A2Z Analysiz: TNA Lockdown 2010 (Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair)

Wrestling DVDs

Lockdown 2010

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Family Arena – St. Charles, Missouri – April 18, 2010

Lockdown Introduction

The video focuses on the danger of wrestling in the steel cage. This is Taz’s first lockdown. Tenay announces that X-Division Champion Douglas Williams is stuck in Europe due to the volcano so he has been stripped of the title. Taz then announces that Syxx-Pac did not show up for the event today. There’s a shocker.

MATCH #1: James Storm vs. Rob Van Dam

The winner of this match will get the man advantage in tonight’s Lethal Lockdown main event. Storm stalls outside the ring so RVD kicks the door into his face! RVD follows Storm to the floor and whips him into the cage. He sets Storm on the guardrail and climbs up onto the cage to hit the spinning legdrop. It’s all RVD until Storm is able to slam RVD’s face into the ring steps. They make it into the ring to start the match and RVD is already busted open!

RVD notices that he’s bleeding and looks mildly annoyed about it. He throws Storm into the corner and hits a running, spinning leg lariat. RVD continues to dominate as Storm has gotten in almost no offense whatsoever. Finally Storm avoids a charge in the corner and catches RVD with a neckbreaker. Storm immediately attacks RVD’s bloody forehead. RVD fires up but Storm clobbers him with a clothesline right into the steel cage for two. Next time RVD does come back and hit a spin kick. Both men rise and trade punches and RVD gets the better of it. RVD throws Storm into the cage and slams him down. He hits the split-legged moonsault for two. Storm comes back with a jawbreaker and spits beer in RVD’s eyes. He follows up with a DDT but RVD kicks out at two! Storm goes for the Superkick but RVD avoids it and hits a spin kick. RVD goes up top and hits the Five-Star Frog Splash to get the pin at 6:37. I think that’s the first time the babyface team will ever have the advantage in Lethal Lockdown. The match was a pretty solid opener, but I would have liked more Storm offense.
Rating: **¼

MATCH #2: Xscape Match – Alex Shelley vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Chris Sabin vs. Homicide

This has a slight rule change, in that there are no more eliminations and the first man to escape the cage is the winner. Said winner gets to battle Kazarian and Shannon Moore in a three-way match later on tonight to decide the vacant X-Division Championship.

Homicide tries to escape right away. Everyone stops him and the Machineguns work together to wear Kendrick and Homicide down. Then Kendrick and Homicide wisely decide to also work together to counteract the Guns. Kendrick has been busted open somewhere along the way. The Guns come back with some of the trademark double-teaming. Sabin drills Kendrick with a tornado DDT. Homicide then hits Sabin with a spinning neckbreaker. Shelley hits Homicide with a Codebreaker. The Guns set Kendrick up for the Made in Detroit but Kendrick fights out of it. Homicide grabs Sabin and hits the Gringo Killer. He signals to Kendrick for a double-team move but then he turns his back and races over the cage and drops to the floor to get the win at 5:00. That was adequate for the time given.
Rating: **

MATCH #3: Eric Young vs. Kevin Nash

Young wisely uses his quickness to go after Nash’s knees, and then instead of following up his advantage, he just stands there and lets Nash get to his feet. Of course at this point Nash takes over, hitting a kneelift and a couple of forearms. Young comes back with a missile dropkick, and then dropkicks Nash between the ropes and the cage. He follows up with a cross body block. The referee gets thrown out of position and Nash takes the opportunity to punch Young in the nuts. Nash backs Young into the corner and hits multiple kneelifts. Young begs for more a la Rocky Balboa. Nash hits a chokeslam but he lets Young get up rather than cover him. Young tries to fight up but Nash cuts him off with a big boot to the face. Nash then lawn darts Young’s face into the cage. The straps come down and Nash hits the Jackknife Powerbomb to get the pin at 4:49. Could Nash have made Young look less like a threat if he tried? That was a total squash. Nash then announces that he will join Scott Hall to take on Team 3D. I guess they had to keep it short since Nash was going to work double duty, but if they’re ever going to get anything out of the stop-and-start Eric Young pushes, someone is going to have to put him over.
Rating: ½*

MATCH #4: All Knockouts Titles on the Line Match – Velvet Sky & Madison Rayne vs. Tara & Angelina Love

Love has been the Knockouts Champion since 4.5.10 and this is her first defense. She actually won the title in some kind of ridiculous “Lockbox Showdown” match where all she had to do was randomly open up a lockbox and the belt happened to be inside it. Yes, that actually happened. The Beautiful People have been the Knockouts Tag Team Champions since 3.8.10 and this is their first defense.

Sky and Love start the match, since they have the biggest grudge. That doesn’t go to well for Sky, who seeks a timeout in the corner and makes the tag. Rayne doesn’t fare much better, as Love hits an immediate front slam for two. Love tries to follow up but Rayne cuts her off with a jawbreaker. Tara tags in and goes to work but Rayne rakes the eyes and makes the tag. Sky walks right into a drop toehold and Tara locks on an almost Muta Lock. Tara hits a snap suplex for two. Rayne interferes from the apron to give Sky control of the match. Sky gets several near-falls on Tara but can’t put her away. The Beautiful People hit a double dropkick to the back of the head for two as Rayne tags back in. Rayne hits the Skull Fucker and tags Sky, who covers for two. Tara fights back and bodyslams Sky. She goes up top and misses a moonsault. Tags are made on both sides and Love is a house afire. Tara makes a blind tag and hits the Widow’s Peak on Rayne but Sky breaks it up. The referee gets distracted and Lacey Von Erich hits Tara with one of the tag team title belts and Rayne gets the pin at 4:52. That was the shell of what might have been a good match had it gone at least twice as long.
Rating: **

MATCH #5: TNA X-Division Championship Match – Homicide vs. Kazarian vs. Shannon Moore

Kazarian is a former two-time X-Division Champion, and Homicide is a former champion himself. Moore and Kazarian work together on Homicide, the late entrant into the match. They sandwich him between the ropes and the cage and tee off on him. Kazarian goes for the cover but Moore wisely breaks it up. Moments later when Moore goes for a cover Kazarian breaks it up. Now they take each other on while Homicide recovers. Now Homicide takes control, working over both fellow challengers. You know, no offense to any of these three guys, but remember when the X-Division was almost as big of a deal as the main event? All three competitors fight up on the top rope, and Homicide is able to grab them both with a simultaneous Super Ace Crusher! Homicide tries covering both men but only gets two-counts. Kazarian cleverly tries pinning Moore in a Northern Lights Suplex while he has Homicide trapped in an O’Connor Roll but they both kick out. Moore sort of hits the Mooregasm on Homicide for two. Kazarian then drills Moore with a missile dropkick and Homicide breaks it up. Homicide hits Kazarian with a jawbreaker. He sets Moore up on the top and goes for another Ace Crusher but Moore pushes him down. Kazarian and Moore walk across the top rope and Moore kicks him down. Moore follows with a moonsault on Homicide but Kazarian breaks it up. Kazarian grabs Moore and rams him face-first and then back-first into the cage. He then puts Homicide up on the top rope and sets up for the Flux Capacitor but Homicide fights it off and hip tosses him down. Moore covers but Homicide breaks it up with a headbutt. Homicide focuses on Moore and looks for the Gringo Killer. Kazarian breaks it up and drills Homicide with Fade to Black to win the title at 9:10. That was an interesting clash of styles but they kept the action moving so it was fun enough.
Rating: **½

MATCH #6: Falls Count Anywhere Match – Kevin Nash & Scott Hall vs. Team 3D

The match starts up on the entrance ramp. Brother Ray and Hall pair off while Brother Devon battles Nash. They all battle into the crowd, and Ray hits hall with a cup of beer. Eventually Nash and Hall take control and knock Ray out on the floor, allowing them to throw Devon into the cage and double-team him. The Band successfully keeps Ray outside the cage until he grabs a chair and throws it into the door. Ray then slams the cage door into Nash’s face and finally enters the cage. Devon and Ray squash both Hall and Nash in the corner and then hit the What’s Up on Hall. Ray then tells his brother to get the tables, so he gets one. They hit Hall with the 3D through said table to get the win at 6:51. That was pretty terrible (Hall looked especially bad), but at least they kept it short.
Rating: ¾*

MATCH #7: Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle

The only way to win this match is to walk out the door. Anderson won a key to the cage by beating Angle in a ladder match a couple of weeks ago in Impact. Shockingly Anderson takes the first control with a couple of right hands and a low dropkick. He tries to unlock the door but it’s far too early. Even so, Anderson is able to maintain control, wrapping the key chain (more a key on the end of a chain than a keychain) and delivering some punches to the head. Anderson once again tries to unlock the door but Angle cuts him off. The crack camera team shows us that Anderson got the key into the lock and it’s just hanging there. Meanwhile Angle hits a snap suplex. Anderson comes back by backdropping Angle into the cage. Angle is busted open as Anderson continues working him over. Anderson repeatedly slams Angle’s face into the cage and then wipes Angle’s blood over his chest and stomach, which is gross. He drops an elbow and a leg, but when he tries to unlock the door Angle miraculously recovers and cuts him off. Anderson responds by hurling Angle face-first into the cage again. He goes for a piledriver but Angle reverses to a back body drop. Angle tries to unlock the door but Anderson cuts him off again. Looks like Anderson has been busted open as well. Anderson goes up to the top rope (slowly) and Angle pops up for the super belly-to-belly suplex. Both men get to their feet and Anderson unwraps some of his wrist tape and chokes Angle with it. For some reason the referee is trying to break it, but if the only way to win the match is escape why is there even a referee in the ring? Meanwhile Anderson is choking Angle out, but Angle feeds off the crowd and powers out of it with a back suplex. They get up and trade punches and Angle wins that battle. Angle hits a couple of clotheslines and a back body drop. He hits a belly-to-belly suplex and goes for the Angle Slam but Anderson avoids it and hits the Kennedy Roll. Anderson goes for the Mic Check but Angle avoids it and hits six rolling German Suplexes. Angle almost leaves but then decides to take the straps down and lock on the Ankle Lock! Anderson kicks off and hits the Mic Check! This time Anderson successfully unlocks the door but Angle grabs him and hits the Angle Slam! Angle closes the door and relocks it, and then throws the key into the crowd! Anderson looks quite worried, and who would blame him? He tries to climb out but Angle joins him on the top rope and hits a super German Suplex! Angle then climbs all the way to the top of the cage and delivers a stunning moonsault. It looks more like he landed on Anderson’s head. That was insane. I think the referee has a spare key because Angle unlocks the door and almost walks out. Anderson then steals from Vince McMahon and flips Angle the double bird. Angle comes back in and walks right into a Mic Check. Anderson almost crawls out the door but Angle grabs him in the Ankle Lock but Anderson rolls through it to send Angle into the cage. One more time Anderson tries to crawl out the door but Angle wraps a chain around Anderson’s neck and chokes him out! Angle spits in Anderson’s face and kicks him in the balls on his way out the door to win the match at 20:53. That was an awesome hate filled brawl and easily Anderson’s best match ever.
Rating: ****¼

MATCH #8: TNA World Championship Match – AJ Styles vs. D’Angelo Dinero

Styles has been the champion since 9.20.09 and this is his twelfth defense. Before the introductions are even made referee Earl Hebner banishes Ric Flair to the locker room. Styles is the aggressor early on, hitting an aggressive biel out of the corner. He goes after the arm but Pope keeps pace with him. They trade holds back and forth a bit and Pope gains an edge. Styles fights back with chops but the Pope no-sells them and unloads with some strikes in the corner. Every time Styles tries to fight back Pope has an answer for him and cuts him off. Finally Styles sidesteps a charging Pope and hurls him into the cage. Styles hits his signature dropkick and then locks on a chinlock. He switches that up and goes after the leg. The champ tries the flipping inverted DDT but Pope avoids it and throws him into the cage. Pope hits a DDT and both men are down. They get up and trade shots, with Pope getting the better of it. Pope hits a powerslam for two. Styles fights back with shoulders to the midsection and a thumb to the eye. He goes up top and hits the flying forearm for two. The champ goes up top with Pope but gets knocked down. Pope hits a diving headbutt for two. Taz calls it the “Nestle Plunge” but what he means is “Nestea Plunge.” Meanwhile Styles comes back with the Pele for two. Styles then goes up top and hits a perfect 450 Splash but Pope kicks out at two. He then goes to the top of the cage for a flying body press but he misses! Pope gets a quick cover for two. He follows up with an awesome Codebreaker but Styles kicks out again! Pope goes for the Dinero Express but Styles moves out of the way. Styles then reaches through the camera hole to grab a pen from the camera man. He jabs Pope in the eye with the pen and levels him with a discuss clothesline. Styles then hits the Styles Clash for the win at 13:34. That was pretty solid, but had the unfortunate reality of being placed between a Kurt Angle match and Lethal Lockdown. The crowd really got into Pope by the end there.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #9: Lethal Lockdown – Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe & Beer Money) vs. Team Hogan (Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam)

Team Captain Abyss is the first man out for his team, while Robert Roode gets the nod for Team Flair. These two will battle for five minutes before the next man makes his way out. Roode actually wins a slugging contest and then goes after the big man’s legs. Abyss comes back with a big boot and a series of punches in the corner. They continue going back and forth, with Roode holding his own with the Monster. Roode hits a Blockbuster and works Abyss over for their final minute in the ring alone together. Rob Van Dam is the next man out. He goes to work on Roode, giving Abyss a chance to recover. After two minutes of abuse, Desmond Wolfe (with Chelsea) makes his way out and doesn’t appear to be in any great hurry. Roode hits Abyss with a low blow and Wolfe dropkicks RVD’s head into the cage. Wolfe hurls RVD into the cage again. Team Flair controls the pace of the action now, but they’re about to be a man down again. Jeff Jarrett is the third man out for Team Hogan. He is a house afire, throwing both Roode and Wolfe into the cage. Wolfe and Roode are able to stay in the match despite their odds. James Storm is out to even the odds for Team Flair. He immediately spits beer in Abyss’s face and then attacks both Jarrett and RVD, who is badly bleeding. Jeff Hardy’s music hits but they cut backstage, and apparently Sting has injured the Charismatic Enigma with a baseball bat! Team Flair is in control as Team Captain Sting comes out.

Sting has his bat with him, and he’s not afraid to use it. He signals for the ceiling to be lowered and that’s exactly what happens. Now the weapons are in play, and Team Flair is absolutely destroying Team Hogan. Roode knocks Jarrett through the cage door all the way to the floor. Beer Money goes out after him while Abyss spreads out a bag of thumbtacks. Before any tack damage can be done, Storm blasts Abyss in the face with a beer bottle. Team Flair celebrates prematurely and Hardy’s music hits. Hardy comes out with a kendo stick and lays waste to Beer Money. Back in the ring Jarrett breaks a guitar on Wolfe’s head. RVD follows up with a Five-Star Frog Splash. Abyss then Chokeslams Sting onto the pile of tacks! Hardy climbs to the top of the cage and challenges Beer Money to join him. That proves to not be one of Hardy’s better ideas, as Beer Money quickly takes control of the handicap situation. They set up a table but Hardy fights them off and hits the Twist of Fate on Roode. Hardy then sets Storm on the table and sets up a ladder. He goes to the top of the ladder and splashes Storm through the table! Ric Flair’s music hits and the Nature Boy unofficially joins the match. Hulk Hogan follows suit. Eric Bischoff comes out and convinces Hogan not to fight. He then pulls brass knuckles out of his pocket and teases handing them to Flair before handing them to Hogan. Flair runs right into a brass knuckle beating and of course starts bleeding. Hogan continues the beating and Flair tries to Hulk Up but fails, and gets thrown onto the pile of tacks. Then from out of nowhere Abyss hits Wolfe with the Black Hole Slam for the pin at 30:13. There was a lot of good stuff in that match and the crowd got really hot for a lot of it. But watching Hogan and Flair steal the spotlight for the millionth time left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Rating: ***¼

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