This may come as a surprise, but I not only watched TNA’s Sacrifice PPV, but I liked it. I enjoy TNA when they cut the nonsense out, and let the wrestling speak for itself. Overall, the action was solid throughout, with very little lag time, and the crowning moment of the PPV went to the ladies division. WWE has a lot to learn from TNA’s booking of the ladies.
TNA did something shocking in itself by not having Kurt Angle get involved in the main event with Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner and Kaz, when he announced that he could not be involved in the main event due to doctor’s orders and his neck injury. The main event itself was solid, everyone stepped up their game and Kaz proved that he can work two matches on a PPV without losing his touch.
The bulk of the PPV focuses on the Deuces Wild tag team tournament for the TNA World Tag Team Titles, which is such a sharp contrast to how WWE has neglected the tag teams over the years, with it only now starting to turn around to have some focus with Murdoch and Cade splitting up last night on RAW, and a feud with Roddy Piper hovering over Carlito and Santino versus Cody Rhodes and Bob Holly. Of course the gimmick with the TNA tag teams were to pair the unlikely partners up to see how they would work together. The main thing to come out of the odd pairing was Booker turning heel on Christian and Rhino. What was humorous about that is Christian literally kept walking toward Booker as he noticed Booker was about to hit him. TNA had a few other blunders on the PPV that they need to be able to control better in the future, but more on that later. I’m glad to see Booker turning heel, and he should have some great matches with Christian once again.
Another impressive part of the tag team division of TNA is how good LAX are. There was no doubt they should have won the tournament because they have solid chemistry, ability and fan support. It was also great to see Kong in the tag team tournament among the men and adds even further to how dominating she can be. The problem in her match teaming up with B.G. James versus AJ Styles and Super Eric had nothing to do with her but with AJ’s mistimed slip where he fell straight on his face and they had to call a audible. Really embarrassing considering how AJ normally never misses that move and even more so because TNA couldn’t find a way to switch the camera angle like WWE would to minimize the affect. TNA needs to practice the art of covering flubs like this and when Traci Brooks ELIMINATED HERSELF from the angle I saw during the Battle Royale.
The Terrordome match with the X Division and the added bonus that the winner would be in the main event of the night, gave it a extra big time feel, but it was obvious that Kaz had the best chance of winning. One spotfest after the other, the match itself was good and it was puzzling that the guys would have to climb through the hole to win. The dome itself felt like a cheaper version of the Elimination Chamber, I thought, but not enough to bother me. It was somewhat funny that the guys had to climb up and out of the dome with the referee with the safety harness on.
The MVP of the night was Roxxi Leveaux for proving how tough she is and not only fighting with that deep gash on her head from fighting Gail Kim in the after-Royale ladder match but having to sit there with her head being shaven off. The crowd reaction in support of her and against Russo for the WCW booking at the end, should give her the top face push. The Royale itself was a mess, and as a consequence, the Ladder Match could have been a bigger mess but it was manageable. What will be interesting is how Gail will be received in this in the future, when the fans were clearly behind Roxxi to get the win so her head would not get shaven. TNA has a proven history overall of building the women’s division better than the WWE, and though Mickie James has the WWE Women’s Championship, they have blended her character into so much of a face, that she’s losing her edge, as Melina is stepping it up and getting destroyed by Beth Phoenix on locker doors.
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