Thoughts From The Top Rope 09.11.07: No Surrender Thoughts, Looking at WWE Unforgiven, Styles vs. Jericho Dream Match and More

Schmozzes and Screwjobs is dead, long live Thoughts From The Top Rope!

The first thing that needs saying here is that I have yet to see the pay-per-view as TNA shows do not air in the UK until Wednesdays. That being said, from the reviews I’ve read around the net, including Larry’s report, it seems like a very good offering from TNA.

Here’s the quick match results;
– Team Pacman beat Sting and Kurt Angle to win the TNA Tag Team Titles (5:30)
– Rhino defeated James Storm (13:20)
– Robert Roode beat Kazarian (13:50)
– Jay Lethal won the X Division Championship, beating Kurt Angle (12:30)
– Chris Harris over Black Reign (5:30)
– Tomko and AJ Styles won a tag team gauntlet to become number one contenders (25:50)
– Christian Cage beat Samoa Joe by DQ (15:15)
– Kurt Angle retained the TNA Championship, beating Abyss by submission (19:30)

So even though I can’t comment on in-ring quality, I can take a look at some of the booking decisions.

As much as I hated the fact that one man held all the championships, things worked out pretty nicely as Angle dropped two of his three belts on Sunday.

Let’s start with the positive. Putting the strap back on Jay Lethal is a massive step in the right direction for TNA and it’s X Division. Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle are not X Division wrestlers, they are main-eventers. Once upon a time, I’d have accepted the argument that X Division guys can easily be main-eventers but nowadays this is not the case at all. Lethal is a true X Division talent and an over one at that. I’d go as far as saying he’s the best choice to hold the strap right now. What makes this even better is the fact that Lethal beat Angle cleanly in what appears to have been a really good match.

In the main event, Kurt Angle beat Abyss by submission. While I agree with Angle retaining, I question him winning by submission. Angle’s wrestled 3 matches that night, but he still has the skill and energy to put the supposed “monster” Abyss away by tap out? I’d have gone for the quick roll-up myself as Abyss would have looked stronger and Angle would look just as strong.

Finally, I completely agree with the fact that Angle and Sting should not be tag champs but in all fairness, neither should Team Pacman. Adam Jones isn’t even allowed to wrestler, and yet he’s a champion? I’m sorry, but that is complete bullshit. What makes matters worse is they are now supposed to fight Tomko and Styles. That’s two heel teams folks. Thoughtless booking by the TNA crew, but they backed themselves into a corner a long time ago and only now are they realizing they can’t get out.

It’s good to see Rhino getting a win on pay-per-view. That’s all I have on that match.

Robert Roode going over Kazarian is an interesting one as I wonder where they intend to go with it. If they want to stretch it out over a few months I’d have though it best to have Roode lose the first outing based on the fact that Kazarian is the guy making all the claims, putting the moves on Miss Brooks etc. and now it looks like he can’t back it up.

The other thing that was great to see was Samoa Joe’s return to being a complete badass in his match with Christian Cage. This was just great booking all round as Cage got the win and thus remains unpinned and looks strong while Joe looks like a fucking beast. I’m looking forward to more from these two in the near future. They should book a 6 Sides of Steel Match for the 2-hour Impact debut between these two.

Warning: contains an ECW spoiler!

OK so here’s what the official card looks like;
– WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs. Randy Orton
– World Championship: The Great Khali vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio
– ECW Championship: CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke
– WWE Tag Team Championship: MVP and Matt Hardy vs. Deuce and Domino
– World Tag Team Championship: Cade and Murdoch vs. London and Kendrick
– Women’s Championship: Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix
– Undertaker vs. Mark Henry
– Triple H vs. Carlito

Under the unfortunate circumstances of numerous wrestlers being suspended, quitting or being released, management has managed to put together a decent looking card that is actually loaded with star power. Fun fact: This is the first non Big 4 PPV that both Undertaker and Triple H have wrestled on in 4 years. Add to that the fact that Rey is back in a high profile match and the massive main event you have quite the card.

While I’ll save predictions on each match for the Unforgiven roundtable later this week, I’ll just say now that I’m expecting this to be a really fun pay-per-view that may not produce many “great” matches but should be stellar from top to bottom.

Now if only they could get some bookers who could actually, y’know, book well.

All joking aside, this second hour is not the solution to all of TNA’s problems in the same way that bringing back Chris Jericho is not the solution to all of WWE’s problems. But it is a giant step.

The second hour should allow TNA to become more flexible with their booking as they are no longer confined to 42 minutes of programming a week. They have more time to focus on developing the characters of those who need it, putting on stellar matches and with a bit of luck, highlighting the X and tag divisions.

While TNA is looking to add a Women’s Division, I’d stay clear of this at this early stage. It’s best to focus on getting the fundamentals right first, the fundamentals being sorting out the problems they have now (shoddy booking, short matches) before they try to add different dynamics to the show.

It should also be stated that, at least for the first few weeks, the second hour will not improve TNA’s TV ratings right away. Those fans who tune in to see what TNA can do with a second hour will be cancelled out by those who don’t want to watch a two hours wrestling show and have better things to do. Gradually, ratings may improve but that’ll only happen IF TNA’s booking improves. That is the key to making people want to watch – you need the right mix of entertainment and wrestling, the kind of mix that Raw has been hitting lately. Not that I’m saying that should go out of their way to copy WWE. Oh snap, too late!

This is really the only part of Thoughts From The Top Rope that is going to be a weekly staple. Booking The Dream takes any match that I would love to see, and books it the way I’d love to see it played out. This isn’t about booking angles, story lines, crazy-ass Russo-esque swerves, it’s just simply the way I’d love to see the match go down.

Ideally, this little section will become almost a spin-off to The Fink’s Payload, as I welcome your own ideas as to how you’d love to see the match go down, though I if you do want to send an idea along don’t feel it should be as detailed is might is about to be.

The only information needed here is the fact that Chris Jericho will be playing the role of the heel while Styles is the face. Just try and picture this match going down in your mind…

AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

They face off and circle each other as the crowd gets behind AJ. Styles dives at the feet of Jericho but he jumps back and AJ misses. AJ goes for the leg again but again Jericho moves. They stare down once again and this time they lock up. Elbow tie-up, AJ is forced back into his own corner. Jericho breaks clean and backs off with a cocky grin over his face. He attempts to surprise Styles but charges into a boot in the corner. AJ charges out and plants Jericho with a bulldog. AJ quickly goes for a cover but it only gets 1. Jericho is pissed and he’s holding his face. They lock up again and Jericho goes behind and grabs a waistlock. Take over by Jericho, now controlling the head with a front facelock. AJ fights to his feet and breaks out of it with a double-leg takedown. AJ goes for the Walls Of Jericho but Jericho slithers on his back to the ropes. Styles doesn’t let go of Jericho’s legs and pulls him off the ropes into a sit-out powerbomb. Cover gets the first near fall of the match-up. Jericho rolls outside to try and catch a breather. AJ stalks him, comes off the ropes and nails a SUICIDE DIVE to the floor. Both men are down, but Styles is first up. He rolls into the ring to break the referee’s count, then rolls back out. He looks out to the crowd and drags Jericho up. He looks like he’s about to go for the Styles Clash but Jericho comes back with a double-leg, and turns it into the WALLS OF JERICHO! The referee gets to a count of 6 before he comes to the outside to try and force Jericho to let go. Eventually, he does but AJ is hurting. Jericho rolls back in and the referee continues the count. He gets to 9 when Styles gets to his feet. SPRINGBOARD DIVE by Jericho takes AJ out!

Jericho gets up quickly. He picks AJ up and whips him back first into the steel steps. Jericho back in and the referee gets a 8 count this time and AJ rolls in. Jericho immediately goes on the assault with kicks to the back of Styles. Snap suplex by Jericho with float over for 2. Jericho picks up AJ and slams him. Y2J now has that cocky strut going as he seems to be in firm control. Jericho hits a delayed suplex this time and gets another near fall. Jericho stops to argue with the referee allowing Styles time to recover. Jericho turns around into a series of right hands but buries a knee into the abdomen of Styles. Snapmare by Jericho, vicious kick to the back of Styles that can be heard around the arena! Jericho pulls Styles to his feet, scoops him up and delivers a backbreaker. Jericho doesn’t go for the cover, instead he whips Styles hard into the corner. Styles go down, much to the frustration of Jericho. Y2J whips Styles to the opposite corner. He struts over there and nearly gets caught with a boot to the face but he blocks it and nails Styles with a European uppercut. Hard knife-edge chops now by Jericho. He spins AJ around, hoists him up and sets him up on the top turnbuckle so AJ is facing the crowd. Jericho goes up to deliver a back suplex, but AJ fights back with elbows to the head. Jericho falls to the mat. AJ gets to his feet, on the top rope… gets crotched by Jericho! Jericho pulls Styles down into the tree of woe. He struts around the ring, claiming to have victory in the back. He charges, looking for a baseball slide to Styles’ face, but AJ pulls himself up and Jericho slides groin-first into the ring post. Jericho stumbles into the middle of the ring, and AJ flies off with a moonsault taking down Jericho! One…two…thr-NO! Jericho kicked out.

AJ is shocked, but pulls himself together. He grabs Jericho and gets him up for the Styles Clash, but can’t hook the arms. Jericho pulls himself up and nails AJ with rights and AJ has to let go. Both men up at the same time, AJ goes for a clothesline, Jericho ducks, BREAKDOWN! It gets a long 2 count as AJ just rolled the shoulder! Jericho is stunned! Jericho stalks his pray, waiting for Styles to rise. He does. Jericho off the ropes, looking for his bulldog, but AJ connects with a back elbow only Jericho doesn’t go down. PELE! IT JUST CAME OUT OF NOWHERE, MIKE! Cover, one…two…he kicks out! Styles is stunned but quickly goes to the top rope. SPINAL TAP MISSES! Jericho moved out of the way. Jericho pulls himself to his feet, LIONSAULT! BLOCKED! AJ got the knees up, but Jericho landed on his feet and has AJ – WALLS OF JERICHO! He gets it locked in! AJ fights! He’s crawling to the ropes, but Jericho drags him back! AJ refuses to quit. He’s fading and the referee checks his arm. It goes down twice but AJ survives on the third go round. He crawls desperately to the ropes and gets there! Jericho collapses.

Jericho is stunned as he recovers. He walks right into a kick to the gut – STYLES CLASH! Nails it! One…two…thr-NO! Jericho kicked out! Styles can’t believe it. He scoops Jericho up, going for another Clash, Jericho with the double-leg – he’s going for the Walls. AJ doesn’t let him lock it in so instead, Jericho catapults AJ into the corner. AJ uses his ability to land on the second rope, he leaps off but gets caught with a kick to the gut. Jericho off the ropes, bulldog! LIONSAULT! He hits hit, but AJ manages to kick out just before the 3! AJ rolls out onto the apron and pulls himself up to his feet. Jericho sees this and goes for the springboard dropkick, but AJ has it scouted and manages to kick Jericho’s feet as he springboards and Y2J crashes and burns. AJ goes to the top. Jericho is up. STEP-UP ENZIGURI! AJ wobbles but doesn’t fall. Jericho goes to the top. He’s on the top rope now. Goes for the Hurricanrana but it’s blocked as AJ holds on – he gets the arms hooked – STYLES CLASH FROM THE SECOND ROPE! One…two…three!

AJ Styles defeats Chris Jericho via pin @ 23:50!

Damn, just writing that shit is fun.

OK that’s it for this week. Today was a bit of a quick ‘n’ dirty edition whereas next week the majority of the column will be based on one topic: what makes a true wrestling fan? Feel free to send feedback, and be sure to check out all the other articles around 411, new and old and I’ll see you when I see you.