The following is a flashback to Jason Powell's live coverage review of the April 13, 2008 TNA Lockdown pay-per-view. Join us on Sunday night for live coverage of the 2014 TNA Lockdown. Dot Net Members can look forward to an exclusive audio review after the show. Join them the ad-free version of the website now via Dot Net Members' Signup Page.

TNA Lockdown
Live from Lowell, Massachusetts
Aired live on pay-per-view

Before the show went on the air, TNA owner Dixie Carter was introduced. She got in the ring and thanked the fans for coming, according to a pair of readers who are in attendance.

The pay-per-view opened with Mike Tenay standing inside the caged ring. He stressed that Samoa Joe's career is on the line in the cage match against Kurt Angle...

A video focussed on the six sides of steel cage. The narrator spoke on behalf of the cage. "I have no heart, I have no soul. And you mortals cannot conquer me. Here I stand tall and erect, and brave men quiver and fall at my feet."

Butthead's POV: He said tall and erect.

Tenay welcomed viewers to the show. Fireworks exploded on the entrance stage. Don West stood in the crowd and asked fans whether Angle or Joe would win the TNA Title match. West turned it over to Jeremy Borash, who was standing in the upper deck. He asked viewers the same question about the title match...

At ringside, Tenay explained the rules of the Xscape match. The match starts with regular eliminations. Once it's down to two men, the first person to escape the cage wins the match and the X Division Title...

1. Jay Lethal defeated Johnny Devine and Sonjay Dutt and Curry Man and Consequences Creed and Shark Boy in an Xscape match for the X Division Title in 10:30. Before the match, Devine spat his gum at a fan and then set up a video camera at ringside. Some cool spots early with Lethal and Dutt performing tag moves, followed by Curry and Shark doing the same.

Devin rolled up Dutt for the pin at 2:45. Creed pinned Shark Boy at 4:30. The announcers noted that Dutt remained at ringside "to cheer on" Lethal. There were several shots of SoCal Val at ringside. At 6:30, Curry moonsaulted off the top off the cage onto Creed and Devine. Cool spot. Curry pinned Creed at 7:10. At 8:30, Devine hit Devine Intervention on Curry.

The match came down to Machiso and Devine. The challenger removed the tape from his own wrists and taped Machismo to the top rope. Devine tried to exit through the cage door, but Sonjay wouldn't let him leave through the door. Sonjay just happened to have a pair of scissors with him and he cut Lethal free just in time for him to dive through the open cage door before Devine could get over the top of the cage.

Powell's POV: Silly finish, but good action in the match. Get ready for another month of Sonjay cock-blocking Machismo.

Backstage, Borash interviewed Frank Trigg, who put over Angle's experience in big matches. He predicted that Joe will be able to hang for a while, but said Angle will win the fight. Trigg said Joe could beat Angle, but added, "I could become President of the United States"...

2. Roxxi Laveaux defeated Angelina Love and Traci Brooks and Christy Hemme and Jacqueline and Salinas and Velvet Sky and Rhaka Khan in a Queen of the Cage match at 5:30. The women start at ringside and the goal is to be one of the first two inside the cage. Once in the cage, the two women will have a match to determine the number one contender for the TNA Knockouts Title.

Love and Roxxi climbed the cage within two minutes and started their singles match. Love dominated the opening minutes of the match. The crowd rallied behind Roxxi by chanting her name. Roxxi came back and hit the Voodoo Drop for the clean pin. Short match. The singles match lasted roughly 3:30.

Powell's POV: Quick and painless all around. They need to build up Roxxi somehow if they expect anyone to take her seriously in a match against Awesome Kong.

Backstage, a new female blond interviewer Lauren interviewed Samoa Joe. The usual Joe interview. The same stuff he's been saying for weeks...

A pre-taped video with Kip James and a tiger aired. Then a pre-taped B.G. James video aired. He was standing behind a fence at a softball field...

3. B.G. James beat Kip James in 6:45. James entered to the old 3LK music minus Ron Killings's vocals. All Kip early. Four minutes into the match, West wanted someone to throw in the towel. He changed his tune when BG kicked out of the Fameasser, which they referred to by name.

Late in the match, Kip, who has claimed in shoot interviews that he hates Shawn Michaels, started tuning up the band for Sweet Chin Music. He went for the superkick, but BG ducked it and rolled up Kip for the win. Afterward, BG and Kip shook hands. Kip raised BG's hand and then clotheslined him. He stood over BG and performed the DX chop...

Powell's POV: Forgettable match and a totally predictable post-match attack.

A pre-taped segment with Borash interviewing Angle. Kurt stared into space while he cut a promo. "Joe, tonight it's not only about business," Angle said. "It's personal, it's very personal... I need to beat you. I need to end your career... It's not only about winning or losing, it's about Survival. Angle then looked into the camera for the first time. Strange promo...

During the ring introductions for the next tag team handcuff match, the cameras cut backstage to show Black Reign and Rellik attacking Eric Young. Gee, I wonder what will happen now...

4. Eric Young and Kaz beat Scott Steiner and Petey Williams, The Motor City Machine Guns, LAX, Black Reign and Rellik, and Rock-n-Rave Infection in a handcuff gimmick match in 12:00. The goal of this match is to avoid being handcuffed to the cage. No, really. Petey has his own Steiner-like shades and head dress, but no blond hair. Steiner flipped off a fan during his entrance. Another fan who was along the guardrail flipped off Steiner. The man probably doesn't realize how close he came to dying. Steiner kept his cool and instead spouted off a bunch of expletives.

The wrestlers all teamed up on Steiner and handcuffed him to the side of the cage. A wounded Young walked out, but Rellik and Reign scared him away. Later, Hoyt chokeslammed Frankie off the top. The match came down to the Infection and the monsters. The crowd chanted for Super Eric and they got their wish.

Young climbed to the top of the cage and jumped on the four heels, who just kind of stood there and let it happen for no good reason. The monsters had Young trapped in the corner and went to handcuff him, but he managed to handcuff Rellik. He hit his finisher on Reign and got the win. Afterward, he broke Kaz free by breaking his cuffs with his bare hands.

Powell's POV: Rave made the match with two huge bumps. He took a big move from Homicide and then took a Flux Capacitor off the top rope. Really lame match otherwise. The live crowd was hot for Young and that's all the justification that Dutch Mantel will need to force his pet down our throats for a few months.

Lauren interviewed Joe's father Pete and brothers Stefan and Wayne, who were dressed in Samoan clothing...

5. Gail Kim and ODB defeated Awesome Kong and Raisa Saeed at 8:20. Saeed wore a burka with bright blue pants. She wrestled in this outfit and dominated Kim early in the match. At 7:30, Saeed tried to powerbomb Kim off the top rope, but Kim turned it into a sweet huracarana for the move of the night. Moments later, ODB pinned Saeed...

Powell's POV: Kim had the move of the night, but I don't understand what that match accomplished aside from establishing that Saeed can wrestle. Shouldn't the focus be on Kong and the TNA Knockouts Title?

Tenay isn't a TNA mobile subscriber. He acted surprised that Karen Angle was backstage with Borash. Backstage, Karen said she's there because Kurt is the father of her children and she's concerned what he'll be like if he doesn't win the match against Joe...

A video recapped the Booker T and Robert Roode story line...

6. Booker T and Sharmell beat Robert Roode and Payton Banks. The guys handled the bulk of the action. In the end, Roode held Sharmell from behind while Booker was lying in the corner injured or something. Banks tagged herself in and then taunted Booker. Sharmell fought to get free and then Banks turned around and struck Roode mistakenly. Sharmell rolled up Banks for the win. Afterward, Roode yelled at Banks, called her stupid, and left her crying in the ring...

Powell's POV: Leave the women at ringside and let Booker and Roode finish this feud.

Backstage, Lauren interviewed Marcus Davis—the UFC fighter nobody knows—who has been training Samoa Joe. He described the training sessions and came across well. It wasn't the most exciting interview, but he was fine...

7. Christian Cage and Sting and Kevin Nash and Matt Morgan and Rhino defeated Tomko and A.J. Styles and Team 3D and James Storm in a Lethal Lockdown match at 26:30. It's like War Games with weapons. The wrestlers enter in two-minute intervals. The heels won the toss. Pinfalls and submissions don't count until all 10 wrestlers are in the ring and the roof is lowered onto the cage.

Christian opened the match for his team. With the lights out and the crowd watching Tomko make his entrance, Styles came out of nowhere to dive off the top rope and onto Christian to open the match. Not sure how it came across in the building, but it was cool on television. Tomko headed backstage.

Brother Ray was out next wearing a Yankees shirt for cheap heat from the live crowd. It worked. Styles shot Christian through the ropes and Ray slammed the door on his head. The heels worked over Christian until Rhino out. James Storm came out next with his stupid beer bottle and Jacqueline. No reaction from the live crowd to Storm.

Styles and Christian brawled on top of the cage. Ray was shot into the cage and it knocked Christian to ringside just as Kevin Nash was making his ring entrance. Nash beat up Styles briefly, but Ray attacked Nash's knee. Christian recovered and climbed to the top of the cage and hit a cross-body block on Storm and Ray. Cool move that popped the live crowd.

Devon was out next and the heels continued to work over Nash's left knee. The live crowd counted down with the clock, but they were silent when Morgan made his entrance. Ouch. Morgan got in a little offense, but didn't get the big debuting giant sequence you'd assume he'd get.

Tomko came out with a chair, but referee Earl Hebner wouldn't let him bring it in the ring. Devon was the first man to blade and he bled heavily from his forehead. At 19:00, Sting was the final man into the cage and he got a big pop. A minute later, they lowered the cage and it had a slew of weapons attached. The roof also had a hole in the corner and Storm and Cage quickly headed to the top of the cage to brawl.

Storm's foot poked through the top of the cage and he nearly fell into the ring. Inside the cage, Morgan and Nash hit simultaneous chokeslams. Sting locked one of the heels in the death lock, but Styles broke it up with a kendo stick shot.

Christian set up a table on top of the cage. Styles headed to the top of the cage to help Storm. The heels placed Christian on the table and then set up a ladder on top of the cage. Christian recovered and brawled with Styles on top of the ladder. Storm pushed the ladder over, causing Christian and Styles to crash through the table in the big spot of the match.

Storm headed back inside the cage and smashed his stupid beer bottle over Morgan's head. He turned around and walked into a a gore from Rhino, who made the cover and scored the pin.

Powell's POV: A wild match with some really good spots. The finish kind of came out of nowhere. No nearfalls in this one. A very entertaining match. As long as it was, it could have used a few more minutes. Morgan really didn't stand out, which is odd given the big push they gave him coming into the match. The cameras cut away quickly to an Angle vs. Joe video. They really should have stayed with the in-ring celebration longer to put over the match. No swerves and no heel turns. I'm impressed.

An Angle vs. Joe video aired... A shot aired of Karen Angle sitting at ringside with a concerned look on her face. They haven't made any fuss over who she came to the show with, which his how it was teased on TNA mobile... Trigg joined the announcers on commentary... Tenay ran through the tale of the tape graphic...

A camera showed Joe walking backstage with security walking behind him... A brief Joe video aired... Joe's brothers walked onto the stage and performed a fire dance while he made his entrance. Once in the ring, Joe hugged Marcus Davis, who was standing inside the cage...

A backstage shot aired of Angle. A short Angle video aired. Kurt made his entrance... Borash introduced both fighters while standing inside the cage. He started by introducing Davis, who was wearing a kilt, and said he would present the title belt to the winner of the match...

Powell's POV: The Joe video was pointless, but I loved the backstage shot of Joe. It gave the match a big time boxing or MMA feel. They should have showed them warming up backstage or hanging out in their locker rooms throughout the show like they do for boxing and UFC main event fights.

8. Samoa Joe defeated Kurt Angle to win the TNA Title in 18:00. Before the match, Kurt had security remove Karen from ringside. She protested and said she was there for Kurt, but she eventually left. Joe wore his normal ring gear. Kurt taped his hands and feet and wore MMA-style shorts.

They both struck fighters poses and fired away with early kicks. Trigg explained that it would be easier for Kurt to escape heel hooks and other submission holds by not wearing boots. Angle got Joe on the mat and fired away with some stiff looking punches. Joe covered up and reached for the ropes. At 4:30, Angle caught Joe with a great side suplex. Once Joe got to his feet, Angle threw a series of punches at Joe's head.

Angle hit a great overhead release suplex a few moments later and went for a cover, but Joe reached out and grabbed the bottom rope. Angle went for an armbar submission hold, but Joe reached his arm out and grabbed the bottom rope. At 7:30, Angle caught Joe in the figure-four. Tenay reminded viewers that Joe used the move during his match against Yuji Nagata.

At 9:00, Joe rolled over to reverse the move and Angle had to let it go. Kurt went right back on offense and worked over Joe's left knee. Two minutes later, Joe came back with a huge clothesline and Angle took a big bump onto the back of his head and neck. Joe went for the Muscle Buster, but Angle fought him off and applied the Ankle Lock.

At 13:00, Joe powerbombed Angle for a nearfall. Kurt kicked out, but Joe immediately rolled him over for a half-crab. Joe turned that into a crossface. Angle raised his hand to tap. Instead, he reached down and grabbed Joe's ankle and turned it into another Ankle Lock. Odd combo in that it seemed unrealistic. Joe reversed the move back into the Crossface. Angle managed to slip out and reach the ropes.

Angle stood up and charged at Joe, who ducked and went right back to the Crossface. Angle slipped out, stood up, and hit the Olympic Slam for a really good nearfall. Angle locked in the ankle lock. Joe reached up to tap, but fought out of it and Joe in the rear naked choke. Angle grabbed the ref and used him as leverage to get to the ropes. Trigg raved over that move and Tenay scolded him.

Angle went for the Olympic Slam, but Joe fought him off and rammed him into the cage. Joe kicked Angle, placed him on the top rope, and then hit the Muscle Buster for the clean pin.

After the match, Davis entered the ring and presented Joe with the TNA Title belt. He held it in the air and then fell to the ground and got emotional. The announcers recapped highlights of the match. Joe continued to celebrate in the ring as the show went off the air...

An ad hyped the TNA Sacrifice pay-per-view for May 11. Why wouldn't you hold a pro wrestling pay-per-view on Mother's Day? Ugh...

Powell's POV: A really good match that certainly had some of the MMA elements that Angle teased in his interviews. It was a very good match and it was great to see Joe go over clean without any B.S. I'm curious to see how the match is received by fans. I'm sure MMA fans will dig it and most fans will be happy with the outcome, but I'm specifically curious to know if pro wrestling fans who don't care for MMA enjoyed the match. My guess is that it was entertaining enough that non-MMA fans won't have a problem with it.

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