Post by hbkshawn88 on May 13, 2013 22:30:19 GMT
Slammiversary
Arlington, TX - College Park Center
June 10, 2012
- We open with a pretty good video package, taking us through the history of TNA, as tonight is the ten-year anniversary of the promotion…a lot of focus on the evolution of the promotion and the different eras that they have passed through, focusing on Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles, Kurt Angle and Hulk Hogan as the torchbearers
- We are live from Arlington, Texas and Mike Tenay runs down tonight’s docket before we head down to the ring as we are joined by the GM of TNA, Hulk Hogan…Hulk gets a solid pop to kick things off…Hulk welcomes everyone to the celebration…Hogan is going old school tonight and reveals that the opening match will see Samoa Joe battle Austin Aries for the X Division Title…Hogan takes off and the show is officially under way
- Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries…Joe is out first, fitting that he battle for the X title on their anniversary show…Tenay notes that Joe exceeds the weight limit but Hogan is allowing him to challenge for the belt…Aries and his pimp cape are out next and we will see if he can capitalize on the momentum he gained last month, defeating Bully Ray…the crowd is split and dueling chants kick off…the fans are quite hot and it’s a nice break from the Impact Zone, which I thought killed the last PPV…Joe is just a big dude, like big all around, which makes his agility so impressive…yeah, I know, welcome to 2005…Aries lands a big chop and follows with a hurricanrana, but kicks him in the head as he tries a baseball slide…Joe just starts murdering Aries with kicks to the head…what a wicked match as the pace is through the roof…Aries just launched himself through the ropes and into Joe on the floor and I don’t think I’ve seen someone fly that fast before…the crowd is off the hook too…fantastic choice to open up this show…Aries gets caught in mid air and Joe snaps him with a stiff powerbomb and turns it right in a Boston Crab and then spins it into an STF…Joe is just grinding Aries into dust on the mat…Aries blocks a superplex and shoves Joe back to the mat…he follows with a 450 splash but Joe barely kicks out…Aries counters the Kokina Clutch and gets another near fall…Joe goes for a Muscle Buster, but Aries slips free and slams him over with a crucifix…he follows with a stiff forearm, dropkick and brainbuster to finally put Joe away…what a great finish to a fantastic match…Aries has been booked like gold these last two shows…man, can’t say enough about how much a loved that battle…this was a fitting tribute to the X Division on the anniversary show
- Kid Kash vs. Hernandez…this is Kash’s return to TNA and he has some stiff competition ahead as he faces one half of Mexican America…Hernandez is jacked, ripped and juiced up…apparently this is the return of Hernandez as well, according to Tazz…Kash goes right at him but the power of Hernandez is too much as he just shoves Kash out to the floor…Kash tries to work the left shoulder and arm in between landing whatever strikes he can…this crowd is staying hot and makes the show so much better…Tenay informs us we will see the top three of the ten best TNA moments…Kash is really dominating things here, rocking Hernandez with a tornado DDT…Hernandez comes back with a slingshot shoulderblock…a wide shot shows that we have a decent crowd here tonight…Kash ends up on the floor and Hernandez charges and flies out with a hands free tope, crashing into Kash to a huge pop…back in the ring, Hernandez drops a top rope splash on to Kash for the win…another very good match with fast paced action and a hot crowd…this show is off to a great start so far…tons of energy in the ring and in the crowd
- We get Top Moment #3 in TNA history and we travel back to June 19, 2002 when AJ Styles defeated Jerry Lynn to become the first X Division Champion
- Robbie E & Robbie T vs. Devon & Garrett Bischoff…the techno is bumping and the fist pumping is in effect as the guidos hit the ring for our next matchup…they had a rough go with Devon last month, so we will see if things go better this time around…Devon is still TV champ and after defeating Garrett a few weeks ago, they started to team up…E is still pissed about losing his TV belt to Devon and has been hell bent on getting it back…Garrett shows some fire early but the crowd does not seem to be digging him at all…Madison Rayne shows up on the ramp, all dressed up and looking good…Tenay wonders if we will find out about her secret crush tonight…E and T work over Bischoff as Tenay & Tazz talk about Madison’s crush some more…I like E in the ring, he is pretty fluid and really throws himself into the gimmick…Garrett finally makes the hot tag and Devon starts wiping out both guidos…Devon is moving better than he did ten years ago…Garrett hits a cross body to the floor on T as Devon rattles E with a spinebuster for the win…something good is in the water tonight, as we get another fun match as Devon again makes life miserable for the guidos…yeah, buddy
- Jeremy Borash is in the back and Tenay reminds us that JB has been with TNA since day one…Kaz & Daniels, carrying martinis, walk in…they talk about their long histories in TNA and Daniels toasts their tag title belts, continuing to pester AJ and to ten years of greatness
- Mr. Anderson vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy…the winner of this match earns a Heavyweight Title match this Thursday on Impact…Anderson does the usual shtick, no surprise there…RVD is out next and finally …sounds like Hardy is the favorite in the match…and his paint is even creepier than usual…Tazz talks about the success all three men have had throughout their careers as Hardy gets off to a quick start, attacking both men…Anderson had the big win over Hardy last month while RVD suffered that tough ladder match loss to Robert Roode…lots of trading of holds and control, the usual triple threat format…best move of the match so far was an Anderson superplex to Hardy, followed immediately by a missed frog splash by RVD…crowd has cooled a bit…you would think these three would be really over but they just feel a bit stale to me, just like last month…that said, these three are doing well despite the constraints of a tough format…they have all been in the ring the whole time, which is unique for a triple threat…Anderson finally stepped up and took control, knocking RVD out of the ring and beating on Hardy for a near fall…they would all end up outside the ring, where Anderson got wiped out…Hardy got a close near fall on the Whisper in the Wind…crowd has picked up a bit, mainly chanting for RVD…Hardy followed with a Swanton, but Anderson broke up the count and violently chucked Hardy to the floor…Anderson fended off RVD, hit the Mike Check and picked up the win and title match….it made sense for Anderson to win since he was riding momentum after beating Hardy…say what you want about giving Anderson the push, but it was nice to see them get behind someone and have them win instead of 50/50 booking…match was pretty good if not anything special
- JB is backstage, chatting with Crimson, who is still bragging about being undefeated for over 470 days and claims nobody will ever beat him…he heads to the ring for yet another open challenge
- Crimson heads out and for the second month in a row, will issue an open challenge to the locker room…he rags on Dallas a bit and is confident that nobody will accept the challenge…after a short wait, we are joined by James Storm, who Tenay says has been at a career crossroads as of late…Storm goes right at Crimson, slugging away and knocking him to the floor…Storm doesn’t even have his coat off as he angrily pounds away at Crimson…Crimson gets a few licks in but this has been all Storm for the most part…fans are way behind Storm here and he looks pretty damn good…he cracks Crimson with the Last Call and the streak is officially done…well, that was a hell of a way to end Crimson’s undefeated run, but it was a cool moment and a nice spot for one of the TNA originals, James Storm…basically a squash, but an enjoyable one thanks to the energy and heat
- JB is with Austin Aries, who talks about passing tests month after month…he wants to be the man that sets the bar and will do anything it takes to be the main event
- Time for TNA Moment #2…and it is the announcement that Hulk Hogan was joining the promotion in October 2009…clips of the press conference
- Back in the arena, Dixie Carter heads out to the ring, looking pretty good I must say…Tenay thanks the Carter family for blowing all of their inherited money to keep the flailing compa—I mean, thanks them for their support…she tells us this is the largest live US crowd in TNA history…she gives out her thanks, keeping things quick and to the point…now she brings out the whole roster on to the stage…the crowd shows their respect and there are lots of smiles and handshakes to go around…Tenay & Tazz put over AJ Styles as the Face of TNA…Dixie reveals the first inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame….Sting, who gets a dedicated video package, featuring clips and talking heads praising him…Sting gets a warm response from the fans as he joins Dixie in the ring…Dixie tells Sting that he stepped up when TNA was in need of an icon…each year, Dixie asks Sting to stick around and help TNA and every year he agrees…nice moment here…Sting thanks the fans and promises tonight will be Showtime
- Gail Kim vs. Brooke Tessmacher…Gail’s KO title on the line against Brooke for the second month in a row…new executive in charge of the Knockouts, Brooke Hogan, held a match this past Thursday to determine a contender and Brooke prevailed…Tenay wonders if Gail can exploit a shortcut once again, just like last month…I have to assume Brooke is going to take the strap here…Brooke using her athleticism once again, but Gail just waits for an opening before slamming Brooke down face first and taking over…Tazz gets in a funny line, calling Brooke “top heavy”, which made me chuckle…Gail slows things down with a submission hold…Gail has really dominated the action, but this matches feels a step behind the Sacrifice outing…Brooke gets a quick opening and lands a Victory Roll for the flash pin and upset title win…this was definitely booked as somewhat as a fluke, despite Brooke having Gail’s number lately, as Brooke only got that one flash move in after being worked over for most of the match…Christy comes down and interviews Brooke at ringside…she gives an emotional promo about winning the belt in her home state…ok match, but I liked last month’s better
- Backstage, JB is joined by Bully Ray, who puts over New York City and calls out Joseph Park, setting up their match for tonight…he vows there will be no wrestling and only an all out assault…he has a contract in hand that he won’t be responsible for anything that happens out there…he also warns Abyss not to show up…that leads us to a video package to hype the match
- Bully Ray vs. Joseph Park…this is an Anything Goes match…Park is a lawyer, not a wrestler, but Bully doesn’t seem to care…no entrance theme for Park, who is wearing a track suit and taking his time ambling to the ring…I am digging Bully Ray and have enjoyed this feud and build, so I am looking forward to this one…Park stalls and is antsy, but Bully keeps taunting him to get the match going…Bully ducks some punches and smacks Park in the face a few times…Park finally steps up and smacks Bully back, but Bully runs him over, sending him crashing back to the mat…Bully brings a chair into the ring, but it ends up in Park’s hands…he then makes a rookie mistake and turns his back, allowing Bully to regain possession of the chair…Bully smacks him in the back and they have totally roped me into this match…he unleashes another stuff shot, driving Park to the safety of the floor…Bully follows him out and continues to dole out the abuse…Park avoids a senton and starts hammering away at Bully in one last gasp to come back…that is short lived as Bully drops him with a big boot to the face…Park is able to wrest away a kendo stick and bashes Bully in the head with it, but he can only get a two count…Park’s easily distracted again, allowing Bully to back elbow him out to the floor…Park crawls under the ring and a minute later, Abyss appears out of the other end of the ring…Bully is in shock as Abyss chokeslams Bully through a table…he crawls back under the ring and out comes Park, who covers for the win…this was pretty compelling stuff and Park is really damn good at this character…Bully was a great dick as always….good stuff and a nice payoff to this angle
- JB is in the back with Bobby Roode, who talks about his match with Sting later tonight…talks about how this is a night of celebration, but that he is the only thing that should be celebrated…he is the most dominant champ in company history
- Back in the arena, Hulk Hogan joins us once again…be brings out Christian Cage to pay off their agreement for letting Ric Flair attend the WWE HOF back in March…based on the crowd reaction here, I would say TNA lost out on that deal…there are some chants of respect but mainly apathy…he jokes about the change in the shape of the ring…even though some superficial things have changed, the fans never have…based on the ratings and buys, I would say he is correct….he then reveals the number one TNA moment, which is Sting’s TNA debut…makes sense as he is arguably the biggest star in their history, all things considered…and that is it for Christian…I guess it was nice to see him here, but kind of ended up being pointless considering all the haggling and bullshit that went down earlier in the year
- Next up is a video package centered on Daniels & Kaz tormenting AJ Styles about his alleged affair with Dixie Carter…even Serge Carter got involved, decking AJ
- Daniels & Kazarian vs. Angle & Styles…big tag title match here with a lot of backstory and heat on it…should also be killer in the ring, more importantly…AJ attacks off the bell and he and Kaz kick things off once the dust settles…Tazz hopes Angle can keep Styles focused and with it mentally, which would be amazing if you think about it…crowd is behind AJ and it was good on TNA to make him a heavy focus of their anniversary show, even if the angle is questionable at best…also fitting that he gets to work with Daniels…Angle & Styles work well together early on, which is key…Tazz backs me up, talking about how cohesive the champs are in contrast to Styles & Angle, who haven’t teamed up much before this…Daniels has really taken things up a bit with this old veteran skeezbag character…Daniels uses his familiarity with AJ to avoid his offense and keep the champs in control…Daniels & Kaz working over AJ efficiently, keeping him grounded and wounded and putting a great heel tag work clinic, as you would expect…AJ finally snaps off a neckbreaker to break the momentum…crowd is really getting into this now, and pop big for the hot tag to Angle, who romps through the champs…Angle as the muscle of a tag team is a pretty smart role for him if they really embraced it…in an awesome spot, Angle hits a double German on both champs and follows into an Anklelock on Daniels, but Kaz makes the save…AJ gets in the mix now too, cracking both Daniels & Kaz with DDTs…crowd is rocking now as Styles slams Daniels with a great inverted spinebuster…Angle snaps off a top rope charging belly-to-belly…this match is living up to its billing…Styles avoids a Daniels moonsault, but Daniels lands on his feet and backs right into an Angle German…AJ nails Kaz with a Pele kick followed by an Angle frog splash, but Daniels with the save…AJ crashes into him with a tope and this arena is rocking…what an awesome match…Angle locks Kaz in the Anklelock and grapevines the leg…Kaz tries to hang but finally taps out to give Angle & Styles the straps…this was some fantastic stuff that built logically into a red hot sprint finish…the crowd was electric too, which really help…AJ & Kurt are the new champs, very fitting for this special night
- Time for our final video package, setting up the main event and focusing on Roode’s record reign…can Sting take home the title on his big night
- Sting vs. Roode…TNA’s first HOFer goes for the strap and a crack at ending Roode’s lengthy title reign…Tenay lays out the Tape of the Tape…Sting received this match as a favor by Hogan after Stinger stepped down as TNA’s Authority Figure…Sting gets a very warm welcome and there is quite the atmosphere in this arena right now…Roode does have a damn good presence as champ…fans all behind Sting here…big match feel with the long ring intros and posturing before the bell…Roode stalls and dodges Sting early…Roode just can’t get going as Sting has answer for everything…Tenay thinks the time off from the ring as refreshed Sting and given him a new level of energy…Roode goes to the throat to slow Sting down…Roode working a methodical style here, but that is to be expected with Sting across the ring…despite the slower pace and style, it works…the crowd is so damn hot and Sting is compelling here with the HOF and story behind the match…Sting fought his way back and locks in the Scorpion…Roode refuses to tap, trying to squirm to the ropes, which he eventually reaches…this crowd was begging for a tap out there…the brawl spills out to the floor where Sting hits a Stinger Splash into the guardrail…Sting hooks the Scorpion on the announce table and Roode taps, but it doesn’t count, natch…back in the ring, Roode finds one of James Storm’s beer bottle lying around and smacks Sting with it to steal the win and walk away as champ…Sting beats down Roode after the match, even scaling the entrance set and dropping an elbow through the staging…that finish is perfectly fine, allowing Sting to stand tall at the end…well that wasn’t the easiest decision but it made all the sense in the world…despite the emotion and fan reaction, Roode’s reign was too important and special to end at the hands of Sting just for a nostalgia pop…smart booking