Sacrifice (2005)

The 2005 Sacrifice was a

Jerry Lynn versus Sean Waltman was also promoted for Sacrifice. At No Surrender, Lynn was Special Guest Referee for a bout between Styles and Waltman, which Styles won after aid from Lynn.^[7] TNA created a storyline from this and Lynn and Waltman's past real-life friendship. On the July 22 episode of Impact!, Waltman accused Lynn of trying to steal his spotlight in a backstage segment, while Lynn took credit for Waltman's success. Lynn argued that he was the one who helped get Waltman into the industry as well as early success thanks to a critically acclaimed series of matches the two had in the past. The segment ended with Waltman challenging Lynn to a match at Sacrifice, which Lynn accepted.^[8] This bout was also promoted as a clash between two pioneers of TNA's X Division style.^[12]

At No Surrender, the team of

TNA held a thirty-minute pre-show prior to the event, during which the team of Apolo and Sonny Siaki defeated the team of Jerrelle Clark and Mikey Batts in a bout lasting 4 minutes and 27 seconds. A segment took place on the pre-show between Larry Zbyszko, Jeff Jarrett, and TNA commentator Mike Tenay, in which Jarrett questioned Zbyszko on whether he would earn a future NWA World Heavyweight Championship match if he pinned Raven during the main event. Zbyszko agreed he would earn the title shot, however, adding if Raven pinned Jarrett then Jarrett would not have a title match for a full year.^[13]

Miscellaneous

Sacrifice, as well as the pre-show, featured employees other than the wrestlers involved in the matches. Mike Tenay and

A

Alex Shelley fought Shocker in the second match on the show. Shelley won the contest with a roll-up pin with his feet on the ropes for leverage at 8 minutes and 50 seconds.^[17]

Abyss, who was accompanied by James Mitchell, versus

A Tag Team match with B.G. James as Special Guest Referee between the 3Live Kru (Konnan and Ron Killings) and the team of Kip James and Monty Brown was next. It lasted 7 minutes and 45 seconds. Konnan took off his shoe during the match and began to use it as a weapon. He attempted to throw it at Brown and Kip, however, he accidentally struck B.G. in the process. Later, Kip attempted to attack Konnan with a steel chair but was stopped by B.G. Kip in returned shoved B.G., which caused B.G. to punch Kip in retaliation. Konnan then grabbed the chair and bashed Kip over the head with it to score the pinfall victory for his team.[14]

In the fifth match, Christopher Daniels fought Austin Aries in what was promoted as the Internet Dream match. Daniels and Aries each gained several near-falls during the encounter. Daniels won the contest by slamming Aries face-first against the mat with his signature Angel Wings maneuver at 9 minutes and 35 seconds.^[16]

Main event matches

In the next scheduled match Jerry Lynn faced Sean Waltman. The contest duration was 15 minutes and 31 seconds. During the bout while Lynn stood on the ring apron, Waltman attempted to suplex him back into the ring, however, Lynn countered and instead suplexed Waltman over the ring ropes and down to the floor. Waltman scored a near-fall following a groin hit and slamming Lynn's face into the mat with his signature X-Factor maneuver. Chris Sabin, Shark Boy, and Sonjay Dutt came from the backstage area to view this encounter from ringside. Lynn gained the pinfall on Waltman after countering a scoop powerslam into a victory roll pin. Following the bout, Waltman and Lynn shook hands and hugged in a display of mutual respect. This instead was a trick by Waltman, allowing him to attack Lynn and bash Lynn's arm with a steel chair while it was draped over the ring apron until Dutt, Sabin, and Shark Boy came to Lynn's aid.^[17]

TNA held an Eight Man Tag Team match pitting the team of America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) and The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens), who were accompanied by Jimmy Hart, against Team Canada (A-1, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and Petey Williams). A brawl ensued during the bout after The Naturals performed their signature Natural Disaster tag team maneuver on Young. This resulted in A-1, Douglas, Storm, Young, and Williams fighting at the ringside area until Harris jumped off the top of a padded turnbuckle onto the group with a splash. Williams attempted to bash Storm with a hockey stick, but missed allowing Storm to toss him to the floor. Meanwhile, Roode scored the pinfall on Stevens with a small package pin while holding his tights for leverage at 11 minutes and 11 seconds.^[13]

The Finals of the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament was next between A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe. The duration of the encounter was 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Christopher Daniels provided commentary for this contest, due to him labeling the tournament the Christopher Daniels Invitational and being the TNA X Division Champion at the time. The winner of this match won the silver Super X Cup trophy and became number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship, earning a title match against Daniels at TNA's

After winning the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament, Joe was scheduled to face Christopher Daniels for the TNA X Division Championship at TNA's next PPV event Unbreakable. However, Styles ended up assaulting Daniels on the August 19 episode of Impact!, as revenge for Daniels' interference at Sacrifice.[21] Daniels demanded Styles be suspended due to the attack, but the request was declined by NWA Championship Committee member Larry Zbyszko. Instead Zbyszko added Styles to the contest at Unbreakable on the August 26 episode of Impact!, thus making it a Three Way match for the TNA X Division Championship.^[22] Styles ended up gaining the pinfall on Daniels during the main event of the show, thus winning the championship.^[23]

Following Sacrifice, TNA announced on their website that Rhino was considered the new number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.^[24][25] On the August 19 episode of Impact!, Mike Tenay announced that Raven and Rhino would face for the title at Unbreakable.^[21] At the event, the match was given a Raven's Rule stipulation, which aided Raven in retaining the championship as he pinned Rhino to win the encounter.^[26]

Abyss and Sabu engaged in a rivalry following the event, with the two facing in a No Disqualification match at Unbreakable, which Abyss won.^[26] The two then fought in a Four Way Monster's Ball match, also involving Rhino and Jeff Hardy, at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event on October 23. Rhino won the contest at the gathering.^[27] At TNA's Genesis PPV event on November 13, Abyss and Sabu fought in another No Disqualification match, with Abyss coming out the victor.^[28] The two ended their rivalry at TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 11, where Sabu defeated Abyss in the first-ever Barbed Wire Massacre.^[29]

TNA held The Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament in the weeks leading up to Unbreakable. It involved eight randomly assigned teams, with the team of Alex Shelley and Sean Waltman defeating Chris Sabin and Shocker in the Finals on the September 9 episode of Impact!.^[30] Due to winning the tournament, Shelley and Waltman gained entry into a Four Way Elimination match for the NWA World Tag Team Championship at Unbreakable which also involved then-champions The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens), America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm), and Team Canada (A-1 and Eric Young). Waltman ended up missing the event for unknown reasons, with Chris Candido's legitimate brother Johnny Candido taking Waltman's place as Shelley's partner.^[31] The Naturals ended up retaining the championship at the event.^[26]

The feud between the 3Live Kru (B.G. James, Konnan, and Ron Killings) and Kip James and Monty Brown ended following Sacrifice. The 3Live Kru went on to defeat The Diamonds in the Rough (David Young, Elix Skipper, and Simon Diamond) at Unbreakable, while Brown and Kip defeated Apolo and Lance Hoyt at the show.^[23]

TNA Management were impressed with Aries' performance in his match with Daniels at the gathering that they stated they wished to bring him in for another match down the line.^[32] This led to Aries facing another non-TNA contracted wrestler Roderick Strong at Unbreakable, which Aries won.^[23]

Results

Tournament bracket

References

Footnotes