King of the Mountain
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles vs. Christian Cage vs. an as-yet unnamed competitor
Pulse Glazer: Well, this looks less than bad, although the booking possibilities scare me. AJ should probably go over. He gains the most credibility and it’d be nice to have THE TNA guy from day 1 get a big win over the WWE guys. Besides, it fits his heel persona. More likely though is another Kurt Angle win to satisfy his feeling as the company’s top man.
Winner – Kurt Angle
Widro: The mystery person is most likely to be Jarrett, but the winner has to be either Angle or Joe. I think its time to put the title on Joe, but with TNA who knows.
Winner – Joe
Mark Allen: First off I’d say the fifth spot goes to Jeff Jarrett. Maybe he and Raven can have a match for the spot earlier in the card as they are both for KOTM winners and former NWA Champions. I really don’t know where the booking is going here but I’ve got to say that this time is as good as any to finally give Joe the win. It would be nice symmetry as well, what with him debuting two years ago at this event.
Winner – Samoa Joe
Danny Cox: Sting would be a likely choice for final competitor, but he’s got Daniels on this PPV. He could also pull double duty heh duty! Tomko would be the logical choice to thwart Christian AND Styles here, but I have a feeling it will be a returning Abyss as the extra competitor in it which makes no sense then for anyone to have had a qualifying match. Oh and I also hate the KOTM match anyway stupidest concept right above their reverse battle royale. Joe finally gets his due.
Winner and NEW Champ – Samoa Joe
Vinny Truncellito: Tough to predict a winner when you don’t even know the participants. It seemed clear after the 3-way match that Angle was to be the first ever TNA World Heavyweight Champion, but now I’m not so sure. This might be a good time to put the strap on Joe and build to Angle/Joe 4 at Bound For Glory. Although it would be very Russo-like to introduce somebody new for the 5th slot (as Professor Mike Tenay alluded to on commentary) and toss the strap on him, because swerves are cool.
Winner – Samoa Joe
Matthew Michaels: I hate this gimmick match — it’s convoluted, complicated and there are way too many opportunities (see last year’s) to have it end in controversy. Samoa Joe HAS to win this one (if he doesn’t, Kurt will, which is stupid considering Kurt just won and was stripped of the title last month), as it’s finally his time. Let him be champ for at least six months afterwards, and give him the chance to finally carry this promotion. Oh, and Jarrett will be the surprise; duh.
Winner – Samoa Joe
Matt Reed: Unknown guy wins. Then loses the belt on Impact a few weeks later.
Winner – Unnamed competitor
David Brashear: Let’s face it – Jarrett is conspicuous by his absence. Number five = Jarrett. That said, TNA’s had a hard time establishing themselves as a true competitor for the WWE. It’s hard to be considered true competition when nearly every champion you’ve had has been a former WWE guy (looking back, the only two champions in TNA history who haven’t been WWE alumni have been AJ Styles (arguably home-grown talent, although he had a cup of coffee in WCW as half of Air Raid) and Sting (who is one of the ideal WCW guys). Joe would give an opportunity to break from that and have a guy who (in the average fan’s mind who doesn’t follow ROH) is truly homegrown talent and, for the first time, have someone who wasn’t part of the Monday Night War. TNA’s got a great opportunity here – let’s see if they follow through.
Winner – Samoa Joe
Team 3-D [c] vs. ? (supposed to be Steiner Brothers)
Widro: I think that they will sub Tomko for Scottie and Team 3D wins setting up the Steiners needing to be together to beat Team 3D. Or something.
Winner – Team 3D
Mark Allen: I would say that right now 3-D’s opponents are going to be Rick Steiner and Animal so the commentators can blow their load about two of the greatest tag teams ever coming together. Being Scott will be out for awhile I expect 3-D to win this handily and then move on to the Motor City Machine Guns.
Winner – Team 3-D
Danny Cox: Ya know, as much as I hate Scott Steiner and have come to loathe the Dudleyz, this is kind of a dream match that is a long time coming and I would have enjoyed seeing. Especially if Scott had grown his hair back for it, shaved his goatee off, Rick wore the wrestling headgear, and they both came to the ring in bright colors and Michigan jackets. But alas this feud will be saved for another time as Rick will have a mystery partner (see my bonus answer it’s fun) and lose gracefully.
Winners and STILL Champs – Team Dudleyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Vinny Truncellito: Steiner finds a partner to help him lose to Team 3-D. I’d like to see the originally planned match between 3-D and the Steiners once Pig Poppa heals.
Winner – Team 3-D
Matthew Michaels: I’m guessing 3D wins since it wouldn’t make any sense to give a makeshift team the titles here.
Winner – Dudleyz
Matt Reed: Team 3-D wins pretty much by default. I highly doubt they’re gonna hand the titles to a team thrown together at the last minute.
Winner – Team 3-D
David Brashear: This really would have been a toss-up between the Dudleys and the Steiners. With Scott being out, I’d say this win’s a lock for the Dudleys. After he heals up, Scott’s mad that Rick got beaten so he swears revenge and we’ve got the originally planned match in a couple of months.
Winners – Team 3D
Pulse Glazer: Obviously this won’t be happenning as planned. Since LAX aren’t on the show, something will likely be built in with them, in which they will job, again, to the Dudleys.
Winners: The Dudley Boys
Chris Sabin [c] vs. Jay Lethal
Mark Allen: The time is now to pull the trigger on this Black Machismo gimmick. Plus he’s got a ready made feud with Sonjay Dutt waiting for him. Now if only he gets So Cal Val to be his Elizabeth. Plus Sabin needs to move onto teaming with Alex Shelley full time. BTW-These past couple weeks of Eye Spy Productions have been hilarious with Nash having to remind Lethal he’s not fighting “Snake Roberts” or “The Dragon” and instead has Sabin instead.
Winner – Black Machismo
Danny Cox: Sabin has held the title for a long time and I think finally they are going to let Lethal have the belt like he should have a long time ago. Lethal was on fire during the whole “won a match with champ Jarrett†thing but then they buried him. Now they give him a golden gimmick and he deserves the damn title even though Sabin is just plain awesome!
Winner and NEW Champ – Black Savage
Vinny Truncellito: The question is, do they love the Black Machismo gimmick enough to make him champ? Losing the strap would clear Sabin’s path back to the tag ranks with Shelley, reuniting the Murder City Machine Guns.
Winner – Macho Lethal
Matthew Michaels: Black Machismo is hilarious, but should he be champion? ALTHOUGH, with the Steiners pretty much out of it, Sabin & Shelley may be better suited in the tag division. Decisions, decisions…
Winner – Jay Lethal
Matt Reed: I think it’s time for a new champ. A new champ using an old wrestler’s gimmick. Oooooh Yeah.
Winner – Lethal
David Brashear: Sabin and Shelley look like they’re on the way to the tag ranks (see my pick on Backlund vs. Shelley for more on this) and we’ll need someone to carry the X-title. Also, if Lethal did win, if I were booking, we’d have a scene where Sonjay chucks his new gimmick, talks about how stupid it is, and how he’s going to win the belt as a serious competitor (look at his reaction to Nash’s gimmicks for him to see the seeds of this). Then he says that Lethal’s a joke, slaps the hat off his head, and we’ve got a new feud ready to go. See what we’d get if TNA would offer me the booking job?
Winner – Black Machismo
Pulse Glazer: This has gone on too long. The storytelling is good in all of these matches, but it’s simplistic and the comedic elements are played up too high. Lethal isn’t a great worker, and although he might be one day, he really doesn’t deserve the high profile push he consistently gets. His top rope elbow also sucks, hurting his lame Savage gimmick. Sabin will likely use some Dutt peacemaking to get the win. I want Sabin and Shelley as a team already.
Pulse Glazer: Sabin
Widro: Lethal has been ok as Black Machismo, but this seems like more of a backdrop to the Nash/Sonjay stuff and I think Sabin retains
Winner – Sabin
Danny Cox: I hope Alex Shelley finds a way to kill bob Backlund and then kill whoever has him in this match and not in an actual feud. Maybe he’ll chase Lethal for the X-Title after this. One can only hope!
Winner – Alex Shelley
Vinny Truncellito: Shelley does NOT need to bow at the altar of the ages at this point in his career. The only sensible booking in this one is to have Shelley look good, surviving Backlund’s submission attempts before securing the victory.
Winner – Alex Shelley
Matthew Michaels: Why does Backlund need the win here?
Winner – Shelley
Matt Reed: Backlund. Putting the old guy over seems like something Vince Russo would do.
Winner – Bob Backlund
David Brashear: Why did Shelley get pulled into this feud with Backlund? Because he was setting Backlund up for a Sabin attack. Shelley and Sabin have been working together, and I see them continuing to do so here. Shelley wins with a little help from Sabin. (If Backlund won, I’d just look for a singles match against Sabin next month.)
Winner – Alex Shelley
Pulse Glazer: Why are Shelley and Aries interchangeable to TNA? They can’t be less alike besides superficially. They wrestle different styles, have different personalities and demeanors. What gives? Backlund can’t go over someone we’re expected to take seriously? Right? RIGHT?
Winner – Backlund
Widro: Blech I can’t believe this is how they feel they can get Alex Shelley over.
Winner – Shelley
Mark Allen: God I hope Shelley wins just so Backlund can go away. Besides Shelley needs to be strong so he and Sabin can challenge the 3-D.
Winner – Alex Shelley
Vinny Truncellito: Fan-friendly ending to this feud requires young to defeat Roode and get out from under him from this time forward. Here’s hoping
Winner – Showtime Eric Young
Matthew Michaels: Even if they wanted Roode to win, no one believes Eric will ever really be fired, so it wouldn’t make sense. Maybe Jarrett gets involved again (which can then explain his not winning KotM (Roode can interfere, and they can fight into the crowd while someone else wins).
Winner – Eric Young
Matt Reed: Of course Eric Young is gonna win. And then this feud can finally end.
Winner – Eric Young
David Brashear: You know, when Team Canada split up, I’d expected Roode to be a real breakthrough star. He had a good look, was decent on the mic, and not bad in the ring. That didn’t turn out as I’d expected. This has to be the end of this feud. Eric wins (maybe landing a kiss on Miss Brooks, too) and both guys can move on.
Winner – Eric Young
Pulse Glazer: Eric Young is over in the Impact Zone and a joke everywhere else. Robert Roode is over nowhere.
Winner – Roode
Widro: Eric Young is entertaining, Roode is ok in his role but this storyline needs to end
Winner – Young
Mark Allen: This better be the blowoff to this never ending, nonsensical angle. It’s too bad EY won’t be in Orlando when he gets the win. I have a feeling his pop would be much bigger down in the Impact Zone than it will be in Nashville.
Winner – Eric Young
Danny Cox: Roode beat Jarrett, Young has been pushed around, Roode’s time has come. And for the love of God can the man steal any more from past legends he’s using the Perfectplex for a finisher, stole Ted Dibiase’s tights, copied Ric Flair’s robe, and simply thinks he is Ravishing Rick Rude. Young should win simply by most originality alone.
Winner – Eric Young
Matthew Michaels: The Bashams really need a win here…
Winner – Doug & Damaja
Matt Reed: VKM. When the hell did the Bashams do ANYTHING useful?
Winners – Bashams
David Brashear: Someone remind me. Why are the Outlaws still employed? At least Doug & Damaja are young, new, and not bad when they’re allowed to go.
Winners – Doug Basham & The Damaja
Pulse Glazer: The lower card of this PPV is freaking terrible. Who likes this crap? Oh, hi PK… no I wasn’t talking bad about Billy…
Winner – VKM
Widro: Another storyline that needs to end. The former Bashams have had little time to show their stuff (if they have it) and this is the right time to start.
Winner – Basham and Damaja
Mark Allen: I didn’t really know who were even the heels in this feud until Impact when VKM teamed with 3-D, so I guess they’re the faces. I don’t really care who wins I just hope this is another long, nonsensical angle that finally gets blown off.
Winner – Basham and Damaja
Danny Cox: Another match that I could care less about because VKM just is not enjoyable to give a shit about anymore. They are associated with Lance Hoyt now for no reason whatsoever making them even more dull. The Bashams could be interesting with Christy aka the new Shaniqua, but they still won’t be. And well that 8-man tag on Impact was just scintillating? If scintillating means I wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spoon, then yes scintillating. VKM has beaten everything Christy has thrown at them thus far as way of crappy teams. Here’s where it stops. I wish they’d all stop for good and retire.
Winners – DamaBasham
Vinny Truncellito: I really don’t understand this entire feud, as I’ll discuss in my column this Monday. Hemme and the Bashams are being portrayed as the heels, while the adolescent, overgrown frat-boy Billy Gunn treats Christy like dirt, and demeans all women in the process. The booking on iMPACT! hints that VKM will get the win, so
Winner – VKM
Matt Reed: Storm. Wait, who’s Wycheck again?
Winner – James Storm & Ron Killings
David Brashear: What is this? We’ve got James Storm (who’s finally wrapped a feud with Chris Harris), Ron Killings (who hasn’t done anything for years), a football player, and Jerry Lynn (who could be considered to be in the midst of his last run). This sounds like the setup to a bad joke – an old guy, a cowboy, a football player and Ron Killings walk into a bar
Winners – Wycheck/Lynn
Pulse Glazer: Storm has momentum. This doesn’t help.
Winner – Storm
Widro: This is one of the more random matches you’ll see on PPV, especially considering they already shot the TV tapings before adding the tag partners. I’ll go with the football guy, whoever he is.
Winner – Wychek and Lynn
Mark Allen: I don’t know where The Truth came in on this one but there is no way in hell that the hometown football player guy isn’t going to get the pin on Storm. It’s a shame that Storm is doing this on PPV right after his awesome matches with Chris Harris. That’s one feud I wouldn’t have minded continuing.
Winner – Wycheck & JL
Danny Cox: A match that makes even less sense then the originally planned Wycheck vs. Storm match. Oh no they got into a tussle at the press conference Jerry Lynn separated them so of course he has a vendetta to fight for and Killings, well he’s a rapper and they go so well with hillbillies! Straight up retarded and pointless.
Winners – Wycheck/Lynn by Harrisference
Vinny Truncellito: Celebrities rarely come in to lose.
Winner – Wycheck/Lynn
Matthew Michaels: Wow, the returning Ron Killings and HOT James Storm vs…. a celebrity and X Division guy? And how exactly is the crowd going to be expected to boo Killings? I think Frank gets the win over the Truth after some shenanigans that lead to a Killings/Storm feud.
Winner – Frank & Jerry
David Brashear: So let me see if I understand this. Sting’s shown Daniels his true self, and it’s a crazy guy? While I wish I could say otherwise, I see Sting winning here so Daniels can chase him a while. Still, if it gets Daniels into the world title hunt, I’m all for it.
Winner – Sting
Widro: It’s good to see Sting work with Daniels, but the storyline hasn’t made a ton of sense yet.
Winner – Daniels
Mark Allen: Chris Daniels wins this first match because this feud will continue. Russo has too many wacky ideas thought up for these characters for this feud to be a one-and-done.
Winner – Chris Daniels
Vinny Truncellito: The most intriguing way to proceed from here would be for the Fallen Angel to beat Sting mercilessly, either during the match or post-match, and leave him lying. Not sure who gets the duke, but I know which wrestler needs it more at this point in time.
Winner – Christopher Daniels
Matthew Michaels: Daniels gets the win here, and this finally starts to get interesting…
Winner – The Fallen Angel
Widro: I don’t think they’ve really explained the connection between Harris and Rhino and Hector Guerrero, and it’s crazy that LAX has been so marginalized.
Winners – LAX
Mark Allen: I don’t really why or how Rhyno and Harris got mixed up in this, but this just all filler until the final Konnan-Hector Guerrero blow off happens.
Winner – LAX
Vinny Truncellito: LAX need a victory to come back strong from their recent string of bad luck, but it seems they’re being pushed down the card a bit for now, not that I understand that philosophy. Still, my picks indicate a large amount of babyface wins, so
Winner – LAX
Matthew Michaels: I really don’t care. And LAX SHOULD win since 3D will need competition. BUT LAX is being de-pushed. So unless Hector Guerrero turns heel(?!), this is an easy one. By the way, when is Rhino’s contract up? ECW needs a champion!
Winner – Harris & Rhino
David Brashear: Welcome to the singles world, Chris Harris. It’s just like the tag ranks, only now you’re paired up with another guy that we don’t have anything for right now. Enjoy your stay.
Winner – LAX, followed by a Hector Guerrero beatdown
Bonus – With Scott Steiner likely out of Slammiversary due to his throat surgery, who will Team 3-D be facing? Will Rick Steiner find another partner, or will it be a completely different team? If so, who will it be?
Danny Cox: Rick’s partner is going to be Buff Bagwell since it’s the next best roided up thing besides his brother.
Vinny Truncellito: Team 3-D versus Rick and a mystery partner. Doesn’t matter who, because (a) they’re losing to Team 3-D and (b) I’m not counting this as a point our writers can score in the roundtable anyway.
Winner – N/A
Matthew Michaels: My money’s on Buff Bagwell, to REALLY annoy the shit out of me. I don’t think they’ll use a different team (no one’s really ready for the spot, which is why I’m picking Sabin & Shelley to be elevated sooner than later), and they want 3D to be the babyfaces, so they won’t do a handicapped match, so… Who else is there? Luger? No!
Matt Reed: I’d say they get Steiner a partner. Maybe Kevin Nash?
David Brashear: Let’s take a look back at some of Steiner’s old partners. I’d love to see him back with Tank Abbott. Mike Rotundo would be another good choice to reform the old Varsity Club, but I think Rotundo’s tied up with the WWE right now. Still, I’d have to say that the most likely candidate is Lance Hoyt.
Widro: With since he has no match on the card, I think they will sub in Tomko, and continue the storyline with Tomko/Scott somehow after Rick is gone.
