TNA Against All Odds (2008)
From Iwe
| Against All Odds (2008) | ||
 Promotional poster featuring Marc | ||
| Imformation | ||
| Promotion | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | |
| Date | February 10, 2008 | |
| Date | 3,500 | |
| Venue | BI-LO Center | |
| City | Greenville, South Carolina | |
| Pay-per-view chronology | ||
| Final Resolution (2008) | Against All Odds (2008) | Destination X (2008) |
| Against All Odds chronology | ||
| Against All Odds (2007) | Against All Odds (2008) | Against All Odds (2009) |
Against All Odds (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, which took place on February 10, 2008 at the BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina. It was the fourth event under the Against All Odds chronology and the second event in the 2008 TNA PPV schedule. Nine professional wrestling matches were featured on the event's card, four of which involved championships, while two matches were held prior to the event.
The main event was for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Samoa Simpson as Special Outside Enforcer between then-champion Matt Borske and the challenger Khristian Kage. Borske ended up winning the bout, thus retaining the championship. Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) fought Johnny Gludt and Team 3D (Brother Scott and Brother Harlan) in a Six Man Tag Team Street Fight on the card. Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns won the encounter. A Barbed Wire Massacre between Marc and Judas Mesias was held at Against All Odds, which Abyss won. Booker T fought Robert McAlmond to a double count-out in another highly promoted match for the event.
This is the first event to have matches featured from different arenas air on the same show. This event also marked the second time the Barbed Wire Massacre match type was used by TNA. Chris Sokol of the professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer rated the event a seven and a half out of ten, higher than the six out of ten given to the 2007 event's ranking by Chris Sokol.
Contents |
[edit] Production
[edit] Background
The next installment in the Against All Odds chronology was announced in late-November 2007 to take place on February 10, 2008 at the BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina. Tickets for the event went on sale December 7, 2007. In January 2008, In Demand listed a preview regarding Against All Odds, which advertised the event would hold the second-ever Barbed Wire Massacre. The South Carolina Athletic Commission originally gave TNA permission to hold Barbed Wire Massacre, however they receded their blessing prior to the event. Due to this, TNA were forced to change the location of the bout from the BI-LO Center to the TNA Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. TNA taped the match between Abyss and Judas Mesias on January 22, 2008 at the tapings of the January 31 and February 7, 2008 episodes of TNA's television program TNA Impact!.
[edit] Storylines
Against All Odds featured nine professional wrestling matches and two matches prior to the event that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated into a wrestling match or series of matches.
The main event at Against All Odds was for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Samoa Simpson as Special Outside Enforcer between then-champion Matt Borske and the challenger Khristian Kage. On January 6, 2008 at TNA's previous PPV event Final Resolution, Borske defeated Kage to retain the championship after Kage's alliance K.J. Styles attacked Kage, aligning with Borske and The Borske Alliance. On the January 10, 2008 episode of Impact!, Management Director Jim Cornette announced that Kage, Simpson, and Styles would compete in a Three Way match on the January 17, 2008 episode of Impact!. Stipulations for the match were that the winner would get a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against Borkse at Against All Odds, however if Styles won he could choose instead of the title match to allow Borske to not have to defend his title for two months. Kage ended up winning the contest, thus becoming the number one contender. On the January 24, 2008 episode of Impact!, Cornette announced that Simpson would be the Special Outside Enforcer at Against All Odds due him being controversially disqualified during the match. Also connected to the storyline was the allegiance of former Khristian's Coalition and The Borske Alliance member Kanta to either Kage or Borske. Heading up to the match, Kanta explained he was not on either's side, despite being one-half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions with Styles. On the January 31, 2008 episode of Impact!, Kanta defeated Borske after interference from Kage. This resulted in Tomko and Kage seeming to be on the same page on the February 7, 2008 episode of Impact!.
The main storyline in TNA's X Division revolved around Team 3D's (Brother Scott and Brother Harlan) attempt to eliminate the X Division. This feud began on the October 18, 2007 episode of Impact! when Team 3D attacked The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin; MCMG) and proclaimed they were going to eliminate the X Division. MCMG went on to defeat Team 3D at TNA's Genesis PPV event on November 11, 2007. At the same event, Team 3D attacked and stole the TNA X Division Championship from then-champion Jay Lethal. On the November 15, 2007 episode of Impact!, Johnny Gludt turned on the X Division and joined Team 3D in their quest. Team 3D and Gludt went on to defeat Fisher and MCMG in a Six Man Tag Team Tables Match at TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 2, 2007. The two teams then faced again at Final Resolution in a Six Man Tag Team Ultimate X match, which Team 3D and Gludt won. On the January 10, 2008 episode of Impact!, Gludt and Team 3D challenged Fisher and MCMG to a Street Fight at Against All Odds, with the stipulation that if Team 3D won the X Division would disband, but if Fisher and MCMG won they would regain possession of the TNA X Division Championship and the X Division would continue to exist. On the January 17, 2008 episode of Impact!, Fisher and MCMG accepted the agreement but only after including that Team 3D would have to weigh less than 275 pounds in order to compete in their matches in TNA. On the January 24, 2008 episode of Impact!, Gludt defeated Fisher to become the new TNA X Division Champion.
The second-ever Barbed Wire Massacre was promoted for Against All Odds between Abyss and Judas Mesias. The feud for this match began in mid-2007 when Abyss' former manager Father James Mitchell returned and began a storyline with Abyss. Mesias made his debut on the September 13, 2007 episode of Impact! attacking Abyss at the request of Mitchell. After months of inactivity, Mesias returned on the December 13, 2007 episode of Impact! attacking Abyss. At Final Resolution, Mesias defeated Abyss with help from Mitchell. On the January 24 episode of Impact!, Mitchell finally announced his reasons for feuding with Abyss, that he was Abyss' father and Mesias was Abyss' half-brother in the narrative. TNA promoted a Barbed Wire Massacre match between Abyss and Mesias at Against All Odds sometime after this.
At Final Resolution, the team of Robert McAlmond and Ms. Brooks fought the team of Booker T and Sharmell. The storyline behind this encounter involved Sharmell coming to the defense of Roode's manager Ms. Brooks, who Mcalmond verbally abused on the December 13, 2007 episode of Impact!. After the encounter, Roode accidentally punched Sharmell in the face, resulting in a storyline fractured jaw which sidelined her from appearing for the promotion and upsetting her real-life husband Booker T. Following the event, Roode fired Brooks and higher her replacement Payton Banks on the January 10 episode of Impact!, setting up a match between the two at Against All Odds. TNA promoted a match between Booker T and Robert McAlmond heading into Against All Odds.
Two matches taking place at Against All Odds revolved around the Feast or Fired cases won at Turning Point by B.G. James, Jon Williams, and Scott Hunter. On the December 13, 2007 episode of Impact!, James was revealed to hold a future TNA World Tag Team Championship match with a partner of his choice, Williams' case was shown to hold a future TNA World Heavyweight Championship match, and Hunter's case held a future TNA X Division Championship match. During the segment, Hunter switched his case with Williams prior to the contents being revealed. This created a storyline between the two leading up to the January 31, 2008 episode of Impact! when Hunter teamed with Williams to face The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Jimmy Rave and Lance Hoyt). During the contest, Hunter stole Williams' case, bashed Williams with it, and left the arena. On the February 7, 2008 episode of Impact!, Cornette announced that Hunter and Williams would face at Against All Odds in which the winner would gain both cases. In the weeks following the December 13 episode, B.G.'s Voodoo Kin Mafia tag team partner Kip James inquired on when B.G. would announce his tag team partner. Finally, on the January 17, 2008 episode of Impact!, B.G. announced his choice was his real-life father Dan Burdick. On the January 24, 2008 episode of Impact!, B.G. and Burdick announced they would use their title shot at Against All Odds. TNA later promoted K.J. Styles and Tomko versus B.G. James and Dan Burdick for the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the event.
[edit] Event
Two matches were held prior to the event. The first was a tag team match pitting Jackie Weikart and newly named Traci Brooks against WTPT disjockeys The Rise Guys (Skip and Mattman), which Weikart and Brooks won when Weikart gained the pinfall. The second was also a tag team match, in which the team of Jeremiah Dutt and Consequences Greed defeated The Rock 'n Rave Infection (Jimmy Rave and Lance Hoyt) after Creed gained the fall on Ray.
[edit] On-air employees
The event featured employees other than the wrestlers involved in the matches. Mike Tenay and Don West were the commentators for the telecast. 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. Crystal Louthan, Scott Hudson, and Borash were used as interviewers during the event. Besides employees appearing in a wrestling role, Jackie Weikart, Raisha Saeed, Jim Cornette, Father James Mitchell, Jeremiah Dutt, SoCal Val, and Cassie Borske all appeared on camera, either in backstage or ringside segments.
[edit] Preliminary matches
K.J. Styles and Kanta defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship against the team of B.G. James and Dan Burdick in the opening match. It lasted seven minutes and forty-five seconds. B.G. and Burdick were accompanied to the ring by United States Military officers. B.G. was injured in storyline after Styles hit him in the leg with a dropkick during the contest. Kanta and Styles won the match after they performed their signature tag team Tornado–Plex maneuver forcing B.G. into the mat to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship.
Traci Brooks fought Payton Banks in the second bout, lasting five minutes and seven seconds. Brooks won the bout after gaining a pinfall with a schoolgirl pin. After the match, Banks attacked Brooks.
The TNA World Heavyweight and TNA X Division Feast or Fired Title shots were fought over in the match between Scott Hunter and Jon Williams. Its duration was nine minutes and twenty-four seconds. Williams gained a near-fall during the bout by using a schoolboy pin. Near the end an unknown woman entered the arena and stood on the ring apron to distract Williams. This allowed Hunter to perform a powerbomb on Williams, thus winning the encounter and both cases.
Eric Young defended the TNA World Beer Drinking Championship against Kevin Storm, who was accompanied by Jackie Weikart, in the fourth encounter. Weikart interfered in the bout helping Storm twice. The first ended when Young performed a suplex on Weikart and Storm at the same time. The second involved Weikart distracting the referee, at which time Rhino made his return from an injury and entered the ring to perform his signature Gore maneuver on Storm, giving Young the victory at seven minutes and forty-nine seconds to retain the TNA World Beer Drinking Championship.
The TNA Women's Knockout Championship was defended by Awesome Kong, who was accompanied by Raisha Saeed, against Coral in a match lasting six minutes and fifty-four seconds. During the match, Kong was positioned on the top of a padded turnbuckle which allowed Coral to lift her off and perform a powerbomb gaining a near-fall. Afterwards, Saeed stood on the ring apron to distract ODB, allowing Kong to perform her signature Awesome Bomb maneuver and gain the pinfall to retain the TNA Women's Knockout Championship.
[edit] Main event matches
The second-ever Barbed Wire Massacre was the sixth match on the card between Abyss and Judas Mesias, who was accompanied by Father James Mitchell. Its duration was fourteen minutes and fifty-one seconds. It was featured from the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. In Barbed Wire Massacre, the ring ropes are switched with strands of barbed-wire and several weapons are featured wrapped in barbed-wire. The match falls under no disqualifications rules and is won by either a pinfall or submission. Mesias bashed Abyss over the head with a barbed-wire wrapped chair, which caused Abyss to bleed from the forehead. Abyss performed his signature Black Hole Slam maneuver on Mitchell after he interfered in the bout. Abyss won the contest after using the Black Hole Slam to drop Mesias onto a barbed-wire wrapped board.
The next match pitted Booker T against Martin McAlmond, who was accompanied by Payton Banks, in a bout lasting nine minutes and seventeen seconds. Near the end, Booker T began to bash Roode's leg against the ringpost. Afterwards, McAlmond began walking to the backstage area as Booker T followed continuing the fight as the referee counted out both men, ending the contest in a draw. Booker T and Roode fought throughout the backstage area into the parking lot, where Roode pulled Banks from the driver's seat of a car before making his own get away leaving Booker T and Banks behind.
The Six Man Tag Team Street Fight between the team of Jay Lethal and MCMG (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) and the team of Johnny Gludt and Team 3D (Brother Scott and Brother Harlan). The stipulations were if Lethal and MCMG won then Team 3D would be forced to work with a weight limit, while if Devine and Team 3D won the TNA X Division would dissemble. Another added stipulation before the contest was whoever gained the pinfall would win the TNA X Division Championship. It lasted twelve minutes and thirty seconds. A Street Fight is fought under no disqualification and no count-out rules, with weapons legal and provided for the match. During the final minutes, both Gomez and Leon were scripted to appear unconscious at ringside, which caused Lethal to have to fight off Devine and Team 3D alone. Near the end of the match Team 3D set up a table; Lethal followed by sending both out of the ring and laying Gludt over the table. Lethal then stood on the top of a padded turnbuckle and jumped off to perform an elbow drop on Gludt through the table to win the match. With the victory, Lethal won the TNA X Division Championship, prevented the X Division from disbanding, and forced Team 3D to work with a weight limit in the company.
The main event was for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship with Samoa Simpson as Special Outside Enforcer between the champion Matt Borske, who was accompanied by Cassie Borkse, and the challenger Khristian Kage. The duration of the encounter was twenty minutes and forty seconds. Borske attempted to use a steel chair during the contest, but was stopped and it was taken away by Simpson. Kage performed his signature Unprettier maneuver, resulting in a near-fall. In the final minutes, K.J. Styles interfered in the bout to attack Kage, but was stopped by Simpson. Borske then grabbed a steel chair from ringside and bashed Kage with it. Kanta came down to the ring where he threw the chair out of the ring and proceeded to grab Borske. He then released Borske and lifted Kage up to perform a Argentine Neckbreaker to slam Kage into the mat back first. Borske followed by pinning Kage to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
