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TNA FINAL RESOLUTION PREVIEW

The first pay per view from Total Nonstop Action Wrestling takes place on Sunday night from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and it will feature Abyss defending the NWA World Heavyweight Title against Sting and Christian Cage in an elimination match; Christopher Daniels defending the X Division title against Chris Sabin and Jerry Lynn; the Latin American Exchange defending the NWA World Tag Team Titles against Team 3D. In addition to these three title matches, we will see the third consecutive pay per view with a singles match between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle and this time it will be a thirty minute iron man match. We will also see the next battle between A.J. Styles and Rhino and this time it will be a Last Man Standing Match. We will also see the end of the Paparazzi Championship Series that featured five members of the X Division and Kevin Nash. We will also see Petey Williams defend the honor of Chris Harris as he faces Chris’s former partner, James Storm.

All opinions in this preview are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of anyone else associated with PWInsider.com unless they are specifically stated by that person. In addition, this preview is solely for (sports) entertainment purposes and should not be considered to be anything that contains inside information about the pay per view. 

Remember to check out all of the TNA coverage on the site leading up to this pay per view.

Here are the announced matches for the pay per view:

Abyss (with James Mitchell) versus Sting versus Christian Cage for the NWA World Heavyweight Title in an Elimination Match

This match features the three men in this company on the active roster who held the NWA World Heavyweight Title in the year 2006 with Jeff Jarrett, the other man to hold the title, on the sidelines after his loss at Bound for Glory. Instead of the traditional triple threat match, this will be an elimination match so in order for there to be a title change, the champion will need to be defeated at some point. 

Abyss won the NWA World Title at Genesis when he defeated Sting due to a disqualification. Over the last two months, Abyss has been torn between his loyalty to James Mitchell, attempts by Sting to get Abyss to embrace who he really is, and Christian Cage trying to get Abyss to acknowledge his past. While this three way tug of war might have torn apart a weaker man, Abyss has showed his loyalty to James Mitchell, often at the expense of a naïve Sting. Abyss has been able to reach the top of the NWA ladder thanks to his association with James Mitchell. Mitchell has been able to incorporate the athleticism of Abyss with his ferocity and get him to incorporate the right amount in each circumstance. There are times when Abyss does not listen to Mitchell and that is when Abyss is vulnerable to outside sources. Abyss is the biggest man to hold the NWA title during TNA’s time in Orlando and while he is over three hundred pounds, he does have some agility when necessary. Will Abyss be able to defeat two men to keep his title or is this the night that Abyss surrenders the title? If Abyss can win tonight, will this make him an elite champion being able to defeat two former NWA World Heavyweight Champions?

Sting was the man who made his mission in 2006 to get rid of Jeff Jarrett and it happened at Bound for Glory when he defeated Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Title. His celebration was short lived as he surrendered the NWA World Title to Abyss at Genesis when he was disqualified. While he was only the champion for a month, Sting’s time in Total Nonstop Action has been very eventful. Sting came to the company to a lot of fanfare in January 2006 as the first announcement of the wrestling year. Sting teamed with the other challenger in this match, Christian Cage to defeat Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown. After that victory, Sting claimed that he was done and walked away from the company. He was coaxed back a few months later after he was stalked by Alex Shelley and Jeff Jarrett. Sting fought his way back to the top with Christian Cage at his side, only to see Christian level Sting with a guitar shot. This led Sting down a road where he tried to reconcile what Sting did and then he tried to get to the bottom of Abyss’s problems. In each case, Sting was the man made to be looking like a fool for being too naïve. It is a new year and time for Sting to see if he can get back to the top of the mountain in TNA. Will Sting be able to reclaim the title that he did not lose by pinfall? 

Christian Cage has been in Total Nonstop Action for a little more than a year and he has had a successful run in the company, including a run as the NWA World Champion from February through June. Like Sting, Christian Cage did not lose the title by being pinned or made to submit because he lost the title in the King of the Mountain match. After losing the NWA World Title, he started to have issues with long time friend Rhino that culminated in a feud that saw Rhino always fall short of victory. Christian then set his sights on regaining the title that he says he never lost. Since he was unable to take care of Abyss on his own, Christian brought in a friend from his recent past in the WWE, Tomko. With Tomko’s help, Christian has been able to be one step ahead of the champion when matters have been two-on-one. Due to Tomko’s involvement in Christian’s match, Jim Cornette has banned Tomko from ringside. Will Christian be able to get the title match or will he show the fans that he really needs Tomko’s help to regain the title? If Christian does win the title, will we see the same celebration that we saw when Christian won at last year’s Against All Odds pay per view?

This match is going to be the main event or semi-main event (depending on the Angle/Joe match). With this being an elimination match, I would not be surprised to see this match go twenty minutes or more. With Tomko not involved in the match thanks to Jim Cornette, the obvious advantage lies with Abyss since he has Jim Mitchell at ringside with him. I would not be surprised to see Mitchell banned from ringside to even out the odds, but I will assume that Mitchell will be at ringside. With the teased alliance between Sting and Abyss over the last few weeks, I would expect to see them both try to get rid of Christian. After a few minutes of trying to take care of Christian, Abyss will turn on Sting and focus on the man he took the title from at Genesis. While Christian recovers from the first few minutes of the match, Abyss will work over Sting but Sting will try to get inside Abyss’s head to stop him. This will allow Sting to get the advantage back from Abyss. At this point Sting will knock Abyss out of the ring and the focus will be on Sting and Christian. Abyss will recover to get all three men in the ring to battle. This time Christian and Abyss will work over Sting, and Sting will be send out of the ring. Christian will try to take care of Abyss by trying to talk to Abyss about his ‘secret’ but Jim Mitchell will keep Christian from getting in his head. Sting will return to the ring and he will try to finish off Christian, but Abyss will grab Sting and hit Shock Treatment before pinning him with a Black Hole Slam. With it down to Christian and Abyss, things will pick up with Christian trying to take advantage of the situation to get a series of near falls. Jim Mitchell will get the thumbtacks for Abyss, but the champion will not get to use them. Christian will try to give Abyss an Unprettier on the thumbtacks, but Abyss will fight out of the hold. Abyss will get the victory with a Black Hole Slam
Prediction: Abyss

Christopher Daniels versus Chris Sabin versus Jerry Lynn for the X Division Title

During the time that Total Nonstop Action has been in Orlando, the title with the most prestige has been the X Division title. Among the list of champions during the time that TNA has been in the Impact Zone are Petey Williams, Christopher Daniels, A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, and Senshi. The division has seen a period of time where it was dominated by a few with the rest of the division trying to scratch their way to the middle. After the ‘big three’ left the X Division for the tag division and world title picture, the division was in a state of limbo. Thanks to the solid wrestling in the division from the wrestlers like Senshi, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin; the division has returned close to the level it attained in 2005. In addition to the wrestling in the ring, one strong factor in the X Division is the influence of Jerry Lynn. Lynn has shown a more active role on camera because of the way that the X Division has changed and the lack of respect he perceived. Will Jerry Lynn be shown respect by his two opponents and become the new X Division champion? Will Chris Sabin continue to thumb his nose at Jerry Lynn and regain the title?

Christopher Daniels is one of the best wrestlers in the company who has not won the NWA World Title. During 2005 and 2006, Daniels was one of the cornerstones of the X Division along with Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. Around that time period, Daniels was a part of two of the most successful tag teams as a part of XXX until December 2004; and with A.J. Styles in 2006. Daniels is able to mix a high flying style with a mat based style. When the X Division suffered a down period during 2006, he returned to the X Division after losing the NWA World Tag Titles and brought the division back to what it was during 2005. Will Christopher Daniels be able to gain the respect of Jerry Lynn with a victory in this match or will his title reign end on Sunday? 

Chris Sabin is a former X Division champion who, despite not being among the top three of Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and A.J. Styles, was always in one of the top matches every time he entered the ring. When Chris Sabin is in the ring, you know that you are going to see a strong wrestling match. Until a few months ago, Chris Sabin was a fan favorite and a protégé of Jerry Lynn, especially when he was a part of Team USA in the World X Cup. After falling into a path of jackassery, he changed his attitude in the ring and turned his back on his friends and mentor. This new attitude appears to have benefited Sabin because he won the X Division title at Bound for Glory. Even though he did not hold the title long, he has returned to his place at the top of the X Division and has made us forget about his time embracing Jackass. On Sunday night, he will also have to wrestle against the man who helped make him a top X Division star and stay on top. Will Chris Sabin be able to win the title back? What will happen when Sabin squares off with Jerry Lynn in the ring? 

Jerry Lynn is one of the Founding Fathers of the X Division and is a former X Division and World Tag Team Champion. Since Total Nonstop Action moved to Orlando, Jerry has not been in the ring too much as a wrestler, but he has been involved as a referee on many occasions. With his involvement behind the scenes, he has been a mentor to many of the X Division stars, especially Chris Sabin. Lynn was so impressed with Sabin that he named Chris Sabin the captain of Team USA in the last World X Cup. Over the last few months, Lynn has been critical of the way that some of the X Division wrestlers were handling themselves because they were following the latest Jackass movie instead of bringing honor and respect to the X Division. Lynn took offense to Chris Sabin’s new attitude and tried to get Sabin to return to the way he wrestled in the match. Jerry Lynn has shown that he is one of the top wrestlers, but will his relative inactivity in the ring affect his ability to win the match? Will his search for respect from the X Division wrestlers be enough for Daniels to gut it through the match? 

This match should start off with Christopher Daniels sitting back to watch Chris Sabin and Jerry Lynn fight things out. However, when it appears that Sabin or Lynn will get a quick victory, Daniels will inject himself into the match and go after both Lynn and Sabin. Daniels will try to incapacitate Sabin by throwing him outside the ring. Daniels will try to work on the older opponent and try to wear down the man who has not been in the ring as much as Sabin lately. Daniels will try to embarrass Lynn, but Lynn will be able to frustrate Daniels. Lynn will respond by showing Daniels ‘respect’. Sabin will return to the ring and he will go after Daniels. At this point, Daniels will be double teamed by Sabin and Lynn for a period of time. When it appears that Sabin is getting the advantage, things will change and Daniels and Lynn work over Sabin. Once Daniels and Lynn work over Sabin, Lynn will see the title in his grasp and he will attacks Daniels. Lynn will try to get the pinfall on Sabin, but Daniels will break up the cover and then Daniels will go after Lynn. Daniels and Lynn will fight outside the ring and Sabin will recover and hit a plancha onto Daniels and Lynn. Daniels and Sabin will return to the ring with Daniels able to get Sabin under control. Lynn will return to the ring and he will surprise Daniels and get him up for the cradle piledriver, but Daniels will get out of the hold and hit the Angel’s Wings for the three count.
Prediction: Christopher Daniels

Latin American Exchange versus Team 3D for the NWA World Tag Team Titles

The tag team division of Total Nonstop Action has been anchored by a number of strong teams. Total Nonstop Action has seen teams like America’s Most Wanted, Triple X, A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels, the Naturals, and Team Canada. In addition to those teams are the two teams that are wrestling for the NWA World Tag Team Titles on Sunday night. The two teams wrestling on Sunday night are similar in that both teams do not care what they have to do to win the match. One team does its talking through a third man while the other team does its talking with tables. Will the Latin American Exchange be able to retain the NWA World Tag Team Titles or will we finally see Team 3D add the NWA World Tag Team Titles to their long list of tag titles?

One of the biggest stories in Total Nonstop Action in 2006 was the rise of the Latin American Exchange. An offshoot of the 4 Live Kru, Konnan recruited Homicide and Hernandez to join him and wreak havoc on Total Nonstop Action. After claiming racism, they got their shots at the tag titles. They eventually defeated A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels to win the titles. This led to one of the best feuds in the company for 2006. Homicide is one of the best wrestlers in the company and has the potential to be a singles champion if the tag team breaks up. If you want a straight wrestling match or a bloodbath, Homicide can give it to you. Hernandez is a man who might not even know his own strength. In addition to being a powerhouse in the ring, Hernandez can throw in a high flying move that makes the fans confuse him with an X Division star. Konnan is the final man in this group and his promos helped to make the Latin American Exchange what it is today. While not a regular wrestler, Konnan has injected himself into LAX’s matches. Konnan was recently injured by Team 3D as retaliation for what the Latin American Exchange did to Brother Runt. Will Konnan’s absence affect their chances to retain the title or will that only make the team into a more vicious entity?

If it is January, it must mean that it is time for Team 3D to get their shot at the NWA World Tag Team Titles. After taking some time off to find themselves, Team 3D has come back with a vengeance. After Brother Runt got attacked by the tag team champions, Brothers Ray and Devon have turned their attention to the tag champions. Team 3D is one of the most successful tag teams of the last two decades. While there might have been a drop off from their glory days in ECW and their early days of the WWE, they are still a solid tag team. Over the last few years, they have become too dependent on getting the fan’s behind them to ‘get the tables’ and that dependence has cost them matches and titles. It appeared that Team 3D was destined to become the NWA Tag Team Champions last year, but they were sidetracked by a feud with Team Canada while America’s Most Wanted held the titles. It appeared that they were going to win the World Titles at last year’s Final Resolution, but some chicanery and a questionable referee call prevented them from attaining the grand slam of tag team titles. They have worked their way through the tag team division and are primed for Sunday’s match. Will Team 3D finally attain the goal they set when they entered TNA in 2004 and become the NWA World Tag Team Champions or will they fall short one more time?

With the recent developments between these two teams, this match will start off with both teams brawling in and out of the ring with Hernandez and Brother Ray squaring off on one side of the Impact Zone and Homicide and Brother Devon on the other side. The action will return to the ring with the challengers getting the upper hand on the champions as they work over Homicide. While Homicide tries to make the tag, Devon and Ray will continue to double team him to wear down the smaller member of LAX. Eventually, Hernandez will get involved in the match and he will work over both members of Team 3D while Homicide rests on the apron. Homicide and Hernandez will gain the advantage in the match and they will make rapid tags to work over Brother Ray and isolate him from Brother Devon. Homicide and Hernandez will also use the referee to prevent Team 3D from making the tag with the referee out of position. That frustration will bring in Brother Devon and it will turn into a four man brawl. Once order is restored by the referee, the champions will work over Brother Ray and Brother Devon. Hernandez will try for a move into the corner, but he will miscalculate and that will give Team 3D the chance to try to put Hernandez away by going for the tables. However, they will be unsuccessful going for the tables and that will allow the Latin American Exchange to use illegal means to get the victory.
Prediction: Latin American Exchange

Samoa Joe versus Kurt Angle in a Thirty Minute Iron Man Match

Since Kurt Angle’s arrival in Total Nonstop Action, the buzz existed for Samoa Joe to face the Olympic gold medalist. We have been blessed with two matches between the two on pay per view and this is the rubber match as we see the third straight pay per view with Angle facing Joe. This time, it will not necessarily be a single fall match since Jim Cornette announced a thirty minute Iron Man match. Will the rush to get this feud in lead to a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight title for the winner? What is next for the man who walks out of this ring without their hand raised as the winner? Will we see a fourth pay per view match in the near future or will we get a chance to wait for another meeting between the two when there is a title on the line? 

Samoa Joe was ‘undefeated’ until he walked into the ring with Kurt Angle at Genesis. Joe has been a monster since his arrival in Total Nonstop Action in the summer of 2005. Joe was the dominant force in the X Division and along with Christopher Daniels and A.J. Styles, they ruled the roost. After losing the title to Senshi, Joe moved on to the world title picture. While he has not been as dominant among the non-X Division opponents, he has made an impact and has shown that he belongs. After his first in ring loss, Joe got a rematch against Angle; and Joe was able to get the victory over Angle. Joe tried to abide by Angle’s words that Turning Point was the final time they would meet, but Joe had to accept the match when Joe threatened a female friend. Joe has attempted to get some revenge on Angle for what he did, but Joe appears to be waiting for Sunday where he can inflict thirty minutes of pain on Angle. Will Joe’s ankle injury be something that Angle will exploit, forcing Joe to protect his ankle and affect his strategy? Will Joe’s experience in long matches be something that will help him against a man who has not had too many long matches in the last year?

Kurt Angle is a former Olympic gold medalist and one of the top wrestlers in the world. The announcement of his arrival in Total Nonstop Action was one of the biggest stories of 2006 and he made quite an Impact in his first pay per view match as he ended Samoa Joe’s ‘undefeated’ streak. Angle has shown that he is all business in this company and that he is going to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. While some of his tactics might have been questionable when you consider that he is an Olympic champion and a fan favorite. He had to resort to injuring a number of non-wrestlers on the TNA roster as well as a female friend of Samoa Joe to get this third match. Has Kurt bitten off more than he can chew as he gets ready for an angry Samoa Joe on Sunday? Will Angle be able to go thirty minutes against Samoa Joe when you look at the length of his recent matches? Will a victory on Sunday move Angle into serious contention for the NWA World Heavyweight Title? Will the Olympic style that focused on getting pinfalls in short periods of time be able to help Angle?

This match should start off slowly with each man trying to see if they will be able to get an early pinfall. Joe should be the more aggressive wrestler at the start because of what Kurt Angle has done to get this match. However, with thirty minutes to deal with, I think Joe will try to get a pinfall in the first few minutes, but then work on the endurance over getting the pinfalls and submissions. Joe will try to choke out Angle early, but Angle will be able to counter it and he will try to go for Joe’s ankle. Joe will be able to fight off Angle at the start of the match. After the first few minutes when there are no pinfalls or submissions, Angle will get frustrated and that will lead to him taking some risks and almost getting pinned. I think we will go the first ten minutes without a pinfall or submission for either man. I think the second third of the match will see both men take it up a notch and the action should move out of the ring. Angle will try to work on Joe’s ankle during this time to set up the ankle lock while Joe will work on Angle’s neck for the choke. The fact that Joe has been in a number of long matches in Ring of Honor will give him the advantage during this part of the match because he is used to going twenty to thirty minutes. Since he will be pacing himself, he will be able to get Angle set up for a muscle buster, but Angle will fight it off. As we approach twenty minutes, neither man will have a pinfall or submission but we will see Joe on the precipice of a pinfall. The final ten minutes will start with both men without a pinfall or submission. This will cause Angle to try to go for the ankle lock. However, Joe will counter this and put Angle in the choke. Due to the length of the match at this point, Angle will tap to the choke after being in it for about thirty seconds. Over the next few minutes, Joe will do his best to avoid Angle by going outside the ring and it will work until Joe tweaks his ankle outside the ring. Once they return to the ring, Angle will try to get Joe into the ankle lock, Joe will be able to fight it off for a while, but with about a minute to go in the match, Angle will put Joe in the ankle lock. Despite the wear and tear on the ankle, Joe will be able to hold on until time runs out and the bell rings. After the match, Angle will refuse to release the hold and he will vow to break Joe’s ankle. Angle will finally release the hold and leave the ring. Joe will get on the mic and after declaring himself the winner of the feud; he will demand a title match for Against All Odds.
Prediction: Samoa Joe (one fall to none)

A.J. Styles versus Rhino in a Last Man Standing Match

This match continues one of the more interesting feuds in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. The problems between A.J. Styles and Rhino stem from the feud that Rhino had with Christian Cage that resulted from Christian turning his back on one of his best friends. Rhino saw the problems between A.J. and Christopher Daniels, and Rhino tried to make sure that the problems between A.J. and Daniels did not escalate to where Rhino’s friendship with Christian deteriorated. Unfortunately, A.J. did not want to get help from Rhino and that led to their match at Turning Point. Rhino appeared to have things under control until A.J. appeared to land wrong when sent over the top rope to the floor. While A.J. was being checked on, Rhino let down his guard and A.J. revealed that he was not injured. As a result, Styles got the victory. This did not sit well with Rhino and that is why we are having a Last Man Standing match as the rematch. Will A.J. be able to put one over Rhino or will Rhino be ready for any trick coming from A.J.?

A.J. Styles has held every title in Total Nonstop Action, but he was usually a fan favorite. Over the last few months, A.J. has shown a darker side and he appears to have found the right attitude to help him. Styles is one of the most athletic wrestlers in the company and he is able to mix different styles into his matches. With his more aggressive style, A.J. has cut back a little on the high impact moves, but he continues to show that he can dominate in the ring. A.J. has also shown that he can adapt to different styles in the ring. He is able to handle scientific matches as well as full brawls and he has been successful in both styles. Will A.J. be able to hold off an angry Rhino or has he stirred up a hornet’s nest that he will not be able to control?

Rhino has been one of the wrestlers that this company appears to have push in different directions since he won the NWA World Heavyweight Title at Bound for Glory in 2005. Rhino has shown that he is one of the top wrestlers in the company and one of the fan favorites. His victory over Jeff Jarrett was one of the top fan reactions that I have seen in the Impact Zone. Rhino’s style is geared towards a match where the goal is to incapacitate your opponent so they cannot answer a ten count. While Rhino is probably the favorite, will his anger at what A.J. has done to him over the last few weeks cost him in this match and cause him to make a mistake that A.J. might be able to exploit?

This will be an all out brawl between the two men since there will be no pinfalls or submissions that matter in this match. Because of what has happened in their last pay per view match, Rhino will do whatever he can to get revenge on Styles for tricking him and go after A.J.’s knee. Rhino will try to get this match over quick while inflicting the most punishment possible. The match should move outside the ring early so Rhino can use the guardrails to work on Styles. The referee will try to separate both men, but Rhino will continue to add pressure to Styles since there are no disqualifications. Rhino will use a chair on Styles’s knee before they return to the ring. Once they return to the ring, Rhino will try to work on the leg some more to get the victory. However, Styles will be able to get up before the referee can make the ten count. Styles with retaliate and work on Rhino’s knee and back to try to weaken him and stop him from using the gore. Styles and Rhino will each knock the other down but they will get up between six and eight each time. Rhino will go for the table and bring it into the ring for a gore into the corner. After hitting a spinebuster, Rhino will try to hit the gore, but Styles will move out of the way and Rhino will go through the table. Styles will pick up Rhino and hit the Styles Clash before the referee makes the ten count.
Prediction: A.J. Styles

Petey Williams versus James Storm

The feud that existed between Team Canada and America’s Most Wanted has moved to a new level without either team existing. The tables have been turned with Petey Williams being the fan favorite while James Storm is not one of the fan favorites in the Impact Zone. These two men were partners in a feud against the Latin American Exchange after the Latin American Exchange tried to burn the American flag, only to be stopped by Williams. These two men have been on the opposite side of the ring in tag team action, but on Sunday night they will meet in a singles match. Will Petey be able to hit the Canadian Destroyer on the larger James Storm? Will James Storm use a beer bottle from a Canadian beer on Petey Williams? Will Gail Kim be at ringside with Storm?

Petey Williams is one of the members of the X Division who did a lot to build the division but appeared to be lost in the shuffle during the Joe/Daniels/Styles era. Williams was able to work with his fellow Team Canada members until the group was disbanded. After leaving Team Canada, Petey toiled in limbo for a bit while getting a few chances at the X Division title. Petey almost joined the Latin American Exchange in burning the United States flag, but he realized the opportunities that he got in the United States. Williams possesses one of the most impressive finishers in wrestling, but he does not regularly apply it to larger opponents. Will Williams be able to hit the Canadian Destroyer on James Storm?

James Storm was a part of the most successful tag team in the history of Total Nonstop Action. Over the last year, there have been a number of times when it appeared that James Storm and Chris Harris would break up. That break up finally happened when James Storm hit Chris Harris in the head with a beer bottle to allow the Latin American Exchange to defeat America’s Most Wanted and break up the team forever. James Storm has shown no remorse for what he did to Chris Harris and he blames all of the problems leading to the breakup of the team on Harris. Now that Storm is on his own, he needs to establish himself as a singles wrestler. Storm showed recently that he can hang with some top X Division wrestlers, but it is uncertain if that is his future in the company. What will happen when Storm has to face his former partner and look him in the eye? Will Storm have Gail Kim at his side?

Williams will start off the match by using his speed advantage to try to surprise Storm. After those attempts fail, Williams will try to wear down Storm in order to exploit Storm’s emphasis on tag team wrestling. Williams’s control of the match will be short lived at the start as the larger Storm will be able to use his size advantage against his X Division opponent. Storm will try to wear down Williams and get this match over as soon as possible. Williams will be able to fight off Storm’s attempts to finish off the match. Williams will try for the Canadian Destroyer, but Storm will fight it off and he will try to work on Williams’s back and legs to keep him from hitting the Canadian Destroyer or trying again. Storm will focus too much on debilitating Williams and that will allow Williams to get a number of near falls. Storm will try to go for the beer bottle, but Gail Kim will stop him from using it. That will lead Williams to get a rollup on Storm and the three count.
Prediction: Petey Williams

Austin Starr versus Alex Shelley in the Paparazzi Championship Series Finals

Over the last few weeks, we have seen Kevin Nash get some of the top wrestlers in the X Division together to participate in the Paparazzi Championship Series. We have finally reached the home stretch for this series and we will crown a winner on Sunday night. Since there is a tie atop the standings, it will culminate in a ten minute match to determine the champion. We were told that if there is no winner, the judges will determine the winner. In addition to the two participants in this match; Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Senshi were included. These five men were involved in an elimination match, limbo, musical chairs, and Texas Hold’em to get to this point. The pre-series favorites were probably Alex Shelley and Austin Starr because of their association with Kevin Nash and those two men are going to determine the winner. The more important question is whether the winner of the PCS will also capture the heart of Kevin Nash because it appears that Austin and Alex are trying to impress Kevin as much as they trying to win. Who will emerge victorious? If it goes to the judges, who will be those judges? Will we see Judge Ito or Judge Reinhold? What will Kevin Nash say on commentary?

Austin Starr ‘debuted’ at Bound for Glory by winning the Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet. From that point on, he became one of Kevin Nash’s favorites and joined forces with Alex Shelley. Austin Starr embraces many styles and appears to be the second coming of Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis with his mannerisms and moves in the ring. Starr’s flamboyance in the ring does not mean that he cannot show aggression against his opponents. While he has been impressive in the ring, he has not attained the approval of everyone in the X Division, especially his opponent on Sunday. Maybe it is the fact that Starr has caught the eye of Kevin Nash and Nash has shown favoritism to Starr over Shelley. If Starr is able to add the Paparazzi Championship Series title to his victory at Bound for Glory, Starr should be able to move into the X Division title picture. Will Austin Starr win this match for himself or is he doing this to frustrate Alex Shelley?

Alex Shelley is one of the underrated stars of the X Division and Total Nonstop Action. He is able to mix a solid in ring repertoire with an attitude that emphasizes what he does in the ring. It is often more interesting to watch what Shelley does outside the ring or on the apron than what he does in the ring. Shelley was part of a group with Roderick Strong and Austin Aries at the end of 2005 and after breaking away from them, he started using a video camera at ringside. This blossomed into Paparazzi Productions and work with Jeff Jarrett to spy on Sting and with Jim Mitchell to spy on Christian Cage. While being a part of the X Division, Shelley focuses more on a ground based style that clashes with many of his X Division opponents. Over the last few months, Shelley has been with Kevin Nash and he was Nash’s favorite; until the arrival of Austin Starr at Bound for Glory. Will Shelley’s jealousy over the way that Kevin Nash has taken to Austin Starr cost Alex Shelley his chance to win back Kevin Nash?

With this being a ten minute time limit match, I would expect to see both men try to get the quick victory. However, with the announced time limit, I would be surprised if this match does not go to a time limit draw. With Kevin Nash at the announce table doing commentary, I would expect to see both men doing their best to posture for Nash and that will lead to a number of situations where mistakes are made. After the first few minutes, we will see Alex Shelley get the advantage over Starr. Shelley will try to wear down Starr on the mat while throwing in a few higher impact moves. However, Shelley will get too cocky and that will lead to Starr taking over in the match. Starr will use a number of high impact moves to wear down Shelley. Starr will get ready to put away Shelley, but Shelley will use his cunning style to get back into the match. As the match approaches six or seven minutes, both men will alternate the advantage. In the final two minutes, Shelley will take control, but his arrogance will be his undoing. In the final minute of the match, Starr will be able to get Shelley incapacitated. After a brainbuster, Starr will go up top for the 450 splash, but as he hits the move, time will run out. Despite the cries for five more minutes, things will go to the judges. After deliberating, the judges will declare the winner to be Austin Starr. This will lead to a tantrum by Shelley.
Prediction: Austin Starr

On the Pre-Show: Lance Hoyt versus Chase Stevens

This match features two members of tag teams that have been trying to crawl their way into the tag title picture. While both are part of tag teams, they have shown some success in singles matches. This could be a match that propels the winner to the next level and possibly get a shot on the pay per view. 

Lance Hoyt has shown some success while not being able to get over the hump into title contention. Hoyt has been able to hang in the ring with Abyss and had two good matches with him. Despite falling short in both of those matches, he was able to get off a number of solid moves against the monster. Hoyt has recently joined forces with Ron Killings and they are one of the more popular tag teams in the Impact Zone. Hoyt is able to incorporate X Division moves despite being one of the tallest members of the TNA roster. Will a victory by Lance get him onto the actual pay per view or will he continue to reside on the preshow? Will we get to see Lance dance to a Ron Killings rap?

Chase Stevens has been on a rollercoaster lately. After being tapped by Shane Douglas to get back to the previous tag team success that he shared with Andy Douglas, Chase has been dumped by Shane for failure to get significant victories. Now Chase is involved in a singles match. While Andy Douglas was rehabilitating an injury, Chase was involved in a number of X Division matches and showed some success in the ring. Will a victory on Sunday mean that Chase will move into the X Division rankings? Is this the start of a singles run or will we see a return of the Naturals to the tag team division?

This match will probably go between four and six minutes since it is on the pre-show. I would expect to see Stevens going after Hoyt at the start of the match in order to get the Impact Zone out of the match. He will try to work on the bigger Hoyt’s legs in order to neutralize Hoyt’s height advantage. While he has Hoyt down, Stevens will try to get the quick three count, but Hoyt will be able to fight off Stevens. Stevens will try for a high impact move too soon and that mistake will allow Hoyt to gain control of the match. Hoyt will use his size advantage to wear down Stevens. Hoyt will hit a few higher impact moves, but he will get greedy and that will allow Stevens to get back into the match. Stevens will return to the leg, but Hoyt will be able to stop Stevens and get the three count.
Prediction: Lance Hoyt 

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