9/14 TNA No Surrender PPV: Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle vs. Christian Cage for the TNA Title, Booker T off the show, Jeff Jarrett and Sting, will they mention Mick Foley?

Live from Oshawa, Ont.
At General Motors Centre

A video opened the show... A second video hyped the Four Ways To Glory match... Lousy graphics noted that the show was in Oshawa, Ont. as Mike Tenay and Don West introduced the show from ringside... Fireworks exploded on the stage as West hyped all the title matches...

Sting made his entrance and headed to the ring. Sting took the mic and played to the live crowd by saying it feels good to be in Canada. "Stiz-ing in the hiz-ouse," he said. Sting announced that he has finalized contract negotiations and will face the winner of this show's four-way main event at Bound For Glory.

He stumbled over his words a little and said everyone on the show has talent, but that doesn't mean they're good at life. He paraphrased Ric Flair without mentioning him by name, as he recalled Flair telling him that you have to walk the walk and talk the talk. Sting said there are some real men behind the curtain, but there are some rambling brats.

Sting said 10 years ago there was another man, Bret Hart, who fought the same battle he is. He said he's going to pick up where Hart left off and he won't retire until wrestlers like A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe learn about respect. "It's show time," he announced...

Powell's POV: Odd promo. Sting took a couple of long pauses, stumbled over his words a couple times, and repeated the same thing he's been saying in recent weeks. The way he was hyping Hart made me wonder if he was going to introduce him.

Footage aired from earlier in the day of Christian Cage arriving at the building... At ringside, Tenay and West announced that Booker T could not get to the building because of Hurricane Ike. Tenay said TNA did everything in its power to get Booker to the show. They also ran through the pay-per-view lineup and hyped the new three-way main event...

1. Shark Boy and Curry Man and Super Eric defeated Lance Rock and Jimmy Rave and Christy Hemme in a six-person mixed tag. Young hit an early suicide dive between the ropes on Rave and then followed up with a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Curry worked a bunch of spots with Christy. He was more concerned with feeling her up than wrestling. Predictable, but kinda funny. She even started to like it.

At 6:45, Hemme stood on the top rope, reached out and grabbed one of her legs, and then dropped in the splits on Curry, who was lying on the mat. "What a fire crotch she is," Tenay said in one of the lamest lines of the year. Less than a minute later, Shark Boy hit the Stunner on Hemme. Super Eric hit a double Death Valley Driver on his male opponents, and Curry pinned Hemme (while caressing her hair) for the win.

Powell's POV: Quick and painless. The live crowd was into the opening match action and seemed to enjoy Curry's horny antics...

An Awesome Kong video aired...

2. Awesome Kong (w/Raisha Saeed) pinned ODB in a falls count anywhere match in 10:00. Saeed attacked ODB in the entrance aisle. They brawled until Kong attacked ODB from behind and dragged her to ringside. Back in the ring, ODB tried to powerbomb Kong through a table, but the table didn't break and Kong went over the top of it and fell awkwardly on the back of her head.

ODB went for a cover, but Kong kicked out. Saeed reached in and dragged ODB to rngside, perhaps to give Kong a chance to recover from the awkward spot. Whatever the case, Kong seemed to be doing okay once ODB got back in the ring. Kong and Saeed set up a table in one corner of the ring. ODB made a brief comeback, but Kong picked her up and drove her through the table before pinning her.

Powell's POV: There was some decent brawling, but also some sloppy spots from ODB. Both women worked hard, though.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Christian Cage, who took the sentimental approach in front of his fellow Canadians. He vowed to become a three-time TNA Champion. The live crowd loved it...

A video hyped the Team 3D vs. Abyss and Matt Morgan match...

3. Abyss and Matt Morgan beat Team 3D in 11:30. At 7:45, the babyfaces had the pin on Brother Ray, but Devon pulled the ref to ringside. Moments later, Johnny Devine made his monthly trot to ringside and interfered to help Team 3D score another nearfall. Team 3D hit the 3D, but Morgan kicked out. They went for another 3D, but he clotheslined them both and tagged in Abyss.

Later, Abyss did his usual bit where he stared at the chair and was hesitant to use it. Devon got control of the chair and then had to wait several seconds for Morgan to grab it from behind to stop him from using it. Abyss the hit Black Hole Slam on Devon and got the pin.

After the match, the heels hit Morgan with a chair. They left the ring and he turned just in time to see Abyss holding chair. Morgan assumed Abyss was the person who struck him with the chair. They bickered briefly and then Morgan left the ring...

Powell's POV: I feel like I'm watching a house show. Everyone is working hard, but the outcomes of the matches haven't felt very meaningful yet.

A video hype the X Division Title match...

4. Sheik Abdul Bashir defeated Petey Williams and Consequences Creed to win the X Division Title at 8:15. Earl Hebner was the referee for the match. The distracted fans chanted, "You screwed Bret." There was even a Sharpshooter spot, which the fans seemed to enjoy. Later, Petey hit the Canadian Destroyer on Creed and went or the pin. Bashir, who was outside the ring, reached in and pulled Petey to ringside. Bashir snuck inside the ring and pinned Creed to win the match...

Powell's POV: Good match. I could have done without the silly Sharpshooter spot because the Montreal incident is so played out, but the rest of the match was entertaining. By the way, TNA really should reconsider the airplane noise they play at the beginning of Bashir's song. That's sick.

A Beautiful People video aired... Tenay ran through some bullet points about the title match...

5. Taylor Wilde (w/Rhino) beat Angelina Love (w/Velvet Sky, Kip James) to retain the TNA Knockouts Title in 5:50. Before the match, Taylor took the mic and said, "I may have been born at night, but I wasn't born last night." Ugh. Keep her away from the mic. She introduced Rhino to counter Sky and James.

Love dominated the first five minutes of the match. Taylor came back with a kick. Kip ran in to interfere, but Rhino cut him off with the obligatory gore. Moments later, Taylor suplexed Love into a bridge and scored the pin. Rhino ran in and hugged Taylor after the match.

Powell's POV: I think TNA sees Taylor as their Trish Stratus, but it's just not clicking with me. Love stood out more in this match. Unlike Michelle McCool and Maryse, she does a nice job of playing to the crowd naturally. AT one point, she got a nearfall and then stood up and threw a fit because she thought it should have been three.

A Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal video aired...

6. Sonjay Dutt defeated Jay Lethal in a Ladder to Love match in 13:20. The goal is to climb the ladder and retrieve SoCal Val's engagement ring and win her as a prize. The ring was positioned on a small pillow that was hanging above the ring. Val was at ringside. Sonjay brought her a rose. Jay brought her a bouquet. Tenay said Val had a "sourpuss" face when she brought her flowers over to their desk.

During the match, Tenay announced that Jackie attacked Salinas in the women's dressing room, and Salinas had been taken to a hospital. A short time later, Lethal backdropped Sonjay onto a ladder that was set up over the ring apron and the guardrail. Sonjay returned the favor a couple minutes later when he placed another ladder on the middle rope and another run of a standing ladder and then pulled Lethal onto the second ladder.

Later, Sonjay set up ladder across one of the bottom corners. He placed Lethal's head in the ladder and then tied him in the tree of woe. Sonjay got a running start and kicked the ladder with Lethal's head inside. Back inside the ring, both men set up ladders side by side. Sonjay knocked Lethal across the ladders and locked him in a camel clutch.

Lethal knocked Sonjay to the ground, but he couldn't reach the rings. Lethal got his leg caught in one of the ladders on the way down. Val cam in and helped Lethal. Sonjay took offense and scolded her. Sonjay climbed the ladder. Lethal recovered and followed. Out of nowhere, Val ran up behind Lethal and hit him with a crotch shot.

Sonjay grabbed the ring and won the match. Afterward, Sonjay and Val made out heavily in the ring. "I'm pissed," West said a couple times...

Powell's POV: Fun ladder match with some innovative spots. It wasn't an instant classic, but it was entertaining and it was nice to see these guys bounce back from some of the overbooked, gimmick-happy matches they've had in recent months. The finish was silly and I'm sure the explanation will be ever sillier.

Backstage, Kurt Angle vowed to erase Samoa Joe's name forever. Angle said he thinks Canada is a toilet bowl. He said the only advantage Cage has is that the ambulance will have a short drive to take him home. Angle also mentioned that he hasn't forgotten about "Double J" and vowed that the gold was coming home with him...

An LAX and Beer Money video aired...

7. Robert Roode and James Storm (w/Jacqueline) beat LAX (w/Hector Guerrero) to retain the TNA Tag Titles. Storm came out wearing a football helmet that had two beer bottles and two long straws attached. They wrestled early, but it became a brawl during the last few minutes. In the end, Homicide set up Roode for his finisher, but Jackie snuck in and threw powder in his face. Moments later, Roode hit the Payoff and scored the pin.

Powell's POV: Decent match with a lame finish. The heels in TNA just can't win without someone interfering.

A video hyped A.J. Styles vs. Frank Trigg... Trigg came to the ring carrying the American flag. He cut a promo and told the crowd that Styles was an honorary Canadian. "We don't want him, so you might as well have him"...

8. Frank Trigg fought A.J. Styles to a no-contest in an MMA rules match. Tenay explained that there would be three five-minute rounds. Lots of striking and some takedowns early. It took the crowd about three minutes to start a loud "We want wrestling" chant. They were booing less than a minute later. A "Fire Russo" chant broke out at 4:30. The first round was all Styles, but he caught Trigg in a submission hold during the final seconds of the round. The bell sounded and the fans booed. Suddenly, the feed cut out (at least on my cable).

There was a brief shot of an HLA porno (really), then a clip of a TNA commercial, and then the feed returned just in time to show Styles beating the hell out of Trigg with some cane shots. West said Styles was getting payback. Styles had a black eye. Styles went to ringside and told the announcers he's a wrestler and doesn't do that stuff. "But you were still incredible," West gushed.

Powell's POV: Can we go back to the softcore porn? That Asian woman was smoking hot. The first round sucked. I'm not sure what happened after that, but my guess is that Trigg cheated and Styles fired back with the kendo stick. I'd be lying if I said I really cared.

Backstage, Jeremy Borash interviewed Samoa Joe, who admitted he doesn't respect Sting. He said he respected Sting when he came to TNA, but he lost it shortly thereafter. He ran through a bunch of cities where TNA has held house shows and asked where Sting was...

A video, which included Booker T, hyped the main event...

Powell's POV: By the way, the feed problem happened in other areas. I wonder if it was a Comcast thing. Well, it was Comcastic! I'd give that clip ****1/4. Good looking women and two sets of breasts in one shot, but I took 3/4 star off because everything was shot from the abdomen up. Sadly, that clip was the best thing about this show so far, although I have a hunch that parents who are watching with their kids aren't as pleased with the clip as I am.

The wrestlers made their entrances for the main event. Sting came out with a baseball bat and brawled briefly with Joe before heading backstage. No damage done. Joe was fine. Borash handled the in-ring introductions. Earl Hebner was introduced as the referee and the live crowd booed...

9. Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle and Christian Cage in a three-way to retain the TNA Title in 16:00. Cage took the first big bump of the match when he took an overhead suplex from Angle and landed at ringside. Later, Angle hit suplexes on both men and scored a nearfall on Cage. Good moves, but the live crowd wasn't buying the nearfall roughly six minutes into the match.

At 12:30, Joe dove over the top rope onto both of his opponents. A small "This is awesome" chant broke out. There was a cool spot a minute later with Joe lying on the mat and Christian standing on the top rope. Angle ran toward Christian, who jumped in time to frogsplash Joe. The crowd got excited thinking they were about to see a title change, but Angle, who was outside the ring by now, reached in and pulled the ref to the floor.

A short time later, Angle struck both of his opponents with chairshots to the back and locked Joe in the ankle lock. Jeff Jarrett walked to the ring with a guitar and struck Angle with it for a minor pop. Joe hit the Muscle Buster on Angle and the live crowd booed as Joe scored the pin (the fans wanted Christian to win). Angle bled from the head and remained on the mat while Jarrett lifted Joe's hand...

A Bound For Glory ad aired to close the show...

Powell's POV: Decent match until the lame finish, which is a longtime trend in TNA. I believe that's two months in a row that Joe has won with help from Jarrett's guitar (although he at least did the swinging last month). I'll have more to say in the audio review of TNA No Surrender shortly, and again tomorrow in the TNA No Surrender Hitlist.