Impact wrestling thread - It's a Don West tribute thread now!

[cobra_gordo]

It was a massive surprise to most when Lockdown turned out to be a draw, IIRC. People thought Dusty was nuts for suggesting an all-cage PPV.

 

Can't remember where I heard it (Bully Ray on Jericho's podcast maybe) but Dusty apparently suggested an all cage match PPV as a rib and Dixie went "Yeah, great idea, crack on".

[Sergio Mendacious]

Dusty always seemed weird like that. Loved a cage match, REALLY loved a bunkhouse stampede. What's a bunkhouse? Who knows, east of the Pecos? Especially, why would they choose a bunkhouse format in Uniondale, NY?

[Buzz Lightyear]

It was a massive surprise to most when Lockdown turned out to be a draw, IIRC. People thought Dusty was nuts for suggesting an all-cage PPV.

 

The first few were alright, but once they started throwing any old shit inside it became pointless. Idea wasn't bad and the reaction online at the time was pretty good (haven't WWE used the idea?). Plus we got that fantastic Abyss/AJ Styles main event at the first one (and the cool visual of AJ diving out the cage). 

[NEWM]

TNA had a bad habit of smashing the credibiltiy of something into a billion pieces, and in the case of Lockdown, it was surely the Electrified Cage Match. A disasterous horrorshow as it happened, but something that could constantly be harked back to as a total joke, which in turn stained the name.

 

But broadly speaking, Lockdown was probably host to some of TNA's genuinely credible moments. Joe/Angle, AJ/Abyss & Gail Kim/Jacqueline were all little milestones, I have a recollection of a quality Angle/Anderson match (?), Bully Ray's Aces & Eights reveal locked in the cage was topper, and though it wasn't at a lockdown, XXX vs AMW certainly went some way to making cage matches in TNA must-see for a bit, in the way Foley's plunge gave enormous weight to HIAC as a scorched-earth feud-ending gimmick.

 

Mad to think TNA had 12 PPVs at one point, and strictly from that point of view, at least looked like a reputable wrestling company. If WCW hurtled itself off a cliff at 100mph, TNA's demise has been like Homer tumbling down Springfield Gorge.

[Guest]

I have a recollection of a quality Angle/Anderson match (?)

You're not imagining things, I remember enjoying that one too. Wasn't it to decide which team had the advantage in Lethal Lockdown? I have a vague memory of there being some kind of key involved in the stipulation anyway.

[Buzz Lightyear]

TNA had a bad habit of smashing the credibiltiy of something into a billion pieces, and in the case of Lockdown, it was surely the Electrified Cage Match. A disasterous horrorshow as it happened, but something that could constantly be harked back to as a total joke, which in turn stained the name.

 

But broadly speaking, Lockdown was probably host to some of TNA's genuinely credible moments. Joe/Angle, AJ/Abyss & Gail Kim/Jacqueline were all little milestones, I have a recollection of a quality Angle/Anderson match (?), Bully Ray's Aces & Eights reveal locked in the cage was topper, and though it wasn't at a lockdown, XXX vs AMW certainly went some way to making cage matches in TNA must-see for a bit, in the way Foley's plunge gave enormous weight to HIAC as a scorched-earth feud-ending gimmick.

 

Mad to think TNA had 12 PPVs at one point, and strictly from that point of view, at least looked like a reputable wrestling company. If WCW hurtled itself off a cliff at 100mph, TNA's demise has been like Homer tumbling down Springfield Gorge.

 

They've had some shocking ideas, and went for years trying anything to see if it stuck and got a reaction. When the owner doesn't have a clue, she'll sign anything off (unless it's a paycheck) and it shows in the quality of the product. 

 

Ultimate X was a great idea at the start (for the X-Division, and they had a great roster for it) but that was another that has been poorly managed for a number of years (They've had 40 of them!)

Edited September 30, 2016 by Buzz Lightyear

[NEWM]

Thinking about it, I was a bit of a sucker for TNA big unncessary gimmick matches. Ultimate X, Six Sides of Steel, the stupid fucking red thing Homicide couldn't get out of, King of the Mountain. I'd always be buzzing if they announced one of them for the card. Elevation X was a slightly more colourful scaffold match too, that was tolerable the couple of times they trotted it out. 

[tiger_rick]

Never saw the point of Ultimate X. The wrestling was far too inconsequential. Not to mention that in those early matches, they could never get the X to stay on.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Remember that time Chris Daniels fell off the structure and almost landed on his head? I remember watching that and genuinely think he'd died. It was frightening.

[Jon-Carr_92]

Never saw the point of Ultimate X. The wrestling was far too inconsequential. Not to mention that in those early matches, they could never get the X to stay on.

There's a Al Snow shoot interview where he discusses the one at the first Bound For Glory which was a No.1 Contender Match I think they held up and did a rematch of it on Impact after it fell twice. First time, the ref stopped the match and had the ring crew hang it up again and the second time, it fell into Petey Williams's arms and he was declared winner. He started the discussion along the lines of "This company I won't name were having their Ultimate X match."

[Guest]

I like Ultimate X as a gimmick. Whether all the matches have made the best of it, I don't know, but I think it's a sound basis for lightweight multi-man shenanigans with the occasional larger guy thrown in for variety. Team 3D getting heat by using a ladder to reach the X, breaking the unwritten code of honour, was a great story that couldn't have been told in any other kind of match currently out there.

[ColinBollocks]

What's the silly match where Homicide got stuck near the exit hole for ages, live on telly during their Monday night disaster? That one was horrible.

[Jazzy G]

Didn't one Ultimate X match end when two guys were holding a tug of war for the X and somebody else did a springboard off the ring ropes and grabbed it from them both? Feast or fired was a bit daft as well. "Money In The Bank's a great concept, let's do it with more briefcases" Why would I want to compete in a match where there's a 25% chance I'll end up unemployed in the event that I was to "win"?

[Jazzy G]

What's the silly match where Homicide got stuck near the exit hole for ages, live on telly during their Monday night disaster? That one was horrible.

It was called something like "Ultimate X-cape" but I always referred to it as the penis cage of death because of its somewhat phallic appearance and having to almost literally "ejaculate" oneself to freedom through that tiny little hole in the top. All the X-Division guys are blown up from trying to get out and then Jeff Hardy saunters down and has to sit on the top looking like a spare part. Does it end in a no contest or do they declare Homicide the winner because he was the closest to the hole?

[Jon-Carr_92]

 

What's the silly match where Homicide got stuck near the exit hole for ages, live on telly during their Monday night disaster? That one was horrible.

 

It was called something like "Ultimate X-cape" but I always referred to it as the penis cage of death because of its somewhat phallic appearance and having to almost literally "ejaculate" oneself to freedom through that tiny little hole in the top. All the X-Division guys are blown up from trying to get out and then Jeff Hardy saunters down and has to sit on the top looking like a spare part. Does it end in a no contest or do they declare Homicide the winner because he was the closest to the hole?

It was called the TerrorDome in the first appearance but after that, it was Steel Asylum. It ended in a no-contest after Homicide hit everyone with a slapjack I think it was. Vince Russo defended that with a rhetorical "Why can't a Cage Match end in one?" Interesting point, but aren't they No DQ? But I guess with people breaking in all the time defeating the purpose for example.