The Chrononaut Chronicles: TNA Bound For Glory 2006 – Sunday, October 22, 2006
– We begin with a very powerful PPV-opening video comparing the evolution of Detroit as the Motor City to the ongoing evolution of TNA. The James Earl Jones soundalike narrates this piece as some of tonight’s key matches are highlighted as evidence that TNA is a hungry young company on the rise. Awesome stuff.
– And we are LIVE from Suburban Detroit, Michigan, for the first TNA PPV away from Orlando’s Impact Zone. It’s a basic but nice-looking setup with a small stage, a ramp, and three video screens, and the crowd is hot. This is a pretty exciting atmosphere. And look, they finally let ring announcer Dave Penzer appear on-camera in the ring! Is someone from TNA reading this?
– Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet Battle Royal for Bound For Glory
Nash himself comes out in a sharp-looking suit without a tie, carrying a bowling trophy to present to the winner as he joins Mike Tenay & Don West on commentary. Billed from “TV Land”, Austin Starr (formerly known as Austin Aries) is the first entrant with a pretty cool new look and a cocky self-obsessed personality as Tenay lists off Starr’s influences, including Jesse Ventura, Randy Savage, Valiant Brothers, Rick Rude, Superstar Graham, Cyndi Lauper, and Huggy Bear. Sonjay Dutt is the second entrant and they go at it for 60 seconds while West blames Tenay for Nash’s dead mic. Nash discusses being “basically a high-flyer” throughout his career and Maverick Matt enters at #3 as Austin drops the Pendulum Elbow on Sonjay. Oh, how I’ve missed that move. Dutt takes down both Austin & Matt with a springboard dual-clothesline off the middle rope as Jay Lethal is #4 and Nash questions if he has a cup on, perhaps refering to his cock size. Why is he looking there anyway? Hiptoss/cartwheel-dropkick combo for Starr and Nash mentions the huge buildup for Starr, hoping that he does better than Glacier. HA! A1 is #5 and when Tenay questions his X Division experience, Nash answers with the “it’s not about weight limits, it’s about NO limits!” tagline and claims it mirrors his own career. #6 is the one-legged Zach Gowen, who lands a moonsault off the top on Dutt as Nash notes in a Johnny Ace voice that at least he “got the right one-legged wrestler”; West says this must be his “Ace in the hole” and Nash adds “that was Dynamic, you two Dudes.” Funny stuff. Tenay explains Zach’s story as Kazarian is #7 and immediately helps Bentley dump Dutt out for the 1st elimination.
Sirelda is #8 and Kazarian backhands her across the face, but she sideslams him and jars Starr with an inverted atomic drop. Starr breaks her full nelson with a mulekick to the mangina and A1 clotheslines Sirelda over the top rope for the 2nd elimination, followed by the 3rd elimination when Bentley & Kazarian quickly double-clothesline A1 over the top as Shark Boy enters at #9 and gets a “Let’s go, Shark Boy” chant. Alex Shelley is over pretty big when he comes in next at #10 and lands a flying dual-bodypress off the top on Kazarian & Lethal as Nash explains that he wanted Alex to enter last, but the Michigan State Athletic Commission stepped in. D-Ray 3000 makes his TNA return at #11 and backs up into Sharky before they recognize each other and execute the double-team ‘Fro Ram on everybody in a cool moment for longtime TNA fans. D-Ray & Sharky dump the Maverick out for the 4th elimination as #12 is Johnny Devine, who suplexes Zach onto the apron and snaps his neck on the top rope to score the 5th elimination. Elix Skipper is #13 and he slingshots in with his flipping clothesline on Lethal, who drops Shelley with a Russian legsweep at the same time. Primetime lands a nice rope-climbing moonsault on Devine, but when he tries to go to the top turnbuckle RVD-style, Elix slips and crashes to the mat. I really think he needs some new footwear. Kazarian goes for a springboard, but Starr pushes him off to the floor in mid-air for the 6th elimination as Nash notes that his knees are so bad because of all the high-risk maneuvers he used in his career.
The vertically-challenged Short Sleeve Sampson, formerly of the WWE Juniors Division on SmackDown, enters next at #14 as the camera totally misses Starr throwing D-Ray over for the 7th elimination and Shelley knocking Sharky off the turnbuckles for the 8th elimination so we can see some midget comedy instead with Sampson headbutting Starr’s penis. Austin teases throwing Short Sleeve into the crowd, but Norman Smiley comes out at #15 in a hockey jersey and makes the save. Smiley & Sampson then perform a Big & Little Wiggle on Starr & Devine before Shelley presses Sampson overhead and throws him out onto Shark Boy for the 9th elimination. Nash references Trilogy Of Terror as Short Sleeve chases referee Slick Johnson around ringside until Slick slides into the ring and becomes a participant by pushing Skipper & Smiley over the top to score the 10th and 11th eliminations. At the same time, Petey Williams comes out to the Team Canada music for a big pop at #16 (or is that #17?) as Slick removes his shirt and Petey tosses him out for the 12th elimination, I guess. Slick is actually pretty ripped for a ref. The crowd erupts as Petey drills Lethal with the Canadian Destroyer, which Nash takes credit for teaching him. Petey drags Jay to the ropes to eliminate him, but Shelley sneaks up from behind and dumps Petey out for the 13th elimination.
The Paparazzi prepare to eliminate Lethal as West refers to them as Nash’s “former proteges” for some reason, but Starr sneaks up and makes Devine the 14th elimination instead. Devine trips up Starr from ringside so that Shelley can take advantage, but when Alex charges Austin back-bodydrops him over the top for the 15th elimination and Shelley crashes down onto Johnny, leaving Starr vs. Lethal as the finalists. The Paparazzi argue at ringside as Lethal slams Starr with the release dragon suplex and covers him, but Starr gets his foot over the rope to stop the pin. Dueling chants from the crowd (just awesome in an actual arena rather than a studio soundstage) as Austin plants Jay with the “Starrbuster” brainbuster for the three-count to win the Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet Battle Royal for Bound For Glory. Afterwards, Nash presents the bowling trophy to Starr and congratulates him while Shelley looks jealous. This was a very entertaining opener with some good crowd-pleasing spots, Nash was gold on commentary, and it looks like this might lead to a possible feud between Shelley and Nash, although I prefer them together.
– A video recaps the LAX/AMW angle from Impact with several replays of Hernandez’s Border Toss on Gail Kim.
– Jeremy Borash announces that Gail Kim is injured and interviews AMW, who are in babyface mode as Chris Harris promises that they won’t be able to look past LAX’s assault, noting that a piece of the team is missing on the most important PPV of all time, and gets pissed off when he talks about the attack. James Storm wonders how they allow people like LAX in his country and suggests that AMW are the new Border Patrol as he states that their beating might come a little sooner than they think.
– The Naturals vs. The James Gang vs. America’s Most Wanted vs. Team 3D
Shane Douglas does some prematch micwork to introduce the Naturals, but they’re not nearly as over as he is. BG sucks up to the fans with Detroit Tigers references in his spiel, while Brother Ray is a little more creative by paraphrasing the old “You wanted the best, you got the best!” KISS intro. The Franchise leaves ringside as Ray & BG actually join forces with stereo dancing punches on AMW, but then punch each other. We get the usual chaotic four-way tag stuff until Storm ends up in the Tree of Woe when Andy Douglas blocks a superplex; Harris climbs up for the superplex, Chase Stevens comes in underneath for the electric chair on Harris, and the upside-down Storm sits up and German-suplexes Chase to kick off a great Tower of Doom spot for a “TNA” chant. The Wildcat avoids the shaky kneedrop from BG and sets him up for the Catatonic, but BG escapes and drops him with the pumphandle slam. Stevens clotheslines BG, but the Cowboy slams him with the Eye Of The Storm and Devon plants Storm with the Saving Grace. Andy hits a swinging DDT on Devon, but Ray hits the full-nelson Bubba Bomb and Kip lands the Famouser on Ray. Stevens smartly tosses Kip to the floor and scores a two-count on Ray, but when Chase tries to superplex Devon, Ray slaps him in the thigh and Team 3D trigger the Doomsday Device. AMW and the James Gang brawl on the floor and disappear while Andy wanders in and receives the “Whazzup” headbutt before Ray leads the crowd in calling for the tables and the camera totally misses Stevens decking Team 3D with a springboard dual-dropkick. Tenay randomly decides to talk about the previous day’s Fanfest as the Naturals drop Devon with the Natural Disaster for a near-fall, but Devon avoids a flying kneelift and Douglas accidentally nails Stevens. Team 3D drill Andy with the 3D and Devon pins him for the victory. Afterwards, the focus is immediately taken off 3D’s victory as Shane Douglas comes out to trashtalk Andy and slap Chase.
– JB is standing outside Samoa Joe’s dressing room, but Jake Roberts appears behind him and makes references to letting Borash hold his “snake” (penis) and warns him to expect the unexpected in the Monster’s Ball. It’s sad to say, but Jake sounds pretty wasted and still cut a better promo than a lot of guys.
– A video package builds up the Monster’s Ball and explains Joe’s involvement by showing Abyss trying to retrieve the NWA Title belt on Impact in exchange for a title shot. That would have worked if they hadn’t already announced the match the previous week.
– Monster’s Ball: Abyss vs. Brother Runt vs. Raven vs. Samoa Joe
Jake “The Snake” Roberts enters first as our Special Ref…uh, I mean, the Guide To The Labyrinth In Your Mind. Raven wears some type of medieval torture mask but takes it off, and Joe’s forehead is taped-up from the Angle headbutt on Impact as he is showered with “Joe” chants. Everybody goes after Joe to start and he fights them off, but they gang up and toss him to the floor. Raven drop-toeholds Abyss on the chair and hiptosses Runt on top of him, but Joe returns and unloads on Runt & Raven. Abyss chokeslams Joe, lays out the other two, and hurls Runt into the crowd, who dump him back to ringside. Raven clotheslines Abyss over the top rope and slingshots out with a twisting plancha as the three of them slug it out before Joe wipes them all out with a running corkscrew dive over the top and lands on his feet, then brushes himself off like it was no big deal. That’s f*cking awesome. They go up the ramp as Raven bashes Joe with his iron mask and knocks him off the side of the ramp through a table below. Meanwhile, Runt and Abyss climb up beside the entrance set and the Monster chokeslams him down onto a platform before diving off with an elbowsplash that the director completely misses, instead focusing on Jake. Thank gods for instant replays, or else TNA would be f*cked tonight. “Holy Shit” and “This Is Awesome” chants follow appropriately as Raven tosses Joe off the side of the ramp again through another table. Damn.
Abyss carries Runt to the ring and scores a two-count, but Raven breaks the pin and the Monster squashes him with an Earthquake splash for two. Joe comes in to unload on both men and back-bodydrops Raven over the top before catching Abyss with the inverted atomic drop and the one-foot dropkick, but misses the senton backsplash. Joe counters a chairshot from Abyss with a straight kick to the dick and chops out of a chokeslam, but Abyss charges and Joe snap-powerslams him on the chair for two. Raven drop-toeholds Joe through the ropes and Abyss tosses Raven out as James Mitchell hands a bag of thumbtacks to his Monster, but Jake pulls out his snake bag in a game of “Mine’s Bigger Than Yours” and Raven grabs Roberts for the DDT. However, Abyss breaks it up and empties the thumbtacks on the mat as Mitchell gives the “Doomsday” signal, but when Abyss whips Raven to the ropes, Joe holds the ropes open and Raven crashes out to the floor. Joe hammers Abyss and drives his face into the tacks with a senton backsplash across the back of the head in a sick spot. Joe applies the choke, but Raven whacks him with a series of chairshots to break it before Jake yanks the chair away and DDTs Raven. Joe quickly crushes Raven with the Muscle Buster out of the corner for the 1-2-3 to win the Monster’s Ball. Afterwards, Jake empties his bag containing a massive albino python onto Raven for a nostalgia pop. Hey, isn’t that “Revelations” from his ’96 WWF run?
– Continuing the bag theme, we see a nervous Eric Young blowing into a paper bag backstage as JB tells him he has to have confidence. Jeremy’s peptalk is interrupted when Larry Zbyszko shows up and runs Eric down verbally before finishing with his “See you in Larryland” line. If only he’d called him a “spudhead” instead of a “nitwit” all would be right in Larryland. JB encourages EY with the “eye-to-eye” hand motion, which is almost kinda sweet. I like how they’ve built a bond between these two, as they have great chemistry together and an eventual angle with someone attacking JB and Eric going psycho on them in defense of his buddy would be cool.
– A great video package builds up the Eric/Larry match.
– Loser Gets Fired: Larry Zbyszko vs. “Showtime” Eric Young
The pyro still scares the hell out of Eric and it’s still funny. Tenay mentions that there will be roster cuts since so many wrestlers want to join TNA while Eric does the “yay/boo” routine, pointing at himself and then at Larry to lead the crowd’s cheers and jeers. “Fire Larry” chant and Tenay notes Zbyszko’s history of stalling tactics as they finally lock up and Larry applies an abdominal stretch which Eric reverses, but Larry gouges the referee’s eyes and hiptosses out of it. Larry produces some taped knucks from his trunks and swings a punch, but Eric ducks and lowblows him. Eric clocks Larry with the knucks and covers him for the pin after stuffing the knucks away to regain his job and fire Zbyszko. Afterwards, EY celebrates with the fans and leads them around through the crowd, which is really cool to see in an actual arena. A nothing match, but the crowd loved it and it accomplished its purpose. Goodbye Larry.
– A neat little video piece combines Senshi clips with Mortal Kombat clips. FINISH HIM!!!
– Jim Cornette comes out to explain in a very hoarse voice that he’s sick as a dog and can barely speak, but he’d have to be in Intensive Care to miss Bound For Glory. Cornette claims that tonight is not the time for Angle and Joe to settle their differences and announces that if Joe interferes in the NWA Title bout later, he will be removed from the TNA roster. Kurt Angle makes his entrance as red, white, and blue streamers are thrown in the ring and the crowd chants “Angle”. Angle apologizes for interrupting Cornette and calls the TNA audience the best in the world as he promises to call the Sting/Jarrett match right down the middle (daddy!), but states that he doesn’t need a buffer between him and Joe. Angle notes that he punked out Joe on Impact, but Joe’s music interrupts Kurt as the Samoan Submission Machine charges out and they engage in an intense pullapart brawl around ringside and up the ramp. Joe screams “LET ME FIGHT” at Cornette as Angle breaks away from TNA Security and the two warriors have to be pulled apart again. Fucking awesome, man, this is exactly what TNA needs.
– A video package does a great job of building up both Senshi and Sabin for their match.
– TNA X Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Senshi [champion]
Tenay announces that Samoa Joe has been ejected and barred from the Compuware Arena and notes that Sabin looks more focused than ever as they tangle in a tight lockup. They trade maneuvers and Sabin tries to hang Senshi in the Tree of Woe, but Senshi kicks him away and Sabin wraps him up in a majistral cradle for a two-count. Senshi flips out of a German suplex and misses a shining wizard, but scores with a reverse kick to the back of the head and holds the advantage until Sabin battles back and they trade chops. Sabin eats a pair of boots charging into the corner and Senshi locks him in a killer bodyscissor, rolling his shoulders on the mat for two, as the X Champion stifles another comeback attempt and unleashes the released hook kick, which the camera misses by zooming in on Senshi’s upper body. What the f*ck is going on in that production truck? Cover gets two and a Koppo kick in the corner knocks Sabin out to the apron, but he springboards back in with a missile dropkick and sends Senshi to the floor before following out with a suicide dive through the ropes. Back inside, Sabin connects with the Hesitation dropkick for a near-fall and hauls Senshi up for a powerbomb, but Senshi squirms out and wraps his legs around Sabin as he attempts a dragon sleeper. Sabin breaks it by ramming backwards into the corner and Senshi goes for the handspring kick, but Sabin nails a basement dropkick as Senshi is upside-down in mid-cartwheel. That was wicked.
Sabin drills Senshi with a springboard tornado DDT off the middle rope for a close near-fall and we get a well-deserved “This Is Awesome” chant as Sabin snaps off a superhuracanrana, but Senshi rolls through it with a sunset flip into a killer double-stomp to the chest for another close near-fall. Incredible. Springboard twisting kick gets two for Senshi, but he misses a charge in the corner and Sabin creams him with the running Yakuza kick to the face as Tenay wonders if Senshi lost a tooth. Senshi fights out of a Cradle Shock and lifts Sabin for the Shi Krusher, but Sabin knees out of it and plants Senshi with the Cradle Shock for a very close near-fall. I thought that was it, and so did the crowd as they are hot as hell for these near-falls and chant “TNA”. Sabin attempts a Cradle Shock off the top turnbuckle, but Senshi blocks it and fires off some stiff kicks as they both collapse back into the ring. Senshi hammers Sabin with the exploding dropkick (no scream this time) and kills him with the Warrior’s Way off the top, but Sabin gets his foot over the rope to break the pin and Senshi locks him in the Dragon Clutch. Sabin fights loose and wraps up Senshi in an inside cradle for the 1-2-3 to capture the X Division Championship for the third time. Afterwards, Lethal & Dutt come out to celebrate with Sabin and Jerry Lynn joins them to applaud and shake the new champ’s hand. Awesome match with some hot, believable near-falls. I think this more than made up for the Jackass stuff last month.
– JB interviews Christian Cage, who cuts a good heel promo ripping on Rhino’s 8 Mile neighbors and the Detroit fans, and suggests that he won’t be invited back to Rhino’s house for dinner, but that’s okay because his aunt’s cooking sucked anyway. Well now he’s just going too far. Christian references the St. Louis Cardinals’ win over the Detroit Tigers and claims that he’s going for the clean sweep tonight, because THAT’S… how he rolls.
– Another great video package recaps the Christian/Rhino feud.
– 8 Mile Street Fight: Christian Cage vs. Rhino
West mentions Rhino’s recent concussions as they take the term “Street Fight” literally and actually start it outside in the parking lot, where Rhino smashes Christian against some cars and batters him back into the building. They fight onto a zamboni and Rhino goes all Stone Cold by driving the zamboni, with Christian on top of it, into the arena. Rhino punches Cage off the zamboni and they brawl on the ramp as Rhino whacks Cage with a plastic streetlamp, which Tenay claims is like a 25-pound baseball bat. Sure Professor, whatever you say. Rhino throws some chairs from the crowd into the ring and brings the lamp in too, whacking Cage with it again for a two-count. Christian counters the Gore with a chairshot and they brawl out to ringside as Rhino assaults Cage through the crowd and drinks a beer. Rhino sets up a table at ringside and they go back in the ring, where he slams Christian with the belly-to-belly suplex and props up another table vertically in the corner. The War Machine scoops up Christian in a fireman’s carry, but Christian escapes and rolls up Rhino for two. Christian waffles Rhino with an oversized “8 Mile Road” streetsign to bust him open, then spits on the sign to rile up the Detroit fans in a nice heel tactic. Cage retrieves a ladder and charges, but Rhino drop-toeholds him and Cage falls on the ladder.
Rhino misses a splash off the middle turnbuckle and lands on the ladder before Christian spikes him with the Unprettier for a near-fall as Tenay notes how many matches Christian has won with the Unprettier. Cage rams Rhino’s face with the ladder and retrieves more chairs and a straitjacket, which he stuffs onto Rhino. Rhino avoids the one-man Conchairto and battles back while in the straitjacket, dropping a headbutt to the groin as the referee frees the War Machine from the jacket. Boooo. They fight out to the apron and Rhino piledrives Christian off the apron through the table at ringside in an impressive spot. Rhino covers Christian back inside, but Cage gets his foot over the rope to break the pin and Rhino prepares the Gore. However, Cage sidesteps him and sends Rhino crashing through the corner table for a near-fall. Christian plants Rhino with the Unprettier on a piece of the broken table, but Rhino gets the shoulder up again as Tenay worries about the effect of the headshots on the War Machine. Christian buries Rhino underneath the chairs, ladder, street sign, and broken table before smashing the pile with eight chairshots and pinning him to win the 8 Mile Street Fight. Solid brawl that told a good story, put Christian over as a conniving but relentless heel, and Rhino stayed strong by kicking out so many times despite the head trauma.
– JB interviews LAX with Konnan, who compares the steel cage to a prison and promises a new level of violence, offering Styles & Daniels a “Dirty Sanchez” in exchange for a “Rusty Trombone”, whatever the hell that all means. Konnan moves on to the subject of AMW as he brings up “that little Oriental bitch” they “Border Tossed all the way back to Korea” and claims it’s not about the USA, it’s about the Latino Nation. ¡VIVA LA RAZA! Homicide adds the machine-gun noises and shoves Borash as they head out.
– While the steel cage is erected, West displays an article about AJ Pierzynski in the World Series program that mentions TNA. Cool.
– A video package recaps the LAX/Phenomenal Angels rivalry and builds up the cage match.
– Tenay & West discuss the heated, personal feud between the two sides to kill some more time. I thought they might show some highlights of the TNA Fanfest from the previous day here, but they didn’t.
– NWA World Tag Team Title – Six Sides of Steel: Latin American eXchange vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels [champions]
No special Spanish entrance for LAX (Konnan should work this into a promo on Impact) but Homicide does climb the cage and sit on the top as he taunts the fans and poses. West “outProfessors the Professor” by noting that the Phenomenal Angels have held 19 titles in TNA between them as they charge into the ring and take the fight right to Hernandez & Homicide. The NWA Tag Team Champions double-team and isolate Hernandez, but he manages to tag Homicide and Styles smacks him with the dropkick. The Angels tag in-and-out and double-team Homicide before AJ snaps off a kipup huracanrana and a backbreaker for a two-count. Styles eats the cage when Homicide avoids a charge and tags Hernandez, who throws the Phenomenal One head-first into the cage to bust him open after he tags Daniels. The Fallen Angel unloads on LAX, but Hernandez drops Daniels with an electric chair slam and Homicide follows with the flying elbowdrop off the top turnbuckle for two. LAX exchange frequent tags to control Daniels as Konnan passes in THE GHETTO FORK and Homicide jabs and digs it into Daniels’ forehead to bust him wide open. That’s awesome, I’ve been waiting for the fork. Tenay namedrops Abdullah The Butcher (one night before WWE highlighted Abby and the WCW Chamber Of Horrors in their “This Week In History” segment on RAW…big week for A. Butcher) as Homicide tucks the fork away in his boot and tags Hernandez, who rams Daniels’ spine against the cage and plants him with a sitout powerbomb for two.
Homicide has a tequila bottle as he tags in and spits tequila in Daniels’ face to aggravate the wound on his forehead, which is a unique heel tactic. Homicide sits Daniels on the turnbuckle and climbs up with him, but Daniels fights back with headbutts and brings down the Notorious 187 with a superhiptoss off the top to earn a “TNA” chant. Styles gets the hot tag and unloads on LAX, landing the springboard-moonsault inverted DDT on Homicide and a twisting springboard clothesline on Hernandez. LAX attempt a double clothesline on Styles, but Daniels joins in and they mow down LAX with stereo clotheslines. The Angels double-flapjack Hernandez face-first into the cage and level Homicide with the Hi-Lo double-team to maintain control as they grate Hernandez’s face against the mesh. Daniels has the Ghetto Fork and stabs it into Homicide’s forehead before Styles grinds it in to bust open the Notorious 187. Hernandez makes the save and everybody gets their shots in on each other until Daniels STOs Homicide and Hernandez spears Daniels against the cage. AJ fires off the Pele on the muscleman and all four guys are down as we get a “TNA” chant. Styles scales to the top of the cage and Homicide follows him up as Daniels climbs up behind and grabs a waistlock, but Hernandez comes in underneath and powerbombs Daniels, who in turn German-superplexes Homicide in a nice Tower of Doom spot. AJ then dives off the top of the cage with a beautiful flying bodypress to flatten Hernandez and the crowd explodes.
Styles covers Hernandez, but Homicide makes the save and plants AJ with the Cutter as West informs us that Tenay’s pen just exploded and squirted ink all over the place. Thanks for the info, Don. Daniels drills Homicide with a Death Valley Driver and Hernandez slams Daniels with the Crackerjack before climbing to the top of the cage and diving down, but the Fallen Angel rolls out of the way and the big guy crashes onto his knee. That was impressive for such a big guy and I’m surprised he didn’t blow out his knee or something. Daniels hooks Hernandez for the Angel’s Wings, but Konnan slides a coathanger in and Homicide garrotes Daniels with it from behind, choking him down to the mat near the cage wall so that Konnan can hold the coathanger from ringside to strangle Daniels. Where’s Sirelda when you need her? Daniels is dead as AJ fights valiantly on his own and sets up Homicide for the Styles Clash, but Hernandez turns him inside-out with a clothesline and Homicide kills Styles with the Gringo Killa for the uno-dos-tres to regain the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, LAX shove referee Earl Hebner and assault Styles & Daniels until the Referee Brigade makes the save. So much for AMW. This was an absolutely amazing cage match with some incredible highspots, intense action, and I love love love the use of the fork, the coathanger, and the tequila. I could watch this a million times. Definitely one of the best cage matches of all time from any promotion, in my opinion.
– A great video package sets up the main event of the evening.
– NWA World Heavyweight Title – Career Vs. Title: Jeff Jarrett [champion] vs. Sting
Kurt Angle as the Special Enforcer makes his entrance first wearing a cool new t-shirt, while Sting has an updated look combining the past and present: white-and-red facepaint, LODesque black-and-red tights and boots (NO MORE SINGLET!), gloves, and an Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that TNAWrestling.com reports is actually the first ring jacket he ever wore in his career, which is pretty cool. He’s in great shape too, showing that he’s spent the last couple of months in the gym or at least dieting, as he isn’t muscular but the gut is gone. After the entrances, we get JB’s Super Special Ring Introductions. The story is Jarrett outwrestling Sting early on due to the Stinger’s ring rust and gaining confidence as he dropkicks Sting and performs the Double J Strut. Jarrett taunts Sting and spits in his face, so Sting unloads on the NWA World Champion and plants him with a really good powerbomb. He should use that more often. Sting drops Jarrett face-first on the turnbuckle and clotheslines him over the top rope as Angle comes around and gets into a shoving contest with JJ. Sting steps out and batters Jarrett around ringside as Angle throws the referee back into the ring to remind him that he’s in charge out there. Jarrett reverses an Irish-whip into the guardrail and picks up a chair, but Angle yanks it away and Sting suplexes Jarrett on the ramp.
Sting tries to use the chair, but Angle grabs it and they struggle until Jarrett charges and decks Angle when Sting sidesteps the NWA Champion. Jarrett DDTs Sting on the ramp and drops his throat on the railing before they go back in the ring and Jarrett clamps on a sleeperhold. Sting fights out of the sleeper and forgets the next spot, but they do it again and collide in mid-air when they both go for a crossbody. Angle is back on his feet at ringside and squeezes his left hand as internet experts around the world debate whether it’s numbness from the neck injury or he’s just selling. The ref administers the 10-count on Sting and Jarrett, but when he gets to 9 Angle comes in and wipes him out with the Olympic Slam so that he can take over, yelling out a Big John McCarthy-style “Let’s get it on!” as they rise and Sting unloads on Jarrett. Please don’t let Kurt turn heel here. Inverted atomic drop is followed by a pair of clotheslines and a Stinger Splash across the back as Jarrett staggers back into the Scorpion Deathdrop for a near-fall. Jarrett drops Sting with the Stroke and hesitates before covering him, so of course Sting gets the shoulder up. I hope Jeff realizes that babyfaces don’t yell at the ref before covering an opponent when he turns face. Jarrett goes for a Tombstone, but Sting reverses it and buries Jarrett for a close near-fall as Angle proves to be an unbiased official with fair counts on both competitors.
Sting climbs the turnbuckles for a possible moonsault (?!) but Jarrett lowblows him from behind and argues with Angle. Sting blocks the SuperStroke and tosses Jarrett to the mat, but the NWA Champion gets the knees up when Sting goes for a splash and applies the figure-four leglock. Sting turns it over, but Jarrett grabs the ropes to break and hooks an anklelock as Angle looks displeased and the crowd boos. The Stinger finally flips out of it and sends Jarrett through the ropes while Sting limps around the ring to sell the leg and grabs the baseball bat, but Angle pulls it away and the more cynical fans all wait for that one heel turn that will kill TNA. Jarrett capitalizes by busting the guitar over Sting’s head, but Sting completely no-sells it and Stingers-Up for a monster pop. Sting applies the Scorpion Deathlock and forces Jarrett to tap out to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the second time in his career, 16 years after his first title win. The crowd gives Sting a great ovation as Angle returns his baseball bat and steps out to give the spotlight to the new champ while Jarrett watches from the apron and holds his head in disappointment. Sting celebrates with the belt around his waist to close the PPV.
Afterthoughts: A homerun PPV for sure with two blowaway title bouts (Tag & X), two great brawls, and a very solid main event that featured the perfect ending with Sting no-selling the dreaded guitarshot to symbolically end Jarrett’s reign of mediocrity. I haven’t read a lot of feedback yet, but the Sting/Jarrett match probably won’t get the credit it deserves; it wasn’t the perfect main event, but both guys worked hard to put on an entertaining performance that sucked the crowd in even though they would have prefered to see Angle vs. Joe. Every match served its purpose and did what it had to do, as we had Nash’s KNOIXDGBRfBFG providing comedy and action to put over the “debuting” Austin Starr, Eric/Larry giving us some short-but-sweet old-school comic relief, and the Four Corners match furthering a couple of tag team storylines that should affect the title picture. The cage match was off-the-charts and could possibly end up my 2006 Match of the Year (no I’m not into Japanese stuff and I don’t watch much ROH, before you ask) with Senshi/Sabin another must-see match of the show. Monster’s Ball was a great brawling stuntfest with the right result of Joe winning, the 8 Mile Street Fight was a really good blowoff for the Christian/Rhino feud, and the Angle/Joe pullapart was a perfect tease for their eventual showdown, probably next month at Genesis.
Above all, the hot crowd and refreshing environment outside the stale-as-hell confines of the Impact Zone are proof-positive that TNA really needs to take their PPVs (and hopefully TV tapings at some point) on the road ASAP. Highly recommended show and I will definitely be picking this up on DVD when it comes out. Absolutely the PPV of the Year so far for me.
