Thoughts From The Top Rope 05.21.08: The Battle Lines Have Been Drawn

Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 05.21.2008

My fantasy TNA/WWE War rolls on with Hard Justice and we have controversy! Plus, I take a look back to Judgment Day and have a look forward to One Night Stand.

For those counting, this would be my 150th column/review/news report for the site. I'm quite proud, but I don't think it's worth the number of times I've had to cover the Heat report.

Thoughts From The Pay-Per-View Lounge

So Judgment Day was last weekend and it was the first WWE pay-per-view that I failed to watch live in several years due to having some important exams the next morning (fear not, I kicked that exam's ass) but I did, of course, catch the show on the replay. Now bearing in mind WWE hasn't put on a bad pay-per-view since last September and this show featured a Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho match, I had reasonably high hopes going in. Now before I move on to my thoughts on the show itself, let's talk about a couple of other Judgment Day-related topics.

• Can we please stop complaining about "seeing the same matches over and over again"? What would you people prefer; Undertaker and Edge to have a lengthy feud over the championship and have a series of damn good matches, or Undertaker to win the gold at Mania, then move on to feud with the likes of Big Show while Edge wallows away in mid-card hell? I mean, OK, if Big Show and Great Khali fought on three straight pay-per-views in the same match, I could totally understand people being upset or frustrated, but this is two of the top two stars in the industry tearing the house down on a monthly basis and you people still aren't happy. And the irony, the people who whine about this shit are the same people who were clamouring for a Edge/Taker feud for the eighteen months. What's worse is the people complaining about the other matches we've seen before like… John Cena vs. JBL. "Man, I can't believe this shit, they had this same match three whole years ago! Damn you, WWE!"



• How awesome was it that instead of Big Show vs. Mark Henry, we got MVP vs. Jeff Hardy? Very. Correct.

Judgment Day Thoughts

• So we opened the show with John Cena vs. JBL, and I'll send out a metaphorical prize to the first person to correctly name the last pay-per-view where John Cena opened the show, without using the powers of the internet of course; don't cheat, because I'll know. This match wasn't anything like I expected at all as for the most part of the match, JBL worked a number of holds, which I actually liked. It made a refreshing change to see JBL working a body scissors, and adding that full nelson was night too. I think that they worked in a lot of good dramatic spots and they tried hard to steer away from the format that we would have expected them to use. I think the fact that this match was so slow and went so long has a lot of people down on it but from my perspective, it was a great way to open the show. It's worth noting that JBL had some terrific facial expressions here. The only slight grudge I had was the out-of-nowhere finish; sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. For me, this didn't, but at least it kept JBL strong and sets up a rematch for One Night
  Stand.
  
  Match Rating: **1/2



• We move on to the WWE Tag Team Championship match now that saw The Miz and John Morrison defend against CM Punk and Kane. Like I most people, I think that these four men deserved more time than they got but that's not to say they didn't do a hell of a good job with the time that they had. Miz and Morrison are quickly becoming my favourite tag team in wrestling, surpassing LAX and the Motor City Machineguns, as they've come a hell of a long way in a very short time. My only problem is I like both guys individually as well so I'd like to see them work their way up the pecking order within the company. And it would appear from the outcome of this match, that Miz and Morrison are in fact viewed as higher up the totem pole than CM Punk who has had such a torrid time of it since WrestleMania. I just don't understand… some people try so hard to get over using various gimmicks and it just doesn't work yet they're still pushed to the moon, and then you get a guy who has a natural connection with the audience and all they do is job him out cleanly. I'm getting sidetracked here. Regardless, they worked a fast paced match and both teams had some really swank (I need to use that term more) double-team offence. Miz and Morrison were victorious and continue to roll, and while I'm glad that management decided to keep the titles on the awesome duo, I have to wonder where exactly it is they go from here. If we're not to worried about keeping a strict brand extension (lol) than M&M vs. Matt and Jeff Hardy could be more fun than the Hardys vs. MNM was.
  
  Match Rating: ***



• Two men, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, had one of my favourite matches of all time five years ago at WrestleMania XIX, and now here they are again, and they've still got that little bit of magic that allows them to create something of an in-ring masterpiece when the time is right. HBK vs. Y2J was a tremendous example of near-perfect story-telling inside a wrestling ring. I was marking out for Michaels' subtle little heel tendencies, like the smile, backing off in the corner and such, and of course the not-so-subtle tendency to slap the piss out of Jericho. The counter hold stuff at the beginning was good to watch and another nice change of pace, but they really stepped it up in the middle portion of the match. I would like to find out who it was that came up with the missed springboard dropkick/super kick spot because that was my favourite spot on a night that had many great spots. I also really liked Jericho not turning around into the super kick, but I have a small grudge here. So Jericho's playing possum by not turning around into Shawn's Sweet Chin Music. Michaels is getting frustrated to the point where Jericho is able to surprise the Heartbreak Kid with a Codebreaker, but then there should have been an immediate cover. It came off as if Jericho wasn't playing possum at all and Jericho selling injuries at the point was unnecessary. Like I say, it's a small grudge but it's a notable one. Forgetting that, they worked some more great counter wrestling which lead to our finishing sequence of Jericho trying, and failing, twice, to put Michaels away with signature moves but getting caught with a roll-up. It was a fantastic match and one that I enjoyed almost as much as their Mania encounter. The handshake after the match was a nice touch, particularly how both were reluctant; all I could think of at that point was a weeping Jericho kneeing his idol in the groin in Safeco Fields five years earlier. As I expected, great stuff from both men and as far as I'm concerned, this was a MOTYC.
  
  Match Rating: ****1/4



• Next up was Mickie James, Melina and Beth Phoenix letting management know that, hey, WWE chicks can wrestle, even if they only get five minutes. Melina and Phoenix had a great backstage segment on Raw last week and they followed it up on the pay-per-view by having a good women's match with Mickie James who has been really enjoyable since winning the title; I think it's clear from here performances that she's only motivated when she's holding the gold but I don't blame her for it because most of the time, creative put absolutely no effort it to making a naturally charismatic, popular talent interesting. Anyway, they had five minutes, they did their stuff and Phoenix did her backbreaker spot, which had the crowd in awe. It was impressive no doubt, I just wish that she could have found a better way to cap it off then fall over. For a women's match it was really good, but had they given it an extra few minutes it could have been great. But alas, this is not the case.
  
  Match Rating: **



• And now we come to one of the bigger talking points of the evening and that is the World Heavyweight Championship match between Edge and The Undertaker. Let's talk about the obvious first and say that they had another great match, their third in a row and it's clear that these two have some really good chemistry. They've managed to keep things fresh in terms of what they're doing in the ring despite the fact that they have had no gimmicks to work with. Taker's really showing in this series that he is capable of a great one-on-one match, with no gimmicks, as long as it's with the right opponent. Now let's talk about the controversial ending. It appears as if no one was very happy about there not being a new champion crowned, but I really don't have a problem with it. And if you want proof that this Edge/Vicky angle has been a success, just check out the heel heat that Guerrero was getting there. That was an insane amount of heat and I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that she is the biggest heel in the company right now, moreso than Edge, Randy Orton and William Regal.
  
  Match Rating: ***3/4



• Let's talk about this impromptu one-on-one bout between MVP and Jeff Hardy First of all, I'm glad that they managed to get these two on pay-per-view because they both deserve it. Yes, even Jeff. For those saying that Hardy should be punished by being booked on the wrong side of squash matches against Umaga and the like are insane – the punishment was the suspension, if you didn't already know; the fact that he lost two months wages that would have included a WrestleMania bonus is punishment enough. If management decide not to push Hardy it would be to protect themselves as opposed to punish Hardy further, and de-pushing him would help nobody in the long run. And for those saying Hardy's a bad person for doing drugs in the first place, grow up. Shit ain't as simple as that; never is. OK, rant over, let's talk about the match. Firstly, I liked that Matt Hardy came out, said his piece, intro'd Jeff and left. That was a nice touch if nothing else. Then we come to the match it was a bit of a let down considering what these guys have done with other opponents. Both are really charismatic in the ring as well as in personality so I would have thought that they would click, but they just didn't. It wasn't a bad match per se, but it was disappointing. I do like the idea of them building the Whisper in the Wind up to be a credible finisher though; JR might call it correctly once in a while then.
  
  Match Rating: **



• Our main event was the WWE Championship match between Triple H and Randy Orton to put it bluntly, I was unimpressed. I get what they were going for, but it just wasn't working for me. The numerous attempts at an escape were tedious because I didn't, for one second, believe that Orton or The Game was going to get out on any of the occasions that they scaled the cage. I don't see what would have been wrong with going for the formula that more people would have enjoyed, a bloody battled that actually utilizes the cage. Maybe they're saving themselves for One Night Stand, but this was a let down.
  
  Match Rating: **1/4



• Overall, we're just looking at another good show from WWE, albeit one without a great main event. But the fact that there was nothing bad on the card makes up for it. As an overall rating, I'll give it a very respectable 7/10.

One Night Stand Is Coming
Insert joke about how technically, this is the fourth One Night Stand and thus, technically, it ceases to be a One Night Stand

So WWE's third pay-per-view in 6 weeks, One Night Stand, is just over a week away and the card looks to be extremely promising. I should point out that the next couple of paragraphs contain spoilers from last night's SmackDown tapings, so skip past them if you don't want to know what went down.

Here's the card so far;

WWE Championship (Last Man Standing) – Triple H vs. Randy Orton
World Championship (TLC) – Undertaker vs. Edge (If Taker loses, he's fired)
Stretcher Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Batista
First Blood Match: JBL vs. Jonh Cena
Falls Count Anywhere: Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga
ECW Championship No. 1 Contender's Match (Singapore Cane) – CM Punk vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. John Morrison vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Big Show

First of all, it looks like one way or another, Orton and The Game's rivalry will come full circle and conclude at One Night Stand, which I'm with for now. I do really like the fact that Orton chose a Last Man Standing match simply because it's the one match he's already beaten The Game in and now he thinks he can do it again – that's good booking right there. Using that No Mercy match as an indicator means that we're almost certain to get a great match out of these two so consider me pumped for this one.

People seem to be complaining about the "If Taker loses, he's fired" stipulation but this one actually makes sense and the outcome really isn't as obvious as you might think. Vicky Guerrero has been on a powertrip and recently the board of directors stepped in, so by having Undertaker fired, it'd be a sensible way of having Guerrero removed as GM and Taker would simply be reinstated, and likely reclaim his gold inside Hell in a Cell somewhere down the line. Because this angle will ultimately end up with Vickie being fired, I don't see a better way of getting it done. But what people are forgetting here is the fact that Taker and Edge are going to have a TLC Match and it is going to rock your face.

The First Blood match will go one of two ways; it'll either be a repeat of their Judgment Day match, with the added chair/steel steps shot or it'll be an all out brawl. Hopefully it'll be the latter and that's what I think we'll get. JBL is best when he's in this kind of environment and Cena is a terrific brawler as he has proved against JBL and Umaga in the past. I would be looking for Cena to pick up a decisive win here, setting him up for a return to the top in the summer.

The stretcher match will be interesting. I don't know if either of these guys are that good in this type of environment, but we know that they can at least have a decent match with each other as they proved at Backlash. I do think it's a shame that Jericho has been oh-so-subtly been moved out of this feud now because he was a highlight, both in the ring and on the microphone.

Jeff Hardy and Umaga have great chemistry and as far as I can remember, they have never had a bad match together and I'd be very surprised if that trend did not continue at One night Stand. In a Falls Count Anywhere match, you know Hardy is going to do some crazy shit, Umaga will throw himself through something big and it'll be a ton of fun. Behind the two main events, this is the match that I am most looking forward to.

The Singapore cane match should be a nice break from the chaos but the quality of it will depend on how they do it, I feel. Let's not bother putting a cane on a pole, let's just give them each a stick and let them start swinging that wood. I'm sure Punk and Morrison can work a couple of interesting spots into this match, and I'm sensing a moment where all four guys are caning the shit out of Show, and that could be awesome. The winner will be one of two guys, and I just prey we're not heading for any more Kane/Show matches. On the Brightside, the Henry/Show thing appears to have been dropped. Winner!

Some Random Filler AKA Half of a TNA Pay-per-view

- So we're coming up to June 2008, which would be roughly 10 years since I saw my first wrestling match on TV. Admittedly, I wasn't a hardcore until two years later, but it's something I think is worth celebrating. So for the next couple of weeks (starting next week) I'll be running a couple of lists including;

"25 Greatest Wrestlers"
"Top 10 Pay-per-views"
"50 Greatest Matches"

All of those will cover the time period of June '98 – May '08 and maybe cause a little controversy too. Controversy's always fun. But that's something to look forward to. There'll also be a special column thrown on the end of that series. And I will be continuing the TNA vs. WWE stuff during that time period.

- Has anybody else noticed that all current TNA Champions are home-grown talent? I was shocked too.

- I really enjoyed the break-up angle involving Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade on Raw last week. What was even better was the way they followed it up this week…

- So William Regal has been added to the list of people who threw away the biggest push of their career in 2008. And in other news, that's a fourth major story line that Kennedy loses out on, and only one of them was his own fault;

• Mr. Money in the Bank – injured, MITB hastily taken off of Kennedy
  
• Death of Vince McMahon – angle scrapped due to the events of the last weekend of June
  
• Vince's Illegitimate son – Kennedy loses out due to Wellness
  
• Anti-authority Kennedy – Kennedy loses out due to lack of authority…

…Unless, of course, it now turns into a Kennedy/McMahon feud, which would be something a little bit more interesting.

WWE vs. TNA Continues…
For those that have asked, upon starting this feature I was working under the assumption that X Division Championship would be taken off of Petey Williams due to his injury, hence Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt fighting over the gold.

TNA Presents Hard Justice 2008

The show begins with the camera in the parking lot. A limo is here and we get the low camera shot. As it turns out, Vince McMahon is here!

We get a brief video package highlighting the brawls between Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle before we head to the ring for our opening match.

WWE vs. TNA: Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle

Angle enters first. Jericho follows and rushes to the ring. Double leg takedown by Jericho followed by a flurry of rights and lefts. Angle reverses and connects with rights of his own. Jericho shoves him off, both men get up and Jericho beheads Angle with a clothesline. The Impact Zone doesn't like that. Jericho sends Angle to the corner and hits some hard knife-edge chops. Angle reverses and does some chopping of his own. He sends Jericho to the opposite corner but Jericho hops up to the second rope and comes back with a reverse crossbody for 2. Angle ducks a clothesline attempt and tries for a German; Jericho blocks it, goes behind and tries one of his own but Angle victory rolls into an Ankle Lock! Jericho very quickly to the ropes and Angle breaks quickly and cleanly. They circle and Angle goes low, attempting to get the ankle. Jericho avoids him a couple of times but soon gets caught. Jericho rolls to his back and pushes Angle back into the corner. He tries an Irish whip but Angle reverses. Jericho hops up to the second rope again, but this time leaps off into a kick to the gut from Angle. Angle follows it up with a belly-to-belly suplex. The crowd cheer Angle big here. Angle's posing for the crowd allows Jericho to recover and get a thumb to the eye in before tossing Angle out to the floor. Angle climbs up onto the apron but Jericho knocks him off with a springboard dropkick. Angle recovers, but Jericho comes over the top with a plancha. Jericho tries to whip Angle into the guardrail, but Angle reverses and Jericho goes back first into it. Jericho comes back with a boot, but runs into a back body drop on the floor. Kurt tries to pull him up but Jericho uses Angle's singlet to send him crashing face first into the ring apron. Jericho takes Angle down with a double leg now and catapults him face first into the ring post, busting Kurt wide open! Jericho rolls Angle back in and is shocked when he doesn't get the three count. He goes to the floor and finds a steel chair but referee Rudy Charles takes it from him. With Charles getting rid of the chair, Jericho boots Angle low and gets a 2 count from it. Jericho whips Angle into the corner and puts the boots to him, finishing up with a facewash complete with fancy footwork. He pulls Angle out of the corner and covers for 2. Jericho slaps the back of Angle's head then kicks him hard in the back for another 2 count. Another kick to the back by Jericho is followed by Y2J applying some leg scissors. He adds a chinlock to increase the pressure on Angle. Angle elbows his way out of the chinlock and uses nothing but sheer strength to force some separation. Jericho boots Angle in the head and whips him into the corner but charges into a back elbow. Angle misses a clothesline and Jericho hits a German suplex with bridge for 2. Jericho follows up with a senton for another near fall. He fires off with right hands to Angle's open wound. Jericho stalks Angle and tries to hit the Codebreaker, but Angle catches him, drops him, and applies the Ankle Lock! Jericho fights but Angle has it cinched in. Jericho just manages to get a fingertip around the bottom rope. Angle pulls him back to the center though, but Jericho rolls through and sends Angle crashing into the second turnbuckle. Angle turns around into a step-up enziguri! Jericho gets an arm over and it gets 2. Jericho goes for the Lionsault now, but Angle avoids it and Jericho lands on his feet, charges at Angle, gets caught and belly-to-bellied over the top rope! A bloody Angle celebrates and goes to the floor. He grabs Jericho by the hair but Jericho KILLS him with a steel chair! The referee is on the floor now and goes to DQ Jericho, but Jericho tosses him into the steps. Jericho rolls Angle into the ring now and hits a Codebreaker. Jericho applies the Walls to a helpless Angle and he is crazed. Out of nowhere, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas hit the ring. They knock down Jericho and put the boots to him! Jericho fights back but misses a clothesline and Haas grabs a waistlock. Shelton nails Jericho with a thrust kick and Haas takes him over with a German suplex! Shelton helps Angle to his feet while Haas recovers the referee. The duo then connects with their leapfrog stun gun and Jericho staggers back into a Angle Slam! Angle covers and the referee counts the 3 @ 19:04!

Winner: Kurt Angle via pin fall @ 19:04



Team Angle celebrate.

We cut to the back and Lauren is with Jay Lethal. She asks him about his big title match tonight, but Vince McMahon is here. He eyes Black Machismo up and down. "For some reason, and I can't put my finger on it, I don't think I like you."

WWE vs. TNA: Stone Cold Shark Boy and Curry Man vs. Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins

Curry Man and Ryder start. They lock up and go to the corner. Hawkins tags in and kidney punches Curry Man. He tries for a back body drop but gets telegraphed and taken down with a clothesline. Curry Man hits a scoop slam and tags in Shark Boy. Shark Boy whips Hawkins to the corner and stomps a mudhole. He gives Ryder the finger but turns around into a dropkick. Ryder in now and he connects with a fist drop from the second rope. He gets cocky and goes for a second and Sharky puts a boot up to stop it, but Ryder blocks that and hits an elbow drop. He poses and gets rolled-up for 2. Ryder beats Shark Boy to the punch and connects with a vicious clothesline. Hawkins in now and they double team, hitting a double suplex. Hawkins applies a chinlock and Shark Boy fights out of it, hitting a side suplex. Ryder charges across the ring and knocks Curry Man off the apron, so Shark Boy gives him a Stunner! Hawkins nails Shark Boy with a DDT though and gets 2. He goes to the second rope and tries a fist drop, Shark Boy gets a boot up, it's blocked again but this time Shark Boy avoids the elbow drop, ducks a clothesline and comes back with a Thez Press with mounted punches. Shark Boy tags in Curry Man and he cleans house with clotheslines. Ryder charges Curry Man but gets back dropped to the floor. Curry Man reverses a DDT attempt and gets Hawkins up for the Spice Rack, but Ryder comes in with a chop block. Hawkins stacks Curry Man up while Ryder holds back Shark Boy and they get the 3 @ 5:17!

Winners: Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins via pin fall @ 5:17

Shark Boy helps Curry Man up and gets shoved him away. Curry Man bitch slaps Shark Boy! He rips his hood off and it's Christopher Daniels! Boot to Shark Boy, Angels Wings! "Fallen Angel!" – Impact Zone. Daniels leaves Shark Boy lying in the middle of the ring.

Shark Boy pulls himself up using the ropes. GLASS SHATTERS! Stone Cold Steve Austin is here! The Impact Zone go crazy. Austin's in the ring and poses on all 6 corners. He has a microphone. He has something on his mind.

Now I've been watching my TV for the past couple of weeks. "What?" – Impact Zone. Watching my TV whilst drinking a beer. "What?" – Impact Zone. Two beers. "What?" – Impact Zone. Three beers "What?" – Impact Zone. Hell, I drink a whole pack of beer while watching TV. "What?" – Impact Zone. And I'm watching Monday Night Raw… Boos. …ECW on Sci-Fi… Boos. …Friday Night SmackDown… Boos. And all I'm seeing is these little runts from Florida pretending to be wrestlers. Major boos. Hey, hey, I'm only kidding, I'm screwing with ya. "What?" – Impact Zone. I don't watch ECW; no one watches ECW. That gets a laugh from the Impact Zone. But do you know what? "What?" – Impact Zone. I said do you know what? "What?" – Impact Zone. Even less people watch Impact! More boos. And do you know why? "What?" – Impact Zone. I'm gonna tell ya. "What?" – Impact Zone. Because Impact… "What?" – Impact Zone. Is infested… "What?" – Impact Zone. With puny… "What?" – Impact Zone. …Pathetic… "What?" – Impact Zone. …Circus acts… "What?" – Impact Zone. …Like AJ Styles… "What?" – Impact Zone. …And a bunch of has-beens and never-weres who got their asses fired by Vince McMahon. The crowd is all over Austin at this point. Austin gives the crowd the middle finger and attacks Shark Boy. He stomps a mudhole, picks him up, gives him the finger and hits the Stunner! Austin gets in his face and calls for a beer, but AJ Styles is here! He brawls with Austin and goes for the Styles Clash but Austin back drops out of it. Austin charges but gets back dropped to the floor! AJ hits a plancha over the top and fires off on Austin. He tosses Austin back into the ring, but gets caught with a kick. Austin goes for the Stunner, AJ shoves him away, ducks a clothesline… PELE! He just hits it right out of nowhere, Mike~! Austin goes down but Mr. Kennedy nails Styles from behind. Austin rolls out of the ring and heads up the ramp. Referees flood down to ringside to stop a ball between these two, who will do battle later tonight.

We get many a replay of what just happened. Tenay and West are still in shock over what just happened.

TO THE BACK and Vince McMahon marches into Jeff Jarrett's office. Jarrett wants to know what that was about. Vince says that he has no control over Stone Cold. Jarrett points out that they had been trying to prevent this from turning into anything more severe than a battle to find out who's best, not a war. Vince says that it will end at Summerslam. He says Chris Jericho wants a rematch with Kurt Angle. Jarrett says he can have it. Jarrett points out that he has a match with John Cena at Summerslam and thinks that Vince should be wrestling too. Vince doesn't like the idea. Jarrett says they can make a ton of money. Vince says he wants time to think about it.

Sonjay Dutt is in the back with Lauren. They discuss the upcoming ladder match for the X Division Championship. Dutt says he didn't want to hurt his friend, but Jay Lethal left him no choice. Similarly, Lethal has left him no choice but to beat him within an inch of his life tonight so that he can regain his X Division Championship.

Ladder Match for the X Division Championship: Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt

They circle and quickly jump out to get the ladder. They have a tug of war over it. Lethal lets Dutt gets it then dropkicks it back in his face. Lethal slides the ladder into the ring but Dutt nails Lethal. . Dutt in now and tries to pick up the ladder, but Lethal's on the apron and nails Dutt. Dutt hits Lethal who drops down off the apron and see-saws the ladder into the face of Dutt! Lethal in and sets up the ladder. He climbs but Dutt pulls him off. Lethal hits the Lethal Combination and sets the ladder up in the corner. He tries to whip Dutt into, but the move is blocked and Dutt pulls Lethal back into the near corner. Dutt monkey-flips Lethal onto the ladder. He goes to the floor and lies a ladder across the ring apron and guard rail. Up to the apron now and he tries to suplex Lethal onto the ladder. Lethal with shots to the gut now; he slingshots out onto the apron and hits an inverted DDT onto the ladder! Lethal heads up top now and wants the elbow drop, but Dutt moves before Lethal can come off the top. Dutt tries to climb back into the ring but Lethal baseball slides a ladder back into his face. Lethal sets up a ladder and climbs… and dives out onto Sonjay! Back in now and Lethal traps Sonjay underneath a ladder and he climbs. But Dutt has enough strength to tip the ladder and Lethal crashes ribs-first on the top rope. Dutt lies the ladder down in the middle of the ring, and connects with a half-nelson bulldog onto the ladder! He straightens Lethal up on the ladder and goes for a standing shooting star press, but Lethal moves and Dutt eats ladder. Lethal connects with a low dropkick to the face. He sets up the ladder now and climbs. Dutt recovers and goes up the other side. Both men have a hand on the belt, but Dutt nails Lethal with it. Lethal turns around on the ladder so his back is to Lethal now, and he nails the Sonjay Cutter (sitout standing shiranui) from the ladder! Insane! Dutt shakes the cobwebs lose and climbs now. He's reaching for the belt when Lethal nails a springboard dropkick! Lethal takes the ladder to the corner now and climbs. Dutt is up though and meets him up there. They exchange rights and Sonjay tries a suplex from the ladder but it is blocked. Lethal tries to suplex Dutt over now and he gets him up in the air, but Dutt comes down on the turnbuckle behind Lethal! Sonjay goes beneath Lethal and gets him in an electric chair! Sonjay ascends the ladder with Lethal on his shoulders, but Lethal spins around and hits a hurricanrana from the ladder! The crowd loves that. Sonjay rolls out of the ring. Lethal brings the ladder to the middle and he climbs. Dutt is down and Lethal retrieves the gold @ 14:33!

Winner: Jay Lethal via retrieval @ 14:33

Lethal celebrates with the gold. He gets the microphone and delivers a message to WWE. Vince McMahon, and your little minions, if you want a war, the Black Machismo is ready for a war, oh yeah!

We get replays from the ladder match. Tenay and West say they don't normally do this but because TNA is going to be kicking WWE ass again next Sunday, they hype the Summerslam card;

Champion vs. Champion: Awesome Kong vs. Mickie James
Champions vs. Champions vs. Champions Ultimate X Match: Miz and Morrison vs. London and Kendrick vs. LAX/Motor City Machineguns
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho
Samoa Joe vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship Match: Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
Eight Man Tag Team Match: America's Most Wanted, Edge and Christian Cage vs. Big Show, Batista, Kane and Undertaker
Vince McMahon in action vs. a TNA Wrestler
John Cena vs. Jeff Jarrett

Six-Man War: Team 3D and Rhino vs. CM Punk, Tommy Dreamer and Colin Delaney

Dreamer and Rhino start, and this is No DQ. Rhino tosses Dreamer around early but he comes back with right hands and Team 3D are in. They beat down Dreamer and here comes Punk. He cleans house with roundhouse kicks and tosses 3D. Punk hits a suicide dive and takes out both Brother Ray and Brother D-Von. Rhino sets Dreamer up for a Gore, charges and gets dropkicked by Delaney! That gets cheered. Delaney connects with some forearms, but Rhino comes back with a knee to the gut. He press slams Delaney and tosses him out onto Punk and 3D. Dreamer's brought in some hardware. He nails Rhino with a cookie sheet. And again. And a third time. Rhino to his knees now and Dreamer puts a trashcan over his head. He drills it with a kendo stick and celebrates to boos. Brother Ray in from behind and low blows Dreamer. He tosses him to the floor and follows. Ray and Dreamer brawl through the crowd now and up by the entranceway. Punk gives chase but goes through the stands. He comes off with a dive from the bleachers onto Brother Ray! D-Von and Rhino are pummelling Colin in the ring, but some miscommunication allows Colin to clean house! He stands tall and soaks in the few cheers he gets. Brother Ray comes in from behind and kills him with a kendo stick though. Punk connects with a springboard clothesline and gets 2. Rhino tosses Punk to the floor and they brawl up the ramp. D-Von and Dreamer exchange trashcan lid shots and D-Von is busted. Ray blasts Dreamer with a stop sign. He goes looking for a weapon and comes across… a cheese grater! He goes at Dreamer's head with it and the screams are deafening. Punk is back though and makes the save. He gets Ray up for the GTS but Ray slides out and hits a full-nelson slam. Delaney comes off the top with a dropkick that only staggers Ray. Ray hits a scoop slam and D-Von nails the Whazzup Drop. Rhino brings a table in. Ray goes up top and looks to powerbomb Delaney though, but Dreamer, from the apron, nails Ray in the back with a kendo stick. Kendo stick shots all round. Colin has the stick now and beats Rhino all the way down the ramp. Dreamer brings a table and sets it up on the ramp. In the ring, Punk sends D-Von to the corner and hits the running knee, then takes Ray out with a clothesline as he bulldogs D-Von. Rhino has beaten down Dreamer on the ramp and sets the table up, leaning in the entranceway. Colin has a chair put Rhino boots him in the gut and KILLS him with the chair. In the ring, D-Von is grating CM Punk. Rhino sets Colin up for a Gore through the table, but Dreamer spears Colin out of the way and Rhino crashes and burns. Dreamer picks up a bloody Colin and they celebrate. Brother Ray nails both from behind with a chair and tosses Colin off of the ramp! In the ring, Punk puts a trashcan over the head of D-Von and picks him up and nails the Go2Sleep! He covers but Ray pulls Punk from the ring. They brawl and go back into the ring. Dreamer and Punk now double team Ray but a misfired roundhouse from Punk takes out Dreamer. Punk whips Ray into the corner and hits the knee, charges out for the bulldog but gets caught with a GORE, GORE, GORE! Rhino pins Punk @ 15:55!

Winners: Team 3D and Rhino via pin fall @ 15:55

After the match, Rhino drags Colin back to the ring. They set up a table in the middle of the ring and Team 3D want the 3D. Dreamer is in with the kendo stick and gets a few shots in before getting put down by Rhino. D-Von goes to the outside and has lighter fluid! They set the table alight and pick up Colin, but Punk has a chair and drills Ray in the back. D-Von and Rhino bail and Punk tosses Brother Ray. The fire is put out and the fans aren't pleased. EMTs check on the condition of Colin after that fall off the stage. The trio actually get a standing ovation for their effort. Punk get's on the mic and says that this is far from over, and that gets a cheer.

We get replays from the match.

In the back, Lauren puts over the effort of Jay Lethal. She's with him now. He says he meant what he said, and he will be on Raw tomorrow night.

Mr. Kennedy vs. AJ Styles

Kennedy makes his way out to ringside first and AJ attacks from behind! They brawl on the ramp and AJ tries for the Clash, but Kennedy back drops out of it. He goes for the Mic Check on the ramp but AJ elbows his way out of that. AJ tries a Pele but Kennedy ducks it and takes AJ's head off with a clothesline. The match hasn't officially gotten under way yet. Kennedy tosses AJ into the entrance like a long-dart. Kennedy puts the boots to AJ and a couple of referees try and get this to the ring now. AJ breaks through the referees and hits a leaping forearm smash. Kennedy goes down and AJ makes his way to the ring now. AJ waits for Kennedy in the ring, but Stone Cold Steve Austin strikes from behind! He hits the Stunner and bails! Kennedy hits the ring and the bell rings. He covers and the referee reluctantly counts 3 @ 00:09!

Winner: Mr. Kennedy via pin fall @ 00:09

Several of the TNA locker room empty out as Kennedy celebrates. Kennedy bails and escapes through the crowd.

Tenay and West put over what a wild show it has been. They show replays of what went down in the opening match and we go to the back with Kurt Angle, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. Angle says that TNA is where the best wrestlers work, and Haas and Benjamin, Team Angle, are two of the very best and now they'll have the chance to prove it by helping Angle win the war against their former employers, WWE.

TNA Tag Team Championship Match: LAX w/ Hector Guerrero and Salinas vs. The Motor City Machineguns

The winners go on to Ultimate X at Summerslam. Homicide and Shelley start and they work through a bunch of holds-counter hold-hold-counter hold sequences, much to the delight of the fans. Hernandez in now and he pummels Shelley. He sends him to the corner but charges into a pair of boots. Sabin in now and comes off the top with a dropkick. Shelley tags in and hits a springboard dropkick for 2. Tag to Sabin, he tries a springboard crossbody but gets caught and Super Mex hits a fallaway slam. Shelley in illegally and snaps off a hurricanrana on Hernandez. Homicide comes in and takes Shelley down with a wheel kick. Back splash by Homicide. Back splash by Hernandez. Hernandez tries a Border Toss on Sabin, but he slides out the back door only to run into a big boot. Hernandez staggers off a super kick from Shelley, then gets low-bridged to the floor. Kick to the gut of Cide now by Shelley and the Guns simply kick the crap out of him. Hernandez back in now and he gets met with kicks. Stereo enzuigiris by the Guns! They let us know where Detroit is. Cide up now and they meet him with spinning leg sweep/heel kick combo. Super Mex in now and kills both men with a double clothesline. CrackerJack to Sabin! CrackerJack to Shelley to the floor! Hernandez takes Sabin up now and Cide heads up top… 5150 connects! One…two…thr-NO! Shelley pulled Cide out of the ring. Boot by Shelley and he nails the @LX-Plex on the floor! Back in, Shelley ducks a clothesline and knocks Hernandez down with a super kick. He goes up top and hits a frog splash for 2. He goes up to again and misses a second, but rolls through, baseball slides between the legs, tries a hurricanrana but gets caught and Hernandez nails the Super Mex (sitout powerbomb). Sabin breaks that cover by dropkicking Hernandez in the face. Cide in now and hits a tiger bomb on Sabin. Shelley gets caught and Cide hits 2 Amigos, but a 3rd is blocked and Shelley hits a brainbuster. Hernandez press slams Shelley to the floor and tosses Sabin. Super Mex nails his big man dive! Cide follows it up with the tope con hilo but The Guns avoid it and Cide takes out his own man. Back in and the Guns hits ASCS Rush on Cide but it only gets 2! Sabin tries for the Cradle Shock but it's countered into a DDT. Shelley nails a kick and tries the Shellshock, but that's countered too. Cide and Shelley exchange kicks and Sabin comes out of nowhere with a springboard tornado DDT! Shelley puts Cide in the tree of one now and Sabin hits a hesitation dropkick. They cover but Super Mex breaks it up. They chop him down with kicks and the Guns hit simultaneous missile dropkicks on Super Mex! Cide tosses Shelley and has Sabin… Gringo Killer! Shelley but he gets caught. Hernandez has him up… Border Toss! They call for the 5150 and Cide goes up top, but Hector Guerrero shoves him to the floor! Shelley gets a victory roll and we have new champions @ 12:40!

Winners: Motor City Machineguns via pin fall @ 12:40

The Guns celebrate and leave with the gold. Hernandez looks perplexed and asks what happened. Salinas tells him and Hector leaves.

Just for once, Tenay and West don't have a clue what's going on and they show replays. They say that the Guns will now represent TNA in the Ultimate X match at Summerslam.

Vince McMahon is here! He says what a lovely place Florida is. He says he came here tonight to scout competition and now a challenge has been made. Vince has thought it over, and he wants to wrestle and Summerslam. Vince says to send anyone you got. Lights out… riff… Sting is here! He's swinging the baseball bat and Vince is shitting himself. Vince leaves the ring as Sting enters it. Vince backs off up the ramp as Sting stares him down.

We get a video package for the main event.

TNA World Championship Match – Samoa Joe vs. Robert Roode

Lock up and to the corner they go. Clean break and Roode spits in the face of Joe! Mistake, kid. Joe comes out the corner with jabs and slaps. Snap mare by Joe, backhand chop to the back of the head, kick to the chest now and a diving knee drop. Joe covers and gets 2. Joe hits some knee lifts now and whips Roode to the corner. Roode blocks Joe with an elbow and hits a jawbreaker. He comes off the top with a double axe handle. Joe rolls out to the apron and Roode suplexes him back in. Boots by Roode now, followed up by a leg drop for 2. Roode applies a body scissors and Joe quickly breaks it. Roode reapplies the hold and adds a chinlock. Joe powers up and hoists Roode onto his shoulders. Joe hits a spinning Samoan Drop. That gets a 2 count. Joe shoots Roode off and gets telegraphed, but Roode charges into a scoop snap powerslam. Roode kicks out and Joe applies an armbar. Roode gets the ropes though. Roode gets a thumb to the eye and drives knee into the head of Joe. Roode to the floor and wraps Joe's knees around the ringpost. Roode applies the figure four around the ringpost! He eventually breaks the hold. Joe rolls to the floor and Roode whips him knees-first into the steel steps. Roode hits a bck suplex on the floor and stomps on the knees of Joe. Back in and Roode locks in an Indian Death Lock! Joe struggles and claws his way to the ropes. Roode puts the boots to Joe's knees once more. Knee breaker by Roode now, and another. He wants a third but Joe elbows him off and nails the C.C.S. Enzuigiri! Joe recovers and goes to the corner. Roode charges in but gets caught with STJoe and Joe covers for 2. Roode is up and chop blocks Joe. He tries for a figure 4 but gets shoved off. He charges and Joe ducks a clothesline and hits a German Suplex. Exploder suplex now by Joe and that gets another 2. Roode avoids a charge in the corner and nails a DDT and covers for 2. Roode sends Joe to the corner but Joe comes out with a heel kick. Roode to the corner now and Joe puts the boots to him. Joe tries for a face wash but can't run on his band kness, and Roode takes advantage with low dropkick to the knee. Roode shoots him off but misses a clothesline and Joe comes back with a running big boot. Roode up and Joe hits a single leg dropkick, and follows it up with a senton for 2. Joe puts Roode on the top rope and wants the Muscle Buster but Roode boots Joe away. Roode comes off the top but gets caught and Joe hits a belly-to-belly. Roode rolls to the floor and Joe hits a suicide dive! But he hurt his knee on the landing. Roode has a chair but Joe blocks it and hits some stiff kicks. Joe sits Roode down by the steel steps and he wants the facewash, but Roode moves and Joe boots the steps! His knee is shattered at this point. Roode rolls Joe back in and connects with a Northern Lariat. That gets 2. Roode hits and diving knee drop now, and that gets 2. The Roode Bomb gets 2 more and Roode is pissed now. He stalks Joe and wants the Payoff. Joe counters and comes back with palm strikes until Roode kicks him in the knee and hits the Roode Awakening. That gets another near fall. He goes for the Payoff again but Joe spins out of it, ducks a clothesline and applies the Coquina Clutch! Roode fights and gets the ropes. Joe is reluctant to let go but the referee forces him to. Joe gets in the ref's face and Roode hits a lariat from behind and Joe crashes into the referee. Roode has the title belt now and drills Joe with it. But no ref. Roode checks on the ref and Joe has the belt and he nails Roode with it! He sets Roode off top and goes for the Muscle Buster… in the center of the ring now and… SWEET CHIN MUSIC! Shawn Michaels came out of nowhere. Roode on top and Michaels bails. The referee counts 3 and we have a new champion @ 18:22!

Winner: Robert Roode via pin fall @ 18:22

Roode celebrates with his gold as the show fades to black.

And that concludes our session for today. If I hadn't been in the middle of exams, I'd have gone on to Summerslam too, but alas, this is not the case. I've got no exams next week so I'll go further with the next instalment. And next week I'll begin that 10-Year Retrospective with a look at the Top 10 pay-per-views of the last 10 years. Sound like a plan? Good. I'll see y'all next week.