411’s PPV Round Table Preview: TNA Sacrifice 2007
Posted by Larry Csonka on 05.11.2007
TNA Sacrifice, Triple-Threat-a-riffic!
Introduction:
Welcome once again to the 411 PPV Round Table Preview. There are two wrestling PPV's this month, and this is the first offering, TNA Sacrifice. There is a stacked card in place, feuds to be possibly settled, old feuds re-ignited, Japanese talent in for the event and every TNA Title on the line, all in triple threat matches! Let's meet the staff and break down the card!
The Staff:
The Shimmy's Andy Clark!
Shining a Spotlight's Michael Weyer!
Destiny's Matt Adamson!
From the Navigation Log, he is Matt Short!
ECW Reporter Michael Bauer!
Truth B Told's Bayani Domingo!
That was Then's Stuart Carapola!
Column of Honor's Ari Berenstein!
From the Independent Mid-Card, Samuel Berman!
He kicks ass because he did and Evolution Schematic on TULLY BLANCHARD, he is Mathew Sforcina!
He prefers the ones with peanuts, Mike Minotti!
Smackdown Reporter Brad Borchardt!
On loan from the sports zone, Neil Borenstein!
He's not Raven, but he IS SCOTTY FLAMINGO!
From the High Road, Sat!
The only man that misses Byte This, JT~!
The finally, Grand POO BAH of the wrestling zone, Larry Csonka!
TNA SACRIFICE 2007~!
Basham & Damaja vs. Voodoo Kin Mafia
Andy Clark: They've been building to this match so I wouldn't imagine VKM would win again. I certainly hope they decided to give them a team name because "Doug Basham & The Damaja" just sounds stupid. If there is one thing I have faith in Russo for it's giving them a team name. Too bad he already used Creative Control.
Winners: Doug Basham & The Damaja (ugh)
Michael Weyer: You know, at this point, I'm pretty much giving up on paying attention to anything VKM does. As long as TNA insists on pushing them as equal to DX, I'm just ignoring them and their stupid antics.
Winner: Basham & Damaja
Matt Adamson: Dear Lord, please let this match end quickly. Since the New Age Outlaws came to TNA I have yet to enjoy one of their matches. Not to say that they aren't trying, but they wrestle a style that knocks me out in seconds. As solid as Basham and Damaja are, I doubt they are good enough to turn this into a good match, but I do think they'll get the win here.
Winners: Basham and Damaja
Matt Short- This is hopefully the pay off to the VKM/Christy Hemme feud. I'm glad to see The Bashams back on TV, I liked their run in the WWE. They're a really good team that was just made as generic as possible. I'm looking for them to get the win here and to start building momentum in a hunt for the tag titles.
Winner: Basham & Damaja
Michael Bauer: Basham and Damaja, WTF kinda name is that? Anyway, the third time should be the charm against the VKM, but hey, at least they are keeping this crap off the television every week, sans a few seconds, which is all I can bare.
Winner: Basham and Damaja
Bayani Domingo: Wow, this could be either a real eye opener for the former Basham Bros. or this could be a further damnation of TNA bringing in useless ex-"E" workers. I hope these guys get a better name than Damaja and Basham though. I just wonder what their gimmick is going to end up being. Any chance for another S&M gimmick with Christy Hemme in leather buttless chaps?
Winner: Bashams
Stuart Carapola: Can you say blow off? Good, now can you say merciful death? Very good.
Winner: Basham & Damaja
Ari Berenstein: Well, after months of let downs on PPV, this whole card finally seems to be putting it all together. If Basham and Damaja make good on all the hype they've had since their OVW days, then this could be really something. But then again, It is the Voodoo Kin Mafia in a match. To lift a line, when they are on the card, their are NO WINNERS. Well, okay, maybe...
Winner: Basham & Damaja finally score a point for women's lib and Christy Hemmme's chest cleavage. Hmmm, Where is their old manager, ShanAynAy...Shabooyah...Shaniquah!That's right.
Samuel Berman: Newbies win here. Drive through.
Winners: Basham & Damaja
Mathew Sforcina: So, Basham & Damaja huh? Are they still considered brothers? I gots ta know. But unless TNA wants to kill their new group right out of the gate, Christy's new boys need the win. Unless this whole thing was just to jerk off VKM... And that's sadly a real proposition...
Winners: Basham & Damaja (Equal Rites Russian Leg Sweep/Clothesline combo)
Mike Minotti: TNA really needs some new tag teams, so putting Basham and Damaja over VKM is really the only logical choice here.
Winner: Basham and Damaja
Brad Borchardt: Let's see, the Basham Brothers or the New Age Outlaws? Well the Basham's and Orlando Jordan we're getting their ass kicked by John Cena and DX is feuding with the nation....oh, I got to watch TNA more.
Winners: Basham & Damaja
Neil Borenstein: Well, we all knew this would eventually happen. And I still think the WWE was dumb for releasing the Bashams since ECW could use a tag team like them. But hey, the WWE's loss is TNA's gain, and I think the match we've been waiting for "Christy Hemme" to set up should be fairly decent. This will naturally be the rude awakening Hemme has been waiting so long to send VKM, so I'm fairly certain her boys will come out on top in this match.
Winners: Basham and Damaja
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: There is only one way this can or should go. Basham/Damaja can help TNA's struggling tag scene and VKM is dead in the water.
Winner: Christy's Team
Sat: Finally, the long awaited arrival of the Bashams. It would make sense for the Bashams to win because the Voodoo Kin Mafia has won the entire series. Hemme left the Heartthrobs when they lost, so the Bashams have to win. If the Bashams are expected to be Hemme's long-term team then they need to win.
Winner: Basham & Damaja
JT: VKM has been getting the best of the ladies for months now, so it's time for them to get a W in the record books.
WINNER: Basham and Damaja
Larry Csonka: I hope that this is where Basham and Damaja really get to show people what they can do. They did some outstanding work in OVW, and if allowed to shine, after this stuff, they will be a blessing to the TNA tag team scene.
Winner: Basham and Damaja
STAFF PREDICTIONS: 17-0 for Basham and Damaja
Tiger Mask vs. Senshi vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Alex Shelley
Matt Adamson: This is the match that entirely sold me on this show. I was considering just letting this show (that looks awesome) happen without me, but TIGER FREAKIN' MASK got booked! I'm a huge sucker for puro and with my hard earned cash will show that to TNA. As far as the match goes, I went back and forth between Senshi and Tiger Mask. I'd like to see Alex Shelley get the win here, but unfortunately for us, he's become a jobber. So, since I'm a sucker for puro, I'll just go the distance and be blinded by puro. God knows the Japanese don't lose matches to Americans or Puerto Ricans.
Winner: Tiger Mask
Matt Short- I can't think of any reason to book this match other than just to try and steal the show. And if may I'd like to share the same sentiments as Adamson and just say TIGER MASK?! Hell yes! This is going to be a great 4 man and can see any of these guys going over. But there's one puro guy who just doesn't loose, especially not under special booking like this.
Winner: Tiger Mask
Michael Bauer: I'm actually looking forward to this match, if only to see Tiger Mask. Lynn doesn't need the win here and I doubt they will have Tiger Mask win. Bold prediction here: Backland costs Shelley the match and heads it to…
Winner: Senshi
Bayani Domingo: I don't know what to say, this is really unexpected and surprising, although I just wonder if this is foreshadowing a possible return to the World X-Cup. To be honest I was really hoping TNA would get hip to the fact that Dragon Gate offers some pretty popular wrestlers who could work a style more adept to blending with some of their X-talent, but hell, if this eventually translates into more Lyger in the states then that is fine with me. I think this boils down to the two guys who need the win most, Senshi and Shelley. Shelley is on a roll lately and I would expect his tag team with Sabin to move forward hence at least one of them needs a win on PPV.
Winner: Alex Shelley
Stuart Carapola: This is actually looking to be a lot better than most of the meaningless multi-way X-Division matches they've been running recently. I've never seen this latest Tiger Mask wrestle before, but I'm very familiar with the others who are all great talents, so if he can keep up (and I would imagine he could) then I'd dare say that given enough time, we've got a MOTYC on our hands.
Winner: Alex Shelley
Ari Berenstein: Way to go TNA! Bring in a Japanese import at the last second, thus not being able to hype up this special appearance in the least! Well, at least it should be decent anyway you slice it, since Senshi, Lynn and Shelley rock on all cylinders during PPVs.
Winner: Tiger Mask
Samuel Berman: Thank god this is on the card to balance out the last match. I'm going with Shelley because of his classy (and exceedingly funny) farewell letters to ROH and PWG, which given TNA's booking strategy is as good a reason as any.
Winner: Alex Shelley
Mathew Sforcina: It's the "We don't have a clue!" match. Still, it should be good, if it gets time...hehe. But, Lynn's job is to, well, job, Tiger Mask IV is there to impress even in defeat, so it comes down to Senshi or Shelly. Now, to me, it's logical (there's that word again) that if you want to make Sabin/Shelly a team, they need a common goal to work at. So, why not have Shelly win here, then have a certain parody act later in the show win Sabin's title, then Sabin and Shelly join up to take down the parody, fail, then transition into the tag ranks. Is that really such a hard idea to grasp?
Winner: Alex Shelly (Tosses Tiger Mask into Senshi then pins Lynn)
Mike Minotti: Hmmm, this could be a fun match. I think Shelly is in line for a good push, so I'm expecting his momentum to continue.
Winner: Alex Shelly
Brad Borchardt: I don't believe I've seen Tiger Mask wrestle and since he's coming from Japan, I expect him to lose. Senshi and Lynn don't need the win here. This could lead to a nice push for Shelly if he wins here so I'll go with him.
Winner: Alex Shelly
Neil Borenstein: Apparently, I'm in the minority because I'm not exactly jumping through hoops for Tiger Mask. It's not that I doubt he's talented and can help make this match one of the better exhibitions of the night. But I think TNA should try to stay away from bringing in imports who will be on the first thing smoking out of Orlando once the match is finished and focus more on pushing their own talent. And while three of these guys are TNA talents, the big talk surrounding this match is already Tiger Mask. Hopefully, he really is just there to look good while being one of the guys that loses. Even though TNA should really be giving Alex Shelley the big push, I think we'll see Senshi walk out with the win here.
Winner: Senshi
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: I love when TNA brings in talent from Japan and Mexico. It automatically makes a low card match interesting. It is something the E never does so it is a good way for TNA to differentiate their product. That said, assuming it is a one shot, Tiger Mask won't win. Senshi still hasn't clicked in his latest TNA stint and needs tweaking. Shelley is supposed to be going to the tag ranks with Sabin, so that rules him out. That leaves Jerry Lynn by default. If rumors about RVD coming in are the least bit true, this is perfect. Let Lynn win here and go on to take the X Title. Then bring in RVD and have him chase Lynn for the title in the opposite of their ECW feud.
Winner: The New F'n Show
Sat: I haven't see Tiger Mask at all, but people seem to be high on him. The other guys in this match have no reason to win, so I'll take Tiger Mask to win this match.
Winner: Tiger Mask
JT: If given enough time, this could be a really enjoyable match. I'm hoping that TNA lifts its pacing rule, because that very rule often leads to very sloppy, all over the place matches and these four are capable of putting on much better than that. Lynn and Mask I think are definitely not going to win here, and so I too say it will come down to Senshi and Shelley.
WINNER: Senshi
Larry Csonka: Since Tiger mask is scheduled for Impact, and I see Sabin losing tonight, I say Shelley gets a much needed win in a match that will be tons of fun. Tiger Mask gets a win on Impact and a complimentary ham for his troubles. I do hate that they made a 4-way on a show with 3, 3-way matches. A tag could have worked, but what can you do. Should be good stuff.
Andy Clark: So this is Jarrett giving back, huh? I will say that Jarrett has made me slightly more interested in Robert Roode, but it's not too hard to go from not at all to barely. We're probably building to Jarrett & EY vs. Roode & Traci at Slammiversary, so this won't be the blow off. I know it would make sense for Jarrett to lose, perhaps with some backfiring help from Eric, but I just don't see him jobbing to Roode quite yet.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Michael Weyer: A bit of a surprise that they're having these two guys face off but this could be a fun match. Roode's been needing more of a rub and going against Jarrett is something that can help. It's a good mix of styles and Roode might be deserving of a win. But it is Jarrett so...
WINNER: Jeff Jarrett
Matt Adamson: I'm actually a rather big Jarrett fan. I guess it's the old school fan in me. As a result I'm really looking forward to this one. While it isn't a match I'd buy a show for, I have a feeling these two will gel fairly well and put on a good match. I think with Jarrett as a face it'll be easier for his to wrestle a style that doesn't involve Larry Zbyszko level stalling and that's good (I love Zbyszko's stalling though, but only when he does it). I think that unless they are planning on giving Roode a Main Event push that Jarrett is going to take this one.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Matt Short- If there's one thing that's awesome about this match above anything else, it's the continuity. Young helped Jarrett in the past, so now Jarrett is going to return the favor and liberate him from Roode. I can see Jarrett wining here and letting Young go off on his own. Then you can move into a full blown Jarrett vs. Roode program that's all about Roode trying to knock off a top guy like Double J.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Michael Bauer: Seems like a huge step down for Jarrett, but if is serious about staying out of the top spot for now, this is the right place for him to be. You know Young will be involved in some weird ending, but it will be the right one. WWE, please take note: This is what it is like to continue a storyline.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Bayani Domingo: Jeff Jarrett…in the…mid-card?? Well Roode needs a big win and something tells me that this could be it. Just kidding, JJ ain't jobbin' to no Canuck. Expect to see Roode job to JJ only to call out Eric Young for not being able to beat him 1 on 1.
Winner: J-Jizzle
Stuart Carapola: I know that I'm supposed to hate Jeff Jarrett and all, and it is about Eric Young and everything, but I'm going to be really disappointed if Roode goes over because I don't see the potential in him that so many other people seem to.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Ari Berenstein: See Jeff's Guitar. Guitar, Jeff, Guitar. See Robby Job. Job, Robby, Job.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Samuel Berman: JJ's not going to be gentlemanly about sharing the wins forever. If he loses here, I will be SHOCKED with a capital SHOCKED.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Mathew Sforcina: I still think if Eric had planted a big fat wet one on Traci he would have gotten a bigger pop. Jarrett losing to Roode, yeah right, outside of a totally stupid Eric heel turn, Jarrett crushes Roode here, and maybe Eric gets the babe.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett (Stroke)
Mike Minotti: Jarrett needs the win to show that he's still a threat as a face. I doubt that this will end the Eric Young storyline, though. Maybe Eric will, I don't know, fight for himself next.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Brad Borchardt: I like how the announcers said "It doesn't get any more personal than this match!", when they were hyping it on impact! this week. Wouldn't Harris vs. Storm be just a tad more personal this? Anyway, know way is Jeff Jarrett going to lose to Robert Roode here, especially if he is set to go into a feud with Kurt Angle.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
Neil Borenstein: Can we just get rid of Robert Roode? Or is that not an option? For as cocky as TNA is making him, he really does suck the big one. I'm not at all interested in him and he's one of the most boring heels in wrestling today, which is especially horrible considering he gets a decent amount of promo time. Maybe if Jeff Jarrett hits him really hard with the guitar, he'll knock Roode out of TNA for a while and I can go back to enjoying iMPACT! where I don't have to see him. Ms. Brooks can stay though.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: It is nice to see Jarrett working with some of the lower midcard guys. I think this is a good role for him if he wants to stay face. Had he plugged himself right back into the main events, no amount of booking would keep the crowd from turning on him. Here, he's making Roode look like a bigger deal by wrestling him, and he's helping Eric Young. It sells the whole "giving back to the company" angle they are going with. I'll go on a limb and say that Roode gets the rub here, taking him to the next level and getting Double J more sympathy.
Winner: Roode
Sat: There is no way the Jeff Jarrett is losing this match. I think that it would have made sense for Roode to face Eric Young here and then have him face Jarrett.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
JT: This new Jarrett seems to be out to help anyone and everyone other than himself, first with Sting and now with Eric Young. Good Samaritan aside, I don't think there is any way Roode gets a win, especially considering this is Jarrett's first single match on PPV since returning.
WINNER: Jeff Jarrett
Larry Csonka: Jarrett is a damn fine worker. Roode is raw with so much potential and I think we see a damn good match. I think Roode wins to keep this going, I just hope that it isn't via Russo-FN-Riffic swervage and Young turning on JJ.
Winner: It pays to be Roode
STAFF PREDICTIONS: Jarrett –15, Roode - 2
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
Andy Clark: I don't want to here about WWE's random booking after this. Then again if you're going to randomly book a match then these are two pretty good people to book. AJ could use a win as he's been a JTTS lately but Joe's time should be next month so might as well give him some momentum.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Michael Weyer: Ah, haven't we seen this before? Several times? On DVD, good matches but still been a while since they last faced off and no real reason for them to do it now. Really, what reason is there for them to go at it here? Ah, well, it should still be a great match and AJ's been needing a big win for a while.
WINNER: The Phenomenal One
Matt Adamson: While it isn't a match we haven't seen a few dozen times it's still going to be awesome. What more can be said about it? It's gonna be awesome and won't surprise me one bit if it's the match of the night, but I think this is AJ's moment. Joe's streak is gone, and both are at the top of the card. A loss by Joe wouldn't hurt him too much, but a win by AJ would do wonders to his position on the card and the view the fans have of him. I imagine I'll be in the minority here.
Winner: AJ Styles
Matt Short- This match seems like it was just added due to not having anything else for these guys to do on the PPV. I won't complain too much though, because these two are awesome together. They might not be able to re-capture the same greatness they had in their wars in the X Division but this is going to be a solid match. Joe should go over here so he looks strong heading into Slammivesary.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Michael Bauer: These two have battled so many times that you would think it would get old. I'm not one of those people. I'll always pay to see Joe vs. Styles, anywhere and at anytime. This match should be pure gold, but it's hard to predict the winner. If Joe is really not going after the title for now, he can afford a loss here, but what does the win for Styles mean? Likewise, if Styles loses, it doesn't hurt him either. In the end, I'm not sold on Joe getting his title match again until later in the year, so he'll take the fall.
Winner: AJ Styles
Bayani Domingo: Both men need a win. Either man could still lose and not be hurt too much. These guys know each other well and so far they've let AJ keep most of his move set even after turning heel so that bodes well. My guess is they go all out here as TNA is probably going to want to not over book this match too much to see if they can do a little "damage control" after officially pulling all their talent from RoH. Going into Slammiversary they need Joe to look strong though. At least strong enough to look like he'll win the title. Remember it's rumored that a "King o' da Mountain" match will take place next month and tradition holds that the champ never retains. Watch for both guys to possibly have the MotN here and be entered into the KotM match next week.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Stuart Carapola: Oh man, I really hope they don't screw this one up. I really, really hope they leave out the stupid overbooking and just let these two have another classic. If they're able to just go out there and put on a good 15 minute match, then I'd be willing to forgive the crappy booking they've both been subjected to recently.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Ari Berenstein: These two cannot have a bad match...unless they fight on an episode of Impact for three minutes and that's cut in HALF by a commercial break. You know they did that once. Thank goodness this is not Impact.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Samuel Berman: As tossed together matches go, this is about as good as you can get. They probably won't get the twenty minutes that they could use to turn this into a sleeper classic, but it'll still be Joe vs. AJ. AJ's a glorified mid-carder at the moment and Joe's one of the guys in line for the belt, so you can do the math on the finish here.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Mathew Sforcina: Does the term 'holding pattern' mean anything to anyone? But hey, it'll be a great match, so let's not complain that much.
Winner: Samoa Joe (Samoa Clash)
Mike Minotti: I don't see a feud blossoming here, since Joe will probably be heading back to the World Title picture soon. A win here will help push him to that spot. A clean win, hopefully… but don't hold your breath.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Brad Borchardt: Well, if they're just going to throw something together I guess there is no better way to go then Styles vs. Joe. They better have Joe win the title by Slammiversary. I'll go with Joe winning as he looks to jump into the title hunt and Styles, well, he continues to job.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Neil Borenstein: Completely random match of the night #1. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it just kind of comes out of nowhere. I'm definitely on board with AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe in a PPV, though. And if done right, this will be the match of the night. You can't really go wrong with these two squaring off. And so long as they're given adequate time, the match should be incredible. Unfortunately (and I don't like the road this is leading to for my boy, AJ) I see Joe getting the win. Because he's gonna kill … eh, you know the drill.
Winner: Samoa Joe
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: This is the "we had nothing better to do with these guys" match. I'm sure it will be great as usual, but Joe has to be getting frustrated with sitting at the top of the midcard while TNA gives the keys to whoever has just signed with the company. More on that later. Joe's lost a lot lately and he really needs to be built back up, and it won't hurt AJ to lose since he's a chickenshit heel anyway.
Winner: Joe
Sat: Both guys have nothing else to do, so let's stick them together. The match should be great, but there is really no reason for them to be feuding. For the winner, I would have to pick AJ Styles, just because Samoa Joe is in a funk and Styles tapped out to both Kurt Angle and Sting. It just makes more sense for Styles to win this match, but I wouldn't be surprised if Samoa Joe won.
Winner: AJ Styles
JT: Not sure why these two are fighting, but as previously mentioned they can both put on a good show. I suspect that the Christian Coalition will not be batting a thousand and so that will start with AJ Styles.
WINNER: Samoa Joe
Larry Csonka: AJ and Joe on PPV. I will not complain, and it plays off of the team concept from last month and them wanting to climb the ladder.
Winner: Samoa Joe kills bitches
STAFF PREDICTIONS: Samoa Joe – 13, AJ - 4
Rhino vs. Christopher Daniels
Andy Clark: Speaking of JTTS it's Rhino. If I were ordering the show I'd actually be looking forward to this. I like the Daniels push and these two could have some interesting chemistry. No way that Rhino wins, though, as Sting is next in line for the Fallen Angel.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Michael Weyer: Another odd pairing here. Daniels has been getting a good push with his new attitude so taking on someone so different as Rhino could add to an interesting battle. Rhino's been without a big win for a while but it's Daniels on the rise so I see him going over here.
WINNER: The Fallen Angel
Matt Adamson: This match seems a long time coming for whatever reason, but Daniels seems to be the guy they are looking to push here. Rhino is great about putting over other guys while maintaining his credibility. Hopefully that happens here and I'm banking on it.
Winner: "The Bearded Angel" Christopher Daniels
Matt Short- Another random match between two guys with nothing to do. The booking aside, this has potential. If Rhino brings his A-game they should put on a good performance. I'd expect Daniels to win here, what with the new gimmick.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Michael Bauer: From Lynn to Rhino and eventually to Sting, this is a nice middle rivalry for Daniels here. Rhino easily goes down here as he had a big enough win already this year in the Scaffold X Match.
Winner: Christopher "Sting" Daniels
Bayani Domingo: This could be a real show stealer if done right. Which means it won't. Both of these guys can bring their work boots and especially on PPV. Something has to pay off for Daniels' new gimmick so I'd expect him to go over somehow. In fact if this is eventually leading to Daniels vs. Sting one would think that he would also get involved with the main event to segue him into a feud or at the very least he would end up in the KotM match next month. But I digress…a lot actually, still Rhino gored the Fallen Angel "straight to hell" on Impact! last week so look for Daniels to get some measure of revenge at the PPV. That unit of measurement being a hectare. Hectare.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Stuart Carapola: Rhino is eternally stuck on the treadmill to nowhere, but I don't know that they've got any real plan for Daniels going forward either. I'll pick the one that would make me happier.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Ari Berenstein: A nice and nifty little surprise of a mid card match. Daniels' new gimmick is enough to propel him past the ManRhyno.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Samuel Berman: Daniels has more to prove in this new character, so let's go that way.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Mathew Sforcina: See Samoa/AJ for practically the same thing. It's just to build X (Joe or Daniels) for KOTM.
Winner: Christopher Daniels (BME X 2)
Mike Minotti: TNA has pretty much milked all they could out of Rhino, so I'm expecting him to be doing a lot of jobs for a while. Besides, the repackaged Daniels still needs wins.
Winner: Christopher Daniels.
Brad Borchardt: Just like Joe vs. AJ, this match is just there. Daniels is the guy getting pushed and I don't think Rhino is going to be in the title hunt anytime soon unless it is to job.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
Neil Borenstein: Completely random match of the night #2. Again, not complaining. I'm just assuming the actual build for this match is stuck somewhere under Vince Russo's recliner. This should be another good match, though pretty predictable. Rhino's been going job crazing in TNA, while Daniels needs more wins under his belt if the new gimmick is really going to go anywhere. So, completely random match of the night #1 goes to the face, #2 goes to the heel.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: Daniels has had some of the worst booking in either company in the last six months. What was up with him talking to Sting on Impact? This angle just pisses me off and has really made a mess out of the Fallen Angel. Plus his make up looks retarded. Still, I can't see a new character losing so soon (although this IS the company who has never let Serotonin win).
Winner: Daniels
Sat: Rhino has won one meaningful win in about twelve months. Christopher Daniels is getting ready for a feud with the Stinger, so he needs the win. He also took a beating from Team 3D, Rhino and Samoa Joe a few weeks back, so he needs this win.
Winner: Christopher Daniels
JT: Daniels' first match under new gimmick = obvious choice.
WINNER: Christopher Daniels
Larry Csonka: Daniels needs the win in order to go into the deal with Sting. It will be a good match, and Daniels will win through shenanigans!
Winner: Christopher Daniels
STAFF PREDICTIONS: Daniels 17-0
Texas Death Match: James Storm vs. Chris Harris
Andy Clark: Let me state for the record that I hate Texas Death Matches (assuming this goes with the Last Man Standing stip following a pin). I guess Harris will win, but there's no telling how long they'd like this feud to go.
Winner: Chris Harris
Michael Weyer: Well, I guess this was inevitable. Not sure how this will go as Texas Death Matches are known for the lame "both men unable to rise at the ten count" finish and I see that going here too. But these guys are great together and in a wild no-DQ brawl, they can show their stuff and try to tear down the house. Still, they're not ready to kill this feud with one guy going over just yet.
WINNER: Draw.
Matt Adamson: Here's another match that has potential to be really awesome. Their last match sucked because it was a blindfold match, but this one leaches off both guys strongest points, selling and brawling. It should be awesome and if the both of them work really hard, this could be the surprise match of the night. I think this could be the match to wrap things up, so I'm betting on Harris getting the win.
Winner: Chris Harris
Matt Short- It won't be a blindfold match, so this will automatically be better than their Lockdown match. I think that without that limitation these two will be able to put on a great brawl. But unless this becomes a complete blood bath, I can't imagine this ending the feud. Let Harris get the win here, setting up the rubber match next month.
Winner: Chris Harris
Michael Bauer: Oh, this should be fun. (Rolling my eyes.) Come on, what haven't these guys done to each other already? I expect a lot of blood, a lot of plunder, and Harris finally getting a damn win.
Winner: Chris Harris
Bayani Domingo: Um, what makes this so Death Match so Texas-y again? Well either way, I am already bored with this feud and neither of these guys really excite me as singles performers so I'm going to go with the "Wildcat" getting his Hectare of revenge this time around.
Winner: Christopher Harris
Stuart Carapola: If these two guys don't make one another bleed very heavily, I'm going to be really upset at how this whole feud played out in the end.
Winner: Chris Harris
Ari Berenstein: As long as there are no blindfolds and an actual death, I'll be fine with this match. Oh...there's no actual deaths in this match? DAMN!
Winner: Chris Harris
Samuel Berman: Shouldn't this have been one of the biggest feuds in TNA history? How quickly can they blow this off and give each guy a two-month filler program so we can just reunite them and feud them with LAX for a while?
Winner: Chris Harris
Mathew Sforcina: Yes, kill this feud, or me, just get it the hell over!
Winner: James "Whichever Is The Face" Storm (Catatonic through a table)
Mike Minotti: Everyone crapped on their "Prince of Darkness" match, so let's see if the boys can redeem themselves here. This feud needs a decent match, or else it's dead, which will be pretty bad for both men.
Winner: Chris Harris.
Brad Borchardt: For being the best team in TNA history, this feud should really be better than what it is. hopefully these guys have a great match that I know they can pull off so they can turn this feud around. With that said, I'll go with Harris to even the score.
Winner: Chris Harris
Neil Borenstein: Can you say, clusterfuck? That's what this feud has basically turned into now, and that's what this match is going to be. A No-DQ, make him bleed ‘til he can't bleed anymore and both Jackie Moore and Gail Kim are laid out as well, clusterfuck. It's nice to know TNA has done well with a feud that should have been huge. Good going boys!
Winner: Chris Harris
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: This is my pick for sleeper of the night. These guys have something to prove after last months abysmal blindfold match. That gimmick is no longer here to hinder them, so they can go all out. I can see the match going either way, but I'll go with Storm because I think they want to milk this feud a bit longer and neither guy really has anything else to do.
Winner: Storm
Sat: James Storm won the first match and it made sense for him to win. I would expect Chris Harris to win this, but I think James Storm wins here by blinding Chris Harris again.
Winner: James Storm
JT: …Hell, I don't know. I guess it really all depends on how long they plan on carrying this out or where they want to go with it.
WINNER: Chris Harris
Larry Csonka: These two have so much to offer, and I think we'll get some of that here. Iam going for the draw option, so that Harris can get the huge win in Nashville, where these two feuded and then became one of the best teams of this decade.
Andy Clark: Sabin needs to drop the belt so he can start up the Motor City Machine Guns STAT. I would also imagine that we get Lethal vs. Dutt at Slammiversary, but the question is who is champion? It would make more sense for Sonjay to turn on Lethal after the title win so I'll go with that.
Winner and NEW X-Division Champion: Jay Lethal
Michael Weyer: I thought Senshi was the dullest X Division champion ever and then Sabin came along. It's long time to drop the belt, question is to who? Dutt has been deserving for a while but TNA is intent on pushing Lethal's incredibly dumb gimmick. So I see Lethal getting the title here and I just wish it was as himself rather than this stupid character. Like the guy, hate the gimmick.
WINNER and NEW X-Division Champion: Jay Lethal (I refuse to call him that other name)
Matt Adamson: Nothing against any of these guys, but why is this match the title match. The match with Tiger Mask, Senshi, Jerry Lynn and Alex Shelley should be the match for the X Division title. Those are the top guys in the X Division, not these three. This title has become a mid-x division title rather than a mid-card title. I don't buy any of these guys as being better than any of the four in the other match. I said this exact thing for Lockdown, so why didn't things change. Time to get the belt off Sabin and onto somebody like Shelley or Senshi. Sabin is talented, but if they want this title to mean anything, keep Lethal and Dutt out of the title picture for now. Sabin will probably retain which is the right way to go for now.
Winner: Chris Sabin
Matt Short- Sabin is supposed to start teaming with Alex Shelley regularly, so this would be a good place for him to drop the title. Then they move onto a feud between Black Machismo and Dutt. Doesn't really matter much to me as the end result is going to be the comedy act against the dick heel who wants to be serious.
Winner and NEW X-Division Champion: OH YEAAAAH Black Machismo
Michael Bauer: Sabin needs to be in the tag division with Shelley, so the time to lose the title is now. Jay Lethal has been totally over as Black Machismo and I am the most shocked out of anybody. Dutt said it himself a few weeks ago, Nash made him a joke. So that leaves just one person to battle Dutt next month…
Winner and NEW Champion: Black Machismo
Bayani Domingo: This has the possibility to be very good as each of these guys are very familiar with each other, on top of that Sabin's interactions with Shelley have made him that much better of a heel character and Black Machismo is just money. Sonjay Dutt is here as filler, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him take the fall here. If they are going to pair Sabin and Shelley together then my guess is he drops the belt here and moves on to help bring credibility back to the Tag Division. Remember those matches when LAX took on the Phenomenal Angels? Well, the Motor City Machine Guns are actually better. I see Dutt vs. Machismo at the next PPV and Sabin losing via Backlund-ference, meaning he'll forget about his rematch and team with Shelley vs. Bob and ...Senshi? I dunno, I'm just hoping that Machismo Negro wins the title and hoists up SoCal Val on his shoulders for a once around the ring,…..MADNESS!!
Winner: Machismo Negro
Stuart Carapola: Come on, Chris Sabin can't lose to these guys! He has to stay strong for that feud with Bob Backlund!
Winner: Chris Sabin
Ari Berenstein: Sabin's had the title for a while now, and if TNA were smart he'd lose the title and transition to the MURDER CITY MACHINE GUNS and hunt for the tag titles. Well, TNA isn't all that smart, but they can see that Jay Lethal is SMOKING YEEEAH as the Macho Man impersonator. Let's ride the wave of madness--all the way to the X Division title! Yeah DIG IT!
Winner: Black Machismo Jay Lethal, your new X Division champion
Samuel Berman: They'll probably give Lethal the title here, but if I was them I'd keep it on Sabin. That being said, one of my defaults is 'when all else fails, go with Chris Sabin'. Eh, I'm picking Sabin to retain and then drop the title to Lethal next time out (either on Impact or next month on PPV).
Winner and STILL X-Division Champion: Chris Sabin
Mathew Sforcina: If Lethal, sorry, Black doesn't win the belt here, the gimmick is dead. Which is a shame, he's a better wrestler now.
Winner, and NEW X Division Champion: Black Machismo (Elbow Drop to Dutt)
Mike Minotti: Someone at TNA must think that this Black Machismo thing is hilarious, but I think most of us will agree that the joke goes to far when he wins the belt. Soon afterwards, TNA will realize how 2-dimensional the character is, and drop the belt off of him the first chance they get.
Winner: Black Machismo.
Brad Borchardt: I think Black Machismo wins just to put the gimmick over. I like Lethal, but this is really crapping on the X Division belt. I miss the old X Division Days.
Winner: Black Machismo
Neil Borenstein: The Black Machismo gimmick makes this match a little tricky, since you know TNA wants to milk that as much as it can. But, I don't think Chris Sabin is going to drop the belt here. So, I figure Sonjay Dutt continues this little jealousy deal and costs Black Machismo the match, allowing Sabin to retain and the fans to be greeted with the presence of Big Kev trying to play peacemaker.
Winner and STILL X Division Champion: Chris Sabin
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: FINALLY we get the title off of the Human Ambian, Chris Sabin. I was thrilled to hear about him tagging with Shelley because that meant the salvation of the X-Division. Hopefully he won't suck the personality out of Alex and ruin him too, but I can't worry about that right now. I'm thinking Lethal gets the win here and a jealous Dutt gives him the beat down afterwards.
Winner: Machismo
Sat: Most likely, we will see a title change here and quite possibly the new character for Sonjay Dutt. I think that the only logical choice to win this match is Black Machismo, just because he has an interesting character. Chris Sabin needs to lose the title here, so they can set up the tag team with him and Shelley. That team has some potential, while Sabin has nothing to do in the X-Division.
Winner: Black Machismo
JT: Lethal has been the one garnishing all the attention lately. I would question if TNA has enough faith in him as the X-Division champ, but I can't see how trying it out hurts.
WINNER: And NEW X-Division Champion, Black Machismo
Larry Csonka: I laid this out last month. Tag straps change at Lockdown, X-Title at Sacrifice and World Title at Slammiversary. So sticking with that, Sabin loses, probably to Machismo to start he vs. Dutt, and so that the MURDA CITY MACHINE GUNS can properly form.
Andy Clark: This is the match I would most be looking forward too. This should be a fun brawl and I'd love to see Tomko & Steiner and LAX go at it again. I think Team 3D has a date with the Christian Coalition after this and LAX could work as tweeners fighting the MCMGs so why not put the belts back on the best tag team in the company.
Winner and NEW NWA World Tag Team Champions: LAX
Michael Weyer: This is either going to be a fun brawl or an utter disaster, no room in between. Team 3D can still go and finally getting the belts seems to have given them new life. LAX is great, we all know. Tomko and Steiner (what, Roid Rage doesn't work as a team name?) may not be master technicians but decent enough brawlers to make it interesting. I don't see even TNA being so crazy as to take the belts off Team 3D so soon after finally giving them over so expect them to eke out the win.
WINNER and still NWA Tag Team Champions: Team 3D
Matt Adamson: YIKES! If there was a match on this card that described "potential for disaster" this is it. If these guys end up having an ounce of chemistry as a whole, I'll be surprised. How strange has the TNA tag division become since AMW and Style/Daniels aren't a part of it. Now we have an odd mish mash of talent in a match. Too bad too. I'd like to see LAX regain the titles, but I have a feeling that 3D is going to retain.
Winners: Team 3D
Matt Short- I like the dynamics of this match. You've got Team 3-D as the face team, Tomko and Steiner are the heels, and LAX is right in the middle. They've been heels, but the crowd loves them. 3D doesn't really need a long title reign, but it just doesn't make sense to take the belts off them so fast. On the other hand, it does make some sense giving the Christian Coalition's enforcer's the tag titles. Man, this one is hard...
Winners and STILL NWA Tag Team Champions: Team 3D
Michael Bauer: After all of that crap that we were put through, if Team 3D lost the titles now, it would have been a complete waste of everyone's time. Tomko and Steiner should be nowhere near any title unless Christian wears it and LAX needs to move onto something else so Sabin and Shelley can enter the fray.
Winners and Still Champions: Team 3D
Bayani Domingo: Team 3D is on a roll and if they line things up right they could redeem themselves against LAX in a good tag match down the road. Maybe another TLC or something. Right now they deserve a decent title reign, but at Slammiversary or the next PPV they need to drop it. They are no longer the "Elite" tag team anymore and need to move on to helping to "make" other teams, not bury them. This will be a fun little match here and power brawl with Homicide being the poor cruiserweight taking a lot of the punishment. If LAX takes the pin…we riot.
Winner: Team 3D
Stuart Carapola: Please, for the love of all that is good in wrestling, please let LAX get the title back so that they can go do something useful while the other four go back to curtain jerking where they belong. Except for Steiner, he's cool. Team 3D will probably win just to piss me off, though.
Winner: Team 3D
Ari Berenstein: WHO LET TOMKO AND STEINER BACK IN THE SEMI MAIN EVENT! DIE! Anyway, 3-D have gone over some pretty deep teams of singles wrestlers on Impact. I'm assuming the roll continues here.
Winner: Team 3-D
Samuel Berman: I would put the belts back on LAX (use the Sabin Theorem from above and just insert 'LAX' where needed), but they probably won't do it. Team 3D holds onto the titles at least for a little while longer.
Winners and STILL NWA Tag Team Champions: Team 3D
Mathew Sforcina: Well...LAX need a face turn eventually. Shelly & Sabin are as good a team as any to fued with to establish that. Sabin & Shelly need a face team to win the belts off. Ergo...
Winners, and STILL NWA World Tag Team Champions: Team 3D (3d through a table on Tomko)
Mike Minotti: I don't expect Team 3D's run to be over already. This match is just to help solidify their position as the "top" tag team in TNA. They need it after losing to LAX half a dozen times before.
Winner: Team 3D
Brad Borchardt: I think Team 3D will lose the belts to LAX, but not in a multiple tag team match like this and not for a while.
Winners: Team 3D
Neil Borenstein: I hope Team 3D enjoyed wearing the NWA Tag Team Championships, because I think LAX is just going to win them back at Sacrifice. I kind of figured that even if TNA finally planted the belts on Team 3D, they would lose them fairly quickly. And even though Tomko and Steiner are pretty useless in this match, I don't think a switch back to LAX is out of the question. LAX is still TNA's best tag team and I wouldn't put it past TNA to give Team 3D even less respect than it gave them prior to giving them the mercy title victory.
Winners and NEW NWA Tag Team Champions: LAX
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: Maybe Tomko and Steiner can breath some life into this horrible feud, but I doubt it. 3D has been lackluster in their TNA run to say the least. Even getting the straps hasn't seemed to motivate them. This match is a toss up. I really can't see 3D losing this soon, but LAX is still hot, and you know how Russo loves to put the belts on the Crazy Mismatched Tag Team.
Winner: 3D
Sat: Team 3D has done a good job as the champion. I would like to see a title change here, but I don't see it happening.
Winner: Team 3D
JT: Didn't they just win these? Strike two for the Christian Coalition, and too soon for LAX to reclaim.
WINNER: And STILL NWA Tag Team Champions, Team 3D
Larry Csonka: 3D just got the titles, so they don't lose yet. LAX will be side tracked a while, Tomko costs Steiner a win, and brother Rick comes in so TNA can have the Steiner's vs. 3D feud.
Andy Clark: Kurt Angle is really one of the worst characters on TV today. I haven't caught many of his TNA PPV matches so maybe he can still deliver in the ring, but his character is just horrible. Please, TNA, turn him fully heel already. Sting has been doing pretty well lately but I don't see them giving him the belt here. Then again they could always book the first ever Sting-Samoa Joe match for Impact.
Winner and STILL NWA World Tag Team Champion: Christian Cage
Michael Weyer: How badly has TNA dropped the ball with Angle? So bad that he's in a three-way for the NWA title and I'm nowhere near hopped up for it. I just can't get behind Angle as they can't decide if he's a heel or a face and he just comes off as a bizarre intense guy. The three-way set up pretty much works for Cage as Sting had his chance with the belt already and Cage as a heel champ works a lot better than as a face. So expect Sting or Angle to cost each other the win to set up the next program.
WINNER and still NWA Champion: Christian Cage
Matt Adamson: I'm saving my title change for this match. While I think it would be in their best interest to keep the title on Cage, I just want to take a gamble and pick Angle to win this match by pinning Sting. With Slammiversary and the potential for yet another King of the Mountain match main eventing that PPV... wait, I have no reason for picking Angle, I just am.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Matt Short- Even though Christian is the heel in this, since the Sting/Abyss feud to Angle's constant complaining and assaulting of innocent people, Cage isn't the biggest asshole in this. They could have used a much better build for this match. They could have just skipped the title match completely and put Sting vs. Angle here for number one contender. But I just can't bring myself to care much about this match. There's no way Cage loses the belt and I really wouldn't want to see Sting or Angle win it here.
Winner and STILL NWA Champion: Christian Cage
Michael Bauer: Sting will not win, plain and simple. He cannot feud with Daniels over the title. Kurt Angel needs to find himself as a full fledged something and not just a flip flopper, though I think he needs a one on one match with Cage for the title. So for this month, the title stays on Cage and I'll wait for Slammiversary.
Winner: "The Instant Classic" Christian Cage
Bayani Domingo: Interesting, but the laws of Triple Threats dictate that the odd man out usually wins. That means that since we have a full on heel Christian against perma-face Sting and mostly face Angle, he should retain here. I think at some point we'll end up with the end of this match creating another storyline to take Sting out of the title hunt for now. Either a 1 on 1 feud with Angle after he costs him the win or a program with Daniels. Because I have no idea what they are doing with Daniels to this point. But I swear to God if Vince Russo is revealed as the "higher power"…oooh I'll just…I'll just…
Winner: The Instant Charismatic Classic Captain Christian Cage.
Stuart Carapola: Anyone realize that Christian Cage has now gone longer in TNA without getting pinned or submitting than Samoa Joe did? They seem to have some weird hard on for keeping him unbeaten, so I'll go with that and see Angle and Sting cost one another the victory and go off into a feud with one another while Christian defends against someone else at Slammiversary.
Winner: Christian Cage
Ari Berenstein: Cage continues to be MOST WANTED heel on the roster, and with two babyfaces fighting against him, you know it will be divide and conquer. Cage, Angle and Sting: EGOS RUNNING AMUK! WOOOO! WHAT'S CAUSING ALL THIS? Cage holds on here to go full circle once again at Slammiversary and King of the Mountain, where last year he lost the title to Jeff Jarrett by nefarious means.
Winner: Christian Cage
Samuel Berman: Sting takes out Angle (thus completely igniting a feud between the two) and Cage rolls up Sting for the pinfall to retain. At least I hope it's as easy as that.
Winner and STILL NWA World Champion: Christian Cage
Mathew Sforcina: Russo's booking, and they probably want a way to get the belt contended. Well, Russo's famous for a certain finish that makes that, right?
Winners: Angle & Sting (Double Pinfall after Con-Belt-Chair-To)
Mike Minotti: Christian's held the belt for a good while now, and I don't think he'll be dropping it yet. This match will probably lead to a Sting/Angle feud, allowing someone else (probably Joe) to step up to face Cage.
Winner: Christian Cage.
Brad Borchardt: I totally agree with Sforcina about Russo fucking this match up and getting a finish like that. I will choose a winner though for the sake of choosing a winner and go with Christian Cage retaining the title while Angle either feuds with Sting or Jarrett. I just want to point out that Edge and Christian are World Champions at the same time so yay for me!
Winner: Christian Cage
Neil Borenstein: It's too easy to pick Christian Cage here. He's the most logical choice considering you would think Sting vs. Kurt Angle is next on the agenda without either man having the upper hand of holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. But, while I think Cage has done a good job as champion to date, it's getting a bit stale and I'd like to see someone new give it a go. And what better way to give Angle vs. Sting a spark then to have one of them hold the title? I think Sting got screwed on his last title run and TNA isn't ready to put the strap on Angle yet, so I'll go with Sting here.
Winner and NEW NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Sting
SCOTTY FLAMINGO: I bash the E a lot. One of the things I absolutely hate about McMahon is his insistence on forcing newcomers to pay dues. Sometimes you need to make a big deal out of a newcomer to make the money you spent worth it. That was the problem with all the guys that were brought in for the Invasion. They were forced to lose and be humbled, so none of them looked like a big deal.
That said, TNA has the opposite problem. If you are from the E, you get pushed to the moon, and it doesn't matter if you are a loyal long time company guy like AJ, Daniels, or Joe. You have a three way main event here with all three guys being associated with other companies and being signed within the last 18 months. Meanwhile Joe, Daniels, and AJ are all in the same spot on the card that they were holding two years ago.
Still, I loved the three-way interview this week with Christian getting Sting and Angle pissed at each other. Cage has really stepped up in his second title run and I love him as champ. Sting has also been working really hard, even when given crappy matches and angles to work with. I'm actually mixed on Angle. The matches with Joe were good, but not the dream matches I think everyone expected. Add to that the fact that Angle's character seems to change on a weekly basis, and I'm just not that high on him right now. But I'm gonna say that Cage's mind games work and he retains, while Sting and Angle go for the dream match (that's sorta already been done) on the next PPV.
Winner: Cage
Sat: I see Kurt Angle winning this match. First, Cage is going to lose the title here and re win the title in the King of the Mountain match. Sting will be close to winning, but he will be stopped by Christopher Daniels. That's leaves Kurt Angle to pick up the scraps and win the NWA title.
Winner: Kurt Angle
JT: At this point, I just don't see how A. taking the belt off Christian, or B. putting it on either Angle or Sting makes more sense than Christian keeping the title. He is possibly more over than he's been since coming to TNA and someone from the CC needs to get a win.
WINNER: And STILL NWA Heavyweight Champion, Christian Cage
Larry Csonka: I can easily see the disputed finish, especially with the recent booking and changing from NWA to TNA titles, and there being KOTM at Slammiversary. But I see Cage hanging on to the title, leading to the KOTM next month. Cage vs. Angle vs. Sting vs. Daniels vs. Joe. Why the hell not?
