SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…
TNA Impact Review
February 25, 2005
Taped February 15, 2005 in Orlando, FL at Universal Studios
Aired on Fox Sports Net
Report by James Caldwell, Pro Wrestling Torch Team Contributor
Friday Afternoon Take Away: DDP wants the NWA Title as retribution for Jarrett’s attacks in WCW. Jarrett doesn’t think DDP has a shot in Planet Jarrett to win the Title. DDP likes yoga. Kazarian is still in TNA. (Not really, but this was taped ten days ago…what do you expect?) Monty Brown can’t figure out Trytan. Candido was outdone by a tweener.
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– We opened with a clip from last week when Trytan made his mysteriously strange debut from the Impact tunnel ramp to interrupt the main event match Monty Brown was involved in and pointed in his direction. Maybe he was telling him to pin his opponent instead of staring towards the entrance ramp.
– From ringside, Mike Tenay and Don West welcomed us to the show. Tenay let us know that Diamond Dallas Page will wrestle the New Age Outlaw (Billy “Mr. Hindquarters” Gunn) in the main event.
– We cut to a clip from earlier in the day where Abyss attacked Jeff Hardy in the backstage dining facility. Two guys sitting down eating their lunch barely bothered to look up as Abyss smashed Hardy’s face into a wall. Abyss threw Hardy across the table where the two guys were enjoying their fine meal. Abyss shoved the table into a row of ten tables, knocking over the entire dining facility. Abyss stacked one table on top of another to give Hardy something to think about, but Hardy recovered and smashed your basic dinner table chair across Abyss’ back. Abyss and Hardy brawled some more amongst the tables.
Impact Note: This came across as if the director said “ok, now” and Abyss just walked right into the picture and jumped Hardy. The no-sell by the two guys eating their lunch was hilarious because they pretended like it was just normal for a wrestler to jump another wrestler in the lunch area. TNA shouldn’t have made it so “obviously stunted.”
(1) Team Canada (Bobby Roode & Eric Young & Petey Williams) (w/Coach Scott D’Amore & Johnny Devine) defeated America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) & Dustin Rhodes at 2:21. The match began with Petey Williams and James Storm. Williams missed a clothesline and ran into a double team drop kick from Rhodes & Storm. Rhodes dropped Williams with an atomic drop and mocked his selling of the move before clotheslining him to the mat. Bobby Roode and Chris Harris tagged in for their respective team. Harris connected with a clothesline then a hard-nosed spine buster. Harris made a cover and Team Canada broke up the pin. Havoc (but not of the Halloween variety) broke out with all six men brawling in the ring. The dust settled with Dustin Rhodes in the ring by himself. Coach D’Amore entered the ring and missed with a flag shot. Rhodes back dropped D’Amore to the mat and fought off Williams, who climbed up on the apron. The referee became distracted by D’Amore, allowing Johnny Devine to enter the ring wielding the flag. Devine had the flag stolen by Chris Harris. Harris ran over Williams and Young with the hockey stick, but Bobby Roode smashed Harris from behind with a hard clothesline and pinned him for the cheap win.
Match View: Fast paced action, but certainly not given enough time to develop into a solid wrestling match. I was disappointed that they were only given two and half minutes for this match. A good six to seven minute match could have been really fun and a good storyline developer. Additionally, there wasn’t any storyline progress unless Team Canada is going to be plugged into a program with AMW for the hundredth time.
[Commercial Break]
– Shane Douglas was backstage with Raven. Douglas brought up Raven’s match with Dustin Rhodes at Destination X where they will square off in a “bull rope match.” Raven quipped, “a bull rope match?!” Raven said he wasn’t intimidated by the stipulation because he’s invented more destructive matches like the Hangman’s Horror and House of Fun match. Raven said the bull rope match is like a Girl Scouts meeting. Raven said, “I’m going to give you the beating you should have received as a child because someone didn’t care enough to hurt you.” Raven said “Death by Raven is your only reward” for suffering in the cruel world we live. Raven closed, “By destroying you, Dustin, I will set you free.”
Impact Note 2: Fantastic promo from Raven. He’s crazy, he speaks funny, but he’s great on the mic. Real nice storyline back drop for Raven to “do Rhodes a favor” by beating the crap out of him. They should have come up with a solid storyline like this for their first match at the last PPV.
(2) Chris Sabin defeated Cassidy Reilly at 2:53. The two babyfaces shook hands prior to the match then locked up in the center of the ring. Sabin delivered a high drop kick early on sending Reilly to the outside. Sabin took a full head of steam then flew over the top rope with an amazing somersault splash on Reilly. Back in the ring, Reilly took control of the match with a hard forearm. Reilly scored a back flip splash onto Sabin’s match. Reilly mounted Sabin from behind and put him in the “rocking chair” position. Reilly swung Sabin’s head into the mat then dropped him soundly. Reilly went for a handspring back elbow smash in the corner, but Sabin blocked it with a kick to the back. Sabin delivered an open hand chop to the chest then set up Reilly for a huricanrana. Sabin missed the huricanrana and Reilly jumped into Sabin’s crotch. The fans chanted the obligatory “You f’ed up” chant. Sabin brought the momentum back into the match with a modified Tornado DDT. Sabin went for the Cradle Shock, but Reilly slipped out and scored a sweet Michinoku Driver. Sabin kicked out of a pin attempt and retook the offensive control by scoring a kick tot eh gut. Sabin finished off Reilly with a Cradle Shock then made the pin for the win.
Match View: Good intensity from both wrestlers. Once again, the match was only given about three minutes, which is not enough time to tell a full story. Good recovery by Sabin and Reilly to finish the match strong after blowing the huricanrana spot. Going an extra minute to reach the finish was what should have happened for Petey Williams vs. Prime Time at “Against All Odds.” I guess the X Division wrestlers learned their lesson and were instructed to finish up strong if a blown spot occurs in the middle of a match.
[Commercial Break]
– Monty Brown entered the Impact Zone in his street clothes to join Mike Tenay and Don West ringside for some color commentary. Tenay asked Brown about Trytan’s mysterious debut and subsequent silent challenge to Brown. Brown said, “Welcome to Serengeti TV” then said he would take down Trytan if he steps into his domain. Brown said “the Alpha Male will transform like Voltron” and if Trytan wants to start at the top with Brown and he would give him what he wanted.
(3) Kid Kash (w/Lance Hoyt) defeated Buck Quartermain at 2:28. Kash opened up the match with a hard chop to the chest. Buck responded with a high back body drop and a series of elbows to the back of the head. Buck delivered a knee to the top of the head and made a cover for a two count. Kash missed a clothesline against the ropes and flew out of the ring to the outside. Buck followed out and landed hard left hands to the head. Kash grabbed the referee, who curiously went outside, and diverted his attention from Buck allowing Hoyt to land a cheap kick to the head on Buck. Back in the ring, Kash went for a double underhook suplex into piledriver, The Moneymaker. Kash made the pin for the win.
Match View: Kash is always a fun heel act to watch, but as the theme of this show is beginning to prove, he wasn’t given enough time in the ring to put together a solid match with Buck. Buck is starting to come along wrestling wise, but has absolutely no character development. TNA should do Buck, Reilly, and other regular jobbers a favor and give them some character. They’re all so bland and void of any distinguishing characteristics.
– After the match, the lights went out and Brown speculated that there was a light problem in the arena. Trytan stood atop the Impact Zone entrance ramp and pointed at Brown just like last week. Brown screamed at Trytan to come deliver a message to his face. Smoke filled the entrance tunnel and Trytan disappeared. Brown screamed at Tenay to get him some info on Trytan.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, BG James and Konan were discussing Jeff Hammond’s victory at “Against All Odds.” Konan said Hammond did his thing (but in Konan-speak). The New Age Outlaw entered the scene and told Konan the warden was looking for him. Konan jumped at the remark, but BG calmed him down and said NAO was just joshing. NAO said he had some info for BG that was for his ears only. BG and NAO left, as Konan looked puzzled.
– Tenay and West speculated about what was going on with BG James and New Age Outlaw. Tenay outlined the history of the New Age Outlaws and wondered if there was some secret alliance being formed.
(4) Prime Time defeated Chris Candido (w/The Naturals) at 4:15. Candido began the match with hard right hands to the side of the head. Prime Time responded with a solid drop kick to the face. Prime Time was tripped up by the Naturals from the outside allowing Candido to work on Prime Time. Candido scored his patented high hanging elevated suplex sending all the blood rushing to Prime Time’s head. Candido went up to the top turnbuckle and delivered a solid leg drop to the head. Candido made a cover and scored a two count only. Candido sent Prime Time to the ropes and delivered a kick to the gut, doubling Prime Time over. Candido bounced off the ropes and scored a swinging neck breaker. Candido went for a cover, but only scored a two count. Prime Time fought back with a series of hard clotheslines then a high-elevated back body drop. Prime Time hopped up top for a top rope move, but Andy Douglas of the Naturals crotched Prime Time across the top turnbuckle. Candido climbed up top and snapped off a nice top rope huricanrana. Candido made a cover, but only scored a two count. Prime Time reversed a suplex attempt and crotched Candido across the top rope. Prime Time walked across the top rope and hit a huricanrana, although it wasn’t pretty. Prime Time went for a cover, but the referee was distracted by the Naturals. Prime Time cleared them off the apron. Candido and the Naturals tried to attack Prime Time again, but an awkward exchange occurred where no one seemed to be on the same page. The finish came when Prime Time picked up Candido in an overhead pick up, then crushed his head into the mat with his new finisher, the “Sudden Death”. Prime Time made the cover for the win as the Naturals tried to run back into the ring.
Match View: The first four minutes of this match was fantastic wrestling. Both men worked extremely well together putting together a solid match. Unfortunately, another sloppy set of events occurred before Prime Time scored his match ending finisher. I don’t know if the match spots are not detailed and thought out well enough prior to each show, but these inconsistencies need to be cleared up. It’s bush league and something that should not be happening. The other problem is that this match pitted two heels against each other, but Prime Time was given the babyface treatment in trying to fend off the heel cheap tactics. TNA needs to decide whether Prime Time is a heel or babyface and develop his character as such. Being stuck as a tweener will not allow Prime Time the opportunity to grow as a wrestler in TNA. He has the ability to be a break out star, but TNA isn’t doing him any favors by not giving him concrete positioning within TNA.
[Commercial Break]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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– Mike Tenay was with Diamond Dallas Page in an empty Impact Zone setting. Tenay asked DDP how he recovered from his back injury that forced him to retire a few years ago. DDP said he was using a combination of yoga and T&A (not TNA as Tenay quipped) to strengthen the core strengths in his body. Tenay asked DDP about his time with Jeff Jarrett in WCW. DDP said “Jarrett cost me millions” and he was going to seek retribution by going after Jarrett’s legacy, which is the NWA World Heavyweight Title. DDP said that what he wants, he gets. Tenay said DDP’s day is March 13.
Impact Note 3: Just as I outlined last week, TNA needed to give us some additional storyline development for Jarrett vs. DDP to build on DDP saying “it’s my time.” DDP did just that by identifying a desire to get back at Jarrett for killing his career in WCW. It gives us some additional build up for the main event match and provides a second reason for why DDP wants the NWA World Title. Nice continuation of the storyline.
(5) Christopher Daniels & Michael Shane & Kazarian defeated Sonny Siaki & Ron Killings & A.J. Styles at 8:48. Funny seeing Kazarian on TNA TV despite him not being employed by TNA, but rather WWE at the current moment. This is why it’s difficult to tape TV ten days before it’s going to air because so many things can happen over the course of a week or more. Before the match began, we went to commercial.
[Commercial Break featuring highlights from “Against All Odds” including still shots of Sean Waltman returning to deliver a Bronco Buster on Jarrett. Fans at home must be wondering why Waltman appeared at the PPV, is being shown on Impact commercials, but has not made a live appearance.]
We returned to the Impact Zone to catch the first glimpse of this six-man tag match where A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels started the match. Daniels pounded on Styles in the middle of the ring with clubbing right hands. Shane tagged in and mocked Styles’ ring entrance. Styles amazingly flipped up onto Shane from the mat and scored a quick reverse huricanrana. Styles landed a sweet knee drop to the head and tagged in Killings. Killings, sporting jeans instead of standard ring wear, took Shane to the corner and landed a hard chop. Killings ran into a boot to the face, but responded with a sweet running power slam. Killings slapped Shane in the corner then climbed up top. Kazarian threw Killings off the corner turnbuckle giving Shane the opening to land a hard drop kick. Shane and Daniels double teamed Killings in their corner after Daniels tagged in. Daniels landed elbow smashes to the head but missed a clothesline. Killings missed a spin kick allowing Daniels to score a kick to the back of the head. Kazarian tagged in and scoop slammed Killings. Kazarian dropped a sweet leg drop across Killings’ throat. Shane tagged in landed a chop to the chest. Shane and Killings exchanged slaps across the face. Shane spit on Styles drawing his ire. Shane dropped Killings across his knee with a back breaker, and held the move allowing Kazarian to score a slingshot leg drop across the throat. Kazarian kicked Killings in the gut then sent him crashing into a neutral corner. Kazarian sent Killings to the seat of his pants in the corner then scored a nicely executed double foot stomp to the chest. Shane and Kazarian double teamed Killings some more as the babyfaces tried to get involved in the ring. Shane put Killings in a front face lock, but Killings powered to his corner and tagged in Siaki. However, the referee was distracted by Shane & Daniels and would not allow the tag. Kazarian and Killings hit simultaneous cross body blocks. Siaki took a hot tag, as did Daniels.
Siaki dropped Daniels with a sweet fireman’s carry slam then a double knee smash to Kazarian. Styles went after Shane. Shane delivered a clubbing forearm to the face, but made a critical mistake by running against the opposite ropes giving Styles ample time to fly off the top rope with a double fist smash. Styles went for the Styles Clash on Shane, but Daniels clotheslined Styles. Daniels went for Angel’s Wings on Styles, but Killings connected with a spinning fist smash to Daniels. Kazarian clotheslined himself and Killings over the top rope. Siaki was left in the ring with Michael Shane. Kazarian tripped Siaki from outside the ring, so Siaki kicked him to the floor on the outside. Siaki turned around and walked right into a super kick from Shawn Michaels Michael Shane allowing Shane to pin Siaki for the win. After the match, the heels and babyfaces snarled at each other as Styles held up his X Division Title to remind the heels who the Champ is.
Match View: Phenomenal wrestling display. Tenay and West did a nice job in explaining that this match would be important for determining whom Dusty Rhodes selects as Styles’ opponents at Destination X. It added some storyline intrigue to the overall fast-paced “too much going on at once” match where viewers really couldn’t get a full glimpse of what each wrestler brings to the table. Kazarian was at tiptop shape in this, his last TNA appearance, showing why TNA really dropped the ball in letting Kazarian go. It’s too bad because a series of Kazarian vs. Styles matches could have really brought the house down.
[Commercial Break]
– Jeff Jarrett entered the Impact Zone for commentary on the main event match of DDP vs. the New Age Outlaw. Jarrett said DDP might think it’s time for him to gain the NWA Title, but no one has ever come up with a plan good enough to take the belt. Jarrett said he would take care of DDP just like he did two years ago. DDP entered the Impact Zone and went through the crowd before walking over to Jarrett. Jarrett and DDP brawled around the announcer’s table then took the fight into the balcony seats. The fans slapped Jarrett’s back just as DDP slapped Jarrett’s face. The New Age Outlaw jumped DDP from behind allowing Jarrett and NAO to work on DDP. Security and TNA officials tried to get involved in the brawl, but were thwarted in their attempt. (Some security, eh?) Kevin Nash ran into the scene and landed hard right hands to NAO’s head. Nash and NAO brawled ringside while Jarrett and DDP brawled near the announcer’s table as we closed the show.
Quick Note of Interest: The “Destination X” PPV Card is shaping up with the following matches:
– Jeff Jarrett vs. Diamond Dallas Page for the NWA Title
– A.J. Styles defending the X Division Title in a four way X Division Match with unique rules: The match will begin with a two-on-two tag team situation with the first person being pinned eliminated from the match. From there, it will become a triple threat match with the first person pinned eliminated from the match. With two wrestlers left, it will become an Ultimate X battle with the X Division Title hanging above the ring.
– Raven vs. Dustin Rhodes in a Scrotum in a Vice Bull rope Match
– Kevin Nash vs. New Age Outlaw
– Jeff Hardy vs. Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere Match
Closing Thoughts: I like the direction TNA is going on the way to “Destination X.” DDP effectively built up his motivation heading into his NWA Title match against Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett responded with the cocky, “Everyone thinks he can beat me, but no one has been successful,” retort. We see that Nash wants a piece of the New Age Outlaw following Nash losing the NWA Title Match at “Against All Odds” due to NAO’s outside interference. The heavyweight storylines received ample build up at this stage of the storyline developments. Despite the fact that the main event match never occurred, it did not affect my view on the show’s effectiveness. The brawl was ample enough from a storyline perspective to make up for the lack of wrestling.
TNA needs to go one of two directions with Jarrett vs. DDP. One way is to take the two issues identified by DDP: “It’s my time” and “I want to ruin Jarrett for what he did in WCW” and expand on the issues. TNA can give us more layers to sink our teeth into in order to connect with the hatred and animosity between Champion and Challenger. The other direction is to add a third reason DDP wants the NWA World Title. Did Jarrett sleep with Kimberly? Did Jarrett steal his lunch? Did Jarrett ruin his yoga gig? Those are all cheesy and juvenile storyline ideas, but I’m sure TNA can come up with better motivating factors if they choose to take path #2.
One thing that is missing from the X Division “Ultimate X” build up is the criteria for what Dusty Rhodes is looking for in making a decision as to who he’s going to name as A.J. Styles’ challengers. Tenay has been vague in saying Rhodes is looking for who impresses the most in the ring. What does that mean? Tenay, West, or Rhodes need to identify exact criteria that will determine who the three opponents to Styles will be. It certainly should have been a factor in the X Division shoot-out so we had something specific to look for in the main event match.
I like what they did with Raven and Dustin Rhodes. Raven was classic in turning negative “beat down motivation” into a positive in wanting to help Rhodes. He turned the tables on the traditional heel mindset of destroying the babyface for own personal gratification into destroying the babyface for the babyface’s own betterment. Sure, Raven will take great pleasure in destroying Rhodes, but he’s presenting his motivation as doing Rhodes a favor. It’s great reverse psychology that will make the bull rope match much more intriguing than their PPV encounter at “Against All Odds.”
Weekend Replay Factor: The first three matches of the show ridiculously short without much intrigue or storyline development. However, the Candido vs. Prime Time and X Division shoot out matches were very nicely done and contained solid X Division style wrestling. If you can only catch part of the show as it is replayed this weekend, be sure to catch the last half hour.
Please, feel free to send me feedback on today’s show at revenge_nwo@yahoo.com. I’m open to all reader comments and suggestions on the topic of TNA or anything else from the world of wrestling. I’ll be checking in with new TNA commentary in my “Sunday Brunch” Lounge column in only two days, so look out for that! Until then, find your favorite wrestling tape, snuggle up with a loved one, and enjoy a night of fun.
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