Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Free TNA Matches Part 1

Chris Sabin vs. Senshi (Low Ki) from TNA’s Bound for Glory 2006

Senshi hit a cool heel kick to the back of Sabin’s head early.  Senshi was in control for a while after that.  Senshi hit a koppou kick, but Sabin came back with a springboard dropkick.  Sabin sent him to the floor, and he then wiped him out with a tope suicida.  Back in the ring, Sabin hit a hesitation dropkick in the corner.  That got a nearfall.  Senshi managed to briefly lock in a Dragon Sleeper, but Sabin escaped.  Low Ki went for a Tidal Krush, but Sabin blocked it with a dropkick.  Sabin then hit a springboard DDT for a nearfall.  Sabin hit a super hurricanrana, but Senshi rolled through and hit a double stomp for a nearfall.  Senshi then hit the Tidal Wave: 1…2…NO!  Sabin came back with a Yakuza.  Sabin hit the Cradle Shock: 1…2…NO!  Senshi came back with a series of kicks.  Senshi then hit the Ghetto Stomp: 1…2…NO!  Sabin got his foot on the ropes.  Senshi then locked in the Dragon Sleeper.  Sabin managed to reverse the submission into a small package: 1…2…3!

When discussing the most entertaining Low Ki matches after Final Battle 2005, this match would certainly have to be near the top.  They didn’t do anything too crazy, but they had a hot crowd and kept the action entertaining throughout.  If you forget what it was like to be entertained by Low Ki, check out this match.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Chris Sabin vs. Jay Lethal vs. Alex Shelley vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Shark Boy from TNA’s Lockdown 2007

Sabin was in his fourth X Division Title reign at this point.  As was standard for TNA, the stipulations for this are all out of whack.  The first three people are eliminated via pinfall or submission and then the final two just have to escape the cage to win the match and the title.

Dutt and Sabin did a cool sequence to start the match that made Dutt look really good.  Sabin went to superplex Dutt, but Shark Boy tagged in and he sunset powerpombed them to the mat.  Shelley tagged in to take on Shark Boy.  Shark Boy dominated Shelley, which is bizarre to think about.  The Machine Guns teamed up against Shark Boy, but Shark Boy got the best of them by himself.  That is really fucking bizarre to think about.  Finally, the Machine Guns were able to hit a double team top rope move to pin Shark Boy.  Thank you.  Lethal entered the match.  Lethal was in his Black Machismo phase, and he was beloved by the crowd.  The Machine guns were able to control Lethal.  The Machine Guns accidentally ran into each other, and that gave Sonjay Dutt a brief opening.  The Guns quickly cut him off though.  Lethal made a comeback on the Guns.  The Guns cut him off and did some of their trademark spots on Lethal.  Dutt recovered and slipped on a springboard spot.  Dutt ran through the Guns, and eventually hit a Lionsault to a standing Shelley: 1…2…NO!  Shelley hit Dutt with a Stunner and then locked in a Border City Stretch.  Sabin locked Lethal in with an abdominal stretch.  They both reversed it.  The Guns escaped and killed Lethal with some kicks.  Dutt then killed Shelley with a standing Sliced Bread #2.  Sabin then hit Dutt with a Cradle Shock: 1…2…3!  Lethal was alone with the Guns.  Lethal hit the Lethal Combination on both Guns.  Lethal hit the Savage Elbow on Shelley: 1…2…3!  Lethal vs. Sabin in an escape the cage match is the end.  Lethal hit a superkick and started to climb.  Sabin quickly recovered and both men climbed at the same pace.  They were both on the outside, hanging of fencing when Sabin kicked Lethal’s leg into the fence.  Sabin easily fell to the ground to retain his X-Division Title.

This was a sprint that featured a lot a good action, but was far from perfectly laid out.  Doing so many eliminations in such a short match is not normally advisable, but I actually thought it worked here because of how the Machine Guns teamed up.  The biggest problem with this match is the rules.  Sabin winning by touching the mat first feels so anti-climatic after so many eliminations.  Still though, this was a fun match.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage vs. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Harris from Slammiversary 2007

The NWA stripped TNA of the rights to the NWA Title, so this match is actually to determine the very first TNA Heavyweight Champion…sort of. At the previous PPV, there was a finish where Angle won the belt, but there was a double pinfall or something so the belt was held up after Angle was declared the new TNA Champion. So, no one had really been TNA Champion yet. Fuck Vince Russo for making me try to explain it.

Styles and Cage were working together at the start. Joe destroyed AJ and Cage for a bit.  Chris Harris and Cage battled it out in the ring.  Harris killed AJ with a Catatonic: 1…2…3! Harris can now hang the belt, and AJ had to go to the penalty box.  A lot of finishers got traded and reversed, but no one was getting pinned. Cage was on a ladder bridged between the apron and the guardrail.  Harris dumped AJ onto Cage and the ladder.  Harris climbed the ladder, but Angle gave him a Drunk Slam off the ladder: 1…2…3!  Angle can now win the match. Angle accidentally took out the refereee with a lariat.  Joe had Angle in the Coquina Clutch. Angle tapped out, but the referee was knocked out.  Cage knocked out Joe with a ladder, and he then pinned Angle: 1…2…3! Cage can now win. Cage and Joe climbed a ladder. Joe gave him an Ace Crusher off the ladder!  Harris climbed the ladder, but AJ knocked him down with a springboard dropkick.  Joe and AJ were on the penalty match. Joe threw him off through a table on the floor. Nasty bump.  Harris and Cage were on the box.  Harris gave him a gourd buster to the mat. Harris then hit a diving lariat on Angle.  Harris climbed again, but Cage knocked him off.  Cage and Angle battled on the ladder.  Harris then dove from the turnbuckle and speared Cage off.  Angle easily climbed the ladder and hung the ladder. Angle is the new TNA Heavyweight Champion.

Angle gave Joe a Drunk Slam after the match.

This was a really fun trainwreck.  Everything was clearly planned out very well, and with so many talented men in the ring, the execution was pretty much top notch the whole way through.  It’s weird to see the booking of this match so clearly set up to make Chris Harris look like a top guy (or at least close to the level to the other men in the ring). I say weird because this is the same man who ended up being Braden Walker.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Homicide vs. Amazing Red vs. Suicide from Bound for Glory 2009

Red was the champ going into the match, and he had Don West in his corner.  The Pope was supposed to be in this match, but he had a family emergency. So, the Machine Guns defeated Lethal Consequences on the pre-show to qualify for this match. Suicide was Kazarian at this point. Homicide was in Eric Young’s World Elite stable at this point.

The six men paired off at the start. Homicide wiped out Daniels with a tope con hilo. Suicide hit Homicide with a slingshot plancha. Sabin hit Suicide with a suicide dive. Finally, Red gave Daniels a super huricanrana to the competitors to the floor. Homcide and Suicide were both on a cable when Homicide gave him an Ace Crusher to the mat. That must have sucked. The Guns worked together for a bit to get the advantage. Amazing Red managed to beat them down by himself. Homicide went to climb the cable again, but Daniels pulled him down and hit a DVD. Red was climbing the cables, but Suicide took him down with a springboard dropkick. Everybody traded a lot of big moves. That sequence went on for a minute or so until all six men were down. Four of them got to their feet and they did a ridiculously dangerous Tower of Doom spot. Red killed Homicide with a corkscrew moonsault. Suicide killed Sabin with a Flux Capacitor. Suicide, Daniels, and Red climbed the metal structure. Suicide and Daniels met in the middle and teased doing a death suplex to the mat. They both dropped to the cables. One of them did a move to the other that somehow did not kill both of them. The Machine Guns were on the cables, but Red kicked them away and grabbed the belt.

The spot Kaz and Daniels did at the end was really fucking stupid. This was the prototypical spotfest/stunt show that TNA seemingly put on all the time for a while there. It was reckless, but it was a lot of fun at times. I can see some people loving this match, while a lot of other people may hate it. I am somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed the match and respect the effort, but this is not something that should be happening all the time. Since this match happened on the biggest TNA show of the year, I’ll give the stupidity a pass.
Match Rating: ***1/2

The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) vs. Homicide & Kazuchika Okada from TNA Impact (Taped April 2010)

The Bucks used their teamwork to get the advantage at first.  Homicide cut off Nick with a Gord Buster.  Okada tagged in and worked over Nick.  Homicide tagged in and hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Nick.  Nick came back with a tornado DDT on Okada.  Matt tagged in and made a hot tag.  Matt ran through the odd couple tag team.  Nick saved Matt from the Cop Killa and then sent Homicide out of the ring.  The Bucks then hit Okada with More Bang For Your Buck on Okada: 1…2…3!

This matchup was so bizarre that I couldn’t help but watch it.  Okada was infamously wasted in TNA during his stay there.  The Young Bucks finished their first year there (2010) strong, but they were soon forgotten and ended up back in ROH.  Homicide also ended up back in ROH, but his run there mostly sucked so he isn’t seen too much these days.  This match was nothing special, but it was a short, fun sprint.
Match Rating: **1/4

Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson from TNA’s Lockdown 2010

Kennedy Kennedy has the key to escape the cage around his neck, because he defeated Angle in a ladder match on free TV to win the key.  The match can only end when someone escapes the cage.

Kennedy tried to escape early, but Angle stopped him.  Angle hit him with a back suplex.  Anderson managed to get the key in the lock, but he wasn’t able to open the door.  Angle had the advantage for a bit, but Kennedy sent him shoulder first into the steel.  Angle bladed.  Anderson repeatedly slammed Angle’s bloody head into the cage.  Anderson went for a piledriver, but Angle avoided it with a back body drop.  Anderson went to the top rope, but Angle ran up and hit a super belly-to-belly suplex.  Anderson cut him off by choking Angle with his wrist tape.  Angle almost passed out, but he was able to fight out of it.  They got to their feet and started slugging it out.  Angle hit a big belly-to-belly suplex.  Anderson avoided a Drunk Slam and hit a Finlay Roll.  Angle avoided a Mic Check and hit some rolling Germans.  Angle easily could have walked out after six Germans but he opted to attack Anderson more.  Anderson escaped an Ankle Lock and hit a Mic Check!  Anderson opened the door, but Angle caught him with a Drunk Slam!  Angle decided to close the door and lock it back up! Great storyline touch.  Angle then through the key into the crowd!  Anderson looked like he was going to shit himself.  Talk about taking a crappy handicap and making it work.  Anderson tried to climb out, but Angle stopped him.  Angle killed Anderson with a German off the top rope.  Brutal.  Angle then set up Anderson for a moonsault.  He went to the top of the cage.  Angle hit a moonsault off the cage!  Kurt Angle is insane.  It looked like Angle: 1.) Almost misjudged it a la Davey Richards at Manhattan Mayhem 2011. 2). Almost landed square on Anderson’s head.

Angle then goes and walks out the door with some mysterious key, which almost killed the greatness of the earlier key.  Anderson baited Angle back in the cage and hit a Mic Check.  Anderson tried to crawl out, but Angle dragged him out with an Ankle Lock.  Anderson tapped, but the match can’t end that way.  Angle then choked out Anderson with his Army chain thing that was introduced for the story and then never mentioned again.  Angle spat in Anderson’s face, kicked him in the crotch, and walked out to win the match.

Kurt Angle killed himself for this match.  I don’t know what drives Kurt to do the things he does for this shitty promotion, but he is often able to make greatness happen in some of the most unlikeliest situations. This was probably the best match of Kennedy/Anderson’s career.
Match Rating: ****

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Also, check out my Best of Chikara blog and an archive of all my 411 video reviews.

The 411: Lots of great matches here. You should absolutely check out the Angle/Anderson as it's probably one of the best matches in TNA history. The only match here not worth watching is the match with the Young Bucks, but it's a such a surreal matchup that I couldn't help but post it.
Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]