Matt and Jeff Hardy survive first championship defense against The Great Hands
Summary
– The Hardys successfully defended the TNA World Tag Team Titles on iMPACT
– The Great Hands nearly pulled off a major upset after targeting Matt Hardy’s injured leg
– Matt and Jeff Hardy finished the match with their classic Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb combination
The Hardys opened TNA iMPACT with their first defense of the TNA World Tag Team Championships.
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy defended the titles against The Great Hands, John Skyler, and Jason Hotch, after recently reclaiming the championships at Slammiversary.
The challengers entered under significant pressure. Mustafa Ali had gone to bat for Skyler and Hotch to get the title shot, while also making it clear that Order 4 needed results after recent failures.
The match started with the Hardys feeding off the Albany crowd, but The Great Hands quickly shifted the momentum by targeting Matt Hardy’s left leg.
That strategy worked for a stretch. Hotch and Skyler kept Matt grounded, attacked the damaged knee, and tried to cut the ring in half while Jeff Hardy waited for the tag.
Jeff eventually entered and turned the match around with his usual burst of offense. He nearly put the challengers away, but Hotch broke up the pin and kept The Great Hands alive.
The biggest scare came when The Great Hands countered Jeff’s Whisper in the Wind and hit their finisher. They came close to winning the titles, but Matt Hardy broke up the cover just in time.
Matt then fought through the damaged leg and delivered a Side Effect before the Hardys took control again.
Skyler tried to survive, but Matt caught him with a Twist of Fate. He followed with another Twist of Fate before tagging in Jeff for the finishing blow.
Jeff climbed up and hit the Swanton Bomb, giving The Hardys the victory and keeping the TNA World Tag Team Titles around their waists.
The champions survived their first defense, but The Great Hands may now have a bigger problem waiting for them. After the loss, Mustafa Ali appeared, and the disappointment around Order 4 was clear.
