Welcome to the column that has been a tradition since January, the iMPACT Analysis. This month we’ll look at a show that has been a February tradition for just about as long, TNA’s Against All Odds Pay Per View.
We’ll have the 2005 and 2006 versions posted just in time to get you ready to suffe...er...enjoy this Sunday’s installment.
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.
Worth buying the DVD? Asks if this DVD is worth the purchase or not.
Event: TNA: Against All Odds, 2005
Event Date: 02/13/2005
Event Venue: Universal Studios, Orlando Florida
Announcers: Mike Tenay and Don West, Shane Douglas and Scott Hudson backstage
I’m not touching the preshow bouts with a 10-foot pole, hey; even I have standards that I won’t sink below. But for those of you who just need to know the results…Thanks to ProWrestlingHistory.com for these and all match times.
Phi Delta Slam (Bruno Sassi & Big Tilly) beat Lex Lovett & Buck Quartermain when Tilly pinned Quartermain.
Ron & Don Harris beat Mikey Batts & Jerrelle Clark (3:12).
Join us next month for a show review you won’t want to miss including a match involving the 2 winning teams off of this preshow.
This, is TNA, Remember when we had wrestling?
“As dreamers we believe tomorrow brings a bright future”, and thus begins the video package. What’s the deal with all of these TNA video packages involving dreamers and dreams? Perhaps, it is because if they think they’ll ever be the top company in the world, they have put a lot of faith in dreams.
Anyway, the package focuses on 3 matches. The Ironman match between AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, The Full Medal Mayhem match between Abyss and Jeff Hardy and the world title Kevin Nash vs. Jeff Jarrett bout.
Whoever writes the scripts for these video intros should put together movie trailers.
We’re now in the building and the pyro goes off. Hey, what would happen if that started a fire one day? Na, that could never happen.
Don West says you couldn’t fit another person in the building, oh, I bet that you could.
Shane Douglas is outside of Jarrett’s locker room. He claims that he can’t remember a world title match in years that has had more buzz than Jarrett/Nash. Sorry his memory sucks so bad. Larry Zbyszko comes out and says we’ve got a large legal battle going on, because those up buyrates more than anything.
Scott Hudson is outside of Nash’s locker room. Hudson claims that members of the Longest Yard cast are in the locker room, sure they were.
Match 1: Elix Skipper Vs. Petey Williams
Elix was coming off of a win at Final Resolution over Sonjay Dutt, while Petey Williams dropped the X-division title to AJ Styles on that same show.
Mike Tenay says the x-division was a hot property that established TNA. What a difference a couple of years makes then huh?
Tenay is already pimping Destination X for March and the return of Ultimate X after a mere 2-month absence. Oh, Destination X 2005 that will be quite the review I promise you.
Mike Tenay runs down Skipper’s title accomplishments in wrestling, but neglects to mention that he debuted on WCW Thunder under the name of Skip Over. You should never wonder why WCW went out of business.
Williams hits a slingshot Rana to the floor, which draws a “Holy Shit” chant. Then he takes Skipper back in and does the “Oh, Canada” spot. West says that Elix is looking to debut a new move tonight.
Skipper takes control with a suplex, an inverted suplex like move into the ropes and then a guillotine legdrop. Williams cuts him off and then prevents Skipper from doing his ropewalk Rana and that draws boos from the crowd. Skipper is in trouble but counters the Destroyer with a backdrop, tries the Play of the Day but Williams fights out.
Skipper goes for a springboard dropkick but Petey Williams avoids it. Skipper hits his new move, called Sudden Death by Tenay and picks up the win.
Winner: Elix Skipper – 7:58
This was fine, TNA used to know what kind of match to start a show with.
Thumb Position: Slightly up, it was a fun enough opener, not a classic or anything but as a match not a waste of time.
Impact: Mild, Elix would compete in Ultimate X at Destination X while Williams would move to the tag division for a few months.
We go to a video package for the next match, Kazarian and Shane Vs. B.G. James and Jeff Hammond. With this thrilling, and by thrilling I mean pretty boring package it is not hard to understand why the Jeff Hammond stuff meant nothing. For those that don’t know Jeff Hammond did some Nascar stuff of some sort and this was TNA’s plan to get publicity from the sports Universe and they failed.
Match 2: Michael Shane and Kazarian Vs. B.G. James and Jeff Hammond
This was Hammond’s first and thank God only wrestling match that I know of and want to know of. Shane and Kazarian along with Chris Daniels lost to the 3Live Krew including B.G. James at Final Resolution.
We’ve got annoying dubbed over commentary for this match because of the name Michael Shane.
If I don’t write a lot about this match, assume I think it sucks. If I do write a lot, you’ll know it sucks. Konnan does his usual intro and all I have to say is thank God for the heel turn.
B.G. modifies his intro, saying that he represents the rednecks and Hammond the race cars, for those too stupid to figure that out on there own and actually isn’t that 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other.
Crowd chants “Nascar sucks” and boos the babyfaces. Nice work, TNA. Way to understand the audience, toss another million in the vault. I’ll give TNA this though, they got better when it comes to the remixed audio as unlike during last month’s match, you can actually hear the crowd. Yes, so far that and a nice dive from Kazarian are the best things about this match.
Hammond is now the legal man and someone named “Boo” is awful popular with the crowd. Shane hits the superkick on his own partner is pulled out of the ring by B.G. James, and then Hammond drops the Pit stop Elbow on Kazarian for the pin. The Pit stop elbow makes the People’s Elbow look like the best finish ever.
Winner: B.G. James and Jeff Hammond – 5:33
This did nothing for nobody and got TNA no publicity. It was a failure in every respect.
Thumb Position: Down, stupid match, waste of time, horrid finish.
Impact: None, Kazarian ate the pin, and then went to the WWE for a short cup of coffee. Shane floundered for quite awhile, while 3LK started a feud with Team Canada and others.
Dusty Rhodes is backstage talking about some sort of lawsuit. Jarrett’s lawyer wants the stipulation voided that would prevent Jeff Jarrett from using a guitar. He also says he’s got a document that proves Jeff Jarrett has never used a guitar in the match. I’ve got a document that says I’m a trillionaire doesn’t make it so. Now for some reason Traci and Trinity are in the back and Trinity threatens the lawyer with things.
Now we go to a video package of the next match and it starts with Raven losing to Erik Watts and beating up referees. Dustin Rhodes comes out to save Cassidy Riley from a beating.
Match 3: Raven Vs. Dustin Rhodes
At Final Resolution the prior month, Dustin Rhodes defeated Kid Kash to end their short-lived feud while Raven lost to Erik Watts.
Roughly 30 seconds in to the match, a steel chair was involved.
Apparently, Raven was working on the ankle of Dustin. I say apparently because I really wasn’t paying attention. They actually turned this in to a straight wrestling match and it sucked. Raven wins with his feet on the ropes.
He attacks Rhodes after the match and locks him in a straight jacket. West was howling after the pin that Raven cheated. West calls for aid for Dustin Rhodes as Raven continues to attack and is drawing face heat from the crowd I might add.
After a few more minutes of this Cassidy Riley comes out and gets attacked for his trouble. If I was Rhodes and Cassidy Riley was the best help I could get, I’d be pissed. The crack TNA security finally comes out to break it up after about 5 minutes of post-match extra activity. If I ran a store of some sort, I’d never hire these guys.
Winner: Raven – 8:20
A straight match between these guys, and it blew goats.
Thumb Position: Down, this involved Raven and Dustin Rhodes, are you surprised?
Impact: mild, this feud was continued for another month, lucky me.
The lights go out in the building and we get a video package for Trytan. He’ll be on Impact this week the video says. Bet you can’t wait for my Trytan rant next month.
A video package airs for the world tag team title match. There’s something simple yet catchy about the Against All Odds 05 bumper music.
Match 4: NWA World Tag Titles – America’s Most Wanted Vs. Kid Kash and Lance Hoyt
America’s Most Wanted captured the Tag Titles from Team Canada’s Eric Young and Bobby Roode at Final Resolution, while Kid Kash lost to Dustin Rhodes and Hoyt was not on the card.
As AMW enters the ring, someone is screaming very loud, it’s like Melina or something but I’m guessing probably not as cute based on the fact she’s screaming for AMW.
Trivia, AMW defeated Kid Kash and Lance Hoyt to win the NWA world Tag Team titles on the first edition of iMPACT on Fox Sports Net. Use this note to make yourself money. Then you’ll have that over TNA as well.
Ok, I’ve always wanted to say this. Lance Hoyt sounds like a foot problem doesn’t it?
This match made me want to use the restroom, and I did not pause the DVD while I was gone because life is too short.
Basically, this match is tag formula. Heels got the heat on Storm and then he got a hope spot by getting his knees up on a frog splash from Kash. Harris got the tag, and they did the deal where it takes 3 clotheslines to knock Hoyt down. It breaks down to all 4 men in the ring. AMW Isolates Hoyt and get a nearfall, but that allows Kash to use a foreign object to get another nearfall. Kash teases handcuffs but that backfires and if you don’t know what happens from here, you haven’t seen a lot of AMW tag title matches. Although the first attempt at the Death Sentence fails because of course Hoyt is just too big. Don’t worry though as they eventually hit it for the win.
Winners: America’s Most Wanted – 12:25
There was nothing really wrong with this match.
Thumb Position: In the middle, it was ok and an improvement over the last match.
Impact: Mild, this ended the feud after a mere month. AMW was headed towards a teaming with 3LK against Team Canada at the next PPV while Kid Kash was not long for TNA and Lance Hoyt was a couple of months away from a face turn.
Shane Douglas is outside and he’s next to a car. He demands to know who’s in it and isn’t leaving until he finds out.
A brief video package for Full Medal Mayhem.
Match 5: Full Medal Mayhem – Jeff hardy Vs. Abyss
Jeff Hardy defeated Scott Hall at Final resolution and then was attacked behind by Abyss kicking off this feud.
Ok, the rules for this match are there are two envelopes hanging up and you have to use a ladder to retrieve them. One is empty, the other contains a contract for a world title shot and you win by securing that one. Understand? Well, if you do, explain it to your neighbor.
In the second match in a row we have the little guy has trouble getting the big guy off of his feet spot.
I want to say this about Abyss. Seeing him out here now without James Mitchell really makes me realize just how much Mitchell added to the Abyss character.
Announcers say that the winner will get his title shot on an upcoming iMPACT broadcast. I’ll bet he doesn’t.
Abyss sets up a stack of about 4 tables outside the ring. He teases a powerbomb of Hardy threw them but he avoids. As you’ve got tables, ladders and chairs everywhere Tenay helpfully mentions that this is all legal because this is full medal mayhem. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
They cranked up the spots including Hardy diving off the set onto Abyss through a table. Hardy is first to climb but he grabs the wrong envelope. Finish comes when Abyss whips Hardy over the ropes, and he’s meant to go through the stack of 4 tables but only hits 2. Abyss climbs up and grabs the contract.
Hardy over blowing the spot executes a temper tantrum outside the ring. The announcers claim he was upset about the loss but it is clear that’s not what it was.
Winner: Abyss – 15:21
This turned in to a nice stunt fest type of match and was the only one of its kind on this show so I’m fine with it.
Thumb Position: Up, it was fun and you get to see Hardy throw a temper tantrum and how is that not fun?
Impact: Minimal, the feud was continued for another month and Abyss never really got that title shot. If not for the fact the feud did continue, I’d say no impact.
Now we are treated to a video package for the next match. This was to be Scott Hall and Bobby Roode Vs. DDP and brown but Scott Hall had issues, I know you’re shocked, and Eric Young replaced Hall.
Match 6: Team Canada Vs. Diamond Dallas Page and Monty Brown
Team Canada had lost to America’s Most Wanted at final Resolution while Page lost in a match to Monty Brown to see who got a title shot at the end of the show, and Brown won that match but lost the title match to Jarrett. Got that/ Cause I’m not repeating it unless you go back and reread this in which case I guess I did repeat it.
I’ve got a crazy idea for Monty Brown. He should change his name to Marcus Cor Von, now wouldn’t that be awesome?
The Announcers claim that D’Amoore bought out Scott Hall’s contract for this match so he could insert Young and thus with a win climb back up the rankings in the tag division.
DDP comes out to his knockoff of his WCW music, which was a Smells Like Teen Spirit Knockoff in its own right.
Here is all you need to know about this match. Team Canada interfered quite a bit, it didn’t help them as DDP scored the pin. I guess it was DDP scoring the pin that wuld earn him a title shot at the Destination X show the next month. If you insist on knowing more about this match, buy the DVD.
Winners: Page and Brown – 9:43
Quoting Chief Wiggam: "Nothing to see here move along".
Thumb Position: Down, the definition of a whatever match
Impact: None, in fact I could almost go negative given what happened next month but I won’t spoil the surprise.
A video package airs for the Ironman match, and the package actually ends the DVD, don’t know what’s up with that. Switching discs now…ok, I’m back.
Match 7: NWA X-Division Title – Ironman Match: AJ Styles Vs. Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels teamed with Shane and Kazarian to drop the opening match at Final Resolution to 3Live Krew while AJ Styles defeated Chris Sabin and Petey Williams in Ultimate X to capture the X-division title.
Tenay claims in the X-factors that they hadn’t wrestled in TNA. However, this is most definitely wrong, as a match on iMPACT is what set this up. He of all people should know this having called the match, of course were that match not on the Daniels DVD I probably wouldn’t have known.
Tenay also in the X-factors actually says “Tonight, its not about weight limits its about time limits.” Ooo, Ooo, lets get it going then.
In the early moments of the match, you have both men going for a pin after nearly every move. I guess to establish that you need to accumulate pinfalls to win.
We get some nice back and forth between them both of them up to about the 10-minute mark. You can tell they know they’re going thirty because they don’t turn it on really until 10. Not that the first ten minutes is bad. Daniels was primarily working over the ribs of AJ Styles.
Daniels hits AJ Styles with the Angel’s wings, and well, lets just say…
First Pin: Daniels on Styles at 14:07
Daniels goes for another pin attempt to try and get a 2-pin lead but AJ kicks out. The next few minutes is Daniels taking and maintaining control of the match. He’s trying to score more pins while at the same time running the clock down.
With a little over 10 minutes to go AJ is able to get back on offense and goes for a pin but no dice.
Daniels gets a 2 off of a blue thunder driver, and Don West was calling it a 3 all the way. AJ hits the Pele a few seconds later, but AJ is unable to capitalize on it. West says you never see the Pele coming yet my friends and I used to see who could call it as it happened.
Daniels takes control, goes for the BME but AJ moves but Daniels lands on his feet. Angel’s wings by Styles on Daniels only gets a 2 count for AJ.
AJ would however, roll up Daniels for a pinfall just about a minute later.
Second Pin: Styles on Daniels at 23:58
Daniels busts AJ open by tossing him headfirst in to the steel outside of the ring.
Tenay says that Daniels realizes he can’t beat AJ out on the floor. So I guess you can’t be counted out in an Ironman match? Daniels is hitting AJ in the open cut. You may not be able to be counted out, but apparently a DQ is possible as both announcers protest that they don’t want to see anyone get Dqed.
Daniels with a STO but AJ is able to get out. Daniels hits a headbutt and blood goes flying. Less than a minute and a half is remaining in the match. Daniels attempts Angel’s wings but AJ is out on his feet. AJ starts hitting forearms and punches at a minute left. His period of offense doesn’t last long as he soon finds himself locked in the Koji Clutch.
A bloody AJ manages to hold on until the 30:00 Time limit.
Referee Andrew Thomas wants to call it a draw. Daniels gets on the mic and protests. He asks Dusty Rhodes for sudden death. He says he had Styles beat. Rhodes comes out, asks the crowd if they want sudden death and they respond in the affirmative.
Daniels gets another nearfall while West again declares that its over. He would not do well in the CARE preview prediction challenge I’m betting.
Daniels goes for the Super-hurricanrana but AJ counters and then he hit the Styles Clash for the win.
Third Pin: Styles on Daniels at 31:37
Winner: AJ Styles – 31:37
This was a really great match, and one of the few Ironman matches I can stand watching.
Thumb Position: Way up, Styles and Daniels work well together when not bogged down by completely wretched booking.
Impact: Large, this led to the Ultimate X match the next month and was for all intents and purposes the beginning of their feud which eventually included Samoa Joe.
Jarrett hears from his lawyer that he was unable to get the no guitar clause removed from the match.
The video package for this match contains Jeff Jarrett ranting about what Kevin Nash did in WCW. Nash and Jarrett have 2 different views of the belt. Nash says that the belt means more money to him and that’s all. Jarrett says it is the belt that pumps blood through his body. So Nash is crazy and Jarrett has no Heart.
The stipulation is if Jarrett uses the Guitar he’ll be Dqed and lose the title. Uh, how is that theoretically different than any other match? Especially since the title can change on a DQ, see Abyss/Sting for the precedent.
Match 8: NWA World Heavyweight Title – Kevin Nash Vs. Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett successfully defended the world title at Final Resolution against Monty Brown, while Kevin Nash had lost a match earlier in the night to determine Jeff Jarrett’s challenger on that show. Sound confusing? Welcome to TNA’s world.
There is something really awesome about Kevin Nash’s theme music.
Jeremy Borash delivers the Boxing Style introductions. Your referee is Rudy Charles, so I guess the loser can bitch and moan that it wasn’t Big John McCarthy.
Fun fact, I have a Kevin Nash ‘Big Sexy’ t-shirt. You can all resume hating me now.
I’m not sure what the crowd is chanting early in this match, but it kind of sounds like “Super Eric” and I know that’s not right.
Nash has been in control in the early part using his 3 moves of discomfort.
Now, with Nash still in control, guess what happens. If you guessed that there would be crowd brawling, its like you’ve seen a Jeff Jarrett NWA title match previous to this, or after this, or hell…this.
Jarrett now takes control and they’re near the Spanish table. Get this; Jarrett outsmarts everyone by using a cello instead of a guitar, slamming the cello against the knee of Nash. The Cello reminds me of the Dick Van Dyke show, God bless Mory Amsterdam.
If it were me, I’d have used a dulcimer but then I’m just crazy that way.
Jarrett is bleeding, again you’re surprised to hear that about him but just try and move on with your life. Jarrett is also working over the knees of Nash and is now going for the Figure 4. After a battle over that hold that lasts for a good minute, Nash is able to escape. Nash hits a sideslam for 2 and that should also come as a giant surprise, a side slam for Nash, I know what is the world coming too?
We’re back to the cello, and the ref stops Nash from using it. Nash goes for the Jackknife but the ref gets bumped in the process. Yes, a ref bump in a Jarrett match, what planet is this from? Nash executes a Jackknife on Jarrett on the cello.
Out comes a man, and its funny to watch the announcers try and tell us who he is without saying who he is. Tenay finally decides to say, the man formerly known as Billy Gunn. Nash survives the outside interference and now Sean Waltman is out to help Nash. Its like DX threw up on this show.
Formerly Billy is still being a pest and out comes B.G. James as Tenay says: “Group formerly known as DX”. Jarrett with a belt shot that gets 2. Jarrett hits the stroke and Nash kicks out yet again.
Nash goes for a chokeslam, but a low blow from Jarrett leads to another stroke and that leads to the pin.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett – 19:45
Ok, I know this was an overbooked mess with 3 people running in, a belt shot, and a cello involved, but for overbooked messes this was pretty good. There were some pretty good false finishes in this one.
Tenay implores us to not miss Destination X, and I tell you not to miss my review of that show. We’ll be asking questions like: “Was December to Dismember really that bad?” and “Are you sure we’re not really better off with Russo in charge?” But, that’s next month.
Thumb Position: Up, it’s not a giant up or anything but I enjoyed the match.
Impact: None, Jarrett moved on to other things, although this did set up Kevin Nash Vs. The Outlaw for Destination X in a match I’ll have to see for you to believe.
Overall Show Thoughts:
There is some good stuff on this show. It’s not a complete waste of 3 hours by any stretch of the imagination. Actually, wrestling wise nothing was really bad, just at the worst boring.
The Scoring:
Wrestling Quality: 6, only a few dull clunkers but other than that there was a lot of decent in ring action.
Backstage Quality: 3, the backstage stuff was basically the whole lawyer storyline which was illogical, none of the under card matches got promo time.
Crowd Heat: 4, I expected more but I will say they were in to the main event and the Ironman match and they also enjoyed the stunt brawl with Hardy and Abyss.
Announcing: 5, they didn’t say anything great but they weren’t really that dumb. I bust on West for always getting nearfalls wrong, but that’s a problem that goes well beyond his.
Booking: 5, nothing was booked to the point where it was awesome, but it wasn’t booked horribly like say Final Resolution of 06 or even the upcoming Destination X 05 show.
IMPACT Analysis: 2, not much here led to anything else.
Replay Factor: 5, I could watch this show again with no real problem, but it isn’t the first show I’d reach for if that makes sense.
Average: 4.3, this ranks it way ahead of Final Resolution 2006 and right under the 05 version of that event. You can see those reviews by clicking on the iMPACT Analysis label.
Worth Buying the DVD?: Well, you can find the Ironman match on other discs and that’s really the only match I’d consider a must see. The show really isn’t that bad overall though, especially compared to other much worse shows from TNA and WWE.
Labels: Against All Odds, Against All Odds 2005, DVD Reviews, iMPACT Analysis, OCC Opinion, TNA
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