TNA 2014 Bound for Glory

Slammiversay is here.    TNA's last PPV is Bound for Glory from Tokyo.  

TNA World Title: Low Ki d. James Storm

X Title: Samoa Joe d. Minoru Tanaka

Tags: Dudleys d. Sanada/Muta

Kaz Hayashi d. Kazma

Tajiri d. MVP

Dreamer d. Abyss

TJ Perkins d. EC3

Jiro Kuroshio/Yusuke Kodama d. Andy Wu and El Hijo del Pantera

We end our look at TNA with Bound for Glory; the dominant storyline in 2014 has been faction warfare; following the two opening matches, we have Dreamer, from Future Endeavors beat one of the TNA originals, Abyss, in a garbage match.  Probably, that wraps up Dreamer in the Counterfactual.  Kaz and his protegee Kazma join Team Muta in this build - but Kazma swerves Kaz and joins Future Endeavors; he pays for that here.  Tajiri doesn't join FE, despite pressure to so do - and he beats MVP.  

The Dudleys, reunited, regain the tag belts for FE, The Horsemen are in the two singles title matches, Joe keeps the X belt in the best match of the night, going over Minoru Tanaka - and then a TNA original, the first ever TNA Champion, Low Ki - ends TNA's final PPV by beating Storm from the Horsemen and recapturing the belt.

As TNA is no longer a quarterly live PPV promotion; their real world lineage takes over upon the return of Impact to TV in 2015; on that first show, they switch all of the belts to their real world holders, and going foward, real world TNA (like ROH or PWG or really, the rest of the world that isn't WWE) now exists.  

I'll be back in May with some extra stuff, then June is the Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for Summer Slam 2014, we'll finish the build in July - and August will be that event.  

TNA Slammiversary 2014

Lockdown is here.

TNA World Title: James Storm d. Austin Aries

X Title: Samoa Joe d. Davey Richards

Tags: Sanada/Extreme Tiger (w/Muta) d. Bubba/Lashley

Jeff Hardy d. Eddie Edwards

Ken Kennedy d. Eric Young

Crazzy Steve d. Ion

Kenny King/TJ Perkins d. EC3/Magnus

EC3/Magnus d. Von Erichs

From the bottom, the two young teams are feuding - Magnus and EC3 have to win their way into the match against King and Perkins - they do, but to whom they lose.  Steve beats Ion.  

Kennedy represents Future Endeavors, he goes over Young.

Also from FE is Jeff Hardy, he has a 50/50 match with Edwards of the Wolves, when a man wearing Jeff's Blood Dragon mask runs in from the front row, hits a twist of fate on Edwards, and Jeff gets the pin.  He unmasks as Matt -Matt and Jeff have been feuding for years, both in WWF and TNA, but now, upon the unmasking, Matt and Jeff embrace, and the Hardys are once again united.

Sanada and Extreme Tiger, of Team Muta, keep the belts over the FE team of Bubba and Lashley when Sanada pins Lashley.  

Joe regains the X title for the Horsemen, beating Richards in what should be the workrate match.

And the Horsemen continue their big night, Storm becomes the 20th TNA World Champion with a win over Aries.

I will do Bound for Glory, with the expected main event of Storm against TNA's first ever World Champion, Low Ki.  If it's the last show, that's how we'll promote it.  

I'm back in November with Survivor Series 2013

2014 TNA Lockdown

Old School was here.

TNA World Title: Elimination Chamber: Austin Aries d. Jeff Hardy/Bobby Roode/Great Muta/Chris Sabin

X Title: Davey Richards d. Samoa Joe

Tags: Seiya Sanada/Extreme Tiger d. Bad Influence

Number One Contender: James Storm d. MVP (w/Angle)
Eddie Edwards d. Ken Kennedy (w/Bubba)
TJ Perkins (w/King) d. Yasufumi
Gunner d. Sam Shaw
Magnus/EC3 d. Bro Mans

TNA is divided into factions.

The American Wolves come into Lockdown on top; Richards/Edwards came in at the prior show, joining Aries as he regained the title.  Richards is immediately paired with Joe - think of real world Joe/Angle upon Kurt's debut.  The Wolves are tweeners.

Joe's in the Horsemen, along with Roode and, now, Storm - the Horsemen are now the babyfaces in the company (particularly so given what's about to happen here).  Storm will be in a number one contender's match.

The heels are Future Endeavors, Kurt, Jeff, and Bubba - during the build they tease a new member - and who winds up revealed is Kennedy, gone for several months with injury.  But that's a swerve, as later in that same show is the debut of MVP, who has some type of impactful run in.  He meets Storm in the number one contender's match.  MVP main evented Wrestlemania, a fact he drops whenever possible.

Bad Influence are babyfaces.

And in this build we add a new faction, Puro, it's Muta and his crew.  Sanada and Extreme Tiger get a tag title shot.

The main is the debut of the Elimination Chamber structure; it was on the booking sheet for a down card match at 30 for awhile, but I decided I'd save it and TNA gets to steal the idea.  The gimmick here is whomever is eliminated last not only leaves town - but his whole faction leaves town.

I see armed guards around the cage during the match to prevent interference.

Much discussion about who each faction will choose, Aries is the champ, so he goes in, Angle and Bubba are both injured, Angle still wants to go in and MVP gets his rhetorical power over by reasoning him down to allow Jeff to do it.  Roode's the only Horseman free, Sabin the member of BI free - Daniels is willing to give up the tag belts so he can go in, but Kazarian convinces him they can't do that, it doesn't show enough confidence in Sabin. There's enough explanation about a leaving faction forfeiting title shots or belts that we can reasonably think anyone might be the team that loses.

Okay, from the bottom up:

Magnus/EC3, cocky team, beats Bro Mans, comedy team.
Gunner, bearded babyface, beats Shaw.
Perkins, who along with Kenny King is a cocky team, beats one of Muta's guys Yasufumi.

We then get to the battles of the factions - Eddie Edwards wins his TNA PPV debut, going over Kennedy.

Storm gets the highest profile singles win of his career, beating MVP to become the number one contender - that tears it for Future Endeavors, and they leave Storm for dead postmatch.

Muta's guys take the tag titles from Daniels/Kazarian.

Richards and Joe rip it up; there's a generational battle here, this needs to be the big workrate match of the night.  Richards takes it.

So - the title match.  The dominant story is its everyone against Jeff - there are no more cross faction alliances, but Future Endeavors is the group everyone likes least (save Muta, he doesn't much care) and so Jeff is constantly at a disadvantage - but when it appears that he might be eliminated, he gets saved - because its the last fall whose team leaves town, not the first - and what everyone wants is Future Endeavors to be gone.

Throughout the match, shots of all of the factions in separate areas of the back.

Eventually, Angle says "this is bullshit" and decides to act, coming to ringside - although not breaching the perimeter of the police, getting Jeff's attention - and quickly convincing him to quit the match and be the first elimination.

Muta's second, Roode is third - and as you'd expect, because you know who leaves, Aries pins Sabin and Bad Influence is forced to leave TNA.  The Wolves, as they did at the last show, end with a massive celebration, sweeping the night - and Daniels/Kazarian/Sabin leave TNA.

Slammiversary runs when real world BFG airs (if it airs) several months from now; I'll be back in a month with Summer Slam.

TNA Old School 2014

BFG 2013 was here.

TNA OLD SCHOOL 2014

TNA World Title: Austin Aries d. Jeff Hardy

Tag Titles: Bad Influence no contest Future Endeavors (Angle/Bubba)

X Title: Samoa Joe (w/Roode and Storm) d. Sanjay Dutt

Bobby Roode d. Robby E

James Storm d. Jesse Godderz

Chris Sabin no contest Ken Kennedy

Joe Park d. Tommy Dreamer

Bro Mans d. Magnus/EC3

In this build there's alliance consolidation.  Future Endeavors (Angle/Bubba/Jeff) was able to keep hold of the TNA Title, and they get Kennedy back from injury.  We saw the Horsemen double at BFG, with both Storm and Sting joining - they do a full beatdown of Chavo in the build, with Sting joining in, ending his run with the promotion.  Sting had been seen as the unifying veteran leader by all of TNA in fighting Future Endeavors, his picking a side, joining the Horsemen, did not sit well with Daniels/Kazarian/Sabin, and their tentative understanding is blown apart.  Sabin officially joins Bad Influence, under the theory that they need numbers to compete.  

Who doesn't have any numbers is the number one contender, Aries, without a friend in the world, which seems to suit him just fine.

Taking us to this show; there's an angle at the top - we've got a tape "minutes ago" to begin the show; it's two shadowy figures killing Sting.  It's a full kill, this writes him out of the company.  The question is - whodunnit?

BroMans goes over Magnus/EC3 in an upset of heel teams to begin the night; winners will go on to face members of the Horsemen later on.  Joe Park wins a garbage match over a mystery opponent, Dreamer, Park is nerdy lawyer who, when the blood starts flowing, turns into crazy man Abyss.  

Sabin, from BI, faces Kennedy, from FE - but both are wiped out by by Storm and Roode.

Roode takes the mic - says they don't know if it was FE or BI that killed Sting dead earlier tonight - so that means everyone will pay the price until the culprit comes forward.  

They then take it out on Bro Mans in the singles matches, really ugly beatings.  

Joe then punishes Dutt to keep his X Title - Roode and Storm join him in the ring postmatch to wait for the tag opponents; Angle and Bubba come first and they never make it to the ring - the Horsemen meet them on the ramp - Daniels and Kazarian soon join - all three sides in a wild brawl that never becomes a match and results in all of the men being kicked out of the building.

Leading to the title match, which obviously will be one on one since the alliances are all gone - and it is until it isn't, when two men, dressed all in black, come to ring after a spot that found Jeff on the floor, and they wipe him out, Jeff's able to survive momentarily, but Aries is too strong, and he goes over, retaking the belt.

Postmatch, the two men hit the ring - they unmask - it's the American Wolves - all three men hit the buckles as the Wolves music hits - Austin Aries is the new TNA Champion - Austin Aries is an American Wolf.

TNA comes back for Lockdown when we get real world Slammiversary.  The main event - an Elimination Chamber match for the TNA World Title.

But I'll be back in April for Wrestlemania 29; Bryan Danielson defending the WWF Title against Brock Lesnar.  

 

TNA Bound for Glory 2013

Slammiversary is here.

TNA World Title: Jeff Hardy d. AJ Styles

X Title: Samoa Joe d. TJ Perkins

Tags: Bad Influence d. TexMex

Bobby Roode (w/Sting) d. Chavo Guerrero

Austin Aries d. Chris Sabin

Kurt Angle/Bubba Ray Dudley d. EC3/Magnus

Gail Kim d. ODB

EC3/Magnus d. Eric Young/Joe Park

So, how are we here?  Final Resolution was a TV show this year, but TNA taped two end of the year PPVs; they aired one a couple of weeks ago (Hardcore Justice) but the one I'll use (Old School) airs in a couple of weeks.  I wanted to get this event in now so February could belong to the Road to WM29.

The build here is about Sting's continuing to be the force who has built the coalition to oppose Future Endeavors; he drove Hulk Hogan out of TNA in the previous build, and now both Joe and Daniels/Kazarian hold title belts, increasing the belief in Sting's veteran leadership.  The babyfaces - on board; the Horsemen - on board.  Austin Aries is never on board, and they all are pissed at AJ Styles for costing Chris Sabin the title win.  

Styles reasoning was lack of trust for the Horsemen - he doesn't think Future Endeavors are the real threat, he thinks its always the Horsemen and isn't throwing in his lot with them.  He can't believe that Sting thinks he could actually work with them.

With those as the factions at play, we have (1) Roode asking Sting to be in his corner in the Chavo rematch (2) the Horsemen saying they'll increase their ranks at BFG.  

From the bottom up, Magnus and EC3 are an entitled heel tag act, they beat the babyface veterans, winners to face Future Endeavors later in the night.  We get a women's match.  Angle/Bubba, representing Future Endeavors, then go over the young heels, using veteran chicanery.  

Sabin wanted the title rematch; Aries said he never got his title rematch - Sting suggested the two of them meet to determine the number one contender.  They do, Aries beats him.  

Roode gets his rematch with Chavo, and with the veteran help of Sting, is able to overcome Future Endeavors trying to interfere on the outside to get the fall - postmatch, Roode and Joe brawl with Angle and Bubba on the outside while Sting puts Chavo in the Scorpion deathlock, Chavo taps and taps and taps.

There's a stip in the tag title match - if Tex Mex loses, they break up.  They lose, postmatch they shake hands and then Joe and Roode enter.  They stand in between the two men - then Storm joins them in beating up Hernandez.  The Horsemen made clear during the build that people shouldn't misunderstand - they wear the black hats, and just because the are aligning with Bad Influence now, doesn't mean that they won't do terrible things.  Maybe, they say, AJ is right not to to trust them.

Joe beats Perkins - Bubba and Angle come down to the ring to continue the fight with the Horsemen, Roode and Storm run in to continue the brawl, Sting enters, will he be upset at what the Horsemen did to Tex Mex (and, unsaid, will the Horsemen turn on Sting) neither of those things happen; Sting aids the Horsemen, they send Future Endeavors heading back up the ramp, Joe, Roode, Storm all hold up four fingers, they then look to Sting....who does the same.  Sting has joined the Four Horsemen.  

AJ told everyone to stay away from his title match, he's going one on one with Jeff Hardy and he'd rather take on Future Endeavors by himself than have to watch his back for the Horsemen pretending to be his allies.

So, they do stay away - and Jeff beats AJ clean.  Bubba and Angle enter postmatch, Future Endeavors beat the hell out of AJ - and they stand tall in the ring postmatch.  

Real world Lockdown is in March, so Counterfactual Old School, with Jeff defending against Aries as the main event, will happen then.  One assumes that both Slammiversary and BFG will be on PPV in 2014, so absent the company folding, let's decide that we'll get at least that far.  

TNA Slammiversary 2013

Lockdown is here.

Slammiversary is the big event on the TNA calendar.  Here are the results.

TNA World Title: TLC Match: Jeff Hardy d. Chris Sabin

X Title: Submission Match: Samoa Joe d. Kurt Angle

Tags: Weapons Match: Chris Daniels/Frankie Kazarian d. Dudleys

Chavo Guerrero d. Bobby Roode

Austin Aries d. Ken Kennedy

Magnus d. Gunner

Jay Bradley d. Garrett Bischoff

TJ Perkins/Kenny King d. TexMex

So, there's some booking.  

At Final Resolution, Future Endeavors was formed, at Lockdown, they took all the belts.

The build here involved Future Endeavors, in a SCUM v ROH sort of way, threatening the very existence of TNA.  Hogan's going to lay all of the championship belts at the feet of Stephanie McMahon, next week, TNA might change it's name to XWWF, that sort of thing.  The group does whatever legacy burning things that make sense in order to communicate that Slammiversary, the biggest show of the year, is threatened.

The response then becomes how to fight them; the "TNA group" is split, there are the Horsemen, there's the Daniels/Kazarian and TexMex babyface tag teams, there's friendless heel Austin Aries.  How will they come together?  Should they come together?

Respected veteran Sting, forced to retire by the Horsemen, convenes a summit, tensions must be put aside for the sake of the promotion.  Everyone is dubious (Kazarian and Roode were once partners, for example) especially Aries, who is always dubious about everything.  

But they agree to come together - and it sets up a War Games.  Winners control the title matches, including stips, for Slammiversary.

For Future Endeavors, five former WWF belt holders (Jeff, Kurt, Duds, Chavo)

For TNA, 5 World Champions - Aries/Kazarian/Daniels/Horsemen

Aries is the last man to enter, but he's attacked in the back by Kennedy and never makes it out - TNA is allowed a replacement - it's Chris Sabin, in streetclothes, gone since being taken out by the Horsemen - he gets the submission win over Jeff.  

When the TNA guys get to pick the matches, they intentionally choose the specialties of the Future Endeavors guys. The debate comes in who gets the World Title shot - Aries obviously believes its his, it was his title, he got screwed, end of story.  But Sabin is the guy who got the win in the War Games; he's never been World Champ - and he gets the shot.

So, let's work up the card.

Missing from this discussion has been Tex Mex - they are attacked by Kenny King and the tag team partner he's been looking for since arriving, TJ Perkins - they're doing a cocky young guy gimmick and they don't care about whatever the broader issues are, they want to make a name so they go after the vets.  They cheat to win in the opener.

Jay Bradley is just a body, but he beats Garrett, designated job guy; Magnus is cocky English heel, and he beats Gunner, just a guy.  

Aries gets his revenge over Kennedy; Roode and Chavo established a feud in that WAR Games match, Chavo cheats to win here; Daniels/Kazarian win the bloody brawl with the Dudleys, their first tag titles as a team - Knox attempts to interfere for the Duds, but is wiped out by Roode, showing the Horsemen can be team players.  

Joe wins his first ever X title, Hogan attempts to interfere, but Sting stops him with whatever physicality Hogan can take.  

There's a full intersquad brawl during the TLC match; everyone is kicked from ringside; the finish comes when Sabin is climbing to the top, seemingly about to win, but then is pushed off by a running in AJ Styles, making his return.

Jeff climbs up and keeps.  Why, AJ, Why?  

TNA returns with Bound For Glory when/if we hit real world Final Resolution.  

Survivor Series is next month.  

TNA Lockdown 2013

Final Resolution 2012 was here.

Lockdown 2013

TNA Title: Jeff Hardy (w/Future Endeavors) d. Austin Aries
X Title: Kurt Angle d. Bobby Roode
Tags: Dudleys (w/Future Endeavors) d. Daniels/Kazarian
Samoa Joe d. Wes Brisco (w/Future Endeavors)
Ken Kennedy (w/FE) d. Joseph Park
Chavo Guerrero (w/FE) d. Eric Young
Kenny King d. Joey Ryan
Future Endeavors (Gallows/Knox) d. Tex Mex

At Final Resolution, the masked tag group of Aces&Eights morphed into Future Endeavors, which had been a Kennedy/Burke low card tag act but now is the WWF castoffs. 

The Horsemen are not ones to shrink from conflict, despite being massively outnumbered, and they're able to successfully jump and savagely beat down both Burke and RVD in the build.  That's going to cost them Williams, who gets similarly attacked.

There is no unified force coming into Lockdown in opposition to FE - the Horsemen had positioned themselves in opposition to the entire company; Aries had no allies at all; the announce notes that FE has numbers and could really show their force at Lockdown. 

The ex-WWF'er who didn't join FE was Angle; he's defiant about it in the build - he's at his point in his career where he walks alone; he's been part of a group - he led a future WWF Champion, a future UFC Champion, and the man who completely changed how professional wrestlers are trained in the US. 

Bubba and Jeff are sympathetic - he's Kurt Angle, one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived, and not to be in charge is a lot to take - they understand - but at Lockdown, he'll either be with them or against them.

Lockdown's the night you expect - Gallows/Knox go over the former champs Tex Mex in the opener, as Storm/Hernandez are attacked by the larger group even before they get to the ring, that helps the young team get the upset win. 

King and Ryan is the only match not implicated by the broader program - King goes over. 

EY comes back in the build as a TNA veteran here to stick up for the company; FE doesn't interfere, Chavo wins and then FE beats down EY postmatch.  The last time we saw Abyss he was starting to behave erratically; that behavior increased until we got to the creation of FE, the anxiety over which drives Abyss into a fugue state; the angle isn't that anyone else thinks Park and Abyss are different people - we recognize that Park can't handle this FE assault and so he's become a different person.

Kennedy goes over clean, Park gets beaten down.

Joe's by himself since Roode has the title match to prep for, he overcomes outside interference and gets the win - then gets beaten down. 

The Dudleys are outmatched when it's 2:2, but outside interference keeps their straps - Daniels and Kazarian get beaten down.

Bobby Roode's been X Champ well over a year, it's the longest reign in the history of that belt, Angle says he's fighting by himself - it's a long match, the storyline being that Angle's miles now make Roode the better man, and he's just barely surviving when FE comes down to the ring - they save him once, they distract the official and hit Roode once, Chavo is holding up a shirt - the idea is Angle has to agree to join and FE will help - what will win out, Angle's pride or his desire to hold gold, maybe for the last time?

It's the gold - there's a ref bump, Angle takes the shirt - Dudleys hit 3D on Roode, Angle covers as the official regains composure and counts the fall.

Angle's joined FE.

And now it feels like everyone in the world behind Jeff Hardy.

Neither Hardy has ever won a singles belt, which eventually drove Matt nuts and now has driven Jeff to his first ever heel turn - Aries is better but just can't stand up to the numbers.  Jeff gets the call - FE holds all the belts - and all seems lost in TNA.

TNA returns for Slammiversary during real world...Bound for Glory?  Right?

And I'm back in July to wrap up the road to Summer Slam 2012. 

2012 TNA Final Resolution

Bound for Glory was here. 

Real world Lockdown makes this is the last Final Resolution, replaced by...Turning Point, I think.  

So, I thought I'd do a little booking....

TNA Title: Austin Aries d. Chris Daniels

Lumberjack Match: Kurt Angle d. Samoa Joe

Tag Titles: Aces&Eights d. Tex Mex

X Title: Bobby Roode (w/Williams) d. Chavo Guerrero

Frankie Kazarian d. RVD

Jeff Hardy d. Garrett Bischoff

Joey Ryan d. Kenny King

Dudleys d. Gallows/Knox

Let's start from the bottom.  The Dudleys broke up a couple of years ago, then reunited for one last end of career type ride, taking the belts at Lockdown. They gave them up at Slammiversary and without saying so seemed to call it a career.  When TexMex was jumped at Bound for Glory they fought off Aces&Eights and unmasked half of them - Knox and Gallows.  That's an opening match here and it goes quick - a nostalgic 3D is the finish.  The announce puts over their career accomplishments.  It is Final Final Resolution after all and who knows what we may have seen for the last time.

Kenny King threw down the ROH tag title in a trash can upon his TNA arrival, he says he's the greatest tag team wrestler alive, that all he needs is a partner to take the titles - Ryan is a veteran, he says he's who King needs to get the TNA belts, King blows him off - and there's that match.  Ryan cheats to win.

Jeff and RVD are two time tag champs (their finisher, Van Dam hits the frog splash and then Jeff the swanton) but Jeff became discontent and finally turned on Rob - for a few months, he's attacked Van Dam, saying he is trying to send RVD a mysterious "message."

Garrett is a super green job guy, scared, trying to distance himself from his father - who once managed Jeff.  If you're unaware, Bischoff came to the WWF to manage the Hardys, he got in between the brothers, Jeff wound up leaving the company and Matt turned heel - Jeff takes it out on Garrett here, is super cruel in picking at him, taunting him, before finally getting the fall.  Jeff stays after the match, sitting on the timekeeper's table.

Van Dam gets screwed, there are two decisions that go against him, not intentionally, but they are clear referee mistakes, say his foot is on the rope when he is pinned, but the official misses it, and some other mistake that doesn't implicate Kazarian since he is a babyface - Van Dam had a pinfall but the official was out of position and was late to start the count, that kind of thing.  It's the story of the match.  He shakes his head in irritation after the fall - Jeff looks to get his attention "Do you get it?  Do you get it now?"  

A win here and Bobby Roode becomes the longest reigning X Champ in TNA history - Doug Williams is in his corner, they cheat when they can like they do - and Roode gets the fall.  The two Horsemen stomp him out postmatch - who runs in to save - RVD.  Van Dam pulls Chavo out of the ring, and is in his ear as they go up the ramp.

The tag titles.  Tex Mex is a two time champ - Storm has won 6 tag titles, he is called the greatest tag wrestler who ever lived.  They beat Aces&Eights at Bound For Glory - it consists of 4 men, Gallows and Knox who were unmasked, as previously mentioned, and two masked men - it's the other two who are in this match, Knox and Gallows at ringside.  Knox and Gallows cheat when they can - but TexMex is obviously tough to get over.  The critical point comes when two more masked men, two new members of Aces&Eights come to ringside - they try to get in the ring and are knocked off the apron by Hernandez, but the distracted official misses the double team on Storm...

...it's a 3D.

Knox and Gallows leap into the ring - the Dudleys unmask - they've won their third TNA tag title (four for Bubba).  The two new Aces&Eights members enter - and now they unmask - it's Future Endeavors, Ken Kennedy and Elijah Burke.

Then comes what might be Kurt Angle's "final resolution"

This is the blowoff to Angle's long feud with Joe and the Horsemen - the Horsemen have spent their run retiring people - Jarrett, Sting, Flair - the Machine Guns - and finally the time has come for Angle - it's a retirement match.  As we get closer, there are reminiscences about Angle's career, and, to make matters worse, teases that the Horsemen may add that 4th member.

So, it's a Lumberjack match, designed to put someone outside the ring who isn't a Horsemen - Roode is there, Williams is there, Kazarian, Ryan, King, other (non AJ, AJ left after Bound for Glory and no one has heard from him) members of the locker room not working tonight, all six now unmasked members of Aces&Eights.  

The lumberjacks, of course, wind up brawling - and when it becomes chaos on the outside three more masked men in Aces & Eights gear run down to the ring - the now 9 - 9 members of Aces and Eights beat everyone down on the outside - Joe attempts to save his stablemates, who are getting stomped into the ground, and he gets roughed up, thrown back in the ring - and Angle is able to finish him off.

Angle celebrates while the 9 members of Aces&Eights throw Williams and Roode back into the ring - Angle is concerned, putting up his hands - but Kennedy and Burke hold open the ropes for him to leave - he thinks about staying - the Horsemen are outnumbered 9 to 3 and that obviously strikes him unfair, but he shakes his head  "you want em ' go to it" - and he exits.

The unmasked men get in some beating on the unprotected Horsemen then the masked men finish them off - one hits the 3 Amigos on Williams and then unmasks.  Chavo.  

The other two go to the buckles, coming down on Joe and Roode with a frog splash and a swanton and then unmask.  RVD and Jeff.

Then the title match - the ring gets cleared - it's just Aries and Daniels, Aries keeps in as good a match as they can have - and afterward the 9 unmasked members of Aces&Eights sprint to the ring, they take both of them apart - stomping both of them out, Kazarian, friend of Daniels, runs in and is stomped out - TexMex, already stomped out earlier tonight, make their way down and get stomped out - Hulk Hogan - old man Hulk Hogan, on the periphery of TNA makes his way down the ramp - and, it's unfortunate, but after a pause, he is too old to hit the legdrop on Aries ('cause that's what he should do) but instead he rips off whatever t-shirt it is that he is wearing to reveal a second t-shirt...

....one that says Future Endeavors.

And then all the Aces and Eights members take off their shirts to reveal Future Endeavors shirts -

...the ten men raise their arms - and Hogan, almost 30 years since he was World Champion, grabs the TNA Title belt and raises it aloft.

TNA comes back with Lockdown when they hit real world Slammiversary.  Which I think is moved back to August, so you'll get to sit on this for awhile.  

I'll be back in three weeks with Wrestlemania 28.  

TNA Bound for Glory 2012

Slammiversary is here. 

TNA Title: Austin Aries d. AJ Styles

X Title: Bobby Roode d. Joey Ryan

Tags: Tex Mex d. Aces&Eights

Samoa Joe d. Kurt Angle

Jeff Hardy d. RVD

Chavo Guerrero d. Zema Ion

Magnus d. Al Snow

Styles/Ryan d. Aries/Roode

Let's start from the bottom; this is the TNA version of the parejas increibles match that was a Summer Slam staple for several years - it's Champions v. Challengers.  Aries and Roode, both heels, break down while AJ and newcomer Joey Ryan (not doing the pornstache gimmick, he's veteran indie babyface Joey Ryan getting his big break) work well together and Ryan pins the longtime X division champ.  Magnus is the Magnus character; he beats Al, playing the Al character.  2 Time IC Champ Chavo is respected veteran babyface making his TNA debut - he beats punky junior Ion trying to make his bones.  Jeff turned heel on former partner Van Dam and in the build for BFG his approach was that after all these years he's finally woken up; he doesn't have anything against Van Dam - in fact, he wants him to wake up too.  Here, that's what Jeff keeps yelling at Van Dam during the match - that he needs to wake up; Jeff cheats to win.

Angle, fighting for his career against the Horsemen who have been ending them, beat Joe at Slammiversary but loses here.  It's a feud that must continue.  Aces&Eights are 4 masked guys doing the biker gimmick; they aren't trying to take over the company, they just want the tag belts - Storm/Hernandez keep, but then get beaten down by the group - there's a babyface save by the Dudleys, two of the masked men get away, but the Duds and Tex Mex beat down and unmask Luke Gallows and Mike Knox.  

Roode, with Williams in his corner, beats Ryan - they then beat him down until a face save by Chavo- who the announce notes is a former Horseman himself.  

And Aries keeps the title - beating AJ, the goal is the babyface loses but we still give him a standing ovation postmatch anyway - and he's comforted in the ring by Daniels and Kazarian as the show ends.  

Real World Lockdown will mean Counterfactual Final Resolution to end calendar 2012; Austin Aries taking on Chris Daniels in your main event.  

TNA Slammiversary 2012

Lockdown was here. 

 

TNA Title: Austin Aries d. AJ Styles

X: Bobby Roode d. RVD

Tags: Tex Mex d. Dudleys

Kurt Angle d. Samoa Joe

Chris Daniels d. Frankie Kazarian

Ken Kennedy (w/Burke) d. Abyss

Jeff Hardy d. Kid Kash

Crimson/Garrett Bischoff d. Robby E/Robby T

Slammiversary is the big event on Counterfactual TNA's calendar; let's start at the bottom - Crimson and Matt Morgan are in an endless, awful feud; after Crimson/Bischoff win here, they are stomped out by Morgan/Magnus - that is broken up by the agents, DLo and Al Snow, Snow and Magnus wind up in a shoving match.  The defining element of Counterfactual Jeff Hardy's character is he's never won a singles belt, spending the past several years coming up painfully short - and now he's finally snapped; Kash comes in as old friend of RVD (Van Dam gets him the job) Jeff and Van Dam were tag champs but they fell apart at the last show; Jeff takes incredible insult at Kash, who gives off a real down and out vibe, comparing the two of them - just two old high flyers trying to get by - and Jeff goes full heel here, beating Kash, flipping off the fans - and then, in the next match, he assists Ken Kennedy (of the heel tag team Future Endeavors) in beating Abyss.  That loss causes Abyss to disappear, and he will eventually be searched for by a man purporting to be his brother Joseph.  Daniels and Kazarian are veteran babyfaces doing a 50/50 program; Joe is a Horseman (Roode/Williams) and they end careers (Jarrett, Sting, Flair, the Machine Guns) Angle has just lost a feud to Aries and appears ripe for the picking; Joe says he's going to put Angle's pelt up on his wall - but he doesn't, Angle goes over.  Tex Mex takes the tag title from the Dudleys, this is a babyface match - Bubba just turned face from his real life Bully Ray character to rejoin old partner Devon in a last ride sort of a program - they're challenged by Storm/Hernandez with the idea being that Bubba and Storm are competing to see who is the greatest tag wrestler who ever lived (Bubba's been champ with a total of 3 partners across all promotions, Storm's a 5 time TNA Tag Champ). Tex Mex goes over.  When Roode keeps his X belt over RVD that means he'll go into BFG as champ for a year; no one has ever held the X belt for more than a year, so that's the built in angle to come - Future Endeavors, now led by Jeff, attack RVD postmatch.  And in the main - dickish heel Aries who has been telling everyone that it was his time in TNA; his time to claim his spot as World Champion - does just that.  

Real World Final Resolution will mean Counterfactual BFG - your main event is (most likely) an Aries/Styles rematch.  

TNA Lockdown 2012

Real world Slammiversary means Counterfactual Lockdown.  Final Resolution is here.

TNA Title: AJ Styles d. Jeff Hardy

X: Bobby Roode (w/Horsemen)d. Chris Sabin

Tags: Dudleys d. RVD/Jeff Hardy

Samoa Joe(w/Flair/Williams) d. Alex Shelley

Austin Aries d. Kurt Angle

Frankie Kazarian d. Chris Daniels

James Storm (w/Hernandez) d. Ken Kennedy (w/Burke)

Crimson/Garrett Bischoff d. Morgan/Magnus

From the bottom, Crimson and Morgan are locked in a crappy feud; Storm beating Kennedy is the blowoff to the Tex Mex v. Future Endeavors program; Kazarian and Daniels are both babyfaces; Aries wins the blowoff to the Angle feud, it's designed to really put him over strong; the Machine Guns got wiped out by the Horsemen and now return for babyface revenge, the Horsemen promised that Lockdown would be their night - it starts off that way here, Joe beating Shelley clean out of the company.  The Dudleys reformed at Final Resolution as babyfaces, and in a "last ride" sort of a way, go over Van Dam and Jeff in as much of a collision match as they can do.  The Dudleys win the TNA belts for the first time in 6 years, Jeff and Van Dam break down during the match as Jeff moves further and further toward disgruntled never became who he wanted to be status.  The Horsemen wipeout of the Guns continues as Roode keeps the X belt, and then the group (who already took out Jarrett and Sting) takes out their leader Flair.  They don't want to be cool heels, they don't want to hear the fans "Whoooo" - they're bad, bad men.  That ends Flair's run.  AJ keeps the TNA Title in the ladder match over Jeff.

Real world Bound for Glory will mean Counterfactual Slammiversary - the title match - AJ Styles vs. Austin Aries.

TNA - Final Resolution 2011

Real world Lockdown means Counterfactual Final Resolution.  BFGlory is here.

TNA Title: AJ Styles d. Jeff Hardy

X: Bobby Roode (w/Flair) d. Jeff Jarrett

Tags: RVD/Jeff Hardy d. AJ Styles/Chris Daniels

Kurt Angle d. Austin Aries

James Storm (w/Hernandez) d. Elijah Burke (w/Kennedy)

Bruiser Eric Young d. Kid Kash

DVon Dudley d. Matt Morgan

Crimson/Robbie E d. Matt Morgan/DVon Dudley

-Starting from the bottom, Morgan and Crimson are in a crummy feud, and just as at BFG when Morgan loses, he decides to whip his partner's ass in the next match - this time it doesn't work when Bubba, who booted DVon in favor of Brian Kendrick, aids his longtime partner - they hit 3D on Morgan.  I like real world EY's beard, so he's going to do a pocket Bruiser Brody gimmick.  Tex Mex and Future Endeavors have been in a long program - Storm (babyface) goes over Burke (heel). Cocky Aries went over veteran babyface legend Angle at BFG and looks like he's about to get him again, but Aries' hubris allows him to get caught and he has to tap.  Styles/Daniels are the best friend babyface TNA bedrock act - Van Dam and Hardy are the veteran babyface non TNA act, Jeff pins AJ, taking the tag belts and setting up the main event.  Roode's a Horseman (Joe, Williams, Flair); he retired Sting at BFG and he retires another veteran, Jarrett, here.  Jeff Hardy's inability to win the WWF Title was the essential element of his late period character, the real world drug use and Matt's complete implosion are all tied together in neither of them being able to cross the goal line despite multiple opportunities - Jeff's never been a heel in this universe, despite all the personal issues and despite his having to take a backseat to Matt for years when Matt became a dark superstar babyface...but this is the last straw - he loses it postmatch, attacks AJ and leaves with the belt.  Jeff's inability, ever, to win the world title has just finally wounded him too deeply.  

Real world Slammiversary will mean Counterfactual Lockdown - your main event - a ladder match for the strap between AJ and Jeff Hardy.  Beginning in May, I have a series of posts recapping each decade in Counterfactual WWF history, as we build to Summer Slam and more broadly - build to Royal Rumble 2012, the 100th PPV in Counterfactual WWF history - WWF 100.  (Note - if the WWF had spent the last 30 years doing promos like that taped Lesnar piece from Monday, there wouldn't have been much creative room to do an alternate booking history.)

2011 TNA Bound for Glory

Real World Final Resolution means Counterfactual BFG.  Slammiversary was here.

TNA Title: AJ Styles d. Samoa Joe (w/Flair)

X Title: Bobby Roode (w/Flair) d. Sting

Tags: AJ Styles/Chris Daniels d. Bubba Ray Dudley/Brian Kendrick

Austin Aries d. Kurt Angle

RVD d. Jerry Lynn

Ken Kennedy (w/Burke) d. Hernandez (w/Storm)

Matt Morgan d. Jesse Neal

Crimson/Shannon Moore d. Matt Morgan/Jesse Neal

From the bottom up, Crimson and Morgan are feuding, grabbing partners essentially at random in their big awkward battle.  Morgan's the heel; when he loses the opener he immediately destroys his partner Neal in a singles.  Future Endeavors (Kennedy/Burke) is feuding with Tex Mex (Storm/Hernandez), here the heels go over.  RVD/Lynn do an all babyface ECW match.  Angle is pure legend babyface after the Jarrett program, but now he has to face the younger Aries, and he loses what is hopefully a good match.  An emphasis of the build for this show was the possibility of two new Triple Crown winners - the first attempt comes true when Daniels wins it by taking the tag belts with AJ; the Horsemen - Joe/Roode/Williams/Flair beat AJ down postmatch in an effort to hinder his attempt to win the World Title later in the evening.  That takes us into the X Match; Sting's doing a "when I lose, I retire" gimmick - and he does, to Roode, and a Horsemen stomp out ends Sting's wrestling career.  Roode, like Daniels, also takes the Triple Crown - it looks like a big Horsemen night - but AJ becomes the first 4 time TNA World Heavyweight Champion by beating Samoa Joe; he and Daniels fight off the Horsemen and stand together triumphant.  

The build to Royal Rumble 2011 comes as soon as I have time.  Hopefully this month.  

2011 TNA Slammiversary

Real world BFG means Counterfactual Slammiversary; the previous show, Lockdown, is here.

TNA Championship: Samoa Joe (w/Flair) d. Frankie Kazarian

X Title: Sting d. Doug Williams(w/Flair)

X Title: Doug Williams (w/Flair) d. Alex Shelley

TNA Tags:  Bubba Ray Dudley/Brian Kendrick d. Scott Steiner/Abyss

Cage Match: Kurt Angle d. Jeff Jarrett

Ken Kennedy (w/Burke) d. James Storm (w/Hernandez)

Blood Dragon d. Matt Morgan

Blood Dragon d. Magnus

Scott Steiner/Abyss d. Matt Morgan/Magnus

Let's start from the bottom up; the winner of the opening tag moves on to challenge for the straps later in the evening; there's a screwjob finish when the Blood Dragon runs in and interferes.  The Blood Dragon is a Liger-like masked wrestler gimmick from the WWF, where it was Jeff Hardy; it was brought to TNA when Matt debuted.  Since neither Hardy is on the card (Matt presumably gone for good and no telling when Jeff will reappear in this space again) the announce assumption is its one of them under the mask.  His appearance  is a surprise, and the matches where he then goes over Morgan and Magnus were made right after the run in.  They are designed to put him over as strong as possible.  Kennedy and Burke are Future Endeavors, they've been feuding with Tex Mex, and that feud continues here with Storm coming up injured as a result.  Angle wins the blowoff to the "you stole my family" feud.  Bubba and Kendrick are dick heels; they keep their belts.  Williams is part of the Horsemen (Flair/Joe/Roode) he took the X from Sabin, both MCMG were Horsemen victims - they stay victims here, with Williams keeping.  Sting put his career up in the last show when he went over Flair; he's full in full Terry Funk last ride babyface mode here - during the build he goes over, let's say, Jarrett - again putting up his career.  He comes out unannounced after Williams/Shelley, puts his career on the line - and then beats Doug Williams to win his first ever TNA belt, his first belt of any type since 1996.  Joe had a 2 1/2 year title run in the middle of the previous decade; his second run came to an end at the top of 2010, that led to a heel turn, Joe brutalizing both AJ and Daniels, then joining the Horsemen.  Here, he takes Kazarian's belt (which he took from Roode) and Joe and Flair stand triumphant...

...but only momentarily, as he is then confronted by the mysterious Blood Dragon....

..who turns out to be the returning AJ Styles (he and Daniels both destroyed by Joe this year; AJ's been gone for months after that beating) Styles cleans house and holds the belt aloft as Flair and Joe yell at him from the aisle.

BFG gets posted after real world Final Resolution.  Survivor Series 2010 gets posted sometime in November.

2011 TNA Lockdown

Final Resolution was here.

TNA World Title: Frankie Kazarian d. Bobby Roode

X Title: Doug Williams (w/Flair) d. Chris Sabin

Tag Titles:  Brian Kendrick/Bubba Ray Dudley d. Young Bucks

Samoa Joe d. Christopher Daniels

Jeff Jarrett d. Kurt Angle

Matt Hardy (w/Bischoff) d. RVD

Sting d. Ric Flair

Future Endeavors (Kennedy/Burke) d. TexMex (Storm/Hernandez)

I'm unaware of a Slammiversary dark match; if it were to turn out that the Bucks worked one, I'd be inclined to reconsider the result in the tag match.  If Red worked a dark match, I'd be inclined to reconsider the result in the tag match.  Thinking from the bottom up, FE is the heel team, TM the babyface team, Kennedy pins Hernandez and the feud continues.  Flair turned heel at FinalRes, but makes a point of having his boys (Williams and the champ, Roode, with a promise that "tonight, the 4th man will be revealed) not come to the ring with him, because he wants his last ever match with Sting to be even up; Sting put his career on the line going into the match; Sting goes over.  Matt promises a surprise for Van Dam - and delivers with a debuting Bischoff.  You Counterfactual scholars know why; Van Dam and Matt had a year+ long WWF feud, they met in consecutive Manias, and Bischoff was Matt's manager.  It's really the only role Bischoff played in the WWF.  Kurt has almost entirely been a TNA heel; using the Vic Mackey character he developed at the close of his WWF run - but we take the real life "Jarrett stole Kurt's wife" angle to turn him babyface - he loses here in screwjob when Karen, appearing the first time, and looking like a wife and not a stripper, chairshots Kurt.  Joe has always been Joe, but in killing AJ at Lockdown he really ramped up the brutality, Joe pissed at no longer being champ, pissed, generally, at the world - that causes AJs boy Daniels to return to the company - and Joe pretty brutally kills him too.

Bubba and Kendrick are heels, Kendrick told the Bucks he'd find a partner and take their straps, that he wasn't going to passed by - near the end of the build, the partner's revealed to be Bubba, in full heel mode.  Williams/Sabin has been a good program; Williams goes over; he and Flair doubleteam beatdown Sabin postmatch - Joe runs in - and joins the beating.  He's the 4th man - and he kills Sabin absolutely dead.  Flair/Williams/Joe hold up four fingers.  They and Roode are the Four Horsemen.  

Joe/Williams/Flair wind up kicked out of ringside as the champ, Roode, takes on his former longtime tag partner Kazarian - and loses the belt; its a good sized upset - Frankie Kazarian wins the belt - the Horsemen will vow revenge.

Real world Bound for Glory will mean Counterfactual Slammiversary; at the top of July will be the second half of the build to Summer Slam 2010.  

TNA Final Resolution 2010

Real World Lockdown means Counterfactual Final Resolution; you can read the previous TNA show, BFG here.

TNA World Title: Bobby Roode d. Alex Shelley
X Title: Doug Williams d. Chris Sabin
Tag Titles: Young Bucks d. Jeff Hardy/RVD
Samoa Joe d. AJ Styles
Jeff Jarrett d. James Storm (DQ)
The Pope Elijah Burke d. Jay Lethal
Matt Morgan d. Robby E
Abyss/Shannon Moore d. Rhyno/Jesse Neal

TNA spent 2010 doing a re-run of a WWF angle from a few years previous.  Shocking, I know.  Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan are co-commissioners, both suit wearing veteran babyfaces, with Flair arguing on behalf of the smaller wrestlers, most specifically, the Machine Guns.  The babyface title wins for Shelley and Sabin at BFG were cheered by Flair.  But - just as was the case with Flair and Steamboat in their co-commissioner role in WWF, it was a swerve.  There's a ref bump in the X re-match here, Flair runs in, and winds up counting a questionable fall against Sabin.  It appears as if Flair just missed the call (like Sabin's foot being on the ropes), but when Williams comes unexpectedly down to the ring during the title match to attack Shelley on the outside, and instead of stopping the interference, Flair distracts the official to allow a Williams/Roode doubleteam, leading to a Roode win and a title switch, it's clear something else has occurred.  Hogan gets stomped out when he attempts to enter postmatch - and Flair, Williams, and Roode hold up 4 fingers as the show ends. 

All 3 titles switch at Final Resolution, the Bucks get the clean win and exit postmatch the lights go out - and when they come back on in the ring is the Blood Dragon (another Counterfactual WWF reference) he wipes out both Van Dam and Jeff with chairshots - then removes the mask to reveal....

...Matt Hardy.  He beats his brother down good enough to justify Jeff's coming protracted absence.

Joe beats AJ viciously; Jarrett/Storm ends when Kurt Angle, gone since losing the belt attacks Jarrett, the first on camera acknowledgment of their real world situation, and its played without an ounce of laughter - we've spent many, many years building Kurt as someone who can go totally unhinged, and that's the guy we see here, he is only interested in hurting Jarrett.  This wraps up Lethal, he definitively loses to heel Burke; watching in the aisle is Kennedy - he and Burke will form a tag team called Future Endeavors.  Morgan goes over; as does the new tag team of Abyss and his little buddy Moore.

Real World Slammiversary will mean Counterfactual Lockdown.     I'll be back in June with the build to Summer Slam 2010. Coming later this year

TNA Bound for Glory - 2010

Slammiversary was here.

Real world Final Resolution means Counterfactual Bound for Glory.  It's not until real world Lockdown that we'll have counterfactual Final Resolution.

TNA World Title:  Alex Shelley d. Kurt Angle
X Title: Chris Sabin d. Doug Williams
Tag Titles:  RVD/Jeff Hardy d. Sabu/Stevie Richards
AJ Styles d. Samoa Joe
James Storm d. Abyss
Bobby Roode d. Frankie Kazarian
The Pope Elijah Burke d. Jay Lethal
Dudleys d. Tommy Dreamer/Raven

Shelley becomes the only man ever to win the TNA Triple Crown.  Sabin wins his first ever TNA singles belt; the Machine Guns do the Eddy/Benoit post WMXX embrace, raising their belts high.  Van Dam and Jeff keep the tag belts; AJ gets some revenge against a returning Joe; Roode and Kazarian, former tag champs, explode - Storm beats Abyss decisively, Burke gets a questionable heelish win over Lethal, and the ECW guys bleed to open the night.

The build for Royal Rumble 2010 should appear within a week.  

TNA Slammiversary 2010

Lockdown is here. 

Real World BFG means Counterfactual Slammiversary.  The next TNA post will coincide with real world Final Resolution.  Slammiversary is the show to which my TNA calendar builds. 

TNA World Title:  Kurt Angle d. Nigel McGuinness
X Title: Doug Williams d. Brian Kendrick
Tags: RVD/Jeff Hardy d/ Roode/Kazarian
James Storm d. Hernandez
AJ Styles d. Jay Lethal
Sting d. Ken Kennedy
Abyss d. Matt Morgan
Nigel/Williams d. Angle/Kendrick

It's Kurt's 2nd run with the TNA Title; he had a brief stint in 2008. 

Survivor Series 2009 will be posted at the top of November. 




 

TNA Lockdown 2010

Real world Slammiversary (which is what my TNA calendar builds toward; it's Counterfactual TNA Mania) means it's time for Counterfactual Lockdown.  Next is real world Bound for Glory in the fall, and that will be time for our Slammiversary.  Final Resolution is here.

Part 3 of the build to Summer Slam 2009 has been written and it's coming at the very top of July.

TNA Title:  Nigel McGuiness d. Homicide
X Title: Brian Kendrick d. Alex Shelley
Tags: RVD/Jeff Hardy d. Roode/Kazarian
AJ Styles d. The Pope Elijah Burke
Kurt Angle d. Abyss
James Storm d. Shannon Moore
Ken Kennedy d. Jeff Jarrett
Dudley Boys d. Hall/Nash

TNA Final Resolution - 2009

Real world Lockdown means Counterfactual Final Resolution - the next TNA update will be after real world Slammiversary.  Hey look - all 3 titles change. Bound for Glory is here.

TNA Title: Nigel McGuinness d. Samoa Joe
X Title: Alex Shelley d. Executioner Lashley
Bobby Roode/Frankie Kazarian d. Tex Mex
Loser Leaves Town: AJ Styles d. Chris Daniels
Chris Sabin d. Doug Williams
The Pope Elijah Burke d. Jay Lethal
Homicide d. Kiyoshi
Abyss/Mick Foley/Stevie Richards d. Raven/Dudleys

Part 1 of the Road to Summer Slam 2009 will appear in May - a sneak preview - your main event:

Chris Jericho v. Montel Porter.

See you in May.