20-Man X-Division Gauntlet – After a short video introduction, we start with that what brought TNA to the dance, and I need to point out that I mistakenly called this match a #1 Contender’s Match in my preview.  The order of entry (and elimination) is as follows:

Kazarian (final-two), Sonjay Dutt (4), Puma (1), LA Park (5), Jerrelle Clark (2), Miamoto (3), Michael Shane (13), Hector Garza (winner), Nosawa (6), Mikey Batts (7), Alex Shelley (11), Matt Seidel (8), Sonny Siaki (12), Jason Cross (14), Sharkboy (10), Psicosis (15), D-Ray 3000 (9), Amazing Red (16), Spanky (17), Chris Sabin (18).

So anyway, instead of being a #1 Contender’s Match, the winner just gets a trophy.  Had I known that, I would have been more likely to call for someone like Psicosis, or your winner Hector Garza as my pick.  C’est la vie.  The match was very fast paced, and featured the return of Spanky…which was very nice.  Sometimes when a guy like him returns, I have to detail to Amey who they were and where they’ve been, but when Spanky was introduced she exclaimed, “Hey, it’s that guy!”  Once it got down to three combatants, it was the first entrant, the last entrant, and Garza.  After eliminating Sabin, it was a 1-on-1 match between Kazarian and Garza…after the match, Garza was awarded the trophy, and to my dismay it was not broken over his head by anyone.

Scott Hudson updates us on the online voting to determine TNA’s Director of Authority…just then, someone off camera puts a piece of paper in front of his face, and he tells us that the internet servers in Stamford, CT have all shut down!

The Naturals (Chase Stevens & Andy Douglas), Kid Kash and Dallas v. Eric Watts, Pat Kenney, Johnny B. Badd and Ron “Tha Truth” Killings – This was an incredibly short match.  The main highlight was seeing Johnny B. Badd make his way back to the ring…he’s not quite as gay as I remember!  Tha Truth pinned Douglas after a Double Underhook DDT.

Piratita Morgan v. Mascaritas Sagrada: Mexican Midgets Match – This one was kept short, and my pun was completely unintentional.  A pun that was intentional was using “Lowrider” as Sagrada’s entrance music!  This match wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the midget wrasslin’ that my friend saw…and I really don’t have time for the Big Man v. Little Man storyline in a midget match.  They’re both midgets, and that’s the gimmick…stop putting the smallest midget you can find against the biggest midget you can find!  Sagrada won, but only after an armdrag sequence that included the ref.

Hudson is backstage with 3 Live Krew.  They get about as far as saying that they’re going to win the tag belts, when strange music starts up and Scott Hall makes his way to the ring.  Hall informs us that Nash will not be in attendance tonight.

3 Live Krew (Konnan & BG James) v. Team Canada (Bobby Rude & Eric Young) w/Coach D’Amore (champs): NWA Tag Team Titles Match – During the team introductions, after Konnan did his “Odelay” bit, followed by James and his “Tag Team Champions of the Wooorld” bit, Amey was prompted to call them “The Team of Catchphrases…from ’97!”  This match was better than it deserved to be in my eyes, mostly because of the work of Team Canada.  They made James their Ricky Morton-style bitch for most of the match, and when he finally made the hot tag to Konnan, it was behind the ref’s back.  That brought us into endgame, as Tha Truth came rushing to the ring to prevent D’Amore from interfering…which allowed 3LK to get the pinfall victory to become YOUR new NWA World Tag Team Champions.

Raven cuts a promo from an undisclosed location…in a pitch-black room, filmed with infrared lighting.  That was pretty cool.

Roddy Piper invites his surprise guest, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka to the ring next.  Basically, Piper feels bad for hitting Snuka with a coconut all those many years ago, so he has brought another coconut with him tonight, and he pleads repeatedly for Snuka to hit him with it.  Superfly just stands still, mute for the whole promo.  Eventually, Kid Kash comes out to save the segment, and tells Piper, “Here’s how you act like a heel.” (I’m paraphrasing, of course)  In the end, several other X-Division competitors make their way to the ring, and it is Sonjay Dutt that takes the coconut shot from Kash.  Afterward, Kash is attempting to celebrate with the other heels that came out, but Kazarian says only, “that ain’t cool.”  Hmmm…a face turn possibly in the future for Kazarian?  Oh, and I should also point out that Snuka appeared to be incredibly thin, and walked down the aisle very slowly.  It’s a shame to see him like that…but he’s one of my early favorites, so they could wheel him out in a wheelchair and I’d stand in line just to meet him!

Trinity v. Jacqueline: Open Challenge Match – Another surprise appearance by a recent WWE cast-off, Jackie responded to Trinity’s open-challenge to any woman in the wrasslin’ business.  Trinity was accompanied to the ring by Swinger and Glen Gilberti, prompting Amey to ask, “Didn’t Jackie beat Disco Inferno in WCW…possibly for the TV Title?”  This segment was kept short also, and Trinity won with a moonsault after interference by Jackie’s nemesis Gilberti.

Abyss v. Raven v. Monty Brown: Monster’s Ball No-DQ Match – I had forgotten that Abyss was scheduled to get a new valet during the course of this match.  Had I remembered that when I did my preview, I probably would have picked Abyss to win…as it turned out, I’m glad I forgot, because I got it right when I chose Brown!  We get footage of a hooded figure watching from the rafters, but that person does not appear at all beyond one brief glance by the camera.  After a ref bump (Raven pulled the ref in the way of a Pounce from Brown), things started firing on all cylinders.  Brown was able to connect with a Powerslam on the 300+ pound Abyss, and then goes for the Pounce…Raven is on the apron though, and collides with Brown.  That was the opening Abyss was looking for, and he brings a bag of thumbtacks into the ring, scattering them in front of one of the turnbuckles.  Abyss gets knocked backwards onto the thumbtacks, and rolls out of the ring, leaving it between Raven and Brown.  After knocking Abyss from the apron and through a table on the floor, Brown is able to connect with the Pounce on Raven for the 1, 2, 3.  Look for Brown to headline TNA’s December 5^th show against Jarrett.

AJ Styles v. Petey Williams (champ) w/Coach D’Amore: X-Division Title Match – Whether you know it or not, the next two matches are the main reasons that you are reading this, and if you decide to buy the replay, it will be to see these two matches.  Trust me.  There was way too much action for me to describe anything besides the final moments…but I have to point out that at least twice during the match, the fans could be heard cheering, “Lets go AJ!” from one side, and “Lets go Petey!” from the other.  If you have visions of “Taste Great…Less Filling” in your head, then you’ve got the right idea.  Williams retained after jumping from the second turnbuckle, directly into the Canadian Destroyer…that alone will make next Friday’s show worth watching, just to see replays of that finishing move!

Triple X (Christopher Daniels & Elix “Primetime” Skipper) v. America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm): Last Team Standing Match – As in the previous match, the crowd was split evenly in their support for AMW and Triple X.  What started as a face v. face battle over pride has turned into a war after Daniels and Primetime converted to their heelish ways by attacking Storm prior to the match.  I was preoccupied during this match, getting dinner ready and such, so I don’t have the details you crave.  I can tell you that it was an elimination match, with Storm going out first, followed by Daniels, and then AMW won the match when Harris eliminated Primetime.

I believe it was at this point that they announced that Dusty Rhodes won the fan voting, and would become the new Director of Authority.  His first act was to put Triple X and AMW together inside a 6-sided steel cage at the next ppv.

Jeff Hardy v. Jeff Jarrett (champ): NWA World Heavyweight Title Match – This was a decent match.  Definitely far from the worst I’ve seen, but also far from the best.  They came up with a few ladder tricks that I haven’t seen before, but the real story was with the Outsiders.  Hall made his way to ringside early in the match, and repeatedly interfered on Jarrett’s behalf.  Finally, Big Sexy made his way to the ring at the end of the match…carrying two silver guitars.  He entered the ring, handed a guitar to Hall, and then they each broke their guitars over the back of Hardy.  After that, there was nothing to stop Jarrett from climbing the ladder and he retained the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

All in all, this was a good show.  I’m not going to try and compare it to ECW’s Barely Legal as some insist on doing, but I will tell you that this was the first time that Amey has watched wrasslin’ of any kind with me in more than two years…and she really enjoyed it.  As for my picks, I missed the X-Division Gauntlet, but it’s so hard to pick a winner out of twenty…so I barely count that.  As for the rest of the matches that were announced in advance: I correctly called all three title matches, as I picked 3LK to win, and Williams and Jarrett to retain.  I also picked Monty Brown and AMW to win their matches…so in head-to-head match ups, I was 100% accurate!  Booya!!

PEACE