Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Starting with all my pre-2005 ***+ ratings

TNA - June 26, 2002
Double Elimination Match to Crown the First Ever X-Division Champion

Low Ki vs. Psychosis vs. Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles - ***3/4



TNA - July 10, 2002
X-Division Rankings Elimination Match

Low Ki vs. Low Ki vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Elix Skipper vs. Kid Romeo vs. Tony Mamaluke vs. Christopher Daniels ***1/2

TNA - August 7, 2002
X-Division Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Low Ki vs. Jerry Lynn - ***3/4

TNA - August 28, 2002
X-Division Title - Ladder Match

Low Ki vs. Jerry Lynn vs. AJ Styles - ****



TNA - October 23, 2002
X-Division Title - No DQ Match

Sean Waltman vs. AJ Styles - ***

TNA - October 30, 2002
X-Division Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Amazing Red - ***1/2

TNA - November 6, 2002
X-Division Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn - ***3/4

TNA - March 5, 2003
Jerry Lynn vs. Super Crazy - ***

TNA - March 19, 2003
NWA-TNA Title Shot - Ladder Match

Raven vs. AJ Styles - ***1/4

TNA - April 16, 2003
Tag Titles Match

Elix Skipper & Christopher Daniels vs. Jerry Lynn & Amazing Red - ***1/4

TNA - June 11, 2003
NWA-TNA Title - No DQ Match

Jeff Jarrett vs. Raven vs. AJ Styles - ***1/4

TNA - June 18, 2003: The Good Shit

X-Division Title Match
Chris Sabin vs. Paul London - ***1/4

Tag Titles Match
Elix Skipper & Christopher Daniels vs. America's Most Wanted - ***1/2

TNA - June 25, 2003
Tag Titles - Cage Match

Elix Skipper & Christopher Daniels vs. America's Most Wanted - ****1/4



TNA - August 13, 2003
NWA-TNA Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Low Ki - ***3/4

TNA - August 20, 2003
X-Division Title - Ultimate X Match

Chris Sabin vs. Michael Shane vs. Frankie Kazarian - ***1/4



TNA - August 27, 2003
NWA-TNA Title - Hardcore Match

AJ Styles vs. Raven - ***1/2

TNA - September 3, 2003
Super X Cup Tournament Final

Chris Sabin vs. Juventud Guerrera - ****

TNA - January 7, 2004
X-Division Title - Ultimate X Match

Michael Shane vs. Low Ki vs. Chris Sabin vs. Christopher Daniels - ****

TNA - April 21, 2004
NWA-TNA Title - Cage Match

Jeff Jarrett vs. AJ Styles - ***1/4

Turning Point 2004: The Good Shit

X-Division Title Match
Petey Williams vs. Chris Sabin - ***1/4

Defeated Team Must Split - Cage Match
America's Most Wanted vs. Elix Skipper & Christopher Daniels - ***3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Impact - January 14, 2005
X-Division Title Shot Match
Chris Sabin vs. Christopher Daniels - ***

Final Resolution 2005: The Good Shit

Tag Titles Match
Bobby Roode & Eric Young vs. America's Most Wanted

Some indy style tag team reffing keeps this from being perfect, but the heat in this is just off the charts and the crowd was biting on every nearfall. ****1/4

X-Division Title - Ultimate X Match

An excellent spotfest, just jaw-dropping shit left and right. What makes this one unique was the psychology of the arm for Styles causing him problems. Considering this was shortly before the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, methinks Chris Benoit watched this and wanted to show that he could somehow put on a better storytelling-based spotfest. ****1/2
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Against All Odds 2005
X-Division Title - 30 Minute Iron Man Match

AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

These two found a way to top the two classics on the prior PPV, which seemed to be impossible. This was hard-hitting, cerebral, adrenaline-rushing shit. This was a game of human chess. And anytime a match goes longer than half an hour, but feels significantly shorter, you know you've hit a home run in the ring.

What makes this in my retro TNA viewing stand above the 6/25/2003 Daniels/Skipper vs. AMW Cage match (****1/4), Roode/Young vs. AMW (****1/4), and Ultimate X 4 (****1/2), is that the psychology was simply better. While not perfect (the damage of the arm/shoulder work on Daniels seemed to disappear a bit in the last third of the match), it was a tremendous psychological game. The first comparable matchup that springs to mind for me is Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning.

Daniels got the upper hand by being a determined veteran, pissed off at how much more success the younger Styles had achieved in TNA, and this was his first time spotlighted in the federation as a singles competitor. While Styles focused on the arm/shoulder, Daniels responded by going after the ribs and sternum. I couldn't think of a better gameplan for such a grueling style of match.

But Styles had too much tenacity, and in the overtime sudden death, was able to feed himself with enough adrenaline to pull out the Styles Clash and showed that he was indeed the very best not just in the X-Division, but in the entire federation as well. This match also elevated Daniels, making him a legitimate singles star in addition to his previous run as a successful tag team wrestler. ****3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Lockdown 2005
NWA-TNA Title Shot - Cage Match

Abyss vs,. AJ Styles



Doesn't stand the test of time, felt like a very unpolished version of Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk. Had some awesome moments but lacked pacing and anticipation. I feel I'm being generous with my rating. ***1/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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No Surrender 2005: The Good Shit

Chris Sabin vs. Samoa Joe
Great shit here, with Sabin being a great underdog, believably going toe-to-toe with the new bad-ass. Why did it work so well? Because Sabin was an established star within the X-Division. Joe was great working on the Sabin's neck, perfect for his various finishers. But Sabin wouldn't go down with a fight, even picking Joe up during a 10-punch spot in the corner and dropping him powerbomb style to an epic pop! But Joe, the student of the game he is, refused to allow Sabin to successfully execute a Cradle Shock, and the writing was on the wall from there. ****

Sean Waltman vs. AJ Styles
(Guest Ref - Jerry Lynn)



This was some fantastic storytelling. Coming into the match, Styles was bitter because Waltman made a business decision and betrayed him the month before in a King of the Mountain match. But that means Styles was pissed off, which always makes for an entertaining match. Waltman was great at being the default heel, although he had his fair share of supporters. Lynn did something at the end that I hate seeing from any referee - he kicked Waltman to let go of the ropes when it was a fucking rope break for him, leading directly to Styles getting the Styles Clash victory. Jerry Lynn doing his gimmick of making sure something isn't a potential MOTYC. ***3/4

X-Division Title Match
Christopher Daniels vs. Petey Williams
This was certainly unique, as it's not often there is a heel vs. heel matchup booked in any federation, let alone in this position. It was great seeing both men out-cheat each other, while Daniels, being the more experienced veteran, managed to work on the neck of Williams to set up for his various finishers. In the end, Team Canada got outdone in battle of chained fists, which Daniels was smart enough to plan ahead for. ***1/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Sacrifice 2005: The Good Shit

Sean Waltman vs. Jerry Lynn
Phenomenal selling from Lynn in this one, as this was his in-ring return (at least for TNA) since Juventud Guerrera sloppily dropped him shoulder-first while attempting a Michinoku Driver the month before. The story is simple going into this, with both men going back more than a decade, and the match involving both the month before. If only Lynn had just a little bit more charisma or did a better job with his hope spots, this would have been some really great stuff. I don't mind Lynn winning with a rollup pin due to his veteran experience. ***1/2

Super X Cup 2005 Tournament Final and X-Division Title Shot Match
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles
This was on its way to being just as outstanding as their previous singles matches in ROH and PWG. Very impressive performance from Joe considering his match the night before for ROH in Chicago (plus don't forget how emotionally drained he may have been from saying goodbye to CM Punk on that show.) Both men did a great job in countering each other's shit. My favorite moment was Joe baiting Styles into performing a kip-up head-scissors, then turning into his trademark powerbomb/STF combo. The ref bump and interference from Christopher Daniels kept this from being truly great, but the title of the show IS "Sacrifice," so I can tolerate it to buildup to the next PPV chapter involving these men. ***3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Unbreakable

X-Division Title Match
Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles



I was VERY skeptical about rewatching this one, expecting something quite hollow. Yes, this is a glorified spotfest. But believe me when I say that this one deserves to be glorified.

The pacing in this match was top-notch, and I appreciate the effort all three men put forth in making sure to deliver in the main event, which was the first time a TNA monthly PPV put the X-Division in such a spot. What made this work so well was the pacing - it was truly fantastic and jaw-dropping. There was hardly a dull moment in this match, and really, with the bumps these men took, I don't blame them for the rest periods.

For almost the entire match, they had the fucking crowd rocking, showcasing what so many fans on the independent scene had been able to enjoy since the 2001 King of the Indies tournament. Speaking of the independent scene, if you like to see wrestlers call back to their roots, there are two spots that stood out to me. One was Joe and Styles channeling Low Ki and Bryan Danielson in bickering over who could kick Daniels harder in the spine, paying homage to the first ever main event in ROH history. The other is far less known, but these men also used the monkey-flip into a head-scissors spot utilized in the threeway (that one involving James Gibson instead of Joe) at PWG's 2nd Annual Bicentennial Birthday Extravaganza Night 2. That one really stood out to the crowd.

What I also really appreciated so much is that even with this being a spotfest, I didn't notice any insulting lack of selling. Sure, taking bump after bump after bump may seem like a bit too much, but one could see the effort it was taking to put on this performance. This wasn't some bullshit involving the SAT or Brian XL. There were also moments when a third man would temporarily be out of the match, which to me is a good strategy while also selling the beating these men took.

I loved how Joe got taken out of the match. I loved the finish for Styles to finally humble Daniels, and damn I am looking forward to watching this feud continue. Just a fantastic match that stands the test of time. ****1/2
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Bound For Glory 2005
30 Minute Iron Man Match for the X-Division Title

AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels



I'd have much rather this have been a regular match that happened to go around 30 minutes, but after the rave reviews and popularity of their match eight months earlier, I understand the business reason for the 30 Minute Iron Man gimmick.

This didn't live up the original, nowhere near it. It was still really good, but Styles landing awkwardly on the steel steps likely played a hand in that. I also didn't understand the rationale for Daniels giving Styles a backdrop from the apron to the floor. It wasn't visually spectacular and did neither man any favors in terms of protecting their bodies in the long-term or in pacing the match later on.

The wrestling itself was fine, with Daniels dominating early but Styles quickly taking control for the first third of the match with headlocks. Styles would later suck up whatever injury he got from the steel steps fall, doing his signature trademark over-the-top-rope senton to the floor. After the back drop that I mentioned, it seemed Daniels had the advantage as the match ended, but Styles gave himself enough adrenaline to hit the Styles Clash and win 1-0 as the match concluded. ***3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Genesis 2005: The Good Shit

RIP EDDIE GUERRERO 1967-2005

Survivor Series Style Elimination Match
Chris Sabin, Matt Bentley, Sonjay Dutt, & Austin Aries vs. Samoa Joe, Alex Shelley, Roderick Strong, & Christopher Daniels

Not much to the match due to the way it was laid out, and the ref stopped enforcing tag legalities as the very end when Sabin was left with Joe & Daniels. Not usually a fan of this type of gimmick match anyway, and I probably need to see some of the earlier ones in the last 1980s to appreciate them. I certainly didn't care for the babyface Bentley, after being eliminated, sabotaging Joe from delivering a musclebuster to Sabin. Frustrating to see Shelley, Aries, and Strong get treated as second-class on the hierarchy to Bentley and Dutt.

Post-match, that's when this shit got good. Joe is bitter that Daniels got the final fall and beat the shit out of him to thunderous applause, delivering the Ole Ole Kicks finally and landing multiple musclebusters, as well as wiping the blood of Daniels across his chest. AJ Styles even comes out, unhappy with the lack of sportsmanship. TREMENDOUS.

Somewhere on this show Christian made his TNA debut, which was as shocking as the current Dallas Cowboys choking in Week 17 [this written prior to the 2014 NFL season]. Team Canada wants him to join their stable.

X-Division Title Match
AJ Styles vs. Petey Williams

I can't believe Styles took a release German Suplex off the apron onto a steel guardrail for a match against Petey Williams. This was overall tedious because Williams has little to no charisma, making his control segments very dull and he didn't have Sabin, far more familiar from their days in Border City Wrestling, in there to really make it work..

Joe is out during the finish and Styles glares at him, holding up the X-Division Title. OH FUCK YES~!

Hardcore Match
Jeff Jarrett & America's Most Wanted vs. Team 3D & Rhino

Excellent brawl here, not much in the way of story, just six men going all over ringside and beating the shit out of each other in front of a tremendously receptive crowd, one that needed an escape on such a tragic day in the business. As someone who is watching a number of federations from this period, this seemed like a nice taste of what I can soon expect for a certain main event in ROH. ****

I only had the three key matches through various compilations, so I missed Christian coming out at the end and choosing to be a babyface rather than join Team Canada.
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Turning Point 2005
X-Division Title Match

AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe



Prior to starting all these rewatches, I had adamantly proclaimed for years that this was the best match in TNA history. Without seeing any 2012 material yet, and rewatching all of 2005, a case can be made for this match as the best TNA has ever hosted, but I'm not so adamant anymore. Is that a criticism of this match? Absolutely not. Styles and Christopher Daniels just had a match that many years later has held up as great as this one, and I've come to appreciate their first threeway match with Joe even more.

To start the match, Styles takes a page from Austin Aries a year earlier, going right after Joe in a fury. However, in this match, Styles did this not to gain the pure sports advantage, but because he was fucking livid at Joe's behavior in the weeks leading up to this timeless classic, as displayed by him screaming at Joe for lacking respect. But Joe, being the unstoppable juggernaut during the mid-2000s, was able to get the advantage again after the first furious couple minutes from Styles.

As I had suspected, Styles did channel his role somewhat from his work of art singles match against Paul London, but this time he was selling not because of the opposition playing mind games, but because Joe was so vicious AND quick to go with his mass. They took a spot from Joe's Chicago masterpiece against CM Punk, with Joe sweeping the leg of Styles, the champ landing on the apron, concluding with Joe swinging him around to the security guard rail. Crowd was definitely getting interested by this part based on the spectacular brutality alone.

Styles was simply phenomenal with his hope spots to keep this from being a squash, but in so many instances throughout this match, every time it appeared he would get a figurative first down or run to home plate, he would get stopped in his tracks by the former ROH Champion. Styles also threw EVERYTHING he possibly could, pulling out the Fosbury Flop for the first time in ages (at least in a TNA ring, and I don't remember whether or not he was still using it in ROH and PWG frequently during this time). That showed that not only was Joe pushing him to this point, but Styles preserved this devastating bomb for when he would need it. Little things like this are what give great matches an extra notch in their greatness.

There were a couple of times when Styles had kickouts at 1, the second one actually catching Joe off-guard after hitting a Pearl River Plunge on the champion. Styles dug down deep not just as a man, athlete, and champion in this one, but clearly also used his anger to try so hard to keep his motor running and humble the man that had disgraced the division he had busted his ass to build. Without question, this was Joe's toughest test to date in his sixth months in TNA, and only made him more of a fearsome bad-ass in victory, securing the title when Styles passed out to the rear naked choke. I want to also acknowledge Don West and Mike Tenay's excellent commentary in telling the story of this absolutely fantastic contest. They brought their A-games in this one. ****3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Final Resolution 2006
X-Division Title Match

Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels

Phenomenal storytelling match here. Daniels went after Joe early to sell his anger coming back from a concussion, but also likely channeling AJ Styles from the month before, which had been Joe's toughest match in TNA up to this point. Daniels also ducked some of Joe's devastating kicks in the early portion as well as in the finishing stretch of the match.

Daniels really brought his A-game in this one, pulling out all the stops, knocking Joe back with a forearm, and later doing a stupid slingshot elbow drop on the floor. A moment that caught my attention was after Joe powerbombed him, he struck Joe in the face to avoid the signature followup STF. Brilliant stuff. This practically proved my theory that he took it easy the day before for ROH.

Joe was equally devastating though once he got to knock Daniels around with his kicks and heavy offense. When he got the heat early, he worked on the shoulders of Daniels, a brilliant way to soften up the Fallen Angel for the musclebuster. The match though became a glorified squash about 12 minutes in when Joe gave Daniels the Ole Ole kick on the outside, giving him another concussion and busting him open.

Styles came to ringside to give Daniels an uplifting emotional boost, which worked temporarily as the Fallen Angel was able to get to the ropes while locked in a rear naked choke. However, Joe repeatedly hit the knees to the bleeding head of Daniels, leaving Styles with no choice but to literally throw a towel into the ring out of concern for his colleague. Fuck I wish we'd have gotten Joe vs. Brock Lesnar at this time. ****1/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Against All Odds 2006
X-Division Title Match

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Not quite on par with the Unbreakable main event, but this was another great spotfest that was laid out and executed incredibly well. There was no feeling out process, all three men just went to town on each other. There were also 2-3 head-drops in this that can't possibly be viewed years later as good ideas, including Daniels landing awkwardly on his head and neck when taking a combined discus lariat and backdrop suplex bump.

This certainly had plenty of drama, from Joe's tope suicida to Styles pulling out an over-the-top-rope front flip to the outside. There were also a number of beautiful combinations in this that wouldn't otherwise be seen in a regular singles match. The best example was Joe having the STF locked on Styles, only for Daniels to then put Joe in the Koji Clutch, causing further pain to Styles.

Just an incredible match here to reinforce that Styles and Daniels were no longer the kings of the X-Division, no matter how great their efforts would be against the monster Joe. ****
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Destination X 2006
X-Division Title - Ultimate X Match

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Joe went into this one with pinkeye. Just not a great weekend for him at all. That likely kept this from reaching the heights of their previous threeway matches, but this was still good overall.

Joe pulled out some highspots, but was limited by his temporary medical condition. His big moves were well-timed, including a corkscrew plancha over the top rope to both challengers, and also taking out Styles then immediately going after Daniels with the boot scrapes later. He also hit a nice Uranage on Styles in what was basically his last big move of the match.

Styles and Daniels did a great job getting retribution on the asshole champion, double-teaming him and throwing bombs at him. That this was an Ultimate X match, which isn't conducive to Joe's mass, isn't the only reason he lost this one. The fact is that the challengers threw a fuckton of bombs on him. This was highlighted by a double-team musclebuster than practically took Joe out of the match. Daniels would manage to climb to the top of the X structure and unlock the belt to regain the championship.

Styles shows complete class to Daniels, while Joe is flipping out like Brock Lesnar, throwing shit around at ringside and seething. Nowadays Bryan Alvarez would say Styles must've been berrying the title in John Cena-esque fashion because he didn't throw a tantrum over it like Joe (in this being more like CM Punk). ***1/2
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Impact - April 13, 2006
X-Division Title Match

Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe

This is the first Thursday night primetime episode, and the match is joined in progress. The very first thing the viewer gets to see is Joe hit an Ole Ole Kick on Daniels, busting open the champ. Replays are shown of the first five minutes showing that Daniels got the early advantage taking Joe to the outside, but Joe then got the heat by throwing Daniels into the ringpost.

His face turning into a crimson mask. Daniels got his fucking ass kicked early by Joe, who was still pissed about Destination X 2006 and wanting the title back. After several minutes, Daniels would get the heat back by landing a couple enziguri kicks, except those would just be hope spots when Joe planted him with a Uranage Slam. Joe would slap some nice submissions on the bleeding Daniels, such as the Crippler Crossface (while pummeling at the bleeding face) and then letting go of the face to hook the arms in order to avoid a rope-break; Daniels would get to the ropes with his feet though, getting the drama to increase even more.

After getting upright, Daniels would gain control with some back-hands, forearms, and a springboard charge. He would have a hot nearfall after landing the BME and also got another hot nearfall after hitting a Codebreaker. Joe would cut Daniels off when planted on the turnbuckle, grabbing the champ and landing a choke on him, but Daniels broke out of it. After much struggle on the turnbuckle, Joe hit a Super Island Driver to bring this wild contest to an end and regain the title.

This might very well be the best match in Impact history, with only one match I can think of in 2010 to be on the same level. The heat in this was just off the charts, the transitions were amazing, selling was tremendous as were the hope spots from Daniels, and Daniels showed so much heart wearing that crimson mask. I'll be shocked if another match for TNA in 2006 tops this. ****1/2
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Lockdown 2006
NWA-TNA Title - Cage Match

Christian Cage vs. Abyss

Very good hardcore match here. They start with a brawl during Christian's entrance, which is very good stuff. Once they get in the ring it's really good too with Abyss dominating thanks to a ref bump, but it doesn't get super interesting until he introduces thumb-tacks. What does stand out is something we should see more frequently from babyfaces, as Christian made an effort not just to dodge a running charge from Abyss, but moved the ref out of the way too. What a crazy concept, showing that babyfaces can go the extra mile with integrity.

Abyss would take a modified sunset powerbomb onto the tacks, with Christian coming off the top of the cage after smashing the face of Abyss into it. This dazed Abyss so that Christian had the momentum when landing on the mat with his feet to then plant Abyss onto the tacks. That would be a great nearfall, and the challenger's manager Jim Mitchell would throw some more weapons in the ring, including his walking cane.

Abyss would add more tacks on the mat, only to get struck with the cane which broke upon impact. He then took an Unprettier on the expanded tacks portion of the canvas, bringing this show-stealer to a close. Post-match, Abyss attacks Christian when Mitchell is about to be attacked, and the slain challenger leaves with the belt. ***3/4
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Sacrifice 2006: The Good Shit

Tag Titles Match
America's Most Wanted vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels

TIME STAMP - 10:45


These four worked very hard, with a phenomenal pace that resulted in red-hot near-falls from the live crowd's perspective. But this was also littered with piss-poor tag legality officiating. The ref never remembered who was legal, and counted every single pin-fall attempt in the finishing stretch. All of this stupidity kept this from being the great match that this was destined to be. ***

NWA-TNA Title - Full Metal Mayhem Match
Christian Cage vs. Abyss



Another match where they worked hard, but in this case didn't have the pacing and intensity of their cage match a few weeks earlier. Christian took MANY stupid bumps in this one, and it's a great example to pull out for anyone wondering why his body has broken down and caused WWE to be gunshy on utilizing him in 2014. Christian got the eventual last laugh, slamming James Mitchell on thumb tacks, taking the risk of jumping off the ladder onto Abyss through a table, and climbing up the ladder to retain the title. ***
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Hardcore War 2006

X-Division Title Match
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

A bit better than Joe's threeway the following weekend with KENTA and Bryan Danielson since nobody got knocked the fuck out in this one. All these years later, this is honestly on par with the rest of their threeway series. Joe took an early powder but somehow managed to get an advantage on the outside on both challengers (I should note they were tag partners at this time, their issues now behind them.) Styles would find ways to hit explosive spots to keep this competitive, as would Daniels but not quite as explosively. The easy highlight of this was Joe blocking a kick from Styles, springboarding him into a backflip, Styles lands in position to drop Daniels with an inverted DDT, kicks an approaching Joe, and then simultaneously drops Joe with a traditional DDT. Joe went on to retain in what I would consider to be a classic match thanks to the awesome Philly crowd. ****
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Slammiversary 2006: The Good Shit

Tag Titles Match
America's Most Wanted vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels



Same issues as last month - zero enforcement of tag legalities. I feel like Bryan Alvarez pointing out the Briscoes' flaws from this time, but these four surely should've known better. That said, the action itself was really good and the crowd loved it. This also had the proper finish, which was the dream team winning the belts. ***1/4

Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner

Really good psychology here that somewhat reminded me of Joe's dream match against Kenta Kobashi. Steiner manhandled Joe in a much different way than Kobash thoughi. He cancelled out Joe's attempts at mat wrestling, showcasing his All-American background as an amateur from his days in Ann Arbor. He also managed to throw Joe around with various suplexes, a stunning sight to see. This was similarly surreal to Brock Lesnar and Undertaker's Hell in a Cell match, because Joe is always the dominant force.

A moment that stood out to me was Steiner powerbombing Joe, but the former ROH Champ absorbed the bump, locking Steiner in a triangle armbar. That was a really nice moment because it offset Steiner's amateur background. I also believe this is where Lesnar and CM Punk got the idea for the same spot during their epic reversal segment in their SummerSlam 2013 classic. The next highlight, of course bringing back memories of Joe vs. Kobashi, was Steiner lowblowing Joe during a rear naked chokehold, breaking a waistlock, and then dropping Joe headfirst with a half-nelson suplex. I'm sure that was worth it for Joe.

Unfortunately, the finish was botched as Steiner missed the ropes when Joe dropped him in Stun Gun like fashion, and then was finished off with a powerslam. Still really good storytelling and the last quality match of Steiner's career. A major pleasant surprise after Steiner's tenure in WWE prior to this. ***1/4
Last edited by supersonic on Sat Jul 25, 2015 10:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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The Port City Shakedown - August 10, 2006
Tag Titles Match
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe & Petey WIlliams

Quality tag match here as expected. The champs get the advantage on Williams early which only pisses off the self-absorbed Joe. Once he's tagged in after several minutes the champs then sell. Nothing super special here, but a well-paced contest with the champs taking out Joe after he eats a springboard elbow from Styles, forcing Williams to eat a back-to-back BME and frogsplash. ***1/2
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Re: Project Rewatch - TNA: The Good Shit

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Steiner vs. Joe II - August 11, 2006
Tag Titles Match

AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. Chris Sabin & Jay Lethal

That was on its way to excellence until tag legalities in the third act. The challengers worked on the left arm of Daniels at first, but then the champs worked on Lethal. The chemistry between Styles and Lethal was really something, whether it was their work on the match or Styles doing his traditional dropkick with perfect timing after talking trash. The challengers would get the heat on Styles after Lethal caused him to land gut-first on the top rope when sabotaging a springboard maneuver, so they went after his abdomen.

But once all of them did dives to the outside, the match logically fell apart as the ref counted every pinfall attempted. That said, it was still a fun match and could've been something nice to have as a PPV program to elevate Sabin & Lethal, rather than making this a throwaway contest on a house show. ***1/2
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