Total Nonstop Analysis
TNA Lockdown 2/6/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty
When Total Nonstop Action Wrestling began airing their pay-per-view events free-of-charge on cable television, many industry insiders predicted the beginning of the end for the barely thirteen-year-old company. And while TNA has undoubtedly had its struggles since the beginning of 2014, the personalities on Impact are well along the road to recovery and dare I say there is light at the end of the tunnel? These "free-per-views" have been highly enjoyable, but none so much as this evening's Lockdown, filmed just a few weeks ago at the Manhattan Center in New York City. Lockdown is generally the best-selling PPV of the year, and this year's broadcast on Destination America gave a wider audience than ever a chance to see why. From the opening tag team battle to the main event, TNA appears to be working within their wheelhouse again. Let's kick things off with the TNA Tag Team Championship.
TNA Tag Team Championship
Matt & Jeff Hardy vs. James Storm & Abyss (c)
I've been highly critical of both Matt and Jeff Hardy in recent years; Jeff has embarrassed himself on several occasions inside the ring and Matt has always been the
other
Hardy, for lack of a better word. But this match and their series of in-ring encounters as of late have been nothing short of the Hardy Boyz I knew during the Attitude Era. This match saw the brothers from Cameron, North Carolina challenging Abyss and the leader of the Revolution, James Storm for the TNA world tag team titles. The match is off and running and the Hardy brothers make quick work in proving why it is they defined an era in high risk competition. Before long, fellow Revolution member Manik enters the fray in an effort to aid his fledgling leader James Storm, who's having more than his share of trouble in fending off the tenacious Hardy Boyz. The Hardy's outsmart the Revolution by handcuffing Manik to the cage before he can become too much of a burden and continue to run rough shod over James Storm and Abyss. Jeff pulls off an impressive Whisper in the Wind, followed by a Twist of Fate by Matt on both the Cowboy
and
the Monster. The Hardys go for a double cover, to which the referee responds with a two-handed double-count, but both members of the Revolution kick out just in time. The action intensifies, and it's around this time that I begin to notice the gaping holes around the cage. I imagine they're for camera operators to get a clear shot of the ring, but then Khoya of the Revolution pulled Matt Hardy through it and to the outside. I guess
that's
why those holes are there. Matt was on the outside but didn't win as the rules specifically stated the winner must go through the door or over the top. Jeff was now alone inside the ring and climbed to the top of the cage; by the time Jeff reached the top, the Great Sanada was on hand to blind Hardy with a powerful blue mist. Hardy fell back into the cage and back into the lion's den where Storm was waiting with the Last Call Superkick. 1-2-3 and the Revolution retains the TNA tag team titles.
The Revolution got to work assembling a table on the outside of the ring, which stood only a moment before Matt Hardy was power bombed through the wood at the hands of the monstrous Khoya. Another table was draw from under the ring, but by now Jeff was on his feet inside the ring fighting back against the relentless Revolution. The Charismatic Enigma climbed to the top of the cage but was knocked off and crotched on top of the steel door. The Cowboy James Storm ascended the Cage himself and struck Jeff right in the skull with the cowbell he carried into the contest, knocking Jeff off the door, sending him several feet to the ground—landing hard on the steel steps below. The paramedics retrieved Jeff's �broken' body as the fans inside the Manhattan Center cheered him on, chanting: "TNA! TNA! TNA!"
For some strange reason the Beat Down Clan—or rather, TNA management decided that now was a good time for an in-ring promo by MVP and his goons. The segment worked for the better however, as the BDC used their presence in the ring as bait to lure Team Angle out from hiding. Once they had Angle's team mates within their sights, the BDC set to work dismantling their opponents, paying special attention to Gunner. When the dust had cleared, questions arose as to whether Gunner would be cleared to compete in Lethal Lockdown. With hope all but lost, Kurt Angle went to go find Bobby Lashley.
Havok vs. Awesome Kong
For fans of ladies wrestling this match was a dream contest in TNA, and was contested inside the six sides of steel! That's unprecedented! The match began with quite a bit of brawling on the outside—in fact several minutes went by before either behemoth even entered the cage. Kong controlled Havok for the first few moments, walking with swag between strikes and slams. Havok is no pushover, as Taz made mention this contest was talked about before Kong even returned to TNA when Havok first made her presence felt back on Spike TV. Finally the two enter the ring and continue their brawl where both individuals display their respective strengths. Amidst a "Better than Diva's" chant, Josh Matthews broke the fourth wall of wrestling and made mention that Awesome Kong was once a WWE Superstar known as Karma. This goes along with TNA's newfound sense of where they exist in the wrestling food-chain, no longer seeking to compete and rather speaking positively about the entertainment superpower. Kong and Havok exchange chops inside the ring, and each "goozle" one another, hoping for a choke slam to end the bout. But it is the returning Kong that gets the better of Jessicka Havok with a powerful choke slam followed by a powerbomb off the top rope. To add insult to injury, the �Amazing' Amazon finished off the defeated Havok with a big splash from the top, earning the pin fall and reigning supreme in the "Land of the Knockouts."
We see a video recording from two weeks ago featuring Velvet Sky after just receiving her pink slip courtesy of "Feast or Fired." She hugs Angelina Love and explains the situation, apologizing for ruining the Beautiful People, and telling her how awful she feels. Love offers sympathy to her best friend, but smiles when her back is turned as that is one fewer female to stir things up in the Knockout locker room. This was a well-conceived segment, but if it was recorded two weeks ago, why save it for Lockdown—a show that needs to be less about the sizzle, and more about the STEAK ! An ill-timed three minutes in my opinion.
Kurt Angle is looking for the TNA world heavyweight champion Bobby Lashley. Kurt is now desperate as he is still without a fourth member of Team Angle in what is now the eleventh hour. A camera man tells Bobby that Kurt's looking for him; Lashley smiles and says, "I'm not that hard to find."
Eric Young vs. Bobby Roode
The most personal encounter on the card pits "Showtime" Eric Young against the man he cost the TNA world heavyweight title, Bobby Roode. Roode basically demolishes EY for the better part of the match with Eric coming back for a few heel spots before finally succumbing to the punishment. Of the half-dozen matches at Lockdown, this made the best use of the cage itself as Bobby Roode was in no way shy about tossing Young into it without remorse. Finally EY gets the upper hand and uses the cage to his advantage, trapping Roode between the ropes and the steel, and delivering a heinous cross body momentarily crippling the "It Factor" in the process. With the odds turning to either side at the drop of a hat, the leader of the BDC entered the equation and once again used the large holes in the cage—this time to hand EY a steel chair. EY controlled the pace of the match until Roode powered out and called an audible by sling-shotting Young head-first into the cage. As he struggled to his feet, the audience could see the blood flowing from EY's skull. Bobby Roode attempted to end it with a Roode Bomb off the top but to no avail; EY pushed Roode off the top rope and capitalized with a flying elbow drop. By this point Eric Young's face was covered in blood, and referee Earl Hebner wasn't reaching for a latex glove but continuing to call the action. Eric dropped the steel chair on Roode's broken body and climbed the ropes to finish him once and for all. Regardless of whether it was a clever game of possum or the wherewithal to succeed, Bobby Roode rose to his feet and tossed the chair at Young, dazing him for a moment. Once again he used the chair to his advantage, striking his fellow former Team Canada member. Finally, Bobby Roode lifted Eric Young into the air and dropped him on his neck performing a picture-perfect Roode Bomb, earning Bobby Roode a hard-fought victory.
Backstage Bobby Lashley and Kurt Angle have come face to face, but Bobby wants no part of what Kurt has to pitch. "You need us and we need you," Kurt yelled in the champions face, getting physical in the process. "Wake your ass up! Come on Bobby!"
Mark Andrews & Rockstar Spud vs. Tyrus
Mark Andrews AKA "Mandrews" and Rockstar Spud are set to take on Ethan Carter's personal bodyguard Tyrus in a 2-on-1 handicap match, which seems easy enough—except for the imposing nature of Tyrus. The former bodyguard of Snoop Dogg is escorted to the ring by Ethan Carter, debonair as always as he carries the same set of electric clippers that claimed the cowlick of Jeremy Borash just one month ago. Tyrus has the upper hand, dominating the much smaller athletes with a series of clothes lines and body slams, as well as big splashes both on the mat and in the corner turnbuckle. Josh Matthews keeps calling the duo of Spud and Mandrews "Spandrews," which Taz takes issue with by the second time he says it. Spud's ingenuity would save him time and again during the match, but never more so than when he would fight out of a powerbomb and use the opportunity to scale the cage. Now at the top of the six sides of steel, the young cruiserweight from the United Kingdom stared around the arena at the TNA fans in New York City. I couldn't help but recall JR's famous line as Jeff Hardy climbed the ladder in his match with the Undertaker: "Go ahead kid! Make yourself famous!" Spud saw his chance to make history and descended the steel in a fiery blaze, somersaulting into a leg drop over Tyrus' back. The crowd went wild, but before Spud could capitalize, EC3 pulled Mandrews from the match and held him ransom at ringside. Spud went after EC3 in an attempt to save his friend, but his compassion would cost him when Tyrus came out of nowhere with the Asiatic Spike for the win. When the bell sounded, Borash climbed into the ring and let everyone know that it was "scalping time!" He plugged the electric sheers into the broadcast desk and proceeded to go after Spud and Mandrews. However before EC3 could have his fun, Jeremy Borash unplugged the clippers—foiling Ethan Carter's master plan!
Bobby Roode is on hand to give a post-match interview regarding his encounter with Eric Young earlier in the evening. Roode says that it's time to move past his predicament with EY, and it's time to focus on once again becoming the TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
Lethal Lockdown
Team Angle vs. The Beat Down Clan
Lethal Lockdown is an interesting concept not unlike War Games in the NWA/WCW. Two men enter and a coin toss determines the order in which each team sends additional support, thus giving the early advantage to one team. Nobody may win until all eight participants have entered the match, and that is when Lethal Lockdown begins. The first entry is Kenny King, which means the Beat Down Clan will get the early advantage of 2-on-1, 3-on-2, and so forth. His opponent is a wildcard entry in Gunner, who suffered an injury to his arm earlier on the show at the hands of the BDC. I predicted we'd see Gunner lead Team Angle as it makes sense to stack the deck against the babyfaces, and what better way to do that than to feature a handicapped performed in a handicapped situation? Gunner quickly attempts to even the odds and make up for his disadvantage by making early use of the weapons hanging around the cage. By two minutes however, he is at a severe detriment when Low Ki enters at number two for the BDC. Low Ki and King team up on Gunner who has trouble fending off his formidable opponents. I noticed that Kenny King has tights with the New York Skyline and a crown over the Empire State Building. I hope his moniker the "King of New York" is a Manhattan Center-only gimmick. That leads me to wonder if he'll have different tights for other cities that he works? Does he have a pair for his hometown Las Vegas, or how about the return to the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida? Kenny King could be a modern day "Ravishing" Rick Rude if he keeps his tights game on point. Back to the action: evening the odds for Team Angle is Austin Aries who makes it a tag team situation, followed by the third member of the BDC, Samoa Joe. Joe is the only member of the Beat Down Clan that comes out to his own music. Each new entrant in the match makes a statement by attacking the opposition and quickly retreating into the background so as to allow the next performer the chance to shine. Kurt Angle is the third and possibly last member of his team, and MVP is the fourth and final member of the BDC.
Lethal Lockdown had officially begun as all of the announced participants are now locked inside the six sides of steel. The battle wages back and forth with both teams having equal opportunity at walking away victorious. But the numbers game soon catches up to Team Angle, and the BDC is able to mount a sizeable offense. Each member of Team Angle lay crippled at the hands of the BDC while MVP walked across the canvas with a smile on his face—until the wailing siren of the Destroyer's anthem began to blare. The music hit and the fans inside the Manhattan Center knew that the TNA world heavyweight champion was in the building. But to quote Bobby the "Brain" Heenan at Bash at the Beach 1996: "Yeah, but whose side is he on?" The Destroyer walked to the ring and entered the cage as if a regularly scheduled entrant. He smiled at the BDC, and at his former friend Montel Vontavious Porter. The champion held his hand out to MVP, and they shook. But Bobby didn't let go. He tightened his grip on MVP's hand and the match itself. Soon Team Angle was back in control. Austin Aries, Kurt Angle, and Gunner held Kenny King, Samoa Joe, and Low Ki down in their respective submissions as Lashley turned MVP upside-down and inside-out with his championship Spear. The Destroyer came and concurred on behalf of Team Angle.
Don't take my word for it as my command of the English language is no match for the TNA wrestlers and Knockouts and their ability to shine inside the six sides of steel. I was particularly fond of the grudge match between Bobby Roode and his one-time best friend Eric Young, but if I had to pick a match of the night it'd be tough to choose anything other than Lethal Lockdown. An incredible night with twists and turns; a preview of what's to come in the new TNA maybe? Apparently there was something between Brooke and her former beau Robbie E, but I didn't get that on my DVR—even after rewinding and watching again. So maybe it was cut for time in some markets, if not all of them. Next week TNA promises to answer several questions plaguing the TNA fan community, including: "Where does Lashley stand?" Until next time ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been "Total Nonstop Analysis."
