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#Post#: 20056--------------------------------------------------
Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: SheriffLonestar Date: October 26, 2013, 1:55 am
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When TNA finally got going with a TV deal and permanent home
base, the brain trust realised it needed as Mike Tenay is so
fond of saying a “signature event”. Bound for Glory was its name
and it disseminated from The Impact Zone in Universal Studios.
The event featured some classic and future talent from top to
bottom. The presentation though was beginning to form into what
has become very familiar. So well worth a look back to TNA’s not
so humble beginnings. Bound for Glory 2005.
The pre show has a spot fest laden four way which features some
top line talent that has gone on to do wondrous things. Sonjay
Dutt; still searching for that elusive first X Division title,
now but back then he was the Playa from the Himalaya. Alex
Shelley, before the Motor/Murder City Machine Guns found fame
and fortune, Roderick Strong, go to guy for stiff as houses
matches in Ring of Honor was putting his best foot forward in
this effort to. Finally we have the chant inducing Austin Aries,
who really was always that over in Florida. Maybe that’s why he
moved there. The match pace as you’d expect is a tad quick, in
fact no one has much chance of a rest which is what you want I
suppose in a free to air opener that is there to encourage
payment. However time issues hurt this from a pure match quality
point of view, just too many guys in too short a time trying to
put in as many moves as possible. All of these guys became
stars, within a few years, and some had a lot better matches but
it does offer a nice little snapshot of what was going on
earlier in their careers. It didn’t help the company though that
everyone started chanting ROH, with good reason all these guys
had runs in ROH to varying success, which I am sure didn’t go
down to well in the back.
Next we have a segment that kind of gave the tone for the
company at the time. The not long retired Franchise Shane
Douglas taking an interview with America’s Most Wanted. What
strikes you about this is that how great Douglas was on the mic,
how he manages to come across as star without taking anything
away from his interviewees. Aside from all the bridges he has
burned it is a shame he is not working for a major company in
some capacity (not wrestling). America’s Most Wanted come across
as the cocky heels they were supposed to be, particularly Chris
Harris, though James Storm was smoothing out his Redneck routine
he was already a long way down the road to becoming the new
Dusty Rhodes. Moving on we have Raven, at the start of his feud
with Larry Zybysko, with a little intervention from Rhyno; a
little old school ECW attitude that is missing from TNA these
days. In fact to be honest this feels more like a star laden
event than what we saw on Wednesday night. I should also make a
passing comment on Don West, the king of hyperbole was in full
form this evening, but it did only add to the whole
Southern-ness of the whole show. No wonder they couldn’t sell
out in California 8 years later.
So we move on to the main part of the show. We open with Samoa
Joe versus Jushin Thunder Liger which even when you put those
words in a sentence sounds awesome. Joe was at the top of his
form at this stage in his career, and bringing in Liger gave the
opener a big match feel that is tough to beat. This though was
not a match for the casual fan. This was booked in a similar
manner to Joe’s match with Kenta Kobiashi in ROH two years
before. But not before a hilariously awkward opening package
with earnest commentary being brought by a dude in Kenyan
national dress. Joe comes out in all his finery befitting the
big show atmosphere, by the way that’s all shoot he was a dancer
before he was a wrestler. That was and still is the family
business, one of the reasons he is well suited to the wrestling
lifestyle. The match itself is a little on the short side and
is not as good as it could have been, but when you are trying to
get Joe over as an unstoppable monster this was the way to go
about it. “Don’t be surprised if Diamonds in the Rough become a
major force in tag team division.” Yes Don. Oh well that aside.
Elix Skipper was a fine worker, David Young was an excellent
journeyman, who later found a home in All Japan. Simon Diamond
was on his way to being a road agent. They were up against the
cult figures of Sonny Siaki, Apolo and the still popular Shark
Boy. The Diamonds looked good here though. What is becoming
abundantly clear is TNA’s issues with holding on to talent. Only
of the guys, the eldest which is fair enough, currently works
for TNA, Simon Diamond is currently a road agent for TNA while
everyone else is out on the indies or retired and speaking of
guys who bolted when they got the chance, next we have Monty
Brown versus Lance Hoyt. It is remarkable that TNA had this much
talent on its hands and it didn’t a) get to keep them or b) get
them further up the card quicker in an effort to keep them. Both
guys are marquee players, and could have been amazing of things
had been different. Well Hoyt is a star player in NJPW champion
right now, and Monty has been retired a while, but it took WWE
to make and break them, TNA couldn’t or wouldn’t give them the
opportunities. 8 years later they are still stuck in the cycle
of not being able to make stars and their best potential not
being give the opportunities when the time is right. 3 Live Crew
were still riding high in the main event, nothing wrong with
that at the time, but at least they were moved on correctly at
roughly the right time, even if they are now working for other
people. Their opponents the very young Team Canada with Bobby
Roode, Eric Young and A1 who are jobbing, Tenay and West barely
mention their names. This is not a match about a match; it’s a
match about a storyline. I have never been a fan of that
approach because you’re supposed to use PPVs to finish your
stories, not set them up. It does what it says on the tin
thought without being that special.
The Ultimate X is placed well though on this card, much further
up rather than an opener. This is because back then they had an
actual division, with lots of key players, with less TV time and
a bigger roster. Amazingly, Petey Williams being managed by the
wonderfully annoying Scott D’Amore, Mat Bentley at his slimiest
and a way slimmer Chris Sabin in the signature X Division match.
What is impressive about this and generally the whole card is
how simple it is. Aside from the wide Jeff Jarrett AMW take over
everything else is pro wrestling 101 in angle delivery. The main
focus for the whole card is athletic. With three guys in this
match, including two heels, the support for each wrestler is
basically the same. The fans of TNA didn’t care at the time;
they just wanted to see the best wrestling. Given the nature of
this match and its participants it’s hard not to say they got
their money’s worth.
And so we move onto what feels like a marquee match up.
America’s Most Wanted versus The Naturals, this was back when
Tag Teams still mattered, cool names, matching gear and finish
manoeuvres, you remember them right? To be fair The Bro Mens and
Bad Influence are kind of bringing that back and good luck to
them. This one though is an emotional brawl and it needed to be,
there was a point to this it wasn’t just violence for violence’s
sake. Well paced and well put together and is one of James’
Storms better performances. Then onto the next of the top line
attractions, Sabu, Rhyno, Jeff Hardy and Abyss in the second
ever Monsters Ball Match. Which given the participants did a
great job of highlighting their talents. The premise for the
match was undone by sloppy booking though. As Mike Tenay trilled
that “Every participant in this match has been locked away for
24 hours until they were introduced, no food, no water and no
light”. Except for Rhyno who was apparently let out to cut a
promo on Raven earlier. Stuff like this that was actually
unnecessary is something TNA have yet to shake. Simple
continuity errors that take you out of the experience are
costly. Keep it simple. The match though is very good for its
type, the usual stunt laden stupidity reigned but it told a
story.
Then the real classic began. AJ Styles, Chris Daniels 30 minute
Iron Man. Well they gave it their all, in fact I think this was
a better performance from AJ than he pulled out last Sunday and
matched his "Phenomenal" character much better. This year’s BFG
for AJ was all about endurance in 2005 it was about wrestling
skill, and I know what I would rather watch. High drama is best
played out with close pin falls for me, but that is just my
taste.
Then the coup de grace the Gauntlet, the good old fashioned TNA
in time of emergency stand by, which featured a bunch of guys
who had wrestled already whittling their way down to Rhyno, who
went on to face Jeff Jarrett in a short match. Again this did
defy logic in places. Rhyno winning the title set up the next
series of feuds and it was the kind of switch they had pulled in
ECW. However it was a little two unbelievable for my tastes and
most of that feel from the continuity of earlier. A guy who had
spent 24 hours in solitary confinement to then have a war with 3
monsters and beat 7 other guys in a gauntlet match, and then
beat JJ who has help from AMW and Gail Kim? Yeah there are
heroic comebacks, but this was ridiculous.
So then aside from some problems with some absolutely daft
continuity, the show as a success artistically, the shows
biggest issue was itself. While the concept is good, sometimes
it pays to have just another wrestling show. The card can be
built as the biggest of the year, and yes it should have your
top guys against your top guys, but give them something sensible
to do when you get them there won’t you?
Enjoy the show;
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd3H4DSLE5s
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4WZ6zP9GOg
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcSSEipjzrY
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZddqv5yXnI
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hho79cqzL5w
#Post#: 20065--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: tnafanforum Date: October 26, 2013, 9:35 am
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Love it the best one you have ever done.. It gives the new fans
a inside look at TNA and how it was made and ran with out the
hogans lol
#Post#: 20071--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: SheriffLonestar Date: October 26, 2013, 10:12 am
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Why thank you sir, I am having a hard time finding out who
actually booked this show, I am thinking Terry Taylor. I know
Russo wasn't there he had just left for the second time, and
Cornette hadn't arrived yet, so it may have been Dusty Rhodes
but as he wasn't on TV I'd say lead booking duties went to
Taylor.
#Post#: 20077--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: tnafanforum Date: October 26, 2013, 10:27 am
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That was some of te best days of TNA because it was different to
WCW , ECW and WWe at the time it was fan by JJ and he new what
he was doing ..
#Post#: 20078--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: tnafanforum Date: October 26, 2013, 10:30 am
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That is how The Ultimate X is meant to be lol.. :p also a lot of
moves what are banned now in TNA
#Post#: 20080--------------------------------------------------
Re: Sheriff Lonestar’s PPV of the Week; Glorified
By: SheriffLonestar Date: October 26, 2013, 10:58 am
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Well I wouldn't say banned, they just don't have the workers who
can do that kind of thing anymore.
You are right that it was different but it had a four way mix of
talent and creativity. Terry Taylor worked under Eric Bischoff
and Vince McMahon and was a big fan of ECW. He flat out stole
stuff from ECW all the time. The talent was a mix of ex ECW
(Rhyno, Raven, Sabu etc), WCW (Jarrett, Taylor, Rhodes, Daniels,
Shark Boy) WWE (Hardy, James Gang, Hardy) and younger talents
picked up from Indies and ROH (Shelley, Dutt, Sabin, AJ), this
was the period when people where screwing with things less and
giving good bases for good matches.
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