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411’s PPV Roundtable Preview: TNA Victory Road 2010
Welcome, 411 wrestling readers, to 411Mania’s TNA Pay-Per-View Roundtable! Last month, TNA held Slammiversary VIII where Rob Van Dam successfully defended the TNA World Title against Sting. Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson defeated Beer Money while Jay Lethal upset AJ Styles. Matt Morgan won the latest chapter of his battle with Hernandez by disqualification and Madison Rayne sent Roxxi packing from TNA. Douglas Williams retained his X-Division Title against Brian Kendrick and Kurt Angle’s run through the Top Ten began by defeating Kazarian.
This month, TNA takes a trip down Victory Road as Van Dam faces his toughest challenge yet in a four-way match against Jeff Hardy, Mr. Anderson and Abyss. Brian Kendrick gets another shot at Douglas Williams and the X-Division Title in an Ultimate X Submission match while Madison Rayne takes on Angelina Love in another Title vs. Career match! Kurt Angle’s next stop on the Top Ten puts him up against the Pope D’Angelo Dinero while Matt Morgan and Hernandez battle in the confines of a steel cage! AJ Styles and Kazarian’s tension must be put aside as they battle a mystery team and Beer Money collides with the Motor City Machine Guns for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Titles! Finally Jay Lethal will battle the Nature Boy himself, and Jesse Neal and the two members of Team 3D fight in a triple threat match! It’s another packed show from TNA, so let’s get right down to it!
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Joining the Roundtable this month are:
The Man himself, Larry Csonka!
Our Raw and Impact recapper, Ronnie LaFianza!
Aaron Hubbard of “The Contentious Ten” and the ROH R’s!
Chad Nevett of “High Road/Low Road” and the Impact R’s!
Video reviewer Kyle Fitta!
Andy Critchell, the Wrestling Zone’s Lover of Divas!
And of course, yours truly Jeremy Thomas!
I’ll give them credit, that’s a very solid opening video for the Pay-Per-View.
TNA Victory Road 2010
THE CARD:
AJ Styles and Kazarian vs. ???
Larry Csonka: Flair has decided that AJ Styles and Kazarian have to work together and made them team on this show. I would guess that the mystery team is Generation Me, which should make for a really fun match. I expect AJ Styles and Kazarian to have miscommunication, adding to the angle.
Winner: The Mystery Team
Ronnie LaFianza: First off, predicting the winners of a match when you don’t even know half of the equation sucks. Second, I’m going to go ahead and assume Generation Me are their opponents, because then we could get a possibly kickass match. Thirdly, I’m expecting Generation Me to win (or whoever their opponents are) as the Styles/Kaz feud will most likely continue for some time, probably starting with a match at Hard Justice. If not Generation Me, then a team like Joe and Red, but as of now, I’m going with Generation Me.
Winner: Mystery Team
Aaron Hubbard: Wow, has AJ fallen far or what. I’m not big on Mystery Teams. If this is some team from the indies, like Kings of Wrestling, the Briscoes, or the American Wolves, I might actually care about this match. It will probably be The Young Bucks (I refuse to call them Generation Me) and the match will be good, at least until AJ and Kaz have their issues and lose.
Winner: Mystery Team
Chad Nevett: The little feud between Styles and Kazarian has been okay, but I’m ready for Styles to move on. Most seem to think that the mystery team will be Generation Me (a great choice), but I think TNA will go for something a little more surprising. I don’t know what, but Generation Me seems like too much of a safe choice despite their style working well with Styles and Kaz. I can’t see Styles and Kazarian working together, so that will lead to their loss.
Winners: Mystery Team
Kyle Fitta: Flair wanted AJ Styles and Kazarian tag up. If this is one of Dixie’s surprises for a mystery tag team, I have no idea who they could be. If they are a regular team in TNA, my money is on Generation Me. The match could be fun. I expect a lot of fast-pace and spot happy wrestling. It’d be a decent match to open the show. I expect AJ Styles and Kaz to have problems as a team, leading to Generation Me seizing the opportunity.
Winner: Generation Me
Andy Critchell: Seems like everyone thinks the mystery team will be Generation Me. What, no love for the 3LK? Minus Truth, of course. Anyhoo, it doesn’t really matter who the mystery team is here because this is more about AJ and Kaz than anything else. And AJ & Kaz will lose and there will be “tension.”
Winner: Fox Force Five (mystery team)
Jeremy Thomas: Frankly, it doesn’t matter who the tag team is, the story here is the tension between AJ and Kazarian and the smart booking is that they lose. Of course, they could always win and THEN have one turn on the other, but I don’t’ see that happening any more than my fellows do. GenMe would be the smart choice since it would make for the best match, but it could be any combination of people really. Either way, this will go down with the mystery team taking home the win.
Winner: Team X
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: The Mystery Team (7-0)
Larry Csonka: The breakup of Team 3D continues as we move onto a three way match. I look for Jesse Neal to sneak out the win here when Ray and Devon lose track of him to fight with each other. From here, I see Ray going with the not-so-ECW-Faction, as Devon, Neal and Shannon Moore stick together to feud with them.
Winner: Jesse Neal
Ronnie LaFianza: A random, impromptu match between Samoa Joe and Desmond Wolfe would be 18 times more interesting than this. As for who wins, well, who really cares? This match does nothing for me. Devon will take out Ray, and then Neal will capitalize for the win.
Winner: Jesse Neal
Aaron Hubbard: Well, this is a good way to take an overall decent card and put a damper on it. Why is this match happening? Watch it be decent just to spite me. Longtime tag team partners and…some guy? Survey says some guy pulls out the win.
Winner: Jesse Neal
Chad Nevett: I haven’t been a fan of this story since it doesn’t really make sense. Devon being the voice of reason continually points this out. But, does anyone want to see Team 3D break up? I’m calling for a swerve where Ray and Devon work together to take out Neal with Devon getting the pin to drive the point home.
Winner: Devon
Kyle Fitta: The built for this match actually hasn’t been that bad, but whenever 3D are wrestling in 2010, no fans are looking forward to it. The story goes like this: Brother Ray’s been upset with Jesse Neal. Devon’s been sticking up for Neal. Brother Ray has been getting jealous because Devon’s been taking Neal’s side and not his. So how do we solve this? Well, that is easy. Devon turns heel and joins Brother Ray. Simple Russonomics!
Winner: Bubba Ray
Andy Critchell: Ugh, do I have to? I guess I do. This match will be nice and terrible. It’s got everything you could want; a guy who’s fat, a guy who’s worthless, and a guy who is fat and worthless.
Winner: Devon
Jeremy Thomas: I hate Team 3D when they feud. Always have. They work great as a team, but not as singles guys, feuding or not. That’s why I think Neal sneaks through and picks up the win, because he’s the one with the upside here and he’s been improving enough and could use the win. Either way, I’m not real big on this match.
Winner: Jesse Neal
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Jesse Neal (4-2-1)
Larry Csonka: I have no clue what we’ll see here. I mean, we know what we’ll get from Flair, but the question is, will he have enough and be able to do enough to have an entertaining match with Lethal? The build has been fun, lethal will certainly be motivated, and I expect Flair to blade. Lethal SHOULD win.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Ronnie LaFianza: I’m surprisingly kind of looking forward to this match. The rivalry between these two has been pretty damn entertaining. Lethal is a great worker and Flair can go when need be. With TNA doing their best to put over Lethal, it’s a given that he’ll win here.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Aaron Hubbard: I think the match will be a pretty good, entertaining match up. I actually think Lethal HAS to win here. If Flair beats him, even by shenanigans, then there isn’t a point to prove anymore. Flair is the one being antagonized in this one.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Chad Nevett: Why can’t this match just be a debating match? Watching these two go back-and-forth on the mic is fantastic, but I can’t imagine this match being that great. Lethal is talented, but Flair hasn’t brought it since his ‘retirement’ match against Shawn Michaels. Lethal will pick up the win, because what’s the point otherwise?
Winner: Jay Lethal
Kyle Fitta: This matches build has been great. Lethal’s been mocking/respecting (whatever way you look at it) Flair for the past month or so. Flair doesn’t take it kindly when people mock the Nature Boy, Ric Flair. WHOOO!
Call me crazy, but I think this will be good. The matches story will more than likely be Flair vs. “himself”. Although I haven’t seen Flair actually work an actual match since HBK at WM, I think he can still go when he needs to and since he’s heel, it will be a lot easier for him because it’s his forte and he won’t have to move around much. I think he will be able to format the match properly so Lethal can hit his moves and comeback(s) at the right time. I also see Flair bumping like a fish-out-of-water and possibly bleeding crazily. I think this feud hasn’t seen its last day; therefore, I am picking Ric Flair to go over here via some shenanigans by the modern TNA Four Horsemen.
Winner : Ric Flair
Andy Critchell: Flair will definitely bleed like a stuck pig, the question here is will Lethal? After all, he is TNA’s own Rich Little and if Flair does it he has to follow suit, or something. Lethal has certainly gotten better over the years but he’s not good enough to pull a classic match out of a broken down old man.
Winner: Lethal
Jeremy Thomas: Could this be good? Absolutely. Will it? I have my doubts. I’ve enjoyed the way the feud has played out but this match really could go both ways in terms of quality. While I think that Lethal will obviously go over by the end of this feud I don’t believe it’s actually over yet so I think that Flair gets the nefarious win here, and they have a rematch that Lethal wins later.
Winner: Ric Flair
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Jay Lethal (5-2)
Larry Csonka: The Kurt Angle “I AM FUCKING AWESOME AND WILL PROVE IT BY HAVING GREAT MATCHES WITH EVERYONE IN THE TOP TEN” tour continues, and the next stop is the Pope. On one hand I dislike the match, because Pope SHOULD win when he returns, but the current angle with Kurt necessitates Kurt winning. If Pope is healed up, this could be a hell of a match.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Ronnie LaFianza: This should be a kick ass match, one that I’ve been anticipating for a while. I’m still not sure how the top 10 rankings thing is going to work for Angle though. What if the Pope gets voted in at #5 or something? Is Angle going to have to face him again? Also, I hate how people are complaining that Dinero’s going to lose in his return match. So what? He’s still going to look great in a losing effort. Angle going over here is a given though.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Aaron Hubbard: Potential show-stealer here. For all of the stupid things TNA does, they tend to leave Kurt alone and let him wrestle, and that can only mean good things for this match. Angle is definitely the favorite here, but I would be interested to see Dinero pick up a win here, because it would put him on another level.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Chad Nevett: Ah, a showcase match. Every PPV needs a match that doesn’t really have a strong story, but is just two talented guys trying to steal the show. Kurt Angle will win, because he needs to keep rising through the ranks, but expect the Pope to look very good in defeat.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Kyle Fitta: Ever since Angle returned to TNA after taking some time off when he defeated Mr. Anderson at Lockdown—he’s been determined to work his way up the ladder on the TNA’s ranking list. Angle’s been so determined in seeking his goal; he’s put his career on the line if he fails. Pope also has return recently after an injury.
Pope is great on the mic and he has great natural charisma, but to me he has not proven himself to be a consistent good worker in the ring yet. He’s had several solid matches with AJ Styles and Wolfe, but he hasn’t had that great match yet to call him a great in the ring. I expect this to be good, though. How good will be judged upon how much time it gets, as well as if the booking stupid. I expect a good face vs. face match, and I see Angle going over clean to continue his quest.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Andy Critchell: Ah, now here we go! Kurt has been really working at a very high level since starting his own version of the Top Ten countdown and the Pope always seems to be able to raise his game when in the ring with a top worker. This should be rough and tough and fun as hell to watch. Sure, the outcome is not in question since a loss would kill Angle’s angle (ha!) but in the end we’ll all be winners for seeing an awesome match.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Jeremy Thomas: This is a no-brainer. It’s the show stealer and it’s the easiest pick on the card. Angle’s storyline is a waste if he loses here and while Pope needs the win, he won’t get it. They’ll kick serious ass in the ring and the Olympic One will continue his way through the ranks.
Winner: Kurt Angle
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Kurt Angle (7-0)
Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez
Larry Csonka: Allow me to get this out of the way, I HATE that they continue to use cage matches when they still have to try and build the Lockdown PPV. Anyway, the feud has been a bit hot and cold to me, not bad, but not great to where I want to see the match. I’d like to see Hernandez take the win so that they both can move on.
Winner: Hernandez
Ronnie LaFianza: I’m curious to see how this match plays out. The rivalry between these two has been somewhat lackluster, but this could be a good way to blow it off. I’m still not entirely sure why exactly we’re getting a cage match between these two (Falls Count Anywhere, Last Man Standing or a No Disqualification would seem to make more sense), but I can live with the cage. I’m predicting that Hernandez wins thanks to some interference from Homicide.
Winner: Hernandez
Aaron Hubbard: This could surprise people. Hernandez and Morgan are both very talented big men who should be in the main event scene, but they aren’t, so fine. I like both guys, but Morgan should win this; he is younger and more likely to pay dividends for the company if they ever actually bother to do something with him.
Winner: Matt Morgan
Chad Nevett: This is one of the few matches where I could see it going either way. Both men could use the victory and this could be the surprise match of the night if they both bring it. I’ll go with Matt Morgan because I find him consistently more entertaining and a better asset for the company.
Winner: Matt Morgan
Kyle Fitta: Could you guess how this match started? Yep. Tag team partners who do not get along. How more cliché, over-used, and uncreative can this possible angle get in TNA? Ugh. I also do not see why this has to be a cage match, especially since Lockdown was in April. That is very counterproductive.
Maybe if they follow the handbook in this one, it could be passable. If they try to get cute and creative in this, I see this being really bad. One of my favorite bookers, talent scouts, or whatever you want to call him, Jim Cornette, likes Morgan, but I just don’t see his talent in the ring. He is decent on the mic; he does have a great look; he’s very agile for his size; he can execute moves well, but he cannot string them all together and make a story with them. He just does moves for the sake of doing them, despite the fact they don’t fit the puzzle that’s trying to be created. Oh well. Hernandez gets his revenge and wins.
Winner: Hernandez
Andy Critchell: I am looking forward to this match as well. Morgan has some kind of weird charisma that makes me enjoy seeing him on TV and Hernandez is a guy I have enjoyed for a while now. Plus it’s two big guys slugging it out in a cage! That’s always fun. I bet we see a bust through the cage spot at some point which will cause the Impact Zone crowd to wet their collective pants.
Winner:Morgan
Jeremy Thomas: This match could work out very well. I am not personally high on either of these guys but they work well in the ring and they’ll use the cage nicely. One way or another this feud needs to end, otherwise it starts to become the new Lethal vs. Dutt. It’s time for Hernandez to win and have them both move onto something else.
Winner: Hernandez
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Hernandez (4-3)
Madison Rayne © vs. Angelina Love
Larry Csonka: I see Velvet Sky reuniting with Angelina here, allowing her to win the title and reform the Proper Beautiful People.
Winner: Angelina Love
Ronnie LaFianza: This one seems pretty obvious. Velvet Sky (and possibly Lacey Von Erich) run down to seem to help out Madison. Madison gets pissed and tells her (or them) to back off, and then Velvet (and possible Lacey) turns on her, finally reuniting the original Beautiful People (sort of). Angelina’s obviously not going to be retiring, so even if all of that doesn’t happen, her winning here is a given.
Winner: Angelina Love
Aaron Hubbard: Gail Kim’s gone. Kong’s gone. Melissa’s gone. I don’t care about this title anymore. Next.
Winner: 8 Year Olds and 62 Year Olds (Angelina Love)
Chad Nevett: Throwing in the career vs. title stipulation works with the last couple of PPV defenses Madison Rayne has had. I’m tempted to pick her only because the idea of her being a career killer is a good one. Then again, the stipulation that if either Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich interfere, Rayne will be disqualified immediately and Love will get the belt suggests a reunion of the original Beautiful People.
Winner and NEW TNA Knockouts Champion: Angelina Love
Kyle Fitta: Unless Angelina Love is leaving, I don’t see why the career stipulation is needed. Why doesn’t TNA save the “career” stipulation for a more relevant and meaningful time? When you overdo any type of gimmick match, it becomes less significant. I honestly don’t know who wins here. I’m split between the both. I guess Love wins because I haven’t heard any rumors of her taking time off or quitting.
Winner: Angelina Love
Andy Critchell: Man-face vs. Horse-teeth. Sounds like a couple of He-Man figures doesn’t it? Where are Velvet Sky and/or Chelsea when you need them? Anyway, TNA just did some kind of retirement angle with Roxxi, surely they would not do the same thing with Love. Or would they????
Winner: Love
Jeremy Thomas: The other no-brainer. Angelina’s not leaving TNA. Or maybe she is and she’ll be the anonymous GM. IT’S A WORK! ONE SHOT DEAL! Did I miss any? Anyway, yeah. Love wins the Knockouts Title.
Winner: Angelina Love (NEW TNA Knockouts Champion)
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Angelina Love (7-0)
The Motor City Machineguns vs. Beer Money
Larry Csonka: TNA has wanted to put the tag team titles on the Motor City Machineguns for some time, but for one reason or another they haven’t. I feel that they get cold feet once again and give Beer Money the win to give Flair’s group some strength. Should be a good match.
Winner: Beer Money
Ronnie LaFianza: This match is without a doubt the most interesting and unpredictable match on the card (IMO). It seems that Hogan and Bischoff believe that the faces should always win (Seriously, when was the last time a heel won a big match on PPV? Besides AJ over Dinero at Lockdown and Sting over Jarrett at Sacrifice, the faces always seem to win these big match ups). The Guns on the other hand have never won the tag belts, and this would be an awkward PPV to have it be their first (although at this point I‘d be fine with it). In the end though, I think Beer Money’s going to pull out the win. There are a lot of face teams for the heels to feud with (Ink Inc., MCMG, LAX (if they reunite), and Generation Me) as opposed to the heel teams (Team 3D, and uh… Nash and Young?). I predict that Beer Money wins, and the Guns get a rematch at BFG and win the belts then.
Winner: Beer Money
Aaron Hubbard: I don’t see how anybody who has seen the Machine Guns compete in a promotion that actually respects talent can dislike them. They are amazing, easily one of the top five tag teams in the world since they’ve been together. Beer Money is great too, but the Machine Guns are on another level entirely. I don’t care if I’m wrong. Screw TNA if they put the belts on Beer Money again. The Guns deserve those belts.
Winner: Motor City Machine Guns
Chad Nevett: I really like both teams and can see good reasons to stick the belts on either. The Guns are insanely over and haven’t had the belts yet, while Beer Money winning their fourth tag titles and gaining a place in the New Four Horsemen Fortune would work very well. Yeah, I think I like that idea the best.
Winners and NEW TNA Tag Team Champions: Beer! Money!
Kyle Fitta: TNA’s been teasing a MCMG title win since about 2007. I think it is finally time they pull the trigger. However I see Beer Money winning this. I think the match will be very good, though, if given time. I think Beer Money is arguably the best tag team in the business right now, and although I am not MCMGS biggest fans in the world, they are still a fun and athletic team to watch, and under these circumstances, I think both teams can have a great match due to the dynamics of Beer Money being kind of old school southern style and MCMG being so flashy and athletic.
Winner: Beer Money
Andy Critchell: Another match that is a guaranteed winner and I am excited to see it just because I know how well they all work together. MCMG can get a little spot happy at times but a little too many is better than not enough. I think they finally get the straps here
Winner:MCMG
Jeremy Thomas: It’s now or never with the Guns, literally. I have faith in TNA that they won’t completely kill the Guns after teasing title runs for ninety bazillion years with them. Of course this will be a bad-ass match because the Guns and Beer Money always turn it on and work well against each other, but in the end it’s finally time for Shelley and Sabin to take home the gold.
Winner: Motor City Machine Guns (NEW TNA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS)
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Beer Money (4-3)
Doug Williams © vs. Brian Kendrick
Larry Csonka: Williams vs. Kendrick has been fun, and both guys have been locked into long term contracts, which is good for the division. This one is a real toss up, because they have built up Kendrick well, but also there is still a lot of mileage in Williams as a champion. Match quality is a question here, they have the talent to have a great match, but the dual stipulation and overbooking could hurt them.
Winner: Coin flip says Williams
Ronnie LaFianza: When the submission stipulation was added to this match, I made my disappointment known in my Impact report. There’s no need for a submission stipulation in a gimmick match that doesn‘t end with pinfalls or submission regularly. Seriously, wouldn’t you feel ripped off if this match ended in a submission? It’s like having a submission stipulation in a ladder match, it makes no sense. The odds are ridiculously being stacked against Williams in this match, and for no reason. Kendrick has dominated this rivalry so far, so expect Williams to retain and go on to feud with someone like Red, or possibly Joe.
Winner: Douglas Williams
Aaron Hubbard: Huh? I…I don’t get it. Can you win by submission OR getting the belt, or something? And if you can win by submission, what’s the point of going the dangerous route of Ultimate X? This is a case of two good gimmick matches combining to make something really dumb. The match could be fine and we’ll probably see some wacky, contrived submission hold on the wires, but I just can’t get past the inherent stupidity on this on. They should have just done 2/3 Falls: Pinfall, Submission, Ultimate X if needed. THAT makes sense. This doesn’t.
Winner: Doug Williams
Chad Nevett: I would be happy with either guys winning. I like Kendrick’s new persona and speaking manner, while Williams is constantly entertaining as the heel champion. The new idea of Williams being afraid of heights seems like a ruse to throw Kendrick off, but I can’t see that winning the match alone. I think Kendrick gets the win via submission.
Winner and NEW TNA X-Division Champion: Brian Kendrick
Kyle Fitta: Since they built Williams to look like a coward who is afraid of heights, I imagine him winning this won. The match might be okay. I am not sure, but it is at least interesting to see how it plays out.
Winner: Williams
Andy Critchell: This match has been picked to start off the show so I’m expecting the usual craziness from Kendrick. I know he won’t let me down. I also know he won’t win. *sad-trombone*
Winner: Dougie Fresh
Jeremy Thomas: You know, this is kinda hard. Both men have just been signed to long-term deals, which doesn’t give the edge. I’m going to go with Kendrick just because I think that they want to prove something with him, and now would be the time to give him the belt. I do think an Ultimate X Submission match is overkill, although if it’s determined that you only win the belt after making your opponent submit while using the belt as a weapon I’ll be amused.
Winner: Brian Kendrick (NEW TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPION)
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Douglas Williams (5-2)
Rob Van Dam © vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Abyss
Larry Csonka: This has the makings of a good match. All four have been working well together and very hard lately, which is a good thing. I think that they will pull the plug on Abyss winning the title here. Rumor has it that Hogan will face Abyss at Bound for Glory, and also that Abyss will be the centerpiece of the not-so-ECW-Faction, and having him as champion gives them a lot of power. Look for Hardy and Anderson to take each other out, and Abyss to pin RVD if Abyss takes the title.
Winner: Abyss
Ronnie LaFianza: I’m honestly not expecting much from this match. All four of these guys can go when need be, but their styles really don’t look like they’re going to mesh well. I’m mainly singling out Abyss when I say that, as he hasn‘t been able to put on great matches recently with any of these guys. I don’t agree with him being in this match, as I think Dinero or Styles would have been better choices. With that having been said, the winners of this match really come down to Abyss or Van Dam. Abyss has been rumored to win and face Hogan for the belt at BFG, which would be god awful. On the other hand, RVD vs. Angle for the belt at BFG is rumored too, which would be great. Since RVD has really been put on the backburner for the past month, I’m picking him to win. If there’s one thing I can respect TNA for, it’s not hotshotting their world title belt every month, as the champion usually holds it for a lengthy period of time. RVD losing it now just doesn’t really feel right. RVD wins here, and enters into a feud with Abyss, possibly going on until No Surrender.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
Aaron Hubbard: I don’t see any of the challengers as being credible World Champions at this point. Hardy would be at that level, but until he gets his court stuff finally settled, it is too big of a risk to put the belt on him. Anderson is ALMOST there, but he’s been ALMOST there for a long time. I personally think his ship has sailed. Abyss…well, let’s not go there. If everyone is “on”, this could be fun, but it could easily be a train wreck.
Winner: Rob Van Dam
Chad Nevett: Honestly, I don’t really want to see the belt on any of these guys. This match could be good, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just mediocre. With all of the talk about the ECW-esque invasion possibly happening, a lot of people don’t mention RVD’s hardcore past and I could see that playing a part here with him turning heel or aligning himself with Dreamer and company, possibly with Abyss acting as his muscle. It seems like the sort of swerve TNA would go for.
Winner and STILL TNA World Heavyweight Champion: Rob Van Dam
Kyle Fitta: I don’t get the booking coming into this for Abyss. They turn him heel and instead of building him up as a monster, they decide to job him out on TV. Wow. That’s a great way to make someone look good. Psyche. Anyway, the match could be fun. I am interested to see where this Anderson-Hardy angle goes. I don’t see RVD losing the title to anyone in this match. RVD’s title run thus far hasn’t done much for me. The match itself could be good, but I see it being a spot-fest, just like most 4 way TNA main events. I think this will set up Abyss and RVD down the road as well as a Jeff Hardy and Anderson feud too.
Winner: RVD
Andy Critchell: Just think about how awesome this match would be without Abyss. I wonder how they are going to work in his hackneyed thumbtacks bit, or any of the other worthless crap he’s known for. Ugh. Whatever, there are still three other guys in the match that are pretty good (RVD & Anderson) and great (Hardy) so as long as they knock Abyss out of the ring early then we should be in for a real treat. If Abyss is someone the focus of the match then we are in for a real disappointment. In any event, I don’t see why they would do a title switch at this point.
Winner: RVD
Jeremy Thomas: Process of elimination. Jeff won’t win because he’s still in legal trouble. Mr. Anderson won’t win because he’s not over enough. Abyss won’t win because Hogan will get involved. That means that Rob Van Dam will win again and look strong heading into Hard Justice.
Winner: Rob Van Dam (STILL TNA WORLD CHAMPION)
411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Rob Van Dam (6-1)
There you have it folks. And now for the monthly Roundtable awards…the 411Mania staff’s sure pick of the show and anyone’s game match!
Sure Pick of the Show: Angelina Love over Madison Rayne, Kurt Angle vs. The Pope, the Mystery Team over AJ & Kaz (7-0)
Anyone’s Game: Hernandez over Matt Morgan and Beer Money over the Motor City Machineguns (4-3)
And of course…the standings Year-to-Date! We’ve started over with Slammiversary, and Impact R’s man Chad Nevett led the way with a 7 for 9 score. Weyer and myself went 5 for 9 with Bauer and Ronnie just behind at 4 for 9.
Chad Nevett: 7 of 9 (77.78%)
Michael Weyer: 5 of 9 (55.56%)
Jeremy Thomas: 5 of 9 (55.56%)
Michael Bauer: 4 of 9 (44.44%)
Ronnie LaFianza: 4 of 9 (44.44%)
Chad kicks off the new year by taking the early lead! A lot more guys are joining the fray for Victory Road, though; will Chad be able to hold the lead?
And, of course, don’t forget to join us Sunday night for LIVE coverage starting at 7:30 pm!
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