HeadLocker — Jay Shannon
My Turning Point 2009 Predictions
Our resident philosopher breaks out his crystal ball, tea leaves and lucky coin to try and decipher and predict the outcomes and future ramifications of this minor Pay Per View
TNA is back with another PPV offering. This one is not even in the same ballpark as their spectacular Bound For Glory show. This second-rate effort is going to throw a lot of nowhere feuds and pretend threats to championships at the fans. I’m not impressed, as you will be able to tell as you read on.
Team 3D & Rhino v Matt Morgan, Hernandez and D’Angelo Dinero
Backstory: Ok, Rhino gets all paranoid and thinks “they” are out to get him. With his recent string of losses, he might be right. Anyway, he’s now convinced Brother Ray and Brother Devon that they are next on the victim list. Team 3D were battling Hernandez and Morgan, when Ray blith-whapped his opponents with a chair. Ray now suddenly buys all Rhino’s baloney and wants to protect himself from the “evil ones”. Speaking of “evil ones”, D’Angelo Dinero, who was off for a family emergency, is back. This time, he joins the yound studs to battle the old guard.
Predictions: My biggest question is: What the heck is Dinero doing on the face side of this one? He comes into TNA as a replacement for Ron Killings, basically, and gets thrown into a decent heel role. He has some kind of emergency and suddenly he’s the face savior. I can only imagine that Suicide is going to turn heel. Speaking of Suicide, I noticed that he’s not on the card, anywhere. To keep the conspiracy theory going, Team 3D and Rhino really need to lose this one. I see the ending as Rhino goes for a Gore! but missed. Dinero then catches Rhino with the D-D-E to take the win.
Predicted Winners: D’Angelo Dinero, Hernandez and Matt Morgan
Predicted Grade: B-
Bobby Lashley v. Scott Steiner
Backstory: Steiner takes a liking to Bobby’s better half and the war is on. That’s pretty much what the tired re-used-a-million-times feud is all about. Just like Rude/Roberts, Flair/Precious and probably a dozen more, Lashley is defending the honor of his family against the lustful Steiner. Oh, Puh-leeze!
Predictions: This is definitely the Beer Run match of the night. This feud was given absolutely no time to build before the near-sighted writers decided to run with a major battle. This is definitiely a no-win situation. If Steiner loses, the feud is dead in teh water. If Lashley loses, it kills any momentum that he had. I just have to think that TNA will go with the smart move and have Lashley destroy Steiner. Lashley could then move another step up the ladder and Steiner could fade into retirement (or join Booker T over in McMahon-Land).
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
Predicted Grade: D
The British Invasion v Beer Money Inc. v The Motor City Machine Guns
TNA World Tag Title Triple Threat Match
Backstory: The Motor City Machine Guns won this title shot at Bound For Glory. Beer Money won their way into the mix with a win on Thursday’s Impact. The Brits took the straps at Bound For Glory and then got themselves suspended for smacking as ref to keep their belts in a match against Beer Money on Impact.
Predictions: This one seems rather complicated but I don’t think it’s going to turn out that way. With Beer Money beating the odds to earn this shot, common sense says they will take the belts. I don’t think so. I’m going with the Guns to take the straps. This could play into the whole Team 3D comspiracy thing and lead to a few really decent matches between the two teams.
Predicted Winners: Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley (New Champions)
Predicted Grade: A
Tara v Awesome Kong
Six Sides of Steel Cage Match
Backstory: Tara, the former Victoria, showed up in TNA a few months back. She immediately set her sights on the top woman in the company, Kong. Kong tried to squash Tara’s pet spider, Poison. Kong has recently disposed of her long-time handler, This latest match is going to be inside the six-sided steel cage.
Prediction: This match means absolutely nothing, since neither woman holds the Knockout belt. If Kong were to hold the belt, I’d give it to Tara. If Tara held it, Kong would win. There is just no way in Heaven or Hell that Tara will get Kong up into the Widow’s Peak. That neutralizes her biggest weapon. The only way I see Tara winning this one is if Raisha Saeed gets involved. Otherwise, Kong hits the Implant Buster and takes the win.
Predicted Winner: Awesome Kong
Predicted Grade: A-
The Amazing Red v Homicide
X-Division Title Match
Backstory: Red pulled off a huge upset when he defeated Samoa Joe for the X-Division title. He did have a little help from Bobby Lashley. Homicide has turned back into his old street thug character after joining the World Elite. He has mugged Red’s promoter, Don West, and raided Mick Foley’s office to steal the barbed wire bat.
Prediction: TNA has so much more that they can do with a Red X-Division title reign. I can’t imagine that they would end his first-ever reign so quickly. This match should be a warp speed affair with tons of high-risk moves and near falls. I’m expecting Homicide to get frustrated and attack either Red, the ref or both. Red gets busted open but keeps the straps, thanks to the DQ.
Predicted Winner: Amazing Red (by DQ)
Predicted Grade: A
ODB and Taylor Wilde and Sarita v The Beautiful People
All Knockout Titles on the Line Match
Backstory: Kong took her first Knockout title from her former beau, Cody Deaner. Sarita and Taylor Wilde won a tournament to become the first Knockout tag team champions. In this upcoming match, both the Knockout singles and tag belts are on the line.
Prediction: This has been billed as an All-or-Nothing match. If any of the Beautiful People were to take the pin, all the belts would go to Von Erich, Sky and Rayne. If that stands, then the straps will stay put and there will be chaos inside the Beautiful People. If they change it to where each champion is individually defended, then the Beuatiful People will take the tag belts and ODB keeps her title. I wish Lacey would take the singles title but she’s not ready. The other two Beautiful People aren’t strong enough to hold the singles title. I’m going to say that the titles will not change hands. I’m expecting ODB to take the win, which will set ODB v Lacey in the near future.
Predicted Winners: ODB, Taylor Wilde and Sarita
Predicted Grade: B
Kurt Angle v Desmond Wolfe
Backstory: The Main Event Mafia is gone. Booker T has left the company. Steiner has gone after Bobby Lashley. Nash is doing…well…something. In the middle of all this chaos, Desmond Wolfe (the former Nigel McGuiness) has arrived in TNA to eliminate Kurt and take his place. Wolfe has attacked Kurt, several times. So far, Wolfe has dominated.
Prediction: TNA is trying to push Wolfe to the top too fast. If Wolfe truly destroys Kurt, as he claims he will do, Kurt might as well join Booker T back in WWE. If Wolfe really gets trashed, he will be effectively useless as a top heel. The only way that this won’t weaken the company is if neither man is dominate. Expect a double DQ in this wild and wooly battle.
Predicted Winner: Double DQ
Predicted Grade: B+
A.J. Styles v Samoa Joe v Daniels
TNA World Championship Match
Backstory: These three met several years ago in a stellar match. Styles has been attacked, several times, recently. It looked like it might be Daniels. There was another masked man who jumped A.J. while Daniels and Samoa Joe were in the ring. Styles slapped his long-time friend on the most recent edition of Impact, when Daniels came to the ring during a match between Joe and Styles. Joe was able to lock in the Kokina Clutch to take the non-title win.
Prediction: The unknown masked man is the key to this bout. Since it does not appear that Daniels was behind the attack, taht leaves two options: another contender to Styles or a new member of Joe’s Nation of Violence. I think the mystery person (possibly the former Mr. Kennedy) will show up to attack Styles. It’s possible the mystery man might be Sting but I don’t think TNA would risk turning Sting heel. If the name “Black Scorpion” or something similar comes out, it’s him. No matter what happens on Sunday, Styles will go home with the gold
Predicted Winner: A.J. Styles
Predicted Grade: A-
Final Grade: B
Final Thoughts: TNA will play safe with this PPV. Don’t expect Hogan to show up or any major title changes, other than the tag belts. With Survivor Series coming a week after this, many fans will save their pennies for one of the WWE’s Big Four. This PPV won’t try to over-power that show, even if it could. It will be a decent PPV but nothing substantial.
— Jay Shannon
[email protected]
(11/14/09)