Predictions from the Faculty Lounge
PPV: TNA Destination X (March 15)
Written by: Anthony J. Valvo
Predictions by: WrestleView.com columnists and recappers (mentioned below)
Hello once again my students. I am Anthony J. Valvo, WrestleView.com’s certified teacher and author of the column ?From the Desk of Mr. V? Seems like it has been forever since the faculty has done these predictions, so I will give the class an overview on the standings so far, in which the winner will receive the title ?Dean of WrestleView.com. I am doing the standings based on wins only. So, without further notice, here are the standings as of now (with their column name next to the name, if you have not read any of these columns, I assign the class to read these columns).
Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa)….10 wins 2 losses
Matt O?Brien (Notes From the Nosebleeds) ….9 wins 3 losses
WrestleView.com Fans (Based on Average W-L records)….9 wins 3 losses
David Stephens (That’s a Wrap/ECW Recapper)….8 wins 4 losses
Anthony ?Mr. V? Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V)….7 wins 5 losses
Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza!/TNA Recapper)….6 wins 6 losses
Sean Hurley (The Sharp Shooter)….6 wins 6 losses
Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)….5 wins 7 losses
Phil Chroniger (On Second Thought)….4 wins 3 losses
We also have two new faculty members, and they both must be acknowledged, so I welcome to the faculty the following:
Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)
Mike Klubnik (Stylin? & Profilin?)
The faculty members absent this week:
Joe Baiamonte – Mr. TNA from Against all Odds (he was undefeated) did not make predictions this week, so I expect perfection with his calls for WrestleMania.
Sean Hurley – Politely turned down making picks today.
Before the predictions are made by our wonderful staff here, we would like to express our condolences to Andrew ?Test? Martin, who passed away at the age of 33 last week. He was one of those ?great young talents? in the WWE during the latter ends of the Attitude era and will be truly missed by the wrestling world. My fondest memory of Test would probably be his huge push involving the marriage between him and Stephanie McMahon. Only to be foiled by HHH and DX (so much for push after that). But still, the man was an upper-mid card talent throughout his young career and should be acknowledged for it. If you have not read Jim Ross? comments on Mr. Martin’s passing, check it out. It proved that he was really turning his life around, only to have what seems like the professional wrestler’s ?unhappy ending?.
Alright, so without further delay, here are our predictions for each TNA match for Destination X. There are eight matches in this PPV, so the win totals are expected to increase. If you want to make predictions, please e-mail me before the pay-per-view at mistervwv@yahoo.com and the student with the highest winning percentage in picks will receive the famous ?Mr. V Gold Star? in an upcoming addition of ?From the Desk of Mr. V?.
TNA World Championship: Sting (c) vs. Kurt Angle (Special Referee: Jeff Jarrett; Special Ring Enforcer: Mick Foley)
David S. – Kurt Angle
Anthony V. – Kurt Angle wins the title. I think Jeff gets laid out, Mick Foley turns on Sting and will give Kurt the pinfall win.
Josh B. – Kurt regains his belt and Mick turns on Stinger and Jeff in the process setting up a huge showdown between the two rivals next month.
Jose M. – I am not sure why I am picking this way. There is a part of me that feels there will be a swerve of some kind I even for some reason wouldn?t be surprised to see Sting swerve everyone and sticks with Angle have Foley join the main event mafia but I think TNA realizes fans want to cheer Sting so I am going to give Angle the duke here.
Phil C. – Kurt Angle wins the title via Foley turn, thus turning Sting back into a face (where he belongs).
Mike K. – Kurt Angle defeats Sting via pinfall for the win
Doug L. – Kurt Angle in either a very boring match or a very intriguing scenario… Foley turning on Sting and Jarrett.
Consensus: The faculty predicts a title change here in a romp, giving Kurt Angle a 7-0 edge over the current TNA Champion Sting. Also, according to the staff, expect a Mick Foley heel turn in route to a Sting vs. Mick Foley main event for Lockdown.
TNA X Division Championship: Alex Shelley (c) vs. Chris Sabin vs. Jay Lethal vs. Consequences Creed vs. Suicide (*cough* Christopher Daniels) (Ultimate X Match)
David S. – Suicide with the upset
Anthony V. – This match should obviously steal the show by the way. I say after an intense 15-25 minute match, Alex Shelley defends the belt successfully.
Josh B. – The fighting champion, Alex Shelley, retains his belt in what should be an amazing match.
Jose M. – Suicide wins the X Division Title. I wouldn?t be surprised to see Shelley retain but I feel like TNA wants to debut this character with some steam behind him. Plus I am a big mark for the work of Christopher Daniels the man under the hood of Suicide.
Phil C. – Alex Shelley retains
Mike K. – Suicide wins the X-Division Title
Doug L. – Chris Sabin in a typical tag team implosion during the “Ultimate Wire Climbing Competition”
Consensus: I believe that there is no advantage here, with Alex Shelley receiving 3 votes to retain. Also in the mix according to the best staff in professional wrestling are Suicide, who actually picked up 3 votes and Chris Sabin with 1 vote. The one thing that we can all agree is that the belt will NOT be awarded to anyone in the Lethal Consequences camp. So, at the end of this great match, we expect to see either a Motor City Machinegun claim the belt, a man guy in a bodysuit and mask that came from a video game win the title belt. Heck, at least Christopher Daniels will win a title for the first time in a while.
TNA Tag Team Championship: Beer Money Inc. (c) vs. Team 3D (Off the Wagon Challenge Rules Apply. If 3D is pinned, they are fired)
David S. – Team 3D
Anthony V. – Team 3D wins the match by DQ, Beer Money retains. I think this is the only way to go because it keeps the titles on the better tag team and no one get fired.
Josh B. – Beer Money wins and Team 3D is gone! There have rumors for months about 3D possibly jumping to the ‘E’ it could be time! I’m going out on a limb here lol.
Jose M. – Lets face it whether it be by DQ, Count Out or otherwise 3D is not getting fired.
Phil C. – 3D wins by DQ, Beer Money retains
Mike K. – Team 3D wins via DQ
Doug L. – Team 3D by DQ, no title change. Typical resolution to such a convoluted premise.
Consensus: Say what you want, we almost unanimously predict that Team 3D will win this contest 6-1. However, most of us, if not all of us, believe that the tag belts will stay with Roode and the guy who rides a boozer cruiser (which I have to get one of those). Mr. TNA Josh Boutwell thinks that this is a good way for Team 3D is leave the company and go back to the WWE, so anything is possible in this match. However according to the faculty, do not expect a title changing hands tonight in the tag team division.
TNA Legend’s Championship: Booker T (c) vs. AJ Styles
David S. – AJ Styles for the win
Anthony V. – Booker T defends, pins AJ with a little help from his queen, Sharmell.
Josh B. – AJ gains his revenge on the Bookerman and wins the Legends Belt.
Jose M. – I think AJ and Booker can have a long term program and for that to happen Book has to get the win here.
Phil C. – Booker retains via outside interference (either Sharmell or MEM).
Mike K. – Booker T defeats AJ Styles via pinfall
Doug L. – Booker winning a pointless match for a revamped “Million Dollar Belt”
Consensus: Booker T will defend his Legends Championship by a score of 5-2. We had some good feedback with this one and it will not surprise us if AJ Styles dominates in most of the match, only to have the match stolen by the Main Event Mafia. So, according to the faculty, expect two scenarios with one of them being correct. 1) Booker T wins with a little help from his friends or 2) AJ gaining revenge. We do agree that this has the makings of a months-long feud and should be exciting to see this all play out.
TNA Knockout’s Championship: Awesome Kong (c) vs. Sojo Bolt
David S. – Awesome Kong
Anthony V. – This match won’t last seven minutes, but I am going to probably go majority here and say Kong defends the belt. I don’t think Bolt is strong enough, push wise, to win the title yet.
Josh B. – Kong retains the belt over the young (yet impressive so far) Sojo Bolt. Kong is injured but I don’t think Sojo is the right girl to take the strap.
Jose M. – I think Kong has had the strap long enough and injuries have limited her and you can tell TNA management is hoping to get fans behind Sojo. It’s her time to shine.
Phil C. – Kong, but expect a load of interference
Mike K. – Kong defeats Bolt via pinfall
Doug L. – Kong retains… period… ’nuff said…
Consensus: Only Jose Marrero believes in Sojo Bolt, with Awesome Kong taking our votes by a score of 6-1. While some of us think that Bolt will be a player for the title for the upcoming months, it is just too soon for Bolt to become champion. It does appear, however, that Sojo will be champion before years end, but not tonight. I am sure though that not a lot of us would be surprised if Sojo does win, due to Kong’s recent injuries.
Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner
David S. – Samoa Joe
Anthony V. – Joe is gonna kill him on Sunday. Expect a Samoa Joe near squash match.
Josh B. – I agree with Anthony, the fans are going to chant “Joe’s gonna kill you” and Joe will oblige them with a massacre. Should be bloody too.
Jose M. – Samoa Joe over Scott Steiner. Duh that should be a no brainer for anyone watching TNA right now.
Phil C. – Joe…not a total squash, but he will dominate.
Mike K. – Joe defeats Steiner via submission
Doug L. – Joe in a handful of minutes… more time will be spent on introductions, ramp-walking, pre-match hype and trying to get Scott’s arms to bend.
Consensus: By a score of 7-0 in favor of Joe, the faculty has one thing to say to Big Poppa Pump (possibly the weakest link in the Main Event Mafia): Expect a lot of ?Joe is gonna kill you..? chants at the Impact Zone tonight.
Abyss vs. Matt Morgan (10,000 tacks match)
David S. – Matt Morgan
Anthony V. – Matt Morgan wins this one. Abyss will have his usual distractions. Perhaps a visit by Dr. Stevie in the Impact zone? That is my guess.
Josh B. – Abyss gets his revenge in ‘his’ match, should be a great ‘garbage wrestling’ match and possible appearance from Stevie Richards.
Jose M. – I picked Matt last month and was burned I doubt he is doing the J-O-B two months in a row to Abyss.
Phil C. – Matt Morgan will win, and Abyss will bump and sell like crazy.
Mike K. – Abyss defeats Matt Morgan
Doug L. – Morgan… odds are 4:1 that Abyss actually lands ON the tacks.
Consensus: Matt Morgan easily gets the victory according to the faculty by a score of 5-2. We expect a ton of Abyss bumps tonight, this guy is the King of Tacks. Like Jose mentioned, most of us do not think that Morgan is going to JOB twice in a row to Abyss. However, do not be surprised if Abyss wins yet again in his specialty match. Also, do not be surprised of we get an appearance by ?Dr. Stevie? tonight.
Beautiful People & Madison Rayne vs. Taylor Wilde, Roxxi, and ?The Governor (*cough* Daffney)
David S. – Beautiful People & Madison Rayne
Anthony V. – The bathroom break of the PPV. I still think Cute Kip will be a factor and the Beautiful People and Madison Rayne win over the face knockouts.
Josh B. – Should be a solid Knockouts match especially since Rhaka Khan isn’t involved, BP & Rayne pick up the win prolly with a lil cheatery.
Jose M. – Beautiful People win there 6 knockout match. This match could go either way so I will just root for my personal faves here.
Phil C. – Beautiful People
Mike K. – Beautiful People and Madison
Doug L. – Face girls with Daffney finishing it… my god… my head hurts looking at this card…
Consensus: Though this does have the potential to be a decent match, we still give the upper hand to the Beautiful People and Madison Rayne in a 6-1 outcome. We expect outside interference to come to play and the heel knockouts will obviously get the upper hand, with the help of newcomer Madison Rayne along the way.
**Updated at 1:30PM EST**
The ?Dean? of the Faculty Joe Baiamonte added his predictions for Destination X after the faculty adjourned. After much though, I think he deserves to defend his title in an honorable matter:
?Dean? Baiamonte’s predictions (based on the e-mail he sent me):
Time for the defending champion to make his predictions;
TNA DESTINATION X CARD
TNA World Championship Match: Kurt Angle Vs. Sting. Jeff Jarrett special ref. Mick Foley enforcer
Prediction: Angle wins. Foley probably turns heel as well. (updated faculty picks: Angle 8, Sting 0)
TNA Legends Championship Match: Booker T vs. AJ Styles
Prediction: AJ wins the Title. (updated faculty picks: Booker T 5, AJ Styles 3)
TNA Tag Team Championship “Off the Wagon Challenge”: Team 3D vs. Beer Money, Inc.
Prediction: Off the wagon challenge? Jesus. Erm… I’m gonna go with Beer Money Inc winning this one. (updated faculty picks: Team 3D 6, Beer Money Inc. 2)
TNA X Division Title Match “Ultimate X Match”: Shelley vs. Sabin vs. Lethal vs. Creed vs. Suicide (*cough* Christopher Daniels)
Prediction: I’m all at sea on this one. I’m gonna take a wild guess at Suicide winning it. (updated faculty picks: Suicide 4, Alex Shelly 3, Chris Sabin 1)
TNA Knockout’s Division Championship: Awesome Kong vs. Sojo Bolt
Prediction: Kong. (updated faculty picks: Kong 7, Sojo 1)
Samoa Joe vs. Scott Steiner
Prediction: Joe wins. If he jobs to Scott Steiner it’s a travesty. (updated faculty picks: Samoa Joe 8, Steiner 0)
10,000 tacks Match: Abyss vs. Matt Morgan
Prediction: Do they actually count all the thumbtacks? Either way… Morgan takes this one. (updated faculty predictions: Morgan 6, Abyss 2)
Beautiful People/Madison Rayne vs. Roxxi/Taylor Wilde/”Governor” (Daffney)
Prediction:Erm… Beautiful People I guess. (updated faculty picks: B.P. and Rayne 7, Roxxi/Taylor/Gov. 1)
I’m thinking my position as Dean is going to be in serious jeopardy after this event.
So, my students, so ends another exciting edition of ?Predictions of the Faculty?. If you want to debate the faculty and if you think if you scholars can do better, e-mail the resident WrestleView teacher at mistervwv@yahoo.com. I look forward to reading your picks. If your predictions exceed out picks, you will be mentioned in the column ?F rom the Desk of Mr. V? this Thursday. Thank you all for reading our picks, and I personally want to thank the columnists who came on board for this project. Until the next batch of wrestling predictions (WRESTLEMANIA!!!!), thanks for attending class on your day off. You are…DISMISSED!