TNA Lockdown 2012 Review.

The Pay Per View opens with James Storm in Nashville, talking about how this feud has been personal, and tonight is the biggest match of their careers. He welcomes Bobby Roode to Nashville, before we get the opening video package, featuring Storm and Roode.

Mike Tenay and Taz welcome us to the show, and Lethal Lockdown is up first. Backstage and Garrett Bischoff is with his team, telling them he wants to start. They disagree, but he says he wants to, as he’ll take a beating and wants to earn their respect by doing so. They agree and allow it…and Garrett gets boo’d! Gunner is up first for Team Eric, thanks to TNA using a camera angle showing the wrestlers walking from backstage to the ring, we see Gunner walk past Mr Anderson and RVD, two of his opponents and nothing happens.

Lethal Lockdown: Team Eric (Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, Kazarian and Daniels) vs Team Garrett (Garrett Bischoff, AJ Styles, Rob Van Dam, Mr Anderson and Austin Aries).

Garrett tries to strike and dodge Gunner, and it works, until he taunts, allowing Gunner to turn the match in his favour. He beats Garrett down till Bully Ray enters the match next. Bully Ray helps double team him, and they keep him down through the 2 minutes. Next out is Austin Aries, and he takes it to Bully and Gunner, until he runs into a boot from Bully. All 4 brawl, until Kazarian (with a new look) enters and goes straight after A-Double. The 3-on-2 advantage works, before it’s 3 vs 3 as AJ Styles enters. Kaz waited for him, but his plan backfired as AJ slammed the door in his face, and then a Pelé kick to both Gunner and Bully. Whoever got the upperhand, then got double teamed. Daniels makes his way in next, and teams with Kaz to double team AJ, before all 3 Team Garrett members get thrown against the cage. Mr Anderson up next, he comes in swinging at all, while AJ brawls with Bully, before the Phenomenal one hits a Spinebuster on Bully. The last member of Team Eric, Eric Bischoff himself comes in. He holds Garrett for his team-mates to attack, before berating him. This wastes time, as soon, the last entrant to the match comes in: Rob Van Dam. RVD goes after all, apart from Eric who hides away. The roof comes down on the cage and all hell breaks loose with weapons swung left, right and centre. Aries and AJ find Eric and bring him in, but Gunner stops any further attack on him, before the usual finisher after finisher spot. During this, Kaz and AJ climbed the cage and went across the roof, only for Kaz to drop and AJ to drop an elbow on him. After Daniels hit the Angel Wings on RVD, he called in Eric to finish Garrett off. Eric gets a kendo stick and as he does, Garrett hits his finisher on Daniels. Eric swings the kendo stick repeatedly at Garrett, while calling him a son of a bitch. Eric turns his back and Garrett is up, using a guitar and knocking his Dad out to pin him. Eric Bischoff is outta here! Team Garrett pick their team leader up and congratulate each other. Great opening match, 30 mins of action, some awesome spots made this a good match to watch.

Mike Tenay and Taz talk about how good of a start the PPV has had, and that Eric Bischoff is gone. They show clips before talking of James Storm’s homefield advantage before it’s time for match number 2.

Samoa Joe and Magnus (c) vs Motorcity Machine Guns for the TNA Tag Team Titles

The Guns enter first, and once again production fails, as they don’t play their theme till the Guns are nearly at the cage (something both Sabin and Shelley make fun of).

Onto the match, and we see a good back and forth opening between Magnus and Alex Shelley, before Samoa Joe and Chris Sabin take over. Sabin fails a few attempts to knock Joe down, but finally does after a failed sunset flip, he manages to dodge a punch and hit a running dropkick. The Guns pinball Magnus between them through punches, before a Fallaway Slam from Magnus on Shelley sends him into Sabin (Shelley looked genuinely hurt). Frequent tags between Joe and Magnus kept Sabin in. The crowd were so quiet for this. Sabin finally gets an attack in, Tornado DDT to Joe while kicking Magnus away. Shelley comes back in, drops Magnus and avoids an on-rushing Joe who crashes into his Brit partner. Shelley fails the Sliced Bread, and as Joe and Magnus go for a Superplex, Sabin blocks it, grabs Joe and hits a powerbomb. Both teams try to finish it, Joe with a Coquina Clutch on Sabin, Shelley with Sliced Bread on Magnus, but Joe breaks his submission and breaks the count. Another two attempts to end it fail, before Magnus hits the Tormentum on Shelley, Joe drops onto Shelley with Sabin on his back, and the Champs hit their Snapmare/elbow drop combo to retain the belts. Good match, shame the crowd didn’t take much notice of this.

Backstage with Jeremy Borash looking over tweets to do with Lockdown. Robbie E and Big Robbie T come in. The Jersey Shore poser puts down Devon, before saying he guarantees he’ll win his TV Title back tonight.

Robbie E (with Big Robbie T) vs Devon (c) for the TNA TV Title

Robbie T thinks he’s going to be able to stay in the cage for this, but it doesn’t work as Robbie E accidentally knocks him out the cage due to a failed attack on Devon. Robbie E tries for a few early pins, before a boot to the face, clothesline and elbow drop. Devon’s kept down in a headlock, as 2 men in the crowd chant “Devon” and 2 others chant “sucks”. Robbie E gets crotched on the top rope, before Devon fights back. He hits a knee to the face and neckbreaker combo, splash to Robbie E in the corner and his spinebuster for the win. Big Robbie T attacks as the cage door is open, and Robbie E helps, before they leave Devon laying in the ring. Filler match, didn’t last long and wasn’t good.

Back to J-Bizzle again backstage, this time with Matt Morgan. A twitter question for him, as he’s asked what is more important, ending Crimson’s streak or getting revenge. He answers that his main goal was making money and winning titles, but tonight he wants revenge on Crimson for stabbing him in the back. Morgan than tells Crimson “Tonight, you’ll answer for your sins. That cage is a prison cell, and I’m going to make you my red…headed…BITCH!”.

Gail Kim (c) (with Madison Rayne) vs Velvet Sky for the TNA Knockouts Title

Gail attacks from behind as Velvet argues with Madison, before Velvet tries a few roll ups for the win. Gail also fights back and tries to choke Velvet out a couple of times. Velvet turns the match her way with a few punches, but gloats and Kim strikes with a missile dropkick, and a couple of submission attempts. Velvet breaks out of a dragon sleeper with a jawbreaker, and when Gail tries the running dive to the stomach, as usual, she misses. Back and forth strikes, Velvet gets the upperhand and builds up steam with headscissors takedown, snapmare, boot to the face, and a bulldog. Gail tries to escape over the top, but Velvet stops this, gets in front of her on the cage, and flips over Gail with a sunset powerbomb. Velvet argues with Madison again as Gail tries to get out the door. Velvet grabs her and rolls through for a pin, Gail rolls through again and uses the skirt of Velvet for leverage to gain the win. A predictable, typical ending to a Gail Kim match. Yawn.

Ric Flair interrupts the show. He reminds the fans he’s the Nature Boy, and he’s “that damn good”. Hey Ric, Triple H says hi. He says he’s pissed off, and it isn’t good for the guy he’s pissed off at: Hulk Hogan. Reckons Hulk won’t leave him alone, and ended Eric Bischoff’s career. Hogan comes out and tells Flair he is “the greatest wrestler of all time”…a fan chants “HBK HBK HBK” at this. Hogan asks to enter Flair’s ring, and tells Flair to express any problems now. Flair says he has had a problem with him for 30 years, and doesn’t like how Hogan runs the company or manipulates his friends. He tells Hogan, if he pisses him off anymore, they’re gonna fight. Hogan tells him Eric won’t work in Impact Wrestling again, or use his last name, and if they did fight, they’d tear the roof off. If his has a problem do it right now. As Flair goes to take his jacket off, Hogan strikes him, lays him out. Hogan leaves, and Flair gets up ranting at him, Tenay and then “fat boy” in the crowd. Why did we need this on the show?

Crimson vs Matt Morgan.

It amused me to see Crimson have “The Undefeated” before his name on the little pop up name tag. Crimson tried to escape quickly, but Morgan brought him back in, and Crimson’s momentum then saw him run head first into the cage. Morgan went to leave but came back in to punish Crimson. A failed Chokeslam from Morgan saw Crimson take out the knee, then attack, and also hit a big spinebuster. Morgan retaliates with a discus clothesline, snapmare, boot to the face, chokeslam from behind and a splash in the corner. Morgan goes to leave again, then changes his mind and splashes Crimson against the cage. Morgan misses another big boot, and Crimson tries to leave over the top. Morgan brings him back in, they brawl on the top rope till Morgan drops, and gets his leg caught. Crimson blows a kiss then escapes over the top. Bit of a flat ending to be honest, but expected Crimson to win.

Jeff Hardy vs Kurt Angle

Taz throws in the line of how he once faced both of this guys in seperate matches before…for the thousandth time. Hardy takes down Angle and drops the leg drop on his waist, Angle retaliates with a shot to the eyes and tries to choke him out. Hardy beats him down in the corner and hits the Hardyac Arrest dropkick which seems to hurt himself more than he hurt Kurt. Angle throws Hardy into the cage twice, before raking his face across it and busting Hardy open. Hardy flips Angle into the cage, knocks him down and hits Whisper in the Wind. Hardy hits his Stunner-esque Twist of Fate, and tries to escape over the top, but Kurt with an Angle Slam off the top rope. Both try to escape, and Hardy drops Angle in the ring before a splash off the cage onto Angle. Hardy tries to get out the door, Angle grabs his leg and applies the Ankle Lock, which Hardy reverses into an Ankle Lock of his own. Angle rolls through and kicks out, then turns into a Twist of Fate from Hardy, and not 1, but 2 Swantons which don’t get the job done. Angle hits an Angle slam for 2, tries again and Hardy gets out, and hits an Angle Slam on Kurt! Hardy then goes to the top of the cage and hits a Swanton from the top on Kurt to get the 1-2-3. Considering Kurt’s injuries, this match went longer than expected, and was very good. One of the best of the night.

ODB and Eric Young (c) vs Sarita and Rosita for the TNA Knockout Tag Team Titles.

ODB rushes at both ladies, and splashes them in the corner, before press slamming Rosita onto Sarita, and EY counts 2 for that. As ODB tells him to get out, she’s attacked. Rosita and Sarita frequently tag in and out, beating down ODB and seductively dancing at EY, only for him to turn away. Both ladies dance for him, and ODB grabs her flask for liquid courage. She slams both, spears Sarita and hits the B-A-M on Rosita for the win. Short match, was OK and the calm before the (James) Storm.

To the back with Jeremy Borash and he has Bobby Roode with him. Roode says tonight is the night the whole wrestling world has waited for, and he’ll prove in the cage that he’s better than James Storm. It won’t be a wrestling match, but a fight. He warns Storm to put the wife and kids to bed so they don’t see this, as he proves he is the most dominant champion in the history of TNA.

James Storm vs Bobby Roode (c) for the TNA World Title.

Storm drives a pick-up truck into the arena, while Roode decides to take a walk around the cage. Storm follows him and they brawl around ringside, using the steps, announce table and barrier as a target for slamming heads off. Storm gets cut when Roode rushes him against the cage. Storm is fired up from bleeding, and they exchange shots, until Storm has his face rubbed against the cage. Storm flips out again, and stops Roode leaving, and fails at the Eye of the Storm. Roode has his kick blocked, and gets catapulted into the cage, before Storm hits the Eye of the Storm at the 2nd time of asking. Roode misses a spear, and Storm hits the Closing Time and Backstabber for 2. Roode tries to get out again, he’s brought back in and reverses Storm’s attack into a Crossface, which Storm rolls out of. Roode tries to climb out, but Storm drags him back in by his hair. They brawl on the top rope, and Roode has his head slammed off the cage, causing him to drop back in. Storm goes to climb over, but Roode flips him off, causing Storm to get back in, leap off the ropes and hit Calling Time on Roode. Storm goes for the Last Call, and Brian Hebner gets dragged into it, before a low blow from Roode. The Champ asks Earl Hebner to pass Storm’s beer in, and takes a bottle, smashing it over Storm’s head. Earl gets in and counts…1…2…kick out! Roode goes to leave, Storm stops him, turns him and hits the Last Call. Storm sets up for a 2nd Last Call and strikes, but this one sents Roode flying through the open door to the outside for another Roode win. Storm looks dejected, takes the title, spits on Roode and throws the title down before leaving through the crowd.

I was looking forward to this event, and it didn’t disappoint me. There was a bit of a lull in the middle of the event, with Robbie E/Devon, Gail Kim/Velvet and Crimson/Morgan, but apart from that, it was an enjoyable event. They started off hot with the Lethal Lockdown event, some top spots and a great job, and ended well with the Storm/Roode match. That feud over the World Title is far from over. The Tag Title match was good, just a shame the crowd was so quiet, while Hardy and Angle put on a good match, considering Angle’s problems.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and if you saw this (or will watch it), I’d love to read your thoughts.

@GoofyVillain of @TheTopRope crew.