Rasslin Roundtable: TNA Genesis

Features, Roundtables

NWA World Heavyweight Title
Sting (c) vs. Abyss

Blatt: Well, nothing screams “no title change here” more than this match. Sting’s always fought the dark scary guys of the feds he’s been a part of, but has never really lost a feud to a single one. That and I can’t imagine the company ever giving Abyss the title while they are attempting this big push of themselves. It seems like they are trying to draw in the old wrestling fans that have stopped watching (unfortunately most of those people never watched a Sting match in their lives, they are waiting for the Rock to return) or MMA fans. I don’t think MMA fans buy into either one of these guys as a true champion, but then again, what do I know?
Winner — Sting

Eric Szulczewski: It’s at times like these when I ponder the truth of the statement, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Is it better to be Abyss, to get the occasional title shot and have no chance of winning, or is it better to be Christian, who went through the same crap in WWE, came to TNA and got the title, then had his reign undercut by backstage political crap? Frankly, it’s better to be neither of them, which is one reason why Monty Brown is now employed by Vince.
Winner — Sting

Aaron: Well, TNA have established Abyss as an upper midcarder who can consistently lose big matches, but still manage to stay over due to his sheer brutality in the ring and great look. I’d love to see Abyss take a major step by beating Sting, then taking Angle out in a rematch; it just isn’t realistic and doesn’t seem to be remotely in TNA’s plans. Even Vince Russo wouldn’t waste that Sting title chase on a title change with no build up. Seems the plan is to keep Sting strong until it’s time to put over the next big thing, likely Joe.
Winner — Sting

Danny Cox: Abyss lost cleanly to Kurt Angle on the primetime special which was just plain dumb. But Sting was upside down when we last saw him meaning Abyss had the upper hand and Sting pulls out a victory here in a match with like no build-up. The power of Christ compels you James Mitchell.
Winner and Still Champ — Sting

Iain Burnside: Oh, please.
Winner – A MIDDLE AGED MAN IN FACE PAINT AND SHINY, SHINY TROUSERS.

Vinny Truncellito: Is it me, or is Abyss the pre-approved first contender for ALL new NWA World Heavyweight Champions these days? Of course Sting won’t drop the belt here, after just winning it at TNA’s “WrestleMania”. It’s gonna have to be either Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, or Christian Cage who gets that honor. This match does have the potential to remind us all of Cactus Jack versus Sting at Beach Blast. Can you believe that match was 13 years ago? I liked the attack on Sting at the end of the 2-hour iMPACT! to help heat this one up.
Winner — Sting

David Brashear: Abyss has no chance of pulling the win out here. Still, the ending may give us a clue as to what’s on the horizon for Sting — or could we see an Abyss feud begin here?
Winner — Sting

X Division Title
Christopher Daniels (c) vs. Chris Sabin

Eric Szulczewski: Okay, so Daniels has the title now? And A. J. had it before him? And before that it was Sabin, and before that it was Low Ki, and that’s been in the last month or so, right? It’s kinda nice in a weird way to have Vince Russo Booking back. Frequent and insane title changes at the secondary level are like a pair of old, comfortable slippers. Old, comfortable slippers lined with hallucinogens that can be absorbed through the skin, of course. That being said, the X Division’s so down right now that they have to keep the title on their two old standbys, the ones that can get some legitimacy back on the strap. Sorry, Chris, but no title switch for you.
Winner – Christopher Daniels

Aaron: This feud is rushed. Because of that, the title should not change hands here. Sabin has been very good of late, but really needs to focus on his own building feud with Jerry Lynn and, likely, his former friends Lethal and Sonjay. Let Daniels, Ki, and Petey play with the X strap for a bit in the meantime. The first two particularly could help restore a lot of the belt’s lost prestige. Hopefully Russo stops shooting the belt all over the place long enough to realize this.
Winner — Daniels

Danny Cox: Daniels just picked it up on Thursday and Sabin just turned heel on Thursday”¦give the damn belt to Sabin finally! PLEASE! I mean this match has no build-up either, but Daniels doesn’t need a belt and it was simply transitioned to him so Styles could fight Christian and they could have another match on the card with the X-Title.
Winner and NEW Champ – HAIL SABIN

Iain Burnside: They are perhaps one TV taping away from introducing 24/7 rules to this belt. If not that, then renaming it and having a generic secondary title rather than stashing it in the travel bag of whichever small person walks past first. As with most non-Jarrett material this is a case of Good Match So What.
Winner – the man who made Nash’s mum write him a sick note for gym class, CHRIS SABIN

Vinny Truncellito: They need to slow down on the X Title swaps. AJ just beat Sabin for it 2 weeks ago, and now The Fallen Angel comes away with the gold. I hope they don’t hot-shot it again here.
Winner – Christopher Daniels

David Brashear: I’m going to try and second-guess TNA’s booking here. I think that we will see Sabin winning the belt soon and then losing it in the blowoff match for his feud with Jerry Lynn. I think it’ll be soon, but I doubt it would be this soon. I’m calling Daniels, but I’m also expecting a rematch.
Winner — Christopher Daniels.

Blatt: I don’t care what Eric says, I’m still pissed that I missed an opportunity to see Daniels vs. AJ in person thanks to the CT show snafu. Anyway, I want to see Daniels crush Sabin here. Let’s get the X Division back to being competitive. I still think that Sabin should be headed for a match with Jerry Lynn eventually and get out of the X Division. I really don’t feel like he’s a good fit there.
Blatt — Daniels

NWA Tag Team Titles
Latin American Exchange (c) vs. America’s Most Wanted

Aaron: LAX are the biggest reason to watch TNA right now. Hernandez is a huge, brutal athlete who’s made to be a tag team monster. Homicide has the potential to be one of the biggest breakout stars anywhere, a rant I’ll get to later in my own column. AMW are a great team, no doubt, and significantly better off as faces. They have not won a lot lately and really could benefit from the win, while LAX likely wouldn’t be hurt. I see the newly turned Petey costing LAX the title, and going on to feud with them for a short while. This will lead to a three way tag match with AMW, Petey and Low Ki, and LAX where a Low Ki turn puts the belt back on LAX.
Winners — AMW

Danny Cox: LAX wanted to desecrate the flag, AMW showed up to stop it yet Petey Williams ended up being more the hero and starting a feud with them more then AMW did. This is just beginning, so I don’t think it’s time LAX loses the titles just yet. Although if Konnan gets a mic at the PPV, strip them of the titles even before the match.
Winners and Still Champs — LAX

Iain Burnside: Well, as long as they don’t have anymore excessive title changes, this should be a very enjoyable feud for the coming months. Who would have thought that Konnan could somehow become one of the most important people in TNA without throwing a single shoe? These are some serious times that we livin in G, and our new world order is about to begin, you know what I’m sayin, now the question is – are you ready for the real revolution, which is the evolution of the mind?
Winners – the one thing WWE ought to rip off from TNA, namely LAX

Vinny Truncellito: LAX are the hottest act on the card at the moment, and AMW seems reborn with the focus this feud provides. Even Gail Kim got a pop when she attacked LAX during the primetime special. Simple formula: LAX injured her, so she missed a few shows, and received an automatic babyface reaction upon her return. That reaction transferred to AMW, making them faces as well, for the moment. This could lead to a nice series of matches between the two teams, so LAX will cheat to win this first battle in the possible war, setting up the next showdown.
Winners — LAX

David Brashear: With the AMW feud just beginning, I think it’s way too soon for a title swap.
Winners — LAX

Blatt: LAX can’t throw around these guys like they could Styles and Daniels, so this one will be a true test of how good they are together. I feel like this could be a stepping stone back to a good tag division in TNA. It’s been weak for a little while now. However, thank Styles and Daniels for establishing a god set of tag champs. I wouldn’t expect them to retain here though. A title change will help push this feud forward, that is, if they are going to keep AMW together.
Winners — America’s Most Wanted

Eric Szulczewski: Is anyone buying the AMW face turn? Honestly? I think what we’re not buying is the Gail Kim face turn. AMW as faces, fine. It’s worked before, and quite well. But AMW with Gail Kim as faces? I just don’t see it. Something in there does not compute. Unless the face turn was the prelude to a break-up…but why? They teased a break-up for months and did the face turn instead. Oh, screw it.
Winners — Sheremetyevo

Dream Match of the Decade
Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe

Danny Cox: Hardest match to call. Simply because I can’t see them having Angle lose only his second match in TNA. Yet, I don’t see Joe’s undefeated* streak end just yet. When it does end, it will be to Angle, but it will be with Angle winning the NWA Title from him. * – just not being pinned or submitting does undefeated you make
Winner — Samoa Joe

Iain Burnside: You know, the internet bookers are exerting far more effort on how this feud should play out than the TNA writers are. Their basic plan would appear to be nothing more complicated than “Angle wins, Angle gets the belt, Joe gets the belt”. That is, really, pretty much it and I’d be very surprised if things started to go down a different route here. If I could throw in one not-too-complicated addition it would be Jeff Jarrett. If not him, it would be that they riff on Hart/Austin at WM13 and have Joe win without losing, probably due to blood loss, so they can still get away with the ‘never been pinned, never submitted’ motif that they value so much. Other than that, I just wish that Kurt Angle would shut the f*ck up and stop making such a prat of himself.
Winner – Cuckoo McNutbar, otherwise called KURT ANGLE

Vinny Truncellito: Wow. Are they actually going to start Kurt’s TNA ppv career with a loss, or are they going to end Samoa Joe’s streak? This is one tough call. I believe this is the reason the DQ was first invented.
Winner – DQ, Countout, No Contest or something

David Brashear: Let’s analyze this. We have a top WWE star that TNA’s just stolen and their undefeated Samoan Submission Machine. One of them has to lose. I’m calling shenanigans here.
Winner — Double DQ

Blatt: Who cares who wins, this match is just a stepping point. I’ll say that Joe wins this because if Angle wins, he proves that there is no competition in TNA. If Joe wins, Angle’s the underdog in the next match. This one’s what makes the PPV for me. Hell, they didn’t bother announcing any matches until 72 hours before the event.
Winner – Samoa Joe

Eric Szulczewski: Oh, God, why? Why pull the trigger on this one on an inconsequential PPV like this? This is a Dream Match, as the pimp says. Dream Matches should be reserved for big PPVs. Can’t they hold off? I swear, bookers are sometimes like fifteen-year-old boys who can’t wait to drop their trousers and get a hold of their dicks at any possible moment. What the hell is wrong with an extended build-up? Tease this sucker to all hell and gone. At Slammiversary, put them both in King of the Mountain and conjure up some ending that causes controversy between them. Then hold off on the actual one-on-one until Bound For Glory. Guess what, it can be done. But Instant Gratification is the byword. Angle doesn’t need the duke of being Joe’s first loss. Joe doesn’t need the legitimacy of beating Angle. Because of that, there can’t be any substantial, definitive ending to this. The only question is who does the run-in, and who’s the target, Angle or Joe. I’m not going to speculate on that.
Winner – Match thrown out or one man winning due to interference. I won’t go further than that.

Aaron: First off, Samoa Joe always brings it in big matches. Check his matches with big names who can go and you always get something special, most notably with Kobashi, but also with AJ, Daniels, and Punk. I see this going Broadway with a handshake after. Hopefully, TNA is able to realize the very real connection Joe can establish with fans due to his natural personality and this is the beginning of letting him show that. I’d let both men go and do their thing, structuring the match on their own. End it with Angle in the Cokina Clutch so that Joe gets over, but make sure his leg is totally destroyed by that point. Good God, you have no idea how much I’m looking forward to this.
Winner — Time Limit Draw

Christian Cage vs. AJ Styles

Iain Burnside: Again, weird choice. Why did they not use this mini-spat to have a decent match on the primetime special and then have the Cage/Rhino Cage Match on the PPV? Surely this show would have been a better place to have the big pay-off to the Rhino feud, which would have at least had some emotional investment in it, and the TV special would have been a better fit for an entertaining-yet-inconsequential bout like this? Not that it really matters considering they’ll get the same 40,000 schmucks buying this thing as they always do but, still. Schmucks? I’m not Jewish, you know. Honestly. Forgive me, Jaff!!!
Winner – the undefeated guy who is getting the title shot next month, i.e. CHRISTIAN CAGE

Vinny Truncellito: I’d love to see Christian keep up his streak of winning at all costs. This could be the MOTN, but I’m curious to see what kind of match these two can work together.
Winner – Christian Cage

David Brashear: This could turn interesting. I think that AJ and Christian will work well together, but remember — there was not a definitive winner in the cage match on Impact. I’ll give the match to Christian after Rhino intervenes to either botch the attack and nail AJ or get AJ DQ’d.
Winner — Christian

Blatt: Interesting, if a bit rushed. These two guys a good match, but a good match for a deep story. Let’s hope this is the beginning and not something to take up time in both of these guys’ careers. As a side thought, a team of Christian and Daniels as heels would be absolutely great.
Winner — Christian

Eric Szulczewski: Both these guys need a win. It’ll be a fun ride to get to the ending, no doubt, but I have this feeling that Russo is seeing A. J. as a savior of the X Division moreso than back in the heavyweight ranks. At least Christian’s finished with Rhiyno for now, and that’s a good thing, good enough to give him the duke.
Winner — Christian

Aaron: Hooray for underselling what should be a dream match. AJ Styles and Christian Cage are two huge stars for TNA. Both are well known to casual fans and seen as a Big Deal Indeed. Why waste this on the undercard with next to no build? I see Cage winning, as there’s no way Cage loses his first TNA match with this little build.
Winner – Christian Cage.

Danny Cox: In the midst of Christian’s feuds with Rhino and Sting, it’s time for him to feud with AJ Styles who JUST lost the X-Title to his former partner Daniels which caused some tension”¦so this makes perfect sense. Even though it seems his feud with Rhino is over, that was a big win for Christian. So no pun intended, he’s on a roll and doesn’t need another big win. Hopefully this will elevate AJ Styles past the X-Title once and for all.
Winner — AJ Styles

Voodoo Kin Mafia vs. Frankie Kazarian, Matt Bentley, & Johnny Devine

Vinny Truncellito: Pathetic and lame = welcome back, Russo. Hopefully they’ll let this little story play out quickly and move on to something else. In the short term, however, I’d imaging the Voodoo Kin Mafia going over in this one to strengthen their “cause”.
Winner — VKM

David Brashear: So we’ve got the New Age Outlaws going up against Raven’s Flock V4.0. I think. I can’t keep up. Anyway, I’ve got to give this one to Billy and Roadie. One interesting question, however — is this going to be a handicap match, or do the Outlaws have a new member waiting in the wings? And how long before Raven makes his shocking appearance as the Kazarian gang’s leader?
Winners — DX Rejects

Blatt: Next.
Winner – Vincent Kennedy McMahon

Eric Szulczewski: Otherwise known as the DX Penis Envy Match (it is surely no coincidence that Shawn’s cousin is in there). This is the biggest no-brainer of the night, really.
Winners – The New Age Outlaws (guess what other name is now on my Don’t Use List)

Aaron- Ugh. I hate handicap matches. VKM get nothing from winning; they’re already seen as legit. If the heels win, well, they had the numbers advantage. What a waste of time. Also a good way to make sure the new Flock looks a joke from the start.
Winners — Voodoo Kin Mafia

Danny Cox: VKM Vs. Albino Boy, Greaser Goth, & Caveman. Dear God save us now. If that’s their idea of the new Flock, it’s horrible. Although Raven isn’t looking so grand himself these days. The Freaks will lose and Raven will teach them their lessons”¦and they’ll like it.
Winner — VKM

Iain Burnside: On one side, the red-headed stepchild of a gimmick that played well in 1998 in the WWF. On the other side, the same thing from the same time in WCW, with the added and apparent bonus of actually having the figurehead, Raven, contractually obligated to take part. Meanwhile, the promotional material continues to proclaim TNA as the new face of professional wrestling. Never mind the obvious flaws of the ‘new face’ part of that statement, you aren’t even going to see much in the way of ‘professional wrestling’ here either.
Winners – nobody. But, for the sake of Vinny T’s Roundtable stats, the VOODOO (oh dear…) KIN (can’t believe this name…) MAFIA (so very shameful…)

Ron Killings & Lance Hoyt vs. Austin Starr & Alex Shelley

David Brashear: Anybody know if Hoyt’s still in the doghouse with TNA management? Anyway, I don’t get the feeling that Killing and Hoyt are going anywhere, and Starr/Shelley are. Expect plenty of infighting between Starr and Shelley.
Winners — Paparazzi Productions

Blatt: Starr needs the rub over everyone here. I see a nice feud between Starr and Shelley one day down the line, but this is a nice way of establishing a rift between Starr and Shelley. I see how important Hoyt and Killings are in being put in the spot as getting these two over.
Winner – Starr and Shelley

Eric Szulczewski: Let’s see, Aries got the duke in the Kevin Nash Invitational Humiliation Festival, so you can consider that a push. They’ve also stuck Killings in there with the Human Heat Vacuum, which makes me feel for him. Yeah, I guess I have to go with Team Suck-Up here.
Winners – Shelley and Aries

Aaron- They could continue to build the Starr Shelley feud here, but I think both men need a win too much for that. I am anticipating the Shelley vs. Starr feud and the slow build is only made tolerable by the comedy gold that these two and Nash deliver. Killings and Hoyt rarely win and remain over, so why not continue that trend.
Winners — Starr & Shelley

Danny Cox: Thrown together much? The newest addition Eye Spy helps pick up the victory here although I still believe that Shelley’s face turn is on the horizon as Nash becomes more enamored of Starr.
Winners — Eye Spy

Iain Burnside: He who is not Test, he who is not Booker T, they who are not Chris Jericho and he who is Nash. Taking into account the lack of Jarrett, who do you think could possibly benefit here?
Winner – the sole reason that humans have hair, a.k.a. KEVIN NASH

Vinny Truncellito: I can imagine dissention in the ranks of the Paparazzi, and Starr and Nash celebrate the win while Shelley wonders what’s happening to him and Big Kev.
Winner – Starr and Shelley

The Naturals vs. Sonjay Dutt & Jay Lethal

Blatt: Do you think that now that now that Shane Douglas’ teaching methods have been working that they’d let the Naturals lose another one? Cause I sure do.
Winner – Dutt and Lethal

Eric Szulczewski: Pardon me while I use a calculator and a notepad to figure out who’s getting the bigger de-push here…okay, got that figured out. Dutt and Lethal need an apology for the whole Jackass thing. Meanwhile, there’s nothing better for the audience than Shane Douglas going ballistic.
Winners – Dutt and Lethal

Aaron- The Naturals just beat Team 3D while Lethal and Dutt were squashed by Joe. Who do you think is getting the push?
Winners — The Naturals

Danny Cox: Don’t get this match either. But I see the Naturals, “the worst tag-team in TNA” as Tenay said in different words on Thursday taking this one pretty easily. Dutt got killed by Joe after the match and Lethal got buried by him during the match. And the Naturals just took out 3-D in their own schtick.
Winners — The Naturals

Iain Burnside: Ah, filler. This would have played better had the Naturals been able to face Styles & Daniels and beat them, freeing up Lethal to enter the X Title hunt and possibly even provide TNA with a new ‘next big thing’ for that division at long last. Instead, we get this. This and no Jarrett. I miss ya, Jaff.
Winners – their mothers fed them lots of corn, they are THE NATURALS

Vinny Truncellito: The Naturals need the win to stay strong in their new heelish campaign, and Dutt and Lethal really don’t have much going on at the moment.
Winner – The Naturals

David Brashear: Again, Dutt and Lethal aren’t doing anything right now but making sure that no bulbs have burned out in the ceiling lights at the end of their matches. No way that the Naturals lose here — especially with their Impact win over Team 3-D (although I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brother Ray and Devon show up at some point).
Winners — the Naturals

A Robert Roode Open Challenge

Eric Szulczewski: Oh, for God’s sake, let’s have a moratorium about picking matches where there’s no second participant listed. It’ll either be a JTTS like Shark Boy or Norman Smiley or it’ll be some Mystery Debut Guy. Really, the only way this would blow my socks off was if Bryan Danielson or Nigel McGuinness came out, turned Roode into paste, and screwed Traci in the middle of the ring like a wolverine in heat, constantly yelling out, “Who’s my little whore here? Who’s my little whore!?”
Winner – Bobby Roode

Aaron — If this isn’t the debut of Dibiase, then I don’t care.
Winner — The preshow

Danny Cox: The hottest free agent sure fizzled out fast didn’t he? Although I still think he needs to return Rick Rude’s robes back to his closet.
Open Challenge Opponent – Spike
Winner — Robert Roode

Iain Burnside: I would mark out if Robert Roode’s Open Challenge turned out to have nothing to do with wrestling at all but was instead an elaborate pitch-and-putt contest. Keep it going all night long. Have Abyss grow confusingly fond of his golf ball and hide away in a nest with it. Have Rhino’s hair eat his one. Have Kurt Angle carry on a one-sided and highly deranged conversation with him about the dangers of Vince McMahon and the horrors of not doing drugs. Have Ron Killings nick everything and pawn it for watermelons, since that would keep Jeff Jarrett happy. Say, where is Jarrett anyway? He’s the sole reason for buying these shows! If I could buy them! Anyway, we all know that Shark Boy would win the pitch-and-putt but, barring that…
Winner – his mama told him not to come, it’s ROBERT ROODE

Vinny Truncellito: If they want to start getting Roode over as a serious threat, they need someone capable to accept his challenge, and then give Roode the duke.
Winner – Robert Roode

David Brashear: You know, I’d really hoped that this would be Roode’s big breakout moment. I think he could really go places, and this is what we get. Who’s Roode going up against? Does it matter?
Winner — Robert Roode

Blatt: Hopefully Roode wins a direction for his character in this one.
Winner – whoever takes the open challenge. I’ll say Petey Williams wins this one.