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
Turning Point PPV Preview
(and Primetime Impact Mini-Recap)
December 9, 2005

Compiled by Jason Longshore
and Featuring the OO Forums TNA Posse

Work starts in about an hour and there’s no time to waste, so here’s an extra abbreviated recap of last night's prime time Impact to set the stage for the Sunday PPV line-up…
AMW/JARRETT D. NATURALS/HARDY

You really can’t go wrong with AMW and Naturals squaring off. The counter sequences in this one were great, the one

between Storm and Douglas on the edge of the stage was excellent. Nice touch with AMW using the 3-D through a table. Hardy’s paint made Jarrett look a green metrosexual.

They aired the final Rhino video, which was another good piece. I think they would have worked better as one, longer piece though.

SAMOA JOE D. AMAZING RED

Don West didn’t explode at the return of Red, and I’m a little disappointed. The stupid, chant-happy fans didn’t give Red a “Welcome Back” chant, what the hell is wrong with them? That’s sort of standard, isn’t it? Fun, short match highlighted by Joe’s nasty powerslam. Shelley was at ringside with his video camera for some reason.

The White Sox segment was up next. I know some people will disagree, but I thought it was fine. It might have went a little long, but that’s it. Simon Diamond was hilarious in the segment, he definitely kept the suck factor down.

KONNAN/KIP JAMES D. BEASTS OF BURDEN

Sinn is now teaming with that loser Hellvis? Where in the blue hell is Slash from the Disciples of the New Church? That would actually be interesting if he came back, teamed with Sinn, and they attacked their former manager Mitchell and Abyss. That would be far more interesting than this squash fest.

Bobby Roode cut a very good promo with D’Amore about his upcoming match with Christian.

CHRISTIAN CAGE D. BOBBY ROODE

Really good match, better than I expected. The interference at the end was well done and the crowd ate it up. They actually booed Monty, I was shocked. I still can’t believe that WWE didn’t sign Roode when they had a chance. I’m looking forward to Christian and Monty at the PPV even more now.

Mitchell cuts a promo on Sabu in the ring with Abyss. He says that he’ll pick up the pieces of Sabu’s flesh from around the ring at Barbed Wire Massacre and feed them to his wild dogs. That’s rather messed up, James. The lights go out and Sabu appears. The ropes have changed to barbed wire and we learn that Sabu has been off stealing the Undertaker’s powers. I think Rick said he best when he suggested to me that this was “gay spooky.”

And now onto the PPV preview proper…

JEFF JARRETT vs. RHINO
NWA Title Match

They are billing this as the rubber match between these two, currently they are tied at one win apiece. Jeff Jarrett defeated Raven for the title at a house show in Canada when AMW decided to join him as Bishops of the Mountain, or whatever Jeff has decided their official title is. Kevin Nash was scheduled to take on Jarrett at the big Bound for Glory PPV, but he ended up having a medical condition on the day of the show that ruled him out of the match. TNA threw together a Gauntlet match at the show, with the winner getting a shot at Jarrett in the main event. Rhino, who had already won the physically draining Monsters Ball match, ended up outlasting nine others to win the Gauntlet. He was able to avoid Jarrett’s trust gee-tar and hit the Gore to get the shocking win and the World Title.

Of course, with this being Jarrett, that didn’t last too long. On TNA’s first prime time special, AMW hit the Death Sentence on Rhino through a table and rolled him back in the ring so King of the Mountain Jarrett could regain the title. Rhino teamed with Team 3-D at Genesis to get some revenge on Jarrett and AMW, but this is his first rematch for the title. With it being billed as the rubber match, it’s likely his last chance.

The OOutlOOk
Jarrett wins: 5 votes --|-- Rhino wins: 0 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Jarrett d. Rhino.
Another main event, another Jarrett victory. Man those Rhino vignettes would have been ten times more awesome if they had occurred before Rhino lost the title. I still like Rhino and I don’t find him as limited as some people say. He’s easily Raven’s better inside the ring, yet more people want Raven as champ than Rhino. Hey, I still like Raven and would have loved to see these two guys go at it for the title but that’s not happening for a while. Anyway, Jarrett wins after Rhino puts up a valiant effort and someone costs Rhino the pin fall. I mean, does Jarrett ever win title matches clean?

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Jarrett d. Rhino.
Y’know, I’m not psyched at all for this. The relatively short match at the first Weekday iMPACT special was about as good as I think they’re going to be; unless they make it no-DQ or seriously up the hardcore value, they’ve milked this feud for all it’s worth. Monty Brown and Christian Cage are both obviously waiting in the wings for a feud, and Raven’s not far behind. My suggestion? Put this on second-to-last, have Raven lose a series of near-falls, but keep the focus on Christian. Perhaps throw Brown in there and you can have Pounce and Gore all over the January PPV. Jarrett wins with baby powder in a guitar-shaped plastic wooden box.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Jarrett d. Rhino.
I think it's pretty obvious that they're building up Rhino to be the sympathetic babyface chasing the dream of the NWA World Title. I think it's also obvious that Jeff Jarret is going to retain. Rhino is a stepping stone to the Christian feud that'll probably get TNA a few looks from casual fans. Will Jakie Gayda get involved? Probably. Will we find anything out about what the hell is going on with her. Hell no.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Jarrett d. Rhino.
Yeah, I want to believe that those little bio pieces on Rhino were for his good but who am I kidding? Rhino’s been just about the only guy in TNA not confronting Jarrett the last few weeks and as a wiser man than I said those pieces were “too little too late.” It will be a good enough match but like most Jarrett title matches the fact that it’s a foregone conclusion will suck some life from it. Brown and Christian will probably end up involved, as will Jackie Gayda and Gail Kim (presuming she gets time off from the movie she’s doing, or whatever it is). And if Jackie gets a knight to fight for her honor there’s him too. And there’s this surprise that TNA is promising that will “change TNA forever.” So there’s got to be even odds that it ight factor into here if it ends up being a person in some way. Yeah, I like Rhino and all but the fun in the World Title picture lies with everyone but him.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Jarrett d. Rhino.
For the longest time, I thought TNA was setting up Monty Brown as the heir apparent to Jarrett as World Champ. Then, Kevin Nash had to go to the hospital on the day of a PPV and they put the title on Rhino as a surprise for the fans who didn’t get their announced title match. Jarrett, of course, won it back on the prime time special and has held it ever since. All that being said, I just don’t see Rhino ending Jarrett’s reign here. It looks like they’re setting things up for Christian to be the savior of TNA, so Jarrett retains to keep that possibility alive. These two have had much better chemistry in the ring than I would have imagined, so I’m expecting an entertaining match. One request though, someone slip a different match outline into Jarrett’s playbook, he already did the standard “brawl through the crowd” one that he’s had with everybody in TNA except for Disgraceland. C’mon Jeff, you’re better than that.

AJ STYLES vs. SAMOA JOE
X-Division Title Match

Back in August, Joe defeated AJ in the finals of the Super X Cup at the Sacrifice PPV. That earned him a title shot with Christopher Daniels the following month. However, due to Daniels getting involved in the match and serving as a distraction to AJ, Larry Zybysko gave AJ a spot in that title match as well. What resulted was a classic, one of the best TNA matches of all time, and Styles walking out as the X Division champ for the fifth time. AJ defended the belt against Daniels in an Iron Man match at Bound for Glory, retaining with a last second victory, while Joe defeated Japanese legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger.

While Styles retained again at Genesis, Joe and Daniels were placed on the same side of an eight man elimination tag match. They were the final two survivors in the match, with Daniels pinning Chris Sabin after Matt Bentley pulled Joe out to the floor. Joe was none too pleased with Daniels getting “his pin” and decided to beat the unholy crap out of the Fallen Angel. Chair shots and Muscle Busters were served up all around until Daniels was a bloody mess. Daniels is out with a serious concussion and hasn’t been seen since.

It was Daniels’ bitter rival Styles who was the first to talk about how Joe had broken “the code” of the X Division with his attack on Daniels. I would have rather that they had dropped “the code” business and just said that Joe didn’t respect the wrestlers in the division, but that’s just me. AJ said that Joe would be dealt with accordingly. During Styles’ victory over Petey Williams that night, Joe came out to the top of the ramp with his blood soaked towel. Joe’s carried that towel with him everywhere since the attack on Daniels. AJ challenged Joe to a match at Turning Point on Impact a couple of weeks ago. Joe didn’t say anything about it then, but answered by repeatedly slamming AJ’s head off a storage case at Impact last week, saying that he “doesn’t respect AJ’s code.”

The OOutlOOk
Joe wins: 3 votes --|-- Styles wins: 1 vote
DRAW/No Contest: 1 vote

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Joe d. Styles.
This is the perfect time to let Samoa Joe win the X and keep his undefeated streak alive. I love A.J. but the guy rarely jobs. I think this entire year he’s lost three times in one on one encounters. Daniels at Destination X after Daniels literally stole the title from him; Samoa Joe at Sacrifice after Daniels interfered; and on Impact against Petey Williams in a “First person to hit their finisher” match after he was distracted. Sensing a pattern? If it weren’t for those three losses, I’d say he was the John Cena of the X-Division. Seeing as Joe is this unstoppable force of choking bitches out and he pretty much made AJ his bitch at the end of Impact. I don’t mind the mention of the “unwritten code of the X-Division.” But that’s probably because I love the two guys in this match and will be expecting great things. So it doesn’t matter if they haven’t really explained it as anything other than a rip off of ROH. If they can equal or top their match at Sacrifice, then this will be the match of the night. Joe wins after A.J. signs off as just another bitch in Joe’s book. AJ then goes on to do…something. He’s A.J. mutha fuckin’ Styles. Either he’ll end up back in the World Title hunt for a minute or maybe they’ll tag him up with Amazing Red for a little while a returning Daniels feuds with the unstoppable X-Division champ.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Joe DRAW Styles (No Contest.
Please do this last please do this last please do this last. It’s nice to see AJ and Joe in actual storylines, and, much to this previewer’s ever-loving disbelief, they’re in a storyline together! While some people may claim that TNA’s obnoxious fans are the cause behind Joe’s incomplete heel turn, the fact that he’s a complete, stiff-looking hardass makes it hard to boo him. Still, I think an unbeatable monster should be a heel-most of the time, at least-and this sets up the best possible dynamic for this match. Joe beat Styles in the summer when Christopher Daniels was champ, but this is Joe’s first chance in a one-on-one match for the strap. He still hasn’t been pinned. AJ is the poster boy for TNA, and a loss to the star shouldn’t be done lightly. I’m honestly not sure how to pick this. I think Joe would make a good champ, although there would be little belief in him losing anytime soon. But if AJ loses he’ll have to job twice in a row. My official prediction, then, is this: if it’s not the main event, it’ll be some kind of double DQ or no decision; a cool spot or bump-maybe even a time limit draw-will build interest for the next PPV. If it is the main event, Joe will win. I’m going with the first one, though. Whatever the case, this should be spectacular.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Styles d. Joe.
Conventional wisdom tells us that Joe walks away with the title. However, I'm feeling a bit silly, so I'm going with the opposite. Joe and Styles will put on the match of the night but it will be interrupted by Chris Daniels interfering on the behalf of Styles (more to the detriment of Joe) allowing Styles to retain and Joe's streak to end leading to the Daniels/Joe feud that everybody expects and allowing Styles to retain the belt to have a reason to exist in the X Division.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Joe d. Styles.
This silly “code” story might be lame as hell but I don’t care. The match will kick ass and even if it was a dumb ass reason its probably what wins Joe the title belt. And these guys will put on a good enough show to make us forget the silly premise involved. And Joe will be bad ass enough that we’ll forgive/forget the silly plot device used. So Joe gets to brutalize Styles and win the belt. And I bet he’ll do a number on AJ after the match as well. My main question is whether you bring Daniels back so soon to make the save or if you look to someone else, either a Sabin or Aries or a debuting star. But this definitely doesn’t feel like the right time to me for them to end Joe’s winning streak or his little path of rage (can you imagine Paul Heyman taking Joe and making him the new Taz?). I don’t know if its going to be AJ or Daniels who give Joe his first loss but either way I think you have to allow the monster to take everyone out so we can have some heroic returns.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Joe d. Styles.
They need to keep building up Joe’s undefeated streak before he loses. This would be a good time to take the title off AJ and build up some of the other challengers (i.e. Chris Sabin) in the X Division. The match should be great and I’m thinking that Christopher Daniels might make a return and have some say in the outcome. He’ll try to help AJ, screw that up which gives Joe the opening to win, and that could kick start another issue between Daniels and AJ. I’d be all for that.

AMERICA'S MOST WANTED vs. TEAM 3-D
Tables Match (Maybe for the TNA Tag Titles, but Maybe Not)

Team 3-D, the former Dudley Boys for those who haven’t been paying attention, debuted on the Spike TV debut of Impact at the beginning of October. They came out to save 3 Live Kru from a heel beatdown by Jarrett, AMW, and Team Canada. This lead to a match with AMW the following week on Impact, a “dream match” according to Tenay and West. Unfortunately, the debuting Gail Kim ruined it by low blowing Brother Ray. Jarrett joined in the fun, bashing Team 3-D with his title belt and gee-tar. After a Death Sentence to Devon, Team 3-D was literally left laying in a pool of their own blood.

The infamous Team 3-D funeral segment followed the next week. We didn’t see Ray and Devon until Bound for Glory, when they came out to save new NWA World Champion Rhino from a beatdown at the hands of Jarrett, AMW, and Team Canada. 3-D was able to get their revenge on the Canadians on the prime time special, and was able to get their hands on Jarrett and AMW during their six man tag match at Genesis.

On the first Impact after Genesis, AMW defeated Sonny Siaki and Apollo. After the match, they pulled out a table and spray painted 3-D on it and tried to give the Death Sentence to Siaki. Team 3-D did not particularly care for this sort of tribute and chased Harris and Storm off. They said that AMW didn’t know the first thing about how to use a table and challenged them to this Tables Match at Turning Point.

The OOutlOOk
Dudleys win: 3 votes --|-- AMW wins: 2 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... AMW d. Team 3-D.
I hope this is one of them dere nifty elimination type matches but either way, bodies are going to go through tables. AMW are probably one of the most fun things about TNA right now and they are going to hype the hell out of 3D’s recent Japanese success. I usually don’t care about the whole “faces chasing heels makes for a better story” but I’ll bite on this one. 3D will be on the cusp of victory and somebody; maybe the Diamonds, maybe the Naturals, interfere and cost them the match. My momma told me it ain’t the Dudley’s time. Sorry bout yo damn luck.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Team 3-D d. AMW.
“BROTHER DEVON: GET THE FLAT SURFACES ON WHICH ONE WOULD HAVE AN OUTDOOR DINNER OR PERHAPS DRAW A BLUE PRINT!” I’m not sure exactly what the WWE copyrights these days; still, they don’t even come close to having the patent on fun, brawling carnage. This is actually TNA’s most and best-developed feud: months of skits, in-ring carnage, and typical wrestling goodness have sparked this feud since iMPACT debuted. While a stable of champs is nice, I think a title change needs to take place; they can’t keep this going without some kind of switch here. So, Chris “My Brother” Harris and James “Not Related to You in any Way” Storm: sorry about your damn luck.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Team 3-D d. AMW.
This should be a fun one, with two of the best tag teams in the world gimmicking it the hell up with a tables match. Rock on. The hype on this puppy has pretty much been AMW all the way. So it wouldn't surprise me to see Team 3D walk away with a big win here, in the match that they made famous, to secure themselves a title shot at the next PPV. Of course, with the way one hand has a tendency to wash the other, AMW will retain. But I'm getting way ahead of myself.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Team 3-D d. AMW.
Hmm… something doesn’t appear to be a title match. Team 3D needs to get some actual revenge on AMW so this is obviously a good way to do it in their match. The former Dudleys can score themselves a win over the tag champs and then AMW can pussy away from an actual title shot for a while. Its kind of hard to read where this is exactly because it was embroiled in the World Title/Main Event scene but now that that’s all muddled I’m not sure if it still is. So I’m not sure how I’d slow play this if I was TNA but I know how I’d tell this story. AMW takes the first match, Team 3D defeat AMW in their signature match, and sooner or later AMW will introduce THEIR signature match in the steel cage. It might be best to push that back to match 4 or 5 (Match 3 may sell itself on being their first title match) but I’d bet anything that its coming. The match for now should be a good one. AMW kicks ass and has shown a pretty good ability to work in gimmick matches from cages to straps. And this is what Devon and Brother Ray have been doing for a decade.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... AMW d. Team 3-D.
Isn’t it standard that you always lose your “signature” match? If we’re following that line of thought, AMW has to win this. They need the win more than Team 3-D anyway. That will build up TNA to the casual fan that Team 3-D didn’t come in and run rough shod over TNA’s talent. It will also mean more when Team 3-D finally gets the win, and tag titles, over AMW. AMW win with a Death Sentence through a table.

SABU vs. ABYSS
Barbed Wire Match

This match-up seems strangely familiar. Oh wait, they’ve faced off only about 834 times now in TNA. I exaggerate, I’m sorry, but it certainly seems that way. Abyss defeated Sabu at Unbreakable in September. He Black Hole Slammed Sabu into a pile of thumb tacks for the win. That would upset most men, but I think Sabu might have liked it because he kept coming back for more. They were both in the Monsters Ball match at Bound for Glory where Abyss suplexed Sabu through a table at ringside. Abyss wasn’t booked on the prime time Impact special, but came out to Black Hole Slam Sabu for old time’s sake. At Genesis, Abyss again defeated Sabu in a no-DQ match by chokeslamming him on a pile of thumb tacks and giving him the Black Hole Slam on a chair wrapped in barbed wire.

Sabu was able to distract Abyss long enough for him to lose a match to Rhino on Impact, but Abyss was able to get his revenge. Sabu showed up the next week after Abyss defeated Tough Enough Kenny. Abyss kicked Sabu’s ass all over the arena, punctuating it with a chokeslam on a pile of guard rails. From what I’ve gathered of this feud, Sabu just really likes it rough.

The OOutlOOk
Sabu wins: 5 votes --|-- Abyss wins: 0 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Sabu d. Abyss.
The very idea of this match existing brings back fond memories of a barb wire match from FMW that had WOMEN getting carved up by barb wire. I’m about the biggest advocate for women’s wrestling on the net, but as brutal as that match was, this will easily trump it just because of the two guys involved. Sabu discovers new ways to die every match. Abyss is the resident monster and is not adverse to taking nasty falls onto thumbtacks or through tables. The only thing is, I’m having nightmares of these two seriously fucking each other up. I think Sabu finally gets his PPV win after some crazy ass Istanbul barb wire leg drop o’ death.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Sabu d. Abyss.
If Sabu was really suicidal he would be dead a long time ago. I got to meet and talk to the real-life hotel manager from Hotel Rwanda last week, and I’m sure he would not enjoy Sabu bringing barbed wire justice to the still-mourning streets of Rwanda. Don’t even get me started on John Cena and Hitler. Anyway, this is the most “fun” feud for me in TNA. Neither of these guys talks worth a damn, but they do a pretty good job portraying their psycho/sinister and aggressively frightened personas. Abyss is becoming a master at brawling, and this match will put that to the limit. Should be brutal and quite fun. After a few months of landing on thumb tacks, though, this is as intense as this feud can get, and I’m counting on Abyss to thank Sabu for getting him over.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Sabu d. Abyss.
I was, at first, very intrigued by this match. At first. Then, every week, they kept running it into the ground. They were doing a good job for once with telling a decent story, but the match itself gave me reason for concern. I kept thinking about it and I wasn't sure that i wanted to see these two rip giant gashes into their bodies. Lots of brutal, disgusting, maniacal moves in attempts to cripple and maim your opponent. Never mind. i just talked myself into it. Anyway, Abyss has been kicking his ass a lot lately, so Sabu walks away from this one the victor.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Sabu d. Abyss.
I once again completely guess at who wins one of these matches. Because once again the point clearly seems to be about more blood and violence than any overwhelming story. Not that there isn’t a story here. Sabu and Abyss have been at odds and Sabu found something to scare Abyss in barbwire. He may have gotten over his fear but he still may not react well the first time he gets impaled on the wire. Lots of blood, lots of garbagy wrestling, a good time will be had by all and maybe this is even the end of this since Barb Wire has always struck me as a feud ender. Unless TNA brings Death Matches to us!

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Sabu d. Abyss.
What does Sabu have to do to get a win over Abyss? All those chokeslams and Black Hole Slams have to mean something at this point. This certainly seems to be his kind of match, Abyss is still terrified of barbed wire so Sabu should have the advantage. After Impact this week, we’ve also learned that Sabu has somehow gained some Undertaker like powers, so who knows what he’s going to do in this match. I predict blood, carnage, and at least one spot where I’m questioning Sabu’s sanity.

This will kick off the show, due to the set-up of the barbed wire in place of the ropes. I’ll give these guys credit for doing a match like this and I’ll give TNA credit for finding a match that WWE would never do on PPV. If you’re going to be the wrestling alternative, this is one way to do it.

CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. MONTY BROWN

Monty was gaining momentum and moving up in the eyes of the TNA Championship Committee on the way to a title shot at Jeff Jarrett’s NWA World Title. That was before the debut of one Christian Cage though. Christian showed up at Genesis and said that he was coming to TNA for the World Title. Monty won a “Contender’s Match” over Jeff Hardy that night, but nothing was really settled.

The following week on Impact, Christian reiterated his claims about taking the World Title from Jarrett. Monty took offense and came out to the ring for the Main Event Promo Battle Spectacular. Christian said Monty should be afraid of losing his spot, Monty said Christian wore Bob the Builder shoes, they stole each other’s catch phrases, it was great. The segment was ended with Monty hitting the Pounce on Christian after a brawl.

Christian went to Zybysko and asked for a match with Monty at Turning Point and Zybysko delivered. It’s not billed as a #1 Contender’s Match, but the winner is more than likely next in line at the World Title. Christian interrupted a Jarrett monologue and had a brawl with Jarrett. Bobby Roode showed up to hit his Northern Lariat clothesline on Christian to set up their Impact match last night. Monty tried to screw things up for Christian, but ended up Pouncing Coach D’Amore instead. It’s hard to complain when that happens by accident. After Christian’s win, Monty did get to hit the Pounce on him to go into Turning Point on a hot streak.

The OOutlOOk
Christian wins: 3 votes --|-- Brown wins: 2 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Brown d. Christian.
That’s Captain Charisma to you, you silly bastard. TNA sure hates saying “No. 1 Contender to the World Title” don’t they? Monty has a chance to have his best match yet with one of the better in-ring talents working today. Between these two, the crowd reaction should be awesome and I have a feeling Monty’s going to bust ass to keep up with an unrestrained CC. I’m calling for some type of Team Canada interference to allow Christian to job, but still stay strong while they actually try to follow through with Project Alpha Male.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Christian d. Brown.
As hard as it is for me to admit it, Christian’s WWE experience puts him light years vocally over pretty much any TNA guy. That alone makes me want him to be the top guy in TNA; they need someone who will keep the audience riveted and then deliver the goods in the ring. He has made a feud with Monty Brown pretty engaging, and Brown’s Pooowwwwwwwwwnnnncing sneak attacks have added a lot of credibility here. I’m realizing now that this has been TNA’s finest month since I’ve been watching. To use a metaphor that I know someone else will use, they have to strike while the iron is hot with Christian. He won’t ever be a fresh acquisition again, while Brown can be pushed up at anytime. Have Monty feud with Rhino and send Christian to the main event of the January PPV.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Christian d. Brown.
I like that things in the wrestling world are getting shaken up. Christian jumping to TNA is a pretty big deal, and so far I think it's being handled well. He's the type of guy TNA needs to help give them a little more must-see-flavor. Monty Brown, when he's "on," is the same. Hopefully they'll give these two a little promo time either earlier in the PPV or pre-match. That would be fun. But then, I'm pretty easy. As long as Monty pulls out his PPV-only tell-people-to-move- because-it-looks-like-he's-gonna- throw-his-opponent-towards-them-but- then-doesn't-and-says-"That's how stupid YOU are." spot, then I'll be happy. Oh yeah, there's no way Christian doesn't one-up Monty and get the shot at Jarrett.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Brown d. Christian.
Yeah, I’m picking for Christian to take the fall. At least its not his first match in TNA. TNA is once again remaining vague in suggesting that this is a #1 Contender’s match but not actually saying that it is. Apparently the “Contender’s Match” that Monty won last month won him a chance to be in another “qualifying” match with a guy who’s had 1 match in the company. I mean, I know he’s Christian and all and he’s going to face JJ but I just feel like Monty has to come first. Monty might still have gotten screwed by the arrival of Christian since he’s probably the favorite to take the title now but who really knows? With the Jackie issue happening with JJ you’d think that Haas might be in so who knows who’s going to be the one to dethrone JJ. But I can see this going 1 of 2 ways. Either Brown wins and once again gets passed over for a title shot thus really pushing him over the edge about how he’s jumping through hurdles and getting nothing to show, or Monty wins, loses to Jarrett, and then Christian’s up next. I don’t know. Either way I expect both guys to remain at odds with each other and to remain with their eyes set on Jarrett for awhile now. Who wins this match seems kind of like a coin flip since I’m sure there’ll be a rematch soon. There’s just too much potential gold in these two cutting promos on each other (or for that matter the trio of Brown/Christian/Jarrett) to dismiss the story. And here’s hoping that Christian and Monty gel because I think Captain Charisma can definitely get a good match out of the Alpha Male.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Christian d. Brown.
We all know what happens when someone gets all the offense on their opponent heading into a PPV. Brown has nailed Christian with two Pounces this month on Impact, so the Wrestling Rulebook says that he has no chance at Turning Point.

I think poor Monty was right in saying that he was getting leap frogged by the debuting Christian. All signs pointed to him beating Jarrett by the end of the year for the World Title, but that was before the debut of Captain Charisma. Being Monty’s biggest fan on the internet, I’m looking forward to this one and think people will be pleasantly surprised. Monty will Pounce Christian, but knock him out of the ring. The delay will give Christian enough time to recover, kick out, and eventually hit the Unprettier to win.

4 LIVE KRU vs. TEAM CANADA

The Kru had been on the losing side of things in their many matches with Team Canada, mainly due to the numbers game. Kip James saw this and offered his services as a special referee for their match last month at Genesis. BG and Truth liked the idea, but Konnan was still opposed to associating with Kip at all. The match was signed though, and Kip did his part. The Kru got the win over the Canadians and K-Dawg finally accepted Kip.

BG made a big deal about an announcement on Impact which resulted in him asking Truth and Konnan to accept Kip as part of the family. Truth was okay with it, but it took a heated exchange for Konnan to see the light. They even brought BG’s dad, Bullet Bob Armstrong, out on Impact the following week to endorse the group. This is their debut as a true unit. We’ll see what’s next on “As the Kru Turns” this Sunday.

The OOutlOOk
Team Canada wins: 4 votes --|-- 4LK wins: 1 vote

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... 4LK d. Team Canada.
I haven’t turned on the idea of the 4LK yet so as long as they make this one of those nice fast paced, everybody gets in and do their thing match instead of a standard formulaic one, then this one could be pretty fun. I doubt anyone turns heel at the PPV, so I give the win to 4LK to further their unity before someone inevitably does turns.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Team Canada d. 4LK.
Was I the only one who was happy to see Kip James main event iMPACT? Yeah? Ingrates. While 4Live Kru is interesting, all anyone is waiting for is the James’ to break off and outlaw themselves again. Is it just me, or have the Kru and Team Canada fought at almost every PPV? While I the only person here I truly hate is Konnan, this is the blah match for me; hockey sticks last month was a letdown. Let’s see if they can make this watchable.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Team Canada d. 4LK.
I wanna say this, and I mean it with all sincerity. Given the opportunity, Bobby Roode, in the next 3-4 years, will become the next Triple H. And I'm not talking about politics and boss's-daughter-fucking and stuff like that. I just think the guy has that "it" thing that Triple H has in the ring and on the mic. It needs to be nurtured and refined, but it's there. Anyway, hopefully Konnan will finally turn on the rest of the Kru and change the dynamic of that group. Finally. Please. Do it. His turn (fingers crossed) will lead to Team Canada winning.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Team Canada d. 4LK.
It’s the same thing every month, although maybe now we’re waiting for something that won’t come. We were waiting for SOMETHING to happen with the whole 3LK/Kip James thing for so long and now we have 4LK. And maybe we’re being stupid expecting something to now happen with 4LK considering they haven’t hinted at it in the slightest. But hell, I’m sticking with the same thing we’ve been saying or what feels like a year. The introduction of Bob Armstrong into this is one of 2 things. Either a legitimate effort to put 4LK across as some kind of devastating force or a catalyst for him to lead his two “sons” to a heel turn on their trusting minority “brothers.” The James’ turn on Konnan and Killings and insist that they’re a real family (with Bullet Bob). And give Roode a pin to help try and push him up a little on the card (even if it looks like he’s going to miss out on a full program with Christian). Yay story development!

So of course: now 4LK will stay together, win the match, and we’ll this whole damn thing again next month.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Team Canada d. 4LK.
Something has to happen to break up this little happy family. It’s the 3 Live Kru, not 4. I’m still putting my money on a Konnan heel turn. He has seemed less than genuine in endorsing Kip as part of the group and a turn would make sense for him. Although it’s taken way too long to get to this point, I like the fact that BG and Kip aren’t going heel in this scenario. They would just get cheered anyway by the New Age Outlaws fans, Konnan might be able to really draw some heel heat by turning on them.

MATT BENTLEY/AUSTIN ARIES vs.
ALEX SHELLEY/RODERICK STRONG

On shows without a barbed wire match, this would make a fine opening match. I imagine it will probably go second, after the delay for the barbed wire to be taken down. I know I personally do not want barbed wire anywhere near the lovely Traci, that’s for sure.

These guys have all been crossing paths in the midcard of the X Division in various tag and multiple person matches. Aries, Shelley, and Strong has a history due to their work in Ring of Honor, where Bentley also spent a limited amount of time. There really isn’t much of a story here. Shelley and Strong have teamed up a little in TNA in the past, but they have no expressed issues with Bentley and Aries, unless I’ve missed something. This is the obligatory OMG WORKRATE!1! match.

The OOutlOOk
Shelley/Strong win: 3 votes
Bentley/Aries wins: 2 votes

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Bentley/Aries d. Shelley/Strong.
Yeah, I know, random guys thrown together for a pay-per-view match. Most of you don’t care, but I don’t mind and actually like the idea of people being on the PPV just because they can go. I’d rather have four guys minus a storyline, then a really hot storyline that leads to Snitsky vs. Masters in a sleeper hold match. I’m going to assume Bentley and Aries are the faces here so unless they’re reuniting Generation Next, I’m giving the faces the win here for no other reason than Aries could use the momentum as can the suddenly scarce Bentley who I thought was getting pushed a couple of months ago.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Shelley/Strong d. Bentley/Aries.
FLIPS AND FLOPS AND BACKBREAKERS AND VIDEOCAMERAS! On my Christmas list: TNA to figure out what to do with the X-Division undercard. There are too many guys at times and the best ones (Sabin and Williams) are not to be found. What gives? Anyway, it’ll be interesting but not dramatic. Bentley is my favorite of the bunch, but I like Shelley. And his KidCam gimmick is the difference here.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Shelley/Strong d. Bentley/Aries.
This should be fun. Alex Shelley (my pick to become the next Chris Jericho in the next 3-4 years) is taking it upon himself to make sure people understand that he's got talent and personality. Good for him. The match will be your typical spot fest, but it'll be fun. I see Shelley and Strong being sneaky and picking up the win in a fast paced, fun ordeal.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Shelley/Strong d. Bentley/Aries.
I’m voting largely on what I want to see happen here. I’m still holding out hope that Strong and Shelley are made a fulltime tag team. And I don’t want Bentley and Aries to be a tag team, I want Aries to get himself a solo run in the X Division. In the end this match probably means nothing more than TNA throwing a bunch of X Division guys together to give us a fun match, but still. Shelly’s doing wonders in limited opportunities and he may be able to even get over Strong who appears to have negative charisma. Give them the win, make them a team. C’mon.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Bentley/Aries d. Shelley/Strong.
They could be flipping a coin backstage on this one for all I know. I’m going with Bentley/Aries to win because I think Shelley’s reaction to a loss would be worth it. Shelley’s becoming one of my favorites with his EuroTrash persona.

Also, if this match was booked to give a reason for Traci to be on the PPV, I would like to publicly thank TNA.

CHRIS SABIN/SONJAY DUTT/DALE TORBORG vs. THE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH

This one was announced on Impact. The Diamonds interrupted TNA’s ceremony to honor the World Series champion White Sox and the obligatory brawl ensued. White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski will be managing Dutt, Sabin, and Torborg and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan will be on commentary with Tenay and West during the match.

The OOutlOOk
Sabin/Dutt/Torborg win: 2 votes
Diamonds win: 1 vote
(Don't Give Enough of a Shit To Bother Picking: 2 votes)

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Diamonds win.
I’m pretty certain I bet against the Diamonds last time and they won. Just like I figured Dutt’s team would win the X-Elimination and they lost. So I’m going to say Diamonds take it after AJ throws a punch or two to rile up the crowd which distracts Sabin and he catches a finisher or three.

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... No Pick Made.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... Sabin/Dutt/Torborg win.
I look at this match and I think "poor Chris Sabin." I mean, he's wrestled in X Division Epics and now he's teaming with the Kiss Demon to defend a baseball player's honor. A baseball player that looks like he's about as big as Dutt and Sabin combined. Meh, whatever. The good guys will win.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... No Pick Made.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... Sabin/Dutt/Torborg win.
The faces have to win a match like this. It won’t suck with some of the guys involved. Torborg isn’t your usual celebrity participant either, he was The Demon in WCW prior to becoming a baseball strength and conditioning coach. Okay, being The Demon doesn’t raise your wrestling ability all that much, but it’s something okay? Hopefully it will be a short, fun throwaway match.

EXTRAS/CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

The OOutlOOk
Batista wins: 7 votes --|-- John Cena wins: 2 vote

Wendell "blackdragon" Mitchell says... Go White Sox?
"The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy, Lance Hoyt, & The Naturals vs. Buck Quartermain, Lex Lovett, Jon Bolen & Joe Doering is our announced pre-show match. What do the Naturals have to do to get on the actual Pay-per-view? It hasn’t been that long since they lost the titles. Shouldn’t they be fighting Skipper/Young in some type of contender’s match? Oh well, at least they’re going to win. I mean, hell, me, madiq, Lucky, and JL would be booked to go over a team that had Quartermain and Lovett on it. Raven is going to be put into some type of hardcore match and they dust off Sandman, New Jack, or hell, Road Kill. Chicken Plucking is awesome!!! Anyway, that’s all I got. Maybe Gail shows up and beats up Jackie. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Outside of Chris Daniels showing up after Joe wins the title, I can’t think of anything else. Go White Sox?

Cory "borntorun" Harris says... Happy Anniversary To Me!
I can’t remember, but I think this PPV marks my calendar year of watching TNA. I started at either the January or February PPV. It’s been a fun ride, and this just might be my favorite card on paper yet. Joe/Styles tops the list. Barbed Wire Massacre and Tables matches = fun. Christian Cage wrestling? I can’t wait. Don’t forget KIP JAMES, BIT…who am I kidding; that’s the worst catchphrase ever. It’s so bad and makes me cry. If the January PPV shapes up the way I hope, then we’ll see Jarrett/Cage, Rhino/Brown, and Styles/Joe II. It’ll be sandwiched between New Year’s Revolution and the Rumble, but I’m already more excited for this one.

Brad "angstboy" Smoley says... There's a reason why it's on the pre-show.
Preshow, it's "The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy, Lance Hoyt, & The Naturals vs. Buck Quartermain, Lex Lovett, Jon Bolen & Joe Doering.

Bwahahahaha. Bahahahahahahaha! Hey, losers! Nice card placement. Hardy and Hoyt and the Nats get sent down to the minors to fight more losers! Bwahahahaha! Seriously though, the only reason to watch this match can be summed up in three words... Buck Fucking Quartermain. Damn right. Okay, whatever, I couldn't care less about whatever this is gonna be so I'll say the people who people might actually know are gonna win.

Hardy, Hoyt, Nats win.

Major Earth Shaking TNA Thing (or things): Raven is sure to have a match against some former ECW guy. Oh, heck, I'll pick Sandman, why not. Also, something is gonna change TNA forever. What on earth could it be!?!?! Um, I'll be retarded and say Brock Lesnar shows up. Why not.

Chris "Lucky" Lopez says... Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral? Bigger than a breadbox? C'mon, we can figure this out...
I’d presume we’ll get another installment of the Raven/Larry Z feud. Raven will get dragged out again, Larry Z will tell him to sign a release, Raven will say something amusing and/or creepy, and Larry will unveil his opponent. Raven will then defeat some surprise former star or beat some sort of insurmountable odds. Maybe its time for a reveal of the girlfriend? But if it is you’ve got me as to who it is. Give me a cool enough opponent and I’ll forgive treading water.

And TNA is kind of quietly hyping this “major surprise” that will “change TNA.” I haven’t seen word one on what it is and I can’t think of anything. Its not Jericho. I doubt its Brock. The nature of the wording seems to suggest to me that its more a thing than it is a person. I can’t imagine that they got a new timeslot or a 2nd hour without people finding out about it. Maybe they’re going to announce the start of touring? That would be my hope. No idea.

Jason "JLRuckus" Longshore says... I wonder what the best-kept secret in TNA is?
TNAWrestling.com is promising a “Major Event that Will Change TNA Wrestling FOREVER!” I haven’t seen or heard of any spoilers about what this could be, so color me confused. I guess it could be the announcement of the New Year’s Eve special, but that’s not that major and I don’t see how it would change TNA Wrestling FOREVER! Of course, as I’m writing this I see a rumor that Sting will be returning to TNA. He does have a DVD out that he’d like to promote and he was fine in his last TNA appearances, it would be pretty major, but I wonder what he’d be doing there. The World Title scene is already rather crowded as it is.

Raven will be involved in some way at the show. I’m not sure if it’s a real match or not, Zybysko did promise that he wouldn’t like what he has planned for him at Turning Point. The only name I’ve seen is Chris Kanyon, which would be pretty interesting.

Jeff Hardy is relegated to the pre-show and I’m rejoicing. I’ll be missing the pre-show this month due to work so I’m rejoicing extra.

The card is really good, Tenay and West were hyping it as TNA’s best ever on Impact, and it’s hard to disagree.

I’ll be back with the recap on Monday. Enjoy the show!

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

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