Shirley Jackson's "Total NonStop Action Wrestling"

[ZJ Penn]

Non-Sanctioned Match: Abyss vs. Rhino

- I expect Abyss to be in the main event till the end, due to his ability to feud with virtually anyone on the roster for no reason. Rhino has ability no doubt, be he seems to drift from feud to feud. Hopefully he'll fall to elimination booking and leave a gap on the roster or give more TV time to others.

A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett

While I've been surprised at how well Jarretts face turn has come across, AJ gives so much more, and if he's to go through with his title stake, the win here would add weight to his claim.

Samoa Joe vs. Tomko

I'm only adding a reason here cause its the rules.

Actually no, I can only explain the logic in Internet speak. "Joe >>> Tomko"

30-Man Over The Top Rope Gauntlet! Won by Kurt Angle.....if he's in it

Should be an epic. Hopefully you won't cop out and skip straight to the final four like some would. I expect Angle to win if he's in it. I can't see Joe winning, curse of number 30 an' all.

Hangman’s Horror Match: Matt Bentley vs. Raven

I'm hoping for a Bentley win to get away from Raven, who I'm not overly keen on. By the way, being picky and everything, Bentleys Shawn's cousin, not nephew.

Eric Young & Kurt Angle vs. Petey Williams & Robert Roode!

Like Samoa Joes match, I just can't see it any other way.

Chris Candido Memorial Cup Tournament Final: Austin Starr & Jerry Lynn vs. Shane Douglas & Senshi!

Starr and Senshi meeting again should be good, and I'm going for a Starr/Lynn win, they're the underdogs in my mind, and an interesting combo.

Diamonds In The Rough vs. LAX

I was surprised LAX lost the belts, and will be even moreso if they lose to DITR. Although with Team 3D out now, you'll probably be looking for another team/stable to step on up.

Pre-Show Match: Kip James vs. Lance Hoyt

I'll hate it if James wins just to keep him happy. His time for even a hint of push was a long while gone, whereas Hoyt has the look of someone who could step up at anytime. Something you might need if more big names go.

FEEDBACK IS SPOILERISED DUE TO LENGTH

Finally got done reading this today, and even though I don't usually leave detailed feedback, this diary deserves tenfold what it's gotten. Obviously you've probably heard enough about the concept, so I won't touch on it, but a burning question for me is, where does it end? Clearly you'll have a small roster by the end of the first year, do you plan to finish up there, or maybe do a year of hiring, with TNA now making money and Shirley Jackson letting them take on talent instead of releasing it? But that's a long time away obviously. What I like:

- The writing style. Not short enough to come across as void of any real detail, but doesn't have momenumental matches every week that take longer to read than they would to play out in real life. Ideal for people like me, who tend to catch up in short bursts rather than hang on for every show. The importance of matches seems to be relayed in the length of its write-up, which is good.

- The booking. Already some big names have gone from the roster but it's been handled quite well. From Daniels, to Sting to Nash, who are/were all regulars on iMPACT, their dismissal was seemless and didn't seem to ruin your feuds to someone looking from the outside in. If you hadn't mentioned the use of elimination booking, I doubt some people would have batted an eyelid about it, probably putting it down to bad luck unstead. However, I do think the fact that TNA tapes a month of shows in advance helps you somewhat, particularly Stings firing I felt.

- The use of Joe. Instead of booking him as an unstoppable monster and beginning his two year streak again, or making him look weak like a lot of people might do, you've gone in the middle of the two. He doesn't seem to come out on top all the time anymore, but still has the "he could bitchslap you and send you packing on any day" mentality which could be quite hard to do.

- Not hotshotting the belt off of Christian. Cage comes across as, to me, one of those guys whose much better to watch than he is to write. This "blandness" you probably could call it might see some people give the belt straight to someone like Angle, Joe, Sting or Abyss, who appear much more interesting to write, but you've given the run a chance, bad luck with the injury, something you really don't need with your eliminations.

- The realism. Probably my favourite aspect of the diary is that you keep it fresh. It really does come across as TNA before it became a bit crap (not nessecarily Russo, a bit before that). When I read it comes across as dynamic and slick like 2005 TNA, where not a second of the shows were wasted, everything that happens means something, or builds up to something.

- No VKM. Although that might be the elimination booking more than yours.

- No Sabin. Bland bastard. That is all.

The stuff I'm not so sure about:

- The Jimmy Jacobs stuff. Gah, it might be because I'm a big Taker fan, but that was brutal to read barring Nash and Shelleys input. Not something I think would come across well on air and as if WWE wouldn't have it pulled before it had begun.

- Squash matches being rated at 99% match quality. Although thats EWR/TEW's fault more than yours.

- Serotonin. Dont like it in real life, not particularly fond of it in this neither. Thankfully it should be gone by the end of Sacrfice, when Raven loses and gets fired. I dunno if you had plans to run with the stable, hopefully you didn't, but the elimination booking put a stop to that with Devine and Kazarian going.

- While Kurt Angle in the X-Division might seem fun for a short while, it's a touch on the unrealistic side that he would be partnering Eric Young against Petey Williams and Robert Roode less than a year into his TNA career. :blink: It's giving me the impression that Angle might soon be a victim of the elimination booking, what with all the reports about his behaviour backstage and the like.

- The DQ finishes. Too many for a one hour show every week. Actually not necessarily DQ finishes, just cheap ones. Every match bar an obvious squash or an opener seems to have some nefarious tactics or a run-in employed. The only person who ever seems to come out on top through his own talent that I can think of off the top of my head is Abyss, and thats just because he goes mental every other week and murders everyone.

To sum up, I've sat through reading this in two stints without realising how long I've been sat here for, it's that good. Probably in my opinion the best in the dome right now that I've seen, excluding Zero's Cinncinati Wrestling that I've heard big things about, but want to read the first "chapter" before I read the new one. Really good consistent stuff going on here.

Thanks for the read.

Edited February 9, 2007 by wilson316

[C-MIL]

Thanks for the great feedback, Wilson, as well as the predictions. Glad to know somebody's reading.

To respond in kind, I'll spoilerize (?) my thoughts on your's back.

First off, "where does it end?" I'm honestly not sure, really. I'm sure at some point the depleted roster will get impossible to deal with and another project will grab my attention. The first year would be a nice place to stop, or at least begin random hirings, but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now, I'm writing the final iMPACT! before July's Victory Road, which is a two-hour special.

I'm surprised you think the releases haven't affected storylines hasn't reflected in the booking, because it's changed SO many plans I've had. Once the diary runs it's course, I'll probably release a list of all my aborted ideas or something. Maybe a little "director's commentary" type thing.

The tapings have been both a help and a hindrance, since releases have affected matches between the shows and PPVs. I allow myself a little leeway for editing purposes, but it's not possible to change who interfered in what match or anything. At the current point, I'm seriously considering doing away with the tapings and going "live", so to speak. The VR build I'm currently working on will be a big indication of what I decide to do there.

The Cage injury has been a bitch to work around, especially since the plan actually was to have Joe pick up the big win at Sacrifice. Luckily, I've given myself a little provision regarding injuries that allow me to hire someone of equal or lesser value whenever EWR takes them from me.

I was a HUGE fan of TNA in 2005 and I'm glad to see it reflects in what I've written. Unfortunately, I think I'm hugging a little too closely to that era, but whatever. With only a few shows to build up to PPV, I can't really afford to waste any segments.

B.G. James and Chris Sabin were both victims of the E.B. I had big plans for both. Jacobs was meant purely as comedy. If ECW could get away with BWO, TNA could get away with it. I think, had I adopted a more descriptive writing style, I could've conveyed the humor a bit better, but I've no interest in working that hard to develop a concept that could be eliminated randomly by the time you read this. EWR rates the matches. Nothing I can do about that.

Honestly, with top names leaving at the drop of the hat, I need as many potential people to plug into those spots as possible. If bumping an Angle or Raven down the card a step helps elevate an Eric Young or Matt Bentley, it's better to do it than not. After all, I can always put Angle right back into the main event if he sticks around. All I'll add to that is that Angle's quickie X-Title run does fit into a bigger plan which hopefully will unfold in coming weeks.

Cheap finishes? Is that not the TNA way? A lame excuse, I know, but it's the only one I've got. I assure you that far better diaries exist in the Dome right now, but I'll take your comment in the spirit in which it was intended. Thanks.

Thanks, again to everyone who's read thus far. Enjoy Sacrifice.

“Sacrifice” Results

May 13th, 2007

Overall Rating: 77%

Pre-Show "Second Chance" Match: Kip James vs. Lance Hoyt

During the pre-show, Director of Authority Jim Cornette oversaw the random drawing to determine the order of entry for the thirty-man gauntlet match. During the drawing, Kip James barged in and demanded to be allowed to draw a number. Because of his pinfall loss on Thursday's iMPACT!, Kip was ineligible to compete, but Cornette made him an offer. If he could defeat the wrestler scheduled to enter first, he could take his number and try his luck in the match. If not, he was still out. Kip accepted the terms and went one-on-one with the unlucky Lance Hoyt, who drew number one. Hoyt pummeled Kip with brawling tactics but the wily veteran used a low blow to turn the tables. Unfortunately for Kip, his attempt at a Famouser rocker dropper was countered perfectly into the Texas Tower Bomb for the pin. The pre-show ended with the irate Kip James' exit, fuming over having lost a spot in the gauntlet not once, but twice.

Result: Lance Hoyt wins via pinfall at 5:58

Overall Rating: 62%

Crowd Reaction: 64%

Match Quality: 59%

NWA World Tag Team Title #1 Contender's Match: Diamonds In The Rough, with Simon Diamond vs. LAX

The Diamonds held nothing back as they pummeled Homicide in an effort to quickly secure the NWA World Tag Team Title match hanging in the balance. After unloading a barrage of kicks on him, Elix Skipper joined David Young in administering the classic Hart Attack to Homicide, nearly putting him down for three. The crowd rallied to Homicide's side, chanting “LAX” and urging him back into the fight. He escaped Young's snap spinebuster and countered into the Gringo Killa, but Simon Diamond distracted the referee from making the count. As Hernandez stepped in to help, the referee focused on keeping him out, giving the three Diamonds a chance to triple-team Homicide behind his back. Homicide rallied back, countering Skipper's Play Of The Day into a powerbomb, then made the hot tag to big Hernandez who came in like a house of fire. Simon tried to intervene again, but failed. Hernandez crushed Skipper with a Border Toss and scored the pin. After the match, Diamond reprimanded his team for their failure, but Young and Skipper came together once more to wipe Simon out a spinwheel kick/spinebuster combo.

Result: LAX win via pinfall at 12:38

Overall Rating: 83%

Crowd Reaction: 79%

Match Quality: 88%

Non-Sanctioned Match: Abyss vs. Rhino, with Father James Mitchell

TNA officials washed their hands of the chaos before it even began, refusing to even send out a referee to officiate the match. Rhino jumped Abyss as he made his entrance and Gored him in the aisle. Mitchell again splashed him with holy water as Rhino rained down fists on him. Abyss recovered from the blitz assault and crawled back through the entrance tunnel to the back where he found a trash can and smashed Rhino over the head with it. Dazed, Rhino staggered backwards into a crate, then collapsed as Abyss tried to Gore him through it, causing the monster to drive himself head-first through the wood. The two continued to brawl their way through the backstage area, tearing everything in their path apart. Using a few hard shots to the skull to stun Abyss, Rhino planted him with a sidewalk slam and left him for dead. The only problem was that he wasn't dead. Abyss returned to his feet and hurled Rhino into some production equipment before dragging him back out the entrance tunnel. At ringside, Mitchell helped his man by distracting Abyss and pulling out a large, barbed-wire covered plank, preying off Abyss' well-documented fear of the wire. Abyss rushed over to stop him, chasing him away and leaving the plank propped against the ring apron. Rhino barreled down the aisle, looking to Gore Abyss into the wire, but Abyss grabbed him mid-charge and spun him into a brutal Black Hole Slam! After prying himself from the tangled wire, Abyss stood tall over Rhino who was unable to continue the fight. He even got the last laugh on Father James Mitchell by dragging him into the ring and Black Hole Slamming him.

Result: Abyss wins via knock-out at 23:57

Overall Rating: 93%

Crowd Reaction: 87%

Match Quality: 100%

Chris Candido Memorial Cup Tournament Final: Austin Starr & Jerry Lynn vs. Shane Douglas & Senshi

Two pioneers of the X-Division, Lynn and Senshi, kicked the match off. After a tornado DDT, Lynn tagged in Starr who was forced into combat against his own tag partner. The NWA World Tag Team Champions circled the ring, sizing one another up before locking horns and trading counters until eventually coming to a stalemate. The veterans tagged in and Douglas hammered away on Lynn, targeting his lower back. After a backbreaker, Shane placed Lynn face-first on the canvas and tagged in Senshi, calling for a Warrior's Way stomp to the kidneys to finish him off. Lynn rolled out of the way, causing Senshi to jam his knee on impact and allowing Lynn to hit Starr for the tag. Starr nearly pinned Senshi with a huracanrana roll, but Douglas broke it up, bringing Lynn in as well. As the referee tried to drive Shane and Jerry from the ring, Johnny Swinger rushed out, took up a tag belt and charged Starr with it. Starr ducked the blow, causing Swinger's shot to bounce off Senshi's bald forehead, then spun Johnny around and hit him with the Blockbustarr. Starr covered Senshi for the pin and won the Candido Cup, but Swinger and Douglas immediately attacked him and Lynn after the bell. They held Starr down and called for Senshi to use the Warrior's Way on him, but Senshi instead turned and floored them with a pair of roundhouse kicks, driving them from the ring. The match ended with the NWA World Tag Champions and Candido Cup winners standing tall and proud, specifically Austin Starr, the co-holder of both.

Result: Austin Starr & Jerry Lynn win via pinfall at 11:14

Overall Rating: 78%

Crowd Reaction: 74%

Match Quality: 83%

Singles Match: A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett

With his "spiritual advisor" on the disabled list, Styles was very cautious going against Jarrett, keeping his game on the ground for most of the match. Jarrett answered back with punches and slams, but Styles kicked away from an attempted figure four leglock and scored with his patented Pele backflip kick. Styles scored with the Spiral Tap corkscrew splash, but Jarrett kicked out at two. In the end, Jarrett stopped short after a leapfrog and tossed Styles over the top rope. A.J. hung on and launched into a springboard clothesline, but Jeff caught him in mid-air and planted him with the Stroke to end the match.

Result: Jeff Jarrett wins via pinfall at 11:19

Overall Rating: 78%

Crowd Reaction: 80%

Match Quality: 75%

Tag Team Match: Eric Young & Kurt Angle vs. Petey Williams & Robert Roode, with Miss Brooks

Roode arrogantly marched to the center of the ring to face off with Kurt, but he walked head-first into a veritable mauling as Angle went absolutely Olympic on his ass. After some vicious forearms to the bridge of the nose, Angle hurled Roode into the corner with a release German suplex. Williams tagged in but there was no stopping Angle as he continued to unload with headbutts, punches and suplexes before planting him with the Olympic Slam. At last, Kurt snatched up Petey's foot and twisted it with the anklelock. He hung on with the hold until being clobbered from behind by the X-Division Title. He turned, and came face to face with his own partner, Eric Young. Young backed away as Kurt moved in on him, but Robert Roode rushed in with the Northern Lariat from behind. After another shot with the belt, Williams delivered the Canadian Destroyer and made the pin. The crowd watched on in horror as Scott D'Amore and A1 came out to join in the beating, proudly waving the Canadian flag. D'Amore took up the microphone and heralded the reunion of Team Canada to TNA. As A1, Williams, Roode and D'Amore held Angle's arms, Young busted him open with his title belt before turning to the crowd and denouncing them for mocking him. He hoped they'd had their fun, because the days of laughing at him were over. From this point forward, Young said he would be laughing with Team Canada at fat, stupid and angry Americans like Kurt Angle. Just before leaving, Team Canada draped their flag over Angle and asked what the iMPACT! Zone thought of their hero now.

Result: Petey Williams & Robert Roode win via pinfall at 6:05

Overall Rating: 78%

Crowd Reaction: 76%

Match Quality: 81%

Non-Title Match: Samoa Joe vs. Tomko, replacing Christian Cage

Unfamiliar in his role as the smaller man in the match, Joe showed surprising power by slamming Tomko repeatedly. Tomko ducked a clothesline and took Joe down into a Fujiwara armbar, then continued to target the arm and shoulder with a hammerlock slam and a shoulderbreaker. Tomko used a powerbomb but Joe kicked out at two and came up swinging, despite having limited use of his left arm. Tomko was whipped into the turnbuckle and suffered a harsh flying knee strike to the face, but Joe's injured arm prevented him from connecting with the muscle buster. Tomko fired back but Joe delivered a clothesline, knocking both he and Tomko over the top rope to the floor. Joe propped Tomko in a chair next to the guard rail and launched into a running kick, but Tomko dodged the blow and scored with a kick of his own, sending Joe spilling into the front row. As the two battled their way through the crowd and out of view, the referee had no choice but to call off the match and count both out.

Result: No-contest via double count-out at 12:28

Overall Rating: 73%

Crowd Reaction: 71%

Match Quality: 75%

Hangman's Horror Match: Matt Bentley vs. Raven

The barbaric rules of the Hangman's Horror Match were sadistically simple. The match could only end when the loser was suspended, with neither foot touching the ground, by a noose around the throat. Raven retrieved the noose first and began opening up on Bentley with punches before slipping it around his neck and dragging him into the aisle. Raven tried to bend Bentley over his back to hang him, but Matt fought him off and slipped out of the noose. Winded, Bentley crawled to the side of the stage where Raven again tried to hang him. Unfortunately for Bentley, Raven lost his grip on the rope, causing Bentley to crash through a table some ten feet below. Raven climbed down to retrieve the noose, but Bentley blindsided him with a punch and tied the other end around his neck. Raven lurched forward and bit Bentley's face, drawing blood, then smashed him head-first into a nearby scaffold. Raven tried to hang Bentley from the scaffold, but took a vicious superkick in the process. Bentley slowly climbed the scaffold and tried to pull Raven's feet from the floor but lacked the strength to do so. In a last-ditch effort, Bentley secured the rope on the top of the large TNAtron video screen above the entrance tunnel, and while tightly clutching his end, made a harrowing leap backwards, tumbling behind the stage to sure injury. Bentley's fall tightened the rope, causing Raven to be dragged skyward by his throat. Officials quickly hit the scene to cut the rope and lower Raven down, but it became immediately clear that, despite winning, Bentley's sacrificial dive had likely done more damage to himself.

Result: Matt Bentley wins via lynching at 11:07

Overall Rating: 88%

Crowd Reaction: 99%

Match Quality: 64%

NWA World Heavyweight Title #1 Contender's 30-Man Gauntlet Match

According to the rules, wrestlers would enter in sixty-second intervals and could only be eliminated when they were thrown over the top rope and both feet touched the floor. Lance Hoyt entered first and made rather quick work of the second entrant, Mr. Natural, before the ring began filling up. Five men stood in the ring when Jerry Lynn, the seventh entrant, made his way to the ring. Lynn quickly dispatched of Enforcer C.W. but as he did so, he was dropkicked from behind by A.J. Styles and sent packing himself. Chris Harris entered tenth and immediately targeted James Storm who had been in the ring for a while. Entrant eleven, Senshi, also charged in with a target in mind, but A.J. Styles ducked his charge and backdropped him over the top rope in incredibly short order. Considering the extended brutality of his match earlier, Abyss surprised everyone by hitting the ring as the fourteenth entrant, giving everyone else involved quite a challenge. New number-one contenders LAX looked to add another future title shot to their upcoming schedule as they entered back to back with Homicide in at number seventeen and Hernandez following shortly after at eighteen. They quickly proved it wasn't exactly every man for himself by joining forces against the fatigued Elix Skipper. The final string of entrants was star-studded as numbers twenty-three to twenty-nine featured former NWA Champion Jeff Jarrett, former NWA Champion Ron Killings, former X-Division Champion Kurt Angle, PCS Winner Alex Shelley, Brother Runt, current X-Division Champion Eric Young and current NWA World Tag Team Champion Austin Starr. The thirtieth and final entrant, Samoa Joe, missed his cue, which Mike Tenay and Don West attributed to his out of control brawl with Tomko which apparently still continued. Abyss dispatched of Shark Boy and Jay Lethal within a minute, then sent Robert Roode packing shortly after. Meanwhile, Angle gained a measure of revenge on his traitorous partner by belly-to-belly suplexing Eric Young to his elimination. Across the ring, Shane Douglas dumped James Storm out after nearly a half-hour of action for the Tennessee Cowboy. The other longest lasting wrestler in the match, A.J. Styles, met his end at the hands of Jeff Jarrett, marking Jarrett's second victory over the Phenomenal One on the night. As the brawl continued, it slowly whittled down to just four men standing, Abyss, Angle, Jarrett and Harris. As Angle and Harris slugged it out, Jarrett countered a Black Hole Slam and dropped Abyss throat-first across the top rope with a Stroke before digging deep and muscling him over the top and out. Angle Olympic Slammed Harris and applied an anklelock, but a running clothesline by Jarrett knocked the gold medallist out of the ring. Having been in action for fifteen minutes before Jarrett even entered, the Wildcat was thoroughly exhausted, in no condition to battle Jarrett. A hard clothesline sent him out as well, leaving Jarrett as the last man standing. However, no sooner did he turn around than he ran into an A.J. Styles dropkick and went sailing over the top to the floor. Total confusion ensued as Jarrett proclaimed victory, but the referees noted that not all thirty men had yet entered the ring. Thus, by default, the thirtieth entrant had already won. Just then, the iMPACT! Zone went dark and a lavish pyrotechnic display burst forth from the entrance tunnel as Fozzy's "Enemy" began pumping through the soundstage. Chris Jericho made his way to the ring and climbed inside, claiming instant victory and a free shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Title! As Sacrifice faded to black, even Don West was speechless as Jericho took his first-ever steps into the six-sided ring.

Result: Chris Jericho wins via over the top rope elimination at 40:50

Overall Rating: 67%

Crowd Reaction: 56%

Match Quality: 79%

TNA News & Notes

May 14th, 2007

30-Man Gauntlet Individual Statistics

Lance Hoyt: 0:00-7:48, eliminated by James Storm, one elimination

Mr. Natural: 0:00-1:04, eliminated by Lance Hoyt

Petey Williams: 1:00-2:34, eliminated by James Storm

James Storm: 2:00-29:46, eliminated by Shane Douglas, three eliminations

Enforcer C.W.: 3:00-5:24, eliminated by Jerry Lynn

A.J. Styles: 4:00-29:39, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett, four eliminations

Jerry Lynn: 5:00-6:42, eliminated by A.J. Styles, one elimination

Elix Skipper: 6:00-25:44, eliminated by Kurt Angle

Johnny Swinger: 7:00-32:20, eliminated by Kurt Angle

Chris Harris: 8:00-38:58, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett, one elimination

Senshi: 9:00-9:04, eliminated by A.J. Styles

Ron Harris: 10:00-12:43, eliminated by A.J. Styles

Simon Diamond: 11:00-14:33, eliminated by James Storm

Abyss: 12:00-35:45, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett, four eliminations

Jay Lethal: 13:00-28:30, eliminated by Abyss

Robert Roode: 14:00-29:48, eliminated by Abyss

Homicide: 15:00-30:00, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett

Hernandez: 16:00-24:48, eliminated by Shane Douglas

Sonjay Dutt: 17:00-27:11, eliminated by James Storm

Shark Boy: 18:00-27:42, eliminated by Abyss

Shane Douglas: 19:00-32:20, eliminated by Kurt Angle, two eliminations

David Young: 20:00-27:40, eliminated by Alex Shelley

Jeff Jarrett: 21:00-39:05, eliminated by A.J. Styles, six eliminations

Ron Killings: 22:00-30:49, eliminated by Chris Harris

Kurt Angle: 23:00-37:57, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett, four eliminations

Alex Shelley: 24:00-32:36, eliminated by Abyss, one elimination

Brother Runt: 25:00-31:25, eliminated by Kurt Angle

Eric Young: 26:00-28:46, eliminated by Kurt Angle

Austin Starr: 27:00-34:54, eliminated by Jeff Jarrett

Chris Jericho: 40:50-40:50, winner

Raven To Miss iMPACT! Tapings

Due to a pulled muscle in his back, Raven has been given some time off by TNA. The injury was apparently suffered in April but Raven has continued to work television tapings and house shows in order to build up momentum for his feud-ending match with Matt Bentley. TNA management has been very impressed by Raven's attitude and he is expected to receive a big push upon his in-ring return.

MAJOR SACRIFICE NOTES: Kip Punished, Russo's Tag Division Plans, Canadian Reunion, Jericho's Debut, More

It's believed that Kip James' removal from the pay-per-view was a message to him that his recent lackluster performances will no longer be tolerated. James has been accused of not giving 100% for quite some time and, barring a quick change of attitude, will likely be featured less and less on TNA programming. His pre-show match opponent, Lance Hoyt, was given full credit for holding their match together.

The creative department was said to be disappointed at the outcome of the Candido Cup Tournament, especially considering it was marred by mid-tourney substitutions. Vince Russo in particular pushed hard to have Senshi and Douglas pull out the win, citing Douglas' close relationship with Candido. Russo wanted Senshi to then side with Douglas and Swinger and turn heel, leading to the vacating of the tag titles. Russo is reportedly adamant about putting the tag belts on a slapdash team of main eventers despite the on-camera storylines of several teams looking to strengthen the division from within. Russo was overruled and the decision was made to give the tournament babyface winners.

The creative department is excited about the prospect of the Team Canada reunion and they are expected to have a very big role in July's Victory Road pay-per-view in Ontario. It's not yet known whether or not Miss Brooks will be a permanent fixture in the group. A1 is also suspected to be on his way out of the stable.

Management was unhappy with the crowd response to the shocking debut of Chris Jericho and blame the muted reaction to confusion over the gauntlet match's finish. Jericho will appear, in a non-wrestling capacity, at tomorrow's iMPACT! tapings to build his Slammiversary title match with Christian Cage. Cage, still recovering from elbow surgery, will not appear. Many within TNA, including some participating in the match themselves, were unaware that Jericho would be closing the show as the default winner. In another gauntlet note, Mr. Natural's elimination was said to be legitimate as he lost his grip on the rope and fell out of the ring within the opening minute or so.

In other backstage news, based on the reaction to his introduction and recent booking, Alex Shelley will likely be booked as a babyface from now on, despite the drought of X-Division heels. Shelley was featured in a TNAwrestling.com "behind the scenes" article about new production equipment purchased by TNA acting particularly "face-ish".

WWE/TNA Hirings/Firings

As viewers of tonight's live RAW broadcast already know, former WCW and TNA star Sting has officially signed with World Wrestling Entertainment. This marks the first time in his career he has worked for the company. In addition, Scott Steiner and Terry Funk have both agreed to terms with WWE and are expected to dock a little time in OVW before being called-up, likely to the RAW brand.

In TNA news, Sacrifice marked the debut appearance of newcomer Chris Jericho, working on a handshake agreement with the company, as well as the final appearance of Diamonds In The Rough founder Simon Diamond. Diamond. Rumors that Simon's release was indicative of a new age directive for the company as TNA is looking to lower the average age of the roster were proven false when the company offered developmental contracts to The Destruction Crew, 39-year-old Mike Enos and 45-year-old Wayne Bloom. The duo is best known for their stint in WWE as The Beverly Brothers.

Scott Keith Rates Sacrifice

Abyss def. Rhino, ****1/2 - Abyss is definitely the MVP, working over a third of the show.

LAX def. Diamonds In The Rough, ***1/2 - LAX, still the best reason to watch TNA.

Austin Starr & Jerry Lynn def. Senshi & Shane Douglas, ***1/4 - Eh, I liked it.

Team Canada def. Eric Young & Kurt Angle, *** - Extra star for the post-match promo.

Jeff Jarrett def. A.J. Styles, *** - Jarrett's best match since returning to TNA.

30-Man Gauntlet, **3/4 - Jericho just wins? WTF?

Samoa Joe n/c. Tomko, **3/4 - Horrible booking.

Matt Bentley def. Raven, **1/2 - I know KOTR '98 and this was NO KOTR '98.

Lance Hoyt def. Kip James, *1/2 - I don't care if it was free, I want my money back.

Edited February 10, 2007 by C-MIL

[C-MIL]

iMPACT! Results

May 17th, 2007

Overall Rating: 71%

Rematch: Kip James vs. Lance Hoyt

In a rematch from the Sacrifice pre-show, Lance picked up right where he left off by dominating Kip. James ducked a big boot and hit his Missouri Boat Ride finisher, but neglected to make a cover, instead taunting the crowd with crotch chops. Hoyt recovered, hit a splash mountain bomb and then planted Kip with the Texas Tower Bomb for the pin.

Result: Lance Hoyt wins via pinfall at 3:39

Overall Rating: 64%

Crowd Reaction: 66%

Match Quality: 60%

Interview: Jim Cornette

Director of Authority Jim Cornette swung his door open, looking outside at Jeremy Borash. Borash had a string of question, mostly regarding the shocking appearance of Chris Jericho at Sunday's pay-per-view. Cornette refused to answer any questions and ordered Borash to direct Jericho to his office in the event he spotted him backstage. He closed by saying whatever Jericho had done, he wouldn't get away with it.

Overall Rating: 82%

Interview: Matt Bentley

Elsewhere backstage, Leticia interviewed Matt Bentley about his incredible Hangman's Horror Match with Raven. Bentley admitted he was a physical wreck, but claimed to have never felt better. He had successfully broken whatever grip Raven held over him and, for the first time in a long time, was a free man. He added that the experience had changed him, teaching him to have no fear and show no mercy. He vowed that TNA was about to bear witness to a new man, a free man.

Overall Rating: 79%

Singles Match: Matt Bentley vs. Mr. Natural

Natural scored with a dropkick to take control of the match, but after whipping Bentley into the turnbuckle, he ran head-first into a raised boot. Bentley nearly pinned Natural with a sunset flip, but he clicked his heels across Matt's ears to escape. Natural connected with the Natural Disaster but got nothing but knees on his shooting star press, then suffered a Bentley superkick which ended the bout.

Result: Matt Bentley wins via pinfall at 5:12

Overall Rating: 80%

Crowd Reaction: 73%

Match Quality: 88%

At Least They Agree On Something

In the locker room, the Diamonds In The Rough, sans former manager Simon Diamond, assembled for a chat. Both agreed that Simon failed to live up to his promise to guide their careers to a better place, actually believing he had done the opposite. Skipper claimed he had gone from a former tag champion and X-Division title contender to nothing, confessing he thought things were much better for him before teaming with Young. Young made a confession of his own, albeit a bit more biting one. He told Skipper truthfully that he had never liked him and thought he was just a show-off. Skipper laughed and admitted he never liked Young either. The two shared a laugh and a parting handshake, then wished each other luck as they went their separate ways.

Overall Rating: 55%

Something Big Is Coming

Pulsating beats pumped rhythmically as images of a large, shadowy figure walking down a long corridor aired. The video ended with the text "Something Big Is Coming" followed by the Slammiversary logo.

Overall Rating: 78%

The New Team 3D

Backstage, Brother Runt stood atop a chair, glaring over Ron Harris and Enforcer C.W. He called them parts of two of the most influential families in pro wrestling, mistakenly believing they were related to Chris Harris and the legendary Anderson family. Runt added he too was part of a storied wrestling lineage, but that his half-brothers had chosen to abandon him in TNA to pursue opportunities in Japan. Thus, Runt christened them Brother Ron and Brother C.W. respectively, referring to them as The New Team 3D and called them to follow him to the ring. Ron and C.W. looked at each other, then both agreed it was better than nothing and followed Runt to the ring.

Overall Rating: 58%

Six-Man Tag Match: Team Canada, with A1, Miss Brooks & Scott D'Amore vs. The New Team 3D

Runt battled like a ball of fire, chopping all three of his opponents before driving a headbutt into the gut of Petey Williams. C.W. tagged in and planted Petey with the ferris wheel suplex before tossing Runt to big Ron for a side suplex. Ron chokeslammed Petey but Runt refused to let him make the pin, wanting the glory for himself. Their infighting allowed Petey to tag in X-Division Champion Eric Young who clocked Runt and dropped an elbow into his chest. After Roode delivered a few kneedrops, he used the Northern Lariat to set Runt up for Williams' Canadian Destroyer, which easily put Runt down.

Result: Team Canada wins via pinfall at 7:22

Overall Rating: 67%

Crowd Reaction: 62%

Match Quality: 73%

War Declared

After the match, Team Canada celebrated with each member standing atop one of the six turnbuckles. Their joy was cut short as Kurt Angle's music hit. The Olympian came out onto the stage, fuming over the betrayal he had suffered at Sacrifice. He said all of Team Canada would pay, and pay dearly, but that his main target was the mastermind behind it all, Coach D'Amore. Angle promised, come hell or high water, he would make D'Amore tap, even if it meant first going through every member of Team Canada. D'Amore grew cocky and dared Angle to accept the six-on-one odds and come to the ring, but he underestimated Angle's willingness to fight. As Angle approached, Team Canada went scrambling. The largest and slowest member of the group, A1, was unable to escape the ring before Angle grabbed him.

Overall Rating: 61%

Impromptu Match: A1 vs. Kurt Angle

Angle yanked A1 into the ring by his ankle, drilled him with the Olympic Slam and applied an anklelock for a lightning-quick submission victory. Team Canada watched on in horror as Angle refused to release the hold, wrenching at A1's foot and the beefy Canuck cried out in pain. Referees swarmed the ring to pry the rabid Olympian off and get A1 some much needed medical attention. After finally releasing the hold, Angle promised that everybody in Team Canada should expect the same, very soon.

Result: Kurt Angle wins via submission at 0:29

Overall Rating: 69%

Crowd Reaction: 66%

Match Quality: 72%

King Of The Mountain

The stage exploded with pyro as "Enemy" played, ushering in Chris Jericho for his first-ever iMPACT! appearance. After sauntering to the ring, Jericho proudly declared that TNA is Jericho and would never, ever be the same again. Turning his attention to Christian Cage, he said his appearance at Sacrifice was about payback and at Slammiversary, Cage would learn first-hand what he meant. The vague threat was interrupted by a furious Jim Cornette. Cornette confronted Jericho, demanding to know how he got into the iMPACT! Zone at Sacrifice and, more importantly, how he got officially registered as the final participant in the gauntlet, a spot Cornette had previously promised to Samoa Joe. Jericho called it a "last-minute substitution" and said if Joe wasn't cool with it, he could confront Jericho himself. Jericho immediately demanded to know details about his NWA Title match with Cage at Slammiversary, but Cornette wasn't about to let the Joe issue go so easily. Cornette said Joe, originally scheduled to face Cage at Sacrifice, was still the number-one contender and would get the shot at Slammiversary. However, his hands were tied regarding Jericho's gauntlet victory, meaning Jericho would also get a shot. Cornette said he was disgusted in honoring Jericho's gauntlet win, considering the strange circumstance by which it occurred, and decided to also honor two other outstanding performers as well. Chris Harris, the longest-lasting participant, and Jeff Jarrett, the man with the most eliminations, would both also receive a title match at Slammiversary. Thus, Cage, Joe, Jericho, Harris and Jarrett were ordered to compete in a five-way King Of The Mountain reverse ladder match!

Overall Rating: 82%

TNA News & Notes

May 21st, 2007

TNA Original Released

After nearly five years of employment, Chris Harris has parted ways with TNA. Reportedly a mutual decision, TNA announced his release early Saturday morning, despite the fact that iMPACT!'s latest batch of tapings have him booked in a prominent match. It is believed Harris will soon sign an exclusive contract with WWE. According to Harris' official website, he offered to stay on with the company until after Slammiversary, but the offer was rejected by TNA management.

Time Off?

It's being reported that several TNA stars will be taking a bit of time off after Slammiversary for various reasons. There is apparent concern over Kurt Angle's physical health which may result in time off for the Olympian. Angle has fought this idea tooth and nail but management is adamant about the matter, believing a planned removal from storylines will be better for all parties than would an unplanned one due to injury. Matt Bentley is another wrestler on injury watch. The 26-year-old Texan has been feeling the pressure to up the ante in his matches considering his new "fearless" character. Other wrestlers suspected of taking time off are A1 and Elix Skipper, both due to creative repackaging. It appears at this point that Kip James may also be leaving, perhaps not to return.

SPOILERS: May iMPACT! Results, Slammiversary Card

iMPACT! Results

Gail Kim def. Miss Tennessee cleanly.

A.J. Styles challenged the King Of The Mountain participants.

Ron Killings def. David Young cleanly.

Rhino def. Abyss after Tomko interfered.

Kurt Angle challenged Scott D'Amore.

Austin Starr & Senshi def. LAX by DQ to retain the tag titles after Shane Douglas & Johnny Swinger interfered.

A.J. Styles def. Jeff Jarrett & Chris Harris to win Harris' KOTM spot after James Storm interfered.

James Storm def. Shark Boy cleanly.

Shane Douglas & Johnny Swinger challenged Austin Starr & Senshi.

Shane Douglas & Johnny Swinger def. Jay Lethal & Sonjay Dutt.

Alex Shelley def. Elix Skipper cleanly in a #1 Contender's match.

Petey Williams challenged Kurt Angle.

Samoa Joe def. Tomko cleanly in a falls-count-anywhere match. Chris Jericho came out after the match.

Slammiversary Card

NWA World Heavyweight Title "King Of The Mountain" Match: Christian Cage © vs. A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe

If Angle Wins, He Gets 5 Min. With Scott D'Amore: Kurt Angle vs. Petey Williams

NWA World Tag Title Match Elimination Match: Austin Starr & Senshi © vs. Team Canada vs. Johnny Swinger & Shane Douglas vs. LAX

If Storm Wins, Gail Kim Leaves TNA Forever: Chris Harris vs. James Storm

TNA X-Division Title Match: Eric Young © vs. Alex Shelley

Matt Bentley vs. Rhino

Abyss vs. Tomko

Kip James & David Young vs. Lance Hoyt & Ron Killings

Edited February 11, 2007 by C-MIL

[C-MIL]

iMPACT! Results

May 24th, 2007

Overall Rating: 73%

The Best Of Both Worlds

A.J. Styles and Father James Mitchell opened iMPACT! by coming to the ring and denouncing the line-up for Slammiversary's King Of The Mountain match. Styles said it was unfair that Jeff Jarrett and Chris Harris had been added to the match based on their sacrifice gauntlet performances because his performance was overall superior to both. Mitchell said it was simply more persecution against Styles and called for Jarrett or Harris to do the right thing and give their spot in the match to Styles. The Wildcat answered the call and came forth, saying that if anyone in TNA had been denied an opportunity, it was him. However, to shut Styles up, he offered A.J. a chance to prove he belonged in the gauntlet. Jarrett was next out, asking Harris to step aside and insisting he and Styles had unfinished business, stemming from well before Sacrifice. Styles accepted both men's offers and a three-way main event was made.

Overall Rating: 75%

Singles Match: David Young vs. Ron Killings

The opening match featured David Young's return to the singles ranks. Young targeted Killings' knee to prevent him from administering his trademark axe kick. Killings tried to fight back, but Young connected with the snap spinebuster. Killings propped his foot on the bottom rope to break the count. still favoring the knee, Killings came back swinging with punches and outbrawled Young until hitting the Truth Or Consequences gourdbuster for the tough win.

Result: Ron Killings wins via pinfall at 6:53

Overall Rating: 65%

Crowd Reaction: 60%

Match Quality: 86%

Candido's Spirit Lives On

Backstage, Jerry Lynn visited the NWA World Tag Team Champions before their big title match against former champions, LAX. Lynn congratulated Austin Starr and Senshi on their efforts at Sacrifice, as well as successfully coming together as a team. While not on the same page, the two had managed to become the top team in TNA. Now that they were working together, Lynn said the two had a much brighter future as a team. Senshi bowed respectfully to Lynn and thanked him, as did Starr who added that he couldn't have won the Candido Cup without him. The two meekly asked Lynn for a favor, requesting he give them the benefit of his experience as their manager. Lynn was honored and agreed, but as his first lesson, noted that defending a championship on a regular basis was far more difficult than simply winning it in one match. He called for Starr and Senshi to bring their A-games to the ring later on. After Lynn left, Starr sternly reminded Senshi of that, prompting the warrior to claim he always brings his A-game.

Overall Rating: 76%

Sacrifice Rematch: Abyss vs. Rhino, with Father James Mitchell

After their incredible unsanctioned war at Sacrifice, the Holy War Machine and the monster reprised their rivalry on iMPACT! Still smarting from the barbed wire lacerations across his back, Rhino immediately tried to put Abyss away with a thunderous slam. Rhino stomped at Abyss' gut, softening him up for the Gore, but Abyss rallied back and pancaked Rhino with a big flapjack. After a big boot, Abyss whipped Rhino to the ropes for the Black Hole Slam. Rhino ducked and bounced off the far side ropes into a Gore, but Abyss moved. Rhino floored the referee with the devastating finisher, then got spun into the Black Hole Slam. The referee was unable to register the fall and Father James Mitchell climbed onto the apron to intervene. Abyss stood and scared him away, but turned back around into a colossal big boot by Tomko! Abyss tried to get up, but Tomko blasted him with another kick to the head before vacating the ring. Rhino rolled over for the cover and pin, redeeming his Sacrifice loss. After the bell, Tomko returned to the ring and administered a crushing chair shot to the skull of Abyss, leaving him completely unconscious and Mike Tenay and Don West equally perplexed.

Result: Rhino wins via pinfall at 7:54

Overall Rating: 83%

Crowd Reaction: 87%

Match Quality: 99%

Interview: Kurt Angle

Leticia interviewed Kurt Angle backstage, asking for elaboration on his plan to systematically destroy the newly-reformed Team Canada. Angle laid it out simply. At Slammiversary, he would go one-on-one with any member of Team Canada. If he won, Scott D'Amore would then agree to spend five minutes alone in the ring with him. If he lost, he would agree to never again physically harm any member of Team Canada. Leticia asked how Angle was going to ensure the match stayed one-on-one, but Kurt told her he had a plan. Angle promised someone would be watching his back, someone he could trust.

Overall Rating: 100%

Something Big Is Coming

Another "Something Big Is Coming" Slammiversary hype video aired. Much like the first, it featured thumping beats and a dark figure standing in an obscure corridor. The person stood closer to the camera and the beats' tempo was faster, the only discernable differences between the two videos.

Overall Rating: 66%

Renounced

Escorted by a pair of cloaked druids, Matt Bentley arrived in The Holy Trinity's chapel, under the invitation of Father James Mitchell. Mitchell smiled and welcomed Bentley, noting that he had been expecting him. He said he knew of Matt's family and their devout belief system, calling Bentley a true enemy of evil in TNA. After seeing Bentley resist the temptation of Raven, Mitchell decided he belonged at the side of The Holy Trinity, fighting alongside he, Rhino and A.J. Styles to rid TNA of evil. Bentley stood face to face with the preacher and fearlessly refused the offer. He claimed it had taken so much energy to escape the influence of Raven and he had no interest of falling under Mitchell's spell. If Bentley was truly an enemy of evil, he said that The Holy Trinity would be enemies of him. Furthermore, Bentley said he was disgusted that Mitchell had perverted religion to control his disciples, promising to pray that Rhino and Styles find the strength and courage to resist Mitchell as well. Mitchell smirked and said God refuses the prayers of sinners, then stepped aside so Rhino could blast Bentley with a Gore! Standing over the fallen Bentley, he promised The Holy Trinity would absolve his "suicide attempt" at Sacrifice by beating the "daredevil" out of him, then left with a sinister cackle.

Overall Rating: 73%

No Latin Canadian Exchange?

Backstage, Jeremy Borash met up with LAX moments before their NWA World Tag Team Title match. Homicide and Hernandez were upbeat and promised to bring the titles back home. As they spoke, Team Canada members Robert Roode and Petey Williams approached from behind and looked on with disgust. Roode leaned over to Williams and said the only thing worse than "regular America" was Latin America, simply because it wasn't America but desperately wanted to be. Homicide and Hernandez took offense, but Williams comically put up his dukes and insisted he was from Canada's "mean streets", mocking the impoverished upbringing of LAX. A brief brawl broke out, but officials were quick to break it up and pulled LAX away, ordering them to go to the ring.

Overall Rating: 62%

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: Austin Starr & Senshi ©, with Jerry Lynn vs. LAX

The backstage incident had fired up the challengers beyond belief. After a shining wizard knee strike on Starr, Homicide made a cover which Senshi broke up. Senshi tagged in and battled back, trading kicks with Homicide before chopping out his knee and roundhousing him into the corner. Hernandez tagged in and floored the warrior with a flying clothesline, then hurled him from the ring with a release belly-to-belly suplex. Starr and Homicide came back, but it wasn't long before Austin connected with the Blockbustarr. As he made the cover, Johnny Swinger and Shane Douglas swarmed the ring and attacked, resulting in an instant disqualification. After spiking Starr with a DDT, Swinger joined Douglas in driving Senshi down with a double reverse STO. They then grabbed Jerry Lynn and hooked him for a spike piledriver, but LAX, irate over the disqualification, broke it up. Chaos ensued as all three teams began swinging fists, prompting officials to again pull LAX away from the brawl.

Result: Austin Starr & Senshi retain via disqualification at 6:22

Overall Rating: 75%

Crowd Reaction: 78%

Match Quality: 91%

Abduction

Backstage, the camera took a peek as Gail Kim changed in her locker room. As she pulled her shirt up over her head, James Storm blindsided her with a superkick from out of nowhere! He smirked, then scooped her unconscious body into his arms and made off with her.

Overall Rating: 76%

Three-Way King Of The Mountain Qualifying Match: A.J. Styles, with Father James Mitchell vs. Chris Harris vs. Jeff Jarrett

The rules of the match were simple. Whichever wrestler was pinned or gave up would not be in Slammiversary's King Of The Mountain championship match. Harris dominated both men early on, using a double flying clothesline to floor them both. He scored with the Catatonic on Jarrett, but A.J. broke up the pin. Realizing had Jarrett been pinned he would have earned his place in the match by default, Styles grew angry at his mistake, but Jarrett nearly made him pay dearly by rolling him up for the pin. Styles backdropped Jarrett over the top rope to escape a piledriver, then dropped Harris with a springboard clothesline. He climbed up top for the Spiral Tap but Jarrett briefly thwarted it. A.J. fought Jarrett off, but Harris climbed up and superplexed the Phenomenal One to the canvas, nearly scoring the three count. Styles dazed Harris with a Pele kick, but Jarrett grabbed styles and tried to Stroke him out. Just then, James storm, carrying the unconscious Gail Kim, sauntered out onto the stage. Holding her over a ten-foot drop, he demanded to talk to Harris about reforming AMW. Harris looked on in horror as Storm threatened to drop her onto the unforgiving concrete. With Harris and the referee distracted, Mitchell slipped into the ring and clocked Jarrett with his cane, preventing Styles from getting Stroked. Jarrett lunged at Mitchell and chased him from the ring, but it was all for naught. A.J. rolled the distracted Harris up and propped his feet on the ropes for the pin. As iMPACT! ended, Styles and Mitchell escaped, not only unscathed but now with a golden opportunity to bring home the NWA World Heavyweight Title.

Result: A.J. Styles wins via pinfall at 9:07

Overall Rating: 70%

Crowd Reaction: 79%

Match Quality: 76%

TNA News & Notes

May 28th, 2007

iMPACT! International, Plus Bound For Glory News

iMPACT! will air two same-day broadcast tapings from Windsor, Ontario, Canada in July. July 5th and July 12th are the dates. July 8th will be the "Victory Road" pay-per-view, also held in Windsor. TNA will also venture out of the iMPACT! Zone for October's Bound For Glory pay-per-view. Right now, the list of possible venues includes Detroit (site of last year's BFG), St. Louis and the T.D. Waterhouse Center in Orlando. TNA is currently looking into working on more same-day broadcasts for iMPACT! as concern has been raised over the proliferation of spoilers and their negative impact on ratings.

Behind The Scenes Notes, Possible Slammiversary Spoilers

It has been rumored that bookers will be laying out the card order the night of the show, leaving everyone wondering which match will be inevitably bumped to the pre-show. Because pay-outs on the night are determined by the match order, it's believed only the King Of The Mountain and Kurt Angle matches are beyond being lowered.

Speaking of Kurt, it's expected he will lose his match at Slammiversary and thus end his rivalry with Team Canada. Raven, who will serve as Angle's special enforcer, will be reportedly Angle's next feud.

In the tag title match, it's expected that Austin Starr and Senshi will again retain the gold. Management is apparently very high on their team chemistry and hope working with veterans Shane Douglas and Johnny Swinger will only help them develop. There is an outside chance the veteran team may win, but regardless of the outcome, the feud is expected to continue.

Agents have been pushing heavily for the Rhino/Abyss feud to continue. It's believed their in-ring chemistry is perfect. Both are expected to win their respective matches, or if not, interfere in each other's matches. Management has been up in the air on the idea since the latest iMPACT! tapings. Word is that they feel the two cannot top their Sacrifice performance. Rhino has reportedly agreed with this sentiment and has been pushing for Abyss to get another shot in the title picture.

As of right now, plans for after Slammiversary will be for Chris Jericho to feud with Christian Cage and for A.J. Styles to feud with Samoa Joe. One of these feuds will be over the NWA World Title, but according to sources close to the creative department, it's unsure which. The top two candidates to win the King Of The Mountain match are A.J. Styles and Chris Jericho. Jeff Jarrett has been called a "last resort" by at least one member of the creative team. Even Jarrett himself has reportedly thrown his support behind Styles.

Slammiversary Match Changed

It should come as no surprise that the Chris Harris/James Storm match at Slammiversary will no longer occur, thanks to Harris' release from the company. The storyline surrounding the match will continue though. TNAwrestling.com has added an intergender match to the card as Gail Kim will replace Harris to take on Storm. According to unconfirmed reports, the original plan was for Storm to defeat Harris in a match for Gail Kim's career, then he would allow Gail to return if Harris reformed America's Most Wanted with him. The match stipulation will most certainly be changed now.

TNA Match Added To Verano De Escondalo

According to AAA's official site, Petey Williams will take on Senshi at July's Verano De Escandalo in Mexico. Senshi is advertised under his TNA trademark and not his more popular moniker, Low-Ki, indicating that TNA is behind the booking. According to the web report, Jerry Lynn will be in Senshi's corner. It's widely believed this match will be aired on TNA television at some point.

"Druids" Identified

The two druids in the Matt Bentley/Rhino segment were development workers Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom. Just a week after the tapings, Bloom received his release from contract. Management felt he is simply too old to bother developing and too underdeveloped to join the main roster. Enos remains under contract and is scheduled to challenge Border City Wrestling heavyweight champion A1 for the title.

[C-MIL]

iMPACT! Results

May 31st, 2007

Overall Rating: 72%

Singles Match: James Storm vs. Shark Boy

A week removed from his callous assault on Gail Kim, the Tennessee Cowboy continued his habit of bullying against the smaller and less aggressive Shark Boy. After raking Sharky's eyes, he lit him up with chops to the chest, then paused to sip his beer before leveling him with a clothesline. After growing weary of toying with the finned fighter, Storm fired a superkick. Shark Boy caught the boot, spun him into a modified stunner and delivered a neckbreaker. The crowd tried to cheer Sharky on to victory, but after Storm slipped out of the D.S.D. and scored with the Eye Of The Storm, it was over.

Result: James Storm wins via pinfall at 6:27

Overall Rating: 66%

Crowd Reaction: 65%

Match Quality: 68%

Interview: Gail Kim

In a sit-down interview with Jeremy Borash, Gail Kim spoke of her hate for James Storm. While managing America's Most Wanted, she had always seen something in Chris Harris and felt he carried Storm. When Storm put her out of action with a broken bottle to the face, Gail said James proved he couldn't settle things with Harris man-to-man because he wasn't a man. Now that Harris had left TNA, Gail promised to prove to everyone that she was "twice the man" Storm was. She agreed to leave TNA if Storm could pin her at Slammiversary, but added that if she won, the "Tennessee Cowgirl" had to wear a dress for thirty days.

Overall Rating: 74%

Gangin' Up?

Backstage, Kip James approached a forlorn David Young. Having failed in his first bid as a singles star in TNA, Young muttered that he was giving up on professional wrestling and going back to working event security. Kip would have none of it. He told Young that he had seen him in action against Ron Killings last Thursday and that Young had impressed him. David brushed off the compliment, saying he had heard it before, particularly when Simon Diamond brought him on as a Diamond In The Rough. Kip disagreed, saying Simon saw potential in his abilities while Kip saw none. Instead, James was impressed by David's "outlaw spirit". Young was intrigued and wanted to know more, so Kip invited him to hang out and chat a while.

Overall Rating: 60%

Interview: The Greatest Generation

Elsewhere backstage, Leticia caught up with Johnny Swinger and Shane Douglas, collectively known as The Greatest Generation. Douglas insisted that he and Johnny represented the last true generation of professional wrestler, with everyone coming after being more interested in stunts and flashy moves than actual wrestling. Swinger agreed, promising to teach the "kids" of TNA a wrestling lesson. Shane said they would start at Slammiversary by dethroning Austin Starr and Senshi and embarrassing the pioneer of the misguided generation to follow, Jerry Lynn. Together, they swore to bring respect back to the NWA World Tag Team Titles.

Overall Rating: 64%

Tag Team Match: Sonjay Dutt & Jay Lethal vs. The Greatest Generation

In their tag team debut, The Greatest Generation had the perfect chance to prove their point against youngsters Lethal and Dutt, the very embodiment of the fast-paced, flashy style they sought to eliminate. Dutt immediately outran Swinger and scored with a swinging tornado DDT, followed by the Sonjay Star Press. Dutt tried to use the Hindu Press to finish him off, but Swinger avoided the contact and tagged in Douglas. The Franchise walked right into a double dropkick, then was crushed by Dutt as Lethal backdropped his partner onto Shane's chest. Lethal continued the offensive strike with a stomp to the chest, then bridged Douglas into a dragon suplex for a near fall. Swinger broke up the pin and put the boots to Jay. Dutt tried to come in and help, but the referee cut him off, turning his back to the Generation's double team. Johnny and Shane hit Lethal with the Paradigm Shift, their double reverse STO, and Douglas rolled over for the pin.

Result: The Greatest Generation win via pinfall at 8:05

Overall Rating: 72%

Crowd Reaction: 68%

Match Quality: 77%

Something Big Is Coming

In the final hype vignette, the shadowy figure appeared just in front of the camera, too close to focus clearly on his or her face. The beats heard over top of the package were now thumping rapid-fire as the sound of loud, hostile breathing joined them. Indeed, "Something Big Is Coming", just three days away at Slammiversary.

Overall Rating: 76%

TNA X-Division Title #1 Contender's Match: Alex Shelley vs. Elix Skipper

With a Slammiversary shot at Eric Young's X-Division Title at stake, Elix and Alex held nothing back against one another. Shelley worked over Elix's neck with a headscissor and a series of neckbreakers, but Skipper bridged out of a DDT to nearly pin Shelley with a Northern lights suplex. Shelley went for the Shellshock, but Skipper slipped out and floored him with a kick. In the end, Skipper failed to hit the Play Of The Day and suffered a second Shellshock attempt before being pinned.

Result: Alex Shelley wins via pinfall at 4:28

Overall Rating: 84%

Crowd Reaction: 78%

Match Quality: 90%

The Destroyer Unleashed

Backstage, the members of Team Canada assembled around Leticia. That is until Scott D'Amore ripped the microphone away from her and the group moved her to the back. D'Amore claimed Kurt Angle had made a colossal error by putting his ability to touch Team Canada on the line, promising that the crew was just going to outsmart him at Slammiversary. Once Angle is forbidden to touch Team Canada, D'Amore said he would lure Kurt into doing so anyway and get him fired. If putting his own body on the line was what it took to rid TNA of it's "ugliest American", Scott said he'd do it, putting all of his faith in captain Petey Williams to successfully lead Team Canada to victory.

Overall Rating: 74%

Interview: Tomko

Mike Tenay sat down with Tomko for a lengthy interview, the first since Tomko had come to TNA. Of Christian Cage, Tomko said he came to TNA to help him out, but since Cage's arm injury he had learned a great many things about Cage that he didn't like. He refused to go into specifics, but simply said Cage could now consider him one of the many challengers gunning for the NWA World Heavyweight Title. About his rivalry with Samoa Joe, Tomko said Joe was wrong for taking what had happened at Against All Odds personally. Tomko denied the claim that he deliberately lured Joe out of the iMPACT! Zone at Sacrifice in order to keep him from entering the gauntlet last. Tomko pointed out that he too had missed the opportunity to compete in the gauntlet as a result of the brawl. He promised to make Joe pay for it in their falls-count-anywhere rematch. When asked about the mysterious falling out between Chris Jericho and Christian Cage, he simply laughed and said he wasn't surprised. Apparently Cage has had a very hard time maintaining his friendships as of late. Finally, Tomko spoke of Abyss, saying there was still a lot of bad blood between the two, a grudge Tomko had put on hold for far too long. He promised to expose Abyss at Slammiversary, then explained he didn't mean by shedding light on his mysterious past, he meant by removing the monster's mask.

Overall Rating: 55%

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Samoa Joe vs. Tomko

Seconds after the opening bell, Joe knocked Tomko out to the floor with a running clothesline. After suicide diving onto him, Joe hurled Tomko into the ringpost with a vicious belly-to-belly suplex. Joe powerbombed Tomko in the aisle before shooting in and attempting to apply the Coquina Clutch. Tomko slipped out and sent Joe into the guard rail, then blasted him with a running boot. He tried to execute the move again, but Joe dodged it, causing Tomko to crotch himself on the rail. Joe hoisted Tomko up for a modified muscle buster, then slapped on the Coquina Clutch and choked him out of the stage for the win.

Result: Samoa Joe wins via submission at 9:02

Overall Rating: 73%

Crowd Reaction: 71%

Match Quality: 75%

King Of The World

As Joe stood over the fallen Tomko, the stage lit up with pyro and "Enemy" hit. Chris Jericho stepped through the entrance tunnel and went nose to nose with Joe. After a very intense stare-down, Jericho stepped back and offered a handshake to Joe, telling him it would be an honor to stand alongside him as they both competed for the NWA World Title for the first time. Joe shoved away the hand and said Slammiversary was his time. Jericho had already tried to steal it once at Sacrifice by taking his spot in the gauntlet, but wouldn't succeed in his second attempt. Jericho insisted his actions at Sacrifice were nothing personal and that he only wanted to compete with the best TNA had to offer. Joe promised there would be no competition, for Joe was going to kill him and everybody else in his way of becoming NWA World Heavyweight Champion. With that, he walked away and iMPACT! came to a close.

Overall Rating: 87%

Slammiversary - This Sunday Night, Only On Pay-Per-View!

NWA World Heavyweight Title "King Of The Mountain" Match: Christian Cage © vs. A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe!

If Angle Wins, He Gets 5 Minutes With Scott D'Amore: Kurt Angle, with ??? vs. Petey Williams, with Scott D'Amore!

NWA World Tag Title Match Elimination Match: Austin Starr & Senshi © vs. Team Canada vs. The Greatest Generation vs. LAX!

Career Versus Dress Match: Gail Kim vs. James Storm!

TNA X-Division Title Match: Eric Young © vs. Alex Shelley!

Matt Bentley vs. Rhino, with Father James Mitchell!

Abyss vs. Tomko!

Pre-Show Match: Kip James & David Young vs. Lance Hoyt & Ron Killings!

Slammiversary - This Sunday Night, Only On Pay-Per-View!

[Matt]

I've kept quiet in my reading of this diary, mainly because I continually get caught behind due to your fantastic update speed

Jackie Gayda

BG James

Kazarian

Devine

Christopher Daniels

Sting

Kevin Nash

??? - I don't think I caught who was fired after lockdown

Tammy Sytch

Chris Sabin

Scott Steiner

Brother Ray and Devon

Norman Smiley

Simon Diamond

Chris Harris

Wayne Bloom (?)

That's the list of released wrestlers that I've gathered so far, I spoilered it so as to not drag the post on . Outside of Sting (who would realistically be going to retire soon enough anyway) and Christopher Daniels, there haven't been many major releases so far, at least nothing that can cause a particularly big problem.

Not sure why Jacobs was brought in though, but I've thought for a while that he's one of few indie guys I'd like TNA to pick up. Nonetheless, I thought you were only going to bring in people as replacements due to injury/supsension, unless Jacobs is the replacement for David Young Same goes for Tammy. ECW was brought in as replacement for Hoyt, I guess, and Jericho replaced Christian Cage. There's probably a few other hirings I've completely blanked over

If you could explain/confirm those things and also fill the question marks in on the releasees list, that'd be much appreciated C-MIL

But enough of the negatives. You're update rate is amazing, and probably the best on the board, especially given the quality. I hope - and know you will - stick with this diary at least until it comes to some sort of a conclusion. I like most of the angles going on at the moment, and am particularly interested on the "something big is coming". I have a few guesses as to what that could be, however, I'll keep the close to my chest. I don't expect you to go for the 'obvious' choice, but wouldn't be disappointed if you did.

Predictions in spoiler tags so as not to make this post too big.

NWA World Heavyweight Title "King Of The Mountain" Match: Christian Cage © vs. A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe!

Joe, no, too early, AJ Styles, don't see it right now, Christian Cage, I think it's about time to drop, Chris Jericho, little early I think, besides he's open contract, can't see you risking him being stolen by the 'E, not including the already risk of him being fired, Jarrett hasn't had the belt for while, he's Vince's friend, he has power backstage, it's logical. Also, you calling him a 'last resort' seems a bit of a red herring to me. I see him winning by debut of the 'Something Big'.

If Angle Wins, He Gets 5 Minutes With Scott D'Amore: Kurt Angle, with ??? vs. Petey Williams, with Scott D'Amore!

Eh, I don't really know which way to call this, I've gone for Petey because it'd further the storyline - with Scott trying to get Kurt fired - and also put Petey over.

NWA World Tag Title Match Elimination Match: Austin Starr & Senshi © vs. Team Canada vs. The Greatest Generation vs. LAX!

I've gone for Team Canada in the other bout, I aint going for A1/Roode here, I don't know why, but I'm going for the 'Exchange.

Career Versus Dress Match: Gail Kim vs. James Storm!

Underdog win sounds about right, besides this is TNA under Russo... Storm has to wear a dress.

TNA X-Division Title Match: Eric Young © vs. Alex Shelley!

No build-up, would surprise me - or not so much seeing as this is Russo - if Shelley beat Young.

Matt Bentley vs. Rhino, with Father James Mitchell!

Bentley appears to be your diary-child in this diary, so therefore Bentley goes over, simple as.

Abyss vs. Tomko!

Abyss, because he destroys everyone. Also it's a little premature to have Abyss lose the mask now, that should happen a month or two down the line, although I'm not keen on it happening at all.

Pre-Show Match: Kip James & David Young vs. Lance Hoyt & Ron Killings!

I'd be very disappointed if Kip and David Young went over 2 future stars, Lance moreso.

I'll start giving more detailed feedback from now on, seeing as it's my new year's resolution (just a little late is all)... Good luck and I really enjoy this diary, despite me probably sounding really negative throughout. Any chance you could not update from this Saturday to next? I don't want to come home to having to read 10 shows

Note to self: Stop whoring " "

[ZJ Penn]

NWA World Heavyweight Title "King Of The Mountain" Match: Christian Cage © vs. A.J. Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe!

Don't see Cage retaining, he's lost a lot of momentum with his injury. AJ Styles just doesn't seem the right choice at the moment and Chris Jericho would really surprise me given that it seems he has yet to find a "groove" on the roster and could possibly disappear as quick as he appeared. Jeff Jarrett is another good call, as he doesn't seem like a main eventer unless he has the title, if you understand what I'm saying. I'd see it as a bit of a cop-out going with the Jarrett win, it'd be better if one of the three who aren't JJ or Cage won the match for me personally. Hence, I'm picking Samoa Joe. There isn't one man on the roster with title credentials who he hasn't fought/come face-to-face with at one point, it'd make sense to choose him for this reason given that people can be fired at any time.

If Angle Wins, He Gets 5 Minutes With Scott D'Amore: Kurt Angle, with ??? vs. Petey Williams, with Scott D'Amore!

Clearly Big Show is someone touted as the Big Surprise, and I can see a swerve debut given his history in WWE with Angle. Appears as his friend to drive off Team Canada, one Showstopper later it's Angle on the mat.

NWA World Tag Title Match Elimination Match: Austin Starr & Senshi © vs. Team Canada vs. The Greatest Generation vs. LAX!

None of those teams have the momentum Starr and Senshi have, just would be an illogical move to me, given their alignment with Lynn now. The only feasible ones being LAX, although it would be a bit of a bolt from the blue.

Career Versus Dress Match: Gail Kim vs. James Storm!

Hopefully, you'll just have Storm annihiliate her like he would in real life for two reasons. a) I hate these types of gimmick matches where someone has to do this or that etc. They're hard to do something creative and original with if the wrestler in question loses. b) I'm really liking Storms character at the moment. Comes across as a complete and utter bastard with the tricks he pulls on Harris and the like, and even though he's the less talented one from AMW, he has potential as an upper midcarder at least. Plainly put, he loses, and the Vito comparisons begin.

TNA X-Division Title Match: Eric Young © vs. Alex Shelley!

This is close. Shelly, although coasting, could take the belt from Young any day of the week even without a feud in place so a win for him wouldn't stun me, but this Team Canada reunion is one that would benefit from having some sort of title associated with it.

Matt Bentley vs. Rhino, with Father James Mitchell!

As I think I said before, Bentley has real potential from a wrestling standpoint and could very well make the grade should some bigger names get eliminated. Rhino drifts from feud to feud with no real plan for a push seemingly in place. I don't mind though, I think he's midcard material at best. Bentley wins, then benefits by being thrown into either the X-Division picture, or a bigger name feud.

Abyss vs. Tomko!

Bizarrely, it sounds like you have relatively big things planned for Tomko, which is good. Abyss on the other hand, should be fighting for the belt for me, he's a strong character in the diary. If the main event goes as planned above, Joe - Abyss could be great in a few months, as it'd be a nice touch for Joe to finally have someone kick fuck out of him and be the underdog for once. It'd be a nice bit of character development.

Pre-Show Match: Kip James & David Young vs. Lance Hoyt & Ron Killings!

The only reason James should be around is because he can get people like Hoyt over slightly through a clean job (thats if he still has any credibility to his name left). That, and the fact elimination booking hasn't taken him yet. Hoyt and Killings haven't worked a solid program for a while (if at all) and could do with a win to stop their momentum from dropping completely.