MATT. EDGE. HELL. CELL. 24/7/365

MATT. EDGE. HELL. CELL. 24/7/365

The main event scheduled for WM XXIII in Detroit, is of course, Matt and Edge in only the third ever Cell match. It's the first main event we've scheduled a year in advance for the buildup. It'll be the first time the WWF Championship isn't on the line (maybe...) in the main event at Mania.

It's the blowoff match to what (by that point) will be a year and a half in the Lita program, and considering the Matt/Edge history woven throughout their entire careers - it's the blowoff match nearly a decade in the making.

To that end - we start the documentary series. Matt. Edge. Hell. Cell. 24/7/365.

The direct model for this of course is the great Mayweather/De La Hoya build that HBO did; if you missed this, you want to catch it even after the fight. They heeled Floyd up real good (the shot of him with the stacks of money in his kitches is one I want to directly steal for Edge) and judging by public expert reaction, I think it's built up not just interest in buying the fight, but a genuine belief in the underdog De La Hoya (totally without merit, in my view - if I'm wrong, well, people can shoot at me, but I think the only way Floyd loses the fight is if the judges steal it from him).

The indirect model is what, I think, is still my favorite build for any wrestling match, the training scenes of Bret and Shawn before XII.

We'll start with small, but larger than normal, say, five minute, pieces within the bodies of existing WWF shows. Inside Matt's life. As it begins, he won't open up at all - since he's the enigmatic Pillman-like character. I really don't want him talking on camera until we zero in on the show - people can talk about him, we can get shots of him, but I want him largely by himself, running the steps hours before TV, shadowboxing, sitting alone in the locker room.

People can talk about him, family, friends, other workers - "Matt's changed" is the real theme of the Matt side of this. And current Matt will be juxtaposed with Ring Boys Matt, Hardys Matt.

We'll climax the Hardys stuff in time for the return of...well...someone's returning this summer, as you are aware.

When we get close, we'll break Matt open a little bit so we can recognize the degree to which he needs to win the match.

Edge, early on, will be all cocky heel. Edge goes out partying, Edge at the club, Edge with Lita - Edge and Lita with other girls. Edge with strippers. Edge with porn stars. Edge's frenzy to get at Matt has to slow way down now and build again before the big show. Right now, I basically just want to show Edge as young, single athlete guy. He makes it rain at the strip clubs, he's just a wealthy, good looking asshole living it up.

When we get close, he'll want it just as badly as Matt. But right now, he's Pretty Boy Edge.

Eventually, they'll get longer blocks of time for the documentary pieces, and since they'll both be in other feuds over the course of the year - we can use this time to always keep as a touchstone that the company is driving to one match at XXIII.



Matt. Edge. Hell. Cell. 24/7/365

A Counterfactual History of TNA

THE COUNTERFACTUAL HISTORY OF TNA(Part 12 of Counterfactual Title Histories. This is the full card history of TNA; now that it’s got 5 years, it’s taken a spot, in the context of the time period of American wrestling history that the Counterfactual covers sufficient to put together this history. Note that the look stops at the close of ’06, we’ll stay one show behind going forward, which, actually, will put Counterfactual TNA ahead of Counterfactual WWF in the timeline. It’ll all be okay.)

The 1st Show: 6/02
TNA Championship: Low Ki d. AJ Styles
X Division Title: Jerry Lynn d. Jimmy Yang
TNA Tag Team Titles: James Storm/Ron Killings d. Ken Shamrock/Rick Steiner
Psychosys d. Norman Smiley
Steve Corino d. Jeff Jarrett
Scott Hall d. Konnan
Sonny Siaki d. Buff Bagwell
Joey Mathews/Christian York d. Dupps

The 25th Show: 12/02
TNA: Low Ki d. Red
X: Jerry Lynn d. Chris Daniels
Tags: Maximos d. Killings/Storm
Kid Kash d. EZ Money
Jimmy Rave d. Tony Mamaluke
David Young d. Ace Steele
Jason Cross d. Shark Boy
Road Dogg/Brian Lee d. Harris Brothers

The 31st Show: 2/03
TNA: Paul London d. Low Ki
X: Jerry Lynn d. Steve Corino
Tags: America’s Most Wanted d. Maximos
Jimmy Rave d. Kid Kash
Sandman d. Raven
Tony Mamaluke d. Shark Boy
Ron Killings d. David Young
Road Dogg/Brian Lee d. Rock n Roll Express

First Anniversary 6/03
TNA: AJ Styles d. Paul London
X: Chris Daniels d. Jerry Lynn
Tags: AMW d. Chris Sabin/Frankie Kazarian
Sting d. Jeff Jarrett
Sean Waltman d. Justin Credible
DLo Brown d. Perry Saturn
Sandman d. New Jack
David Young/Don Harris d. Mike Sanders/Kenzo Suzuki

75th Show: 12/03TNA: AJ Styles d. Low Ki
X: CM Punk d. Chris Daniels
Tags: Abyss/Raven d. AMW
Sting d. Jarrett
Sabin d. DLo
Matt Bentley d. Disco Inferno
David Young d. Kevin Northcutt
Julio Dinero/Joe Legend d. Simon Diamond/Johnny Swinger

82nd Show: 2/04
TNA: AJ Styles d. Jerry Lynn
X: Ron Killings d. CM Punk
Tags: Abyss/Raven d. Terry Funk/Dustin Rhodes
Chris Sabin d. Roderick Strong
Sanjay Dutt d. Jimmy Rave
Elix Skipper d. Kid Kash
Jeff Jarrett d. Matt Bentley
Legend/Dinero d. Insane Clown Posse

2nd Anniversary Show: 6/04
TNA: AJ Styles d. Monte Brown
X: Sanjay Dutt d. Ron Killings
Tags: AMW (3/2) d. Abyss/Raven
Konnan d. Sonny Siaki
Road Dogg d. Disco Inferno
Chad Collyer d. Johnny Swinger
Hernandez d. Lance Hoyt
AMW d. Hernandez/Hoyt

Final Resolution ‘05
TNA: Chris Daniels d. AJ Styles
X: Sanjay Dutt d. Jeff Hardy
Tags: Chris Sabin/Petey Williams d. AMW
Monte Brown d. Frankie Kazarian
Bobby Roode d. Matt Bentley
Ron Killings d. Elix Skipper
Raven d. Jarrett
Scott Hall/Kevin Nash d. Dustin Rhodes/Chris Candido

Slammiversary ’05: 3rd Anniversary
TNA: AJ Styles (2) d. Chris Daniels
X: Alex Shelley d. Sanjay Dutt
Tags: Sabin/Williams d. Abyss/Raven
Samoa Joe d. Monte Brown
Samoa Joe d. Sean Waltman
Samoa Joe d. Red
Bobby Roode d. Matt Bentley
Killings/Skipper d. Road Dogg/Konnan

Turning Point ‘05
TNA: Samoa Joe d. AJ Styles
X: Christian d. Alex Shelley
Tags: Generation Next: Austin Aries/Rod Strong d. Sabin/Williams
Abyss d. Raven
Rhyno d. Monte Brown
Sanjay Dutt d. Sabu
Bobby Roode d. Kanyon
Dudleys d. AMW d. Killings/Skipper d. Road Dogg/Konnan

Final Resolution ‘06
TNA: Samoa Joe d. Homicide
X: Chris Daniels (2) d. Christian
Tags: Sabin/Williams (2) d. Generation Next
Abyss d. Raven
Styles d. Tanahashi
Shelley d. Lethal d. Dutt d. Waltman
Sting d. Roode
AMW d. Dudleys d. Killings/Skipper d. New Age Outlaws

Slammiversary ’06: 4th Anniversary
TNA: Joe d. AJ Styles
X: Low Ki d. Chris Daniels
Tags: AMW (4/3) d. Sabin/Williams
Aries d. Shelley
Sting d. Abyss
Christian d. Jarrett
Rhyno d. Roode
Dudleys d. New Age Outlaws

Turning Point ‘06
TNA: Joe d. Daniels
X: Homicide d. Low Ki
Tags: Generation Next: Aries (2)/Shelley d. AMW
Kurt Angle d. Sting
Christian d. Rhyno
Styles d. Abyss
Sabin d. Kazarian
Dutt/Lethal d. Killings/Bentley