NWA-TNA Destination X PPV (spoilers included)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Will chose to pass up a 2nd consecutive night of ECHL hockey in order to be home for this month's TNA PPV ... so here I am .

20 y/o Jay Lethal & 22 y/o Alex Shelley are the PPV curtain jerkers.

Cute spot where the two bridged & were basically standing on their heads slapping each other.
Lethal's in-ring facial expressions & body language somehow remind me of Thunderbolt Patterson.

Lots of near falls & quite a bit of time given to these two youngsters before Shelley gets the win.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Pre-show matches included
"Prince of Punk" Shannon Moore over Cassidy Reilly and Diamonds in the Rough (David Young & Elix Skipper) vs Shark Boy & Norman Smiley. Young pins Smiley for the win but the focus here was on Simon Diamond ranting pre-match about the recent X-Division replica belt to A.J. Pierzynski & Dale Torborg (Jr). He ripped on the presence (and promotion of same) of Scott Spiezio, Jim Edmonds, and David Eckstein, and figured (paraphrasing here) that since the White Sox were so popular with TNA that they'd present the Cards in attendance with an award ... even though they were choking losers.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The rest of the lineup, btw

Lance Hoyt vs. Matt Bentley

The Naturals vs. Bobby Roode & Eric Young

Homicide & Machete & Konnan vs. James Gang & Bob Armstrong

Puma vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Petey Williams (Durango Kid will replace Dutt)
NOTE: I believe that's listed backwards, Dutt is supposed to replace DK (aka Abismo Negro)

Rhino & Team 3-D & Ron Killings vs. Jeff Jarrett & Abyss & AMW

Ultimate X Match for the X Division Championship
A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels

NWA TNA Championship
Christian Cage vs. Monty Brown

Sting is also scheduled to be at the PPV.
NOTE:Also supposed to be some "backup" for Jarrett appearing to deal with Steve Borden. Lots of speculation, but the only person I can think of off-hand who meets the criteria Jarrett described (a champion everywhere he goes & has never appeared in TNA before) would be The Man They Call Vader.
I'm almost certainly wrong, but he's one of the few I can think of off-hand.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Next up, Maverick Matt Bentley (with Traci) vs his former partner & buddy Lance Hoyt.

I have to figure Hoyt goes over here since he's one of the few young big men (6'9" 270) on the TNA roster. Only way I can figure him losing this is to set-up a better payoff after a longer feud.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Early domination by Hoyt, sky-high backdrop & a long toss over the tope to the outside. Hoyt looks (from a distance) like a young Kevin Nash.

Traci strip tease distracts Hoyt ... but he almost casually turns aside an attempted sneak attack by Bentley.

Low-blow sets up middle-rope neckbreaker by Bentley to take control
NOTE: Right about here I realize how out of practice I am at posting PPV stuff. I kinda of dread trying to keep up with the faster matches tonight

Hoyt back in control, and he just snapped off a kick to the jewels that matched the stiffness of several nice kicks by Bentley earlier. And then missed a moonsault attempt.

Cut to Shelley & Young in the rafters looking for Sting. They toss down fliers from the rafters ("Have you seen this man"). Traci decides Bentley just had to see the flier ... which set him up for a big boot to the face from Hoyt & a quick pin.

[MikeVic]

I loved the opener... you can hear a faint "This is Awesome" chant after Lethal hit the diving headbutt and didn't get the win.

I liked Coach D'Amore's little talk there too, and Young saying his Canadian Danger Sense was going wild lol!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I loved the opener... you can hear a faint "This is Awesome" chant after Lethal hit the diving headbutt and didn't get the win.

I liked Coach D'Amore's little talk there too, and Young saying his Canadian Danger Sense was going wild lol!

the comedy of Young isn't bad really. It's only opener quality but it's not bad.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Promo by the 8-man match good guys ... "War Machine" Rhino opens, Bubba Ray Dudley does a decent intense "tonight is about war" bit, Ron "The Truth" Killings raps something short, and then D-Von says "Oh My Brother ... TESTIFY" ... bit closes funny with Bubba Ray "Brother, you have got to teach me ebonics".

[JonInMiddleGA]

Match #3 -- The Naturals (Chase Stephens & Andy Douglas) vs. Team Canada (Bobby Roode & Eric Young)

Former NWA Tag Champs Stephens & Douglas get a chance to avenge the interference of Team Canada that cost them a match last night against current champs America's Most Wanted.

Tenay to D'Amore: "All You Can Eat (buffet) in the back pally"

Young looks like a cross between Chris Candido & Bobby Eaton. He doesn't wrestle as well as either of them, but he does look like 'em

"USA ... USA" chant (obligatory in this situation really)

Old school heelery gives the Canadians control. Simulataneous tags, Stephens takes control & hits a nice dropkick on Young while the victim sat atop the ropes where he'd just been crotched. More heelery turns control back to the bad guys. Pace starts to slow down, Roode looks like he's a little blown up already. Canadians beating up on a helpless Stephens, you can feel the hot tag coming as the USA chant fires up again ... and here comes Stephens firing back to the midsection of Roode, face rake slows the comeback ... springboard enzuigiri sends Young flying outside. A-1 carries Young to their corner to set up the tag ... but Douglas gets the hot tag & runs roughshod over Roode, double team plants Young, Roode flattens Stephens, four man schmozzola ... Canadians set up a doubleteam superplex, Douglas sacrifices his partner but busts up the attempt. Young hockeysticks Stephens while the ref was (shockingly) distracted, Roode gets the pin.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Alpha Male Monty Brown promos tonight's main event. "I could be covered head to toe in doorknobs & you still couldn't handle the Alpha Male". Larry Z comes out, wishes Brown luck, promos Earl Hebner as the special referee.

This is followed by a video package for the Latin American Exchange vs Armstrong's feud.

[JonInMiddleGA]

LAX (Konnan, Homicide, and Machete) vs James Gang+Armstrong (BG James, Kip James and Bullet Bob Armstrong)

Konnan cuts pre-match heat-seeking "we hate you all" promo, hits his old WCW "La Raza" catch phrase.

Dear Lord ... Bullet Bob is in a singlet. (Although, even at 67 & wrinkled up as hell, he still looks better than a lot of guys in the business today)

And it's on now.

Armstrong debuted in 1962, is tonight wearing his old Bullet-as-B's boots that are 30 years old. (info courtesy of Tenay)

Early triple-teaming on BG, Konnan's slap jack already hanging out of his pocket in plain view. Still double & triple on BG, his partners naturally distracting the ref by trying to rush the ring, ensuring that BG gets the hell beat out of him.

Bob ducks slapjack try, proceeds to beat the crap out of Konnan. One by one they beat down LAX members, leaving Homicide to take the pin.

Ol' Bob was pretty blown up by it all, but the match delivered just what the fans wanted -- a victory for the old guy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Young & Shelley still looking for Sting, find the bat & coat in the bathroom, but only Styles in the stall. A.J. suggests there might be something a little "funny" about the two Team Canada guys being in the bathroom together.

[JonInMiddleGA]

International X Division Match

Petey Williams (Canada) vs Puma (Japan, from NJPW) vs Sonjay Dutt (India) vs Chris Sabin (USA)

Ain't no way I expect to be able to remotely keep up with this

Puma & Dutt open, speedy exchange gets good crowd response, and chants for "Puma Puma Puma"
Williams tags himself in, Sabin does the same moments later. Sabin lands springboard dropkick for biggest impact of the match so far. Williams trying to call time & looking for someone to tag in, face rake to take advantage ... Dutt breaks up Williams pin, Puma breaks up Dutt's pin, Sabin breaks that one up.

Puma & Sabin now, Williams blind tags Sabin & gets a shot at Puma. Series of chops by Puma, Williams low dropkicks the shins, Dutt blind tags Petey & beats on Puma a bit. Puma tags in Williams, who hangs Dutt in the tree of woe, Sabin blindtags Petey & beats on his former tag team partner. Settles into a surfboard submission on Dutt to give everybody a breather, Dutt reverses the hold. Puma in to work on a battered Sabin. Puma kicks vs Sabins big loud chops. Petey in to work on Sabin.

OUCH ... Williams hangs Sabin in the corner & stands on his groin. I repeat ... OUCH.

Puma tags in but Wiilliams stays on Sabin ... Petey springboard hurricarana but Puma tope suicido onto both outside. Dutt healthiest man moonsaults onto all 3 outside & sticks the landing, rolls Sabin back in, Puma catches Dutt, Sabin goes for cradleshock, blocked, Puma big kick. Williams sweeps the leg of Puma, Dutt superkicks Petey, Sabins superkicks Dutt & all four are down.

A well-deserved "This Is Awesome" chant.

All four up, , Williams ends up looking for submission on Puma, Dutt breaks the hold. Sabin spinning powerbomb gets 2.5 on Dutt but Puma breaks it up.. Dutt saves Sabin from pin, Williams tosses Puma, Dutt gets guillitined by Williams, sick flip bomb by Williams on Dutt, Sabin gets cradleshock blocked by Petey, Puma kicks Williams out of it, Sabin cradleshocks Puma for the win. And a very good response from the crowd to a 20 minute exhibition.

[MikeVic]

That International match was awesome! Constant action once all four were in the ring.

[JonInMiddleGA]

To the back for Borash with the 8-man bad guy team ... James Mitchell promos first about the "infidels & the outsiders", calls Abyss a "weapon of mass destruction" ... Jarrett addresses Sting, Young runs in & says we're still looking for him. Jarrett says no, now it's time for Sting to come find me.

Thankfully a video package on the 8-man event, 'cause the crowd (and me) need a breather after the international X match.

Vid pkg leads straight to live intro's Pretty smart pacing by TNA here to draw this out a bit. The crowd has got to cool off & re-set a bit because this is going to have a much different pace & style than the Int'l X match. This match can't be allowed to be a big let-down because they've got: 2 former NWA World champs & the current Tag champs, the biggest names they've signed in the past several months and the guy they seem to be thinking about giving an increased push -- that's a lot of the top part of the roster to have in one match, so it needs to deliver for image reasons IMO

[JonInMiddleGA]

8 man -- Team Jarrett vs Team 3D +

8 man action to start, Killings slaps Jarrett up the ramp, Abyss handles Rhino outside, Dudleys looking for AMW.. Rhino & Abyss in the 2nd area of seats, Jarrett beating Killings down on the Spanish announce table. Dudleys in the crowd with AMW now on the other side. D-Von bottle shot to Harris, still no actin in the ring ... Rhino double chair shots to Abyss ... "TNA TNA" chants abound & the crowd is into it big. The Cardinals are on their feet at ringside ... Jarrett chair to Truth's gut, they're brawwling ... Bubba Ray & Abyss go at it, Storm working over BRD, Rhino gets Storm in the ring just pounding away ... DVon tgs in to work on Storm ... Abyss chokeslams BRD after a cane shot to DVon to block the Death Drop.

We've settled into the ring now, DVon fighting back against Abyss but the Monster is too much ... tags & now it's BRD vs Storm and then Harris ... Rhino tagged in whipped into a shoulderblock to catch both AMW's in the corner, spinebuster by Rhino but Jarrett saves ... BIG pressslam of Jarrett by Rhino ... waiting for the Gore, Gail Kim runs in to save Jarrett ... slaps the War Machine, sets up piledriver of the bitch but Abyss big boot saves her ... the big men now slugging away at each other ... AMW doubleteaming Rhino ... crowd chants "Brokeback Mountain" at AMW ... Harris slows things down with a mat submission, Rhino survives, Jarrett tags in, then Storm ... now it's Abyss on the grounded Rhino who is taking a beating ... Monster splashes from the middle rope but BRD makes the save ... collision leaves Jarrett & Rhino both down but JJ gets the tag to Harris ... Gail Kim & Jackie Gayda teasing a possible catfight jawing at each other outside ... Harris misses spear in the corner, Rhino looking for the tag & here comes Killings a house a fire ... downs all four men not once but twice ending with a dropkick that sent Abyss outside ... Jarrett saves a pin after a jawbreaker & now we're back a pier six brawl with six in the ring & 2 outside ... Jarrett has the guitar ... swings & a miss at Killings, Gore by Rhino ... blackhole slam by Abyss on Rhino ... Kllings sends Abys over, BRD pounding on Jarrett ... Gail on BRD's back & he snaps her over & Jackie sets her her for a double diving headbutt by Truth (on Gail) and DVon on Jarrett ... "1-2-3 ... GET THE TABLES"

Abyss set to chokeslam Jackie but instead we get Dudley Death Drop on the Monster ... AMW sets up the Death Sentence on Dvon & hit it ... Killings in to break it up ... AMW handciuffing Killings but Killings reverses it & catches Harris ... Killings axe kicks for a 2 count but JJ inteferes ... Truth blocks the Stroke but hits it on the 2nd try & that's it, pin victory for Jarrett thanks to the handcuffed Harris who tripped up Truth & sent him straight into Jarrett's finisher.

[SirFozzie]

nearly ECW style in insanity, always something happening.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Eight-Man match was booked very well at the beginning IMO, sort of an odd finish (especially with neither Rhino nor Abyss anywhere in the picture at the end).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Jarrett calling out Steve Borden, starting out a 10 count looking for Sting ...
1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 (Jarrett laying down in the ring flat on his back, still running his mouth)
TEN ... and virtual silence in the arena along with no sign of Sting.

Jarrett laughs manically & says he's proven Sting is a quitter & now he's setting his sights on Christian Cage & the World Title.

Video package now for the Ultimate X match. Borash follows by talking to an intense Samoa Joe, says "It's never about 'Who's Next?", it's about 'Who's Left?" (responding to comparison's to his unbeaten run & the run of Bill Goldberg back in WCW)

My prediction (which probably ain't worth a damn) is that Samoa Joe retains as Daniels does something to cost Styles a win, re-igniting their feud.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Ultimate X Match for the X-Division Title -- Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels vs Phenomenal A.J. Styles vs Samoa Joe (champion)

Joe grounds both challengers who each made one short-lived try to climb for the belt ... legsweep + clothesline combo grounds Joe & Styles hits a standing dropkick to level Daniels ... AJ climbs the corner & starts across Daniels coming both are within 3 feet & they kick each other down at the same time ... Styles rocking Joe but can't take him down, Styles get back bodydropped outside right on top of Daniels who are now chopping away outside, Samoa Joe goes over the top to level them both with a plancha ...
Joe starts to climb for the first time, looks shakey, Daniels levels AJ & Joe falls untouched ... Daniels in control now, crowd chants "Fallen Angel, Fallen Angel" ... Daniels blocks Joe's clothesline, hits enzuigiri followed by a jumping knee to send the champ down ... Styles interrupts Daniels climb attempt ... great powerbomb by AJ from halfway up the tower ... Styles now close to the belt, Joe yanks him down & gets his second wind working over both challengers ... another "This Is Awesome" chant ... Joe chairshots Daniels outside ... Styles blocks an running kick by Joe with a flying kneedrop to the outside ... AJ starts back in to make the climb, opponents down on the outside ... Styles slips off the tower & Joe plants him hard ... setting up a move onto another chair but Daniels makes the save ... Joe UFC style slaps Daniels around but a big flying kick by Styles stuns Joe ... doubleteam muscle buster on Joe leaves all three down in the middle ... AJ & CD up knocking each other around, Styles finally lands a Pele kick to put CD down, he starts another climb but Joe is starting to recover ... Styles had a hand on the belt and was sent crashing down with chair shot to back by Samoa Joe ... Daniels knocks down Joe kicking the chair into the champ's face and now the Angel starts to climbs ... he's on the belt and we have NEW X-DIVISION CHAMPION !!!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Samoa Joe has a little tantrum outside, tossing the ring steps around. Styles offers his hand to Daniels & after a little hesitation he accepts the congratulations.

Borash now talks to the NWA World Champion. Cage gets to call Brown "a silly bitch" and hits his catchphrase at the end. That'll send us to the vid pkg promo for the title match (and one more chance to see the killer sequence of Cage asking "What's the capital of Thailand? Bangkok" (setting up a low blow & a brawl)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Announcers stall a bit with some pseudo-analysis (complete with bullet point graphics), and now we get the introductions. Again, smart pacing by TNA in order to let the crowd cool down after the Ultimate X match.

Prediction (since I'm doing so well on those tonight) -- I'm going to reverse my feeling from the time this was first announced weeks back. I think Cage retains, gets confronted by Jarrett which cues Sting to appear (and likely to get confronted himself by Jarrett's mystery helper).

[JonInMiddleGA]

NWA World Championship Match -- "Alpha Male" Monty Brown (challenger) vs "Captain Charisma" Christian Cage.

Tenay sets the storyline as Cage trying to prove his title victory wasn't a fluke while Brown tries to prove he's deserving of this level. Earl hebner holds up the belt to the crowd & we're underway ... Cage working with his ribs taped, trying to ward off punishment on the three cracked ribs he suffered at the hands of Brown last weekend ... slow pace to start, Cage favoring the ribs after initial offense by Brown ... And I look over to see Will having crept withing a couple of feet of the TV, totally rapt attention at the title match. It's a good night to be a daddy :)

Brown takes the champ outside & tosses him over the guardrail into the crowd at ringside, walking him up the stairs as Cage tries to escape & recover ... Christian fights back, starts moving them back toward the ring ... exchanging punches, Brown tosses him back outside again ... champ gets shot into the guardrail , Brown misses a chairshot try, Cage goes up top & jumps right into a gut punch by the Alpha Male ... ouchie, they're chopping away at each other on the ring apron & Brown sends Cage crashing down to the floor, then drops him ribs-first onto the guardrail ... very deliberate pace continues, giving this kind of an old-school title match flavor ... whip into the corner & right into a big clothesline, first pin attempt gets about a 2 count ... small chant of "Let's Go Monty" picked up by part of the crowd, unintelligible reply from other fans (presumably pro-Cage) ... Christian gets a little offense but Brown drops him over the top rope & then bangs him into the side of the turnbuckles ... another 2 count for the challenger ... Abdominal stretch applied by Brown, crowd chanting for Christian now ... Cage gets free but runs right into a knee to the midsection, another pin attempt 2 1/4 this time ... knee drop to the midsection by Brown ... brief offense by Cage, Brown blocks tornado DDT attempt & just tosses Cage across the ring on to his stomach ... Cage blocks a move off the ropes & spikes Brown onto his noggin ... both men down, Hebner counting ... both men up, Cage hits a pair of running forearms but Brown now just pounding way, Cage catches Brown off the ropes & gets a quick 2 count ... mounted puches in the corner, broken up by Brown, Cage faceplants Brown & ascends the corner turnbuckle ... champ misses a frogsplash & now is hurting ... Brown grounds the champ & locks up an arm, pulling on the neck & adds a leg scissors for good measure in a mixed up sort of submission hold ... Brown drops Cage onto the corner turnbuckle, wants a superplex, Cage blocks, absorbs a series of punches, headbutts Brown off the post, hits a splas but only gets a 2 count.... Brown blocks Unprettier, plants Cage with an Alphabomb but Cage kicks out at 2.5 ... another block of the Unprettier, Brown slams him down again but only gets 2.5 again ... UNPRETTIER !!! 1-2-3 Cage retains !!!

[DaddyTorgo]

i was bored last night, watched Impact, and I am curious as to who they could be talking about as JJ's surprise for Steve Borden. I guess Vadar is the only guy not under-contract elsewhere that it could be, but IMO that would be a letdown, as the last time we saw Vadar he was not in anything CLOSE to ring-ready shape.

Anyways, watching Impact last night started a slow-fire burning in my belly. I don't think wrestling will ever be as compelling for me as it was during the heyday of the NWO and the Monday Night Wars (hell, WWE product is still shit) but it's at least mildly entertaining again.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Finish out the blue, reminiscent of the way DDP used to win with the Diamond Cutter ... Cage climbs the ropes to celebrate but we get Jarrett's music ... Yakkity-Yak by Jarrett ... Jarrett wants a rematch and "He wants it now" ... Cage says he'll give it to him IF he'll retire if he loses !

Cage says his hands are tied, can't give him a match but says he'll be glad to kicks Jarrett's ass again.
Brown & Jarret double team the champ, Cage fights back with a dobule clothesline but now Abyss is in ... but here comes Rhino ... here comes AMW & Team Canada ... Abyss puts Cage in the rack ... Crowd chanting for Sting ... Harris handcuffs Cage to the ropes ... Jarret & Storm strapping the champion, taking turns flailing him with a (regular) belt ... Jarrett setting up the guitary shot ... AND HERES BORDEN with a big right hand ... STEVE BORDEN CLEARS THE RING ... and now has Jarrett alone in the middle of the ring ... Stinger with the belt, paying back Jarret who is running & squealing like a little girl ... Scorpion Deathlock set up & locked in ... Jarrett tapping for dear life, no help coming ... Scott Steiner comes to the rescue of Jarrett ... and now the whole pack is obliterating Sting ... Beatdown continues but the crowd is chanting "Goldberg" at Steiner, who responds with a Steiner Recliner on the near-unconscious Sting ... Sitting chairshot to the head of Sting ... Jarrett screaming at Sting, right in his face trying to wake him up as we fade to black

[saldana]

how did steiner look, i heard he stopped juicing (as much) and was no longer "the genetic freak" with the insane biceps

[JonInMiddleGA]

how did steiner look, i heard he stopped juicing (as much) and was no longer "the genetic freak" with the insane biceps

Somewhat smaller I think, and a good bit older with shorter hair. Now that you ask the question, I really don't think they did any lingering closeups that would give you a good long look at him.

[MikeVic]

I liked the PPV overall. Found it funny when you could hear some people starting the old Sesame Street's The Count's laugh after each of Jarrett's counts lol.. "6 ah ah ah!"

And I liked Jarrett's poke at Edge being a transitional champion, followed by Christian's nice save of screwing up "kicked Monty Brown's ass!"

[MikeVic]

how did steiner look, i heard he stopped juicing (as much) and was no longer "the genetic freak" with the insane biceps

He still looked ripped, but his chest looked different... also had a big heart tattoo or something.

[JeffNights]

Scott Steiner had a MAJOR back injury back in the day that made him leave wrestling, then he came back on the WWE but had charcater disputes....well if he sticks around in TNA i'll be a new viewer. Steiner rules.

[dubb93]

I believe Steiner vs. HHH at the Royal Rumble may have been the worst wrestling match I have ever seen. Other than when he wrestles now-a-days I have always been a HUGE Steiner fan. I just hope he doesn't make a fool of himself in the ring again.