iMPACT Analysis: TNA Wrestling's Lockdown 2006
We’re back with a look at the 2006 edition of TNA Wrestling’s All Steel Cage Pay Per View. This review of Lockdown will have you all ready for the 2007 version coming to you this Sunday on Pay Per View.
What is the iMPACT Analysis? I take a look back at the given event and I try to provide context for each match. Looking at what each participant had been doing prior to their match with their given opponent and I also look at how the result of the match iMPACTed the future direction of the wrestlers, the titles and the promotion as a whole. Then at the end I rate the show on a number of criteria.
All of these are rated on a scale from 0-10.
Wrestling Quality: How was the in-ring action on the show?
Backstage Quality: How were the promos, backstage skits and other angles?
Crowd Heat: Was the crowd in to the show?
Announcing: Were they on point, humorous, say something completely stupid?
Booking: Did the storyline direction make sense? Did the right man or team go over in the end?
iMPACT Analysis: How did this show iMPACT the company? Was it memorable, a complete throwaway, somewhere in the middle?
Replay Factor: How much of this would you ever want to view a second time?
Average: Taking the score in each of the above categories and dividing it by the number of categories and that determines the show score.
Is it worth buying the DVD? Asks if this DVD is worth the purchase or not.
Event: Lockdown 2006
Event Date: 04/23/2006
Event Venue: Universal Studios, Orlando Florida
Announcers: Mike Tenay and Don West
There was an in studio preshow this month, thus no preshow matches for me to ignore. All match times come from www.prowrestlinghistory.com
This is TNA, the wrestling company tired of Casey making fun of our tagline.
The hype video starts out with James Mitchell talking to Christian and asking if he’s ready to face Abyss for the world title. Samoa Joe and Sabu are hyped and then they hype Sting’s Team Vs. Team Jarrett in the Lethal Lockdown. Not the same hype video as they used to open the show the year before, but it was still pretty good.
Match 1: Team USA (Alex Shelley, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal) Vs. Team Japan (Hirooki Goto, Black Tiger and Minoru)
This was a preview of the world X-cup. Sonjay Dutt had wrestled in an international X match at the prior month’s Destination X event while Lethal and Shelley actually wrestled each other with Shelley winning. This was the debut of all 3 members of New Japan’s Team Japan in TNA.
A bit of irony, Team USA captain Chris Sabin defeated both Shelley and Dutt to qualify for the team. Those other men won qualifying matches later on.
The World X-cup was one of those ideas that TNA had that was better on paper than it was in execution, as shown by the lack of star power on the Mexican team. It also worked better in the era of 2-hour Pay Per Views than as matches on iMPACT every week.
Team USA comes out to an interesting remix of the U.S. National Anthem. Team Japan has Generic music. Sonjay Dutt represents the U.S. here and India at Destination X 2006 the month prior. One year later and Lethal Shelley and Dutt once again find themselves in the same match as they are wrestling in the 5-man Xscape match on the 2007 show.
It is a good thing I don’t do traditional play-by-play because I’ve seen this match a bunch and I’ve got no idea how to describe some of these double and triple team moves.
Shelley’s got the Paparazzi cam and hands it off to So-Cal Val. Don West says that’s not what he’d want to hand off to her. Lecherous Don West is kind of creepy.
Team USA is having issues getting along, and I know this because Shelley is a heel the other 2 are faces and the announcers said so.
Black Tiger tags in and Tenay goes in to full-on Professor mode talking about the history of this gimmick and the Tiger Mask gimmick in Japan. Tenay is in his glory at this point bringing the knowledge including Eddie Guerrero playing the roll. This man should not be doing play-by-play he should do color and drop the historical info for a show not based around crash TV.
Hirooki Goto is next to get the professor treatment talking about his years of experience. Team USA uses some nice teamwork to take control. For as awesome as historical Tenay can be, when he says “Original Playa from the Himalayas” he sounds quite old.
Team Mexico comes out to watch the match including: Shocker, Puma and Magno. See what I mean about the Star Power?
Team Japan is cutting off Sonjay from his tag partners because they’re awesome that way. Sonjay gets an assist from Alex Shelley showing that he’s down with his team and then a few seconds later Sonjay snaps off a rana and tags in Jay Lethal.
It starts to break down, Shelley with a frog splash for 2, and then Sonjay hits a shooting star but Black Tiger breaks up that pin. Crowd chants “USA USA” proving they know where they live. Minoru special has to be broken up by Team USA. Crowd chants, “This is awesome”, and I’m not inclined to disagree.
Sonjay goes for a Sonjay Cutter but is nailed by his own partner Alex Shelley. A Tiger Suplex follows shortly thereafter and that gets the pin for Team Japan.
Winners: Team Japan – 12:01
This was a fun match that only slightly involved use of the cage and didn’t need tables; garbage cans, chairs or Kendo sticks to get over.
Thumb Position: Up, I love this match! It was a good way to start things off and no match in the X-cup itself would be as good.
Impact: none, it was just a showcase to get people ready for the world X-cup that started on the next iMPACT.
Mike Tenay and Don West run down the card. Team 3D and Team Canada in an anthem match. Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu, Christian Cage Vs. Abyss and Lethal Lockdown.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with Team 3D. Borash hawks some action figures before starting the interview; he’s no Don West. Brother Ray says that the war continues but tonight it ends. Lord, I hope so. Team 3D is finally reunited with their Brother, Runt. Tonight is not about titles; it is about pride. This is because neither team currently holds the titles Brother Ray says he’d rather go to work for that miserable company in Stanford than listen to the Canadian anthem. D-von says: “Tell me he didn’t just say that?” and Ray says he was only ribbing. You’ve got to love the insider references that 98% of the audience totally understands. Well, the fact is more of TNA’s audience probably would get what a rib is than the WWE audience just because TNA’s audience is more hardcore and smaller and more familiar with the Internet.
Zbyszko comes in and asks Borash what he knows about the big announcement coming up later in the show. Borash says he doesn’t know and I’ve got a funny feeling that we’re going to hear more of this.
Match 2: Christopher Daniels Vs. Senshi
This was originally supposed to be Daniels Vs. Jushin Lyger but that ended up not happening. This is Senshi’s return to TNA after more than a year away from the company. Daniels had won the X-division title in an Ultimate X match over Samoa Joe and AJ Styles at Destination X but lost the belt back to Joe on the 4/13 episode of iMPACT, that show’s first episode on Thursday.
David Penzer introduces Senshi as formerly known as Low Ki’ which allows Tenay to go in to professor mode talking about the history of XXX in TNA.
We are also told that Senshi means “Warrior” in Japanese. Daniels and Senshi exchanging chops in the middle of the ring and Senshi wins that battle for the moment.
Now Tenay is talking about Low Ki’s role in the formation and early days of the x-division along with AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn. The announcers alternate between calling him Senshi and Low Ki, which is fine, I guess seeing as how the crowd just calls him Low Ki anyway.
Daniels suplexes Senshi back first to the cage and then plants him with an STO. Daniels goes for a pin but Senshi roles the shoulder at 2. It is time once again for the announcers to talk about how the cage has no give. I think it is in the cage’s contract that it must be mentioned every time the gimmick is in use.
Senshi sidesteps Daniels and then just kicks the crap out of him because he is Senshi.
Then just for fun he hits a series of shots and then drops Daniels with a Death Valley driver.
Daniels comes back scoring a nearfall of his own and the crowd finds this match awesome as well. I don’t find it as awesome as the last match. Daniels tries a superplex but Senshi fights it off. Then Daniels tries for a Super-Angel’s Wings but Senshi fights it off knocking Daniels off. Senshi tries the double stomp but misses. The crowd again finds it awesome and I find it to be pretty good but that’s a much harder chant to manage.
Senshi rolls up Daniels and puts his feet on the ropes for the pin.
Winner: Senshi – N/A
Thumb Position: Up, this was a fun match but they are capable of so much more. Good for the time it was given.
Impact: major, this was the return of Senshi to the promotion. However, this did not lead to a feud between these men.
JB back with The James Gang and Bullet Bob. Bullet Bob will be armwrestling Konnan and the loser’s team will get strapped inside the steel cage. Foolish mortal if you did not think TNA could overbook armwrestling.
B.G. notes that Konnan broke their hearts. I guess Konnan isn’t most Black Brother in the vold. Kip James says: “Mama always said I was a strapping young man”. He says this in a way that made me think of Will from WillAndSteveRadio.com
Now we get a video package of the LAX Vs. James Gang feud with some wacky LAX theme music. I’ve said this in 3 or 4 TNA 2006 reviews already but it is a miracle LAX got over to any degree given the fact that this feud actually happened. I think if they did this one again today it would be done vastly different.
Match 3: Armwrestling Match – Bob Armstrong Vs. Konnan
Armstrong teamed with the James Gang to defeat LAX in a 6-man tag bout at Destination X. This is the monthly Pay Per View debut of Hernandez. He debuts by walking out to the ring with Konnan for his armwrestling challenge.
I’m sorry, but there is something very funny about an Armwrestling match inside of a steel cage. Konnan calls Orlando a bunch of losers, just like Bullet Bob. Konnan is at a disadvantage because he bruised his knuckles knocking out 15 Orlando punk asses. If they were all just punks, why did he have to bruise his knuckles? I thought punks were pushovers.
Tenay insists that Orlando loves the James Gang as the crowd goes mild. Tenay prompts us to check out the guns on Bob Armstrong. He’s in pretty good shape, I’ll give him that much.
This is an armwrestling match, so you know how this goes. Konnan gets the early advantage, nearly has Armstrong beat, he comes back and pushes Konnan’s arm down for the win. Konnan at least manages to badmouth him before going down to defeat.
Winner: Bob Armstrong
After the match, the James Gang gets to strap LAX. This goes on for way too long and while there are a couple of funny moments, but not enough to justify the length of this segment. Kip whips one of them prematurely and B.G. calls him Billy. Crowd chants “boring” at one point and the segment is not half over at that point. After B.G. refers to him as “Billy” Tenay says that he “jumped the gun”. Oh, aren’t they clever? My answer is no!
Thumb Position: down, not everything on a TNA show can be great.
Impact: mild, this would be the end of the feud thankfully and would lead to the angle that started LAX on their hot streak that would last through the summer and early fall. The James Gang would move on to feud with Team 3D.
JB is backstage with Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and America’s Most Wanted. Even before Jarrett can say anything Zbyszko comes in to see if Jarrett knows what the major announcement is and Jarrett blows him off. The Montreal screwjob in reference to Earl Hebner is brought up proving that even companies that weren’t around in 1997 can’t let it go!
The heels take turn talking about how great they are in relation to the faces. Scott Steiner’s promo is awesome and it is because and I quote: “I’m ready to snap!”
Match 4: Elimination X: Chris Sabin Vs. Petey Williams Vs. Elix Skipper Vs. Chase Stevens Vs. Puma Vs. Shark Boy
Chris Sabin won the International X match at Destination X, which featured Petey Williams and Puma as well as Sonjay Dutt. Chase Stevens and his partner Andy Douglas lost to the Team of Eric Young and Bobby Roode on that show while Elix Skipper and Shark Boy were probably on the preshow.
This match has the same rules as the year prior and this upcoming year. You eliminate with pinfalls and submissions until it is down to 2 men and then it is over the cage and down to the floor.
D’Amoore heads over to the announce table. He tells Tenay that Williams and Skipper will work together until the end as per an agreement he made with Simon Diamond. He said then they would settle it man to man just like they did back in the Old Country. Nice to see D’Amoore is a fan of the Old Country Times!
The match has started out slow so far with tags in and out, but I’ll bet it breaks down before too long. I know you’ll be surprised to hear this, but Shark Boy did not win this match. In fact he was the first man pinned, what a surprise!
Petey Williams pins Shark Boy at 5:02 after a Canadian Destroyer.
Sabin and Williams are in together and Tenay brings up the long history between the 2 of them. He’s on fire tonight, it is almost like he cares or something. Petey now in with Chase Stevens and tries the Destroyer but Stevens fights it off. Primetime and Puma in as well and Primetime hits the Sudden Death on Puma but Puma breaks it up.
Stevens starts to head up to the top of the cage with the rest of the competitors in the ring. Puma goes after him but is sent back down. Stevens attempts a shooting star press but nobody is there to catch him and he lands badly. Ouch!!! Ouch!!! Ouch!!!
Stevens somehow tries a pin but it is for nothing. Elix Skipper comes in and pins Stevens and he is eliminated. He was almost eliminated from life.
Elix Skipper Pins Chase Stevens in 8:53 after hitting the Sudden Death.
The alliance is short-lived as soon Petey turns on Elix Skipper and pins him. D’Amoore says that: “I break your back with my camel clutch”. He’s trying to be cool but no anyone do it like the Sheik.
Petey Williams pinned Elix Skipper in 9:36 after a rollup.
Sabin is left with Puma and Petey Williams. The eliminations are coming fast as Puma is next to go.
Chris Sabin pinned Puma in 10:21 with the Cradle shock.
Chris Sabin is once again in the final 2 of this match as he was with Shocker in 2005. Sabin hits Williams with the Hesitation dropkick and goes to escape the cage. Sabin trying to leave and D’Amoore interjects himself preventing him from dropping. Sabin rams Petey Williams in to the cage, Petey drops but lands on D’Amoore and Sabin is able to drop for the win.
Winner: Chris Sabin – 12:48
Every team Canada finish must in some way involve Scott D’Amoore. Rule 1B in the TNA rulebook.
Thumb Position: slightly up, this match was fine; the finish was kind of lame however.
Impact: mild, this was the beginning of a minor push for Sabin that would lead him in to a feud with Kevin Nash and an eventual heel turn.
JB is back with James Mitchell and Abyss. James Mitchell cuts a spectacular promo on Christian Cage, questioning whether he is a real champion or not. An awesome segment on iMPACT where Abyss and Mitchell attacked Christian at his home and tried to drown him in his own swimming pool set up this match. It had the line of Mitchell proclaiming, “You can’t win the title from a dead man”. Actually, I think it would be easy to win the title from a dead man.
A hype video airs to build up the Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu match for the x-division title.
Match 5: X-division Title – Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu
Samoa Joe had lost his X-title to Christopher Daniels at Destination X in an ultimate X match that featured AJ Styles. Sabu was returning to TNA for the first time since 2005’s Turning Point event where he defeated Abyss in a barbed wire match.
Sabu was coming in with a broken arm and this was also his last appearance in TNA before heading off to bigger if not necessarily better things in ECW.
Sabu tries to hit Joe with a chair to start but Joe avoids it. Sabu goes for the camel clutch, but because he’s not a real Olympic Champion like Sheik he is not able to break Joe’s back and thus a humbling is avoided.
There is one guy chanting for Sabu right now. This may be the same guy that was the only one cheering for Styles in 2005.
Sabu springboards off of the chair and hits a move of some sort on Joe. He hits a legdrop on the chair, which is on Joe’s head.
Joe applies a cross armbreaker but Sabu is able to counter out of it.
Sabu and Samoa Joe exchange shots for a bit. They both head up top and Samoa Joe brings Sabu down in a less than polite manner. Joe hits Sabu with a chair and then hits the musclebuster for the victory.
Winner: Samoa Joe – 6:12
Thumb Position: in the middle, it wasn’t bad but it was too short to amount to anything good.
Impact: None, Sabu was gone right after this show for the new ECW and this win didn’t do anything to help Samoa Joe anyway. Samoa Joe would go on to team with Sting at the next Pay Per View against Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner.
Jeremy Borash with Team Canada. They’re already singing and it is already annoying me. Eric Young is already well on his way to a wacky personality. Scott D’Amoore is sick and tired of the same old song and dance from Team 3D. Pot, meet Kettle. He does a funny impression of Brother Ray and then declares he doesn’t like Americans because they don’t keep themselves fit like himself and Team Canada.
Zbyszko comes in and asks D’Amoore if he knows what the announcement and D’Amoore says he’s heard a little something but he isn’t going to tell Larry. He says it is time Larry be thrown under the bus and take the fall for once. It should be noted that at this point I was a religious viewer of TNA and had no idea what he was talking about.
Now they show a hype video for the Team 3D Vs. Team Canada match. Watching Lockdown 2005 and 2006 back to back you’d think that Team Canada only ever feuded with AMW or Team 3D. Actually, throw in the Naturals and 3-Live Krew and you’ve pretty much got it all covered.
Match 6: flag match – Team 3D (Ray, D-von and Runt) Vs. Team Canada (Roode, Young and A-1)
Roode and Young defeated the Naturals at Destination X, while A-1 stood around. Team 3D was on the losing end of an 8-man tag match at that same show to Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. Runt had debuted in TNA on the 4/13 episode of iMPACT.
You capture the flag to win and if you win then your anthem is played. If that sounds thrilling, you clearly lead a boring life.
Team 3D come out to the ring wearing war paint because that’s how you gain an edge. It is way more effective than a performance-enhancing drug.
Eric Young and Brother Runt are their team’s respective flag protectors, and Tenay compares them to hockey goalies. Neither of these men is as cool as Patrick Roy.
This really doesn’t last long before you’ve got everyone making an effort to go after the other team’s flag.
There is no resemblance to a tag match at all with all men just being involved. It isn’t so bad inside the cage because realistically, what is the referee going to do DQ them?
Just when you thought things couldn’t get anymore chaotic, the referee is bumped. Team 3D captures the flag, but the ref isn’t there. D’Amoore brings a chair in to play and this allows the Canadians to put their flag back into place. I guess that’s supposed to be a nearfall? Now D’Amoore not just content to toss in a chair, but he beats up the gatekeeper (where’s the keymaster?) and goes to bring a table into play.
Team Canada put Runt on the table and Eric Young goes up but misses his elbow and goes through the table himself. Acid Drop for A-1 and the referee gets up as Team 3D recaptures the flag and they pick up the victory.
Winners: Team 3D – 8:45.
Team 3D celebrates as the same version of the National Anthem Team USA used earlier begins to play. They take time out of their busy schedule to give Scott D’Amoore the 3D.
Thumb Position: in the middle, this was really silly but I can’t decide if it was the good or bad kind.
Impact: Minor, this did end the Team 3D Vs. Team Canada feud which was happening at the same time as the Team 3D vs. AMW feud. Team 3D would go on to feud with The James Gang, while Team Canada headed to the world X-cup before being forced to break up.
Something was clipped out of this but I can’t remember what it was but watching the DVD and it is clear something is missing. The iMPACT Zone crowd is singing the anthem and they must never be allowed to do this again.
Some music plays as Don and Mike kill time. Christy Hemme makes her way out to the ring. Don West promises us that is really Hemme because he has that issue of Playboy. She comes over and hands an envelope off to Mike Tenay.
TNA management is undergoing a restructuring that will include a review of all office personnel. In order to see that this is done right, a high-profile individual has been appointed the new face of TNA management. His first act is to place Larry Zbyszko on Probation. Well, at least we don’t have to watch Larry’s adult video. Larry is not down with this and comes out to rant and rave. Larry wants to know who signed this proclamation? Tenay says that it is the corporate office and Larry says he is the corporate office. He insists he can’t do anything wrong because he’s the boss. I can say for sure he’s not the only boss who feels that way. The second announcement is that Raven has been reinstated and he comes out looking like he ate Travis Lutter. Raven chases Zbyszko into the cage and Larry calls for security.
JB is now backstage with Christian Cage. Christian just stands and looks and says nothing. This type of thing was good but would not happen under the Russo regime where words speak louder than actions.
A highlight package for the NWA title match is what we’re treated to next and it includes footage of Abyss trying to drown Christian. Christian asks if Abyss is prepared to die in 6 sides of steel because he is prepared. I don’t think Chase Stevens was prepared and yet it almost happened.
Match 7: NWA World Title – Christian Cage Vs. Abyss
Abyss along with Jeff Jarrett and AMW defeated Team 3D, Ron Killings and Rhino at Destination X. Christian defeated Monty Brown at Destination X in his first title defense. Abyss was one of several wrestlers to attack Christian after the bout.
Christian wastes no time in attacking Abyss to start the match off. We get crowd brawling for the first time this evening. It may sound crazy but when you don’t see it in every match it doesn’t feel so over-done.
This segment of the match goes a lot better for Abyss than it does for Christian. This is not all that unlike Abyss’ match with AJ Styles at the prior year’s Lockdown in that regard.
I mention this further below but if you want proof that the Christian reign was losing its luster, the fact that the crowd is pretty evenly split should be one sign.
Finally, the 2 men enter the ring and the bell rings to officially start the match with Abyss well in control.
Christian takes a beating for a while and then gets a few hope spots. He goes for the Unprettier but Abyss has none of it. Then he continues to use Christian as a rag doll and toss him hither and yon throughout the ring and cage. Yes, I’ve always wanted to use the phrase hither and yon thanks for asking.
We then get a ref bump off of a clothesline and that is at least our second of the night. Mitchell gets the belt and tosses it in to Abyss to use at his own leisure while the referee is down. However, Christian manages to avoid that and hit the Unprettier.
Christian Cage climbs the cage and comes off with a frog splash. Announcers declare that it is over but because they do not instruct us to count with them it is in fact, not the end of the match. Tenay says that Abyss is not a man; he’s a monster. I think that Sting would disagree.
Abyss takes Christian up and hits the Shock treatment and then goes for his trusty bag of thumbtacks that always backfire on him. At this point I wonder what makes them so trusty other than the fact he can always count on them to work against him.
Abyss recreates a spot from last year by tossing Andrew Thomas into the cage to knock Christian down. It worked last time so why not try it again I guess. Christian still gets up, Abyss follows and Christian knocks him back in to the tags. Rudy Charles was going to enter the ring as he was the gatekeeper (again, where is the keymaster?) and that gets 2. Abyss hits Christian with the Black Hole Slam and that only gets 2 for him.
Abyss still fighting with tacks stuck in his arm and I don’t imagine that feels good. Abyss goes for the chokeslam into the thumbtacks but Christian reverses into the Unprettier and that gets him the win. Don West proclaiming: “Right in the face, right in the face, right in the face!” is pretty funny, I love that man.
Winner: Christian Cage – 14:04
After the bout, Abyss attacks Christian and hangs him from the Cage with his chain. This would lead to a rematch the next month at Sacrifice in Full Medal Mayhem. That’s one way to extend the feud without the heel winning the match.
Thumb Position: up, it was a lot like Abyss Vs. Styles from the year before which means I liked it but it wasn’t quite as good.
Impact: minor, As mentioned earlier the post-match attack of Christian led to a full medal mayhem match at the next month’s Pay Per View but by this point it was clear the Christian reign was losing steam quickly.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with Sting’s Army. Even though their friend Christian was just horribly beaten, none of these men seem to be all that concerned. This is the reason Christian turned on Sting further down the line I just know it.
Killings asks what’s up, AJ says that they won’t let Sting down and Rhino promises someone is going to feel the Gore. Sting says its showtime and the fewer words he speaks the better promo he cuts.
Match 8: Lethal Lockdown – Sting, AJ Styles, Rhino and Ron Killings Vs. Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and America’s Most Wanted
Sting returned at Destination X and was beaten down by the debuting Scott Steiner and the rest of the heels. AMW and Jeff Jarrett along with their partner Abyss defeated Ron Killings, Rhino and Team 3D at Destination X. Rhino and Killings were on the previously mentioned losing team at that show while AJ Styles competed in an Ultimate X match against Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels eventually won by Daniels.
At Lockdown ‘05 this was a 6-man tag, at ‘06 it is an 8-man and at 07 it is a 10-man. I can’t wait until lockdown 33 when it is a 60-man Lethal Lockdown match; even Ric Gillespie would have to admit that as innovative. Ok that's probably not true. As with the prior year, the intervals appear to be 5 minutes for the first period, 2 minutes for all subsequent periods.
Gail Kim and Jackie Gayda accompany Chris Harris to the ring for Jarrett’s army. The man representing Sting’s Warriors is AJ Styles. Well, he was the best choice to go first from a quality standpoint.
I just need to say that I love Gail because it has been awhile since I’ve made that known.
AJ Styles takes the early advantage over Chris Harris, which will make it all the more heart wrenching when the heels take the one-man advantage. It is the natural order of things, which is why I can’t believe TNA was stupid enough to reverse the trend this year. Some things just need not be tampered with because they work. In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Harris is already bleeding but does manage to hit the Catatonic. Styles hits the Clash with just seconds remaining and Earl Hebner foolishly counts the pin, which I might add he also did for Chris Harris just prior.
Out next is James Storm because that is the way life should work and he’s got his trusty beer bottle that is a little more reliable than Abyss’ thumbtacks. Some double-teaming of AJ takes place and that lasts for 2 minutes until Rhino is the next man to join the fray.
Rhino goes to fulfill his promise of a gore but James Storm is able to move out of the damn way. See and people don’t think he’s very smart. The 2 minutes don’t seem to be 2 minutes but I’m not the best judge of time so take my statement with a shaker of salt.
Next out for Jarrett’s team is Jarrett himself. Smart not to over-expose Scott Steiner. I expect him to be last in the cage this year as well. They take the fight to Jarrett on the ramp but it doesn’t devolve in to crowd brawling, as is the norm for Jarrett. Quickly Jarrett enters the ring and the 3-on-2 advantage has been achieved.
Next out for Sting’s Warriors is Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings. Another no-brainer here as the less of Sting we get the better.
AJ heads to the top of the cage and I’ve got a feeling it won’t be for the only time in this match. Oh, it is the start of the tower of doom because we hadn’t seen that spot on this show yet. They execute it just in time for Steiner to enter for the 4-on-3 advantage.
Steiner enters and I know this will shock you, but he starts to throw people around. The fans are chanting something but I can’t make it out. Make no matter, as Sting is the final man to enter the bout.
It is weird because the roof is supposed to lower so they can use the weapons attached to it, but it does not happen until Sting commands it. Sting cleans house on AMW and Jarrett and Steiner stacking them all in the corner and hitting the Stinger splash. It is at this point that he actually calls for the thing to be lowered and it is and it does look kind of cool. “Let the Lethal Lockdown begin”, is the proclamation of David Penzer.
James Storm has found an area in the roof that you can wiggle through and he and AJ Styles are headed on top of the roof. Crowd chants “Please don’t die’, and that is something I definitely agree with here. Gail Kim tries to interfere but Jackie stops this. I would normally be against such things as I think Gail should be allowed to do whatever she wants but in this case Jackie prevents her from interfering by removing her bottom’s so that gets a huge thumbs up.
James Storm is setting up a table on top while Sting and Jeff Jarrett have dueling guitars. I feel like a Quick Draw McGraw cartoon is ready to break out. Sting is preparing to hit Jarrett with a guitar but Steiner hits a low blow to end that idea.
AJ Styles has Storm on the table and has set up a ladder. AJ starts to climb the ladder and he is hanging from the rafters and he swings down splashing Storm through the table. Ok, that was freaking insane and outshines both Stevens’ shooting star and Christian’s frog splash. Styles and Storm are out of this match as the crowd chants something about awesome. I should note that all the other men just stood around while this happened.
Steiner hooks Rhino in the recliner but Sting breaks that up with the Scorpion Deathdrop. Harris takes Sting down and hooks him in his own Scorpion Deathlock. Sting grabs the ankle and reverses in to a Deathlock of his own and that gets the submission.
Winners: Sting, Styles, Killings and Rhino – 23:49
Thumb Position: Up, Lockdown may as well be the AJ Styles show.
Impact: significant, this would lead to Styles and Daniels Vs. America’s Most Wanted, Sting and Samoa Joe Vs. Steiner and Jarrett and only Killings and Rhino were splintered away from this group.
Overall Show Thoughts: A much better show than the 2005 incarnation. Some of the finishes were hokier but the wrestling was also a lot better and they didn’t have so many multi-layered gimmick matches on this show.
The Scoring:
Wrestling Quality: 7.5, a lot of good stuff up and down the card.
Backstage Quality: 6.5,a few good promos from the usual suspects and that’s always appreciated.
Crowd Heat: 5, they’ve been hotter but they were hot at the right times.
Announcing: 7, the professor stuff was great and you could tell for one night Tenay cared. Don West also got off a few funny lines.
Booking: 6, a couple of odd finishes here and there but most of this was well done and made sense. I’d kill for that in TNA these days.
IMPACT Analysis: 5.5, a few important things did take place on this show, and what didn’t lead to anything significant was at least fun.
Replay Factor: 6, a lot of this is good for multiple viewings and this is probably the PPV I’ve watched the most number of times since buying the DVD. The 6-man tag to open the show was especially great, maybe even one of my all-time favorite TNA matches.
Average: 6.2, this best the previous best of a 5.7 for Against All Odds 2006 by half a point and was probably the last outstanding TNA show before the booking team ran out of steam and was replaced by big chief hot-head.
Is it worth Buying the DVD?: It is definitely worth buying the DVD just to see AJ Styles be insane, and for the opening tag match neither of which is on another DVD, well perhaps the Lethal Lockdown match is on the Sting DVD I’m not certain.
What is the iMPACT Analysis? I take a look back at the given event and I try to provide context for each match. Looking at what each participant had been doing prior to their match with their given opponent and I also look at how the result of the match iMPACTed the future direction of the wrestlers, the titles and the promotion as a whole. Then at the end I rate the show on a number of criteria.
All of these are rated on a scale from 0-10.
Wrestling Quality: How was the in-ring action on the show?
Backstage Quality: How were the promos, backstage skits and other angles?
Crowd Heat: Was the crowd in to the show?
Announcing: Were they on point, humorous, say something completely stupid?
Booking: Did the storyline direction make sense? Did the right man or team go over in the end?
iMPACT Analysis: How did this show iMPACT the company? Was it memorable, a complete throwaway, somewhere in the middle?
Replay Factor: How much of this would you ever want to view a second time?
Average: Taking the score in each of the above categories and dividing it by the number of categories and that determines the show score.
Is it worth buying the DVD? Asks if this DVD is worth the purchase or not.
Event: Lockdown 2006
Event Date: 04/23/2006
Event Venue: Universal Studios, Orlando Florida
Announcers: Mike Tenay and Don West
There was an in studio preshow this month, thus no preshow matches for me to ignore. All match times come from www.prowrestlinghistory.com
This is TNA, the wrestling company tired of Casey making fun of our tagline.
The hype video starts out with James Mitchell talking to Christian and asking if he’s ready to face Abyss for the world title. Samoa Joe and Sabu are hyped and then they hype Sting’s Team Vs. Team Jarrett in the Lethal Lockdown. Not the same hype video as they used to open the show the year before, but it was still pretty good.
Match 1: Team USA (Alex Shelley, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal) Vs. Team Japan (Hirooki Goto, Black Tiger and Minoru)
This was a preview of the world X-cup. Sonjay Dutt had wrestled in an international X match at the prior month’s Destination X event while Lethal and Shelley actually wrestled each other with Shelley winning. This was the debut of all 3 members of New Japan’s Team Japan in TNA.
A bit of irony, Team USA captain Chris Sabin defeated both Shelley and Dutt to qualify for the team. Those other men won qualifying matches later on.
The World X-cup was one of those ideas that TNA had that was better on paper than it was in execution, as shown by the lack of star power on the Mexican team. It also worked better in the era of 2-hour Pay Per Views than as matches on iMPACT every week.
Team USA comes out to an interesting remix of the U.S. National Anthem. Team Japan has Generic music. Sonjay Dutt represents the U.S. here and India at Destination X 2006 the month prior. One year later and Lethal Shelley and Dutt once again find themselves in the same match as they are wrestling in the 5-man Xscape match on the 2007 show.
It is a good thing I don’t do traditional play-by-play because I’ve seen this match a bunch and I’ve got no idea how to describe some of these double and triple team moves.
Shelley’s got the Paparazzi cam and hands it off to So-Cal Val. Don West says that’s not what he’d want to hand off to her. Lecherous Don West is kind of creepy.
Team USA is having issues getting along, and I know this because Shelley is a heel the other 2 are faces and the announcers said so.
Black Tiger tags in and Tenay goes in to full-on Professor mode talking about the history of this gimmick and the Tiger Mask gimmick in Japan. Tenay is in his glory at this point bringing the knowledge including Eddie Guerrero playing the roll. This man should not be doing play-by-play he should do color and drop the historical info for a show not based around crash TV.
Hirooki Goto is next to get the professor treatment talking about his years of experience. Team USA uses some nice teamwork to take control. For as awesome as historical Tenay can be, when he says “Original Playa from the Himalayas” he sounds quite old.
Team Mexico comes out to watch the match including: Shocker, Puma and Magno. See what I mean about the Star Power?
Team Japan is cutting off Sonjay from his tag partners because they’re awesome that way. Sonjay gets an assist from Alex Shelley showing that he’s down with his team and then a few seconds later Sonjay snaps off a rana and tags in Jay Lethal.
It starts to break down, Shelley with a frog splash for 2, and then Sonjay hits a shooting star but Black Tiger breaks up that pin. Crowd chants “USA USA” proving they know where they live. Minoru special has to be broken up by Team USA. Crowd chants, “This is awesome”, and I’m not inclined to disagree.
Sonjay goes for a Sonjay Cutter but is nailed by his own partner Alex Shelley. A Tiger Suplex follows shortly thereafter and that gets the pin for Team Japan.
Winners: Team Japan – 12:01
This was a fun match that only slightly involved use of the cage and didn’t need tables; garbage cans, chairs or Kendo sticks to get over.
Thumb Position: Up, I love this match! It was a good way to start things off and no match in the X-cup itself would be as good.
Impact: none, it was just a showcase to get people ready for the world X-cup that started on the next iMPACT.
Mike Tenay and Don West run down the card. Team 3D and Team Canada in an anthem match. Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu, Christian Cage Vs. Abyss and Lethal Lockdown.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with Team 3D. Borash hawks some action figures before starting the interview; he’s no Don West. Brother Ray says that the war continues but tonight it ends. Lord, I hope so. Team 3D is finally reunited with their Brother, Runt. Tonight is not about titles; it is about pride. This is because neither team currently holds the titles Brother Ray says he’d rather go to work for that miserable company in Stanford than listen to the Canadian anthem. D-von says: “Tell me he didn’t just say that?” and Ray says he was only ribbing. You’ve got to love the insider references that 98% of the audience totally understands. Well, the fact is more of TNA’s audience probably would get what a rib is than the WWE audience just because TNA’s audience is more hardcore and smaller and more familiar with the Internet.
Zbyszko comes in and asks Borash what he knows about the big announcement coming up later in the show. Borash says he doesn’t know and I’ve got a funny feeling that we’re going to hear more of this.
Match 2: Christopher Daniels Vs. Senshi
This was originally supposed to be Daniels Vs. Jushin Lyger but that ended up not happening. This is Senshi’s return to TNA after more than a year away from the company. Daniels had won the X-division title in an Ultimate X match over Samoa Joe and AJ Styles at Destination X but lost the belt back to Joe on the 4/13 episode of iMPACT, that show’s first episode on Thursday.
David Penzer introduces Senshi as formerly known as Low Ki’ which allows Tenay to go in to professor mode talking about the history of XXX in TNA.
We are also told that Senshi means “Warrior” in Japanese. Daniels and Senshi exchanging chops in the middle of the ring and Senshi wins that battle for the moment.
Now Tenay is talking about Low Ki’s role in the formation and early days of the x-division along with AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn. The announcers alternate between calling him Senshi and Low Ki, which is fine, I guess seeing as how the crowd just calls him Low Ki anyway.
Daniels suplexes Senshi back first to the cage and then plants him with an STO. Daniels goes for a pin but Senshi roles the shoulder at 2. It is time once again for the announcers to talk about how the cage has no give. I think it is in the cage’s contract that it must be mentioned every time the gimmick is in use.
Senshi sidesteps Daniels and then just kicks the crap out of him because he is Senshi.
Then just for fun he hits a series of shots and then drops Daniels with a Death Valley driver.
Daniels comes back scoring a nearfall of his own and the crowd finds this match awesome as well. I don’t find it as awesome as the last match. Daniels tries a superplex but Senshi fights it off. Then Daniels tries for a Super-Angel’s Wings but Senshi fights it off knocking Daniels off. Senshi tries the double stomp but misses. The crowd again finds it awesome and I find it to be pretty good but that’s a much harder chant to manage.
Senshi rolls up Daniels and puts his feet on the ropes for the pin.
Winner: Senshi – N/A
Thumb Position: Up, this was a fun match but they are capable of so much more. Good for the time it was given.
Impact: major, this was the return of Senshi to the promotion. However, this did not lead to a feud between these men.
JB back with The James Gang and Bullet Bob. Bullet Bob will be armwrestling Konnan and the loser’s team will get strapped inside the steel cage. Foolish mortal if you did not think TNA could overbook armwrestling.
B.G. notes that Konnan broke their hearts. I guess Konnan isn’t most Black Brother in the vold. Kip James says: “Mama always said I was a strapping young man”. He says this in a way that made me think of Will from WillAndSteveRadio.com
Now we get a video package of the LAX Vs. James Gang feud with some wacky LAX theme music. I’ve said this in 3 or 4 TNA 2006 reviews already but it is a miracle LAX got over to any degree given the fact that this feud actually happened. I think if they did this one again today it would be done vastly different.
Match 3: Armwrestling Match – Bob Armstrong Vs. Konnan
Armstrong teamed with the James Gang to defeat LAX in a 6-man tag bout at Destination X. This is the monthly Pay Per View debut of Hernandez. He debuts by walking out to the ring with Konnan for his armwrestling challenge.
I’m sorry, but there is something very funny about an Armwrestling match inside of a steel cage. Konnan calls Orlando a bunch of losers, just like Bullet Bob. Konnan is at a disadvantage because he bruised his knuckles knocking out 15 Orlando punk asses. If they were all just punks, why did he have to bruise his knuckles? I thought punks were pushovers.
Tenay insists that Orlando loves the James Gang as the crowd goes mild. Tenay prompts us to check out the guns on Bob Armstrong. He’s in pretty good shape, I’ll give him that much.
This is an armwrestling match, so you know how this goes. Konnan gets the early advantage, nearly has Armstrong beat, he comes back and pushes Konnan’s arm down for the win. Konnan at least manages to badmouth him before going down to defeat.
Winner: Bob Armstrong
After the match, the James Gang gets to strap LAX. This goes on for way too long and while there are a couple of funny moments, but not enough to justify the length of this segment. Kip whips one of them prematurely and B.G. calls him Billy. Crowd chants “boring” at one point and the segment is not half over at that point. After B.G. refers to him as “Billy” Tenay says that he “jumped the gun”. Oh, aren’t they clever? My answer is no!
Thumb Position: down, not everything on a TNA show can be great.
Impact: mild, this would be the end of the feud thankfully and would lead to the angle that started LAX on their hot streak that would last through the summer and early fall. The James Gang would move on to feud with Team 3D.
JB is backstage with Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and America’s Most Wanted. Even before Jarrett can say anything Zbyszko comes in to see if Jarrett knows what the major announcement is and Jarrett blows him off. The Montreal screwjob in reference to Earl Hebner is brought up proving that even companies that weren’t around in 1997 can’t let it go!
The heels take turn talking about how great they are in relation to the faces. Scott Steiner’s promo is awesome and it is because and I quote: “I’m ready to snap!”
Match 4: Elimination X: Chris Sabin Vs. Petey Williams Vs. Elix Skipper Vs. Chase Stevens Vs. Puma Vs. Shark Boy
Chris Sabin won the International X match at Destination X, which featured Petey Williams and Puma as well as Sonjay Dutt. Chase Stevens and his partner Andy Douglas lost to the Team of Eric Young and Bobby Roode on that show while Elix Skipper and Shark Boy were probably on the preshow.
This match has the same rules as the year prior and this upcoming year. You eliminate with pinfalls and submissions until it is down to 2 men and then it is over the cage and down to the floor.
D’Amoore heads over to the announce table. He tells Tenay that Williams and Skipper will work together until the end as per an agreement he made with Simon Diamond. He said then they would settle it man to man just like they did back in the Old Country. Nice to see D’Amoore is a fan of the Old Country Times!
The match has started out slow so far with tags in and out, but I’ll bet it breaks down before too long. I know you’ll be surprised to hear this, but Shark Boy did not win this match. In fact he was the first man pinned, what a surprise!
Petey Williams pins Shark Boy at 5:02 after a Canadian Destroyer.
Sabin and Williams are in together and Tenay brings up the long history between the 2 of them. He’s on fire tonight, it is almost like he cares or something. Petey now in with Chase Stevens and tries the Destroyer but Stevens fights it off. Primetime and Puma in as well and Primetime hits the Sudden Death on Puma but Puma breaks it up.
Stevens starts to head up to the top of the cage with the rest of the competitors in the ring. Puma goes after him but is sent back down. Stevens attempts a shooting star press but nobody is there to catch him and he lands badly. Ouch!!! Ouch!!! Ouch!!!
Stevens somehow tries a pin but it is for nothing. Elix Skipper comes in and pins Stevens and he is eliminated. He was almost eliminated from life.
Elix Skipper Pins Chase Stevens in 8:53 after hitting the Sudden Death.
The alliance is short-lived as soon Petey turns on Elix Skipper and pins him. D’Amoore says that: “I break your back with my camel clutch”. He’s trying to be cool but no anyone do it like the Sheik.
Petey Williams pinned Elix Skipper in 9:36 after a rollup.
Sabin is left with Puma and Petey Williams. The eliminations are coming fast as Puma is next to go.
Chris Sabin pinned Puma in 10:21 with the Cradle shock.
Chris Sabin is once again in the final 2 of this match as he was with Shocker in 2005. Sabin hits Williams with the Hesitation dropkick and goes to escape the cage. Sabin trying to leave and D’Amoore interjects himself preventing him from dropping. Sabin rams Petey Williams in to the cage, Petey drops but lands on D’Amoore and Sabin is able to drop for the win.
Winner: Chris Sabin – 12:48
Every team Canada finish must in some way involve Scott D’Amoore. Rule 1B in the TNA rulebook.
Thumb Position: slightly up, this match was fine; the finish was kind of lame however.
Impact: mild, this was the beginning of a minor push for Sabin that would lead him in to a feud with Kevin Nash and an eventual heel turn.
JB is back with James Mitchell and Abyss. James Mitchell cuts a spectacular promo on Christian Cage, questioning whether he is a real champion or not. An awesome segment on iMPACT where Abyss and Mitchell attacked Christian at his home and tried to drown him in his own swimming pool set up this match. It had the line of Mitchell proclaiming, “You can’t win the title from a dead man”. Actually, I think it would be easy to win the title from a dead man.
A hype video airs to build up the Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu match for the x-division title.
Match 5: X-division Title – Samoa Joe Vs. Sabu
Samoa Joe had lost his X-title to Christopher Daniels at Destination X in an ultimate X match that featured AJ Styles. Sabu was returning to TNA for the first time since 2005’s Turning Point event where he defeated Abyss in a barbed wire match.
Sabu was coming in with a broken arm and this was also his last appearance in TNA before heading off to bigger if not necessarily better things in ECW.
Sabu tries to hit Joe with a chair to start but Joe avoids it. Sabu goes for the camel clutch, but because he’s not a real Olympic Champion like Sheik he is not able to break Joe’s back and thus a humbling is avoided.
There is one guy chanting for Sabu right now. This may be the same guy that was the only one cheering for Styles in 2005.
Sabu springboards off of the chair and hits a move of some sort on Joe. He hits a legdrop on the chair, which is on Joe’s head.
Joe applies a cross armbreaker but Sabu is able to counter out of it.
Sabu and Samoa Joe exchange shots for a bit. They both head up top and Samoa Joe brings Sabu down in a less than polite manner. Joe hits Sabu with a chair and then hits the musclebuster for the victory.
Winner: Samoa Joe – 6:12
Thumb Position: in the middle, it wasn’t bad but it was too short to amount to anything good.
Impact: None, Sabu was gone right after this show for the new ECW and this win didn’t do anything to help Samoa Joe anyway. Samoa Joe would go on to team with Sting at the next Pay Per View against Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner.
Jeremy Borash with Team Canada. They’re already singing and it is already annoying me. Eric Young is already well on his way to a wacky personality. Scott D’Amoore is sick and tired of the same old song and dance from Team 3D. Pot, meet Kettle. He does a funny impression of Brother Ray and then declares he doesn’t like Americans because they don’t keep themselves fit like himself and Team Canada.
Zbyszko comes in and asks D’Amoore if he knows what the announcement and D’Amoore says he’s heard a little something but he isn’t going to tell Larry. He says it is time Larry be thrown under the bus and take the fall for once. It should be noted that at this point I was a religious viewer of TNA and had no idea what he was talking about.
Now they show a hype video for the Team 3D Vs. Team Canada match. Watching Lockdown 2005 and 2006 back to back you’d think that Team Canada only ever feuded with AMW or Team 3D. Actually, throw in the Naturals and 3-Live Krew and you’ve pretty much got it all covered.
Match 6: flag match – Team 3D (Ray, D-von and Runt) Vs. Team Canada (Roode, Young and A-1)
Roode and Young defeated the Naturals at Destination X, while A-1 stood around. Team 3D was on the losing end of an 8-man tag match at that same show to Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rhino. Runt had debuted in TNA on the 4/13 episode of iMPACT.
You capture the flag to win and if you win then your anthem is played. If that sounds thrilling, you clearly lead a boring life.
Team 3D come out to the ring wearing war paint because that’s how you gain an edge. It is way more effective than a performance-enhancing drug.
Eric Young and Brother Runt are their team’s respective flag protectors, and Tenay compares them to hockey goalies. Neither of these men is as cool as Patrick Roy.
This really doesn’t last long before you’ve got everyone making an effort to go after the other team’s flag.
There is no resemblance to a tag match at all with all men just being involved. It isn’t so bad inside the cage because realistically, what is the referee going to do DQ them?
Just when you thought things couldn’t get anymore chaotic, the referee is bumped. Team 3D captures the flag, but the ref isn’t there. D’Amoore brings a chair in to play and this allows the Canadians to put their flag back into place. I guess that’s supposed to be a nearfall? Now D’Amoore not just content to toss in a chair, but he beats up the gatekeeper (where’s the keymaster?) and goes to bring a table into play.
Team Canada put Runt on the table and Eric Young goes up but misses his elbow and goes through the table himself. Acid Drop for A-1 and the referee gets up as Team 3D recaptures the flag and they pick up the victory.
Winners: Team 3D – 8:45.
Team 3D celebrates as the same version of the National Anthem Team USA used earlier begins to play. They take time out of their busy schedule to give Scott D’Amoore the 3D.
Thumb Position: in the middle, this was really silly but I can’t decide if it was the good or bad kind.
Impact: Minor, this did end the Team 3D Vs. Team Canada feud which was happening at the same time as the Team 3D vs. AMW feud. Team 3D would go on to feud with The James Gang, while Team Canada headed to the world X-cup before being forced to break up.
Something was clipped out of this but I can’t remember what it was but watching the DVD and it is clear something is missing. The iMPACT Zone crowd is singing the anthem and they must never be allowed to do this again.
Some music plays as Don and Mike kill time. Christy Hemme makes her way out to the ring. Don West promises us that is really Hemme because he has that issue of Playboy. She comes over and hands an envelope off to Mike Tenay.
TNA management is undergoing a restructuring that will include a review of all office personnel. In order to see that this is done right, a high-profile individual has been appointed the new face of TNA management. His first act is to place Larry Zbyszko on Probation. Well, at least we don’t have to watch Larry’s adult video. Larry is not down with this and comes out to rant and rave. Larry wants to know who signed this proclamation? Tenay says that it is the corporate office and Larry says he is the corporate office. He insists he can’t do anything wrong because he’s the boss. I can say for sure he’s not the only boss who feels that way. The second announcement is that Raven has been reinstated and he comes out looking like he ate Travis Lutter. Raven chases Zbyszko into the cage and Larry calls for security.
JB is now backstage with Christian Cage. Christian just stands and looks and says nothing. This type of thing was good but would not happen under the Russo regime where words speak louder than actions.
A highlight package for the NWA title match is what we’re treated to next and it includes footage of Abyss trying to drown Christian. Christian asks if Abyss is prepared to die in 6 sides of steel because he is prepared. I don’t think Chase Stevens was prepared and yet it almost happened.
Match 7: NWA World Title – Christian Cage Vs. Abyss
Abyss along with Jeff Jarrett and AMW defeated Team 3D, Ron Killings and Rhino at Destination X. Christian defeated Monty Brown at Destination X in his first title defense. Abyss was one of several wrestlers to attack Christian after the bout.
Christian wastes no time in attacking Abyss to start the match off. We get crowd brawling for the first time this evening. It may sound crazy but when you don’t see it in every match it doesn’t feel so over-done.
This segment of the match goes a lot better for Abyss than it does for Christian. This is not all that unlike Abyss’ match with AJ Styles at the prior year’s Lockdown in that regard.
I mention this further below but if you want proof that the Christian reign was losing its luster, the fact that the crowd is pretty evenly split should be one sign.
Finally, the 2 men enter the ring and the bell rings to officially start the match with Abyss well in control.
Christian takes a beating for a while and then gets a few hope spots. He goes for the Unprettier but Abyss has none of it. Then he continues to use Christian as a rag doll and toss him hither and yon throughout the ring and cage. Yes, I’ve always wanted to use the phrase hither and yon thanks for asking.
We then get a ref bump off of a clothesline and that is at least our second of the night. Mitchell gets the belt and tosses it in to Abyss to use at his own leisure while the referee is down. However, Christian manages to avoid that and hit the Unprettier.
Christian Cage climbs the cage and comes off with a frog splash. Announcers declare that it is over but because they do not instruct us to count with them it is in fact, not the end of the match. Tenay says that Abyss is not a man; he’s a monster. I think that Sting would disagree.
Abyss takes Christian up and hits the Shock treatment and then goes for his trusty bag of thumbtacks that always backfire on him. At this point I wonder what makes them so trusty other than the fact he can always count on them to work against him.
Abyss recreates a spot from last year by tossing Andrew Thomas into the cage to knock Christian down. It worked last time so why not try it again I guess. Christian still gets up, Abyss follows and Christian knocks him back in to the tags. Rudy Charles was going to enter the ring as he was the gatekeeper (again, where is the keymaster?) and that gets 2. Abyss hits Christian with the Black Hole Slam and that only gets 2 for him.
Abyss still fighting with tacks stuck in his arm and I don’t imagine that feels good. Abyss goes for the chokeslam into the thumbtacks but Christian reverses into the Unprettier and that gets him the win. Don West proclaiming: “Right in the face, right in the face, right in the face!” is pretty funny, I love that man.
Winner: Christian Cage – 14:04
After the bout, Abyss attacks Christian and hangs him from the Cage with his chain. This would lead to a rematch the next month at Sacrifice in Full Medal Mayhem. That’s one way to extend the feud without the heel winning the match.
Thumb Position: up, it was a lot like Abyss Vs. Styles from the year before which means I liked it but it wasn’t quite as good.
Impact: minor, As mentioned earlier the post-match attack of Christian led to a full medal mayhem match at the next month’s Pay Per View but by this point it was clear the Christian reign was losing steam quickly.
Jeremy Borash is backstage with Sting’s Army. Even though their friend Christian was just horribly beaten, none of these men seem to be all that concerned. This is the reason Christian turned on Sting further down the line I just know it.
Killings asks what’s up, AJ says that they won’t let Sting down and Rhino promises someone is going to feel the Gore. Sting says its showtime and the fewer words he speaks the better promo he cuts.
Match 8: Lethal Lockdown – Sting, AJ Styles, Rhino and Ron Killings Vs. Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner and America’s Most Wanted
Sting returned at Destination X and was beaten down by the debuting Scott Steiner and the rest of the heels. AMW and Jeff Jarrett along with their partner Abyss defeated Ron Killings, Rhino and Team 3D at Destination X. Rhino and Killings were on the previously mentioned losing team at that show while AJ Styles competed in an Ultimate X match against Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels eventually won by Daniels.
At Lockdown ‘05 this was a 6-man tag, at ‘06 it is an 8-man and at 07 it is a 10-man. I can’t wait until lockdown 33 when it is a 60-man Lethal Lockdown match; even Ric Gillespie would have to admit that as innovative. Ok that's probably not true. As with the prior year, the intervals appear to be 5 minutes for the first period, 2 minutes for all subsequent periods.
Gail Kim and Jackie Gayda accompany Chris Harris to the ring for Jarrett’s army. The man representing Sting’s Warriors is AJ Styles. Well, he was the best choice to go first from a quality standpoint.
I just need to say that I love Gail because it has been awhile since I’ve made that known.
AJ Styles takes the early advantage over Chris Harris, which will make it all the more heart wrenching when the heels take the one-man advantage. It is the natural order of things, which is why I can’t believe TNA was stupid enough to reverse the trend this year. Some things just need not be tampered with because they work. In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Harris is already bleeding but does manage to hit the Catatonic. Styles hits the Clash with just seconds remaining and Earl Hebner foolishly counts the pin, which I might add he also did for Chris Harris just prior.
Out next is James Storm because that is the way life should work and he’s got his trusty beer bottle that is a little more reliable than Abyss’ thumbtacks. Some double-teaming of AJ takes place and that lasts for 2 minutes until Rhino is the next man to join the fray.
Rhino goes to fulfill his promise of a gore but James Storm is able to move out of the damn way. See and people don’t think he’s very smart. The 2 minutes don’t seem to be 2 minutes but I’m not the best judge of time so take my statement with a shaker of salt.
Next out for Jarrett’s team is Jarrett himself. Smart not to over-expose Scott Steiner. I expect him to be last in the cage this year as well. They take the fight to Jarrett on the ramp but it doesn’t devolve in to crowd brawling, as is the norm for Jarrett. Quickly Jarrett enters the ring and the 3-on-2 advantage has been achieved.
Next out for Sting’s Warriors is Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings. Another no-brainer here as the less of Sting we get the better.
AJ heads to the top of the cage and I’ve got a feeling it won’t be for the only time in this match. Oh, it is the start of the tower of doom because we hadn’t seen that spot on this show yet. They execute it just in time for Steiner to enter for the 4-on-3 advantage.
Steiner enters and I know this will shock you, but he starts to throw people around. The fans are chanting something but I can’t make it out. Make no matter, as Sting is the final man to enter the bout.
It is weird because the roof is supposed to lower so they can use the weapons attached to it, but it does not happen until Sting commands it. Sting cleans house on AMW and Jarrett and Steiner stacking them all in the corner and hitting the Stinger splash. It is at this point that he actually calls for the thing to be lowered and it is and it does look kind of cool. “Let the Lethal Lockdown begin”, is the proclamation of David Penzer.
James Storm has found an area in the roof that you can wiggle through and he and AJ Styles are headed on top of the roof. Crowd chants “Please don’t die’, and that is something I definitely agree with here. Gail Kim tries to interfere but Jackie stops this. I would normally be against such things as I think Gail should be allowed to do whatever she wants but in this case Jackie prevents her from interfering by removing her bottom’s so that gets a huge thumbs up.
James Storm is setting up a table on top while Sting and Jeff Jarrett have dueling guitars. I feel like a Quick Draw McGraw cartoon is ready to break out. Sting is preparing to hit Jarrett with a guitar but Steiner hits a low blow to end that idea.
AJ Styles has Storm on the table and has set up a ladder. AJ starts to climb the ladder and he is hanging from the rafters and he swings down splashing Storm through the table. Ok, that was freaking insane and outshines both Stevens’ shooting star and Christian’s frog splash. Styles and Storm are out of this match as the crowd chants something about awesome. I should note that all the other men just stood around while this happened.
Steiner hooks Rhino in the recliner but Sting breaks that up with the Scorpion Deathdrop. Harris takes Sting down and hooks him in his own Scorpion Deathlock. Sting grabs the ankle and reverses in to a Deathlock of his own and that gets the submission.
Winners: Sting, Styles, Killings and Rhino – 23:49
Thumb Position: Up, Lockdown may as well be the AJ Styles show.
Impact: significant, this would lead to Styles and Daniels Vs. America’s Most Wanted, Sting and Samoa Joe Vs. Steiner and Jarrett and only Killings and Rhino were splintered away from this group.
Overall Show Thoughts: A much better show than the 2005 incarnation. Some of the finishes were hokier but the wrestling was also a lot better and they didn’t have so many multi-layered gimmick matches on this show.
The Scoring:
Wrestling Quality: 7.5, a lot of good stuff up and down the card.
Backstage Quality: 6.5,a few good promos from the usual suspects and that’s always appreciated.
Crowd Heat: 5, they’ve been hotter but they were hot at the right times.
Announcing: 7, the professor stuff was great and you could tell for one night Tenay cared. Don West also got off a few funny lines.
Booking: 6, a couple of odd finishes here and there but most of this was well done and made sense. I’d kill for that in TNA these days.
IMPACT Analysis: 5.5, a few important things did take place on this show, and what didn’t lead to anything significant was at least fun.
Replay Factor: 6, a lot of this is good for multiple viewings and this is probably the PPV I’ve watched the most number of times since buying the DVD. The 6-man tag to open the show was especially great, maybe even one of my all-time favorite TNA matches.
Average: 6.2, this best the previous best of a 5.7 for Against All Odds 2006 by half a point and was probably the last outstanding TNA show before the booking team ran out of steam and was replaced by big chief hot-head.
Is it worth Buying the DVD?: It is definitely worth buying the DVD just to see AJ Styles be insane, and for the opening tag match neither of which is on another DVD, well perhaps the Lethal Lockdown match is on the Sting DVD I’m not certain.
Labels: DVD Reviews, iMPACT Analysis, Lockdown, Lockdown 2006, OCC Opinion, TNA
posted by Casey Trowbridge at 4/11/2007 07:40:00 AM
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