By Greg Hoops, Torch Nostalgia specialist

TNA house show results
March 26, 2009
Brookings, S.D.
Report by Greg Hoops, PWTorch.com Nostalgia specialist

I attended the TNA house show in Brookings, S.D. on ThurS.D.ay night, March 26. Brookings is located 45 miles north of Sioux Falls, S.D., near the Minnesota border. Brookings is about 60 miles south of Webster, S.D. where Brock Lesnar grew up. Brookings has a population of about 28,000 people and is home to South Dakota State University.

This is the third Midwest tour TNA has run since they started running more house shows. First tour had stops in Des Moines and Kansas City. The second tour was approximately one year ago and had stop in Spencer, Iowa (which I also attended) and in Lincoln, Nebraska. This year's Midwest tour has Brookings, S.D. then Rochester, Minnesota and concludes in Spencer, Iowa.

Ed Hellior, promoter of Steel Domain Wrestling in Minneapolis, called me on Thursday and one of the things we discussed was the TNA show. He mentioned he runs a sold show in Brookings each year for a company called Rainbow Playsystems and Ed has booked several TNA talent in the past such as A.J. Styles and Christian Cage. Without any advertising, the shows drew in excess of 750 people. Ed suspected Styles or someone else mentioned to TNA that Brookings was a community starved for wrestling and TNA decided to include Brookings on its next tour. The ticket office told me they had a little over 1,000 tickets sold for the event.

(1) X Division champion Suicide defeated Chris Sabin at 7:52 in a match for the X Division Title. Suicide entered through the crowd. Fallen Angel chant early. Good match with Sabin playing face to the crowd. Suicide hit the DOA for a clean pinfall. (**1/4)

(2) ODB defeated Sojo Bolt at 6:59. Lots of comedy spots early. Timing was way off in this match. Bolt was almost always out of place for the spots. Bolt was on offense most of the way until ODB made the comeback with a Thesz Press off the middle turnbuckle. (1/2*)

(3) Team 3D (Brother Ray & Brother Devon) defeated No Limit to retain the New Japan tag team titles at 12:03. No Limits had no names, but did have No Limit T-Shirts on. Crowd recognized Team 3D as major stars and started a "Bubba" chant at Ray. No Limit got no offense - couple of punches, then back to selling for Devon and Ray. Finish came when Devon hit the wassup then delivered the 3-D for a clean pin. Post match saw one No Limit go through a table. (*1/2)

(4) Legends champion A.J. Styles defeated Sheik Abdul Bashir at 10:04. A.J. received a huge reaction. A.J. is incredibly athletic and very smooth. Hit most of his big moves - a top rope plancha and slingshot forearm for a two count. Bashir with a low blow then a Frankensteiner off the top rope for two count. Styles with the Pele kick, then the Styles Clash for the finish in a very good house show match. (***1/4)

[Intermission]

(5) TNA tag team champions Beer Money, Inc. beat LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) at 15:53 to retain the TNA tag titles. Roode and Storm are awesome as a heel team. LAX controlled early part of the match until Storm and Roode took over using illegal double team spots. Build to the hot tag to Hernandez, but not as much heat for the tag as you would expect. Homicide had Roode up for the Gringo Killer, but Storm spit beer in his face. Roode and Storm hit the payoff on Homicide, then Roode pinned Homicide for pin. (**1/4)

(6) Main event - Jeff Jarrett pinned Kurt Angle at 11:10. Angle came out looking very thin. Ref Slick Johnson standing by Angle actually looked larger. Crowd was 50/50 split between Jarrett and Angle. Well-done match with both guys getting equal offense. Jarrett went for the Stroke but Angle turned it into an Anklelock. Jarrett kicked out of it and put Angle into the figure four. Angle made the ropes. Angle came back with a German Suplex. Ref bump and Jarrett hit the stroke and the visual three count, but no ref. Bashir came out and gave Angle Jarrett's guitar. Jarrett kicked Angle low and got the guitar back, then hit Angle with the guitar and covered him for the pin. (**3/4)

Summary: Solid house show. TNA should really consider taping the matches on house shows and airing them on Impact. Clean finishes on this show was a refreshing change from the way the TV and PPV matches are presented. No run-ins or stupid comedy skits or angles. Just a good, straight forward night of wrestling.

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