Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
On Sunday, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling returns to pay per view with its latest offering. Will this month’s pay per view be as hot as last month when we saw a fire break out in the rafters during the opening match? Last month saw Jeff Jarrett retain the NWA World Heavyweight Title thanks to interference from Christian Cage. This month, Jeff Jarrett will be in the ring, but he will not defend the title on pay per view until Bound for Glory when he faces Samoa Joe. Last month, we saw A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles. However, as we approach No Surrender, they are the challengers thanks to LAX’s victory a few weeks ago on Impact. This time, the titles will be on the line in the first tag team Ultimate X match. We will also see the X Division title defended as Senshi will face the number one contender, Chris Sabin. Speaking of number one contenders, we will find out who the next team to challenge for the tag titles will be as we have a Triple Chance Battle Royal on the pay per view.
All opinions in this preview are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of anyone else associated with PWInsider.com unless they are specifically stated by that person. In addition, this preview is solely for (sports) entertainment purposes and should not be considered to be anything that contains inside information about the pay per view.
Remember to check out all of the TNA coverage on the site leading up to this pay per view.
Here are the matches announced for the pay per view:
Jeff Jarrett versus Samoa Joe in a Fan’s Revenge Lumberjack Match
This match is the result of Jeff Jarrett’s inability to tell the truth on a polygraph test. In order to punish Jeff Jarrett, Jim Cornette decided to give the fans a chance to get their hands on Jeff Jarrett while Jarrett gets to keep the title until his match with Sting at Bound for Glory. Instead of bottles and other trash, the fans will be given leather straps to use on Jeff Jarrett if he tries to escape the ring. Some people might think that the leather straps might be the better option when you look at the man that Jarrett has to wrestle. A strap to the back by one of the fans might not be as harsh as a chop or kick from Samoa Joe. Will Jeff Jarrett’s chances at Bound for Glory be hurt by the beating that he will take in and out of the ring on Sunday? Will Samoa Joe get a victory over the champion and set him up for a title match in the near future? Will any of the fans use the leather straps on Samoa Joe? Will Earl Hebner be the referee for this match?
Jeff Jarrett is the current NWA World Heavyweight Champion and he will be the champion after this pay per view and when TNA goes to Detroit for Bound for Glory. Jeff Jarrett won the title at Slammiversary in the King of the Mountain match and he has continued to hold the title with apparent assistance from people under his control. In the recent polygraph test, Jarrett was exonerated from any collusion in the match when he regained the title and his defense against Sting when Christian Cage attacked Sting. It appears that the number of different alliances that Jeff Jarrett has been in have backfired because it was his apparent work with Larry Zbyszko that caused this match. Will Jeff Jarrett do whatever it takes to survive as unscathed as possible so he can properly train for the four weeks leading to his match with Sting at Bound for Glory?
Samoa Joe has been a part of TNA for more than a year, and I am surprised that he has not been the NWA World Champion yet during his run. Joe had a lot of publicity behind his arrival based on his success in Ring of Honor, including a long title run. For a while, Joe was the most dominant member of the X Division and along with Christopher Daniels and A.J. Styles, they made it the focus of the company. At that time, Joe went against the concept of the X Division by attacking other members of the division. Since he lost the X Division title to Senshi, it looks like Joe has moved on to the heavyweight division, but he has not met with the same level of success. Joe has been a part of some of the major angles involving Sting and Jeff Jarrett over the last few months, but Joe turned on Sting after teaming with him. Since Joe has already taken care of Jarrett’s tag team partner in that match, Scott Steiner; it is time for him to focus on the final member of that match. On this week’s episode of Impact, Joe cut one of the best promos that I have seen in TNA when he vowed to give back to Jarrett everything that he has received ten fold. Will a victory by Joe on Sunday mean that he will get the winner of the Bound for Glory match between Sting and Jeff Jarrett at the November pay per view? Will any of the fans whip Joe during the match? If they whip Joe, will Joe whip them back?
I would look forward to this match more if they did not have the lumberjack stipulation and if the match was for the NWA World Heavyweight Title, and then have the winner of the match face Sting for the title since Sting would have issues with both wrestlers. With the fan climbing over the rails at the last Impact tapings as well as the recent situation with the fans in the front row at Unforgiven, I wonder how many fans will be at ringside and how many will be people with backgrounds in wrestling so they don’t have a situation where someone goes after one of the wrestlers or other fans. Getting back to the match, I think this match or the Ultimate X match will be the main event. I would expect to see Joe try to get Jarrett to leave the ring early in the match so we can see the fans strap Jarrett. After the first foray out of the ring, the times when Jarrett or Joe go outside the ring will be few and far between despite outside the ring action being a staple of Jarrett matches. With the match confined to the ring, it will allow Joe to use his power and size advantage to control the match. I think there will be one fan at ringside who we will find out was placed there by Jarrett who will make sure that Jarrett is safe after the first time on the floor. As the match goes on, Jarrett will use underhanded means to get a brief advantage on Joe. However, Joe will continue his ‘undefeated’ streak. I would like to see Joe get on the mic after the match to announce that since he won this match, he wants the winner of the title match at Bound for Glory at Genesis.
Prediction: Samoa Joe
Latin American Exchange (Homicide and Hernandez [with Konnan]) versus A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels for the NWA World Tag Titles in an Ultimate X Match
Over the last few months, this has been the top feud in the company and right now, these are the two best tag teams in Total Nonstop Action. While the in ring action has been very solid, the presence of Konnan has also made this rivalry so strong. He has been able to make this more than a wrestling angle and has thrown in current events by including the immigration issue into the angle and how the Latin American Exchange is doing it for all of the Latinos in the United States. Since LAX became the number one contenders for the titles, they have been getting under the former champion’s skin and after a successful title defense, LAX were able to get the titles in a Border Brawl. Since they lost the title, A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels have tried to get the advantage back in their attempt to regain the title. In the time since the Latin American Exchange have won the titles, it looks like the challengers are trying to escalate things to the same level that the champions have taken things. Will Styles and Daniels be able to regain the tag titles or will the Latin American Exchange continue to run roughshod over the tag team division? Will Hernandez be able to grab the belts on the cables or will his size be a handicap for the champions?
The Latin American Exchange have been champions for a little more than a month after failing to win the titles at Hard Justice. Since their match at Victory Road, Homicide and Hernandez have been the best tag team in the company and they deserved the title match against Daniels and Styles at the last pay per view. This team mixes all factors that make for a solid faction. You have Homicide, who is the best wrestler of the three; Hernandez, the physical monster who can toss any opponent around the ring; and Konnan, who is the mouthpiece and chief instigator who has been providing the best promos in the company at this time. The Latin American Exchange rode the wave of anti-immigration furor to get into the tag team title picture and used the issue to try to show that TNA management was looking past talented wrestlers because they were Latinos. After being kept out of the ring for a while, Homicide has shown that he is one of the top wrestlers in the company and the people in TNA are finally able to see what so many other wrestling fans in Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, and other companies have known. Despite not being the biggest wrestler, he is able to incorporate all styles into his matches. While Hernandez has been bounced around different groups during his time in the company, he has probably benefited the most from the Latin American Exchange angle. He has been a monster in the ring and his overhead belly-to-belly throw is amazing to see, especially when it is done on one of the bigger wrestlers in the company. While Homicide and Hernandez are doing it in the ring, Konnan is a major reason why this group is so over with the fans. He has incorporated political issues without making them too political, and he has done the one thing that nobody in the WWE has been able to do. When Konnan talked about the Latino wrestlers who paved the way for their success, he mentioned Eddie Guerrero’s name, only to have the crowd go from booing their segment to cheering, and then saying that he did not want the hollow applause from the gringos because Eddie’s name was mentioned.
In the year 2006, A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels have been the most consistent tag teams in the company and have been able to put aside all of the problems that might be associated with two singles wrestlers who had been feuding in the X Division at times. While they were the two of the top three in the X Division during 2005, they had to prove themselves as a tag team despite their previous success with other partners. After a number of problems with outside interference against America’s Most Wanted, they were finally able to capture the NWA World Tag Team Titles. After a long chase against America’s Most Wanted, they are back in chase mode against a team with some similarities to America’s Most Wanted because of the factor outside the ring that can throw a monkey wrench into the situation. Daniels and Styles have shown that they can succeed against the outside influence in the past and they will definitely need that taken care of on Sunday because a third person at ringside could be enough to help the Latin American Exchange retain the titles. Will A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels regain the tag titles in a match that definitely favors them? If they cannot win the titles back, will this be the end of the team? If the team is finished, will they return to the X Division or will both men have their eyes set on the World Title?
This has the potential to be the match of the night, and I hope that it will be the main event of the show, if it is not the Fan’s Revenge match. The early parts of the match will involve both teams trying to weaken their opponents enough to try to go for the belts on the cables above the ring. Konnan’s presence at ringside will hamper Styles and Daniels to the point where Homicide will be the first person to try to cross the cables to get the belts. With four people in the ring for this match, it will be easier to stop people from getting to the belts until their opponents are completely incapacitated. The cables will be used by all four men and will see some spectacular moves that rival what has already been seen in the previous Ultimate X matches. After attempts to use the cables to get to the belts will be unsuccessful, I would not be surprised to see a ‘chicken fight’ between the two teams to grab the belts. I think we will see Hernandez use his power advantage to control the match as it wears on and he will take care of Styles and Daniels to allow Homicide to get the title belts without any interference.
Prediction: Latin American Exchange
Senshi versus Chris Sabin for the X Division Title
Now that Kevin Nash appears to be out of the X Division title picture, and the entire X Division, it is time for things to get serious in the X Division, which has been the backbone of the image that Total Nonstop Action has attempted to present to their fans. That was until a few weeks ago when the current number one contender for the X Division title started to incorporate things he learned from watching the movie with fellow Team USA members Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal.
Senshi has been the X Division champion since he defeated Samoa Joe and Jay Lethal in a Triple Threat Match. Since that time, Senshi has had a few appearances on Impact and Xplosion. While the X Division is looking for a new identity, Senshi provides a straight-forward, no nonsense approach that is bringing the X Division back to a wrestling first division. Senshi has been one of the top wrestlers in the company during both of his runs, first as Low Ki, and now as Senshi. Senshi is one of the top wrestlers and this is a match where he can show it to the current TNA fans that might not be as familiar with his work in other companies or the previous run in TNA.
Chris Sabin has been a mainstay of the X Division and now that he is done with Kevin Nash, he can return to the title picture. Since TNA has been in Orlando, he has not held the title, but he is a former X Division champion. Chris Sabin has been one of the most consistent wrestlers in the X Division and when you see Chris Sabin in the ring, you know that you are going to get a good match. Sabin has been in a holding pattern because during the time when the X Division was the most dominant in Orlando, Sabin was just under the top three and never really got a chance to run with the big boys on a regular basis. A solid performance on Sunday will get Sabin back into that level and he should be able to help the future of the X Division.
I am hoping that this match will be given enough time and that it will not have the influence of Jackass that was prevalent in matches involving Chris Sabin during the last few weeks. Senshi will use the apparent disrespect from Sabin on last week’s Impact to get the early advantage using his martial arts skill. Senshi will try to make it a quick match, but Sabin will be able to counteract Senshi’s offense and Sabin will take control of the match. Sabin will appear to have the upset victory over Senshi, but the champion will hold on to win the match and set up a rematch. This match will not hurt either man’s position in the X Division, and should be given about twelve to fifteen minutes.
Prediction: Senshi
Abyss versus Brother Runt versus Raven in a No Disqualification Match
Over the last few months, Brother Runt and Abyss have been involved in a feud that makes a lot of people remember Runt’s time in ECW as Spike Dudley since it is the classic big man/small man feud. Recently, Raven interjected himself into the situation and appeared to be helping Brother Runt to get the advantage on Abyss. However, we recently saw that Brother Runt was fed up with Raven’s help and he attacked Raven after the Hangman’s Horror match on last week’s Impact. While we do not know the reason for Brother Runt’s turn on Raven, we might find out on Sunday. With this match being a no disqualification match, anything is possible and anything can happen. Will Brother Runt be able to take down two bigger men or will succumb to his opponents?
Brother Runt was told by his brothers to behave and he might do that before they return. Since he has been on his own, he has gone after Abyss with a vengeance. Runt has a history of taking on bigger men and succeeding. So far he has not been able to get a victory over Abyss, but he has come close a number of times. While Runt might be one of the smaller members of the TNA roster, he is able to bang with the big boys.
Abyss has been one of the top heavyweights in Total Nonstop Action and while he gets an occasional title match, he is typically overlooked when it comes to the NWA World Heavyweight Title. With James Mitchell at his side, Abyss is able to focus on destroying his opponents and can be guided by one of the most dangerous managers in wrestling. Abyss has been in all types of matches so a no disqualification match might be a welcome change of pace for Abyss. I would expect to see Abyss use thumbtacks during the match since it has been his calling card.
Raven is one of the men you think of when you hear ‘No Disqualification’. Raven had been the apparent mentor for Brother Runt after he made the save for Runt and observed some of his matches. However, it appears that it was not effective since Runt turned on Raven last week. We know that Raven has issues with James Mitchell and Abyss, but now he has to deal with Brother Runt. Will he be able to focus on the matter at hand or will that cause a rift and lead to a defeat for Raven.
With this being a no disqualification match and the history between the three men, there might be two or three wrestling holds. This match will be a brawl for the ten to fifteen minutes that this should last. I would not be surprised to see this match go outside the ring and there will probably be a spot or two that occurs on the stages by the chutes to tease action going off the stages to the floor. With the recent 10,000 Thumbtacks match on Impact, I would not be surprised to see a repeat of the spot through the tables. I think Abyss and Raven will take care of Brother Runt so the match will be between Raven and Abyss. I think that Abyss will take advantage of the fact that he is younger and that will be the difference for Abyss.
Prediction: Abyss
Christian Cage versus Rhino
This match was built after Hard Justice when Rhino confronted Christian Cage after Cage hit Sting with the guitar and he left the Impact Zone. This feud pits two long time friends who started off their careers together and have seen their paths cross many times, with the most recent time being in Total Nonstop Action. Both men are former NWA World Heavyweight Champions and it is likely that both men will be in the title picture in the future. Will Rhino’s performance on Sunday be affected by the fact that he will be wrestling in his home town next month at Bound for Glory? Will Rhino be able to get beyond his anger at Christian? Will Christian continue to play mind games with Rhino and use that to his advantage?
Christian Cage came into Total Nonstop Action almost a year ago and in that time, he has been the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, but it appears that he has always been worried by the amount of publicity that Sting received since it was announced that he would be signing with TNA. It appeared that Christian had gotten past the anger of being left in the lurch by Sting’s retirement after Final Resolution, but it would appear that despite being champion, the focus was on Sting. Did that factor into Christian’s decision to attack Sting last month? Christian had also been a fan favorite in the Peep Zone, but recently, he has appeared to have a change of heart that has also provided a new spark in his promos and demeanor. Will Christian be able to take advantage of Rhino the way that he has over the last month when they are face to face, since he has been attacking Rhino from behind.
We are coming up on the anniversary of Rhino winning the NWA World Heavyweight Title at Bound for Glory, and it appears that he is ready for another shot at the title. However, he will need to take care of his former friend before he can think about the title. Rhino has been at or near the top during his time in the company and he has shown that he deserves to be there. While Rhino has remained a fan favorite during his feud with Christian, Rhino has also shown a new intensity that reminds me of his time in ECW. Will a victory over Christian give Rhino a chance to get a title match? What is next for the War Machine after his feud with Christian? Will we see Rhino square off with Samoa Joe while both men try to get the title?
This match will mix both wrestling and brawling and has the potential to steal the show. I would expect to see Rhino get the early advantage in the match due to his power advantage over Christian. Rhino will use his anger over the last six weeks to maintain that advantage. However, the newly devious Christian will use nefarious means to get the advantage and he will control the middle of the match. When Christian thinks that he has things wrapped up, Rhino will get a second wind and he will eventually finish off Christian with GORE.
Prediction: Rhino
America’s Most Wanted versus The James Gang versus The Naturals versus Alex Shelley and Johnny Devine versus Diamonds In The Rough (Elix Skipper and David Young [with Simon Diamond]) versus Matt Bentley and Frankie Kazarian versus Ron Killings and Lance Hoyt versus Shark Boy and Norman Smiley in a Triple Chance Tag Team Battle Royal to determine the Number One Contender for the NWA World Tag Team Titles
This match is a result of the fire from No Surrender and the ‘Captain’s Match’ that determined the number one contender for the tag titles. After the Naturals got the title match on Impact, they lost their next match so Shane Douglas took away their title match. He has also stated that if they do not win the match, then he will be severing ties with The Naturals. The winner of this match will have a hard time building on the LAX feud with A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels.
The way the Triple Chance Battle Royal is being conducted is that all sixteen men will be in the ring for a battle royal. Your team is not eliminated until both members of the team are eliminated. When they are down to the final two teams, those two teams will wrestle in a standard tag team match for the number one contender spot.
Instead of looking at each team individually because there are eight teams in the match, I will first look at the teams that I believe will not win the match. While I think they are one of the most underrated tag teams in the company, I think the fact that the Diamonds in the Rough have not been used on television recently means that they will not become the number one contenders. I also think that Shark Boy and Norman Smiley will fall short, but they will contribute some interesting spots to the match, but it will not be enough. I also think that Lance Hoyt and Ron Killings will not win because Lance Hoyt recently returned to television on Xplosion. Even though they won that match, I do not think they will contend in this battle royal. The final team that I do not think has a chance to win the match is Matt Bentley and Frankie Kazarian. Since Frankie Kazarian’s return to TNA, he has not had much success so I do not think they will win this match. I think they will do well, but will not be among the final two teams in the match.
The following two teams have a chance to make it to the final two, but I do not think they will make it. The first team is Alex Shelley and Johnny Devine. I think Alex Shelley should be on top of the X Division, but they have decided to pair him with Kevin Nash and then they added Johnny Devine to the group. If they are going to make it to the final two, I think it will be due to Alex Shelley. The other team that I think will just miss out on the final two is the James Gang. I think they have had their chance at the tag team titles, but since they have not made it to the titles, they will probably have other teams to deal with.
The two teams that I think will make it to the final two are America’s Most Wanted and The Naturals. This would not cause too many subplots to develop. First, this was the main tag team feud in the early part of 2005 when The Naturals won the tag titles with Chris Candido at their side. You now have one of Chris’s friends, Shane Douglas managing the team as long as they continue to win. With the hell that they have been put through, will the Naturals want Shane to continue to manage them? America’s Most Wanted has been beset with drama of their own since they lost the tag titles to Christopher Daniels and A.J. Styles. It appears that Gail Kim has been the one thing that has held them together through all of the bickering between Chris Harris and James Storm. I think that with the fact that Shane Douglas is going to stop managing the Naturals if they lose that will give the Naturals the number one contender spot. Then they can build on the fact that the Naturals were attacked when they ‘crossed the border’ at the start of the LAX angle.
Prediction: The Naturals.
Petey Williams versus Jay Lethal
This match is a rematch from this week’s episode of Impact when Jay Lethal, with help from Sonjay Dutt and Chris Sabin defeated Petey Williams thanks to a bowling ball to the groin that they learned from watching Jackass Number Two. This match features the old school of the X Division as well as the new generation of the division. Petey Williams has been a mainstay of the X Division since the Nashville days while Jay Lethal has been with the company since the end of 2005. This match should help determine the future contenders for the X Division title.
Petey Williams, along with Chris Sabin, has been one of the constant people in the X Division. Now that he is no longer a part of Team Canada, he has the opportunity to establish an identity for himself separate from the group. He has kept the leadership qualities that he possessed while in Team Canada to keep himself a viable contender in the X Division. Even though Petey is a former X Division champion, he has been put in the second tier while Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and A.J. Styles dominated the division. Now that those three wrestlers are out of the X Division, it is time for Williams to regain his spot.
Jay Lethal is one of the rising stars of the X Division and the industry. Lethal started off strong in his debut against Samoa Joe. Lethal was an integral member of Team USA in the World X Cup and he helped them win the World X Cup. Lethal is able to mix his aerial skills with solid mat wrestling. It is interesting that Lethal has appeared to revert to his Special K character Hydro with his recent Jackass tie in.
These two men had a good match on Impact and if given enough time they could have a very good pay per view match. I would expect Lethal to use his speed advantage early in the match. At some point, Williams’s experience will help him take control of the match and he will try to finish things off with the Canadian Destroyer, but Lethal will be able to escape the hold. Lethal will wear down Williams and he will get the victory.
Prediction: Jay Lethal
Eric Young versus A1
This is a rematch of the post Team Canada era and is the second time that Eric Young has wrestled a former Team Canada member. Last month, Eric Young wrestled Johnny Devine last month and outside of the fire in the rafters, they had a decent match. Will another disaster beset the Impact Zone when Eric Young steps in the ring?
Eric Young is a chameleon since one week he has the fans supporting him with the ‘Don’t Fire Eric’ campaign, and the next he is helping Jeff Jarrett try to pass a polygraph test and then go to ‘Los Angeles’ to try to find Sting. Eric Young has been one of the best characters in the company and they have not overused him to the point where the fans will start to turn against him. Eric is a solid wrestler and takes some crazy bumps and is very reminiscent of old school wrestlers.
A1 has been in limbo since the break up of Team Canada and is looking to find an identity in the framework of the company. A1 was the powerhouse of Team Canada and he has been part of tag teams over the last few weeks. A victory in this match should do a lot to re-establish A1.
This could be the opening match of the night and should go about six to eight minutes. A1 will try to gain the early advantage over Eric using his strength and trying to outsmart Eric. However, A1 will make a mistake that will allow Eric to take advantage of the situation and he will be able to get the victory.
Prediction: Eric Young
Feel free to send feedback to richard@pwinsider.com
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
