TNA Slammiversary
June 19, 2005
Orlando, FL
Universal Studios

The current NWA & TNA Champs were as follows:
NWA World Champion: AJ Styles (5/15/2005)
NWA World Tag Team Champions: The Naturals (4/29/2005)
TNA X-Division Champion: Christopher Daniels (3/13/2005)

In a moment that had everybody smiling who said that TNA would never last, TNA loses its cable deal with Fox Sports Net and were forced to make their weekly iMPACT show exclusive on their website until they finally scored a deal with Spike TV which debuted iMPACT on October 1. It’s certainly an arguable point, but TNA’s greatest PPV period quality-wise could have very well happened when they didn’t even have a TV deal – starting with this PPV and into Unbreakable in September, which is best remembered as a show that included the greatest match ever in TNA history: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe.

Your hosts are Mike Tenay and Don West.

During the pre-show, Jeff Jarrett and Raven got into a confrontation which triggered a big brawl. Once Jarrett hit the floor, a “Jeff Hardy fan” wouldn’t stop pestering him, so Jarrett flipped the guy over the guardrail and started punching him. AWESOME. For beating up a fan, Jarrett was arrested and the acting Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko put Raven in Jarrett’s place in tonight’s ‘King of the Mountain’ match with the NWA world title on the line.

• Amazing Red vs. Jerrelle Clark vs. Delirious vs. Zach Gowen vs. Elix Skipper vs. Shark Boy
  

This is during Shark Boy’s lawsuit with Miramax Films over the use of his name. Since he’s getting publicity no matter how small, you know he’s going over. Forgot about Delirious ever showing up in TNA. He goes crazy at the bell and screws with Elix Skipper. He takes a butterfly suplex for that. Tag to Amazing Red, he delivers a monkey flip on Skipper. Skipper blocks a rana into a Boston crab, but Red escapes and dropkicks Skipper in the corner. Clark tags in and tries his handstand moonsault, but misses Red completely. Red hits Clark with the headscissors and follows up with a roundhouse kick. Blind tag by Gowen, he goes for the flying legdrop on Clark, but misses. In comes Shark Boy, he levels Gowen with a reverse neckbreaker for two. Gowen counters a suplex with an inverted DDT and wants the flying moonsault, but Skipper tags him before he can get up top. That causes an argument, but Shark Boy runs over and tumbles out with Skipper. Clark takes them both out with a springboard moonsault. Gowen wants an Asai Moonsault, but Delirious stops him in mid-spring with a dropkick. Delirious wants to fly, but Amazing Red cuts him off with a superkick and takes out everybody on the floor with the INFRARED! Back inside, we see the TOWER OF DOOM with Delirious falling from the top. Now everybody hits their finishers (including the JERRELLE DRIVER ’05!) ending with Shark Boy delivering the DEEP SEA DROP on Delirious for the 1-2-3. (6:28) Holy crap that was fun. Sometimes you just want to see the X-Division come out and show off. ***

In the back, Abyss is breaking glass with his fist.

Meanwhile, Shane Douglas talks with Shocker. Alex Shelley interrupts and says while Shocker is a great luchadore, Shelley can wrestle EVERY STYLE IMAGINABLE! That sends Shocker into Ricky Ricardo mode.

• Shocker vs. Alex Shelley
  

This is Alex Shelley’s return to TNA since he left in November 2004. With Dusty Rhodes gone from the company, they begin to utilize more of what separated them from WWE to begin with: the X-Division. We see some cool mat stuff to start with Shelley getting the better of Shocker. After some more in-ring armdrags, Shocker armdrags Shelley to the floor to get him all frustrated. Back in, Shocker unloads with chops, but Shelley wants to go back to the catch-as-catch-can style. Shocker’s size stops a rollup into a pin of his own for two. Shelley starts to beg off and even kisses Shocker’s boot. Of course he’s setting Shocker up for a kick to the gut and a right hand. Shocker comes back with a trip and a dropkick to the head. Shelley avoids a Hilo, but can’t escape the tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Shelley rolls out, but ducks down to the apron to prevent any planchas and such. On the apron, Shelley flips over Shocker and shoves him out for a pescado, but Shocker jumps back into the ring as Shelley splats on the floor. As Shelley gets to his feet, Shocker gives him a dropkick from the apron. Back in, a moonsault from Shocker hits knees. Shelley starts giving out suplexes and heads up top, but flies down into a dropkick. That sends Shelley retreating to the floor as Shocker gives him a suicide dive. Back inside, Shelley counters a suplex and gets a funky British rollup for 1-2-NO! Shelley rolls through a Jack Brisco rollup and dropkicks Shocker. Golden Gate Swing by Shelley gets 1-2-NO! Shelley blocks a La Magistral cradle into a cradle of his own for two. He blocks a suplex and gets Shocker stuck in a leg grapevine cradle for another nearfall. Shelley hits the double knees in the corner and tries a tornado DDT, but Shocker shoves him off and delivers a hammerlock small package for 1-2-3! (10:44) Great way to bring Alex Shelley showing off the different styles he likes to implement, but would it kill TNA to give him a win? ***

THE TOP FIVE MOMENTS IN TNA HISTORY: #5 – June 11 2003: AJ Styles defeats Jeff Jarrett to win his first NWA world title.

In the back, BG James tells fellow 3LK’ers Ron Killings and Konnan that tonight he will prove with his actions where his loyalty lies. Just trust him, guys.

• Ron Killings vs. The Outlaw
  

Outlaw grabs a headlock to start. Killings fights out with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. He hits Outlaw with a missile dropkick, but Outlaw comes back with a low blow. Stinger Splash misses, but Killings misses a jumping heel kick and crotches himself on the top rope ala Booker T. To the floor we go! A fan holds up a chair and Killings takes advantages as he bashes Outlaw’s head into it. Back inside, Outlaw grabs a chinlock, but flies off the second rope into a pair of boots. Killings makes his comeback, but whiffs the AXE KICK and takes the FAMOUSER. Instead of going for the pin, Outlaw wants the COBRA CLUTCH SLAM. Killings sees it coming and rolls up Outlaw for the 1-2-3. (7:38) Not that I was expecting a match to be remembered, but these two were off their game tonight. All around, a pretty weak match that just dragged. Afterwards, Outlaw pulls out a chair, but BG James makes the save and takes the chair away. Is he going to hit Outlaw? Nope. Konnan runs in and shoves Outlaw down to get him out of the ring. Konnan and BG James start arguing, but 3LK all walk out together. *

THE TOP FIVE MOMENTS IN TNA HISTORY: #4 – January 22 2003: Raven debuts in TNA.

In the back, Team Canada gives a hilarious interview as Scott D’Amore compares himself to Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin when you’re talking about great generals of history. All evil leaders, but none of them were ever generals. Even D’Amore can’t help but laugh at his own comment.

• NWA World Tag Team Champions The Naturals vs. Petey Williams & Eric Young (w/Scott D’Amore & A-1)
  

The Naturals have a new leader since Chris Candido passed away, but will we find out who it is they’re talking about tonight? That’s the story anyway. EY and Chase Stevens start us off. Young tries to be a douche and pays dearly. Williams tags in, but runs into armdrags from Andy Douglas. Douglas slam down a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and delivers a variation of Edge’s sharpshooter. Young makes the save and then breaks up a NATURAL DISASTER attempt that winds up getting him dropped with an inverted DDT by his own partner. Illogical, but that’s TNA! Somehow, this makes EY the legal man. He fakes a leg injury off a leapfrog and quickly throws Stevens over the top rope out to A-1 when he finds the opening. And no, not the steak sauce. There’s a real person named A-1. Back inside, Petey gives Stevens the O CANADA crotch stomp in the corner. Sunset flip into a legdrop from Young gets two. More face in peril stuff leads to a flying legdrop from Young for 1-2-NO! Williams lets Stevens get close enough to his corner, but then slaps Douglas and pulls him back over to the Team Canada corner. Stevens fires back, but gets dumped out for more A-1 damage. He gets sent into the ring steps before D’Amore starts shouting in his face. Back inside, Stevens starts fighting out of the Team Canada corner again, but A-1 trips him up from the floor and holds onto his ankle. Finally, Douglas has enough and goes over to stop A-1. Once he punches A-1 away, that allows Stevens to crawl over to the Naturals corner where Douglas isn’t at! By the time Douglas gets back to his corner, Petey Williams has already pulled Stevens away. Stevens whiffs an enziguri, but rolls free from Petey for the HOT TAG TO DOUGLAS! Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for Petey! High Knee for Young. Even Andy Douglas does that better than Triple H. Douglas gives Petey Williams a full nelson backbreaker for 1-2-NO! Young hotshots Douglas and that staggers him into a Sharpshooter by Williams. EY goes up top, but gets shoved off onto the top rope by Stevens. Petey fights off a powerbomb from Stevens with a DDT. Douglas saves a Sharpshooter with a German suplex on Williams for 1-2-NO! DOOMSDAY DEVICE on Petey gets 1-2-NO! Young comes back inside right into the NATURAL DISASTER. Cover by Douglas, 1-2-NO! Petey makes the save. He catches Stevens with the tilt-a-whirl into the Russian legsweep. CANADIAN DESTROYER to Douglas? No! Douglas fights out, but gets hit with the hockey stick. Petey sets up for the CANADIAN DESTROYER again, but Stevens is in with a megaphone and breaks it up. Don West starts yelling Jimmy Hart when we don’t even see him on camera. When you see a megaphone though, you think Jimmy Hart. STILL! Keep your mouth shut. Anyways, Douglas jackknife covers Petey for the 1-2-3. (15:16) After the match, we see the Naturals celebrate with Jimmy Hart. Fun formula tag that turned the Naturals full blown face. ***¼

THE TOP FIVE MOMENTS IN TNA HISTORY: #3 – Lockdown 2005: Wrestling’s first all-cage match PPV.

• Samoa Joe vs. Sonjay Dutt
  

I never get used to hearing Tenay say “baby”. Anyways, this is Samoa Joe’s TNA debut. Tenay has been watching ROH DVDs of this guy for YEARS and he’s so glad to finally see Joe in person. He even mentions Joe as the former Ring of Honor champion for a near two-year reign, how he’s the current ROH Pure champion, and that he’s only lost one match in three years. Tenay puts him over HUGE. Good stuff. Joe corners Sonjay and goes all Vader on him. Sonjay fights back and springboard dropkicks Joe in the corner, but then charges into the STJOE! Nasty. Joe snapmares Sonjay for a chop to the back, kick to the chest, and the knee drop off the ropes for two. He corner whips Sonjay and hits him with a knee strike. As Sonjay slumps to the mat, Joe gives him the running face wash. Sonjay tries to mount another comeback, but Joe cuts him off with a legsweep as he comes off the ropes. Running senton to the back gets 1-2-NO! Joe misses a charge up against the ropes and falls out to the floor. As Joe gets back up on the apron, Sonjay hits him with a springboard enziguri. Somersault plancha takes down Joe, but he’s STILL the first guy back in the ring. Joe catches a springboard, but Sonjay slips away and kicks at Joe to deliver on the second springboard with a dropkick. Cover by Sonjay, 1-2-NO! He drops Joe with a jumping enziguri and hits a 450 splash for 1-2-NO! HINDU PRESS, but Joe moves and Sonjay rolls through only to charges into a powerslam for two. Joe slaps and chops at Sonjay in the corner to weaken him down for the MUSCLE BUSTER! COQUINA CLUTCH is applied! Sonjay has no choice but to tap. (6:26) Great TNA debut or the greatest TNA debut? You decide. **½

Tenay and West hype the upcoming Bound for Glory PPV in October. It’s their World Series and Super Bowl all wrapped into one PPV! Well dang, let me mark my calendar.

Raven cuts a crazy promo somewhere in the Impact Zone where candles are lit on some steps. Seems a tad unsafe to me.

• Bobby Roode (w/Scott D’Amore) vs. Lance Hoyt
  

HOYT! HOYT! HOYT! HOYT! That’s what you sound like, TNA fans. Roode can’t handle the big guy to start. They head to the floor where Hoyt lets D’Amore distract him. Roode knees Hoyt off the apron into the guardrail. While Roode has the ref’s attention, D’Amore does his dirty work. Back in, Roode delivers some knees to the gut and then hits a back suplex. GRIZZLY BEAR HUG! Hoyt tries to battle out, but Roode yanks him down by his long locks. Roode delivers a snap suplex and heads up top, but Hoyt slams him down and mounts his comeback with a series of clotheslines. Hoyt hits a flapjack and Roode retreats to the corner, but Hoyt starts up a ten-HOYT corner punch. Hoyt avoids the atomic drop counter and CHOKESLAMS Roode down. D’Amore stops a MOONSAULT and Roode brings Hoyt off the top with a Running Ligerbomb for two. In comes the hockey stick, the ref gets it away from Roode who turns back around into a uranage. Again, D’Amore gets involved and grabs Hoyt’s ankle to prevent a RUNNING BIG BOOT. Meanwhile, Roode regroups and drills Hoyt from behind with the NORTHERN LARIAT for the 1-2-3. (7:23) Could a TNA fan explain to me what Lance Hoyt’s appeal is? After the match, Roode and D’Amore double-team Hoyt to the point that D’Amore takes off his shirt to give Hoyt a flying moonsault, but he completely misses. Hoyt takes out Roode with the Big Boot and gives D’Amore the chokeslam followed up by the flying moonsault. Okay, now I could see his appeal – he beats up Team Canada including Scott D’Amore. The rest of Team Canada try to make save, but Lance Hoyt is already up the ramp now. You can’t possibly get to him over there! Scott D’Amore does the stretcher job while Tenay and West awkwardly sing the ‘Nah Nah Hey Hey Goodbye” song. **

THE TOP FIVE MOMENTS IN TNA HISTORY: #2 – June 23 2004: Jeff Hardy debuts in TNA.

In the back, Shane Douglas gets a word with AJ Styles. He considers coming out of the King of the Mountain match still the NWA world champ not only a huge challenge, but a huge opportunity to show why he’s the best in the world.

• America’s Most Wanted vs. BG James & Konnan (w/Ron Killings)
  

It’s the battle of two dysfunctional teams! AMW haven’t gotten along since losing the NWA world tag titles while BG James and Konnan don’t trust each other because of all the Outlaw’s mind games. Seems like a Russo encounter, but he doesn’t work here anymore. Konnan and BG James both run through their usual pre-match shticks with no problems thus far. Konnan grabs Harris with a headlock and when Harris reaches out for the blind tag, Storm isn’t paying attention. Rolling Lariat by Konnan on Harris, but then Storm charges in and takes a reverse STO. Konnan starts throwing his sneaker at people. Storm makes him pay with a kick to the head. He connects with a back elbow and then tags in Harris for a double sledge. Storm comes off the top rope and eats a boot on the way down. K-FACTOR sets up a HOT TAG TO BG JAMES! Storm cools him off with a superkick and then gets whipped into the corner by Harris for another back elbow. He follows up with the Swinging Noose for 1-2-NO! Harris gets caught coming off the second rope to set up SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL. Harris ducks the final blow and charges into Storm to knock him off the apron. Whoops. James knocks Harris down anyway for two. Here comes the Outlaw to start brawling with Konnan, which makes him miss a tag. Meanwhile, AMW hit BG with the Hart Attack for the 1-2-3. (6:58) While Konnan and Outlaw exchange looks, BG James walks out on both guys. *½

THE TOP FIVE MOMENTS IN TNA HISTORY: #1 – Turning Point 2004: Elix Skipper walks across the top of the cage and hurracanranas Chris Harris down.

• TNA X-Division Champion Christopher Daniels vs. Matt Bentley (w/Traci) vs. Chris Sabin (w/Trinity) – Elimination Match
  

Traci told Bentley that she liked him best when he had the X-Division title around his waist. Apparently that warrants him a title shot. As for Sabin and Trinity’s relationship, it’s strictly business since they were both screwed last month at Hard Justice. Trinity says she’ll do whatever it takes to keep Traci from getting involved in the match. By the way, she wears her spider web attire that covers only the necessary parts. All three men in the ring, but its last man standing elimination rules. Daniels tries to interject himself between where the real feud is with Bentley and Sabin. Bentley breaks up a Koji Clutch on Sabin with a flying elbow drop. Seems stupid, but the idea is that he wants to eliminate Sabin and not Daniels. Bentley launches Daniels as he comes off the ropes into a powerbomb by Sabin. Of course the double teams are short lived and only serve to get Daniels out of the way so they can beat up each other. Daniels trips Sabin up in the ropes and then he hangs Sabin by his feet on the bottom rope as he dangles on the floor. As Bentley charges Daniels, he takes a backdrop out on top of Sabin to break him free from the bottom rope. Daniels hits Sabin with a split legged moonsault to the floor while Bentley gets out of the way. Back inside, Daniels and Bentley try to show each other up on who throws the better dropkick with Sabin being the victim. Bentley tosses out Daniels and goes back to work on Sabin. Now Daniels chooses his moment and nails Sabin from the floor, but then he takes a baseball slide by Bentley. Meanwhile, Bentley gives Sabin a slingshot legdrop for two. As Sabin whips Bentley into the ropes, Daniels backdrops him out as he’s on the apron. Sabin tries a pescado, but Daniels stands back and lets Sabin fly right down into a gutbuster. Brilliant! Daniels brings Bentley back in for the ANGEL’S WINGS, but Bentley backdrops out. Sabin charges in and hits the Tornado DDT on Bentley while kicking Daniels down at the same time! I always loved that. He takes Daniels out to the floor with a dropkick and sets Bentley up for the CRADLE SHOCK, but Bentley shoves him off into the ropes. As he ducks a clothesline from Bentley, Sabin takes a chance and wipes out Daniels with a somersault plancha! He comes back in and hits Bentley with a springboard dropkick for 1-2-NO! Traci trips up Sabin, which triggers a catfight and sees Traci get dumped out to the floor. Bentley wants to make Trinity pay by tossing her over to Daniels for a superkick, but Sabin stops that with a low superkick and grabs Bentley for the CRADLE SHOCK. Daniels positions Trinity for the ANGELS WINGS as some sort of way to get Sabin to let Bentley go, but Sabin doesn’t care about Trinity and drops Bentley with the CRADLE SHOCK for the 1-2-3 at 10:55. Meanwhile, Daniels drops Trinity with the ANGELS WINGS for real. Again, Sabin doesn’t care. He catches Daniels with a snap powerslam and follows up with a DDT out of a Canadian backbreaker position. I think he calls that move Over Easy. That gets two. Death Valley Driver by Daniels gets 1-2-NO! Sabin fights out of a chinlock and hits a straight jacket suplex for two. Daniels comes back with an STO and delivers the BEST MOONSAULT EVER for 1-2-NO! Sabin hits a jumping enziguri and a springboard swinging DDT for 1-2-NO! Daniels shoves off the CRADLE SHOCK and crotches Sabin off a springboard. He delivers the ANGELS WINGS and gets the 1-2-3. (17:08) Vintage X-Division stuff, but nobody was buying a Chris Sabin comeback title win and the final elimination just felt flat because of it. ***

In the back, Shane Douglas finds out what Monty Brown is thinking. All four of these omega males in the King of the Mountain match are going to feel the POOOUNCE, period.

• NWA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles vs. Abyss vs. Raven vs. Sean Waltman vs. Monty Brown – ‘King of the Mountain’ Match
  

With Jeff Jarrett gone off to jail and Raven taking his place in the match, we’ll have a NEW ‘King of the Mountain’. For those of us who don’t know the rules: you have to pin somebody in order to be qualified to hang up the NWA world title. Every time you are pinned, you have to go into the penalty box (shark cage) for two minutes. Once you hang the NWA world title up on the hook above the center of the ring, you win the match and become the NWA world champ. The interim Director of Authority Larry Zbyszko holds the belt until a wrestler is ready to hang up the title belt. Even though there’s only five people in the match, it’s just WAY too complicated of a match type trying to keep up with who qualifies and who doesn’t. TNA should really have a graphic up during the match saying who qualifies to hang the title belt, but they don’t bother with any graphics outside of the countdown clock for those inside the penalty box. It gets crazy to start. AJ climbs the ladder when it’s down on the floor to catch Abyss with a flying rana. Meanwhile, Monty Brown breaks up Raven and Waltman with the POUNCE! Cover on Raven, 1-2-3. So Monty qualifies to hang the title and Raven has to spend two minutes into the penalty box. Waltman stops Brown from bringing a ladder into the ring. Abyss joins those two, but then gets wiped out with a somersault plancha by AJ. Waltman brings Brown into the ring, but Abyss stops Styles when he tries a springboard and grabs him by the ankle when he’s in mid-air. Not good. Abyss comes in and avalanches Brown, but takes a spin kick from Waltman. Brown hiptosses Waltman away and Raven comes out of the penalty box about 15 seconds ahead of the clock. Somebody screwed up. He attacks Monty, but gets taken over with a t-bone suplex. Waltman flies into an ALPHA BOMB by Brown for the 1-2-3. Into the penalty box for you, Waltman. Raven is out setting up a table on the floor. AJ controls in the ring with clotheslines on Brown and Abyss, but gets hit with the POUNCE. As AJ flies out to the floor, Raven covers him for the 1-2-3 to send him into the penalty box and now Raven is qualified. Abyss lifts Brown up for the SHOCK TREATMENT, but Raven breaks that up by heaving a trashcan from the apron into his face. Abyss stops Raven with a big boot. Looks like while Waltman and Styles are in the penalty box, they’re going to work together from here on out. Waltman comes out of the penalty box swinging a trashcan on everybody. Abyss stops him with a big boot. The big boot always seems to be the answer. As AJ gets released from the penalty box, Abyss hits Brown with the BLACK HOLE SLAM to qualify and send Monty into the penalty box. Everybody but AJ and Waltman are able to hang the belt now. Styles counters the RAVEN EFFECT for the STYLES CLASH, but Abyss breaks up the pin. AHH!     Out goes Abyss with an enziguri as Waltman starts beating him down with a steel chair onto the table that Raven set up earlier. Styles makes Abyss pay with the SPIRAL TAP THROUGH THE TABLE! Cover by AJ, 1-2-3. As Monty comes out of the penalty box, Abyss goes into the penalty box. Brown sets up the ladder under the hook and props a table over in the corner. Instead of hanging up the belt, he starts brawling with Raven on the floor. Meanwhile, AJ takes his turn to hang the belt and Waltman turns on him with a SUPER X FACTOR OFF THE LADDER! Waltman covers Styles for the 1-2-3. Now AJ joins Abyss in the penalty box. Raven prevents Waltman from hanging the belt and finds the STAPLE GUN to use on Waltman’s head. I mean, why not. Waltman makes Raven pay with a staple gun shot to the balls. Same goes for Abyss as he comes out of the penalty box. Now Waltman makes the climb with the belt just as AJ makes it out of the penalty box. He meets Waltman at the top, but then Abyss turns the ladder over and causes Waltman to crash on the floor and AJ to go through a table. Brown shoots in and POUNCES Abyss off the ladder onto the table in the corner, but then Raven sneaks in and drops Brown with the RAVEN EFFECT. That leaves everybody down as Raven climbs up the ladder and hangs the title belt to win the NWA world title in what many TNA fans felt was long overdue. (14:22) Not my favorite match concept, but I think the penalty box is something they could use differently especially in the finish of the match that would be much cooler than what happened here at least in my opinion. I’ve only seen this one and the 2006 KOTM match so maybe they have used it in more effective ways in the other matches that I just haven’t seen. The way I was thinking was to see a top babyface stuck in the penalty box with the three other guys down and out while the heel – champion or challenger – hangs up the belt. Meanwhile, the babyface is watching on and there’s absolutely nothing he can do to stop it. That’s great drama and especially if a match hasn’t happened, you would want to see that babyface that everybody was rooting for to get his fair shot on the next PPV. **½

Final Thoughts: While it’s a good show, this was more of a step in the right direction for TNA than anything else. There’s more emphasis on the X Division than we’ve seen in all the prior monthly PPVs (four matches compared to the usual two) which is what everybody knows is what separates them from WWE and that really should be the point of TNA. Overall, there’s just less BS overbooked finishes and wacky unnecessary swerves than usual. Nothing absolutely outstanding about the show, but I’ll still give Slammiversary 2005 a mild thumbs up as they finally decided to care. Well until it gets bad again, but I’ll enjoy good TNA while it lasts.