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TNA's 2008 Turning Point opened with a video feature on the problems within the TNA roster.
Outside, Jeremy Borash tried to get comment from the Main Event Mafia as they left their limo. None of them would comment until Scott Steiner stopped. He said the young stars in the locker room don't know respect and spend too much time caring about their video games and joysticks. He said none of them can hang with the Main Event Mafia and they were going to show that tonight. He told Borash to go get their bags and walked off.
Mike Tenay and Don West plugged the card as pyro exploded.
X-Division Ranking Match: Consequences Creed vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Petey Williams vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Volador vs. Eric Young vs. Doug Williams vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Homicide vs. Jay Lethal
Creed and Rave started the bout. Creed hit a somerault clothesline and then peppered Rave with punches. Rave came back with a running clothesline. Dutt tagged in and hit a spinning headscissors after several revolutions. Lethal tagged in but Dutt retreated from the ring. Lethal hit a suicide dive to the floor.
Homicide and Tanahashi immediately started going at it, so we've got Lucha rules with no tags. Homicide nailed a big boot to the face. Doug Williams nailed Homicide but Williams got into the ring. Williams and Petey went back and forth. Williams scored a two count after a spinning kick. Williams hit a dive into a hurancanrana on the floor.
Young and Volador hit the ring. Volador took down Young on the mat. Young powered out and put Volador on the turnbuckles. Volador armdragged Young, who rolled out of the ring. Lethal jumped in and he and Voldar went back and forth. Lethal nailed a tiltowhirl backbreaker. Dutt nailed Lethal while he was unaware, knocking him out of the ring. Volador and Dutt did some nice Lucha spots. Volador laid Dutt across the ropes and dropkicked him in the face as he hung upside down for a near fall. Dutt came back with a DDT. Dutt went to the top but was cut off by Volador.
Volador hit a standing hurancanrana off the top for the pin, eliminating Dutt.
Volador and Jimmy Rave went at it. Volador hit a nice dive to the outside. Rave caught him with the Rock the World and pinned him. Volador is eliminated.
Rave and Doug Williams began exchanging chops. Williams rebounded off the ropes with a flying back elbow. Williams hit his rolling German suplex for the pin. Adios Rave.
Williams backdropped Young over the top to the floor. Creed hit the ring but was tossed out. Everyone hit the ring and started going back and forth. Homicide hit the Gringo Cutter on Williams, then did a running tope con hilo over the top to the floor on everyone. He "overshot" and hit the railing, which the announcers noted as he went down. The referees said Homicide couldn't continue. Hernandez ran out to check on Homicide.
The final six all started battling in the ring. Lethal and Williams nailed Tanahashi with stereo dropkicks. Creed nailed a spinning neckbreaker on Tanahashi. Petey and Creed faced off. They shoot hands but Petey began chopping him, teasing a subtle heel turn. They battled over a backslide with neither getting it. Petey ducked a spinkick but was caught with a superkick. Petey scored with a Canadian Destroyer, pinning Creed.
Williams and Tanahashi worked over Petey. Tanahashi hit a great looking frog splash off the top, pinning Petey. Young was worked over and tossed out of the ring. Williams then turned his attention to Lethal. Tanahashi and Lethal continued working over Lethal. Williams was whipped into Lethal in the corner, nailing a high knee. Tanahashi followed up with a dropkick. Williams nailed a gutwrench suplex but Lethal got his shoulder up.
They went for a double back suplex on Lethal, who landed on his feet. Lethal caught Tanahashi with a roll up for a three count. Williams immediately clotheslined Lethal, who took a flip bump but kicked up. Williams was caught by Young's wheelbarrow into a neckbreaker for the pin.
It came down to Lethal vs. Young for the top contender spot.
They went back and forth with some of it being a little murky. Young clotheslined Lethal for a two count. Young was caught with a big boot as he charged into the corner. Young scored the pin on Lethal.
Young took the ring mic as several of the TNA Young Lions returned to the ring. Young addressed the Main Event Mafia. He said that what they saw and what they will experience are some of the greatest professional wrestlers do what they do best - wrestle. Young said they are wrestlers, not entertainers or sideshow freaks. He said, "We aren't millionaires but wrestlers." Young said "this journey" started out as everyone's dream and began putting over all the wrestlers and the fans. He said it started in Nashville and some of them are kids, but they are kids with heart. He said they've come to prove their legacy and leave no doubt that their legacy won't be forgotten. Young said that their legacy will continue and that their best chapter might be written tonight because "tonight these kids become men."
It was a good promo designed to get over the unity of the young talents, but in my mind, it should have been AJ Styles or Samoa Joe cutting it, not Young, who's been something of the company's comedy mascot the last few years. Still, it was a good serious promo from him and showed a different dimension.
The match itself was a solid opener but nowhere near as spectacular as you'd think on paper. It may have been too many talents in one place and not enough time to focus on anything, but the wrestling itself was fine.
X-Division Rankings:
1 Eric Young
2 Jay Lethal
3 Doug Williams
4 Hiroshi Tanahashi
5 Petey Williams
6 Consequences Creed
7 Homicide
8 Jimmy Rave
9 Volador
10 - Sonjay Dutt
Backstage, Lauren interviewed Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett told Mick to go "talk to the kids" while he would go talk to the Main Event Mafia to try and "remove some of the bullets before they are fired." Foley questioned Jeff going to see Kurt Angle since their issues haven't been settled. Jeff told him to just worry about "the kids." Oh God, please stop using that term. It's belittling to the talent and makes it sound like a bunch of 5th graders are feuding with WWE talents. Jeff left. Something about Foley isn't clicking for me.
TNA Knockout champ Awesome Kong & Raeesha Saeid (with Rhaka Khan) vs. Roxxi & Taylor Wilde
All four brawled to start. It settled into Saeid vs. Wilde. Wilde did some cool counter moves. Kong tagged in. Roxxi and Taylor hit a double dropkick to take her down. Roxxi scored a two count. Khan's distraction allowed Kong to grab Roxxi and toss her across the ring.
Kong tagged in Saied, who nailed several shoulderblocks in the corner. Saied dropped an elbow after rebounding off the ropes. Mike Tenay called it a "corkscrew elbow." Say what? Saied continued to work over Roxxi, then tagged Kong back in. Kong nailed a running splash in the corner. Kong locked in a camel clutch, then pulled Roxxi up. Roxxi began firing back with punches, then a jawbreaker.
Outside, Rhaka Khan pulled Wilde off the apron and then shoved her away when Wilde got in her face on the floor.
Kong slammed down Roxxi but only received a two count. Saied tagged back in and shoved Wilde to set up the referee distraction so the heels could work over Roxxi. Roxxi was slammed down for a two count. The crowd chanted for Roxxi. Saied nailed a surfboard into a curb stomp. Roxxi began fighting her way to her feet.
Kong tagged in and took down Roxxi. Kong and Saied used the old Public Enemy drive-by finisher on Roxxi with Kong flipping her off the top. Kong went to the ropes for a splash but Roxxi moved. Taylor made the hot tag and hit the ring. Taylor began unloading with forearms and clotheslines. She showed some good fire. She nailed a dropkick for a two count, then nailed Kong and Khan.
All four began battling in the ring. Roxxi ducked a clothesline, then nailed both, taking them down. The babyfaces went to whip the heels into each other, but Kong reversed so Wilde and Saeid clunked. Roxxi ducked a Kong charge and grabbed the top rope so Kong bumped to the floor. Roxxi hit a dive to the floor. Wilde hit a back suplex with a bridge for the pin.
Your winners, Roxxi & Taylor Wilde!
Solid tag. This was the best Wilde has looked thus far for the company.
Jeremy Borash tried again to interview the Main Event Mafia. As he started talking to Sting, Jeff Jarrett came in. He said everyone was there to do their best and get it done inside the ring. He asked them to be professional and not to let it get out of hand. Angle got upset Jeff called himself "one of their peers." He said Jeff's word means nothing around here until he grows some balls because he's sitting behind a desk pretending to be one of the boys. He stormed out. Nash told Jeff that sometimes in the business, he knows things have to happen and Jeff should be talking to "the children." Oh Lord. Jeff told him to put himself in Jeff's shoes because it's his company and his future. Nash said they were his future. They really need to let the other side of this storyline state their case and it needs to be something more than "This is about TNA" and TNA's journey.
Interesting to note the actual crowd looks darker than it traditionally did during PPVs, except for the entrances.
Rhino vs. X-Division champ Sheik Abdul Bashir
They had a veteran introduce Rhino. The crowd was super behind Rhino, chanting his name at the bell. Bashir tried to kick him, got caught and Rhino bounced him around like a ping pong ball to start hot. The crowd started reacting to Scott Hall and ICP entering the Impact Zone, which wasn't acknowledged on commentary. It looked terribly bad because Rhino and Bashir were brawling on the floor and no one was watching. TNA totally destroyed any heat for the match.
Back in the ring, Bashir tried to pull one of the turnbuckles off but failed. Bashir spit at ICP and Hall and even though the cameras showed a close up, the announcers didn't say it was them. ICP are all wearing their JCW jerseys, pushing their promotion. Bashir tossed Rhino to the floor. Bashir did Hall's mannerisms in his face, then a crotch chop. Tenay said, "There's some familiar faces in the crowd tonight."
They battled back into the ring. Rhino tried to elbow his way out of a side headlock but Bashir pulled him by his hair. Bashir argued with referee Shane Sewell. Bashir locked on a chinlock. The crowd began chanting for "Razor" when the spot was designed to get the crowd into a Rhino comeback. Rhino finally got to his feet and dropped backwards with an electric chair. I can't believe they haven't pointed out Hall and ICP yet. It looks silly not to.
Rhino made his comeback with a leaping clothesline and an elbow. Rhino hit a nice belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Bashir his a jawbreaker. He rebounded off the ropes but was caught with a spinebuster. Rhino set up for the gore but was caught with a boot to the face as he charged. Bashir went after Rhino, but the referee argued with him. Bashir got in his face and spit at him, then turned into a gore and was pinned.
Poor Rhino.
Backstage, Lauren brought us into the TNA locker room where Mick Foley was trying to preach for respect within the locker room. He tried to ask them to meet the older talents halfway. The Motor City Machineguns had their backs to Foley and mocked him. Alex Shelley said he doesn't care what Foley has to say. Foley said he's going to ignore that because if he does, he has to admit everything Sting and the others say are true. He said he invested in the company because he believes in the younger talents. Shelley said he doesn't care and told Foley to take his "dumpy ass back to the desk to push a pencil." Jay Lethal grabbed Shelley by the throat to stop him and everyone started scuffling. Petey Williams told the Guns to get out of the locker room. AJ Styles apologized to Foley. He said, "Some of these guys, AJ..some of these guys" and walked off shaking his head. Where is Samoa Joe and why isn't Styles dressed for his World title shot?
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