Can Samoa Joe retain his world title against the threat of Booker T? Can AJ Styles finally defeat Kurt Angle? Who will win between Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal? Find out what the Inside Pulse writers think inside!
Six Sides Of Steel Weapons Match
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Booker T
Paul Marshall: Foregone Conclusion.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Andrew Wheeler: You know, a very large part of me just wants to copy and paste exactly what I wrote from last month’s Roundtable. If TNA is going to force-feed us the same crappy main event for two months in a row, why the hell do I need to come up with some new smartass way to rip it? Booker T and Samoa Joe going at it one more time in a steel cage with all kinds of lame props sounds about as exciting as watching…well…the rest of this card. At the last PPV, TNA decided to pull out the old wacky shenanigans finish by having Booker leave with the belt even though he isn’t champion. And now, weeks after the “controversial†finish, we’re getting a headlining match that has been built around Sting, who isn’t even competing on the damn show! Joe and Booker competing against each other is hardly the most exciting match I can think of to watch, and it really appears that the Joe title run is about as dead-in-the-water as it gets. Sure, you could make a case that CM Punk is more of a lame-duck champion, but look at who Punk has the opportunity to work with for the next few month: John Cena, Batista, Shawn Michaels, John Bradshaw Layfied, Chris Jericho and Kane. Joe? Booker T, Kevin Nash and Sting. Punk will get to compete with the biggest current names in the industry while Joe is going to be toiling away with the same WCW uppercard that no one wanted to watch in 2000. You can strap as many gimmicks as you want to these feuds, they aren’t going to do anything to get anyone over. TNA has already made Booker T an afterthought, and anyone who watches ECW now realizes that if Booker kept his mouth shut, at least he’d be ECW Champion. Booker’s role was supposed to help elevate Joe, yet I don’t view Samoa Joe any more or less credible in this feud. Booker hasn’t helped Joe step up his game in the ring and hasn’t given him a “defining moment.†Now, instead of doing the clean job last month, Booker’s going to get beat thanks to the use of all kinds of crazy weapons. Oh, there’s no way Joe’s dropping the belt here to Booker T. With Bound for Glory coming up in two months, TNA needs to hold out just long enough to blow their load with the Joe/Sting match, especially considering it’s the last big money match they have. Five years into this company’s existence and the next number one contender would be any schmuck willing to leave the WWE. I’m serious, if someone defected to TNA, they’d be the next #1 Contender. And I’m not talking about a current WWE main eventer either. I mean, if Domino or Charlie Haas left Connecticut for TNA, he’d be the next most over guy in the company. How did TNA get this all so wrong? They had the talent pool capable of doing it. What the hell do they have now? Are we supposed to look forward to Joe/Angle, which we saw to the point of ad nausem last year? Is Joe/Nash really that enticing? Joe/Morgan? It boggles my mind that they are so completely rudderless and have been so for so long and yet there hasn’t been a drastic change. Christian’s defection was supposed to change the landscape of TNA. It didn’t. Angle’s defection was supposed to turn the tide over to TNA. It didn’t. Getting two hours was going to be the difference maker. It wasn’t. Joe as champ was going to show the world that TNA was the best. That never happened. Booker T choosing to leave the WWE for TNA was going to open the floodgates. Floodgates are still closed. I went back and read what I wrote for Hard Justice last year and I found myself being just as critical as I am now. And I assure you, I am not just being redundant for the sake of being redundant. I am simply stupefied as to how a company could screw up so many times on so many different levels and survive? TNA has never truly suffered a major injury or a major defection that could hurt them, yet they always seem to book as if they have no idea where they’re going. Booker/Joe is about as much of a formality as it gets in terms of headlining matches. What is my enticement for ordering this show? To see a match I didn’t want to watch last month but with the addition of a cage? Thanks, but no thanks.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Mark Neeley: The obvious thing would be for Joe to take the title back (literally) here after the nice little bit they did with Booker “stealing” the belt, but it’s all of course based around the wildcard factor Sting will play and if he will continue to screw Joe. So there’s basically two possibilities, the latter or Joe wins cleans and that sets up Joe-Sting like Joe himself has teased. Even though Joe is Joe I’m personally digging Booker’s stint with the belt, in fact it’s one of the only things I’m digging in TNA, so I’ll say he somehow hang onto it.
Winner – Booker T
Danny Cox: Ok, this just screams 1996! Booker has the belt and won’t give it back to Joe. Joe says he doesn’t need the belt in order to prove he’s a champion. Ok, then why does he keep trying to get it back then? So then the cage is aimed at keeping these two brutes contained so that no-one can interfere…but oh no, Sting has been in the rafters which mean he can come in through the top!
Here comes the nWo! Here comes Sting! Don West creams (Cream Count: 1) his pants! Booker got destroyed in his home town and takes the title this time to move onto someone else! Sting and Joe feud for no damn good reason at all and it doesn’t matter because Joe as champion hasn’t been all it was supposed to be cracked up to be anyways! Hooray, everyone can continue wallowing in mediocrity.
Winner and NEW Champ – Bookaaaaahhhh T
Matthew Michaels: After last month’s debacle, Joe needs a real win here, and I still contend that the best way to continue Joe’s championship run is to have him beat all the “name” guys (Angle, Booker, Nash, Sting) on the way to eventually putting someone “new” over once he’s been on top for, say, a year.
Winner – Joe
David Brashear: Know how you never really expect a major title change at No Way Out? Same deal here. TNA’s busy putting everything in motion for Bound for Glory. If Booker took the title, they’d have to build toward Joe-Booker (again) at BFG. They’ve been doing too much hinting about Sting for that to be the plan. Joe retains.
Winner – Samoa Joe
“The Phenomenal” AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle
Andrew Wheeler: Speaking of matches I’ve seen a lot, here’s Angle and Styles, who are feuding now for some reason that I know at one point involved Karen Angle and now is probably about who pulls off the hooded sweatshirt the best. Angle and Styles are both talented as hell, yet their matches haven’t reached 5 snowflakes. Maybe if TNA gave this time and didn’t thrust gimmicks onto it, these two could have an incredible match that would leave people talking and shut up the haters (me included). Instead, we get a Last Man Standing, which means a lot of 9 counts and a lot of slow, plodding struggle-to-your-feet spots. How does a match like this help TNA? It blows off the feud, one hopes, but neither one of them is going to go after the TNA World Title at the next show, so what’s the point? They just finish the match and Kurt can move on to one stupid feud and Styles can move on to another? Do one of them get involved with Booker T? Since this match doesn’t require a pinfall or submission, Angle can take the loss and it isn’t the end of the world. Maybe this means we could see a Styles/Joe match for the TNA Title? Imagine that, two homegrown superstars who are in their prime competing for the World Title? What a novel concept!
Winner: AJ Styles
Mark Neeley: This feud isn’t over yet? Well I hope it is after this match. Not because these two can quite easily put on a **** match with their hands tied behind their backs, but because it’s been prodding on so long that it’s just becoming tedious. It’s a flip of the coin on who they’ll give the win to, mine landing on the face.
Winner – AJ Styles
Danny Cox: Seriously, if AJ doesn’t win here…they might as well take him out back and shoot him.
Winner – AJ Styles
Matthew Michaels: I think AJ wins this one, although I have no clue where the Sting stuff is going, and if the LEGEND is turning HEEL, then Sting/AJ would be mighty interesting to watch unfold.
Winner – AJ Styles
David Brashear: It’s definitely time to move both AJ and Angle on to new feuds. I’ll give AJ the win – he gets the rub from pinning Angle, and hopefully gets to challenge Joe for the belt (at No Surrender, maybe?).
Winner – AJ Styles
Paul Marshall: Maybe AJ will finally pick up a meaningful win here, but I’m not holding my breath.
Winner: AJ Styles
The Latin American Xchange vs. Beer Money
Mark Neeley: This feud does absolutely nothing for me but I guess LAX dropping the tag straps would be a somewhat fresh idea so I’ll go with that, just please Roode & Storm, drop the God-awful name.
Winners – Beer Money
Danny Cox: I hear LAX is going to be split up which is the stupidest idea since someone wanting to turn Sting heel (which I hear is being considered as well)! LAX works fantastic together and splitting them up would benefit Homicide only. Hernandez would fall back into obscurity and become nonexistent. That being said, Roode and Storm (I refuse to call them that incredibly stupid name) take the titles here again proving they couldn’t make it as singles stars either.
Winners and NEW Champs – Rick Rude Wannabe and The Drunkard
Matthew Michaels: I <3 BEER MONEY, and not sure what else the LAX has to offer at this point. Probably better to have heel champs here and let LAX chase. Winner - Storm & Roode David Brashear: LAX hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire since winning the belts (and I can’t believe I’m saying that). New champions, and we’ll see who steps up to challenge… THURSDAY NIGHT ON IMPACT! NOW, TO THE BACK WITH JB! Winners – James Storm & Robert Roode Paul Marshall: TNA wants to break up LAX. TNA wants to destroy Tag Team Wrestling, period. Yup...Russo is still alive. Winner: Beer Money, Inc. Andrew Wheeler: LAX is over, so TNA wants to split them up. Beer Money Inc. is not over, so TNA wants to push them. Does it make any more sense than that? Beer Money Inc. is completely insane in my opinion because the whole concept of splitting up Team Canada and AMW was to create SINGLES stars. Instead, we basically were subjected to months and months of James Storm and Robert Roode matches for no real reason. Some guys have what it takes and some guys don’t, and these two don’t. When I heard that they were splitting up LAX, I assumed that it was to get Homicide over. Of course, when I realized this was TNA, I wasn’t at all shocked when I saw that it was Hernandez that they wanted to elevate. TNA could have been something different than WWE, but instead they’re just the weaker, more generic and watered-down knockoff. Give Beer Money Incorporated the belts and be done with it, TNA. Winner: Beer Money Inc.
“The Instant Classic” Christian Cage & “The War Machine” Rhino vs. Team 3D
Danny Cox: Do not care!
Winners – Rhino/Cage
Matthew Michaels: With rumors that 3D’s contracts are up soon, I’m gonna put my money on Cage & Rhino here, so they can go onto a feud with the new heel tag champs.
Winner – The Instant War Machine
David Brashear: Haven’t the Dudleys’ contracts run out yet? If so, could TNA maybe spill some coffee on them to fudge the dates and get them out sooner?
Winners – Christian & Rhino
Paul Marshall: Well, while TNA seems to want to break up good tag teams, they still allow the bad ones to stay together. Not Cage/Rhino – because they rule. Maybe that’s why I have a bad feeling about this.
Winners: Team 3D (Beer Money interference)
Andrew Wheeler: I just don’t want to see any of this crap, I really don’t. Why the hell are Christian and Rhino still a team? Why the hell are Team 3D still under contract? What does a New Jersey street fight have anything to do with anything? Cage should never have left the WWE, period. Rhino probably should have left because his stumpy arms, drinking problem and wife-yelling problem pretty much ensured him a one-way ticket to Heat. The Dudleys? True, they were stale, but at least in the WWE they could be putting over Cryme Time, Team Priceless or Miz & Morrison. On second thought, letting their half-assed workrate come anywhere near those teams would be a disaster. No, this tribute to turn of the century WWE tag match is yet another beautiful example of how TNA has a roster full of people that they have no idea how to use. Wasn’t Cage your champion at one point?
Winner: Christian & Rhyno
Mark Neeley: Does anyone really care about this match? We’ve already seen the same thing before, like last PPV with a couple of other guys added, and on Impact a few weeks ago but involving tables instead of the full-fledged street fight. Yawn. Anyway, I guess it’s the faces turn to get the win.
Winners – Christian Cage & Rhino
Champ “Maple Leaf Muscle†Petey Williams vs. Consequences Creed
Matthew Michaels: Whatever. (Isn’t that sad?)
Winner – Creed
David Brashear: Remember when the X-division title was one of the hottest things going? Neither does TNA.
Winner – Petey Williams
Paul Marshall: Their match on Impact was average, so maybe this one will be better.
Winner: Petey Williams
Andrew Wheeler: So it isn’t good enough that half of your roster is aping WWE superstars, you now have your guys cannibalizing TNA superstars? And of all people, Scott Steiner? Petey has one sick finishing move combined with a lot of just sort of there offense, yet he’s X-Division champion. Consequences Creed is some nondescript black guy who is trying to be everything from an Apollo Creed knockoff to something out of SFX: Tricky. Nothing says filler quite like having a contender who doesn’t even have his own superstar page on TNA’s website. The X-Division belt is now pretty worthless, so why not let Sump Pump Jr. carry it for a while. After all, he was willing to dye his hair.
Winner: Petey Williams
Mark Neeley: Williams has had the X belt for long enough and since getting his new gimmick the title is rarely ever even mentioned, it’s about time he drops it and they seem to really dig Creed lately, who now since Thursday also holds a tag victory over Shelley and Sabin.
Winner – Consequences Creed
Danny Cox: Don’t care about Creed in the least bit, and he proved my point that no-one should care about him with that God awful stretcher match against Booker some weeks back. He looked like Eugene out there for goodness sake. Petey Williams has lot any recognition since Steiner went down, but he’s going to end up losing the title here and falling back into no-man’s land again.
Winner and NEW Champ – Consequences Creed
“Black Machismo†Jay Lethal vs. “The Guru†Sonjay Dutt
David Brashear: Here’s another feud that needs to end. Please, TNA. Listen to reason. End it now.
Winner – Jay Lethal
Paul Marshall: Come on, can we see So Cal Val tell both men to f*** off and find out that she’s seeing somebody else? That Russo-rific enough for you? It’s not like this match already screams Russo-rific.
Winner: Jay Lethal for giggles.
Andrew Wheeler: Val could turn, she could bend over, she could take a flying leap and I still wouldn’t care. Why not let two guys who are talented actually wrestle each other? Bleh, I’m just sick of this whole damn card, and these two guys engaging in one of the most telegraphed and tiresome feuds of all time is the final straw. If you actually order this damn show instead of downloading it, you have too much money.
Winner: Dutt
Mark Neeley: PLEASE let this abysmal feud end here.
Winner – Jay Lethal
Danny Cox: Never thought I’d hate anything involving Jay Lethal, but I’m sick of this. Val finally does the inevitable turn and causes him to lose as she sides with Dutt. Wouldn’t surprise me though ya know if Russo read the internet enough and tried to swerve us all by having Lethal win as Val finally believes him. Wouldn’t make sense though.
Winner – Dutt
Matthew Michaels: Dutt’s winning here with Elizabeth Val finally going heel on her ex-mate.
Winner – The Guru
Taylor Wilde, Gail Kim & ODB vs. The Beautiful People & Awesome Kong
Paul Marshall: Let’s just say for the hell of it that the Beautiful People aren’t going to win, even if the substitute for Moose weighs as much as Abyss. Hopefully TNA builds towards Monster v. Monster for Bound For Glory.
Winners: The Wilde Connection
Andrew Wheeler: I can’t really pretend to like the TNA Knockout Division all that much. Women’s wrestling, in my personal opinion, is best when relegated to the T&A antics rather than below average actual pro wrestling. With that said, Kong needs a win to reestablish “herself” as the monster heel in the division, so I guess I’ll give her the win.
Winner: Kong & the borderline attractive but still skanky people
Mark Neeley: The Beautiful People & Kong don’t have anything to prove in this match and Kong is expected to sit out for a while soon, the faces need the win to further help get Wilde over as the Knockouts Champ.
Winners – Taylor, Gail, ODB
Danny Cox: Whoopty-friggin-doo!
Winner – Awesome People
Matthew Michaels: Oh man, the Beautiful People HAVE to win this one.
Winner – Heels
David Brashear: The Beautiful People have been on a roll lately. I don’t see it ending here.
Winners – Beautiful People & Awesome Kong
Are we right? Wrong? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
