Browsing: Joe

MONTREAL — Joe Veleno took off down the wing and hit the speed burst button right as he was crossing the offensive blue line. The television broadcast clocked him double-clutching from second gear to fourth, going from 26 kilometres per hour up to 34 to open up the space that might enable him to do something special.

Instead, Veleno just did what the situation called for. He had started the play one-on-two and only marginally improved his odds after stepping on the gas, so when he got into that space, he used it to just get a simple shot on net.

This five second sequence was among several solid ones Veleno had in Montrealâ€s final exhibition game. It was the type of sequence that secured his job with the Canadiens months after he signed a one-year deal with them worth a fraction more than the league minimum.

That $900,000-deal came 15 days after unrestricted free agency started, and all it really represented was a lifeline for the former first-round pickâ€s NHL career.

Veleno came to Canadiens camp having to grab that lifeline and pull himself up, and the way he managed to do that was by doing exactly what the game asked of him each time he stepped on the ice.

“I thought he was excellent tonight,†said coach Martin St. Louis after the Canadiens lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators.

The game sheet read: Joe Veleno: zero goals, zero assists, zero points, even.

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But the game sheet doesnâ€t track calculated decisions that increase the percentage of your line winning a shift.

Itâ€s what St. Louis has been emphasizing to the Canadiens for the better part of a year.

Itâ€s what he talked about with reporters who attended Saturday morningâ€s skate, and also what he repeated following Saturday nightâ€s game.

“I think they understand what weâ€re looking for,†said the coach after he was asked in the morning about the endgame for fringe players still pushing for roster spots with the Canadiens. “I think we communicate that every day in the kind of meetings we have. We do video, weâ€re not showing highlight reels; weâ€re talking about the details of the game, the ordinary things that you have to do over and over. Every now and then you get extraordinary things, but itâ€s not one extraordinary thing thatâ€s going to get you inside the door. Itâ€s how many ordinary actions can you do that helps the collective game and that raises the percentages of us being successful knowing that youâ€re going to have those moments every now and then that youâ€re going to do an extraordinary thing. But you canâ€t just look for extraordinary things. The game is not like that. It happens, but I donâ€t know when itâ€s going to give you that.â€

What the game always gives you are situations that force you to make quick calculations. And what it forces you to calculate is just how much risk you can afford to take.

Veleno consistently making those calculations correctly throughout camp pumped oxygen into his NHL career.

If he continues to make them correctly as the season rolls along, heâ€ll go from surviving to thriving in a way the Detroit Red Wings hoped he would when they selected him 30th overall in the 2018 Draft.

It may have taken the 25-year-old 306 NHL games to truly understand what it takes to make his mark in this league, but at least he figured it out.

“I think experience is probably the biggest thing, youâ€re going to need to learn certain things, in terms of details, knowing where youâ€re going to be, knowing guys’ tendencies, who youâ€re playing against and who youâ€re playing with,†Veleno said. “It comes naturally once you get this many games under your belt, so Iâ€ve really grown from my experiences.â€

But many of these young Canadiens have grown from their experiences.

If that wasnâ€t apparent through this final pre-season game — which Brendan Gallagher qualified as one in which the Canadiens didnâ€t have “A-execution or A-effort†— itâ€s been patently obvious through the rest of their camp.

And camp has been an extension of what we saw from the Canadiens through the end of 2024 and opening months of 2025, with the whole team embracing detailed, “ordinary hockey,†and maturing.

“You could tell there was a switch from December on and it just got really contagious,†said St. Louis. “You make a push, get into the playoffs, get through that first round, you understand how much thatâ€s important. When camp started, we didnâ€t start over. Thereâ€s a continuity. The guys really took that to heart. We started camp with that kind of mindset.â€

The Canadiens are finishing camp with it, too.

Even the guys not finishing camp with the Canadiens displayed to what extent theyâ€ve adopted the mindset St. Louis wants them to have.

Cuts will be announced Sunday. Theyâ€re almost certain to include Florian Xhekaj, Owen Beck and Adam Engstrom. And while all three of those players would be justified to feel disappointed about their dreams not being realized, St. Louis pointed out they shouldnâ€t feel as though they failed.

Engstrom did anything but fail. His only path to a job on the Canadiens†blue line was an injury to one of the players locked into one, but he didnâ€t allow that to stop him from proving heâ€s ready for one right now.

“Heâ€s a gamer,†said St. Louis. “Heâ€s going to play (NHL) hockey. He played a good game tonight, showed he has everything it takes to play in this league. Wonâ€t be surprised if he has a long career.â€

No one should be surprised if it starts for the young Swede at some point this season.

Beck has already played 13 games at this level, and his 14th will come soon enough.

Xhekajâ€s first might come a little further down the road, but any doubt that heâ€ll play it sooner than anyone thought he would when he was drafted — 101st overall in 2023 — was erased by his performance in this camp.

Still, the details must be sharpened, and the calculations made more precisely — and not just for an unpolished stone like Xhekaj, but also for the most varnished veterans of the Canadiens.

A player like Patrik Laine must ritually execute the ordinary more than he did through exhibition. Heâ€s a player capable of extraordinary things but also a player who often complicates the ordinary.

And what is “the ordinary?â€

“Itâ€s F3 on the forecheck, how you arrive in our zone if they get deep pucks, how you deal with the rush as the first forward back,†said St. Louis. “Every team has different ways to play certain situations; do you understand how we want to play it, and can you do these ordinary things over and over thatâ€s going to allow us to kill more plays, get more pucks and now raise the percentages to be able to do extraordinary things?â€

Oliver Kapanen and Samuel Blais did, too, and the former already made this team.

Donâ€t be surprised if the latter, who had five hits against the Senators, also sticks around after Sundayâ€s cuts.

Then the real fun begins, and itâ€ll be anything but ordinary.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In this week’s episode of All Elite Conversation Club, PWTorch contributors Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner cover these topics:

(00:00) Introduction and 6-year Dynamite anniversary
(03:19) Favorite Dynamite moments
(08:04) Hangman Page vs Samoa Joe main event announcement
(12:00) WrestleDream injury-forced card reshuffling
(14:31) Andrade El Idolo return after WWE disciplinary firing
(20:54) Jurassic Express reunion and Young Bucks feud setup
(25:00) Mercedes Moné cryptic Florida challenger tease for Title Tuesday
(29:43) Toni Storm vs Kris Statlander women’s title rematch confirmed
(32:19) El Clone debut pretending to be Hologram
(37:39) Okada and Takeshita tag team tease
(44:49) Kyle Fletcher vs Orange Cassidy excellent match
(46:38) Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament bracket potential idea
(50:16) Darby Allin insane chair crash
(53:23) Blood and Guts women’s match announcement for November Greensboro show
(56:00) Collision in Lakeland, FL card and Title Tuesday Mercedes open challenge
(58:30) Zach’s comments
(1:00:51) Who Am I trivia game

Send your thoughts and questions to allelitecc@gmail.com

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There has been an official update on the contract status of Joe Hendry amid rumors of him transitioning to WWE full-time.

Joe Hendry has garnered immense popularity for himself. The star, who has become one of the most over babyfaces on the current wrestling landscape. The star is a former TNA World Champion but has also performed several times in WWE, including at WrestleMania against Randy Orton, and is a regular on NXT. Recently, it was reported that Hendry would be transitioning full-time to WWE soon, as his TNA contract is set to expire.

However, it has been confirmed that Hendry is still contracted to TNA.

TNA Head Clarifies Joe Hendry’s Status Amid WWE Rumors

Speaking on The Battlegrounds Podcast, TNA President Carlos Silva revealed that Joe Hendry was still contracted to TNA and that he will be with the promotion for the foreseeable future.

Yes, he is [still under contract to TNA]. You know, he is until heâ€s not. But he is. And Joeâ€s been great. Joeâ€s been great for us. Joeâ€s been great with WWE and NXT. Weâ€ll continue to sort of work through that as good partners do.”

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Joe Hendry as he continues to be a constant presence on both companies’ programming.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will celebrate the career of longtime play-by-play announcer Joe Bowen with a special tribute game.

On Dec. 16, the Leafs will host the Chicago Blackhawks — the same opponent Bowen called in his broadcasting debut on Oct. 6, 1982 at Chicago Stadium.

The 74-year-old announced in June that the upcoming season will be his last behind the microphone after 44 years as the voice of the Maple Leafs.

“Nobody represents the passion of Leafs Nation better than Joe Bowen and his signature voice has been the soundtrack for so many iconic moments for the team over the past 44 years,†said Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating Joe all season but especially making Dec. 16 a very special tribute to the man known as the ‘voice of the Maple Leafs.â€â€

The Sudbury, Ont., native was honoured with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 and is set to call the 3,800th game of his career in January 2026.

“For 44 years I have had the greatest broadcasting job in the world,†Bowen said. “I truly have never ‘worked†a day since arriving in Toronto to do Maple Leaf hockey. I am very much looking forward to this final season and hoping that maybe, just maybe, this is the ONE!â€

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During an interview on the Battleground Podcast, TNA President Carlos Silva addressed rumors that Joe Hendry is expected to leave the company and join WWE full-time.

It was reported last month that Hendry is in the process of being phased out of TNA ahead of joining WWE on a full-time basis by the start of 2026. At the moment, Hendry remains under contract with TNA while also being featured in NXT. He is coming off a victory against Eric Young at TNA Victory Road.

Silva did not deny that Hendry will eventually end up joining WWE, but he told the Battleground Podcast that Hendry is still on the TNA roster at the moment.

“That’s correct,” Silva responded when asked if Hendry is still a TNA star. “Yes, he is. You know, he is until he’s not. But he is. And Joe’s been great. Joe’s been great for us. Joe’s been great with WWE and NXT. We’ll continue to sort of work through that as good partners do.”

Hendry, a former TNA World Champion, has made frequent appearances for NXT during the WWE-TNA partnership, along with showing up at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania earlier this year. He’ll be working a live event for NXT in Florida this weekend.

Next Tuesday’s NXT episode is an NXT vs. TNA Showdown special. In storyline, the TNA roster has questioned where Hendry’s loyalties lie — and Mike Santana did not select him for Team TNA because of that.

The 37-year-old Hendry is from Scotland with a background in amateur wrestling and music.

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The wild pull-apart brawl between Adam Page and Samoa Joe on the October 1 episode of AEW Dynamite had fans talking—but one of the security guards trying to break it up has now been identified, and heâ€s no stranger to the ring.

Independent wrestler Leeroy Shogun took to social media to confirm that he was one of the guards who stepped in when Page and Joe started throwing hands after their tag team win over the Death Riders.

Shogun, based in Florida, has built a strong reputation on the indie scene, especially in promotions like Tampa Bay Pro Wrestling and POW, where heâ€s held the POW Florida Championship.

The AEW appearance placed him directly in the middle of Dynamiteâ€s segment, as Page and Joeâ€s partnership imploded post-match. The chaos escalated to the point where Page issued a challenge for the AEW World Championship at WrestleDream, and Joe accepted—making the title match official for the upcoming October 18 pay-per-view in St. Louis.

While Shogunâ€s role was brief, being part of one of AEWâ€s hottest angles is a major spotlight for an indie talent. His presence in a segment involving two of AEWâ€s top stars could open doors for more appearances down the line.

Should AEW give more indie wrestlers like Leeroy Shogun the spotlight? Could we see him in a match next time? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Samoa Joe blew up at “Hangman” Adam Page after they won a six-man tag match on tonight’s AEW Dynamite, noting that Hangman has never defeated him. Hangman, moments later, offered Joe a shot at his AEW World Title later this month on the AEW WrestleDream PPV.

Later on Dynamite, during a backstage interview, Joe said he wasn’t surprised by Hangman’s response. He said there is no misunderstanding between them. He said he’s been so preoccupied by the Death Riders, he lost track of who he is. He said he needs to remind Hangman of who he is. He said he has never defeated him. “On any day that you have ever existed, you have never been greater than me,” he said. He said he is standing in “deep sh–.”

Samoa Joe is a former AEW World Champion. Joe held the title for nearly four months starting on Dec. 30, 2023 through April 21, 2024. Joe was out of action earlier this year after suffering an ankle injury on the set of “Twisted Metal.”

The third-annual AEW WrestleDream takes place on Oct. 18 in St. Louis, Mo. at Chaifetz Arena. Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Title headlined the first WrestleDream in 2023 and Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita headlined the 2024 event.

The only other matches announced so far for WrestleDream are Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin in an I Quit match and Kris Statlander vs. Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s Title. The Statlander-Storm match was also set up on Dynamite tonight.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of the “All Elite Conversation Club” with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch†on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

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Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos defeated a depleted Cincinnati Bengals team 28-3 at home Monday night as Joe Burrow remained sidelined.

The Broncos improved to 2‑2 with the impressive home win over their struggling opponent. With a long list of inactive players on Cincinnati’s roster, the Bengals dropped to 2‑2 after suffering back‑to‑back losses following their 2–0 start.

Nix completed 29-of-42 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground, and threw one interception. He connected with Courtland Sutton for a touchdown (81 yards) and with R.J. Harvey for another. Marvin Mims Jr. also added a rushing score, while J.K. Dobbins rushed for 101 yards.

Meanwhile, fill-in quarterback for the Bengals, Jake Browning went 14-of-25 for 125 yards without a touchdown, as the Bengals failed to reach the end zone Monday.

Denver’s win impressed fans, as their defense held Cincinnati without a touchdown.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ opening-drive field goal was a promising start that quickly faded, as they were held scoreless for the remainder of the game following Evan McPherson’s early kick.

Despite throwing an interception, Denver and quarterback Nix added three touchdown drives before halftime, giving the Broncos a commanding 21-3 lead while their defense shut down Cincinnati’s scoring opportunities.

Neither team scored in the third but the Broncos added insult to injury with a touchdown pass with less than five minutes left in regulation to take a 28-3 lead and no chance for the Bengals to comeback.Â

The Broncos will face the 4-0 Philadelphia Eagles on the road next Sunday.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

SHOW SUMMARY:In our latest episode of Alan4L’s ProWres Paradise, PWTorch columnist Alan4L is joined by the great Joe Gagne for the biggest and best edition of the “Don’t You Forget About Me” series yet. To older fans, it might seem implausible that the wrestling world would ever “forget” a career like Tito Santana’s, but as time moves on there is a danger that we may lose sight of just what a fantastic wrestler he was and how deep his portfolio of work is. Alan and Joe do their part to put the spotlight back on Tito with a comprehensive look at everything he did from his debut in the late ’70s to the tail end of his national run as El Matador in the WWF. There’s no shortage of great matches to discuss when it comes to the man from Mission, Texas. From his feuds with Greg Valentine and Randy Savage to his work as a tag team with Rick Martel, it’s all covered here, plus plenty more. Check it out!

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Sabu (photo credit Wade Keller © PWTorch)

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com…

TNA Impact Review
September 9, 2005
Taped August 16, 2005 in Orlando, FL at Universal Studios
Aired on TNAWrestling.com
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch.com Columnist

– Mike Tenay and Don West publicized the X Division and NWA Title matches at Unbreakable coming up on Sunday. Tenay set up the Chris Candido Memorial Cup tournament finale between Chris Sabin and Shocker against Sean Waltman and Alex Shelley.

(1) Sean Waltman & Alex Shelley beat Shocker & Chris Sabin at 7:20 in the Chris Candido Memorial Cup finals. Waltman and Shelley resembled a legit tag team walking to the ring together. It would be a great move to unite the two together for a permanent tandem. Sabin and Shelley started things off with Shelley taking Sabin down with a headlock before screaming out, ‘This is wrestling, people!” Shelley dropped Sabin to his stomach then stretched Sabin’s back while holding onto the hair for extra illegal leverage.

[Promo Break]

Shelley continued to work on Sabin with mat wrestling submission holds. Waltman threw some crotch chops at the crowd from the apron. Sabin slipped out of a submission hold and scored with a series of deep arm drags. Shocker tagged in and Shelley begged off before slapping Shocker as if he was slapping a fly with a flyswatter. Shelley quickly scampered to his corner and tagged in Waltman. Waltman walked into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker off the ropes then scampered to his corner for a tag to Shelley. Shelley ran into a drop kick from Shocker then Sabin tagged in.

Shelley begged off and even kissed Sabin’s foot. Sabin responded with a double foot smash to the chest. Sabin connected with a second, but Shelley responded with a stiffer double foot kick a second later after playing a no-selling opossum. The action spilled to the outside with Waltman scoring a somersault splash on Sabin and Shocker after Shelley moved out of the way. Waltman showed some fire then came back into the ring to work on Sabin. Waltman and Shelley exchanged quick in and out tags to work on Sabin with Shelley showing some nice heel facials. Sabin fought out with an enziguiri kick then tagged in Shocker.

Shocker came in hot and ran over everyone with kicks to the face then dropped Shelley with a release German Suplex. Sabin flew off the top turnbuckle with an attempted drop kick on Shelley, only to find a chest-full of Shocker as Shelley ducked out of the way. Sabin checked on Shocker before turning around to find a stiff superkick from Shelley straight to the jaw. Sabin instantly grabbed his jaw as he rolled out of the ring. There’s your broken jaw. Shocker mounted Waltman in the ring and Waltman escaped with a low blow while the referee was attending to matters outside of the ring. Waltman dropped Shocker with the X-Factor then pinned Shocker to win the Candido Memorial Cup.

– After the match, Waltman hoisted the Candido Cup as he celebrated with Shelley. The fans chanted, “Chris Candido.” Back in the ring, Sabin – broken jaw and all – walked into the ring and tried to reconcile with Shocker. The two hugged then Shocker attacked Sabin from behind as Sabin began to leave. Shocker stomped on Sabin as Sabin held his jaw in obvious pain. The fans showered boos on Shocker as he kissed his biceps.

Match View: Just a standard tag match, but effective in telling the story of Waltman and Shelley doing whatever it takes to win while Shocker and Sabin continued to have differences that finally caused Shocker to go off. Shelley’s jaw-busting superkick on Sabin was absolutely sick. This wasn’t a Shawn Michaels catching 5 feet of air on Hulk Hogan type of superkick. Waltman and Shelley have impressed as a legit tag team since their first round match in the tournament. I’m hoping for a Waltman & Shelley victory at Unbreakable to give the tag division a fresh team to build around.

– Backstage, Shane Douglas was with Monty Brown to explain his actions from last week when he severely injured Sonny Siaki. Earlier in the show, Mike Tenay said Siaki’s throat and windpipe area was severely injured after Monty Brown slammed Siaki’s throat inside a steel chair. Douglas told Brown, ‘You have cut a wide and impressive path of destruction.” Douglas said Brown will be teaming with Kip James against Apolo and Lance Hoyt at Unbreakable.

Brown said his attack on Siaki explains how the Serengeti is getting more dangerous everyday and Lance Hoyt is a rising star in the eyes of everyone except for himself; Hoyt is nothing more than a buffoon of a giraffe who’s just waiting to get Pounced. Brown said he and Kip will dominate and destroy Hoyt and Apolo. “While everyone is chanting, Hoyt, Hoyt, Hoyt,” Brown said to Lance Hoyt, “you will be getting hurt, hurt, hurt!” Brown closed with his “Pounce. Period.” line in a quiet tone after screaming through the previous portion of the interview.

[Promo Break]

– Shane Douglas was backstage with X Division Champion Christopher Daniels. Daniels said this is the most important time in TNA’s history as the seconds tick away until TNA’s unveiling on Spike TV. Daniels said people need to know and see who will step up and be a leader in TNA. Daniels rhetorically asked if it will be Jeff Jarrett, Monty Brown, Rhino, or Raven. Daniels said it will be none of the above for it will be himself and only himself. Daniels said, “More than ever, I am Mr. TNA and my heart has six sides and it beats Spike TV.” Daniels said Spike TV is banking on Daniels. Daniels rhetorically asked if A.J. Styles or Samoa Joe is the man to break his spirit and desire to carry the TNA flagship. Daniels said, “That will never happen.” Daniels said he will not be denied or deterred from showing each fan that his desire, will, and spirit is unbreakable. JC Note: All Daniels needs is a podium and a 100-person choir and he’s set on the preacher gimmick. Great promo.

(2) Samoa Joe defeated Shark Boy at 1:32. Joe stalked Shark Boy after the opening bell before missing with a clothesline. Shark Boy scored a few right hands before running into an inverted atomic drop. Joe ran over Sharkie with a kick to the head then made a cover for a nearfall. Joe headbutted Shark Boy in the corner then washed Sharkie’s face before running in with an attempted running kick, only to have Shark Boy block the kick to the face. Shark Boy bit Joe’s foot then landed ten punches in the corner. That pissed Joe off as Joe scored with a sick powerslam off the ropes. Joe took Sharkie to the corner and scored with the Muscle Buster before locking in the Kokina Clutch, which Sharkie tapped out to.

Match View: With Shark Boy scoring a victory over Christopher Daniels on last week’s show, I can see where TNA wants to give Shark Boy a push, but him being the first person to block Samoa Joe’s charging kick in the corner was a mistake. The first time someone actually resists that kick should be in a major match, not in an Impact squash match. Otherwise, good match to further establish Joe’s dominance. An appearance by Styles or Daniels on commentary or watching ringside would have helped. Even having Styles or Daniels ringside to distract Joe as he ran into the corner for his charging kick would have softened the blow of Shark Boy blocking the kick.

[Promo Break]

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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(3) Chris Harris (w/James Storm) defeated Eric Young (w/A-1 Ralphz) and Andy Douglas (w/Chase Stevens & Jimmy Hart) at 5:32. Douglas and Harris exchanged words in the ring before the match while Eric Young stood in the corner with a look of amusement on his face. Young tried to intervene and both opponents double-teamed Young on instincts. Douglas threw Young over the top rope to the floor then Douglas stomped and punched Harris in the corner. Douglas walked into an inverted atomic drop then Harris followed up with a stiff clothesline. Young re-entered the ring and was instantly tossed over the top rope by Chris Harris. James Storm and Chase Stevens began brawling ringside as A-1 Ralphz tried to get involved as a careful observer. The referee threw all non-wrestling participants out of the match as more referees came to the ring to escort the external participants to the back. Meanwhile, Sean Waltman and Alex Shelley were carefully watching a backstage monitor to scout their opponents for Unbreakable.

Once order was restored, Eric Young dropped Andy Douglas with a clothesline. Young picked up Harris and dropped him with a modified Death Valley Driver. Young argued with the referee then dropped Harris with a side kick followed by a scoop slam. Young knocked Douglas to the outside then went up top and dropped an elbow on Harris. Young made a nonchalant cover and scored a two count. Douglas re-entered the ring and punched Young before turning around to find no-sell Harris land a clothesline from the top turnbuckle. Harris dropped Douglas with a high vertical suplex then made a cover for a nearfall. Harris took Young up top for a suplex attempt but Young threw Harris off the top. Young set up for a missile drop kick on Harris, but Harris moved out of the way and Douglas took the drop kick square in the chest. Harris grabbed Young and dropped him with the Catatonic then pinned Young for the victory.

– After the match, Harris and Douglas nearly scuffled again as Waltman and Shelley watched the proceedings from a backstage monitor.

Match View: Very good set up for the eight-man NWA Tag Title match at the PPV. Nothing fancy, just build the conflict and let the story unfold to build heat on all involved parties. TNA put The Naturals in a major underdog situation with Chris Harris winning the match, Waltman and Shelley looking very confident backstage watching the match, and Eric Young sitting back and laughing at the AMW-Naturals feud. This feud has received more attention than any other leading into Unbreakable. Direct correlation to Scott D’Amore at the head of the booking committee? You betcha. That’s not a bad thing, though, because they’ve gone a nice job building heat the last four weeks.

[Promo Break]

(4) Prime Time Elix Skipper (w/Simon Diamond) defeated Sonjay Dutt at 3:34. Skipper attacked Dutt before the bell under instruction from Simon Diamond. Skipper dropped Dutt with a sit down slam before making a quick roll up for a nearfall. Skipper threw Dutt to the outside then followed up with a whip into the corner ringpost. Skipper took Dutt back into the ring where Dutt fired back with a whip to the ropes followed by an enziguiri kick. Dutt’s offense was quickly silenced as Skipper landed a belly-to-belly overhead suplex. Skipper clotheslined Dutt in the corner then took his time walking around the ring allowing Dutt to fly off the top rope with a springboard drop kick.

Dutt kicked Skipper in the face then snapped off a huricanrana. Dutt scored with a back flip moonsault then went up top. Skipper grabbed the referee and pulled him close allowing Diamond to shove Dutt off the top rope to the mat. From the opposite side of the ring, David Young ran inside the ring and dropped Dutt with a spinebuster. Skipper hoisted Dutt into position for the Sudden Death neck drop and connected with his finisher. Skipper made the cover for the victory much to the approval of Diamond and Young.

Match View: If you would have told me nine months ago that David Young would be helping Prime Time Elix Skipper win a match, I would have told you that you’re crazy. Nine months ago, Skipper and Christopher Daniels were at the top of the TNA mountain as they were involved in one of the best TNA PPV matches ever when they wrestled the six sides of steel match at Turning Point. Now, Daniels is TNA’s longest reigning X Division champion and Skipper has to win matches via Simon Diamond and David Young’s assistance. What a difference nine months makes.

[Promo Break]

– Backstage, Shane Douglas was with Jeff Jarrett. Douglas said he was shocked, but Jarrett interrupted before Douglas could say what he was shocked about. Jarrett said Douglas shouldn’t be shocked about the politics of this company. Jarrett said no one is going to be around after TNA cleans out the roster in favor of new talent for the Spike TV debut. Jarrett said TNA is still all about Jeff Jarrett and he declared he will get his belt back at Unbreakable. Jarrett dared anyone to stop him.

[Promo Break]

(5) NWA Champion Raven & Sabu defeated Rhino & Abyss (w/James Mitchell) at 8:09. Rhino delivered an opening shot on Raven while Abyss pounded on Sabu, taking him down to one knee. Sabu ducked a clothesline and kicked the air next to Abyss’s feet causing Abyss to fall on his face. Outside of the ring, Abyss sent Raven crashing into the guardrail then turned around to find Sabu crashing down on him with a somersault dive. Raven took Rhino into the ring and pulled out his snot rag. Raven drove his nasal cleanser to Rhino’s face then slammed him.

Sabu tagged in and landed a springboard somersault leg drop before locking in a Camel Clutch. James Mitchell distracted the referee allowing Abyss and Rhino to take the momentary advantage. Rhino choked Raven in the corner with a boot to the throat as Tenay and West discussed the psychology of wrestlers arguing with the referee following a nearfall. Abyss pounded on Raven in the corner as Sabu asked for a tag. Abyss tagged in Rhino as a slap in the face to Sabu. Rhino went for a suplex but Raven countered with a snap suplex of his own.

Raven tried to reach his corner but Rhino cut him off (1) and drop kicked him to the outside. Rhino sent Raven back into the ring then spit on Sabu. Rhino taunted the audience and Raven took advantage by driving Rhino into the corner. Raven crawled to his corner but Rhino cut him off again. (2) Raven delivered a front face jawbreaker and crawled to his corner, but Rhino cut him off (3) and tagged in Abyss. Abyss sent Raven headfirst into the corner turnbuckle then charged the corner and missed a splash. Raven crawled to his corner and Abyss cut him off. (4) Abyss locked in a neck wrench submission as Mitchell shouted instructions from outside of the ring. Abyss slammed Raven down then tagged in Rhino. Rhino dropped a leg across the throat then delivered a series of kicks to the back and front. Abyss tagged in and went to the top turnbuckle. Abyss went for a leg drop, but Raven rolled out of the way and tagged in Sabu.

Sabu clocked both Rhino and Abyss with chair shots then clotheslined Abyss over the top rope to the outside. Sabu flew off the seat of his chair with a springboard clothesline on Abyss. Abyss went back into the ring and took a gore from Rhino as Raven moved out of the way. Sabu climbed up top and flew off the top turnbuckle with a magic carpet facebuster on Abyss. Sabu made the pin for the win.

– After the match, Rhino gored Sabu. Raven tried to attack Rhino but Abyss answered with a stiff clothesline on Raven. Rhino took Sabu’s chair and smashed Raven with the chair repeatedly. Rhino held up the chair as Raven writhed in pain outside of the ring. Mitchell held up Abyss and Rhino’s arms as the show closed.

Match View: Solid tag match. Good set up for both feature singles matches at Unbreakable with the tag match resembling the type of chaotic mess than can be expected Sunday night. The heels cutting off Raven from making the hot tag four times was a nice variation on how 95% of TNA tag matches play out. As usual, the Impact main event-before-the-PPV ended in a wash with the babyfaces and heels each scoring a measure of revenge through either a victory or post-match beatdown. Even Steven going into the PPV will suffice.

Chris Candido Memorial Cup Tournament Bracket

Simon Diamond & Mikey Batts
—————————————-> Shocker & Sabin
Shocker & Chris Sabin
—————————————————————-> Shocker & Sabin
B.G. James & Cassidy Riley
—————————————-> Killings & Dutt
Ron Killings & Sonjay Dutt
———————————————————————————> Waltman & Shelley
Sean Waltman & Alex Shelley
—————————————-> Waltman & Shelley
Abyss & Shark Boy
—————————————————————-> Waltman & Shelley
Kip James & Petey Williams
—————————————-> Konnan & Hoyt
Konnan & Lance Hoyt

Matches announced for September 11 Unbreakable PPV

– Raven vs. Rhino for the NWA Title
– Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe vs. A.J. Styles for the X Division Title
– The Naturals vs. AMW vs. Team Canada vs. Sean Waltman & Alex Shelley for NWA Tag Titles
– Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy
– Sabu vs. Abyss
– Chris Sabin vs. Petey Williams (originally Sabin vs. Shocker, but Shocker can’t make it to the PPV)
– Monty Brown & Kip James vs. Apolo & Lance Hoyt
– Roderick Strong vs. Austin Aries (announced on TNA’s website)
– Diamonds in the Rough vs. 3 Live Kru (announced on TNA’s website)

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