TNA’s Sacrifice pay-per-view was built around the idea of giving up something that mattered to you. The four main event combatants — Sting, Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, and TNA champion Mick Foley — met in a typical TNA mess of a match that ended with the path of least resistance: Instead of winning the title when he won the match, by pinning Angle, Sting just assumed leadership of the Main Event Mafia. Whoopee.
After countless promos during the PPV for the main event, which reminded viewers of the supposedly lifechanging issues on the line: Foley’s TNA Championship; Jarrett giving up TNA voting shares; Sting’s career; Angle to give up being the godfather of the MEM, the main event finally got under way.
At the beginning, Sting went after Foley and Jarrett went after Angle. Angle tackles Jarrett, and then they take it to the outside, opposite where Foley and Sting are. Sting gets Foley in the ring and nearly traps Foley in the Scorpion Death Lock. Sting takes Foley up into the balcony of the Impact Zone.
In the ring, Jarrett has Angle in the Figure Four Leg Lock. Foley gives Sting a piledriver on the stage, leaving the Stinger out of the picture for a bit. Angle has Jarrett in the ankle lock. Foley comes in and gives Jarrett the Mr. Socko treatment. Angle hits Jarrett with a belly-to-belly suplex. Foley goes over to the announce booth and begins to commentate. Jarrett hits Angle with a pedigree and for a two. Jarrett goes for a pin and the returning Sting breaks it up.
Sting and Angle begin to argue as Foley is still commentating. Foley is seen by Angle and the 1996 gold medal winner jumps over the table and hits Foley. Angle hits an Angle Slam on Foley on the outside. Angle hits another Angle Slam on Jarrett and Sting gets Angle in a Scorpion Death Lock. Foley grabs another two Mr. Sockos and gets ready — one goes to Jarrett and one to Sting.
Angle gets Foley in an ankle lock as the ref gets knocked out. When Sting gets up, Jarrett knocks him out with a guitar. Two more close calls come in on Jarrett and Foley. Jarrett hits a stroke on Angle but Sting picks up the pieces and pins Angle for the three count.
The next TNA PPV is Slammiversary on June 21, 2009.
At the beginning of the Sacrifice, Jeremy Borash introduces the show from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. He then reads off the night’s card with graphics shown. A video package is shown about the Ultimate Sacrifice match.
Backstage, Lauren, Dr. Stevie, and Daffney chat. Stevie takes the mic from Lauren and explains the dangers of tonight’s female Monsters Ball. Naturally, a Monsters Ball package is shown.
Preshow Dark Match- Kiyoshi vs Amazing Red
The match gets off to a quick pace in which Red takes the beginning by storm. Kiyoshi takes back momentum on Red. Keyoshi connects with a ferocious clothesline. Kiyoshi follows up with a kick to the face on Red after a long sleeper hold. Red kicks out at two. Red takes back the momentum with a sunset flip and a tiltawhirl DDT. Kiyoshi misses a moonsalt. Red hits a stand up shooting star press for the three.
Winner- The Amazing Red
Match rating: 7/10. Got the crowd into it throughout the match.
Lauren and Borash are ringside again talking about Ultimate Sacrifice. Video packages for Booker T vs AJ Styles and Samoa Joe vs Kevin Nash follow, as well as a recap of Team 3D’s Invitation tournament.
Main Show
The Ultimate Sacrifice is played up right from the start, with the arrivals of Foley, Jarrett, Sting and Angle made out to be a big deal, and all four are interviewed about their careers.
Opening Match- 6 Man Tag Team Match- The Motor City Machine Guns and Sheik Abdul Bashir vs Lethal Consequences and Eric Young
Don West claims The MCMG reminds him of a younger version of himself. The tag is made to Shelly. Creed goes after Shelly and takes control. Shelly makes the tag to Bashir. Creed goes after Bashir and goes for a quick count. Sabin is tagged in and immediately goes after Creed. Lethal comes in and attacks Sabin. Creed and Lethal go onto a double team on Sabin as Creed comes in. Bashir comes in and goes for a quick pin on Creed. Creed reaches for a tag to Lethal. Creed fights the triple team against himself. Lethal gets tagged in and takes out the MCMG and Bashir in mere seconds. Young and Creed take out MCMG on the outside as Lethal gets a near fall on Bashir. Shelly is in and drops Lethal with a stall suplex. Gang warfare begins until Lethal and Bashir are left in the ring. Shelly takes out Creed and Young. Bashir hits a frog splash on Young. Bashir gets a long two count on Lethal after a great double team maneuver on Lethal. Yooung hits a death valley driver on both MCMG. Referee Andrew Thomas knocks Bashirs hands off of the ropes as Lethal rolls up Bashir for the win.
Winners- Lethal Consequences and Eric Young
Match rating: 8/10 lots of back and forth wrestling. Great teamwork.
Don West and Mike Tenay read off the rest of the card at ringside. Sting is shown shaking hands with the new breed of TNA grapplers. We then get another video package for the first female Monsters Ball is shown.
Match 2-First Ever Knockouts Monsters Ball Match- Taylor Wilde vs Daffney with Abyss and Dr. Stevie
Taylor Wilde starts off on the offense. Taylor goes to the outside and brings in a can full of weapons. Taylor gets hit with a sign. Daffney hits a body slam on a trash can lid. Taylor hits Daffney with a cookie sheet and puts a can over Daffney’s head and hits the can with a hockey stick. Taylor hits a death valley driver on the can for the win.
Winner- Taylor Wilde
Match rating: 2/10. Match had no purpose and was simply added to set up Dr. Stevie into the tacks.
After the match, Daffney takes out Taylor as Dr. Stevie lays down thumbtacks. Lauren runs down to the ring to save Taylor as Stevie whips Abyss. Abyss chokeslams Stevie into the tacks. Blood is flowing through Stevie’s shirt.
Another Ultimate Sacrifice promo for Jarrett is shown. Borash says backstage that two TNA former champions will be back and one new addition to the roster will be on Impact for Thursday. The busy Borash is backstage with Jarrett talking about how TNA is going backwards with Foley as champion. Next up is a promo for Suicide vs Daniels.
Match 3- X Division Championship Match- Daniels vs. Suicide (Champion)
Suicide appears in the middle of the ring behind Daniels. Suicide takes control early and dominates Daniels. Daniels reverses into a headlock takedown and starts attacking Suicide. Suicide takes back momentum inside the ring. The match begins to go outside the ring. Daniels throws Suicide onto the stage. Both men are down on the outside as referee Rudy Charles begins to count. Daniels comes in with a sunset flip pin and a two. Sabin comes out and distracts the ref as Shelly comes in the ring and hits Suicide with a double knee. Daniels covers Suicide as Suicide suffers his first loss.
Winner and New X Division Champion- Daniels
After the match, Daniels gets on the mic and, having seen how Sabin and Shelly cheated on his behalf, offers five more minutes and declines the victory. Suicide agrees and the match restarts. A couple of near falls come within the first two minutes. Daniels locks in a submission move. A death valley driver doesn’t get the three for Daniels. Daniels is in a bad position with two seconds to go.
Winner of the Five-Minute Overtime and STILL TNA X Division Champion- Suicide
Match rating: 9/10. Very good match that focused on more than Daniels being Suicide. Great in ring chemistry.
A clip of Kurt Angle working out is shown.
Match 4- TNA Knockouts Championship Match- Awesome Kong vs. Angelina Love (Champion)
Kong starts the match with a flurry of punches and slaps into the corner. Kong takes the match to the outside where Kong attacks Love some more. Kong swings Love head first into a guardrail. Kong goes for a backfist where Kong hits her hand onto the ringpost. Referee Slick Johnson breaks up Angelina and Kong in the corner as Love drives the boots to Kong. While Love is backing up she gets a clothesline. Kong gets sprayed in the eyes with Love’s perfume and rolls Kong up for the win.
Winner and Still TNA Knockouts Champion- Angelina Love
Match rating: 6/10. Not the focal point of the PPV. I saw that the finish was TOO well done.
After the match, Kong attacks Angelina and gives her two implant busters before exiting.
A promo for Sting in Ultimate Sacrifice is shown. Sting is backstage being interviewed by Borash about Sting possibly losing his legacy.
A promo for Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Nash airs.
Match 5- Samoa Joe vs. Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash takes control on Joe, backing him into a corner. Nash goes for a powerbomb but gets reversed as Samoa Joe take the control to his side. Joe takes Nash to the outside. Nash swings a chair to a moving Joe who then takes the chair and ambushes Nash with the chair. Joe throws Nash headfirst into the stairs to but Nash open. Nash takes control of the match when it gets into the ring. Nash low blows Joe from behind but Joe remains in control. Joe hits a senton back splash. Joe locks in a Kokina Clutch where Nash submits.
Winner- Samoa Joe
Match rating: 7/10. It was a good match that slowed down the pace of the PPV.
After the match, Samoa Joe attacks Nash some more and pushes the ref. He then scares away the security.
A video package of the Team 3D invitational is shown. Team 3D are backstage with Lauren, who questions them about their invitational tournament.
Match 6- Team 3D Invitational Finals- British Invasion (Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus) vs. Beer Money Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm)
Roode is going to start out for Beer Money Inc. The British Invasion takes this one in the beginning. Doug Williams is starting to get worn down by Roode. Beer Money begins to double team Williams. Storm comes in and attacks Williams. Storm shoots beer in the face of Magnus. Storm gets thrown over the top rope onto the entire British Invasion. Magnus begins to take it to Roode. A fiery Roode comes in and takes down the British Invasion. Williams hits a European Uppercut for a long two. When Beer Money goes for a pinfall, Rob Terry comes in and gets ejected. Roode takes the feast or fired case out of Williams’ hands to hit him and get the three count and win.
Winners- Beer Money Inc.
Match rating: 5/10. It was very predictable with the British Invasion storyline going on. The highlight was the commentating.
The same Ultimate Sacrifice promo for Kurt Angle is shown yet again. Borash is backstage with Angle who vows to win the TNA Championship.
Match 7- I Quit Match for The Legends Championship- Booker T vs. AJ Styles
Booker gets backed into the corner. As they square off again, Styles gets backed into the corner. Booker gets control and takes it to AJ. Booker attempts to get Styles to quit. Booker is put into a modified Indian Deathlock. Booker is asked and does not quit. Styles backs Booker into a corner and chops Booker. Booker drives Styles into a guardrail. Booker takes down AJ and then gets the crowd back into it with a spinaroonie. Booker gives AJ into an armbar submission. AJ picks up Booker and gives him a Samoan drop but Booker still holds on. Styles hits the Pele on Booker from nowhere. Booker is asked about quitting and responds with “Hell no, man!” while breathing heavily. Styles rolls Booker into the ring and hits him with a top rope forearm. Booker gets hit with a flying armbar and AJ holds on. Sharmell came out to cheer Booker on. Jenna Moscara comes out and throws in the white towel for Booker. This is only adding fuel to the tank with their feud.
Winner and STILL TNA Legends Champion- AJ Styles
The same video package for Foley in Ultimate Sacrifice is shown. Backstage, Borash is with Foley who promises to retain the champion.
Main Event- Ultimate Sacrifice- Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting vs. Mick Foley (Champion)
Stipulations: Foley gets pinned, he loses the TNA Championship; Jarrett gets pinned, he gives up TNA voting shares; Sting gets pinned, he retires; Angle gets pinned, he gives up being godfather of the MEM
Winner and New Godfather of the Main Event Mafia- Sting
Match rating: 6/10. If this was what everything was focused on, it dropped the ball. Nothing too interesting went on as Sting pinned Angle for what, control of the MEM and not for the TNA Championship.
Overall Rating- 6/10
