Hall’s TNA Destination X 2005 Review

Destination X 2005
Date: March 13, 2005
Location: Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 775
Commentators: Don West, Mike Tenay

TNA has been around for such a long time now that it’s easy to forget a lot of their history. It can be interesting to look back at some of those things so that’s what we’re doing this week. In this case, it’s the fifth ever monthly(ish) pay per view. The main event is Diamond Dallas Page challenging Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Title. Let’s get to it.

The opening video features a long quote from…someone, talking about how the people who matter are the ones who strive to make things happen.

Team Canada vs. 3 Live Kru/America’s Most Wanted

That would be Eric Young/Bobby Roode/Petey Williams/A1, with Scott D’Amore and the injured Johnny Devine, for the Canadians and Konnan/BG James for the Kru. James and Roode start things off with the former firing off the snap jabs. Konnan comes in to smile at Young and then drop him with a rolling clothesline. Roode’s cheap shot doesn’t work and it’s off to Storm for an armdrag into a dropkick. Storm gets Young to dive outside on his own, allowing Storm to backdrop Harris onto the pile of Canadians.

Harris isn’t done as he hits another big dive off the top but it’s Williams taking over on Harris’ arm. A1 does the same, including a hammerlock slam for two. Young is back in for an armbar but Storm breaks it up without much trouble. Konnan comes in to clean house but the Tequila Sunrise to Roode is broken up as everything breaks down. D’Amore’s interference earns him a slam off the top, though it allows Roode to hit the Northern Lariat for the pin on Konnan at 8:57.

Rating: C+. It was ok while it lasted, but there is only so much you can get out of eight people having around nine minutes to give everyone something to do. The Canadians were a solid midcard heel stable who stuck around for a long time, with some of their members managing to break out on their own. Nice opener here, but it either needed fewer people or a few more minutes.

Dusty Rhodes (the boss) is in his office (the back of his truck) with Trinity and Traci, who both want to be his assistant. Johnny Fairplay (reality TV star) shows up and wants to be the assistant, with Dusty telling him that he can be in if he can get two people to sign up. Dusty gets a kiss from both women because he knows exactly how to book himself in this role.

Chase Stevens vs. Chris Sabin

Chris Candido and regular partner Andy Douglas are here with Stevens. The two of them offer a distraction to start and Stevens gets in a quick shot. Sabin hurricanranas him outside though and a big dive to the floor connects. Candido and Douglas pull Sabin onto the apron though and Stevens gets to take over. The middle rope moonsault gives Stevens two and he cranks on both arms. Uh Sabin’s arms if that isn’t clear.

Sabin fights out of that without much trouble and hits some clotheslines, followed by a nice springboard tornado DDT for two. Cradle Shock is loaded up but Candido offers a distraction, allowing Douglas to come in with a kick to the face. Stevens tries a rollup with trunks, which is reversed into something close to a European clutch to give Sabin the pin at 6:20.

Rating: C. This felt like a match that belonged on Impact more than anything else, though it’s a bit more understandable when they were still so new at running pay per views. It helps that Sabin is someone who could do just about anything out there and was still rather young at this point. I never got the appeal of the Naturals and that was the case again here, as they were just kind of there.

Post match the beatdown is on until a masked man runs in for the save. Apparently it’s….Shocker! Who was recently in a McDonald’s commercial!

Dustin Rhodes vs. Raven

Texas Bullrope match. They’ve been feuding for a bit and Rhodes wants revenge in his family’s match. They get tied up and Rhodes pulls him into the steel trusses, followed by some cowbell shots. Rhodes pulls him into the buckle a few times and chokes, only for Raven to use the rope for a pull off the top. The stomping is on but Raven misses a middle rope elbow onto a chair. Rhodes gets in a low blow with the rope and add the drop down uppercut. The bulldog is broken up and Raven loads up a chair, which earns him a bulldog onto the chair to give Rhodes the pin at 6:10.

Rating: C. Another match without enough time to really make it work. They got in some decent stuff here and there, but this was the dull version of Rhodes where he was little more than a cowboy and not interesting. Raven wasn’t doing much better, though he would wind up being World Champion in about two months. Wrestling is funny that way.

Post match Team Canada runs in to jump Rhodes, with America’s Most Wanted making the save.

We recap Phi Delta Slam vs. the Disciples Of Destruction, which is really about Trinity vs. Traci. The women want to be Dusty Rhodes’ official assistant so it’s a tag match to decide who gets the job. This is entirely so Rhodes can have the two attractive women fighting over him.

Phi Delta Slam vs. Disciples Of Destruction

That would be two large guys (Bruno Sassi/Big Tilly, with Trinity) doing a fraternity deal vs., say it with me, the Harris Twins (with Traci). Ron powers Bruno into the corner to start so it’s off to Tilly, who gets booted in the face. Bruno is knocked outside and Don comes in to clean house, including a chokeslam to put Bruno down again. A chair to the head knocks Tilly out on the floor, leaving Bruno to get belly to back suplexed.

Trinity offers a distraction though, allowing Tilly to get in some shots to Ron on the floor. Back in and Tilly’s running clothesline sets up a running splash in the corner. Ron is tossed outside again for a ram into the barricade, leaving Bruno to….I’m not sure but it was something off the top.

Trinity’s moonsault looks better, though Ron doesn’t even go off the top despite it making full contact. Trinity is sent over the barricade and Bruno misses a middle rope legdrop, allowing Ron to hit a hard clothesline. Don comes in to clean house as everything breaks down. Tilly hits his top rope splash but there is no referee. The Twins trade places behind Tilly’s back and Ron’s big boot finishes him off at 10:22.

Rating: D. Slam was as bad as you would have expected as all they could do was the standard big man offense, meaning anything more complicated was a near disaster. At the same time, the Twins are….oh you know exactly what they are, as they haven’t changed much of anything in about twenty years. I’m not sure what Traci was doing for most of the match, but I’m not sure if she could have made it any better.

Dustin Rhodes thanks America’s Most Wanted for their help when Johnny Fairplay comes up. They tease signing with him….and then put a saddle on him so James Storm can ride him a bit. Fairplay was useless and there for “celebrity” status, which went as far as you would expect.

We recap Monty Brown vs. Trytan. Brown is an athletic monster and Trytan is…something between an alien and the Terminator? Yeah it didn’t quite work.

Monty Brown vs. Trytan

Brown slugs away to start and blocks the chokeslam attempt. Trytan’s gorilla press attempt winds up being more of a backdrop before another chokeslam attempt is blocked. A missed charge sends Trytan outside but he manages to ram Brown into the steps. Brown is sent into various hard objects, followed by a chokeslam for two back inside. Trytan picks him up again but Brown goes with the simple solution of hitting him in the face.

A dropkick sends Trytan into the ropes and his attempt at an F5 is countered as well. Brown sends him flying with a fall away slam and loads up the Pounce…but the lights go out. They come back up with Trytan gone and a masked man (while never identified, he was played by Mideon) jumps Brown. That doesn’t go well as Brown gives him a Pounce and gets the pin at 5:33. I’m assuming the match is actually a no contest.

Rating: D+. Yeah this didn’t work as this show has hit a hard wall. Brown is someone who had all kinds of charisma and athleticism while Trytan was pretty much just tall. This felt like something that belonged on television to set up the big pay per view match, which doesn’t make me feel like we’re in an important show. Not good here, and it just felt like a waste of time in this spot.

Post match Trytan walks away and Brown…just leaves.

Diamond Dallas Page does yoga and wants the World Title.

We recap Jeff Hardy vs. Abyss. They’ve had some rather violent fights so now it’s Falls Count Anywhere.

Jeff Hardy vs. Abyss

Falls Count Anywhere. Abyss grabs a chair to start but gets it knocked out of his hands as the brawl is on early. Hardy knocks him outside for a big dive so they can fight into the crowd. The brawl goes into the back (or maybe outside), with Hardy knocking him onto a table for a big Swanton from part of the building. It takes time to get up from that so Abyss is on his feet and sending Hardy back into the arena.

They get back inside, with Hardy skateboarding a chair into Abyss’ face. Abyss shrugs that off and hits a big boot before laying the chair on him. The middle rope splash onto the chair onto Hardy gets two but he uses the chair to crotch him down. Some chair shots to the head rock Abyss for two and it’s time for a ladder. Well of course it is.

The jumping legdrop over the ladder crushes Abyss for two but he’s back with a torture rack dropped into a backbreaker for two of his own. Abyss’ charge goes into a chair in the corner but he’s right back up to knock Hardy over again. The table is brought in and Hardy is superbombed through it, only to escape the chokeslam. A Twist of Fate in the general vicinity of the ladder finishes Abyss at 15:48.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much every brawl that you would see around this time. While Abyss was doing some very good work at this point and he would reach his pinnacle at the next pay per view, it doesn’t do much good when the Twist of Fate looked that lame. It’s a decent match, but nothing that hasn’t been done far better before.

Post match Abyss jumps him again and pours out the tacks for the Black Hole Slam. And that’s that.

Team Canada wants titles and reject Johnny Fairplay.

We recap Kevin Nash vs. the Outlaw (Billy Gunn). The Outlaw isn’t getting along with the 3 Live Kru and got in an argument with Nash, triggering some brawls. And this match.

The Outlaw vs. Kevin Nash

Apparently this is a first blood match, despite nothing suggesting that blood was involved in the build. Nash goes with the big right hands to the head to start but Outlaw gets smart by going after the leg. Said leg is rammed into apron and wrapped around the post, meaning it’s time for…a screwdriver. Well of course (again).

Nash powers out of that (you know, the stabbing) and sends him outside. A chair is grabbed but Outlaw hits him low and gets in a nasty chair shot. That’s not enough for blood so the turnbuckle pad is pulled off, only for Nash to be sent into the referee in the corner. Nash is sent into the exposed buckle but he shrugs it off and hot shots Outlaw into the buckle.

It works so well that Nash does it again (allowing Outlaw to obviously blade for the second time in a row) to indeed draw blood. Cue Jeff Jarrett to hit Nash with the belt and a doctor to wipe off Outlaw’s blood. Said doctor also closes the cut as Jarrett’s attorney watches on. The referee sees Nash bleeding so Outlaw can win at 11:23 (as Nash doesn’t have to take a fall to lose, thereby explaining the match’s gimmick).

Rating: D+. This felt rather out of the Nash playbook and that’s not a great thing to see. Nash losing is fine as he could put someone over, but having him lose to Billy Gunn of all people in 2005 isn’t exactly great. It’s a good example of having someone use their value on a terrible choice and that’s not exactly a great idea.

We recap the X-Division Title match, which is apparently all about champion AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels, who went to a time limit draw in a great match last month. The fact that there are two other people in this match is just a detail, as they don’t get a single mention during the video.

X-Division Title: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Ron Killings vs. Elix Skipper

Styles is defending and this is a weird one. So we start off with Styles/Skipper vs. Daniels/Killings in a tag match, but then whomever takes the fall is eliminated and it turns into a three way. Then whomever takes the fall is eliminated as well, leaving the final two to face off in an Ultimate X match for the title. Killings works on Skipper’s arm to start but gets elbowed in the face for the escape.

Skipper suplexes him down and hits a jumping knee so Styles wants Daniels. Instead he stays with Killings, only for Daniels to sneak in for a cheap shot from behind. Now Daniels is willing to come in for some forearms and something like an Eye of the Hurricane for two. A Bank Statement has Styles in more trouble and the Arabian press gives Daniels two more. Styles gets up and brings in Killings, who sends Daniels outside so Styles can hit a big running flip dive. Back in and Skipper hits Killings with a White Noise for the pin and the elimination at 8:08.

That leaves us with Styles vs. Daniels vs. Skipper with Styles and Skipper clotheslining each other down. Daniels climbs the structure and moonsaults off the Ultimate X cables for two on Styles. That leaves him to argue with Skipper (his former partner), who he quickly drops. Skipper goes after Daniels, who ducks the Phenomenal Forearm from Styles, which takes Skipper out instead.

A gutbuster puts Daniels down as well and the three go up in the same corner. Since Skipper is another level of athletic, he pulls himself up on the cable and poisonranas Styles back down before powerbombing a diving Daniels out of the air. Styles goes up and flips down off the cables as well, apparently not wanting to be left out. A neckbreaker gets two on Daniels but Skipper reverses Styles’ reverse DDT into a White Noise for two. Daniels is right back with a rollup with trunks to Skipper for the pin at 17:20.

That leaves us with Daniels vs. Styles in an Ultimate X match for the title and at least they did something unique before getting to the same match again. Styles pulls Daniels off the cables and hits the Pele Kick to leave them both down. Both of them go up the cables at the same time, with Daniels pulling him down for another double crash. Styles goes up again so Daniels comes off the top with a super STO (that’s kind of awesome) and they both get another breather.

Now it’s Daniels going for the belt so Styles gives chase to pull him down, with Daniels doing the same a few seconds later. They both go up again and latch onto each other to crash down again. That works so well that they do it again, with the referee getting hit on the second attempt. Styles goes up and gets the belt…but Daniels kicks him low and lays him out to steal the belt, with the referee seeing it to make Daniels champion at 25:33.

Rating: B+. They had a bit of a weird format here but again I’ll take that over just doing Daniels vs. Styles right off the bat again. If nothing else, it allowed Skipper to get to do some insane stuff, which was pretty run of the mill for him. This is a totally forgotten gem, which shouldn’t be overly surprising as there were some outstanding things from the X-Division around this time. Hence Styles moving up to get the World Title back in a few months.

A dejected Johnny Fairplay is leaving but runs into Lex Lovett and Buck Quartermain (a couple of jobbers). They actually listen to him because of course they do.

We recap Diamond Dallas Page challenging Jeff Jarrett for the World Title. Page keeps saying IT’S TIME and Jarrett has ticked off so many people that it’s a Ringside Revenge (basically a lumberjack match, but because TNA, they go out of their way to say it is NOT a lumberjack match) match. As usual, Page put the effort into this and the build was pretty nice.

NWA World Title: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Jeff Jarrett

Jarrett is defending in a Ringside Revenge (meaning wrestlers can stand at ringside but are NOT there as lumberjacks) match. The bell rings and Jarrett charges to the floor with wrestlers around him, making it feel like a failed lumberjack match and making me wonder what the point of the idea here is supposed to be. I get that it’s so the interference can be done more easily, but can we get a better official reason?

Jarrett comes back in, can’t hit the Stroke, avoids the Diamond Cutter, and bails right back to the floor. This time Page follows him out to start slugging away before they head back inside. Jarrett’s headlock is reversed into a top wristlock until Page hits the discus lariat to send things outside again. Page beats him up on the announcers’ table and hits a clothesline over the barricade.

They fight into the crowd with Page knocking him all around the arena. Jarrett is sent back to ringside, with Page throwing both Jarrett and a rolling chair back inside. Page puts him in the chair and punches him around in a circle (ok that was kind of funny) until Jarrett manages a drop onto the top rope. The chair is dropped onto the knee and ribs to put Page in trouble for the first time.

The Figure Four goes on until Page turns it over, only for Jarrett to grab a sleeper. That’s reversed into a DDT and we get a double breather. Page hits a big boot and rams him into the buckle a few times, followed by a clothesline for two more. After a quick cut to Monty Brown makes me remember that this is in fact a non-lumberjack match, Page hits his always good looking sitout powerbomb for two more.

The Diamond Cutter is blocked and Chris Candido/The Naturals grab Page from the floor. Now the Stroke can connect for two and most of the lumberjacks brawl to the back. Jarrett grabs the guitar but BG James takes it away….and accidentally hits Konnan. Ron Killings comes in and looks at them before Page shoves the referee into the ropes to crotch Jarrett on top.

Cue the Outlaw to give Page the Fameasser and Jarrett gets a close two. Cue Sean Waltman to clean house and Page has to Diamond Cut a bunch of the returning lumberjacks. The super Diamond Cutter drops Jarrett as Brown gets on the apron (there might as well be a big HEEL TURN COMING sign flashing). Jarrett’s attorney gets in and Brown does in fact Pounce Page and Jarrett retains the title at 21:47.

Rating: C+. Honestly, horrible choreographed ending aside, this wasn’t a terrible main event. Page was still a name at this point and felt fresh for this kind of a match. This might not have been a top level main event, but it felt like a really good main event of a high profile indy show. Given where TNA was at this point, that’s not the worst choice and it certainly felt big. It definitely needed a better ending, but the brawling was fine and it absolutely did not drag despite the long run time. I’ll call this a decent enough surprise.

Brown and Jarrett celebrate to end the show.

Well actually an ad for Lockdown wraps us up.

 

Results
Team Canada b. 3 Live Kru/America’s Most Wanted – Northern Lariat to Roode
Chris Sabin b. Chase Stevens – Rollup
Dustin Rhodes b. Raven – Bulldog onto a chair
Disciples Of Destruction b. Phi Delta Slam – Big boot to Tilly
Monty Brown vs. Trytan went to a no contest
Jeff Hardy b. Abyss – Twist of Fate onto a ladder
The Outlaw b. Kevin Nash when Nash bled
Christopher Daniels b. AJ Styles, Elix Skipper and Ron Killings – Daniels pulled down the title
Jeff Jarrett b. Diamond Dallas Page – Pounce

 

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6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This had its moments, with the X-Division (shockingly) stealing the show. Other than that though, you had an ok main event, a slightly more ok Falls Count Anywhere match and….unfortunately that’s about it. The tag match was rather bad, the First Blood match was worse and nothing else stands out. It’s clear that they’re still figuring out the three hour deal, but geez this had some problems.