TNA Bound For Glory 2020 - Way too early card predictions:
So Slammiversary 2020 is done and over and it was a good show to be honset. It featured a couple of returns and debuts that will impact IMPACT's next couple of months, and certainely its flagship PPV Bound For Glory in 4 months time.
After Slammiversary, TNA are going to build up to BFG (full card will be at the end), and those are my predictions of said PPV event, and the way to it (Warning: Spoiler Alert for Slammiversary 2020):
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Eddie Edwards (C) vs Ethan Carter III
So at the end of Slammiversary Edwards has won his 2nd IMPACT World Championship, and after the match we saw a video package revealing EC3 is returning to the company. I think EC3 vs Edwards is a great world title feud, but IMPACT needs to build up EC3 back to a main event star, with his new brutal attitude.
Thus EC3's route to Bound For Glory, will be threw the return of the Bound For Glory Series. This year, IMPACT will have the Series consisting of 8 wrestler, and matches only happen on TV. The wrestlers will be: Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Eric Young, Willie Mack, Madman Fulton, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley and eventual winner EC3. Instead of a single bracket, we will see 2 groups of 4, with no.1 of group A facing no.2 of group B (and vice versa) in the semi-finals, leading to a finals match for the No.1 contendership. In my view EC3 is going to be kind of a tweener when returning here, so just keep that in mind.
The two groups are: Group A - Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley & Group B - EC3, Eric Young, Madman Fulton and Willie Mack.
The people who end up at the top of group A are Ace Austin and Trey Miguel in group A, After Shelley and Sabin cost each other a lot, will be explained. Also Fulton interferes allowing Austin to win his match with Miguel giving him no.1.
On Group B, EC3 is going undefeated as number 1, with number 2 being Madman Fulton, after Willie Mack and Eric Young - who are feuding because EY injured Rich Swann at Slammiversary, cost each other their points.
At the Semi-Finals EC3 is putting a great match with Trey Miguel, cleanly defeating him, shaking hands after the match. On the other Semi-Final we have Ace Austin vs Madman Fulton, it looks as Fulton is just going to lay down, but he just stands up in the face of Austin, only for the latter to recreate the Fingerpoke of Doom, giving him a win over him.
In the finals after a long match EC3 defeats Ace Austin via distraction from Trey, allowing EC3 to go to the main event of BFG. Important that EC3 does NOT cleanly defeat Austin, as out of BFG this is going to be IMPACT's World Title program (Spoilers).
For Eddie Edwards we have him feuding with Moose until the event to unify both IMPACT and TNA titles, with Edwards cleanly defeating Moose, getting reveange on his former rival.
EC3 vs Edwards is a great match, Ace Austin tries to interfere but both of them take him out. Then EC3 cleanly defeats Edwards wins the title and has a face off with Ace to end the show.
Semi-Main: Ladder Match to determinate the No.1 Contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship
Ace Austin vs Trey
This just builds itself. Both man cost each other opportunities at the Bound For Glory Series, and this is built as the last resort of their feud. Also it is announced that if anyone intereferes (especially Fulton or the Rascalz) they will be fired from IMPACT. The match is the end of the two's rivalry for now, and I will have Ace Austin cleanly winning this match, being the No.1 Contender for future champ - EC3.
IMPACT Knockouts Championship Match
Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs Tenille Dashwood
I tried to think about a creative rival to Purrazzo and I think Dashwood might be the great one to have. After Purrazzo defeats Kylie Rae once or twice, we have Dashwood returning to challenge Purrazzo at the event. Can be great in terms of characters as they are both very similar but have big differences between them.
IMPACT Tag Team Championship Match
The North (C) vs The Good Brothers
This is a no brainer, and I really hope this happens. The North will hold the title for around 500 days at this point, this is a phenomenal title reign, but titles are meant to change hands, and I see no one better than The Good Brothers. This will be a dream match, and maybe after the bell we have The Good Brothers embracing The North only to be blindsided by them, continuing the feud.
Retirement Match
Ken Shamrock vs Sami Callihan
So IMPACT are already building towards this match. I think that after Shamrock cost him and Sami the tag titles at Slammiversary, we should have Shamrock on the shelf for a couple of weeks, due to injuries from their Slammiversary match. Then when Shamrock returns he announces that the doctors are not allowing him to fight again, and that at Bound For Glory, when he enters the Hall of Fame he will retire. But they are allowing him to have one last match at that show, and this is where he challenges Callihan to this match. This should be a brawl, and based on mutual respect this time between the two.
Callihan will beat Shamrock so bad he faints (like Callihan fainted in their previous encounter), and Callihan will get the honor of retiring the leged.
Monster's Ball Tag Team Match
Eric Young and Moose vs Willie Mack and Rich Swann
This kind of builds itself now. EY attacked Swann at Slammiversary, costing him the title match. Then we will have Willie Mack (who is out of the X-Division title picture) setting his sight on EY. Then after Moose is losing his unification match with Edwards, he is losing his mind, but finds comfort in the sadistic, psycho world of EY. Both of them ruthlessly attack Mack for a couple of weeks, until Swann makes his grand return, and the match is set.
This should be a cinematic match for my money. This four guys, especially EY and Moose, can do great in such an enviroment. At the end all are back in the ring and EY is pinning Mack for the victory, after he finds himself in a 2 on 1 situation against the heels, again. This will all lead to Willie Mack turning on Rich Swann in the weeks following BFG.
Ultimate X Match for the IMPACT X-Division Championship
Chris Bey (C) (w/Rohit Raju) vs Dez vs Wentz vs Alex Shelley vs Chris Sabin vs Heath (w/Rhyno)
This may look like a mess on paper but here me out. Shelley and Sabin both will be angry at losing the Bound For Glory Series, setting their sight on the X Division, where they excelled. Dez and Wentz are totally underrated and deserve this shot. And Chris Bey is the chicken shit heel champion, cheating every match against the four of them (Dez, Wentz, Shelley and Sabin), not allowing anyone to earn the title shot at Bound For Glory.
Eventually managment announces that because of Bey's actions he will defend the title in a 6 Way Ultimate X Match, against Dez, Wentz, Shelley, Sabin and a winner of an Invitational Battle Royal.
The key part is that this is an Invitational Battle Royal, and I would like to have all sorts of indy wrestlers getting a shot at prime time television appearance here, and maybe IMPACT will even sign some of them after the match. But during the match, Heath (who will have a similar free agent story to the one he had on SmackDown in 2016), appears surprisingly, after he and Rhyno lose a tag title match against The North (with the stipulation that if Heath wins he gets a contract), and last eliminate TJP to earn the 6th spot. Also leading up to the show Heath is having a lot of segments concerning how he is going to climb on the X.
At Bound For Glory they have around 20 minutes of good high flying action, and then we have Shelley and Sabin alone on the top of the X, fighting each other like maniacs, costing both the match. Then Chris Bey comes out of no where, tries to unhook the title, but there comes Heath on top of Rhyno's shoulders suplexing Bey down from the X, and then he stand on Rhyno's shoulders and grabs the X in the opener of the show.
That would be a great feel good moment, and I think Heath as a half comedy half bad ass X Division champion, will deepen the division, and give it a little flavour and character.
Triple Tag Team Match for the Vacant Knockouts Tag Team Championships.
Susie and Kylie Rae vs Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie vs Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan
I think the Knockouts tag title must return soon. The knockouts division is great, and the talent pool is enough for a return of the title. I would have each team win a qualifying match to earn this shot. With Kylie Rae last pinning Taya Valkyrie to win the titles for her and Susie.
Also I would add to the card a 10 man Bound For Gold Gauntlet Match - only with good superstars, and not a long one with boring entrants, with them being: Madman Fulton, TJP, Hernandez, Rhino, Tommy Dreamer, Crazy Steeve, Johnny Swinger, Acey Romero, Cody Deaner and the returning Rob Van Dam, who will eventually win this. The reasoning is that with this win you can either have him continue his heel personna (which I would prefer) challenging Heath for the X Division title, saying what a loser he is etc. etc., only to have Heath defeat him, giving him tons of momentum defeating a former world champ like RVD.
Or if you wanna go the face route, I would have him wait months (like Tyrus did in 2015 I think), getting a world title shot, against eventual champ Ace Austin, which would make for a great feud.
Lastly on the kickoff (if there will be fans), I think Jordynne Grace vs Havok in a Lumberjack Match (both male and female lumberjacks) can be a good attraction, and if there are not, this can be a part of the show, breaking up between some long matches.
So the final card is:
Kickoff: Jordynne Grace def. Havok in a Lumberjack Match
1.Heath (w/Rhyno) def. Chris Bey (C), Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Wentz and Dez in an Ultimate X Match to win the Impact X-Division Championship
2.Rob Van Dam wins 10 Man Bound For Gold Gauntlet Match last eliminating Rhino to earn a future championship opportunity of his choice.
3.Susie and Kylie Ray def. Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary & Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz in a Triangle Tag Team Match to win the Vacant Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship
4.Moose and Eric Young def. Rich Swann and Willie Mack in a Monster's Ball Tag Team Match
5.Sami Callihan def. Ken Shamrock in a Retirement Match.
6.The Good Brothers def. The North (C) to win the Impact World Tag Team Championships.
7.Deonna Purrazzo (C) def. Tenille Dashwood to retain the Impact Knockouts Championship
8.Ace Austin def. Trey Miguel in a Ladder Match to become the No.1 Contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship
9.Ethan Carter III def. Eddie Edwards (C) to win the Impact World Heavyweight Championship.
What are your thoughts on my booking and what would you do if you are TNA at this stage?
So Slammiversary 2020 is done and over and it was a good show to be honset. It featured a couple of returns and debuts that will impact IMPACT's next couple of months, and certainely its flagship PPV Bound For Glory in 4 months time.
After Slammiversary, TNA are going to build up to BFG (full card will be at the end), and those are my predictions of said PPV event, and the way to it (Warning: Spoiler Alert for Slammiversary 2020):
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Match
Eddie Edwards (C) vs Ethan Carter III
So at the end of Slammiversary Edwards has won his 2nd IMPACT World Championship, and after the match we saw a video package revealing EC3 is returning to the company. I think EC3 vs Edwards is a great world title feud, but IMPACT needs to build up EC3 back to a main event star, with his new brutal attitude.
Thus EC3's route to Bound For Glory, will be threw the return of the Bound For Glory Series. This year, IMPACT will have the Series consisting of 8 wrestler, and matches only happen on TV. The wrestlers will be: Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Eric Young, Willie Mack, Madman Fulton, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley and eventual winner EC3. Instead of a single bracket, we will see 2 groups of 4, with no.1 of group A facing no.2 of group B (and vice versa) in the semi-finals, leading to a finals match for the No.1 contendership. In my view EC3 is going to be kind of a tweener when returning here, so just keep that in mind.
The two groups are: Group A - Ace Austin, Trey Miguel, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley & Group B - EC3, Eric Young, Madman Fulton and Willie Mack.
The people who end up at the top of group A are Ace Austin and Trey Miguel in group A, After Shelley and Sabin cost each other a lot, will be explained. Also Fulton interferes allowing Austin to win his match with Miguel giving him no.1.
On Group B, EC3 is going undefeated as number 1, with number 2 being Madman Fulton, after Willie Mack and Eric Young - who are feuding because EY injured Rich Swann at Slammiversary, cost each other their points.
At the Semi-Finals EC3 is putting a great match with Trey Miguel, cleanly defeating him, shaking hands after the match. On the other Semi-Final we have Ace Austin vs Madman Fulton, it looks as Fulton is just going to lay down, but he just stands up in the face of Austin, only for the latter to recreate the Fingerpoke of Doom, giving him a win over him.
In the finals after a long match EC3 defeats Ace Austin via distraction from Trey, allowing EC3 to go to the main event of BFG. Important that EC3 does NOT cleanly defeat Austin, as out of BFG this is going to be IMPACT's World Title program (Spoilers).
For Eddie Edwards we have him feuding with Moose until the event to unify both IMPACT and TNA titles, with Edwards cleanly defeating Moose, getting reveange on his former rival.
EC3 vs Edwards is a great match, Ace Austin tries to interfere but both of them take him out. Then EC3 cleanly defeats Edwards wins the title and has a face off with Ace to end the show.
Semi-Main: Ladder Match to determinate the No.1 Contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship
Ace Austin vs Trey
This just builds itself. Both man cost each other opportunities at the Bound For Glory Series, and this is built as the last resort of their feud. Also it is announced that if anyone intereferes (especially Fulton or the Rascalz) they will be fired from IMPACT. The match is the end of the two's rivalry for now, and I will have Ace Austin cleanly winning this match, being the No.1 Contender for future champ - EC3.
IMPACT Knockouts Championship Match
Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs Tenille Dashwood
I tried to think about a creative rival to Purrazzo and I think Dashwood might be the great one to have. After Purrazzo defeats Kylie Rae once or twice, we have Dashwood returning to challenge Purrazzo at the event. Can be great in terms of characters as they are both very similar but have big differences between them.
IMPACT Tag Team Championship Match
The North (C) vs The Good Brothers
This is a no brainer, and I really hope this happens. The North will hold the title for around 500 days at this point, this is a phenomenal title reign, but titles are meant to change hands, and I see no one better than The Good Brothers. This will be a dream match, and maybe after the bell we have The Good Brothers embracing The North only to be blindsided by them, continuing the feud.
Retirement Match
Ken Shamrock vs Sami Callihan
So IMPACT are already building towards this match. I think that after Shamrock cost him and Sami the tag titles at Slammiversary, we should have Shamrock on the shelf for a couple of weeks, due to injuries from their Slammiversary match. Then when Shamrock returns he announces that the doctors are not allowing him to fight again, and that at Bound For Glory, when he enters the Hall of Fame he will retire. But they are allowing him to have one last match at that show, and this is where he challenges Callihan to this match. This should be a brawl, and based on mutual respect this time between the two.
Callihan will beat Shamrock so bad he faints (like Callihan fainted in their previous encounter), and Callihan will get the honor of retiring the leged.
Monster's Ball Tag Team Match
Eric Young and Moose vs Willie Mack and Rich Swann
This kind of builds itself now. EY attacked Swann at Slammiversary, costing him the title match. Then we will have Willie Mack (who is out of the X-Division title picture) setting his sight on EY. Then after Moose is losing his unification match with Edwards, he is losing his mind, but finds comfort in the sadistic, psycho world of EY. Both of them ruthlessly attack Mack for a couple of weeks, until Swann makes his grand return, and the match is set.
This should be a cinematic match for my money. This four guys, especially EY and Moose, can do great in such an enviroment. At the end all are back in the ring and EY is pinning Mack for the victory, after he finds himself in a 2 on 1 situation against the heels, again. This will all lead to Willie Mack turning on Rich Swann in the weeks following BFG.
Ultimate X Match for the IMPACT X-Division Championship
Chris Bey (C) (w/Rohit Raju) vs Dez vs Wentz vs Alex Shelley vs Chris Sabin vs Heath (w/Rhyno)
This may look like a mess on paper but here me out. Shelley and Sabin both will be angry at losing the Bound For Glory Series, setting their sight on the X Division, where they excelled. Dez and Wentz are totally underrated and deserve this shot. And Chris Bey is the chicken shit heel champion, cheating every match against the four of them (Dez, Wentz, Shelley and Sabin), not allowing anyone to earn the title shot at Bound For Glory.
Eventually managment announces that because of Bey's actions he will defend the title in a 6 Way Ultimate X Match, against Dez, Wentz, Shelley, Sabin and a winner of an Invitational Battle Royal.
The key part is that this is an Invitational Battle Royal, and I would like to have all sorts of indy wrestlers getting a shot at prime time television appearance here, and maybe IMPACT will even sign some of them after the match. But during the match, Heath (who will have a similar free agent story to the one he had on SmackDown in 2016), appears surprisingly, after he and Rhyno lose a tag title match against The North (with the stipulation that if Heath wins he gets a contract), and last eliminate TJP to earn the 6th spot. Also leading up to the show Heath is having a lot of segments concerning how he is going to climb on the X.
At Bound For Glory they have around 20 minutes of good high flying action, and then we have Shelley and Sabin alone on the top of the X, fighting each other like maniacs, costing both the match. Then Chris Bey comes out of no where, tries to unhook the title, but there comes Heath on top of Rhyno's shoulders suplexing Bey down from the X, and then he stand on Rhyno's shoulders and grabs the X in the opener of the show.
That would be a great feel good moment, and I think Heath as a half comedy half bad ass X Division champion, will deepen the division, and give it a little flavour and character.
Triple Tag Team Match for the Vacant Knockouts Tag Team Championships.
Susie and Kylie Rae vs Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie vs Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan
I think the Knockouts tag title must return soon. The knockouts division is great, and the talent pool is enough for a return of the title. I would have each team win a qualifying match to earn this shot. With Kylie Rae last pinning Taya Valkyrie to win the titles for her and Susie.
Also I would add to the card a 10 man Bound For Gold Gauntlet Match - only with good superstars, and not a long one with boring entrants, with them being: Madman Fulton, TJP, Hernandez, Rhino, Tommy Dreamer, Crazy Steeve, Johnny Swinger, Acey Romero, Cody Deaner and the returning Rob Van Dam, who will eventually win this. The reasoning is that with this win you can either have him continue his heel personna (which I would prefer) challenging Heath for the X Division title, saying what a loser he is etc. etc., only to have Heath defeat him, giving him tons of momentum defeating a former world champ like RVD.
Or if you wanna go the face route, I would have him wait months (like Tyrus did in 2015 I think), getting a world title shot, against eventual champ Ace Austin, which would make for a great feud.
Lastly on the kickoff (if there will be fans), I think Jordynne Grace vs Havok in a Lumberjack Match (both male and female lumberjacks) can be a good attraction, and if there are not, this can be a part of the show, breaking up between some long matches.
So the final card is:
Kickoff: Jordynne Grace def. Havok in a Lumberjack Match
1.Heath (w/Rhyno) def. Chris Bey (C), Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Wentz and Dez in an Ultimate X Match to win the Impact X-Division Championship
2.Rob Van Dam wins 10 Man Bound For Gold Gauntlet Match last eliminating Rhino to earn a future championship opportunity of his choice.
3.Susie and Kylie Ray def. Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary & Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz in a Triangle Tag Team Match to win the Vacant Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship
4.Moose and Eric Young def. Rich Swann and Willie Mack in a Monster's Ball Tag Team Match
5.Sami Callihan def. Ken Shamrock in a Retirement Match.
6.The Good Brothers def. The North (C) to win the Impact World Tag Team Championships.
7.Deonna Purrazzo (C) def. Tenille Dashwood to retain the Impact Knockouts Championship
8.Ace Austin def. Trey Miguel in a Ladder Match to become the No.1 Contender for the IMPACT World Heavyweight Championship
9.Ethan Carter III def. Eddie Edwards (C) to win the Impact World Heavyweight Championship.
What are your thoughts on my booking and what would you do if you are TNA at this stage?
Last edited:
