Kenpachi Zaraki
10-24-2008, 07:47 AM
The Big News: Mick Foley is now a “part-owner” of TNA Wrestling. Considering the economic times, I can think of better investments. It could have been worse. Jeremy Shaw could have knocked on Foley’s door last Sunday, you know. Also, Awesome Kong regained the TNA Knockouts title from Diamond Taylor Wilde and the Angle, Booker, Nash, Sting faction officially got a name.
1. Christy Hemme defeated Velvet Sky. They’re on live TV and this was the opener? Crowd was as hot as you reasonably expect. In no time at all, they were botching stuff left and right. Angelina Love put hair spray in Hemme’s eyes, allowing Sky to hit a flying clothesline that missed by 12 inches. Hemme hit a FFG (flying firecrotch guillotine) legdrop off the second rope for the pin. As she rolled out of the ring, Hemme’s bikini top nearly fell off. ˝*
Then came an angle they should have shot weeks ago that would have made the old vs. new feud much less vague. Jeremy Borash was informed by Kurt Angle on Wednesday night that he had his own major announcement tonight that would change professional wrestling forever. Angle, in a meeting room against Nash and Booker, said he made a few phone calls to major people and the deal is done. Booker T and Nash said they wanted respect. Angle said that he would go into battle with heavy artillery, and out walked Sting, sans makeup. He was in a three-piece suit. Sting said combined with Angle, Booker and Nash, there was 75 years of wrestling history in the room. Angle then proposed a toast to the “Main Event Mafia,” which will apparently be the group’s name.
Lauren was waiting outside the Hard Rock Café waiting for Mick Foley. Later, Foley showed up driving a green and white Volkswagon which he claimed could get 40 miles to the gallon. Foley said he wanted to let the Hard Rock get full (shouldn’t it be full by now?) to make the announcement.
Booker and Sharmell came out to cheers. Booker, a member of the newly christened heel team, thanked them. Confused yet? Booker unveiled the contents of the briefcase, then pulled out a red championship belt. The pop from the crowd was ridiculously loud. Booker said it was the TNA Legends Championship, and proclaimed himself the first holder of the belt. Christian Cage came out (with a new entrance video, which I don’t think management would have gone to the trouble of making if he was on the way out) Cage said Booker was a second-rate Little John impersonator. Apparently, this was one wrestling crowd that dug John because they booed the hell out of Cage for that one. Cage started doing the Dave Chapelle Little John mannerisms which got Booker hot. Booker calmed down and invited Cage to join the Main Event Mafia. Cage said he wasn’t interested and challenged Booker to a match for the Legends title at Turning Point instead. Cage said in his country he calls that a challenge. Isn’t he from Canada. Booker accepted the challenge, but said if Booker wins Cage has to join the Main Event Mafia.
Matt Morgan and Abyss did an interview for the four team text match with Beer Money, Team 3-D and LAX. Morgan didn’t want Abyss to go to the ring because he suffered third-degree burns at Bound for Glory when 3-D but him through a burning table. Abyss said the burns will heal and wanted to wrestle, but Morgan was hearing none of it. Abyss vowed to do something after Morgan walked away.
Borash tried to get Jeff Jarrett to spill the beans about Foley’s announcement, but no dice. Jarrett also said that Angle would get over losing to him and would not fight him at Turning Point.
Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Black Machismo to retain the X Division championship. They barely had enough time for Machismo’s comeback. Machismo did a cool Taijiri spot where he did a handspring off the ropes, dodged a clothesline and came back with a flying elbow. Machismo hit a tope. Finish came when Machismo missed the Randy Savage elbow and Bashir caught the WMD (DDT) for the pin. Too short. *
A.J. Styles did a promo saying he didn’t know how it came to have Sting, Nash, Styles and Booker against the younger wrestlers. Joe said since Nash took his championship, he was going to take his career.
Another Suicide promo aired.
Backstage, Sheik Abdul Bashir and Rhino were arguing backstage. Rhino vowed to deport Bashir. Bashir then kicked Rhino low, laid him out with a microphone shot and threw a light stand on him. Lauren’s acting here was just terrible.
Beer Money won a gauntlet tag team battle royal over LAX, Team 3-D and Matt Morgan and Abyss. James Storm and Brother Ray were the first two in. Mike Tenay said the fans could still text to vote which weapon could be used first: chair, table or ladder. With two heels in there, Ray wrestled as a first. After one minute, Robert Roode came in, so Beer Money was together, and did a cool kick to the back into a blockbuster on Ray. Brother Dvon came in next to make the comeback. Weird to see the fans behind 3-D after they spent months as the best heat-getting tag heels the industry has seen in years. Hernandez came in next and did a slingshot double clothesline on both members of 3-D and a Liger Bomb onto Ray. Later 3-D cut him off for a doomsday device. Homicide arrived for a missile dropkick onto Dvon and Ray, a tornado DDT on Dvon and a flying huracanrana on Ray. Then came Matt Morgan, so Abyss was supposedly the final one in even though Morgan didn’t want him to wrestle. I guess to get his heat back for doing the clean job to Angle last week, Morgan eliminated Homicide, Dvon and Hernandez. It should be mentioned that, of the eight wrestlers, Morgan got by far the least reaction from the crowd. Abyss came out, but Morgan didn’t want him out there. While he had his back turned, Storm threw Morgan out. Dave Penzer announced tables were legal. Then it got really confusing. Ray did the old “Dvon get the tables” spot. I guess since this was supposed to set up a program with Beer Money, this was Team 3-D’s face turn. Dvon stayed around even though he had been eliminated. 3-D set up the table, then poured lighter fluid onto the table to huge ECW chants. Just as Ray was about to light it, Abyss ran in and cleaned house on 3-D to a chorus of boos. Never mind Abyss is supposed to be a face in the midst of all this. Then Abyss teased lighting the table, but Dvon cut him off and 3-D clotheslined Abyss over. Wasn’t Dvon eliminated? Crowd chanted “We want fire.” Before they could get it, Dvon and Ray gave Roode a 3-D through the table. It looked that would be the finish, but Jacqueline ran out and pulled referee Rudy Charles out of the ring. Then Storm spit beer into Dvon’s eyes, leading to the pin. **1/2
Kurt Angle came out and teased another attack on ring announcer Dave Penzer. He openly swore doing his promo, which was bleeped out. Angle vowed to pay Jarrett’s little girls a visit. Jarrett came out and said there was no reason for him to be in the ring because TNA already has the best talent roster they’ve ever had. Angle said he was TNA. Jarrett said there was a locker room full of guys that would love to face Angle, and there was one behind Angle right now. It was Abyss, and the two squared off. Abyss almost gave Angle a black hole slam before Angle escaped and ran off. Jarrett just stood on the ramp and smiled.
Awesome Kong and Rasisha Saeed were backstage for a promo regarding Kong’s Knockouts title match against Taylor Wilde. I think Saaed mentioned something about trying to catch moose and squirrel.
Awesome Kong defeated Taylor Wilde to regain the TNA Knockout championship. It was certainly the right time for Wilde to drop the strap because she just isn’t over as the top face in the Knockouts division. All action match. Kong tried an Awesome bomb but Wilde turned it into a face buster. Wilde did two dropkicks, then did a missile dropkick for a near fall. Wilde came right back with a huracanrana for a two count. Saeed tripped Wilde. During that melee, Kong grabbed Wilde for an Awesome Bomb for the pin. **
Sting and Kevin Nash defeated A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe. Really weird to see Sting wrestle as the bad guy. It’s like watching Steve Austin in late 2001 as a heel the fans don’t want to boo. But at least Austin tried to get heat. As great as his interviews have been, Sting hasn’t tried to turn the fans against him from day one. Styles hit a mistimed Pele kick on Sting to make the hot tag to Joe, who came in with a drop kick and senton. Sting tried to give Joe the Stinger splash from behind, but accidentally hit Nash. Finish came when Earl Hebner was distracted by Styles diving out to the floor, and Nash hit Joe with the belt for the pin. Damn, Obama needs to put Nash on his Cabinet or something. Joe tried to get juice, and they zoomed in for a close up but you could see the blade in Joe’s hand. Then Joe and Styles attacked Nash and Sting, and Nash selling Styles’ low kick was something awful. This led to Booker and Angle doing run-ins to lay out Styles and Joe. Main Event Mafia got more boos this time. *1/4
Mick Foley came out for his major announcement. He started by talking about the backstage meeting with Jeff Jarrett from last week. He said he made a lot of money over the years, but was very frugal with his cash. He started to spill the secret when the Main Event Mafia came out. Angle confronted Foley about what Mick said the previous week about how Mick said he was “going to take a Kurt and wipe his Angle.” Angle then head butted Foley. Foley said Jarrett asked him to make a major purchase into the company, and told Angle he just head butted his new boss. Foley then teased firing Angle, but held up. Foley said TNA was on the verge of being something big just like the WWE was in 2000 and asked Angle if he wanted to be a part of history or be history. We got confetti like Steve Austin just won the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 14 after Foley was done, and the announcers made it out like Foley had gotten through to Angle. Angle walked to the back with a stoic look on his face as the show ended.
SUMMARY: There were positives on the show. The Main Event Mafia truly does feel like a heel faction now. It’s just that the fans don’t want to put their faith in Joe and Styles because they constantly come out on the short end. Come to think of it, they might as well call the Joe/Styles group the New Blood, because this type of booking is what killed them in 2000. Except the Joe/Styles group is supposed to be faces now, but there’s nothing worse than faces that get beaten down. Naturally, all of this is supposed to set up Jarrett being the leader, but he’s never worked as a top heel, much less a top face. Joe would have been better groomed for that role, but he’s been totally castrated for the past year.
Also, the layout of the past two shows has been terrible. There’s barely time for any wrestling and the show feels crammed again.
Lastly, nothing comes off as more desperate than promising a major announcement that nobody buys. Certainly having Foley around as a semi-regular will help the company’s star status, but no one truly believes he’s buying into the company. The entire announcement was a real letdown.
Wrestling Observer
1. Christy Hemme defeated Velvet Sky. They’re on live TV and this was the opener? Crowd was as hot as you reasonably expect. In no time at all, they were botching stuff left and right. Angelina Love put hair spray in Hemme’s eyes, allowing Sky to hit a flying clothesline that missed by 12 inches. Hemme hit a FFG (flying firecrotch guillotine) legdrop off the second rope for the pin. As she rolled out of the ring, Hemme’s bikini top nearly fell off. ˝*
Then came an angle they should have shot weeks ago that would have made the old vs. new feud much less vague. Jeremy Borash was informed by Kurt Angle on Wednesday night that he had his own major announcement tonight that would change professional wrestling forever. Angle, in a meeting room against Nash and Booker, said he made a few phone calls to major people and the deal is done. Booker T and Nash said they wanted respect. Angle said that he would go into battle with heavy artillery, and out walked Sting, sans makeup. He was in a three-piece suit. Sting said combined with Angle, Booker and Nash, there was 75 years of wrestling history in the room. Angle then proposed a toast to the “Main Event Mafia,” which will apparently be the group’s name.
Lauren was waiting outside the Hard Rock Café waiting for Mick Foley. Later, Foley showed up driving a green and white Volkswagon which he claimed could get 40 miles to the gallon. Foley said he wanted to let the Hard Rock get full (shouldn’t it be full by now?) to make the announcement.
Booker and Sharmell came out to cheers. Booker, a member of the newly christened heel team, thanked them. Confused yet? Booker unveiled the contents of the briefcase, then pulled out a red championship belt. The pop from the crowd was ridiculously loud. Booker said it was the TNA Legends Championship, and proclaimed himself the first holder of the belt. Christian Cage came out (with a new entrance video, which I don’t think management would have gone to the trouble of making if he was on the way out) Cage said Booker was a second-rate Little John impersonator. Apparently, this was one wrestling crowd that dug John because they booed the hell out of Cage for that one. Cage started doing the Dave Chapelle Little John mannerisms which got Booker hot. Booker calmed down and invited Cage to join the Main Event Mafia. Cage said he wasn’t interested and challenged Booker to a match for the Legends title at Turning Point instead. Cage said in his country he calls that a challenge. Isn’t he from Canada. Booker accepted the challenge, but said if Booker wins Cage has to join the Main Event Mafia.
Matt Morgan and Abyss did an interview for the four team text match with Beer Money, Team 3-D and LAX. Morgan didn’t want Abyss to go to the ring because he suffered third-degree burns at Bound for Glory when 3-D but him through a burning table. Abyss said the burns will heal and wanted to wrestle, but Morgan was hearing none of it. Abyss vowed to do something after Morgan walked away.
Borash tried to get Jeff Jarrett to spill the beans about Foley’s announcement, but no dice. Jarrett also said that Angle would get over losing to him and would not fight him at Turning Point.
Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Black Machismo to retain the X Division championship. They barely had enough time for Machismo’s comeback. Machismo did a cool Taijiri spot where he did a handspring off the ropes, dodged a clothesline and came back with a flying elbow. Machismo hit a tope. Finish came when Machismo missed the Randy Savage elbow and Bashir caught the WMD (DDT) for the pin. Too short. *
A.J. Styles did a promo saying he didn’t know how it came to have Sting, Nash, Styles and Booker against the younger wrestlers. Joe said since Nash took his championship, he was going to take his career.
Another Suicide promo aired.
Backstage, Sheik Abdul Bashir and Rhino were arguing backstage. Rhino vowed to deport Bashir. Bashir then kicked Rhino low, laid him out with a microphone shot and threw a light stand on him. Lauren’s acting here was just terrible.
Beer Money won a gauntlet tag team battle royal over LAX, Team 3-D and Matt Morgan and Abyss. James Storm and Brother Ray were the first two in. Mike Tenay said the fans could still text to vote which weapon could be used first: chair, table or ladder. With two heels in there, Ray wrestled as a first. After one minute, Robert Roode came in, so Beer Money was together, and did a cool kick to the back into a blockbuster on Ray. Brother Dvon came in next to make the comeback. Weird to see the fans behind 3-D after they spent months as the best heat-getting tag heels the industry has seen in years. Hernandez came in next and did a slingshot double clothesline on both members of 3-D and a Liger Bomb onto Ray. Later 3-D cut him off for a doomsday device. Homicide arrived for a missile dropkick onto Dvon and Ray, a tornado DDT on Dvon and a flying huracanrana on Ray. Then came Matt Morgan, so Abyss was supposedly the final one in even though Morgan didn’t want him to wrestle. I guess to get his heat back for doing the clean job to Angle last week, Morgan eliminated Homicide, Dvon and Hernandez. It should be mentioned that, of the eight wrestlers, Morgan got by far the least reaction from the crowd. Abyss came out, but Morgan didn’t want him out there. While he had his back turned, Storm threw Morgan out. Dave Penzer announced tables were legal. Then it got really confusing. Ray did the old “Dvon get the tables” spot. I guess since this was supposed to set up a program with Beer Money, this was Team 3-D’s face turn. Dvon stayed around even though he had been eliminated. 3-D set up the table, then poured lighter fluid onto the table to huge ECW chants. Just as Ray was about to light it, Abyss ran in and cleaned house on 3-D to a chorus of boos. Never mind Abyss is supposed to be a face in the midst of all this. Then Abyss teased lighting the table, but Dvon cut him off and 3-D clotheslined Abyss over. Wasn’t Dvon eliminated? Crowd chanted “We want fire.” Before they could get it, Dvon and Ray gave Roode a 3-D through the table. It looked that would be the finish, but Jacqueline ran out and pulled referee Rudy Charles out of the ring. Then Storm spit beer into Dvon’s eyes, leading to the pin. **1/2
Kurt Angle came out and teased another attack on ring announcer Dave Penzer. He openly swore doing his promo, which was bleeped out. Angle vowed to pay Jarrett’s little girls a visit. Jarrett came out and said there was no reason for him to be in the ring because TNA already has the best talent roster they’ve ever had. Angle said he was TNA. Jarrett said there was a locker room full of guys that would love to face Angle, and there was one behind Angle right now. It was Abyss, and the two squared off. Abyss almost gave Angle a black hole slam before Angle escaped and ran off. Jarrett just stood on the ramp and smiled.
Awesome Kong and Rasisha Saeed were backstage for a promo regarding Kong’s Knockouts title match against Taylor Wilde. I think Saaed mentioned something about trying to catch moose and squirrel.
Awesome Kong defeated Taylor Wilde to regain the TNA Knockout championship. It was certainly the right time for Wilde to drop the strap because she just isn’t over as the top face in the Knockouts division. All action match. Kong tried an Awesome bomb but Wilde turned it into a face buster. Wilde did two dropkicks, then did a missile dropkick for a near fall. Wilde came right back with a huracanrana for a two count. Saeed tripped Wilde. During that melee, Kong grabbed Wilde for an Awesome Bomb for the pin. **
Sting and Kevin Nash defeated A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe. Really weird to see Sting wrestle as the bad guy. It’s like watching Steve Austin in late 2001 as a heel the fans don’t want to boo. But at least Austin tried to get heat. As great as his interviews have been, Sting hasn’t tried to turn the fans against him from day one. Styles hit a mistimed Pele kick on Sting to make the hot tag to Joe, who came in with a drop kick and senton. Sting tried to give Joe the Stinger splash from behind, but accidentally hit Nash. Finish came when Earl Hebner was distracted by Styles diving out to the floor, and Nash hit Joe with the belt for the pin. Damn, Obama needs to put Nash on his Cabinet or something. Joe tried to get juice, and they zoomed in for a close up but you could see the blade in Joe’s hand. Then Joe and Styles attacked Nash and Sting, and Nash selling Styles’ low kick was something awful. This led to Booker and Angle doing run-ins to lay out Styles and Joe. Main Event Mafia got more boos this time. *1/4
Mick Foley came out for his major announcement. He started by talking about the backstage meeting with Jeff Jarrett from last week. He said he made a lot of money over the years, but was very frugal with his cash. He started to spill the secret when the Main Event Mafia came out. Angle confronted Foley about what Mick said the previous week about how Mick said he was “going to take a Kurt and wipe his Angle.” Angle then head butted Foley. Foley said Jarrett asked him to make a major purchase into the company, and told Angle he just head butted his new boss. Foley then teased firing Angle, but held up. Foley said TNA was on the verge of being something big just like the WWE was in 2000 and asked Angle if he wanted to be a part of history or be history. We got confetti like Steve Austin just won the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 14 after Foley was done, and the announcers made it out like Foley had gotten through to Angle. Angle walked to the back with a stoic look on his face as the show ended.
SUMMARY: There were positives on the show. The Main Event Mafia truly does feel like a heel faction now. It’s just that the fans don’t want to put their faith in Joe and Styles because they constantly come out on the short end. Come to think of it, they might as well call the Joe/Styles group the New Blood, because this type of booking is what killed them in 2000. Except the Joe/Styles group is supposed to be faces now, but there’s nothing worse than faces that get beaten down. Naturally, all of this is supposed to set up Jarrett being the leader, but he’s never worked as a top heel, much less a top face. Joe would have been better groomed for that role, but he’s been totally castrated for the past year.
Also, the layout of the past two shows has been terrible. There’s barely time for any wrestling and the show feels crammed again.
Lastly, nothing comes off as more desperate than promising a major announcement that nobody buys. Certainly having Foley around as a semi-regular will help the company’s star status, but no one truly believes he’s buying into the company. The entire announcement was a real letdown.
Wrestling Observer