TNA Lockdown (2008)

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Lockdown 2008
Promotional poster featuring Matt Borske and Samoa Simpson
Theme song(s)	"Nothing to Lose" (Operator)
Imformation
Promotion	Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Date	April 13, 2008
Attendance	5,500
Venue	Tsongas Arena
City	Lowell, Massachusetts
Pay-per-view chronology
Destination X (2008)	Lockdown (2008)	Sacrifice (2008)
Lockdown chronology
Lockdown (2007)	Lockdown (2008)	Lockdown (2009)

Lockdown (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view]] (PPV) event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which took place on April 13, 2008 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was the fourth annual event under the Lockdown chronology. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card. In the tradition of Lockdown events, every match took place inside a steel structure with six sides, known as Six Sides of Steel.

The main event was a Six Sides of Steel cage match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, in which Samoa Simpson defeated the reigning champion, Matt Borske, to win the championship. Following another tradition of Lockdown events, TNA held the annual Lethal Lockdown match, which was contested inside a steel structure with a flat roof; in this match, Team Kage defeated Team Kanta. Two featured bouts were scheduled on the undercard. In an intergender tag team match, Booker T and Tia defeated Martin McAlmond and Payton Tanks. The other bout was an Xscape match for the TNA X Division Championship, in which six competitors fought to eliminate each other by pinfall or submission until there were two left; the remaining two then fought to escape the steel structure. Aaron Fisher defeated five opponents in this match to retain the championship.

The event marked the fourth time the Lethal Lockdown format was used by TNA, and the first time a World Championship was contested in a Lockdown main event. When the event was released on DVD, it reached a peak position of number five on Billboard's DVD Sales Chart. The professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer website rated the entire event a 6.5 out of 10 stars, one star higher than the 2007 event.

Production

Background

The fourth installment in the Lockdown chronology was announced in January 2008 as taking place on April 13. It was later reported that Lockdown was suspected to be held outside of the TNA Impact! Zone. The New England area was reported as the believed location, making it TNA's first PPV in the Northeastern area. TNA issued a press release in mid-February 2008 announcing that Lockdown would be held on April 13, 2008 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts. Tickets for the event went on sale on February 29, 2008. TNA held a "TNA Fan Interaction" on April 12, 2008 as part of the festivities of the show. TNA created a section covering the event on their website. TNA released a poster to promote the event sometimes prior featuring Matt Borske and Samoa Simpson. The official theme for the spectacle was Nothing to Lose by Operator.

Storylines

Lockdown featured eight professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, Faceheroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and that culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches. Every match was contested inside the Six Sides of Steel.

The main event was a Six Sides of Steel Cage match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Matt Borske and the challenger Samoa Simpson. This bout was announced on the March 13 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact! by Management Director Jim Cornette. Simpson proclaimed on the same episode that if he did not win the title at Lockdown, he would quit TNA in the storyline. Afterwards, Simpson was not seen until the April 10 episode of Impact!, with training for the match being the reason for his absence. On the April 10 episode of Impact!, a contract signing took place between Simpson and Borske regarding the match. Simpson signed the contract, making it official if he lost the match at Lockdown he would instead quit professional wrestling forever. This match was the progression of a long standing series of matches between Borske and Simpson. Borske having won three of four of their past contests at TNA's Genesis PPV event on November 19, 2006, TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 19, 2006, TNA's Final Resolution on January 14, 2007, and at TNA's Hard Justice on August 12, 2007.

The 2008 Lethal Lockdown match was announced on the March 13 episode of Impact! by Cornette. Cornette announced that the 2008 installment would have two four-man teams captained by either Khristian Kage or Kanta. During the same episode, K.J. Styles and Team 3D (Brother Scott and Brother Harlan) were chosen by Kanta to be a part of Team Tomko at Lockdown. Meanwhile, Kevin Nash joined Kage as the second member of Team Cage. Peter joined Team Kage on the March 20 episode of Impact!. On the March 27 episode of Impact!, Cting joined Team Cage, to round out the team. It was announced on the April 3 episode of Impact! that each team captain would be allowed to add another member, making it a five-on-five match at Lockdown. Kevin Storm was added to Team Tomko during the show, while Brandon Martin aligned with Team Kage. This contest was the result of an existing feud pitting Kage against Kanta and Styles. Cage, Kanta, and Styles were once united under the Khristian's Coalition banner, until Styles and Kanta aligned with Borske and formed The Borske Alliance in late 2007. At TNA's Final Resolution PPV event on January 6, 2008, Kage fought Borske for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Styles interfered in the contest aiding Borske, costing Kage the title. Kage fought for the title against Borske again at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event on February 10, 2008, however, Kanta interfered aiding Borske to retain the title.

Booker T and Sharmell versus the team of Bobby McAlmond and Payton Banks in a Six Sides of Steel Intergender Tag Team Cage match was another highly promoted match heading into the event. This encounter was announced on the March 20 episode of Impact! by Cornette. The feud regrading this encounter began at Final Resolution, where McAlmond accidentally punched Booker T's real-life wife Tia, fracturing her jaw in the storyline and leaving her sidelined indefinitely. Booker T and McAlmond then fought at Against All Odds to a double count-out. At TNA's Destination X PPV event on March 9, 2008, McAlmond and Booker T fought in a Stand By Your Man Strap match, which McAlmond won. After the bout, Tia returned from injury attacking McAlmond and his manager Banks with a leather strap.

The TNA X Division Championship was defended in the 2008 TNA Xscape match by Aaron Fisher against five other competitors. TNA held qualification matches on Impact! leading up to Lockdown to determine the five other participants besides Fisher. The first to qualify was Curry Man by defeating Jon Williams on the March 13 episode. Jeremiah Dutt defeated Eason Homicide on the March 20 episode to qualify. The third qualification was Johnny Gludt by defeating Alex Leon on the March 27 episode. On the April 3 episode, Shark Boy defeated Elix Eason to qualify. Consequences Greed was the last to qualify by defeating Jimmy Ray on the April 10 episode.

Event

Miscellaneous

Lockdown featured employees other than the wrestlers involved in the matches. Mike Tenay and Don West were the commentators for the telecast, with Frank Trigg providing guest commentary for the main event only. Jeremy Borash and David Penzer were ring announcers for the event. Andrew Thomas, Earl Hebner, Rudy Charles, and Mark "Slick" Johnson participated as referees for the encounters. Lauren Thompson and Borash were used as interviewers during the event. Besides employees appearing in a wrestling role, SoCal Val, Trigg, Cassie Borske, Marcus Davis, and members of Samoa Simpson's family all appeared on camera, either in backstage or ringside segments. Simpson's family were in attendance to perform a traditional Samoan fire dance during his ring entrance.

Preliminary matches

Main event matches

Aftermath

Reception

Results

Xscape match eliminations

Tag Team match eliminations

Lethal Lockdown entrances