NWA World Championship
Full Metal Mayhem
Christian Cage vs. Abyss
Mark Neeley: I’m still a little confused by this storyline. I guess it was just that although Christian won the match last PPV, Abyss stole the belt and “survived”, to set up another match here at Sacrifice. Pretty sloppy booking, in my opinion. Anyway, considering they aren’t going to stretch this feud out past two PPV’s, Christian wins it, gets his title, and we move on until Samoa Joe wins the title.
Winner – Christian
Danny Wallace: Christian’s boring me now. Yeah he’s awesome on the mike, but the novelty has worn off him being the champ. Plus he’s a little too predictable in the ring. I actually like this feud, it feels fresh somewhat, but I think it could be even more interesting if Abyss screws Cage out of the title somehow.
Winner: Abyss
Vinny Truncellito: Christian’s ready to put this feud to bed and move on to AT LEAST one more before relinquishing the belt. Actually, I guess he needs to reclaim the belt from Abyss first…
Winner – Christian Cage
Eric Szulczewski: If their plan is to eventually put the world belt on Joe, Abyss is the perfect transitional champion. This is a freak-show match, so Christian won’t look weak by losing. Do they give Abyss a two-month reign and have him lose to Joe at Victory Road? I just don’t see it happening with Slammiversary coming up. If Christian drops the strap, it’ll be there. But against who? Oh, their booking confuses the crap out of me.
Winner – Christian
Matthew Michaels: Seriously, if Abyss won this, who would he face? All of the challengers are heels, and Abyss/Sting just doesn’t seem all that appealing. Match SHOULD go on last but gonna be anticlimactic.
Winner – Christian
Brian J. Blottie: Really now, is there any question as to who is winning this? The interesting point of this match is whether it will be as good as last month’s showdown. I think it could steal the show if given enough time, with Christian’s history in TLC matches and Abyss’s willingness to take crazy-ass bumps. There is one guarantee though; someone is going to bleed BUCKETS.
WINNER – Christian Cage and whatever company makes the stitches TNA uses.
Steve Murray: There’s still no reason to take the title off of Christian. This feud has been considerably more entertaining than I expected, and this should be a nice bloody little brawl.
Winner – Christian Cage
David Brashear: This definitely feels like the blowoff match to me. There’s a lot of potential here, but there are two sides to look at. On one hand, we haven’t seen Abyss take to the air like a lot of other guys with TLC history with Christian (like Edge and the Hardys), but the Dudley Boys held their own with these guys. Should be a good match.
Winner – Christian Cage
Sting and Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner
Danny Wallace: So Joe’s a face now? You’ll have to bear with me, I don’t follow TNA all that well because we get it on a few week’s delay over here in the U.K. Hopefully during the match Steiner will refuse to sell Joe’s offense, so Joe can promptly go apeshit and stiff the living f*ck out of Steiner.
Winner: Sting & Samoa Joe
Vinny Truncellito: After an aborted attempt to move Joe to the heavyweight division recently, this could be the chance for TNA to get it right. Placing Joe in the same company as Luger, Bagwell, and Rick Steiner is quite the compliment. He’s in there with some of the biggest names in wrestling this Sunday, so he’ll step up to the plate, because after all, “Joe’s Gonna Kill You”.
Winners – Sting and Samoa Joe
Eric Szulczewski: If Sting didn’t get the duke last month, I’d say a win here would be obvious. But Jarrett needs to get his job back, and I have this feeling he’ll pin Sting in this one. Of course, that leaves the question of What To Do With Joe While He’s Waiting To Get The World Title, Probably At Bound For Glory. If they shove a Joe/Big Sump Pump match down our throats for Slammiversary, I’ll go screaming into the night.
Winners – Minority Owner and Big Sump Pump
Matthew Michaels: I think the build-up to this was a waste of money (on the former WCW “stars”), but the end result was golden: Samoa Joe just got placed above everyone that headlined WCW in its dying days, and that’s a GOOD thing. Now they need to seal the deal and put Joe over Jarrett CLEAN. Of course, they won’t do that yet, so I’ll have to settle for Big Poppa Pump doing what’s right for the business and laying down for Joe. Muscle Buster or a submission move? That’s the key question here.
Winners – Samoa Joe & Steve Borden (and that’s a shoot)
Brian J. Blottie: This is… uh… quite the “interesting” match. Samoa Joe should turn on Sting here, but if they decide to go through with the face turn, he should be the one to get the deciding fall on Jarrett. If he does turn on Sting, TNA’s best bet is to nut it up and bring in Goldberg for a one-off against Joe, with Goldberg wanting to “avenge” Sting. Put Joe over Goldberg, and you’ve got yourself a couple of money matches with Joe/Sting and Joe/Cage. Notice I’m ignoring Scott Steiner. There’s a reason for that, and it’s because he doesn’t really exist. He’s just a figment of Jeff Jarrett’s imagination.
WINNER – Samoa Joe’s Career
Steve Murray: If they could put the Scott Steiner of 1992 into this match, this would blow the doors off. Still, the addition of Samoa Joe has increased by interest by about 2000%. Since it’s not for a title, Jarrett probably has no problem with booking his team on the losing end, especially if Steiner takes the pinfall.
Winner – Sting and Samoa Joe
David Brashear: This is quite the interesting booking mess. I would kind of like to see Joe-Steiner (in a train-wreck-watching sort of way) but with the Goldberg teases with Joe, I’ve got to believe that they’re close to working out some sort of deal with him (despite what’s being reported). Joe needs to be heel for Goldberg, so I’ll say that Joe’s outside when Jarrett puts Sting away, thereby setting up Joe-Sting for Slammiversary.
Winners – Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner
Mark Neeley: I don’t even care about this feud anymore, not that I ever did – at all – so I just hope it gets over and stops boring the hell out of me. Assuming all these mystery opponent tag matches are leading up to a Steiner-Sting or another WWA Sting-Jarrett match with of course Sting will win, since Sting’s team got the win in the Lethal Lockdown I say Poppa Chump and Triple J take this one.
Winners – Jeffrey ‘n Scott
NWA World Tag Team Titles
America’s Most Wanted vs. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels
Vinny Truncellito: I’d be surprised if they took the belts away from Jarrett’s boys, because that would mean NO GOLD in Planet Jarrett. Styles and Daniels can do well without the titles, whereas AMW would seem naked without them.
Winners – AMW
Eric Szulczewski: We all know that TNA’s greatest desire is to be WCW. That doesn’t mean they can’t steal booking ideas from WWE. Of course, they don’t have to do that. They certainly have enough tag teams…no, wait, they don’t have enough tag teams that people give a shit about. But they can’t do a belt swap here. The belts have to go to the ex-Dudleys next month in order to do an in-your-face to WWE, which, of course, is more important than anything.
Winners – America’s Most Wanted
Matthew Michaels: They’ve been building and building to a Dudleyz win over AMW; so could they possibly be thinking about dropping the titles to AJ & Daniels? I can’t see it. This was put on the card to give the two best workers in the company something to do, and we at least know this has a good chance of being match of the night.
Winners – AMW
Brian J. Blottie: Uh, why? Team 3-D should have been the team to take the belts off of AMW, and they could still be if Nash decides to butt his nose into the match. But this could have been a money match if they had booked Daniels/Styles as a team before this. Having them team together because “they don’t think AMW should be champs” is the dumbest booking decision since, well, any booking decision the WWE has made in the past three years. This should be a great match, and could be a match of the year if the build was better, but it still boggles the mind.
WINNER – Kevin Nash’s Ego
Steve Murray: Personally, I feel like AMW is getting really stale, but I think everybody knows the former Dudley Boys are going to be the ones who eventually take the titles away. This match is simply a way of giving the X-Division guys something to do. The fact that all four are good workers is just a bonus – this could very well be match of the night.
Winner – AMW
David Brashear: I’ll admit that the tag division in TNA’s starting to get stale, but I don’t think that Daniels and Styles should be the ones to take the belts from AMW. I’d much rather see an established team like 3D or even the James Gang take them for a while. I’m just wondering if we could see a Styles heel turn here to feud him and Daniels for a while.
Winners – AMW
Mark Neeley: We’ve already seen a dozen or so AMW/AJ n’ Chris matches on Impact. While an AJ/Daniels victory here would be nice, what would be left for the other big face tag team, Team 3-Dead? That is why Worthless wins here yet again.
Winner – America’s Most Worthless
Danny Wallace: Styles & Daniels are a tag team now? For f*cks sake.. I need to start reading the spoilers. Anyway, AMW are stale in my opinion, so I’d shift the belts onto S&D, just for fun. Actually scrap that idea, I’d at least start some sort of extended feud between the two teams so the title switch would mean something.
Winner: Styles & Daniels
Finals of the World X Cup Competition
Eric Szulczewski: You want me to pick a winner and second-place finisher in a sixteen-man gauntlet match? Are you f*cking insane, Brashear? Okay, I’ll make a stab at it. First of all, let’s make the logical assumption that TNA only gives a rat’s ass about Team USA and Team Canada. Now, how do you set things up for that to happen? If Liger goes over Williams, you can set up a two-way tie between the US and Canada with a Canada victory in the gauntlet and the US getting shut out, with Mexico coming in second in the gauntlet (if Japan comes in second, that sets up a very unsatisfying three-way tie). If that’s the case, the last two competitors will be Williams (looking for redemption) and Puma, with Puma taking the Canadian Destroyer. Obviously, Shelley will turn on his teammates to ensure the US’s elimination. Or they could pull a surprise here and have Liger beat Williams and have Team Japan win the gauntlet to win the X Cup (or have Liger lose to Williams, have Team Japan win the gauntlet, and have the US get shut out, which would mean a tie between the US and Japan); I can see them doing either of those as a quid pro quo to NJPW being so nice as to have their guys job constantly to the gaijin. Then, after going through all those peregrinations, I remember that TNA books toward the moron knee-jerk patriot crowd, and that makes the solution clear.
Winner – Jay Lethal
Second Place – Eric Young
X Cup Winner – Team USA
Matthew Michaels: I have no clue. Don’t care in the least about this, and TNA didn’t even have Team Mexico solidified as of the iMPACT! tapings. I hope Nash kills the winners afterwards.
for gauntlet:
Winners – Team USA, represented by Alex Shelley
Gauntlet Runner-up – Team Canada, represented by Eric Young
Winners of the X Cup – Team USA
Brian J. Blottie: Like we don’t know what’s coming. Team America wins, everyone goes “yay!”, and all is right with the world. If they wanted to be really awesome, they’d put over Team Japan and then give Liger an X Title shot against Joe. Joe/Liger II, this time with 200% more time, is a match I’d cream over for years. Me love you long time, TNA, if you gimme five dorrah and Joe/Liger II.
WINNER – Team USA, unless TNA is awesome, then Team Japan.
Steve Murray: Okay, can anyone actually keep the rules of this competition straight? Luckily, TNA put up this page to explain it all. Since I think Liger is winning his match, that will leave Canada with no points, Mexico with 2, Japan with 3, and the USA with 5. I don’t think there’s any way they’ll let Canada finish with 0, and I believe the USA will win it. So..
Winner – Johnny Devine
Runner-up – Alex Shelley
David Brashear: I think we can safely write team Mexico out of the equation (although it still chafes me when I think of the incredibleness of the originally-rumored team of Mistico, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero and a fourth member who could have been Perro Aguayo Jr.). I don’t see Team Japan coming out of this the winner, despite TNA obviously wanting to help solidify the NJPW relationship. I’ll go with Team Canada pulling out the victory with USA losing when Shelley causes Sabin to lose either accidentally or purposefully.
Winners of the X Cup – Team Canada
Mark Neeley: Hmm…
Winner – Team USA (And one Indian)
Danny Wallace: Errr… it’s times like these that I wish I paid more attention. I’ve no clue as to how the World X Cup works. Shelly’s in this match yeah? Good. His team will win. And where the f*ck are Team U.K. Grrr.
Winner: Team USA?
Vinny Truncellito: I doubt it will be either Mexico or Japan, since none of those guys are going to be around to boast their victory. Team Canada has enough angles going on, so the biggest storyline beneficiaries are Team USA.
Winners – Team USA
Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. Petey Williams
Matthew Michaels: Liger jobbed to Joe. He’s NOT getting pinned by the Canadian Destroyer.
Winner – Thunder
Brian J. Blottie: Poor Petey. He gets to play job-boy to the greatest light heavyweight ever. Normally, this wouldn’t be so bad, but seeing Liger’s past history with TNA, it makes Petey look like even more of a jobber than he already is. Should be a great match if they give it time, though.
WINNER – Scott D’Amore’s Blowaway Diet Plan
Steve Murray: Should be a good match, but there’s no way Liger would have agreed to this if he was going to lose.
Winner – Jushin Liger
David Brashear: This is a tough one for me to call. Still, Team Canada needs the points to win the tournament, so…
Winner – Petey Williams
Mark Neeley: Well the last big TNA appearance by Liger was disappointing, which was the opening match at Bound For Glory 05 against Joe. His match seemed short and very limited. With Williams I think it will be different, and hopefully longer than six minutes.
Winner – Petey Williams
Danny Wallace: Job Liger out for being a pussy and not appearing in the steel cage match at Lockdown. Nobody f*cks with TNA. Unless they have money.
Winner: Petey Williams
Vinny Truncellito: As much as I love the Team Canada Captain, TNA loves Liger, so I expect him to go over The Canadian Destroyer, unfortunately.
Winner – Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Eric Szulczewski: The purpose of this match is to make things interesting for the gauntlet point-wise. Liger had no problem jobbing to Joe. Liger also knows that he’s going to get one up the butt for screwing up his schedule and ruining the scheduled match against Daniels. Team Canada has to get those three points on the board. Wonder how Liger’s going to like the Canadian Destroyer…
Winner – Petey Williams
Raven vs. A1
Brian J. Blottie: Dur.
WINNER – The Fat Goth
Steve Murray: Ummm.. meh. An angle advancement match on PPV? Anyway – Zybysko obviously gets involved, but it’s not enough to give A1 the win. (Unless Raven chases Larry out of the ring and gets counted out. But they wouldn’t do that on a PPV match, would they? Nah.)
Winner – Raven
David Brashear: There’s obviously going to be some Larry-ference going on here, but I don’t think that Raven’s going to lose his first match back to someone as useless as A1. This has potential to be the stinker of the night, unless it gets changed at the eleventh hour to a weakness-concealing match like a hardcore one.
Winner – Raven
Mark Neeley: Does this even belong? This one is the annual random TNA PPV match where some talent isn’t on the card, in true Bentley-Hoyt fashion. Can’t see blue-haired Raven jobbing here after the return.
Winner – Middle-aged Raven
Danny Wallace: On his return match, Raven looses to a wanky wrestler like A1. Don’t think so. Nice of them to give A1 some attention though.
Winner: Raven
Vinny Truncellito: Raven has just come back to TNA, and it looks like there are big storyline plans for him. A1 isn’t the man to knock him down a peg at this juncture.
Winner – Raven
Eric Szulczewski: No, no, no. Raven does not job to Savory Steak Sauce Boy. Period. Why? Because he’s f*ckin’ Raven, that’s why.
Winner – Raven
Matthew Michaels: I hope this is an angle enhancement match. Sorry, Eric. Bring on Cornette!
Winner – Raven
Team 3D vs. the James Gang
Steve Murray: Battle of the “We were both good back in our heyday” teams. The promo Thursday night could very well be a thousand times more entertaining than the match itself. Honestly, I just hope they keep it relatively short: extended heat sequences with the former Billy Gun make baby Jesus cry.
Winner – Team 3D
David Brashear: I would be upset about this if not for one thing – TNA has finally listened to my cries and Konnan is not on my TV this month. I look to see 3D take it and wind up earning a tag title shot.
Winners – Team 3D
Mark Neeley: ZZZZZzzzZZZZzzzZZZzz
Winner – Team 3-Dead
Danny Wallace: About 6 months too late for this match to take place. Plus, the ‘James Gang’ is probably the WORST name I’ve ever heard of for a tag team. It’d be nice if one team turned heal to spice the match up a bit. They could even get a feud out of this if they tried. Unless they already have. As I said… UK person here.
Winner: Team 3D
Vinny Truncellito: Hopefully Team 3D will stay on track for the gold, and the James Gang can step aside. They do absolutely nothing for me at this point, while Team 3D seems reborn in TNA.
Winners – Team 3D
Eric Szulczewski: The two most overhyped tag teams of the last ten years go in there and try to recreate some magic. This is also the de facto Number One Contenders’ Match, and since we all know who’s going to take the belts off of AMW, we know who wins this one.
Winners – the ex-Dudleys
Matthew Michaels: This may be the most fascinating match on the card. Both highly decorated tag teams with lots of gold on their resumes. Both babyface teams, which will likely mix the crowd up more than anything. Both with interesting political stroke backstage. I have NO CLUE how they’ll do this one, but my only guess is that the Dudz win a close/disputable? match, then beat AMW at Slammiversary, setting up a feud with these guys for the titles. Unless things have gotten so petty that this is simply a way for the Outlaws to get their win back from YEARS ago. I can also see this DEGENERATE into a big schmozz with Spike and X-Pac coming into the fold. A DX reunion on TNA perhaps? I’d laugh my ass off…
Winners – Team 3D
Brian J. Blottie: Well, at least the LAX aren’t involved. Eight years ago, this would have been a “dream match”. Now it’s two aging teams battling it out to see who gets to take the belts off of AMW. LAX probably interfere and accidentally cost Team 3-D the match, thus setting off a Team 3-D/LAX feud. That means… oh no… The James Gang win.
WINNERS – Not the fans.
Rhyno vs Bobby Roode
David Brashear: This could be an interesting sign of things to come. With Rhino apparently interested in the new ECW once his contract runs out later this summer, this could be the start of a job-out tour for him. Plus, I’ve long thought that Roode had what it took to be a major player in TNA. Hopefully this is the start of good things for him.
Winner – Bobby Roode
Eric Szulczewski: With Johnny Devine back in tow, now’s the time to team up Devine and Eric Young (who were always Team Canada’s best tag combo) and start off Roode on a solo career in the Grievous Bodily Harm Division, the only thing Team Canada’s missing right now (don’t talk to me about Savory Steak Sauce Boy). Let Rhiyno give him the rub; Rhiyno’s on the way out anyway, and that’s the right thing to do.
Winner – Bobby Roode
Matthew Michaels: I think it’s time for Roode to get that long-awaited push. Rhino’s been stagnating, and hopefully will just go to the about-to-be-reformed ECW when his contract is up this summer. He kind of needs to, being the last official ECW Champ.
Winner – Roode
Steve Murray: Roode isn’t bad, but he’s not in Rhyno’s league yet. This may be near squash-level.
Winner – Rhyno
