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TNA Knockouts champion Gail Kim (with Madison Rayne) vs. Mickie James
A shark cage, with some of the bars painted pink, was brought out, so that’s the Velvet touch. Rayne refused to enter the cage. So Sky, complete with ring music, came out. Sky shoved her into the cage. They raised the cage into the air. If they were going to do this, why not announce it in advance and try to draw something extra, at least in theory, out of it?
Kim attacked James and worked her over in the corner. She nailed a nice leaping clothesline and followed it up with a leaping knee to the back. James shocked her with a rollup and a bridge for a two count. James nailed a dropkick for another two count.
James unloaded with a series of forearms and a kick to the stomach. James went for a leg scissors into a rana but was shoved off. James landed on her feet on the apron but Kim grabbed her as she entered the ring and drove her face into the mat for a two count.
Kim drilled James with a forearm and a running knee in the corner. She whipped James into the opposite corner and nailed a horizontal splash into the buckles. Kim continued to work over James but was nailed with a dropkick, sort of, as she rebounded off the ropes for a bodypress. Kim regained control and locked in a Dragon Sleeper but James slipped out and turned it into an armdrag, then nailed several clotheslines.
Kim rebounded into the Octopus submission but James drove her into the corner and then down on the mat for a two count. James went for her DDT but Kim evaded it. She charged but was sent to the floor by James, landing in front of Velvet Sky. They had words. James did her leg scissors into the rana off the apron to the floor.
Back in the ring, James nailed a top rope Lou Thesz Press for a two count. Kim grabbed her by the hair and snapped James backward by the hair. Rayne tossed brass knuckles from the cage but the referee saw them bounce down and took them away. He handed them off to someone outside the ring. Rayne tossed another pair down but Mickie drilled Gail and used them as the referee turned. He caught James and called for the bell.
Your winner and still Knockouts champion by DQ, Gail Kim!
Very eh match. I don’t get why they would do the cage stip and not announce it in advance where they could try and draw with it, and then do a finish where the cage didn’t matter anyway. Really awful.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Bully Ray. Ray said he was nervous for a second when he was challenged for a Monster’s Ball match. He said that he’s the bully and the intimidator. He said he’s the king of these type of matches and he’s been doing them for a long time. He said he’s the real king of hardcore and men like Terry Funk and Mick Foley bow down to him. Ray said Abyss will lose and will lose bad. He said Abyss is going to crawl back to Immortal and kiss all of their feet. He promised that Abyss will be Immortal’s b***h once again. Good promo.
Monster’s Ball: Bully Ray vs. Abyss
There are weapons including barbed wire boards around ringside.
Ray bullied Socal Val as he came out. Always funny.
Abyss was ready to go but Ray backed off and walked around the ring a number of times. He nailed Abyss with a series of chairs to the back but it had no effect. Abyss nailed a chokeslam. Ray pulled a chain off his pants and swung it like a weapon as Abyss used a chair to avoid it and nailed him with a chair across the back.
Abyss went to the floor and began tossing weapons that were in a trash can into the ring. As he returned, Abyss was nailed with a chain. Ray nailed him with a trash can but it had no effect and Abyss punched it. He nailed a splash in the corner but was clotheslined down. Ray grabbed a kendo stick but Abyss rolled out of the ring and pulled Janice out. Ray was freaked out and left the ring, saying he was out of here.
Ray went backstage. Abyss followed. I thought they were going to go to some backstage footage but immediately battled back down to ringside with Abyss in control. Ray thumbed him in the eye and drilled Abyss with a series of shots at ringside. Abyss fought back and tried to whip him into a barbed wire board that was standing up in the corner but Ray reversed it. Abyss hit it chest and shoulder first. Ray then slammed the board over Abyss. Abyss had a number of cuts on his hand and arm from the shots, but he still nailed Ray.
Ray tried to prevent Abyss from regaining control but failed. He was tossed into the ring. Abyss brought several sacks of weapons from under the ring into play. He grabbed a cheese grater and drilled Ray into the nether regions with it several times. Abyss spread tacks in the ring and grabbed Ray for a chokeslam, but was punched in the groin. Ray, still selling his groin shots, went to the floor and pulled out a table.
Ray tried to pull Abyss over but Abyss grabbed him and chokeslammed Ray through the table for a two count. Abyss tossed several barbed wire boards into the ring. Abyss set one up in the corner. Ray tried to use the legs of a table as a weapon but was punched down. Abyss tried to whip Ray into the board but Ray caught him with an Uranage onto a barbed wire board. He sandwiched Abyss between the boards and nailed a back senton splash. Squish! Abyss kicked out a two.
Ray grabbed Janice and measured to hit Abyss but was caught and chokeslammed into the tacks for a two count. The crowd began chanting, “This is awesome.†Ray came back to kick Abyss and nailed him with a trash can. Ray began lighting Abyss up with kendo stick shots in the corner. He killed Abyss with shot after shot, then went to charge Abyss for another but was caught with a Black Hole Slam into a barbed wire board for the pin.
Your winner, Abyss!
You knew what you were going to get with this one and you got it. After looking like they weren’t on the same page early, they really put together a great war of attrition. There were some nice twists that I didn’t expect, such as Ray taking the tack bump. There were a few rough patches early but they really told this nice story of two badass monsters beating the other down and coming back to give the other guy more punishment. Ray is better in 2012 than he’s ever been while the Abyss character feels much more rejuvenated than it has in years. If you like the style, Good stuff. The match got over with the crowd as it went into the bigger spots.
Jeremy Borash interviewed TNA Tag Team champions Crimson and Matt Morgan. Crimson cut a decent promo saying what he does is destroy lives and that’s what’s going to happen tonight. He said Magnus and Samoa Joe beat some impressive combinations in the tournament but they are the champions. Morgan then cut a hell of a promo putting over the team and promised to show why he’s the most genetically jacked giant in wrestling today. Morgan is really underrated as a promo. When he’s on, he’s great. Some nice fire out of Crimson, who is still finding himself on the mic, as well.
TNA Tag Team champions Matt Morgan & Crimson vs. Samoa Joe & Magnus
Morgan and Joe started out face to face. Joe piefaced him and nailed several shoulderblocks to no avail. They exchanged strikes. Joe was kicked down but popped up to eat a clothesline. Crimson and Magnus tagged in. They went back and forth. Magnus drilled him into the corner but Crimson fought his way out and sent Magnus into the corner. Magnus went for a side headlock but was sent into the ring and drilled with a back elbow. Crimson locked in a cravate and sent Magnus into the corner. Morgan tagged in and nailed his rapid fire elbows in the corner.
Morgan nailed a running clothesline in the corner. Crimson hit an exploder for a two count. Crimson whipped him into the ropes but put his head down and was kicked in the face. Joe tagged in and nailed a big Uranage in the corner. Joe worked over Crimson, who fired back but was cut off. Taz went into this funny line asking if they had bears in Samoa after he said Joe was like a Samoan bear trap catching Crimson’s ankle.
Joe and Magnus tagged and worked over Crimson.
During the match, the announcers were told something was happening backstage. They went to a split screen of Bully Ray beating down Abyss backstage and working him over. They brawled out of camera range. So, the battle continues.
In the ring, Joe was finally nailed with a spear by Crimson. There was a chant of “We want Morgan†followed by “No We don’t!†So, Morgan is apparently playing the role of John Cena tonight. Morgan made the hot tag. He nailed Joe and drilled Magnus with a Fall Away Slam. He nailed Joe with an elbow and nailed Magnus with a suplex into a sideslam but Joe broke up the pin.
All four brawled in the ring. Crimson was sent to the floor. Morgan was caught between both challengers. He fought them off but was overwhelmed. Joe sent him into the corner and nailed a enziguiri in the corner. Magnus came off the ropes but Crimson pulled him off for a two count. Magnus and Crimson battled on the floor. Joe hit a dive into a forearm on Crimson on the floor. Crimson sent him into the ring steps as he tried to return.
In the ring, Morgan and Crimson nailed a double chokeslam on Magnus, scoring the pin.
Your winners and still TNA Tag Team champions, Matt Morgan and Crimson!
Match was solid but they lost some of their momentum when TNA went backstage for the brawl. They worked a hard pace but I felt that they really could have benefited from more time in the ring to tell the story. It felt like the highlights version of a match, not the full story. Hopefully, they get the chance to rematch it as I’ve really liked the Joe/Magnus duo and the champs are still finding their chemistry.
Jeremy Borash interviewed James Storm. Borash asked him if he was ready. Storm said he’s known Borash for 10-15 years and said he was going to turn the tables and interview Borash. He put the hat, glasses and beer in Borash’s hands. He said to Borash that if you beat Angle twice and had to beat him again, how would you do it. Borash said he didn’t know. Storm cut an awesome promo saying you have to believe in yourself and he believes. He said that the people would be chanting “You suck†at Angle. He told Angle he would be sucking in the ring and then he would swallow….James’ kick in his face. The live crowd popped for that line. Storm left then returned to deliver his “Sorry about your damn luck†line. Great promo.
Coverage continues on Page 3!
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