From the UK: TNA Unbreakable 2005

PPVs, Reviews

I realised that since I started writing for Inside Pulse I haven’t done any TNA reviews which I found strange as I quite like the product even if I don’t religiously follow it. TNA normally puts on solid pay per views though and I always like excuses for watching the main event on this one so I decided to do a rant on the whole shebang so lets get to it.

We’re in Orlando Florida

You’re hosts are Mike Tenay and Don West

funny video to start of mocking Football opening credits.

The Diamonds in the Rough Vs The 3 Live Kru
“Do Da Damn Thing”. The Kru were reunited at this point. They would be disintegrated a few months later. Elix Skipper and James start and Skipper gets the better to that exchange with some kicks. James fights back with right hands and his shaky knee drop for two. David Young comes in and he’s promptly double teamed by James and Truth. 3LK stay in the saddle and Simon Diamond fires up his team with some slaps and Skipper gets a big springboard spin kick on James. Triple mud stomp on James and Diamond and Young do some double teaming. Lots of punching going on here. Diamond and James hit heads and Konnan comes in and he’s the house en feugo. Konnan throws his boot at Young and gets an X-Factor for the win.

WINNERS – 3LK

½* – Match felt it was held together by blue tack. Lame opener quality wise but it was short enough not to kill the crowd. Still I don’t know what’s worse, Konnan using his boot as a weapon or that fact that people actually sell it?

Tenay and West show highlights of a big brawl before the show featuring Monty Brown, Jeff Jarrett, Kip James, Jeff Hardy as they all want the NWA Title. Tenay wonders what’s going on. Don gets in his “squeaky wheel gets the grease” line as I think he’s contractually mandated to say it every show.

Roderick Strong Vs Austin Aries
Wrestling sequence to start us out as a few fans get a faint “ROH” chant going but that doesn’t last long. Aries does a nice flip out of a head scissors and goes to a headlock. Another nice wrestling sequence leads to a stand off. Strong counters a monkey flip and gets a back breaker before sending Aries spine first into the corner with a press slam. That was nice. Strong gets some stomps in and gets a pendulum back breaker for two. Aries is sent HARD into the corner and Strong puts him in a strange looking submission hold and then a more conventional chin lock. Fans get behind Aries who elbows out but runs into a dropkick for two. Strong gets a chop with MUSTARD in the corner and Aries returns with some stingers of his own. Aries gets a series of lariats and his pendulum elbow drop for two. Strong goes for a Full Nelson Slam but Aries fights out and hangs his neck on the rope before getting a sling shot splash for two. Strong gets a cartwheel back breaker and then gets the Fireman’s Carry Back Breaker that gets an audible “OHHHHH” from the crowd, which is a similar response the WWE fans gave it at The Royal Rumble. That move just looks brutal. Aries gets a fluke inside cradle but is promptly lariated and Strong goes for a Boston Crab. They do a quick paced segment that ends with an Aries Brain Buster and the 450 Splash for the win. That makes about 75 X Division wrestlers who use a version of that as a finisher but meh.

WINNER – AUSTIN ARIES

***1/2 – Not Bad in the slightest

Monty Brown and Kip James have promo time. James says he’s one of “The most decorated stars in wrestling” Make the jokes yourself I’m busy……
Anyway Kip tells Brown to keep his mind on the upcoming match and not the NWA Title. Browns answer is that someone will Feel Da Pounnncccceeeeeeee. Period

Monty Sopp and Monty Brown Vs Lance Hoyt and Apollo
Apparently Hoyt was subbing for Siaki as Siaki has a neck injury. I can’t remember how he got it however. Hoyt was still not completely buried at this point so he is still rather over. James and Hoyt start out and fight over a waist lock and then a headlock, that leads to a leap frog segment that Hoyt gets the better of with a hip toss and slam sending James outside. Brown and James have an argument and Hoyt takes advantage with a double lariat and side slam on Brown for two. Apollo comes in and gets hammered by Brown. Apollo and Brown trade chops in the corner and Apollo gets a lariat for two. Hoyt and Apollo get a double elbow on Brown for two and Hoyt gets some right hands in. James comes in and gets a neck breaker off a Brown cheap shot and Hoyt gets worked over for a while by the Monty Coalition. Brown gets a thump in the corner and some cheating but Hoyt fights back with the 10 “Hoyts”, as opposed to punches, in the corner but walks into a Brown back drop. Hoyt counters a second one but Brown gets a protoplex and tags James back in. Double clothesline leaves both James and Hoyt down and the ref starts the 10 count. Apollo gets the tag and comes in with some nice power stuff and gets two from a Sky High. Hoyt is back in and gets a Moonsault half way across the ring on James. WOW that was impressive, he stops to hotdog however and Brown knocks him outside. Heel miscommunication leads to Apollo getting two from a Super Kick on James. Apollo and Brown go at it and THE POUNCE ends it soon after

WINNERS – MONTY BROWN AND KIP JAMES

** – Okay that was rather good actually. There is dissention in the ranks post match between James and Brown as they leave to the back.

Traci is with Team Canada and they hype up their matches tonight. Bobby Roode actually cuts a good promo but cheapens it a little saying he will “Canadianise” Jeff Hardy. That’s up their with destrucity as far as lame words go. What’s wrong with “pulverise” or “Caramelise”? Petey Williams says he’ll beat Chris Sabin too and that match is next

Petey Williams Vs Chris Sabin
TNA make a music snafu and Williams has to come out to Abyss’s music. They finally fix it as he makes the ring. Lock up to start and they fight over the arm wringer and then a headlock. They do a nice sequence that ends with Sabin applying a side arm lock. Williams sends Sabin outside but misses a vaulting body press and takes a swinging head scissors. Back inside Sabin gets a second rope reverse elbow and they end up fighting on the apron again. Sabin jumps off the apron but Williams moves and Sabin eats the steel guardrails outside. That’s one thing I like about TNA they still use those things. Back inside Sabin is put in the tree of woe and Williams stands on his crotch area. Oh that looked unpleasant. Side back breaker gets two for Williams as Sabin tries to make a comeback but Williams reverses a power bomb with a DDT to stop that. Williams locks in a rest hold but Sabin quickly gets out but walks into a clothesline for two. Williams chokes Sabin with his shin and taunts him on the floor. Sabin mounts another attempted comeback and gets a dropkick as Williams comes off the ropes and both guys are down. Sabin gets a series of forearms and they trade some chops. Sabin gets the Fisherman’s Buster for two and goes for the Cradle Shock but Williams blocks it. Canadian Destroyer is countered so Williams goes to his really ugly looking Sharpshooter. He really shouldn’t do that move his execution of it leaves a lot to be desired. Williams does some trash talking but Sabin comes back with a 720 DDT for two. Williams gets a side Russian Leg Sweep and preps for The Canadian Destroyer but Sabin shifts his weight. Williams goes back to the Sharpshooter again but that leads to nothing and the match sort of hits a slow point. Sabin brings it back by just Harpooning Williams into the corner and goes for The Cradle Shock but Williams fights out and goes to the eyes. Sabin, supposedly blinded by Williams vice like Canadian grip, nearly gets the ref with The Cradle Shock but puts him down and applies it to Williams for the win

WINNER – CHRIS SABIN

**1/2 – wasn’t bad but it dragged a bit in certain places. Post match Matt Bentley hits the ring and super kicks Sabin. He says he wants an Ultimate X Match for Bound for Glory which I think was the 17th Ultimate X Match that year. He super kicks Williams for his own amusement too.

Abyss w/ James Mitchell Vs Sabu
I’m AMAZED it took TNA so long to pair Mitchell and Abyss up as they are perfectly suited for each other. Mitchell gets on the mic and says that Sabu will be destroyed no matter what and is prepared to play it his way and make it No DQ. Sabu fires off some right hands to start but he gets pounded down by Abyss for a while. Sabu runs into a big boot and gets open hand slapped in the corner. Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex from Abyss sends Sabu outside where he grabs a chair but Abyss stomps it away. Sabu gets it back and gets an Arabian Face Buster for one. Sabu sets the chair up and dives on Abyss sending them both tumbling outside where Sabu finds a table. Abyss gets a table of his own out but Sabu flies out onto him. Back inside Sabu gets a swinging DDT for two and keeps firing off right hands. Abyss grabs him though and throws him outside through the two tables. Abyss rolls Sabu inside for two and then gets another table. This match really has no flow going here it’s just “punch, table spot, punch, chair spot, punch, etc” Anyway Sabu hits Abyss with the chair and gets two. Sabu climbs up top and gets the top rope Arabian Face Buster on Abyss who just happens to be leaning forward over the table. That looked so contrived it was laughable. Anyway Abyss doesn’t even get to kick out as Mitchell puts his foot on the ropes to break the pin. Mitchell distraction leads to the Shock Treatment on the table scraps for two. Abyss heads out for the bag of thumbtacks and lays them out in the ring. Abyss goes for a choke slam on the tacks but Sabu fights him off and smashes him with the chair. Abyss catches him with the Black Hole Slam on the tacks though and that ends it.

WINNER – ABYSS

*1/2 – nice finishing move to end it but the match really had no flow and I couldn’t really get into it. It just felt like a pieced together hardcore match from ECW.

Alex Shelley is with Shane Douglas and he says that he’s going to be in the four way tonight whether he has Sean Waltman with him or not.

Bobby Roode Vs “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy
Hardy’s nickname during this TNA run amused me no end. Jeff has his face painted white to make himself look even less like a human being that he normally does. Sometimes I wonder if he actually is human as it’s a miracle he can stand after all the crazy stuff he’s done in his career. Roode jumps Hardy to start but Hardy fires back and knocks Roode outside. Following a base ball slide and vaulting body press they head back inside with Rooded stomps a Canadian mud hole and walks it dry. Roode gets a tilt a whirl back breaker and does some face disfiguring. Roode is just so generic, which probably explains why I’ve never really got into him as he’s a pretty good worker all things considered. He’s way ahead of some of the crap on Raw on Monday Nights. Roode yells “USA Sucks” a lot and stuff before Hardy mounts a comeback. Hardy gets his usual array of offence in and gets a Complete Shot before heading up for the Swanton. Petey Williams runs in for a distraction and Roode gets a nice Belly to Belly from the top for two. That was some fine athleticism, shame Hardy kicked out. Hardy jumps out onto both Canadian’s but gets jumped by Jeff Jarrett behind the refs back and Roode gets the cheap win back inside

WINNER – BOBBY ROODE

* – pretty bad in all honesty. No real point to it either as Hardy was gone soon after.

Jimmy Hart and The Naturals, while they were still being pushed, are backstage for an interview. AMW come over and taunt them and that leads to a confrontation. AMW say it’s a fact that they will win tonight and The Naturals disagree.

NWA Tag Team Championship
Elimination Four Way
Team Canada Vs AMW Vs Alex Shelley Vs (C) The Naturals w/ Jimmy Hart

Chris Candido’s dad and brother Johnny are in the front row. Remember that it’s important for later. For those of you who don’t know Alex Shelley and Sean Waltman won a tournament honouring Chris Candido. It was a novel idea for a tournament as it teamed together veterans and young guys as Candido always tried to help the younger guys out. Anyway Waltman no showed for no adequately explained reason, I know it’s COMPLETELY out of character for Waltman isn’t it?, so Shelley is on his own. AMW and The Naturals start the fight right away and Shelley comes in and goes against Stevens of The Naturals. Team Canada get tagged in and work Shelley over. A-1 is particularly over with the crowd for some reason. Shelley fights out of a front face lock but The Naturals refuse to tag him and it’s back to The Canadian corner for some more pounding. Shelley tries to make a move for the AMW corner but gets held back. Shelley mounts a comeback and Johnny Candido gets on the apron and calls for a tag. Shelley tags him in and he takes out AMW and Canada but crotches himself on the top turnbuckle and gets rolled up to eliminate him and Shelley. AMW take over and James Storm gets a spinning Splash Mountain but gets thrown outside where A-1 sends him spine first into the guardrail and ring apron before sending him back inside where Eric Young gets two. Storm gets worked over by Team Canada for a while and gets put in a Young chin lock. After taking quite a beating he tags in Harris who gets the Thez punches on A-1 and a running bulldog off the ropes. A-1 blocks the Catatonic but gets hanging vertical suplexed for his troubles. It all breaks loose and a well placed hockey stick shot on Harris leads to Young getting an inside cradle to get another cheap elimination. The Naturals come in and dominate for a while but Douglas takes a cheap shot and gets worked over as the crowd chants “USA”. Douglas hot tags Stevens and he takes out the Canadian’s but takes an A-1 power bomb to end that. Douglas takes out A-1 but gets jumped by Young. Jimmy Hart crotches Young on the top and that leaves A-1 all on his own and he’s promptly double teamed and beaten

WINNERS – THE NATURALS

I was originally going to give this **1/4 but on second viewing I really didn’t like it and found it slow and disjointed so I’m going with *1/4 instead

Rhino is backstage with Shane Douglas. He says after 4 years of wrestling hell he’s ready to kill Raven and win his title. He says Raven will bleed and that he has only one word for him. PAIN.

NWA Championship
Raven’s Rules
(C) Raven Vs Rhino

Raven has a shopping trolley full of weapons and is dressed in his old attire of Jeans and T-Shirt. Rhino grabs a cane and Raven grabs a chain and Rhino is pensive. Raven grabs his own cane and they tease a sword fight but raven just starts punching instead and digging a crutch into Rhino’s face. Rhino fights back and does some choking but Raven rips him open with a pizza cutter. Raven then hits Rhino with some aluminium tins and they fight outside over to the announce table. Raven pulls a ladder out from under the ring but gets hit with a beer keg, no f*cking clue why it’s at ringside unless Mike needs it to get through calling a full 3 hour show with Don. They hit each other with more weapons and head inside where Raven uses the ankle lock on Rhino but he makes the ropes. Rhino wears Raven out with a chair hammers him with a trash can before sending him back inside. Rhino stomps away back inside and kicks the trash can into Raven’s face. rhino opens a cut on Raven with a face wash but Raven catches his foot and goes back to the ankle lock. Rhino uses the trash can to break and gets a staple gun out. I still think someone should staple a “kick me” sign to someone in a no DQ match one time. I’d get a kick out of it. Rhino nails Raven with a chair shot and lays him on a chair and goes up top for a splash but Raven moves and both guys are down. Slugfest is won by Raven and gets a knee lift and a bulldog headlock for two. Raven gets a DDT as Cassidy Reilly runs down and accidentally distracts the referee meaning Rhino kicks out. Rhino nails Raven with a ladder and goes for a 10 punch but Raven power bombs him off the top onto the ladder for two. Rhino see saws the ladder into Raven’s face for two. Rhino grabs the shopping trolley and throws it into the ring where Raven commandeers it and rams it into him. Rhino gets a low blow and they do the Backlash 2001 spot where Rhino goes for the GORE but hits the trolley instead. Jeff Jarrett runs down to attack Raven but Jeff Hardy stops him and a DDT finishes Rhino soon after.

WINNER – RAVEN

*** – Fun brawl with the usual blood and weaponry and much more of a flow than the earlier Sabu/Abyss fight.

NWA X Division Championship
(C) Christopher Daniels Vs Samoa Joe Vs AJ Styles

Daniels brags to start so Joe and AJ start pounding on him to begin with and use him as a kicking bag. Joe and AJ have a competition to see who can kick Daniels the hardest which causes Daniels to jump up and yell “STOP KICKING ME” so Joe and AJ promptly kick him down again. I like that spot. ROH did something similar in it’s first show. AJ and Joe do some mat wrestling and Joe goes to an arm lock but Daniels saves. Joe gets some chops and kicks on Daniels and knocks him outside. Daniels comes back with some rights on both AJ and Joe and a bulldog/enzuiguri combo. Joe fires off some chops on both guys and all 3 guys do a great sequence which ends with Daniels getting floored via Joe. AJ gets some kicks in but is thrown into the corner by Joe. Joe goes for a face wash but Daniels knocks him outside and gets a moonsault onto Joe on the outside. AJ follows with a breathtaking shooting star press onto both guys and everyone is down. AJ is all fired up and he sends Joe inside where he gets a two count. Joe blocks an Irish Whip and takes a big dropkick which gets two for AJ. AJ gets some forearm shots in but Daniels jumps him from behind and, in an absolutely awesome spot, monkey flips him out of the corner and Joe catches him at which point AJ pulls off a rana. That was one fluid movement as well and was executed with perfect precision. Crowd is, not surprisingly, impressed with that. Daniels sends AJ outside and charges Joe in the corner but makes the mistake of slapping him and that makes Joe mad! Joe unloads on Daniels but gets rolled up but Joe counters that with the choke at which point AJ comes off the top with the Spiral Tap to break it. A lot of people knocked that part of the match as they argued that it would be smarter for AJ to just break it with a kick but with the Spiral tap he not only breaks the hold but hurts both guys in the process. Anyway AJ gets two from that on both guys and gets sent to the outside by Daniels. Daniels gets an STO on Joe and preps for the BME but AJ crotches him and hangs him in the tree of woe. Joe knocks AJ down and gets two boots right into Daniels FACE and Daniels sells it like death. Joe gets an inverted atomic drop on AJ and a brutal running boot followed by a sit out senton for two. Daniels gets a DVD on Joe from nowhere and all 3 guys are down again. Daniels gets two when AJ makes the save. AJ and Daniels fight outside and Joe CRUSHES both of them with a suicide dive. That was f*cking cool! Joe scrapes Daniels off the floor and puts him on the top turnbuckle but Daniels fights off the Muscle Buster. AJ and Daniels fight on top and Joe suplexes them both off. The crowd is going ape shit at this point. Joe and AJ have a slugfest and AJ starts firing off a series of strikes but he gets German Suplexed and Muscle Bustered. Daniels grabs the X belt but he gets power slammed, I love that desperation from Daniels, Joe grabs the belt but Daniels kicks it in his face and tees off on AJ. Daniels gets a Blue Thunder Driver for two and slams AJ down before getting the BME but Joe saves. Daniels gets the Last Rites on Joe and Joe rolls outside. AJ and Daniels go at it and AJ gets his Moonsault DDT for a two. AJ heads up top but gets crotched and Daniels gets a Superplex as Joe rolls back in and covers both men for two counts. Joe power bombs Daniels and goes to the STF but Daniels makes the ropes. Joe gets some uppercuts on AJ but AJ gets the Pele kick and a Torture Rack slam thing for two. Crowd chant “This is Awesome” and I agree. Daniels goes for a suplex but AJ counters with the Styles Clash but Joe makes the save. Joe and Daniels go at it and Joe charges at Daniels but Daniels drops down and Joe goes flying through the ropes onto the floor. AJ and Daniels go at it with AJ gaining the advantage but Daniels rakes the eyes and goes for the Angels Wings but AJ turns that into a pinning move for the three count and the title

WINNER – AJ STYLES

***** – Match of the Year for 2005 right there people.

The Inside Pulse
Well I remember liking this show to some degree when I first saw it and on second viewing it remains solid enough but it’s not as good all around as some of TNA’s other PPV offerings. Some of the matches really didn’t flow and I must admit to being disappointed with the 4 way tag match as I was expecting something north of *** when it was announced and I remember liking it way more when I first saw it but repeated viewings really haven’t been kind to it. Still the main event is must see but I’m sure TNA will put it on a “Best Of” compilation at some point in the future so I’d look out for that rather than spend your money on just this show.