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TNA seems to have conceded March to WrestleMania, forgoing a title match for a six-person tag match to "destroy the Angle Alliance." In all fairness if one really stops to think about it I suppose the title itself is just as meaningless; it's only important because it's treated as important, and this tag match has been treated as important as well. In fact, the original purpose of the match, to soften up the Angle Alliance for Joe's title shot next month, seems to have gone largely by the wayside as Christian has taken the lead as Angle's main antagonist. More prominent than Joe or Christian has been the at times surprisingly compelling drama between AJ Styles, Karen Angle, and Kurt Angle, but they had the good form to write her out for a couple weeks so at least it hopefully won't mess with the match too much. Anyway, much of the card looks decent on paper. The addition of a triple threat match featuring the two best tag teams in the world today provides the promise of some fun. That being said, I'm skeptical whether it'll turn out to be worth the full cost of admission, but they do have a tendency of finding a rabbit in the hat somewhere.

Daniel's YTD Average 33/49 = .673
Rachael's YTD Average 22/33 = .667

The Angle Alliance vs. The Unlikely Alliance
Six-Man Tag Match

Where We've Been: Over the past three months, Christian has had AJ Styles and Tomko both turn on him, and then, comically enough, had each of them turn on him again separately. It was pretty impressive. My wife thinks we should get him a puppy. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe, under the guidance of wily business operator Kevin Nash, negotiated a contract that got him a title shot, a five-year contract extension, a guaranteed higher salary than Kurt Angle, a middle-infielder and three players to be named later. Joe, watching Christian's failings, realized that he would only get a one-on-one title shot after he had "destroyed" the Angle Alliance, which will somehow be accomplished by beating them in a six-man tag match. Nash is backing up his protégé, and Christian is looking for some sweet revenge. This past Thursday a series of matches was held to determine which team will start one person short for the first five minutes of the match. The series was one by the Unlikely Alliance when Earl Hebner ruled in Christian's favor after both he and Angle dropped out of a steel cage. Since then the TNA website has posted a different camera Angle that clearly showed Angle landing first, and asked fans to vote on whether Hebner's decision should be overturned. It is unclear whether the fans' decision will be binding. For what it's worth, I voted to let the ref's decision stand, but that could just be because I'm still feeling burned over the time Y2J's title win over HHH was retroactively overturned. After the cage match Christian was isolated and beaten down.

Where We're Going: There's not all that much to say here, since for once we actually know exactly where we're going—Joe and Angle are squaring off at Lockdown. Presumably that leaves Christian to feud with Styles & Tomko directly, though I certainly wouldn't mind them holding that for a month and making the match at Lockdown a Triple Threat. We've seen Joe vs. Angle four times now, so it's hard to get that worked up about that as one of the biggest matches of the year anymore.

Daniel's Pick: The Unlikely Alliance. This match is really pointless unless the Angle Alliance is weakened in some way.
Rachael's Pick: The Unlikely Alliance. The Angles' can play it as if they got screwed by the fan voting.

Awesome Kong (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. ODB
Knockouts' Championship Match

WWB: Gail Kim became the first Knockouts' Champion back in October, and immediately began a program with Awesome Kong. After fending her off for a couple of months Kim dropped the title to Kong on the main-event of Impact a few weeks back and then left to recover from injuries. ODB, who has become riotously popular with the Impact Zone, stepped in to challenge Kong, and was promptly squished. Now Kim is back, and she and ODB have taken to bickering over who gets to take Kong down.

WWG: The recent feuding between Kim and ODB actually provides the opportunity for the first serious women's feud in TNA not focused around the title. The problem is that if they start fighting each other, who's left to take on Kong? They did let Love look relatively strong a couple weeks ago, but that doesn't seem like it's happening yet. My guess is that ODB is next in line, but I think she wins it in a one-on-one match after dispatching Kim on Impact. Alternately, with the women's division as over as it is I would think now would be the ideal time to bring in some new blood—Trinity is presumably on the market, and I have no idea what Lita and/or Jazz are up to (though I am not such a Jazz fan).

Rachael's Pick: ODB. She's sick of Kong, and Gail Kim's had a turn.
Daniel's Pick: Awesome Kong. The triple-threat match provides a nice way to get the title off Kong without her losing, but also a lame way. Someone should beat her cleanly, and that'll most likely happen one-on-one.

"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal vs. "The Maple Leaf Muscle" Petey Williams (w/Rhaka Kahn)
X Division Championship Match

WWB: The story here is mostly Petey Williams's developing partnership with Scott Steiner. The two of them feuded for months over their Feast or Fired briefcases, both of which were won last month by Steiner. Since then Steiner seems to have developed a certain amount of respect for Petey, and helped him win a separate title shot for this Sunday.

WWG: Petey is vying for the X Division Title, a title for which Steiner has a title shot he can cash in at any time. The two ways I see this going are Petey losing tonight and then being given another title shot by Steiner, and Petey winning tonight and having to fight against Steiner. As terrifying as it would be to have Steiner actually win the X Division Championship I think the title feud could actually be a lot of fun. Also there's been tension building between Lethal and Sonjay Dutt for approximately six years, which is always something to keep in the back of one's mind.

Rachael's Pick: Jay Lethal.
Daniel's Pick: Petey Williams. I could go either way here.

Rhino vs. James Storm
Elevation X Match

Where We've Been: A while back James Storm reintroduced Rhino to beer, which seems like a fairly serious thing to do in a wrestling show. Rhino vanished for a while to wrestle with demons, and he came back this past month to screw James Storm out of his Drinking Championship (which he has since won back anyway). They booked an Elevation X match for this Sunday, despite the fact that both men are theoretically afraid of heights.

Where We're Going: This certainly should be the end of this feud. It's been going for months and months, and Elevation X is as good a blow-off as you're likely to get. I can't off the top of my head come up with a new project for either of them though, and that worries me.

Rachael's Pick: Rhino. He deserves the moral victory.
Daniel's Pick: Rhino. There's no way Rhino takes that fall, whereas Storm has already taken some almost as bad.

Booker T (w/Traci Brooks) vs. Robert Roode (w/Payton Banks)
Stand by Your Man Leather Strap Match

WWB: Robert Roode was lassoed in to fighting Booker T for then heel Christian Cage, while at the same time Sharmell objected to Roode's treatment of Ms. Brooks. They had a mixed-tag match which culminated in Sharmell taking a stiff shot to the jaw. Since then Booker has been in a fairly bad mood, and Roode has replaced Traci Brooks with Payton Banks. Last month Roode ran away, so this month they'll be strapped together. The stipulation for this match is that the woman in the corner of the loser will be subjected to ten lashes from the woman in the corner of the winner. Roode has questioned what the hell the point of that is, but for some reason he's still the heel here.

WWG: Since last month's match didn't actually have an ending, this is sort of the first singles match between the two of them. My guess is that we've got at least another month of this coming, particularly as the main event scene seems fairly crowded for the foreseeable future.

Both Picks: Booker T. They're not going to make Booker T lose to Robert Roode.

LAX vs. The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Rock & Rave Infection
#1 Contenders' Match for the Tag Team Titles

Where We've Been: Of these three teams, the only one that's been on TV with anything resembling regularity is The Rock & Rave Infection, which is wrong on oh so many levels. They've been trying to get over some sort of faux-rocker-Guitar-Hero gimmick, but so far it hasn't really sold. Technically they were last feuding with LAX, so I guess this match makes sense. Mostly this was just tossed together though.

Where We're Going: Obviously I'd love to see LAX be the team to dethrone Tomko & Styles, but they've already had their shot. The real point though is that it doesn't matter where we're going, because we have the chance to watch LAX and the Guns in the same match. If this gets more than 10-minutes it will be the sleeper hit of the night. If it goes more than 20 it could tear down the Impact Zone. It won't, but it's nice to think what might be.

Rachael's Pick: LAX. They deserve the moral victory too.
Daniel's Pick: The MCMG. I'd obviously have no problem with LAX winning, but I can't remember the Guns ever actually getting a title shot.

Shark Boy & Curry Man vs. Team 3D
Fish Market Street Fight (if Team 3D doesn't make weight they're fired)

Where We've Been: Shark Boy has come alive as an Austin knockoff, and Curry Man has come alive as the star of the Impact Zone. They've been fighting Team 3D for a few weeks as Brother Ray and Brother Devon bounce above and below their weight limit of 275 lbs. So far Team 3D have won two matches one-on-two with some outside help from the overweight partner, Johnny Devine, and the scale. Curry Man won a battle royal on Impact that gave his team the right to pick the stipulation for this match. Shark Boy said that if Team 3D lose or can't make weight they'll be fired, and if they can make weight it'll be a Fish Market Street Fight. Cornette has for some reason overturned the bit about Team 3D being fired if they lose, but the rest stands.

Where We're Going: There have been rumors that 3D is thinking of leaving. It would be really awesome if the couldn't make weight, but I just don't see it happening. After two one-on-two losses though, Curry Man deserves a win here. I'd say this feud has a month left on it as Team 3D vie for revenge.

Rachael's Pick: Team 3D doesn't make weight. She really hates Team 3D. Poor Devon.
Daniel's pick: Shark Boy & Curry Man.

Kaz & Eric Young vs. Black Reign & Rellik

Where We've Been: We're playing a fun game of "How Many Talents Can We Sink At Once?" So far the winning bid is two, as Kaz has been feuding with Black Reign for months, and Eric Young has proved afraid of monsters. There have been some nice bits where Kaz has tried to explain the concept of "gimmick" to EY, but mostly this has been what you'd expect from a feud involving Rellik and Black Reign. Lately Kaz has taken to referring to the "alter-ego" inside Eric Young.

Where We're Going: It looks like EY might have a superhero gimmick coming up, which, if they can't find a better use for him, could at least be funny. I could see him coming out tonight as Super Eric and fending off monsters for a month or two.

Both Picks: Kaz & Eric Young. Better yet, Black Reign and Rellik get snowed-in in Columbus, in which case: The fans.



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