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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live coverage of the 2008 TNA Slammiversary PPV from Southaven, MS, right outside of Memphis. TNA played up the Memphis angle with shots of the city and an Elvis impersonator interspersed with TNA footage, pushing the top matches and the wedding later tonight.
TNA set off a ton of pyro to open the show as Mike Tenay and Don West welcomed everyone to the event.
TNA X-Division champion Petey Williams (with Scott Steiner & Rocka Khan) vs. Kaz
Williams is wearing protective gear over his face while Kaz's arm is taped up. They locked up with Williams grabbing a go-behind and wrenching Kaz's arm. Kaz reversed and took control. The dueling chants started almost immediately. Kaz ducked a clothesline and hit a high cross bodyblock for a two count. They go into a series of reversals with two counts. Williams avoided the Wace of the Future but Kaz escaped a Canadian Destroyer attempt. Williams backed out of the ring and was checked out by Scott Steiner.
Kaz took control on Williams with several kicks including a spinkick. It's obvious that Kaz is trying to protect Williams' injuries. They end up outside the ring. Khan distracted Kaz, allowing Williams to come off the apron with a tornado DDT on the floor. He tossed Kaz back into the ring and continued the assault with kicks. Williams whips Kaz into the turnbuckles and Kaz runs into the buckles.
Williams hit a jawbreaker and a spinkick. He charges Kaz in the corner but Kaz turns it into a sunset flip attempt for a two count. Kaz is knocked to the floor. Williams dove over the ropes onto Kaz's shoulders, snapping him into a hurancanrana on the floor. He tosses Kaz back into the ring, then drills him over his knees with a backbreaker for another two count.
Williams suplex Kaz, then ties up Kaz with a submission attempt. Kaz begins to mount a comeback. He and Williams go back and forth until Kaz nailed a kick. They get to their feet and Kaz begins laying in forearms and punches. He nails Williams with a running back elbow, then hits a Kryptonite Krunch for a two count.
Williams missed a charge in the corner and Kaz drilled him with a slingshot into a DDT. Williams rolls out of the ring onto the apron to regain his bearings. Kaz catches him diving back into the ring for another two count. Williams uses a drop toe hold to snap Kaz's neck across the center ropes. Williams snatches him up with a side Russian leg sweep.
Kaz missed a spinkick but was hit with a knee strike to the face. Williams nails Kaz with a flapjack but Kaz kicked up at two. Williams went to the top rope but Kaz dropkicked him.
Kaz called for the Flux Capacitor. He went for it and Williams fought him off with a series of elbows. Williams teased a Canadian Destroyer but Kaz escaped. He went for the Capacitor again but Williams was knocked to the floor. Williams returned to the ring. Kaz went for a backslide, but Williams turned it into a Destroyer attempt. Kaz reversed and hot another Kryptonite Krunch for a two count.
Rocka Khan got into the ring in front of the referee but was kicked by Kaz. As the referee dealt with her, Scott Steiner tossed Williams a pipe and he struck Kaz with it. Williams rolled Kaz over but Kaz, now busted open, got his shoulder up at the last second. Kaz is bleeding a ton.
Williams went for another Destroyer but was rolled up for a two count. Williams turned it into a Sharpshooter but Kaz forced his way up. It was the Wrestlemania 13 Austin-Bret spot, right down to a closeup of Kaz's bloody face fighting through the pain. Kaz fought off Williams. He went to climb to the top but Scott Steiner tried to attack him. He fought Steiner off.
Williams finally caught Kaz with the Destroyer and pinned him to retain the title.
Your winner and still X-Division champion, Petey Williams!
All three continued to beat Kaz after the bell and threw the referee out of the ring. Steiner told Kaz that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Steiner said he wanted to know where his title rematch was and wanted to know why he wasn't wrestling tonight. He said TNA was scared to have him as champion. He told Kaz that he was going to make sure Kaz didn't get to have his TNA title shot on Thursday and continued beating him.
Abyss' music played and he came out, complete with pyro, dressed in white mental ward garb with "Parks" on the back and a new grey mask. I thought his last name was Mitchell because Rev. Jim was his father? Abyss hit the ring and challenged Steiner. Steiner shoved Williams into Abyss, who nailed him with the Black Hole Slam. Steiner attacked him but got the Black Hole Slam as well. Rocka Khan made it a trifecta.
The opener was solid but I don't think it was anything over the top great. Still, it was good. It really felt like they were being careful due to Williams' injury, which is understandable. The Abyss return didn't really explain his new direction or give us any clues in what TNA has planned for him, beyond a new costume and mask.
Mike Tenay and Don West began running down the crowd. Mickie Knuckle's TNA ring name is "Moose." I know they want to own the name, but sheesh, that is awful.
Eric Young showed up and said he found Elvis and the "King is on his way." West said he's been dead for 30 years. Young said he looks great and thanked West for believing in him. They showed an empty chair in the front row with a sign that read, "Reserved for Elvis."
They went to a video feature on Kevin Nash, saying his lust for money overpowers his sense of loyalty. The jokes just write themselves.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Nash backstage about his role as the enforcer in the main event. Nash said that the business is about money, not about who the best wrestler is. Nash said he guesses he and Joe are friends, but he sees Joe more as an investment. He said that if Joe loses, Nash loses but if Joe wins, Nash cashes out.
They aired a video feature on the Knockouts.
We saw the first of what will apparently be a series of historic scenes from Memphis, this time Graceland. Well, I'd rather see this than the usual backstage soap opera. Hopefully they show some cool wrestling sites, like the Mid-South Coliseum.
The Beautiful People & Moose vs. Gail Kim & Roxxi & ODB
The babyfaces tripled on Moose early. The story was that Angelina Love and Venvet Sky abandoned her early. They tried to walk out but Kim and ODB jumped them in the aisle.
It settled down into Moose vs. Roxxi. Moose used a flapjack after Angelina distracted her. Angelina tagged in and worked over Roxxi. Moose tagged in and kneed her in the gut. She nailed a TKO on Roxxi for a two count. Sky tagged in and locked on an Octopus, biting Roxxi's hand as she was trapped in the submission.
RoxxI fought her way out and finally tagged Kim in. Kim unloaded with a series of elbows and forearms on Sky. She clotheslined Love off the apron, then nailed Moose as well. Kim came off the top with a flying bodypress for a two count on Sky. Kim rebounded off the ropes, but was tripped by Love, who then attacked Kim's "bad knee" which they claimed earlier had a strained MCL.
Sky began working over the knee, while Kim tried to fight back and even rolled her up at one point. Love tagged in and they worked over Kim. They continued to kick at her knee, pulling down her kneepad to insure it was exposed. Love draped the leg over the bottom rope, then dropped all her weight across it. She then wrapped Kim's leg around the ropes to stretch it. Kim tried to fight her way to a tag, but Love cut her off.
She locked on a single leg Boston Crab. Kim grabbed for the ropes, but Moose and Velvet pulled the rope away from her. Love dragged Kim into the center of the ring. Love tagged in Moose. She grabbed Kim's leg and pulled it up, slamming her knee into the mat. Moose locked on an Oriental Torture Device. ODB broke the move, saving Kim.
Moose wrapped Kim's bad knee around her head, torquing it. Kim got to the ropes but Moose wouldn't let go. Kim finally kicked her off and tagged ODB. ODB hit the ring and cleaned house on Moose and the Beautiful People. Moose charged her in the corner but was caught with an elbow. ODB came off the ropes with a Thesz Press for a two count.
All six brawled in the ring. Kim and Love brawl to the floor. Roxxi and Sky went out of the ring as well. ODB hit an Oklahoma Stampede on Moose for the clean pinfall.
Your winners, Gail Kim & ODB & Roxxi!
A fun six man tag. I don't think this was at the level of some of the blowaway matches the Knockouts have had of late but there was nothing wrong with it.
They aired a video feature on Rhino.
Lauren interviewed Rhino about the King of the Mountain match. Rhino said the last year was the most difficult year of his life, professionally and personally. He said that he realized he had issues that effected him at home and on the road. He said making peace with Christian helped him progress as a person, because sometimes you have to let go and move on. Rhino said winning tonight will give him the confidence he needs. He promised that his second chance started tonight.
They aired a video feature on LAX vs. Team 3D.
TNA Tag Team champs LAX (with Salinas & Hector Guerrero) vs. Team 3D.
Hernandez and Devon opened the bout. Hernandez nailed a shoulderblock while rebounding off the ropes. LAX worked over Devon in the corner and Homicide covered him for a two count. Devon raked Homicide's face and tagged in Brother Ray.
Ray powered Homicide into the corner and called him a "small, small, small, small little man." Homicide ducked under a punch and nailed a hiptoss. Ray came back with a snapmare takeover. The fans chanted for tables.
Ray slammed Homicide, who escaped and nailed an armdrag. He raked Homicide's eyes but Homicide came back. He went for a monkey flip but Homicide couldn't get him over. Ray slapped Homicide, who returned the favor with a dropkick off the ropes. Hernandez tagged in with a flying shoulderblock.
Team 3D ended up on the floor, where Hernandez hit a dive on Devon followed by a Homicide tope con hilo on Ray. Homicide tossed Ray back into the ring for a two count. Homicide went to the top rope but Devon shoved him off the floor. Salinas and Guerrero checked on Homicide, but Ray kicked them away, then whipped Homicide into the guard rail.
Homicide was tossed back into the ring, where Devon choked Homicide against the ropes. Devon hit a back elbow as Homicide rebounded off the ropes. Devon peppered Homicide with right hands in the corner. Ray cranked on Homicide's neck, but Homicide fought his way back. Homicide came off the ropes but was caught with a sideslam.
Devon tagged in and slammed Homicidie. He went for the top rope headbutt but Homicide escaped. Hernandez made the hot tag in, but the referee was distracted by Ray and didn't see it. Ray whipped Homicide into the corner and 3D continued the assault. Devon placed Homicide on top for a superplex but Homicide bit him on the ear, then hit a jawbreaker off the ropes.
Hernandez finally got the hot tag in and cleaned house on 3D. He backdropped them both, then clotheslined Ray. Hernandez held Devon up for a high vertical suplex, then splashed Ray in the corner. Homicide hit a high cross body off the ropes on Ray but Devon made the save at the two count.
Homicide is tossed out of the ring and 3D worked over Hernandez. 3D goes for the Wazzup headbutt, but Homicide tossed Devon off the corner. Hernandez held Ray for Salinas to do the wazzup but Johnny Devine hit the ring with a Singapore Cane. Guerrero pulled Devine out of the ring and caned him. Salinas hit the headbutt but didn't get the pop you'd think for that spot.
3D took control again as Devon worked over Homicide in the corner. Hernandez went under Devon and had him on his shoulders. Homicide came off the top with the gringo cutter. LAX took out Ray and went for the pin but Devon pulled the referee out of the ring. Homicide went after Devon but was slammed into the guard rail.
3D worked over Hernandez and called for the 3D but Homicide came out of nowhere and rolled up Ray for the clean pinfall.
Your winners and still TNA Tag Team champions, LAX!
Another solid match. This was put together more like an old school babyface vs. heel tag match as opposed to an all out brawl and was fine for what it was designed to be.
They aired a Robert Roode video.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Robert Roode. Roode said one of the hardest things for him is to prove that he isn't a rookie but a worthy main eventer. Roode said that he looks around and sees the stars in the locker room that haven't just done the talking but have proven themselves. Roode said that tonight he was going to prove to everyone that he's the very best. TNA is doing a good job building the main event tonight.
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