The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
No Surrender : Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz gets reports on the highlights and sidelights of TNA’s September pay per view and, more important, delves into what all that stuff really means!.
Let’s look at what happened at No Surrender — and why::
The pre-show prepared fans for the event with a series of videos, each one targeting a different match. The “Four Roads to Glory” match got its turn, but the focus was the whole card rather than any single contest.
The Kingfish Comments: The pre-show points up a significant difference between the promotional philosophies of WWE and TNA. The McMahon clan pushes the top two or three matches on a card, while TNA tries to put across the entire menu.
Which one is better? Well, that probably depends on the composition of the card. In general, I think the WWE method produces high ratings, because fans general make their buying decision based on the marquee match-ups.
The opening video for No Surrender, from Oshawa, Canada, emphasized the reality of pro wrestling as it relates to “Four Roads to Glory.” The video made the point that each man has experienced real pain, real suffering, on his way to this championship match.
Sting came to the ring and, after the fans finished chanting, “You’re a Legend,” he delivered another speech about the importance of respect in pro wrestling. He said that he would not consider retirement until he has taught Samoa Joe and AJ Styles that respect
He declared himself a disciple of Bret Hart. Sting claimed that he is doing the work begun by the Hitman.
Sting also revealed that he has a new contract that guarantees him the opportunity to fight for the TNA World Championship at Bound for Glory against the winner of the “Four Roads to Glory” match at this pay per view.
The Kingfish Comments: The feud is not working. The fans continue to cheer Sting, Jeff Jarrett, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe without much connection to the alleged subject of the feud. If TNA is trying to walk this tightrope, U think it will cost the matches emanating from the storyline to lose some heat. If Sting is trying to make anything approaching a heel turn, he needs some serious and immediate help from the writers.
A video showed Christian Cages arrival earlier in the day.
Mike Tenay announced that, due to the weather, Booker T would not be at the show.
The Kingfish Comments: As we wave good-bye to The Kingfish’s main event prediction as it slowly sinks below the flood of Hurricane Ike.
The Rock n’ Rave Infection (Lance Rock, Jimmy Rave & Christy Hemme) d. 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 has 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+
The Actual Match: The strategy for the Rock n’ Rave Infection became obvious right from the opening bell. They two men spelled each other frequently and tried to keep the three costumed opponents from getting too near Christy Hemme.
When they did let her in, Hemme worked against Curry Man. This gave Lance Rock and Jimmy Rave a chance to lend illegal assistance and reverse the momentum of the match!
Christy made her second appearance after Lance Rock got Sharkboy down on the canvas. She climbed onto his big shoulders and pounced on Sharkboy with a Cross Body Block from that extreme height. A little later, Sharkboy gave Christy a Hollywood Kiss.
Sharkboy leveled Hemme with the Chummer after she slapped his face, but he ran right into Lance Rock!
Super Eric gave Pumphandle Slams to both Hemme and Rave. Curry Man covered Christy Hemme for the pin – and then didn’t want to abandon the position.
Actual Grade: B-
The Kingfish Comments: Apart from liking my booking better than the actual outcome, this came off surprisingly well. The Infection has never caught the fans’ imagination and it doesn’t seem likely that they will, but they are actually a pretty decent act.
The Prince Justice Brotherhood is less than the sum of its parts. All three guys come off like clowns. Mike Tenay’s silly comments about alleged “super powers” really don’t help, either.
As usual, a video and a list of bulleted points preceded the match.
The Kingfish Comments: TNA showed each video three times on the pre-show before using the same footage on the pay per view. If they’re trying to look cheap and second-rate with a bonus of undermining the excitement of the pay per view, I think they’ve got the formula down pat.
Really, this ridiculous repetition is embarrassing.
Awesome Kong (w/ Raisha Saeed) d. 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 squared 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 Actual Match: Raisha Saeed attacked ODB as the fan favorite walked the ramp to the ring and they got into a fairly intense brawl. Awesome Kong took over from her assistant and used the side of the ring as a weapon.
ODB set up a table in the ring, leaning against a top turnbuckle, but Kong reversed a whip into a Clothesline! They fought through the crowd with ODB getting the advantage until Kong clouted her with a trashcan, put it over her head and banged repeatedly on the sides! Kong Bodyslammed her at the foot of the ramp, but it only translated into a two count.
Awesome Kong tried, unsuccessfully, to steamroller ODB with Running Clotheslines, but the Thick One proved surprisingly elusive. With an especially good fake, ODB maneuvered Kong into plowing right into a chair wedged between the middle and top ropes.
ODB fought off an Awesomebomb attempt, but took a tremendous fist to the head!
Awesome Kong got into a discussion with her assistant and misjudged ODB’s recuperative powers. ODB made her pay dearly by Powerbombing her onto a ringside table. The table didn’t break, which meant that Kong had to absorb the full energy of that violent collision.
ODB went for a pin, but Raisha Saeed dragged her off! The two women fought fiercely in the ringside area. ODB threw Saeed into the guardrail and went back to Kong. She tried to come off the top, but the former Knockout Champion sidestepped.
As ODB resorted to a little liquid courage, Kong leaned another table against a turnbuckle. The Trailer Park Queen spit the liquid into Kong’s eyes, which enabled her to land several punishing Clotheslines.
Good things seldom last forever and Kong caught ODB as she flew off the ropes and powered her through the table! Awesome Kong made the cover to defeat one of her most impressive rivals.
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: ODB’s defeat suggests two things: Kong is going to gun for Taylor Wilde and ODB might team up with Roxxi to feud with The Beautiful People. TNA has to do something to pump life into the Knockout Division, especially with Gail Kim gone, and those moves might well do the trick.
Christian Cage, in an impassioned interview with Lauren, again told how most of the big events in his life had taken place less than an hour from the arena in Oshawa.
“There’s no surrender, not now and not ever, in this Canadian,” said Cage.
The video depicted the previous encounters involving the participants of the next match.
Matt Morgan & Abyss d. 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
The Actual Match: After an extended Collar-and-Elbow tussle with Abyss, Brother Ray landed a Chokeslam, but it was far too early in the match for a winning cover.
Team 3D poured on the Double-Team misery, but when Abyss regained his feet, he immediately Clotheslined Ray and went to work on him in the corner!
Matt Morgan rocked Devon with a Sideslam and then the faces combined on a Stereo Suplex for Ray.
When Team 3D started to leave the arena, walking up the ramp toward the exit, Morgan and abyss hauled them back to the squared circle.
Devon clipped Abyss’ knee, but the referee didn’t see his outside interference. That gave the Brothers an opening to really stomp Abyss into the canvas.
Matt Morgan walked the ropes and got off a nice Cross Body Block that flattened both members of Team 3D. Matt Morgan was about to give Devon the Hellavator, when Johnny Devine sneaked into the ring and whacked him with a chair! Morgan just beat Slick Johnson’s third slap of the mat!
Team 3D hit the Dudley Death Drop, but it wasn’t enough. Morgan came in with a Wingspread Clothesline to block another 3D! Abyss tore up Devine with a Backbreaker.
Abyss mounted the second rope to rain down blows against Devon, but Brother Ray pulled him down from behind!
Abyss had Devon on his knees. He picked up the chair and thought about using it. He hesitated too long and Ray got him from behind.
Just as Devon was about to clobber Abyss with a chair, Matt Morgan spun him around and kicked the chair back into his face! Abyss added a Black hole Slam and pinned Devon.
After the match, as the victors celebrated, Brother Ray came up behind them and dealt each of them a chairshot!
When Morgan regained his senses, he saw Abyss holding a chair and jumped to the wrong conclusion. The two had words and didn’t leave the ring in good humor.
Actual Grade: B+
The Kingfish Comments: Granted, this looks like a team that could split up into a feud, but starting a problem at the end of their first match is probably moving a little fast, even for TNA. Since Matt Morgan can see what happened by watching the pay per view, it seems unlikely that the incident will remain unexplained to the Blueprint.
And if that’s the case, this feud tease didn’t do much.
A video recounted the steps that led to the Triple Threat match for the X Division Championship. Mike Tenay discussed a series of bullet points.
The announcers acknowledged that the Canadian fans didn’t offer much support to Creed due to his red, white and blue costume.
Sheik Abdul Bashir d. Petey Williams & Consequences Creed
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-
The Actual Match: Consequences Creed ignored the jeers as he went right at Petey Williams. . Unfortunately, this left him wide open to an assault from Sheik Bashir, who made the most of the opportunity.
Bashir stunned Creed with a Back Suplex, but stopped to celebrate. Williams assaulted the Middle Eastern Nightmare with a barrage of punches and kicks. Williams catapulted himself from the ring apron, over the top rope, to bowl over Creed! Consequences slipped out to the ringside area, where Maple Leaf Muscle blasted him with an out-of-ring Fly to a Huracanrana!
Petey Bodyslammed Bashir and kneed him in the stomach. The champ then decked both foes with a Stereo Russian Legsweep! Williams tried to use the Canadian Destroyer on both men simultaneously, but the Sheik easily disrupted the attempt.
Bashir hit a top-rope Suplex on Williams. Creed added a Legdrop from the top, but he couldn’t keep Williams’ massive shoulders on the mat long enough to claim victory. When Creed tried to Press Slam Williams, Bashir clouted him from behind to stop the maneuver.
Petey Williams jolted Sheik Abdul Bashir with a DDT! As he applied the Sharpshooter, an obvious homage to Bret Hart, referee Earl Hebner got in position to make the call. It looked like Williams would make it stick, especially when he pulled his victim back toward center-ring, but Consequences Creed’s Clothesline saved Bashir.
Williams roared out of the corner, grabbed Creed and have him the Canadian Destroyer! Sheik Bashir yanked Williams out of the ring, fell on the downed and helpless Creed and scored the title-winning pin.
Actual Grade: B+
The Kingfish Comments: As I wrote when making my prediction, putting the title on Bashir is the right play for TNA. Creed can challenge him for the title and Williams can be redirected into another feud.
After the video and the bullet points, it was time for the TNA Knockout Championship match.
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+
The Actual Match: Before the bell, Taylor Wilde told Angelina Love that she had a friend, too. Rhino came to ringside to keep Cute Kip James from meddling in the match.
Traci Brooks came to ringside, where she took notes furiously while the two women tore into each other. The champ got the better of the exchange with a couple of Back Elbows.
Wilde started chasing Love around the outside of the ring. She got clobbered with Cute Kip’s make-up bag!
The two women hit simultaneous Face Plants and then went at it with chops and punches. Taylor’s Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker earned only a two-count. Angelina scored with a Front Suplex from the top rope, but she took much too long to try for a pin.
Angelina Love tried for a Chokeslam, which Taylor Wilde turned into a Small Package that nearly won the match! When Kip James charged into the ring, Rhino met him head-on with a Gore!
Taylor Wilde booted Velvet Sky out of the ring and then Suplexed Angelina Love to pave the way for the pin.
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: Taylor Wilde may well drop the title at Bound for Glory, but this was more of a tune-up than a real challenge. Angelina Love does much better in the tag team context and will probably revert to that type of match now that the champion has prevailed.
A video capsulated recent events in the Love Triangle Feud.
The Kingfish Comments: The video concentrated on events that occurred after the wedding. That’s the right approach, but it also indicates that even TNA maybe bored with this storyline.
The Guru Sonjay Dutt d. Black Machismo Jay Lethal
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+
The Actual Match: SoCal Val came out first in a badly fitted blue dress and surrendered her wedding ring to be placed over the wrestling ring.
When Sonjay Dutt hit a Release Suplex, Jay Lethal landed on his feet and, moments later, did an out-of-ring Dive that leveled his nemesis in the ringside area.
The two men clashed brutally in the ringside area. Black Machismo had the advantage, until the Guru fired him into a ladder! He pushed Lethal back into the ring and came over the top with a Flying Knee. It wasn’t enough for a pin, though.
Lethal Back Body Dropped Dutt over the top rope onto a ladder stretched between the ring and the guardrail.
When Lethal started to climb the ladder in the ring, Sonjay vaulted to the top turnbuckle and then jumped onto the ladder! That knocked Jay to the mat, where Sonjay fell on him from about halfway up the ladder.
Sonjay began to climb the ladder, with Lethal right behind him! Black Machismo bashed his foe’s head against the ladder before tossing him down to the mat. With a ladder stretched between the ropes and an upright ladder, Lethal threw Dutt off the vertical ladder onto the horizontal one!
Sonjay Dutt crotched Jay Lethal on one ladder and climbed the other one, positioned directly below the coveted wedding ring. Lethal executed a beautiful Springboard to take Dutt and his ladder to ground.
Sonjay caught Lethal in a version of the Tree of Woe. He used a ladder to keep his enemy’s head steady while he tried to imitate the opening kick-off of an NFL game.
They fought tenaciously at ringside until Dutt used a Neckbreaker to send Lethal into a ladder stretched between the ring apron and the guardrail.
Dutt set up a ladder and Lethal placed one right next to it. When Jay tried to reach across, Sonjay slammed his face into the ladder! Sonjay Dutt trapped Jay Lethal in a Camel Clutch at the top of the ladder. Both men kicked and punched with everything they had as the TNA crowd went crazy. Finally, Black Machismo Snapmared his tormenter off the ladder.
It looked like SoCal Val was finally showing some interest in Lethal’s welfare as she hurried to him. Dutt yelled at her. When Lethal went to check on his alleged bride-to-be, Dutt took the opening to start climbing. Lethal realized what was happening and started up after him as fast as he could.
That’s when SoCal Val low-blowed Jay Lethal from behind. Sonjay Dutt won the match and celebrated with a passionate necking session.
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: As this bizarre story moves into yet another phase – won’t Jay Lethal have to get revenge? – let’s give it one huge raspberry. It’s hard to imagine the circumstances under which a woman would say that she wants it to be over so she’ll marry whoever has the ring.
During a previous match, Mike Tenay reported that Jackie Moore had surprised Salinas in the women’s bathroom and rendered her incapable of being at ringside for LAX’s big match.
The Kingfish Comments: Is there anything less exciting than action that takes place out of sight of the fans. If the reason behind it was that Salinas didn’t make travel connections or something of the like, it might’ve been better to just say so and use that as a plot element.
“Booker T or not, the party will take place after the match is done,” Kurt angle promised Jeremy Borash.
“I am the business,” claimed Angle. He said that no one could possibly put him and Samoa Joe in the same book.
After the obligatory video and the “tag lines” bullet points, it was time for the tag team championship match.
Beer Money (with Jacqueline Moore) d. 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-
The Actual Match: James Storm arrived in the ring wearing an over-sized football helmet that had been converted into a beer glass.
Beer Money stalled when the bell rang. They could see that LAX was eager for revenge and tried to take them out of their game by making them wait.
Homicide and Storm finally got started. Homicide got a quick edge with a kick to the midsection, but Storm evened the score by raking his eyes! The Tennessee Cowboy Bodyslammed him off the ropes.
Hernandez announced his presence with a Slingshot over the top rope that leveled Storm. He added a Back Body Drop, but it was too soon for an effective cover.
Beer Money dished out some vicious Double-Teaming to Super Mex, highlighted by a Double Knee to the chest and a Face Plant. Beer Money threw it into the next fear with a Double Suplex, The threat of Homicide coming in delayed the cover attempt until it was too late to force a pin.
Homicide knocked Storm off the apron into a table and then assailed Robert Roode with fists of fury! Roode tried to reverse momentum with a Suplex, but Homicide blocked and reversed into one of his own! When Homicide went to the top, Roode followed, but Old 187 brought him low with a DDT. James Storm broke up the cover before it turned into a pin.
Jacqueline helped Beer Money bring a bottle into play. Homicide got the bottle, but he missed a haymaker swing and it shattered against the ring steps.
After taking down Roode with a Stunner, Homicide lifted the Wall Streeter onto his shoulders, Jackie Moore threw powder in his eyes. Before Homicide could regain his composure (and vision), he got rolled up and pinned!
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: The camera work somewhat sabotaged this match. The picture didn’t quite catch all the action and missed a couple of potentially exciting moves.
This match was pretty much textbook. It was fought hard and well, but there wasn’t much that we haven’t already seen from these two teams. It is probably for the best if they go on to face different opponents. Beer Money will likely fight Morgan and Abyss, if TNA doesn’t feud them against each other instead.
AJ Styles vs. Frank Trigg NC
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-
The Actual Match: The referee ruled the match a “no contest” in the second round when a wrestling match broke out between Styles and Trigg.
Actual Grade: D
The Kingfish Comments: I’ve been telling myself that this match was a good thing, because maybe it will convince TNA that the only thing worse than a bad wrestling match is a bad scripted MMA match between half-skilled combatants. This was awful, whether you like wrestling or MNMA/
It didn’t help that there was an interruption in transmission during the match, so a hunk of it went unseen until the re-play.
After a lengthy video and a ‘tale of the tape,” Jeremy Borash did the introductions at center ring in his usual good, enthusiastic style.
The crowd booed loudly when HB announced Earle Hebner as the referee.
Samoa Joe d. Kurt Angle & 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
The Actual Match: Sting came out before the start of the match. Samoa Joe went to meet him and delivered a smack to the head. Samoa Joe attacked Sting and tried to beat him to a pulp until AJ Styles emerged from the back to pull him away from his quarry.
Samoa Joe and Christian Cage pooled their talents at the start. Cage held Angle while the big Samoan hit him. Cage scored with chops and Joe hit a Back Elbow in the corner. When Christian Clotheslined the former Olympian over the top rope, it forced the two babyfaces to work against each other, much to the crowd’s displeasure.
Cage scored with an Inverted DDT, but Angle hauled him down to the ringside area. Kurt no sooner got into the ring than Samoa Joe seized the Real Naked Choke. The Instant Classic revived in time to break up the attempted submission.
After he gave each of his opponents a Belly-to-Belly Suplex, Kurt applied the Anklelock to Cage. He threw Christian out of the ring so he could turn to face Joe, who promptly Clotheslined him! Joe broke out of a Sleeper Hold, but Angle got in a Back Elbow when the larger man bounded toward him off the ropes.
Joe absorbed a Back Elbow on a Corner Charge that misfired, but Cage seized Angle from behind and crotched him on the ring post!
Cage went to the top. Joe went after him to block, but Christian started biting his opponent on the head. Christian threw Joe to the mat. Angle jumped up and, before Cage could mount a defense, Suplexed him and nearly stole the match.
Angle blocked Cage’s Unprettier and ripped off a trio of German Suplexes. Kurt wanted to give Joe an Olympic Slam, but ended up on the wrong end of a Suplex. Cage stopped Joe from giving him a Muscle Buster, but when he fell to the arena floor, Angle capitalized on the situation by Suplexing the Submission Machine.
Cage went to the top with Angle in hot pursuit. Joe brought them both down to earth with a Powerbomb. When Angle tried to Suplex Cage off the ring apron, the Instant Classic hung on like a limpet. Cage broke free only to find himself a victim of the Anklelock! Samoa Joe broke up the hold before Cage surrendered.
Kurt applied the Anklelock to Joe and then, when Cage approached, turned it into a double Anklelock on both men. They showed good teamwork in making their escape by rolling through.
Samoa Joe connected with the Musclebuster on Cage, but Angle pulled the referee out of the ring so he couldn’t make the count. By the time Hebner could start slapping canvas, Cage had recovered enough to break out of the cover.
The big Samoan threw Cage over the top rope at Angle. Then he did a Corkscrew Dive through the ropes to blast both men!
Joe took Angle back inside, but the former Olympian raked his eyes to short-circuit a Musclebuster and hit an Olympic Slam! Cage Frogsplashed Joe and tossed Angle out of the ring. Cage pulled off the Unprettier and would’ve gotten a pin if Angle hadn’t pulled Hebner out of the ring to disrupt his count. The official’s head bounced off the steel, hard, and it looked like he was unconscious.
Cage blocked an Angle chairshot. Kurt dealt a low blow and then smashed the chair in Christian’s face! Angle Olympic Slammed Cage to the outside. Kurt then hit Joe in the back with a chair and applied the Anklelock.
That brought Jeff Garrett to the ring, trusty guitar in hand. Joe broke free and clobbered Joe with the guitar. When Joe hi the Musclebuster, Hebner crawled into position and counted the pin and the win!
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: It’ll be Samoa Joe-Sting at Bound for Glory and, just possibly, Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett. It was a very good match, especially considering the absence of Booker T and the crowd’s extreme hostility to anything that negatively affected Christian Cage.
Predicted Overall Grade for the Show: B+
Actual Overall Grade for the Show: B
The Kingfish’s Final Comments: No Surrender came across, as expected, as a transitional show. The main event didn’t come off quite as well, but then, it was missing a key player. The Styles-Trigg MMA match was fully as bad as expected, if not worse.
All in all, it was a decent card, but the October pay per view should be considerably hotter.
That’s it for today. I’ll be back on Monday with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column.
— Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(9/16/8)