a fun show.  Joe took most of the match until Lashley tried to throw him into ref Earl Hebner.  Joe held up and and didn’t hit Hebner, which allowed Joe to hit the spear for the pin.

Jeremy Borash is in the Carter family suite.  She said EC 3 beating Bully Ray is a given and Bully messed with the wrong family and he’ll see Ethan’s vicious side.  Carter saiad she had very important meetings this week and will share them in the middle of the ring.  She said Karma did MVP in the butt tonight, and if you think that’s bad, you don’t know what’s coming.

WILLOW VS. MAGNUS

Surprise ending as Magnus won pretty clean with a back suplex turned into a slam.  Bram and Abyss interfered liberally.  Bram had pulled out a steel turnbuckle but Abyss pulled out Janice and chased Bram away but Magnus won clean.

The French announce team, Celian Varini and Gregory Deas are there live.

Kurt Angle is out to make the Hall of Fame announcement.  Kurt was walking around fine.  He said possibly the greatest tag team of all-time, Team 3-D.  Devon was back.  They’ll be inducted at Bound for Glory.  Crowd gave them a big ovation.  There was a sign in the crowd saying “Real Hall of Fame, Jarrett & AJ.”  Fans were chanting “We Want Tables” really loud and for a long time.  Bully was doing the Hogan milking it routine.  Bully said it was the best We Want Tables chant in forever.  Bully put over how great it was to be in the ring with Devon again and they hugged.  Loud “Welcome back” chant at Devon.  Bully said Team 3-D were the most successful team in the history of pro wrestling.  Devon said he left TNA in August and vowed not to come back and said he thought he was done.  Devon said if they have to go out, they should go out together.

Ethan Carter III did an interview and said he beat Sting and Kurt Angle and he’ll beat Bully tonight and he’ll become the hardcore American icon.  He said Dallas is Carter country. 

AUSTIN ARIES VS. KENNY KING

Aries won clean with a brainbuster off the middle rope.  So it’s Young vs. Aries vs. Lashley as the main event.  A lot oof near falls.  Good match.

They introduced the Cowboys, who got a mixed reaction.  Jeremy Borash put over the Von Erichs.  You can tell the crowd came to see the Von Erichs.  They showed a photo of Kevin, Kerry and  David.  Kevin is in flip flops.  He said he didn’t want to ever wear shoes again.  Kevin with gray hair. 

ROSS & MARSHALL VON ERICH VS. DJ ZEMA ION & JESSIE GODDERZ

This worked for what it was.  The Von Erichs were obviously green but the Bro Mans did a great job working with them in a short match.  Ross is small but  good athlete.  Marshall has more size and potential.  The crowd was super into them.  Marshall did a standing moonsault on DJ and Jessie hit Marshall with a chair for the DQ.  This set up Kevin hitting the ring and cleaning house, putting the claw on Ion.  This was probably the biggest pop at a TNA show or any wrestling show of late.  

ANGELINA LOVE VS. GAIL KIM FOR KNOCKOUTS TITLE

They are doing a heel ref deal with Brian Stiffler.  Velvet Sky sprayed Kim with hair spray but Kim kicked out of the pin.  Earl Hebner kicked Sky out and also kicked Stiffler out.  Later, Kim accidentally dropkicked Hebner.  Kim used eat defeat but Stiffler wouldn’t get in the ring to count and was acting like he was concerned with Hebner.  Kim went for a rolling reverse cradle and Stiffler stood there.  Love reversed and held the trunks and Stiffler jumped in the ring to count the pin.

Bully did an interview about his match and talked about the Von Erichs, Freebirds, Stan Hansen and Terry Funk.

BULLY RAY VS. ETHAN CARTER III IN A TEXAS DEATH MATCH

Carter won.  Weapons match using kendo sticks, a cheese grater on EC 3’s chest and Carter took a Bubba cutter onto shards of glass.  Bully cut up the ring and undid the padding but Ethan used the headlock DDT on the wood but Bully got up.  The finish saw Bully put  Ethan on two tables and teased putting him through the tables but Dixie ran out.  Bully was chasing Dixie who bumped into Ethan and sold like she was knocked out.  That was pretty lame.  Bully put Dixie on the table and was about to put her through it but Ethan hit Bully with a kendo stick and he fell through the two tables after Spud pulled Dixie off them to save her.  Bully couldn’t beat the ten count so Ethan won.  Match was different from everything else and fans were into it.  It was your usual weapons brawl filled with gimmicks.

JAMES STORM VS. KEN ANDERSON 

This wasn’t really a match as much as just a set up for a spot trying to get ESPN publicity.  Storm ripped on the Cowboys and poured beer on a Cowboys helmet.  Storm talked about if the guys in the crowd were anything like their QB that they wont’ hit anything.  They did a short match.  Storm spit beer on George Selvie of the Cowboys.  Security held him back as did his teammates.  Selvie broke free and distracted Storm and Anderson  hit the mic check for the pin.  This led to a post-match celebration with Anderson and several members of the Cowboys.

ERIC YOUNG VS. AUSTIN ARIES VS. BOBBY LASHLEY CAGE MATCH FOR THE TNA TITLE

Young retained the title in a short but good match by pinning Aries after a piledriver, after reversing the brainbuster.  A couple of cool spots incuidng Young doing a Death Valley bomb with both Aries and Lashely in his shoulders and Young doing an elbow drop off the top of the cage onto Aries.  Lashley speared Aries but Young saved.  Lashley went for another spear but went through the cage to the floor.  This left Aries vs. Young as Lashley couldn’t get back in the cage as the door was locked.  Imagine a cage match with no interference.

This show was so much better than expected.  Really fun.