It is time once again for your favorite TNA recap column in the history of earth, the iMPACT Analysis. As it is the month of April, we have Lockdown to look forward to with all the matches contested in 6 sides of steel. As we get ready for the 4/15 show from St. Louis we’ll be looking back at the first 2 editions of this pay per view. Up first as it is the natural order of things is the 2005 event.
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 2005
Event Date: 04/24/2005
Event Venue: Universal Studios, Orlando Florida
Announcers: Mike Tenay and Don West
Preshow match results and all match times via ProwrestlingHistory.com
Konnan & Ron Killings beat Lex Lovett & David Young and Andy Douglas & Chase Stevens (6:34) in a "triangle" match when Killings pinned Lovett.
If you buy this DVD, you can watch this match so don’t you feel lucky?
The lockdown video kicks off the show, and they’ve used versions of this video every year of the PPV. This is fine by me as it is one of my favorite TNA openings ever. It concludes with the chilling voice of the woman saying: “God have mercy on their souls.”
Tenay calls this the most barbaric and violent night in TNA history.
West says that the people that couldn’t get in to the building might be better off that way. That comment works on more levels than he intended.
We get footage of Kevin Nash’s staff infection that would keep him out of the 6 sides of Steel. I should note that TNA knew about this in advance but didn’t mention Nash wouldn’t wrestle until the show started, yay them.
Tenay says that because all matches are inside the cage, it is like 8 main events. Sure, sure it is that’s not a stupid statement at all.
Match 1: Chris Candido and Lance Hoyt Vs. Apolo and Sonny Siaki
I believe this was to be Kid Kash and Lance Hoyt but Kash was given his release days before this show due to attitude problems, I know you’re shocked. Chris Candido took his place, and for the life of me I don’t remember the storyline reason for this match.
The team of Apolo and Siaki formed as a result of a singles match they had where they realized they had a lot in common. That’s how most solid marriages start out, via wrestling matches where common ground is realized.
Chris Candido is helped from the cage a couple of minutes in to the match. Announcers talk about whether the injury is legit and then talk about how this proves the violence involved in this show. Given what would result from this, it is kind of creepy to hear that discussion.
Lance Hoyt wrestles the rest of the match on his own. Crowd actually gets behind Hoyt, as this is the beginning of Hoyt-A-Mania. Hoyt goes up top, but is brought down by Siaki with a release over-head suplex. It draws a “Holy Shit” chant from the crowd, it looked impressive because of the size of Hoyt but that’s about it.
Siaki hits the splash off of the top and that gets the pin.
Winners: Siaki and Apollo – 6:53
The Naturals come out and get in the face of Hoyt. Hoyt is not down with this but that allows him to be attacked from behind. This 2-on-1 attack would be what turned Hoyt face and it was Chris Candido’s death that would also turn the Naturals face so these men would be on the same side within a couple of months.
Thumb Position: In the Middle, they did ok working around the Candido injury but the fact that the match had no reason for happening didn’t help.
Impact: not available, the real impact is that this match is where Chris Candido got injured and due to complications from surgery would be dead a few days later. This match also resulted in the face turn of Lance Hoyt but that is not even close to worth consideration compared to Candido’s death.
Backstage, Dusty Rhodes is with the women. Apparently, AMW and Team Canada had a big “Whip-down” outside and so the tag title match now involves straps. The women draw out names and those 2 will start Lethal Lockdown later. The men are Jeff Jarrett and Sean Waltman. The phrase “Whip-down” is enough for the point.
A Bobby Roode Vs. Dustin Rhodes video package airs leading to the next match. “Tonight, they will be caged and possibly even blinded”, in the 2-of-3 falls Prince of Darkness match. Yes, it is not enough that we’ve got all matches inside the cage but some of them have other gimmicks layered on top of them.
Match 2: 2/3 Falls Dustin Rhodes Vs. Bobby Roode
At Destination X, Bobby Roode was on a victorious Team Canada team in 8-man tag team action. On that same show, Dustin Rhodes defeated Raven in a bull rope match.
Roode is accompanied by D’Amoore and A-1. Roode rolls up Dustin and it appears to be a botch because nobody is for sure it was a 3-count and no announcement is made, and the announcers couldn’t figure it out right away either.
Bobby Roode wins fall one in 0:50.
Don West tells us about the pain in Bobby Roode’s groin area. I think there is a pill for that kind o thing. Dustin whips Roode in to the cage and then goes for a pin and gets a 2 count.
The announcers tell us that the6 sided cage has a different physics to it than a regular cage. I’m not sure how that works so I’ll just take their word for it. Yeah, right!
D’Amoore comes over and argues with the unbiased and impartial Mike Tenay just to show how impartial he is supposed to be I guess.
Rhodes gets another 2 off of a quick roll-up.
The match is slow and plotting and they haven’t even dawned the blindfolds yet.
Rhodes whips Roode face first in to the cage door a couple of times. Roode hits the Northern Lariat but takes too long and only gets 2. I wish it had ended the match and by the sound of things, so do some of the crowd.
Rhodes hits the bulldog and that ties it up.
Dustin Rhodes wins fall 2 in 11:00.
Now they dawn the blindfolds. We’ll have a blindfold match this year as Chris Harris takes on James Storm. Thankfully, or maybe not, they will start out that way and not have to wrestle 2 falls first.
Tenay says the blindfolds are on and now the death match has begun. I feel dead already.
I know what you’re thinking; if you want to make a blindfold match awesome, add a ref ump. TNA also shares this philosophy. D’Amoore throws a chair in the ring and then he enters the ring. Bobby Roode hits him with the chair because he was too stupid to take off his hood, then Cassidy Riley comes out and things happen and Roode is pinned. So much for the cage being present to prevent interference.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes – 15:15
I’m just going to say it, whatever people see in Bobby Roode that pegs him for stardom I just don’t see it. Perhaps, that is TNA’s fault more than his own, but there you go.
Thumb Position: Down, too long and I never cared.
Impact: none, Rhodes was literally out of the promotion the next day due to legal issues. If TNA had known legal troubles were coming for Dustin maybe they would’ve had Roode go over.
Shane Douglas is interviewing Christopher Daniels backstage. He says that the title means more to him than XXX ever did and Elix Skipper enters the picture. He talks about Daniels using his adult voice and whatever.
Match 3: Xscape match – Shocker Vs. Chris Sabin Vs. Sonjay Dutt Vs. Matt Bentley
Shocker debuted at Destination X saving Sabin from a 3-on-1 attack from Chris Candido and the Naturals. Dutt was returning to the company at this show after being gone since January. Bentley was off of the prior month’s Destination X show.
Tenay and West dub over the original commentary in order to refer to Michael Shane as Matt Bentley.
Chris Sabin has been in this match every year of Lockdown’s existence including 2007 where he will defend the x-division title. The rules, eliminations occur by pinfall or submission until there are only 2 men left then it is escape the cage rules.
The match starts out with 2 men in the ring and guys tagging in and out. History says this won’t last.
Bentley and Shocker start the match out and work for a few minutes. You can tell who Dusty Rhodes is and isn’t a fan of in his booking and he was a Shocker fan.
The redone commentary dominates the sound so that it is hard to gage crowd heat in this match. It sounds like it did watching the first half hour of Pride 34 the other night. I did hear a “That was awesome” chant but am at a loss for as to why.
Bentley in with Sabin now and Bentley has been in with all 3 men thus far. I should mention that Trinity came out to the ring with Bentley for this match, I have a funny story about this and TNA’s stupidity but you’ll have to wait until next month to read it.
They do a 4-way submission spot, and it has broken down. It is like I have ESPN or something. Ok, that joke is old but sometimes I can’t resist.
We go through a series of nearfalls but nobody is able to pin anyone else. Sabin hits an Enzuguiri and then Sonjay goes up top. Dutt gets a nearfall but Bentley like an idiot breaks up the pin.
Shocker hits a kick and a twisting elbow and he gets the pin on Dutt.
Our first elimination is Sonjay Dutt via Shocker 10:56.
Now we’re down to Bentley, Shocker and Sabin.
Trinity decides that she’s got to have some fun as well, so she starts to climb the cage. Traci comes out to stop her but Trinity still makes it up and she hits a moonsault into the ring. Thank goodness the cage was there to prevent that interference. Sabin hits a cradle shock in the confusion and pins Bentley.
Our second Elimination is Matt Bentley via Sabin in 14:03.
They don’t do a lot of wrestling before they both start climbing out. The race is to hit the floor first and Shocker wins in a photo finish to win the match.
Winner: Shocker – 15:35
Shocker would move on to an X-division title match the next month.
Thumb Position: up, it isn’t a profound up or anything though.
Impact: Significant, this set up Shocker challenging for the X-title in may and also led to a Sabin-Michael Shane mini-feud that lasted a couple of months.
We now cut to Tenay and West. They talk about the injury to Chris Candido and show the replay of his leg injury. Tenay says it is almost Thiseman esk.
We go to a video package of Raven and Jeff Hardy. This feud started with Raven wanting to join forces with Hardy and that would’ve been the wackiest pairing ever.
Match 4: Tables Match – Raven Vs. Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy defeated Abyss at Destination X in a falls count anywhere match. Raven lost to Dustin Rhodes in a bull rope match on the same show.
Yes, we’ve got not just a cage match, not just a table match but it’s a table match inside a cage. TNA is the king of innovation Baby! They’re working on a remote controlled remote control as we speak.
We’ve got plunder all over inside the cage because nobody booking this is familiar with the concept of overkill.
I’m so concerned by what is happening in this match that I’m posting Smackdown spoilers to the blog. I know that one of them was busted open and that members of the New York Mets were shown in the audience. Another reason to be an Atlanta Braves fan I guess. Hardy sets up a table and puts Raven on it. Hardy then climbs up to the top of the cage, sets himself, jumps but Raven moves and Hardy goes splat. Crowd chants “Holy shit”, for the second time of the evening that I’ve detected.
Raven takes control after that and he uses a piece of broken table to attack the forehead of Jeff Hardy. The fact you can only win by using a table makes this a bit anticlimactic. What happens if they break all of the tables inside the cage without putting their opponent through one? I guess I’m not supposed to wonder such things, my apologies.
They tease leaving the cage but nothing comes of it. Then Hardy jumps off the top of the cage a second time and Raven gets his feet up. Yes, nobody in TNA is familiar with the concept of overkill. I guess since I mentioned that twice in this match neither am I.
Tables just seem to be coming out of thin air at this point. There are 2 double stacks of tables set up in the ring now. Maybe if TNA didn’t spend so much money on tables and poles and scaffolds and cages they’d be closer to making a profit? Na, I’m just saying things to have something to write.
Raven sets up those tables, but the hand of irony interjects and he ends up going through them himself.
Winner: Jeff Hardy – 14:01
It was fine for what it was I’m just not sure what it actually was in the end.
Thumb Position: Up, barely but it was ok.
Impact: minimal, this was to lead to a rematch at the next pay per view but Hardy no-showed and was gone from the company for 3 months.
We get a video package hyping up the Team Canada Vs. America’s Most Wanted match for the tag team titles. Yeah, this feud hasn’t lasted forever or anything.
Match 5: NWA World Tag Team Titles: America’s Most Wanted Vs. Team Canada (Petey Williams and Eric Young)
America’s Most Wanted lost along with 3Live Krew in an 8-man tag team match at Destination X to all members of Team Canada.
We got straps added to this match earlier by Dusty Rhodes just to complicate the complicated.
In an example of the more things change the more they stay the same, Team Canada is Eric Young and Petey Williams who seemed to be destined to be teamed up once again here shortly.
The match starts with AMW basically being split apart. A-1 who was on the outside for Team Canada keeps Chris Harris from entering the ring and every time he tries, he is just beaten down. While this is going on Team Canada double-team James Storm inside the ring. Harris finally whips A-1 into the steal and then the ring steps. This is enough to finally enter the ring and he starts to even the score against the Canadians. Full Nelson slam for Williams, and a spinebuster for Eric Young.
Team Canada takes back control including where Petey Williams put Harris in a sharp shooter and Young hit an elbow off the top. A spear from Harris gets AMW back in the match, powder gets involved, blinds Petey Williams who gives his own partner the Canadian Destroyer and that allows AMW to get the pin.
Winners: America’s Most Wanted – 15:10.
If you’ve seen 1 match between these teams you’ve seen them all, only this one was in a cage.
Thumb Position: Up, it was a fine match but I’m sick of seeing this pairing, unfortunately I’ve got a long way to go.
Impact: Minor, America’s Most Wanted lost the tag titles on the episode of iMPACT that aired on 4/30. The last image is Chris Candido holding the tag belts in celebration as the date of his birth and death were placed on the screen.
Now we get a video package for the X-division title match between Daniels and Elix Skipper. They show the XXX breakup and then they show Destination X where Daniels turned on Skipper in a 4-way that I’ve already covered, don’t make me do it again. At this point I need to switch discs. I should note that starting with the next PPV TNA discovered what duel layered DVDs are and from that point on they’ve been single disc releases thank heavens.
Match 6: NWA X-division Title – Christopher Daniels Vs. Elix Skipper
Christopher Daniels won the x-division title from AJ Styles at Destination X that also featured Ron Killings and Elix Skipper. Daniels pinned Skipper to eliminate him from that match.
I think those of us who have ever seen TNA remember the last time Skipper was inside the 6 sides of steel at Turning Point, you don’t forget the Cage-walk Rana especially when they show it over and over again in highlight packages.
The match starts out with that time-honored tradition among former tag partners to try different moves but have them foiled by the fact that your former partner knows what you’re trying to do.
In the early going, Skipper dominates the action. The announcers bring up Daniels saying in his promo that he was smarter than Skipper and then point out that Skipper’s early success is frustrating to the champ.
The match has turned in to a pretty straight wrestling match with no real use of the steel cage. Also, it hasn’t been your typical high-spot fest that X-division matches have become known for over the years.
The announcers reference the cage-walk Rana and how you’ll never see that again in TNA. Well, if Russo were booking this match, you can bet he would’ve tried.
Skipper does go to climb the cage, and he teases the move but Daniels cuts him off. Skipper does jump off the top and wipes out Daniels and the referee. He drapes his arm across the chest for a nearfall. Daniels goes for the Angels Wings, but Skipper tries the sudden death but that is reversed back in to the Angels Wings for the pin.
Winner: Christopher Daniels – 15:23
I thought this was ok but a bit under whelming.
Thumb Position: In the middle, it was fine but nothing outstanding.
Impact: Mild, this was just another defense for Daniels and Skipper would never be this high on the card in TNA again soon relegated to Diamonds in the Rough status.
We go backstage to Dusty Rhodes who will reveal the third man in Lethal Lockdown. He reveals a bleeped out name. This indicates that it is the Outlaw who’s name had to be censored. I think this ended up being funny due to the name being edited but I’m crazy that way.
All references are bleeped out in the video package, so I guess Billy Gunn has officially become a swearword. I know whenever I see him I want to swear…off wrestling for good.
Match 7: Wargames – Jeff Jarrett, Monty Brown and the Outlaw Vs. B.G. James, Diamond Dallas Page and Sean Waltman
Originally, this was to be Kevin Nash but B.G. took his place as Nash was suffering from a staff infection.
Monty Brown turned on DDP at Destination X costing him the title match against Jeff Jarrett. All of these men were involved in that match in 1 form or another.
We start out with Jeff Jarrett and Sean Waltman for 5 minutes. Then the Outlaw will enter and they alternate every 2 minutes.
You are allowed to bring any weapon you want into the cage. This would be a more effective stipulation had we not seen weapons in the Roode-Rhodes match, the Hardy-Raven match and in the AMW-Team Canada match.
We’ve got trashcan lids, chairs and everything else around the ringside area. Yeah, I said ringside because this wouldn’t be a Jeff Jarrett match without some crowd brawling and we’re getting some crowd brawling even in the 6 sides of steel.
The commentary is again over-dubbed and one thing about it is that when they over-dub the commentary it is hard for them to emote and pretend as though they are calling it live. It is like if the commentary team was made up of robots or Todd Grisciam.
The Outlaw…er…Kip James comes out at the end of the five-minute period and it is 2-on-1 against the face. Vince Russo take note, this is the way this should always work.
At the end of the 2-minute period, Waltman goes face first into a trashcan and DDP comes out to even the odds. DDP has with him a Kendo Stick cause that’s the best weapon to bring to a streetfight.
At the end of the next 2-minute period in comes Monty Brown. It occurs to me that given the collection of “talent” involved in this match, I should be thankful it is only a 6-man tag.
Jarrett now has the cane and is beating on DDP, and I can honestly say that I approve.
At the end of the 2-minute period, in comes B.G. James. The announcers treat this as a normal every-day occurrence even though this is supposed to be a surprise. Just another example of how the dubbing really hurts things. B.G. comes in and trashcan shots abound for both Jarrett and Monty. Rudy Charles is bumped because TNA still has not figured out what overkill is and we have a B.G. James and Kip James face-off. Just before it can break down, Sean Waltman breaks up the party. So sad to see DX fight like this.
Attempt at a Diamond Cutter by Page and it gets 2 before Kip James can break it up. B.G. James and DDP are taking turns doing not nice things to Monty Brown. He turns it around by using the move we’re not supposed to call the Pounce anymore to take them both out.
Team Jarrett seems to be in control and just as soon as I write this, Sean Waltman sneaks in and gets a roll-up for the pin.
Winners: Page, Waltman and James – 15:43.
A brief brawl after the match leads to words between B.G. and Kip James.
Thumb Position: Down, if you like lame weapons and brawling that nobody cares about then this match is for you, I’m not a fan though.
Impact: minimal, it ended this feud and all of these men moved off in to other things for a while. Though actually, Monty and Kip would team against DDP and Ron Killings at the next PPV.
A video package airs for the Styles Vs. Abyss feud. This match would result in the winner getting a title shot at the next PPV. This even though Abyss had already earned a title shot way back at Against All Odds, but we’re not supposed to remember that I suppose.
Match 8: AJ Styles Vs. Abyss
AJ Styles lost his X-division title to Christopher Daniels at Destination X while Abyss fell to Jeff Hardy in a falls count anywhere match.
AJ Styles gets things off to a flying start as Abyss is on his way to the ring Styles leaps out of the cage and goes on the attack. The crowd brawling here might have been a fresh thing had we not seen it in the prior match.
Styles dives into and over the fans a couple of times much to their enjoyment. He tries to be cute one too many times and lands on the concrete for his trouble. This means it is time for Abyss to dominate.
The crowd is quieted to the point I can point out 1 guy chanting: “AJ Styles, *clap clap, clap clap clap*”.
They’ve still not even entered the cage yet as Abyss continues the punishment on the outside.
Finally, the match gets back in to the cage and for a good while Abyss executes the beatdown so to speak.
AJ finally fights his way back in to the match and even though he’s a bloody mess he still manages to hit a German suplex on Abyss for a nearfall. Abyss sets him up for a chokeslam but Styles rolls him up for yet another count of 2.
A few seconds later AJ walks right into the Black Hole Slam of Abyss. This also only gets a count of 2, which is telegraphed by Don West saying that its over.
It is time for Abyss to make a mess of things by pouring his thumbtacks out in the ring. Abyss teases another Black Hole slam but AJ fights him off and teases knocking Abyss into the tacks. Abyss tries a powerbomb in the tacks but AJ fights it off and hits a Styles Clash into the tacks. That draws a few of the typical chants from the crowd and also draws just a 2 count. AJ starts to climb the cage but Abyss tosses the referee into the cage, which effectively bumps the ref and knocks AJ off of his perch.
Now Abyss wraps his chain around AJ’s neck and hangs him from the cage. AJ frees himself from the chain by biting Abyss’ fingers. AJ then uses a sunset flip powerbomb off of the cage and that plants Abyss in the tacks. Tenay blows that this is the finish by loudly yelling: “Count with us!” which is a pretty stupid thing to say at any point.
Winner: AJ Styles – 19:58.
This match ended up on more than a few “Best of” DVDs and in my opinion it is easy to see why.
Thumb Position: Up, I could watch these 2 men wrestle all day.
Impact: Profound, AJ would earn a title shot at Hard Justice against Jeff Jarrett as a result of this victory. This match would indirectly lead to about 4 months worth of PPV main events.
Overall Show Thoughts: When TNA announced this PPV a lot of people were weary of them pulling it off. Dusty Rhodes even shied away from taking credit for the idea. However, the show while not great was better than I and many others expected and I think that they would actually improve the formula for 2006, but that’s another review.
The Scoring:
Wrestling Quality: 6.5, a couple of duds but nothing was epically bad or anything.
Backstage Quality: 4, nothing great but nothing horrible but a 4 is a marked improvement from prior months.
Crowd Heat: 3.5, hard to gage at certain times or else it would’ve been higher.
Announcing: 5, it was ok but not spectacular which is a hallmark of this team.
Booking: 4, some of the gimmicks were overdone minimizing the impact of some of the stuff but none of the finishes were intelligence insulting or anything.
IMPACT Analysis: 3, the main event had an impact and the opener did but not in a way that should be celebrated.
Replay Factor: 2, while there’s not a lot of garbage on this show there is nothing that you really need to see besides the main event and that can be found elsewhere.
Average: 4.0, that is a lot better than some other shows have gotten and a lot better than this was expected to do.
Is it worth Buying the DVD?: Maybe, you can get this DVD in the TNA Anthology Epic set along with Victory Road 2004 and Turning Point 2004 for $19.99. Also some of the money from this DVD goes to a Chris Candido fund, so I can’t tell you not to buy it. However, the main event is available elsewhere so I can’t suggest it is an automatic purchase either. If you are a Candido fan though it might be worth it because it does contain his last appearance as he manages the Naturals to the tag team titles on the 04/30/2005 episode of Impact and a nice little tribute. Labels: DVD Reviews, iMPACT Analysis, Lockdown, Lockdown 2005, OCC Opinion, TNA
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