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Posted in: The Crow's Nest The Crow's Nest - TNA Lockdown By TheCrow Apr 15, 2012 - 2:20:00 PM 1) Coast to Coast: Canadian Mega Powers Collide (14/04/12) 2) TNA Lockdown (15/04/12) Tonight, TNA brings to you their fourth PPV of the year, Lockdown. This is usually one of my favourite shows of the year, mostly due to the Lethal Lockdown match itself, and this year really is no different. It's not the best card that's ever been seen, but it's good enough that it should deliver. Four of the six TNA championships are up for grabs, with a fifth title match being heavily rumoured.Adding that last match would certainly round out the card with 8 matches total, but I'd also be alright with the card staying as it is. There's a couple of matches that would benefit greatly from some extra time, so keeping the number of matches as low as it is right now may be ideal. But enough ranting, let's get this started. Welcome back to The Crow's Nest. ****** Don't particularly care about this title match as I still don't get why Devon won the belt at all. Devon is old, the fans don't seem to care about him that much, and he's just not an exciting guy to watch. Robbie E. is a young up-and-comer that, with the right attention and effort, could become a great addition to the TNA roster. He's already over as a heel with his Jersey Shore inspired gimmick, so what he needs more than ANYTHING right now is to have a serious title feud with a serious opponent, gain some credibility and all that jazz. Devon could be a great agent or trainer backstage, but he's just not right for active duty anymore. Robbie would be better suited feuding over the TV Title with a guy like RVD, Ken Anderson, or even Kazarian. All bigger names, all crazy over with the fans, all would give some credibility to Robbie E along the way. This will likely be a short one, and a perfect example of how what I want to happen and what I think will happen are very different. Robbie needs the win way more as like I mentioned before, he's got the potential to be a great addition to the roster. He'll never be a main event guy, not even in TNA, but every promotion needs a solid mid-card. Devon on the other hand has served his purpose in wrestling. He's only 39, so it's not like he's crazy old or anything, but unless he can miraculously pull off a career transformation like his former partner did, he needs to step into a backstage role. I think Devon is going to get the win here, and I don't really know why. I just have a feeling that's how things are going to go. Prediction: Devon retains This one has been brewing for what seems like ages now. Crimson and Morgan were a solid tag team and for the first time I saw a marked improvement in Crimson's abilities as a wrestler and as an entertainer. Working with a guy as talented as Matt Morgan has done wonders for Crimson, and now that they're in a one-on-one feud, that's only going to continue. Tonight's encounter will definitely not be the last time these two face off. There's lots of gas left in this particular tank, and I'd be surprised if it didn't continue for at least another month or two. Crimson is still being sold as an unstoppable monster, so I'd be surprised if TNA threw that gimmick away so easily. While I still believe (as I have for some time now) that Morgan should be the guy to eventually end the streak, tonight isn't the time to do it just yet. That match needs a lot more buildup before it happens, and if/when it DOES happen it should be at a big show. Like, Bound For Glory big. Morgan deserves that moment, and whether or not you like Crimson, a victory over a guy with a winning streak that big is kind of a big deal. So again, tonight will not be Morgan's night. Either Crimson gets the dirty win somehow, or it ends in a draw. Either way, Crimson is walking away with his streak intact. Prediction: Crimson Another one that seems to have been brewing for some time. Velvet Sky seems to have been caught in a rut lately and just can't seem to find her footing as a must-see part of the Knockouts Division. Really I think she just needs to be a heel again, or at least reinvent herself somehow, but at least for tonight she's in the ring with one of the best. Gail Kim's return to TNA has been awesome for me to watch. She jumped right back into the top spot and hasn't missed a step yet. The fans love her alpha-bitch routine, and if things keep going like they are she could very well bring the division back to the level of glory it once had. The match itself is going to be solid as both women have shown they are capable of pulling off high quality matches, but I don't see it getting much time on the show. The way I see it, there's no way Kim walks out without the belt around her waist. She's a way better choice to lead that division right now, and with the joke that the Knockouts Tag Division has become, a serious champion is needed. Velvet is going to get the belt back at some point down the line, but not tonight. Prediction: Gail Kim retains #FuckTheBischoffs. Now that we have that out of the way... The added stipulation to this match is that the loser has to leave TNA. Despite the involvement of the most useless father and son in wrestling today, the rest of the participants involved should ensure that the match lives up to the gimmick's reputation. Like I mentioned in the intro bit, I love the Lethal Lockdown match every year, and I doubt this year will be any different. Were this just a normal match without that added stipulation, my prediction would be a lot easier. However, it's hard to pick which Bischoff TNA is going to keep around. That being said, Scott Steiner's recent Twitter rants would indicate that, for some reason, the company wants to push Garret in a big way. Unless they're going to try and cheese their way out of it later, Garret is walking away with the winning team. I doubt it will be the last we see of Eric though, and that frustrates me beyond belief. These "Loser Leaves Town" gimmicks are essentially useless as the "loser" never really STAYS gone (unless they're either retiring or taking an extended break due to injury), so I don't but for a minute that one of these idiots is really leaving for good. Ideally, Garret would leave for OVW and not come back until he's READY to be on the main roster, but if what Steiner says Hogan and Bischoff believe is to be believed, Garret is already "the future of professional wrestling". So the saviour of this match is going to be that the non-Bischoff participants should put on an amazing show. Team Garret is getting the win though, and his daddy will find a way to return at a later date. Prediction: Team Garret I am all kinds of excited about this match. The return of the MCMG to PPV, Samoa Joe and Magnus continuing to be awesome, and of course a great bit of tag team wrestling. As for a prediction, an argument could be made for either team to win. On one hand, you have the challengers. It seems like it's been ages since Sabin and Shelley have teamed together, and it would seem almost counterproductive to hype their return so heavily only to have them lose this title match. On the other hand, you have the reigning champions. Magnus and Joe have been an incredible team so far despite their very different styles, and I don't think it's time for them to be dethroned just yet. So it's hard to make my pick for this one because either way it's win/win. I don't think this is the last time these teams will face off for the belts, and that alone is how I figured out which pick to make. MCMG are going to put up a hell of a fight, but I think they're going to somehow be screwed out of the win, getting a rematch down the road. Prediction: Samoa Joe & Magnus retain I'm calling it right now, this is going to be the match of the night. Angle and Hardy have put on great matches before, and tonight isn't going to be any different. With Angle wrestling through an injury right now, Hardy is going to have to carry most of the load. This is a perfect opportunity for Hardy to show everyone, fans and management alike, that he has finally cleaned up his act and is ready to carry a company on his shoulders. Hardy is on his way back to the top of TNA, and that journey all starts tonight. Depending on how bad Angle is injured right now, he might very well want some time away from the ring to rest up, giving Hardy the perfect chance to get a big win. Angle is at the point in his career where he can lose to a guy like Hardy without it affecting his credibility, so adding to that the fact that he's not at 100% right now physically, there's only one logical choice to make tonight. Prediction: Hardy wins And finally, we arrive at tonight's main event. If you asked most people a couple of years ago if they thought Storm and Roode would ever have a PPV match against each other for the World Heavyweight Championship, they'd have called you crazy. Now, on April 15 2012, both men are at the absolute top of their game. TNA has done a magnificent job of pushing them both to the top and allowing them to adapt enough that they look like they belong there. This match is going to be hugely competitive, and if previous encounters between the two are any indication it's going to be great. Add on top of that the fact that the fans go crazy for both of them, the atmosphere is going to be unlike any other match on the card. So let's break it down for each guy individually. Roode has been an absolutely incredible champion, especially over the last few months. The reinvention of his character has been a pleasure to watch, and I truly believe he has established his position as one of the absolute best in the industry today. Roode has held the title for just shy of half a year now, long enough that a loss at this point wouldn't ruin his or the belt's credibility. Storm on the other hand was cheated out of a proper first World Title reign. Someone in the company fucked up big time there, and since then he has had to work his ass off to recover. Luckily for him, someone in the company seems to have his back now and are pushing for him to be a big time player. Like Roode, he has done a great job of adjusting his character to establish himself in the main event, so at this point in time if he wins the belt no one is going to be able to shake their head at it. So is tonight the night for Storm? Will he dethrone his former partner and become only the fifth person in the title's history to win it more than once? After much thought, I have to go with yes. Storm is ready for a proper run on top, and this early in the year is the perfect time for it to happen. There's enough time left between now and Bound For Glory to hotshot the belt back to Roode (or someone else, Hardy maybe?) so if Storm's run falls through the company isn't S.O.L. Tonight, Storm becomes the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Prediction: NEW TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm ****** So there we have it folks, my picks for Lockdown 2012. What do you guys think, am I right on? Crazy? Let me know through one of the many ways you can leave me feedback. But that's all for me for now, so until next time, thanks for stopping by. ************ Get In Touch With Me Feedback Thread: Here Email: lopcrowsnest@aol.com Facebook: TheCrow Twitter: Follow @TheCrowLOP Skype: thecrowlop ************************************ Welcome readers to a very special edition of The Crow's Nest. Today I'll be joined by fellow Main Page writer and Canadian SuperChrisss. I'm sure I could come up with some sort of cleverly insulting introduction for the man, but I'll let the Frenchy do it himself. Chrisss, say hi to the people. Stop calling me French. I'm half-Italian and with a name like 'Chris', it doesn't get any more English. Don't you dare join Skitz's lame-ass bandwagon. If I want advice on how to better prepare frogs legs and avoid dating women who shave, I'll worry about what you've got to say. Until that point, I'll keep calling you French and you will LIKE IT. You said we would never talk about that EVER AGAIN! Ugh. Can we please move on to the reason why I'm here giving your column some much needed attention? Ouch, right for the jugular. But I suppose the readers aren't here to read a potential race war brewing (stay tuned for my collab with Randall Morrison if you want to see that happen). Readers, what we're here to do today is put together a couple of "fantasy teams", one from WWE and one from TNA. In case I haven't made it clear before, I will be captaining the TNA team and Chris will be captaining the crew of losers. Losers? I don't plan on including Zack Ryder on my team (sorry, broski) so you better make your picks count. Does TNA even have five wrestlers who can be deemed "all-stars"? I guess you'll see shortly won't you? Nice try with the tough talk, I'm not impressed. Since it's your column, and you're the obvious underdog, I'll let you reveal your captain first. PICK #1 - TEAM TNA My first pick, and the pick for the position of captain of my team of greatness, should not surprise anyone who is even MILDLY familiar with my columns. A fellow Canadian and the man who Hulk Hogan foolishly denied was the future of TNA, and the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion... Mr. Bobby Roode. Wow, I'm SOOOO surprised. But for the sake of our dear readers, please explain why you picked your boyfriend as the captain of your team. Gladly. Roode has always been a great part of the TNA roster, but it wasn't until the last 12 months that he really established himself as a main event guy. His heel turn and subsequent World Title victory was initially not so great (thanks to TNA messing up what could have been an awesome storyline in the BFG Series), but has absolutely made the most of it and is now one of the top heels in the industry today. I picked him as my captain because he is great on the mic, great in the ring, and has the right attitude to lead my crew into battle. Your move Pierre. Damn you and your logical way of thinking. As hard as I try, I can't argue with any of that. And you doubted my intelligence, shame on you. PICK #1 - TEAM WWE My team captain is a guy who emobodies WWE as a whole. He is the face of the company, regardless if he's the world champion or not. He is one of the biggest superstars of all time, and many people call him the Hulk Hogan of our generation. Could anyone blame me for choosing John Cena as the captain for Team WWE? I'm sure someone out there reading this column could argue your pick, but they're probably the kind of person who sits at home shitting their pants and thinking it's hilarious. An image of the kids on South Park from the episode where they're all playing WoW immediately springs to mind. In case you haven't seen the episode, this is what I mean. Jeez, where do you get this stuff from? Pick your next member before things go from weird to funky. PICK #2 - TEAM TNA I'm all about the funk though. That's how we do on the west coast. But alright, on to pick number two for me. Pick #2 for Team TNA is someone who I feel is in for a massive push should he stick around. With nothing more than a cocky smirk he can have the crowd calling for his blood. He's not the biggest guy on the roster, but he's certainly one of the most talented. I am talking about none other than Austin Aries. Oooh good choice. I love me some The Greatest Man That Ever Lived. That being said, Aries is no match for my number two pick. PICK #2 - TEAM WWE The second member of Team WWE (or Team Chrisss) is someone who claims to be the best in the world at what he does. And honestly, looking back at his career, it's hard to debate that moniker. This man was the first-ever WWE Undisputed Champion, has won a record-breaking number of Intercontinental titles, and can carry a Jinder Mahal to a three-star match. My pick is the one and only, Chris Jericho. Great pick. Though I don't think anyone could carry Jinder Mahal to a three-star match, let's be serious. The man is an embarassment to our fine country. Don't remind me! It hurts me every day. Though with all the great wrestlers that Canada has produced in the past, I guess we were bound to throw out a turd at some point. I will never put that bastard in the same category as Jericho, Christian, or Edge. Never. But why are we talking about Jinder Fucking Mahal. Who's your third pick? Hustle would have an aneurysm and stroke at the same time if he knew we gave that useless piece of shit this much attention in a Main Page column. So indeed, on to my third pick. PICK #3 - TEAM TNA As physically strong as Bobby Roode is, my team needs a wrestler who can go toe-to-toe with anybody and stand a chance of outpowering them. Unfortunately for me, the TNA roster isn't exactly stacked with "big man" wrestlers. Fortunately for me however, they do have one particular big man who I believe is the best of his kind. Plus he's had to put up with being paired with a useless ginger for the past little while, so you have to admire the man's patience. My third pick is none other than Matt Morgan. Damn you, you're picking all the good parts about TNA. PICK #3 - TEAM WWE Well, to counter your big man, I'm going with another superstar who recently made his WWE return. Morgan may be impressive in the ring, but he's not as credible or freakish as this guy. He's a former WWE Champion, and while his WWE future is anything but certain, he's going to bring a load of muscle to my team. Ladies and gentlemen, here comes the pain, as Brock Lesnar is lucky pick number three. Interesting pick. Too bad he's clearly fat and out of shape . This coming from a guy who I bet a million dollars is going to include Bully Ray on his team? Don't make me laugh. You mean one of the best heels in wrestling today? You had better show some damn respect to Calfzilla. Only time will tell if I bother to include him on my team. But if you're done whining, can I make my next pick please? Be my guest. But I already spoiled your next pick, so try and make it interesting. PICK #4 - TEAM TNA My next pick probably shouldn't be a HUGE surprise to most people, not because of my personal opinions on the guy, but rather because of the fact that he is one of (if not the most) the most over guys on the TNA roster. Hell, if he returned to WWE at any point I'm sure the roof would blow right off the building. The man who spends way too much time doing his makeup at iMPACT tapings every week, my fourth pick is Jeff Hardy. Really, Crow? Really? Regardless if Hardy has cleaned up his act or not, and even if he is over (don't ask me why though), you really want him on your team? Absolutely. He has shown on more than one occasion that he is capable of pulling off great matches, especially now that he's cleaned up his act. Plus if there's one thing he knows in this industry, it's wrestling as part of a team. I can't see anything wrong with this pick. Alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You are the TNA expert, after all. Check out any of his matches with Kurt Angle if you doubt me. PICK #4 - TEAM WWE I did see the Hardy/Angle match from last week's show. Some good stuff, no doubt about it. Anyways, my fourth pick is a guy who, much like Jeff, has experienced his share of personal demons in the past. He's one of the younger wrestlers on the WWE roster, yet has been around for more than a decade and is the youngest world champion in WWE history. Since 2010, he has massively improved his in-ring work and is one of the biggest superstars in the sport today. My fourth pick is (cue Justin Roberts' voice) The Viper, Randy Orton. So you give me shit about picking Jeff Hardy, and you go and pick the guy who drops deuces in peoples gym bags? *smh*. I wouldn't have put him anywhere near my team if I was in your shoes, but that's just me I guess. Har har har. You're filled with jokes today, aren't you? Always full of jokes. It's the only thing that gets me through the day living in this shit hole of a city. That's the spirit! Now, who's your final pick, and make it matter. PICK #5 - TEAM TNA My fifth and final pick was the hardest one for me to make. The one thing my team is missing right now is the presence of a respected veteran wrestler that can bring that element of both skill AND experience to the table. It came down to either Kurt Angle or Jeff Jarrett, but you know what? Fuck that noise. My final pick is a man who will knock you the hell out and not feel bad about it. He's been around the industry long enough to know what he's doing, and he's talented enough that he can beat just about anybody. Ladies and gentleman, the final member of Team TNA, Samoa Joe. Wow, I'm a bit shocked. I was expecting Bully Ray, Aj Styles, or Angle for sure. Not a knock against Joe, I just didn't see it coming. I considered Angle and AJ, but Bully Ray wasn't making the cut at any point. He's great as a character and his in-ring work has improved ten-fold, but Joe was a way more logical pick to me. PICK #5 - TEAM WWE As for me, I'm going to be a bit shocking as well with my final pick. I'm not going with the WWE Champion CM Punk or World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus OR the awesome Daniel Bryan. I'm going with a guy who reinvnted his career in 2011 and any coach would love to have watching his team's back. He's coming off an impressive world title reign, and even at his tender age, is an absolute beast inside and outside the ring. My final pick has to be The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry. Speaking of shocking picks, I think that one takes the cake. I thought for sure Punk would be somewhere on that team. But Henry is awesome, so even I can't make a clever jab at this point. But I'm glad to see your better sense won over and you didn't waste your last pick on Ryder. That would have been laughable. Shut up. You like Ryder as well, so don't hate on him. I'm also a fan of Rob Terry, but do you see him on my team? No. Don't you mean "Robbie T"? Don't even get me started on that ridiculous gimmick they've saddled him with... ****** How about one final look at our teams, Crow? Yes, a final look at our teams: Team WWE John Cena Chris Jericho Brock Lesnar Randy Orton Mark Henry Team TNA Bobby Roode Austin Aries Matt Morgan Jeff Hardy Samoa Joe Any thoughts on the results there Chris? Yeah, mine is GREAT! Nah, we both put together a pair of amazing teams. If there was ever a 5-on-5 match featuring those exact men, it would be nothing short of a dream match. Agreed. I'm sure the readers out there will have their own opinions, I'm sure both of us will be called something mildly homophobic at some point, but they will severely over-estimate the number of fucks that I give. Meh, if they don't like us, they can go read something else. Couldn't have said it better myself. Anything else to say to the fine people of LOP? Besides thanks for reading? Nope, I'm good. LOP has the best readers on the worldwide web, and I'm honoured if they stuck around this long to listen to us babble. It's been fun Crow, we'll have to do it again someday. Absolutely. Always good to talk wrestling with a fellow broski, especially one that also lives in the greatest country on the planet. I'm definitely down for round 2 at some point, just name a time and place. ****** Before I sign off I just want to thank SuperChrisss for joining me today and helping me with this column. I thought it would be better to bring someone else onboard to make Team WWE so it wasn't just my bias. Anyways that's all for me folks, catch you all next time. ************ Get In Touch With Me Feedback Thread: Here Email: lopcrowsnest@aol.com Facebook: TheCrow Twitter: Follow @TheCrowLOP Skype: thecrowlop

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