Retro Rewind #3 — TNA’s Tag Team Chaos: The Wolves vs. Team 3D vs. The Hardys (Full Metal Mayhem, 2014)

Retro Rewind #3 — TNA’s Tag Team Chaos: The Wolves vs. Team 3D vs. The Hardys (Full Metal Mayhem, 2014)

Posted every Friday — our weekly dive into classics from TNA, ROH, MLW, NWA, GCW & more.

Why this one still rips

In late 2014, IMPACT/TNA’s tag division was on fire. Three generations of teams collided in a stunt-heavy, era-defining banger: defending champions The Wolves (Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards) vs. Team 3D (Bully Ray & Devon) vs. The Hardys (Matt & Jeff) in Full Metal Mayhem—TNA’s twist on TLC where ladders, tables, chairs (and any other “metal”) are all fair game with the belts hanging high above the ring. The match aired October 8, 2014 from Bethlehem, PA, and closed out the Tag Team Title Series. (You’ll sometimes see 9/16/14 listed on uploads because of the taping schedule, but the TV air date was Oct. 8.)

Backstory: How we got here

The spark: The Wolves had been carving up the division all year. At Destination X (aired July 31, 2014) they turned back a surging Hardys reunion, which set the stage for a dream three-team program.

The Tag Team Title Series: Kurt Angle announced a three-match series—first to two wins—with the winners of each fall picking the next stipulation. Team 3D won the opening salvo and chose a Tables Match (of course), which the Hardys won on Sept. 10, 2014, tying the series. One week later at No Surrender (Sept. 17), The Wolves retained in a Ladder Match, forcing a winner-take-all finale. Their choice? Full Metal Mayhem, belts suspended above the ring.

Match recap: Full Metal Mayhem (Oct. 8, 2014) — bell-to-bell highlights

From the opening scramble, it’s pure controlled chaos:

Jeff hits Whisper in the Wind, then a Swanton Bomb on Bully; moments later he tries a guillotine leg drop from the top to the floor, but Bully moves and Jeff crashes through a table.

A three-ladder climb breaks out center ring; Eddie gets double-hip-tossed off a ladder, Matt and Devon slug it out and both tumble. Matt lands a Twist of Fate, sets a table, climbs the massive floor ladder and leg-drops Eddie through the table.

Devon goes for the “Wassup!” headbutt off the top—Jeff shoves him and Devon wipes out through stacked tables at ringside. Bully tries to steady the climb, but Jeff missiles a chair dropkick into him.

The crescendo: Jeff scales the giant ladder; Eddie shoves it, sending Jeff crashing through Bully and multiple tables on the floor. Inside, Davey and Matt fist-fight atop a ladder until Eddie Superbombs Matt through a table, and Davey pulls down the titles. The Wolves retain to win the series. (Match length listed at ~27:03.)

Why it mattered

This was the crowning moment for The Wolves—Impact’s message that the next great tag team had arrived, validated in the most Hardys/3D way possible. Critics at the time called it a car-crash classic and a worthy spiritual successor to the TLC spectacles that made the Hardys and Dudleys icons, while giving the Wolves the torch.

What came next (careers from here)

The Wolves

Eddie and Davey would keep stacking accolades; Eddie Edwards later captured the company’s world title (2016) and became a long-tenured locker room pillar. Davey stepped away in 2017, then returned to the ring on the independents/MLW from 2021.

Team 3D (Bully Ray & Devon)

Just days after this match, Team 3D was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame during the Bound for Glory weekend in Japan—an exclamation point on one of wrestling’s most decorated tag legacies.

The Hardys (Matt & Jeff)

The brothers’ 2014 TNA run helped spark a late-career renaissance that would see them collect gold across promotions. In a full-circle moment, they returned to TNA in 2024, immediately re-entering marquee programs.

Fast facts & trivia

Stip history: Full Metal Mayhem is TNA’s house-style riff on TLC—tables, ladders, chairs and other “metal” allowed; often contested with the belts suspended above the ring.

Series results in order:

1. Tables Match (9/10/14): Hardys win.

2. Ladder Match—No Surrender (9/17/14): Wolves retain.

3. Full Metal Mayhem (10/08/14): Wolves retain and win the series.

Length/location: Aired Oct. 8, 2014 from Bethlehem, PA; listed length ~27:03.

Watch it

IndyProWrestling.com — Follow Us

Stay plugged in for next Friday’s Retro Rewind and daily coverage across the scene:

Facebook: Facebook.com/IndyProWrestling

X formerly Twitter: @@IndyProWrstlng

Instagram: @IndyProWrestlingCom

*What Retro Rewind should we tackle next? Drop a classic you want covered—TNA, ROH, MLW, NWA, GCW, or a hidden indie gem—and we’ll add it to the Friday queue.*