TNA – Best of the Tag Teams Volume 1 DVD Review

TNA – Best of the Tag Teams: Volume 1

Introduction

The opening video package shows that TNA has plenty of tag teams; just not all of them are good. Mike Tenay and Don West welcome us to the DVD. They put over the tag team division and America’s Most Wanted as Tenay makes his stupid faces. West says that tag team wrestling isn’t a focus elsewhere. AMW is the first team featured here, and we get a nice little introductory video to this effect.

AMERICA’S MOST WANTED

MATCH #1: NWA World Tag Team Title Match – America’s Most Wanted vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels, TNA Impact, 5.4.06

AMW have been champions since 10.22.05, and this is their eighth defense. Styles and Daniels take the early advantage with their superior double-teaming. We take a quick commercial break and come back with Storm in control of Styles. Styles fights back with a dropkick and lets us know that that is how he does it. Daniels gets tagged in and Harris cheats to get tagged in and goes to work on Daniels. AMW makes quick tags in and out to maintain the advantage on Daniels. Styles makes the hot tag and scores with a rack bomb. Speaking of racks, Jackie Gayda tries to help the challengers. Gail Kim hits a big rana on Styles and Storm pins him to get the win and retain the titles at 10:11. That was very good for a TV match, but what’s sad is that Gail Kim essentially pinned AJ Styles.
Rating: ***¼

MATCH #2: NWA World Tag Team Title Match – America’s Most Wanted vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels, TNA Sacrifice, 5.14.06

AMW have been champions since 10.22.05, and this is their ninth defense. Gail Kim and Jackie Gayda are barred from ringside. Styles and Daniels attack right away and Styles hits the dropkick and once again informs everyone that that is indeed the way you do it. Daniels comes in and the challengers continue to have control of the match. The champions use chicanery to take over on Daniels, and deliver some potent double team moves as well as continuing to cheat. Styles gets the hot tag and cleans house on the champions. They do the almost requisite Tower of Doom spot. Big crossbody by Daniels (the illegal man) gets a two count. The battle spills to the floor and Styles hits a huge dive on Harris into the crowd. They’re back in the ring and the high risk moves keep right on coming. The champions are in control. Everyone hits their big moves and the referee gets knocked out. Suddenly a nightstick falls from the sky and we learn that Gail Kim is in the rafters (hey, it’s not ringside) and Styles gets hit with the stick and AMW retains the titles at 15:40. Some complained about the finish but I actually think it’s kind of clever. These two teams have good chemistry together.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #3: America’s Most Wanted vs. The Naturals, TNA Impact, 6.1.06

AMW have been champions since 10.22.05, but this is a non-title match. I don’t think they’ll get much time here, so everyone is moving pretty quickly. AMW takes the advantage and we take a quick commercial break. They continue to work over Andy Douglas when the referee is not looking. Christopher Daniels comes down and tries to help Chase Stevens win, but Stevens doesn’t want to win that way. This allows Storm to use his beer bottle to the head finisher and get the pin at 7:06. That was okay for TV, but as far as a “best of’s” go, this match is a little weak.
Rating: *¾

We close this section with a slideshow of pictures involving the entire history of AMW.

TEAM 3D

The next team we’re going to focus on in this DVD is Team 3D, Brother Ray and Devon. Mike and Don talk about the legacy of Team 3D and how they haven’t won the NWA World Tag Team Titles yet. This leads to our first match of this section.

MATCH #4: Team 3D vs. Team Canada, TNA Impact, 3.25.06

Bobby Roode and Eric Young are representing Team Canada. This is a preview for the Lockdown pay-per-view that’s about a month away from this show. A1, Scott D’Amore, and Petey Williams are all at ringside supporting Roode & Young. The referees make them leave before the match starts though, so it’s straight up two-on-two. Team 3D is aggressive right away and we go to a commercial. We come back and it looks like the Canadians have gotten a few shots in, but Young is bloody and Ray and Devon don’t look at all the worse for wear. Roode and Young finally take over and are able to unload some offense while Young continues to bleed pretty badly. They take another commercial break. You know, there’s no reason they can’t include what happened during the commercial break on the DVD releases, as it would give people even more incentive to buy the DVD. This match is a good example of commercials ruining a match, or the Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels match from April 13 that they didn’t air the beginning of on TV, they so could have put it on the DVD. As I rant on that, Team 3D hits the 3D on Young to get the win at 13:35. AMW comes out to attack Ray and Devon, and the rest of Team Canada joins them. A table gets brought into the ring and Jay Lethal tries to make the save. Sonjay Dutt comes out too, but AMW keeps holding the rescuers at bay. Petey hits a top rope splash on Ray to break the table. Chris Sabin also tries to make the save but is thwarted. The match itself was fine in that it didn’t give too much away before the pay-per-view, but Team 3D is way past their point of usefulness to me and the commercial breaks really hurt the match.
Rating: **

MATCH #5: Street Fight – Team 3D vs. America’s Most Wanted, TNA Impact, 4.13.06

AMW have been the NWA World Tag Team Champions since 10.22.05, but this match is non-title. The champions have both Jackie Gayda and Gail Kim accompanying them to ringside. As usual, 3D goes on offense right away, and then for some reason the girls get in the ring and Gail slaps Jackie in the face. They take a commercial right away, argh. We come back and Team 3D is still in control. What is it about TNA that they bring in old washed up guys and tell them basically not sell anything (I’m looking at YOU, Sting, and Team 3D of course). Even when AMW gets some offense in it doesn’t last too long. What I do like about this match coming out on DVD is that TNA has now released all three matches from their Thursday night Impact debut (the other two being the aforementioned Joe vs. Daniels, and Sting vs. Eric Young). Team Canada comes out to attack 3D. This is cause for the bell to ring at 10:55, which doesn’t make any sense because this is a street fight in which there are no disqualifications. Brother Runt comes out to help and Ray and Devon immediately stop selling and hit a 3D on A1. That was a trainwreck.
Rating: *

MATCH #6: Anthem Match – Team 3D vs. Team Canada, TNA Lockdown, 4.23.06

Team Canada is represented by Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and A1, while Team 3D is Brother Ray, Brother Devon, and Brother Runt. Don West calls Runt’s return “one of the loudest pops I’ve ever heard,” which if you rewind the DVD you’ll discover that he’s just lying. Young and Runt play goalies, since the object of the match is to capture the flag. Team 3D have painted their faces. It’s a big brawl to start out, with no one taking a defined advantage. Ray delivers the Bubba Bomb from the top rope, which as much as I dislike him it looked pretty cool. People start going for the flags but can’t get them. The referee takes an unnecessary bump. Ray grabs the flag, but since the referee is down it doesn’t count yet. This is Runt’s pay-per-view debut in TNA. The Canadians administer a beating to him and replace the American flag. D’Amore knocks out the security guard watching the door with a chair and slides a table into the ring. Runt hits A1 with the Acid Drop. Roode takes the 3D. The referee is up and this time sees it when Runt grabs the flag to win the match at 8:45. At least the gimmick benefited from being in a cage, but as with everything involving Team Canada it was needlessly overbooked. D’Amore foolishly gets in the ring and takes the 3D. I am beyond sick of seeing him.
Rating: *¾

MATCH #7: Bingo Hall Brawl – Team 3D vs. The James Gang, TNA Slammiversary, 6.18.06

The match starts right away in the entrance way, and this is a good way to start the show. I hate both these teams but at least the crowd seems to be at least mildly interested in both of them. Brother Ray and Kip James battle with chairs and Kip wins. BG and Brother Devon and BG get in the ring and fight with a kendo stick. Team 3D gets the advantage and scores an early near-fall. They battle outside the ring. They make it over to the Spanish announce table, where the Latin American Exchange is hanging out. They take shots on both teams. Ray sets up the guardrail on a bunch of chairs. Despite the name of the match, it is taking place in the Impact Zone, not a Bingo Hall. They continue to do lame brawling outside the ring. The ring gets filled up with weapons as all four make their way back there. They brawl and hit each other with weapons. Team 3D connects with the Doomsday Device. That isn’t enough to finish the James Gang, but the 3D through a table on Kip a few moments later does it at 10:22. That was a garbage brawl but it got the crowd fired up and was a good choice to open the show. Ray of course has to ruin it by congratulating himself on the mic after the match.
Rating: **

We close the section with another slideshow. I wonder which team is next.

THE NATURALS

Mike and Don are back to talk about how Shane Douglas has broken the Naturals down in order to build them back up. They mention how the Naturals have always had the number of America’s Most Wanted, and we see a little video of them before the first match.

MATCH #8: The Naturals vs. America’s Most Wanted, TNA Impact, 8.3.06

The commentators are already talking about the tension between America’s Most Wanted, as the Naturals are able to control the match early on. AMW is able to turn it around and get some double teaming in on Stevens. A little miscommunication between Harris and Storm leads to Stevens getting a schoolboy rollup for the pin at 2:30. That’s it?
Rating: ¾*

MATCH #9: Chris Harris vs. Kazarian vs. Chase Stevens vs. BG James, TNA Impact, 8.17.06

The building accidentally caught on fire at the Hard Justice pay-per-view, so a planned four-way tag team match had to be cancelled. So instead of just doing the real match that they advertised, they do a singles four-way match to decide the #1 Contenders to the NWA World Tag Team Titles. And people say the booking in TNA makes no sense. Kazarian and Stevens start off, but it’s not long before everyone comes in and the match starts breaking down. BG hits the Pump Handle Slam but can’t get a pin. James Storm comes out to ringside with his beer bottle and he tries to get in the ring and use it, and Harris gets pissed. Stevens pitches Harris outside the ring (and his cowboy hat stays on!), and the handcuffs he was carrying fall out. So Stevens grabs them and hits Harris in the head and gets the pin at 2:30. Wow, a less than three minute match with an unclean finish. That’s pretty odd for TNA … not.
Rating: ¼*

MATCH #10: Triple Chance Battle Royal – America’s Most Wanted vs. The Naturals vs. Alex Shelley & Johnny Devine vs. Shark Boy & Norman Smiley vs. Maverick Matt & Kazarian vs. Ron Killings & Lance Hoyt vs. Elix Skipper & David Young vs. The James Gang, TNA No Surrender, 9.24.06

The rules of this match are that it starts off as a regular over-the-top-rope battle royal, with both members of the team having to be eliminated. When we get down to the last two, the partners will join them and we’ll have a regular tag team match, which is chance two. I guess chance three then is the Tag Team Title shot that the winners get, but that won’t happen until down the line. This is just a typical battle royal to start off with. Lance Hoyt scores the first two eliminations, as he knocks Skipper and Smiley out. Kazarian then cleverly eliminates Hoyt. Johnny Devine is next to go, courtesy of Ron Killings. Shark Boy is out next, and thus their whole team is eliminated. James Storm then launches Chase Stevens into the crowd, so he’s gone. Maverick Matt is gone next. Truth and BG James are next to go. Kazarian is gone next, and then Shelley follows him. We’re down to Harris, Storm, Kip James, and Andy Douglas. Kip is able to eliminate Storm, and three are left. Kip is also able to eliminate Harris because the referees were distracted by Kazarian, Maverick Matt, Alex Shelley, and Johnny Devine brawling on the outside. Harris comes back in and tosses Kip, a la Steve Austin at the 1997 Royal Rumble. Stealing from yourself is still stealing. This brings it down to America’s Most Wanted vs. The Naturals in a tag team match. Stevens’ leg is still hurt from the spill he took into the crowd, and as a result AMW is pretty much taking liberties with Douglas. Stevens is able to make it back in the ring and gets a schoolboy on Storm to pin him and earn the title shot at 14:30. That was actually a pretty smartly booked battle royal, but the tension between the Kazarian & Maverick / Shelley & Devine teams and between the James Gang and AMW were never really paid off. And if I recall the Naturals got their tag title shot over a month after this and the match barely went three minutes, so really who cares?
Rating: **¼

Thus ends the Naturals portion of this DVD, so we close with the requisite slideshow.

VOODOO KIN MAFIA

Sigh, I knew this was coming but I’m still dreading having to watch this. The Voodoo Kin Mafia is just about the worst gimmick ever devised and it’s such a colossal waste of time for everyone involved.

TNA Impact, 11.16.06

I don’t remember much of this, but apparently they quite TNA two weeks prior to this so it was a return of sorts with a new look or something. They beat up the New Movement, as it was being called at the time (later Serotonin). Then they declare war on Paul Levesque, Michael Hickenbottom, and Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Seriously, this is what they come up with? Why are they talking about WWE? Kip James gets in the laugher of the year when he says that they are good and Triple H and Shawn Michaels are not. Yeah, I don’t like D-X either, but Michaels and HHH are two of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. Who the fuck books a feud that can’t possibly be paid off in any way, shape, or form.

MATCH #11: Handicap Match – Kazarian, Maverick Matt & Johnny Devine vs. Voodoo Kin Mafia, TNA Genesis, 11.19.06

These three just started dressing oddly and wearing makeup and stuff for absolutely no explained reason. The crowd chants “D-X Sucks” for the Voodoo Kin Mafia, but what I find HILARIOUS is that Michaels and HHH are (deserving) main event talents in WWE and Road Dogg and Billy Gunn are in opening matches in TNA. Their new DVD is selling pretty well too. I think I’m just going to refuse to comment any more on this idiocy. VKM bury this New Movement at 3:39. BG gets on the microphone and reiterates his challenge to people who don’t work for TNA and will never respond to any of this stupidity.
Rating: DUD

TNA Turning Point, 12.10.06

This is a segment that I refuse to comment on.

We mercifully end this segment with the slideshow. When will TNA pull their heads out of their asses? Hey Dixie Carter, did your head booker Vince Russo have nothing to do with this one either? You want to tell me that me, the paying fan, is wrong? Screw Voodoo Kin Mafia.

LATIN AMERICAN EXCHANGE

Tenay and West put LAX over pretty strong, and they mention specifically their feud for the NWA World Tag Team Titles with AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels. The little video makes them look good too.

MATCH #12: Homicide & Hernandez vs. Ron Killings & Sonjay Dutt, TNA Victory Road, 7.16.06

Ron Killing’s rap that was shown on the TNA website a few months ago was the most atrociously pointless and idiotic things I’ve ever seen. What the hell kind of hook is “we been waitin’ for ya’ll … and we gonna knock yo’ blocks off.” That doesn’t even make any sense. The highspots come early as Hernandez spills to the floor and Dutt, Homicide, and Killings each hit a dive. Back in the ring they basically start the match over. Homicide and Killings fight for a few minutes, with Truth gaining the control and then tagging out to Dutt. Dutt gets a few moves in until Homicide comes back and tags in Hernandez, who overpowers Dutt and executes that awesome overhead choke suplex. Dutt makes a brief comeback but Homicide hits a nasty suplex, dropping him on his head. The double teaming continues and Dutt is in trouble. He finally makes the hot tag to Truth, and he handles both members of LAX. The referee loses control and in the confusion Konnan hits Dutt with the Slapjack and Hernandez follows with the Border Toss to get the pin and score the victory at 10:07. That was actually much better than I thought it would be, as I’m really into the LAX gimmick and Dutt and Killings worked surprisingly well together.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #13: Homicide & Hernandez vs. Chasyn Rance & Jerrelle Clark, TNA Impact, 8.3.06

Konnan kicks West and Tenay out of the booth and utters the same tired catchphrases he’s been spouting for ten years. Rance & Clark are two local guys who have worked for FIP extensively and Clark a little bit in ROH. Hernandez hits the Border Toss on Clark and Rance takes the Gringo Killer and the LAX get simultaneous pins at 1:00. That was too short to be any “good” per se, but there is such a thing as a good squash, and that was it. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, the NWA World Tag Team Champions, show up on the screen and Daniels says if Homicide has pants he should fight him next week.
Rating: *

MATCH #14: Border Brawl for the NWA World Tag Team Titles – Homicide & Hernandez vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels©, TNA Impact, 8.24.06

Styles & Daniels have been champions since 6.18.06, and this is their fourth defense. Styles and Daniels run out right away in their street clothes and this is most definitely a brawl. Styles and Homicide fight on one side of the arena while Daniels and Hernandez fight on the other. We go to commercial and when we come back Hernandez and Daniels have made their way in to the ring. Styles is bleeding once again as the LAX gain control. Daniels makes a comeback and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Homicide and waffles Hernandez with a steel chair. Daniels ends up taking said chair in the face himself, and the cut on his head is about to be reopened as well. A table gets introduced and Daniels goes for the Angels Wings off the top rope, but Konnan hits Daniels with the slapjack and Homicide hits the Ace Crusher through the table to win the match and the NWA World Tag Team Titles at 10:35. That was a pretty good brawl and fit well within the storyline. Plus I always like to have more title changes on DVD.
Rating: ***

MATCH #15: Six Sides of Steel for the NWA World Tag Team Titles – Homicide & Hernandez vs. AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels©, TNA Bound for Glory, 10.22.06

Styles & Daniels have been the champions since 9.24.06, and this is their first defense. The graphic lists this match as having taken place on October 15, and stuff like that really irritates me. The last match showed LAX winning the titles for the first time; they would lose them a month later at No Surrender in an Ultimate X match back to Styles and Daniels. Between the two of them, Styles and Daniels have been champions in TNA 19 times. Styles is a three-time World Champion, a five-time X-Division Champion (but now six as I write this), and four-time Tag Team Champions (with Jerry Lynn, Abyss, and Daniels twice). Daniels is a two-time X-Division Champion (now three as I write this) and a five-time Tag Team Champion (with Elix Skipper and Low Ki as Triple X three times, and twice with Styles). The champions came ready and they control the early going. Styles hits a dropkick and Tenay tries telling me to use an exclamation point but I say to hell with what Mike Tenay wants. Every time LAX tries to mount a comeback the champions are able to counter. The LAX double-teaming finally works out for them as Daniels goes on the defensive now as the challengers go to work. Konnan hands Homicide a fork, and he uses it to bust Daniels open. I don’t know why he’s hiding it from the referee, there are no disqualifications in a steel cage match. Hernandez comes in with some boring offense and Homicide then comes back in with a tequila bottle and spits some in Daniels’ face. That’s pretty badass really. Homicide tries a top rope Ace Crusher, but Daniels reverses it to a hiptoss. Styles comes in and the champions are on fire now. They use the fork on Homicide now, digging it into his face and Homicide is bleeding now. Styles and Homicide fight on top of the cage, and Daniels comes up to join them and Hernandez follows and they do one of those Tower of Doom spots but with a twist – Styles stays on top of the cage and hits a big cross body block on Hernandez. Hernandez recovers and heads to the top of the cage. He tries a splash but it misses. Konnan then hands Homicide a coat hanger and he uses it on Daniels. Konnan then reaches through the cage and continues to choke Daniels with it. That leaves Styles by himself against the challengers. He fights valiantly but Hernandez hits a big lariat and Homicide follows it up with the Gringo Killer to get the pin and regain the titles at 14:27. That was much better than the Ultimate X match, and the challengers did a lot in making the champions look good. I don’t care much for Homicide, Hernandez, or Konnan on their own, but together as a group they’re the best thing going in TNA.
Rating: ****

We close out the set with a slideshow.

Mike and Don wrap it up and thank us for watching.

BONUS

You don’t even get a menu for the bonus features, they just start playing. I’ll just list what they show:

– America’s Most Wanted & Gail Kim’s promo before their match at Slammiversary on 6.18.06
– America’s Most Wanted & Gail Kim’s promo before their match at Genesis, 11.19.06
– Latin American Exchange’s promo before their match at Victory Road, 7.16.06
– Latin American Exchange trying to steal a car and Eric Young unwittingly getting in their way
– Latin American Exchange’s promo before their match at Bound for Glory, 10.22.06
– Team 3D’s promo at Final Resolution on 1.15.06
– Team 3D’s promo on an episode of Impact

The 411: As usual with TNA DVDs, I really enjoyed the layout. Grouping matches together and highlighting different teams was a great way to go about this disc. It’s the content I have some issues with, with that brutal Voodoo Kin Mafia stuff in the middle. Team 3D’s matches aren’t very good either. There’s good stuff at the beginning with AMW, and then there’s better stuff at the end with LAX, but the middle is a bit of a chore to sit through. Some might complain about having so many matches from Impact, but since I buy all the PPV DVDs as well, it's nice for me to have more fresh content, so that's something to be aware of.

Final Score:  6.0   [ Average ]