The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
The Kingfish’s Lockdown Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz takes a deep look at TNA’s April pay per view. He reports the matches and discusses the fate of his predictions.!.
Lockdown: TNA’s April pay per view, turned out to be a surprising show in many ways. A lot of storylines came to what looked like climaxes, though the next couple of iMPACTs might change that.
Here’s what happened at Lockdown I’ve included my preview and predictions, too, so you can see how far I fell below my customary spot-on accuracy.
The show featured the usual collection of excellent videos, without a host or commentator. They also continue to show them two or three times in a half-hour, which may not be the best way to whip up fans’ enthusiasm.
Mike Tenay stood in a spotlight inside the cage at the start of Lockdown He asked aloud the question that hung over the entire promotion for this event: Is this the end of Samoa Joe’s career?
The show went live in Songas Arena in Lowell, MA, with spots by Don West and Jeremy Borash. Each had a mic and asked fans in the stands to predict the Angle-Joe match. Most thought Joe would win, though there were a few Angle partisans, too.
Jay Lethal d. Curry Man, Shark Boy, Johnny Devine, Sonjay Dutt & Consequence Creed
X-Division X-Scape Match
The Story: Jay Lethal has the belt and a lot of other guys want it.
My Prediction: The last-minute introduction of Consequences Creed is the lynchpin of this match. They wouldn’t give him a smashing victory and shove him into this match if TNA didn’t have some plans and hopes for him. That doesn’t mean he’ll win, but he may damage a couple of guys during this match.
Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt are surely on a collision course, so this match will provide the spark. The best booking strategy would be to have them fight over the title as well as SoCal Val, but TNA may not feel the belt is needed in this feud. That’s why I predict it will come down to Curryman, Shark Boy and one of the heels and Shark Boy will try, and fail, to get the win in a way that enables Curryman to win the match and the title.
Predicted Grade: A-
The Match: Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal cooperated like a tag team during the early portion of the match, but Johnny Devine spoiled that strategy by taking out The Guru with a roll up!
Shark Boy collided with Curryman. Consequences Creed hit him with a 3D-DT and covered to end Shark Boy’s night.
When Curryman climbed the cage, Johnny Devine shook the cage so that Curryman got hung up on the top. Devine Headbutted him repeatedly. Curryman clung to his position when Johnny Devine lost interest in him and, when the time was right, he came off the top with a Moonsault that battered Devine and Creed. Curryman caught Consequences Creed with the Spice Rack and the newcomer exited.
Curryman wanted to give Black Machismo a Spice Rack, too, but Johnny Devine disrupted it. Devine used a Piledriver to set Curryman for the pinfall.
Johnny Devine unwound the tape on his wrist and used to it bind Jay Lethal’s wrist to a rope! He thought he would walk out the cage door, unmolested, but Sonjay Dutt returned to ringside to stand in his way!
Johnny Devine decided to climb the cage and leave that way. As Johnny Devine climbed toward the top, Sonjay Dutt threw a cutter to Lethal to slash the tape. The resourceful X-Division Champion dove through the door and touched the arena floor first to win the match and keep his title.
Actual Grace: A=
Frank Trigg told Jeremy Borash how much Kurt Angle impressed him during training.
Roxxi LaVeaux d. Angelina Love & Velvet Sky & Salinas & Rhaka Khan & Traci Brooks & Christy Hemme & Jacqueline
Queen of the Cage Match
The Story: The Women’s Division spotlight has fallen on three wrestlers, Gail Kim, ODB and Awesome Kong. This is a match for the other women in the division. The winner will be proclaimed “Queen of the Cage,” though it probably won’t have much impact, since the writers will forget it in a couple of weeks.
My Prediction: The next World Title match for Awesome Kong will presumably come out of the tag team match against Kim and ODB, which makes this cluster schmazz hard to predict with any certainty. Assuming that the winner will face Kong somewhere lets out the women who are less skilled in the ring, like Tracy Brooks, Peyton Banks, Christy Hemme and Rhaka Khan. I would hope that TNA bookers know that Velvet Sky and Angelina Love can’t be used against Kong in any meaningful way until their status with fans is higher than it is now. LaVeaux will eliminate The Mean Girls, but they may take her with them. Even though her character is not well aligned for a title confrontation with Awesome Kong, Jackie Moore appears to be the most likely winner – and my prediction for this match.
Predicted Grade: C+ (This reminds me uncomfortably of WWE)
The Match: The match began with the anti-climax of having the eight participants try to be one of the first two to climb into the cage. Angelina Love started to climb before the other women even noticed and quickly got up and lover the top. The others battled in the ringside area until Roxxi LaVeaux made the climb and won the right to compete in the actual match.
The girl from New Orleans got off to a fast start, but Love’s Clothesline turned things around. When Roxxi LaVeaux tried a Clothesline, Angelina Love ducked – and connected with a Running Boot!
The Boastful Blonde evaded an attempted Piledriver. Angelina rocked Roxxi with a Lights Out, but the Voodoo Queen got her shoulder off the canvas in time! LaVeaux threw Love into the cage wall and scored with the Voodoo Drop and brought it home with an efficient cover.
Actual Grade: B
Kingfish Comments: This match was a lot like the best WWE women’s matches, minus the comedy and most of the posing, but with better wrestling). The perceived gap between this group and the women in the tag team may be hard to bridge.
Lauren, a somewhat sophisticated looking woman with a throaty voice interviewed Samoa Joe. The stipulation in his match has now edged over to “if he loses” so that fans who can’t remember the videos shown earlier in the event won’t know it’s a slam dunk.
BG James d. Kip James
The Story: There are no fiercer enemies than friends who have fallen out with each other. After more than a decade as tag team partners, this pair has become antagonists. Kip felt slighted when BG chose to team with his ad after winning the tag title suitcase.
My Prediction: TNA supported this match with a whole series of carefully prepared “behind the scenes” videos in the style of HBO’s boxing previews. It’s hard to believe that they did all that just to have one match, yet a showdown in a cage is traditionally the end of a feud. BG James appears to be the babyface in this program, so I forecast a win for Kip James. It won’t be a clean job, though, so that BG can have a return match and get his revenge.
Predicted Grade: B-
The Match: A Kip James video ran before the combatants came to the cage and a video for BG James ran after both men had reached the ring.
Kip James spent the early portion of the match demonstrating a rather sizable repertoire of stomps, kicks and boots. All of BG’s attempts to launch a counter0offensive fizzled.
Kip spent a lot of time between assaults gloating and strutting, which probably gave BG a chance to recover a little. That came in handy when Kip hit what he used to call the Famouser, but his former sidekick got his shoulder off the mat in time!
When Kip blew a Kneedrop from the second rope, BG used a low-blow to get back into the match. He got the better of an exchange of punches and then bashed Kip’s face into the cage a few times with telling effect! BG’s Kneedrop from the middle strand hit its target, but Kip kicked out.
Kip James started tuning up for Sweet Chin Music, but instead charged across the ring to a Shoulder Block. Unfortunately for the belligerent blond, all he hit was the turnbuckle! BG pounced with a roll-up and gained the victory!
Actual Grade: B-
After the match, the two shook hands and Kip raised BG’s hand in victory – and then decked him!
The Kingfish Comments: The match started slowly, but it built nicely to a definitive conclusion. And then they tacked on the stock friend sneak attacks friend postscript. Why? BG’s victory should’ve signaled the end of the feud. Now they’ll want fans to get excited about BG gaining “revenge” against Kip, when his victory here already accomplished that goal.
Jeremy Borash commended Kurt Angle on his focus for the match against Samoa Joe. The champion related how he’d watched TNA before joining the promotion and seen Samoa Joe.
“We both want one thing and we both can’t have it,” said the former Olympian.
Super Eric Young (& Kaz) d. Black Reign & RelliK). Scott Steiner & Petey Williams), The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin), The Rock ‘n’ Rave Infection (Lance Hoyt & Jimmy Rave with Christy Hemme) & LAx (Homicide & Hernandez)
Cuffed in the Cage Match
The Story: Once upon a time, there were a whole bunch of tag teams with nothing to do on Sunday, April 13. Then someone said, “Hey, we have al these hand cuffs left over from the Roode-Booker angle.”
My Prediction: One prediction is that the folks at TNA will wish they’d tried out this format a time or two before putting it on the pay per view. It will be tightly booked and look phony as hell toward the end, when getting guys into handcuffs will become harder and harder to do in a realistic way.
One huge unknown: What about keys? Who has them, if any, and how they can be acquired, if possible, didn’t rate a mention in the announcement. Possibly, TNA hasn’t thought of having all cuffs use the same key and suspending the keys from the cage or putting a number on each set of cuffs and corresponding numbers on keys hung from the cage. Possibly they have, but not in time to mention that aspect of the match.
Kaz and Super Eric will win the match. Eric will break out of the hand cuffs just in time to prevent Black Reign from cuffing Kaz to win.
Predicted Grade: B (can you say, “Cluster Schmazz”?)
The Match: When they announced the team of Kaz and Eric Young, no one came through the entrance. Cameras in the back caught Black Reign and RelliK mugging Eric Young as Kaz frantically tried to help his teammate. Even though Eric looked in no condition to compete, officials ordered Kaz to the ring!
Scott Steiner started the match in high gear and leveled everyone else in the ring, one way or another. This turned out to be terrible strategy. It just focused attention on Big Poppa Pump who became the first wrestler to be chained to the cage!
Eric Young walked down to the ring to a big pop, but he stopped in the ringside area. Black Reign and RelliK glared at him through the cage – and Eric slowly turned around and walked back up the ramp!
Kaz and Sabin renewed their old rivalry when Kaz dealt a Wave of the Future that sent Sabin flying into the cage wall! Sabin felt the cold steel around his wrist. Without Sabin, Alex Shelley became a sitting duck, quickly cuffed and taken out of the match.
The Monsters gave Petey Williams a Stereo DDT and cuffed him before he regained his senses.
When Kaz attacked Homicide, Hernandez came to his aid Homicide scored with the Gringo Cutter and then propelled Rave into the cage wall with a Cracker Jack! Lance Hoyt saved his partner from certain cuffing. The remaining wrestlers ganged up on Lax and soon had them safely restrained.
Lance Hoyt Chokeslammed Kaz from the top and capitalized on it by handcuffing the victim.
The fans chanted, “Super Eric!” They soon got their wish as the yellow-and-red clad masked avenger zoomed down the ramp and into the ring.
Super Eric immediately made his presence known with a Cross Body Fly took out all four men at once. Eric went around and handcuffed both members of the Rock and Rave Infection,
The Monsters loomed over Super Eric as they tried to cuff him. Somehow, though, when the smoke cleared, it was Rellik who had his wrist shackled to the cage!
Super Eric then blasted Black Reign with an Eric Driver and cuffed him to win the match.
Actual Grade: B+
The Kingfish Comments: This was basically a cluster schmazz, but at least it was a good cluster schmazz.
After the match, Super Eric broke Kaz out of his handcuffs and the two celebrated.
Lauren interviewed Samoa Joe’s family. Confidence ran wild.
ODB & Gail Kim d. Awesome Kong & Raisha Said
Knockout Tag Team Match
The Story: The tri-cornered feud among Kong, Kim and ODB has made the Knockout Division a big hit with fans. This continues the hostilities, adding Raisha Said as an active participant instead of a ringside distraction. ODB has taken a special dislike to Kong’s shadowy sidekick and has vowed to remove the berka that hides her face.
My Prediction: The match is structures so that Raisha Said is Awesome Kong’s Achilles Heel. She also gives the fan favorites a chance to accomplish something (unmasking) while Awesome Kong capitalizes on the distraction to win the match. This may possibly precipitate a feud between ODB and Gail Kim, though that remains a very bad idea.
Predicted Grade: B
The Match: Raisha Said removed her berka prior to the match to reveal a full black mask that accomplished the same purpose but would be very tough to remove.
Though ODB did a good job of dodging Awesome Kong at the beginning of the match, her punches didn’t seem to have much effect on the Knockout Champion. When ODB tried to slide between Kong’s massive legs, a two-handed Choke sent her careening across the ring!
When Gail Kim entered the ring, she called for the masked woman to come in and fight. Raisha Said did exactly that – and showed that she is more than a mouthpiece for the stoic Kong. Said went smoothly from a Full Nelson to a Go Behind to a very well-done Armdrag! After working a Wristlock, Raisha Bodyslammed Kim and added an Elbow Drop!
Kim escaped Said’s Corner Charge with a Float-over! She connected with a Dropkick and then pounded Raisha Said to the canvas with a Huracanrana!
Awesome King attacked Kim from the outside when the referee wasn’t looking, which gave Said an opening to throw Kim into the corner, mount the ropes and repeatedly kick the former champion in the head! Kong got in a two-handed chop to the shoulder blade, but Raisha Said’s cover didn’t lead to a pin.
ODB tagged into the match and gave both Kong and her manager more than they could handle! ODB scored with the Fall-away Slam on Raisha Said, but the cover didn’t stick.
Gail Kim went to the top with Raisha Said in hot pursuit. Kim brought her down to earth with a Huracanrana! ODB replaced Kim, but the heels combined against her. Raisha Said pinioned her arms, but Kong’s haymaker hit her own manager!
Gail Kim rocked Said with a Missile Dropkick! ODB blasted her with a Splash and that was the whole story.
Grade: B+
A newly brunette (again) Karen Angle told Jeremy Borash that she had come to the Songas Arena to support Kurt even though they are separated.
Booker T & Sharmell d. Robert Roode & Payton Banks
Mixed Tag Team Match
The Story: Robert Roode’s punch to Sharmell’s jaw is right up there with the kidnapping of Helen of Troy as the trigger for sustained hostilities. Sharmell returned with explosive results at the last pay per view and will now get in the ring to exact more retribution.
My Prediction: The announcers mentioned Peyton Banks among the competitors in the Queen of the Cage match. Looking back, it may have been a mere slip of the tongue. She hasn’t shown so much ring skill that they would rush to use her twice, unless it’s just that they want to have a specific number of contestants.
In any case, this feud should only end when two things have happened: Sharmell gets revenge against Robert Roode and Booker T beats Roode in the ring. Anything less is just bad booking.
Therefore, Robert Roode will win the match to precipitate the one-on-one final showdown at the next pay per view. Sharmell will catfight with Peyton Banks and definitely will dish out some payback. Unfortunately, Booker T’s concern for her will distract him and allow Roode to score a quick pin.
Predicted Grade: B
The Match: Robert Roode gained a brief advantage when Booker T got so concerned about Sharmell that he forgot to watch his adversary. It didn’t take long, though, for the multi-time world champion to put Roode on the defensive.
Booker T’s Round Kick didn’t do much visible damage, but Roode’s Dropkick decked the fan favorite@ Roode spent too much time trying to bait Sharmell into getting into the match against him, but he got back to business with a Neckbreaker that nearly led to a pin! Roode caught Booker with a Spinebuster, but he couldn’t convert it into the one-two-three.
When Roode missed a Corner Charge, Booker T made him pay with a Reverse Spin Kick to the side of the jaw! Booker T used knife-edge chops and a Clothesline to pave the way for a Suplex. Booker Y jolted Roode with a Spinebuster and celebrated with a Spinnerooni! Roode blocked the Axkick and then dodged Booker’s attempted Bookend! When Booker missed a Roundkick, Robert Roode threw him into the unyielding steel of the cage!
Sharmell tagged and rushed at Roode with a windmill attack! Roode grabbed her and Peyton Banks came into the ring to help. Peyton Banks turned to taunt Booker. She tried to slap Sharmell, who escaped and it was Roode who took the stinging blow.
Sharmell covered Banks for the pin!
Actual Grade: B+
Robert Roode blamed his assistant for the loss and stalked out of the ring, leaving her behind.
Marcus Davis, who worked with Samoa Joe, said that he came out of training “a complete fighter.”
Team Tomko (Tomko, A.J. Styles, Team 3D and James Storm) d. Team Cage (Christian Cage, Sting, Matt Morgan, Kevin Nash & Rhino)
Lethal Lockdown Match
The Story: Once Tomko worked as Christian Cage’s body guard. Later, he joined the Christian Coalition in TNA. Eventually, though, Tomko allowed himself to be pulled into the Angle Alliance. He and Cage said ad did things to each other that destroyed the friendship. Now each man has recruited four supporter and the small armies will face off inside the cage.
My Prediction: It has to come down to the captains. The Tomko-Cage feud is the reason for the match, They will probably have one more match, a singles contest, before the feud ends, so this one shouldn’t finish the story.
That indicates that Team Tomko should probably win. One possible scenario would be for Kevin Nash to turn on Matt Morgan and cause the big man to get pinned. Big Kev’s repeated comments about going where the money is sounds like the tip-off to a sell-out. That would launch Morgan into a program with Nash while Cage could continue his battle against Tomko.
Predicted Grade: B+
The Match: It looked like the captains would start for their respective teams when Christian Cage went into the six side of steel and Tomko appeared to be able to enter, too. It was just clever strategy; the real first man for Team Tomko was AJ Styles, who sprung a surprise attack on his former friend!
Mike Tenay announced that Team Tomko had won the right to have its man enter first in each pair in a backstage coin toss.
Christian Cage came back pretty well from the sneak attack – until Styles stopped him cold with an Inverted DDT!
Styles hit a Jawbreaker, but Cage hit the ropes and caught AJ with a Sit0out Powerbomb! Styles not only blocked the Unprettier, but he jolted Cage with a Pele!
Brother Ray joined the fight. Ray worked over Christian and then clamped on the Boston Crab. AJ Styles doubled the pain with an Elbow Drop.
Just as Cage headed towards unconsciousness, Rhino arrives to save the day! Rhino gave Ray a Belly-to-Belly Suplex and tried to Gore Styles. The Phenomenal One had him well scouted and dealt Rhino a well-placed kick!
Cage worked on Styles a little more before switching his attention to Brother Ray. He leapt onto his broad back and applied a Sleeper Hold, but Ray got rid of him with an Electric Chair as James Storm joined the Team Tomko forces. The Tennessee Cowboy blasted Cage with the Eye of the Storm, which earned a High Five from Brother Ray!
As Kevin Nash rumbled into the ring, AJ Styles and Christian Cage climbed to the top of the cage and straddled the top. They ripped a page from wrestling history and made like Victor Rivera and John Tolos as they battered each other high above the ring!
Christian finally gained control of the high ground and came off the top with a Cross Body Fly that took out all of Team Tomko!
As Brother Ray worked on Kevin Nash’s vulnerable knees in the corner, Brother Devon invaded the ring! He dished out some punishment, but the situation hadn’t changed much when Matt Morgan evened the sides again!
AJ Styles escaped a Chokeslam. When he launched a suicide dive, though, Matt Morgan swatted him out of the air!
Tomko entered and soon he and Cage were rolling on the mat as each tried to dismember his antagonist. As the crowd counted down for Sting, Devon got his head split open as a result of a high-speed collision with the cage!
Sting cleaned house as the cage ceiling lowered, bring all those weapons within reach!
Every man grabbed a weapon, bringing on total chaos. Nash blocked a Styles bat shot with a chair – and then showed AJ that it could be an offensive weapon, too! Storm went to the top of the cage, armed with a trashcan lid, and used it on Christian Cage’s head!
Storm tried to Suplex Christian as they stood on the top of the now fully enclosed cage! Christian blocked the move, the two men somehow broke through the ceiling of the cage! Cage turned the tables on Storm and gave him big-time payback in the form of a barrage of trashcan lid shots!
AJ Styles broke up a Sting Scorpion Death Drop with his kendo stick and then used it on every Team Cage guy he could reach!
AJ Styles went topside to help James Storm. He set up the ladder he found there. Christian Cage took out James Storm from behind and went up the ladder to stop Styles! Storm recovered and followed him. Cage brought him down off the top of the ladder, through a table and onto the steel ceiling!
James Storm, back at ground level, broke a bottle over Matt Morgan’s head! Rhino Gored Storm, he couldn’t prevent the cover and pin!
Actual Grade: A-
After promo videos and the Tale of the Tape came the final match of the night.
Samoa Joe d. Kurt Angle
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The Story: The storyline is simple, yet complex. Ever since Kurt Angle entered TNA, Samoa Joe has stalked him relentlessly. Their war has taken many forms and gone in many directions. Now they’ll fight for the title – and for Joe’s career – in the cage.
My Prediction: The stipulation as originally stated was a horrible mistake. It guaranteed that Samoa Joe would win this match, because he isn’t going to quit all wrestling (which he would have to do if he didn’t win the title.)
Did you notice that, on the 4/10 iMPACT, that it was said that Samoa Joe will have to stop wrestling if he loses. If you listen carefully to comments about this match made on Lockdown, you’ll know which version of the stip is in force. If it’s the original one, Joe has to win. If not, they could weasel out of the stip with a double count-out or a double DQ.
Nonetheless, I will mark out and forecast a victory for Samoa Joe. It’ll offset the loss of Team Cage in the co-main event and gives TNA a nice re-match.
Predicted Grade: A
The Match: Joe’s relatives ushered hi to the ring with the Samoan Fire Dance. Karen Angle took a seat at ringside only to have Kurt explode and order security to remove her.
They both assumed a Martial Arts stance at the beginning of the match and spent a good deal of precious time performing their version of a UFC fight. They punched and kicked with little attempt to grapple or use anything resembling wrestling on each other.
They took turns administering sing- and double-leg takedowns to no particular result. Joe ‘s Hiplock looked like the best maneuver of the match to the point, but Kurt bounced back to his feet like it hadn’t happened.
When Samoa Joe seized a Side Headlock, Kurt Angle shifted it into a ring-shaking Suplex! They went to the mat, where Angle clamped on a Choke that Joe could only remove by slinging one foot over the bottom rope! Angle caught Joe coming off the ropes with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex, but the cover fell short.
Angle kicked Joe in the knee and then applied the Figure Four Leglock. Joe tried to turn it over several times, until he cleverly rolled the opposite
Kurt worked away on Joe’s knees, but the Samoan Submission Machine chopped his way out of that predicament. Joe scored with a Clothesline, but both men went down for an “eight” count as a result of the mid-ring collision!
When they both got up again, Samoa Joe connected with three Clotheslines and capped the run with a High Knee in the corner! Joe stopped a corner charge with an elbow, but his attempt to execute a Muscle Buster failed!
Kurt did a Sunset Flip to an Anklelock! Samoa Joe rolled and then kicked to break free!
Angle rushed across the ring at Samoa Joe, who calmly caught him and Bodyslammed him to the canvas! Joe Powerbombed Kurt, but it was only good enough for a two count! Samoa Joe came up with a Boston Crab, but the champion refused to surrender.
Joe grabbed a Crossface and ground away at Angle’s often-injured neck. He added a Leg Grapevine, which made the hold even more painful! Kurt grabbed Joe’s ankle and somehow reversed into an Anklelock! Joe then countered that by turning it back into a Crossface!
Kurt escaped – so Joe put it on him again! Kurt stood up, still holding Samoa Joe, and rocked him with an Olympic Slam! The referee’s count ran out at “two.”
Kurt went for the Anklelock again, but Joe morphed it into a Triangle Choke! The ref forced a break.
Angle then changed tactics and threw Joe into the cage wall! The burly Samoan responded with a Roundkick!
Joe executed the Muscle Buster, scored the pin and became the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: The decision to make the contest like an MMA match was an interesting experiment. Interest, but not successful. Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe made this into a fine match, but I wouldn’t count on that in the future. The MMA aspect was slow, boring and bogus.
Predicted Grade for Lockdown: B+
Actual Grade for Lockdown: B+
I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column!
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(4/14/08)
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