411 PPV Roundtable Preview – TNA Lockdown 2012

Welcome, 411 wrestling readers, to 411Mania’s TNA Pay-Per-View Roundtable! This month, TNA presents its annual supercard Lockdown as World Champion Bobby Roode faces former partner “Cowboy” James Storm in the confines of an unforgiving steel cage! In fact, every match is in a cage! 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:

Michael Weyer!

Gavin Napier!

Larry “Bossman” Csonka!

And your’s truly, Greg DeMarco!

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TNA’S OFFICIAL “PLEASE BUY OUR PAY-PER-VIEW” VIDEO:

TNA Lockdown 2012

THE CARD:

Crimson vs. Matt Morgan
Michael Weyer: The build has been good with their split and looks like they’re back on track for singles compeitition. We should get a great fight here, probably bloody too. TNA still seems to want to push Crimson on so he’ll get the win and hopefully elevate a bit more soon.

Winner: Crimson

Gavin Napier:The only thing that has taken longer than this feud getting started in all of wrestling history was Glacier’s entrance. Matt Morgan seems to have fallen out of favor from his days of getting a singles…push(?) against Abyss. I don’t look for him to be Crimson’s combo breaker.

Winner:Crimson

Larry Csonka: Matt Morgan has really been a disappointment in TNA, from the poor booking to his poor performances. They had high hopes for him, but it just hasn’t worked out. They like Crimson, they have given him the undefeated streak, and they have just turned him heel. I feel that they keep his streak going as we have a big man clobbering battle in the cage. If they want the “streak” to mean something, and they want wins to mean something, I would move him onto feud and title win over Devon.

Winner: Crimson

Greg DeMarco: I couldn’t care less about this match. These two guys have either been feuding or teaming for nearly a year, and TNA has done nothing to make me a) buy in to the rivalry meaning something, or b) Crimson being in danger of losing. Unless…TNA really wants to do something to “save” Matt Morgan. And as big and talented as he is, I bet they do.

Winner: Matt Morgan

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Crimson 3-1)

World Television Championship
Devon (champion) vs. Robbie E

Michael Weyer: Ugh, this belt still exists? They just did the title switch last month, don’t see much else happening with it for a while as I suppose they need something for Devon and Pope to fight over so he’ll retain and hopefully not too messy.

Winner and STILL TV champion: Devon

Gavin Napier: I’ll be honest, unless this leads to a return and title win by The Pope, I don’t even know why this happened. I don’t know why Robbie E had the belt, I don’t know why Devon won the belt, I don’t know why this is a match. Maybe I just haven’t been paying enough attention.

Winner:Devon

Larry Csonka: Robbie did nothing with the TV Title, so they made the switch to Devon at the last PPV, and then proceeded to do NOTHING with him. That is a shame because the fans were very happy about the title change, but they apparently had to spend time on the wedding of Young and ODB instead of putting a CHAMPION on TV. I am not expecting much and Devon should take the match and retain his title.

Winner: Devon

Greg DeMarco: The only reason why I care about this more than Morgan-Crimson is because one of my favorite old-school concepts—the television title—is involved. Ironically, Devon hasn’t appeared on television since winning the television title. Robbie E hasn’t attacked, nor has he really done anything to make this match matter. Here’s hoping that we get some sort of return (Pope?) that makes this title matter.

Winner: Devon

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Devon (4-0)

Knockouts Championship
Gail Kim (champion) vs. Velvet Sky

Michael Weyer: I know Sky has some push but just don’t see Gail dropping the belt quite yet. It’ll be a good match, the cage adds more to a woman’s bout but TNA is probably still going to wait and let Gail dominate more before a title switch just yet.

Winner and STILL Knockouts Champion: Gail Kim

Gavin Napier:Too bad they couldn’t get a marginal female celebrity to make this match really important and garner some mainstream attention, huh? Maybe somebody that suffered an injury on the set of another show and could play that up into the match. Boy, that would have been something special. They’re trying to make people care about Velvet, and I think the dissension between Madison and Gail finally pays off here.

Winner:Velvet Sky

Larry Csonka: For the most part, I feel that this will be a card where most of the faces go over, for that feel good moment. Velvet had won her title finally, and then they moved it to Kim very quickly, which I agreed with at the time. Kim has had a good run, she has worked hard, and will likely put on a good show to put Velvet over and give her the “big moment” again.

Winner: Velvet Sky

Greg DeMarco: Ugh. Velvet Sky is bad. Beyond bad. Yes, she’s amazingly fine. But she sucks in the ring. Her promo skills are non-existent. She’s basically SoCal Val in wrestling gear. Val might actually be better. And yet here she is, wrestling on one of TNA’s signature PPV events and likely to win the Knockouts Championship. Except I don’t think they will. For some reason, I think we’re going to see her lose, and it will lead to a Beautiful People reunion down the road. Why? Because Eric Young & ODB can’t feud with Rosita & Sarita forever.

Winner: Gail Kim

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: 2-2 tie

World Tag Team Championship
Samoa Joe & Magnus (champions) vs. The Motor City Machine Guns

Michael Weyer: Joe and Magnus have been great and MCMG just got back so might seem too soon to get the belts already. However, I do think TNA wants to inject excitement back into the tag division and having the Guns win the belts early and have rematches with Joe and Magnus can do that. Either way, expect a cool match to remind you how good tag wrestling can be.

Winners and NEW TNA Tag Team Champions: The MCMG

Gavin Napier: My wrestlers of the week are immediately put into a tag title match, and while there’s a great temptation to put the straps on them immediately, I think TNA resists the urge and continues to build Magnus and Joe as a dominant team for now. The money’s in the chase,folks.

Winner:Samoa Joe and Magnus

Larry Csonka: Now this is a very interesting match. TNA’s tag team division has fallen on hard times, but in those hard times, Magnus and Joe have emerged as a very good tag team. And the funny thing is that they were supposed to be heels, but the crowd reacted huge to them, and they became faces by default. And then you have the long awaited return of The Motor City Machine Guns. They have been a fun tag team in the past, the fans love them, but this is a big test really early on for Chris Sabin. I have high hopes for the match, and we will find out really quickly if Sabin is really back to 100%. Part of me feels that the Guns get the win, but I also think it may be too soon to do that. I will go with the champs to retain.

Winner: Samoa Joe & Magnus

Greg DeMarco: TNA has done an amazing job of building up the return of The Motor City Machine Guns. In fact, they feel like bigger stars than ever. The tag team division is basically two and a half teams now, but Christopher Daniels & Kazarian could easily be paired and compete, along with AJ Styles & Mr. Anderson. You could also book Robbies E & T into being a legit tag team. However, this still leaves the division without heat. The best way to get some heat? Heels. The best way to create those heels? Have the Guns go over Joe & Magnus, then have Joe & Magnus flat out DESTROY them.

Winners and NEW World Tag Team Champions: The Motor City Machine Guns

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: 2-2 tie

Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle

Michael Weyer: Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends…Another entry in a feud that feels so tired despite how great these guys are in the ring. Hopefully this is a blow-off bout so they can use the cage for some spots to increase the excitement, Jeff winning to get him back on track a bit in TNA.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Gavin Napier: Kurt’s not going to the Olympics, Jeff’s gonna keep right on being Jeff. TNA loves putting Kurt over, but if Storm doesn’t win the big one, they’re going to need to keep viable faces around for Roode to defend against. Hardy is always marketable with the kids and Kurt could probably use some time off to heal up. This one is flip-a-coin close to me, so I’ll actually do that. Tails. Hardy.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Larry Csonka: I think that we all know what this match will be. This match will be everything from their last PPV match, with some blood tossed in and likely two BIG top of the cage bumps. That’s not really a bad thing, although it just may not be the smartest thing for two guys that are really beaten up. Jeff gets his revenge here, and Kurt Angle likely takes a break to heal up. This has the possibility to be a hell of a match.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Greg DeMarco: The easiest thing to pick here is this being a match of the night candidate. This is one of the few matches that feel like a blowoff on this card, and I think it will be just that. Face goes over.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Jeff Hardy (4-0)

Lethal Lockdown
Team Garett (Garett Bischoff, Austin Aries, Mr. Anderson, AJ Styles & Rob Van Dam)
vs.
Team Eric (Gunner, Bully Ray, Christopher Daniels, Kazarian & Eric Bischoff)

Michael Weyer: Yes, Garett Bischoff is getting a prime PPV spot. Come on, we all know the “mystery partner” will be Flair and he’ll find a way to cheat his team to victory. At least we have Styles and Daniels to elevate things nicely and give us some big spots to watch while Bully and Anderson can brawl it out. So Eric comes on top in the end to push this stupid feud on more.

Winner: Team Eric

Gavin Napier:I liked this better when it was 4 on 4, assuming Easy E is still in the match come showtime. The addition of RVD doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but I’m hoping this is used to either elevate Bully Ray, Daniels, or Aries. You’ve got your handful of guys that are able to take the high spot that will end the match, and the payoff will probably be Eric Bischoff getting beaten up by Garrett. Sigh. Two steps forward, one step back.

Winner: Team Garrett

Larry Csonka: Now this match has a lot of moving parts, and I am not even going to discuss the silly stipulation. We have AJ, Aries, Daniels, Kaz and Bully Ray involved, and while some feel that the match feels weaker than past Lethal Lockdown matches, I feel that those five guys can be enough to carry the match and make it at the least fun. Call me crazy, but I have some high expectations due to those men. If Anderson and RVD are actually motivated, it will be even better. My only fear is that they will feature Garett too heavily, which could take away from the match. Team Garett should win here, which will hopefully get Eric Bischoff off of my TV for some time.

Winner: Team Garett

Greg DeMarco: This match has potential. Look at the participants! Take out Eric & Garett, and you have six guys who can flat out go, plus Gunner and Anderson who can brawl with the best of them. But there’s one problem—you can’t take out Eric & Garett, this match is all about them. Which means they will manipulate the story, and the finish. I think we’ll see Garett Bischoff go away so he can get the big face pop when he returns—and I think Eric vs. Hogan is going to be a big focal point moving forward.

Winner: Team Eric

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: 2-2 tie

World Heavyweight Championship
Bobby Roode (champion) vs. James Storm

Michael Weyer: So after so many months, we finally get the big showdown. The build has been terrific, Roode fantastic as the heel champ and Storm going through the odds to face him at last. All this promises one of the biggest matches of the year for TNA, one to keep them going for a while. I know TNA “logic” can be Roode finding a way to cheat to retain but even they can’t ignore that this is the perfect time for Storm, to take the belt and really run with it. Let’s hope it pays off all the waiting for a great moment for a TNA veteran.

Winner and NEW TNA World Champion: James Storm

Gavin Napier:I’m actually really looking forward to this match. They’ve balanced the “indirect” confrontations through tag team matches and non-wrestling segments with Bobby Roode plaing keep away to the point that this actually feels like something that’s been built competently and deserves to headline a major TNA ppv. Roode has been established as a capable champion, and they’ve established Storm’s superkick as something that can end a match immediately and quickly. I look for them to play that up as Roode eats a superkick early, barely kicks out, and then we take off into what should be an excellent match. If this lives up to anything like what we saw from Storm’s last huge match with a former partner – the Texas Death Match with Chris Harris – it should be something special. Whoever wins, the other guy will still be elevated as well. This is one of the rare instances where TNA has actually booked both guys properly and everyone will benefit.

Winner:Bobby Roode

Larry Csonka: And here is the match that the PPV is really built around, and I feel that is a good thing. The build to the match has been very good; Roode is the completely unlikable heel that needs to be punished. Storm has been built as the deserving and resilient baby face out for revenge. The video packages building the match have been very good, and I really think that these guys can deliver. Storm has shown in the past that he can deliver in big time singles matches, and I feel that the will pull out all the stops to make this one deliver. I strongly feel that they have to do the title change here, they have built it so well, and if they don’t make the change, I feel that it is a big mistake.

Winner: James Storm

Greg DeMarco: This is the big one. The match that the company has been building towards since two weeks after Bound for Glory, if not subtly building to before. These two men were tag team partners less than a year ago, and now they’re in a heated feud. And two months ago, James Storm earned a shot at Bobby Roode’s world championship. But the build hasn’t been as great as people claim. One month ago, Roode wrestled Sting in a non-title match to main event Victory Road, attacking Dixie Carter after the match—and James Storm did NOT make the save. But over the past month, TNA has done a better job with this feud. And on Thursday? They knocked it out of the park. They finally got it right.

As for the prediction? This is James Storm’s night. It’s in his hometown, the crowd is going to be insane for him. The pop when he wins will be insane, it might literally blow the roof off of the building. No way Storm doesn’t win the title here. Right?

Yeah…I remember Bound For Glory.

Winner: Bobby Roode

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: 2-2 tie

What are your overall thoughts on TNA Lockdown? Is it worth buying?

Michael Weyer: Lockdown is usually a good PPV thanks to the cage motif and this card does look good. The tag match is promising, Angle/Hardy can be good and while stupid to see Garett in a PPV, Lethal Lockdown usually pays off its promise. But the title bout is the reason to get this, to see TNA pay off this long program of two ex-partners going at it for the big title in the big show of the year. For that alone, I say get it to see how TNA goes the rest of the year.

Buy or No Buy: Buy

Gavin Napier: I pondered actually going to this show since I have family in Nashville, but other circumstances dictated that I have to stay home. If it were a week later, I’d be there in attendance. As it is, I’m willing to suffer through Morgan and Crimson and Lethal Lockdown to see Roode and Storm and the general spectacle of an all cage match ppv. Lockdown is one of the few shows from any major company that meets or exceeds expectations every year. There’s no reason to think that streak ends this year.

Buy or No Buy: Buy

Larry Csonka: While in many ways it may sound like I am not all that excited about the show, I have to say that I am looking forward to the show. Lockdown almost ALWAYS delivers, and I always tend to look forward to it. While not as stacked as some past Lockdown events, I think that the show will be at the least enjoyable, and maybe even be a very god show. For some reason the company tends to step things up for Lockdown, and I am hoping that is the case this weekend.

Buy or No Buy: Buy

Greg DeMarco: There are two matches that I don’t care about, and two that have the potential to be bad. The rest will provide some great in-ring action, and like a memorable moment or two. You could do far worse than this show, that’s for sure.

Winner: Buy

411Mania Roundtable Consensus: Buy (4-0)

There you have it folks…the 411Mania staff gives this show a BUY!

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