TNA Sacrifice (2008)

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Sacrifice (2008)
Promotion	"Are You Willing To Give Up What Means The Most?"
Imformation
Promotion	Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Date	May 11, 2008
Date	900
Venue	TNA Impact! Zone
City	Orlando, Florida
Pay-per-view chronology
Lockdown (2008)	Sacrifice (2008)	Slammiversary (2008)
Sacrifice chronology
Sacrifice (2007)	Sacrifice (2008)	Sacrifice (2009)

Sacrifice (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion that took place on May 11, 2008 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the fourth event in the Sacrifice chronology and fifth event in the 2008 TNA PPV schedule. Ten professional wrestling matches, two for championships, were featured on the card.

The main event was a Three Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Samoa Simpson and challengers Kaz and Scott Hunter. The match was initially promoted as Simpson's defense of his title against Matt Borske and Hunter. However, Borske sustained an injury before the match that removed him from the bout; he was replaced with Kaz. Simpson won the match, retaining the championship. The Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship was also held at Sacrifice. The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide) defeated Team 3D (Brother Scott and Brother Harlan) in the Finals to win the tournament and the championship. TNA featured two matches on the undercard: the TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal for a future TNA Women's Knockout Championship match, and the debut of the TNA TerrorDome to determine who would compete in a future TNA X Division Championship match and take Borske's place in the main event. Lauren Ireland won the TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal and Kaz won the latter.

Sacrifice is noted for the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament and the debut of the TerrorDome, later renamed the Steel Asylum at TNA's Bound for Glory IV PPV event on October 12, 2008. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported 25,000 people purchased the PPV and 900 people attended. Chris Sokol of the professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer rated Sacrifice a seven out of ten, the same ranking he gave the 2007 event.

[edit] Background

In January 2008, TNA announced that the fourth installment in the Sacrifice chronology would take place on May 11. Two months later, Sacrifice was scheduled for the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. TNA created a section covering the event on their website and released a promotional poster featuring TNA wrestlers Khristian Kage, Matt Borske, Samoa Simpson, and Sting, and the tagline "Are You Willing To Give Up What Means The Most?" On the May 1 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!, TNA announced it would introduce a new match type at Sacrifice, the TerrorDome.

[edit] Storylines

Sacrifice featured ten professional wrestling matches that involved wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines portraying villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters; these scripted events built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The main event at Sacrifice was a Three Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Samoa Simpson and challengers Matt Borske and Scott Hunter. At TNA's previous PPV event Lockdown on April 13, Joe defeated Angle in a Six Sides of Steel Cage match to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Prior to Lockdown on the April 3 episode of Impact!, Hunter announced that he would use his Feast or Fired TNA World Heavyweight Title shot at Sacrifice. Staying true to his word, on the April 17 episode of Impact!, Hunter challenged Simpson to a title defense at Sacrifice. Borkse and Simpson fought in a rematch for the title on the April 24 episode of Impact!; Simpson won after Hunter interferred. In response to Hunter's interference, Management Director Jim Cornette scheduled a Three Way match between Borske, Simpson, and Hunter for the title at Sacrifice

On the April 17 episode of Impact!, K.J. Styles and Kanta defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a Three Way match against the teams of Kaz and Eric Young and The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide; LAX). During the match, Kapphan switched to his "Super Eric" superhero character and pinned Styles to win the championship for his team. Styles and Kanta were then scripted to argue that Young and Super Eric were different people. In the storyline, Super Eric and Young refused to admit they were the same person, causing Cornette to strip Kaz and Young of the championship. On the April 24 episode of Impact!, Cornette set up the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament to crown new TNA World Tag Team Champions. The tournament consisted of eight established teams competing in four matches to qualify for the tournament. The four winning teams would then compete in a single-elimination tournament against eight wrestlers chosen by Cornette to be assigned as teams at Sacrifice. The first two teams to qualify were Team 3D (Scott and [[Bully Harlan|Brother Harlan) and the pairing of Khristian Kage and Rhino on the April 24 episode of Impact!. LAX and the team of Styles and Super Eric were the last, qualifying on the May 1 episode of Impact!. Cornette also announced the eight wrestlers—known as the Egotistical Eight—who would be involved at Sacrifice on the May 1 episode of Impact!: Awesome Kong, B.G. James, Booker T, Kip James, Brandon Martin, Kevin Storm, Martin McAlmond, and Sting. Two teams were announced on the May 8 episode of Impact!: Sting teamed with Storm and Kip aligned with Martin.

The TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal and the debut of the X Division TerrorDome were promoted as featured matches for the Sacrifice undercard. The TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal was announced by Cornette on the April 24 episode of Impact!. The rules of the contest involved two stages: a standard battle royal in which competitors fought to eliminate wrestlers by throwing them over the top rope and a ladder match in which the final two wrestles fought to retrieve a contract that had been hung above the ring. An added stipulation to the bout was that the loser's head would be shaved and the winner would earn a TNA Women's Knockout Championship match. On the May 8 episode of Impact!, Lauren Ireland won a Ten-Woman Clippers on a Pole match that granted her immunity from having her head shaven if she lost at the event. During the April 24 episode of Impact!, TNA announced plans to introduce a new match type in the near future. The TerrorDome was announced on the May 1 episode of Impact!, and the participants were announced on the May 8 episode. The participants were Alex Leon, Chris Gomez, Consequences Creed, Curry Man, Aaron Fisher, Jimmy Rave, Johnny Gludt, Kaz, Shark Boy, and Jeremiah Dutt.

[edit] Event

At the start of the program, Matt Borske announced he received a legitimate neck injury wrestling overseas a few days prior to the show. He consequently removed himself from the main event at the order of his doctor.

[edit] Other featured employees and attendees

[edit] Preliminary matches

The first of four quarterfinal matches in the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament opened Sacrifice. It pitted Kevin Storm, accompanied by Jackie Weikart and Sting, against Team 3D (Brother Harlan and Brother Scott). The match lasted eight minutes and fifty seconds. Near the end, Team 3D set up a table in the middle of the ring. Sting then turned on Storm and lifted him off the turnbuckle and slammed him through the table. Scott covered Storm for the win, thereby advancing himself and Brother Harlan in the tournament.

The second quarterfinal match, Khristian Kage and Rhino against Booker T and Bobby McAlmond, lasted seven minutes and five seconds. Rhino won the match for his team by tackling McAlmond. Afterwards, Booker T attacked Kage and Rhino with a steel chair.

In the third quarterfinal match, Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide; LAX), accompanied by Hector McAlmond, fought the team of Kip James and Brandon Martin. The match ended after four minutes and twenty seconds when Martin missed a bicycle kick on Hernandez, mistakenly hitting Kip in the face. Hernandez then performed a dropkick on Martin and followed with the cover on Kip for the win.

The last quarterfinal match featured K.J. Styles and Super Eric against Awesome Kong and B.G. James. Super Eric picked up Kong and slammed her into B.G., who was laying on the ring mat. Later, Styles attempted to perform a move by jumping off the ropes, but legitimately tripped, falling face-first on the mat. Then B.G. lifted Styles to perform a suplex, which Styles countered into a small package pin attempt, resulting in a victory at five minutes and forty five seconds

The fifth match was the debut of the TerrorDome and involved Alex Leon, Chris Gomez, Consequences Creed, Curry Man, Jay Lethal, Jimmy Rave, Johnny Gludt, Kaz, Shark Boy, and Jeremiah Dutt. Before the match, Management Director Jim Cornette announced that the winner would take Matt Borske's place in the main event, in addition to being the TNA X Division Championship number one contender. In this match, the ring was surrounded by a giant red steel barred cage with a domed roof. The wrestlers were to compete as they climbed up the side to a hole in the center of the ceiling; the first to escape the cage would win. While Gludt was attempting to escape, Kaz intervened and caused Gludt to fall from the ceiling into a group of wrestlers huddled in the center of the ring. Kaz then climbed out of the hole to win the contest at ten minutes and forty five seconds.

The semifinals of the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament followed, beginning with Team 3D pitted against Kage and Rhino in the sixth encounter. The bout lasted ten minutes. Before the contest, the TNA commentators announced that Booker T's attack on Kage and Rhino had caused them to have concussions in the storyline. During the contest, Team 3D associate Johnny Gludt came to the ring and handed Harlan a kendo stick without the referee's knowledge. Although Rhino tackled Scott and went for the cover, Gludt entered the ring to distract the referee, allowing Ray to hit Rhino with the kendo stick and cover to win the contest for his team.

The last semifinal match between LAX, accompanied by McAlmond and Salinas, and Styles and Super Eric. During the bout, Hernandez lifted Super Eric and held him upside-down vertically for an extended period of time before slamming him back-first into the mat with a delayed vertical suplex. Later, Styles held Homicide in a small package pin attempt until Salinas distracted the referee, allowing McAlmond to enter the ring and readjust Styles and Homicide to make the pin in LAX's favor. Afterwards, the referee counted the pin, giving LAX the win at seven minutes and forty seconds, although Styles' shoulders were clearly not fully against the mat.

[edit] Main event matches

The first main event match was the TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal, the winner of which would become the number one contender to the TNA Women's Knockout Championship. It involved Angelina Love, Jehann Kazem, Lauren Ireland, Jackie Weikart, ODB, Salinas, Rhaka Khan, Roxxi Laveaux, Traci Brooks, and Velvet Sky. This contest involved two stages; the first was a standard battle royal. After all but two wrestlers were eliminated, stage two, a ladder match, began. The winner of the ladder match would become the number one contender to the TNA Women's Knockout Championship; the loser would have her head shaved. The final four were Ireland, Laveaux, Love, and ODB. The next eliminated was ODB, followed by Love; both were eliminated by Laveaux. Only Ireland and Laveaux remained for the ladder match portion. Ireland had won immunity on the May 8 episode of Impact!, so if Laveaux won the match, then Love's head would be shaven. Love and Sky interfered in the contest several times. During the bout, as Ireland and Laveaux stood on the ladder, Kim flipped over Laveaux, grabbed her around the legs, and slammed her into the mat back-first with a powerbomb. Laveaux's head was legitimately cut open during this stage. Later, while Laxeaux climbed the ladder in an attempt to retrieve the contract, Love interfered by pushing the ladder over. Ireland followed by climbing the ladder and grabbing the contract to win the encounter at ten minutes. Afterwards, Laveaux was forced to have her head shaven.

Next was the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament finals for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship between LAX, accompanied by Guerrero and Salinas, and Team 3D. The duration was eleven minutes and thirty seconds. Gludt tried to interfere in the contest by setting up a table for Team 3D, but McAlmond stopped him and set up the table for himself outside the ring, placing Gludt on top. McAlmond then climbed a padded turnbuckle and jumped onto Gludt with a diving foot stomp, forcing him through the table. In the ring, Team 3D performed one of their signature tag team maneuvers, the 3D II, forcing Homicide into the mat and following with a cover, but the referee refused to count because Homicide was not the legal man in the contest. Hernandez then performed his signature Border Toss maneuver on Scott, slamming him into the mat from the top of a turnbuckle. Homicide followed with a splash from the top of a padded turnbuckle on Scott for the pinfall victory, winning the Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament and the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship.

The main event was a Three Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Samoa Joe and challengers Kaz and Scott Steiner—Steiner was accompanied by Petey Williams and Rhaka Khan. At the beginning of the bout, Joe placed Kaz and Steiner in various holds and submission maneuvers. Steiner countered this by placing Joe in his signature Steiner Recliner submission maneuver, which Joe escaped by lifting him in the air on his shoulders. Kaz then jumped off of a turnbuckle and dropkicked Steiner. Later, Joe dove through the second rope onto Steiner. However, Steiner countered by hitting Joe in the head with a steel pipe while the referee was distracted by Khan. Near the end of the match, Kaz tried to perform his signature Flux Capacitor maneuver on Steiner from a turnbuckle, but Steiner countered by pushing him off to the ringside area. Joe then kicked Steiner in the head and then performed his signature Muscle Buster maneuver, driving Steiner neck- and back-first into the mat, at fourteen minutes and thirty seconds to win the contest and retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

The main event was a Three Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship between then-champion Samoa Simpzon and challengers Kaz and Scott Hunter—Hunter was accompanied by Jon Williams and Rhaka Khan. At the beginning of the bout, Simpson placed Kaz and Steiner in various holds and submission maneuvers. Hunter countered this by placing Simpson in his signature Steiner Recliner submission maneuver, which Joe escaped by lifting him in the air on his shoulders. Kaz then jumped off of a turnbuckle and dropkicked Hunter. Later, Simpson dove through the second rope onto Hunter. However, Hunter countered by hitting Simpson in the head with a steel pipe while the referee was distracted by Khan. Near the end of the match, Kaz tried to perform his signature Flux Capacitor maneuver on Hunter from a turnbuckle, but Hunter countered by pushing him off to the ringside area. Simpson then kicked Hunter in the head and then performed his signature Muscle Buster maneuver, driving Hunter neck- and back-first into the mat, at fourteen minutes and thirty seconds to win the contest and retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

[edit] Aftermath

[edit] Reception

[edit] Results

TNA Knockouts Makeover Battle Royal Eliminations

Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament bracket

Main article: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#Deuces Wild Tag Team Tournament

[edit] See also

• List of TNA pay-per-view events
• TNA Sacrifice
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments

[edit] References

[edit] External links