Today’s random Stitch review comes courtesy of TNA and their 2006 ppv Lockdown, the main intrigue to me with this show is oooh steel cages. I’m going into this with more knowledge of the promotion than I did going into their first episode (see review here). 2006 was a good time for TNA a stacked roster was only set to be bolstered by Kurt Angle in the coming months. The card is stacked with TNA royalty and headlined with Christian Cage defending his NWA World title against Abyss and one I’m particularly excited for AJ Styles, Rhino, Ron Killings & Sting v America’s Most Wanted, Jeff Jarrett & Scott Steiner.

Lockdown 2006 show was live from Universal studios in Orlando and our commentary team are Mike Tenay & Don West. The show starts with the usual video package hyping the show before Tenay welcomes us to Lockdown and introduces the excellent six sides of steel. We go straight into the opening match entrances.

Team Japan (Black Tiger, Hirooki Goto & Minoru) v Team USA (Alex Shelley, Jay Lethal & Sonjay Dutt)

Summary: This match serves as a preview for the upcoming World X Cup (a tournament held by TNA that showcases the X-Division talent in teams of their country, featuring talent from other companies such as NJPW and Dragon Gate). Shelley & Minoru start us off and trade offence with Minoru taking the upper hand before tagging in Black Tiger. The match is using tag in tag out rules as the people on the outside squash themselves against the cage walls. Alex Shelley manages to take Tiger down with an impressive hurricanrana and backbreaker before Lethal makes the blind tag. The commentary are really focusing on Shelley’s issues with his team.

All three men of team USA work on Black Tiger and hit a codebreaker/moonsault combination which I’ve got to say looked out of this world, the crowd pops pretty big for this. Team USA are fully in control as they work on Black Tiger with some impressive double team moves from Shelley & Dutt, the match slows a bit here until Team Mexico (Shocker, Puma & Magno) make their presence known at the top of the ramp.

Team Japan take control as they hit a triple dropkick on to the head of Dutt before Shelley makes the save, Dutt is thrown into the turnbuckle and worked over in the corner of Team Japan. After Goto applies a boston crab, which is broken up by Shelley, Tiger tags in hitting some brutal chops and shots, then, Dutt hits another hurricanrana before making the hot tag to Jay Lethal. Lethal hits a great looking leg lariat on Tiger but is eventually taken down by a suplex from Goto.

After Lethal reverses a lariat Team USA all enter the ring hitting corner attacks culminating with Alex Shelley hitting a frog splash for two. Shelley then hits an enziguri into a german suplex from Lethal that gets another two, Dutt then hits a standing moonsault for another two count.

Minoru and Lethal face off in the middle of the ring as Minoru locks in his signature arm breaker which is broken up by Sonjay Dutt. Black Tiger tags in to work on the arm but Lethal fights back against both Minoru and Goto with help from Shelley who drops Minoru right on his head with a roll through. Dutt goes for a cutter on Goto but Shelley accidentally kicks him, this allows Black Tiger to hit a tiger suplex on Lethal for the three.

Winners: Black Tiger, Hirooki Goto & Minoru

Stitch’s Rating: 6.75/10. This was a really solid first match that did a really good job of showing off and hyping up the talent for the World X Cup, every man got to shine and despite a slowed middle the match had some beautiful spots. My one gripe would be the cage stipulation, I don’t feel like it was utilised in the match and hindered the wrestlers at times. The match was a fun start and a good showcase for both the TNA X-Division talents and the Team Japan Superstars.

Don West and Mike Tenay run down the card, before sending us to Jeremy Borash with Team 3D. JB takes some time to sell toys before interviewing Team 3D. Bubba Ray promises to end the war against Team Canada, he says tonight is about pride and respect for your country; he makes a WWE dig before saying he would rather work for them than listen to the canadian national anthem. D-Von testifies with spike before they leave. This is of course setting up the Anthem match where the loser has to listen to the others national anthem, thrilling stuff I’m sure.

Christopher Daniels v Mystery Opponent

Summary: Daniels makes his entrance as his mystery opponent is revealed to be Senshi (fka Low-Ki), I look forward to this as these two guys can definitely go so lets see what we get inside the cage. The two men face off before Senshi hits a devastating chop before teeing off on Daniels. Senshi wastes no time throwing Daniels into the cage before the two swap offence on the ropes then Daniels takes control with some vicious back elbows.

Senshi hits some really stiff kicks (like Low Ki ever does anything else) before targeting Daniels mid section. This is a full on brawl as Daniels keeps trying to fight back with stiff punches but Senshi always brings him back to the mat with stiff kicks. Senshi tries a couple of pins most notably from a suplex whilst the fans point blank refuse to call Senshi anything but Low Ki. The two stars trade chops in a wonderful chop off before Senshi hits a brutal double chop.

Senshi gets a two with the double stomp which looked so amazingly brutal, god was Low Ki great when he was up for it! Senshi locks in a bear hug on the mat getting a two count in the process. Daniels eventually fights out with some elbows but is once again brought down with a double drop kick; Daniels finally gets some offence in with an enziguri and a fierce suplex into the cage for a two. Daniels gets another two with the blue thunder driver as both men go close with two counts.

Daniels is thrown into the cage first from a sidestep as he charged and then with a double drop kick from Senshi but another two count denies Senshi. Daniels managed to reverse some vicious chops from Senshi with a phenomenal death valley driver before following up with the best moonsault ever for a very, very close 2 and a near fall. This match is incredible as both men fight on the top rope, Daniels slams Senshi into the cage before going for Angels Wings, Senshi reverses and goes for a double stomp which is also reversed. Oh my this is incredible I just love these two wrestlers!!

The match ends with Senshi reversing the Angels Wings with a suplex using his feet on the ropes for leverage to get the three.

Winner: Senshi

Stitch’s Rating: 8/10. Wow this was good! These two, at this time, were just on another level and once again they showcased this here, Low Ki’s return to TNA was great even if the name change was slightly pointless. I adored this match, the psychology was on point as both men showcased just how good they were, they played off their previous stories well and they felt so evenly matched. It was fierce and brutal and I just loved it.

We go to the back with JB, he’s talking to BG James, Bullet Bob Armstrong and Kip James about the upcoming arm wrestling match against Konnan (because of course there’s an arm wrestling match) where the loser gets ten lashes. After telling Konnan he’s going to have his arm smashed through the table, many lashing jokes are made before we head into the next match.

Konnan v Bullet Bob Armstrong (Arm Wrestling Match)

Summary: This “Match” comes from Konnan turning heel and starting LAX I believe, I know Konnan was injured at this point something that led to his exit in TNA. A music video airs catching us up on the story before Konnan, flanked by LAX, cuts a promo on Armstrong. He calls the crowd a bunch of losers like “old man” Bullet Bob. Konnan riles up the crowd by saying he bmatch.0 15 Orlando “punk’s” last night before offering out the entire Orlando crowd, this was brilliant work from Konnan, he’s so great at these angry heel promo’s, especially with winding the crowd up.

The James Gang make their entrance as we begin our arm wrestling contest, we play see-saw as Konnan continues to pretty much cut a promo on Bullet Bob which is hilarious. After a painful amount of back and forth and strained acting Bullet Bob wins the contest. LAX now gets 10 lashes each as BG James takes great pleasure in saying take your positions about five times. After a painfully slow paced first three lashes the rest are given out as LAX try to escape. This was painful although admittedly not as painful as ten lashes I guess, BG James’ commentary over the top was even more painful so I’ll be happy if I never have to see this again.

We cut to JB backstage with America’s Most Wanted, Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett. Larry Zybysko (who has been trying to find out about a special announcement all night) appears but Jarrett quickly trashes him and sends him on his way with a lovely, unnecessary screwjob reference. Each member of the team take time to trash team Sting in all very similar ways but we do get a James Storm Sorry About Your Damn Luck which I always pop for and Scott Steiner being well Scott Steiner, no clue what he said but always entertaining.

Petey Williams v Elix Skipper v Chris Sabin v Shark Boy v Chase Stevens v Puma (Xscape Steel Cage)

Summary: The next match is a Xscape match which means it’s pinfall or submission till we have two superstars left and the winner will be crowned when they escape the cage. So the match begins with two wrestlers and the rest on the apron, this does slightly confuse me but maybe I’m too fond of chaos and I just want steel cage fighty fighty between six men all at once. The crowd are really behind Shark Boy here as he tussles with both Petey Williams and then Puma. Shark Boy hits a hurricanrana and the missile dropkick, both from the top rope, on Puma.

Our first elimination is Shark Boy as Petey Williams hits an always wonderful Canadian Destroyer. Petey Williams and Chris Sabin now face off with Sabin flying into the cage. We finally get some chaos as the match breaks down and everybody jumps in with finishers galore, Chase Stevens hits an alabama slammer on Williams before Skipper hits the sudden death on Puma.

Chase Stevens hits a genuinely terrifying shooting star press from the top of the cage where no one seems to catch him, Stevens literally lands on his face and ooh that was bad. Stevens then gets hit with an inverted piledriver by Skipper and we’re down to four.

Everybody goes for Sabin, who manages to fight his way out, Skipper is eliminated with a roll up from Williams before Puma is eliminated by Sabin with a cradle shot. We’re down to old enemies now Chris Sabin and Petey Williams, the first person to escape wins, no more pinfalls or submissions. Both men fight on the top rope and Sabin gets his face crushed on the cage by Williams; Sabin then hits a brutal Kick whilst Williams is in a tree of Woe. Sabin is about to escape but Williams’ manager Scott D’Amore stops him allowing Williams to catch up, after exchanging punches Sabin knocks Williams off the Cage onto D’Amore’s shoulder before stealing the win by sliding to the floor himself.

Winner: Chris Sabin

Stitch’s Rating 6.75/10.This was a good match that took a little bit to get going but once it did was the right type of awesome chaos, Williams & Sabin were the standouts here as well as the crowds love for Shark Boy. Stevens nearly breaking his neck added a unwanted scarier tone to the match but all in all very solid.

We head backstage again to JB who is with James Mitchell and Abyss. Mitchell calls Christian an emotional biohazard (something he claimed was inflicted by Abyss), he calls out Christian for going off to make movies and leaving his wife vulnerable. He tells Christian that Abyss will win the NWA World Title whilst claiming Christians head will be rolling in the ring come the end of the night. Abyss makes some angry monster noises as we head into a Samoa Joe v Sabu video package.

Samoa Joe v Sabu X-Division Championship

Summary: Mike Tenay runs down Samoa Joe being undefeated as well as setting the stage for this first time ever match. The match starts in typical Sabu style as he yeet’s a steel chair at Joe, this misses. As Joe tries to take control of the match early on he gets another chair yeeted at him that this time smacks him right in the face, this still gets only a one count on the undefeated Joe. Joe manages to take control hitting Sabu with some hard kicks before throwing Sabu into the cage brutally drawing blood from the ECW legend.

Sabu retaliates with his trademark Air Sabu in the corner followed up by a chair leg drop right to Joe’s face. Sabu then sets up a chair and uses it to springboard on to the cage walls before hitting an awesome leg drop to the X-Division champion. The two men then tussle over the spike with Joe reversing into the armbreaker on Sabu’s broken arm (he has a cast on it for the match), Joe then targets the arm before Sabu tries a comeback. The crowd is really into this match with both men receiving big pops especially when Joe hits a cutter of the top rope for a very close two.

The match ends when Sabu goes for another springboard leg drop but is hit with a flying chair into a muscle buster for the three.

Winner: Samoa Joe

Stitch’s Rating. 7/10 A really enjoyable battle between two wrestlers you know can just do crazy mayhem matches. It was a big win for Joe as he continues to be unbeaten in single matches. Sabu got his time to do his trademark Sabu things and the match was paced well for a shorter match.

Back to JB where Team Canada sings O Canada and promise to leave Team 3D beaten and layed out. Scott D’Amore also takes some time to bash Team 3D and their lack of NWA tag championships before launching into the Canadian national anthem. We get more Larry Zybysko wanting to know this announcement, and by this point I’m stupidly invested in what this is now which pains me to my core.

Team Canada (A1, Eric Young & Bobby Roode) v Team 3D (Bubba Ray, D-Von & Spike Dudley)

Summary:This is essentially a caged flag match with the winners getting to play their National Anthem, although we’ve already heard O’ Canada about six times so I’m a little confused about the point but hey ho. In a hilarious twist Eric Young and Spike Dudley (known as Brother Runt in TNA) begin the match by guarding their flags like keepers, don’t know why it amused me but it really did.

The early exchanges consist of each team trying to go get their flag, being stopped and then being thrown unceremoniously into the cage. Roode & Ray have a chop off before Ray hits a beautiful Bubba Bomb on Roode from the top rope where I’m not sure who got hurt more. The match then becomes a brawl leading to a point where Ray & D-Von both stand in the middle and just hit double team moves for a silly amount of time, this leads to D-Von hitting the diving headbut on Young.

Ray climbs up to the cage and takes the American flag but as the referee has been knocked down the match continues, Young manages to put the American Flag back whilst Team Canada destroy Team 3D. D’Amore manages to get his hands on the keys to the cage after knocking out security with a steel chair and he sends in a table which Eric Young ends up going through when he misses Spike. Ray & D-Von hit the 3D on Roode and Spike claims the flag. Cue the American National Anthem and some Bubba Ray bragging and hitting D’Amore with the 3D.

Winner: Team 3D

Stitch’s Rating: 6/10. An enjoyable match that wasn’t amazing but gave us a fun brawl, the Dudley’s delivered their end and the match suited where they were in their career. You thought Team Canada would steal this one but the faces got their win and their moment.

As the crowd belt out the Star Bangled Banner, Tenay and West try to press on with hyping the rest of the show. Christy Hemme then debuts for the sole purpose to hand Tenay an envelope, for some reason. Tenay announces a review of all office personal as well as announcing a high profile individual to be hired as the new public face of TNA management. Larry Zbysko is then put on probation, Larry throws a giant strop in an epic rant about this in epic angry man style. Raven is also reinstated and makes his entrance as Zbysko throws further tantrums similar to Harry from Home Alone and then locks himself in the cage whilst Raven is escorted away.

JB has a very quick interview with Christian where Christian ignores everything he says, so solid promo here. This leads into the Christian v Abyss video package.

Christian Cage v Abyss NWA World Championship

Summary: Abyss enters with a chain and a bag (presumably full of thumb tacks), he tries to meet Cage at the ramp but Christian launches himself out of the tunnel flying into Abyss launching punches. The two brawl outside, brawling throughout the crowd. This match is a straight up war as the wrestlers return to ringside with Abyss backdropping Christian over the railing.

After Abyss bounces Christians head onto some steel steps, he tries to take Christians head off with the cage door connecting on his second try after Christian is distracted by James Mitchell. Abyss & Christian enter the cage for the first time as Abyss slowly picks Cage apart; everytime Cage even tries to muster an offence Abyss shuts him down, notably throwing him headfirst into the cage as well as squashing him with a splash.

Christian takes a brutal powerbomb to the steel cage as Abyss continues to just dominate, he hits another powerbomb to the steel cage before Christian fights back with some knife edge chops and floors Abyss with an elbow. The ref is taken out as an Abyss clothesline misses Christian who delivers an excellent DDT from the top rope but is denied by the lack of a referee. Mitchell hands Abyss his cane and the NWA title but Christian reverses into the unprettier. Abyss kicks out, just, at two and the match continues.

Christian then hits a picture perfect Frog Splash from the top of the cage but still only gets two, Abyss goes for the thumbtacks and covers part of the ring. Christian fights back using Mitchells cane against Abyss before once again going to the top of the cage, Abyss chokeslams the referee into the side of the cage knocking Christian off. The two meet at the top of the cage as Christian hits a sunset flip onto the thumb tacks. A replacement referee enters the cage but Abyss kicks out again.

Abyss hits the black hole slam when Christian goes for a title shot to the head but this time Christian kicks out at two. These two are hitting each other with absolutely everything here! Christian then reverses the chokeslam into a unprettier onto the tacks! Both men writhe in pain as Christian goes for the cover and gets three.

Winner: Christian Cage

Stitch’s Rating: 8/10. This was my kind of cage match, a good monster v underdog match that showcased the best of these men. Christian looked like a star here and Abyss like a near unbeatable monster. Really well worked violence that was just brilliant. They gave this match time and boy did they deliver with an all out war.

Following the match Christian makes his way back into the cage, he targets Mitchell but Abyss attacks punching Christian with the chain wrapped around his hand before choking him on the outside. Christian is busted open as he takes this brutal beatdown. Abyss steals the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and departs. Backstage JB interviews Team Sting before they main event. Ron Killings sings, AJ Styles promises they will not let Sting down and Rhino promises to make Jarrett and friends feel pain before launching into a Gore chant. We get a wooo it’s showtime folks from Sting so lets do this.

Sting, AJ Styles, Ron Killings & Rhino v Jeff Jarrett, America’s Most Wanted (James Storm & Chris Harris) & Scott Steiner Lethal Lockdown.

Summary: AJ Styles and Chris Harris will start us off. We’ll get the next participant in five minutes, war games style, and the match cannot be won till everybody is in the ring. Harris and Styles trade off shots in the early stages, both men are thrown into the cage in the first three minutes as Harris tries to take control. Team Jarrett will have the next man after winning the coin toss.

Styles is able to take control with a minute left, yeeting Harris into the ring several times before Harris hits the catatonic which Styles sells brilliantly. Styles responds with a Styles clash before we get our next participant Harris’ partner James Storm. AJ Styles dropkicks the door before Storm can enter but it only hits Gail Kim on the outside. Storm continues the domination of Styles who is now busted open.

Rhino is next out and sprints full pelt into the ring evening up the participants. Rhino runs rampant on the members of AMW before missing the Gore on James Storm sending Rhino flying into the cage. Next out is Jeff Jarrett himself who is met on the ramp by first Rhino and then AJ Styles who beat down Jarrett on the outside before tossing him into the ring. Team Jarrett take control of the match whilst we await the next member of Team Sting.

Ron Killings is next evening up the odds for his team, he takes on all three member of Team Jarrett hitting the trademark leg lariat and what’s up. Finally for Team Jarrett we have Scott Steiner (for his TNA in ring debut) but not before a suplex powerbomb tower of doom involving all men which, I think, Styles gets the worst of being on the top. That looked brutal!

Steiner destroys Team Sting, delivering another nasty bump for AJ Styles who is body slammed into the cage once again. Team Jarrett lay waste to their competition as we await Sting. Finally Sting makes his entrance and the match is on, he takes on all four members of Team Jarrett sending everyone flying into the cage. The atomic drop rocks Steiner before Sting stacks the entire team up in the corner to deliver a mega Stinger Splash not once but twice.

The roof is now lowered onto the cage which signals the official start of the match, next submission or pin will win the match. There are weapons hanging from the roof of the cage which I think is very cool! Whilst I get excited about hanging weapons Styles and Storm have climbed to the top of the cage, Storm sets up a table on top of the ring because YAY TABLES! Whilst this happens Sting and Jarrett have a guitar off but Sting discards his guitar for a baseball bat, Steiner saves Jarrett from a guitar shot.

Meanwhile, AJ Styles climbs a bloody ladder, on top of the cage, hangs on the cables over the cage before dropping onto Storm through the table in what could be one of my favourite spots ever. My god this is soooo awesome and the crowd agrees.

Back in the ring it’s time for a finisher bonanza as Jarrett plants Killings on a chair, Rhino hits a Gore, Sting hits the Scorpion death drop and then Harris puts Sting in the Scorpion Death Lock, Sting managed to grab the ankle to reverse into his own scorpion death lock for the tap out victory.

Winners: Team Sting

Stitch’s Rating: 8/10. Wow this was a good match, as these matches tend to be, it was slow to start but it has to be for the wrestlers going the distance. The final ten minutes once the match had begun were incredible and this was such a good match. Styles hitting that table spot on the roof of the cage was just phenomenal in every way. Great match.

Final Thoughts: This was, all in all, a really solid event, I was a bit dubious about the stipulation of the event but on the whole it worked pretty well. The highlight matches for me were Christopher Daniels v Senshi, Samoa Joe v Sabu, Christian Cage v Abyss and the Lethal Lockdown Main event. Overall a really well built and enjoyable card! If you haven’t seen it I strongly recommend you do especially as it’s free on TNA’s Youtube. Final Rating 7/10.