TNA Bound For Glory 2015 took place on October 4th 2015 at the Cabarrus Arena in Concord, North Carolina, and was the second, and last TNA PPV of 2015. The commentary team featured Josh Matthews and “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero. The card included seven matches (and one dark match), with five championships being defended, and the first Bound For Gold gauntlet match, which gave the winner a future championship match of their choice.
It was the first Bound For Glory event to air live in the United States for two years, as BFG 2014 was taped in Japan. Despite Bram, Rockstar Spud, Taryn Terrell, and Brooke featuring on promotional posters, they did not appear.
I’ve enjoyed the product for years, through all its ups-and-downs, but there have been moments of disappointment, especially when “big announcements” fall short. Even more so when Dixie, Jarrett, Sting, or Angle apologize for the creative, only to follow-up by failing to deliver necessary change.
So while TNA has become a joke to some, the promotion continues to be an alternative in my eyes. I like being able to watch a show with good workers, and the talent are allowed freedom in the ring. However, It’s not a show which shocks and amazes nowadays. The roster has been in a transitional rebuilding phase since Hogan, Sting, AJ Styles, and other TNA originals left the company following impending pay cuts; the company made a business decision to cut back on expensive contracts.
In recent times, TNA has centered its booking around Ethan Carter III, who made his debut at Bound For Glory 2013, and he’s remained unpinned ever since. In the past two years, the booking has done right with the handling of EC3, who went from WWE jobber Derrick Bateman, to an undefeated World Heavyweight Champion. I have read praise from wrestling fans in regards to Ethan Carter III and his heel work, and I have to agree, he’s very good.
It’s time to review the card for BFG 2015. The article is not a play-by-play of the event, I will not be calling every move, but I will give the highlights, and each match will be rated using the following scale: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Average, Poor, and Terrible.
Match #1 – Tigre Uno (c) vs. DJ Z vs. Andrew Everett in an Ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship – Match Length: (10:02)
TNA has started Bound For Glory with the national anthem or fireworks in the past, but nope, we start with another typical Ultimate X match with zero build or feuds. No idea who Andrew Everett is. The match started with no ring bell, which isn’t the best way to kick the night off. The X-Division Champion and the local boy botched a move. Tigre botched another move with TJ Perkins/Manik, and Everett followed it up with a sloppy dropkick; does anyone else miss Sabin and Daniels in these matches?
After some typical X-Division wrestling, DJ Z got the crowd to light up with an amazing (lots of air) suicide dive to the outside, which the cameraman missed entirely; all you saw was DJ Z fly off-screen. Everett followed up with a picture perfect springboard shooting star press to the outside, which was the first of two moves he impressed me with. The second move was a 630 Senton, which I ain’t seen in TNA since Jack Evans a couple of years back. Tigre Uno barely managed to deliver a 450 splash to DJ Z, from the turnbuckle to the floor.
The wrestlers fought to climb the structure to the ropes. Everett walked the ropes while holding on to the structure by his hands. Sadly, no one climbed to the top of the structure like Daniels, or AJ, or any other former X-Division guys who dared to try. Everett took forever figurring out how to get down to the title, and by the time he did, Tigre was there to kick him off and retain the title.
Apparently Tigre seperated his shoulder during, so major props to him if he was able to navigate the ropes and finish the match with an injury. Gregory Helms made a surprise appearance, with Dinero referencing “hurricanes”, which was probably why Helms was there. Hellms congratulated Tigre in a confusing show of respect. Uno’s one of the most forgettable X-Division champions of all time, but he sells masks so I guess they sent Helms out to put him over? I guess?
While the match served its purpose, it had no meaning (aside from it being for the title), a few botches occurred, and I’ve seen much more exciting Ultimate X, so I can only rate it Average. When will TNA do the right thing and make the X-Division relevant again?
Match #2 – 12-man Bound for Gold Gauntlet match for a future championship match of their choice, including Abyss, Aiden O’Shea, Al Snow, Chris Melendez, D’Angelo Dinero, Eli Drake, Jessie Godderz, Mahabali Shera, Mr. Anderson, Robbie E, Tommy Dreamer and Tyrus – Match Length: (24:30)
Dammit TNA, your biggest event of the year, and there was no Bound For Glory series (which I thought was a good concept), and there was no mention of this gauntlet. I blame all the months of TV tapings limiting the way they book Impact Wrestling and PPVs.
So just to clarify what the match is, it’s a Royal Rumble, with each man needing to be thrown over the top rope to the outside, and the last two men can win by pin-fall, submission, or eliminating their opponent over the top rope. The winner can choose to challenge for any title, and Josh assumed most wrestlers would challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
But before the match began, EC3 decided to make his presence known by cutting a time wasting promo on the entrance ramp. He reminded us what Drew, Matt and himself were fighting for, then he asked if they were in North Carolina. He ended the EPIC (sarcasm) promo by saying, unenthusiastically, “Woo”. Hmm, I wonder who he was referring to.
Mr. Anderson was the first man to enter, Christy Hemme announced him, but he wanted to announce himself. Only problem was, his microphone didn’t lower, so he had to enter the ring and pick up a regular microphone so he could introduce himself. Out of all the events of the year, Anderson doesn’t have his mic ready at Bound For Glory? Who the hell is running this show?
Jessie “The Man” Godderz made his entrance with a robe .. hmmm, I wonder, who else referred to himself as “The Man” and wore fancy robes to the ring? If I could only remember his name, that’s going to bug the hell out of me.
I enjoyed the first part of the match with Anderson and Jessie, as Anderson played around with Jessie and the comic relief gave me something to laugh at. Eli Drake came out next, and Josh Matthews/Dinero spent a great deal of time putting the dude over. Not sure if anyone noticed, but the timer for each entrant was way off, and Christy stopped counting down as well (she was way off compared to the timer), so no one had a clue who was coming out when. How difficult is it to set up a timer?
Al Snow entered to possibly the BIGGEST OVATION of the night, and yeah, I’ve seen Al Snow wrestle lately, he hasn’t lost it, in fact I think he’s better now than he was in his WWF days, and yes, he brought Head. Aiden O’Shea made his “debut” (It’s Jay Bradley dressed up as an Irishmen, sporting a cigar), so I guess TNA might actually use Bradley now he has a gimmick. Remember Eli Drake? The guy Josh and Pope praised earlier? Well, he was eliminated first by Head. Why bother putting him over if he’s going out first?
Mahabalabhabi Shera (can’t they just call him Shera?) entered and immediately started doing the “Shera I look dumb doing this shuffle”, trying to get other wrestlers to join in. Does this guy want to be a champion, or is he only here to dance? God knows, but the other wrestlers joined in (during a match of general importance with something to fight for), and even Aiden O’Shea joined in, for a brief second, until he lunged at Shera and punched him square in the face; thanks Jay Bradley/Aiden O’Shea! Sadly Shera eliminated O’Shea shortly after.
Trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble … trouble trouble trouble … Tyrus entered, and while Josh agreed the wrestlers should gang up and eliminate him fast, they simply didn’t think of it. Chris Melendez entered next, and he was using his prosthetic leg to deliver some big boots.
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