A2Z Analysiz: TNA Destination X 2006 (Christian Cage, Monty Brown)

Wrestling DVDs

Destination x 2006

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Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – March 12, 2006

PPV Intro

This is actually a pretty cool intro video, shot in black and white and focusing on the big matches tonight – the NWA Title match, the Ultimate X match for the X Division Title, and the eight-man war. Oh yeah, and Sting is returning or something.

MATCH #1: Jay Lethal vs. Alex Shelley

They take it down to the mat and look evenly matched in the early going. Don West notes that these are the two youngest wrestlers on the roster. Lethal and Shelley continue to trade unique maneuvers, both men trying to establish dominance. What they succeed at is hyping up the crowd. Lethal is a bit more of a high flyer, and he proves that by sending Shelley to the floor and wiping him out with a dive. Back in the ring Lethal hits a back suplex for two. Shelley fights back with his superior technical prowess. He misses a quebrada and both men are down. Back on their feet Lethal unleashes a flurry of offense but it’s not enough to put Shelley away. They fight up on the top rope and Shelley hits a super inverted atomic drop. Lethal responds with a wicked German Suplex for two. He hits a vertical suplex and goes up top to hit a diving headbutt. That gets a two-count. Lethal goes for the Dragon Suplex but Shelley blocks it and hits Shiranui to get the pin at 10:09. Shelley is great and Lethal certainly kept up with him and the end result is a rock solid opener.
Rating: ***

MATCH #2: Lance Hoyt vs. Maverick Matt

Matt has Traci in his corner. Hoyt has no hot chick. Apparently this feud got going on Xplosion, meaning like 14 people saw it. Matt spits on Hoyt to start this heated grudge match. Hoyt comes back from that attack using his power. He clotheslines Matt to the floor, and the Maverick one regroups with Traci. Matt walks up the aisle as Traci distracts Hoyt with her juggs but Hoyt is able to thwart that evil scheme. Hoyt continues using his power but when they go up to the second rope Matt is able to execute a neckbreaker. Matt goes on offense for a bit until Hoyt cuts him off with a flapjack. Hoyt is a house afire now. He hits a pumphandle slam for two. Hoyt goes up top and misses the moonsault. Matt hits a Flatliner and both men are down. Elsewhere, TNA proves how important this match is by cutting to Jeremy Borash with Alex Shelley and Eric Young, who are looking for Sting in the rafters. They drop a bunch of fliers for some reason. Matt sets up for the Superkick but Traci decides to distract her own guy with a flier. Hoyt hits a Big Boot to get the pin at 8:01. This was perfectly adequate until TNA dumped all over the match themselves with that stupid finish.
Rating: **

MATCH #3: Team Canada (Bobby Roode & Eric Young) vs. The Naturals (Andy Douglas & Chase Stevens)

Roode and Young are accompanied by Scott D’Amore and A1. Both of these teams are former two-time NWA World Tag Team Champions. Roode attacks Stevens to start and the grudge match is on. Stevens cuts him off and unleashes a flurry of offense. Douglas tags in and keeps up the pressure. Young is able to tag in and Douglas keeps him on the mat. Team Canada has to cheat to gain an advantage. The Naturals quickly fights back and Stevens gets the hot tag. Stevens knocks Young to the floor and for some reason dives directly onto the guardrails, not een anywhere in the vicinity of Young, and Young didn’t even move out of the way. Okay then. That gives Team Canada the edge again. Young gets sent to the apron and then for some reason goes to the second rope. Stevens dropkicks him all the way to the floor. A1 helps Young up and back in the ring and Roode gets the tag. Moments later Douglas gets the tag too and he’s on fire. The referee loses control and all four men are in the ring. They work in a Tower of Doom spot just for kicks. The Naturals go for the Natural Disaster on Roode but he slips out. The referee is distracted and Young hits Douglas with the hockey stick, allowing Roode to score the pin at 12:28. That was the usual solid tag team match with the same old finish as dozens of Team Canada matches. The Naturals had some weird botches in there too.
Rating: **½

MATCH #4: The James Gang (BG James & Kip James) & Bullet Bob Armstrong vs. The Latin American Xchange (Konnan, Homicide & Machete)

BG calls the LAX bitches so it’s on. LAX charge but the James Gang quickly send them to the floor. Order is restored and Machete and BG start slugging it out. LAX use some cheap tactics to gain control. They isolate on BG for a little while, wearing him down. After a few minutes Kip gets the lukewarm tag and he’s all over Homicide and Machete. The match breaks down and the real wrestlers go to the floor, leaving Konnan and Bullet Bob in the ring. Bob lands one punch and Konnan sells it like death. They go to the floor and Bob continues the terrible punches. Meanwhile BG and Machete get back in the ring. Homicide tries to use a chair but Bob stops him. Machete gets left all alone with all three of his opponents. The James Gang triple teams him and Kip hits the One on Only to get the pin at 6:39. That was not so good, and not just because Konnan and an old man were involved.
Rating: ¾*

MATCH #5: Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams vs. Puma vs. Sonjay Dutt

Dutt and Puma start the match. I may not get to do much of the play-by-play here. They immediately set a rapid-fire pace and get the crowd going. Williams and Sabin tag in and take it to each other. These two know each other very well. Both are former X Division Champions. Everyone gets in the ring and tries pinning combinations, which is asinine because not everyone can be legal all at once, as per the structure of the rules of this match. We settle with Dutt and Sabin in the ring. Puma quickly tags in and Sabin is in trouble. Williams tags Sabin out of the match and he goes after Puma. Dutt tags Williams out and Puma is getting beaten up by everyone. Momentum continues to shift and many tags are made. This is definitely every man for himself, as even tag team partners Sabin and Dutt take it to each other. Williams sends Sabin to the floor and follows him out with a slingshot hurricanrana. Puma takes them both out with a dive. Dutt looks to follow with a dive but Puma cuts him off with a clothesline. Sabin gets back in the ring and wipes Williams out with a suicide dive. Dutt dropkicks Puma to the floor and then wipes everyone out with a moonsault off the top rope. Sabin and Puma are first back in the ring but Williams and Dutt quickly join them. The referee has no control over what’s going on. All four men take each other down. Back on their feet the pace is still fast. Williams locks Puma in the Sharpshooter and Dutt breaks it up. Any time someone goes for a pin someone else is there to break it up. Williams is able to catch Dutt with the Canadian Destroyer, but when he tries it on Sabin Puma breaks it up with a springboard blockbuster. Sabin hits Puma with Cradle Shock 14:58. That was ridiculously fun X Division action, the kind they just don’t present anymore. Everyone was spot on with their moves and the crowd was juiced.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #6: Rhino, Ron Killings & Team 3D vs. Jeff Jarrett, America’s Most Wanted & Abyss

The good guys waste no time rushing the ring and everyone picks an opponent and goes to work. They pair off just how you’d expect: Jarrett and Truth, Abyss and Rhino, and Team 3D with America’s Most Wanted. They’re fighting all over the arena. Rhino uses a chair on Abyss, and Jarrett uses one on Jarrett. Rhino and Storm become the first two men to get in the ring. The referee has no chance of controlling this one, as all eight guys are coming in and out of the ring, sometimes even tagging though. Brother Devon gets worked over on the heel side of the ring. He recovers and tags in Ray, who throws AMW around. He tags in Rhino, who does much of the same. He hits a spinebuster on Storm for a two-count. Jarrett and Rhino wind up in the ring while the rest of the teams are brawling on the floor. Rhino hits a press slam and a belly-to-belly suplex. He sets up for the Gore but Gail Kim stands in his way. She begs for mercy and then slaps him in the face. He goes to piledrive her but Abyss breaks it up. Rhino takes abuse from Team Jarrett now. He finally makes the hot tag to Truth, and the match breaks down to a brawl again. Jarrett brings the guitar into the ring but Rhino avoids getting hit with it and nails Jarrett with the Gore. Abyss hits Rhino with the Black Hole Slam, and then Truth clotheslines Abyss over the ropes and goes crashing out with him. Ray hits a series of strikes on Jarrett. Gail interferes once again, and Jackie helps Team 3D and the Truth execute the What’s Up. The crowd wants tables but Abyss disagrees. He grabs Jackie and goes to chokeslam her but Devon breaks it up. Team 3D hits the 3D on Abyss but America’s Most Wanted prevent any covers from happening. They hit the Death Sentence on Devon and then go to work on Truth. They try to handcuff him but he winds up handcuffing Harris instead. He hits Storm with the Axe Kick but Jarrett pulls the referee out. Truth slingshots over the ropes onto Jarrett and then tosses him back in the ring. Jarrett tries the Stroke but Truth blocks it. Harris grabs Truth’s leg from the floor, and Jarrett then hits the Stroke for the pin at 20:10. That was a fun chaotic brawl, and the involvement of the women was done just right.
Rating: ***¼

Jeff Calls Out Sting

A pumped up Jarrett calls out Sting, Steve Borden, whichever one will come out and face him. He calls Sting and Borden a “quitter” and gives him a 10-count to come out. When Sting doesn’t show, Jarrett declares the war over and himself the winner. Jarrett says he gets the winner of Christian Cage versus Monty Brown later tonight.

MATCH #7: Ultimate X Match for the TNA X Division Championship – Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Joe has been the Champion since 12.11.05, and this is his third defense. Daniels is 1-1 in Ultimate X matches, while Styles is 1-2. Joe has never been in an Ultimate X match before. The pace is fast right from the get-go, with Styles and Daniels going for the belt early and Joe trying to stop them. Daniels and Styles actually work together to take Joe out, which is good strategy. They go at each other now and Styles hits The Dropkick. Joe gets back in the fight and takes Daniels out. Styles takes Joe out with the springboard flying forearm. Joe backdrops Styles to the floor right onto Daniels and then wipes them both out with a corkscrew plancha. The champ makes his first attempt to get the belt but gets knocked down. Daniels hits Joe with the Iconoclasm. He continues to control the action and climbs up but Styles stops him right away. Styles and Daniels fight on the top rope and Styles hits a big sunset bomb. He goes toward the belt and gets very close but Joe pulls him down into the Big Joe Combo. Man I miss Joe when he cared. Joe gives Daniels the face wash and takes him to the floor for the Ole Kick, but Styles cuts him off with a flying forearm! That was awesome. Back in the ring Styles charges into the corner but Joe catches him with the STJoe. The Champ brings a chair into the ring and goes for the Muscle Buster but Daniels breaks it up. Styles and Daniels work together again, this time hitting Joe with a double Muscle Buster! Now with Joe out on the mat Styles and Daniels take it to each other. Styles hits the Pele and goes after the belt. Joe cracks him with the chair to knock him down. Daniels kicks the chair back into Joe’s face. He goes after the belt and smartly wraps his legs around the cables and comes down with the belt at 13:27! That was short but man they packed a lot of action in there and did some awesome stuff. The finish was great too. Any combination of these three guys will almost always result in a good to great match.
Rating: ****

MATCH #8: NWA World Championship Match – Christian Cage vs. Monty Brown

Cage has been the Champion since 2.12.06, and this is his first defense. I like this being a main event in TNA. They start off slowly and Cage works a headlock. Brown comes back using his superior power. He knocks Cage to the floor and follows him out to continue the assault, tossing him into the crowd. They did this a lot around this time in TNA. Cage fights back and they make their way back into the ring. Brown sends Cage to the floor again and follows him out. He swings a chair but misses and hits the post. Back in the ring Cage tries to leap off the ropes but Brown catches him with a punch to the gut. They fight on the apron and Brown press slams Cage down to the floor. Brown is now firmly in control, working the Champion over in the ring. He focuses on the chest and the ribs, which is the perfect setup for the POUNCE. Every time Cage tries to fight back Brown is able to cut him off. Finally Cage is able to drop Brown with a hard DDT and both men are down. Back on their feet Cage unleashes a flurry of offense but can’t put him away. Cage goes for a Frog Splash but misses. That wasn’t too wise. Brown takes Cage up to the top rope but Cage knocks him down and hits a senton bomb for two. Cage goes for the Unprettier but Brown blocks it and hits the Alpha Bomb for two! Brown hits an F-5 but again only gets a two-count! He goes for the POUNCE but Cage avoids it and a series of reversals ends with Cage hitting the Unprettier for the win at 17:13. That was shockingly good, as these two have really good chemistry as opponents. Brown worked a solid strategy and Cage looked like a fighting Champion with heart. They did some cool moves to each other and it makes me sad that Monty Brown isn’t in the business anymore.
Rating: ***½

Jeff Jarrett makes his way out with a guitar and demands his rematch right now. Cage says he can’t put the title on the line right now because that’s not up to him, but he can give him an ass kicking. Brown joins in the fight and the Champion has to fend off two attackers. Abyss joins in, and Rhino makes his way down to help out. Team Canada, Alex Shelley, and America’s Most Wanted come out as well. Finally after a while Sting runs out and cleans house on like 15 guys. Then Scott Steiner does a walk-in and he’s the only one who can touch Sting. The show ends with Jarrett’s Army standing tall.

BONUS MATCH: “Primetime” Elix Skipper & David Young vs. Shark Boy & Norman Smiley

The Diamonds in the Rough are accompanied by Simon Diamond. Skipper and Young attack before the bell and away we go. Smiley and Young take it to the floor. Skipper wipes Smiley out with a dive to give the Diamonds control. They wear Smiley down until Young misses a moonsault. Boy gets the hot tag and he’s a Shark afire. HE executes the Shark Bite on Young, and Smiley tags in. Smiley hits the wind up slam and then the Big Wiggle. Skipper dumps Boy to the floor hard. The referee gets distracted and Diamond takes a cheap shot on Smiley. Young and Skipper then hit a double STO to get the pin at 3:17. Not much going on there but it was perfectly acceptable Preshow fare.
Rating: *½

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