Storylines
The event will feature several professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines. Wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines are produced on TNA's weekly programs, Impact! and Xplosion. [6]
At NXT Battleground, NXT wrestler Trick Williams defeated Joe Hendry to win the TNA World Championship, becoming the first active WWE wrestler to hold any TNA title. [7] Two days later on the May 27 episode of NXT , Williams would cut his first promo as champion, where he vowed to turn TNA into "TrickNA" while disparaging former TNA World Champions such as Kurt Angle and AJ Styles. He would later be confronted by Mike Santana, who appeared in a backstage segment at Battleground and just made his NXT in-ring debut earlier. He called Williams out for being "fake" as he declared he'd take the TNA World Championship from Williams. TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella would appear on the Titantron to announce that, per NXT General Manager Ava, Williams would defend the title against Santana on the following episode of NXT. [8] However, the following day on Busted Open Radio, co-host and TNA Senior Producer Tommy Dreamer announced that the TNA World Championship would also be defended at Against All Odds. [9] That match was later confirmed on the subsequent episode of TNA Impact!, where either Williams or Santana would defend the title against Joe Hendry's ally Elijah at the event. [10] On the June 3 episode of NXT, Williams defeated Santana to retain the title due to interference from Fir$t Cla$$ (A. J. Francis and KC Navarro), thus it was announced that Williams would defend the title against Elijah at Against All Odds. [11] Meanwhile, Santana, who defeated Francis at Under Siege two weeks ago, was announced as a guest on Francis and Navarro's talk show, "Fir$t Cla$$ Penthouse." [12]
At Under Siege, after Masha Slamovich defended the TNA Knockouts World Championship against Victoria Crawford, she would nominate Léi Yǐng Lee as her next challenger, but was rebuffed by Robert Stone who said that Lee needed to earn her opportunity on the upcoming episode of TNA Impact!. [13] [14] She would go on to defeat TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champion Ash by Elegance before once again being challenged by Slamovich. [15] [16] The match was later made official for Against All Odds. [10]
On the May 29 episode of TNA Impact!, The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) defeated The System (Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards), Fir$t Cla$$ (A. J. Francis and KC Navarro), and Laredo Kid (whose partner Octagón Jr. was ambushed by The System backstage) to earn a TNA World Tag Team Championship match. [15] [16] It was then announced that they would challenge The Nemeth Brothers (Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth) for the titles at Against All Odds. [10]
On the May 1 episode of TNA Impact!, NXT Assistant General Manager Robert Stone (formerly Robbie E in TNA) confronted TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella alongside Victoria Crawford. Claiming Marella to be "under review" by the "higher ups" at Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Stone announced that Crawford would serve as "Deputy" Director of Authority while he would act as the liaison between TNA and Anthem. [17] [18] Now calling himself "Sheriff Stone," he would overrule Marella's decisions while gaining support from Tessa Blanchard, who had been critical of Marella's leadership, and detraction from Marella's daughter Arianna Grace, the liaison between TNA and NXT. This soon led to a match between Blanchard and Grace at Under Siege, which Blanchard won. [13] [14] On the following TNA Impact!, Marella and Grace faced Stone and Crawford in an intergender tag team match, but due to several caveats put in place by Stone and interference by Alisha Edwards, the latter team won. Later, in a digital exclusive segment, an enraged Marella challenged Stone to a singles match at Against All Odds, with the winner taking the role of TNA Director of Authority from then on. [15] [16] [10]
After losing to Mike Santana in a falls count anywhere match at Rebellion, Mustafa Ali started a downward spiral where he became more aggressive towards opponents of him and his cabinet Order 4 (The Great Hands (John Skylar and Jason Hotch) and Tasha Steelz). Almost unhinged, he would blindly attack the likes of Ace Austin and The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) whilst using members of Order 4 to protect him, albeit seemingly against their will. At Under Siege, Order 4 defeated The Rascalz, Indi Hartwell, and a returning Raj Singh (replacing an injured Ace Austin), but Ali continued to attack the latter after the match. Steelz tried to calm him down, but was surprisingly shoved down by Ali. [13] [14] Signs of Ali's abusive behavior were then seen again on the following TNA Impact!, where, as he ordered The Great Hands to attack Singh after a match, he grabbed Steelz by the hair and threatened her. [15] [16] The next week, Steelz lost to Hartwell after Hotch refused to attack the latter. Ali would come out and shove both Steelz and the referee to the ground before Hotch jumped in between him and Steelz. [19] [20] Backstage, Ali declared that he and Hotch would face in a match at Against All Odds. [12]
