83 Weeks - TNA Lockdown 2012 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Back to Nashville Eric as today here on 83 Weeks we’ll be covering Lockdown 2012. The last professional wrestling pay-per-view that will feature Eric Bischoff inside a professional wrestling ring.

What started at Starrcade 97 against Larry Zybysko ends inside a salad steel cage War Games style with your son and 8 other dudes but let’s first talk about how we got there Eric.

Did you make the decision that it was time to take yourself off TV or did it have to do with Nick at Nite made a 20-episode order of your show with Scott Baio?

We covered Victory Road last month in the archives so be sure to check that out but Eric we’re coming off that angle with Bobby Roode and Dixie Carter that you even said was a little too much. The follow-up to this is to set up James Storm as the #1 contender against his old tag team partner in his hometown of Nashville. Was Storm or Roode better suited to be the top guy for TNA in your opinion?

The opening segment for the Impact afterwards sees Sting convince Dixie Carter not to fire Roode and Sting is no longer interested in being an authority figure and he wants to go back to being a wrestler. He recommends Hogan take his spot and Dixie has some reservations considering what Hogan did the year before. This is going to be the story of Hogan coming back to being the guy leading the company. Was Hulk ready to come back full time on camera at this point?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNgXFSXO-Fc 

Garett gets another challenge with Kurt Angle like he had the week before but this time it’s only 3 minutes. It ends in a DQ when Gunner attacks. Was it important for Garett to be in the ring with someone like Kurt to learn from him?

Our old friend Bruce around this time according to the Observer has a couple of heart attacks so he’s out for a few weeks. How do you remember hearing about this and how was he?

When Bruce isn’t there running creative whose lap did that fall onto? Yours?

It’s reported … in the Observer … that the plans for Lockdown and Garett’s match changed a couple of times. It was originally scheduled as Hulk & Garett against you & Flair. Do you remember that being the idea?

Then when it’s decided to not put Flair in the match Gunner is to replace Flair. When does it change to a 5-on-5 match?

Flair is a big topic at TNA at the time since he will be at the Hall of Fame after TNA and the WWE come to an agreement. Once Flair walked into the Hall of Fame…there was no way he was coming back to work at TNA right?

Without Flair being involved the whole storyline of Garett being bullied by Flair doesn’t really tell the whole story. Do you think you needed Ric to finish this story?

Bully Ray begins a story where he’s taking people out…but not really why he’s doing it. This means he’ll come out during a 4-way X division match and lay everyone out.

The episode ends with Sting and Hogan and Dixie talking and no decision being made so there’s your cliffhanger.

The next week…surprisingly enough Hogan doesn’t agree to the job when Dixie asks. But agrees when Sting convinces him… does that make Dixie look like shit? Meltzer speculates that with the cost of Hogan and Hogan not being able to wrestle he had to be involved somehow.

Is it hard to build stories where everyone knows every match at the pay-per-view will be in a cage? Or is it just known you have to build gimmicks inside the cage for it to make sense.

Bobby Roode says he will not be on TV indefinitely and that lasts all of one week. Where do you think that lack of stories making sense came from in TNA?

Mr. Anderson defeats Jeff Hardy when Kurt Angle interferes to set up Kurt vs. Jeff in a cage at the pay-per-view. Kurt claims because he’s already defeated Jeff he doesn’t have to face him again but Hulk lets him know that’s the match. Kurt vs. Jeff is always guaranteed to be a good match but putting these two maniacs in a cage…you have to be worried right?

Eric you and Garett have a segment where you basically tell Garett to get out of wrestling and Garett shoves you. Was he stiff Eric?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p6o-mEHPBAX3P7hY1orL1hQ5A6AejmJi/view?usp=drivesdk (Impact 3/29/12 clip)

It is reported in the Observer that Flair was supposed to be part of the segment with you & Garett but he wasn’t at the tapings.

The main event of the show is Roode & Bully teaming up against Aries & Storm and Storm pins Bully after Roode spit beer in Bully’s face by accident and gets pinned with a superkick.

Brock Lesnar returns to the WWE the night after the biggest WrestleMania at the time with Rock vs. Cena. The WWE is hot at this point. Not much you can do about them right?

Scott Steiner and TNA are unable to come to a deal and Scott writes this on Twitter: “Right now, I’m trying to save TNA because it’s The Titanic and its sinking fast because Hogan and Bischoff are doing the same bullshit they did to destroy WCW. It took them 1 ½ months to drive TNA to its lowest ratings ever. The best way to save it is to jump off and be the voice for the guys that can’t say anything.”

What was the heat with Scotty?

It’s also reported in the Observer that Lagana, you & Hervey are big-time behind using Twitter during the pay-per-views as a way to…well not really sure what. Because if you’re trying to do live social media reaction you need to get people to buy the pay-per-view to talk about it…right?

Eric Young and ODB are planning a wedding. Eric who found this stuff entertaining?

You challenge Garett to a singles match in the cage at Lockdown and Garett responds you are dumber than everybody thinks you are and accepts. Are you sad this is coming to an end?

Alright Eric. Crack your knuckles and let’s dig into this…

“Spike and TNA signed a two year contract extension through October of 2014. A lot of people in TNA are breathing easier because it had been openly talked about the idea that Eric Bischoff and Spike would start their own promotion in the time slot, with the idea that TNA wouldn’t be able to get any TV, or at least TV that would pay them enough to survive, and then the promotion would end up by default getting all the talent they wanted. There was a lot of fear that there are people who Bischoff wouldn’t have kept, plus, Bischoff is so universally disliked, it’s one thing if he’s got power and all in booking but it’s another if he’s actually the guy running the company for Spike. There are probably a lot of reasons it didn’t happen, including all the lawsuits that would likely go back-and-forth, how Spike would be viewed in such a situation and that if TNA went under and everyone became a free agent, who is to say that WWE wouldn’t then sign most of the talent up and leave Bischoff with a stripped down version. In the press release, they claimed TNA has gone from 700,000 viewers to 2 million in its nearly seven years on the network. Actually, TNA debuted with an 0.8 rating in an 11 p.m. Saturday night time slot, and now it’s been doing 1.0 and 1.1 ratings for two hours at 9 p.m. on Thursday. I think just the time slot difference alone should have been worth more when it comes to growth.”

How involved in this were you? Were you thinking of splitting off and making another promotion with Spike?

Universally disliked huh?

Do you know what the terms of this agreement were? Were they the same and it was just an extension?

Also part of this deal is the abandonment of taping TV on the road. Why didn’t it work?

Also from the Observer: “Some notes from a conversation with Dixie Carter after she and Eric Bischoff met with Spike TV officials in New York on 4/11. Regarding taping TV on the road, she said they definitely want to do it and need to do it but it costs nearly $500,000 in total for them to tape on the road and they can’t put the company through that kind of financial drain, particularly if it doesn’t work out. She said over the next few weeks you’ll be seeing changes in how the TV is presented. Among the changes that started this week is that one episode per month (the first being the 4/18 taping that airs on 4/26) will be Open Fight Night. The idea is that a new wrestler will debut, and that new person will pick his opponent. All TNA wrestlers have to answer if they are challenged. They will have three judges as well as Hulk Hogan who will watch their match and determine if they get a contract. In addition, anyone on the roster can issue a challenge for any title. There will be more focus on younger talent. She categorized the recent period of pushing younger talent on top and somewhat lower ratings as an investment in the future and pushing home grown stars. She talked about needing a second television show saying two hours isn’t enough per week. Two good hours is more than enough. Four bad hours isn’t enough.”

Where do these ideas come from?

It’s also written in the Observer that there’s been talk of making Bully Ray world champion. Is this when the movement began for putting Bully in that spot. Does the Aces & Eights idea begin to take shape around this time?

Flair comes back for one last taping for the April 5th and 12th show. Was this a negotiation to get Ric to return?

Ric is based around trying to get you to the building because Hogan wants to see you.

Finally you arrive and now it’s you and Hogan out in front of the fans but Flair gives you a warning beforehand but that’s not what Meltzer highlights:

“Eric Bischoff arrived with Flair in the parking lot to meet him. All they did was put over Flair being a two-time Hall of Famer. Even within the company I heard people were rolling their eyes about this one.

Hogan came out for an interview and called out Eric. Eric said that the difference between them is that Hogan isn’t a leader, he’s not the kind of a person that people will follow into battle. He said Hogan was a guy who just relies on others and jumps on situations that will personally benefit him, while he’s a guy who can come up with ideas and make them happen. Hogan announced that the Eric vs. Garett thing has to end at Lockdown so he was doing a match with these stipulations. Each guy picks a team. If Eric wins, Garett leaves TNA forever. If Garett wins, Eric leaves TNA and also can no longer use the Bischoff name anywhere.”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U-M4Q80i7xWW_6mycNpGPWKyig-2eg-B/view?usp=drivesdk (Ric and Bischoff in the back then the Hogan - Bischoff promo)

TV is also building up Eric Young & ODB’s wedding which includes an Eric Young bachelor party, and then also Montgomery Gentry - a country band - looking like they’re hanging out with James Storm as they continue to build Storm vs. Roode. Was Storm vs. Roode the top level program TNA needed?

The go-home Impact featured a best-of-three between the two Bischoff teams with the winners getting the man advantage in the Lethal Lockdown match. Were you a fan of the coin toss gimmick in War Games or did you think this was the better way to to do it?

Meltzer calls it one of the best shows in a long time because of the Roode vs. Storm build. The first match of the best of 3 is Gunner vs. Mr. Anderson. Anderson - loses via DQ due to not breaking on the ropes…pretty stupid for a babyface to do that right?

Chris Sabin returns around this time from a torn ACL. Did Motor City Machine Guns deserve better in TNA?

Aries makes it 1-1 with a win over Daniels and then we have Rosita and Sarita coming up to Eric Young in trench coats and offering them their naked bodies for the tag titles and to not get married to ODB…this is…interesting right?

So the cage gets lowered and we get 14 minutes of Eric Young and ODB getting married…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgwULrw1ceQ 

Yeah…moving on…

Bully Ray pins AJ Styles to get the advantage at Lethal Lockdown. Ray gets the win with a chain…and then Hulk comes out and doesn’t reverse the decision. Storyline logic gap aside…and Hogan announces that it’s no longer 4 vs. 4 in the cage it’s 5 vs. 5 and Eric had to find a 5th member. You let Hulk know that you know he’s the 5th man so you turn to Flair to add him. But it’s RVD…

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T0WBzoC__UE4DYm-O_93qZt93V0ofovR/view?usp=drivesdk (Impact 4/12/12 clip)

A couple things to unpack…being against Hogan on the microphone had to be amazing right? Working with your friend…the legend…against him…nothing like it right?

The go-home between Roode & Storm face-off is amazing and Meltzer calls it the best thing on TNA TV in months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt0oFUEd22A 

It’s reported in the Observer that the original plan was for the hometown guy to get the win…when did that change?

We’re at the show now Eric!

Lockdown draws 3,000…is that a disappointment?

The show gets a 54.5% thumbs down from the Wrestling Observer readers.

The 10 man between you & Garett…open the show. Why is that?

“1. Team Garett Bischoff (Garett Bischoff & Rob Van Dam & Mr. Anderson & A.J. Styles & Austin Aries) beat Team Eric Bischoff (Eric Bischoff & Bully Ray & Gunner & Kazarian & Christopher Daniels in 25:59 of Lethal Lockdown. This was similar to War Games rules only sped up. Wrestlers entered in 3:00 intervals, and unlike WWE in this kind of situation, they followed the clock. To show it was a legit they had a countdown clock going throughout the bout. Before the match started, Garett Bischoff said he wanted to start while the other guys said he’s the least experienced, but he said he needed to prove himself. He was put against Gunner. Crowd didn’t seem to like Garett. Bully Ray was the next man in. He somewhat woke up the fans who booed him because of what an awesome heel he is. The crowd wasn’t behind Garett at all when he was making a comeback. When the next person was to enter, there was an “Austin Aries” chant, and he was next in. Action was good at that point, but the crowd was killed dead when Frankie “The Crewcut” Kazarian was next in. Fans didn’t seem to recognize him and the place went silent. Then a “You look stupid” chant broke out. Styles was next in, and the people did react to him like he was a star. He got brief offense before the heels took over. Daniels was next in. Anderson followed him in. During Anderson’s big entrance, he mistimed a spot. He was supposed to deck Daniels as part of his hot entrance. But Daniels just took a bump even when Anderson’s offensive spot was botched. Eric Bischoff came in wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Eric held Garett so Ray could slap him in the head. The crowd was having so much sympathy for the heels double-teaming Garett that a “One more time” chant started. The heels were chopping Garett’s chest right on the spot of his “Bischoff” tattoo. Everyone was taking their turns beating on Garett but it wasn’t working. RVD was the last guy in and cleaned house with some cool kicks. Eric Bischoff then was hiding out in the corner. The top of the cage with weapons came down at 18:30. Styles was hitting Ray with a hockey stick. Anderson was using garbage can lid shots. Then they used the spot where they all do their finishers but it was broken up. Finish saw Eric beating on Garett with kendo stick shots, which got zero heat and nobody cared. The people didn’t see Eric as a star or hate him at all. There were chants for Hogan. After taking all that beating, Garett got a guitar and hit Eric with it for the pin. *½”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gdXsdmx789JF4OH-6MI3zeBBQQZAkWSr/view?usp=drivesdk (Lockdown - Team Eric vs Team Garrett ending)

Is this a success? Are you happy with it? Why was the crowd so dead?

“2. Samoa Joe & Magnus retained the tag titles over Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley in 11:12. With two babyface teams, that didn’t help the non-existent heat. Joe had a Mohawk. Match was okay. Sabin is still very cautious after his knee surgery. A lot of good moves from the Guns. Joe & Magnus worked as the heels but nobody was booing them. Finish saw Joe snap mare Shelley and Magnus came off the top with an elbow for the pin. **¼”

Did you even watch the rest of the show after your match?

“3. Devon pinned Robbie E in 3:23 to retain the TV title. Both guys came out fast. Crowd didn’t react at all to Devon. When Devon was selling, he started hitting the mat to get the crowd to cheerlead his comeback. But nobody cared. Robbie crotched himself on the top rope, fell into the ring and Devon got the pin after the spinebuster. Robbie T attacked Devon after the match. T laid out him with a powerslam so most likely they’ll face off for the title soon. Devon won with a spinebuster right in the middle, coming out of nowhere and with nobody ready for it as a finish. 3/4*”

Did anyone care?

“4. Gail Kim pinned Velvet Sky in 7:24 to retain the Knockouts title. Madison Rayne was out with Kim. She had a crown on and Taz mentioned that nobody with a crown will ever get over in the business. When they were on the ground exchanging wrestling moves, it was okay. Most of it was pretty bad, The finish saw Rayne distract Sky, and then Sky blocked a move, and went for a rolling reverse cradle. Kim reversed it into the O’Connor roll and held Sky’s panties for the win. ½*”

Do you consider Gail Kim the best Knockout of all-time?

“Ric Flair came out and got four times the reaction of anyone thus far on the show. Everyone cheered him so he started insulting people at ringside to get heat. Flair called people “fat boy” and asked one person how his wife could ever do it with him because he’s so fat. Hulk Hogan then came out. He said that Ric Flair was the single greatest wrestler of all-time. Flair told SoCal Val to open the ropes for Hogan. Flair then told Hogan he’s had a problem with him for 30 years and doesn’t like the way he’s running the company. Flair said that Eric Bischoff shouldn’t have even been in the ring in the match earlier in the show and that he should have been in. He threatened to kick Hogan’s ass. Hogan said that Eric Bischoff would never be part of Impact Wrestling. He said he could never even use the name Eric Bischoff if he was at a flea market selling baseball cards. Hogan told Flair that the two of them could tear the roof off the building. Hogan threw one punch and Flair sold it like he was knocked out cold. Then, after Hogan left Flair got up and challenged Mike Tenay to a fight.”

How good is Flair here? Are you happy you were able to keep your name?

“5. Crimson beat Matt Morgan via cage escape in 7:58. Another bad match with no heat. Crimson missed a tackle and flew into the cage. Morgan went to leave which would have ended Crimson’s streak (he’s been unbeaten forever even though nobody cares), but Morgan changed his mind and showed he didn’t want to win as much as hurt Crimson. This was bad agenting when you tell the same story in a mid-card match that you’re doing in the main event. Crimson blocked a choke slam and gave Morgan a chop block and began working on the knee. Morgan came back. He started stomping to try and get the crowd behind him and making noise. It didn’t work. Morgan missed the carbon footprint and Crimson tried to climb out. Morgan climbed up and pulled him back in. They were fighting on the top rope and Morgan lost his balance and crotched himself, and as he fell, draped his leg over the ropes. I think he was supposed to get his leg tied up in the ropes, but that didn’t happen. Crimson then blew Morgan a kiss and climbed over the top to win. Crowd groaned at the finish. 3/4*”

This is…just interesting to me. Matt Morgan was always talked about being a future WrestleMania main eventer by Jim Cornette of all people. Yet here he is with someone Impact is building essentially as the next Goldberg. Where did these two miss?

“6. Jeff Hardy beat Kurt Angle after a swanton off the top of the cage in 14:50. Angle was moving really slow. Dueling chants with the men cheering for Angle and the women for Hardy, but not a lot of women go to TNA shows so Angle was the favorite. Hardy juiced about 5:00 into the match. Hardy used the whisper in the wind for a near fall. He hit the twist of fate and went to the top. Angle got up and ran up the ropes and gave Hardy an Olympic slam off the top rope. Hardy used a Vader reverse splash off the top for a near fall. Crowd was chanting “this is awesome.” Hardy considered leaving the cage to win but Angle grabbed his ankle and put on the ankle lock. Hardy reversed into an ankle lock of his own. Angle teased tapping out but refused and escaped. Hardy delivered a twist of fate again. He climbed to the top for a swanton, hit it and Angle kicked out. Hardy then climbed to the top of the cage, delivered the swanton off the top of the cage for the pin. Angle was then helped to the back. ***¾”

Angle guts through a hamstring injury and has a great match as usual. Jeff and Kurt just have insane chemistry and you know when you put these two together you’re getting the best of the best. How much faith was there in Jeff?

“7. Eric Young & ODB retained the Knockouts tag titles beating Rosita & Sarita in 4:24. Just a buffer match. Young never tagged in. Young & ODB came out in Nashville Predators jerseys for an easy pop. ODB attacked both women. Then they beat down on ODB. They would shake their asses and tease Young who would turn his head like he wasn’t supposed to look. Then ODB ate her spinach, or drank her Jim Beam, made the superwoman comeback, speared Sarita and hit the TKO on Rosita for the pin. After the match, Young and ODB were kissing and rolling around on the mat. 3/4*”

Yup.

“8. Bobby Roode beat James Storm in 19:10 via cage escape. Storm came to the ring in the same pick-up truck that he was shown getting into in the vignette that opened the show. He had a cooler in the back of the truck and carried a six-pack to the ring. Storm decked Roode and Roode was slowly walking around the ring and it was on. They fought for a few minutes around the ring before the bell rang. Storm slammed Roode into the ring steps and spit beer into his eyes. Roode came back and Storm juiced first. Roode then drank a beer and spit the beer into Storm’s face. Well, at least he was trying to disinfect it. Storm was bleeding heavy and the crowd was dead. Several times during the match they showed Storm’s wife, Dani Cox, sitting at ringside with Montgomery Gentry. Finally the bell sounded. Roode threw Storm into the cage. They were trading punches. Roode was scraping Storm’s forehead against the cage. Storm came back and got Roode in the corner and was throwing punch after punch. He tried the whirly bird but lost him. He catapulted Roode into the cage and threw him into the cage a second time. Roode was bleeding. He used the whirly bird for a near fall. Roode missed a tackle and went into the turnbuckles where Storm hit a codebreaker and backstabber for a near fall. Roode back dropped Storm into the cage. Roode then put on the Fujiwara armbar in the middle of the ring. Storm rolled into the ropes. Both climbed to the top rope and started trading punches. Roode climbed onto Storm’s back to climb over the top and kicked Storm to the floor. Roode was about to climb over when Storm grabbed him by the hair and pulled him back in. They were trading punches again while standing on the top rope. Each slammed the others’ head into the cage alternately three times each. Storm then slammed Roode’s head into the cage a fourth and fifth time and Roode fell into the ring. Storm climbed to the top, and could have won. He was about to win when Roode flipped him off, and Storm climbed down to deliver more punishment. He came off the top with a codebreaker on Roode. Storm went for the superkick, but Roode moved and the kick laid out ref Brian Hebner. Roode then nailed Storm with a low blow. Roode asked the door to be opened and he could have won, but instead of climbing out, he asked Earl Hebner, who was guarding the door, to get him one of Storm’s beers. He broke another beer bottle on Storm’s head and told Earl to get in the ring and count. Storm kicked out. Storm then nailed Roode with a superkick, but collapsed and couldn’t cover him. After both got up, Storm used a second superkick and Roode went flying out the open door to win. They both worked hard and did get a crowd that wasn’t much into either guy into the match by the time it was over. After the show went off the air, Roode was still selling and he went out on a stretcher. ***½”

My goodness. It’s a great match but golly it feels like a babyface needs a win here. Storm never gets back to the mountain top ever. Should you have done it here?

What stands out the most from this? Is it a crowning achievement to give the rub to Garett?

This is the last pay-per-view you would appear on for TNA. Were you happier in TNA being an on screen character or doing the behind the scenes work?