Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com
On Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 8:44 AM EST

Here we are on Bound For Glory weekend, the weekend of TNA's Wrestlemania, and to be truthful, it's got to be a nightmare for TNA. Their top star, their main draw, the man they have literally put the entire program around has been busted for Driving under the influence of alcohol. With all the scrutiny being placed on the wrestling business by Congress, and the eventual hearings in to steroid abuse, something like this is absolutely a virtual death knell. But the question on the table is, how does TNA handle this from a storyline perspective?

Truth be told, who knows? Booking for TNA has been so desperately done, from a fan's standpoint, or even a smark's standpoint, that it's nearly impossible to try and predict. This situation is eerie in its similarity to what happened to Rob Van Dam back when he held both the WWE and ECW Championships. We all saw what happened to Van Dam when that occured, and the subsequent punishment Van Dam went through. I would have to believe that Angle is going to have to undergo something similar if TNA is going to hold ANY kind of credibility. This story has gotten way too much mainstream attention for TNA not to handle it in some way, and frankly, I'm sick and tired of it.

Whatever the story is, and we'll never know the true situation of it, but whatever the story is, Kurt Angle is a fool. His alleged incident, truthful or not, continues to place a black eye on the industry as a whole, and TNA in particular in a period of time where neither can afford a thing. It would be almost a travesty of justice for TNA to keep the World title on Kurt Angle with his credibility in question, and I've said for months that credibility is gold in this business, and right now, TNA's is in dire peril, and not just from a storyline perspective.

Moving to a different potential crisis for TNA, there is apparently a major divide, from what I have read, for the balance of power within TNA between Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle, as both men are trying to recruit "disciples" if you will for leverage in to the ear of Dixie Carter. This just plainly tells me one thing. TNA is on its last legs, and it's pathetic. Angle ought to get it through his head. TNA was his last chance after the mess he was leaving WWE, and he ought to also realzie, Jarrett's been here since day one, it's Jarrett's baby, TNA is, (which currently, I'm not sure you'd want to say that), and I personally think one way or another, Angle is going to lose this battle, no matter what happens to the product on television. When that does occur, one way or another, I thnk it's the best for TNA, it's the best for the fans, and hopefully, it'll be the best for Kurt Angle, who can go get the help that he needs, whether physically or mentally.

Ok. I'm off the soap box. Let's get down to brass tax, and try and pick this pay per view. Again, with the number of uncertainties, speaking for the knockouts match and the fight for the right match, I'm going to have to just pick what I see in front of me. I'll GUESS the others, as I have an idea to work with, but hell, cut me a little slack, ok?

Quickly, before I begin, if you'd like to see my records for the year in predictions, they're up on my first page at my blog, which I'll provide a link for at the end of this column.

Knockouts Gauntlet Match to determine the first TNA Women's Champion
I know of Angel Williams, Talia Madison, Amazing Kong (who is likely to be under a new ring name here), as well as the current Knockouts in the match. I can probably guess Hemme is not going to win because frankly, she's not ready to hold a company on her back, as well as Ms. Brooks, which should further the nightmare storyline of Brooks, Roode, and Kaz. I'd also think Jackie Moore will lose, because of her affiliation with Storm, and more than likely, Roxxy's affililation with VKM will cost her as well. Personally, I think they're going to give one of the new girls a shot at running with the gold. Why? I'm not sure, but I hope it's just for a change of pace. I haven't seen her compete first hand, but I've followed this woman's career for a while in the indies, and I'd love to see her get some television time at the top of this mountain for however long it stays afloat. So, let's go ahead and say this...if this person wins, she'd have a rivalry waiting in either Gail Kim or Roxxy right off the bat, which would be very interesting to say the least.

WINNER: Talia Madison

Fight for the Right Match for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
This one I do not expect someone new to emerge from here as the #1 Contender. Contrary to what I hope will happen in the Knockouts match, there's one name that will probably be in this match that will most likely win it, and get the next shot at the November PPV. Why? Simple. He has a history with both members of the main event of this PPV, and TNA's creative team is even less imaginative than WWE's, if that's humanly possible, and this man's name is too damn simple not to put in as #1 contender. ALTHOUGH, if Jeff Jarrett puts his name in the mix, then something may come to pass, but I doubt it's going to happen, so let's go ahead and say this.

WINNER: Abyss

2 out of 3 Falls Tables Match
The STEINER BROTHERS vs. TEAM 3D
Is it me, or does the world actually care about this feud anymore? It's been off and on again like a bad rash for months. And, the table spot's been done in this feud already ad nauseum, so this match isn't going to end it, by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, I'd be happy to see the Steiners, but are they heels or faces? Is 3D heels or faces? Do the fans care? Really? I'm not sure how to answer that. I'll give the edge to 3D here just on experience alone, but honestly, both teams are going nowhere fast in TNA, from where I sit, and truthfully, that's just sad.

WINNERS: Team 3D

Special Enforcer: Matt Morgan - There Must Be A Winner
SAMOA JOE vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE
Wow, talk about a contrast. We've got a former WWE multiple time Intercontinental and tag team champion who came to TNA and won the NWA World title on two separate occasions. We've got a Samoan giant who was an icon in Ring of Honor and chose TNA instead of WWE to come in figuring he'd be a major player in the company for a long time to come. Now, fast forward to the present, and he's nowhere near the world title, which he's never won, and hasn't shown much of a damn thing in the past few months, which relegated him back to this midcard feud with Cage and his cronies alongside Junior "Rikishi" Fatu. You tell me who's going to be the pissed off one, here. Because I see it as plain as the nose on my cold as hell face right now. Joe's got to be insanely upset at his stature in TNA, and I suspect when his contract is up, whenever it is, he'll walk. I suspect Cage will win this match too, further bottoming out Joe's status in TNA, and probably starting a feud with Matt Morgan in the process, which is absolute gold, isn't it? Joe vs. All the WWE cast offs = ratings and PPV buys. Right? Yeah. Ok. Whatever.

WINNER: Christian Cage

Ultimate X Match
The LATIN AMERICAN XCHANGE vs. TRIPLE X (Senshi & Elix Skipper)
TNA's signature gimmick match with two teams going absolutely nowhere. LAX has never been the same since Konann's departure, which annoys me to no end because they should be ruling the tag team division alongside Triple X, which has been absolutely lost since reforming. Tell me one legitimate feud that Triple X has been in since reforming, because I haven't seen it. Not to mention the fact that this match has gotten little to absolutely no publicity through IMPACT or TNAwrestling.com, and you put in the fact that these four men are going to go through hell in this match for virtually nothing. Yeah, maybe the winners get a shot at the tag straps, but let's be honest, here, is that viable for TNA? Heh. It would be for a normal person booking this, but this is TNA, We Are Wrestling. Is it? Excuse me, I have to go puke now.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. LAX win the match because they have more to gain than Triple X. Why? Because it's simple. XXX has become Daniels' personal vehicle, and nothing much more. LAX can actually move to another feud, and possibly challenge for the belts. I don't see that in XXX's future.

WINNERS: The Latin American XChange

Man this column is hard to write. Is it the icicles forming on my fingers, or the fact that this card has the potential to be God awful? I don't know.

TNA World Tag Team Championship Match
Team PACMAN vs. AJ STYLES & TOMKO
This one is so damn obvious its scary. Jones is done after this PPV, he's said it to anyone who would listen. And as much as I despise the team of Styles & Tomko, this is a glorified handicap match as Jones can't get physical, and against these two athletes, Killings is going to get killed. End of story. AJ Styles & Tomko as the new TNA World Tag Team Champions. Sounds about as promising as eating a barbed wire baseball bat shot.

WINNERS: AJ Styles & Tomko

TNA X Division Championship
JAY LETHAL vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS
I'm glad Daniels is in this match because this is his specialty, being a member of the X Division, but isn't it true a while back that Daniels said he wanted no part of the X Division, and was solely focusing on the World title during his brush with Sting after his rebirth? Ah, sorry, my bad. TNA TNA TNA. Lethal wins, because like I said about Triple X, they have no clue what they're doing with them in creative, and this will be a further example of the lack of direction of a major tag team within this company.

WINNER: Jay Lethal

TNA World Heavyweight Championship
KURT ANGLE vs. STING
Under perfect circumstances, this should be a dream match. It should be a PPV match of epic proportions. But it's not. It's been done already on free television, and with Angle's outside the ring difficulties, and the inclusion of family in to this feud, there's no clue how this cluster is going to play out. Like I said in the beginning of this, Angle has to lose the belt for the good of the company. I'm sorry, but personality and all politics aside, TNA is going to be in major hot water if they have their champion going in to a court room to answer the charges against Angle, and I don't think they can deal with that at present. Sting winning is the best for business, and that's pathetic to say this, because this type of a match should be picked on wrestling skills, not outside circumstances, and there's no way that it can be solely on wrestling skills. Period.

WINNER: Sting

Thanks for reading, guys. Here's the links.

My blog.

My email.

See you.

NOTE: The opinions of this column do not reflect those of the administration of this website