TNA in Norfolk, Va. at The Scope
Report by Dot Net readers Matt and Belinda Elliott

The arena was configured to seat a little over 3,000 (seats much more for WWE shows but a curtain running down the middle cut the arena in half and no seats were made available for sale in the top sections).  I would estimate there were about 2,000 in the building – maybe a little more.

All the original advertising (including billboards around town) featured Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash and AJ Styles. Of the four, only Samoa Joe was actually on the show. No one seemed to mind as by the time the card was announced on TNA’s web site, Angle, Nash and Styles had been removed from the listing and replaced by Booker T, Scott Steiner and a special appearance by Mick Foley.

Jeremy Borash did the usual loudest-fans-get-to-go-backstage bit and the card began.

1. Homicide defeated Sonjay Dutt and Sheik Abdul Bashir in a three-way elimination match. Dutt was eliminated in about four minutes after being pinned by Homicide. Then Homicide pinned Bashir. Good opener.

Borash announced he got a text from the Main Event Mafia’s Booker and Steiner saying they just arrived at the building but already couldn’t wait to leave Norfolk.

2. Taylor Wilde and Roxxi defeated The Beautiful People (w/Kip James). Roxxi and Velvet Sky messed up some moves. The pinfall sequence seemed kind of messed up too. After the pin, a nine year-old a couple seats away from me said, “Weak finish.” If a nine year-old thinks your finish is weak… Okay match overall.

3. Brutus Magnus pinned Eric Young.

Borash got a text from Foley saying there was nowhere he would rather be than right here in Norfolk. These wrestlers sure enjoy texting Jeremy Borash. 

4. Booker T defeated Shane Sewell. Booker started with some mic work. He said, "Shane Stool, you are a piece of s---." And then went on to offer him the chance to back out of the match and go back to his day job as a referee. A number of helpful ringside fans encouraged him to leave. Sewell actually started to leave at this point. He stopped and talked to a girl on the front row. Then Sewell started to get back in the ring.

Booker got on the mic and said, “Are you going to let that fat a-- talk you into getting your a--kicked?” Shane went back down to talk to the girl. He seemed to be apologizing for what Booker was saying about her. Sewell got back in the ring and Booker looked back at the girl and said, “Okay, fine. This one is for you, fat a--.” Solid match which Booker won with his finisher. Fans cheered Sewell but seemed to be behind Booker just as much since he was a star.

Intermission

5. Hernandez pinned Kip James.

6. World Tag Team Title Match: Beer Money Inc. defeated Motor City Machine Guns. Before the match, Beer Money got into an argument with two local radio DJs. They brought out four guys from the Navy to make sure Beer Money didn’t try to escape the match, as they threatened to do at one point in the match. This match was probably the best on the show.  

7. Samoa Joe defeated Scott Steiner in the main event. After a ref bump, Mick Foley came running out to stop Steiner from hitting Joe with a chair. He pulled out Socko and put the mandible claw on Steiner for about five seconds before Joe got up and went for the rear naked choke.

After Joe’s victory, Foley did a promo thanking everyone and saying he wanted to bring the locker room out into the arena to meet the fans. Hernandez, MCMG, Young, BG James, and the Knockouts came out. Borash announced the $20 picture taking opportunity with Foley. My wife and I immediately got in line as did a ton of other people. The line did move briskly but by the time we were done meeting Foley, all the other wrestlers had already left so he is the only one we had a chance to meet.

Notes: All the matches were short. Seven bout card lasted only two hours including intermission, which I found to be a little short. There were no five-star matches or anything. But, we enjoyed the show a lot. 

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