Igniting Upon Impact: Bobby Lashley Wins TNA’s Turkey Day Tournament
Thanksgiving week in America has long been known for its high school basketball tournaments, and this year, professional wrestling apparently wanted in on the game.
After former pro wrestler and past Minnesota Gov. Jesse “The Body” Ventura hosted a tournament to crown a number one contender for the World Wrestling Entertainment Championship on Monday Night Raw, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling followed suit Thursday.
The show featured an eight-man tournament with the winner earning a title
shot in his respective division.
Bobby Lashley, Abyss, Desmond Wolfe and Kurt Angle would be competing for a shot at A.J. Styles’ TNA World Heavyweight Championship, while Suicide, D’Angelo Dinero and Homicide aimed at a match with X Division Champion Amazing Red. Robert Roode, representing himself and James Storms, was competing for a shot at the British Invasion’s TNA World Tag Team Championships.
The tournament’s first round consisted of four relatively short matches that all delivered quality for television matches, and three of them ended with logical booking decisions.
In the night’s opening contest, Lashley defeated Abyss when his wife Kristal feigned an injury at ringside, distracting “The Monster” and allowing Lashley to hit a spear and a Dragon Sleeper for the win.
Seeing Lashley, an uber-babyface currently in a rivalry with Scott Steiner, win via a heel tactic came across as a bit odd, making this the only first-round match to end with questionable booking.
Wolfe made quick work of Suicide, as the former Ring of Honor Champion managed to keep the masked superstar grounded. Wolfe hit the Tower of London for the victory in the solid first-round match.
Angle defeated Dinero to advance to a second-round match, but it was Dinero who made out better in this match, as he continued to impress and draw fan support while sharing the ring with a veteran. This man will surely be a future star for the company.
In the final first round match, Homicide took the fight to Roode early on, dominating much of the match, but in the end, Roode picked up the win to earn a match against Angle in the second round.
The second round saw Lashley defeat Wolfe by disqualification, as Wolfe refused to break a hold on the ropes.
While some may question the decision to push Lashley into the finals, this was the best call TNA could make in this situation. Wolfe remains more focused on gaining revenge on Angle for his Turning Point loss than shifting to a new target of the world champion.
Given the treatment Wolfe has been given and the talent he’s displayed, he’ll be headed that direction soon enough, though.
Roode managed to go toe-to-toe with Angle for much of their second-round match, but near the end, Wolfe emerged on the ramp, drawing Angle out of the ring for a confrontation.
When Angle realized the referee was counting him out, he ran back to the ring but to no avail. Wolfe laughed as Angle looked on in shock and disappointment.
While he didn’t even make the finals, Angle may have been the MVP of the tournament for making two young stars look strong and like serious contenders in their respective contests.
Lashley defeated Roode in the tournament finals to earn a match against Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, but Roode looked strong throughout the contest as well, securing the belief many have had for a long time that Roode could sustain a singles’ push if he and Storm were to split.
With Styles set to face Christopher Daniels at December’s Turning Point pay-per-view, it seems that Lashley’s shot will either come in January, after Lashley has settled the score with Steiner or on an episode of Impact.
The latter option seems more likely, as Styles has a laundry list of title contenders for upcoming pay-per-views including Daniels; Angle, who has never been given a rematch since dropping the belt to Styles; Samoa Joe, who has been conspicuous by his absence since Turning Point, and his mystery attacker, still expected to be revealed as Tomko, who reemerged in a seemingly pointless backstage segment last week.
A full-length program between Lashley and Styles doesn’t do much to entice the fans, so hopefully this will be an Impact title match used as a tool to help develop at least one other ongoing storyline.
Regardless, it’s nice to see some fresh, young faces in the main event scene, and Thursday’s tournament provided several quality television matches and a sense of good, logical booking from TNA.
Quick Hits:
-Tara became the number one contender for the Knockouts Championship by winning an eight-woman battle royale. While she’s a logical choice for a contender, it was disheartening to see Lacey Von Erich last longer than Daffney in the match. Daffney deserves more than she’s given and should be pushed as a legitimate contender for the title. After the match, current champion ODB, who served as special referee, did not seem happy as she left the ring. Combining this with her skit with Homicide last week sure seems to point to an ODB heel turn, which could be a rejuvenation for her character.
-Daniels carried Styles to yet another good promo segment. The new heel Daniels persona really adds a new dimension to his character and makes him a more serious world title contender. While December’s Final Resolution won’t be his time, hopefully Daniels will be given the opportunity to have a title run in 2010.
-Backstage segments were kept to a minimum on Thursday’s Impact, with much of the time for these segments remaining focused on Mick Foley’s attempts to learn more about Hulk Hogan joining the company. Keeping the focus on wrestling was a refreshing change, and it prevented even the Foley angle from feeling overabundant like last week.
-Eric Young reinforced his stance he will not defend the TNA Global Championship against an American or on U.S. soil. Odds are he will hold the belt until an upcoming European tour early next year. His opponent could be someone like Hernandez (booked as being Puerto Rican) or a dissenting member of the World Elite.
-TNA President Dixie Carter will be featured on next week’s Impact talking about Hogan and the future of TNA. Hopefully this will be a serious interview, a “shoot” if you will, that will actually tell the fans something rather than a chance to repeat the same things fans have seen in video clips for the past month and a half. TNA has been on a roller coaster of ups and downs lately, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that 2010 will be the year that makes or breaks TNA Wrestling.
-After seeing Styles and Alex Shelley be forced to suffer near-career suicide by donning a turkey suit the past two years, it was a welcome change to see that particular match removed from the Thanksgiving edition of Impact.
Match Rundown:
Bobby Lashley d. Abyss
Desmond Wolfe d. Suicide
Kurt Angle d. D’Angelo
Robert Roode d. Homicide
Tara d. Daffney, Traci Brooks, Alissa Flash, Lacey Von Erich, Sarita, Taylor Wilde and Hamada in a battle royale
Bobby Lashley d. Desmond Wolfe by disqualification
Robert Roode d. Kurt Angle by count out
Bobby Lashley d. Robert Roode
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I was intrigued by Ms. Lashley faking that injury… don’t know where they’re going with it… possible turn against her husband in the future?, because I can’t see Lashley as a heel.
She also cut Bobby’s promo for him backstage, and it was very heelish as well. I hope it actually becomes something in the future because otherwise it was just kind of a pointless waste.
If you’re an established star, I don’t think donning a turkey suit is career SUICIDE necessarily…I mean, it doesn’t help. But you get the idea.
Remember a few years ago when Stevie Richards lost to Tomko, and ended up in a pair of granny panties in the process? On a PAY PER VIEW? THAT was the closest thing I’ve ever seen to accidental career suicide.
What benefit did it possibly serve to force Styles and Shelley wear a turkey suit? There was no positive, and for those two men, who are both highly respectable athletes and gifted performers, it was devastating to see it happen.
Maryse? Yes, she belongs in a turkey suit. Not guys like Shelley and Styles. I understand what you’re trying to say, but I respectfully disagree.
Okay, but remember, sports ENTERTAINMENT. Was it that entertaining? No…not at all actually. But both of them are still around, so it didn’t kill either of their careers.
And Maryse doesn’t BELONG in a turkey suit…Is this a PG web site? If not, I’ll make a VERY convincing argument as to what kind of suit she belongs in…lol
Let’s say it this way: It’s more fitting for a WWE performer, especially a diva who are basically wasted talents anyway, to attempt to provide “entertainment” by dressing as a chicken.
A case could be made that Styles has rebounded from his turkey days, as he’s currently the champ, but has Shelley really gone anywhere since then? Nope. He and Sabin continue to be wasted talents who are being underutilized and looked over for the continued push of Beer Money. Not saying that Storm and Roode don’t deserve the spotlight, but they’ve had their time for now; let the Guns get a little respect.
And I think we all agree what kind of suit Maryse belongs in… did I hear someone singing “Happy Birthday” in the distance?
It’s a shame that TNA would put on a show with good wrestling, and actually focus on wrestling, when it’s a Thursday that most people might not be watching the show.
I brought up that point to a friend and co-worker who said it may actually be the opposite because people are sitting at home anyway, so they may have been more likely to tune in. Only ratings will tell, I guess.
Nicely written recap, Adam.
Bobby Lashley bores me. i find his SKANK more interesting than him. Maybe SHE SHOULD BE the #1 Contender. i’d be MORE LIKELY 2 tune in 4 THAT match! Highlights of the night were DEFINATELY the Angle matches where Roode AND Burke looked STRONG without having Kurt look BAD.
Oh, and i’m STILL SKEERED, Adam! i feel like WWE is (metaphoric) Budweiser and TNA is either becoming Bud-Light or Bud-Ice depending on which stance u wanna take. Problem is, i’m in CM PUNK’S CAMP when it comes to DRUGS! Hell, even when i WAS AN ACTIVE USER, i tried 2 stay away from the Budweiser. i NEVER LIKED THE TASTE… AND i SWEAR that shite ALWAYS GAVE ME A HEADACHE! That’s how i feel lately (watching EITHER WWE OR TNA)! i just don’t like the TASTE… and it’s STARTING 2 give me a HEADACHE!
I don’t think Lashley is all that great either. He has the build but lacks the personality and character. But, honestly, in that tournament set-up, he was probably the most likely choice to win.
I don’t know where the Kristal playing a heel manager to Lashley being a babyface wrestler is going. Hopefully it’s at least going somewhere and won’t just be forgotten about next week.
I think TNA will be changing, either for the better or the worse, next year. They have the choice of trying to become more or less of a sports entertainment provider, and it will be interesting to see where they go.
I think it’s fairly safe to say 2010 will be the year to make or break TNA Wrestling.
Excellent read.
I too think that Daffney needs to be treated better than she is. And if ODB does go heel, I welcome it. She seems like she might be better that way. Wasn’t she a heel once? I forget.
Finally someone sees what Christopher Daniels brings to the table in terms of his ability to talk. One can only hope he hits it big in 2010.
Thanks for the comment. I do think Daniels has what it takes. I would much rather see him with the world title than Styles, to be completely honest. While I do think he could use a better finished than the B.M.E., especially as a heel, he has the potential to break his personal glass ceiling next year.
I haven’t been watching TNA for all that long (maybe on and off for 18 months) but I just don’t see Daniels as the world champ. Maybe it’s just because he’s been earmarked for the X division, or maybe not.