Welcome to the roundtable for Turning Point! Joining me today are the Master of Moodspins Matthew Michaels, Re-Writer and Re-Viewer Jed Schaffer, Double Team King Eric S, and the boss of us all, Widro. With the introductions out of the way, let’s get to the card!
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Rhino
Jed Shaffer: I don’t want to be cynical here, but I can’t help but see another guitar-shot-driven successful title defense for Jarrett, since he has to be ripened for … Monty? Christian? Who knows anymore? Poor Rhino.
Winner – Triple J
Eric Szulczewski: With the heavy level of the blowjob push that Rhiyno is getting, you’d expect them to pull the trigger on the title switch. However, the title’s been bouncing around like a pinball lately, and another switch won’t do them good. This one’s going to have more run-ins than Shawn Alexander and the end zone at Qwest Field, and that means doom for Rhiyno. Also, TNA is probably waiting to switch the title to a bigger-name face. Now all they have to do is decide on the recipient. Hint: the two leading candidates are facing each other on this card.
Winner – Depends how they call it, really. Jarrett retains the title, but it’ll probably be a DQ ending for Rhiyno in order not to kill his heat.
Widro: i can’t see rhino winning here. snore.
Winner – Jarrett
Matthew Michaels: Jarrett.
Winner – Jarrett
David Brashear: As much as I’d like to see Rhino get back to the top, I think there’s more interest in seeing Christian chase Jarrett for the title.
Winner – Jarrett
TNA X Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
Eric Szulczewski: Here’s your belt change for the night. Losing to Joe clean doesn’t hurt A. J. at all because, well, he’s A. J. F*ckin’ Styles. A win not only pushes Joe to the highest level, but also adds impetus to the upcoming Joe/Daniels feud, which should be a winner. I don’t think Daniels makes an appearance here, though. Let Joe win nice and clean, then bring in Daniels for the obvious challenge.
Winner and New Champion – Samoa Joe
Widro: i think this will steal the show.
Winner – joe
Matthew Michaels: Samoa Joe wins this in a MOTYC.
Winner – Joe
David Brashear: This is definitely one of my top two choices for Match of the Night (the other is Sabu/Abyss, but for a completely other reason). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – AJ should be chasing the world title, not still fooling around in the X Division. Joe takes the title to continue the winning streak, and Christopher Daniels should show up to keep the feud rolling.
Winner – Samoa Joe
Jed Shaffer: Can’t think … drooling too much … Match Of The Year candidate …
Winner – Ole!
Tag Team Tables match
America’s Most Wanted vs. Team 3D
Widro: since it’s non title, i think the dudleyz take it.
Winner – team 3d
Matthew Michaels: Dudleyz won’t win until the belt’s off Jarrett.
Winner – AMW
David Brashear: And the AMW/3D feud rolls on. It’s the Duds’ signature match. No way they lose here.
Winners – Team 3D
Jed Shaffer: One part of the top heel contingent has to be stricken down tonight, and since we know they won’t put Rhino back on top of the mountain, bend over AMW.
Winners – Brother Devon! Fetch the flat-surfaced wooden devices!
Eric Szulczewski: It’s the Dudleys, it’s tables, and with this blown off, the merry-go-round starts again as the Dudz get a feud with Team Canada and AMW can go play with their buddies the Naturals. Yay.
Winners – The Ex-Dudleys
Barbed Wire Massacre
Abyss vs. Sabu
David Brashear: I can hear Don West urging parents to get their kids out of the room now. I know that this feud should end with Sabu getting the big win, but Abyss (on his way up) gains more from the win than Sabu does. I’ll go with Abyss.
Winner – Abyss
Jed Shaffer: Can’t think … cringing in fear … the horror will be beautiful … so evil …
Winner – KaneKind
Eric Szulczewski: For those of you who feel that The Nutcracker doesn’t contain enough random bloodshed, here’s your Christmas ballet. They have done a great job in selling this match over the past month, and there’s a lot of anticipation for it. We know Sabu’s game, and Abyss somehow inherited Mick Foley’s threshold of pain, so neither guy’s going to hold back. However, due to the replacing of the ropes with barbed wire, it’s going to be first on the card. We all saw with the two Trip/Flair matches that copious quantities of blood tends to drain a crowd. How are they going to avoid a letdown for the rest of the card?
Winner – Abyss, because he needs it more
Widro: this has been one of the best built angles in tna since spike.
Winner – abyss
Matthew Michaels: What good would a Sabu win do?
Winner – Abyss
#1 Contender’s Match
Monty Brown vs. Christian Cage
Jed Shaffer: And so we come to the match that has single-handedly screwed up the booking plans of TNA. See, Monty was OBVIOUSLY being programmed as Jarrett’s eventual demise. And, perhaps one day, he will be. But that means we’d have to withstand another hotshot on and off Jarrett, and something tells me, as they try and take the company to new heights, they don’t want to play Hot Po-Title. And then, they have this new, substantially large investment in Christian Cage, who is SO OBVIOUSLY going to get the NWA Title at some point. Irresistable force, meet immovable object. How does one solve this dilemma?
Winner – No winner, that’s how. I’ll say a double-DQ.
Eric Szulczewski: One thing that won’t happen is having Christian job in his first TNA PPV match. Nope, sorry, won’t happen, Pounce fanatics. However, they’re perfectly set up for a Team Canada run-in, which should lead to a tag match on a future Impact. It’ll also lead to a multiple-participant Number One Contender Match at Final Resolution with these two, Rhiyno, and possibly Raven.
Winner – either no decision or Christian by DQ
Widro: big test for both guys, could be a double dq too
Winner – Christian
Matthew Michaels: Sorry Monty, you’ve been jumped over. Period. Learn from him as much as you can while the program goes on.
Winner – Christian
David Brashear: No way Christian loses here, but I’ve got to feel sorry for Monty. He’s ready to challenge Jarrett for the title, so the bookers (Dusty?) turn him heel. Finally he gets built up again, just in time for Christian to show up. Still, if Christian wins here and beats Jarrett for the belt, Monty’s got his shot all set up.
Winner – Christian Cage
Team Canada vs. 4 Live Kru
Eric Szulczewski: And I should care about this in what way?
Winner – Nobody who paid for this, that’s for sure
Widro: i love the 4lk storyline and am intrigued what happens next.
Winner – team Canada
Matthew Michaels: Time to get the New Age Filthy Animals on a win streak.
Winners – 4LK
David Brashear: I’m sorry, I’ve tried to like the Kru, but they’ve committed one of the most heinous sins possible. They are responsible for putting Konnan back on my TV. Still, according to rumors, they’re wanting to split the Kru up, so this may be what starts it.
Winners: Team Canada
Jed Shaffer: They took FOREVER in getting to the NAO reunion, and even then, Killings and Gonad are in the way. I don’t think the inevitable Gonad heel turn is going to take nearly as long. Like, say, right here.
Winner – Petey Williams and three other guys
Diamonds in the Rough vs. Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, and Dale Torborg
Widro: this angle has gotten great mainstream pub.
Winner – sabin/dutt/the DEMON
Matthew Michaels: Why waste a celebrity angle if the crowd’s not gonna be happy with the result?
Winners – AJ’s squad
David Brashear: So we’ve got the Diamonds in the Rough vs. three guys who have gotten a great deal of publicity for TNA. Hey, maybe Torborg can dig out the old Demon makeup again and then Asya could show up and maybe Vampiro could come back and try to steal his soul… nah.
Winners: Sabin, Dutt, and Torborg
Jed Shaffer: Where’s the Mr. Yuk face when you need it? And what did Sabin do to deserve this anti-push lately? And why have the Diamonds In The Rough stable if they won’t PUSH THEM?!? This is so many shades of wrong …
Winners – Hail Sabin! Hail Dutt! Screw the KISS Demon!
Eric Szulczewski: Ooooh, this is going to be eight kinds of ugly. Sabin and Dutt will run rings around the Diamonds, Torborg will contribute nothing, and A. J. will provide the key bit of interference that allows his team to take home the victory. Just like in Game 4 of the ALCS.
Winners – Sabin/Dutt/Torborg
X-Division Tag Team Match
Matt Bentley & Austin Aries vs. Alex Shelley & Roderick Strong
David Brashear: This should be a great match, but I don’t understand why Aries is stuck here when he’s getting himself so over with the fans. I like Shelley’s new gimmick (did he wind up buying the Kid-Cam at Kidman’s yard sale?), but I’ve got to go with Bentley and Aries.
Winners: Matt Bentley & Austin Aries.
Jed Shaffer: Haven’t they done this already?
Winners – Shawn Michaels Jr. & Goat Boy
Eric Szulczewski: Welcome to the Wonderful World Of Booking In A Fucking Obvious Manner. Bentley turns on Aries and they have a feud. Shelley’s push continues. Who the hell flipped the autopilot switch?
Winners – Shelley and Strong
Widro: should be another high flying fast paced match
Winners – shelly and strong
Matthew Michaels: Shelley and Strong have the stronger gimmick, Bentley and Aries would be better served turning on each other mid-match and having a singles feud.
Winners – Shelley & Strong
Preshow
“The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy, Lance Hoyt, & The Naturals vs. Buck Quartermain, Lex Lovett, Jon Bolen & Joe Doering
Jed Shaffer: One team has a bunch of people you’ve heard of. One has two perennial jobbers and two non-entities. You do the math.
Winners – Team We Know Who They Are
Eric Szulczewski: Jobbers, Useless Lance, and Jeffykins. It’s not even worth the cost, which is free.
Winners – The non-jobbers
Widro: hardy should be booked better than this
Winners – hardy/hoyt/naturals
Matthew Michaels: Oh please.
Winners – Hardy’s team
David Brashear: Welcome to Telegraphed Booking 101. The only way this one would be more obvious would be if TNA announced the winners in advance on their website.
Winners – Hardy, Hoyt, & the Naturals
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to keep checking back to Inside Pulse for updates throughout the day, and live coverage during the show itself!
