Your eyes do not deceive you people. This is a TNA review. This past Friday night saw TNA Lockdown make it's first ever appearance on free television, as was stated several times throughout the night. It's a traditional TNA PPV, but no more! I've been doing my best to keep up to date with TNA but it gets lost in the shuffle sometimes, which is a bit sad. Lockdown is a personal favorite of mines though, so I made a decision to get it watched and get it reviewed. Easy enough. Every match is a Six Sides of Steel match, which means the entire show will be organised carnage... so what the fuck are we waiting for?
The Revolution (James Storm & Abyss) (c) vs The Hardys (TNA World Tag Team Championship Match)
Straight into the action here. Storm and Abyss had little chance to get in the ring and the brothers Hardy were on them, dishing out some Poetry in Motion from the get go. Just as Matt and Jeff were getting into their rhythm, Manik of The Revolution climbed up the outside of the cage and in, looking to get involved. The Hardys had other plans however, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs from... somewhere, and attached Manik to the cage. He's a non-threat now, but the two monsters they took their eyes off of aren't, and the tag champs begin to take control of the match. The first near count of the match took place when Abyss slingshot Jeff straight into Storm's loving arms, before he dropped him with a DDT, but it couldn't get the job done.
Some innovative offence from The Revolution next, as Storm made his way to the top rope, only to stand on Abyss' shoulders and hit an elbow drop on Matt Hardy, but again, there was only a two count. By this time, Jeff had found his bearings, and hit a cracking Whisper In The Wind on both Storm and Abyss, before he and Matt hit them with respective Twists of Fate. They each covered a man, but both halves of the champions kicked out at two. Matt decided to go high risk, and went for a moonsault... nobody home! Storm climbs to the top rope, but Matt rallies and manages to hit Storm with a Twist of Fate from up top, and that's when it all turned pear shaped.
As Matt was making his way to his feet, newest member of The Revolution - Khoya, grabbed him through the camera hole in the cage and pulled him outside. We were informed that because Matt didn't go out the cage door or climb over the top of the cage, this didn't count when both his feet touched the floor. Khoya and Sanada beat down Matt, before Sanada catches Jeff trying to climb the cage and sprays him with the mist. Dazed, Jeff stumbles back into the ring where Storm hits him with the Last Call superkick to pick up the win and retain the tag team championships.
We weren't through there though, as all five members of Storm's Revolution done some ringside rearranging, Khoya puts Matt through a table. They take another table into the ring and lay Jeff on it. Manik climbs the top rope looking for the frog splash. Jeff was playing possum! He rolls off the table, sending Manik crashing through. Jeff attacks The Revolution and climbs the cage looking to escape. As he's coming down the other side though, he steps on the top of the cage door, and they swing it open, landing Jeff right on his baws. The cage door swung back and forth, as Jeff clung on for dear life, but Storm had climbed atop the cage, and he rattled Jeff's head with the cowbell, sending him flying off the door and taking a horrible bump on the steel ring steps.
I've been somewhat of a skeptic about The Revolution in the past, and they've received flack for having "too many members". After this, I kind of understand now. You can't have a Revolution without numbers. Storm's army grows, The Revolution are the real deal.
BDC Promo
They were pretty decisive about what they wanted to say here. MVP talked some trash about Bobby Roode, ahead of his match with Eric Young, who was also in the ring. EY took to the mic and told Roode that he was going to make him bleed. EY's a bit of a nutter, eh? Before we knew it, the three members of Team Angle were out, and MVP started to mouth off on them as well. Gunner doesn't want to waste a promising career because the BDC took it away, does he? Angle doesn't really want to put his already injured knee in harms way? As for Austin Aries? He has his world title shot briefcase, and that's all he cares about, so MVP isn't worried about him. Down to the nitty gritty, MVP lays the offer on the table - they can walk away now and keep their careers, while they still can.
Nope.
Angle leads the charge into the ring and the six men brawl. The BDC are never too far away though, with Samoa Joe and Low Ki quickly coming out to get involved. Joe gets a hold of Gunner and traps his arm in the cage door, before smashing it with a steel chair.
Backstage Segment
Angle, Aries and Gunner are backstage with a doc, who advises that Gunner sits out of the Lethal Lockdown match. You know he was having none of that though, and insists on going through with the match. Angle leaves the room to try and recruit Lashley onto his team again.
Havok vs Awesome Kong
The two powerhouses of the Knockout division collided inside the steel here... well, after they actually got in the ring that was. The decision was made to just ring the bell and get it officially started after they had met on the ramp and started to knock lumps out of each other. Surprisingly, it was Havok who drew first blood, taking down Kong and taking control of the fight. They made their way around the outside, and Havok began lifting the mats at ringside to expose the hard floor. She showed her strength by lifting Kong up for the spinebuster, but the Awesome one fought out.
Finally, they made it into the ring, and they immediately go for the jugular. Literally. They take attempts each at hitting chokeslams, but neither can get the other off their feet. Eventually, Havok manages to land one, but Kong bounces straight back up and hits one of her own. She follows that up by climbing the ropes looking for her splash, but Havok quickly recovers and gives chase. After a brief battle, Kong manages to get a hold of Havok and send her crashing with a top rope powerbomb. Returning to the second rope, she drops the splash to pick up the win.
Well fought match, but Awesome Kong was a decisive winner in the end here. No doubt it won't be the last time we see them in the ring together.
Eric Young vs Bobby Roode
In the weeks leading up to this, Bobby Roode had vowed for retribution. EY turned on Roode when he needed him the most, and cost his long time best friend his World Heavyweight Championship. The title went on the backburner as Roode set out for blood. In fact, he literally promised Young that he would make him bleed. It all came down to this, the two of them locked inside the six sides of steel.
They go straight for each other as soon as the bell rang, with Roode taking EY down with a hard clothesline early on. That was followed up by Young flipping the script and planting Roode with a powerslam. The frenetic early pace almost paid off for Roode as he got EY up for the Roode Bomb, but Young managed to wriggle free. Just when you thought it was going to be a fair fight though, MVP appeared and handed EY a chair through the gap in the cage. That fucking thing has been more trouble than it's worth so far.
Roode is having none of it though, and makes good on his promise by sending Young flying into the steel, splitting his head open in the process. He throws him into another of the cage's walls, before hitting an emphatic spinebuster. He probably could have ended it there, but he wanted to end EY, and it almost cost him. Perching EY on the top rope, Roode climbs up and looks for the Roode Bomb again, but Young is wise to it, slamming Roode's head off the cage numerous times before throwing him to the mat.
Flying elbow follows, but Roode gets the shoulder up before three. EY decides its time to end it and sets the chair on top of Roode before climbing the ropes again. He took too long though, as Roode recovered and launched the chair right into EY's midsection. Then it was attack time. Chair shot after chair shot after chair shot, and it was literally a case of Roode getting bored, as he screamed "You were my brother, you son of a bitch!" before lifting EY onto his shoulders and putting him down with the Roode Bomb onto the chair to seal the victory.
Thoroughly enjoyed this match. Raw emotion on the part of the IT Factor, who now claims that it's time to take back the world championship.
Backstage Segment
Kurt Angle finds Lashley, and basically begs him to join the team for Lethal Lockdown. Lashley is defiant, the answer is NO.
Tyrus vs Rockstar Spud & Mandrews
The two winners of British Bootcamp teamed up to take on EC3's bodyguard Tyrus in a handicap match here. They try to get the jump on the big man but it was never going to be a walk in the park, as Tyrus easily takes control of the early goings. It's not long before he's looking to put both Mandrews and Spud away with a double chokeslam, but they manage to kick and claw their way out, hitting a double dropkick and taking the big man off his feet. They take turns at hitting low dropkicks before Mandrews hits a lovely enziguire. They both jump on for the cover but can only get a two count out of it.
Tyrus takes control of the match again, and sends Mandrews face first into the top turnbuckle. Spud manages to fight out of a powerbomb attempt and kicks Tyrus away, giving him some room to climb the cage and surely win the match? Or dive from the top of the cage onto Tyrus and make everyone lose their shit. Either or, it doesn't matter. Mandrews tries to take advantage and climbs up top looking for the Shooting Star Press, but EC3 doesn't like what he sees and spits on Mandrews from outside the cage. Mandrews goes out the cage looking for a fight, but EC3 takes his ankle from him and sends him head first onto the steel steps. EC3 goads Spud, and he retaliates by crawling towards the door. Bad move. EC3 slams the door into Spud's face, allowing Tyrus to take advantage, hitting a spike to pick up the win.
Trying to add insult to injury, EC3 plugs in the clippers and makes his way into the cage looking to shave Spud bald. Watching on from ringside, the bold Jeremy Borash is having none of it, and he cuts the cord before fleeing for his life.
Team Angle vs Team BDC (Lethal Lockdown)
The main event of the evening. The brutal Lethal Lockdown match. One member from each team starts the match, and a new competitor enters every two minutes until every member from each time is in the cage. Only then can the match be won or lost. This would be Kurt Angle, Austin Aries and an injured Gunner vs MVP, Low Ki, Kenny King and Samoa Joe. Team Angle are at a loss in the numbers game no matter what happens, but it starts out even... kind of.
Entrant 1 - Kenny King (BDC)
Entrant 2 - Gunner (Team Angle)
On paper it started a fair fight, but the heavily taped arm and shoulder of Gunner was a sitting duck for King to zone in on, and he went straight for it. Gunner got some separation though, and sent King into the cage. It was the opening he needed, as he went to work on Kenny with weapons and threw him into the cage some more. A police baton comes into play and Gunner begins to choke King out with it, he could enjoy being on top while it lasted, it was about to get a wee bit harder.
Entrant 3 - Low Ki (BDC)
Gunner goes straight on the attack, but there's only so much a man can do with one good arm, and he soon goes under to the numbers game. Both King and Low Ki continue to work Gunner's arm with weapons and leg drops. As the clock ticked away, Low Ki stomped down hard onto Gunner's chest. Another two minutes had passed, Gunner had some backup.
Entrant 4 - Austin Aries (Team Angle)
With the odds evened, Aries begins to take matters into his own hands. He takes out Kenny King before hitting Low Ki with the running dropkick in the corner. Gunner manages to hoist King up on his shoulders, with Aries coming off the top rope and hitting King with the lid off a trash can on the way down. Gunner completes with an electric chair drop. Team Angle look as though they are taking control, but it's time for another entrant, and Low Ki has just sent Gunner face first into a steel chair.
Entrant 5 - Samoa Joe (BDC)
He's no half a wrecking machine. Joe single handedly takes control of the match with clotheslines for everyone. The Beat Down Clan make Gunner their primary target, and they get to work on his arm yet again with various weapons. Joe then takes some time out to go get a new weapon. A hockey stick? Why the fuck not. That particular weapon makes it's way across Austin Aries' body a few times, but the last member of Team Angle was ready to come out. The captain himself.
Entrant 6 - Kurt Angle (Team Angle)
Angle goes straight for Samoa Joe and plants him with a German suplex before going after King. Elsewhere, Gunner has found a kendo stick and takes Joe out with a straight shot to the head, which Joe sells excellently. Austin Aries finds himself on the receiving end of a double stomp from Low Ki, and look at that... time for the last competitor.
Entrant 7 - MVP (BDC)
MVP gets in and goes to town with the kendo stick. Gunner gets hit, A Double gets hit. I'm sure Angle would have got hit as well, if it wasn't for the fact that Angle came to his buddies' rescue by hitting MVP with a German suplex. No respite for the Olympian though, because Samoa Joe has got a trash can lid, and he's about to take it clean off his skull. Joe then puts the trash can over Gunner's head, and sets it up for Low Ki to stomp down right on it. Standing him up, they put it over Gunner's head again and allow MVP to hit it with a big boot, trying their best to take Gunner clean out the game. Grabbing the lid, Angle rallies and takes out all four BDC members, but Joe recovers, getting the kendo stick and laying into Gunner and Angle with it. The BDC target Angle's bad knee with the kendo stick... BUT WHAT'S THAT MUSIC?!
Entrant 8 - LASHLEY (Team Angle)
The world champion appears, looking intense as fuck. He gets in the ring with the BDC waiting on him. What's this though? He's offering his hand to MVP? Surely not... Nah. Lashley teased it for only a mere second, before destroying the BDC. Clothesline for MVP. Throwing powerslams and gorilla presses in all directions. He lines MVP up for a spear, but Kenny King grabs his ankle just as he's about to deliver. This allowed MVP to attack Lashley and try to take control again.
The numbers may have been even but there were still two injured men on Team Angle. Placing the trash can onto Gunner, Joe delivers a huge senton on top of it. He tries to end the match, and surely would have won it had it not been for Aries breaking the pin. Joe gets Angle up and looks for the Muscle Buster, but Angle slides through and picks the ankle. Ankle Lock is in. Austin Aries reverses Low Ki's Ki Crusher and locks in the Last Chancery. Gunner musters the strength of the gods to get Kenny King up on his injured shoulder to lock in a torture rack. With three submissions going on at the same time, MVP was left alone with someone who doesn't like him very much, and Lashley proved just that by spearing the spleen clean out him to pick up the win for Team Angle.
The show comes to a close with Lashley, Kurt Angle, Austin Aries and Gunner standing tall in the middle of the cage as the BDC make a hasty retreat. Battle lines drawn, the war has just begun.
In Conclusion
TNA continue to show an improved product. It still may not be great yet but things like this take time. Rome wasn't built in a day, as it goes, and the mess that they were in before is a mighty task to come back from. They've managed to put out a watchable, and at times pretty fucking entertaining product since the move to Destination America, and I truly believe the only way is up now. It could be a true success story. For now though, we need to take the lows as well as the highs, that's only natural. I felt that Havok vs Awesome Kong could have lasted a bit longer, and the handicap match was a bit lackluster despite Rockstar Spud's cracking spot. On the other hand, the tag title match built The Revolution even further as a dominant faction, Roode vs EY was excellent, and the main event made for some good viewing, even with the finish being a little cliched. All in all, Lockdown was a decent show, and I feel deserves a fair 6.5/10.