Fight for the Right Tournament
From Iwe
The Fight for the Right Tournament is a professional wrestling tournament in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling designed to determine a new #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. The tournament was held in 2006 and 2007, both starting in the month of October.
Contents |
[edit] Results
[edit] 2006
The inaugural Fight for the Right Tournament in 2006 consisted of three stages. The first stage of the tournament was a Reverse Battle Royal, with three parts. The first part had all 18 participants start outside the ring and fend off opponents in an attempt to get into the ring. When seven wrestlers have entered, other competitors are eliminated and it becomes a traditional battle royal with over-the-top-rope eliminations. When all but two are eliminated, it becomes a singles match, the winner of which advances directly to the final (third stage) of the tournament.
Stage two consists of a single-elimination tournament consisting of the six wrestlers eliminated in the second part of stage one. The pairings were determined by their order of elimination in the first stage. The first round featured singles matches and the final was a Triple Threat match. The winner of the tournament is then decided in the tournament final: a singles match between the winner of stages one and two.
The entire tournament was held on TNA Impact!. Stage 1 occurred on October 26, Round 1 of Stage 2 on November 2, and Stage 2 Final and Stage 3 on November 9.
- Stage 1 - Reverse Battle Royal
- Winner: Abyss
- Eliminated in one on one match: Lance Hoyt
- Eliminated in over the top battle royal: (in order of elimination) Blake Wheeler, Chris Gomez, Christopher Barnhart, Martin McAlmond, K.J. Styles
- Eliminated in reverse battle royal: Jeremiah Dutt, Jay Lethal, Will Kapphan, Senshi, Kazarian, Raven, Brother Runt, Brother Scott, Kip James, Kevin Storm, Khristian Kage
- This match was named the Worst Worked Match of 2006 by Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- Stage 2 - Single-elimination tournament
Round 1 | Finals | |||||||
1 | Lance Hoyt | |||||||
6 | Blake Wheeler | Pin | ||||||
6 | Blake Wheeler | |||||||
2 | K.J. Styles | Pin | ||||||
2 | K.J. Styles | Pin | ||||||
5 | Chris Gomez | |||||||
3 | Martin McAlmond | |||||||
3 | Martin McAlmond | Pin | ||||||
4 | Christopher Barnhart |
- In the match between Gomez and Styles, Sabin's TNA X Division Championship was also on the line.
- Stage 3 - Tournament Final
- Abyss defeated K.J. Styles to win the Fight for the Right Tournament
- Abyss pinned Styles after a Black Hole Slam Following an enziguiri from an interfering Chris Gomez.
- Abyss received a title shot at Genesis.
- Abyss defeated K.J. Styles to win the Fight for the Right Tournament
[edit] 2007
In 2007, the tournament was altered to have the first stage consist of 16 competitors to begin and eight to advance to the second part, where the order of elimination will determine the sedings. All eight will advance to the second stage where the winner in the final will be the winner of the tournament, thus removing the third stage.
The first stage occurred at Bound for Glory on October 14. The Quarterfinals of Stage 2 occurred on TNA Impact! on October 18 and October 25. The Semifinals occurred on November 1. The Final occurred at Genesis on November 11.
- Stage 1 - Reverse Battle Royal
- Winner: Will Kapphan
- Eliminated in one on one match: Martin McAlmond
- Eliminated in battle royal: (in order of elimination) Kevin Storm, Junior Fatu, Chris Gomez, Kaz, Lance Hoyt, Alec Leon
- Eliminated in reverse battle royal: B.G. James, Kip James, Jimmy Rave, Dustin Harris, Jon Williams, Havok, Shark Boy, Jeremiah Dutt
- Stage 2 - Single-elimination tournament
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||
1 | Will Kapphan | ||||||||||||
8 | Kevin Storm | Pin | |||||||||||
8 | Kevin Strom | ||||||||||||
5 | Kaz | Pin | |||||||||||
4 | Lance Hoyt | ||||||||||||
5 | Kaz | Pin | |||||||||||
5 | Kaz | Pin | |||||||||||
Khristian Kage | |||||||||||||
3 | Alec Leon | ||||||||||||
6 | Chris Gomez | NCO | |||||||||||
Khristian Kage | Pin | ||||||||||||
Dustin Harris | |||||||||||||
2 | Martin McAlmond | ||||||||||||
7 | Junior Fatu | Pin |
- The match between Gomez and Leon ended in no-contest after Team 3D interfered. Neither qualified, and the opening was filled by Khristian Kage by defeating Samoa Simpson.
- Dustin Harris replaced Junior Fatu in the Semifinals.
- The Final was originally held on November 8, with Kage pinning Kaz. Due to interference in the match, the original decision was thrown out and made into a Ladder Matchladder match at Genesis.
- Kaz received a title shot on the November 15 edition of TNA Impact!.