Written by: Bob Colling
Total Non-Stop Action presents Turning Point 2008
Date: 11/9/2008
From: Orlando, FL
Opening Contest: Eric Young defeated Consequences Creed, Doug Williams, Homicide, Jay Lethal, Jimmy Rave, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Tanahashi and Volador in a elimination rankings match:
First Elimination: Sonjay Dutt
Second Elimination: Volador Jr.
Third Elimination: Jimmy Rave
Fourth Elimination: Homicide
Fifth Elimination: Consequences Creed
Sixth Elimination: Petey Williams
Seventh Elimination: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Eighth Elimination: Doug Williams
Ninth Elimination: Jay Lethal
Second Contest: Roxxi/Taylor Wilde defeated Awesome Kong/Raisha Saeed: Long story short, Wilde pinned Saeed after delivering a German suplex.
Third Contest: Rhino defeated TNA X-Division Champion Sheik Abdul Bashir in a non-title match: During the bout, the camera was put on the Insane Clown Posse and Scott Hall who were in the crowd for the match. Bashir generated some heat by taunting them. In the end, Bashir lost to Rhino after spitting at the referee, Shane Sewell, and was GORED by Rhino!
Fourth Contest: TNA World Tag Team Champions Beer Money Inc. defeated Motor City Machine Guns to retain the titles: Sabin shoulder blocks Storm to open the match, causing Storm to crawl to his partner Roode for comfort. Storm kicks Sabin in the gut before being hip tossed and arm dragged by Sabin. Shelley comes off the top rope with a double axe handle across Storm’s arm. Roode tags in but Shelley rolls Roode up for a two count. Shelley kicks Roode and Sabin leaps off Shelley’s back to knock Storm off the apron. Stereo springboard moonsaults by the Guns to take the champs out on the floor! Guns continue to work on the champs with lighting quick offense that would be hard for me to type out! Shelley gets a two count on Roode following a slingshot elbow drop from the apron. Shelley clotheslines Roode in the corner and follows up with a springboard moonsault for a two count. Storm gets the tag and drops Shelley across the top rope. Roode clotheslines Shelley for a two count. Shelley is double teamed in the corner by the champs for a few moments. Shelley fights out of the corner with back elbows and kicks but isn’t able to tag in Sabin. Storm misses a running attack in the corner as Shelley drops to the mat. Sabin gets the tag, but the referee doesn’t see it. Shelley is dumped to the floor and attacked by Jacqueline. Storm covers Shelley back in the ring but only manages a two count. Shelley avoids Roode in the corner, and Roode punches Storm on accident. Shelley plants the champs with a flat liner/DDT combo! Sabin gets the tag and connects with a cross body on the champs. Sabin cleans house slamming Roode onto Storm. The Guns nail the champs with kicks in the corner and Sabin plants Roode with a tornado DDT for a two count! Sabin avoids Roode who hits Storm in the corner. Shelley takes Roode out on the floor with a suicide dive. Sabin connects with a hurricarnana on Storm and Shelley comes off the top with a frog splash for a near fall! Roode tags in after hitting Sabin before the legal tag. Guns sandwich Roode with clotheslines. Sabin back elbows Roode in the corner before missing a springboard clothesline. Sabin recovers by hitting a back breaker and Shelley comes off the top with a senton splash. Sabin connects with a springboard leg drop but Storm makes the save on the cover! Storm botches a knee breaker and Sabin kicks Storm before being planted with a spine buster by Roode for a near fall. Guns try for a double team move in the corner but Roode fights them off. Shelley is in the tree of woe in the corner. Sabin kicks Storm and stops Roode on the top rope. Tower suplex spot happens out of the corner and Sabin gets a two count on Storm. Shelley kicks Storm on the apron and the Guns kick Roode down to the mat. Jacqueline enters the ring to prevent Sabin from getting the pin. Sabin ends up scoop slamming Jacqueline. Sabin rolls Roode up but Storm spits beer in his face! Beer Money hit a power bomb/neck breaker combo on Sabin and Roode covers to retain the titles. ***1/4
Fifth Contest: TNA Legends Champion Booker T defeated Christian Cage to retain the title: Booker backs Cage into a corner but backs away. Cage comes off the ropes with a shoulder block for a one count. Cage briefly controls Booker with a hammerlock but is met with a back elbow and several chops. Cage comes off the ropes with a clothesline and the champ rolls to the floor. Booker knee lifts Cage and regains control with a clubbing blow to his back. Cage fights back with a few chops but Booker drives Cage down to the mat with a spine buster for a two count. Booker drops Cage throat first across the top rope and Cage drops to the floor. Booker catapults Cage head first into the ring post! Booker chops Cage several times on the floor to keep control. Back in the ring, Booker nails Cage with a super kick for a two count. Cage ducks a few strikes but Booker manages to connect with a forearm shot for another near fall. Booker knee lifts Cage but runs into a snap power slam which gets Cage a two count! Booker misses a leaping side kick and is crotched on the top rope. Cage backs Booker into a corner and delivers several right hands. Cage leaps off the middle rope to hit Booker with an uppercut for a two count. Cage goes for the Un-Prettier but Booker gets out of it. Cage tries for a cloverleaf but Booker rakes Cage’s eyes. Booker misses a standing spin kick, twice, and is dropped with a reverse DDT by Cage! Cage goes to the top rope but is stopped by Booker. Booker brings Cage back to the mat with a big superplex but Cage kicks out at two on the cover attempt. Booker goes for the Book End but Cage elbows out of it. Cage drops Booker with a slam after countering a Un-Prettier attempt for a near fall. Cage mocks Booker and dumps him to the apron. Booker shoulder blocks Cage and manages to scissors kick Cage throat first over the top rope for a near win! Cage goes for another cloverleaf and has the hold locked in! Sharmell gets on the apron and Cage drops the hold to get her off the apron. Sharmell slaps Cage and Booker almost hits Sharmell! Cage connects with the Book End but Booker kicks out at two! Cage looks for the Un-Prettier but Booker counters and manages to roll Cage up for the win. *3/4
After the match, Booker celebrates his win. Booker also grabs a microphone and welcomes Cage to the Main Event Mafia. Also, he says that work starts at 8am tomorrow. He needs Cage on their team. The stipulation was if Cage lost, he would be forced to join the Main Event Mafia. Cage was left in the ring, not happy with the lost.
Sixth Contest: Kurt Angle defeated Abyss in a falls count anywhere match: Angle avoids Abyss in the ring and bails to the floor to stall for a few moments. Abyss backs Angle into a corner and delivers several right hands. Angle kicks Abyss in the midsection followed by an uppercut, but is stopped quickly with a clothesline. Abyss stops a charging Angle with a big boot as well. Abyss connects with the Shock Treatment but Angle kicks out at two on the cover. Abyss clotheslines Angle over the top to the floor. Angle goes over the railing to get away from Abyss, who follows Angle. Angle walks through the crowd before trading right hands with Abyss. Angle uses a fan to shield himself but Abyss still punches Angle. Abyss tries to dump Angle over the side of the bleachers but Angle hands onto the fencing. Angle stomps Abyss a few times before running away. Abyss catches up to Angle and dumps him over the railing. Angle rakes Abyss’s eyes and grabs a steel chair. Angle jabs the chair into Abyss’s gut followed by a whack across the back. Angle walks up the ramp way while Abyss crawls on the floor. Angle runs and leaps off the side of the ramp way to deliver a somersault dive on Abyss but only gets a two count! Abyss battles back with right hands and tosses Angle head first into the side of the ramp way. Abyss grabs Angle and looks for a choke slam on the floor but Angle kicks Abyss in the groin. Angle spears Abyss through a wall. They end up out of camera range and the announcers just talk about the match. Abyss tosses Angle through another wall, right behind the announcers. Angle stops Abyss in the ring with a back elbow and a dropkick to his knee. Angle begins to work on Abyss’s knee with several kicks. Abyss drops Angle with a few clotheslines and a big splash in the corner. Abyss connects with a side slam but only gets a two count on a cover. Abyss tries for the Shock Treatment again, but Angle gets out and takes Abyss over with the Angle Slam for a two count! Angle grabs a chair but Abyss punches the chair into Angle’s head! Abyss wedges the chair in the corner but Angle stomps away on Abyss’s knee. Abyss low blows Angle before tossing him head first into the chair and delivers a choke slam for only a two count! Abyss lays a chair on top of Angle before leaping off the middle rope but misses a splash. Angle grabs the chair to deliver a vicious chair shot to Abyss’s head. Angle leaps off the top and connects with a moonsault on Abyss who had the chair on top of him, but Angle only gets a near fall! Abyss catches Angle on the middle rope looking for a tombstone but Angle wiggles out and puts the ankle lock on briefly. Abyss sends Angle into the ropes before nailing Angle with the Black Hole Slam for a two count. Angle leaves the ring and heads towards the Spanish announce table. Angle pushes the announcers away and climbs a scaffold to get away from Abyss. Abyss grabs Angle and signals that he is going choke slam Angle through the table. Angle ends up knocking Abyss off the scaffold with a uppercut and Abyss crashes through the table. Angle covers and picks up the win. ***
Seventh Contest: Kevin Nash defeated Samoa Joe: They open up the match trading right hands with Joe getting the better of Nash with several jabs while avoiding wild right hands. Joe nails Nash with a forearm smash in the corner followed by a leaping kick and a shoulder block. Joe get s a two count following a knee drop. Joe knocks Nash to the floor and quickly follows. Joe rams Nash head first into the announcers table and plays to the crowd. Nash stops Joe by sending him shoulder first into the ring post. Nash sends Joe head first into the ring post before going under the ring to get bolt cutters. Nash proceeds to remove the top turnbuckle pad. Nash grabs a chair but misses Joe and hits the ring post. Back in the ring, Nash knee lifts Joe but is sent back first into the exposed corner by Joe. Nash pulls Joe towards the corner and Joe hits his face on the exposed turnbuckle. Nash begins to deliver several knee lifts to Joe’s lower back in the corner. Nash jumps on Joe’s back as he was put on the middle rope. Nash follows up with a standing elbow drop for a two count. Nash delivers another elbow drop, this time to Joe’s back. Nash continues to work on Joe’s lower back with several forearm shots after sending Joe into the ropes chest first. Joe fights back with a few jabs and a yakuza kick! Joe connects with a senton splash but Nash kicks out at two. Joe back elbows Nash in the corner and leaps off the middle rope with a big boot for a near fall. Joe mounts Nash and begins to deliver several shots until Nash pokes Joe in the eyes and rolls to the floor to grab a chair. Joe attempts a suicide dive, but Nash gets the chair up and hits Joe right in the face! Nash goes for the cover but Joe kicks out at two. Nash stops Joe with a big boot as he came off the ropes. Nash signals for the power bomb. Nash connects with the power bomb but Joe kicks out at two! Nash sends Joe head first into the exposed turnbuckle, and Joe has been busted wide open. Nash rams Joe head first into the exposed turnbuckle several more times. Nash drops Joe with a second power bomb, but still isn’t able to get a three count. Joe tries to put an arm bar on Nash but Nash punches Joe away as the referee is knocked down. Nash drops Joe with a low blow and covers Joe while using the ropes for leverage to win the bout. *3/4
Main Event: TNA World Champion Sting defeated AJ Styles to retain the title: Sting backs Styles into a corner but Styles quickly switches and breaks cleanly away from Sting. Styles with a go behind but Sting goes to the ropes to prevent anything from happening. Styles gets out of a hammerlock and puts Sting in one of his own but Sting snap mares Styles. Styles quickly recovers to put an arm bar on Styles. Sting avoids a dropkick attempt and drives Styles face first to the mat with a bulldog. Styles nails Sting with a quick dropkick a few seconds later. Sting bails to the floor but rolls back in once Styles rolls out to the floor. Styles with a shoulder block from the apron followed a scoop slam in the ring and a knee drop for a two count. Styles continues to work on Sting until Sting press slams Styles over the top rope to the floor. Sting sends Styles chest first into guard railing and follows up by dropping the challenger chest first across the railing. Styles stops Sting with a back breaker as Sting comes off the ropes. Sting blocks a hip toss by putting Styles in a abdominal stretch. Styles is able to hip toss Sting over but is dropped throat first across the top rope. Sting works on Styles in the corner with several shoulder rams. Sting rams Styles back and chest first into opposite corners. Sting continues to control Styles by putting him in a bear hug right in the middle of the ring. Styles breaks free but Sting regains control with a kick and locks in a abdominal stretch. Styles battles out of the hold and begins to trade right hands with Sting. Styles quickly knocks Sting off his feet with a jumping kick to the side of the head. Styles delivers a few clotheslines and a back suplex. Styles nails Sting with a springboard forearm shot from the apron but isn’t able to get a three count. Styles quickly hits a snap suplex but only gets another two count. Styles avoids the Scorpion Death Lock but misses a splash in the corner. Sting plants Styles with the Scorpion Death Drop, but Styles kicks out! Sting goes to the top rope but misses a clothesline as Styles side steps it. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Sting kicks his way out of it. Sting connects with the Stinger Splash, three times! Sting goes for a superplex but Styles blocks it with a sunset flip power bomb! Styles goes up top and manages to hit the Spiral Tap! Styles doesn’t cover but rather decides to go for a second one. The Main Event Mafia runs down but Styles knocks them off the apron. Styles misses the Pele Kick and is rolled up by Sting who gets the three count! **1/4
After the match, Sting celebrates with the Main Event Mafia while Styles remains on the floor disappointed with the outcome.
My Take: I enjoyed Beer Money/MCMG as I thought it was a very good fast paced, full of action tag team bout. The fans were into it and all four men delivered on a quality bout. As you can see, including the tag title match, the best of the card looked pretty good. That’s why I didn’t bother going in-depth with the first three matches. I believe this was the first of their series of matches. I’m just guessing as I haven’t looked it up or anything. Perhaps I should’ve before saying that. Oh well…
Booker/Cage just felt really bland to me. I feel like if you have seen their work from WWE 2003, you are better off just keeping those memories in your mind. Though, I did like the scissors kick from the apron spot. Aside from that, it was a really predictable match.
Angle/Abyss was a surprisingly good falls count anywhere match. Though, I felt that some of the spots were a little goofy, they put on a good show. I didn’t like the breaking wall spot, mainly because that has been done numerous times. Also, I didn’t think they should’ve gone back to ring if the finish was going to take place over by the ramp way. The constant going back and forth kind of hurt the flow of the match. That being said, it was still a fun match to watch.
Nash/Joe wasn’t all that bad, but it was bad enough to where I wasn’t entertained by it. What is the point of using a finishing move if it doesn’t finish the match? This match isn’t the only example as every match seemed to have a finisher kick out. That is just lazy to have every match have that spot. I’d rather have Joe lose to a power bomb then a simple low blow. The finish just didn’t seem convincing to me whatsoever. Nash winning makes sense so that the Main Event Mafia can be a strong heel faction moving forward.
Sting/Styles was just an okay match to me. I don’t really have any thoughts on it because it’s just really average to me.
Overall, tag title match and Angle/Abyss were the high points to a rather uneventful pay per view. Neither one of those matches is “must see” and thus, I shall give TNA Turning Point 2008 a thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.