The NWA TNA week 25 Preview

[Guest TSMAdmin]

This will be the last episode of TNA until January 8th I think. The reason being that Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on Wednesday this year. What’s more my stupid school scheduled one of my finals to be Wednesday at 7:00…so I’ll have to order the replay.

 

Stupid school always trying to bring me down.

 

Let’s begin where we always do with a quick recap of last week:

 

Jason Cross vs. Tony Mamaluke: Pretty good opener. The crossfire is incredible, and they even found a way to work the affect of the move into the story of the match. Wish it had been longer. (*3/4)

Kid Kash vs. Jorge Estrada: Laughably bad. Time to stop employing Jorge. (DUD)

AMW vs. Divine Storm: AMW delivers from their end as always. (*1/2)

AJ Styles vs. Red: Real good stuff. Better story than last time they met. Red is getting good. (***1/2)

Harris bros. vs. New Church: At least the Harris’ didn’t win the belts. Bad brawl with only Slash not looking totally foolish. (DUD)

Jerry Lynn vs. Sonny Siaki: Don’t agree with putting Siaki over…especially when Lynn had to do all the work again. (**1/2)

Truth vs. James: Whoever invented the chair and chain match should be fired…stupid gimmick that allowed for zero flow. Truth looked Ok though. (DUD)

Jeff Jarrett vs. Curt Hennig: Not bad like Hennig’s previous bouts. Not good like JJ’s previous bouts either. (*1/4)

 

 

Before we get to the preview here’s a reminder of the new preview scale (not a prediction of match quality…more of a guide to expected entertainment value):

 

A: Must see match potential.

B: Potential good match.

C: One or both workers could hold this match back…but it could entertain.

D: Not worth the time it took to write the preview.

F: Reserved for matches like the Dupp Cupp or Bruce vs. a woman.

 

 

Now onto the point of the article:

 

The NWA TNA Week 25 Preview

 

25 weeks…damn. That just hit me as really surprising.

 

So far they’ve been kind enough to announce 4 matches for me…only 3 of which have all the competitors names. We’ll do what we can.

 

 

Ron Killings vs. B.G. James

 

I’m under the impression that this will be a normal match…that is a HUGE step up from last week’s chain and chair debacle. Somewhere this could be an interesting feud playing off of Killings’ K-Kwik time. Instead we get out of shape B.G. James sucking wind after a couple moves. What’s more…James is owed the win this time. I’ve said before that Killings isn’t going to carry anyone…so you get what you see in this one. Let it be known that I am all for James winning this match. I think that the Russo clan should get some kind of big win heading into the holiday hiatus.

 

I see this match going longer than James can hold up…but Truth will be able to hold the crowd into it. That’s always a plus. It isn’t that James isn’t trying. In fact, with the exception of a couple times that Scott Hall and Buff Bagwell dogged a match or two, effort has never been an issue with the wrestlers in the company. It’s all lack of talent and being out of shape at this point. One of those things can be fixed anyway. If it’s a regular match it should be watchable if only for Killings…who is somehow finding that superstar glow about him again that he lost when he was champion. It may be the face turn, or it may just be that he is the kind of wrestler that you want to root for…and once they succeed you realize that it was better before they handed him the top spot. It will be better than last week. I can’t give it any higher than a C - though. I expect them to surpass that expectation, but I’m in no way confident of it.

 

 

 

America’s Most Wanted vs. New Church vs. Harris bros.

 

You know…if the Harris boys weren’t involved here this would be an easy B grade. But they are. Make no mistake, this match will be a wild brawl and when AMW is involved, at least part of it will be good. It’s the Harris part that will drag this into the crapper. I would be shocked to see them match the intensity of the AMW/New Church feud. If they do by some miracle this match will be good. It should get some good time and go all over the place. Unfortunately the Harris boys do NOTHING for me and this three way only earns a C from me. And all of that is AMW/New Church overcoming the Harris boys.

 

 

 

 

NWA TNA X Title

Sonny Siaki vs. EZ Money

 

Siaki won the X title from Jerry Lynn last week with help from a mysterious woman later identified as former WWE developmental talent Kim Nielson. Money won the 4-way double elimination match a couple weeks back to earn this shot. Siaki shouldn’t be champion and I wish Money would take it from him here…but that’s not going to happen now that Siaki has a valet.

 

Match gets some time as all X title matches do. That might be a problem here as Siaki is…well…boring. That’s why he shouldn’t hold this title. The X division isn’t supposed to be boring. Money, for his part, has a pretty move-set. Siaki doesn’t blow spots like former partner Estrada does…so the match shouldn’t be that sloppy. The question is whether or not it will be any good. Siaki is so back and forth on what he does in the ring that I don’t know anymore. Best-case scenario is that Siaki decides to work on Money’s neck all match long to set up for the Syakalypse. Money can hit his moves during his comebacks and eventually Siaki’s work will pay off for the win. He’s done this before so I know he’s capable of it. If all the ducks are in a row and fortune smiles this could be a decent little match. If Siaki comes out all over the place and Money botches his spots this could be bad. I expect it to be DECENT…which is certainly far less that I expect from X title matches. C

 

 

 

X Division Gauntlet

Red vs. AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Kid Kash vs. Jason Cross vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Shark Boy vs. ???

 

 

There will be ten X division wrestlers in this match. Dave Meltzer on the observer site has provided nine of them. They range from great: Daniels, Lynn, Styles and Red, to decent: Kash, Cross and Mamaluke, to out of their element: Rave and Shark Boy. Who the tenth man is…no one knows. Best-case scenario is that Low Ki makes his return, worst case is that Jorge “Blown Spot” Estrada fills in. It’s great to see Daniels back for this either way.

 

The rules, as I understand them, are a variation on TNA’s previous Gauntlet for the Gold matches. Two wrestlers will start and someone new will enter every minute (time could be different since this gauntlet only has half the amount of participants) until all ten wrestlers have entered. Unlike previous Gauntlet’s, you can’t be eliminated by being tossed over the top rope. For this match losers must be pinned or forced to submit.

 

If you like the X division, this should be something else. The potential in ring match-ups between Styles and Daniels, or Lynn and Daniels, or Styles and Cross, or Red and Daniels, or more Styles and Red or…well, you get the point. By nature this match will be pretty lengthy I’d imagine. Not being able to dump people over the top rope should make it harder to get eliminations.

 

Any way you look at it, this match will make or break this show. And when the match has the names Lynn, Styles, Red and Daniels in it…I like those odds. I couldn’t begin to guess who goes over here. If they can get Daniels for more than one show, put him over. If not…I’d say it’s time for Red or Kash to get the big win. The potential is here for some holy shit moments that will keep you talking until TNA returns. Here’s hoping it delivers. I’ll hand it a B + because I expect it to be entertaining as hell…but can’t go any higher until I know who the other person is, and how long the time in between entrants is.

 

 

 

On top of the 4 announced matches, Percy Pringle (formerly Paul Bearer) will have an in-depth sit down interview. Tenay’s sit down interviews are always good, and I for one am still scratching my head at what Pringle is doing in TNA…so this should clear that up.

 

 

There will be more matches added when they see fit to do so.

 

Here is the weekly list of people that are not yet attached to a match, but could likely find themselves in one:

 

Jeff Jarrett isn’t in a match yet. The preview teases that Russo is still awaiting JJ’s answer to whose side he is on. If he has a match they should advertise it since he is…you know…the champion.

 

The SATs aren’t on the card yet, and neither is Divine Storm who have been receiving a big push lately. SAT’s I can take or leave at this point…but Divine Storm beat AMW last week, so they need a match. Put them over the HotShots or something. I always enjoy that.

 

Curt Hennig was on last week but is not advertised for this week as of yet.

 

Brian Lawler still hasn’t come back from his “retirement” yet. I expect to see him join Russo sooner or later.

 

Malice disappeared again.

 

Now that I think of it…where the hell is Elix Skipper? He appeared to be getting a push against the Hall/Pac/James group…then he started a feud with Red than disappeared. He reemerged once to have a real good showing in an elimination match and hasn’t been heard of since.

 

Alan Funk hasn’t come back since he dropped the Bruce gimmick. He can come back anytime he wants as long as it’s to wrestle, says I.

 

And finally, the Alex Winters watch is now in week 3. Someone bring a sign that says “Bring back Alex Winters”. BPP I’m looking in your direction.

 

 

Overall: Like I said this show lives and dies with the X gauntlet. Luckily they know that already. The other matches are unspectacular but could all find a way to be decent and entertaining enough. I don’t know what else they have planned, but since this is the last show for a couple weeks I’d expect to see them let it all hang out. That means Russo. That means Russo in a show-closing segment. That means many people will complain. Depending on what Russo does I may join them. Last week was nice without Russo running around all show…but I must admit part of me missed the fast paced show that Russo-tainment provided. They need to find a balance somewhere.

 

Until…well…next year you can email me at [email protected]