The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
No Surrender : Preview & Predictions
The Kingfish Arnie Katz gets you ready for TNA’s September pay per view event!.
No Surrender looks like more of a transitional payer per view than a climactic one. There will be some major story point and a lot of hot action, but definitive conclusions to feuds will mostly have to wait for the higher-rated ppvs of the fall.
Let’s look at what’s in store – and what might actually happen at the show:
Awesome Kong (w/ Raisha Saeed) vs. ODB
Falls Count Anywhere
The Story: ODB has long been absent from Awesome Kong’s list of favorite people. Her match against Raisha Saeed, in which she pulled off the mask, raised her several notches on the bad list. Kong attacked her after that match, but now the two square off in an actual match.
My Prediction: Awesome Kong needs to beat ODB to [reserve her status as the Knockout Division’s mega-heel. Yet ODB can’t just do this job, even to Awesome Kong, without slipping in the eyes of the fans. The likeliest solution is to have Kong win, but let ODB have some success against Saeed. My prediction is that ODB blasts Saeed, but this causes her to suffer a pin by Kong. Roxxi will rush to the ring to save ODB from a beat-down. This will lead to a tag match between the two duos and, eventually, to Roxxi taking a very similar loss to Kong down the road.
Predicted Grade: B
The Rock n’ Rave Infection (Lance Rock, Jimmy Rave & Christy Hemme) vs. The Prince Justice Brotherhood (Curry Man, Shark Boy & Super Eric)
Mixed Gender Six-Person Tag Team Match
The Story: The trio of wannabe costumed heroes have had some strange encounters with the trio of wannabe rock stars. Curry Man and Christy Hemme have even messed around a little in the backstage area. The costumed clods have attacked the heels, because they don’t like their music and plan to make them sing a different tune in this ring-filling confrontation.
My Prediction: The question here is not who will do the job, but rather who in the match could actually end up on the right side of a pin. Although they all work hard, this is about the least appealing match on the card. The finish will involve Curry Man and Christy Hemme – and he may very well let her claim the winning pin.
Predicted Grade: C+
Black Machismo Jay Lethal vs. The Guru Sonjay Dutt
Ladder of Love Match
The Story: Have you forgotten about the Lethal-Val-Dutt triangle? TNA hasn’t and, presumably, neither have the three people involved in this long and messy feud. This time, SoCal Val herself is the ultimate prize in the match.
My Prediction: Wow, what a mess they’ve made of this feud! Given all the mistakes already made, what could be better than ending it with a nonsensical match purporting to determine with whom SoCal Val will spend the rest of her life. The match will be exciting, but the concept behind it is ridiculous. This is one feud that needs to end now, if not sooner, and it doesn’t seem very likely that either combatant is going to marry Val. That being the case, the best ending would be for the two men to fight like wildcats and then decide that their friendship is more important than a glorified ring rat. The match ends in a “no contest” draw and Val goes home with Jeremy Borash.
Predicted Grade: B+
Taylor Wilde vs. Angelina Love
Knockout Championship Match
The Story: Angelina Love has displayed a wide streak of jealousy toward Taylor Wilde ever since she emerged from the crowd to become Knockout Champion. Taylor “defeated” Love in the First Annual Beautiful People Beauty Contest, but victory in this match may not come quite so easily for the title-holder.
My Prediction: Angelina Love is a good foil for Taylor Wilde, even if the comedy spots come off like warmed-over WWE. Taylor seems destined to lose the title back to Awesome Kong, possibly even as soon as Bound for Glory. That means Wilde has to look strong in this match. Velvet Sky and Cute Kip James will likely interfere, but it won’t keep Angelina Love from taking the pin.
Predicted Grade: C+
Matt Morgan & Abyss vs. Team 3D
The Story: Abyss faces his toughest test since returning to TNA after intense therapy in a sanitarium. So far, he has avoided resorting to the ultra-violence that was formerly his trademark, but this match could sorely try his self-control. The hostilities with Team 3D began when Ray and Devon made Johnny Devine accept the open challenge – and then tried to do a three-on-one beatdown after the match! Morgan came to the rescue, as he usually does when Abyss is in trouble, but now they’ll both be in the ring and ready for whatever Team3D has n store.
My Prediction: I don’t think this match will go to a clean finish. TNA will want to build up the Morgan-Abyss team and that means extending the feud at least until Bound for Glory. That suggests that Team 3D, and the ever-present Devine, will eke out a tainted victory, probably due to outside interference and a foreign object or two. It is possible that the outside help will backfire, but I don’t think so; Team 3D gets this win.
Predicted Grade: B
AJ Styles vs. Frank Trigg
Mixed Martial Arts Challenge Match
The Story: Kurt Angle’s henchman has meddled in AJ Styles a couple of times too many. The Phenomenal One has thrown caution to the winds by agreeing to meet Trigg in more or less his kind of match.
My Prediction: If Trigg loses this, he’s toast with no residual value. If he can’t beat AJ Styles in an MMA match, he can’t beat anyone in anything. On the other hand, letting Trigg dominate AJ would be a miscalculation that can only damage the revived Styles’ standing and credibility. This would be a good spot for Tomko to renew his feud with Styles. A little helping hand for Trigg might justify Styles’ loss in a match that should never have been made.
Grade: C-
Petey Williams vs. Consequences Creed vs. Sheik Abdul Bashir
X-Division Championship
Triple Threat
The Story: While Consequences Creed has chased Petey Williams, Sheik Abdul Bashir has made life miserable for the rookie. Their match in iMPACT led to Jim Cornette’s decision to expand Creed-Williams into a triple threat contest.
My Prediction: This type of match has become a fairly standard way of lifting the belt off a champion without making him take a clean loss in a one-on-one confrontation. This particular contest looks tailor-made to put the gold around the waist of one of the two challengers. The question is: Which one will it be? Creed is getting a very strong push, but Bashir also looks like someone who figures in TNA’s plans for this fall and winter. The best ending might be to have Petey Williams attack Creed after an intense exchange between the two challengers. Williams does the Canadian Destroyer, but Bashir could score the pin before Petey regains his equilibrium.
Predicted Grade: A-
Beer Money (with Jacqueline Moore) vs. LAX (with Salinas)
TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
The Story: The Heat goes on! Homicide is back fro his calamitous encounter with the glass table and LAC is spoiling for revenge. They want their title and they want to continue to get retribution against Roode and Storm.
My Prediction: The bottom line is that LAX must eventually get revenge and re-take the tag team title. I don’t think that’ll happen this time, though, because Beer Money already has another strong challenger in view, Matt Morgan and Abyss. If Homicide is still bandaged, that could be the alibi to justify another LAX loss. There might be a run-in by Team 3D after the match to give LAX an opponent for their post-Beer Money program.
Predicted Grade: A-
Samoa Joe vs. Booker T vs. Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage
World Championship Match
Four-Ways to Glory
The Story: All four men in this match want the prize only one can hold, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Samoa Joe has the belt, but all three of his opponents feel that it rightfully belongs to them. Angle and Cage feel they have lost the title unfairly in the past and Booker T is eager to add it to his long list of title accomplishments.
The Prediction: This is likely to be the opening salvo in the Old versus Young feud that TNA has been setting up for the last month, assuming that Sting’s horrendous interviews haven’t already sabotaged it beyond redemption. This match will be heavily booked with a lot of swerves and surprises. It is even possible that Christian Cage will turn heel and cost Samoa Joe the title. More likely is that Cage. Consumed by the desire to win in front of the home folks, Cage will do something that accidentally causes Joe to get pinned. Those things could happen, but what I think will happen is that Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe will get into a hammer-and-tongs battle. Sting will give Booker T the bat, which he’ll use to clobber Christian Cage and pin him to take the title.
Predicted Grade: A
Predicted Overall Grade for the Show: B+
That’s it for today. I’ll be back on Monday with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column. I’ll have the recap and analysis of No Surrender and you’ll be able to laugh at my predictions.
— Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(9/13/8)