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Cross The Line: McNEILL previews TNA Sacrifice!
May 10, 2008 - 9:58:02 PM
By Pat McNeill, Torch Columnist
Wake the pets and call the neighbors. It's time for our monthly TNA pay-per-view preview column!
DISCLAIMER: Projections are made by myself and for myself with absolutely no assistance from Vince "0.9" Russo. Projections are not predictions. This preview has been sealed in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnall's porch since noon today. Some of our departing contestants will receive a supply of Sunny Delight. Sunny D comes in seven delicious flavors and contains a full day's supply of Vitamin C. Nothing delights you like Sunny Delight. The object for the players is to get three stars in a row, either across, up-and-down or diagonally. It is up to the player to determine whether a star is giving a correct answer or making one up; that's how they get the square. Remember, this is only an exhibition. This is not a competition. Please, please, no wagering. This lineup is based on the best available information as of this writing. Also remember that my projections are based on what I would do if I had booking control over Total Nonstop Action, except for the part where I let the people who wrote the Amp Energy Drink musical commercial that aired Thursday night write the rest of the show.
Congratulations to TNA for not revealing the final three first round matches for the Deuces Wild tag team tournament, or even the teams involved, making it darn near impossible to figure out what matches are actually taking place on the program. By the way, how low do the ratings for ECW on SciFi have to drop for TNA Impact to beat them again? Inquiring minds want to know.
Gail Kim vs. ODB vs. Angelina Love vs. Velvet Sky vs. Rhaka Khan vs. Roxxi vs. Salinas vs. Christy Hemme vs. Traci Brooks vs. Jacqueline (TNA Knockout Makeover Match): TNA has access to the SHIMMER crew, the finest lady wrestlers in all North America, so a "makeover" match sounds about right. Projection? Roxxi Laveaux wins the match, to set up another chance for her to wrestle Awesome Kong. O.D.B. gets her head shaved. It's not like it would hurt her gimmick much at all.
"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal vs. Curry Man vs. Kaz vs. Alex Shelley vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Chris Sabin vs. Johnny Devine vs. Shark Boy vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. Consequences Creed (Terrordome Cage Match): Nothing like having a bunch of X Division guys racing to escape from a hole in the ceiling. Projection? Who deserves this most? Well, in TNA storylines, Kaz is the right man for the job. He finally gets a big win without having to worry about Super Eric screwing it up.
TNA Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament (TNA World Tag Team Titles): This is the one where we first we have top guess the teams and the pairings, and then we can guess the winners. Let's do it. Projections?
Match 1: Team 3-D defeats Sting & James Storn, who can't get along.
Match 2: A.J. Styles & Super Eric defeat B.G. James & Awesome Kong when Eric pins James with a super Death Valley Driver.
Match 3: Booker T & Robert Roode defeat LAX when Booker pins Homicide.
Match 4: Christian Cage & Rhino defeat Matt Morgan & Kip James when Christian pins James.
Semifinal #1: A.J. Styles & Super Eric defeat Team 3-D when Styles pins D-Von.
Semifinal #2: Booker T & Robert Roode defeat Christian Cage and Rhino when Roode pins Rhino using the tights for leverage.
Finals: A.J. Styles & Super Eric win the tag team belts when Booker finally snaps and leaves Roode for dead.
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle vs. Scott Steiner (TNA Heavyweight Title): Remember the fantastic buildup for tlast month's main event. This has been the opposite of that. For the past two weeks, TNA has thrown various combinations of Joe, Angle and Steiner out there on Impact for the main events, and audience members have fled Spike TV. Projection? Angle struggles with the outside interference from Rick Steiner and Rhaka Khan. Joe puts Steiner out with the Kokina Clutch to keep his title.
Aftermath: Next month is TNA Slammiversary in suburban Memphis, where TNA will celebrate its sixth anniversary with a King of the Mountain match to determine a new Number One contender featuring Kurt Angle vs. Scott Steiner vs. Booker T vs. Rhino vs. Christian Cage, while Samoa Joe defends the belt against the returning Travis Tomko.
***
Pat McNeill of Fairfax, Va. has been a Torch columnist since February 2001. He can't believe he roots for a baseball team where Wil Nieves might be the best player. Yes, they are. His feature-length "McNeill Factor" columns appear in the Torch Newsletter.
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
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WWE RAW 3/15: Place Your Bets on tonight's Raw - Week 11 guest-hosted by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
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3/15 TNA Stats in Review: Current champions, 2010 Win/Loss Records, Weekly MVPs, TV/house show results
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KELLER'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS RESULTS 2/14: Live ongoing results of PPV - Styles vs. Joe, Nastys vs. Team 3D, tournament
CALDWELL'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV REPORT 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Nastys vs. 3D
RADICAN'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV BLOG 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of TNA's February PPV
TV Reports
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/19: Caldwell, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
CALDWELL'S WWE SUPERSTARS TV REPORT 3/18: Complete coverage of six-man ECW Reunion, Shelton vs. Kane
WWE NXT ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/16: Mayer, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE RAW ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/15: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
CALDWELL'S WWE NXT TV REPORT 3/16: Complete coverage of no John Cena, Punk vs. Hardy tag match
TNA IMPACT ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/15: Caldwell, Parks, Wilkenfeld rate and review
Arena Reports
3/18 TNA in Hattiesburg, Miss.: A.J. Styles vs. The Pope, Nash & Young vs. Beer Money, Jarrett vs. Wolfe
3/14 WWE in Bakersfield, Calif.: Cena & DX vs. Batista & Sheamus & Swagger, Miz defends U.S. Title, Orton vs. Legacy
3/14 WWE in San Francisco, Calif.: Chris Jericho pelted with objects, comments on Twitter about rough night; All-star six-man tag, Ziggler vs. Goldust
3/14 TNA in Wheeling, W. Va.: Kurt Angle & Jeff Jarrett vs. Beer Money, Abyss vs. Styles, The Pope vs. Wolfe
3/13 WWE in Stockton, Calif.: Second report on All-star six-man tag match, Hardy vs. Zeke, McIntyre vs. Kane
3/13 WWE in Stockton, Calif.: Undertaker & Edge & Rey Mysterio vs. Jericho & Punk & Luke, Kane vs. McIntyre
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UFC News: Tito Ortiz denies rumors he left TUF early, says he's still fighting Chuck Liddell
UFC NEWS: UFC 114: Evans vs. Jackson officially announced for May 29 in Las Vegas
MMA News: Bobby Lashley's next career fight scheduled - details and analysis
UFC EDITORIAL: Will fading stars in Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz be able to sell TUF 11?
TNA/MMA News: Bobby Lashley updates his status with TNA, talks WWE vs. TNA
MMATorch Daily Audio News Brief (13 min.): Rapid-fire overview of the news of the day in world of UFC, Strikeforce, all MMA
KELLER'S TAKE
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KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/8: Bret Hart appears again after John Cena reveals to McMahon that Bret wants him one-on-one at WrestleMania
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Torch Feedback
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DVDs - VGames - Books
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RADICAN'S EVOLVE DVD REVIEW SERIES: Evolve 1 - Richards vs. Ibushi, Sawa vs. TJP
GUEST EDITORIAL - CD REVIEW: WWE's new album features work-out quality jams, awful tracks, screeching guitar solos
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RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 10/9 "Clash of the Contenders" - Omega-Richards, Delirious-Aries
RADICAN'S DVD REVIEW SERIES: CHIKARA'S "Three Fisted Tales" - Castagnoli-Kingston, Colony-Portal
Torch Flashbacks
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 2000 PPV Report (WM 16): Rock vs. Hunter vs. Foley vs. Big Show, Angle vs. Benoit vs. Jericho
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1999 PPV Report (WM 15): Steve Austin vs. The Rock, Mick Foley vs. Big Show, Brawl for All
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1998 PPV Report (WM 14): Steve Austin wins WWF Title, Undertaker vs. Kane, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1997 PPV Report (WM 13): Undertaker vs. Sid, Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart double-turn
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1996 PPV Report (WM 12): Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart Iron Man match, Ultimate Warrior vs. Triple H
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1995 PPV Report (WM 11): Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, HBK vs. Diesel, Hart vs. Backlund
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PWTorch Newsletter #1138 (16 pages): Keller cover story on Impact ratings drop, Keller editorial on rerouting Impact, Powell's Page 2 Buzz scoops, Mitchell on WM26, Parks on NXT, Hoops Nostalgia
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Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
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TORCH TRIVIA 2/22: Answer to who defeated Paul London on a TNA PPV from February 2003
TORCH TRIVIA 2/22: Who defeated Paul London on a TNA PPV from February 2002?
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Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2002 (Wahoo, Thesz, Rocco, Mr. Wrestling)
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2002 (Wahoo, Thesz, Rocco, Mr. Wrestling)
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2003 (Hawk, Hennig, Blassie, Liz)