LG
10-24-2013, 03:40 AM
October 23rd
On this day in history in ....
1940 - Yvon Robert defeats Lou Thesz for the Montreal World Heavyweight Title, beginning his fifth reign.
1956 - Junzo Yoshinosato defeats Isao Yoshiwara in a tournament final to become the first Japanese Light Heavyweight Champion in Tokyo.
1956 - Ben & Mike Sharpe defeat Bill & Ed Miller to win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Title for the 12th of 18 times.
1958 - Ronnie Etchison & Buddy Rogers win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Title from Gene Dubuque & Mike Valentino in Oakland, California.
1963 - Mickey Sharpe defeats Silento Rodriguez for the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama.
1965 - Kurt & Skull Von Stroheim defeat Sam Steamboat and Ron Etchison for the Florida version of the NWA World Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.
1967 - The Sheik defeats Gino Brito to win the vacant Montreal International Heavyweight Title.
1967 - Abdullah the Butcher & Dr. Jerry Graham defeat Chris and John Tolos for the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
1967 - Spoiler #1 and Gary Hart defeat Brute Bernard and Mike Paidousis to win the NWA American Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas.
1970 - Pantera Negra defeats Dale Lewis in Los Angeles, California for the NWA United National Heavyweight Title.
1974 - Robert Fuller defeats Jerry Lawler to win the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Nashville, Tennessee.
1978 - Kendo Kimura & Hiro Sasaki defeat Jose Rivera & Invader I for the WWC Tag Team Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
1980 - Bob Brown defeats Mike George to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Kansas City, Kansas. This started Brown's 12th reign and ended George's fourth.
1981 - Ken Patera defeats Jack Brisco for the Missouri State Heavyweight Title in St. Louis, Missouri, ending Brisco's second title reign and beginning the second run for Patera with the belt.
1981 - La Fiera defeats Lizmark to win the NWA World Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1981 - El Satanico defeats Solar I for the Mexican National Middleweight Title.
1983 - Ringo Mendoza defeats El Satanico for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Guadalajara, Mexico.
1983 - Enrique Vera defeats Dos Caras and Canek in 3-man tournament to win the vacant UWA World Heavyweight Title.
1985 - Jon Cortez defeats Johnny Saint to win the British World Lightweight Title.
1988 - Jerry Lawler defeats Kerry Von Erich in Memphis, Tennessee for the WCWA Heavyweight Title.
1989 - The Soultaker defeats Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's second reign with the belt.
1992 - Black Bart & Johnny Mantell defeat The Ebony Experience (Harlem Heat) to win the GWF Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.
1994 - WCW held their Halloween Havoc Pay-per-view at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Here are the results:
- In a dark match, Booker T defeated Brian Armstrong.
- WCW Television Champion Johnny B. Badd vs. The Honky Tonk Man ended in a ten minute draw.
- Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma defeated The Patriot & Marcus Bagwell to win the WCW World Tag Team Title. Bagwell had Orndorff pinned with a fisherman's suplex, but the referee was getting Patriot out of the ring, allowing Roma to hit Bagwell with a top rope elbow and roll Orndorff on top for the pin.
- Dave Sullivan defeated Kevin Sullivan via countout when both men were brawling on the floor and Dave rolled back in just before the ten count.
- Dustin Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson by reversing a sunset flip after the referee made Anderson let go of the ropes he was using for leverage, allowing Rhodes to get the pin.
- United States Champion Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Steve Austin via disqualification when Austin backdropped Duggan over the top rope.
- Vader defeated The Guardian Angel. Angel suplexed manager Harley Race into the ring, and when he did so, Vader splashed Angel and got the pin.
- The Nasty Boys defeated Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck when Jerry Saggs gave Funk a piledriver onto a pumpkin (yes, a pumpkin piledriver) for the pin.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Ric Flair in a steel cage match with a legdrop. Mr. T was the special referee. As the result of a pre-match stipulation, Flair had to retire. After the match, a masked man who had been brawling with Sting during the match attacked Hogan, and was helped by Kevin Sullivan and John Tenta. The masked man was revealed to be Brutus Beefcake.
1995 - Brian Christopher defeats Jesse James Armstrong for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title, beginning his nineteenth run with the title.
1995 - The early stages of the Monday Night Wars waged on, with WWF Monday Night RAW featuring Owen Hart winning a 20-man Battle Royal, Avatar (Al Snow) defeating Brian Walsh, and Alundra Blayze winning her third WWF Women's Title by defeating Bertha Faye, posting a 2.2 rating. WCW Monday Nitro won the night, however, with a 2.6 rating. That show featured Randy Savage pinning Kurasawa, Eddie Guerrero and Mr. J.L. (Jerry Lynn) defeating Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, and Lex Luger and Sting defeating Harlem Heat.
1996 - Carlos Colon wins his 20th WWC Universal Heavyweight Title, by official decision, from Huracan Castillo, Jr.
1998 - Halcon Negro Jr. defeats Olimpico for the CMLL World Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1999 - Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama win their second AJPW World Tag Team Title by defeating Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa in Nagoya, Japan.
1999 - Former ECW World Champion The Sandman makes his return to Extreme Championship Wrestling in dramatic fashion at the end of a television taping at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the main event of Tommy Dreamer & Raven vs. Lance Storm & Justin Credible, with Dreamer in trouble, the lights went out, and Sandman appeared in a balcony as "Enter Sandman" blared. Sandman had been working as Hardcore Hak in WCW prior to his return. In a bit of a swerve, ECW had teased a "former ECW World Champion" returning that night, but had former champion Mikey Whipwreck (who had also been in WCW) return in the opening match of the card, losing to current ECW World Champion Mike Awesome, to throw off the fans expecting a Sandman return. Also on the card, ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam battled Sabu to a 30-minute draw.
2000 - The Hardy Boyz defeat Edge in a handicap match for the WWF World Tag Team Title, beginning their third reign as champions.
2000 - The Monday Night Wars continued, with WWF RAW is WAR's 5.6 rating solidly defeating WCW Monday Nitro's 2.2 rating. The respective main events that night were WWF Champion Kurt Angle fighting The Rock and Triple H to a no contest, and Scott Steiner defeating Mike Awesome.
2000 - Karloff Lagarde, Jr. defeats El Astro Rey, Jr. in Puebla, Mexico for the Mexican National Welterweight Title.
2001 - The Dudley Boyz defeat The Hardy Boyz for the WCW World Tag Team Title (at this point, controlled by WWF) in Omaha, Nebraska.
2002 - AJ Styles defeats Syxx-Pac for the NWA-TNA X Division Title in Nashville, Tennessee to begin his second title reign.
2004 - CM Punk defeats A.J. Styles for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title in Highland, Indiana, beginning his fifth reign as champion.
2004 - Alex Montalvo wins his seventh WWC Junior Heavyweight Title by ending the third reign of Brent Dail in Camuy, Puerto Rico.
2005 - TNA holds their Bound for Glory pay-per-view from the iMPACT! Zone at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Here is Mike Sharn's PPV report, followed by Mike Johnson's live thoughts on attending the event:
Mike Sharn
Segment with Jeff Jarrett, Gail Kim, and AMW begins... setting up the night.
Match 1: Alex Shelley vs. Roderick Strong vs. Austin Aries vs. Sonjay Dutt
The bell rings and a quick talk begins. Strong and Shelley start off with a tie up, Shelley ties up Strong, and more psychology is put throughout the match. Takedown by Shelley. Sonjay Dutt enters in and ties up with Shelley, a few attempts at pinfalls, and two takedowns. Sonjay walks the top rope and hits a chop on Alex Shelley, Shelley hits a kick, though Sonjay hits a huracanrana. Quick pause and the crowd chants TNA. Shelley takes a cheap shot at Shelley. Shelley runs out and Sonjay chases him and re-enters the ring. Roderick Strong re-enters the ring. Strong jumps over, and Sonjay hits a Huracanrana on Strong. Chops by Strong. Austin and Strong in the ring now. Aries exits and re-enters the ring quickly and hits Strong. Then avoids Shelley. Sonjay hits another Huracanrana. Sonjay pushes Shelley off the ring apron, and Roderick Strong gives Dutt a backbreaker and gets a two count. Strong and Dutt are in, though Aries tags in, followed by Shelley. Shelley with a cradle submission move on Sonjay. Roderick Strong saves Dutt from Shelley's submissions. Aries tags in Shelley and takes down Sonjay. Aries hits a drop and gets a 2 count. Strong in now and drops Dutt on his shoulders. Strong chops Shelley hard and Shelley chops back. Strong gets a necktie submission. The four wrestlers have a four way submission going which is quickly broken up. All four men in the ring hitting different moves. Chops by both Aries and Strong to each other. Strong blocks a kick on Shelley. Shelley hits a DDT on Strong. Dutt breaks it up. Aries, Shelley, and Dutt in the ring. Dutt hits an elbow drop on Shelley. Dutt goes for 2, Strong breaks it up. Strong lifts up Dutt for a 2 count broken up by Aries. Aries hits a brainbuster on Strong. Aries attempts a 450 though Dutt knocks him off. Dutt on top, Strong attempts to superplex him though Sonjay knocks him off and hits a Dragon rana at the 13 minute mark.
Winner: Sonjay Dutt
|Grade: C+ - Decent match though it went slow at times and seemed out of place.
Shane Douglas interviews AMW about their title win at last night's Impact in a room that also includes Gail Kim. Mike and Don West introduce the show and talks about Bound for Glory. Raven walks out and cuts a promo about Larry Z and is accompanied by Cassidy Reilly. Larry Z enters the ring and talks about who he will choose tonight. Raven chokes out Zbyszko. Rhino walks out and starts belittling Raven as Raven is being held back by security. Raven and Rhino then fight it out as security attempts to break it up. Cassidy Reilly belittles Rhino in the corner, does the Crucifix pose and gets gored for his efforts.
Rhino gives Reilly another gore. Tenay cuts back to Shane Douglas interviewing AJ Styles about Chris Daniels. Styles talks about Daniels and relates him to a football analogy of Georgia and Florida. Back to Tenay who continues to hype up Bound for Glory. A video is shown of TNA's history from Victory Road, Turning Point, Against All Odds, No Surrender, Unbreakable, up until now.
Match 2: Samoa Joe vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Joe enters the ring with the TRA Warriors. Liger enters the ring as streamers fly. Simon Inoki is at ringside. The tie up and Joe throws him down. They lock up again and Liger is pushed into the corner. Liger gets a headlock on Joe. Joe gets shoulderblocks on Liger. Liger takes down Joe. Liger kicks Joe and both hit a sequence of moves. Liger off the top rope and knocks down Joe. Liger tries to attack Joe from the top rope though Joe answers with a Samoan Drop. Joe throws Liger in the corner, and answers with a knee to the face of Liger. Joe hits a kick, a kneedrop, and a knife edge chop to Liger in rapid succession. Joe holds Liger in a submission. Liger breaks out though Joe slams Liger and goes for a 2 count. Liger breaks out and Joe puts Liger in another submission. Liger breaks out and Joe shoots him off into the corner though Joe misses Liger. Liger tries to suplex Joe and succeeds though only gets a 2 count. Liger with a Frog Splash on Joe. Joe kicks Liger. Joe picks up Liger on the top rope. Liger throws Joe off. Liger attempts to go for a 2 count though does not succeed. Liger to the top though Joe gets Liger and hits him with a musclebuster and gets Liger in a choke. Joe wins at the 8 minute mark by making Liger tap out.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Grade: B+ - Great match though it could have a been a bit longer.
A video is shown of the Fan Fest from yesterday, 10/22/05.
Match 3: Diamonds in the Rough (Skipper, Young, Diamond) vs. Apolo, Sonny Siaki, and Shark Boy
Shark Boy and Simon Diamond start off. Diamond kicks Shark Boy down. Shark Boy with a chop though Diamond gets him, throws him into the corner and knocks him down. Diamond continues to take advantage of Shark Boy. Diamond whips him into the corner and knocks Shark Boy down. Shark Boy does the bite on Diamond to distract him. Tag into Skipper. Tie up with Skipper and Shark Boy. Shark Boy knocks down Skipper after a brief exchange. Shark Boy tags into Apolo. Apolo drops Skipper and goes for a 2 count. Apolo hits a half nelson slam on Apolo. David Young on the top rope and he hits knocks Apolo down. David Young stays in the ring briefly before tagging back into Skipper. Skipper knocks Apolo and goes for a cover which gets 2. Skipper tags in to Skipper, and Apolo tags into Siaki who hits Skipper with Clotheslines. Siaki is chopping Skipper. Though David Young whips Siaki into the corner. Skipper jumps off of David Young's back and knocks down Siaki. Shark Boy goes over the top rope and Skipper does too. Apolo superkicks Diamond and then hits a highspot outside the ring. Chaos has broken loose. Siaki and Skipper in the ring. David Young slams Siaki for the win at the 9 minute mark.
Winners: Diamonds in the Rough
Grade: C: It was okay for what it was. Nothing terrible though nothing great.
Tenay and West talk about what happened earlier in the night. Shane Douglas interviews Jeff Jarrett and Gail Kim. Shane asks Jarrett about who he will face. Jarrett insults all possible competitors. Monty Brown enters the picture and asks Jarrett to insult him. Jarrett acts as though he doesn't know what Monty was talking about. Jarrett peps up Monty Brown for his match with Lance Hoyt.
Match 4: Lance Hoyt vs. Monty Brown
Tie up between Lance and Monty. Monty slams down Hoyt and slaps him. Hoyt comes back with right hands, and then Hoyt hits a shoulderblock and clothesline. Hoyt slams Monty and Monty retreats. Monty slaps Hoyt and throws him into the steel steps. Monty throws Hoyt back in and trash talks to the camera. Hoyt takes down Monty and gets back in the ring. Monty takes control and punches Hoyt then eventually hits some knife edge chops. Hoyt throws Monty into the corner and beats on him. Hoyt hits a 10 punch count on Monty and then slams him down. Hoyt gets on the top rope and Monty pushes him off. Monty then takes control and hits a snap suplex. Monty in control and throws Hoyt back in. Hoyt throws Monty in the corner though Monty returns back and slams down Hoyt. Hoyt gives Monty a big boot. Hoyt drags Monty and hits a moonsault though it only gets a two count. Monty throws Hoyt into the corner and then hits Hoyt with an Alpha Bomb for 2. Monty tries to take control though Hoyt slams him and only gets 2. Monty holds onto the rope and both men exchange right hands. Monty hits the pounce on Hoyt and gets the win at the 10 minute mark.
Winner: Monty Brown
Grade: C+ - Good big man match.
Shane Douglas interviews 3 Live Kru. Kip James offers assistance to 3 Live Kru and while Killing and BG agree, Konnan disagrees and argues with Kip James. Kip walks off.
Match 5: Team Canada (Eric Young, A1, and Bobby Roode) vs. 3 Live Kru (BG James, Ron Killings, and Konnan)
Usual promo by 3 Live Kru to fire up the crowd. Konnan in the ring with Eric Young. Young and Konnan fight and exchange kicks, slams, and punches. Konnan throws Young over the top rope and knocks down Roode, and then sends out A1. Killings hits a top rope leg drop. Killings and Roode are in the ring now. Killings hits a hurricanrana. A camera shows Kip James at the ramp. Killings and Roode continue fighting and Killings knocks down Roode with a kick which only gets a 2 count. Roode slams down Killings though only gets a two count. Roode slams Killings in the corner. A1 tags in and beats on Killings. A1 hits a powerslam on Killings. Roode is back in and prevents Konnan from saving Killings. Killings tries to fight out of the corner with Bobby Roode and knocks Roode down. Tag into BG James, as BG fights off all three members of Team Canada. BG James hits a knee drop and covers Eric Young though only gets 2. BG James is in with Young, Killings with Roode, and A1 with Konnan. Back in the ring, Roode hits BG with a hockey stick for the win at the 8 minute mark.
Winners: Team Canada
Grade: C: Average match with a lame finish.
Kip James enters the ring and cleans house of Team Canada.
Shane interviews Larry Z.
A video for the Ultimate X is shown.
Match 6 - Ultimate X: Matt Bentley vs. Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams
Petey tries to go up top and is taken down by Sabin and Bentley. Bentley fights Sabin and takes him down. Petey Williams back in, throws Sabin back in the corner, and attempts to charge into him though misses. Bentley with right hands on Williams. Bentley tries to knock down Sabin as Sabin attempts climb the rope. Traci distracts Williams by pushing his face in between her chest while Bentley climbs to the top to try and grab the X. Sabin chops Bentley and follows with a headbutt and a forearm shot. Sabin throws Williams into Bentley. Bentley is down though recovers and takes down Sabin from the cables high up. Sabin hits a hurricanrana on Bentley off of the top rope. All three men in the ring fighting it out. Bentley then takes out both Sabin and Williams. Bentley attempts to go the top and climbs across though is followed by Sabin. Soon both fall after a sequence where Bentley attempted to stay high on the cables and Sabin knocked him down. Sabin now attempts to climb to the top and Petey Williams follows him. Williams knocks Sabin down though attempts to climb and holds down Sabin in the corner. Petey and Bentley are both outside the corner since Bentley tried to knock down Sabin. Sabin attempts to climb though also gets knocked out. All three men are out of the ring... though Sabin recovers and enters the ring and begins to climb the cables. Bentley then enters the ring and spears Sabin at the top though it knocked the X off of the middle of the cables. The referee calls for the X to be hung up again. A fight insues outside as Sabin fights both Bentley and Williams. He knocks down Williams and fights with Bentley. Bentley knocks Sabin down. Bentley and Sabin are both hung up on top and then both fall. The X then falls again though this time Petey Williams is there to grab it and is awarded the win at the fifteen minute mark.
Winner: Petey Williams
Grade: B+ - Good match that was ruined by a poor finish. Petey Williams is definitely a great competitor though it is finishes such as these that make him look weak.
A video is shown of Jarrett winning the NWA Title in Canada and AMW winning the Tag Titles as well as scenes from the funeral.
Match 7: NWA Tag Team Championships: America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) vs. The Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas)
The Naturals run into the ring and start fighting with AMW in a very fast paced sequence. Chase Stevens and James Storm fight inside the ring, while Andy Douglas and Chris Harris fight outside the ring. Stevens hits a running powerbomb on Harris and Storm. Harris gets on his knees and begs for a truce though Douglas and Stevens beat him down and continue beating him outside the ring near the entrance ramp. Stevens throws Harris into the steel safety rails on two different sides of the arena. Douglas continues to beat of Harris outside in the ring and hits another slam into the steel safety rail. Douglas hits Storm with handcuffs though Gail Kim distracts Douglas. Douglas is busted wide open by James Storm. AMW then double team Andy Douglas and then Storm chokes Douglas with the wrist tape. Storm hits the Eye of the Storm though it only gets a two count. Douglas tags into Stevens and fights both members of AMW. Stevens dodges Douglas as Harris plows into his partner. Stevens goes for a two count. Gail Kim tosses AMW a bag of powder though it backfires and Harris slames Storm. Andy Douglas has Harris in the death sentence and Stevens hits from the top rope though it only gets a two count. Gail Kim distracts the ref though eventually Douglas grabs Gail Kim, though Storm handcuffs Douglas to the steel safety rail. Stevens is now at a 2 on 1 disadvantage. Gail Kim distracts the ref long enough for James Storm to use a bottle to knock down Stevens as Andy Douglas is taunted at ringside. Harris sets up the Death Sentence and Storm hits it for the win at the 13 minute mark.
Winners: AMW
Grade: B: Good match that further elevates both tag teams and moves along their feud.
A video highlighting Monster's Ball is shown. Shane interviews James Mitchell in the back.
Match 8: Monster's Ball 2: Abyss vs. Sabu vs. Rhino vs. Jeff Hardy
Sabu and Rhino start off. Sabu throws Rhino off the top and jumps off the top rope onto Rhino. Abyss and Hardy are fighting each other while Sabu and Rhino are fighting each other respectively. Sabu's eye is busted open. Hardy hits Abyss with a swanton from the top of the bleachers. Sabu has Rhino in a hold then nails him with a chairshot. Sabu grabs a chair back in the ring and hits another top rope move on top of Rhino. Hardy and Abyss continue fighting in the ring until Abyss hits Hardy with the Shock Treatment. Rhino hits Abyss and Sabu with chairshots. Hardy uses Sabu's back to elevate himself and hit Abyss in the corner. Hardy tries get Sabu to return the favor though Sabu kicks Hardy in the stomach. Rhino walks in and hits everyone with kendosticks. Rhino tries to Gore though walks into a chokeslam by Abyss. Jeff Hardy continues to fight with Abyss outside the ring and then grabs the ladder. Rhino and Sabu fight in the ring with Rhino using a weight-belt on Sabu. Abyss sets up a table while Hardy is in the corner near the entrance ramp. Hardy recovers and hits Abyss with chairshots. Back to the ring, Rhino is trapped on a table, as Sabu sets up a chair and legdrops Rhino through the table. Hardy on the other side climbs the ladder and Hardy climbs to the top of the TNA logo and hits a Swanton on Abyss through the table. Back in the ring, Sabu attempts to take control of Rhino though Rhino hits him with a kendostick. Sabu recovers and then hits Rhino with a moonsault though it only gets two. Sabu then goes off the top rope with a chair and hits Rhino. Sabu, Rhino, and Abyss are in the ring. Abyss catches Sabu and throws him down into a table. Abyss has the thumbtacks, though Rhino gores Abyss through the table. Rhino and Hardy fight in the ring now. Rhino hits Hardy with the Rhino Driver and gets a three count just as Sabu attempts to break up the count at the 15 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: B+ I admit I have a weakspot for hardcore matches and spotfests and this was no exception. A good match and very entertaining with a good finish.
Shane talks with Larry about what will happen with the Main Event tonight who mentions about the Gauntlet and the winner will face Jeff Jarrett.
Match 9: 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels
Styles and Daniels start and begin fighting with Daniels quickly gaining control. Daniels hits an overhead press slam on Styles and then the two fight in the corner with slaps. Styles then hits Daniels with knife edge chops and then Styles hits a backbreaker on Daniels. Daniels retreats to the outside. Back in the ring, both men avoid each other with a series of moves. Styles knocks Daniels over the safety rail and then retreats back outside only to jump over the rail from far away and knock Daniels down. Back the ring, Styles goes for a cover and only gets a 2 count. Styles has Daniels in a submission and tries to wear Daniels down. Daniels tries to counter Styles though is countered back by Styles as Styles continues to apply the side headlock on Daniels. Daniels powers out though Styles puts the side headlock back on. Daniels then breaks out and works on Styles' arm though Styles counters and then works on Daniels arm. Daniels breaks it, whips AJ into the corner and misses a dropkick. AJ throws Daniels into three different turnbuckles in the ring. AJ knocks down Daniels and goes for a pin though doesn't succeed. AJ has Daniels in a reverse chinlock, and then hits Daniels with a headbutt. Styles then puts Daniels in a deathlock and a chinlock in the same time. Daniels then bites Styles' hand to get out of the hold to further the action. After a brief sequence of moves, Daniels slams Styles out of desperation. Daniels fires Styles into the corner and clotheslines Styles down. Daniels twists Styles' head and continues to work on him. Daniels then hits a tilt o whirl backbreaker on Styles and goes for a cover though only gets 2. Styles attempts to get a cover, though Daniels eventually gets a Koji clutch and locks Styles in. Styles tries to power out though fails the first time. Styles then tries again and breaks out. Daniels then begins a punching sequence to Styles' head after getting a two count at the halfway point. Styles attempts a Tilt O Whirl backbreaker though misses as Styles gets a DDT. AJ hits a spinkick on Daniels and Daniels falls down. Styles works the arm. AJ goes for a Pumphandle Slam on Daniels though turns it into a backbreaker mid-move and goes for a cover and gets a 2 count. Daniels hits a Death Valley Driver on AJ Styles for a 2 count. Daniels hitting a powerbomb off the top rope and goes for a cover on AJ though only gets a two count. AJ Styles hits a Neckbreaker on Styles. Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever for 2. Daniels attempts to grab AJ though AJ counters and puts Daniels with a Torture Rack and slams Daniels down. AJ throws Daniels in the corner and misses trying to hit him though Daniels knocks AJ outside and hits a suicide dive at 8:37. Daniels rolls AJ back in and AJ hits a pele kick on Daniels. While Daniels is stunned, AJ flies out of the ring with a flip dive. AJ enters the ring with less than 7 minutes to go. Daniels hits a backdrive suplex on Styles and both men fall to the outside. Under 5 and a half minutes now. Daniels struggles to get into the ring and Styles attempts to get in as well, though Styles retreats before momentarily entering again. Daniels attempts a roll-up on Styles though once again only gets a two count. Both men go for a sequence of near falls. Less than 3 minutes to go with both men down. Both men have some brief exchanges as we go under 2 minutes. Daniels attempts to grab the trunks of AJ for a 3 count. Both men continue to fight as we go under 1 minute. AJ levels Daniels and goes for a cover and only gets a 2. Daniels goes for an Angel's Wings though AJ counters and eventually goes for a Styles Clash in the last few seconds to retain the title in the 30 minute match.
Winner: AJ Styles
Grade: A+ - This match could have closed the show and I would have gotten my money's worth though there is still two matches to go.
Tenay and West plug the November 13th PPV, Genesis.
Match 10: Ten Man Gauntlet to determine the No. 1 Contender for Jeff Jarrett's NWA Title
Samoa Joe and Ron Killings are the first two entrants. Truth mocks the Polynesian dancers and Joe beats on Truth. Truth powers out of the corner and knocks down Joe. Entrant No. 3 is Sabu and throws a steel chair at both Joe and Truth. Sabu hits a moonsault on Joe using the Chair and then hits another move using the chair as well. No. 4 is Lance Hoyt as Joe and Hoyt exchange right hands though Hoyt levels Joe with a big boot. Hoyt battles Killings though Joe fights Killings as well. Abyss is No. 5 as he enters the ring does a stare down with Joe. Joe and Abyss exchange knife edge chops and choke each other at the same time. Jeff Hardy is No. 6... and we have a huge sequence of wrestlers battling each other. Hardy on Abyss, Joe on Hoyt, and Killing and Sabu. Monty Brown is No. 7 and pounces Sabu. Monty Brown and Jeff Hardy are both eliminated as Monty throws Hardy over and goes over with him. Rhino is No. 8 and battles Lance Hoyt and eliminates him to the outside. Abyss, Rhino, Joe, Sabu and Killings are all in the ring. Kip James is entrant No. 9 and battles Abyss hitting him with the Famouser. Entrant No. 10 is AJ Styles... AJ Styles battles Abyss, Truth battles Rhino, and Joe battles Kip James... Joe hits a Jawbreaker on Kip James. Joe attempts to throw Killings over the top rope. Abyss and Rhino then battle and Joe and Killings also continue their battle. AJ tries to eliminate Killings though fails. Kip James is then eliminated. AJ and Killings have a brief exchange of kicks. Kip James tries to help Killings stay in the ring though fails as he is dragged away by referees. Killings is eliminated by Samoa Joe. Abyss eliminates Joe and Styles. Rhino gores Abyss and then throws Abyss over to win the match at the 12 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: C+ - Decent match and surprising that Rhino was given the win.
Jeremy Borash introduces Tito Ortiz as the special guest referee.
Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett goes on the attack and beats on Rhino and hits a dropkick. Jarrett continues to beat on Rhino and then drives Rhino into the steel safety rail and then slams his face into the announce table as well. Jarrett is in control over the weakened Rhino. Tito Ortiz commands for both men to get back in the ring as Jarrett slams Rhino into the casket. Jarrett goes up top and commands Rhino to get up and hits him with a top rope clothesline. Jarrett then goes up top and gets caught in a chokeslam and then gets hit with a low blow by Jarrett. Gail Kim gets involved to distract Tito Ortiz, then Jarrett hits Rhino with the guitar for a 2 count. AMW gets involved, as Chris Harris gets on the top rope only to get punched by Tito Ortiz. Rhino then gores Jeff Jarrett for the win to gain the title at the 12 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: B-: Decent match with Jarrett pulling out all the stops.
A huge brawl breaks out as 3 Live Kru, Team Canada, and AMW. Jarrett hits Rhino with the guitar as Jarrett loads Rhino into the casket. Team 3-D then enter the ring to beat on the heels and scare them out of the ring. Team 3-D hit a 3-D on Eric Young and throw him into the casket. Rhino holds the belt above his head and celebrates with the rest of the faces to end the show.
Final Thoughts: This was an excellent PPV event and is highly worth a replay. There are many things to be seen here, and I without a doubt got my $30.00 worth.
Final Grade: A-
MIKE JOHNSON TAKES A LOOK AT LAST NIGHT'S TNA BOUND FOR GLORY PPV
by Mike Johnson
TNA played up last night's Bound for Glory PPV as their version of Wrestlemania, and in many aspects, it was treated that way with the talent going above and beyond the call of duty, a passionate crowd that loved their stars and what they were given, a nice surprise in the crowning of Rhino as the new NWA champion, an insane spot by Jeff Hardy, and a monster pop for Team 3-D. Even with destiny having a different finish in mind for the Ultimate X match, nothing could put a downer on the evening for TNA's stars and fans. There were a lot of guys going beyond their usual good work by pulling out big bumps and dives. If TNA is trying to catch a younger audience with a fast paced, frenetic style, they are going in the right direction based on the live crowd (see below). They need to fill in the niches that WWE doesn't by pushing the characterization of the talents as hard as their in ring work. As long as they keep accentuating their positives and politics don't become an issue, TNA is on the right road.
It was a weird sight live before the PPV went on the air as the audience was happy to be there but somewhat subdued. There were no big chants, no feel of electricity in the air as there have been for major shows I've attended over the years. Once TNA started the show, however, it was like a light flipped on and the place went nuts, with an audience loved their stars. It was interesting to note the demographics of the crowd, with a lot of teenage girls and women in their early 20s at the show, much higher than usual for a TNA event. The crowd seemed to be there to have a good time and enjoy themselves, as opposed to the smart fans that sometimes pervade wrestling shows today, trying to get over and make themselves more important than the show itself.
The Four Way opener with Sonjay Dutt defeating Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, and Alex Shelley was one of the best matches I've seen live in a long time. Roderick Strong is really coming into his own and at the rate he's improving, it won't be long before he's considered a top tier worker. He reminds of of a mixture of Dean Malenko and Ron Garvin. He's really upped his look and shown some dedication to his craft. Austin Aries' new look really suits him and he comes off like a wrestling machine. Dutt and Shelley both looked awesome here as well. Shelley has commented that he was inspired by Dean Malenko in the past and it really showed here as he's amazingly fluid in the ring. Dutt seemed really inspired here. It's amazing to think about a year ago, he was gone from the company. The one spot to watch for during this was the four way submission, with each man trapping not one, but two opponents. A really original spot that we'll likely see variations of in lots of indy Four Ways from this point forward. They did a good job setting the ton for the rest of the evening.
They then did an angle where Raven demanded his NWA title shot, until Rhino showed up and called out Raven for getting soft noting that a few years ago he took someone's family hostage and crucified a man (Sandman in ECW on both accounts) but now he's gone soft. Rhino accused him off letting a girl get into his head, although I have no idea if that was leading somewhere. It ended up with a brief brawl and Raven being dragged off. Rhino gored Cassidy Riley. The crowd called for him to do it again so Riley got drilled a second time. He bumped the hell out of himself taking the gore both times. The angle worked to explain Raven's absence from the remainder of the show and did a good job of enticing fans at home to want to buy the PPV portion of the show.
The main show opened with a lot of pomp and circumstance from Samoa Joe's fun Polynesian dancing entrance and the streamers tossed by the fans for Jushin Liger's TNA debut. The match itself wasn't what a lot of people expected it to be going in, but it was more about the moment of Joe choking out a legitimate legend clean in the middle of the ring. As a Joe fan, I couldn't help but be happy for the guy. A few months ago, he was in a position where he wanted to take time off because he wasn't making money financially and now he's one of the top names in several companies of note. Beyond that, with his performances of late, one would think he's going to be getting a Japanese offer at some point as well.
The six man tag with the Diamonds in the Rough defeated Shark Boy, Apollo, and Sonny Siaki was placed right where it should be with the right mix of comedy. Apollo hitting the dive outside the ring to the floor was a sight to see. It was good to see the Diamond be given a win as they needed to put some momentum behind the group. I'd like to see a valet added to given them a little pizzazz.
Monty Brown vs. Lance Hoyt was a lot better than I expected going in. There were some fans heckling Hoyt, calling him Test and Edge. You could tell this crowd was made up of a lot more of fans that traveled in as opposed to the Orlando regulars as Hoyt is usually one of the biggest babyfaces in the venue. They did a great spot where Brown went for the Pounce but got hit with a big boot to the face. Brown's final Pounce was awesome as well.
3 Live Kru vs. Team Canada was what one expected going in. They finally got the New Age Outlaws storyline going again. It was weird to see Ron Killings suddenly like the idea of Kip James in their corner. I liked the swerve of James saving Konnan when he could have creamed him with the chair, which was reminiscent of the great angle where Shane Douglas saved Cactus Jack from Sandman and Terry Funk in ECW. I actually thought they'd have Konnan apologize to James on the mic for doubting him, but they've got to save something for TV.
One had to feel for the guys in the Ultimate X match as they were doing some crazy stuff and building to something when the X fell from the ropes. They tried hard to improvise by going outside the ring while the ring crew set the X back, but when it fell again, I thought the spot featuring Petey Williams praying for it to fall was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately for Williams, the call was made to ring the bell as he was the scheduled winner. Everyone involved was upset about the curtain being closed but realized it was out of their hands. To me, I thought it was a great finish from one standpoint because it came off like a great fluke play in baseball. From a performance standpoint, it killed the feel of the match and the moment and that's a shame. However, the guys can always save whatever they had planned for the future, hopefully the primetime special. All three get an A for effort for this match, especially Michael Shane who think one of the sickest bumps I've seen in a while going to the floor off the top rope. The lesson to be learned from a production standpoint from the match is to come up with a new way to hang the X I guess.
America's Most Wanted vs. The Naturals was the usual good match you get from these four being that they have great chemistry. James Storm and Gail Kim's TNA characters are awesome. At some point, Storm will have to get his comeuppance with a bottle upside the head, but until then they are doing a great job of making him stand out as a real drunken jerk cowboy. For the first time, he feels like something more than just Chris Harris' partner, which only makes the team stronger. They've had better matches but this wasn't one they should have been ashamed of either.
The Monster's Ball was plain awesome. As someone who loves those great, out of controls brawls, this was a top flight version in my opinion. Jeff Hardy takes a lot of flak for his performances sometimes, deservedly so, but one can't deny that when he wants to be, he's one of the craziest bumpers of all time, doing a dive that New Jack would have been jealous of. The early brawls in the crowd were fun with lots of insane and stiff shots. I was glad they didn't do the thumbtack spot as its been done quite a bit lately and you don't want it to lose its effect. Everyone here did a great job. A wonderfully brutal violent ballet. I also wanted to note that Jim Mitchell is one of the best talkers going, as only he could cut a promo and drop the term "copious amounts of blood" and make it work without it sounding campy.
What does one say about AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels that hasn't already been written or that those of you reading this aren't already aware of. These guys are the heart and soul of the company and have done a tremendous job of growing from overlooked talented performers to top tier main event players. I thought this was as perfect as a match could have been, with a great slow build, some awesome false finishes and back and forth pin attempts, Styles' brilliant and desperate attempts to get to the ropes to escape Daniels' submission attempts, the awesome sight of Styles diving off the stairs and over the referee into the crowd onto Daniels and the perfect moment of Styles, in a last minute bid to win, going for his finisher and getting it and the pin with a second left. Styles was crying after the bout and with good reason, he had just given all of his heart and soul in one of the best matches of his career. Daniels did a great job of selling how upset he was at losing but the crowd didn't care who won or lost, they were appreciative of both for their effort in one great match.
The main event was booked as perfectly as it could have been with TNA turning the unfortunate negative of Kevin Nash's health issues into a positive. The Gauntlet was interesting to watch. When Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles came back out injured after the performances they put on earlier in the evening for a chance to wrestle for the NWA title, the company added a ton of prestige to their top title. The Gauntlet was interesting to watch from both a booking and crowd standpoint. When Samoa Joe came out first, the crowd perked up, almost as if shocked he was put into that position. Its amazing to see Joe, who had his doubters when he debuted, as one of the most popular wrestlers in the entire company after a tenure of just a few months. The crowd was highly behind him. The tease of Joe vs. Abyss was great with the two chopping the hell out of each other as the crowd ate up all of it. I was surprised to see Monty Brown out so quickly, but from a storyline standpoint, he can say that no one threw him over the ropes. It was interesting to see Billy Gunn tower over Samoa Joe at one point as well. The crowd loved Rhino going over, which was teased earlier in the night during the Raven segment.
Jeff Jarrett vs. Rhino was as good as one could hope for. The crowd was into the idea of a title change in a big way and the decision to put the NWA title on Rhino went over huge, much larger than anyone could have predicted. The audience sees him not as a WWE castoff, but as an ECW guy who wasn't given his shot and now has what he deserves. The post-match beatdown and sequence of run-ins was perfect, with the crowd loving every bit of the mayhem. When Team 3-D's music hit, the building exploded into what had to have been one of the biggest pops in company history. The entire build was a textbook for a big finish to a wrestling show meant to sent the crowd home happy and it did just that. Brother Ray especially seemed energized by the reaction and even told the crowd on the house mic that of all the places they had worked over the years, this night was the best, which is impressive when you think of the list of major shows and buildings that team has worked. The 30 minute post-match back and forth/brawl/beatdown on Eric Young was a nice plus for the crowd and I can't imagine who might have attended the show live and not wanted to come back for the TV tapings this week.
Given the state of the business and the need for a new competitor to WWE to stand up, TNA made their stand tonight. If the event came off anywhere as good on TV as it did live, this is a show worth going out of your way to order a replay of. In many ways, TNA is an amalgam of some of the best wrestling styles popularized over the last decade, energized by one hell of a crew with a tremendous work ethic, an intensely intimate building, and a spin on some old concepts. I cannot state what the future holds for the company, but if there's any justice, all the work that has been put into the last month will translate into the company's biggest buyrate to date. It's certainly deserved, as it was a really entertaining evening that showcased a really talented crew.
2006 - Monty Brown and Larry Zbyszko departed TNA.
On this day in history in ....
1940 - Yvon Robert defeats Lou Thesz for the Montreal World Heavyweight Title, beginning his fifth reign.
1956 - Junzo Yoshinosato defeats Isao Yoshiwara in a tournament final to become the first Japanese Light Heavyweight Champion in Tokyo.
1956 - Ben & Mike Sharpe defeat Bill & Ed Miller to win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Title for the 12th of 18 times.
1958 - Ronnie Etchison & Buddy Rogers win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Title from Gene Dubuque & Mike Valentino in Oakland, California.
1963 - Mickey Sharpe defeats Silento Rodriguez for the NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Title in Mobile, Alabama.
1965 - Kurt & Skull Von Stroheim defeat Sam Steamboat and Ron Etchison for the Florida version of the NWA World Tag Team Title in Tampa, Florida.
1967 - The Sheik defeats Gino Brito to win the vacant Montreal International Heavyweight Title.
1967 - Abdullah the Butcher & Dr. Jerry Graham defeat Chris and John Tolos for the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Title in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
1967 - Spoiler #1 and Gary Hart defeat Brute Bernard and Mike Paidousis to win the NWA American Tag Team Title in Fort Worth, Texas.
1970 - Pantera Negra defeats Dale Lewis in Los Angeles, California for the NWA United National Heavyweight Title.
1974 - Robert Fuller defeats Jerry Lawler to win the NWA Southern Heavyweight Title in Nashville, Tennessee.
1978 - Kendo Kimura & Hiro Sasaki defeat Jose Rivera & Invader I for the WWC Tag Team Title in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
1980 - Bob Brown defeats Mike George to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight Title in Kansas City, Kansas. This started Brown's 12th reign and ended George's fourth.
1981 - Ken Patera defeats Jack Brisco for the Missouri State Heavyweight Title in St. Louis, Missouri, ending Brisco's second title reign and beginning the second run for Patera with the belt.
1981 - La Fiera defeats Lizmark to win the NWA World Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1981 - El Satanico defeats Solar I for the Mexican National Middleweight Title.
1983 - Ringo Mendoza defeats El Satanico for the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title in Guadalajara, Mexico.
1983 - Enrique Vera defeats Dos Caras and Canek in 3-man tournament to win the vacant UWA World Heavyweight Title.
1985 - Jon Cortez defeats Johnny Saint to win the British World Lightweight Title.
1988 - Jerry Lawler defeats Kerry Von Erich in Memphis, Tennessee for the WCWA Heavyweight Title.
1989 - The Soultaker defeats Jerry Lawler for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title in Memphis, Tennessee, ending Lawler's second reign with the belt.
1992 - Black Bart & Johnny Mantell defeat The Ebony Experience (Harlem Heat) to win the GWF Tag Team Title in Dallas, Texas.
1994 - WCW held their Halloween Havoc Pay-per-view at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Here are the results:
- In a dark match, Booker T defeated Brian Armstrong.
- WCW Television Champion Johnny B. Badd vs. The Honky Tonk Man ended in a ten minute draw.
- Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma defeated The Patriot & Marcus Bagwell to win the WCW World Tag Team Title. Bagwell had Orndorff pinned with a fisherman's suplex, but the referee was getting Patriot out of the ring, allowing Roma to hit Bagwell with a top rope elbow and roll Orndorff on top for the pin.
- Dave Sullivan defeated Kevin Sullivan via countout when both men were brawling on the floor and Dave rolled back in just before the ten count.
- Dustin Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson by reversing a sunset flip after the referee made Anderson let go of the ropes he was using for leverage, allowing Rhodes to get the pin.
- United States Champion Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Steve Austin via disqualification when Austin backdropped Duggan over the top rope.
- Vader defeated The Guardian Angel. Angel suplexed manager Harley Race into the ring, and when he did so, Vader splashed Angel and got the pin.
- The Nasty Boys defeated Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck when Jerry Saggs gave Funk a piledriver onto a pumpkin (yes, a pumpkin piledriver) for the pin.
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Ric Flair in a steel cage match with a legdrop. Mr. T was the special referee. As the result of a pre-match stipulation, Flair had to retire. After the match, a masked man who had been brawling with Sting during the match attacked Hogan, and was helped by Kevin Sullivan and John Tenta. The masked man was revealed to be Brutus Beefcake.
1995 - Brian Christopher defeats Jesse James Armstrong for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Title, beginning his nineteenth run with the title.
1995 - The early stages of the Monday Night Wars waged on, with WWF Monday Night RAW featuring Owen Hart winning a 20-man Battle Royal, Avatar (Al Snow) defeating Brian Walsh, and Alundra Blayze winning her third WWF Women's Title by defeating Bertha Faye, posting a 2.2 rating. WCW Monday Nitro won the night, however, with a 2.6 rating. That show featured Randy Savage pinning Kurasawa, Eddie Guerrero and Mr. J.L. (Jerry Lynn) defeating Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, and Lex Luger and Sting defeating Harlem Heat.
1996 - Carlos Colon wins his 20th WWC Universal Heavyweight Title, by official decision, from Huracan Castillo, Jr.
1998 - Halcon Negro Jr. defeats Olimpico for the CMLL World Welterweight Title in Mexico City, Mexico.
1999 - Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama win their second AJPW World Tag Team Title by defeating Mitsuharu Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa in Nagoya, Japan.
1999 - Former ECW World Champion The Sandman makes his return to Extreme Championship Wrestling in dramatic fashion at the end of a television taping at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the main event of Tommy Dreamer & Raven vs. Lance Storm & Justin Credible, with Dreamer in trouble, the lights went out, and Sandman appeared in a balcony as "Enter Sandman" blared. Sandman had been working as Hardcore Hak in WCW prior to his return. In a bit of a swerve, ECW had teased a "former ECW World Champion" returning that night, but had former champion Mikey Whipwreck (who had also been in WCW) return in the opening match of the card, losing to current ECW World Champion Mike Awesome, to throw off the fans expecting a Sandman return. Also on the card, ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam battled Sabu to a 30-minute draw.
2000 - The Hardy Boyz defeat Edge in a handicap match for the WWF World Tag Team Title, beginning their third reign as champions.
2000 - The Monday Night Wars continued, with WWF RAW is WAR's 5.6 rating solidly defeating WCW Monday Nitro's 2.2 rating. The respective main events that night were WWF Champion Kurt Angle fighting The Rock and Triple H to a no contest, and Scott Steiner defeating Mike Awesome.
2000 - Karloff Lagarde, Jr. defeats El Astro Rey, Jr. in Puebla, Mexico for the Mexican National Welterweight Title.
2001 - The Dudley Boyz defeat The Hardy Boyz for the WCW World Tag Team Title (at this point, controlled by WWF) in Omaha, Nebraska.
2002 - AJ Styles defeats Syxx-Pac for the NWA-TNA X Division Title in Nashville, Tennessee to begin his second title reign.
2004 - CM Punk defeats A.J. Styles for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title in Highland, Indiana, beginning his fifth reign as champion.
2004 - Alex Montalvo wins his seventh WWC Junior Heavyweight Title by ending the third reign of Brent Dail in Camuy, Puerto Rico.
2005 - TNA holds their Bound for Glory pay-per-view from the iMPACT! Zone at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Here is Mike Sharn's PPV report, followed by Mike Johnson's live thoughts on attending the event:
Mike Sharn
Segment with Jeff Jarrett, Gail Kim, and AMW begins... setting up the night.
Match 1: Alex Shelley vs. Roderick Strong vs. Austin Aries vs. Sonjay Dutt
The bell rings and a quick talk begins. Strong and Shelley start off with a tie up, Shelley ties up Strong, and more psychology is put throughout the match. Takedown by Shelley. Sonjay Dutt enters in and ties up with Shelley, a few attempts at pinfalls, and two takedowns. Sonjay walks the top rope and hits a chop on Alex Shelley, Shelley hits a kick, though Sonjay hits a huracanrana. Quick pause and the crowd chants TNA. Shelley takes a cheap shot at Shelley. Shelley runs out and Sonjay chases him and re-enters the ring. Roderick Strong re-enters the ring. Strong jumps over, and Sonjay hits a Huracanrana on Strong. Chops by Strong. Austin and Strong in the ring now. Aries exits and re-enters the ring quickly and hits Strong. Then avoids Shelley. Sonjay hits another Huracanrana. Sonjay pushes Shelley off the ring apron, and Roderick Strong gives Dutt a backbreaker and gets a two count. Strong and Dutt are in, though Aries tags in, followed by Shelley. Shelley with a cradle submission move on Sonjay. Roderick Strong saves Dutt from Shelley's submissions. Aries tags in Shelley and takes down Sonjay. Aries hits a drop and gets a 2 count. Strong in now and drops Dutt on his shoulders. Strong chops Shelley hard and Shelley chops back. Strong gets a necktie submission. The four wrestlers have a four way submission going which is quickly broken up. All four men in the ring hitting different moves. Chops by both Aries and Strong to each other. Strong blocks a kick on Shelley. Shelley hits a DDT on Strong. Dutt breaks it up. Aries, Shelley, and Dutt in the ring. Dutt hits an elbow drop on Shelley. Dutt goes for 2, Strong breaks it up. Strong lifts up Dutt for a 2 count broken up by Aries. Aries hits a brainbuster on Strong. Aries attempts a 450 though Dutt knocks him off. Dutt on top, Strong attempts to superplex him though Sonjay knocks him off and hits a Dragon rana at the 13 minute mark.
Winner: Sonjay Dutt
|Grade: C+ - Decent match though it went slow at times and seemed out of place.
Shane Douglas interviews AMW about their title win at last night's Impact in a room that also includes Gail Kim. Mike and Don West introduce the show and talks about Bound for Glory. Raven walks out and cuts a promo about Larry Z and is accompanied by Cassidy Reilly. Larry Z enters the ring and talks about who he will choose tonight. Raven chokes out Zbyszko. Rhino walks out and starts belittling Raven as Raven is being held back by security. Raven and Rhino then fight it out as security attempts to break it up. Cassidy Reilly belittles Rhino in the corner, does the Crucifix pose and gets gored for his efforts.
Rhino gives Reilly another gore. Tenay cuts back to Shane Douglas interviewing AJ Styles about Chris Daniels. Styles talks about Daniels and relates him to a football analogy of Georgia and Florida. Back to Tenay who continues to hype up Bound for Glory. A video is shown of TNA's history from Victory Road, Turning Point, Against All Odds, No Surrender, Unbreakable, up until now.
Match 2: Samoa Joe vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Joe enters the ring with the TRA Warriors. Liger enters the ring as streamers fly. Simon Inoki is at ringside. The tie up and Joe throws him down. They lock up again and Liger is pushed into the corner. Liger gets a headlock on Joe. Joe gets shoulderblocks on Liger. Liger takes down Joe. Liger kicks Joe and both hit a sequence of moves. Liger off the top rope and knocks down Joe. Liger tries to attack Joe from the top rope though Joe answers with a Samoan Drop. Joe throws Liger in the corner, and answers with a knee to the face of Liger. Joe hits a kick, a kneedrop, and a knife edge chop to Liger in rapid succession. Joe holds Liger in a submission. Liger breaks out though Joe slams Liger and goes for a 2 count. Liger breaks out and Joe puts Liger in another submission. Liger breaks out and Joe shoots him off into the corner though Joe misses Liger. Liger tries to suplex Joe and succeeds though only gets a 2 count. Liger with a Frog Splash on Joe. Joe kicks Liger. Joe picks up Liger on the top rope. Liger throws Joe off. Liger attempts to go for a 2 count though does not succeed. Liger to the top though Joe gets Liger and hits him with a musclebuster and gets Liger in a choke. Joe wins at the 8 minute mark by making Liger tap out.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Grade: B+ - Great match though it could have a been a bit longer.
A video is shown of the Fan Fest from yesterday, 10/22/05.
Match 3: Diamonds in the Rough (Skipper, Young, Diamond) vs. Apolo, Sonny Siaki, and Shark Boy
Shark Boy and Simon Diamond start off. Diamond kicks Shark Boy down. Shark Boy with a chop though Diamond gets him, throws him into the corner and knocks him down. Diamond continues to take advantage of Shark Boy. Diamond whips him into the corner and knocks Shark Boy down. Shark Boy does the bite on Diamond to distract him. Tag into Skipper. Tie up with Skipper and Shark Boy. Shark Boy knocks down Skipper after a brief exchange. Shark Boy tags into Apolo. Apolo drops Skipper and goes for a 2 count. Apolo hits a half nelson slam on Apolo. David Young on the top rope and he hits knocks Apolo down. David Young stays in the ring briefly before tagging back into Skipper. Skipper knocks Apolo and goes for a cover which gets 2. Skipper tags in to Skipper, and Apolo tags into Siaki who hits Skipper with Clotheslines. Siaki is chopping Skipper. Though David Young whips Siaki into the corner. Skipper jumps off of David Young's back and knocks down Siaki. Shark Boy goes over the top rope and Skipper does too. Apolo superkicks Diamond and then hits a highspot outside the ring. Chaos has broken loose. Siaki and Skipper in the ring. David Young slams Siaki for the win at the 9 minute mark.
Winners: Diamonds in the Rough
Grade: C: It was okay for what it was. Nothing terrible though nothing great.
Tenay and West talk about what happened earlier in the night. Shane Douglas interviews Jeff Jarrett and Gail Kim. Shane asks Jarrett about who he will face. Jarrett insults all possible competitors. Monty Brown enters the picture and asks Jarrett to insult him. Jarrett acts as though he doesn't know what Monty was talking about. Jarrett peps up Monty Brown for his match with Lance Hoyt.
Match 4: Lance Hoyt vs. Monty Brown
Tie up between Lance and Monty. Monty slams down Hoyt and slaps him. Hoyt comes back with right hands, and then Hoyt hits a shoulderblock and clothesline. Hoyt slams Monty and Monty retreats. Monty slaps Hoyt and throws him into the steel steps. Monty throws Hoyt back in and trash talks to the camera. Hoyt takes down Monty and gets back in the ring. Monty takes control and punches Hoyt then eventually hits some knife edge chops. Hoyt throws Monty into the corner and beats on him. Hoyt hits a 10 punch count on Monty and then slams him down. Hoyt gets on the top rope and Monty pushes him off. Monty then takes control and hits a snap suplex. Monty in control and throws Hoyt back in. Hoyt throws Monty in the corner though Monty returns back and slams down Hoyt. Hoyt gives Monty a big boot. Hoyt drags Monty and hits a moonsault though it only gets a two count. Monty throws Hoyt into the corner and then hits Hoyt with an Alpha Bomb for 2. Monty tries to take control though Hoyt slams him and only gets 2. Monty holds onto the rope and both men exchange right hands. Monty hits the pounce on Hoyt and gets the win at the 10 minute mark.
Winner: Monty Brown
Grade: C+ - Good big man match.
Shane Douglas interviews 3 Live Kru. Kip James offers assistance to 3 Live Kru and while Killing and BG agree, Konnan disagrees and argues with Kip James. Kip walks off.
Match 5: Team Canada (Eric Young, A1, and Bobby Roode) vs. 3 Live Kru (BG James, Ron Killings, and Konnan)
Usual promo by 3 Live Kru to fire up the crowd. Konnan in the ring with Eric Young. Young and Konnan fight and exchange kicks, slams, and punches. Konnan throws Young over the top rope and knocks down Roode, and then sends out A1. Killings hits a top rope leg drop. Killings and Roode are in the ring now. Killings hits a hurricanrana. A camera shows Kip James at the ramp. Killings and Roode continue fighting and Killings knocks down Roode with a kick which only gets a 2 count. Roode slams down Killings though only gets a two count. Roode slams Killings in the corner. A1 tags in and beats on Killings. A1 hits a powerslam on Killings. Roode is back in and prevents Konnan from saving Killings. Killings tries to fight out of the corner with Bobby Roode and knocks Roode down. Tag into BG James, as BG fights off all three members of Team Canada. BG James hits a knee drop and covers Eric Young though only gets 2. BG James is in with Young, Killings with Roode, and A1 with Konnan. Back in the ring, Roode hits BG with a hockey stick for the win at the 8 minute mark.
Winners: Team Canada
Grade: C: Average match with a lame finish.
Kip James enters the ring and cleans house of Team Canada.
Shane interviews Larry Z.
A video for the Ultimate X is shown.
Match 6 - Ultimate X: Matt Bentley vs. Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams
Petey tries to go up top and is taken down by Sabin and Bentley. Bentley fights Sabin and takes him down. Petey Williams back in, throws Sabin back in the corner, and attempts to charge into him though misses. Bentley with right hands on Williams. Bentley tries to knock down Sabin as Sabin attempts climb the rope. Traci distracts Williams by pushing his face in between her chest while Bentley climbs to the top to try and grab the X. Sabin chops Bentley and follows with a headbutt and a forearm shot. Sabin throws Williams into Bentley. Bentley is down though recovers and takes down Sabin from the cables high up. Sabin hits a hurricanrana on Bentley off of the top rope. All three men in the ring fighting it out. Bentley then takes out both Sabin and Williams. Bentley attempts to go the top and climbs across though is followed by Sabin. Soon both fall after a sequence where Bentley attempted to stay high on the cables and Sabin knocked him down. Sabin now attempts to climb to the top and Petey Williams follows him. Williams knocks Sabin down though attempts to climb and holds down Sabin in the corner. Petey and Bentley are both outside the corner since Bentley tried to knock down Sabin. Sabin attempts to climb though also gets knocked out. All three men are out of the ring... though Sabin recovers and enters the ring and begins to climb the cables. Bentley then enters the ring and spears Sabin at the top though it knocked the X off of the middle of the cables. The referee calls for the X to be hung up again. A fight insues outside as Sabin fights both Bentley and Williams. He knocks down Williams and fights with Bentley. Bentley knocks Sabin down. Bentley and Sabin are both hung up on top and then both fall. The X then falls again though this time Petey Williams is there to grab it and is awarded the win at the fifteen minute mark.
Winner: Petey Williams
Grade: B+ - Good match that was ruined by a poor finish. Petey Williams is definitely a great competitor though it is finishes such as these that make him look weak.
A video is shown of Jarrett winning the NWA Title in Canada and AMW winning the Tag Titles as well as scenes from the funeral.
Match 7: NWA Tag Team Championships: America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) vs. The Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas)
The Naturals run into the ring and start fighting with AMW in a very fast paced sequence. Chase Stevens and James Storm fight inside the ring, while Andy Douglas and Chris Harris fight outside the ring. Stevens hits a running powerbomb on Harris and Storm. Harris gets on his knees and begs for a truce though Douglas and Stevens beat him down and continue beating him outside the ring near the entrance ramp. Stevens throws Harris into the steel safety rails on two different sides of the arena. Douglas continues to beat of Harris outside in the ring and hits another slam into the steel safety rail. Douglas hits Storm with handcuffs though Gail Kim distracts Douglas. Douglas is busted wide open by James Storm. AMW then double team Andy Douglas and then Storm chokes Douglas with the wrist tape. Storm hits the Eye of the Storm though it only gets a two count. Douglas tags into Stevens and fights both members of AMW. Stevens dodges Douglas as Harris plows into his partner. Stevens goes for a two count. Gail Kim tosses AMW a bag of powder though it backfires and Harris slames Storm. Andy Douglas has Harris in the death sentence and Stevens hits from the top rope though it only gets a two count. Gail Kim distracts the ref though eventually Douglas grabs Gail Kim, though Storm handcuffs Douglas to the steel safety rail. Stevens is now at a 2 on 1 disadvantage. Gail Kim distracts the ref long enough for James Storm to use a bottle to knock down Stevens as Andy Douglas is taunted at ringside. Harris sets up the Death Sentence and Storm hits it for the win at the 13 minute mark.
Winners: AMW
Grade: B: Good match that further elevates both tag teams and moves along their feud.
A video highlighting Monster's Ball is shown. Shane interviews James Mitchell in the back.
Match 8: Monster's Ball 2: Abyss vs. Sabu vs. Rhino vs. Jeff Hardy
Sabu and Rhino start off. Sabu throws Rhino off the top and jumps off the top rope onto Rhino. Abyss and Hardy are fighting each other while Sabu and Rhino are fighting each other respectively. Sabu's eye is busted open. Hardy hits Abyss with a swanton from the top of the bleachers. Sabu has Rhino in a hold then nails him with a chairshot. Sabu grabs a chair back in the ring and hits another top rope move on top of Rhino. Hardy and Abyss continue fighting in the ring until Abyss hits Hardy with the Shock Treatment. Rhino hits Abyss and Sabu with chairshots. Hardy uses Sabu's back to elevate himself and hit Abyss in the corner. Hardy tries get Sabu to return the favor though Sabu kicks Hardy in the stomach. Rhino walks in and hits everyone with kendosticks. Rhino tries to Gore though walks into a chokeslam by Abyss. Jeff Hardy continues to fight with Abyss outside the ring and then grabs the ladder. Rhino and Sabu fight in the ring with Rhino using a weight-belt on Sabu. Abyss sets up a table while Hardy is in the corner near the entrance ramp. Hardy recovers and hits Abyss with chairshots. Back to the ring, Rhino is trapped on a table, as Sabu sets up a chair and legdrops Rhino through the table. Hardy on the other side climbs the ladder and Hardy climbs to the top of the TNA logo and hits a Swanton on Abyss through the table. Back in the ring, Sabu attempts to take control of Rhino though Rhino hits him with a kendostick. Sabu recovers and then hits Rhino with a moonsault though it only gets two. Sabu then goes off the top rope with a chair and hits Rhino. Sabu, Rhino, and Abyss are in the ring. Abyss catches Sabu and throws him down into a table. Abyss has the thumbtacks, though Rhino gores Abyss through the table. Rhino and Hardy fight in the ring now. Rhino hits Hardy with the Rhino Driver and gets a three count just as Sabu attempts to break up the count at the 15 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: B+ I admit I have a weakspot for hardcore matches and spotfests and this was no exception. A good match and very entertaining with a good finish.
Shane talks with Larry about what will happen with the Main Event tonight who mentions about the Gauntlet and the winner will face Jeff Jarrett.
Match 9: 30 Minute Iron Man Match for the X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels
Styles and Daniels start and begin fighting with Daniels quickly gaining control. Daniels hits an overhead press slam on Styles and then the two fight in the corner with slaps. Styles then hits Daniels with knife edge chops and then Styles hits a backbreaker on Daniels. Daniels retreats to the outside. Back in the ring, both men avoid each other with a series of moves. Styles knocks Daniels over the safety rail and then retreats back outside only to jump over the rail from far away and knock Daniels down. Back the ring, Styles goes for a cover and only gets a 2 count. Styles has Daniels in a submission and tries to wear Daniels down. Daniels tries to counter Styles though is countered back by Styles as Styles continues to apply the side headlock on Daniels. Daniels powers out though Styles puts the side headlock back on. Daniels then breaks out and works on Styles' arm though Styles counters and then works on Daniels arm. Daniels breaks it, whips AJ into the corner and misses a dropkick. AJ throws Daniels into three different turnbuckles in the ring. AJ knocks down Daniels and goes for a pin though doesn't succeed. AJ has Daniels in a reverse chinlock, and then hits Daniels with a headbutt. Styles then puts Daniels in a deathlock and a chinlock in the same time. Daniels then bites Styles' hand to get out of the hold to further the action. After a brief sequence of moves, Daniels slams Styles out of desperation. Daniels fires Styles into the corner and clotheslines Styles down. Daniels twists Styles' head and continues to work on him. Daniels then hits a tilt o whirl backbreaker on Styles and goes for a cover though only gets 2. Styles attempts to get a cover, though Daniels eventually gets a Koji clutch and locks Styles in. Styles tries to power out though fails the first time. Styles then tries again and breaks out. Daniels then begins a punching sequence to Styles' head after getting a two count at the halfway point. Styles attempts a Tilt O Whirl backbreaker though misses as Styles gets a DDT. AJ hits a spinkick on Daniels and Daniels falls down. Styles works the arm. AJ goes for a Pumphandle Slam on Daniels though turns it into a backbreaker mid-move and goes for a cover and gets a 2 count. Daniels hits a Death Valley Driver on AJ Styles for a 2 count. Daniels hitting a powerbomb off the top rope and goes for a cover on AJ though only gets a two count. AJ Styles hits a Neckbreaker on Styles. Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever for 2. Daniels attempts to grab AJ though AJ counters and puts Daniels with a Torture Rack and slams Daniels down. AJ throws Daniels in the corner and misses trying to hit him though Daniels knocks AJ outside and hits a suicide dive at 8:37. Daniels rolls AJ back in and AJ hits a pele kick on Daniels. While Daniels is stunned, AJ flies out of the ring with a flip dive. AJ enters the ring with less than 7 minutes to go. Daniels hits a backdrive suplex on Styles and both men fall to the outside. Under 5 and a half minutes now. Daniels struggles to get into the ring and Styles attempts to get in as well, though Styles retreats before momentarily entering again. Daniels attempts a roll-up on Styles though once again only gets a two count. Both men go for a sequence of near falls. Less than 3 minutes to go with both men down. Both men have some brief exchanges as we go under 2 minutes. Daniels attempts to grab the trunks of AJ for a 3 count. Both men continue to fight as we go under 1 minute. AJ levels Daniels and goes for a cover and only gets a 2. Daniels goes for an Angel's Wings though AJ counters and eventually goes for a Styles Clash in the last few seconds to retain the title in the 30 minute match.
Winner: AJ Styles
Grade: A+ - This match could have closed the show and I would have gotten my money's worth though there is still two matches to go.
Tenay and West plug the November 13th PPV, Genesis.
Match 10: Ten Man Gauntlet to determine the No. 1 Contender for Jeff Jarrett's NWA Title
Samoa Joe and Ron Killings are the first two entrants. Truth mocks the Polynesian dancers and Joe beats on Truth. Truth powers out of the corner and knocks down Joe. Entrant No. 3 is Sabu and throws a steel chair at both Joe and Truth. Sabu hits a moonsault on Joe using the Chair and then hits another move using the chair as well. No. 4 is Lance Hoyt as Joe and Hoyt exchange right hands though Hoyt levels Joe with a big boot. Hoyt battles Killings though Joe fights Killings as well. Abyss is No. 5 as he enters the ring does a stare down with Joe. Joe and Abyss exchange knife edge chops and choke each other at the same time. Jeff Hardy is No. 6... and we have a huge sequence of wrestlers battling each other. Hardy on Abyss, Joe on Hoyt, and Killing and Sabu. Monty Brown is No. 7 and pounces Sabu. Monty Brown and Jeff Hardy are both eliminated as Monty throws Hardy over and goes over with him. Rhino is No. 8 and battles Lance Hoyt and eliminates him to the outside. Abyss, Rhino, Joe, Sabu and Killings are all in the ring. Kip James is entrant No. 9 and battles Abyss hitting him with the Famouser. Entrant No. 10 is AJ Styles... AJ Styles battles Abyss, Truth battles Rhino, and Joe battles Kip James... Joe hits a Jawbreaker on Kip James. Joe attempts to throw Killings over the top rope. Abyss and Rhino then battle and Joe and Killings also continue their battle. AJ tries to eliminate Killings though fails. Kip James is then eliminated. AJ and Killings have a brief exchange of kicks. Kip James tries to help Killings stay in the ring though fails as he is dragged away by referees. Killings is eliminated by Samoa Joe. Abyss eliminates Joe and Styles. Rhino gores Abyss and then throws Abyss over to win the match at the 12 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: C+ - Decent match and surprising that Rhino was given the win.
Jeremy Borash introduces Tito Ortiz as the special guest referee.
Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Rhino vs. Jeff Jarrett
Jarrett goes on the attack and beats on Rhino and hits a dropkick. Jarrett continues to beat on Rhino and then drives Rhino into the steel safety rail and then slams his face into the announce table as well. Jarrett is in control over the weakened Rhino. Tito Ortiz commands for both men to get back in the ring as Jarrett slams Rhino into the casket. Jarrett goes up top and commands Rhino to get up and hits him with a top rope clothesline. Jarrett then goes up top and gets caught in a chokeslam and then gets hit with a low blow by Jarrett. Gail Kim gets involved to distract Tito Ortiz, then Jarrett hits Rhino with the guitar for a 2 count. AMW gets involved, as Chris Harris gets on the top rope only to get punched by Tito Ortiz. Rhino then gores Jeff Jarrett for the win to gain the title at the 12 minute mark.
Winner: Rhino
Grade: B-: Decent match with Jarrett pulling out all the stops.
A huge brawl breaks out as 3 Live Kru, Team Canada, and AMW. Jarrett hits Rhino with the guitar as Jarrett loads Rhino into the casket. Team 3-D then enter the ring to beat on the heels and scare them out of the ring. Team 3-D hit a 3-D on Eric Young and throw him into the casket. Rhino holds the belt above his head and celebrates with the rest of the faces to end the show.
Final Thoughts: This was an excellent PPV event and is highly worth a replay. There are many things to be seen here, and I without a doubt got my $30.00 worth.
Final Grade: A-
MIKE JOHNSON TAKES A LOOK AT LAST NIGHT'S TNA BOUND FOR GLORY PPV
by Mike Johnson
TNA played up last night's Bound for Glory PPV as their version of Wrestlemania, and in many aspects, it was treated that way with the talent going above and beyond the call of duty, a passionate crowd that loved their stars and what they were given, a nice surprise in the crowning of Rhino as the new NWA champion, an insane spot by Jeff Hardy, and a monster pop for Team 3-D. Even with destiny having a different finish in mind for the Ultimate X match, nothing could put a downer on the evening for TNA's stars and fans. There were a lot of guys going beyond their usual good work by pulling out big bumps and dives. If TNA is trying to catch a younger audience with a fast paced, frenetic style, they are going in the right direction based on the live crowd (see below). They need to fill in the niches that WWE doesn't by pushing the characterization of the talents as hard as their in ring work. As long as they keep accentuating their positives and politics don't become an issue, TNA is on the right road.
It was a weird sight live before the PPV went on the air as the audience was happy to be there but somewhat subdued. There were no big chants, no feel of electricity in the air as there have been for major shows I've attended over the years. Once TNA started the show, however, it was like a light flipped on and the place went nuts, with an audience loved their stars. It was interesting to note the demographics of the crowd, with a lot of teenage girls and women in their early 20s at the show, much higher than usual for a TNA event. The crowd seemed to be there to have a good time and enjoy themselves, as opposed to the smart fans that sometimes pervade wrestling shows today, trying to get over and make themselves more important than the show itself.
The Four Way opener with Sonjay Dutt defeating Roderick Strong, Austin Aries, and Alex Shelley was one of the best matches I've seen live in a long time. Roderick Strong is really coming into his own and at the rate he's improving, it won't be long before he's considered a top tier worker. He reminds of of a mixture of Dean Malenko and Ron Garvin. He's really upped his look and shown some dedication to his craft. Austin Aries' new look really suits him and he comes off like a wrestling machine. Dutt and Shelley both looked awesome here as well. Shelley has commented that he was inspired by Dean Malenko in the past and it really showed here as he's amazingly fluid in the ring. Dutt seemed really inspired here. It's amazing to think about a year ago, he was gone from the company. The one spot to watch for during this was the four way submission, with each man trapping not one, but two opponents. A really original spot that we'll likely see variations of in lots of indy Four Ways from this point forward. They did a good job setting the ton for the rest of the evening.
They then did an angle where Raven demanded his NWA title shot, until Rhino showed up and called out Raven for getting soft noting that a few years ago he took someone's family hostage and crucified a man (Sandman in ECW on both accounts) but now he's gone soft. Rhino accused him off letting a girl get into his head, although I have no idea if that was leading somewhere. It ended up with a brief brawl and Raven being dragged off. Rhino gored Cassidy Riley. The crowd called for him to do it again so Riley got drilled a second time. He bumped the hell out of himself taking the gore both times. The angle worked to explain Raven's absence from the remainder of the show and did a good job of enticing fans at home to want to buy the PPV portion of the show.
The main show opened with a lot of pomp and circumstance from Samoa Joe's fun Polynesian dancing entrance and the streamers tossed by the fans for Jushin Liger's TNA debut. The match itself wasn't what a lot of people expected it to be going in, but it was more about the moment of Joe choking out a legitimate legend clean in the middle of the ring. As a Joe fan, I couldn't help but be happy for the guy. A few months ago, he was in a position where he wanted to take time off because he wasn't making money financially and now he's one of the top names in several companies of note. Beyond that, with his performances of late, one would think he's going to be getting a Japanese offer at some point as well.
The six man tag with the Diamonds in the Rough defeated Shark Boy, Apollo, and Sonny Siaki was placed right where it should be with the right mix of comedy. Apollo hitting the dive outside the ring to the floor was a sight to see. It was good to see the Diamond be given a win as they needed to put some momentum behind the group. I'd like to see a valet added to given them a little pizzazz.
Monty Brown vs. Lance Hoyt was a lot better than I expected going in. There were some fans heckling Hoyt, calling him Test and Edge. You could tell this crowd was made up of a lot more of fans that traveled in as opposed to the Orlando regulars as Hoyt is usually one of the biggest babyfaces in the venue. They did a great spot where Brown went for the Pounce but got hit with a big boot to the face. Brown's final Pounce was awesome as well.
3 Live Kru vs. Team Canada was what one expected going in. They finally got the New Age Outlaws storyline going again. It was weird to see Ron Killings suddenly like the idea of Kip James in their corner. I liked the swerve of James saving Konnan when he could have creamed him with the chair, which was reminiscent of the great angle where Shane Douglas saved Cactus Jack from Sandman and Terry Funk in ECW. I actually thought they'd have Konnan apologize to James on the mic for doubting him, but they've got to save something for TV.
One had to feel for the guys in the Ultimate X match as they were doing some crazy stuff and building to something when the X fell from the ropes. They tried hard to improvise by going outside the ring while the ring crew set the X back, but when it fell again, I thought the spot featuring Petey Williams praying for it to fall was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately for Williams, the call was made to ring the bell as he was the scheduled winner. Everyone involved was upset about the curtain being closed but realized it was out of their hands. To me, I thought it was a great finish from one standpoint because it came off like a great fluke play in baseball. From a performance standpoint, it killed the feel of the match and the moment and that's a shame. However, the guys can always save whatever they had planned for the future, hopefully the primetime special. All three get an A for effort for this match, especially Michael Shane who think one of the sickest bumps I've seen in a while going to the floor off the top rope. The lesson to be learned from a production standpoint from the match is to come up with a new way to hang the X I guess.
America's Most Wanted vs. The Naturals was the usual good match you get from these four being that they have great chemistry. James Storm and Gail Kim's TNA characters are awesome. At some point, Storm will have to get his comeuppance with a bottle upside the head, but until then they are doing a great job of making him stand out as a real drunken jerk cowboy. For the first time, he feels like something more than just Chris Harris' partner, which only makes the team stronger. They've had better matches but this wasn't one they should have been ashamed of either.
The Monster's Ball was plain awesome. As someone who loves those great, out of controls brawls, this was a top flight version in my opinion. Jeff Hardy takes a lot of flak for his performances sometimes, deservedly so, but one can't deny that when he wants to be, he's one of the craziest bumpers of all time, doing a dive that New Jack would have been jealous of. The early brawls in the crowd were fun with lots of insane and stiff shots. I was glad they didn't do the thumbtack spot as its been done quite a bit lately and you don't want it to lose its effect. Everyone here did a great job. A wonderfully brutal violent ballet. I also wanted to note that Jim Mitchell is one of the best talkers going, as only he could cut a promo and drop the term "copious amounts of blood" and make it work without it sounding campy.
What does one say about AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels that hasn't already been written or that those of you reading this aren't already aware of. These guys are the heart and soul of the company and have done a tremendous job of growing from overlooked talented performers to top tier main event players. I thought this was as perfect as a match could have been, with a great slow build, some awesome false finishes and back and forth pin attempts, Styles' brilliant and desperate attempts to get to the ropes to escape Daniels' submission attempts, the awesome sight of Styles diving off the stairs and over the referee into the crowd onto Daniels and the perfect moment of Styles, in a last minute bid to win, going for his finisher and getting it and the pin with a second left. Styles was crying after the bout and with good reason, he had just given all of his heart and soul in one of the best matches of his career. Daniels did a great job of selling how upset he was at losing but the crowd didn't care who won or lost, they were appreciative of both for their effort in one great match.
The main event was booked as perfectly as it could have been with TNA turning the unfortunate negative of Kevin Nash's health issues into a positive. The Gauntlet was interesting to watch. When Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles came back out injured after the performances they put on earlier in the evening for a chance to wrestle for the NWA title, the company added a ton of prestige to their top title. The Gauntlet was interesting to watch from both a booking and crowd standpoint. When Samoa Joe came out first, the crowd perked up, almost as if shocked he was put into that position. Its amazing to see Joe, who had his doubters when he debuted, as one of the most popular wrestlers in the entire company after a tenure of just a few months. The crowd was highly behind him. The tease of Joe vs. Abyss was great with the two chopping the hell out of each other as the crowd ate up all of it. I was surprised to see Monty Brown out so quickly, but from a storyline standpoint, he can say that no one threw him over the ropes. It was interesting to see Billy Gunn tower over Samoa Joe at one point as well. The crowd loved Rhino going over, which was teased earlier in the night during the Raven segment.
Jeff Jarrett vs. Rhino was as good as one could hope for. The crowd was into the idea of a title change in a big way and the decision to put the NWA title on Rhino went over huge, much larger than anyone could have predicted. The audience sees him not as a WWE castoff, but as an ECW guy who wasn't given his shot and now has what he deserves. The post-match beatdown and sequence of run-ins was perfect, with the crowd loving every bit of the mayhem. When Team 3-D's music hit, the building exploded into what had to have been one of the biggest pops in company history. The entire build was a textbook for a big finish to a wrestling show meant to sent the crowd home happy and it did just that. Brother Ray especially seemed energized by the reaction and even told the crowd on the house mic that of all the places they had worked over the years, this night was the best, which is impressive when you think of the list of major shows and buildings that team has worked. The 30 minute post-match back and forth/brawl/beatdown on Eric Young was a nice plus for the crowd and I can't imagine who might have attended the show live and not wanted to come back for the TV tapings this week.
Given the state of the business and the need for a new competitor to WWE to stand up, TNA made their stand tonight. If the event came off anywhere as good on TV as it did live, this is a show worth going out of your way to order a replay of. In many ways, TNA is an amalgam of some of the best wrestling styles popularized over the last decade, energized by one hell of a crew with a tremendous work ethic, an intensely intimate building, and a spin on some old concepts. I cannot state what the future holds for the company, but if there's any justice, all the work that has been put into the last month will translate into the company's biggest buyrate to date. It's certainly deserved, as it was a really entertaining evening that showcased a really talented crew.
2006 - Monty Brown and Larry Zbyszko departed TNA.