TNA UK Tour 2009

[Number$]

Who's going this time around?

I'm at Wembley Arena for the 24th. It's the first show I have gone to and I'm so psyched for it, especially as the tour last year got so many rave reviews.

I'm going with two mates so it should at least a very decent night out.

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm going. My enthusiasm is nonexistent.

[Uncle Sam]

I'm going for Hernandez.

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm going for the kids.

[Uncle Sam]

But this time, I'll be able to see him land. Can't promise I'll cheer though. I generally observe quite quietly. Largely because all the goth kids are the ones making noise and I don't want to be tied in with them.

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't make noise, because I'm not exactly going to inspire somebody to victory.

[Colamania]

I'm going because I was given tickets.

[Uncle Sam]

You're not going to the Wembley one, are you? Where exactly is Birmingham?

[Colamania]

We're in the middle. Hence the term "Midlands". Makes sense when you think about it.

[Uncle Sam]

I guess that means you go hither and tither, to and fro, back and forth and all that.

[Colamania]

... Wha?

Seriously, you've confused me there. But, to answer your earlier question, the one that wasn't full of 18th century wording, no, I am not going to Wembley. We've got a nice enough arena right here in Birmingham, the NIA, and I'm going there. I might be doing Wembley in June though, depends whether Blues make automatic promotion or whether we have to face the play-offs.

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't refer to Birmingham as the Midlands. To me it's simply Birmingham.

[Colamania]

I agree, I was saying that we were in the Midlands. I know we're not the Midlands itself. Hell, I'm not in Birmingham right now, but I am in the Midlands. East Midlands, to be exact.

[Y 2 Jake]

Snap, but I've never refered to myself as being in or from the Midlands. Just the same as I don't refer to Flamboy being up North, or Sam being down South.

[Uncle Sam]

Go home, brummy.

[Colamania]

It's spelt with an ie. Brummie. Fool.

And again, technically I wasn't referring to myself as being from the Midlands, I was simply saying that that is the area in which Birmingham is located. I don't consider myself to be a midlander, I consider myself a Brummie.

[Uncle Sam]

Well, I'm Western European.

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm from Nazi Germany, which is inconvenient.

[Uncle Sam]

We're in for a real treat. There's a bloke from Gladiators coming:

http://www.tnawrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=236&Itemid=37

[Y 2 Jake]

He cuts 80's style promos & he thinks he's awesome. I beg to differ.

[Uncle Sam]

LAX aren't coming. I paid £80 for this shit. Angle better fucking wrestle.

[OIL]

I for one, aren't going to attend.

Mainly because 1) I don't want to, and 2) I didn't even know they had a tour.. because I don't watch TNA.

[Colamania]

LAX aren't coming? Fuckers.

[klunderbunker]

TNA's prices are just too damn high for tix. I almost paid 50 dollars for a ticket in the back of an arena to see them. For an SD house show last night I paid 41 and was about 30 rows back but could see everything.

[Uncle Sam]

I've got decent enough seats. I scoped them out when I went to see Oasis. I made sure they weren't ringside; I couldn't see shit last time. This show will be worse, but I'll see more. I hear Matt Morgan is here. I could cry. Dude is not welcome in my country.

Least AJ, Angle and Shelley are on the card. Sabin must feel left out.

Edit: Oh, and Beer Money. Still heavily disappointed that I don't get to see LAX. Couldn't care less about Sting.

[Y 2 Jake]

You could have had mine Sam if you hadn't bought them already.

[Uncle Sam]

2 days to go and I couldn't be less excited. I'd pay not to see Team 3D in total honesty.

[Number$]

Kong, Sabin and LAX left behind. I'm annoyed. Not so much about Booker T.

Having checked out the results of the previous Manchester and Glasgow shows, they seem to be decent enough even if the main event is an Angle/Steiner/Jarrett/AJ tag.

Apparently some tickets are getting upgraded and the higher seats in Manchester and Glasgow were tarped off.

[Uncle Sam]

I have a feeling I'll be upgraded, even though I have fairly decent seats. I might use 3D's match as a piss break.

[Number$]

Me too, if they havent sold the balconies. Thats where we are.

Still looking forward to it.

[Uncle Sam]

I'm so pissed off I paid for this shit. They better go, "We were just joking, here are LAX and not just the shit portion of the roster".

[Number$]

You know it won't happen. I was annoyed at not seeing the MCMG but having Shelley kinda makes it worth it. Having neither of LAX really sucks, especially as the UK is supposed to be their best market.

I would love to have seen a live Hernandez dive.

[Uncle Sam]

The show I was at went absolutely nuts for LAX last year, it's beyond me why they're not here this year. However...

1QSDxWqnOBE

I'm promised "big surprises" at "TNA's biggest show to date". My interest is peaked a little. I can only hope that Sting turns up but, oh no! What's this!? Hernandez! Oh, he just fucked up Sting! What's this? New world champion!

Y'know it's gonna happen.

[Number$]

Oh I am so excited now. I'd love to see everyone who isn't there turn up but I still don't they will all be over. For Sting to come would be huge but unlikely.

That was Hernandez in the background wasnt it? Behind Joe?

[Uncle Sam]

Too small to be Hernandez, methinks.

[Uncle Sam]

The "surprise" will be news of TNA holding a PPV in England, methinks. I'd go to see it.

[Number$]

The "surprise" will be news of TNA holding a PPV in England, methinks. I'd go to see it.


Oh shell yeah.

[Uncle Sam]

Don't get your hopes up. Their last pay-per-view was supposedly awful. They've got Team 3D main eventing the next one. Hopefully, they'd book it a little more sensibly for an English audience.

[Number$]

Hopefully but I wouldn't expect too much either. If they book it for Wembley then I would be happy.

[Uncle Sam]

I hope I don't have to figure out where Birmingham is.

Edit: And I'm sure as shit going by myself if they do do it in Birmingham.

[Y 2 Jake]

Any good?

[Uncle Sam]

Dunno, haven't seen it yet. Colamania seemed to like it.

[Y 2 Jake]

His opinion is nothing to me.

[Uncle Sam]

Stop The War seem determined to stop me getting there. TFL says it will take me at least two hours. I live in fucking London.

[Number$]

Oh shit. We are driving from Orpington, train to London Bridge, getting to Marylebone by tube then train to Wembley.

[Uncle Sam]

Use the TFL Journey Planner.

[Number$]

Yeah my original plan is flawed. I think it is sorted, with back ups too.

[Uncle Sam]

How TNA rewarded my loyalty... without even using LAX

or

How I accomplished my life long dream

I returned not twenty minutes ago. Initial impressions, before I allow everything to sink in. Pretty good. Pretty fuckin' good. Perhaps not as good as last time (how can you hope to equal the atmosphere of an Essex Leisure Centre!?), but pretty good nonetheless.

The night kicked off with a four-way for the X Division title. I think. Alex Shelley vs. Jay Lethal vs. Doug Williams vs. Eric Young. No prizes for guessing who won. Yeah, Doug Williams. No, not really. 'Twas Shelley. Impressive match, if a little throwaway. Doug hitting Chaos Theory and Shelley hitting Sliced Bread II for the win made it worthwhile. Not to mention that I'm a massive Shelley mark.

I can't remember what the next match was. Try as I might, I honestly cannot remember. Incredible. It mustn't have been pretty good, or maybe I'm just trying to think up a match that simply wasn't there. TNA.com says I did imagine it. No, fucking wait. It was Creed against Steiner. Yeah, good enough.

One thing I'm sure of was there was a women's match. I melodramatically leapt off for a piss break but promptly returned as I realised I didn't need to go. I tried my best to not be a moody cunt, and got involved a little, cheering when anything to do with tits or knickers occurred. It was ODB and Taylor vs. TBP. ODB felt everyone's tits - yes, even Taylor's. The faces one and then one of the Beautiful People - the blonde one? - cut a really whiny promo. Something about running from sex. I tried not to listen. It hurt to listen.

Brutus Magnus made what I assume to be his in-ring debut against Sheik Abdul... Davairi. Crowd was into it, but was dead in comparison to pretty much all the other matches. Magnus isn't awful, but he performed the worst on the card. Wait, that's not fair, 3D were on this card. Bashir cheated. match was restarted, "Magnus" won. Give a shit.

Team 3D and Beer Money had a London Street Fight. Not a touch on the match Beer Money had last year against LAX. Was kind of cool to see 3D hit the, uh, 3D on someone through a table live. I'll give them props for the long promo they cut afterwards - they can work a crowd. They gave a little kid a piece of the table. Awful nice of them.

Interval. I contemplate the surprising confidence the obese fuck next to me has. I only call him a fuck because he was sitting in my chair at the same time he was sitting in his. Otherwise, nice guy. Oh yeah, and Dixie Carter did a photo opportunity in front of me. At the start of the show, that is. Huge line. I got a picture of her from where I was sitting. Go figure.

Dixie Carter comes out. Accidentally says we spend dollars instead of pounds! Boos all round. Oh, and I got on TV apparently. Though I was cleaning my teeth with my tongue when I saw a camera pointed at me. Swear I saw the bastard pull away from me. Foley comes out and cuts a great promo. Sings the song from The Wrestler. Talks about either a PPV or "special" coming to the UK. I'm in.

Joe and Styles then face Morgan and Abyss in a great match. Morgan actually won me over here - great heel. His inability to sell didn't show at all. Absolutely great match, ends with AJ hitting the springboard 450. Coincidentally, he got the biggest pop of the night, bar none. Abyss and Morgan argue after. Abyss almost hits Morgan with a chair but he runs off.

Angle then takes on Jarrett in the match of the night. Fucking great. Crowd was split. I accomplished my life long dream of seeing Kurt Angle live - and in an awesome match. So many false finishes. Angle did a moonsault, Ankle Lock and Angle Slam. I can die happy. They do the BFG ending all over again, with Foley coming out and all. Jarrett's music hits and I hot foot it out of there. I'm told Jarrett, Styles, Joe and Foley thanked the fans after the match. Give a shit. I had traffic to beat.

I actually enjoyed the show a lot more than it seems - I was surprised how into it I was. But still, no LAX.

[Number$]

Thank fuck that Sam had as much fun as me.

This was epic. As I could not compare it to last years, it will be a huge marker for when they get back here.

Sam's evaluation is pretty spot on. The 4 way was good, Steiner vs Creed was less about Scottie's physical limits (he looked very slow but solid enough in ring) and more about his working of the crowd. He got good heat and that allowed Creed to have great support also. Awesome top rope belly to belly near the end. I would have gone crazy for a frankensteiner though.

The Magnus match was booked awfully from start to finish IMO. They should have given Bashir a minute of mic time to get some interest. The Brit looks OK, he is built but in this one Bashir was booked to be on top mos tof the way. And when Hebner restarted the match, I have to think that the ending seemed a little botched. I was very surprised that he got a pinfall with the move that he did.

The 3D match was OK. It was overshadowed by the post match awesome atmosphere where they showed real appeciation for the crowd. That was a good promo by Bubba.

The Henry hoover used at intermission got a cheer, which was epic.

The Dixie and Foley segment was cool as was the filming of the new Bravo commercial which they did live.

The AJ and Joe match was epic. Awesome pops throughout, especially for AJ and Joe. Morgan got increasingly effective at earning heat as the match progressed. That guy is built like brick shithouse; it is so ridiculous impressive. Great heel elbow spot in the corner that used AJ like a rag doll! And the somersault splash used by AJ was just a beautiful piece of athletic skill. He got great height and rotation on it.

The main event was very even and had even duelling chants to match. Beautiful moonsault from Angle was just amazing. He is just great. Jarrett did a good job too and seemed to really enjoy the envirnoment.

Steiners run in at the end was slower than Foley's and as we were at that end it was a little disappointing to see Steiner struggle so much. Great guitar shot won it.

Bell rung, I got up and left. I had to get to the train station. We were extremely lucky all day with train times and connections but I had to scare some very pretty girls on the underground to get past them. In the end I was extremely fortunate to catch my Charing Cross train with less than a couple of mins to spare. That was crazy.

TNA has won me over to the point where I can't wait to see the next show. And I could care less about WWE shows at the moment. Especially at the 02 where if you dont get good seats, they look like ants and the in ring action is poor.

So there you go. My thoughts. Awesome day.

[Uncle Sam]

There's a good possibility we were on the same train.

Edit:Memorable chants: Erm... does "AJ!" count? Lots of "Lets go--!"'s. Morgan got a "you can't wrestle!" one, the promptly did that Undertaker leg drop thing onto the top rope to "prove them wrong". Guy is a pretty good heel, I gotta say. Pretty typical chants compared to the ones at Brentwood. And don't look at me; you're lucky if I join in, let alone start a chant. Cannot believe Roode and Storm didn't get a Brokeback Mountain chant, especially after Roode mounted Storm (or was it the other way around?). And no "whoa-oh! Ab-yss!" at least from what I could hear. Crowd was still loud throughout though. Biggest pop goes to AJ, like I said.

Oh, and if anybody that walked in front of me is on here, fuck you! Sit your fat ass down.