Kellie
06-07-2009, 07:19 AM
Epics this week focuses on the first three King of the Mountain matches from 2004 and Slammiversary 2005 and 2006. What better place to start than explaining the rules? King of the Mountain is a 5 man match and the overall aim of the match is to hang the TNA World title on the hook above the ring however you must become eligible to do so. You become eligible by scoring a pinfall or submission on any one of the other 4 men and falls count anywhere, the man that is pinned must go into the penalty box for two minutes. The winner is the man who hangs the belt above the ring.
The first match this week is the first ever King of the Mountain match as champion Ron Killings defended his title against AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett, Chris Harris and Raven with Vince Russo as the holder of the title. Harris hit a Slingshot Cross Body to the outside on Raven and Killings as AJ hit his sweet Dropkick on Jarrett in the ring. Styles did an unbelievable Senton over the penalty box to the outside on Harris, Raven and Killings. Harris climbed to the top of the penalty box and hit Raven with a jumping clothesline off the box. Styles and Jarrett were at the top of the ramp and Styles suplexed Jarrett on the ramp. Styles hit the Styles clash on Jarrett to make him eligible and send Jarrett to the penalty box. Raven pushed the ladder into Styles before Harris nailed him with a spear and pinned him to make Harris eligible and send Raven to the box. Jarrett and Raven were conspiring to team up while they were both in the box.
After the break, Jarrett and Raven had Styles flat on a ladder before dumping him over the top to the outside. The Jarrett/Raven partnership broke down as Raven hit a Drop Toe Hold on Jarrett onto a chair. Harris nearly hung the title but Raven threw powder in his eyes and hit him with the Raven Effect for the pin, making Raven eligible and sending Harris to the penalty box. Jarrett hit the Stroke on Killings off the apron onto the rail for the pin, sending Killings to the penalty box and making Jarrett eligible. Jarrett tried to get the title off Russo but he wouldn't give it to him, this gave Styles the chance to roll up Jarrett and send him to the box. Styles climbed the ladder to hang the belt but Harris and Raven pushed over the ladder and sent Styles into the penalty box. Harris and Raven each climbed a side of the ladder and fought on top. Harris punched Raven off the ladder through a table that was set up in the corner but Killings pushed Harris off the ladder through a table set up in the other corner. Killings climbed up the ladder but Jarrett hit him with his guitar and hung the belt for the win (the hook which the belt was to be hung on broke and Jarrett had to spend about 15 seconds fixing it before hanging the belt). Overall, it was a pretty good match once you understand the concept.
After the break, we came back straight into the next match which was the King of the Mountain match from the first Slammiversary in 2005 where AJ Styles defended his title against Abyss, Raven, Monty Brown and Sean Waltman. The match started frantically as Waltman leaped off the penalty box with a clothesline on Raven who was in the ring. Styles hit a huracanrana off a ladder on Abyss on the outside and within the first two minutes Monty Brown hit Raven with the Pounce and pinned him to become eligible and send Raven to the penalty box. AJ hit a senton over the top on Abyss and went for a Flying Forearm Smash but Abyss grabbed his legs and pulled him down on the ropes. Brown hit a suplex variation on Raven, Waltman went for a top rope Cross Body on Brown but he caught Waltman in the Fall Away Slam postion before bringing him up to into a powerbomb for the pin which sent Waltman to the penalty box. Brown hit the pounce on AJ but Raven pulled him to the outside and pinned him to send AJ to the penalty box and make Raven eligible. Raven got a trash can and went to work on Brown and Abyss while Styles and Waltman were planning in the penalty box as we went to an ad break.
Abyss hit a Black Hole Slam on Brown for the pin to make him eligible and sent Brown to the penalty box. Styles hit the Styles Clash on Raven but Abyss broke up the pin. Waltman hit Abyss with a chair on the outside and set him up on a table. Styles went to the top and hit an insane Spiral Tap to the outside putting Abyss through the table and Styles got the pin, making him eligible and sent Abyss packing to the penalty box. The Styles/Waltman partnership broke down as Waltman hit an X-Factor off a ladder on AJ, pinning him to make him eligible and sending AJ to the box. Raven pulled out a staple gun and used it on Waltman, Waltman then got it off Raven and used it on Raven and Abyss' crotches. Styled and Waltman were fighting on top of the ladder but Abyss pushed the ladder over and sent both men over the top to the outside with AJ going through a table. Abyss went to climb the ladder but Brown Pounced Abyss off the ladder through a table set up in the corner. Raven hit the Raven Effect on the 'Alpha Male' and hung the belt to win the title and end his two year journey for the title. This was probably the best King of the Mountain match out of the 5 so far, so many big moves it was a really great match.
Foley introduced the TNA Epics main event which was the King of the Mountain match from Slammiversary 2006 where Christian Cage defended the NWA World Heavyweight title against Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Ron Killings with Larry Zbyszko as the holder of the title. Christian hit a top rope Cross Body to the outside on Jarrett while Killings hit an Axe Kick on Abyss in the ring. Killings hit an over the top Senton on Jarrett, Abyss and Christian. Sting hit a dive off the penalty box hitting everyone. There was a very noticeable edit during after the replay of Sting's dive, it came back with Jarrett in the penalty box (he was pinned by Killings, making him eligible). Christian seesaws a ladder into Killings and rolls up Abyss for the pin making him eligible and sending Abyss to the penalty box. Jarrett sandwiches Christian in a ladder on the outside. Jarrett and Abyss stacked 4 tables outside the ring. Jarrett hit a Stroke on Killings off the apron onto the rail before pinning him, making Jarrett eligible and sending Killings to the penalty box as we go to a break.
After the break, Abyss pushed Killings off a ladder to the outside and pushed the ladder backwards hitting Earl Hebner. Abyss hit a Black Hole Slam on Jarrett and pinned him with 'Slick' Johnson running in to make the count. Zbyszko the sent 'Slick' to the back. Sting pushed Abyss off a ladder sending him through the 4 tables on the outside. Christian was going to retain the title but Zbyszko hit him with a low blow and Christian fell off the ladder. Sting hit Jarrett with the Scorpion Death Drop but Hebner was down, Sting grabbed Hebner's hand and made the count himself but Jarrett doesn't have to go to the box as the ref never saw the pin. As Hebner is getting up, he 'accidentally' falls into the ladder sending Sting and Christian to the outside. Jarrett hangs the belt and wins the belt as he's being pounded by bottles by the crowd. Jim Cornette grabs the title off Jarrett to end the show.
Closing Thoughts: This is a really good introduction to the King of the Mountain if you've never seen it before. Three good matches make this a fun show. It's no coincidence that AJ Styles has been heavily featured in all these shows, he truely is Mr. TNA. It's interesting that two of those who were in the first King of the Mountain in AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett are also in this years. A great run of Epics so far as we haven't had a bad show yet but unfortunately that is going to change next week as we have an all Knockouts show with the Gauntlet match to crown the first champ from Bound For Glory 2007, Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong for the Knockouts title from iMPACT! January 2008 and the Queen of the Cage match from Lockdown 2008.
The first match this week is the first ever King of the Mountain match as champion Ron Killings defended his title against AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett, Chris Harris and Raven with Vince Russo as the holder of the title. Harris hit a Slingshot Cross Body to the outside on Raven and Killings as AJ hit his sweet Dropkick on Jarrett in the ring. Styles did an unbelievable Senton over the penalty box to the outside on Harris, Raven and Killings. Harris climbed to the top of the penalty box and hit Raven with a jumping clothesline off the box. Styles and Jarrett were at the top of the ramp and Styles suplexed Jarrett on the ramp. Styles hit the Styles clash on Jarrett to make him eligible and send Jarrett to the penalty box. Raven pushed the ladder into Styles before Harris nailed him with a spear and pinned him to make Harris eligible and send Raven to the box. Jarrett and Raven were conspiring to team up while they were both in the box.
After the break, Jarrett and Raven had Styles flat on a ladder before dumping him over the top to the outside. The Jarrett/Raven partnership broke down as Raven hit a Drop Toe Hold on Jarrett onto a chair. Harris nearly hung the title but Raven threw powder in his eyes and hit him with the Raven Effect for the pin, making Raven eligible and sending Harris to the penalty box. Jarrett hit the Stroke on Killings off the apron onto the rail for the pin, sending Killings to the penalty box and making Jarrett eligible. Jarrett tried to get the title off Russo but he wouldn't give it to him, this gave Styles the chance to roll up Jarrett and send him to the box. Styles climbed the ladder to hang the belt but Harris and Raven pushed over the ladder and sent Styles into the penalty box. Harris and Raven each climbed a side of the ladder and fought on top. Harris punched Raven off the ladder through a table that was set up in the corner but Killings pushed Harris off the ladder through a table set up in the other corner. Killings climbed up the ladder but Jarrett hit him with his guitar and hung the belt for the win (the hook which the belt was to be hung on broke and Jarrett had to spend about 15 seconds fixing it before hanging the belt). Overall, it was a pretty good match once you understand the concept.
After the break, we came back straight into the next match which was the King of the Mountain match from the first Slammiversary in 2005 where AJ Styles defended his title against Abyss, Raven, Monty Brown and Sean Waltman. The match started frantically as Waltman leaped off the penalty box with a clothesline on Raven who was in the ring. Styles hit a huracanrana off a ladder on Abyss on the outside and within the first two minutes Monty Brown hit Raven with the Pounce and pinned him to become eligible and send Raven to the penalty box. AJ hit a senton over the top on Abyss and went for a Flying Forearm Smash but Abyss grabbed his legs and pulled him down on the ropes. Brown hit a suplex variation on Raven, Waltman went for a top rope Cross Body on Brown but he caught Waltman in the Fall Away Slam postion before bringing him up to into a powerbomb for the pin which sent Waltman to the penalty box. Brown hit the pounce on AJ but Raven pulled him to the outside and pinned him to send AJ to the penalty box and make Raven eligible. Raven got a trash can and went to work on Brown and Abyss while Styles and Waltman were planning in the penalty box as we went to an ad break.
Abyss hit a Black Hole Slam on Brown for the pin to make him eligible and sent Brown to the penalty box. Styles hit the Styles Clash on Raven but Abyss broke up the pin. Waltman hit Abyss with a chair on the outside and set him up on a table. Styles went to the top and hit an insane Spiral Tap to the outside putting Abyss through the table and Styles got the pin, making him eligible and sent Abyss packing to the penalty box. The Styles/Waltman partnership broke down as Waltman hit an X-Factor off a ladder on AJ, pinning him to make him eligible and sending AJ to the box. Raven pulled out a staple gun and used it on Waltman, Waltman then got it off Raven and used it on Raven and Abyss' crotches. Styled and Waltman were fighting on top of the ladder but Abyss pushed the ladder over and sent both men over the top to the outside with AJ going through a table. Abyss went to climb the ladder but Brown Pounced Abyss off the ladder through a table set up in the corner. Raven hit the Raven Effect on the 'Alpha Male' and hung the belt to win the title and end his two year journey for the title. This was probably the best King of the Mountain match out of the 5 so far, so many big moves it was a really great match.
Foley introduced the TNA Epics main event which was the King of the Mountain match from Slammiversary 2006 where Christian Cage defended the NWA World Heavyweight title against Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Ron Killings with Larry Zbyszko as the holder of the title. Christian hit a top rope Cross Body to the outside on Jarrett while Killings hit an Axe Kick on Abyss in the ring. Killings hit an over the top Senton on Jarrett, Abyss and Christian. Sting hit a dive off the penalty box hitting everyone. There was a very noticeable edit during after the replay of Sting's dive, it came back with Jarrett in the penalty box (he was pinned by Killings, making him eligible). Christian seesaws a ladder into Killings and rolls up Abyss for the pin making him eligible and sending Abyss to the penalty box. Jarrett sandwiches Christian in a ladder on the outside. Jarrett and Abyss stacked 4 tables outside the ring. Jarrett hit a Stroke on Killings off the apron onto the rail before pinning him, making Jarrett eligible and sending Killings to the penalty box as we go to a break.
After the break, Abyss pushed Killings off a ladder to the outside and pushed the ladder backwards hitting Earl Hebner. Abyss hit a Black Hole Slam on Jarrett and pinned him with 'Slick' Johnson running in to make the count. Zbyszko the sent 'Slick' to the back. Sting pushed Abyss off a ladder sending him through the 4 tables on the outside. Christian was going to retain the title but Zbyszko hit him with a low blow and Christian fell off the ladder. Sting hit Jarrett with the Scorpion Death Drop but Hebner was down, Sting grabbed Hebner's hand and made the count himself but Jarrett doesn't have to go to the box as the ref never saw the pin. As Hebner is getting up, he 'accidentally' falls into the ladder sending Sting and Christian to the outside. Jarrett hangs the belt and wins the belt as he's being pounded by bottles by the crowd. Jim Cornette grabs the title off Jarrett to end the show.
Closing Thoughts: This is a really good introduction to the King of the Mountain if you've never seen it before. Three good matches make this a fun show. It's no coincidence that AJ Styles has been heavily featured in all these shows, he truely is Mr. TNA. It's interesting that two of those who were in the first King of the Mountain in AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett are also in this years. A great run of Epics so far as we haven't had a bad show yet but unfortunately that is going to change next week as we have an all Knockouts show with the Gauntlet match to crown the first champ from Bound For Glory 2007, Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong for the Knockouts title from iMPACT! January 2008 and the Queen of the Cage match from Lockdown 2008.