Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com
On Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 3:24 PM EST

Taking my absolutely pitiful 22 and 26 record to the Victory Road Pay Per View, I am back to record my predictions for the next installment of TNA's yearly pay per view allotment. Let's get down to business, because I have some other things to discuss.

JERRY LYNN & Mr. BACKLUND vs. The Motor City Machine Guns CHRIS SABIN & ALEX SHELLEY

I absolutely love that the TNA brass are putting Sabin and Shelley together. Two amazing talents with limitless potential and the world as their collective oyster. However, I am furious as to why in God's name their first pay per view match as a team, to the best of my knowledge is up against Bob Backlund. I'm not going to lump Jerry Lynn in to the mix of this argument because Lynn is still active, even at his age, and his age is not as bad as others I've seen compete. But Backlund needs to realize, a lot more than most, that his ship has passed, and all he is doing is embarassing himself. His presence alone in this ring would make me not even consider picking up this pay per view.

I could see Lynn putting the McMGs over. I can see Backlund being a prick about it. When you put two and two together, TNA will side with the vets instead of the new talent, and you'll probably see Lynn & Backlund victorious, which is a damn crying shame.

WINNERS: Jerry Lynn & Mr. Backlund

By the way, I know I'm not too up on the Impact storyline, but when has Backlund been on the show since his little escapade on the steps by the broadcast position?

ERIC YOUNG & GAIL KIM vs. Ms. BROOKS & ROBERT ROODE

The feud that doesn't seem to end. It was enjoyable seeing Brooks & Kim compete in the three way dance with Jackie Moore recently on Impact, but the fact remains that this feud, although slightly spicier by adding the women, is ridiculously stale. Young should move on, Roode should move on, and it has to happen months ago. This match is so stale it's pathetic.

WINNERS: Eric Young & Gail Kim

RHINO vs. Tennessee Cowboy JAMES STORM

When is it going to take place that we don't have to see some form of Rhino's weaknesses from the past come forward in a storyline? Before it was Rhino's firing from WWE, and now its alcoholism. I don't like Storm coming to the ring with a beer bottle, but I can't comment on that because it's just silly. But, to bring alcoholism to the forefront of a show that damnit, kids watch, is just stupid. I'm sure, I would bet money on it, that if you thought a little bit harder, you could come up with a gimmick for these two men. They're that good at what they do.

This will be hard hitting from the opening bell. I would suspect blood, probably from both men, and a definite pick 'em is the forecast I see. I'll take Storm, because bluntly, TNA has done nothing to put Rhino over since his two day reign as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

WINNER: James Storm

The Instant Classic CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. Wildcat CHRIS HARRIS

"Harris is using your head as a battering ram to crash through the glass ceiling of TNA." As good as that line may be in corny, and legitimacy, it's also a flat out lie. Harris was in title contention, singles world title contention, back in the days of the weekly pay per views. Now, he appears to be in limbo as Cage awaits, hopefully, a shot at the TNA World Title. Harris, however, hasn't really seemed to find closure with Storm, was briefly in a program with LAX only to be removed and put in King of the Mountain, and now he's in a program with the former NWA World champ. Far as I can see, that's a man who's either A) pissed off the wrong people, or B) tripped over bad booking.

WINNER: Christian Cage

STING & ABYSS vs. A.J. STYLES & TOMKO

There's too many damn nicknames to write them here.

If Sting is really doing his part to elevate the game of Abyss, then I'll live with the religious overtones of this whole program to see the monster elevated back to the world title picture. If it's just another ploy, as it's possible to be, then it's just silly. Abyss wearing the face paint was intensely gay, but it could be legitimate. I didn't see the Abyss talking segment from last week, but the fact is, we need to see Abyss be the monster he can be for this match to be anywhere near what it can be.

Styles is the one thing that really has me irked. A former triple crown champion, twice over, and the TNA brass has him as a lackey for Christian Cage. If it wasn't for guys like Chris Daniels, AJ Styles and others, TNA would have died years ago, and this is how TNA pays him back. TNA could be using Styles as a championship contender, but yet, he's portrayed as a joke. Tomko's used to this, he's never seen the other side of the fence, and chances are, he never will, but the Styles thing is just plain ridiculous.

WINNERS: Sting & Abyss

10 Man Ultimate X Match to crown the new #1 Contender for the X Division Championship

I don't know who all ten men are in this contest, but the deal is this for me. One man who has had a UX match under his belt is so primed for a singles title run, and as X Division champion, it would take a ravaged division and return it back to prominence. He has already gained notoreity in TNA as a member of the only remaining tag team of strength in the company. He is a former world champion in the company where his name had been made from day one. And if TNA is smart, they set up a feud that worked wonders in Ring of Honor for the championship of the X Division. On the grand stage of TV, it would be instant money, which means it'll never happen, but hey, I can dream.

WINNER: Homicide

One thing, though, I hope this match doesn't turn out to be a disaster. It has the chance to be amazing, or deadly. There is no middle ground, and that's frightening. You want an example of that? Two words. Elevation X.

The Match of Champions - All Championships on the line
TNA World Champion KURT ANGLE & TNA X Division Champion SAMOA JOE vs. TNA World Tag Team Champions TEAM 3D

Why discuss this? It's just beyond reproach of predictability. There is absolutely no way on God's green earth that Brothers Ray or Devon would win a singles title in this contest. While Angle & Joe as world tag team champions would indeed be entertaining, I don't forsee that happening either. I forsee some weird occurrence making this a no contest. 3D needs to remain a team as champion for the eventual passing of the torch to another new team or LAX, whichever comes first. Angle may be worthy as a triple champion at once, but does TNA really think that Angle's health can handle the force of the IWGP title, no matter how legit it may be, the World title, and the World tag straps? Will Joe finally figure out a way to get the Angle jinx off his back? I doubt it. Not this time. And Joe as a tag champ with Angle, that's the same as back in the day when Styles was tag champs with Abyss. It's been done. Entertaining, yeah, probably, but done already, and it doesn't need to be done again.

If TNA wanted this match to be a hell of a lot more meaningful, they would've seen fit to give the tag straps back to AJ & Daniels. It would've made this match a pick em, because both Styles and Daniels can be made out as world champions in both divisions, and as tag champs, it would have made Angle & Joe, if they were fortunate to win, so much more meaningful. Now, it's just silly.

NO CONTEST

I know I'm being harsh, but the facts are pretty easy to see, and if you have a question or concern or dispute about what I said, well, then tell me about it, and let me correct myself. There's potential with the TNA roster, I don't question that one bit, but the storylines, from what I have seen, have been silly, dumb, and pathetic. That's just one person's opinion.

Let's move on, I have something else to discuss, and yes, it's the Benoit thing.

I read Ken Kennedy's blog off his website, and I was thrilled to see someone finally say something legit and to the point and take a stand. And the stand that the entire world should be taking when they examine this whole thing is.

Pro wrestling did not put a needle in anyone's arm. Person A, person B, person C, or person D put a needle in their own arms. For someone like Marc Mero to take the Benoit tragedy and use it to promote his website for his appearances, whether or not his motive is pure and good, is just atrocious. Marc Mero is putting a black eye on the sport of pro wrestling for his lack of common sense. Steve Blackman is putting a black eye on the sport of pro wrestling for being so on the fence about the whole debate being levied about in the talk shows. If I was the former pro wrestlers, I would take a stand like Cena, like Finlay, or others, and say things were the way they were back in the day, and that things have improved, but they still need to be worked out. Konann's comments, although probably steeped in legitimacy, was more of a shout out against McMahon then a shot against the wrestling business, but the facts remain as this.

Ken Kennedy said the words that should be gospel. What happened happened. We can't change the facts. We can't change what happened. We can't change the opinions that the world is going to make on Chris Benoit and the wrestling business. What can be done, and what should be done, is the work within a singular level to keep the talent informed of the dangers of drug abuse, and provide the necessary resources to handle the illness.

Don't blame the industry. Don't blame the giant. It's a singular basis problem that needs to be handled on a bigger scale, perhaps in a bigger frame or facet, but to say that the WWE or the NWA or other organizations assisted in helping these talents put the needle in the arm of a talented athlete, it's appalling to think that this is the way the world is thinking now.

Check out Kennedy's blog at his website, ken-kennedy.com. It's on his main page, dated July 11th. It was the inspiration for the commentary I needed to say about this whole thing. The world needs to move on. Desperately.

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Till next time.

NOTE: The views of this column reflect the opinions of the author, and not those of the administration of this website.