Total Nonstop Action by Tig

[Tig]

The X-Division Xtravaganza Xclusive -airing from The X-Nation Complex on Navassa Island- We see a roaming camera shot of a ferry taking roughly 500 hundred rabid wrestling fans across the strait of water from Cuba to Navassa Island on the 6th of March edition of Xplosion. “As the frenzied fans made their way southwards from Cuba, the X-Division stars were already hard at work.” Cut to intercutting shots of the various competitors in the tournament working out with rudimentary equipment on the barren island. “Tempers already grew thin.” Footage of Consequences Creed and Eric Young going head to head beside a set of monkey bars. A raggedy looking sign saying “The X-Nation Complex” is visible. “Plots already began to form.” Grainy, muted footage of Prince Devitt speaking to Laredo Kid away from the other competitors. “Mysteries already reared their head.” A still shot of “Suicide” followed with some shaky footage shot by a fan aboard the ferry to Navassa Island of two rogue looking men who have their faces obscured by bandanas. “Who will emerge victorious?” Rapid-fire headshots of all the competitors in the tournament. “Who will survive the island?” A silhouette lifting The X-Nation Trophy above his head. “Who will be the same man they were when they entered?” Black. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* The eight competitors sit around what looks to be a desolate shack. They seem worn already; fatigued faces, unkempt hair, specks of dirt on their ring gear. A voice booms out from seemingly nowhere and informs them that they have FIVE MINUTES to talk tactics before they must enter The X-Nation Complex for the FIRST STAGE where the team captains will be decided. A few seconds pass by with the competitors looking at each other before ERIC YOUNG stands up and clears his throat. The other men locked in the shack turn to look at him. Eric Young: “This goes without saying, but I’m sure you’re all aware of the conspiracy against me in the company ever since Paul Heyman took over and started sinking the ship that we worked so hard-” Stevie Richards: “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow your roll there, E-Y! What’s this crap about sinking ships? This company has been BOOMING ever since Paul took over.” Eric throws STEVIE RICHARDS a look that could kill. KID KASH sneers at Stevie. Kid Kash: “Of course you’re gonna say that! Y’all go way back to ECdubya days, don’t cha? You’re gonna stick up for your boy no matter what.” Stevie Richards: “Hold up a second - I seem to remember it was Paul that gave YOU your start back in ECW.” Kid Kash spits on the ground and swallows hard. Kid Kash: “And it ain’t me complainin’ about Paul! I ain’t say I gotta problem with Heyman now, did I? I’m just pointin’ out that maybe you ain’t the wisest guy to listen to about ‘em, eh Cool? I reckon we let Eric here say his piece.” Eric Young: “Thank you. As I was saying… there is a conspiracy here against me, it’s plain as day, you can all see it. To get those of you up to speed on what’s been going on around here, let me list just SOME of the misdemeanours against me: I was stripped of my TNA Legends Championship for NO REASON WHATSOEVER, then I had to enter a 16-man tournament to just get a SHOT at the championship that replaced it, finally, in a thinly-veiled effort to appease my ever growing protest against my HORRENDOUS treatment in TNA, I was given a spur of the moment SpikeTV Championship match that I had absolutely NO TIME to prepare for!!! It’s a downright disgrace! You there!” Eric points a shaky finger at LAREDO KID. Eric Young: “You’re new, your mind hasn’t been corrupted yet, what do you think of this? It’s no way to treat a TNA Original, right?” Laredo Kid slowly looks up and shrugs his shoulders at Eric, speaking in broken English. Laredo Kid: “You… you fight match? You… lose, no?” Eric looks livid as a few of the other men begin chuckling. JERRY LYNN laughs for a second and then cuts a serious figure. Jerry Lynn: “I think, Eric, we’d all appreciate it if you could, you know, get to the point.” Eric Young: “The point? THE POINT!? The POINT is, Jerry, that these injustices have gone on FAR too long! You all have a chance to set this right, at least, in some small way.” Jerry Lynn: “And how do you propose we do that?” Eric Young: “Well, it’s simple; at the VERY LEAST, I deserve to be a captain in this tournament, so when we go out for Stage One, I propose that you all voluntarily exit the ring and allow me to be captain.” Uproar. Tempers flare as every man in the room hollers to be heard. Finally, a strong Irish accent cuts through all the voices. PRINCE DEVITT stands up, half-shouting. Prince Devitt: “LET’S CUT THIS SHITE OUT RIGHT NOW! We’re going out there in less than two minutes and we have no fuckin’ idea what we’re doing. Eric, mate, it’s not going to happen, so get this stupid idea out of your head right now - nobody is lying down for ya! However, I do have a proposition…” Prince Devitt looks around at the men in the room, his gaze lingering on Laredo Kid slightly longer than the other. Prince Devitt: “I’ve a proposition for one of ya. There’s gonna be two captains, yeah? If you help me in the first deciding match… I’ll return the favour in the second.” Jerry Lynn: “That’s a crock of shit, we don’t know what type of match we’re going to be in or if you’ll even be ABLE to help someone become the captain. Besides, anyone can say what you just did.” Devitt turns and glares at Lynn. Prince Devitt: “Well, I’m the only one who bleedin’ said it, amn’t I?” Jerry Lynn: “Listen here and listen good, you little-” BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! A long drawn out buzzer signals the end of the five minutes and an announcement is made that all competitors must make their way to The X-Nation Complex immediately. The men all clear out except one; sitting in the corner of the room having not said a word for the entirety of the five minutes is SUICIDE. The masked man shifts in his chair and turns his head from side to side before slowly walking out of the shack and toward the complex. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* STAGE ONE The crowd cheers loudly as the entrants make their way to The X-Nation Complex, a piece of sandy wasteland in the middle of Navassa Island, around it are raised platforms which house bleachers that hold the 500 or so rabid fans in attendance. The bleachers aren’t the only thing elevated as a wrestling ring is on a platform 10 feet high in the air. An announcement booms out informing the competitors that the first match to decide the first captain is a battle royal match with the last man standing declared the first captain. Standard fare… aside from the fact that being eliminated in THIS battle royal will likely see you plummet the 10 feet from the ring set-up to the sand below. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! As a bzzzzzz emits from the speaker system, the men immediately couple off and begin throwing fists: Kid Kash and Stevie Richards, Prince Devitt and Jerry Lynn, Eric Young and Consequences Creed, a shrugging Laredo Kid and Suicide. After a few moments of fighting, Suicide hoists Laredo Kid up for a power-bomb, shakily bringing him towards the edge of the ring, when Prince Devitt chopblocks Suicide’s knee from behind, saving Laredo Kid. Laredo Kid manages to twist his body as Suicide falls, effectively hurricanrana’ing him over the top rope. Prince Devitt comes hurtling in like a steam train and explosively dropkicks Suicide off the edge of the ring apron. The velocity of the move sees Suicide easily clear the small platform on which the ring is set and tumble the 10 feet to the ground below. The crowd pops loudly, despite Devitt’s alignment. SUICIDE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED The action momentarily stops as Suicide takes a few seconds to move on the ground below, but he isn’t long about getting to his feet and dusting himself off to a round of cheers. The action is just as quick returning, with Laredo Kid being the clear highlight reel and meshing well with Stevie Richards being a very solid base for him. Eric Young momentarily teams with Kid Kash to double-team Creed, but after less than two minutes, Kash has enough of Young’s incessant ranting and headbutts him, leaving the path clear for an out of nowhere Stevie Kick to send him tumbling over the top rope. E-Y desperately clings to the small piece of platform outside the ring to avoid falling down but Jerry Lynn soon sends an unsuspecting Kid Kash over the top and his impact ends up sending both he and E-Y plummeting. ERIC YOUNG AND KID KASH HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED Down to five, the showcase for Laredo Kid continues as he bounces around the ring utilising the ring ropes to springboard at every available opportunity. One of these moments goes awry as he springboards into yet another out of nowhere Stevie Kick that is sure to be replayed countless times on highlight videos in years to come. Consequences Creed tries to pick up the pieces and dump Laredo over the top rope but he skins the cat and hangs on just as Prince Devitt charges up and topples Creed over the top rope and to the floor. Laredo Kid glances in Devitt’s direction - that’s twice he has saved him now. CONSEQUENCES CREED HAS BEEN ELIMINATED Jerry Lynn and Stevie Richards look at each other and then towards Devitt and Laredo. Lynn and Richards bump fists which elicits an ‘ECW’ chant from the fans and what transpires is basically a fast-paced tornado tag match. Lynn and Richards eventually get the upper hand and with Devitt caught up in the ring ropes, Stevie lines up for another Stevie Kick but Devitt manages to duck and use his weight against him to force him over the top rope onto the apron and Laredo Kid immediately springboards into a dropkick to send Richards crashing off the structure. The crowd winces as Stevie lands awkwardly and a slight smile creeps onto Devitt’s face. STEVIE RICHARDS HAS BEEN ELIMINATED Jerry Lynn backs into a corner as Devitt starts barking instructions at Laredo Kid who is somewhat struggling to comprehend the Irish man. Devitt indicates they should team up on Lynn but Laredo Kid looks very unsure. Whether he would have or not becomes irrelevant as Jerry fires himself across the ring and nails Laredo with a jumping knee. Devitt tries to attack Lynn but Lynn outwrestles him and hits him with an inverted gory special. Lynn picks up Devitt and tries to oust him from the ring but a recovered Laredo Kid comes from behind and nails Lynn with an enzuirigi. Laredo looks at Devitt on the ground before sprinting at Lynn and sending both men over the top rope and off the structure with a kamikaze-like Cactus clothesline. The crowd boo loudly as both men tumble the 10 feet to the floor. JERRY LYNN AND LAREDO KID HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED WINNER AND FIRST CAPTAIN: PRINCE DEVITT ~~~~~ After a ten-minute interval during which the ring is lowered and the competitors are checked on by doctors the announcement system kicks in and declares that all competitors except Prince Devitt must immediately face off in a twenty-minute scramble match where the last person to have obtained a pinfall or submission when time elapses will be declared the second captain. It is then announced that Prince Devitt must instantly leave The X-Nation Complex and retire to his living quarters. The crowd cheers this announcement and when Laredo Kid looks at Devitt, Devitt simply offers a shrug of his shoulders before taking his leave. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! The seven remaining competitors immediately charge into each other and some of the action falls out of the ring with Creed and Kash tangling through the top and middle rope. The ring clears quickly and Suicide manages to roll Stevie Richards up for a quick three-count. SUICIDE IS THE CURRENT WINNER Eric Young quickly locks his arms around Suicide’s waist, runs him into the ropes, and catches him with an O’Connell roll for a three-count. ERIC YOUNG IS THE CURRENT WINNER E-Y throws his hands up in celebration and this proves to be his undoing as Laredo Kid impressively springboards into an athletic crucifix pin and manages to keep Eric’s shoulders down for a three-count. LAREDO KID IS THE CURRENT WINNER Laredo Kid doesn’t even get to celebrate when there is an announcement made. KID KASH IS THE CURRENT WINNER On the outside of the ring, Kid Kash has Consequences Creed locked in his Kash on Delivery Boston crab submission and Creed is repeatedly tapping his hand against the floor. The quick falls peter out and after a series of high-octane moves, nearly all competitors are laid out in or around the ring. 14:53 REMAINS Consequences Creed is the first to rouse and he immediately makes a bee-line for the man who caused him agony on the outside in Kid Kash. Kash groggily throws a wild hook but Creed ducks with a forward roll, rebounds off the ropes and nails Kash with a enzuirigi. Almost immediately, Suicide comes from behind and nails Creed with a swinging neckbreaker before being kicked out of his boots with a Stevie Kick. Stevie goes for the cover but a mostly inconspicuous-thus-far Jerry Lynn rolls him up from behind and gets the three-count. After Richards pops out of the pin, he glares at Lynn who says it’s every man for himself. JERRY LYNN IS THE CURRENT WINNER Stevie Richards takes it to heart and bundles Lynn to the outside where the two begin brawling. 12:35 REMAINS Consequences Creed and Kid Kash continue their back and forth fighting while Laredo Kid, Eric Young, and Suicide exchange three-way manoeuvers in the ring. The action rages on with all seven men fighting more conservatively, finally picking up on the fact that the closer to the end they pick up a fall, the greater their chances of winning. In fact it is six whole minutes before another fall comes when Suicide nails Laredo Kid with a strangely vicious running DDT and rolls him over to pick up the fall. SUICIDE IS THE CURRENT WINNER 6:14 REMAINS As time ticks further away panic sets in on the face of Jerry Lynn on the outside but it is wiped clear off as Stevie Richars throws a steel chair at him - which Lynn catches - and then knocks him out cold with a Stevie Kick. Stevie jumps on Jarrett to make the pin but Consequences Creed comes flying over the top rope with a plancha to take both men out and break the pin to a large pop. Laredo Kid is next up as he jumps onto the top rope, balances, and then does an awe-inspiring shooting star press to the outside landing flush on the celebrating Creed. Laredo barely has time to recover before Kash comes somersaulting over the top rope with a catapult senton which leaves all five men down on the outside and the crowd going crazy. Suicide looks up to the cheering fans and then at the men on the outside. Feeding off the crowd, he prepares to run, but Eric Young kicks him square between the legs and spins him around for a vicious piledriver. Eric grins manically as he drops down and hooks the far leg tightly for the pinfall. ERIC YOUNG IS THE CURRENT WINNER 3:54 REMAINS E-Y plays defensive as the men on the outside slowly recover, breaking up any pin attempt and not letting someone else take the winning fall. Creed and Stevie Richards tangle on the outside and while Eric is breaking up a Kid Kash pin attempt on Laredo Kid, Consequences Creed rolls up Stevie on the outside for an out of nowhere fall. CONSEQUENCES CREED IS THE CURRENT WINNER Stevie Richards pops out of the pin and immediately nails Creed with a Stevie Kick and robs the pinfall back. STEVIE RICHARDS IS THE CURRENT WINNER 2:12 REMAINS Pandemonium breaks out as the wrestlers realise there is only two minutes left in the match. A Laredo Kid kamikaze dive wipes out Stevie and Creed on the outside and Kid Kash falls victim to Jerry Lynn, Eric Young, and Suicide taking it in turns to Piledriver him in an insane spot. Young and Suicide quickly double clothesline Lynn to the outside and begin teeing off on each other. Eric Young manages to take Suicide down and lock in a Figure-4 Leglock on Suicide. Suicide fights for a long time but then with nowhere to go and nobody coming to the rescue, pounds his hand on the mat tapping out. ERIC YOUNG IS THE CURRENT WINNER 0:54 REMAINS Young releases the hold to look up at the countdown timer indicating he has less than a minute to see out his victory and that proves to be his mistake as Suicide locks Eric Young in a Figure-4 of his own. Eric strains and fights for his life as the timer ticks towards zero but eventually he succumbs to the pain and taps out. SUICIDE IS THE CURRENT WINNER 0:14 REMAINS Suicide immediately breaks the hold and looks out around at the bodies strewn all around the outside but doesn’t see Jerry Lynn come up behind him and crack him in the the back of the head with a chair. Suicide crumples, Lynn DIVES on Suicide, nearly pulling the referee to the ground with him. He makes the count… … … … JERRY LYNN IS THE CURRENT WINNER 0:01 REMAINS Jerry doesn’t even roll off Suicide. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! WINNER AND SECOND CAPTAIN: JERRY LYNN The crowd loudly cheers the old veteran as he is helped to his feet by the match official and declared the winner and second captain. Commentary hype the action we saw tonight and briefly talk about Lynn and Devitt being captains - they say they did whatever it took to get into those positions… but will it have a cost? Find out next week on Xplosion as we are back LIVE from Navassa Island for Stage Two of The X-Division Xtravaganza! *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* STAGE TWO It’s the second week, and that means the two team captains have a say in who their team-mates will be for the final stage. The way it works is that a captain gets to pick any two men to face off in a fifteen-minute trial match and when the bout is over, the captain will get to pick which of the men he wants on their team. Since PRINCE DEVITT was the first announced captain, he gets to pick the first trial match. Devitt steps on to the ring apron with the raucous fans cheering in the temporary bleachers - The X-Nation Complex is a slightly different, more grounded vibe than the previous week’s elevated structure - around them. Prince Devitt: “Last week I said that whatever man helped me into this position would be in turn helped by me. Laredo Kid, ya stepped up, bud. I’m pickin’ you on my team and I want ya fresh for next week so your trial match is against that little fool there.” The majority of what Devitt says seems lost on LAREDO KID but the man he is pointing at understands every single word. CONSEQUENCES CREED seethes and takes a step toward Devitt. Consequences Creed: “And what the hell makes you think I’m going to let you talk to me like that, Devitt? You think this is just going to be a tune-up match for Laredo?” Creed turns to Laredo Kid and gives him a death stare. Consequences Creed: “I’ve no issue with you, but HE-” Creed thumbs over his shoulder at Devitt. Consequences Creed: “Is manipulating you. If you can’t see that, maybe getting knocked around the head with The Fists of MontiCristo will wake you up.” Laredo briefly looks at Devitt and then back at Creed before slowly speaking. Laredo Kid: “Enough… talk. Fight. Nosotras peleamos!!!” The predominantly Spanish-speaking crowd cheer Laredo Kid despite his budding alignment with Prince Devitt and they are split between Kid and the usual crowd-favourite Consequences Creed as the first trial match begins. Consequences Creed has the bit between his teeth as he fights Laredo Kid in a match that wages on for the fully allocated fifteen minutes. A fired-up Creed takes it to Laredo Kid throughout the first ten-minutes of the contest but as the bout enters the latter stages, Laredo Kid proves to have superior condition and really takes control. Creed seems to have a point to prove following Devitt’s comments and survives a late onslaught from Laredo Kid. Laredo, for his part, will be seething that the timekeeper called for the bell just as he was perching himself on the top turnbuckle with Creed eagle-spread on the canvas. A critic might ascertain that Laredo Kid had already done enough to secure the win and maybe would have secured the win rather than the time-limit draw had he not once again taken to the top rope. Prince Devitt enters the ring and looks at both men - Laredo cutting a frustrated figure while Creed breathes heavily in a seated position in the middle of the ring. Devitt has a slight scowl on his face as he looks at Laredo Kid. Prince Devitt: “We need to work on yer finishin’, no doubt about that, bud. But that can be worked on… I can’t work on a piece of shite like that!” The crowd boo as Devitt points at Creed who instantly gets to his feet. Prince Devitt: “Well it’s the feckin’ truth, isn’t it? I’m pickin’ you, Laredo, don’t let me down.” Creed grabs Devitt by the shoulder and spins him around, obviously still angry at Devitt’s comments, but Laredo Kid comes flying across the ring with a running dropkick that sends Creed tumbling out of the ring through the middle and bottom ropes. The crowd boos loudly with Devitt smirking at Laredo Kid before we segue to the next part of the YouTube exclusive… ~~~~~ JERRY LYNN sits in the ring on a steel chair with a microphone in his hand. Creed, by default a member of Lynn’s team now stands behind him in solidarity but glares out at Devitt and Laredo. Jerry Lynn: “I’m gonna keep this short and sweet, boys… who wants it? I’m not playing any games here; who wants to come in and wrestle for a spot on my team? I need guys that WANT to be here and WANT to win - show me that.” STEVIE RICHARDS immediately stands up and pulls off his black tee-shirt. Jerry looks at him as the crowd claps Stevie’s eagerness. Stevie Richards: “Put me in, Jerry.” Jerry looks over at Creed who gives him a subtle nod of approval. Jerry Lynn: “Aight… you want it, Stevie? You got it. Now, who is going to-” Kid Kash: “Ahahahahaha! You’re kiddin’ me, right?” The crowd boos as Kash gets into the ring, laughing his ass off. Kid Kash: “I was gonna wait until the end and pick off whatever good for nothin’, son of a gun was left, but geeee wizz, this is as good as a goddamn lay-up! I ain’t gonna get an easier match all tournament! No backin’ out now, Stevie-boy!” Jerry doesn’t even need to look at Stevie’s eyes burning with rage to know Stevie WANTS this match. Jerry simply nods at both men and he and Creed leave the ring as the match official enters to watch on from ringside. Kid Kash: “Jerry, JERRY! Hold up, ya forgot this!” Kash runs over to the steel chair Jerry was sitting on and folds it up before going over to the ringside where Jerry stands. Kid Kash: “Wouldn’t want ya puttin’ out your back or somethin’ old - AAAAARRRRRRGHHH!!!” THWAAAAAACCCKK!!! The crowd boo ferociously as a sprinting Kid Kash wraps the steel chair around an unexpecting Stevie Richards head immediately knocking him out cold. Kash laughs loudly as he positions the steel chair in the middle of the ring and pulls Richards to his feet before spiking him with a Money Maker on the exposed steel. Kash rolls on top of Richards and looks at the referee expectantly. The referee appears uncomfortable but drops down and counts the three as EMT’s immediately swarm the ring. Kash again laughs loudly and gets on the microphone. Kid Kash: “Wooooo-eeeee! Now THAT’S how ya take care of business, ya heard? When’s the rest of you yellow cowards gonna learn what type a thing we got goin’ on here? It’s the X-Division Xtravaganza! Say it with me loud and clear folks: there are NO rules. Y’all be doin’ your team a damn favour if you step aside and let ME take over as captain, Jerry. I’mma win this whole damn thing and if you behave like the good lil doggie that you are, Jerry, maybe at the end I’ll throw ya a freakin’ bone! I see Consequences there noddin’ his head! Atta boy! Way I see it, Jerry, me and Creed, that’s two to one and that means I’m the NEW captain!” Creed is indeed nodding his head but Jerry’s smile is what is the real indicator that something is off to Kid. Jerry Lynn: “The captain of my team? You’re not even ON my damn team.” Kid Kash: “What in the blue hell are you talkin’ about - I just won my damn match!” Jerry Lynn: “But I don’t have to pick you.” Kid Kash: “You mean to tell me you’re gonna pick this piece of crap right here-” Kid Kash turns around right into a gigantic Stevie Kick that sends him into the ropes from a furious, blood-dripping Stevie Richards. The pop is pretty loud, one of the loudest Stevie has gotten in TNA and he shakes the ropes, fired up like a madman, as Kash somehow untangles himself and then stumbles around the ring, punch-drunk. Stevie picks up the chair Kash attacked him with and throws it at Kash’s face - Kash catches it but that’s exactly what Stevie wanted as he follows it up with another huge Stevie Kick which knocks Kash clean out cold and gives him a busted nose. After somewhat evening the score by bloodying the man who bloodied him, Stevie drops down and rolls under the bottom rope and hugs Jerry Lynn before knuckle-touching Creed. Richards is defeated but looks delighted with his new team-mates as Devitt and Kid share a worrying glance as Kash crawls across the ring towards them… ~~~~~ In a change-up from the first two trials, the final trial match begins straight away between SUICIDE and ERIC YOUNG as the captains don’t have to say anything: they are the only two competitors left AND the caveat is the winner of this match gets to choose his own team rather than a captain choosing them. The match is technically crisp, though there is little in the way of high-flying, as Suicide and Eric Young battle in a far more grounded affair than we have seen previously. The “highlight” in terms of high-flying comes when a somewhat wobbly Eric Young teeters on top of the turnbuckle before delivering a huge double axe-handle to the outside on top of Suicide. The crowd are into the back-and-forth action and cheer loudly as Eric and Suicide repeat their Figure-4 reversal spot from the previous week with the difference being that this time, it’s Eric who comes out on top. Eric has the hold cinched in tight when two sinister-looking figures clad in balaclavas obscuring the lower-half of their faces push their way to the front of the crowd. They back off as Suicide manages to get his left hand clasped around the bottom rope of the six-sided ring. Eric Young, however, continues to take control with a superplex that shakes the ring but with the two men staring him down, his paranoia gets the best of him. He immediately grabs the referee and starts hollering incoherently about the conspiracy against him while pointing at the two men in the crowd. The referee doesn’t know what to do with the rambling E-Y and thankfully, for his sake, doesn’t have to figure it out as Eric turns around into a running DDT from Suicide, who spikes Eric’s head on the mat with gusto before rolling him over for the pinfall victory. Prince Devitt immediately hits the ring, sweet-talking Suicide alongside Laredo Kid and Kid Kash, hoping to win him over as an ally. Jerry Lynn, Stevie Richards, and Consequences Creed look worried at ringside, wondering how they would potentially deal with the loose cannon, conspiracy nut that is Eric Young on their team. Devitt is all grins as Kash and Laredo nod their head encouragingly at Suicide who looks towards the crowd. Devitt sticks out his hand to shake and Suicide slowly begins to extend his own hand towards him before hesitating. He looks at the crowd, then at the trio on the outside, then directly at the two men clad in balaclavas. They give subtle nods and Suicide pops the crowd by turning his back on Devitt’s team and rolling to the outside to shake Jerry Lynn’s hand! Team Jerry Lynn celebrates enthusiastically as Team Devitt gets an earful from the now awake and newest member of their team Eric Young… *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* STAGE THREE There is a split screen shot of Team Devitt and Team Lynn sitting in their respective quarters, eyeing each other up, bouncing their feet nervously as they await an announcement. PRINCE DEVITT sits beside LAREDO KID and KID KASH harshly pulls on a rolled-up cigarette as he eyes a pacing ERIC YOUNG who is muttering inaudibly to himself. On the other side of the split screen shot, SUICIDE sits alone with his head pointed downwards as STEVIE RICHARDS, JERRY LYNN, and CONSEQUENCES CREED chatter quietly. Suddenly a booming announcement rings out informing them that in one minute, Team Devitt would begin their portion of the third stage. Devitt looks out at his team before talking. Prince Devitt: “Look lads, there’s no point killin’ ourselves is there? We’ve got the final stage next week and we need to make sure we’re in alright shape, yeah? So, I propose what we do is-” Kid Kash: “Listen here an’ listen good! I ain’t about to let you flap your gums for the next two minutes and waste all of our time! You’re gonna suggest that we let you win, ain’t cha?” Devitt shrugs his shoulders and then nods his head at Laredo Kid. Prince Devitt: “He’s already in. Defy us and we’ll make sure it’s you and not Eric out first.” Kash’s eyes bug out, being the first eliminated would mean that he would be the first person from his team to wrestle the Xscape The X Nation match. Eric Young: “Me? ME!?!? You’re all in on this, aren’t you? You’re all in on Paul’s conspiracy against me! Well… I’m not freaking having it! No, no, no, no, no! I’ve been screwed enough times. If you two are teaming up… then so are Krash and I!” Kid Kash: “Kash…” Devitt shifts his weight from one foot to the other, eyeing up both men. He sucks air in between his teeth. Prince Devitt: “Alright, alright! Fair enough then, every bleedin’ man for hims-” BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! The time for talking is over and Team Devitt makes their way out to another unique set-up in the X-Nation Complex. The fans are at ground level, swarming the immediate outside of the ring like you might see at a well-attended independent show but the real difference is the ring itself. It is not a traditional six-sided TNA ring, the canvas area is MUCH larger and in place of the three sets of ropes we are used to, there are FOUR sets of ropes, the top one stopping just below the neckline. The men look quizzically at each other but the fans are here for it - more space to fight and a bigger height to jump from. The bell sounds and, perhaps surprisingly, Devitt is true to his word and immediately locks up with Laredo Kid. Seeing this, Kash and Eric Young begin teeing off each other and we get effectively two singles matches for the opening portion of the match. The first elimination comes when Eric nails Kash with a wheelbarrow facebuster and Laredo Kid and Prince Devitt halt their chain-wrestling in a suspiciously quick fashion. Eric gets up from the move and gets sandwiched with a double enzuirigi from the duo. Devitt points at E-Y, allowing Laredo Kid to pin Eric and eliminate him. When Kash comes around, he realizes that Devitt and Laredo’s “fighting” was essentially a ruse and they are in the exact same position as they had planned to be. Kash fights valiantly but it doesn’t take long before Devitt drills him with a super-elevated Bloody Sunday from the top of the fourth rope. The huge move gets a sizable pop and Devitt once again allows Laredo Kid to pin Kash and eliminate him. Laredo and Devitt dance around the ring for a few seconds, teasing an actual bout but in the end Laredo drops to the canvas and allows Devitt to gently pin him causing much anger amongst the fans present. WINNER: PRINCE DEVITT Xscape The X-Nation Entry Order Eric Young Kid Kash Laredo Kid Prince Devitt ~~~~~ The announcement is made that Team Lynn will begin their portion of the third stage in one minute and the members of the team all stand up and begin shaking themselves out - except for Suicide, who still sits with his head down. Jerry grabs Stevie by the shoulders. Jerry Lynn: “Go out there and prove to everyone watching that you are THE most underutilised talent of the last decade. Show them all that you SHOULD have been given more, should have had better opportunities, should have been at the top of the game. And you…” Jerry turns to Creed, placing his free hand on his shoulder. Jerry Lynn: “You show everybody that you are READY. It doesn’t matter how young you are, it doesn’t matter if they say you need more time, you show them that you are ready to go NOW. Don’t do what me and Stevie did, don’t let this shit pass you by, you’ll never forgive yourself if you do.” Creed and Richards both look fired up to the high heavens and enthusiastically nod their heads at their captain’s speech. Jerry Lynn: “I have no plots, no plans, no plays… we go out there and tear the damn house down and whoever’s left standing is left standing, alright? Next week… we have each other’s back… all of us… that includes you.” Suicide gingerly lifts his head and looks at the trio in front of him for a moment before slowly nodding which causes Lynn to break out into a huge grin. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! It takes a while for the four men to get adjusted to the unfamiliar ring dimensions and set up but once they do, they go absolutely all out in trying to put on the best match they possibly can - exactly what the crowd needed after Laredo Kid lay down for Prince Devitt. Creed nails Lynn with a MontiFisto, Lynn nails all three men on the outside with a plancha after a QUADRUPLE jump springboard, and Suicide nearly breaks Richards in half with an explosive belly-to-belly into the elongated turnbuckle. After an all-action opening ten things finally breakdown a little bit and Big Stevie Cool treats the fans on Navassa Island to a Stevie Kick party; he first nails Suicide, then catches a diving Lynn flush on the chin, before popping the crowd huge by catching a springboarding, corkscrewing Consequences Creed square in the face. He makes the mistake of taunting too long and turns straight into that vicious running DDT Suicide has been utilising during The X-Nation Xtravaganza. Suicide doesn’t pander to the crowd at all and quickly covers Stevie eliminating him. Suicide finds himself shocked when Consequences Creed ducks his clothesline, lights him up with a MontiFisto, and hoists him up and spins him out for a fireman’s carry cutter. Lynn has pulled himself to his feet and for a split second looks like intervening but ultimately stands down as Creed covers and eliminates Suicide. Creed and Lynn bump fists and have a five-minute sprint, showcasing the best of their respective arsenals before Jerry Lynn comes out the better of an exchange with a sunset bomb and uses his legs to keep Creed’s shoulders pinned down for the three. The fans applaud all four men’s efforts in the near thirty-minute spectacle and there seems to be no hard feelings between Team Lynn as they all - even Suicide - climb back into the ring to congratulate their captain… WINNER: JERRY LYNN Xscape The X-Nation Entry Order Stevie Richards Suicide Consequences Creed Jerry Lynn !!!TUNE IN TO DESTINATION X TO SEE THE THRILLING CONCLUSION TO THE X-NATION XTRAVAGANZA AS TEAM LYNN BATTLES TEAM DEVITT IN THE BARBARIC XSCAPE THE X NATION MATCH!!! *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* STAGE FOUR | 25/3/10 DESTINATION X Xscape The X Nation Confined within a gruelling steel enclosure, the starting participant from each team will go one-on-one until somebody picks up a pinfall or submission. The person who takes the fall is instantly eliminated and the winner will to face the second participant of the opposing team immediately. This will continue until one team is fully eliminated. But… there can only be one winner. Any remaining people on the winning team will continue to enter in order and they will face their own teammates and continue fighting until there is one winner. When we get down to the final two competitors, regardless of whether they are teammates or not, the only way to win the match is by escaping the steel enclosure. The overall winner gets the first-ever X-NATION TROPHY and a guaranteed shot at the X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP at any event of their choosing. DESTINATION X Xscape The X Nation Team Lynn (Order of entry: Stevie Richards, Suicide, Consequences Creed, Jerry Lynn) vs Team Devitt (Order of entry: Eric Young, Kid Kash, Laredo Kid, Prince Devitt)​ QUICK RESULTS Stage One Prince Devitt d. Jerry Lynn, Suicide, Kid Kash, Consequences Creed, Eric Young, Laredo Kid, Stevie Richards Jerry Lynn d. Suicide, Kid Kash, Consequences Creed, Eric Young, Laredo Kid, Stevie Richards Stage Two Laredo Kid draws with Consequences Creed Kid Kash d. Stevie Richards Suicide d. Eric Young Stage Three Prince Devitt d. Eric Young, Kid Kash, Laredo Kid Jerry Lynn d. Stevie Richards, Suicide, Consequences Creed​

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ohhhhh dayum that feels good. Life got really busy (graduating and getting a full time job in teaching) around the time of the last update and I kept long fingering this project. I swore to myself I'd return by the end of Summer 24, then it was before the end of 2024 in general, and finally I promised myself I would NOT let this thread go a full YEAR without an update. Next month was the year mark so I'm superrrrr happy to get this out. Rust will probably show and it was a bit of a slog to get through but I'm overall happy with this as my "flavour" piece for the cycle. Destination X is being jammed out with no hiccups so far, I always find the results easier to write than the flavour pieces I do, but due to not being presented in a weekly style, I like doing the flavour pieces each cycle so yeah... they won't be going anywhere lul. Anywaaaaaaaaaaaaays, GREAT to be back, I'm aiming for TUESDAY for Destination X results and after that we'll be looking towards our SECOND PPV - Victory Road. Thank you so much to anyone who checks this shit out, I'll be posting a prediction contest for Destination X on the post just below this! Love ya all ~ Tig

 

[Tig]

PREDICTION CONTEST
======================================================
Destination X
======================================================
March 25th, 2010
live from The iMPACT Zone
Orlando, Florida
======================================================
OPENING MATCH//no time limit
full metal mayhem match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
“The Nation of Violence” Samoa Joe © vs “Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MATCH TWO//20 minute time limit
tag team match
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams vs ???
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MATCH THREE//18 minute time limit
British rounds rules
Doug Williams vs “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MATCH FOUR//30 minute time limit
tornado tag team match for the TNA World Tag Team Championships
Eddie Kingston & Homicide © vs Motor City Machine Guns
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MATCH FIVE//30 minute time limit
xscape the x nation
Eric Young vs Stevie Richards vs Consequences Creed vs Prince Devitt vs Jerry Lynn vs Kid Kash vs “Suicide” vs Laredo Kid
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MATCH SIX//no time limit
no disqualifications
“Suicidal, Genocidal” Sabu vs “The Whole Fucking Show” Rob Van Dam
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MAIN EVENT//no time limit
ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship
“The Author” Francis Benedict Geraldman © vs Amazing Red vs Jay Lethal vs ???
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TEMPLATE

Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams/???
Doug Williams/Kurt Angle
Eddie Kingston & Homicide/Motor City Machine Guns
Young/Richards/Creed/Devitt/Lynn/Kash/"Suicide"/Laredo
Sabu/Rob Van Dam
Francis Benedict Geraldman/Amazing Red/Jay Lethal/???

Bonus Question 1: Who will be Dutt and Williams mystery opponent?
Bonus Question 2: Who will be the fourth man in the main event?

Step up and take a stab and you will get some form of in project reward - TBD - similar to what Rosie and RDT have won already!​

 

[Oz]

Return of the king, doing a full Survivor BTB in the middle of a TNA BTB.

Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams/Generation Me (Max Buck & Jeremy Buck)
Doug Williams/Kurt Angle (I think this meant to be Danielson? Danielson wins)
Eddie Kingston & Homicide/Motor City Machine Guns
Young/Richards/Creed/Devitt/Lynn/Kash/"Suicide"/Laredo
Sabu/Rob Van Dam
Francis Benedict Geraldman/Amazing Red/Jay Lethal/Jeff Hardy

Bonus Question 1: Who will be Dutt and Williams mystery opponent? Generation Me/Young Bucks
Bonus Question 2: Who will be the fourth man in the main event? Fuck it might as well be Jeff Hardy

 

[Roy Mustang]

TEMPLATE

Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams/???
Doug Williams/Bryan Danielson
Eddie Kingston & Homicide/Motor City Machine Guns
Young/Richards/Creed/Devitt/Lynn/Kash/"Suicide"/Laredo
Sabu/Rob Van Dam
Francis Benedict Geraldman/Amazing Red/Jay Lethal/???

Bonus Question 1: Who will be Dutt and Williams mystery opponent? I'll also go Generation Me
Bonus Question 2: Who will be the fourth man in the main event? Low Ki

 

[Stojy]

Before I get into the predictions, I just wanted to say I really enjoyed the XXX. Gimmicky as all hell, but I enjoyed the survivor vibes as Oz mentioned above. I think the biggest thing for me here though is whilst this was so creative and different (which always attracts me as a reader), there was still plenty of character work here which can only be a positive for the X divsion. The Devitt and Laredo partnership, the Suicide stuff, the two mystery men, and even just the general personalities of people like Young and Kash. And credit for actually using Stevie Richards in a meaningful role to. Just very enjoyable stuff throughout, including the crazy ten foot drop Battle Royal elimination. The only potential change is maybe nine guys doing the ten foot drop was overkill. Could have been cool if mid stage/challenge, when we're down to the final four or something, the ring got raised or whatever to escalate the situation. By no means saying what you did was wrong, just a thought. Anyway, enjoyed this and now to my predictions...

TEMPLATE

Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams/???
Doug Williams/Kurt Angle
Eddie Kingston & Homicide/Motor City Machine Guns
Young/Richards/Creed/Devitt/Lynn/Kash/"Suicide"/Laredo
Sabu/Rob Van Dam
Francis Benedict Geraldman/Amazing Red/Jay Lethal/???

Bonus Question 1: Who will be Dutt and Williams mystery opponent? World's Greatest Tag Team (Haas and Benjamin)
Bonus Question 2: Who will be the fourth man in the main event? I'll go with Jeff Hardy as well.

 

[Dubb]

So glad to see this is back, Tig. And loved the XXX. Really fun stuff.

TEMPLATE

Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels - Joe's dominance is just beginning. Can't imagine him dropping it yet
Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams/???
Doug Williams/Kurt Angle (Bryan Danielson) - Danielsons rise is just beginning
Eddie Kingston & Homicide/Motor City Machine Guns - MCMG won't be hurt by the loss but Kingston and Homicide keep looking strong
Young/Richards/Creed/Devitt/Lynn/Kash/"Suicide"/Laredo
Sabu/Rob Van Dam
Francis Benedict Geraldman/Amazing Red/Jay Lethal/???

Bonus Question 1: Who will be Dutt and Williams mystery opponent? Only hint I could go off was they would "live up to the X Division name" so... lets go with Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Bonus Question 2: Who will be the fourth man in the main event? I want to say something fun like El Generico but since its a main event debut, I'm going to also go with Jeff Hardy sadly.

 

[Tig]

TNA Destination X Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 25
=======================
Jeremy Dubbson
March 26, 2010

Paul Heyman’s overhaul of TNA received a massive boost with a slew of new signings seemingly joining the expanding Total Nonstop Action ranks. From an in-ring perspective, Destination X was an extremely solid showcase for the X-Division but the bigger stories surround all the new talent Heyman has seemingly struck deals with.

Laden down with a severe injury list, Destination X was somewhat of a thrown together television special but all the competitors worked their socks off to deliver an exhilarating three hours of action. There was also some groundwork laid for the path to the Victory Road PPV coming in April and fans will be able to start piecing together some of the matchcard based on the events that unfolded at Destination X.

The pre-announced matches for the show:

•World Heavyweight Championship: Samoa Joe © vs. Christopher Daniels in Full Metal Mayhem
•Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams vs a mystery tag team
•Doug Williams vs Bryan Danielson in a British Round Rules Match
•World Tag Team Championships: Eddie Kingston & Homicide © vs Motor City Machine Guns in a Tornado Tag Match
•The Final Stage of The X-Division Xtravaganza ‘Xscape The X Nation’
•Rob Van Dam vs Sabu in a No Disqualification Match
•X-Division Championship: Francis Benedict Geraldman © vs Amazing Red vs Jay Lethal vs a mystery opponent in Ultimate X

=======================
World Heavyweight Championship: Samoa Joe © vs Christopher Daniels in Full Metal Mayhem
It hasn’t exactly been unusual for TNA World Heavyweight Championship matches to kick off proceedings recently and that has been a topic of debate but the placement here made sense given the emphasis on the X-Division nature of Destination X. Daniels and Joe had a relatively short build but it was certainly explosive and this match continued the trend of the build-up.

In a match that clocked in just over ten minutes, this was the definition of both men “getting their shit in”. The highlight of the sprint was undoubtedly when Christopher Daniels did a Best Moonsault Ever variation from the apron to the outside and put a supine Joe through the table he was lying on. In the finishing stretch, both men clocked each other with their big moves but after Daniels missed a dive from atop a ladder, Joe viciously put him through an open steel chair with a Muscle Buster before climbing to the top and unhooking his TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Samoa Joe got a mixed reaction upon winning, it is hard to attest that to whether the fans haven’t fully bought into his new heel turn with the Taz-backed stable, Daniels wasn’t over enough as a face to garner a full heel reaction for Joe, or if Joe’s aura is just always going to receive pockets of support from the crowd. Regardless, this was a fine first defence for Joe even if the stipulation felt a little forced. Performance wise, Daniels delivered as always and this was fine for a television special title match but Heyman is going to need to deliver a more high profile bout for Joe with the Victory Road PPV just around the corner.

Result
Samoa Joe

Grade
B

Highlights
-Daniels made his way to the ring wearing an AJ Styles tee-shirt, a nice touch to add some emotion to the match but perhaps a stark reminder that Daniels isn’t the main man.
-Daniels wrapped a steel chair around the head of Samoa Joe just minutes into the match - the connection was sick, how Joe didn’t end up with a crimson mask after it is beyond me.
-A ladder actually snapped in two after Joe jammed one in between the top and middle ropes and put Daniels through it with a cannonball senton. For a company dealing with so many high-profile injuries, these two certainly threw caution to the wind in a bid to get this match over.
-Daniels teased a Styles Clash but Joe flipped him over his head and then picked him up and drilled him through a table with a uranage.

=======================
SHOWTIME!
After the match, Taz and D’Angelo Dinero joined Samoa Joe in the ring to celebrate. Taz cut a promo calling Joe the best wrestler in the world and said that nobody would be able to stop him, Joe then took the microphone and said that it didn’t matter who Heyman booked him to face at Victory Road… he’d kill them. Dinero took this as his cue to begin attacking the already downed Daniels, laying the boots into him and kicking him to outside the ring. Dinero planted Daniels on the ground outside and went over towards the barricade to pick up a steel chair. Dinero turned around with the steel chair in hand and then had the life choked out of him by a baseball bat from a hooded member of the crowd. When Taz and Joe realised what was happening they went to make the save but stopped when the hooded assailant dropped Dinero and pointed the baseball bat straight at Joe. The hooded man threw back his hood to reveal… THE ICON STING! The crowd went nuts for Sting’s return and Taz held a furious Samoa Joe back as Sting stared stoically on.

Grade
A

=======================
Petey Williams & Sonjay Dutt vs ?????
The ever boisterous TNA fans were in a rambunctious mood following Sting’s return and they laid the heat on thick as Williams and Dutt cut a rather by-the-book heel promo trashing TNA and Heyman and praying for their lord-and-saviour (Jeff Jarrett) to return. It was a good set-up to get their mystery opponents the big debut pop as the crowd roared in approval when Paul London and Brian Kendrick came out from the back.

In a ten-minute match, Williams and Dutt were the perfect first opponents for the high-octane London and Kendrick. They meshed well and it felt very fitting for an X-Division-themed event but despite the run-length it wasn’t overly competitive and was mostly used as a showcase for London and Kendrick to display their team-work and hit some impressive double-team combinations. Still, the crowd appropriately cheered the debut victory after London enzuirigi’d Dutt into an STO from Kendrick.

London and Kendrick were relatively over during the match and in the short bit of mic-time they were afforded post-match they dubbed their tag team “The Hooliganz”, announced they had signed full-time to Total Nonstop Action, and revealed that they would be taking place in the upcoming Victory Road Tag League. There are a lot of fun opponents for The Hooliganz and hopefully they weren’t just brought in to pad out the Victory Road Tag League.

Result
The Hooliganz (Brian Kendrick & Paul London)

Grade
C+

Highlights
-London and Kendrick sprinted to the ring, ducked Dutt and Williams, rebounded off the ropes and sent them both flying out of the ring with stereo dropkicks for a hot start.
-Despite the heat Dutt and Williams garnered with their pre-match promo, it died down quite a bit during the match and Petey Williams really has to stop signalling for The Canadian Destroyer if he is going to continue on as a heel; the crowd get excited every time he does the taunt.
-Paul London’s corkscrew plancha to the outside wasn’t well caught by Dutt, a rare misstep in a technically sound match. Luckily, London didn’t seem injured from the move.
-Tenay stated that The Hooliganz finishing move was called “Get Well Soon” and new broadcast partner Raven quipped that it seemed a rather ironic name for a finishing maneuver.

=======================
Doug Williams vs Bryan Danielson in British Round Rules
There hadn’t been much clarity around what exactly British Round Rules entailed but thankfully, in what was a nice nod to history, TNA flew in World of Sports legend Johnny Saint for a guest appearance where he laid out the rules before the opening bell. British Round Rules would be contested under the following conditions: two-out-of-three falls, six three-minute rounds with 20-second intervals in between, a win is awarded immediately if you knock your opponent out or your opponent gets disqualified, and in the event of a draw at the end of the six rounds, a special adjudicator (Johnny Saints himself) would decide the winner.

The first round told a story of Doug Williams and Bryan Danielson being evenly-matched in chain wrestling but following on from the explosive debut of The Hooliganz and the Full Metal Mayhem opener meant that Williams and Danielson had to act quick to win the crowd over; the match gained heat and interest at the end of the first round when Williams managed to catch Danielson in an O’Connell roll to go 1-0 up. Williams spent the next three rounds wrestling defensively and trying to prevent Danielson levelling things up rather than go on the attack. Williams managed to survive a fifth-round onslaught from Danielson but just twenty-two seconds into the sixth round Danielson knocked Williams out cold with a Busaiku Knee Kick and secured the win.

It took a while for the crowd to get into it but they were firmly behind Danielson come the fifth-round and the whole arena jumped out of their seats for the knockout finish. Williams showed his finely-polished skills and looked impressive and while this was a nice special attraction match that was well worked, it is obvious why this isn’t a mainstay in modern professional wrestling.

Result
Bryan Danielson

Grade
B+

Highlights
-It’s worth pointing out that though Williams fought defensively and tried to see out the fight with his 1-0 advantage, he did not cheat, he abided by the rules.
-Danielson was amazing as always but some of Doug Williams' reversal tactics fighting on the back foot were truly unique to watch.
-Danielson upped the ante massively in the fifth round and busted out a vicious exploder suplex launching Williams into the turnbuckle.
-The running knee kick that secured Danielson the win was preceded by a series of vicious forearm strikes and backfists in the corner; a real display of striking tenacity from Danielson that TNA fans haven’t previously seen.

=======================
British… Implosion?
Johnny Saint declared Bryan Danielson the winner by knockout and got a good pop by lifting the victorious Danielson’s arm in the air. Rob Terry and Brutus Magnus came down to ringside and after checking on Doug, they slid into the ring looking to lay waste to Danielson. Before they could strike, Doug Williams entered the ring and stood between them. The Brit shook Danielson’s hand and granted him safe passage away from the ring. Williams got on the microphone and had a heart to heart with Magnus; he told his irate partner that he wasn’t sure about aligning with The British Invasion going forward and that he harboured his own single ambitions. Williams said the only reason he isn’t pulling the plug on their team is because he owes it to The British Invasion to try and reclaim their World Tag Team Championships. He finished by saying that if he and Magnus don’t win the Victory Road Tag League, he won’t be continuing as a tag team competitor. A good, passionate promo from Williams that left Magnus and Terry looking a mix of perplexed and enraged in the ring.

Grade
B

=======================
World Tag Team Championships: Eddie Kingston & Homicide © vs Motor City Machine Guns in a Tornado Tag Match
The tag champs came down to the ring without the rest of their stable; the absence was explained by commentary saying Dinero was being checked on by medics and Taz was trying to calm down Joe in the back. In keeping with the build-up to the match over the past three weeks, The Guns received a thunderous ovation ahead of their championship match and were in fine form to boot in an excellently worked tornado tag match.

In the early goings of the match it was all Motor City as they dove in, out, and around the ring blitzing Homicide and Eddie Kingston. After both Guns took out Homicide and Kingston with dives to the outside, the champions really kicked it up a notch and showed their value with a fantastic, long brawl on the outside. Homicide and Chris Sabin battled into the crowd and that culminated with a jaw-dropping dive from Sabin over six rows of seats that effectively rendered both men out of it for the remainder of the contest. Eddie Kingston caught a top-rope leaping Alex Shelley with a massive Backfist to the Future in mid-air and collapsed on Shelley for the win.

The crowd found it hard to boo Homicide and Eddie Kignston after the classic display but the two heeled it up in their obnoxious, jaw-jacking celebration to elicit the desired reaction. As important as it was for the champs to show they can get the job done without assistance, Motor City Machine Guns stole the show and management must seriously be considering a title reign in the near future given the reactions they got in the build and during this match. The crowd were begging for a Guns win here.

Result
Eddie Kingston & Homicide

Grade
A-

Highlights
-Raven seemed well settled by the time this match rolled around and made some great and insightful commentary, specifically during the brawl on the outside.
-Sabin’s leap over the rows of seats has to be seen to be believed. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to allow Sabin the space required to pull off the stunt.
-Homicide does the little things so well to put over the wildness of his character. During a stomp down on a cornered Alex Shelley, he grabbed him by the hair and hit down hard on his forehead.
-Kingston really leathers people with the Backfist to the Future - Alex Shelley can count himself lucky he still has all his teeth intact following the finish.

=======================
Xscape The X Nation: Team Lynn (Jerry Lynn, Suicide, Consequences Creed, and Stevie Richards) vs Team Devitt (Prince Devitt, Laredo Kid, Eric Young, and Kid Kash
The action cut from the ring in the iMPACT Zone at Destination X and the big screen highlighted footage coming live from Navassa Island where the final stage of The X-Division Extravaganza took place in a steel cage structure in front of a sizable crowd of fans. An on-screen graphic highlighted the rules of the Xscape The X Nation match: there was an order of entry and only one man from each team could be in the match at any one time. Anytime someone was eliminated the next person from that team would enter. If one team gets fully eliminated the surviving fighter must fight his own remaining teammates (if there is an order) and escape the cage when it is down to the final two to be crowned the winner.

Anyone who followed the X-Division Xtravaganza on Xplosion would say there was a reasonable chance that Prince Devitt may win with an assist from Laredo Kid… and that’s exactly what happened. However, the path to get there took a few unexpected turns. Stevie Richards dispatched of a preoccupied Eric Young surprisingly easily before being undone by a vicious Kid Kash who used the steel cage to devastating effect. Suicide entered and shocked everyone by nodding towards the crowd and laying down for Kid Kash to get the gifted pinfall. Kid Kash and Consequences Creed battled it out in the longest sequence of the match and Kash managed to claw out the win which brought out Lynn who didn’t take long to take down the spent Kash. Laredo Kid entered and the match was basically an angle from there on out with Laredo Kid being outwrestled for a few minutes and getting caught in a flash pin. Laredo exploded and low-blowed Lynn before beating him down to a bloody pulp. Prince Devitt strolled down, his Bloody Sunday, and climbed out of the cage to a cacophony of booing.

Devitt and Laredo’s relationship over the X-Division Xtravaganza was highlighted and it made sense for that to pay off here. Devitt still has notable Japanese commitments so it’s interesting that he has won The X-Nation Trophy and the right to have a championship match at an event of his choosing. Perhaps he sticks around to enter the Victory Road Tag League with Laredo Kid but after that, he surely has to be back in Japan as he is an announced entrant in the best of the Super Juniors tournament. Still, one guarantee is that when Devitt DOES get his championship match it will likely be a cracking affair, so, there is that to look forward to.

Result
Prince Devitt

Grade
B-

Highlights
-Eric Young has fully cracked. He hit a few big moves on Stevie but would immediately turn to the crowd and try to explain his conspiracy theories to them. Stevie didn’t have to wait long before he turned into a well-placed Stevie Kick.
-Kid Kash has an air of expectancy about him when Suicide came out. Suicide looked at him and then at the pair of men in the crowd before nodding at them. Kash grinned at this point before Suicide lay down. There was definitely some sort of prior agreement in place here.
-Laredo Kid has managed to quickly turn the crowd's support against him on Navassa Island. It’ll be interesting to see if he can sustain the heat as TNA gear up to go on the road: especially seen as the first month of touring is in Texas,
-Devitt played the smug, smarmy asshole to perfection in his brief foray into the match. It’s so easy to hate him. It’s another reason why I think Devitt’s shot won’t come for quite a while: if Francis Benedict Geraldman is champion this heel on heel match really doesn’t work and shouldn’t be booked.

=======================
Suicidal Tendancies?
After the post-match celebration, the masked EMT who helped Jerry Lynn to his feet suddenly spun around and dropped him with a clothesline. Much to the bewilderment of the crowd, he took off his surgical mask to reveal that he was Cody Deaner. Amidst the confusion, the two Cuban men who had been seen watching Suicide throughout the tournament ran down from the crowd and began putting the boots to Lynn. The convoluted segment grew more complex as Suicide raced out to the ring, entering through the open door of the steel cage, and backed the attackers off before turning around and laying into Lynn himself. “Suicide” lifted Lynn up before drilling him with… The Stroke. He ripped the mask and standing there in all his glory was none other than Jeff Jarrett. With a snarl on his face he shouted over the booing of the crowd and said that they couldn’t kick him out, Heyman couldn’t kick him out, Rob Van Dam couldn’t kick him out - TNA is HIS company. He mocked Heyman and said it was so easy to waltz into the X-Division Xtravaganza: poor Cody who had lost his job found the Suicide costume in the trash weeks ago and when he came to Jarrett asking him to plead his case to Heyman to allow him be the new Suicide, a plan started to formulate. One phone call to his friends from Cuba - Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero - and the course was set. If Heyman and RVD were going to conspire to oust him from TNA he had a Plan B, a way back in, and it all started when Jarrett put on the costume and entered The X-Division Xtravaganza - but Jarrett was never planning on winning the tournament (even though he could in his sleep) he simply needed a means to get to Jerry Lynn… Rob Van Dam’s best friend. Romero and Reyes placed a burlap sack over Lynn’s head and dragged him out of the ring, a hesitant looking Deaner following them. Jarrett challenged Rob Van Dam to a match, a WAR, at Victory Road; Jarrett’s crew against whatever ragtag bunch of washed up Extremists Van Dam and Heyman could muster up. Jarrett said he expected an answer from the extreme slapnuts on iMPACT! and until he got his answer he’d be keeping a very close watch over poor, ol’ Jerry Lynn.

Grade
A - look, this was chaotic madness from start to finish but Jarrett produced a doozy of a promo in what will be a segment that is always remembered

=======================
Rob Van Dam vs Sabu in a No Disqualifications Match
It’s safe to say that Rob Van Dam was affected by the preceding segment that aired live from Navassa Island; he seemed much more low-energy than usual and had a solemn look on his face as he came to the ring. Sabu was Sabu, no different than usual.

Sabu went about making RVD forget about his transgressions with Jarrett by way of a launched steel chair to the head inside the opening minute. Sabu and RVD had the exact type of bout you’d expect from them; a plunder match sprinkled with high, risky spots. Despite being off his game and nailed with an Arabian Skullcrusher onto a chair, RVD managed to rally late and get the pinfall after putting Sabu through a table with a 5-Star Frog Splash.

After the match, RVD hugged Sabu and then got on the microphone and said he accepted Jarrett’s declaration of war and that he’d be bringing an army to Victory Road. He then asked Sabu to be part of his team and when Sabu nodded, the crowd cheered loudly. Looks like this wasn’t just a “one and done” mini-programme for Sabu.

Result
Rob Van Dam

Grade
B-

Highlights
-In what was basically a babyface on babyface affair, the decision to have RVD off his game following the Jarrett-Lynn Navassa Island incident was smart booking to naturally allow RVD to work from underneath and Sabu to be the aggressor in the match.
-Sabu’s first-minute chair launch set the tone for a hardcore match and both men were really stiff with their weapon shots.
-Sabu of course had a couple of missteps but his biggest one was when jumped off a chair onto the top rope and stumbled falling to the outside in an attempted dive; RVD did well to somewhat land a one-kneed facebuster as Sabu was falling and it kind of saved the spot.
-RVD’s Rolling Thunder to a supine Sabu that had a chair draped across his back is probably one of the more illogical moves in wrestling; it has to hurt RVD as much as it did Sabu.

=======================
Heyman Announces Victory Road Tag League Entrants
Live from his office Paul Heyman announced the entrants into the Victory Road Tag League. He said twelve teams would compete in the month-long tournament that would culminate at Victory Road. Motor City Machine Guns, British Invasion, Bad Intentions, Team 3D, Lethal Consequences, The Hooliganz were expected to be in and they were all announced as such. An unexpected TNA-based team was also announced in Rob Van Dam and Sabu. Heyman announced that Rocky Romero and Ricky Reyes - the men who helped Jarrett on Navassa Island earlier tonight - would also be taking a spot. Prince Devitt, as predicted earlier, was also announced for the tournament but not with Laredo Kid as his partner, instead, Rysuke Taguchi is being flown in from Japan to reprise his Apollo 55 tag team with Devitt: the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Heyman announced the Mexican representatives, young AAA standouts Extreme Tiger and Aero Star. Heyman then declared that the Super Smash Bros had won a tag team battle royal at an independent show in Florida last night to gain wildcard entry to the tournament. Heyman saved the biggest bomb for last: universally praised and perhaps the biggest independent tag team in professional wrestling. Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, The Kings of Wrestling, are entering the Victory Road Tag League. The full, blockbuster line-up below:

The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams)
Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin)
Bad Intentions (Karl Anderson and Giant Bernard)
Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon)
Lethal Consequences (Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed)
The Hooliganz (Brian Kendrick and Paul London)
Rob Van Dam and Sabu
The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero)
Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Rysuke Taguchi)
Aero Star and Extreme Tiger
Super Smash Bros (Player Uno and Player Dos)
The Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero)

Grade
B+ - this was a standard announcement but some of the reveals of new talent coming to TNA alone made it worth watching

=======================
X-Division Championship: Francis Benedict Geraldman © vs Jay Lethal vs Amazing Red vs ????? in Ultimate X
Francis Benedict Geraldman has set the internet abuzz recently with his performances in a whimsical, theatrical new gimmick and his reaction - though all heat - dwarfed the moderate cheers Amazing Red and Jay Lethal received. The mystery opponent, however, blew the roof off The iMPACT! Zone. The heavy rumours from the dirtsheets did nothing to dampen the pop Jeff Hardy received upon his entrance into Ultimate X and The Charismatic Enigma played up to it as much as he could, dancing onto the stage and to the ring in his classic face paint.

A lot of the match was mostly centred around Jeff Hardy and his innovative offence, he was in fine form buoyed on by a huge pro-Hardy crowd. All four men took huge risks, putting the unique Ultimate X structure to great use in a spot-filled bout that had the crowd going nuts. With Red and Lethal wiped on the outside, in an insane spot, FBG leapt off the truss with a double footstomp to Hardy who was crawling along the wire and mere inches away from the belt. This gave “The Author” enough time to scale the structure and unhook his X-Division Championship and put an end to the highlight-reel of a main event.

The crowd were into this match from bell to bell and it was a worthy main event and showing for the X-Division and champion. After FBG’s victory celebration, Hardy recovered enough to salute the fans who had shown him so much support and love throughout the match. FBG suddenly attacked Hardy from behind and drilled him with a Fade to Black before telling the booing crowd that “every good show has an encore”. The buzz will all be about Hardy and the slew of other new talent coming in the doors at Total Nonstop Action but the final, lasting image of Destination X 2010 will always be that of “The Author” Francis Benedict Geraldman strapping the X-Division Championship around his waist and bowing over a fallen Jeff Hardy while grinning at the nuclear heat he received from the crowd. Kazarian has seemingly caught lightning in a bottle with his new character and I am freaking here for it.

Result
Francis Benedict Geraldman

Grade
A

Highlights
-Jay Lethal and Amazing Red were extremely involved with each other and seemed to cross paths a lot. They had some good chemistry, TNA could do worse than pairing these for matches if Lethal isn’t going to reprise his tag team position with Creed.
-Francis Benedict Geraldman is absolutely flourishing in his new role as “The Author”. He cut a dramatic monologue on the way to the ring that sounded like it was drafted by Shakespeare himself.
-Jeff Hardy was already adored by the iMPACT Zone but he wasted no time endearing himself further with a Swanton Bomb from the top of the truss onto the three brawling wrestlers below.
-In what was a really good first night in the booth for Raven, he remarked that the X-Division Championship was arguably as prestigious as any other championship in wrestling and that it was incomparable to the World Heavyweight Championship due to the nature of the X-Division; that doesn’t mean it isn’t as worthy to main event a huge event like Destination X. Eyebrows might be raised at trying to elevate the X-Division Championship to such a lofty height but it was a fitting piece of commentary on a night that was all about celebrating the talent the X-Division has to offer and what a showcase it turned out to be.

Quick Results
Samoa Joe © def Christopher Daniels in Full Metal Mayhem for TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Brian Kendrick & Paul London def Sonjay Dutt & Petey Williams
Bryan Danielson def Doug Williams in a British Round Rules Match
Eddie Kingston & Homicide © def Motor City Machine Guns in a Tornado Tag Match for TNA World Tag Team Championships
Prince Devitt def “Suicide”, Kid Kash, Laredo Kid, Jerry Lynn, Stevie Richards, Consequences Creed and Eric Young in Xscape The X-Nation
Rob Van Dam def Sabu in a No Disqualifications Match
Francis Benedict Geraldman © def Jay Lethal, Amazing Red, and Jeff Hardy in Ultimate X for TNA X-Division Championship

+Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Jeff Jarrett, Rocky Romero, Ricky Reyes, Extreme Tiger*, AeroStar*, Rysuke Taguchi*, Player Uno*, Player Dos*, Chris Hero*, Claudio Castagnoli*, Jeff Hardy, Jerry Lynn, Kid Kash, and Laredo Kid

*It is not known at this time whether these men will be full time roster members or have simply been brought in as guest appearances for the Victory Road Tag League

 

[Tig]

Unprecedented scenes in the prediction contest;

Oz ✅ ✅✅✅❌✅✅❌✅ 7/9

Roy ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅❌❌ 7/9

Stojy ✅✅✅✅❌✅✅❌✅ 7/9

Dubb ✅❌✅✅❌✅✅✅✅ 7/9

A four-way tie! I took a few days to stew on this in terms of what the interactive prize will be and have finally come to a conclusion. Will message you all shortly! Thanks for interacting and reading !

 

[Tig]

End of Cycle 4 update.

On-Screen Personnel
Andrew Thomas - Match Official
Christy Hemme - Ring Announcer (iMPACT)
David Penzer - Ring Announcer (Xplosion)
Dewey Foley - Student of Jon Moxley (Currently Injured)
D’Lo Brown - Road Agent/Occasional Color Commentator
Dixie Carter - President
Don West - Color Commentator (Xplosion)
Earl Hebner - Senior Match Official
Jeremy Borash - Backstage Interviewer (iMPACT)
Konnan - Manager of Marco Corleone
Kip James - Road Agent
Lauren Brooke - Backstage Interviewer (Xplosion)
Mark Johnson - Match Official
Mike Tenay - PxP Commentator (Xplosion & iMPACT)
Noelle Foley - Student of Jon Moxley
Pat Kenney - Road Agent
Paul Heyman - Head of Creative/Official Matchmaker
Raven - Color Commentator (iMPACT)
Scott D’Amore - Road Agent
SoCal Val - Ring Attendant
Taz - Manager of D’Angelo Dinero, Eddie Kingston, Homicide & Samoa Joe

Male Roster
Abyss
Aero Star (Talent exchange from AAA)
AJ Styles (Currently injured)
Alex Shelley
Amazing Red
Bobby Lashley (Currently working in Japan)
Booker T
Brian Kendrick
Brother Devon
Brother Ray
Brutus Magnus
Bryan Danielson
Chris Hero
Chris Sabin
Christopher Daniels
Claudio Castagnoli
Cody Deaner (Contract status unclear)
Consequences Creed
D’Angelo Dinero
Doug Williams
Eddie Kingston © Tag Team Champion
Eric Young
Extreme Tiger (Talent exchange from AAA)
Francis Benedict Geraldman © X-Division Champion
Giant Bernard
Hernandez
Homicide © Tag Team Champion
James Storm
Jay Lethal
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Jarrett (Contract status unclear)
Jerry Lynn
Jesse Neal
Jon Moxley
Karl Anderson
Kevin Nash (Currently inactive due to Creative Team commitments)
Kid Kash
Kiyoshi
Kurt Angle (Currently not medically cleared to compete)
Laredo Kid
Marco Corleone © SpikeTV Champion ***
Matt Morgan
Monty Brown
Mick Foley (Current status unknown)
Nigel McGuinness
Paul London
Petey Williams
Player Dos (Freelancer)
Player Uno (Freelancer)
Prince Devitt
Rhino
Ricky Reyes
Rob Terry
Rob Van Dam
Robert Roode
Rocky Romero
Rysuke Taguchi (Talent exchange from NJPW)
Sabu
Samoa Joe © World Heavyweight Champion
Scott Steiner
Sheik Abdul Bashir
Sonjay Dutt
Stevie Richards
Sting

Knockout Roster
Alissa Flash
Amy Dumas
Awesome Kong
Daffney
Hamada © Knockouts Champion
Jessie McKay
Lacey von Erich
Madison Rayne
ODB
Rachel Summerlyn
Roxxi Laveuax
Sarita © Knockouts Tag Team Champion
Tara
Taylor Wilde © Knockouts Tag Team Champion
Tenille Dashwood
Traci Brooks
Velvet Sky

Apollo 55 - Prince Devitt & Rysuke Taguchi
Bad Intentions - Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
British Invasion - Brutus Magnus, Doug Williams & Rob Terry
Beer Money - James Storm & Robert Roode
Circa 89 - Jessie McKay & Tenille Dashwood
Lethal Consequences - Consequences Creed & Jay Lethal
Motor City Machine Guns - Alex Shelley & Chirs Sabin
Super Smash Bros - Player Uno & Player Dos
Team 3D - Brother Devon & Brother Ray
The Beautiful People - Lacey von Erich, Madison Rayne & Velvet Sky
The Havana Pitbulls - Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero
The Hooliganz - Brian Kendrick & Paul London
The Kings of Wrestling - Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Aero Star & Extreme Tiger
D’Angelo Dinero, Eddie Kingston, Homicide & Samoa Joe
Kevin Nash & Eric Young
Jeff Jarrett, Monty Brown, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Ricky Reyes, Rocky Romero & Cody Deaner
ODB & Roxxi Laveuax
Sarita & Taylor Wilde

TNA World Heavyweight Champion
Samoa Joe | Won at Against All Odds | February 28, 2010 - Present

Former Champions: AJ Styles | Won at No Surrender | September 20, 2009 - February 28, 2010

TNA X-Division Champion
Francis Benedict Geraldman | Won at Against All Odds | February 28, 2010 - Present

Former Champions: Amazing Red | Won at iMPACT | October 5, 2009 - February 28, 2010

TNA SpikeTV Champion
Marco Corleone (3*) | Won at Against All Odds | February 28, 2010 - Present

Former Champions: Kiyoshi (0*) | Won on Xplosion | February 27, 2010 - February 28, 2010
Marco Corleone (4*) | Won at New Year’s Eve Impact | December 31, 2009 - February 27, 2010

TNA World Tag Team Champions
Eddie Kingston & Homicide | Won on iMPACT | February 11, 2009 - Present

Former Champions: British Invasion | Won at No Surrender | October 18, 2009 - February 11, 2009

TNA Knockouts Champion
Hamada | Won at 8-Card Stud | January 28, 2010 - Present

Former Champions: ODB | Won at No Surrender | September 20, 2009 - January 28, 2010

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions
Sarita & Taylor Wilde | Won at No Surrender | September 20, 2009 - Present

TNA Legends Champion *DEFUNCT*
Eric Young | Won at Bound for Glory | October 18, 2009 - November 19, 2009

The X-Nation Trophy
Prince Devitt | Won at Destination X | March 25, 2010

 

[Stojy]

So happy this is back. Destination X was a fun read. FBG to NEVER lose the X Division title please.

Also fully expect a certain somebody we discussed to get a big push in here lol.

Plenty of good stuff in here, but I'm really looking forward to you showcasing the tag division with the Victory Road Tag League. Should be fun.