The main event was a Six Sides of Steel Weapons match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, in which the champion Samoa Joe defeated the challenger Booker T to retain the title.

The card also featured a match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship, which saw Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode) defeat The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide) to become the new champions.

[6] TNA issued a press release in late-June revealing that Hard Justice would be held at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.

[8] Hard Justice featured seven professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines.

[10] The duo also fought at TNA's previous PPV event Victory Road on July 13, which ended in a no contest after interference from Sting allowed Booker T to gain an unofficial pinfall counted by his legitimate wife Sharmell instead of an official referee.

[20] The TNA World Tag Team Championship was defended at Hard Justice by LAX against Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode).

[19] Management Director Jim Cornette scheduled a title defense at Victory Road between LAX and Roode and Storm under "Fan's Revenge" Lumberjack rules on the June 19 episode of Impact!.

[21] At Victory Road, LAX defeated the newly renamed Beer Money Incorporated to retain the World Tag Team Championship.

[22] On the July 17 episode of Impact!, Roode and Storm began assaulting various wrestlers, crew members, and fans in retaliation for their loss at Victory Road.

[20] The telecast began with a live performance of the event theme song "AyAyAya" by Filthee along with Grandmaster Caz and Melle Mel.

Andrew Thomas, Earl Hebner, Rudy Charles, Mark "Slick" Johnson, and Traci Brooks participated as referees for the encounters.

[25] The opening bout was for the TNA X Division Championship between the champion Petey Williams and the challenger Consequences Creed.

[29] TNA held a Black Tie Brawl and Chain match between Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, which lasted 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

[29] The main event was a Six Sides of Steel Weapons match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, pitting the champion Samoa Joe against the challenger Booker T, who was accompanied by Sharmell.

Joe gained the pinfall victory to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship after bashing Booker T over the head with a guitar that had appeared in the ring after the lights had suddenly gone off and back on.

"Crowd is very hot for this opener and the atmosphere should hopefully add to this show", stated Pollock when covering the TNA X Division Championship match.

[28] Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter rated the matches out of five stars in his review of the event.

He gave the Last Man Standing bout 4 stars and said it was a "superb match" with a "scaring finish" since the "potential for something going wrong given Angle's legit neck problems was substantial" even if "everything was planned" to work out that way.

Keller rated the Street Fight 1+1⁄2 stars and stated it "was pretty clunky late and early on the crowd brawling got a little repetitive" and that it felt "like yet another weapons match."

Keller gave the World Tag Team Championship match 2 stars, but did not give his opinion outside the rating on the contest.

[29] James Caldwell, also of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter, published a review of the show in which he also gave ratings out of 5 stars and some comments on the top matches on the card.

He considered the main event "underwhelming" due to the "audience having sat through every possible gimmick match combination prior to another Joe-Booker bout that everyone knew was going to end with some sort of gimmicky finish" and that it was "not memorable" but that it would "generate talk about Jarrett."

However, he felt the bout had a "silly pin-and-count-'em stipulation" and that the "all-too-real neck injury angle, followed by some post-match activity that took away from Styles's win."

Cornette stated that over the weeks leading to the show three qualification matches would take place to determine the challengers to Joe.

[39] Styles went on to challenge Sting at TNA's Turning Point and Final Resolution PPV events for the title, failing to win on both occasions.

[40][41] Meanwhile, the finish of the main event led to the return of Jeff Jarrett at No Surrender, when he aided Joe in retaining the TNA World Heavyweight Championship by hitting Angle with a guitar.

[38] On the September 25 episode of Impact!, Styles was ordered to return Angle's gold medal by Jeff Jarrett, who had taken a role as a TNA management authority figure.

[32] On the September 11 episode of Impact!, TNA promoted a Ladder of Love match at No Surrender with the winner becoming engaged to SoCal Val.

[44] Beer Money, Inc (James Storm and Robert Roode) went on to defend the TNA World Tag Team Championship against The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide) at No Surrender in a rematch.

[32] TNA promoted a Three Way match between the three for the X Division Championship for No Surrender, which Bashir ended up winning to become the new champion on the telecast.