Live Report From the Lockdown PPV Report by Alan Wojcik on 04/24/2006 at 10:07 AM
On Sunday April 23rd TNA presented their second Lockdown PPV, an all cage match event. This was a hard event to report on as it was the last time Chris Candido competed in a wrestling before he passed away. The pre show and the backstage interview duties fell to Jeremy Borash (someone mentioned a Hudson guy would be real good at this job, but I digress.) The pre-show was taped and doesn’t need to be recapped here. The cage was already in place as fans entered the venue. Among the fans and TNA staff was personal favorite Shane Douglas and former DOA Don Callis. There wasn’t a pre-show match before the cold opening produced by David Sahadi and Kevin Sullivan talking of the dangers everyone faces tonight. The prison footage was from the Tennessee State facility used for the Green Mile and the Last Castle.
(1) Team New Japan members Hiroki Goto, Black Tigers and Minoru defeated Team TNA’s Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal and Alex Shelley.
Team captain Jushin Liger had prior New Japan bookings, but he will be part of the World X Cup. However VP of Inoki Sports David Marquez was here to oversee things. Minoru and Shelley began with mat wrestling and it quickly turned to kicks and dragon screws to the mat. Tigers tagged in but Shelley unleashed a min wrestling clinic before Lethal tagged himself in. Goto came in to face off with Lethal and the two traded moves until Lethal, Dutt and Shelley hit Tigers with a triple team moves you had to see in person. Somehow Tigers survived this onslaught to tag in Goto who took over on Dutt. During the match Shocker and Team Mexico came out to observe things, some of us felt the urging for a double quarter pounder with cheese. Team New Japan made several tags but Dutt survived and tagged in Lethal who got hit with a Saito suplex by Goto. Team TNA tried several finishing moves on Goto but couldn’t finish him off. Minoru locked Lethal in a cross-arm breaker but he was saved by his partners. Everyone hit someone with a move but Black Tigers scored the pin hitting Lethal with a double chicken wing suplex. I cannot wait for the World X Cup.
Mike Tenay and Don West spoke to the home audience. Jeremy Borash talked about a action figure set before letting Team 3D talk about their match with Team Canada. Larry Zbyszko asked about the big announcement.
(2) TNA’s mystery opponent LOW KI (they called him something in Japanese that meant Warrior but we’ll call him Low Ki) defeated “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels.
Triple X exploded all over again in this stiff fest. Both men used their martial arts skills in the opening minutes. Ki got stiffer with the kicks to the chest and took over on Daniels with submission moves. Daniels refused to tap out and traded chest chops with Ki. Daniels went for a sunset flip but Ki jumped in the air and dropped both feet on Daniels’ chest. Ki locked in a bodyvise submission that somehow Daniels escaped and hit an enziguri. Both men fought to their feet and Daniels suplexed Ki into the cage but got two. Daniels hit a Blue Thunder Driver but got two as Ki fired back with a modified flap jack and a double leg dropkick that sent Daniels flying into a corner. Daniels fought out of the corner, hitting a DVD and the BME but got two. Daniels placed Ki on the top rope but they fought for position even as Ki avoided a Angels Wings and Daniels avoided the boot stomp. Ki escaped the Angel’s Wings and flipped Daniels on his back, using his feet on the bottom turnbuckle to gain the win.
Jeremy Borash spoke to the James Gang about the arm wrestling match, adding the stipulation the losers group receives ten lashings from a belt.
(3) In an arm wrestling re-match, “Bullet” Bob Armstrong (w/the James Gang) defeated Konnan (w/LAX members Hotstuff Hernandez and “Notorious 187” Homicide).
That’s right an arm wrestling challenge inside the cage. Andrew Thomas made everyone leave the cage for the contest. Anyway Armstrong won and the leather belts were handed the belts for ten lashes. This was done at this point to slow down the event after the craziness of the previous two matches.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Team Jarrett about the match when Zbyszko interrupted to see if Jarrett knew what the announcement was.
(4) In an Xscape match, “The Future” Chris Sabin defeated Puma, Chase Stevens of the Naturals, Shark Boy, “Primetime” Elix Skipper (w/Simon Diamond) and Petey Williams (w/Scott D’amore).
Last year Shocker won this event and faced the X Division champion at Hard Justice, wonder if the same holds true for this year’s winner. Chase Stevens hit the move of the year with a shooting satr press off the top of the cage. Just like last year I am going to give the order of elimination before the final two:
** Petey Williams eliminated Shark Boy with the Canadian Destroyer.
** Elix Skipper eliminated Chase Stevens with a fisherman buster.
** Petey Williams eliminated Elix Skipper.
** Chris Sabin eliminated Puma with the Cradle Shock.
After having a attack of the nerves over Stevens’ injury the Xscape portion of the match began. Sabin was about to touch the floor when D’amore grabbed Sabin to allow Williams to cat him. However Williams landed on D’amore’s shoulders and Sabin hit the floor to win.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Abyss and Father James Mitchell about their NWA World title shot later in the evening. It was followed by footage of the undefeated Samoa Joe on the road to tonight’s match with Sabu.
(5) NWA World X Division champion Samoa Joe defeated Sabu.
Shockingly this was a stiff contest with Sabu wanting to turn it hardcore and Joe trying to keep it wrestling. Joe ripped Sabu’s face open on a cage toss. That didn’t stop Sabu from using his chair to chop Joe down with an Arabian Facebuster and a springboard legdrop. Sabu tried to open Joe up with a spike but Joe locked in a cross armbreaker and attacked Sabu’s broken arm. Both men fought on the top rope but Joe came off with an Acecrusher for two. Sabu got to his feet and went for a top rope move but Joe tossed the chair into Sabu’s face then hit the Muscle Buster to get the pin.
Jeremy Borash spoke to Team Canada about the upcoming match with Team 3D. Larry Zbyszko and D’amore had words about the surprise TNA management had for him tonight.
(6) In an Anthem or Capture the Flag match, Team 3D (Ray, Devon and Runt) defeated Team Canada members “Canadian Destroyer” Bobby Roode, “Showtime” Eric Young and A1 (who has no nickname).
This match was altered when Runt (Matt Hyson) arrived during the last TV tapings. Early on Young and Runt guarded the opposite flag as the other four wrestled. Ray hit Roode with a top rope Bubba Bomb. From there the hard hitting moves didn’t stop. All six hit the other with moves that make a chiropractor stay in business. Even Rudy Charles got knocked down. With Charles knocked down Team 3D got the flag down but the bell didn’t ring. So Team Canada knocked out all of Team 3D and put the flag back. D’amore knocked out a security guy and slid a table in. too bad Young went into it when Runt moved. Once Charles got to his feet, Team 3D hit Roode with the 3D and Runt got the flag a second time to win.
The commercial for the May 14th Sacrifice PPV aired. Mike Tenay and Don West talked to the home crowd as the audience serenaded Team Canada with the American national anthem. Former WWE diva contest winner Christy Hemme came out with an envelope for Tenay and West. Tenay announced that TNA management is going under a total reconstruction. Everyone will be held accountable for their own actions. There will be a new public face of TNA Wrestling. Larry Zbyszko is now on probation and he hit the broadcast table to protest this decision. Next Tenay said effective immediately a suspension of someone was over, RAVEN!!! Raven came out and chased Zbyszko into the cage but TNA security stopped Raven from doing any damage.
Jeremy Borash spoke to NWA World Heavyweight champion “Captain Charisma” Christian Cage or at least tried to when Cage walked away. They played a recap of how we got to the title match before Mike Tenay and Don West did a Tale of the Tape. Borash did the ring introductions for main event number one.
(7) NWA World Heavyweight champion “Captain Charisma” Christian Cage defeated Abyss (w/Father James Mitchell).
Abyss didn’t wait for Cage to enter the cage; he met him on the rampway. The fighting went into the crowd, up into the bleachers and back down. Finally the duo came back to ringside and over the barricades. Both men used the cage door as a weapon before they FINALLY entered the ring. Abyss hit Cage with a running corner splash. Cage fought back but Abyss lawn darted him into the cage. Abyss countered the Unprettier and dropped Cage chest first to the mat. Abyss beat down Cage with several forearms shots before driving his face into the fencing. Cage escaped Shock Treatment but didn’t escape a power bomb into the fencing twice. Abyss delivered chest chops but Cage fired with forearm shots and sent Abyss into the fencing. Andrew Thomas got knocked out by an Abyss clothesline. Cage climbed the fencing and countered another power bomb with a tornado DDT. Cage ducked a title belt shot and hit the Unprettier for two. Then came a top of the cage Eddie Guerrero Frog Splash that also got two. Abyss countered a second Unprettier with Shock Treatment. He then grabbed the satchel of thumb tacks and spread them in the ring.
Cage broke Mitchell’s walking stick on Abyss’ chest. Cage climbed the cage again but Abyss chokeslammed Andrew Thomas into it, sending Cage almost down to the floor. Abyss went up but Cage came down with a super power bomb into the TACKS. Abyss hit the Black Hole Slam for two!! Abyss grabbed a second bag of tacks and sent them all over the mat. Abyss fought Cage but he ended up being hit with the Unprettier INTO THE TACKS!!!!!! Abyss is the uncrowned champion and possibly stole the show. Cage returned to the ring to confront Mitchell but Abyss got to his feet, wrapped his chain around his arm and decked Cage with it. Next Abyss wrapped the chain through the fencing and tried to end Cage’s life. Mitchell got Abyss to let go and placed the World title belt over Abyss’ shoulder. TNA security ushered Cage’s wife out to check on her husband.
Team Sting spoke with Jeremy Borash before main event number two. The video package to hype the match played one more time.
(8)In a Lethal Lockdown match, Sting, “Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “War Machine” Rhino and Ron “the Truth” Killings defeated Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, “King of the Mountain” Jeff Jarrett and NWA World Tag Team champions America’s Most Wanted (“Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm & “Wildcat” Chris Harris w/Gail Kim and Jackie Gayda).
There is a roof on top of the Six Sides of Steel, with weapons hanging from the top. The roof wasn’t lowered until all eight participants entered the match. The following was the order of entry into the match with Team Jarrett winning the coin toss:
“Wildcat” Chris Harris, “Phenomenal” AJ Styles, “Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm, “War Machine” Rhino, Jeff Jarrett, Ron “The Truth” Killings, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner and Sting
Notes on the match: Styles busted Harris open with the cage. When Storm was entering Styles kicked the cage door, but Storm ducked and Gail Kim got hit. AMW busted open Styles. Rhino busted open Storm with an atomic drop into the cage. When Jarrett came out, Rhino exited the cage and met him on the rampway. Rhino was busted open by AMW. All six men hit a “Tower of Doom” type move. When Steiner hit the ring he hit all of the good guys with belly to belly suplexes. The fans chanted “Steroids” at Steiner. Sting hit all four of Jarrett’s men with a Stinger splash and then the roof came down to begin the weapons portion of the evening. Storm and Styles crawled to the roof to get items to play with. Storm opened a table on top of the cage. Sting smashed a guitar in Jarrett’s hand as Styles set up a ladder on top of the cage. Styles climbed the ladder, went to the middle of a stanchion and dropped on top of Storm who lay on a table!!! Jarrett hit the Killings with the Stroke on a garbage can; Rhino hit the GORE on Jarrett. Steiner locked the Recliner on Rhino; Sting hit Steiner with the Scorpion Death Drop, Harris hit Sting with handcuffs and locked in the Scorpion Deathlock. Sting countered and made Harris tap out.
