The Countdown to Against All Odds 2008 - Part Four

It's one day away, so let's take a quick look at the rundown for:

Against All Odds 2008 – February 10, 2008

Match one: TNA World Title - Kurt Angle (c) vs. Christian Cage; Special Enforcer – Samoa Joe
Preview: So many stories here, and so little time. Angle is acting the colossal ass, and is now the rightful heir to “Jarrett Heat.” Christian seems more focused on renewing his partnership with Tomko than in gaining the world title. Joe’s pissed about his diminished role in the company, and yet is relegated to “special enforcer,” and if he’s half as effective as he was in the exact same position at 2007’s AAO show, then half of nothing is nothing … or infinity, I forget. Nate predicts: I’m thinking whatever I pick here will in fact be negated by the results of the actual show. I have strong suspicions that Joe will end up involved in the match as a competitor. I’m also hoping against hope that the direction they’re going with the Cage/Tomko storyline does NOT involve the obvious swerve of Tomko turning on Cage ... I think a swerve at this point is for a wrestler to NOT turn on his partner/friend. But, given the stipulations and match as it stands now, I’m going to pick Cage. But like I said, I pick Cage knowing that circumstances will probably conspire to negate my prediction. I think I’m getting put out with TNA.

Match two: Barbed Wire Massacre 2 – Abyss vs. Judas Mesias
This match was pretaped at an Impact a few weeks ago. I already know who won. It sucks that we won’t be able to see this match live, and it sucks that I won’t get to see Mesias live after watching him on AAA every weekend for the past year. Nate predicts: The crowd will shit on this because it’s not happening on the actual show. Funny part is, it hasn’t even been announced on TNA Impact that this match won’t happen in SC.

Match three: TNA Women’s Title - Awesome Kong (c) vs. ODB
Preview: Kong is playing the role of Samoa Josie, so she ain’t taking the loss, especially to the pre-op tranny that is ODB. That ODB chick is tremendously frightening, and I can’t put my finger on what it is, since she’s got the dumpy figure, the man face, the “rusty trombone” taunting stance, soccer ball sized fake tits, and a crotch-based turnbuckle offensive move called the “dirty dozen.” Nate predicts: Kong retains, and if ODB wins you’ll probably be able to hear my penis scream.

Match four: TNA World Tag Team Titles - AJ Styles/ Tomko (c) vs. BG James/ Bob Armstrong
Preview: Look for me in the stands, holding up my sign, “If Bullet Bob wins, I’ll riot.” On the flip side, I’m not interested in seeing some nigh-70 year old dude die in the wrestling ring. Nate predicts: AJ Styles/ Tomko retain.

Match five: TNA X-Division Title, Hardcore Street Fight - Team 3D/ Johnny Devine vs. Motor City Machine Guns/ “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal
Preview: This is the 2008 frontrunner for the “Feud That Never Ends” award (i.e. the Roode/Young Commemorative Cup). Pretty interesting stips here: If the Guns and Lethal lose, the X Division is abolished. If the Dudleys and Devine Dudley lose, Team 3D have to slim down to 245 lbs before they’re allowed to compete in TNA anymore. So apparently, 3D is on their way out. Nate predicts: The MCMGs and Jay Lethal … hey, wait, if this match is for the X Division title, how’s the next champion going to be decided? Maybe this stipulation has changed? I could check, but why bother? I’ll find out tomorrow.

Match six: Booker T vs. Robert Roode
Preview: Robert Roode was berating his ringside snatch Traci Brooks, when Booker’s wife Sharmell went to pull his off of her. Roode clocks Sharmell, breaking her face in two. If Booker doesn’t win, he’s a pussy and Sharmell should get a divorce, and Booker should go back to WWF but they probably won’t have him so he’ll be stuck working the independents for cab fare & Golden Corral coupons, culminating in his debut in Southern States Wrestling where he’ll job out to Beau James in his first match. Nate predicts: Booker T defends the honor of his wife Sharmell, although with Russo at the book, Sharmell will probably accompany Booker to the ring, only to turn on him and cost him the match. Goddamn, now I find myself badly wanting to see Mesias vs. Booker T, which is disappointing because wrestling rarely gives me what I want.

Match seven: Traci Brooks vs. Peyton Banks
Preview: Traci Brooks didn’t want to work for Robert Roode anymore, so he fired her, hiring on Peyton Banks. Now, for some reason, Ms. Brooks has a bone to pick with Ms. Banks, because of Robert Roode, the boss that she couldn’t stand working for. Nate predicts: The one with the tits beats the one with the tits, thanks to Roode’s interference.

Match eight: Petey Williams vs. Scott Steiner
Preview: Petey has a briefcase granting him a shot at the World title, from Turning Point’s “Feast or Fired” match; Steiner has a briefcase with a contract for an X Division title match. Steiner wants the World title shot, and here lately he’s spent a lot of time trying to steal Petey’s case. So I’m guessing this match has something to do with that. What I don’t understand is, if Steiner wins, what was ultimately the point of giving him the X Division contract at “Feast or Fired” in the first place? I personally wouldn’t mind seeing Steiner rippin’ shit up in the “no limits” X Division; that would probably renew interest in the division, as all eyes would be on the wrestler that would ultimately take the title from the juggernaut that Steiner would be in that predominantly lightweight division. But no one asked me. Nate predicts: Steiner wins, and this ultimately leads to him getting a World title shot. This, I guess, would segue into Williams getting the X Division shot, which would probably be against “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal.

Match nine: “Drinking Championship” - James Storm vs. Eric Young
Preview: Yep … a drinking championship. As Will would say, “I like to call this match ‘Intermission.’” Nate predicts: I’ll use this opportunity to take a piss.

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Some useless stats:

Against All Odds wrestler-by-wrestler won-loss records (ordered by number of shows involved, then percentage):
Wrestler – Number of Against All Odds competed: Number of wins (Win %)

James Storm – 3:3 (100%)
AJ Styles – 3:2 (67%)
Petey Williams – 3:0 (0%)
Abyss* - 3:1 (33%)
Christian Cage – 2:2 (100%)
BG James – 2:2 (100%)
Chris Sabin – 2:1 (50%)
Team 3D – 2:1 (50%)
Robert Roode – 2:0 (0%)
Eric Young – 2:0 (0%)
Jay Lethal – 1:1 (100%)
Samoa Joe – 1**:1 (100%)
Alyx Shelley – 1:0 (0%)
Kurt Angle – 1:0 (0%)

*Abyss will technically not be competing in a match at Against All Odds 2008, as the Barbed Wire Match has been pre-taped.
** Joe was not involved in a match at Against All Odds 2007 as a competitor, but as a “special enforcer.”

Wrestlers on the AAO 2008 card that haven’t competed on an Against All Odds show to date:
Scott Steiner (ran in on the main event in 2007) – Traci Brooks (involved in a vignette in 2007, and at ringside 2006) –– Johnny Devine (accompanied Team Canada in 2006) – Tomko (ran in on the main event in 2007) – Bob Armstrong, Peyton Banks, Booker T, Awesome Kong, ODB, and Judas Mesias will have their AAO cherry busted Feb 10, 2008 ... however, like Abyss, Mesias will not actually be competing at Against All Odds 2008, since the Barbed Wire Massacre match has been pretaped.

Wrestlers who have won matches at prior Against All Odds that are not competing on 2008’s main card:
(Names in bold are no longer with the company.)

Elix Skipper – Jeff Hammond – Raven – Chris Harris – Monty Brown – Diamond Dallas Page – Christopher Daniels – Jeff Jarrett – Andy Douglas & Chase Stevens – Rhino – Homicide y Hernandez – Senshi – Christy Hemme – Lance Hoyt – Sting