Professional wrestling is a special form of entertainment. It happens to be a lot like magic. It’s an illusion that makes you think you’re watching something that is actually slight of hand. Anyone that has studied magic or even watched one of those tacky NBC specials revealing the “secrets” of magic (another thing magic has in common with pro wrestling) will know that a lot of work goes into the tricks you see performed on stage. This means that when you see a magician make someone disappear, there’s much more than meets the eye. In the same way, when you watch a pro wrestling match, there’s much more to it than simply who wins and who loses. Take TNA’s Lockdown event from this past Sunday. If one simply looks on the surface, they would see a very basic list of winners and losers. If you look deeper however, you may pull back the curtain and discover who the REAL winners and losers were on Sunday.
Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, and Chris Sabin vs. The Great Muta, Sanada, and Nakanoue in a six-man cage match
The Winners: The Great Muta, Sanada, and Nakanoue
The REAL Winners: Kazarian and Chris Sabin. This was a fun opening match designed to utilize the talent exchange between TNA and Wrestle-1 in Japan. In one way it was quite successful. TNA got to add an international flavor to their show, making them look like a global promotion instead of a national one. They also had a legitimate legend on the show in the form of The Great Muta. Although he is no longer in his prime, Muta’s name still carries a lot of weight around the world. Just working with him gives wrestlers a rub, and such was the case for both Kazarian and Sabin, who’s stock increased by standing toe to toe with Muto and holding their own.
The REAL Losers: Sanada and Nakanoue. Even though the big star in this six-man contest was The Gret Muta, TNA’s goal in this match was to showcase their new X-Division Champion, Sanada. Although he did look impressive in the match, he didn’t connect with the crowd, and the fans were really only interested in seeing Muta. The situation was even worse for his partner Nakanoue, who was an even larger afterthought once he match was over. I’m sure both Sanada and Nakanoue are great talents, but this match did nothing to make them stand out or give the fans a reason to care about them.
Samuel Shaw vs. Mr. Anderson in a cage match
The Winner: Samuel Shaw
The REAL Winner: Samuel Shaw. To be honest, he wasn’t MUCH of a winner, but he did gain a victory over a former TNA World Champion. He was able to put his charisma on display and further his ongoing story with Christy Hemme while showing more of his character, which will hopefully lead to a better rivalry.
The REAL Loser: Mr. Anderson. No matter how good pizza is, if it’s the only thing you eat, you’re likely going to get sick of it. It is ignorant to try and say that Mr. Anderson has no talent or charisma, because he sweats it from his pores. The problem is that his tough guy act hasn’t evolved since 2006 and because of that, there is a limit to how much he can generate with the current incarnation of his character. That weakness was on full display at Lockdown as he failed to really connect with the crowd the way he used to. What we don’t need here is a heel turn, what we need is a fresh take on the character.
Another Loser: Christy Hemme. Even though she has moved up from ring announcing duties, having her cower in fear from Samuel Shaw like a horror movie victim and yelling for Mr. Anderson to save her only upgraded her to damsel in distress.
Ethan Carter III vs. Kurt Angle in a cage match
The Winner: No Contest
The REAL Winner: Ethan Carter III. Despite having his match cancelled due to Kurt Angle’s injury, EC3 came out of Lockdown looking like a superstar and future main-eventer. He showed tremendous charisma on the microphone when cutting his promo, as well as some real quick wit when he began answering the fan’s chants of “You can’t wrestle” with a simple, soft spoken “I disagree” or “I’m very good”, even making them react to his line about not letting them high jack THIS show. It amazes me that just a few years ago, this guy was putting me to sleep on WWE television. What a difference a change of scenery can do.
Another Winner: Bobby Lashley. Although not involved in the match, Lashley made his return to TNA in spectacular fashion, getting a great response from the Miami crowd and looking great when manhandling EC3. If this return is permanent, he still has a little star power left over from his WWE run and his still so young that he could fill a void left in the wake of the name exodus from last year.
Tigre Uno vs. Manik in a cage match
The Winner: Tigre Uno
The REAL Winner: Tigre Uno. This was another showcase match for TNA to put it’s international stars on display, and unlike the six-man tag, this was definitely the right way to do it for Tigre Uno. TNA put him in a match with another great high flyer who could work his fast-paced, highspot style and give the fans a fun break. Uno scored a victory over a former X Division Champion and came away a bigger star by making an impression on the crowd in Miami and those watching at home.
The REAL Loser: Manik. When was the last time you saw Manik on a TNA event? He went from chumming with Hulk Hogan, to losing against debuting talent. The sad thing is that Manik is a good wrestler who would make a strong X Division contender, if not champion. Let’s hope this loss was simply a detour on the road back into regular screen time instead of a road block that leads him stranded with no where to go.
James Storm vs. Gunner in a Last Man Standing cage match
The Winner: Gunner
The REAL Winner: Gunner. This was a real coming out for Gunner as he showed that he could deliver a main event quality match while displaying a charisma that we haven’t seen from him before. After watching this match, I truly believe Gunner has the X-factor that makes superstars, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. The crowd in Miami sure did, and if you add in all the other tools at his disposal, this match could prove to be a turning point in his career.
The REAL Loser: James Storm. To be honest, it’s hard to tell if this was a big loss for Storm, or just a minor set back. Honestly we won’t know for sure until the next Impact tapings. Although Storm gave a great effort in the match, he was definitely over shadowed by Gunner, which probably wouldn’t be so bad if Storm hadn’t been tapped as the next break out star himself not long ago. I’m hoping that this loss will lead to an eventual permanent Beer Money reunion. But if not, the cowboy could be riding off into the sunset.
Madison Rayne vs. Gail Kim w/Lei’D Tapa in a cage match for the TNA Knockouts Championship
The Winner: Madison Rayne
The REAL Winners: Madison Rayne and Gail Kim. Both of these women absolutely wowed the crowd both live and at home by putting on a great match-up that demonstrated a strong case for the argument that the TNA Knockouts Division has the best women’s wrestling on television. In fact, I would say these two had the match of the night, and considering the names involved on this show, that really makes quite a statement that both of these women deserve. Let’s hope TNA takes notice of this match and puts some time and effort into getting these incredibly talented women some personalities that fans can connect with and get behind. TNA is sitting on a gold mine in their Knockouts Division and these two women couldn’t have shined brighter on Sunday.
The REAL Loser: Lei’D Tapa. She really didn’t get to do too much in this match except look menacing and get kicked off the cage. Not the best way to be presented to a pay-per-view audience.
Magnus vs. Samoa Joe in a cage match for the TNA Title
The Winner: Magnus
The REAL Winner: Eric Young. It seems very odd that a man not even involved in the match would be the real winner, but of everyone involved, he really will end up gaining the most from the aftermath of this match. With Abyss attaching himself to TNA World Champion Magnus, he’s likely to be involved in the main event picture somehow. Eric Young is poised to feud with Abyss, giving him his most high profile feud to date. At least someone came out looking good in this match.
The REAL Loser: Magnus. Yet another match in which Magnus needs help to win. I have nothing against cowardly heels, but if Magnus can’t win without help, then it does nothing for the man that eventually does beat him. It certainly isn’t doing anything for Magnus, who is being made look weaker and weaker with every title defense despite putting on good matches. It’s mind boggling to think that they even gave Samoa Joe an out by making his anger issues a potential reason for his defeat. Why couldn’t Magnus have capitalized on a mistake, then have Joe snap after the match, leading to Abyss saving Magnus? We still would have ended up in the same place, but Magnus would look like a champion, instead of a chump.
Another Loser: Samoa Joe. Even though the match was very good, it failed to add something fresh to Joe’s character. Playing up on this idea that Joe has rage issues isn’t anything special, but it was different for him, and it would’ve been nice to have them play that up. Instead, the Samoa Joe we saw was no different from what we usually see. It’s incredible that his momentum hasn’t been killed off completely, but that’s the power of a connection with the fans and that X factor that few possess. If everything else Joe had been through hasn’t killed his character yet, then a loss here wouldn’t either. They even could have played up his rage issues and had him refuse to release his choke, leading to a decision reversal. He could have been protected while adding this new element. Instead we got the same old, same old.
Yet Another Loser: Abyss. Despite being moved into an alliance with the TNA World Champion, all the good will Abyss gained as Joseph Park was completely flushed down the toilet on Sunday. Reverting back to that character is a step backwards for him because we’ve seen it before. Seeing likable Joseph Park struggle with his demonic alter ego and become someone completely different would’ve been interesting and engaging, but instead, it’s Abyss version 7.0.
MVP, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, and Willow vs. Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Robbie E, and Jessie in a Lethal Lockdown match
The Winners: MVP, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, and Willow
The REAL Winner: Bully Ray. I will admit it was intriguing when Dixie Carter named Bully Ray the special guest referee for the Lethal Lockdown match, but who would’ve known he would end up being the person everyone was talking about when the show went off the air. Not bad for refereeing one match and putting someone through a table. With his apparent year long run as a heel now over, everyone who tunes into Impact will want to hear from Bully Ray. That’s a big win for Calfzilla.
The REAL Loser: MVP. Lockdown took place in Miami, which is MVP’s home town. He was the captain of the winning team, and the man who not only got the pin, but but took control of TNA from the hands of Dixie Carter. It should have been his night, ending with the crowd chanting his name while he celebrated. Instead, Bully Ray came in and stole all of his thunder. Let’s hope TNA has got something big planned for him on Impact to ensure he doesn’t lose momentum.
Another Loser: Willow. Another guy who should have made a much bigger impact, but was stopped from doing so by the Bully Ray factor and the complete chaos that was the last ten minutes of Lethal Lockdown. The crowd seemed to react favorably to the Willow character, but they weren’t given enough of an opportunity to get a good look at him and see if and how he differs from Jeff Hardy. A wasted opportunity.
Another Winner: Bobby Roode. He might have been pinned and put through a table, but Bobby Roode looked real strong at Lockdown, Without Bully Ray’s interference, Roode looked poised to win the match for his team, and with him being the target of Ray, he has an instant money making feud waiting for him when the dust settles. Roode lost nothing in that match and only gained credibility and potential opportunity.
When looking at the overall show, was TNA a winner? That’s tough to say. It wasn’t a terrible show, but it felt more like an above average episode of Impact rather than one of the company’s four biggest events of the year. While I don’t hope the shenanigans they pulled in the double main event lead to more viewers, I am hoping the Last Man Standing and Knockouts Title matches give reason for new fans to watch and current ones to stay. The Miami crowd seemed to be the biggest winners of the night, as they were engaged and excited for everything they saw, a tragically rare occurrence these days. But what about you? Who are your #realwinners and #reallosers? Sound off and use #LWOSWRESTLING while you’re at it. There can be victory in defeat, and defeat in victory, sometimes you just have to look a little closer to find it.
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