It's TNA and we start off with a brief review of what happened last week. This is my first actual coverage of a show, so be gentle. I will warn one thing, I will NOT call action play-by-play. Especially for some of TNA's performers who half of them perform moves I don't even know the names of.
Lauren opens the show up with an attempted interview with Shane Douglas who says he's aiming to make an impact for TNA "for a very long time."
MATCH ONE
Kiyoshi & Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Chris Daniels & Suicide
Pretty sure I misspelled Sheik's name. This is my first time seeing Kiyoshi and Suicide (character) in action. It was decent tag team action between the two teams. I wasn't too impressed by Kiyoshi or Daniels, but they weren't necessarily bad either. It didn't help that the commentators spent the whole match bickering over how they though Daniels was Suicide.
Near the end, Suicide did a dive to the outside on Sheik while Daniels and Kiyoshi were in the ring. While the ref was checking on Sheik, the M.C.M.G & Lethal Consequences came out and start pounding down on Suicide, taking him to the back. With Suicide MIA, Shane Douglas showed up and clocked Daniels with the chain again, which allowed Kiyoshi and the "suddenly injure-free Sheik" to gain a victory.
Winners: Kiyoshi & Sheik Bashir
Shane Douglas decides to take a seat (why doesn't he stand) and TNA's cameramen decide to give us a full frontal of his crotch while he talks. Douglas talks about how he watches TNA RELIGIOUSLY (hahahaaa!) and that he's been seeing how Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, and others are getting a second chance, but he never did (apparently). So he demands to get a second chance and until Jeff Jarrett gives him that chance, he'll make life a living Hell for Daniels (why?) until he does.
Never mind the fact he's allowed to get into the arena and that TNA will never buff up security with that threat, as fans we have to ignore that kind of stuff.
It cuts to J.B. and Foley discussing Foley's decision on defending the title once a year and comparing it to being like the playoffs, the Super Bowl, etc. Just as Foley mentions the possibility of defending the title FOUR TIMES out of the year before Kip shows up and asks for a job. Foley tells him that he'll consider it, but that things are tight around there with money.
Nash then shows up and discusses his payment, because apparently he's not getting paid enough to do nothing. Foley gives him 4x his normal pay.
"I don't care if one person watches or 50 million people watch, I just want to get paid." ~ Story of Kevin Nash's career.
Lauren's talking to Lethal Consequences and Motor City Machine Guns about their match against each other. They talk about how while they dislike each other, they have a common goal in unmasking Suicide.
MATCH TWO
Consequences Creed & Chris Sabin vs. Beer Money Inc.
Second tag team match of the night and I'm a Happy Jesse right now. Beer Money Inc. is my favorite tag team going on right now. The way how Chris Sabin and Creed seemed a little off just adds to the story of the match. The two aren't tag team partners and shouldn't know how to work with each other. That combined with their teams' rivalry with each other just helps add to that.
The British Invasion made their way out to the ring and were about to interfere until Team 3D came out to keep them out of the match. Since they didn't interfere and had no impact in the match, Beer Money gained the advantage and got Creed in the D.W.I. before winning the match,
Winners: Beer Money, Inc.
Coming back after commercial, the Beautiful People were beating the crap out of Victoria only to have Victoria fight back and completely own the group by herself. Why isn't she Queen of Wrestling, yet?
We get a little rundown of Slammiversary so far and get a brief clip of an interview-to-come... then another commercial (barely four minutes of the show this time).
Lauren's all over the place tonight, this time talking to Daffney guess Daf's supposed to be crazy, but she's really just coming off as fake. Personality Rule #1: IF YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN YOU'RE CRAZY, YOU'RE NOT CRAZY! You're just a poser and we who are actually crazy (hehehehe) will call you out right away.
In any case, she's apparently angry cause her "best friend" betrayed her something.
TIME-EATING-SEGMENT
We're given an interview by Main Event Mafia.
Nash is given first chance to express his words and apparently, he's set in life and would rather than put himself in danger, he'd rather walk home. To him, it's all about money and being paid and since this is TNA, they have no problem giving him 4x the pay and letting him get away with walking out.
Everyone else gave their reasons for being involved with this situation and how M.E.M. will fight back with anyone who attempts to fight with the M.E.M. Angle starts getting heated up until Sting calms him down and states that they do things HIS way.
"He's FAT!" ~ Steiner's a poet at heart.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah!" ~ Booker's excited.
MATCH THREE
Daffney (duck) vs. Taylor Wilde
Although I just ranted about her, Daffney's pretty hot, though she did steal Melina's entrance, which is kind of a "meh." Not even two minutes into the match, Raven and Dr. Stevie came out to "observe" the match - in other words, distract. It was a short match with Daffney gaining the win.
Winner: Daffney
After the match, Daffney started to attack Wilde. Lauren comes out to help Wilde while Raven and Stevie (along w/ Daffney) stay in the ring. Raven gives a little promo over why he and Stevie chose Abyss as their victim. It was a short promo, but a very good one.
TIME-EATING-SEGMENT
Jeff Jarrett makes his way out to the ring and calls out Eric Young. Jarrett attempts to apologize to Young before neglecting him over the years due to trying to run things and explain that he knew Young accepted how things were last week with that he had his chance. Jarrett then explains that he and Young could chop up what happened last week due to immaturity or inexperience or they could take it as far as he (Young) wants to take it.
Young's voice is just so... off. Is he trying to pull of a new voice with his new attitude? He doesn't sound threatening, he sounds like he needs a cough drop. Anyway, he praises Jarrett for his accomplishments then explains how Jeff's childhood was similar to his own in that despite their fathers being away for so long (Eric w/o a father and Jeff's father being a wrestler), they've both aimed to reach the American dream (no, not Dusty).
Young explains that while Jarrett made a vow to not be like his dad, Jarrett's turning into another version of his father. Young gets under Jeff's skin by explaining that Jeff is putting everyone else second and wrestling first. Even going as far as questioning his love for his daughters. At that moment, Jarrett bitch-slapped Young and a brawl started.
After a bit of action (mainly with Jarrett attacking Hebner), it cuts to Foley who explains a bit of shock at Jarrett's actions before sort of introducing a couple of a security guards.
Coming back from commercial, we get a bit of backstory on this new dude named Jesse Neal, who was a sailor in a previous life. Apparently, he's just a fan, but they actually showed him training with Rhino. He gives a few comments with Lauren (she multiplying?) about his best friend and all this and that before heading for his match.
MATCH FOUR
Jesse Neal vs. Matt Morgan
TNA's doing GREAT with Morgan lately by pushing him without having him squash everyone in sight. This is supposedly Neal's first match in wrestling, period. I like how Neal doesn't look so flashy in attire and looks like he just got out of a workout session, it sort of adds to him being a noob. I hate his hair though, looks pretty retarded.
The match wasn't too interesting or too exciting, but it fit for the angle. Morgan wins the match and gets to remain looking good, but Neal gets to get a feel in the ring and shows a bit of offense at the same time. Morgan wins by a big boot.
Winner: Matt Morgan
A vignette showing ODB and Dean in a "training boot camp" with Dean failing at.. well.. everything. The only thing is this isn't a wrestling workout, it's an obstacle course workout. No... not even that. It's the "poor man's workout." Lifting barrels, running through tires, using paint cans as weights, etc. In other words... idiotic and insulting to the intelligence of wrestling fans.
TIME-EATING-SEGMENT
Mick Foley cuts a promo about Jeff Jarrett "snapping" and attacking TNA officials. He talks about Jarrett being a threat to everyone in TNA and that Foley's "reaction" will be met next week and that... it will be... HARDCOOORE!
A little bland, but still good. He didn't have to go into the ring for this.
Sting's giving an interview with J.B. and states that Main Event Mafia is a family and have gotten stronger and more unified. Matt Morgan shows up with excitement and asks where his contract is so he can be a Mafia member. Sting tells Morgan that he needs respect and when Morgan climbs he does, Sting denies it and walks away.
Morgan takes it as an insult and says that the only reason he isn't getting is because he isn't champion. Thus, his next goal.
This was a great promo. I love Morgan's excitement and the way he speaks. A company has to be filled with idiots not to keep this guy (WWE).
Booker T & Steiner w/ J.B...... oh this will be fun.
Booker taunts Joe about not being able to bust him open. He says it in so many words, but could have knocked it off into five wirds.
Steiner taunts Joe with.. well.. saying the same thing except adding in "FAT PIG!"
What the hell is with Steiner and fat people? That's like his number one insult to people.
MATCH FIVE
King-of-the-Mountain Qualifying Match
Lethal Lockdown Rules
Kevin Nash vs. Samoa Joe
Interesting that this was the only KOTM qualifying match tonight while last week, we had two. But oh well. Joe was a little late due to talking to "someone" backstage outside the door before making his way out. Since this is a Lethal Lockdown Rules match, it's a cage match that I guess involves kendo sticks and other weapons.
Joe's beating the hell out of Nash with the kendo stick and Nash is doing the same to Joe early in the match. They cut to commercial during the match, which kind of killed it for me. Nothing spectacular happened in the match aside from a few items used on each other. Joe held Nash in a rear naked choke for a bit before finishing him off with a lethal shot with another kendo stick.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Joe wins the match and qualifies for the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary and that's a wrap.
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J-LEE'S THOUGHTS
*If Shane Douglas isn't on the roster, why did Lauren go searching for him for an interview attempt? Does she just walk around backstage with a cameraman and a mic to find people to interview?
*Why do people in tag team matches ALWAYS run to the back when they're getting jumped instead of trying to get into the ring? Yeah, you'll get your ass kicked, but at least it increases the chances of winning by DQ.
*I'm still a little sick of the interference-rate in TNA. Almost every match tends to get one or two people coming out to interfere in one way or another. Whether or not the person actually takes part in attacking someone doesn't matter. The mere fact that they even tried doing so just shows that TNA aren't exactly willing to show 100% clean wins. This is a minor gripe.
*Daffney's a little off for me. I mean, it just seems like she's trying so hard to be crazy you know she isn't. It's similar to "Sycho" Sid. Cutting hair, acting like a spaz, and random screaming isn't "crazy," it's "pretending to be crazy." Trust me, I know.
*The Young/Jarrett segment was great. THIS is how segments are supposed to be done. An attempt to add to a feud. Nothing more, nothing less. Of course, things can change. Not all segments need to be so serious or end off in a brawl, but they should always add to the feud or an angle going on.
*Jesse Neal just seems like a huge flop. Anyone who gets in an angle involving any sort of pity or sympathy for a "dead friend" just irks me. I lost a grandfather who loved wrestling, where's Regal to come and train me!? In any case, they're constantly mentioning his dead friend which is so similar to Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. To me, it's poor taste to make a career out of a dead friend. Whether this friend was real or not, I just wonder that if he was real, if he necessarily wanted his buddy to "make it" off of his name. If his friend was a fake person just to include to the angle, that's even more tasteless. Why? Cause there are real people out there who's friends and family are dying in needless war or terrorist attacks. I hope this changes over time.
*BTW: My "time-eating-segments" isn't necessarily a segment of the show that's terrible, just a segment (be it promo, interview, etc) that takes up a lot of time on the show. Since TNA tends to have, like, fifty segments per show, I decided to point out the bigger, more important, or unique ones.
OVERALL
Overall, it was a good show. Some nitpicking here and there, but still very good. TNA's REALLY picked up here lately where it's become my preferred show out of the week. I just wish a few matches were longer and I could do without the interferences in many of the matches, but it didn't ruin the experience for me. Not this time at least.
CURRENT INTEREST: Eric Young
Eric Young is the guy to watch right now. He's been the push-boy for so long with a history of crappy and lame gimmicks, even being involved in a few crummy-ass angles. It's so easy to overlook him, I know I did. His heel turn right now is the absolute best thing they could do for him.
TOP TAG TEAM: Beer Money, Inc.
The only tag team this week that looked great in a match, on cue with everything, and didn't come off as looking like a bunch of noobs.
TOP SINGLES STAR: Samoa Joe
Joe takes this spot for not only gaining entrance into the King of the Mountain Match, but also for obtaining the first step in eliminating the Main Event Mafia. I absolutely love this angle! It reminds me of something that you'd see in a MegaMan game or something. Sting as Dr. Wily, Angle as Elect Man, Booker as Cut Man, Steiner as Guts Man, and Nash as Bomb Man. Joe has to go through each one before getting to Sting.
BEST MATCH: Morgan vs. Neal
Yeah, it wasn't a great match, but none of the other matches were really anything to be excited about. I believe that when it fits with the angle plus action in the match itself, this one really fits. If the Joe/Nash had been a little better other than a couple kendo stick shots, then that could have taken the spot here. Though what's been done was done the Morgan/Neal match was exciting and fit very well into the program.