We open with a really nice video package highlighting the main feuds on the show heading into lockdown. I've got to give TNA major praise here this is the first PPV in along time that they have hyped not just properly but excellently. I'm actually excited to see Lockdown, even if the match quality looks shitty.
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AJ Styles music hits and walks to the ring mic in hand dressed in street clothes. AJ says he lost to Scott Stiener two weeks ago because of a miscue by Jeff Jarrett. AJ says he can deal with that as a misunderstanding but he's hearing these rumours backstage and he can't get them out of his head, AJ says he isn't accusing Jeff of anything but he just wants to know their on the same page.
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Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring, he's in street clothes with a mic but suprise suprise he gets full pyro and entrance. AJ says he knows Jeff is under alot of pressure, AJ says any decision made by Jeff could make or break this company. AJ says he doesn't envy Jeff's position but he just wants Jeff to look him in the eyes and tell him that when the Cage lowers AJ will be on his side.
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Jeff says he's insulted, Jeff says he'd never have made AJ captain if he hadn't trusted AJ, Jeff says he wouldn't turn on AJ. AJ said he didn't say anything about turning on anyone, Jeff said you implied it, he then goes on a rant about the younger generation, he says AJ has alot balls calling him out like this. AJ tries to apologise but Jeff is having none of it.
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Jeff says if you really want to question my leadership your gonna find out what kind of captain Jeff Jarrett is when the fourth member of the team is announced, and by the way AJ he's a former TNA champion. Jeff looks set to leave the ring when the Main Event Mafia music hits.
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Kurt Angle walks onto the stage flanked by security and with the rest of the Mafia in tow. Kurt says he realizes that Jeff is going through alot lately and he can sympathize. Angle says that Kevin Nash cannot wrestle tonight because of his elbow, Kurt Angle says he's coming to the ring to respectfully ask for the oppurtunity replace Kevin in tonights main event.
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AJ jumps in saying its bullcrap, if Nash can't wrestle they forfiet and team Jarrett should get the man advantage. Kurt says sorry AJ I didn't know you where in charge this week. Jeff says woah woah woah AJ isn't in charge Jeff Jarrett is in charge. Jeff says that he promised these people a match tonight, he thanks Kurt for letting him know about Nash's injury and says that its cool that Kurt replace Nash. Let's get this show on the road. Really good opening segment, really good, planted all the right seeds in your head with all the characters playing their roles well, the question is whether Jeff will turn and who the mystery partner is.
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They then go to a really nice video package on Suicide before going to a truely horrible promo by Shiek Abdul Bashir, God they've got to stop this crap its just offensive rubbish.
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Chris Sabin (w/Alex Shelley) vs. Homicide (w/Hernandez) vs. Naito (w/No Limit)
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Sabin and Naito jump Homicide to start and unload. Homicide hits a boot and a back elbow to slow them down but Sabin counters a tornado DDT by shoving Homicide to the floor. Naito puts Homicide in and camel clutch and Sabin hits a basement dropkick. Sabin then holds Homicide for Naito but when he springs off the ropes Sabin explodes with a lariat and plays to the crowd. Nice opening.
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Sanin gets a running knee strike but replies by Naito hitting a flying closeline on Sabin. Homicide then hits a shoulder tackle on Naito and then a T-bone suplex on Naito. Sabin stops Homicide hits a plancha and Irish whips him but Homicide back flips over Sabin over the top rope hitting a tope onto Naito and rolling into the audience where he goes face first into a wall at ringside, that was awesome!
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Naito runs up the top rope and hits a cannon ball style dive at Sabin and then follows up with a German suplex for a near fall. Naito plays to the crowd and then knocks Homicide off the apron but that distraction allows Sabin to score with a bulldog before he dropkicks Homicide off the apron. Sabin then hits Naito with a knee strike in the corner. Naito blocks the Craddle shock and then Homicide comes flying off top with a double torpedo dropkick.
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Homicide cleans house before monkey flipping Sabin into a dropkick from Naito, nice spot. Homicide then hits a nice neck breaker on Naito. Homicide then scores with a diving Tiger bomb on Sabin for a near fall, Homicide floats over and goes for the Gringo Killer but Sabin breaks it up and counters the 187, Naito breaks up a Craddle shock but Sabin hits the tornado ddT on Naito by running up the chest of Homicide for a near fall.
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Sabin hits a brutal Yakuza kick on Naito in the corner and heads to the top rope but Homicide recovers and shoves Sabin off the top rope sending him crashing and burning into the guard rail. Homicide then runs up the top rope and scores with the second rope 187 for the win.
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That was a really hot opening match, fast paced, quite inconsiquential but always exciting with some really nice spots thrown in. It's nice to see the athletic guys actually having feuds to buld towards. (**)
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Right after the match we see a taxi cab pulling up and out steps Spike Dudley and Balls Mahoney, hmmn...interested so see where they go with this.
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We then get a biography segement with Alex Shelley that's pretty funny we find out he wants to be a Robot, and when he was growing up he wanted to be a Fire Truck, as well as finding out some of his other interests, its a pretty fun little segment.
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Abyss is in Cornette's office complaining about Doctor Stevie, then ODB comes into the office with more horrible comedy, the less said about this the better, basically this ends up with a mixed tag team match being booked for tonight. Well TNA still has to be TNA i guess.
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We then go to a sit down segment with Mike Tenay and Jeff Jarrett. Jeff says Mick is a twenty plus year friend, Jeff says Mick went to heights that no wrestler has seen before. Tenay asks about recruiting Sting away from Main Event Mafia but Foley ruining it with the chair shot. Jeff Jarrett says at the moment they were just interested in winning, but they may have one at two much of a cost. Jeff says he's not sure which Mick Foley is going to turn up these days. Mike Tenay then asks about Scott Stiener, Jeff says they go back along way and that Scott was Jill's favorite and his kids love him, but Jeff says business has got in the way. Jeff says he's done alot of soul searching, Jeff says he's got three beautiful girls and first and foremost he's gotta take care of Jeff Jarrett. Yet again another intriguing segment, although sit down interviews always bomb in the ratings.
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Borash is with Kurt Angle and the main event mafia, he asks Kurt if he knows who his oppenent is. Kurt says he's doesn't know and he doesn't care, Kurt says he's Kurt Angle and he is money and he garentees victory tonight.
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We then go to another really good video package on the Beautiful people and the Knockout division.
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Taylor Widle, Riesha Saeed & Awesome Kong vs. The Beautiful People
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A six way brawl starts up on the ramp, the crowd start chanting "We want Kim", the ring gets cleared leaving Love and Kong in the ring. Love dodges a blind charge and then hits a bicycle kick before playing to the crowd, on the outside Saeed hits a body slam on Sky. In the ring Kong immediately hits an implant buster for the win.
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Well not much of a match just a prelude to the angle afterwards. (n/a)
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Post Match: Kong gets the scissors but the Beautiful people run in and a beatdown begins. Velvet Sky wraps the title belt around the top rope and they then in an awesome spot flap jack Saeed and Wilde face first into the ring belt. Kong starts kicking arse but Love sprays hair spray in her eyes and then waffles her with the title belt. They then cut awesome Kong's hair off. Another good segment
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We then go backstage and Kong is going mental destroying the lockeroom, its actually really funny.
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We then go to a rough cut with Team 3D, Ray talks about how important Tag Team wrestling is in Japan and they say they are only the second set of American's to win the IWPG Tag Titles in ten years. They then says the fans in Phillidelphia will want Beer Moneys blood, and they say there is actually pressure on Team 3D to deliver their blood.
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Ray then cuts a promo backstage hyping the importance of the match and that Tag Team wrestling is still alive and well. Balls and Spike come through to wish Team 3D well, its actually quite a nice segment. Balls talks about Team 3D going back to where they revultionized the business and all the old ECW guys are behind them. They then joke about Paul Heyman and say they can't hang around as they have a indy show to do. Yeah this was another fun unique segment but I really like the build to this feud. It's been really well done the best build up to a TNA match since Gail Kim-Awesome Kong a couple of years back.
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Abyss & Daffney vs. ODB & Cody Dieter
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Daffney makes fun of ODB to start before ODB hits her with the boob takcle. Daffney responds with a big chop to the boobs, ODB returns in kind. ODB hits a big body slam before playing to the crowd but she misses an elbow drop. Daffney unloads before scoring with a back kick, Daffney misses a blind charge and ODB plays to the crowd. Abyss tags in and ODB backs off and looks pretty scared, the crowd chant "Cody". ODB's facial expression are really good. The crowd are actually coming to life and Cody holds his hands Dutchess of Queensbury rules style. Cody throws a big right but Abyss no sells it, the crowd chant "Try again", Cody does but Abyss no sells and they chant "one more time". Cody puts his hat on backwards and Abyss bitch slaps him to hell and the crowd chant "You Got Bitch Slapped" before Abyss hits a Big Black Hole slam for the win.
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Well that was fine for a comedy match ODB and Deiter played their roles well. (1/2*)
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Matt Morgan runs out after the match and attacks Abyss before scoring with the Carbon foot print.
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Borash is now backstage with Scott Stiener, Borash about these deep personal conversations they've been having. Scott says it personal and it will remain personal, but Scott thinks Jeff will show us where he stands before the end of the night.
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Mick Foley comes to the ring and there are two directors chairs in the ring. Mick is here to interview Cactus Jack, the crowd chant "Foley" loud, Mick says things got a little crazy last week when he got busted wide open. Mick says he's gonna kick back and interview one of the greatest of all time Cactus Jack.
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Mick then introduces Cactus Jack, Mick starts talking in the Cactus voice saying Mick has no guts and no spine, Mick says hang on I lost an ear in Germany, Cactus screams no, that was me I was the crazy one you'd rather tuck into a banana split. Cactus then asks him where he was on a certain day, apparently Mick was a comic convention signing copies of his book, apparently Mick let two theifs run away without stopping them. Cactus is so tired of Mick cashing cheques that this body wrote. Cactus says Mick is done with wrestling in the ring from now on its all Cactus Jack, Jack won't let Mick have his moment of glory. Mick tries to speak and Cactus starts punching Mick in the head.
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Thankfully Sting's music hits as the blood begins to pour from Mick's head. Sting says he's turning their friendship into a creepy three ring circus. Sting says the scariest thing is Sting is sure that Mick believes what happened is really. Sting says it doesn't matter to him, tables, chairs, baseball bats what ever. Mick Foley says that's the Sting he wants to see, the Sting who wasn't affraid, Foley says the first time that Sting heard a Cactus Jack chant in Philli, you might not have been scared but you were concerned. Mick says what are you gonna do when 8, 000 people are chanting Cactus Jack while there locked in a steel cage.
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The Main Event Mafia music hits but Foley attacks him in the back and then drops a chair on the back of Sting's head, Mick beats the crap out of Sting and says he's can play any music he wants, he says give me some Curry Man, Shark Boy and finally give me some Sting. As Sting's music and lighting effects play Foley gets the baseball bat and beats the crap out of Sting and stands over him saying Sting don't you forget "I run this place, I can do anything I want, and at Lockdown I want to tear you apart".
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Well that started off pretty shakey and self indulgent but once Sting came out it turned into a real money angle with Foley cutting his best promo since his work with Edge before Summerslam last year. Really great stuff, they are hyping Lockdown brilliantly, I really hope they use all the tricks in the book to somehow make this match live up to the hype.
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Tenay says he's being told that there is some comotion going on back stage and we see footage of Beer Money kicking the living hell out of Balls and Spike. The crowd chant "Balls" as they fight to ringside. Balls is busted wide open and he goes for his flurry and the crowd sing along but Roode comes in and kills Balls with a chair shot. Spike is thrown into the steel steps and before Storm hangs him upside down by the ringpost and then he just kills Spike with a chair shot. Spike is busted open. Storm gives Spike an Orton DDT on a steel chair before winding up and killing Spike with a chair shot. Roode then fetches a table. Roode and Storm then give Spike a super bomb through a table, and they beat down Runt and Balls with more chair shots. Team 3D storm the ring and Beer Money bail.
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After the break Ray cuts a promo saying that they want Beer Money to come back down here so they can talk face to face. EMTs are checking Balls and Spike. Ray wants to know why they did this, Roode says they did it because they can, and they hate them like they hate you. Ray says its now a Philidelphia street fight? In a cage? Well its another really great segment, the mutual respect angle was good but my making it a blood fued setting it fights Lockdown and Phillidelphia mucher better, I'm really looking forward to this match.
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AJ Styles is backstage with Lauren, Styles says he doesn't know who it its, he's more worried about Jeff sometimes it seems like he with us other times it seems like Jeff is against us. AJ says Jeff built TNA on integrity, tonight he hopes he shows some of that integrity he knows he has.
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Kurt Angle's music hits and he comes to the ring for the main event. Jeff Jarrett's music hits and he comes to the ring to his full entrance for a second time, really? Not even Hunter does his water bottle bit twice. We see AJ looking on backstage. Jeff says he's been giving it alot of thought as to who he'd name as the final member. Jeff says he realizes this match isn't just about him its about the whole team and the TNA fans. As the founder of TNA he gets to make alot of easy and tough decisions but this was an easy one...Christopher Daniels. Backstage we see AJ going mental, Tenay says Daniels is AJ's best friend.
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Christopher Daniels vs. Kurt Angle
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Once upon a time this was talked about as a dream match. My god his new ring attire is horrible the shorts were much cooler. They lock up and Kurt gets a front facelock but Daniels reverses to a hammerlock and we get a clean break in the ropes. Kurt hits a big shoulder tackle before getting a side headlock takedown but Daniels escapes and scores with a shoulder tackle, a second sends Angle crashing through the ropes. Daniels then scores with a split legged moonsault.
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Back in the ring Daniels charges but he runs straight into an over head belly to belly suplex that sends Daniels flying over the top rope. We come back from an add break and Kurt Angle scores with a snap suplex for a two count. Kurt slaps on a chinlock but Daniels fights out but runs straight nto another overhead belly to belly suplex before playing to the crowd. Big "Fallen Angel" chant, Daniels dodges two closelines before running straight into collsion spot.
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Daniels is up to his feet first and he scores with three closelines and an STO before unloading from a mount. Daniels removes his crappy shirt and scores with a nice Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Daniels misses the palm strike but Angle runs straight into a closeline for a near fall. Kurt replies with a DDT out of nowhere for a near fall. The crowd are really coming to life now as Kurt goes for the Angle Slam but Daniels counters with an arm drag and then a running enzenguri, both men are down.
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Daniels hits a hooked leg Northern light suplex for a near fall, Daniels goes for the BME but misses, Daniels lands on his feet but Kurt hits the multiple German suplexes the third flipping Daniels. Kurt gets a near fall and is really pissed off. Kurt hits a european uppercut, he tries another but Daniels counters to a back slide for a near fall, Kurt counters a closeline into and Angle Slam but it only gets a near fall! Kurt says its over he takes the straps down and locks on the Ankle lock, but Daniels flips Angle off and gets a really nice roll up for the 1-2-3.
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AJ Styles runs out and celebrates they do their special handshake. Kurt has ago at the referee, Cornette runs out and says he saw it differently, Kurt says his shoulder was up and calls Rudy a son of a bitch, Cornette sounds like he's gonna restart the match before Kurt screams reverse the decision you stupid son of a bitch and Angle spits on Cornette. Cornette locks shocked and says it leaves me with no option but to say Kurt Angle your a loser. Kurt goes nuts and screams for Jeff Jarrett to come out and reverse the decision.
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Well that was a very good TV main event, I liked the finish as it didn't give too much away incase they ever want to revist this match on PPV. Daniels was his usual self, impressive but very sloppy in places, he showed off some very unique offence and Kurt was very good as always. Enjoyable match. (**3/4)
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We come back from the ad break and Jeff has come to the ring and Tenay says that Jeff has been in the production truck watching the replay. Jeff says he's seen the replay and watched it some serval angles, Jeff says he seen it from several Angles and he tells Keith to roll the footage. Jeff talks about Daniels intiating the offensive mannourve. They show a replay that clearly shows Angle getting his shoulder up and Daniels shoulder being down. Jeff Angle reverses the decision and announces that Kurt Angle is the winner of the match. Kurt goes nuts celebrating the win and hugs Jarrett. AJ and Daniels are in shock when Samoa Joe's music hits, and Joe storms to the ring as the show cuts.
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Overall Thoughts: That was one of the strongest editions of TNA impact I've seen in a long time. The main event was very strong and its good to see Daniels back, he fits the storyline well and seems a natural fit to team with Styles and Joe. The tease of the Jarrett turn has been very well done. The show had good focus it didn't seem like too much was going on. They hyped the main matches on the PPV very well. Foley and Sting sold there match hard, as did Team 3D and Beer Money but alongside that the knockouts finally created a sense of dirrection and intrigue for their match. So it ticked all the boxes, it still had alot of floors but this is the best TNA has been in years. The only question that remains to be answered is can the matches live up to hype. (8.5/10)
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