Full Credit: Alan Wojcik (As posted on WrestlingObserver.com)
TNA Wrestling brought us back to Universal Studios on Sunday December 11th to see what kind of history could be made at Turning Point 2005. They’ve already made history before the opening bell by signing the six sides of barbwire match that will open the PPV. The front page of TNA’s website promised news that tonight TNA will change forever, beginning in 2006. I am sad to say it’s not the return of Frankie “the Future” Kazarian, which would have been the coolest thing TNA could have done for its fans. Actually it’s rumored to be Sting who supposedly signed a one year deal guestimated at five hundred thousand dollars. There were several members of the Chicago White Sox to cheer on their strength coach Dale Torborg and AJ Pierzynski in their match with the Diamonds in the Rough. Also sitting with them was former Boston Red Sox Johnny Damon. Former CEO Frank Dickerson was in attendance and sat with the players for moments of the event.
The countdown show was hosted by Jeremy Borash and “the Franchise” Shane Douglas (guess Santa didn’t get my note about Scott Hudson, damn.) The barbwire was attached to wood frames and brought to the ring and put on with rigging. The following was the countdown show match:
The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy is not here (probably upset being pre-show) so we instead got Lance Hoyt and the Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas) defeating Buck Quartermain, newcomers Jon Bolen (2004 TNA gutcheck winner) and Joe Doering (has been training with TNA.) Rumors were abound that Hardy’s recent visit to a WWE show might have something to do with his absence.
The cold opening from David Sahadi and Kevin Sullivan opened the event that featured the opening bout of the evening.
(1) In a Six Sides of Barb Wire match, Sabu defeated Abyss (w/Father James Mitchell)
These two men have done everything to each other over the last two years here in Orlando and up in Nashville during the weekly PPV era. Tonight’s match might be the “feud-ender.” Not only are the ropes barbwire, but there are several plywood sheets wrapped in the wire. Sabu hit the wire first when Abyss kicked out of a pin and sent Sabu into it face first. The tension built until Abyss dropped Sabu throat first on the wire. Sabu fired back with what looked like an Adraitic Spike, hitting Abyss in the arm and throat. Sabu missed a chair jump legdrop and hung his own leg on the wire. Abyss charged Sabu but Sabu hit a drop toe hold sending Abyss face, sorry mask first into the wire. Abyss chokeslammed Sabu on a chair and laid a barbwire one on Sabu’s chest but Abyss’ crotch met the wire chair, then his face met it as Sabu hit him. Abyss went to the floor so Sabu flew over onto him. Abyss went to suplex Sabu, but he dropped him gut first onto the barbwire. Both men returned to the ring after one of the big boards of wire came into the ring with the competitors. Both men fought it off but Abyss press slammed Sabu and dropped him chest first on the board. Sabu was going into the second board that was in a corner but Rudy Charles was in the way. Sabu stopped and avoided the charging Abyss, who met the board chest first. Abyss backed out of the corner still attached to the board when Sabu tripped him and sent him onto the board that was still lying in the ring!! Sabu legdropped the top board and pinned Abyss. The crowd gave both men a standing ovation.
As the ring was cleared thy played footage of Jeff Jarrett and America’s Most Wanted arriving at the building. Jarrett was on his phone talking to someone about what could be the surprise that was talked about on the website. Shane Douglas spoke with 4 Live Kru about their match with Team Canada. Johnny Damon posed with my Buddy Christ doll, hopefully the photo comes out.
(2) Matt Bentley (w/Traci Brooks) and Austin Aires defeated Roderick Strong and Alex Shelley (with his video camera).
Shelley and Aires began the match with some mat action, trying to establish momentum for their team. After biting Aires hand, Shelley tagged in Strong who was hit with several Japanese armdrags. Bentley tagged in and they hit Strong with a double team suplex. Strong caught a break and tagged in Shelley. Both men worked over Bentley using questionable tactics. Bentley tagged out to Aires who hit an elbow for two. Aires ended up on the apron by Shelley and after some forearms were traded, Shelley hit Aires with a cheap shot kick as Aires went to springboard into the ring. This allowed Shelley and Strong to make several tags working over Aires. At one point Strong held Aires in a bearhug as Shelley hit a missile dropkick. Aires escaped a double team and tagged out to Bentley who hit Shelley with a top rope elbow drop for two. Bentley put Shelley on the top rope but Strong put Bentley in a fireman’s carry and dropped Bentley chest first on his knees. Bentley sent Strong to the floor and Shelley avoided a superkick. But he didn’t avoid an Aires elbow to the face and then Bentley hit a superkick.
Shane Douglas spoke to Monty Brown about his match with Christian Cage. Jeff Jarrett cut in on Brown’s time and spoke to him about Christian and the surprise TNA has planned. Raven came to the ring to speak once again with Larry Zybzsko. Larry once again had the clipboard that holds the release.
(3) Raven defeated Larry Zybszko’s hand picked opponent, Chris Kanyon, (sorry Chris K).
Both men brawled until Chris K hit a neckbreaker and then the action went to the floor. Chris K missed a splash on the ring barricade and hit it chest first. Both men came back to the ring but Raven came back with a bloody mouth. Chris K missed a top rope moonsault and Raven locked in his ankle lock. Chris K stood up and grabbed Raven’s hair, tossing him back to the mat. Raven fought back, hitting a knee lift that sent Chris K over the top rope. Both men went up the babyface entry way but Raven tossed Chris K down it back towards the ring. Both men came back to the ring and Raven went for his drop toe hold into the chair. Chris K blocked it and Raven punched the chair, but recovered by powerbombing Chris K on it. Raven got the win with a Raven Effect. Larry demanded Raven sign the dotted line. Cassidy Riley came out to see his mentor and ended up breaking up a fight between Larry and Raven.
Shane Douglas spoke to Team Canada and Scott D’amore who said Bobby Roode was nowhere to be seen. D’amore smacked around Eric Young. Bobby Roode and Jeff Jarrett crashed Team Canada’s party asking about the TNA management surprise.
(4) Team Canada (Petey Williams, Bobby Roode, “Showtime” Eric Young and A1 w/Scott D’amore) defeated 4 Live Kru (Konnan, Ron Killings, BG James and I’m Kip James Bitch )
Young was going to begin but when he saw Kip James in the ring, he quickly tagged out to Roode. Kip tagged out to Konnan who turned “Random Task” on Petey Williams. (Mike Myers needs to sue someone). Killings came in next and BG did some break dancing before hitting Young with a double team move. BG worked over Young until BG ended up near Team Canada’s corner. BG fought off Roode and Williams but was hit by an A1 clothesline. Team Canada took turns beating down BG but couldn’t keep him pinned to the mat. Petey performed his O’ Canada crotch climb but things backfired when Roode came to help out. BG tagged in Kip who cleaned house. All eight men brawled in and around the ring. Kip hit the Famouser and Konnan accidentally (or did he) hit Kip with the chair. Konnan told Roode to cover Kip for the pin. BG tried to find out what happened but Konnan leveled BG with the chair and then tried to hug Killings, who stood in the ring with a look of shock.
Shane Douglas spoke with the Diamonds in the Rough who held newspapers and copies of Sports Illustrated that featured their coming match. While this promo played, Kip and BG stood in the ring as the fans chanted New Age Outlaws. Next played footage of the AJ Pierzynski on talk shows hyping the match.
(5) Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Dale Torborg (w/AJ Pierzynski) defeated Diamonds in the Rough (Simon Diamond, Elix Skipper and David Young).
This match came about after the Diamonds in the Rough crashed the gift exchanging party between Pierzynski, Torborg, AJ Styles, Sabin and Dutt. Bobby “the Brain” Heenan is doing commentary with Tenay and West. Before the match Skipper had words with Damon and the other baseball players. Skipper and Sabin began the match but neither could get total control of their exchanges until Skipper used his marital art skills on Sabin. Skipper got frustrated and ended up on the floor. Young tagged in and went for a second rope bodyblock, only to be hit by a Sabin dropkick. Sabin tagged out to Dutt and after some offense Dutt tagged out to Torborg. The Diamonds went to the floor so Torborg tossed Dutt over the top rope onto them. When the action came back to the ring Diamond, Skipper and Young took over on Dutt. Young hit a Spinebuster but Sabin saved Dutt from defeat. Both men tagged out to their partners, Torborg and Diamond. Torborg hit a chokeslam but Skipper and Young saved Diamond. Sabin and Dutt hit Young with a tree of woe dropkick to the face. Diamond hit Torborg with a catcher shinguard but Pierzynski pulled the referee to the floor. As Heenan argued with the referee, Torborg went to the floor and got a home plate from Damon, which ended up on Diamond’s head. Dutt pinned Diamond after hitting the Hindu Press. Borash spoke with the winners, Sabin and Dutt gave Pierzynski and Torborg “TNA championship rings.”
Shane Douglas spoke to “Captain Charisma” Christian Cage about his match with Monty Brown. Next aired a promo on the arrival of Cage at last month’s PPV.
(6) In a heavyweight contender’s match, “Captain Charisma” Christian Cage defeated “Alpha Male” Monty Brown.
Looks like whoever wins this will face the NWA World Heavyweight champion at Final Resolution on January 15th. After some jawboxing and face slapping, the match began with Brown on the attack until Cage avoided the POUNCE by going to the floor. Brown followed but Cage got back in and taunted Brown. Cage went up top only to land in Brown’s hands in a choke. Brown went for a press slam but Cage slid out and Brown ended up on the floor. The action went out side as Cage hit Brown with a plancha. Both men got in the ring but Brown got Cage in another press slam, this time dropping Cage on the floor. Brown brought Cage back to the ring and the power attack began on Cage’s body. Cage escaped an attempted T-Bone but when he came off the ropes Brown hit a belly to belly suplex. Brown continued the attack on Cage’s back. Cage ended up by the bottom of the ring post, so Brown used the post to perform a bow and arrow. Both men ended up on the floor and returned to the ring before being counted out. Cage hit Brown with punches to the face and a flying forearm. Cage was on a roll until Brown put him on the second rope, but Cage came off with a tornado DDT for two. Cage went for a rollup for two even with his feet on the ropes. Cage went up top but Brown met him, so Cage bit Brown on the nose. Brown fell back to the mat. Cage hit an Eddie Guerrero Frogsplash but Brown kicked out, dropping Cage on the referee. Brown hit a powerbomb but got two!??! After being distracted by the referee Brown was hit by the Unprettier and pinned.
Shane Douglas spoke to Team 3D about their match. Team 3D put over winning the Real Tag Team championship tournament in Japan. This led to a package recapping how Team 3D and AMW got to their match.
(7) In a non title tag team table’s match, Team 3D (Brothers Ray and Devon) defeated NWA World Tag Team champions America’s Most Wanted (“Tennessee Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris).
This one began on the AMW rampway and was a brawl from the word go. Harris fought with Devon around ringside as Storm and Ray fought on the ramp. AMW got control as the fans booed. AMW went for a double team but Devon avoided it and hit them with clotheslines. 3D hit Storm with the What’s Up nutshot from the top rope. AMW regrouped and isolated Devon, trying to drive him into a table but Ray saved him. Harris was heading into a table when Ray superplexed him, but Storm moved the table before impact. Ray backdropped Storm over the top rope but he landed on Harris and Devon. 3D set up Storm on the table but he got off it and punched Ray in the crotch. Devon saved Ray from a huricurana into a table. Next AMW went for the 3D but it backfired. 3D sent Harris to the floor and Storm went into the table after 3D hit him with the Death Sentence. Harris dragged Devon up the ramp to a table and went for a suplex. However Ray got there in time to stop it and they hit Harris with the 3D into the table to win. They tried to take Storm out on a back brace but instead opted to bring him out under his own power. It looked like he suffered a stinger to the neck. Saw Storm after the show and he confirmed he had a stinger.
They played footage of Samoa Joe’s attack on Christopher Daniels and how we got to the next match.
(8) Samoa Joe became by defeating NWA World X Division champion “Phenomenal” AJ Styles via submission.
Joe came to the ring with the bloody towel; Styles came with the title belt Joe wants. Styles was pumped and it showed when he suplexed Joe. Styles snapmared Joe and kicked him in the back and face. Both men hit chest chops and Joe missed the Ole kick. Both men hit the other forearms but Joe hit several kicks, each the more evil with each one. Styles ended up on the floor but both got on the apron quickly going for a suplex. Styles ended up on the mat, Joe grabbed both legs and did a spinning move that sent Styles into the guard rail!! Joe followed with a vicious kick to Styles chest. Once back in the ring the arrogance began to come out of Joe as he hit a front chop, back chop and knee to the face of Styles. Joe refused to let up on Styles and locked in a chinlock but Styles refused to submit. Joe hit a boot the face as Styles was propped in the corner. Next came an attempt at the facewash but Styles blocked it. So Joe forced him back to another corner and hit the Ole kick anyway. Styles went to ring apron and hit the Pele kick but his slingshot move ended in Joe hitting a powerbomb and two versions of the Boston Crab. Neither made Styles tap out. Joe missed a corner move and Styles dumped him to the floor. Styles high jumped the top rope and landed on Joe. Styles tossed Joe back in the ring and hit a slingshot forearm to the back of Joe’s neck. Joe locked in a full nelson but Styles escaped the German suplex to hit the slingshot inverted DDT for two. Joe hit Styles with a Powerslam for two. Joe peppered Styles with kicks while Styles tried to avoid and deliver kicks of his own. With a bloody lip, Styles went for the Clash but power bombed Joe instead for two. Joe hit a clothesline that flipped Styles over. Joe hit a double underhook into a powerbomb but got two. Both men fought for position on the top rope but Styles hit an in ring Clash but JOE KICKED OUT. Styles went up top ready for the Spiral Tap but somehow ended up in the Kokina Clutch and the referee called for the bell when styles arm hit the mat. After the bell Joe rammed the belt into Styles face. Next Joe got a chair from the fans. Just as Joe went to hit the musclebuster on the chair, Christopher Daniels came out of the tunnel, charged down to the ring and beat on Joe. Styles split his lip was split right open and received seven stitches. Ran into Joe after the show and he said he dislocated his jaw.
A commercial played for TNA Final Resolution PPV on January 15th. It was followed by a recap of how Rhino and Jarrett got to the main event. Next Shane Douglas spoke to Rhino.
(9) NWA World Heavyweight champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Rhino.
This is Rhino’s rematch after losing the title to Jarrett on a Spike TV primetime special, after Rhino won it from Jarrett at Bound for Glory. The fans chanted “Jeff’s A Jobber.” Rhino went right to the power moves trying to get Jarrett on the mat. Jarrett was press slammed, suplexed on the top rope and tossed to the floor. Rhino followed him out and the brawling began in the crowd. Rhino tried to suplex Jarrett of the bleachers but Jarrett dropped Rhino on the bleachers jaw first. The two then fought over near the concession stand and then back onto the babyface rampway. Rhino hit Jarrett with right hand punches that busted open Jarrett’s head. Rhino used several folding chairs on Jarrett’s head. I had to stop typing for a moment as the action got way too close to me when Jarrett and Rhino brawled and Rhino fell off a scaffold onto a folding table. Next the action went to the top of the heel rampway where Rhino hit the GORE as Jarrett was against a folding table. Both men ended up going down the tunnel and back up. Rudy Charles insisted both men return to the ring or be counted out. This brought out Team Canada’s Petey Williams and Eric Young who jumped Rhino. They carried Jarrett to the ring but Rhino sprinted back to the ring and attacked all three men. Rhino hit a Spinebuster but got two. Rhino went up top but Williams grabbed his legs driving him down on the buckle. Charles tossed Williams and Young from ringside. Both men had near falls as Jarrett’s head continued to bleed. Rhino went to GORE Jarrett but got instead got Charles. With Rudy down A1 and Bobby Roode came out and Roode hit Rhino with a clothesline to the back of the neck. Rhino kicked out and then kicked out after Jarrett hit him with a guitar to the head. Jackie Gayda came out and distracted Jarrett long enough for Rhino to GORE but not pin Jarrett. Rhino put two chairs in the ring and was ready to come off. Next came Scott D’amore came out and hit Rhino in the leg. Jarrett hit the Stroke to win. The lights went down and Sting’s music played. The spotlights shined on a chair in the ring that held a pair of boots, a baseball bat and a jacket laid over it. The crowd chanted “What A Ripoff.” After the show went off the air Jarrett taunted Mike Tenay, Don West and anyone that got near him.