This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling was billed as the Genesis special, and several titles were on the line. The Hardys kicked off the show when they successfully defended the TNA Tag Team Titles against DCC and Decay in a triple threat match. Drew Galloway successfully defended his Impact Grand Championship against Moose, and Rosemary also successfully defended her Knockouts Championship against Jade in a Monster’s Ball match.
The main event saw Bobby Lashley challenge Eddie Edwards for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a 30 minute Iron Man match, and it was Lashley who walked out with the gold. Before the bell rang Josh Matthews noted that this was seventh Iron Man match in TNA history.
Edwards and Lashley wasted no time getting down to business, as they took the fight to the outside. Eventually they ended up back inside the six sided ring, and Bobby Lashley scored the first fall after he hit Eddie Edwards with an aggressive spear.
Edwards tried to make Lashley tap when he locked in the half Boston crab, but Lashley got to the ropes to break it up. Lashley followed up by throwing Edwards over the top rope with an overhead suplex. Lashley and Edwards fought up the entrance ramp, and Bobby Lashley took control of the match when he powerbombed Edwards on the ramp. Edwards was unable to get up, and the referee counted him out while Lashley took the lead with 2-0.
At the 15 minute mark Lashley made his way back to the outside of the ring and continued to beat down Eddie Edwards. After the referee called Lashley off, Edwards tried to get back in the ring, but Lashley hit him with a knee to knock him off the apron. Bobby Lashley then gloated inside the ring as the crowd chanted, “it’s too easy!”
Eddie Edwards eventually got back into the ring, and Lashley set him up for a spear. Edwards dodged the spear and slammed Lashley’s head into an exposed turnbuckle then rolled him up to bring the score to 2-1.
Bobby Lashley took the action back outside, and he tried to hit Eddie Edwards with a German suplex on the entrance ramp, but Edwards reversed it with a backflip. Edwards followed up with the Boston Knee Party, then retreated to the ring. Lashley managed to make it into the ring at the count of 9.
Eddie Edwards then hit Bobby Lashley with the Boston Knee Party to tie the match 2-2.
Lashley tried to score another pin by hitting Edwards with a spear, but Eddie kicked out. Edwards followed up with the Boston Knee Party, but Lashley kicked out. Eddie made his way to the second rope to try and hit a hurricanrana, but Lashley reversed it into a powerbomb. Bobby Lashley then made Eddie Edwards tap out as he took the lead with 3-2 on the scoreboard.
Lashley went to the outside to celebrate, and the Pope got in his face and told him to stop wasting time. Eddie took Lashley down with a suicide dive with only a minute and a half to go. Lashley put Edwards down with a spinebuster then he taunted his opponent while he waited for him to get up.
Lashley went for the spear, but Eddie Edwards reversed it and locked in a submission with one minute to go. Bobby Lashley started to fade, and he looked like he was about to pass out, but he made it to the thirty minute mark to win the match.
Bobby Lashley is now a four time TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
The look of success! Congratulations to new #WorldChampion @fightbobby! #Genesis #IMPACTonPOP pic.twitter.com/6MtqYrJJcg
— IMPACT WRESTLING (@IMPACTWRESTLING) January 27, 2017
