411’s PPV Round Table Preview: TNA Turning Point

Introduction:

Welcome once again to 411’s PPV Round Table Preview. This time it is for TNA’s latest PPV offering, Turning Point. Last month we had the first meeting of Angle and Joe as well as a new NWA Champion. This month we get the rematch of Joe vs. Angle, Abyss defending against Cage and Sting and much more! Lets meet the staff and break down the PPV!

The Staff:

From Hidden Highlights, JT~!

The Shimmy’s Andy Clark!

IWA:MS DVD reviewer John Gregory!

The man who always takes the high road, Sat!

Truth B. Told, it is Bayani Domingo!

The man who loves Friendly Competition, Stuart Carapola!

Meethinks it is Meehan!

The man who brings honor to anything he is associated with, Ari Berenstein!

From Cook’s Corner and ASK 411, Steve Cook!

And finally, the Commander and Chief of 411 Wrestling, Larry Csonka!

TNA TURNING POINT 2006

BIKINI CONTEST: Miss Brooks vs. Eric Young

JT: This definitely needs to be what starts the show. For one, because it’s cheesy and unnecessary and needs to be done with. But for another, Eric Young is excellent at getting a crowd into a show (and I’m sure Ms. Brooks in a bikini won’t hurt either), so you may as well capitalize on that from the get go.

WINNER: Somehow, Eric Young

Andy Clark: You can’t see it, but I’m crying right now.

Winner: Eric Young

John Gregory: I’m paying for this?!

Winner: Miss Brooks

Sat: This better be on the pre-show.

Winner: Eric Young

Bayani Domingo: I was hoping this would have been Miss Brooks vs. VKM. Because then we’d have the two biggest set of boobs in TNA going at it.

Winner: Eric Young, via the Borat Thong.

Stuart Carapola: Well, better Eric Young than Mae Young, I guess. Since I’m not gay…

Winner: Miss Brooks

Meehan: “I’m paying for this?!” Nope.

Winner: Sunday Night Football… or Eric Young, whichever.

Ari Berenstein: I hope Eric Young has prepared for a way to counter tan lines and flying thong drops.

Winner: Eric Young, and what a disturbing thought that is.

Steve Cook: You know, this sort of thing kinda typifies pro wrestling for me these days. If you get to see something great, you gotta sit through a whole lot of suck. It’s like they sit there and think “Hey, how can we make this suck?”…putting Eric Young in a bikini, there’s a buzz kill right there. Kinda kills the mood, know what I mean?

Winner: Ms. Brooks

Larry Csonka: My prediction…pain…

Winner: Eric Young

Paparazzi Championship Series: Elimination Match: Austin Starr vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal vs. Senshi vs. ???

JT: I’m with Sat on this one. From a storyline perspective there doesn’t seem to be a clear favorite, but I do think it’d be interesting if one of the PP got the win over the other.

WINNER: Starr (over Shelley)

Meehan: Starr has been getting the best of Shelley for weeks now, and if they’re hoping to continue the PCS beyond one Pay Per View, then they’d be smart to keep the angle alive by giving Shelley a win here so as to maintain momentum and keep the storyline fresh. Then again, Russo is writing the show, so it could go either way here…

Winner: Starr thanks to scRusso booking.

Bayani Domingo: I am hoping beyond hope that this match gets 15 mins at least because with the collection of talent in this match it could be ****. Then again, it could be a 5 min. over the top deal that will suck major anus. My guess is we end up with Starr or Shelley trying to team up and eliminating each other somehow and Senshi goes over. Just because…you know…he’s the Japanese Helwig.

Winner: Senshi

Sat: A tough match to pick. I think that it comes down to either Starr, Shelley, or Senshi.

Winner: Senshi

Ari Berenstein: Sonjay Dutt needs to be disqualified for being on the gas. I guess putting all the X division guys in multi man matches is the best way to use these guys :rolls eyes: I’d love to see X Division singles matches once again but I guess I’ll have to settle for spotfestarama. At least Ariestarr, SenshLowki and ShelleynonewTNAname will keep things interesting.

Winner: Alex Shelley

Stuart Carapola: I’m a big Shelley fan, so I’d like to see him win and get some of his heat back since Starr basically came in and took his spot. He has a habit of doing that to Shelley.

Winner: Alex Shelley

Steve Cook: Warrior.

Winner: Senshi

Larry Csonka: This could be a really fun match if they get to have a serious match. All of these guys can go, so I have a lot of hope for the match. Not sure who will win, so I will pick a name from my hat.

Winner: Senshi

AJ Styles vs. Rhino

JT: Man, this PPV reeks of Vince Russo’s on-the-fly-two-week-feuds-to-get-on-PPV booking, and here is your first example. Rhino stuck his nose in AJ’s business, and now AJ is pissed (which I’m still trying to wrap my head around because in reality, he’s just being a fricken whiner about the whole situation). Meh. Both men will go hard and it will probably be a pretty watchable match.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Andy Clark: This could actually be a cool match. Rhino hasn’t jobbed clean since June, and I see no reason to start it here.

Winner: AJ Styles, through nefarious means

John Gregory: To me, this makes sense. TNA has to do the best they can with four hours of TV to set up a 3 hour PPV. Rhino got in AJ’s business. Therefore while Daniels has the belt, AJ takes care of Rhino. It’s a fresh match up that I’m looking forward to.

Winner: AJ Styles

Sat: This match is something new, but it seems rushed. Oh, wait it is.

Winner: AJ Styles

Bayani Domingo: Despite the questionable “touchy feely” storyline leading up to this, this could be a damn good feud. Especially if it continues to a point where they do a TLC match. Still, conventional “Russo” booking has the heel go over first so…

Winner: The Phenomenal Heel Turn

Stuart Carapola: Rhino needs to go over here to rebuild himself after the series of losses to Christian.

Winner: Rhino

Meehan: AJ Styles is walking down the road to full-blown paranoid heeldom, dontcha know. And if Russo really *is* as big a fan of the guy as the rumors have indicated, I see no reason why The Phenomenal One would be dropping the X-Division belt anytime soon. That said (thanks to recent developments) this PPV match appears to NOT be for the X Division title, so (in Russo-land) there’s little harm in giving one of the hottest wrestlers in the company the infamous “losing streak” push, right? (Bangs head)

Winner: Rhino

Ari Berenstein: AJ is a heel now and that means he will use a heel tactic (possibly using a foreign object while doing a corkscrew inverted shooting star flippitydo move in mid air) to pick up the victory and set Rhino up to chase Styles in a rematch.

Winner: AJ Styles

Steve Cook: So we’re supposed to dislike AJ because he has a problem trusting people. Little does TNA know that most wrestling fans probably have the same problem and grow up in trailer parks and can identify with that. These things happen. Gotta give them credit though, that interview with AJ & Tenay was classic.

Winner: AJ Styles

Larry Csonka: This should also be a good match. Rhino has doen very ell in his TNA run, and AJ seems to work well with everyone. Rhino is on a losing streak, so I see AJ winning to further infuriate Rhino and make his next win a big one.

Winner: AJ

TNA X-DIVISION TITLE MATCH: Christopher Daniels © vs. Chris Sabin w/Jerry Lynn as referee

JT: Not much to dissect here. Sabin won the #1 contendership, Daniels is the champ. Both can go; should be a fun match. Russo really needs to make up for whoring Sabin’s title run out eighteen minutes after he won the thing in the first place.

WINNER: And NEW X-Division Champion, Chris Sabin

Andy Clark: This is a toss up. I say the one named Chris wins.

Winner and NEW X-Division Champion: Chris Sabin

John Gregory: Vince Russo is thinking “How long has Daniels had the belt? TWO WEEKS?! WHOLE ONES?!”

Winner: Chris Sabin

Sat: This one is a tough one to pick. Either guy could win, but Russo will decide to have Sabin win because title changes create interest.

Winner: Chris Sabin

Bayani Domingo: Battle of The Christopher’s, but clearly the nickname is a more heelish name right? Could this match last month’s great match? Sure. But they’d have to pull off all the stops and something tells me at some point Sabin is going to get some heelish back up. Maybe…Evil Sharkboy?

Winner: Christopher Sabin, via heelish tactics

Stuart Carapola: I love the turn they’ve taken with Chris Sabin’s character. He’s gone from being totally disposable to interesting. I think he needs the X-Division Title back if he’s to develop further.

Winner: Chris Sabin

Meehan: Somewhere, Kevin Nash is snickering to himself over the fact that this match pretty well embodies his famous epithets of “Vanilla” (Sabin) vs. “Midget” (Daniels) Unlike Benoit, however, I just can’t see either of these two men being taken seriously as a World Champion in the future. What a shame, as the match itself should be quite good… and Sabin has been on fire as of late.

Winner: Tough call, but I’ll say Sabin – perhaps via scRusso booking involving X DIVISION PIONEER Jerry Lynn.

Ari Berenstein: It’s Russo…and that means I SMELL SWERVE! MMMMMMyum, now without the trans fat. Lynn turns heel, sides with Sabin and screws Daniels out of the title for yet another X title change. Only this time it may actually mean something.

Winner: Chris Sabin, new X Division champion

Steve Cook: Sabin loses, accuses Lynn of screwing him, they feud while Daniels sits on top of the world. As he should.

Winner: Christopher Daniels

Larry Csonka: Sabin has had three very good PPV matches in a row, two with Senshi and the last with Daniels. I expect nothing less here. Russo booking says Sabin wins when Lynn helps him, but I say Lynn calls it down the middle, costs Sabin the win and we get them in a match next month as Daniels moves onto Senshi or Starr.

Winner: Christopher Daniels

FLAG MATCH: LAX (Homicide y Hernandez) w/Konnan vs. AMW w/Gail

JT: LAX WILL FUCK YOU UP, HOMBRE!

WINNER: And STILL NWA Tag Team Champions, LAX

Andy Clark: Anybody wanna tell me how LAX suddenly got boring?

Winners and STILL NWA World Tag Team Champions: LAX, after Petey Williams turns on AMW, giving Gail Kim the Canadian Destroyer, forcing her to fall in love with him, but we then learn she is pregnant with either Petey or James Storm’s baby…that ends up being Homicide’s! Don’t worry, Vinny Ru, that one’s free.

John Gregory: Hopefully they have chemistry this time. AMW isn’t the team to end LAX’s run.

Winner: LAX

Sat: It would be stupid to take the titles off of the hottest team in TNA.

Winner: LAX

Bayani Domingo: Wow, this has gotten waaaaaay too racially motivated. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to root for the racist rednecks or the racist Latinos. Hmmm…wait a second… I’m brown. Okay, I got it. Too bad they had to try to cross over storylines by inserting Angle and Joe…just sad. Something tells me Petey gets involved, maybe he’ll pull a nega-Chavo and embrace his “Latino Heritage”. What would his name be? Pedro Wilfredo?

Winner: LAX, via having more possible flags than AMW.

Stuart Carapola: I really don’t want to see the title go back on AMW, as good as they are. LAX needs to hold on to it to screw the man.

Winners: LAX

Meehan: Remember when AMW was teasing a break-up? Nah, Mee neither. Remember when they were THE biggest heels in the company not named Jarrett? Again… I guess not. Remember the Funeral For Team 3D and the long-simmering vendetta between Ray, Devon and Wildcat and the Cowboy? Shoot… maybe I just dreamed that one. Remember how we’ve received ZERO explanation as to why they’re all of the sudden supposed to be cheered for as THE epitome of the American Babyface tag team of the century? Sorry Lex Express 2000, but unless I see a Yokozuna body slam from you two… I just ain’t buying it.

Winners: LAX

Ari Berenstein: It’s the Vince Russo Special, a POLE match! What would a day on Earth: Russo Forgiven be like without a something on a pole match? Maybe this time AMW won’t drop Homicide straight on his bad shoulder, he has an ROH title to win.

Winner: LAX

Steve Cook: Is it time for the shocking swerve of Gail joining up with LAX? Maybe, she looked awful friendly with that Mexican flag on Impact.

Winners: LAX

Larry Csonka: Since this may not be a title match, AMW gets the big win here and raises the flag, via ladder ON A POLE! That will set up for a tag title match next month, where hopefully they will have developed some solid chemistry.

Winner: AMW

THE REMATCH: Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle

JT: Part 2 of 3. That means that basically, there will be less people bitching about the match quality, and a few more defending the match while waiting patiently for the blow off match.

WINNER: Samoa Joe

Andy Clark: Does parity booking exists in TNA?

Winner: Yes it does- The Undefeated Minus One Samoan Submission Machine, Samoa Joe

John Gregory: Just admit it. Last month’s match was great. This one should be even better.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Sat: 50-50 booking here. Hopefully, this match is longer than the one at Genesis.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Bayani Domingo: I’ll buy the “rubber match”.

Winner: Samoa Joe, via the Ankle Lock

Stuart Carapola: While I’m pretty confident that nearly everybody’s going to pick Joe since Angle won the last one, I’m going to go in the other direction and have Angle go over again. If they’re going to stretch this one out, it needs to really mean something when Joe finally beats Angle instead of having them trading wins every month.

Winner: Kurt Angle

Meehan: Auto-booking 101 says Angle eats the loss here to make up for last month’s big win. Of course — if the critics are to be believed — the outcome of this contest will matter little when compared to how high expectations will be after last month’s 13-minute “five-star” stall-fest. I don’t necessarily support that criticism, mind you, but Angle and Joe both really need to step it up here if they’re going to make fans care about the inevitable match number three down the road.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Ari Berenstein: This is just happening way too soon, but hey, it’s Joe vs. Angle, I’m not going to complain about it…too much. They say it’s the only rematch Joe is getting, but that’s because Joe is winning. Then it will be Angle who is the one asking for the rematch.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Steve Cook: Kurt Angle is the greatest wrestler of all time. Just ask him.

Winner: Kurt Angle

Larry Csonka: I am torn here. First of all this should be their last encounter for a long while, and until one of them have the title. Part of me wants the Joe win, and then him denying Angle the rematch until a later time, but part of me can see Angle winning and Joe having to run rampant through the roster to earn another shot a Angle when he has the title. Going with the coin flip here. Also, it will rule again.

Winner: Samoa Joe

NWA TITLE MATCH: Abyss © w/Mitchell vs. Christian Cage w/Tomko vs. Sting

JT: BECAUSE THAT’S HOW… HE… ROLLS.

WINNER: And NEW NWA Champion, Christian F’N Cage

Andy Clark: This feud has been the bright spot of TNA lately. The Abyss-Sting-Mitchell religious mind games have been brilliant and Christian has fucking TOMKO at his side. I say Christian Cage steals the pin after Abyss Black Hole slams Sting and then gets taken out by Tomko. This sets up Cage-Angle for the title next month.

Winner and NEW NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Christian Cage

John Gregory: See, as much flak as TNA gets, they’ve had much less time than ECW did to build their PPV, and look at who has the better lineup. This angle has been hot, but I expect Cage to take it to set up Angle vs. Cage next month, with Joe shouting over his lack of a title shot.

Winner: Christian Cage

Sat: Process of elimination time. I feel that Abyss is not going to make it out of Turning Point at the champ. So, it is down to Cage and Sting. Cage wins to set up the next match, which will be Cage defending the title against Sting.

Winner: Christian Cage

Bayani Domingo: Is this even a match? Just look at the corner men: Fatty Mitchell vs. TOMKO vs. Holy Spirit. I’m giving odds on TOMKO pulling the Holy Spirit’s tights.

Winner: AND NEW NWA CHAMPION, Cap’n Charisma Canadian Rage Vitamin C Christian Cage

Stuart Carapola: Whoever wins is probably going to drop the title to Kurt Angle, so I’ll pick the one that would make the best match.

Winner: Sting

Meehan: After a yearlong chase for the belt, who would have thought that Sting would amount to nothing more than a transitional champion to move the strap from one heel (Jarrett) to another (Abyss)? Can’t help but wonder if the booking committee took a lesson from history (see: WCW vs. Hogan) and realized that Sting simply better off chasing a heel champion than being a face champion himself. Regardless, his program with Abyss has the makings of everything that Vampiro/Sting COULD have been, and for that I’m looking forward to seeing both of these men cost one another their focus long enough to see Captain Charisma walk away with the sneaky asshole win and the belt.

Winner: AND NEW CHAMPION – Christian Cage

Ari Berenstein: Cage without the NWA title, without losing and without getting a rematch in over four months? Problem solved.

Winner: Christian Cage, new NWA Heavyweight champion.

Steve Cook: Well, you could flip a coin on this one, except you’d have to leave somebody out. One thing about Russo booking is that you never know when the champ is going to lose. TNA main events have been pretty predictable over the years, but those days are over. I’m going to disagree with almost everyone else and say Abyss retains the title.

Winner: Abyss

Larry Csonka: This is a very interesting match here. I would love to see Abyss win to get some credibility and have a little run with the gold, but with Russo at the helm a title change seems likely. If Cage wins, it would add to the great heel act and he and Sting could have their long awaited single match, while Abyss and Tomko feud, which makes sense but not the best match. If Sting wins he and Abyss can continue their feud, or he and Cage can have their match. Also if Abyss wins he and Sting can rematch one on one while Cage and Angle go at it, setting up the eventual Sting vs. Angle bout. Lots of solid possibilities here, so I will go with the heart.

Winner: Abyss

Remember to join 411 at 7:30pm Sunday night for live play by play coverage of TNA Turning Point!