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Universal Studios – Orlando, Florida – Friday, May 3, 2013
Mike Tenay and Taz are on commentary. Jeremy Borash and Christy Hemme will be handling the random drawing to pair up partners and select opponents. The winners of six tag team matches will be entered into a gauntlet match in the main event.
MATCH #1: James Storm & Christian York vs. Gunner & Crimson
Storm and Crimson start the match in a nice callback to Slammiversary X. They go back and forth a bit but it’s Storm taking early control. Storm and York show some nice teamwork, but Crimson quickly forces York back into the wrong corner and makes the tag. Gunner goes to work but York cuts him off and hits a bulldog for two. They trade blows now and things get heated. York lands a leg lariat for two. Storm tags in and takes Gunner off his feet with a right hand. York tags back in and he can’t maintain the advantage. Gunner and Crimson work together finally in keeping York in their half of the ring. After several minutes York is able to kick Gunner in the head and make the tag. Storm is a house afire, throwing Gunner around the ring. He hits a top-rope cross body block for a near-fall. Crimson comes in to attack but Storm is able to handle him as well. York recovers enough to help his partner, as they continue to show surprisingly impressive teamwork. Crimson comes back in and drills Storm with a Spear. He drags Gunner over for the cover and they get two. Storm gets caught in the corner but he gets his boots up on Gunner, and then hits Crimson with a Codebreaker. He hangs on and York hits Crimson with a double stomp from the top rope. York shoves Gunner into a Last Call and that’s enough for Storm to get the pin at 9:08. That was a surprisingly enjoyable tag team match, with Storm and York looking like a well oiled machine, and Crimson and Gunner using their brute strength to counteract them. Good start here.
Rating: ***
MATCH #2: Jessie Godderz & Mr. Anderson vs. Douglas Williams & Kid Kash
Kash and Anderson start the match. Jessie tells Anderson to get out of the way though, he’s got this. That of course does not go well for Mr. Pectacular. Anderson tags in and he fares much better. Jessie weasels his way back in and is actually helpful this time. Kash retaliates by poking Anderson in the eye. Williams tags in and Anderson quickly takes control of him. Jessie begs for a tag and gets one, continuing the arm work. He tries to tag out but Anderson ignores him and Williams takes advantage. Williams and Kash isolate Jessie and wear him down. Jessie is able to hit Williams with a powerslam, but before he can make the tag Williams cuts him off. Kash and Williams continue to beat Jessie down, keeping him away from his partner. Eventually Jessie hits Williams with a dropkick and Anderson finally gets the tag. Anderson is a house afire, throwing everybody around. Jessie tries to help out again, so Anderson delivers a Mic Check to his own partner! Kash tries to take advantage with a schoolboy rollup but Anderson rolls it into his own cradle to get the pin at 10:14. That was an interesting mix of wrestlers, and they did a good job playing to everyone’s strengths. They at least made a good effort to make it different than just a regular match, and it worked.
Rating: **¾
MATCH #3: Christopher Daniels & Samoa Joe vs. Chavo Guerrero & Rob Van Dam
Chavo and Daniels start it off. They go back and forth and it’s Chavo scoring the first upperhand. RVD tags in to continue that advantage. He works Daniels over and puts him in a submission hold that’s near the ropes, which Daniels takes. Joe tags in and he and RVD exchange a nice series of reversals. Momentum swings between the two teams and tags continue to be made. Joe and Daniels take the first prolonged advantage on Chavo, keeping him in their half of the ring. After several minutes of abuse from two of TNA’s best, Chavo is able to fight back, and dissension between Joe and Daniels helps him make the tag. RVD is a house afire, taking it to Daniels with vigor. He hits Rolling Thunder and Joe breaks up the cover. The referee loses control and all four men are fighting in the ring. RVD goes up top for the Five-Star Frog Splash on Joe but Daniels stops him. Chavo goes up as well, and he knocks Daniels down and follows him to the floor with a cross body block. That leaves RVD alone on the top rope and Joe is able to pop up and hit the Muscle Buster to get the pin at 14:49! That was classic tag team formula stuff, with the added twist of Daniels and Joe getting along until they didn’t get along, but still winning the match by sheer force of awesome. It got hot down the stretch too. Good stuff here.
Rating: ***½
MATCH #4: Robbie E & Zema Ion vs. Bobby Roode & Joseph Park
Roode is one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions, along with Austin Aries. Park gets on the mic and tells Roode that he’s honored to be teaming with a former World Champion. He wants to name their team “Law and Order.” Roode tells him exactly what he thinks about that, which is not complimentary. He basically tells Park he’ll do this all on his own. Ion and obviously Roode start the match. Roode dominates both Ion and E, showing why he is the was the longest reigning TNA World Champion ever. Park asks for a tag and Roode obliges. E tags in and he mocks Park’s training regimen. He then tries to outpower the massive Park, which is just a bad idea. Ion and E are able to use teamwork to keep Park off his feet. This goes on for several minutes and Park looks to be in trouble. Ion goes up for a 450 Splash and Park moves, but he moves the wrong way so Ion still lands on him. If that was on purpose that was amazing of Park. E tags back in and Park is able to fire up and take it to him. Park goes to the second rope and hits a huge splash. Ion breaks up the count. Ion and E knock Roode off the apron and then hit Park with their version of Poetry in Motion. That causes Park to bleed from the mouth, and you wouldn’t like Park when he bleeds. Park loses his mind and throws E and Ion around the ring. He disposes of Ion and hits E with the Black Hole Slam. Park then snaps out of the Abyss and looks confused. Roode tags himself in and cleverly scores the pin at 10:19. E and Ion actually have styles that compliment each other well, and the dynamic between Roode and Park was a lot of fun. Like the second match, this one made an effort to have a different dynamic and it resulted in a surprisingly entertaining match.
Rating: ***
MATCH #5: Hernandez & Alex Silva vs. Devon & D.O.C.
Devon is the current TNA Television Champion, in his second reign. It’s pretty lucky for Devon and D.O.C., two members of the Aces & Eights, to be chosen to team together. Devon and Silva start the match. Hernandez looks eager to see what Silva can do. The veteran Devon tries to intimidate his much less experienced opponent, but Silva shows no fear. Devon takes the early advantage but Silva makes a quick comeback and tags Hernandez. The former seven-time NWA/TNA World Tag Team Champion works Devon over until Devon takes a cheap shot and then tags out. The massive D.O.C. is in now and the two big bulls take it to each other. Hernandez takes control and tags Silva, which proves to be a mistake. Silva gets outsmarted by the veterans Devon and D.O.C., and the Aces & Eights are in control. Devon and D.O.C. isolate Silva and keep him in their half of the ring. Eventually Silva makes the tag and Hernandez starts throwing everyone around. Silva tags himself back in and Hernandez wipes out Devon with a beautiful tope. That leaves Silva with D.O.C., and Silva strikes first with a missile dropkick for two. D.O.C. catches Silva with a big boot to the face and then connects on a chokeslam to get the pin at 9:11. This was a pretty straightforward tag team match, which was fine but it lacked any of the flair that some of the earlier matches on the card had.
Rating: **¼
MATCH #6: Robbie T & Matt Morgan vs. Joey Ryan & Al Snow
Ryan and Snow had quite a feud a few months before this, so they are not eager to team with each other. In fact, Ryan tries to escape and Snow runs him back to the ring himself. Ryan and Morgan then work together despite not being on the same team, and that allows Morgan and T to have complete control of the former ECW Superstar. They spend several minutes working him over until Snow finally aggressively tags Ryan into the match. Ryan finds himself in the ring with the immovable Robbie T. That doesn’t go well for Ryan, but his regular partner Morgan pulls his tonight partner T off the cover. They big men argue and Ryan tries to take advantage with a rollup but T just says Nah, we’re good here. Ryan gets thrown over to the corner and makes the tag. Snow uses everyone in the ring to make it so Ryan and Morgan have to fight each other. Ryan and Morgan try to tag out, but T and Snow drop off the ring apron. Things get heated as Ryan and Morgan try to convince each other to lay down. Ryan attacks Morgan with his back turned but it does no good. Morgan drills Ryan with the Carbon Footprint to get the win and advance to the gauntlet at 12:25. I liked the interactions between Ryan and Morgan in this one, but Al Snow being there kind of dragged it down. It also went on too long but this was okay.
Rating: **½
MATCH #7: Gauntlet Match
First we recap how all 12 men made it into the gauntlet. The #1 and #2 entrants are James Storm and Bobby Roode. These two know each other very well, and they go back and forth at a rapid pace in the early going. Storm takes the early advantage and tries to throw Roode over the top rope. That doesn’t happen though, and Devon is the #3 entrant. Devon goes after Storm and forms a temporary alliance with Roode. The Aces & Eights get a big advantage when D.O.C. comes out at #4. Storm and Roode are basically forced to work together, and they are able to eliminate the big D.O.C. Right after that, Jessie Godderz is the #5 man in the match. The brawling continues as then #6 makes his way out and it’s Christian York. That’s the halfway point. Joseph Park is out at #7. Not much happens until #8 is out and that’s Mr. Anderson. Godderz wants to work together with Anderson since they were partners earlier, but Anderson feeds him to Park instead. Park eliminates Godderz to a nice pop. Christopher Daniels is the #9 entrant. We make it to #10 and it’s Samoa Joe, who immediately goes after Daniels. Joe also goes after everyone else, just because he’s awesome and he can. The massive Robbie T is #11 and he quickly gets rid of York and Daniels. Anderson tries to eliminate T but has no luck and gets thrown out himself. Matt Morgan got the plum #12 draw and he’s ready to square off with T. Morgan gets rid of Park pretty fast, and then sidesteps a charging Joe to eliminate him. T is the next to go courtesy of “The Blueprint.” Morgan goes after Storm but can’t eliminate him, msising a big boot and getting hung up on the top rope. Storm then knocks him to the floor for a big elimination. Knux sneaks in from the crowd and pulls Roode to the floor through the middle rope. That leaves Storm and Devon in the ring, with Knux lurking at ringside. Knux grabs Storm for a charging Devon, but Storm moves and clotheslines Devon to the floor! Roode rightfully gets back in the ring and tries to throw Storm out, but Storm skins the cat. Storm hits Roode with the Closing TIme to knock him to the apron, and then hits the Last Call to knock him all the way to the floor for the win at 24:00. It was a fairly standard battle royal / gauntlet type of match, with lots of brawling and a few “big” spots. It was fun enough given the participants and the crowd was into it, so it was a fine way to end.
Rating: **¾
