NWA-TNA Lockdown 2005 4/24/2005

Written By: Matt Peddycord

April 24, 2005
Orlando, FL
Universal Studios

The current NWA & TNA Champs were as follows:
NWA World Champion: Jeff Jarrett (6/2/2004)
NWA World Tag Team Champions: America’s Most Wanted (1/16/2005)
TNA X-Division Champion: Christopher Daniels (3/13/2005)

Your hosts are Mike Tenay & Don West.

This would be your first-ever all “Six Sides of Steel” show. Of course on paper, everybody in the IWC doomed it to be a terrible show before it even happened and said that it would surely kill TNA forever, but let’s not dwell on that and see how it actually turned out.

Sonny Siaki & Apolo vs. Lance Hoyt & Chris Candido

Sad match to watch now that we know what happens just a few days later in Candido’s life. He does some basic stuff with Siaki to start and lands funny on his leg when he takes a dropkick bump. He immediately knows it’s broken and gets taken out of the match – leaving Hoyt to an impromptu handicap match. Hoyt takes a double-team beating, but comes back and hits a Moonsault on Siaki for two. A fallaway slam into the cage doesn’t quite work out, but a splash up against the cage does. Siaki blocks another moonsault with a Pop-Up German Superplex that turns Hoyt inside out! Tag to Apolo, he hits a superkick and a TKO. Tenay confirms that Candido has a broken leg. That sets up a flying splash from Sonny Siaki for the 1-2-3. (6:53) After the match, the Naturals run in and destroy Lance Hoyt for costing their manager the match. More importantly, Chris Candido, one of the most underrated wrestlers of our time, would pass away on the following Thursday from a blood clot that he suffered during his leg surgery. *½

In the back, TNA Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes is standing by with Traci and Trinity. Soooo, which one is his assistant? Jeff Jarrett and Sean Waltman are picked to start the Lethal Lockdown match.

Dustin Rhodes vs. Bobby Roode (w/Scott D’Amore & A-1) – Prince of Darkness Death Match

It’s best of three falls and if it goes three falls, the third fall is a blindfold match. Dustin Rhodes says nobody from Canada has ever beaten a Texan? You’re right Scott. Texans SCREW Canadians. Rhodes beats Roode down into the corner to start and then gets stuck in the Ric Flair corner pin for the 1-2-3. (Roode – 1 | Rhodes – 0 | 0:54) Uhh, okay. Rhodes hits Shattered Dreams and follows up with a top-rope superplex. Catapult from Rhodes sends Roode face-first into the cage, then he falls back on Dustin’s knees to do more damage to the back. Rhodes delivers a powerslam and goes for the BULLDOG. Roode puts on the brakes, but receives a low-blow for it. He shoves off a second BULLDOG attempt and spears Dustin in the corner. Roode runs his knee into the ribs of Rhodes and a back suplex gets two. We see an extended chinlock sequence as Roode just won’t let Rhodes escape. He finally breaks free with an electric chair drop. Rhodes starts sending Roode into the cage and goes for the CURTAIN CALL, but Roode flips out and nails the NORTHERN LARIAT for 1-2-NO! Roode tries to German suplex Rhodes off the top, but Rhodes fires back and delivers a SUPER BULLDOG for the 1-2-3. (Rhodes – 1 | Roode – 1| 11:04) Now both men are made to wear black hoods. And it’s Roberts/Martel from WrestleMania 7 all over again as Rhodes uses his support from the crowd to find Roode. Both men find the ref at the same time, and he gets clobbered. Whoops. D’Amore tosses a chair over the cage and into the ring, which is kind of a gamble. When Roode finds the chair, D’Amore walks in the door and brings his signature hockey stick with him. As he taps Roode on the shoulder to let him know he’s there, Roode whacks him in the back with the chair thinking that he’s just KO’ed Rhodes. Roode covers D’Amore and realizes he’s nailed the wrong guy. Now Rhodes has the chair and he backs into Roode. He turns around and cracks Roode in the head with the chair. He feels for the cover and gets the 1-2-3. (Rhodes – 2 | Roode – 1 | 15:18) Rhodes chose not to renew his contract with TNA and after being put in a blindfold match when his own dad is booking, who can blame him? *½

Shane Douglas is standing by with Christopher Daniels. Elix Skipper interrupts and an argument ensues. Shane just stands there and laughs about it.

Shocker vs. Chris Sabin vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Matt Bentley (w/Trinity) – Xscape Match

Elimination rules until the final two men are in the ring. From there, the only way to win is to climb out of the cage. Sonjay and Sabin start us off. We see them bust out some of the typical X-Division flip and flop style to start. They trade some nifty headscissors takedowns and then they decide to tag out. Shocker and Bentley run the ropes a bit. That culminates with a wheelbarrow bulldog from Shocker. Sonjay tags in and helps Shocker deliver a double-hiptoss on Bentley. Sabin tags in and powerbombs Sonjay onto Bentley. Sonjay charges and tries a rana, but Bentley sees it coming and sends Sonjay crashing face-first into the cage. Bentley dropkicks Sonjay while he’s stuck in the tree of woe and then grabs a chinlock. Sonjay punches out and hits a messy headscissors out of the corner. Sonjay makes the tag to Sabin, but he winds up taking a whiplash spinebuster into the cage! That gets two. Sabin hits a springboard tornado DDT. Sabin tags Shocker, who hits Bentley with a quebrada for 1-2-NO! La Magistral cradle on Bentley gets 1-2-NO! They do a four-man spot where Bentley hooks a modified Tarantula on Shocker. Sonjay runs in and pulls back on Bentley’s chin while Sabin grabs a Boston crab on Sonjay! Sabin breaks the hold and gets tripped up by Sonjay in a dropkick to the back of Bentley’s head. Sabin picks Sonjay up in a powerbomb position, bounces him off the cage, and then delivers the Running Powerbomb for 1-2-NO! Shocker makes the save and hits a TKO on Sabin for 1-2-NO! Sabin ducks a big boot from Shocker and enziguri kicks him in position for a HINDU PRESS from Sonjay for 1-2-NO! Bentley makes the save? He also blocks a rana from Sonjay and powers him back up into the cage! SUPERKICK to Sonjay! Shocker superkicks Bentley and delivers a CORKSCREW ELBOW DROP to Sonjay for 1-2-3 at 10:57. Shocker hits a tilt-a-whirl gutbuster on Bentley and heads up top, but Sabin brings him down with the Pop-Up Superplex. Cover, 1-2-NO! Why does Bentley keep making saves? Sabin and Bentley fight to the top rope when Trinity starts climbing the cage. Traci shows up to bring her down off the cage, but she gets kicked down and nearly breaks her ankle. Apparently, Bentley brings Sabin down with a super swinging neckbreaker. Once they’re all up to their feet, Trinity flies in with a completely unnecessary MOONSAULT OFF THE CAGE that takes everybody down! “Tramp Stamp” Traci comes in to get at Trinity and Bentley throws her out through the cage door like yesterday’s garbage. CRADLE SHOCK to Bentley! That does it for him at 14:02. Now it’s just a 90 second climbing contest as Shocker falls to the floor first during a brawl up on the rim of the cage. (15:36) Just a little too over-the-top for me. Not to mention a tad messy in places. ***

They show a replay of Chris Candido’s “Joe Theismann-like” injury. It is pretty nasty when you see it in slo-mo.

Jeff Hardy vs. Raven – Table Match

So even though Jeff is a freak like Raven, Jeff didn’t want to be friends with him. And if you’re not with Raven, you’re against Raven. Now Raven starts putting Jeff through tables at every turn, leading up to this match. A table match inside of a steel cage. Jeff brings a couple chairs with him to the ring and starts beating on Raven’s leg. He springs off the chair for Poetry in Motion, but misses a second time. Raven starts making Jeff eat the steel and then kicks his head into it. He delivers the drop toe hold on the chair and hits a DDT. Raven misses a charge into the table and goes right through it. You’d think it was over, but you have physically put your opponent through the table to win. Hardy legdrops a chair on Raven and makes him taste the steel, which busts him open. Raven counters a suplex and they head up top where Raven gives Jeff a Russian Legsweep back into the cage. After he does that, they both come tumbling down to the mat. Hey look, some guys from the New York Mets are here! Hardy hits the TWIST OF FATE and puts Raven on a table for a SWANTON OFF THE CAGE. Too bad Raven moves and Jeff goes crashing through the table. Hardy knocks Raven off the top rope and starts grinding his face into the cage. Raven delivers a low blow and jabs part of a broken table into Jeff’s forehead. Hardy reverses a whip on Raven and sends him onto the chair with a drop toe hold. For some reason, Hardy starts to climb out and gets crotched on the cage door thanks to Raven. Jeff swings the door back in Raven’s face and flies off the top, but eats a boot on the way down. From here, Raven sets up a double stack of tables and the ref literally helps him do it. They fight to the top rope where Hardy knocks Raven back onto the tables and leaps off the top onto Raven and puts him through the wood for the win. (14:00) Another decent match yet sloppy in some areas where I’m just glad they got through without somebody getting killed. **

NWA World Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted vs. Petey Williams & Eric Young (w/A-1)

For some reason, Dusty allows AMW to bring leather straps with them into the match. Since D’Amore is selling the chairshot, A-1 accompanies Team Canada in his place. Of course A-1 would be more effective in keeping Chris Harris on the floor, which is exactly what happens. That allows Team Canada to double-team James Storm with zero interruptions. A-1 catches Storm in the face with an NWA tag belt to bust him open. When Harris reverses a whip from A-1 into the guardrail, he tries to climb the cage, but Eric Young flies into the cage to knock Harris back down onto the guardrail. Storm blocks a rewind rana from Williams with a powerbomb and then press slams him into the cage. He goes nuts on EY with a leather strap, but Petey makes the save and drills Storm with a cool tornado DDT off the cage. Cover, 1-2-NO! Down on the floor, Harris catapults A-1 into the cage and throws him into the steps to make it possible for him to climb into the cage. This time he succeeds and nails Williams and Young with a flying clothesline. Full Nelson Slam to Williams! Spinebuster to Young! He bounces Petey off the cage a few times during a vertical suplex and then drops him down to the mat for two. Hart Attack on EY gets 1-2-NO! Williams hits Harris with the tilt-a-whirl into a Russian Legsweep. Petey applies a Sharpshooter on Storm as Young comes off the top with an elbow drop for 1-2-NO! CANADIAN DESTROYER to Storm? No! Harris saves with a spear! AMW go for the DEATH SENTENCE on EY, but Williams pulls him out of the way at the last second. A-1 hands Petey the hockey stick as Harris gets whacked. That gets two. Now A-1 goes for plan C as he hands Petey a Ziploc bag of powder. Storm kicks that back in his face. With Petey blinded, he low blows EY by accident and gives him the CANADIAN DESTROYER. That allows Storm to easily grab Williams for the DEATH SENTENCE for the 1-2-3. (15:11) Loved the story of the match and the finish was fantastic. ***½

TNA X-Division Champion Christopher Daniels vs. Elix Skipper

TRIPLE X EXPLODES! We see some “I know you, you know me” stuff to start. Skipper stops all that with a slap and they get into a shoulderblock battle, which Skipper wins. Primetime dishes out some suplexes and hits a corkscrew legdrop out of the corner for two. Daniels slips out of a reverse DDT and picks Skipper up in a fireman’s carry and drives him shoulder-first into the cage. He starts punishing Elix’s shoulder and then grabs his hand and waves at the camera much like we’ve seen Steve Austin do before. Awesome. Skipper unloads with forearms, but Daniels catches him charging in the corner with a boot and hits a lucha armdrag. High knee to the shoulder blade sends Skipper flying into the corner. Daniels delivers a hammerlock Northern Lights and floats over into a cross armbreaker! Hammerlock back suplex gets two. Christopher Daniels is turning into Dean Malenko here. Skipper elbows out of a stepover armbar. Daniels starts kicking away, but Skipper grabs a leg and hoists Daniels up and down with a spinebuster. Skipper sends Daniels into the steel and levels him with a spinning heel kick. Skipper busts out the MATRIX MOVE to avoid a moonsault press and then takes Daniels down with a belly-to-belly suplex to set up a guillotine leg drop for 1-2-NO! He tries the Randy Orton neckbreaker, but his shoulder gives out. Uranage from Daniels sets up the BME for 1-2-NO! Skipper meets Daniels at the top of the cage and teases his most famous spot, but Daniels knows it was coming and jumps off to the mat. Since Skipper is already up there, he dives down on top of Daniels and wipes out the referee as well. Cover, 1-2-NO! Daniels flips out of a tilt-a-whirl and connects with an enziguri. Skipper tries to block the ANGEL’S WINGS with SUDDEN DEATH, but he couldn’t pull it off and takes the ANGEL’S WINGS anyway for the 1-2-3. (15:28) Great continuity and psychology throughout the whole match. Probably Elix Skipper’s greatest singles match to date. Great finish too. ***¾

In the back, Dusty reveals that the third man entering the Lethal Lockdown will be…The Outlaw! Well, if you have the DVD commercial copy like me, Outlaw is muted for some reason. He means Kip James, which means the heels will have the advantage. I guess coin tosses are just SOOOO 20th century.

Sean Waltman, Diamond Dallas Page & BG James vs. Jeff Jarrett, Kip James & Monty Brown – Lethal Lockdown Match

It’s the old Wargames rules – with weapons! Also, BG James is subbing for Kevin Nash since he’s out of TNA thanks to a staph infection. Jarrett and Waltman start the initial five minute round brawling around ringside and into the crowd with trashcans and cookie sheets. In the cage, we see more of the same. Waltman misses a Bronco Buster as the first five minute period comes to a close. Here comes Kip James with a trashcan lid. Waltman unloads with his signature kicks. VINTAGE WALTMAN! Kip ends all that with the trashcan lid. Aluminum is such the equalizer. Kip smashes Waltman’s face into a trashcan wedged in the corner as the two minute period is up. DDP hits the ring with a Singapore cane and starts unloading on Jarrett and Kip. Page goes for the Diamond Cutter on Kip, but he escapes and low-blows him to take control. Two minutes later, Monty Brown enters the ring with baseball bat in hand. He gets in a few jabs on Page and Waltman. The lazy weapon violence continues until Monty catches Waltman trying a crossbody and fallaway slams him into the cage. BG James is the final man to enter Lethal Lockdown. Jarrett meets him coming down the aisle and he’s met with a beating from a trashcan lid. THIS IS FOR ALL THE TIMES YOU MADE ME CARRY YOUR BAGS BACK IN 1995, YOU DOUCHE! BEING YOUR ROADIE WAS JUST A GIMMICK! Dang, BG hits a cameraman and a referee with the lid. Will BG nail Kip? Waltman ends the standoff by giving Kip what appears to be an X-FACTOR. Bronco Buster to Jarrett! Waltman sticks a trashcan on Monty and gives him the Bronco Buster. Wouldn’t that hurt your junk though? Monty must be embarrassed because he hops up and drills Waltman and BG James with the POUNCE for two. DDP counters the STROKE and gives Jarrett a DIAMOND CUTTER for 1-2-NO! Waltman blocks a FAMOUSER on DDP with a spinning heel kick to Kip! Page and BG try a double whip on Brown, but he counters and POUNCES them both. Waltman screws up the victory roll finish, so he and Monty go for it again and Waltman gets the 1-2-3. (15:39) Reminded me of the old Bunkhouse Stampede matches. Long and dull. **

Abyss vs. AJ Styles – Number One Contenders Match

Winner gets a shot at the NWA world title at next month’s Hard Justice PPV. Right as Abyss makes it over to the cage door, AJ Styles somersault plancha out the door onto Abyss! AWESOME way to start the match. AJ can’t whip Abyss, so when he gets his whipped reversed, he slides UNDERNEATH the guardrail and springboard ranas Abyss! AJ gets whipped again into the guardrail, but this time he leaps off the steel steps and over the railing. From there, he climbs over into the next section and LEAPS over five rows of fans back onto Abyss at ringside! AJ tries a leaping enziguri off the steps, but this time Abyss moves and AJ goes flying into the crowd. Abyss beats him up the steps and back down to ringside. They finally make it over to the cage door where Abyss slams the door on AJ and then slams it back in his face, causing AJ to take one nasty bump on the back of his head! That busts AJ open pretty deep as the blood starts pouring out of AJ’s head. Abyss throws a chair, a long chain, and his trusty bag of thumbtacks into the ring. Finally, it’s a cage match. He wedges the chair into the corner and wraps the chain around AJ’s neck to whip him into the chair, but AJ gets loose. Too bad he turns around into a big boot. Instead, Abyss wraps the turnbuckle with the chain. Both fail to turnbuckle smash the other onto the chain. AJ charges at Abyss in the corner and gets launched onto the chain-wrapped turnbuckle. From there, Abyss presses AJ up and launches him into the steel a few times. That gets two. AJ escapes a neck vice, but runs into a modified flapjack. Abyss grabs the chain and balls it up in the center of the ring. He goes for another flapjack onto the chain, but AJ counters in mid-move with a DDT onto the chain! They give up on trying the Quebrada DDT, so Abyss just misses a corner charge and eats the wedged chair. German suplex from AJ gets two. STYLES CLASH is countered, but so is a CHOKESLAM as AJ counters with a victory roll for 1-2-NO! And just when things start to look up for AJ, he charges into a BLACK HOLE SLAM for 1-2-NO! Out comes the thumbtacks, but AJ avoids another Black Hole Slam. He punches out of a powerbomb and hits a modified STYLES CLASH onto the thumbtacks! Cover, 1-2-NO! AJ heads to the top of the cage and gets nearly knocked off to the floor. When Abyss can’t shake him off the cage, he climbs to the top to meet him. He tries to hang AJ with the chain, but AJ gets loose and SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMBS Abyss down to the mat! Cover, 1-2-3! (19:58) Just go ahead and give the man the belt now. AJ Styles is on FIRE. Easily the best match of the night. ****¼

Final Thoughts: Now that’s more like it. They were a few downers, but nothing outright bad like we saw at last month’s show. There’s plenty to like here and a near MOTYC main event, so I’m going with a thumbs up for Lockdown 2005.