Related To Story |
Professor Wrestling: The 'Slammiversary' Recap
TNA's Cage Tries To Survive 'King Of The Mountain' Match
Listen up!Class is in session.Total Nonstop Action Wrestling hits the pay-per-view airwaves this Sunday, with "Slammiversary." The top match involves a scramble for the NWA title, currently held by Christian Cage. Can he get past Sting or Jeff Jarrett? How about Rhino or Ron Killings? I'm not afraid to give a surprise pick later in the column -- so keep reading.Here's the card:Challenge Match: Team 3D vs. The James Gang
What Should Happen: We should really think about moving these gentlemen to other programs. While the promos are generally good, the wrestling matches are getting dull, as in we've seen it before. In this match, Devon and Ray promise to go back to their more extreme ECW style to pummel the former New Age Outlaws. We'll see.
What Will Happen: I like Team 3D in this one. Their interviews have been really good lately and they deserve another push.
What Did Happen: Team 3D took it after Kip James was pinned.
Handicap Match: Rhino vs. Bobby Roode and Scott D'Amore
What Should Happen: Roode and his Team Canada manager, D'Amore, cost Rhino a chance at the NWA title -- so now it's payback time. This isn't a bad feud, since neither man is in the championship mix right now. I'd let Roode and D'Amore put a licking on the babyface Rhino to set up another meeting.
What Will Happen: Roode wins with help from his chubby Canadian pal.
What Did Happen: Rhino pinned D'Amore for the win.
Challenge Match: Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner
What Should Happen: This could be great, or it could be a mess. I think the world of Joe, and I've always loved Steiner's overly-intense steroid-fueled "Big Poppa Pump" persona. He can't wrestle a lick, but you can't have everything. Joe will have to carry the match, if Steiner will let him.
What Will Happen: The undefeated Samoa Joe will stay undefeated.
What Did Happen: Joe pinned The Big Bad Bootie Daddy for the victory.
NWA Tag Team Title Match: America's Most Wanted (c) vs. A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels
What Should Happen: Don't be surprised if this rematch from the "Sacrifice" PPV totally steals the show. The cowboy heels can work a great match, and so can the X-Division babyfaces. If I were in charge, I'd book Daniels and Styles to win -- they deserve a run with the gold.
What Will Happen: Styles and Daniels finally get it done.
What Did Happen: Styles and Daniels finally got it done, as Daniels pinned AMW's James Storm.
Challenge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Chris Sabin
What Should Happen: "Big Sexy" returned to TNA a month ago and has been attacking the smaller X-Division wrestlers ever since. Sabin is here to defend the little guys (who happen to be the best workers in professional wrestling today). If it were in my hands, I'd have Nash lose early and lose badly. He could then lose his mind, and go on a more vicious rampage -- prolonging the storyline. Let's face it, the X-Division needs Nash a heck of a lot more than Nash needs them. He brings real starpower to a division that needs more mainstream publicity.
What Will Happen: Sabin gets the victory over the man once known as Diesel.
What Did Happen: Nash pinned Sabin. Why? What good does it do in the long run? I'm confused. Bad call, TNA.
NWA Title Match: Christian (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Ron "The Truth" Killings vs. Sting vs. Abyss.
What Should Happen: This is a "King Of The Mountain" match, where the man who hangs the belt over the middle of the ring is the winner. Think of it as a reverse ladder match. At any rate, I think it's time for a change. Christian has done well with the title, but could be more charismatic. TNA is trying to build a viewership base on Spike TV, where it appears on Thursday nights. So who should be the ratings grabber? The easy pick is Sting. The tough choice is Killings. That's what I would do. Put the belt on a somewhat unproven diamond in the rough, and see what happens. Risky, but what if Killings is great -- as in "Rock" great? Answer: A big payoff, which is what this promotion needs.
What Will Happen: This is my upset pick of the night. Killings walks out with the title.
What Did Happen: Jarrett cheated to win, but the "new face of TNA management" -- Jim Cornette -- intervened and took the title away from him. A champion will be declared this Thursday night, apparently, on TNA "Impact" on Spike TV. Completely bogus finish. People pay too much money for this garbage.
So, for the night -- your professor had three right, three wrong. Batting .500 is fine, but I still didn't like the finish of that last match.Now scram!Class dismissed!(Professor Wrestling is a masked employee of Internet Broadcasting. Got a question, comment, complaint? E-mail him right here. )
What Should Happen: We should really think about moving these gentlemen to other programs. While the promos are generally good, the wrestling matches are getting dull, as in we've seen it before. In this match, Devon and Ray promise to go back to their more extreme ECW style to pummel the former New Age Outlaws. We'll see.
What Will Happen: I like Team 3D in this one. Their interviews have been really good lately and they deserve another push.
What Did Happen: Team 3D took it after Kip James was pinned.
Handicap Match: Rhino vs. Bobby Roode and Scott D'Amore
What Should Happen: Roode and his Team Canada manager, D'Amore, cost Rhino a chance at the NWA title -- so now it's payback time. This isn't a bad feud, since neither man is in the championship mix right now. I'd let Roode and D'Amore put a licking on the babyface Rhino to set up another meeting.
What Will Happen: Roode wins with help from his chubby Canadian pal.
What Did Happen: Rhino pinned D'Amore for the win.
Challenge Match: Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner
What Should Happen: This could be great, or it could be a mess. I think the world of Joe, and I've always loved Steiner's overly-intense steroid-fueled "Big Poppa Pump" persona. He can't wrestle a lick, but you can't have everything. Joe will have to carry the match, if Steiner will let him.
What Will Happen: The undefeated Samoa Joe will stay undefeated.
What Did Happen: Joe pinned The Big Bad Bootie Daddy for the victory.
NWA Tag Team Title Match: America's Most Wanted (c) vs. A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels
What Should Happen: Don't be surprised if this rematch from the "Sacrifice" PPV totally steals the show. The cowboy heels can work a great match, and so can the X-Division babyfaces. If I were in charge, I'd book Daniels and Styles to win -- they deserve a run with the gold.
What Will Happen: Styles and Daniels finally get it done.
What Did Happen: Styles and Daniels finally got it done, as Daniels pinned AMW's James Storm.
Challenge Match: Kevin Nash vs. Chris Sabin
What Should Happen: "Big Sexy" returned to TNA a month ago and has been attacking the smaller X-Division wrestlers ever since. Sabin is here to defend the little guys (who happen to be the best workers in professional wrestling today). If it were in my hands, I'd have Nash lose early and lose badly. He could then lose his mind, and go on a more vicious rampage -- prolonging the storyline. Let's face it, the X-Division needs Nash a heck of a lot more than Nash needs them. He brings real starpower to a division that needs more mainstream publicity.
What Will Happen: Sabin gets the victory over the man once known as Diesel.
What Did Happen: Nash pinned Sabin. Why? What good does it do in the long run? I'm confused. Bad call, TNA.
NWA Title Match: Christian (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Ron "The Truth" Killings vs. Sting vs. Abyss.
What Should Happen: This is a "King Of The Mountain" match, where the man who hangs the belt over the middle of the ring is the winner. Think of it as a reverse ladder match. At any rate, I think it's time for a change. Christian has done well with the title, but could be more charismatic. TNA is trying to build a viewership base on Spike TV, where it appears on Thursday nights. So who should be the ratings grabber? The easy pick is Sting. The tough choice is Killings. That's what I would do. Put the belt on a somewhat unproven diamond in the rough, and see what happens. Risky, but what if Killings is great -- as in "Rock" great? Answer: A big payoff, which is what this promotion needs.
What Will Happen: This is my upset pick of the night. Killings walks out with the title.
What Did Happen: Jarrett cheated to win, but the "new face of TNA management" -- Jim Cornette -- intervened and took the title away from him. A champion will be declared this Thursday night, apparently, on TNA "Impact" on Spike TV. Completely bogus finish. People pay too much money for this garbage.
So, for the night -- your professor had three right, three wrong. Batting .500 is fine, but I still didn't like the finish of that last match.Now scram!Class dismissed!(Professor Wrestling is a masked employee of Internet Broadcasting. Got a question, comment, complaint? E-mail him right here. )
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
