TNA house show
Bournemouth, England
Report by Dot Net reader Nivek J. Kerley

I had Fan access tickets, but couldn't go due to a family bereavement, and I had to force myself to go to the show at all, but despite this it was a very good show. I'm glad I went.

The ring was the old six-sided ring (which looks incredibly small when you're up close to it). There was a video screen above the entrance ramp, which mostly just played the TNA logo and entrance videos. Before the show started we were informed that people filming the show on hand held camera would be infringing copyright as the tour was being filmed to be aired on television at a later date (although I didn't see any camera's or cameramen anywhere, and I was down the front).

The show kicked off with a stagehand (I assume) getting the crowd into a frenzy and saying that Bournemouth had the loudest fans and the usual stuff to work us all up. He then introduced the man behind TNA, the man you see every week at the Impact Zone and once on month on pay-per-view, Jeremy Borash.

Jeremy also worked the crowd and received a huge pop, so it was definitely filled with TNA fans and not just casual wrestling fans. He said they were going to give backstage passes to the loudest fans and at this point the British Invasion came out to interupt, and received a mixed reaction. They took the mic and said, they are British and they are back home and worked the crowd to loud cheers. Then they ripped up the backstage passes and said they are ashamed to be British and working in America is where the money is and said about beating Beer Money later then left to loud boos.

JB returned and said lets get this show on the road. And introduced the opening bout.

1. Chris Sabin defeated Suicide and Amazing Red in an X-Divison Number 1 Contenders Match. All three received loud cheers, and whoever was doing well had their name chanted until someone else was doing better. All three were treated as faces. Suicide probably got the most cheers at the end, despite Sabin winning.
Despite missing Alex Shelley, it was good to see Sabin going solo again, and I was surprised he got the win. The match itself was a big spot-fest, very highflying and acrobatic, which looked too well choreographed in the start of the match, but seemed to flow a lot better when more wrestling was incorporated.

2. Eric Young defeated Hamada in a Global Championship Match. Earl Hebner was introduced as referee and came out in a TNA jacket with shades, mimicking Bret Hart, loads of heat on him for this. Part of me found it funny, part of me thought 'let it go already'. Obligatory "You Screwed Bret" chants (these are just standard in any wrestling event now, surely?!). Eric cut a heel promo about not defending his title against Americans, and his World Elite buddies British Invasion were right, England sucks.

Since everyone on the roster apart from British Invasion was American he wouldn't defend his title (he looked around the audience for a British opponent and insulted a few fans). Hamada's music hit, she received a big pop. The match itself was pretty bad. Eric is quite cartoony and Hamada's moves were all visibly not connecting, by a long way. Eric punched her in the face to win. Hamada attacked him after the match.

3. The Pope D'Angelo Dinero defeated Rhino. The fans were cheering for Rhino, and he cut a promo on them, saying go ahead and cheer for Pope, I don't need your cheers. So Pope conducted the fans chanting Rhino's name. The match was pretty good. I think Pope would've been better suited to a different opponent, he should be up there with Mr. Anderson and Desmond Wolfe in line for a World Title spot in my opinion.

4. Hernandez and Kurt Angle defeated Team 3D and Beer Money and The British Invasion in a four-way tag match. Everyone apart from British Invasion received loud cheers. Hernandez came out and said "As you all know my partner Matt Morgan can't be here tonight" (we didn't know!) so I've found a new partner... Kurt Angles music hit, very loud pop. This was a good four-corner tag match, Angle is great to watch live, which makes it even more disappointing that he was thrown into this match rather than his advertised "I Quit" match against Samoa Joe (who was originally facing Bobby Lashley).

After the match Big Rob (who'd been subjected to Big Rob Sucks and Rob Can't Wrestle chants all through the match) laid out Team 3D, and set up a table, only to be put through it himself. Team 3D got two little kids out of the audience and signed them each a piece of table and celebrated with Beer Money in the ring, which was one of the cooler parts of the show, made it all feel more intimate, you don't get stuff like that with WWE.

5. Samoa Joe defeated Daniels in an "I Quit" match. Good match, Daniels got lots of heat, Joe got loads of cheers. The two wouldn't have a bad match after all the classics they've been involved in over the years. One of the highlights was when Joe sat Daniels on a chair at ringside and kicked him through the ringside barrier. Daniels eventually quit to Joe's version of the Anaconda Vice.

6. The Beautiful People (Velvet Skye and Madison Rayne) defeated Taylor Wilde and Sarita. Quite a good tag match. The Beautiful People won when Hebner's back was turned and Madison came in and sprayed Taylor (I think) in the eyes with hair spray or perfume and DDT'd her, so Velvet could get the pin. After the match Sarita got the fans to sing Happy Birthday to Taylor Wilde, due to the fact it was her Birthday.

7. AJ Styles defeated Desmond Wolfe for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. This match was above and beyond everything else on the card. Two of the very best wrestlers in the industry today, having a classic wrestling match. A match of this quality is what's missing from WWE at the moment, and it's something like this, in my opinion, which could draw the real wrestling fans over to TNA and leave WWE with it's kids comedy show.

Mixed audience reaction, but eventually the majority of the audience sided with Wolfe (I'm guessing it's a patriotic thing!). The match was full of great moments, and great wrestling, and I really hope we see these guys work a programm on TV and PPV before 2010 is out. AJ eventually hit Wolfe with the Styles Clash for the win. The match got a standing ovation. After the match AJ took the mic and said, "It's all about TNA, TNA. No, it's about AJ Styles and The World Heavyweight Championship". Lots of Ric Flair taunts and boo's... and then some cheers, because heel or not, it's still AJ Styles.

Notes: All in all a pretty good show, and the main event I can't praise highly enough. There were a few questionable moments such as Eric Young vs. Hamada, and throwing Angle into a tag match, but over all this should've pleased long time TNA fans and shown any casual fans what a great company, with a great prospective future, TNA is.

Merchandise was pretty standard stuff and average prices, T-Shirts of all the stars on the tour (and Hulk Hogan) at £20, a Desmond Wolfe polo shirt for £25 and hats, banners, masks, trading cards and a program. I think they did well on merchandise sales.

Finally I just received a text from a mate who did attend Fan Access who said Brutus Magnus was by far the nicest guy to the fans and Earl Hebner was really rude, prompting D'Angelo Dinero to turn round and tell him to "shut the f--- up".

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