Lockdown (4/13/2008)

[dubq 0]

Not so much anymore, but there was a stretch in the early 2000's where Inoki was shoving MMA fighters down peoples throats for a while in NJ. See: Bob Sapp & Kazuyuki Fujita both getting runs with the Heavyweight title.. Anyway, that comment about all NJ & AJ matches being worked MMA formats since 1995 is way off base. It hasn't been that way in a while.

[Just call me Dan 0]

I thought that was a flat out fantastic match. All the submissions looked brutal nlike, say Edge/Taker WM24, and seeing the crossface/ LIONTAMER was excellent. I loved the style, and the build, and really just would have liked about 5 more minutes and a couple of other nearfalls.

 

****

 

Angle in the MMA gear was swank and his dismissing of Karen was awesome. I was quite pleased.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

As someone who watched a SHITLOAD of MMA today, ranging from WEC, UFC, Yamma & some of the original UFC's, I actually really enjoyed the main event today. Even though the crowd probably didn't get a lot of the MMA stuff that they were doing, it was actually worked closer to an MMA fight from the late 90's than one of today with the shitty transitions and such. I don't think it would have been believable if these two guys pulled off the MMA moves crisply and smoothly since that's not how MMA is. To me, it seems that almost every move was worked for and came across as believable as they can in a worked match, so I have no complaints.

 

Frank Trigg needs a permanent spot at the announce table now.

 

Dames

 

To be fair, you probably watched YAMMA before TNA and therefore TNA seemed like ice cream sundae in a waffle bowl in comparison.

[Mike wanna be 0]

They really need to get a bigger ring. Ten guys in a cage like that is just way too cramped; every multi-man match was just perpetually eight guys up against the cage and two guys doing a spot in the middle, with that monotony broken up by having somebody jump off the cage onto a pile of guys.

[liger05 0]

Not seen the Joe v Angle match yet. TNA and WWE do nothing for me but want to see this match as I have read some opinions which are calling it an epic. I want to see how this compares to the great 'shoot' style we saw in UWFI, RINGS, Pancrase, Pro-wrestling Kingdom and Battlearts.

 

I am sceptical Joe and Angle could pull it off to be that good. Is it right that halfway through it changed to more typical pro-wrestling? I was hoping to see a full 'shoot' style match. Anyway I will watch it soon hopefully and then see just how 'great; it was.

[Silence 0]

Not seen the Joe v Angle match yet. TNA and WWE do nothing for me but want to see this match as I have read some opinions which are calling it an epic. I want to see how this compares to the great 'shoot' style we saw in UWFI, RINGS, Pancrase, Pro-wrestling Kingdom and Battlearts.

 

I am sceptical Joe and Angle could pull it off to be that good. Is it right that halfway through it changed to more typical pro-wrestling? I was hoping to see a full 'shoot' style match. Anyway I will watch it soon hopefully and then see just how 'great; it was.

 

It changed into the same repetitive Angle reversal shit we've seen many times. Still, at least Joe won.

 

[liger05 0]

Just watched it. I gave it 3.5 stars at best. The match was ok but it wasnt 'shoot' style. Hybrid shoot style wrestling is not that. At the start they had some submissions but it lacked certain things. Lack of real clinching and actual grappling for position on the ground. The takedown attempts were to simple and I dont think I saw one sprawl or one bit of takedown defence. The strikes were ok not great but ok.

The reversals were stupid and typical Kurt Angle. The way he got out of the crossface into the ankle lock looked silly. Joe then gets out of the Angle lock back into the crossface and it looked to rehearsed. there wasnt that much variety in the submission attempts. Very same as same as. I didnt see a lot of different techniques.

I think a points system would of been better where if u get a rope break u lose a point. This brings more drama to the submissions and means the ropes cant be used all the time for escapes.

 

Maybe harsh but I'm judging this against 'shoot'' style from Japan and this was nowhere near that level.

[Zack Malibu 0]

Checking in, I thought it was a decent, entertaining enough PPV, but the last two matches were strong showings and really easy to get into. Lethal Lockdown was what you'd expect it to be, my only comments on that are that they should have showcased Morgan more (maybe have him no sell the beer-bottle shot or something to make him into a monster) and that Rhino got the pin, although my latter comment isn't a complaint. It's nice to see the guy apparently in line for bigger things, but the finish just came out of nowhere. It could also have been the dreaded "short on time" that made them rush the ending.

 

Joe/Angle was a great match, IMO. I dug the MMA stuff, and I dug the wrestling portion of it. I like how Karen Angle got sent packing and that there was no ridiculous swerve or interference by her or anyone else for that matter. Joe got his moment, and he got to have it by himself. I can understand why they didn't do the Christian Win with him (where faces and fans rushed the ring) since Joe doesn't come off as that type of face, and honestly if they did it with him, even with Nash or someone who has a tie, it would have taken away from it.

 

Joe/Steiner SHOULD be a watchable brawl if their past matches are any indication. Honestly, if they're going to push Rhino, a turn and feud with Joe, even for only one PPV or so, could be really good, and it'd be a fresh match.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I'd like to see Rhino work with Angle.

 

It seems there going to hold off on AJ/Angle for a while (if they could stretch it so they have a match at BFG...Let's just say I would look at a card with Joe/Sting and Angle/AJ and be teh happiest kid in the candy store) so Angle needs something. Although he could be inserted into the Sacrifice match...WWE style. And then Slammiversarry is KOTM...so he'll still be around the top until then.

 

But at some point I think Rhino/Angle could be really good.

[The Dames 0]

As someone who watched a SHITLOAD of MMA today, ranging from WEC, UFC, Yamma & some of the original UFC's, I actually really enjoyed the main event today. Even though the crowd probably didn't get a lot of the MMA stuff that they were doing, it was actually worked closer to an MMA fight from the late 90's than one of today with the shitty transitions and such. I don't think it would have been believable if these two guys pulled off the MMA moves crisply and smoothly since that's not how MMA is. To me, it seems that almost every move was worked for and came across as believable as they can in a worked match, so I have no complaints.

 

Frank Trigg needs a permanent spot at the announce table now.

 

Dames

 

To be fair, you probably watched YAMMA before TNA and therefore TNA seemed like ice cream sundae in a waffle bowl in comparison.

 

You mean an ice cream sundae in a waffle bowl with an outer lip to prevent BORING CLINCHING...which led to even more boring Lay & Pray!

 

I lost my point somewhere in there, but yeah, if you thought Lockdown sucked, check out Yamma. I dare you.

 

I fucking DARE you.

 

Dames

 

[MillenniumMan831 0]

They really need to get a bigger ring. Ten guys in a cage like that is just way too cramped; every multi-man match was just perpetually eight guys up against the cage and two guys doing a spot in the middle, with that monotony broken up by having somebody jump off the cage onto a pile of guys.

 

Thank you. The size of their ring just looks so bushleague. 6 sides is plenty fine but jeez, it looks like a special ring for the X-Divisioners.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I thought the main event was really good. My only criticism of it, and it's mild, is that I'd have preferred it if they had kept the match submission based and not done any pinfalls. I think it took away from the kind of aura they were going for, and had achieved, when they started going for covers. I think if they had kept it reminiscent of the Vader vs. Shamrock match from 1997 it would have been excellent. It's also a shame that crowd didn't appreciate the match more, because for what they were trying to do, both guys worked hard and I thought it was easily the best match of the night. MOTY? No, not even close. But still very good, and one of the better TNA PPV main events in a while. And Frank Trigg was excellent on commentary, and if TNA are going to stay with the serious nature of their PPV main events, they should bring Trigg in to commentate on them.

 

Lethal Lockdown was ok, but it was lacking any real intensity or emotion, and it featured some puzzling booking in parts. The X-Divsion cage match was good, but they seemed to be rushing things in order to fit in the pointless multi-woman match later on. James vs. James was unexciting, and who didn't see the turn of Kip James coming? Apparently, via Alvarez, Russo was smiling/grinning from ear-to-ear when the turn happened, presumably because he thought people were surprised over the turn.

[RedJed 0]

Late on my thoughts here but I thought Joe/Angle was really damn strong. It was just really different as a whole from top to bottom. Easily the best TNA match this year so far. May not be the MOTY overall (I would still save that for Flair/Michaels myself) but the structure of this match was very well done, as well as the last couple of minutes as a whole. I really enjoyed the stiffness of the match as well as the MMA nods mixed into the actual wrestling flow of the match (seems like they would do MMA exhanges, and stiffly, in between pro wrestling spots for about 3/4 of the match or so). Kudos to the company for turning the page (at least for now) on quitting the BS with screwjobs or run-ins during every ppv main event, it seems. Having Karen teased in the start and then her involvement addressed and taken out of the match was a good idea. Really, there isn't much to complain about here in terms of delivery. But I can see how some just don't enjoy it, if they aren't either used to seeing that mixture of styles and/or have a certain idea of how a match should go, and if it is a little different, they just can't handle it. Time will tell to see how Joe is used as champion, but I have to say that given how they booked this match, it kind of made up (to me at least) the misusage of Joe in his matches with Angle prior. Kind of "payback" in a way. The presentation and build of this match on the ppv itself was fucking tremendous too. The interviews in between the ppv matches were well done by all, Trigg added a GREAT element to the commentary that I enjoyed, and the way the entrances were treated made it feel more UFCish in presentation, which isn't a bad thing at all.

 

As for the rest of the show, I felt most of the matches were good enough to warrant this ppv as one of the better ones they have done in quite some time, at least since BFG for sure. Lethal Lockdown was pretty good and I dug the fact that, once again, TNA didn't pull the swerve hat out and have someone turn heel to cost Team Cage the match. Instead this was another no BS booking of the match here. Big spot with Styles and Christian. And speaking of Cage, he was the major workhorse in this match for sure. One of the few times I have been impressed by him.

 

As for the remaining matches, I at least enjoyed the ppv in terms of that every match was different and done in somewhat of a creative way. As weird as the women's climb the cage match and the cuff to the cage matches were, I think given the odd concept/rules of these matches, that they came across better than expected. My only real lnegatives to the show was Road Dogg/Kip James and the Booker T mixed tag. Way too quick for both, should have been more of a brawling/true cage match feel to both of them, and a little bloodshed in either wouldn't have hurt either. Seen alot of varying reviews of the opener as well, and I'd say it was definately a solid ***. Women's tag was surprisingly strong, too.

 

 

 

 

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

As someone who watched a SHITLOAD of MMA today, ranging from WEC, UFC, Yamma & some of the original UFC's, I actually really enjoyed the main event today. Even though the crowd probably didn't get a lot of the MMA stuff that they were doing, it was actually worked closer to an MMA fight from the late 90's than one of today with the shitty transitions and such. I don't think it would have been believable if these two guys pulled off the MMA moves crisply and smoothly since that's not how MMA is. To me, it seems that almost every move was worked for and came across as believable as they can in a worked match, so I have no complaints.

 

Frank Trigg needs a permanent spot at the announce table now.

 

Dames

 

To be fair, you probably watched YAMMA before TNA and therefore TNA seemed like ice cream sundae in a waffle bowl in comparison.

 

You mean an ice cream sundae in a waffle bowl with an outer lip to prevent BORING CLINCHING...which led to even more boring Lay & Pray!

 

I lost my point somewhere in there, but yeah, if you thought Lockdown sucked, check out Yamma. I dare you.

 

I fucking DARE you.

 

Dames

 

I think that was his point. That after watching YAMMA, TNA would look great. Maybe.

 

[luke-o 0]

Finally watched the show, not too bad of a PPV. I skipped two matches (which is less than Mania) and the ones I watched we're enjoyable enough.

 

X-scape: I still think a Creed win would have been great here, but they probably booked the right decision. The spots we're fun enough and the action was fast paced. A great way to kick off the pay per view, but good lord didn't Tenay and West hammer home the point that Dutt was Lethal's friend.

 

Queen of the Cage: Thank God the start of this was brief. The match itself was fine and a nice way to get all the women on the card.

 

BG vs Kip: The first match I skipped. The build was great, but I didn't fancy wasting my time on what I knew would be a naff match.

 

Cuffed in a Cage: A really bad idea that actually wasn't all that bad of a match. The wrong people we're pushed and this Super Eric stuff can't go on for much longer.

 

Kim/OBD vs Kong/Mellissa: This could have been a great match we're it not for Melissa's crap gimmick. I'm still fairly sure it's racist.

 

Booker T/Sharmell vs Roode/Banks: The other match I skipped. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Booker and Roode and I LOVE Payton Banks, but I just wasn't feeling the match. Don't know where either man will go from here.

 

Lethal Lockdown: Great match that I really enjoyed. A nice spot at the end and everyone played their part well. Even if the ending was a bit sudden.

 

Angle vs Joe: I'm sorry, but this wasn't all that great. It may be because I'm not a fan of MMA, but it was mostly boring. The build was awesome and all the vignettes we're great, but to me it was a let down match. As I said, it's probably because I don't like MMA. Frank Trigg was ok on commentary but I mostly phased out what he was saying. The compaints about the "boring" and "we want wrestling" chants are pointless, there were about 5 people chanting the latter and one very loud person shouting the former. The crowd bought into the match and the ending was pretty good. I'm just glad that Joe won clean.

 

Does anyone have Meltzer's ratings?