OO TV/Event Recaps: NWA-TNA on PPV (Pro Wrestling News, Analysis, and Commentary... WWE, WWF, WCW, ECW, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Trish Stratus, Lita, Stacy Keibler, Divas, RAW, SmackDown, WrestleMania, Summe

NWA-TNA ON PPV
TNA Doesn't Rest on the Seventh Day:
The Genesis PPV Preview
November 11, 2005

Compiled by Jason Longshore
and Featuring the OO Forums TNA Posse

TNA’s been pretty busy as of late. They had their first prime time special, which was a mixed bag as far as the ratings went. The show itself was quite good and hopefully won over a few new fans. Spike also announced more prime time shows, including one on New Year’s Eve. Midway Games has announced that they’ll be making

the first TNA video game. TNA’s even filed for a trademark on an energy drink, Total Nonstep Adrenaline Rush or something like that.

Oh yeah, there’s also this “major acquisition” thing that’s been announced. I wonder who that could be. Here’s a look at the card, as of Friday afternoon.

JEFF JARRETT and AMERICA'S MOST WANTED vs. RHINO and THE TAG TEAM FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DUDLEY BOYZ

Rhino made Jeff Jarrett cry when he won the World Title at last month’s Bound for Glory PPV. That title shot was supposed to go to Kevin Nash, but he was unable to compete due to medical issues. Rhino was already booked in the grueling Monster’s Ball match, and won that by defeating Sabu, Abyss, and Jeff Hardy. He then outlasted nine others in a Gauntlet to determine who would face Jarrett for the World Title to close out the show. Jarrett went for his trust gee-tar to try to make quick work of Rhino, but he ate a Gore instead and lost his title. Jarrett and his band of cronies beat the ever loving crap out of Rhino after the match, but Team 3-D put a stop to that.

Jarrett regained the title on TNA’s prime time special, with substantial help from AMW and Gail Kim. After the match, Team 3-D was shown backstage handcuffed to a rail, bloodied, and broken bottles laying all around them. That Harris and Storm sure are crafty, although they need to clean up the evidence next time. Team 3-D is still looking for proper revenge on Jarrett and AMW for the infamous funeral segment on Impact a while back. They took care of Team Canada on the prime time special, now it’s time for the rest of them.

The OOutlOOk
Rhino/Dudleys win: 4 votes
Jarrett/AMW win: 0 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Rhino/Dudleys d. Jarrett/AMW.
Gotta love TNA and their unorthodox (though usually greatly appreciated) decision to not automatically make the World Title the main event of every PPV. I don’t know about you, but I like when the same two guys can feud for more than a month without having to fight one on one for 2 or 3 months straight. Match-wise, I expect a crazy ass brawl with lots of table, guitar, and handcuff related chicanery (or shenanigans) I predict either a DQ win for TEAM ECW or the Rhino pins Jarrett after something goes awry to stake his claim as No. 1 contender while the tag team specialists brawl around the ring and possibly knock the crap out of the one unfortunately looking young lady that’s always in the audience. But since I can only pick one, I’ll go with Team ECW because none of the champs will lose their shiny belts. I expect (hope) Gail will pop out of her top. She’s been teasing it since her debut and it’s time to cash in.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Rhino/Dudleys d. Jarrett/AMW.
More than anything, this PPV suffers from being the third most important event in about three weeks. The world championship has changed hands twice in less than a month and the 2-hour special sapped any momentum Rhino had with the strap. AMW and Team 3D have a decent feud going, but the tag titles aren’t at stake. I can see the reasoning behind the match, but this is also the type of match that used to end RAW or Nitro back in the day. This PPV is called “Genesis,” but by wrapping up a bunch of loose ends from Bound For Glory just a little more than a week ago, a lot of the beginnings touted here are loose or, as it goes here, closer to a continuation or an ending. Honestly, the buzz is going to surround Christian, but I think that he’d be better used later. Therefore, I have no real reason to guess on either side. So, we’ll have TNA try to send its fans home kinda happy, having Team 3D pin my brother Chris Harris but be absolutely decimated by Team Jarrett’s crew, but in the end Raven and probably Monty Brown will stand triumphant. And if Christian debuts here and joins Jarrett I’ll be none too happy.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Rhino/Dudleys d. Jarrett/AMW.
Hmm, can’t say I’m moving strongly in either direction on this particular match. JJ and AMW are more or less the ones coming into this match with momentum. AMW’s title win and subsequent “burial” of Team 3D plus Jarrett’s defeat of Rhino to win the title back. You could have Gail Kim help them into another win but that seems like too much. You could also theoretically have Christian or another come in to join up with Jarrett’s band, but I’d like to believe that TNA’s not going to shore JJ up with another mega stable. So if I had to guess (and I suppose that’s the point of this) I’d say that the good guys score some measure of revenge here. We know that Team 3D is mad and it stands to reason that Rhino isn’t too happy with any of the parties so they should be coming in rather angry. And the three of these individuals with enough reason to want to hurt people should be a devastating combination.

I’d think its Team 3D’s pin to get as well. They’re on their path to gain revenge but that should be strung out a bit. This is a good place for them to get a victory over AMW and then have the tag champs rabbit for a while and maybe find someone to send against them. Christian and a partner would theoretically be a logical choice there, but who knows? Raven had it out with Rhino a week ago so I imagine that this is a spot he may involve himself in. He has a “meeting” with Larry Z on Impact this week so perhaps that will result in a reinstatement and an actual match or story but if not this seems like the place for him and a debuting Jackie Gayda to make their mark. I’d guess its Raven/Rhino and JJ/Brown next on the docket.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Rhino/Dudleys d. Jarrett/AMW.
The good guys sure have been on the losing end of this little feud. This show should see them get some revenge. Of course, this is barring the “major acquisition” making an appearance to help Jarrett’s Cowboys out. It’s time to really let Team 3-D loose here, there’s even been rumors of Devon mentioning the infamous flaming tables. Could those be in store for this match? My guess is no, that should be saved for the title feud with AMW that is sure to follow.

It should be a really fun brawl, something all of these guys are great at. Gail Kim’s outfit is bound to be a highlight for lots of fans. Maybe Francine can make a special appearance to defend her ECW brethren and give Don West an opportunity to scream, “CATFIGHT!!!” Even better, maybe Francine can bring Joel Gertner with her and he can scream it. That would even make sense with the Dudley, err Team 3-D tie-in. Okay, now I’m making my head hurt.

Gail Kim gets put through a table, Jarrett takes a 3-D, and Rhino/Team 3-D gets the win.

AJ STYLES vs. PETEY WILLIAMS
X Division Championship Match

Petey Williams won not one, but two, Ultimate X matches to gain this title shot at AJ Styles. Of course, one of those was at Bound for Glory when the giant X just fell down into his hands, but that’s beside the point. Petey is a former X Division Champion who won the belt in an X Division Gauntlet match back in August of 2004. He defeated Styles at TNA’s first monthly PPV, Victory Road, last November to retain the belt, only to drop it to Styles in an Ultimate X match at Final Resolution in January. AJ dropped the title to Christopher Daniels two months later, but finally regained it in September at Unbreakable.

The OOutlOOk
Styles wins: 4 votes --|-- Williams wins: 0 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Styles d. Williams.
Me likey the flippity flop guys. And they don’t get more flippity than the Canadian Destroyer. As usually, any bout featuring Mr. Styles will be one if not my most anticipated one to watch. I’m just going to kick back, watch Mr. TNA 1 do his thing, and kill his Canadian contender. I predict at least two aborted attempts at the Canadian Destroyer before AJ counters it into either the Clash or a roll up. All I want is a longer version of their impact match back during the X-Cup and everything will be okay.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Styles d. Williams.
This match would have more build-up, I’m sure, if the daggum “X” didn’t keep falling off at Bound For Glory. My favorite X-Division guys are the ones they highlight in the video package: Styles, Joe, Daniels, Sabin, and Petey. If these five traded the belt for a year (and in the past 9 months or so only Styles and Daniels have had it), I wouldn’t mind. This match should be fun. I’m really tempted to pick Petey to win, since it’s the only title match on the card, but I think they need to have at least one face hold a belt. Styles gets a foot on the ropes after a delayed cover on a Canadian Destroyer and then hits the Styles Clash for the win.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Styles d. Williams.
I’m a major fan of the subtle moves they’ve made with Williams the last couple of months. As much as I enjoy the idea of Team Canada the majority of them are bit too forgettable. While Petey is certainly still a member of that group he has slowly stepped away from being a core member. He is not the leader but he’s also not a follower. Petey and Team Canada have had separate issues and have largely dealt with them as such and I think that’s a very good thing for the former X Division champion. But it’s probably not the time for him to take the title. With the company still fresh on Spike TNA probably wishes to keep the title on Styles (although I can’t say I’m a fan of keeping EVERY title on what amounts to the poster boys for each division) and there isn’t much in the way of face challengers past Styles. Short of a rematch, which seems a bit much considering the two men will have wrestled twice in “two days” (give or take some taping delays), or a captivating Sonjay Dutt push it just seems like it makes more sense to keep thinks as is. Daniels, Joe, and even the debuting Christian are all logical challengers for Styles.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Styles d. Williams.
This is a nice little break from the triangle feud for the X Division title between AJ, Daniels, and Joe. Petey seems to be a little underrated, as this match doesn’t have the buzz that it should. They’ve had very good matches in the past, and Petey has been at this best as of late, so this should be excellent. Williams is always a threat because of the inevitable interference of his fellow Canadians. I’m just hoping this match gets the amount of time it needs and Petey gets treatment similar to Daniels and Joe. He seems to be stuck in a position of just above the X Division midcard, but a step below the triangle at the top of the division. Even in losing, this could be a match to make him a major player in the division.

CHRIS DANIELS, SAMOA JOE, ALEX SHELLY, and RODERICK STRONG vs. CHRIS SABIN, MATT BENTLEY, SONJAY DUTT, and AUSTIN ARIES
"Elimination X" Match

It is November after all, that special time of year where cranberry sauce actually tastes good and we have big elimination tag matches. WWE’s Survivor Series PPV was always a fan favorite because of these special matches you didn’t get to see all year. Of course, then they decided to just make it another PPV with just one elimination match so the name at least made sense.

We do have some interesting plotlines here in the Elimination X. These guys have all crossed paths many times, be it in TNA or in Ring of Honor. We have the past tension between Sabin and Bentley. These two had quite the feud going over the Summer, until we realized that Traci was playing Sabin the whole time and she reunited with Bentley. Now they’re teammates. We also have the current tension between Daniels and Joe, which was highlighted on the prime time special where they were also teammates. There should be lots of possibilities coming out of this match.

The OOutlOOk
Daniels/Joe/Shelley/Strong win: 3 votes
Sabin/Bentley/Sonjay/Aries Cena win: 1 vote

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Sabin/Bentley/Sonjay/Aries win.
Have I mentioned that I have a crush on Dixie Carter? Just thought I’d throw that out there. Wow, an elimination match? With X-Division guys? Somebody’s going to be walking funny the day after this one. Man, if Bound For Glory wasn’t on my birthday, I’d swear Dixie was giving me this match as a gift. What could possibly go wrong? I mean this ain’t the WWE, so I expect at least a solid fifteen minutes for these eight guys to do their thing. The heel (I think) team is awesome. I mean we got Mr. TNA 2, we got a guy who has two impact finishers, but chooses to choke bitches out, a dirty European wanna be that makes me giggle, and the MESSIAH of the back breaker. The face team? Let’s see, I love Aries and hopes he busts out with that cool ass Crucifix Bomb again. Chris Sabin is always fun to watch. I dig the Himalayan Pimp and his mastery of all things that involve his legs wrapped around another guy’s neck (whoa, that sounded kind of…) Bentley….well he has Traci with him still right? Anyway, I foresee the default faces get the win, most likely furthering Sonjay’s push towards X-Division gold. Joe and Daniels will come to blows and it will spark something glorious. So glorious in fact, I’m thinking of going to my first live TNA event whenever that goes down.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Daniels/Joe/Shelley/Strong win.
THE RETURN OF THE TNA VOICE OVER GUY! “Elimination X. A contorted mess of high fliers from around the globe, reaching the apex of no limits in a whirlwind of flips and spins that dazzle the imagination and churn the stomach. Other reviewers will embrace the bird-like action, praising the abilities of the young men in this match. This match will indeed be on the precipice of off the hook.” Okay, I’m a bit off today. Daniels and Joe’s team lost at the 2-hour special. I don’t see a repeat of that. Sabin tries to fight off both of them but gets pinned in the end.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Daniels/Joe/Shelley/Strong win.
I would have liked to see them make better reasons for these men to fight each other but at least the match is here. I’d like to believe that the fact that this is an 8 man match means good things for Aries and Strong (or at least Aries) in the near future but it could also just be a case of TNA trying to put on a Survivor Series before Survivor Series.

The story’s obviously the friction between Joe and Daniels. They’ve been fighting with each other for months and their attempt at working together last Thursday didn’t work out so well. I’m sure the same will be the case in this match. Logic says that Shelley and Strong are gone early and it’s the two bigger X stars that get the majority of the glory. Joe can single handedly eliminate a couple of faces and then the friction can spark up when they hit end game. The natural story is for a face to come and take advantage of the friction and that would be a smart way to set up a face challenger for Petey Williams as X Champ. But I can’t say that I see any of these guys about to make that next step. I’d LOVE to see Aries score the surprise win and I’d be sad but not particularly shocked to see Dutt get the win. But in the end I’m going to just bet on Joe. Joe trims down the face team and then Daniels tries to get the final pin. Whichever one of the 4 is left takes advantage of the friction and Joe helps a bit to eliminate Daniels but then Joe comes away with the victory in the end. I believe that Joe’s still being pushed as “undefeated” at least in that he hasn’t been pinned so this would seem like a waste to do it here. And it just seems right that he’s the survivor of one of these wholly unique matches that is completely uncommon for this time of year.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Daniels/Joe/Shelley/Strong win.
Calling this one is pretty much a coin flip. I’m going with the heels because it could be a nice way to further the Joe v. Daniels story. The action itself should be off the charts, the crowd will definitely be eating it up with a spoon. Even Sonjay’s new fixation with the Sprinkler, which really upsets me. This is another match that needs a good bit of time, mainly due to the amount of people involved. Guys like Shelley, Strong, and Aries really need the time to connect with fans who aren’t familiar with their ROH work. This is a prime opportunity to do that, as they mix with TNA stalwarts. It could be one of the most fun matches of the year, we’ll see if they deliver.

SABU vs. ABYSS
No Disqualification Match

These two both came up on the losing end of the Monster’s Ball match at Bound for Glory, with Rhino getting the victory. Sabu wasn’t done with Abyss yet though. On the October 29 edition of Impact, Abyss defeated Lance Hoyt. After the match, James Mitchell gets Abyss’ trusty thumb tacks out. However, the lights went out and Sabu appeared. His arm was wrapped in a towel, which was removed to reveal his arm wrapped in barbed wire and blood. For the first time ever, Abyss actually looked afraid and he bolted.

Sabu teamed with Hoyt and Jeff Hardy in a six man tag on the prime time special. Unfortunately, Sabu tweaked an ankle or foot injury and his participation in the match was cut short. He was limping across the ring after the match when Abyss came out and nailed him with the Black Hole Slam.

Abyss also got the better of Sabu in their last meeting on PPV, at September’s Unbreakable. Sabu took a Black Hole Slam there as well, into the thumb tacks, in one of TNA’s top gross out moments of the year. Following that match, and Monster’s Ball, these two have a lot to live up to for this match.

The OOutlOOk
Sabu wins: 2 votes --|-- Abyss wins: 2 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Sabu d. Abyss.
This will be the purest in garbage wrestling and I couldn’t ask for two better participants. I’ve loved the aura of Sabu forever. I guess because I haven’t seen his full body of work, I don’t see him as some washed up has been. And Abyss…well let’s say my TNA bias forces me to believe that he is one of the best big men in the business right now. I love Kane and Big Show but compare their hardcore match on Raw with anything even remotely resembling an Abyss match and you’ll quickly see those two guys’ limitations. And not just in the plunder area. But this ain’t about bashing WWE, well not until the decide to part ways with Benoit anyway….This is about predicting Sabu getting his return job from that sick as Black Hole Slam into the Thumbtacks a couple of PPV’s back. I have no clue what Sabu will win with, but expect broken tables, dented chairs, punctured bodies, and Sabu’s hand raised in victory.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Abyss d. Sabu.
I like Abyss’s matches more and more since they’re getting more sound yet still a little crazy. Sabu is nuts, and I’m waiting for him to get paralyzed while simultaneously having a heart attack and developing crippling arthritis. I’m not sure how long he’s supposed to stay around, but he’s good for fun matches. Still, they gotta keep making Abyss huge. He’s the only “monster” (his name even says so!) in the company and the less he loses, the better.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Abyss d. Sabu.
I genuinely have no idea. I understand why this is here. Part of the positive reviews for TNA have been the good brawling and hardcore matches that aren’t really in WWE these days. And these two guys have been as responsible for that as anyone. So let them go at each other again and be bloody and brutal. But as far as what’s in store for either after this? I have no idea. Sabu’s place in this sort of match and feud and Abyss doesn’t really seem to have anywhere to go. I think he already feuded with Lance Hoyt but they could go there again. And there’s any number of tag and tandem wrestlers who will be loose after this PPV. But I really don’t know. The match should be enjoyable though, in that way these are.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Sabu d. Abyss.
Mainly, I’m picking this because it’s Sabu’s turn to get a win. Last time these two faced off, Abyss Black Hole Slammed Sabu into thumb tacks. If that’s not deserving of a win down the line, I don’t know what is. I loved Sabu’s bloody barbed wire confrontation with Abyss on Impact and I’m sure that’s going to play into what happens here. Abyss was awesome in showing his fear of the barbed wire too, it’s the first time that I can remember Abyss really seeming scared of anything. Hardcore fans around the world should be happy with this one, it’s sure to be pretty rough.

JEFF HARDY vs. MONTY BROWN
~~#1 Contender's Match~~ Errr, "Contender's Match"

Monty has been staking his claim to the World Title for months now in interview after interview. He’s even had the audacity to interrupt Jeff Jarrett’s interviews a few times to talk about it. The nerve! Monty actually had title shots against Jarrett late last year, one resulting in an excellent match on Impact, but Jarrett retained. After his ill-fated heel turn, Monty is back on the hunt for the belt.

Luckily, Jeff Hardy doesn’t do interviews, so we don’t really know what his motivation is. Somebody could have told him that the World Champion gets a Hot Topic discount card, who knows? His ImagiNation could have told him to go for the belt. Regardless, he has a chance to get a title shot here as well. He has also had chances in the past, dropping both of them to Jarrett in surprisingly good matches. Hardy has been more impressive lately in his hardcore styled matches, so maybe the fog is beginning to clear from around him.

Another note, this match is being billed as a CONTENDER’S MATCH not a #1 CONTENDER’S MATCH. I’m not sure exactly what the deal is there, but maybe we’ll learn more on Impact this Saturday or before the match on the PPV.

The OOutlOOk
Brown wins: 4 votes --|-- Hardy wins: 0 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Brown d. Hardy.
(in “annoying” voice that Rick hates) In the animal kingdom there are predators and there are preys. The Alpha Male stalks his Serengeti with an unrelenting fury that instills fear in even the most intrepid hearts. To step into his home is to challenge his ardent claim as the dominant male. A bold soul or perhaps a fool hardy dare devil has ventured into this domain. Often times, an iridescent exterior will confuse and confound him long enough to escape. But other times, it merely makes one an easier target for the POOOUUUUUNCE!!!!! Period. This is one such occasion.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Brown d. Hardy.
Basically, Brown has to win. Also, Jeff has to show up. Anyway, obviously Monty is the guy they’re pushing to the moon and his backstage skits with Jarrett have been entertaining, although he needs to sound a little more natural. This, my friends, is where I think Christian will show up. They have too much going on at the man event level and he’s really not an X-Division type guy right now, so a ready-made recognizable feud with Jeff works well here. Screw Jeff out of the title shot, feud for a month or two and proclaim himself as a future star, and we’re good to go.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Brown d. Hardy.
Probably the only match I didn’t actually have to think about. Brown’s been on the cusp of another title push for months and Hardy was just sort of inserted into this match, Brown should move up to the upper tier and play with JJ next, hopefully with TNA keeping Raven and Rhino involved even if in their own story just crossing over. Hardy has a number of places he could go. The idea of him finding a partner and getting involved in a Team 3D/Christian&partner feud has certainly been tossed around and its one I’m a fan of. A way to instantly jump-start the tag division by having AMW help manipulate two new teams into the path of the former Dudleys. Shannon Moore would seem like a logical partner but who knows? Even if Hardy doesn’t slip directly into a story after this it’s not a big deal. He has a place in the company making girls squeal and jumping off of high places. And that’s really not a bad role.

The match could be pretty good or could be a nightmare. Neither guy’s going to be getting cheers from the ROH crowd any time soon. But Hardy can sell the little guy vs. monster match if he’s on and when Brown’s on he can make the destruction of a CW amusing. Just have to hope they’re both on.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Brown d. Hardy.
The “major acquisition” could throw a wrench in the works, but Monty Brown should be the next NWA World Champion. This match should be another step down that path. Monty is the best TNA creation in the World Title scene and deserves a run with the belt. Hardy’s been pretty decent of late, so this match could be a surprise to many. I think it will be fine and serve its purpose. And that purpose is to give Monty a title shot next month against Jarrett, with him finally getting the World Title in the end.

TEAM CANADA vs. 3 LIVE KRU
Special Referee: the Wrestler Formerly Known as Billy Gunn

These two groups have been going at it for what seems like forever. They faced off last month at Bound for Glory, with the Canadians getting the win after Coach D’Amore distracted the ref and Bobby Roode blasted BG James with the reliable Canadian hockey stick. Kip James ran out to save BG from a post-match beatdown, and even took a couple of shots at the Canadians after they tried to convince him to hit Konnan with a chair. Even after all that, K-Dawg still doesn’t trust Kip.

The Kru asked Larry Zybysko for this match so they could settle this “once and for all”. Kip showed up and said that the problem was that Zybysko needed a referee who could deal with all of the interference that was sure to rear its ugly head. Kip volunteered his services. The Truth and BG were cool with that idea, but Konnan still doesn’t trust it. We’ll see what the next chapter is in As the Kru Turns this Sunday night.

The OOutlOOk
Team Canada wins: 3 votes --|-- 3LK wins: 1 vote

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Team Canada d. 3LK.
Let’s see, I’m such a mark that I still like 3LK. I like when Konan throws his shoe. Don’t ask me why, I just do. I love everything the “Truth” does from his dancing to his habit of putting an extra rotation into everything he does. And I never (NEVER) ever tire of the Shake Rattle and Knee Drop. Team Canada? Well I love that paranoid bastard. Bobby Roode is fun when he’s doing something but he has that annoying habit of not doing anything outside of a chin lock during the “heel beat down segment” of tag matches. And A-1? Huh, I like calling him Alistair. I predict a Team Canada victory after Kip James tries to help out his good buddy and either a) the New “Not at all will be an over-the-hill-version-of-former-glory) Age Outlaw reunion or b) or indirectly causes K-Dawg to get pinned. Any way you slice it, mo money, mo money, mo money!!! Err I mean, those crafty Canadians pull out the win.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Team Canada d. 3LK.
It’s Time. It’s Time. It’s KIP JAMES TIME! Expect this to be the opener of the show, but expect a little drama. It’s incredibly hard to pick where they’re going to do something with James/James, but you’d think it would have to be soon. With the Naturalz gone for a while, this might not be a bad time for BG James to turn heel on 3 Live Kru and form the New Age Outlaws again. Or they’ll just let this simmer another half year. I don’t know. But aside from Eric Young’s squirrelly antics, that’s the only reason I want to see this match.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... 3LK d. Team Canada.
Guess who’s turning?! Well, Kip James is the call and I’m guessing this is the real thing and not a swerve. But I imagine there could be more. I know I’m picking 3LK but that’s almost because I can’t bring myself to pick A1 winning a match. I wouldn’t be that surprised to see the destruction of 3LK on Sunday night. At the very least, I think it’s the beginning of the end. The James Gang finally gets together, Konnan heads off with Homicide or someone, and Killings hopefully gets a push but probably just gets forgotten the same way he was before 3LK came along. Safe money would be on Konnan getting sick with the acceptance of the Assman and he does the heel turn but I think it would be a nice twist to see Killings pull the surprise after just getting fed up with getting caught in the middle of this stuff. But who knows? We probably get the drama of 3LK & Kip James drawn out a bit longer the way TNA has told this story. And Team Canada will remain Canadian. Wrestling adequately but quite blandly.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Team Canada d. 3LK.
I wish I could say I really care about this, but I don’t. The Kip James/BG James/3LK situation has been carried out for WAY TOO LONG. I’m just waiting on the outcome of it at this point. It’s pretty obvious that we’re heading towards a New Age Outlaws reunion of some sort, the fans want it too badly for it not to happen. If I was in charge here, Team Canada would get the win after Kip misses some Canadian interference and Truth is pinned. Konnan gets all up in his face, screaming that he was just trying to screw the Kru after all. BG could have also missed the interference, due to being knocked down outside the ring or something, and he could come to Kip’s defense. Konnan blasts Kip with a chair, and BG blasts K-Dawg in turn. Make the new James Gang (or whatever they’re going to be called) faces out of the whole thing and Konnan can be the heel. Truth can try to stay buddies with both, but mainly he needs to go on his own way and get back into the World Title scene.

I can’t believe I just spent that much time fantasy booking 3 Live Kru stuff, ugh.

EXTRAS AND CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Genesis will feature a few additional matches (even if they are relegated to the pre-show), with such Superstars as Shark Boy and....

Ahhhh, who the hell are we kidding? The biggest thing aside from the six announced PPV matches is Christian showing up. So here's the section where we get to talk about that...

The OOutlOOk

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says...
Writing previews is fun. I feel like a real wrestling journalist and what not. So when do I start seeing those .00000001 royalty checks?

Jackie will probably get in Traci’s face. Raven will brood as only he can. Jerelle Clark and/or Reilly will get abused. I hear Nigel McGuiness is going to be on the pre-show. That’s like the most British name ever. I likes me some ROH guys. And apparently he’s a cheater….who uses an Iron. He NEEDS to bring that with him and press the ref’s pants in the middle of the match….yeah, maybe only I’d find that amusing. Let’s see. Canadian Rage Christian Cage will debut and do something Charismatic, thus become Chris Canadian Cool. My head will explode trying to keep up with all the spots in elimination match (oh please let Joe kick somebody out of the ring and into the barricade again) And I pray that the voice over guy gets to say that we are on the precipice of something this month. Doesn’t Genesis mean beginnings or something? That sounds like something we could be on the precipice of, I think. Here’s hoping my month 2 predictions are better. I blame the Canadians. Not all of them. They knew who they are….

Cory "borntorun" Harris says...
Like I said before, Genesis entails a beginning. Unfortunately, BFG was the real new beginning for the company, so I guess this would be Exodus. Although I hope the fans don’t leave the fed because of a relatively weak and thrown-together PPV. Oh, a lot of the action will be good, but this has little more appeal than the two-hour special did, and that’s a problem. Still, there are some great things ahead: Christian, Raven/Brown feuding with Jarrett (which is more compelling than Rhino), more contenders for the X-Division, and…uh, Jackie Gayda. Which is only good because of Haas. Also, I hope JL updates the picks because I think I’m in the lead, percentage wise. Born to Pick, baby!

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says...
Nigel McGuinness debuts vs. Shark Boy on the preshow. I REALLY hate Nigel but I’m assured that he’s made great strides since I last saw him in ROH a year or so ago. I’d guess he wins because if you can’t beat Shark Boy than you’re probably named David Young. Which of course leads to…

The Naturals and Lance Hoyt vs. the Diamonds in the Rough. You know… I noticed that the Diamonds have matching tights. You don’t do that for a team if you don’t have plans for them, man! So I’m going to stay steadfastly ignorant and keep picking them to win. I just think the group has so much potential. Skipper and Young can make such a great team as wrestlers and Diamond is strong both in the ring on the mic. I’d love them to actual find a place in the tag division and then pick up another guy for their group. Someone who Young and Skipper can look down to. I just think that could be so much fun given what Diamond and Young did with Gilberti and Swinger and what Skipper did with SEX (strangely enough, Gilberti being a key part there too). But who am I kidding? Hoyt will pin Young and all the TNA fans in Orlando will cheer. And I’ll finish my beer.

Otherwise, there seems to be room on the card. Unless you just allow the two X Division matches to go 30 minutes each. Hey, you could theoretically score a great 45-60 minutes out of the Elimination X match. But with a plethora of choices for debuts and “major acquisitions” I’d guess they’ll fill up some time there. It seems only right that Christian’s given the microphone in the ring upon his arrival. And Jackie Gayda probably gets some screen time with Raven (and Cassidy Richards). Shannon Moore probably doesn’t get as lucky but he could see a match with Siaki or someone else for a debut. And who knows? There’s always the Charlie Haas’, Sean O’Haires, Jimmy Yangs, and who knows who else around who could make a splash. With the ambiguity of TNA’s “major acquisition” announcement it does not seem beyond them to spend the night debuting people only to constantly tell us “that’s not him.” And you can always dare to dream of folks like Brock (who’s IWGP champion and the NJPW prez will be in attendance to hype talent trade!) or Jericho (who decided to toss an ad for the PPV up on his homepage this week!). But I’m not saying that, because then Rick would say something bad about me. And I don’t really believe it anyway. Haas would surprise the crap out of me.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says...
By now, most of us know that TNA will be debuting a “major acquisition” on Sunday at Genesis. We all are about 99% positive that said acquisition is Christian, or Christian Cage, or Captain Charisma, depending on copyright issues. Barring TNA following Rick’s advice and actually debuting him on Impact Saturday night (an idea that I actually really liked), his identity won’t be revealed until the PPV on Sunday. My guess is that he’ll either come out at the end to play a role in the main event, or he’ll get introduced at the end of the pre-show to try to coax a few last minute buys out of people watching. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that he’s not coming in as a new member of Jarrett’s gang. It’s been TNA’s M.O. to do this, but it would make absolutely no sense here. For one, Christian is going to get a huge face pop when he comes out. For two, Jarrett’s gang was founded on the idea that guys like Christian joining the company was a bad thing and needed to be stopped. Christian can always turn heel later, and I’m sure he will as that’s his best role in my opinion, but make that turn mean something more than, “Jarrett paid me to be on his side.”

We should be seeing more debuts this Sunday as well. Nigel McGuiness will be debuting in a match with Shark Boy on the pre-show. I remember him showing up in a couple of X Division Gauntlets a while ago and liking the guy, so I’m okay with this one. He’s getting mixed reviews all over the net, so we’ll see I guess. Jackie Gayda’s signing was announced on TNA’s website recently, is she the mystery woman that’s been in Raven’s head? If Gayda’s on her way in, what about her husband Charlie Haas? He’d be a great fit in TNA.

For some reason, I haven’t been as amped for this TNA PPV as the other more recent ones. The “major acquisition” has made it much more interesting, but I’m ready for some new feuds and match combinations. I’m sure the OMG! WORKRATE will make up for the lack of sizzle going in though. With some new blood, and some new matches, the build to the December PPV could be a lot of fun.

Impact on Saturday night features an Austin Aries v. Samoa Joe match and the final build to Genesis. If you’re not able to check them out, I’ll be back on Monday with a recap of both. Until then…

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Jason Longshore is your second-most-favorite wrestling fan/writer from Atlanta, GA.

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