America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X (TNA - 12/5/2004)
Feb 9, 2019 18:24:54 GMT -5
Post by bossrock on Feb 9, 2019 18:24:54 GMT -5
America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X (TNA Turning Point -12/5/2004)
This is a recap I wrote on a website a few years ago. One of the greatest cage and tag team matches I've ever seen and a tremendous blow-off to a years-long feud.
First, allow me to provide a bit of background on the feud between America’s Most Wanted and Triple X. Both teams had been feuding on-and-off for two years, trading the NWA World Tag Team titles between them (this was when TNA was still partnered with the NWA). They even faced off in TNA’s first steel cage match (when the ring was still four-sided), where AMW pinned Triple X with a Death Sentence from the top of the cage. Another important thing to note is that the early cage matches in TNA did not have the escape rule. They were pinfall or submission only. But after all of the times these two teams clashed, it was Triple X who walked the way the victors the most.
Fast-forward to 2004, where both teams formed an uneasy alliance. The champions at the time, the Naturals, attacked both James Storm and Christopher Daniels, so Chris Harris and Elix Skipper teamed up to dethrone them. The odd couple reign would not last long, as they lost the titles two weeks later to the makeshift team of James Storm and Christopher Daniels. Both teams put their differences aside and worked together for the sake of the tag team championships…until they lost them to Team Canada and both sides blamed the other. AMW and Triple X were once again at war. Commissioner Dusty Rhodes announced that the rivalry between both teams would end for good, this time in Six Sides of Steel at the next ppv, Turning Point. He later added the caveat that in order to ensure the violence between both groups would stop, the losing team would be forced to disband.
At Turning Point, both teams entered the six-sided cage knowing that one of them would no longer be a tag team when they left. Triple X walked out confidently, with Daniels carrying his trademark towel and declaring themselves "the best". America’s Most Wanted, on the other hand, appeared far more apprehensive. The violence began almost immediately, as Daniels began to bleed just minutes into the match after having his head slammed into the cage. This was not just a small cut; this was a huge gash that poured like a faucet.
Triple X already appeared to be in trouble, but they turned the tables quickly and busted Harris open against the cage. When the momentum appeared to be fully behind Triple X, they revealed that they had an insurance policy: handcuffs. Daniels had hidden a pair of handcuffs, just like Harris’, under his ring towel and cuffed the Wildcat to Triple X’s corner. It was a dastardly move by the heels, but at the same time, it was completely understandable given the stakes of the match. Harris was forced to watch as Daniels and Skipper brutalized Storm, cutting him open with the key and even hitting Storm with America’s Most Wanted’s own finisher, the Death Sentence. Still, Storm persevered and kicked out. Daniels, brandishing the key around his neck like a trophy, got a bit too close to Harris and was laid out. Harris was able to reach the key and uncuff himself.
Tags were soon thrown out, so the match devolved into an all-out fight. But no matter what each team tried, they just could not put the other away. For the sake of their tag team’s existence, each competitor was able to dig just a bit deeper and kick out of every move. Desperation began to sink in for both AMW and Triple X, willing to go to even the most outrageous lengths to put the other team away. This ultimately led to Skipper's famous cage walk hurricanrana to Harris. To this day it is one of the most spectacular yet dangerous spots I have ever seen. All four weary men continued to brawl until Daniels climbed to the top rope one more time, only for Harris to knock him down. It was one risk too many for the Fallen Angel. Harris, in sweet poetic justice, used the very same handcuffs he had been placed in on Daniels. Daniels could only watch as Harris and Storm prepared to finish off the isolated Skipper. Storm signaled for the Death Sentence, but wait! Harris stopped him and threw up the Triple X symbol. The poetic justice continued as AMW hoisted Skipper up for Triple X’s own finisher, the Powerplex, and planted him in the middle of the ring. Daniels reached out to Skipper and screamed in agony as he was forced to watch his partner get pinned 1…2…3. Triple X was no more.
This is a recap I wrote on a website a few years ago. One of the greatest cage and tag team matches I've ever seen and a tremendous blow-off to a years-long feud.
First, allow me to provide a bit of background on the feud between America’s Most Wanted and Triple X. Both teams had been feuding on-and-off for two years, trading the NWA World Tag Team titles between them (this was when TNA was still partnered with the NWA). They even faced off in TNA’s first steel cage match (when the ring was still four-sided), where AMW pinned Triple X with a Death Sentence from the top of the cage. Another important thing to note is that the early cage matches in TNA did not have the escape rule. They were pinfall or submission only. But after all of the times these two teams clashed, it was Triple X who walked the way the victors the most.
Fast-forward to 2004, where both teams formed an uneasy alliance. The champions at the time, the Naturals, attacked both James Storm and Christopher Daniels, so Chris Harris and Elix Skipper teamed up to dethrone them. The odd couple reign would not last long, as they lost the titles two weeks later to the makeshift team of James Storm and Christopher Daniels. Both teams put their differences aside and worked together for the sake of the tag team championships…until they lost them to Team Canada and both sides blamed the other. AMW and Triple X were once again at war. Commissioner Dusty Rhodes announced that the rivalry between both teams would end for good, this time in Six Sides of Steel at the next ppv, Turning Point. He later added the caveat that in order to ensure the violence between both groups would stop, the losing team would be forced to disband.
At Turning Point, both teams entered the six-sided cage knowing that one of them would no longer be a tag team when they left. Triple X walked out confidently, with Daniels carrying his trademark towel and declaring themselves "the best". America’s Most Wanted, on the other hand, appeared far more apprehensive. The violence began almost immediately, as Daniels began to bleed just minutes into the match after having his head slammed into the cage. This was not just a small cut; this was a huge gash that poured like a faucet.
Triple X already appeared to be in trouble, but they turned the tables quickly and busted Harris open against the cage. When the momentum appeared to be fully behind Triple X, they revealed that they had an insurance policy: handcuffs. Daniels had hidden a pair of handcuffs, just like Harris’, under his ring towel and cuffed the Wildcat to Triple X’s corner. It was a dastardly move by the heels, but at the same time, it was completely understandable given the stakes of the match. Harris was forced to watch as Daniels and Skipper brutalized Storm, cutting him open with the key and even hitting Storm with America’s Most Wanted’s own finisher, the Death Sentence. Still, Storm persevered and kicked out. Daniels, brandishing the key around his neck like a trophy, got a bit too close to Harris and was laid out. Harris was able to reach the key and uncuff himself.
Tags were soon thrown out, so the match devolved into an all-out fight. But no matter what each team tried, they just could not put the other away. For the sake of their tag team’s existence, each competitor was able to dig just a bit deeper and kick out of every move. Desperation began to sink in for both AMW and Triple X, willing to go to even the most outrageous lengths to put the other team away. This ultimately led to Skipper's famous cage walk hurricanrana to Harris. To this day it is one of the most spectacular yet dangerous spots I have ever seen. All four weary men continued to brawl until Daniels climbed to the top rope one more time, only for Harris to knock him down. It was one risk too many for the Fallen Angel. Harris, in sweet poetic justice, used the very same handcuffs he had been placed in on Daniels. Daniels could only watch as Harris and Storm prepared to finish off the isolated Skipper. Storm signaled for the Death Sentence, but wait! Harris stopped him and threw up the Triple X symbol. The poetic justice continued as AMW hoisted Skipper up for Triple X’s own finisher, the Powerplex, and planted him in the middle of the ring. Daniels reached out to Skipper and screamed in agony as he was forced to watch his partner get pinned 1…2…3. Triple X was no more.
