TNA Victory Road PPV – Preview/Predictions

It’s July, and that means it’s time for TNA’s Victory Road.  Anyone ever notice that they copied the color scheme from the old Great American Bash..?  Anyways, for me, this is one of the most anticipated cards in a long time.  Here’s the line up for tonight’s PPV:

Ultimate X/Submission Match – X-Division Title
Doug Williams (Champion) vs. Brian Kendrick
SHOULD: Williams WILL: Williams

Over the course of the last few months, Williams has been trying to prove that the “circus acrobats” of the X-Division are NOT wrestlers.  He’s been trying to educated them and the fans that real wrestling is about grappling, holds, and counter holds.  As of late, Kendrick has gotten the best of Williams choking him out with a version of the Cobra Clutch, not in the usual high flying manner.  Williams showed us this week on Impact that he’s not good with heights so the submission stipulation will help him in this case.  Personally, I like the idea of him as champion and having everyone chasing him for the belt.  I just think that he’s got to run this course for a little while longer and maybe even a few more feuds with different X-Division wrestlers, THEN someone can take the belt off him.  For now Williams retains.

TNA Tag Team Title Match – VACANT
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Beer Money Inc.
SHOULD: Guns WILL: Guns

The guns were the #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles when they were stripped off of The Band.  A tag team tournament was held to find a challenger for the Guns, and that turned out to be the team of Beer Money.  Both of these teams know each other well, and this is going to be one hell of a battle.  I’m really excited because this has to be the time for the Guns to get the titles.  They’ve been overlooked and screwed out of title opportunities in the past, and they’re the ones people pay to see in this match.  I hope that my dreams aren’t crushed later, but I’m still going with the Guns.

Brother Ray vs. Jesse Neal vs. Brother Devon
SHOULD: Devon WILL: Neal

This has been one of the most interesting story lines in TNA recently.  Never did I ever think that Team 3D would be having so much problems that they would think about breaking things off.  TNA has made this story line very believable.  My personal preference would be to see Devon get the win and put both of these guys in their place, but I have a feeling like the drama will continue in the match, and I’m guessing Neal will get the pin fall via a rollup.

TNA Knockout’s Title Match vs. Career
Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne (Champion)
SHOULD: Love WILL: Love

In the past two title matches for Rayne, she’s forced her opponents to put their careers on the line.  Two matches, and two careers in TNA have ended (Tara & Roxxi).  Now she’s trying to do the same to Angelina, but Love’s smarter than Madison thought.  If Velvet Sky or Lacey Von Erich get involved in the match up, TNA management have already declared that the belt will automatically be handed to Angelina.  I don’t think that the match is going to end in another TNA Knockout getting their pink slip, so I think it’s a safe bet to choose Angelina Love in this match.

AJ Styles & Kazarian vs. To Be Announced
SHOULD: TBA WILL: TBA

Now this is going to be a wacky situation.  Kaz and Styles have been at each others throats as of late because they’re vying for the attention of Ric Flair.  The Nature Boy thinks that if they tag together that they might create a chemistry that will bring them together so that they can be the first two members of Flair’s faction Fortune.  My hunch is that this is a powder keg waiting for a spark!  Whoever the team is that faces Styles and Kaz, I think they’re going to steal this match.

Jay Lethal vs. Ric Flair
SHOULD: Lethal WILL: Lethal

If/When Lethal wins this match up, it’ll be made to look like it’s one of the biggest upsets in the history of sports!  Flair’s so high and mighty on his cloud right now that he thinks that his godliness is going to give him a victory over the young Lethal.  It would be a damn shame if Lethal didn’t go over in this match after all the build up and all the hype.  Flair doesn’t need this win, but if Lethal gets the victory, it could catapult him into the main event picture.

Kurt Angle (#10) vs. “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero (#8)
SHOULD: Pope WILL: Angle

Pope is coming back off an injury, and Angle is trying to climb up the ladder of the TNA Top 10 contenders.  When it comes down to things, for story line purposes, Angle needs this win to continue on up the ladder, and it’ll probably happen.  However, I think that TNA should put Pope over in this one.  It’ll give Angle some things to question, but in the grand scheme of things, I’m hoping that it’ll light a fire under his ass, and he’ll come right back and want to absolutely destroy Pope the next time out.  I have mixed emotions on this match, but I think TNA’s going to play it safe on this one, and Angle will win.

Steel Cage Match
Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez
SHOULD: Morgan WILL: Hernandez

As of late, Morgan’s been a little bitch and has been running away from “Super Mex.”  Well he’s got nowhere to run, but I still think that he should be the one winning this match up.  However, I think that TNA might continue to run with the animosity of Hernandez pushing him to destroy the man that put him out of action.  I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I can only hope that these two guys bring it in this match up.  We’ve been hearing the hype for so long as to how these two guys are the future of TNA, and it’s about time they prove it to the world.

TNA World Title Match
Rob Van Dam (Champion) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson vs. Abyss
SHOULD: Anderson WILL: Abyss

RVD has held on to his title, and his #1 contender was in question, but the answer wasn’t clear cut so Hulk Hogan made this match and it’s not going to help the World Champion.  Personally, I think that Anderson is the most deserving of a title run.  They could turn his victory into a storied rivalry with Jeff Hardy if he were to turn on him tonight, but I have a hunch that TONIGHT we’re going to see Abyss hoisting the title high.  Will we see the THEY that Abyss was talking about?  Maybe, but considering TNA we think we’re going to get a surprise, and there winds up being nothing shown.  I’m not getting my hopes up.

TNA Victory Road PPV starts at 5pm on the West coast and 8pm on the East coast.  I’ll be back tomorrow for a review of the action.