Notes on TNA Lockdown
• There were plenty of things to talk about coming out of Lockdown, TNA’s all-cage match pay-per-view, Sunday night. The consensus among fans and pundits is that the Kurt Angle-Mr. Anderson bout is a Match of the Year contender. Among the highlights was Angle doing a moonsault off the top of the cage. I’ll say this about Angle: He is a special breed, and that is both a blessing and a curse. It makes him exciting to watch, but it also drives him to take crazy risks that he just shouldn’t be taking at this stage of his career and with his injury history. After the match, Angle said that he is going to take some time off and regroup, and that he is going after the TNA world title when he returns. As for Anderson, this feud with Angle has elevated him to main-event status.
• Speaking of veterans who are doing things that they don’t need to be doing, what exactly is Ric Flair trying to prove? He was busted open again on this show and took a bump into thumbtacks as well as a trashcan shot to the head.
• In the Lethal Lockdown main event, Team Hogan defeated Team Flair after Eric Bischoff interfered and seemingly turned babyface. Bischoff brought brass knuckles into the ring and teased giving them to Flair before handing them to Hogan, who used them on Flair. Of course, this makes absolutely no sense. Bischoff has been making life miserable for Jeff Jarrett – and other babyfaces – for months, and now he suddenly helps them? Perhaps there is more to the story line than meets the eye, but another swerve on top of this swerve would only make things more preposterous.
• Sean Waltman, who was supposed to team with Scott Hall against Team 3D, no-showed the event. If you had told me that one of The Band wasn’t going to show up I would have bet anything that it would be Hall. According to wrestlingobserver.com, TNA officials were ware that Waltman wasn’t going to make it to the show in St. Louis due to a licensing issue in Missouri. I have no idea whether Waltman’s reasons for missing the show are legitimate, but if he and Hall weren’t already on thin ice, they should be. When you have a less-than-stellar track record, you don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. It’s not like these guys are making significant contributions to the product anyway. They are the very definition of the saying “more trouble than your worth.”
• Kevin Nash took Waltman’s place in the match, which was won by Team 3D. Earlier in the show, Nash defeated Eric Young. The latter result doesn’t surprise me, but there’s no way Young should have lost that match. Nash plays Young – who has more upside at this point than Nash – for a fool and still gets the last laugh. I suppose a case could be made that since Nash was going to be on the losing end of the tag team match, it would have buried him to lose twice in one night. I suspect, however, that even if Nash hadn’t taken Waltman’s place against Team 3D, he still wouldn’t have done the job to Young.
• A.J. Styles retained the TNA world title against "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero. Styles winning was predictable, but it's the right call. I think there's a good chance that Dinero will get the title one day, but it's not his time yet and there's no need to take the belt off Styles at this point.
• TNA continues to find ways to devalue the X Division and Knockouts championships. Doug Williams was stripped of the X Division title because he was a no-show. Of course, the reason he wasn’t there was because he was unable to get a flight out of the United Kingdom due to the volcano. That seems pretty unfair to me, so in my eyes that makes the heel Williams a sympathetic figure. Kazarian ended up winning the vacant title in a triple threat match over Shannon Moore and Homicide, which likely sets up a program between Kazarian and Williams. As for the Knockouts title, Madison Rayne of all people ended up as the new champion in the tag team match pitting her and Velvet Sky against Angelina Love and Tara. The stipulation was that if either Rayne or Sky pinned Love, the Knockouts champion, that person would win the title. This comes on the heels of Tara losing the title to Love because Love picked the correct briefcase. After the match, Tara turned heel by attacking Love.
Comments
We both know why Flair is doing this, Eck, and it's the same reason Terry Funk kept on going for so long, simply, wrestling is their life and it's the only place they are truly comfortable.
Totally agree with you about the devaluing of the Knockouts Title.
For a long while there they did a great job of elevating their women's product above that of WWE, but recently they've gone backwards and turned their strongest point into a weak, sideshow with no real meaning.
For shame, TNA.
BTW Eck, you're, not your.
Posted by: John | April 19, 2010 9:29 PM
If there's a wrestler right now who rates time off, it's Kurt Angle. He always puts on an excellent performance at the expence of his body. Now that Shawn Michaels has retired, Angle is the best wrestler out there. Take a break for as long as you need Kurt. You deserve it. As far as Flair goes, I dont think anybody wants to see senior citizens being busted open and taking crazy bumps. Ric Flair should just concentrate on living at this point in his life. I have a crazy gut feeling that he's gonna end up with the strap at TNA one day. Hogan and Bischoff, nuff said.
Posted by: jj | April 19, 2010 9:37 PM
I kinda like Madison Rayne getting a title run, maybe cause i'm a big fan of hers.
I'm sure it won't be a long run, but i'm going to enjoy it while she's the center of the knockout division.
Posted by: Mikep5158 | April 19, 2010 9:39 PM
Lockdown was actually a pretty good show. I enjoyed it, despite the nonsensical ending to the Wargames main event. That's TNA for you, always messing things up when going well. The PPV was the first time I enjoyed Pope, boith his promo and the match was excellent. And, Angle/Anderson was match of the year. Better then any of the WWE Mania matches or anything else in 2010 so far. Good for them. Nice job TNA. No please keep giving TV time to your stars, and fix the X-Division, and you've got a few things right.
Posted by: Nick Rini | April 19, 2010 10:22 PM
I'm okay with the X-Division title switch. Williams was a good champ, but Kazarian deserved it and I think they wanted to give him the title last night originally. It makes sense because Williams probably won't be back in the states until sometime Tuesday at the earliest and they didn't want to take any chances in case he had to wait a little longer to make it back, like the WWE superstars. I'm glad they brought back the X-Division X-cape match: I was at the 2008 show, when Jay Lethal won it, and I enjoyed it.
Posted by: paul | April 19, 2010 11:40 PM
Kevin Nash still needs to put over Chris Sabin in my opinion. Yeah, I know that angle was some five years ago. Ha, but I've never expected Nash would put anyone over ever since.
Does anyone else want to see Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair at Slamiversary?
Posted by: Another Wrestling Mark | April 20, 2010 12:26 AM
I agree about the Knockouts title, but not the X Division. Williams had a good run. He got a pretty good amount of TV time in the ring and on the mic did well in both. It's unfortunate he couldn't make it but to me first priority is putting on a show for the fans in the seats. They did that by keeping the X-Division title on the card. Going forward, Kaz is a worthwhile champ and when Williams gets back they have a good setup for a match.
All around a good show. Anderson-Angle is my MOTY so far.
Posted by: J Newbs | April 20, 2010 3:44 AM
"there's no need to take the belt off Styles at this point"
I cant agree with you more.
Posted by: Not RVD | April 20, 2010 6:44 AM
"...there's no need to take the belt off Styles at this point."
So, of course, the very next night...
Posted by: jvwalt | April 20, 2010 7:34 AM
At this point I don't think there is anything TNA can do to satisfy you Kev....or so it seems. Once again all I everv hear, or read is what ppl don't like. I enjoyed lockdown and as far as Ric Flair goes...who ever compared him to Funk is so wrong. The Nature Boy, in his current role IS a huge plus for TNA! The man is for all intensive purposes a Manager now...for GODS SAKE! He is WRESTLING and his role is wonderful now along with Hogan also. I firmly believe that both Flair and Hogan are trying to put others over and help TNA achieve a higher level. I am aware that {IT} hasn't happened yet, i see the ratings just like everyone else, and at this point i'm not sure what they can do. Even Jeff Hardy, whom I was told was one of the most popular stars in the other co. has absolutley NOT brought any fans with him and he is worthless on the mic. I also say that even if they wanted to try and develop complete "unknowns", no one would have the patience for that, not SPIKE TV...or any of the fans. So I guess I'll keep watching, and I hope they succeed....but if not and TNA fails, I Guess im through with wrestling (again)....I will not watch anything produced by V.K. McMahon!
Posted by: BW | April 20, 2010 8:10 AM
I got this PPV because I have been enjoying TNAs product the past few months and Im glad I did!
Angle vs Anderson was amazing!!! The match was already awsome before Angle climbed to the top of the cage but when he was climbing I was like NO! NO! NO! It was insane! The fact that this wasnt even the end of the match was insane! Some how after doing the moonsault and pretty much landing on Andersons head they somehow fought for another 5-10 Mins. This should be a lock for match of the year and yes I saw Michaels vs Taker 2
Styles vs Dinero was also an awsome match both of these are must watch matches
Posted by: HiMyNameIsMike | April 20, 2010 8:33 AM
You say that it makes sense that the belt stayed on AJ, and then they take the belt off AJ the very next night and put it on RVD. I have no problem with the belt on RVD, but why do it without any buildup or story line???
Posted by: chrisd | April 20, 2010 1:36 PM
Since Flair's made up his mind it's going to take a casket to get him out of the ring. Just enjoy it and hope no one ever tries to follow his example in the future. The greatest of all time deserves to be on the show if he's still entertaining enough to be on it. That's an easy yes he is. No one cuts a promo on basically a nothing subject like the nature boy.
Posted by: al | April 20, 2010 2:33 PM
I just which Flair would have a hair vs. hair match with somebody... and LOSE... Seriously...
Posted by: e. nonee moose | April 20, 2010 3:31 PM
Hi Kev - don't know if you already had the info - but xpac was wrestling in Wisconsin over the weekend - 3 way match - Xpac - Al Snow - Road Dogg..said he was given the night off in St Louis....though the running joke I know for where's Xpac ? answer - in China
Posted by: JAM | April 20, 2010 4:24 PM
The moonsault Kurt did and the angle they caught it on was truly Wrestlemania moment.
Posted by: daizan | April 20, 2010 4:24 PM
I agree. If the feud between Nash and EY was just going to end with EY getting beaten, and EY not getting any revenge apart from chasing off The Band with a hockey stick last week and that elbow drop off the top of the cage in the six man tag match, then there was just no point.
For some reason I thought that Nash might be willing to put over young talent in 2010 at the ripe old age of fifty. Silly me.
Posted by: Rob Brown | April 20, 2010 4:26 PM
Kevin, Flair takes those shots so he is prepared to deal with all the women in his life. He bleeds, gets smacked around, etc. Practice makes perfect.
Posted by: Flair | April 20, 2010 9:31 PM