I ordered Lockdown 2005 when I was younger. Every match in a cage. That concept stuck with me. So when TNA brought Lockdown back as a pay-per-view — Chicago, Credit Union 1 Arena, August 23, first Lockdown PPV since 2014 and the first Lockdown at all since 2016 — I was actually excited.
How I got into wrestling is the longer version of why TNA landed with me in the mid-2000s. This is the shorter version of what I thought of the revival.
Outside of a few botches, I thought it was a good, entertaining night of wrestling. Solid 7/10. Here is the show as I saw it.
AJ Francis vs Elijah
The opener exceeded my expectations. Good wrestling mixed with good storytelling, and I love Expressions. I really enjoyed this one, and I was happy to see AJ Francis get the win.
Knockouts Tag Titles: Allie and Kiera Hogan vs The Elegance Brand
This was the weak point of the show. The botch at the end was pretty bad, and some of the wrestlers had that deer-in-headlights stuck look on their faces. But Kiera Hogan returning was a fun surprise. It was what it was — nothing too special.
Escape the Cage: Frankie Kazarian vs Moose
Normally I hate escape rules in a cage match, but I do not mind it when escape is the only way to win. Still, being able to simply walk out through the front door to win is stupid, in my opinion. This was still a fun match. I thought they did what they could with the gimmick, but it was a bit silly for my taste. Not terrible. Not my favorite.
Knockouts World Championship: Xia Brookside vs Elayna Black
This one was great. They used blood effectively instead of just doing it to do it — it actually enhanced the story. It was not the greatest technical wrestling match by any means, but it did a great job of telling a story that felt believable.
Avery Styles Signs With TNA
Avery Styles signing with TNA was a great feel-good announcement. I think he is a strong pickup. He actually carries some name value, unlike a lot of the other younger guys available. Pairing him with Kazarian was smart. He needs to work on his facial expressions a bit, but he has the athletic part down. I am excited to see what they do with him.
Match of the Night: Mustafa Ali vs Jason Hotch
In my opinion, this was the match of the night. They told a good story. I loved them using his wife and kid at ringside, and the stuffed animal. Plus, it was a great match.
My only complaint — and this is largely a complaint with modern wrestling — is that they are doing dangerous stuff too often when it is not needed. There was a scary botch. This match was great outside of the dangerous moves. It did not need that. They could have saved that risk for the sixth or seventh match in a feud, not the rematch in a new one. That is a nitpick. This was great. I just did not like the risks they decided to take in a few instances. Thankfully, they all seemed okay coming out of it.
X-Division Championship: Leon Slater vs Cedric Alexander
Last Man Standing inside a steel cage. Interesting stipulation, but I was not a huge fan of it. You already had this in a cage match. There was no reason for the extra gimmick on top of the cage. TNA has a tendency to do this — gimmick up a gimmick until it gets a bit ridiculous. In this case, I think they pulled it off, but it was unnecessary. They told a good enough story, and Leon Slater came out looking great.
Lethal Lockdown
The Lethal Lockdown was okay. My biggest complaint is that it lacked the heat from older Lethal Lockdowns and the star power. It was a decent match, but it felt subpar for Lethal Lockdown as a true blood-feud sendoff. This just felt like another match with another gimmick. It was fine.
Main Event: The Nemeths vs The Hardys
The tag title match at the end was okay. Again, not the best — but it is refreshing to see something other than the usual world title match in the final slot. Seeing the tag titles featured is refreshing. Personally, I think Mustafa Ali and Jason Hotch could have closed the show.
Looking Ahead
After the main event, Leon Slater invoked Option C, vacated the X-Division Championship, and challenged Nic Nemeth for the world title at Bound for Glory. That should be a great match. I am looking forward to the story they tell.
I recently wrote about the struggles TNA has had since getting the AMC TV deal — releases, cost cuts, talent walking out the door while the company optimizes for the check. Those concerns still stand. They have lost people. But Lockdown also showed they can still announce signings that matter. Avery Styles. Kiera Hogan coming back. I think those are solid moves, and I am excited to see what direction they go. I hope they prove me wrong and make me look foolish for the concerns.
Overall, I thought the show was pretty good. A solid 7/10. I was entertained. That is what I wanted out of Lockdown coming back.