home | wrestling | flashback_reviews | tna | tna_ppv

TNA: Genesis
by Samoa Rowe

November 13, 2005

-From Orlando, FL. Our hosts are Mike Tenay and Don West.

-The DVD contains the entire preshow! Shane Douglas and Jeremy Borash host a series of (extremely well done) video packages hyping the bigger matches of the evening.

Shark Boy vs. Nigel McGuinness

This was a try-out for McGuinness, who would be hired full-time later as Desmond Wolfe. Nigel quickly goes to work on the wrist. Shark Boy frees himself with a SHARK BITE, and forces Nigel to hide in the ropes. McGuinness slips on his corner headstand, but still connects with the mule kick. McGuinness resumes working over Shark Boy’s arm. Shark Boy comes back with a modified neck breaker. Shark Boy administers a 10 punch in the corner, transitioning into a bulldog. Nigel bounces back with a desperate lariat for 2. Superplex by McGuinness gets another 2 count. Shark Boy sneaks in a Small Package for the win at 5:30. The match was a bit sloppy at times (Nigel seemed nervous) but they provided more than enough action for a glorified dark match, **.
Winner: Shark Boy

-Shane Douglas interviews Team Canada backstage. Bobby Roode, Eric Young ,and A1 are excited for their hocky sticks match against 3 Live Kru. Petey Williams warns AJ Styles that he will not be able to get up from his Canadian Destroyer finisher. Manager Scott D’Amore says it’s a busy night for his team and for himself, who will be in meetings trying to recruit the new TNA acquisition to their team. Eric Young starts freaking out and Bobby Roode has to slap some sense into him.

The Diamonds in the Rough (Simon Diamond, David Young, and Elix Skipper) vs. The Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas) and Lance Hoyt

The big man, Hoyt, starts things off Skipper in a back and forth exchange. Hoyt nails a single arm flap jack. Skipper blocks Douglas, and makes a tag to the hapless David Young. Stevens drop-kicks Skipper to the floor, setting up dives from Douglas and Hoyt (flying like a log hurdling off a tractor trailer). Young lures Stevens into a spear from Skipper, allowing the Diamonds to take control. Douglas counters Young with a hurricanrana and makes the hot tag to Hoyt. Hoyt crushes the Diamonds with a big boot, double choke slam combo. The match breaks down. Stevens is too hurt to lift Young, setting up a double team inverted DDT, giving the win to the Diamonds in the Rough at 5:47! In case you don’t know, the Diamonds were the 3MB of TNA in their day. This was a fun exhibition match, but felt rushed, **.
Winners: The Diamonds in the Rough

-The PPV officially begins, in memory of Eddie Guerrero, who’d been found dead in his hotel room earlier that day.

-Larry Zbyszko tries to get Raven to play nice and sign a release from his contract. Raven flips the double bird, so now he has to wrestle PJ Polaco (Justin Credible).

Raven vs. PJ Polaco

The crowd just can’t wait to chant “Justin Asshole” as Polaco. They lock up and trade strikes. Raven delivers the sloppiest looking DDT ever, but holds on for a headlock. 90 seconds gone and I think they’re both gassed. Polaco takes control with some stomping and a drop-kick. Polaco whips Raven into the steel barricade and continues wearing away at him. Cassidy Riley runs in to shield Raven from a kendo shot and gets knocked off his feet. Cassidy’s sacrifice allows Raven to make a comeback in the ring, delivering his patented bulldog. Raven counters a super kick with an ankle lock! Polaco botches a DDT, but Raven ends it with the Even Flow DDT at 5:48. The phrase “bowling shoe ugly” applies here, ½*.
Winner: Raven

-Shane Douglas interviews 3 Live Kru backstage. BG James has all the confidence in the world because his old buddy, Kip James, is the special referee. Konnan isn’t so quick to trust Kip.

Hockey Stick Fight:
Team Canada (Bobby Roode, Eric Young ,and A1) vs. 3 Live Kru (Ron Killings, BG James, and Konnan)

Kip James (Billy Gunn) is the guest referee! Konnan pays tribute to Eddie Guerrero in his pre-match promo. The bell hasn’t even run before Team Canada tries to take down the hockey sticks that are posted on the turnbuckles. 3 Live Kru cuts them off and they fill time with a ringside brawl. Young puts on some hockey head gear and grabs a stick, but Kip James breaks it over his knee. BG and Roode are the legal men and go through the motions. BG doesn’t want to climb for a hockey stick so he tags in Killings. Killings gets a stick, but Roode stops him from using it. Konnan makes the save by throwing his shoe. BG finds it in him to climb afterall, but gets caught by Team Canada and isolated. Kip James seems to be making slow counts for Team Canada. Killings pulls a stick out of Roode’s hands, allowing BG to hit a big boot for the hot tag. The match breaks down as everyone hits finishers (Konnan is hilariously out of place with his Rolling Thunder clothesline). 3LK finish Young with a flying head butt onto the hockey stick placed on his groin at 10:26. This was a boring match with a distracting stipulation, *½.
Winners: 3 Live Kru

-Konnan and Kip James make nice afterwards.

-Shane Douglas interviews Jim Mitchell on behalf of Abyss, who has Sabu in a NO DQ match. Mitchell warns the new acquisition that he better not be thinking of leap-frogging ahead of Abyss for a title shot. Mitchell says that Abyss is afraid of barbed wire and Sabu opened Pandora’s Box when he brought it into their fight. Abyss smashes an egg to symbolize what’s about to happen to Sabu.

-It’s time to meet the new acquisition and it’s none other than Christian Cage! He gets a superstar reaction from the Impact Zone audience. This was a big deal at the time because Christian CHOSE to leave WWE for what he considered to be the greener pastures of TNA. Things didn’t exactly work out the way he planned, but this is still a cool moment to relive. Cage cuts a great promo that puts over TNA and actually makes the fans feel proud to be there, supporting the product. Christian puts NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett on notice, because that’s how he rolls. Christian is interrupted by Scott D’Amore and Bobby Roode, who are here to recruit him for Team Canada. D’Amore plays up their history together, including the time they went to “Bret’s house” and “Stu stretched Adam.” Roode isn’t so polite and threatens Christian that he’s “with us or against us.” D’Amore gives Christian a Team Canada shirt and we’ll hear his decision later.

-Shane Douglas interviews Monty Brown backstage. Douglas warns Brown that a loss to Jeff Hardy would knock him to the back of the line for a title shot. Brown threatens Christian Cage before getting to down to the business of threatening to put a hurting on Hardy.

Jeff Hardy vs. Monty Brown

Jeff outmaneuvers Brown in the early going, delivering a jawbreaker. Jeff acts like he’s possessed, so he’s either playing mind games or he’s higher than a kite. Brown isn’t having any of this nonsense and hits a fall away slam. Jeff sidesteps to send Brown crashing to the floor. Brown dodges a baseball slide and takes control of the ringside brawl. Jeff dangerously leaps over some fans and the barricade to clothesline Brown. Back to the ring, Jeff looks for the pinfall, but Brown tosses him over the ropes. Brown acts like he’s going to toss Hardy on the announce table, but it was a trick to fake out the announcers. There’s a dueling chant as Brown wears Jeff down in the ring. Jeff desperately hits the Whisper of the Wind and makes a comeback. Jeff counters into the Twist of Fate for only 2! The Swanton Bomb MISSES and Brown finishes it with the POUNCE at 8:48. This was a lot of fun and made Brown look like a threat, **½.
Winner: Monty Brown

-Shane Douglas interviews Christopher Daniels, Alex Shelley, and Roderick Strong. Shelley is upset that team leader, Samoa Joe, is nowhere to be seen. Daniels names himself leader because he’s the most experienced and had the longest X-title reign ever.

Elimination X Match:
Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Roderick Strong, and Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin, Matt Bentley (with Traci), Sonjay Dutt, and Austin Aries

This was the deepest roster of X-division talent TNA ever had. Strong and Bentley kick things off exchanging holds. Dutt tags but and rolls into a tirt-a-whirl arm drag. Shelley tags but runs into a Dutt drop toe hold for a drop-kick. Shelley delivers some rapid fire reversals into headlock. Hurricanrana reversal by Dutt, but Shelley drop-kicks him into the turnbuckle. Samoa Joe tags and administers the face wash! Dutt blocks the running boot, but Joe overpowers him and delivers the move! Dutt outsmarts Joe and nails a standing moonsault. Joe comes back with rapid fire power moves! Daniels tags and puts a fresh Aries down with a backbreaker. Springboard elbow by Aries leads to a flurry of offense. Sabin tags and catches Daniels with a modified head scissors takedown. Sabin overwhelms Daniels, but a Joe cheap shot allows a TKO. Sabin gets briefly isolated by quick tags. Aries gets a hot tag and cleans house. The match breaks down with a glorious series of rapid fire attacks. The ring is cleared for a triple suicide dive by Aries, Dutt, and Sabin! Aries and Strong square off in the ring until Aries nails the Brainbuster/450 combo for the elimination at 11:41! Joe distracts Aries for a Daniel roll-up at 11:55. There’s a fresh sense of urgency as Dutt, Bentley, and Sabin try to isolate an opponent. Dutt unleashes a flurry, including the Sprinkler, but gets caught by Shelley’s crossface. Dutt taps at 14:50! Bentley desperately super kicks Shelley for the elimination at 15:25. Bentley squares off with Daniels, hitting an overhead suplex. Sabin delivers a pair of Tree of Woe drop-kicks to Daniels! Joe and soon nails a power slam for 2. Joe suffers some counters and eats a Bentley flying elbow drop. Daniels pulls Joe into position for a tag and sets Bentley up for the Best Moonsault Ever! Bentley and Sabin go for a superplex, but Joe sneaks in for the TOWER OF DOOM power bomb! Bentley counters the running boot with a super kick! Joe pulls Bentley off Daniels’ shoulders for the Muscle Buster into the Rear Naked Choke! Bentley taps at 20:15! Sabin is alone against Joe and Daniels, who double team him. Sabin counters with an enziguri/DDT combo! Joe loses his temper with palm thrusts! Sabin counters with a springboard drop-kick on Joe! Daniels and Joe save each other from Sabin’s suplex. Sabin blocks the Muscle Buster, but Daniels nails Angels Wings for the win at 22:53! This was the X-Division at their very best, ****½.
Winners: Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe

-Joe is sore with Daniels over scoring the final pinfall. Daniels tries to talk some sense into Joe, but fails miserably. Joe clocks Daniels in the face with a running kick! Joe grabs a chair and nails an unprotected shot to the head, busting Daniels open. Joe places Daniels in a chair for another running kick to the head. Joe looks like the most evil person in the world, but the crowd is cheering him on. Joe rolls Daniels into the ring for a Muscle Buster! Joe follows with a second Muscle Buster onto the chair. This was a vicious beat down that unfortunately lead to some disappointing matches down the line. I also detect some frustration from Joe in regards to the “one more time” chants from the Impact Zone fans. Daniels is loaded on a stretcher as AJ Styles comes out and shakes his head in disgust.

-Shane Douglas interviews Jeff Jarrett and America’s Most Wanted backstage. Jarrett tries to bury Christian and Team 3D for rolling into TNA after he and others spent the last three years building the company up. It’s one thing to come to TNA, it’s another to stay in TNA, and they are planning on finishing Team 3D once and for all in tonight’s main event.

-Christopher Daniels is loaded into an ambulance.

No Disqualifications Match:
Abyss (with James Mitchell) vs. Sabu

The lights go out and Sabu appears in the ring, pretending to have barbed wire hidden under a towel. Sabu immediately leaps off a chair for a springboard dive. Sabu controls the ringside brawl, and sets up a table. Abyss turns things around as they brawl into the ring. Abyss bloodies the forehead of Sabu with repeated shots. Sabu is having a hard time fighting back as Abyss punishes him with a chair. Springboard leg drop by Sabu and he leaps off the chair to land badly on a springboard moonsault. Sabu tells the camera man to “get out of my fucking way” as he sets another table up at ringside. Sabu puts Abyss through the end of the table with a slingshot leg drop. Abyss spills “thousands and thousands” of thumbtacks in the ring. Sabu brings in a chair wrapped with barbed wire, but Mitchell hooks the weapon with his cane. Abyss choke slams Sabu onto the thumbtacks! Abyss misses a frog splash and lands on the pile of thumbtacks. Sabu delivers as weird springboard punch for 2. Abyss escapes the Camel Clutch. Sabu blocks a power bomb but suffers the Black Hole Slam onto the barbed wire chair! Abyss gets the pinfall at 10:44. This was a nasty hardcore spectacle that probably wasn’t worth the punishment they put themselves through, **.
Winner: Abyss

-Shane Douglas interviews X-Division Champion AJ Styles backstage. AJ says the Canadian Destroyer is a cool move, but it isn’t phenomenal like he is. Okay, then.

X-Division Championship:
AJ Styles © vs. Petey Williams (with A1)

There’s a dueling chant as they feel each other out in the early going. AJ dominates, delivering a running dive into the crowd. A1 distracts long enough for Williams to counter into a suplex off the apron into the guard rail! The ref kicks A1 out, but the damage has been done, and Petey takes control with a series of attacks that wear down AJ’s back. Styles gets in a hope spot, but Williams keeps him down with a slingshot hurricanrana to the floor. AJ absorbs more punishment before popping up with the Pele kick. AJ puts together a string of moves, including a hard gut-buster. German suplex by AJ and a face buster only gets 2. Williams counters into a suplex with a bridge for 2. AJ bounces back with another suplex for 2. The crowd isn’t feeling these near falls. AJ rolls through a hurricanrana for a pinning predicament. Petey counters the Styles Clash with a DDT for 2. Side Russian Leg Sweep sets up the Sharpshooter for Williams. AJ survives and nails a springboard forearm! AJ suffers a drop toe hold into the turnbuckle, but leaps for an enziguri on the top rope. AJ blocks a top rope Canadian Destroyer, but is distracted by Samoa Joe on the stage. AJ counters with the Styles Clash off the top rope for the win at 18:16. The story of AJ’s back injury got lost when they started exchanging near falls, and the lethargic crowd didn’t do them any favors, **¾.
Winner and still X-Division Champion: AJ Styles

-Shane Douglas interviews Rhino and Team 3D backstage. Brother Ray promises they’re going to show the world “extreme” like they’ve never seen. Ray puts over the significance of America’s Most Wanted laying him and Devon out like no one ever has, but they made a mistake by not finishing the job. AMW are on the train tracks and the Team 3D train is coming for them! Rhino vows revenge on Jeff Jarrett tonight. They end things with brief, tasteful Eddie Guerrero tribute.

NWA Champion Jeff Jarrett (with Gail Kim) and NWA Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) vs. Rhino and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon)

Rhino and Team 3D rush to the ring, prompting Jarrett and AMW to retreat to three separate positions in the crowd. The bell rings and the good guys charge into the crowd for an epic brawl. It’s worth noting that the fans are insanely hot for the brawl. Bodies go flying into chairs and down rows of empty seats. Rhino and Jarrett fight on the stage, with Rhino nailing a suplex onto a pile of chairs. Ray busts Harris open with a cheese grater, as they action finally enters the ring at the 7 minute mark. Team 3D set a table in the ring as Rhino knocks Jarrett down on the stage. Harris moves a table out of the way of Team 3D’s double suplex on Storm. Harris low blows Ray with the cheese grater! Meanwhile, Rhino cracks Jarrett with a garbage can. Ray misses a power bomb through a ringside table. Rhino brings a table to the stage and puts Jarrett down with a RHINO DRIVER! Rhino sets the table against the entrance tunnel and attempts a GORE, but Storm cuts him off with a super kick! In the ring, Devon squares off with Harris, trading near falls. Ray runs in for the Bubba Bomb! Jarrett runs in and delivers a low blow and Stroke on Ray! Jarrett argues over a near fall and gets GORED by Rhino! Harris pulls the referee out to prevent a 3 count, and lures Rhino into a Storm clothesline. AMW crotch Rhino on the ring post! AMW power bomb Ray, and double team Devon with a clothesline. Team 3D comes back with the 3D on Harris for the win at 15:43! This was a uniquely awesome brawl and a crowd-pleasing way to end the show, ****.
Winners: Rhino and Team 3D

-The good guys are celebrating when Jeff Jarrett clocks Rhino with his guitar. Team 3D prepare to put Jarrett through a table when Gail Kim runs in for the distraction. Ray gets ready to power bomb Gail onto Jarrett when Team Canada makes the save. Jarrett prepares to put Ray through the table when Christian Cage runs in with a chair. Cage is wearing the Team Canada shirt and seems to have aligned with Scott D’Amore. It’s a swerve, as Christian drops D’Amore with the Unprettier! Cage joins Team 3D in putting Jarrett through a table!

Final Thoughts: This show did so many things right, it’s hard to believe that TNA would spend the next several years spinning their wheels. If they could have remained focused enough to build on the momentum they had in late 2005, they would be in a better place, but they got bogged down by bringing in Vince Russo and too many other backstage politicians, and things just never worked out for them. There’s a lot of crap in the undercard of this show, but the Elimination X match and main event are two of my favorite TNA matches of all-time and are worth checking out. Thumbs up.

back to Index