Text By Neil Cathan

What if...Kurt Angle didn't defeat Samoa Joe at Genesis 2006?

Part I

Our story begins in the Impact Zone, Orlando, Florida, during the final moments of Samoa Joe vs Kurt Angle. Angle has just hit Joe with his signature slam for the second time, and has applied the deadly submission twice already. He is no great shape himself either, covered in his own blood from a brutal gash suffered early on.
 
November 19th, 2006: TNA Genesis
 
...Joe grimaces in pain, trying to shake off the effects of a second Angle Slam. Groggily, he sights Angle pull the straps up, only to pull them down again. The cocky display lights a fire in the Samoan Submission Machine, who rolls backwards, regaining his feet. His opponent has only a moment to register shock, before a brutal lariat smashes him to the ground. Joe follows the path, going down with the blow for the cover. Angle beats the count by split seconds, and both men, drained,  reach their knees. From this position, they trade shots, but Angle begins to give, slumping under a Joe head butt tohis open wound. Joe rubs his hand on the gushing wound from the start of the match, stares at the blood on his hand, and delivers a thunderous chop to the chest of Angle, leaving a bloody hand print on his chest.  Joe returns to his feet, licking the blood from his hand, as the crowd chant "You sick fuck!" Joe laughs, revelling in the bloodshed. Angle struggles to the corner, showing a lack of research in his opponent. Slumped in the turnbuckle is the last place you want to be against Joe. Joe punishes his ignorance with brutal Olû kicks. He hits the ropes for the final running kick, but some deep instinct kicks in, and Angle grabs his foot, transitioning into a Anglelock. They are next to the ropes, however, and Joe is able to get a hold of it. Angle relinquishes the hold only once the count reaches four, and both men stumble slowly from each other. They meet in the middle, each connecting with a clothesline, downing both. Earl Hebner begins to count the double down, but stops at six, staring in surprise at the bleached blonde man who jumped the guardrail. The stranger rushes the ring, and it is only when he applies a key lock to Angle, who taps furiously, that we get a proper look at the man's face. Tenay screams in shock "Daniel Puder?! What the hell is he doing here?" Hebner has no choice but to call for the bell, giving the victory to Angle, by way of DQ. Joe is furious, and when he regains his feet, he pushes the intruder off of Angle, and showers him with punches. Puder uses a thumb to the eye to buy him a moment to escape, rolling under the ropes and fleeing up the ramp. The commentators bemoan the lack of a decisive winner in this match, and the same frustration is etched upon the features of Samoa Joe, who hangs his head, dejected. Genesis ends with Angle lain out in a bloody heap, Joe kneeling dejected next to him, and Tenay telling the fans to "Tune into this week's iMPACT, we'll try to make sense of all this..."
 
November 23rd, 2006: TNA iMPACT!
 
iMPACT opens inside Cornette's office, posters of past TNA events litter the walls, as well as a few yellowed fliers from Smokey Mountain Wrestling that Cornette has obviously brought with him. Daniel Puder sits in a chair across from Jim Cornette, pen in hand, scribbling onto a piece of paper on a clipboard, which he finishes, and roughly shoves across the table to the director of authority. This lack of respect seems to have ignited the inch short fuse on Cornette's temper, and he begins shouting, standing to face Puder, seeming as ever unintimidated, despite the present company. Puder, for his part, seems unconcerned, leaning cockily back in his chair as Cornette begins his tirade, a fact which only serves to further infuriate the Director Of Authority.
 
"Look, you're lucky to have a contract to work here, when I should have just had you arrested for assault, and sued your ass for loss of revenue! I get that you're some big martial arts badass, but you will show me some damned respect! And I'll thank you not to ruin my Main Events. What reason do you even have for doing that, other than to piss me off?"
 
A coldness enters Puder's eyes and voice, it's obvious from the first words he says in this company that he's here for a purpose.
 
"My chance at a career up north was ruined by that man. I school him on the mat, and not only is he too scared to fight me, but he's such a little bitch, he has to politic me out of that company. I figure he's not been here long enough to buddy up to the right people. He's not dodging me again."
 
A smile begins to creep across the mouth of Jim Cornette, who is ever the businessman. He places a hand to his chin, as if to stroke a beard, had he one there.
 
"Puder vs Angle. Yeah, there could be money in that fight." The hand moves from his mouth, and is now folded into the other, held in front of him, all business again. "But I can't just give you a fight against one of our headline acts, without you proving yourself in that ring. You've got a match up next, kid. Go meet Jay Lethal in that ring, show me what you can do."
 
Puder's official debut with the company is a short, decisive affair. After the two circle each other, Lethal moves in for an enzuigiri. Puder dodges the kick, however, and takes Lethal to the ground. Lethal struggles, throwing wild elbows and trying to reach the ropes, but Puder quickly mounts him with punches, before applying the key-lock for a quick submission. No sooner is the match over, however, than the figure of Kurt Angle hurtles furiously down the ramp, and violently hoists Puder up for an Angle slam. Puder drops out of the attempt, showing tremendous presence of mind, and surprising the fans, not to mention his attacker. Wasting no time, he is immediately on the offensive again, attacking Angle from behind, throwing a swift combination of skilled punches and knees. Angle covers himself up, and trips Puder from the guard, before mounting him with punches. It is now that security stampede the ring, dragging the two fighters apart. Angle throws his keepers off in a blind fury, and barrels towards Puder, before being successfully recaptured, still struggling against  his captors towards Puder, who mirrors the actions of Kurt, pushing himself with determination towards continuing the brawl.
 
Jim Cornette storms out onto the ramp, microphone in hand, face in that familiar beet red shade, and yells at the two men still struggling futilely against their guards
"Fine! I get it! Obviously, you two aren't going to let each other have a moment free, and not let me have any peace and quiet until this is settled! So, you two can go ahead and beat each other's brains out, so far as I care! But since you've already ruined one pay per view, you guys can wait until the next one to get your hands on each other. Yes, at Turning Point, December 10th, Kurt Angle will face Daniel Puder. Now, if you don't mind, I have more important business than your squabbling to deal with, so I'll just leave security to escort you two from the building."
 
The ever excitable TNA loyalists that populate the iMPACT zone in Universal Studios give a loud cheer at the first announced match for Turning Point. They certainly don't take the volume down for the appearance of the Phenomenal Angels, who head to the ring after commercial for a match against America's Most Wanted. Normally a superb match up, this one is marred by Styles and Daniels never really getting on the same page, and Styles eventually falls while Daniels is down and out outside the ring. As Styles walks back through the curtain, frustrated, Christian Cage is waiting for him. Angry at the result of the match, and never fond of Cage anyway, Styles is impatient and  doesn't wait before demanding "What do you want?" of Christian
 
The older wrestler seems hurt by his recent opponent's short temper with him
"Look, man. I just wanted to warn you. If you don't have the time to listen to what I have to tell
you..."
 
Knowing  that this will be enough to draw his attention, Christian walks down the corridor, a smirk crossing his face when AJ chases after him, grabbing him by the elbow, and spinning him around, before holding thumb and forefinger about an inch apart, warning Christian that
 
"I have about this much patience left. What is it?"
 
Christian puts an arm on his the shoulder of Styles, before adopting an almost fatherly tone in talking to the former grand slam champion.
 
"Hey, kid. You got a future. You know it, I know it, and my word, does Daniels ever know it."
Styles looks puzzled, wondering what his best friend, sometimes rival and sometimes partner has to do with anything, asking Christian for his response. Cage sighs deeply, before answering the young star's queries
 
"He's jealous man, real jealous. Year or so ago, all anyone can talk about is Styles, Daniels and Joe, and how they're tearing it up everywhere they go. You three are the talk of the world of wrestling. Now you've been a world champ, and Joe's headlining pay per views. Where's Daniels? Exactly where he was before. Look at the match you just had. Look at you and me, last Sunday. Now that could've gone either way. Then Daniels is out there, and suddenly you've lost. You really believe that was an accident?"
Styles head hangs low, and he has a hand on the forehead, as if to prop his head up. He murmurs a response, obviously shocked by the suggestion.
"I...I need to think about this. What you're saying makes a lot of sense, but I don't want to believe it. Just...give me some time to think, ok?"
 
Cornette's eventful night is not yet over, as an angry Samoan storms into his office, and sits himself down. Wasting no time, Joe demands a match for the title.
"You've been dodging giving me that shot for too long. And you and me both know I had Angle all but beat last Sunday, before that punk stepped in." 
Cornette is flustered, and shouts at Joe
"Look! I have important business to deal with! You've been stealing titles, and demanding a shot, and hell, maybe you deserve one! You're a hell of a wrestler! But you never beat Angle! I want this business between you two decided before I'll give you the shot."
Joe stands up, angrily, and warns Cornette that if he keeps Joe away from the gold much longer, he'll just take matters into his own hands. After he barges out of the office, Cornette puts his head slowly into his hands, deep in despair about the collapse of order within his company.
 
After  the main event of the night, which sees Joe steamroll through Lance Hoyt, an image of a dark room appears on the screen, and Abyss is in a position we're unused to seeing him in: Laid out backstage. Sting stands over him, bat in hand, a murderous look on his face. Another figure is barely visible in the background, watching with interest, as iMPACT fades to black...
 
November 30th, 2006: TNA iMPACT
 
Kurt Angle is stretching in his locker room, doing his usual warm up routine, when it is interrupted by the door to his room swinging open so violently it looked ready to come off it's hinges. The cause is Samoa Joe, who barges towards Angle, pinning him forcefully against a locker, and making his demand
 
"Give me the rematch. I don't care about any issues you have with this little punk, but I don't get that belt until I beat you. Which I will. At Turning Point."
 
Angle doesn't back down, pushing Joe away from him. He is only able tp push Joe back a few steps, but he is no longer pinned to the locker, instead standing eye to eye with the Samoan Submission Machine, and the tone of his answer is surprisingly respectful
 
"This is something I've got to sort out. When I'm done with Puder, we'll meet in the ring again. I promise. Aside from you being maybe the best I've ever been in that ring with, I want to prove to you, to the world, and most importantly to myself that I'm better. I just have to take the trash out first."
 
Joe sneers, concluding that Angle's answer is "not good enough"  before delivering a brutal head butt. From here, Joe throws Angle against the locker once more, and catches Angle with a series of knees as he staggers forwards.  When Angle hits the ground, Joe announces "Guess I'll go see what Puder has to say about it"
As the door slams behind Joe, the camera catches a close up of a bleeding, grimacing Angle clutching his head.
 
Team 3D vs Phenomenal Angels should have been a great contest, but miscommunication between Styles and Daniels lead to Styles becoming quickly frustrated, leaving the ring, the match and his partner to head backstage. Daniels took a 3D, and the resulting pin. As Styles walking through the curtain, he bumps into Christian, who places a hand on his shoulder, and tells him reassuringly that he "Did the right thing."
 Styles slowly responds "I'm not so sure" before walking away.
Not long after, Daniels storms through the curtain, and Christian's tone has changed completely
 
"What the hell was that? Your own partner goes and sells you down the river. I'd watch your back, friend."
 
Daniels isn't fooled for a moment, pushing Cage up against the wall, and growling at him
 
"I have no idea why you're doing this, but I know exactly what you're doing. Stop it, or there will be consequences."
 
Cage pushes Daniels off him, sighing deeply, before embarking on a tirade
 
"You want to know why I did this? You really don't already know? Ok, punk, here it is, good and simple for you. I come to this company because it will be good for my career, and great for this dump to have a real life superstar. And for a while, everyone's grateful, everyone's excited. But it quickly returns to being all about Sting, all about Joe, all about Styles, all about Daniels."
 
Christian's voice grows in volume and intensity as he lists off the names
 
"Just when I'm able to bring some focus back to my career, you go and team with your naive pal there, and it's all about you people again. So when's it going to be my time? It's not going to be my time,  until I force the change. And what better timing than you costing him a big match to do it?"
Daniels looks the jealous wrestler in the eyes, and coldly tells him to meet him in the ring next week.
 
The camera has to leave the staredown, as it is distracted by a woman's scream, closely followed by Christy Hemme running from a nearby corridor. Rushing to where she was fleeing from the camera is confronted by a horrific scene. The first that it captures is a grotesque pattern of blood slicking the floor, being added to in a slow, swaying rhythm. The camera pans up, and we see Daniel Puder, suspended from the ceiling by a cable around his ankles, slowly swaying, blood streaming from his head.
 
Later on in the show, Jeremy Borash is able to get an interview with Sting. JB wants to know about Sting's recent brutal assault on NWA World Heavyweight Champion Abyss. Sting explains, in his usual slow cadence
 
"Since I returned to wrestling on January 15th, I've hunted for that title. I fought, I bled, I was betrayed, but ultimately, nine months on, I was victorious.  And just one month after I finally topple Jeff Jarrett for that title, I lose it. And I don't even lose it because I was beaten. I lose it by disqualification. It set a fire inside of me. A fire that only blood and gold can quench."
 
The lights flick out, and Sting is no longer standing next to JB. In his place is Raven. JB visibly jumps in shock, before asking what Raven's doing here. Raven laughs and responds
 
"I always knew this day would come. I just never knew it would be so...glorious. He knows. At long last, he knows."
 
Raven stalks off into the background, as JB looks thoroughly shaken.
 
Towards the end of the night's show, Samoa Joe heads down the ramp, microphone clasped firmly in hands caked in blood. He steps purposefully between the ropes, and shouts into the mic
 
"Cornette! You know that I'm just going to run through your entire roster, if I have to. Give me my match! Just come down here right now, and give me what I deserve."
 
Cornette steps out onto the ramp, looking more pissed off than usual.
 
"Just who the hell do you think you are, Joe? You storm around like you own the place, beating down anyone who won't give you what you want! Well, if it'll make you stop throwing all your toys out of the pram, fine! December 10th, Turning Point, I'm adding you to the match between Angle and Puder. And if you win, you can get your shot at Final Resolution. But if you don't, I want you to shut the hell up about it already!" 
 
Joe grins from ear to ear, looking as happy as if the title were already in his hands.
 
"Oh, don't you worry. I'll beat down both your little boys, with no more challenge than they posed tonight. And then I think I'll show Abyss who the real monster is. And if Sting beats him, to get that belt back around his waist, I hope he can reconcile losing it within a month again, because I'll just have to come for him." Joe drops the mic and heads up the ramp, raising his arms to close out iMPACT.
 
December 7th, 2006: iMPACT
 
iMPACT starts with Kurt Angle, dressed immaculately in a sharp suit, his pristine image marred by the plaster covering his nose, already in the ring. As the crowd's pop for him slowly dies down, Angle begins to pace, obviously angered by recent events. This anger is even more apparent in his voice once he speaks
 
"Last Thursday was not a banner day for Kurt Angle! I've been very proud of a lot of days. The day I won an Olympic Gold Medal with broken  freaking neck! The day I married my wife, the day my kids were born...but last Thursday... Well, last Thursday I turn up at the arena, looking to beat seven shades out of that disrespectful little shit Daniel Puder, then I'm informed that if I strike him before the match, I'll face a fine, and possible suspension. Then some Samoan storms into my locker room,  and" - he points to the plaster on the bridge of his nose - "Breaks my freaking nose! Now, I guess that's no big deal on one level. If I can win a gold medal with a broken freaking neck, a broken nose isn't going to stop me tapping Puder out. It just might give him another four minutes before I do. But hey, they guy needs his five minutes of fame, right? But then he goes and inserts himself into my match, and if that wasn't enough, could get a title shot out of it. So, Cornette, I guess what me and all these fans want to know is this- where's my shot? Why should he get a shot at the title if he wins, when I've beaten the current champion clean, in the centre of this ring? When I'm a former world champion and gold medallist? Samoa Joe is neither of those, and holds no recent win over our champion."
 
He pulls a chair out from under the ring, setting it up inside, and promises that he'll stay there until he gets his shot.
 
Vein throbbing on his forehead, face beet red, impatience etched on every feature, TNA's director of authority paces the top of the ramp, shouting his displeasure at the Olympian in the ring
"Whatever happened, Kurt, to the time when people got their shots by wrestling? I've got Joe trying to kill people, and whining at me that he's hard done by, and now you're going to join in? Well, since you're a stubborn ass too, very bloody well. And since I know that I'll get Puder telling me how terribly cruel I am, I'll make the offer open to any of you. Whosoever can win the three way match this Sunday is the number one contender. Are you happy now? Can I actually go do my job now? Because moonlighting as a babysitter is starting to piss me off!" He drops the microphone in frustration and storms backstage.
 
Our first match of the night is Sting vs Robert Roode, and is intended to warm Sting up for his title match this Sunday. Roode, hungry to prove himself against the legendary figure across the ring from him has no intention of being a mere warm up for Sting. It is this that allows him the early advantage in the match. Roode surprises Sting, not to mention the fans, by holding his own when the pair trade shots, before raking the eyes, and using the cheap shot to hold the advantage. From here, Roode pushes Sting into the corner and delivers a series of chops, followed by a lariat. Sting staggers out of the corner, but is pulled into a suplex. Roode shows impressive skills, and never lets up from his opponent, pressing the offence to keep Sting from building any momentum. However, his cockiness proves the undoing of him, as he charges to hit Sting with the Stinger Splash, only for Sting to dodge out of the way, before felling him with a single mighty chop that echoed throughout the building. A pair of hiptosses, a clothesline and a DDT get a two count for the Stinger. He whips Roode into the corner, and follows up with a Stinger Splash. The comeback is interrupted by a  familiar string motif, followed by a pounding guitar riff hits the air, a sure sign that the NWA World Heavyweight champion, Abyss is here. The monster makes his way threateningly down the ramp, and Sting makes the unusual gesture of not being afraid of the monster, going to the ropes and beckoning Abyss to come to him and fight. The distraction is all that Roode needs, and he quickly rolls the Stinger up for three, running around the ring, arms in the air, celebrating as if the victory were deserved.
 
As Roode rolls from the ring, and Sting regains his feet, Abyss rushes into the ring, and begins decimating Sting. He throws him against the ropes, before delivering a Black Hole Slam. He then goes outside the ring, throws a chair inside, and chokeslams Sting onto it, as the fans chant the name of "Sting" in support. Little help it does the icon, however, as the monster strikes his usual crazed pose, before holding the title over his head, and heads backstage, the damage done.
 
The main event of the night sees Christian Cage and Christopher Daniels go to war with each other. The two men, both of whom are renowned for their technical expertise, circle each other briefly, as the duelling chants ring throughout the iMPACT zone, Christian evidently still having some fans amongst the crowd. As they lock up, Cage puts Daniels in a front headlock, and uses the advantage of having his face hunched over to knee it repeatedly. As Daniels sinks to one knee, Christian hits the opposite rope, and returns with a lariat as Daniels is regaining his feet. The referee has to pull Cage off from stomping on Daniels, threatening a disqualification. Daniels groggily reaches his feet, and Cage pushes him to the corner easily as a show of dominance.  Cage's arrogance is such that he turns his back on Daniels to taunt to the crowd. Daniels rushes forwards, bowling Cage over, and smashing him with strikes on the ground, much to the joy of the crowd, who chant "Fuck him up Daniels, fuck him up!" Daniels, for his part, is only too happy to oblige, but the official has other ideas, prying Daniels off of Cage with the same disqualification threat. Daniels hits the opposite ropes for a springboard moonsault. Unbeknownst to him, however, the referee is checking on Cage, causing him to be in the way of the moonsault. The full force of both of Daniels knees catch the official in the head, taking him out of commission. Daniels goes to check on the downed man, and Cage uses the opportunity to deliver a sneaky low-blow to his opponent. Cage whips Daniels into a turnbuckle, and comes charging at him, but Daniels thinks fast enough to hunch his back, a moment before Cage reaches him, and backdrop him over the top rope, drawing the crowd into chanting the companies initials in appreciation. From here Daniels takes a moment to regroup, as Cage begins to show signs of life again. Daniels hits the opposite ropes, and dives between the second and top ropes in a suicide dive, but Cage is able to dodge out of the way, and Daniels collides with a sickening crunch into the guardrail. Cage smiles cruelly, looks at the downed ref,  and fetches a chair from under the ring. He takes a moment to prop Daniels against the guardrail, before delivering a conchairto, using the barrier as the second chair, the brutal clanging ringing throughout the arena. Tenay and West express their disgust at Cage, who grins widely, showing the sick, violent side he first displayed in his war with Rhino. A second shot follows, and as Daniels slumps lifelessly into the floor, Cage holds the blood covered chair up high, soaking in the detestation from the fans. The jeers quickly turn to cheers however, as, dressed in his everyday clothes, clutching a chair in his hand, Styles runs to the ringside area. Christian goes to head Styles off, but is caught with a running chair shot, dropping the arrogant wrestler immediately. Styles then tosses Cage into the ring, following him in. The crowd chanting his name, AJ ignores them, focused entirely on revenging his friend. He picks Cage up to his knees, and the fans cheer, knowing what comes next. And it indeed does come, as Styles hoists Cage up for the Clash, and delivers it to a resounding pop from the live audience. Daniels staggers groggily back into the ring, and holds Styles's arm up in a victory pose.
 
Tenay goes over the card for Sunday's Pay Per View, giving especial focus to Sting vs Abyss for the title, the triple threat match for number one contendership, and a new match added to the card: AJ Styles vs Christian Cage. The stage is set for Turning Point...
 
December 10th, 2006: TNA Turning Point
 
The triple main event of the evening starts with AJ Styles fighting Christian Cage. On a night already full of great action, there's a lot to live up to, but considering the calibre of the men involved, this shouldn't pose too much of a challenge. Christian's usual mixed reaction is replaced by a chorus of boos as he leaves the entrance tunnel. He struts to the ring, even lifting the hood cautiously from his head, mocking his opponent's trademark pose. He postures in the ring just as he would had he received the heroes welcome he enjoyed in his early days here. A frustrated look flashes across his face, and he is scowling deeply as he paces the ring.
 
The electrifying opening riff of "I Am" pops the crowd in a big way, and the arrival of AJ Styles, sprinting out of the tunnel to roll into the ring, going immediately face to face to Cage pops them even more. As the chants of "AJ's Gonna Kill You!" echo throughout the impact zone, Cage shows no signs of intimidation, going eye to eye with the franchise player of TNA. Styles removes the ring jacket from his arms, and turns around to hand it to the assistant outside.
 
This is the first of his mistakes, as the moment his back is turned, Cage has buried a forearm in it, and as Styles turns to answer with shots of his own, he finds himself battered to his knees with clubbing shots to his head. Styles attempts to pull himself back together, groggily reaching his feet in time to meet a lariat from Christian. From here, it's all Christian, who lays the boots in to Styles, until the ref tells him to stop. The only respite Cage will offer his enemy is to apply a chinlock rather than his boots. From the hold, Cage proceeds to once again land blows on Styles, this time throwing elbows into the top of his head. Cage eventually picks Styles up for a suplex, but Styles is able to roll over, scoring a quick two count off the roll up. As Cage picks himself up, Styles rolls backwards, and is on his feet in time to rush the veteran with a  mixture of knees and forearms that send him reeling against the ropes. Styles whips him off the ropes to those on the other side, and as Cage heads back, greets his return with a running frankensteiner. The young star raises his arms, soaking in the cheers of the fans.
 
Styles is able to keep control of the match from here, using his trademark high impact offence to keep "Captain Charisma" from mounting much of a counter offensive, until Styles misses a tope suicida to the outside, when Cage is able to duck out of it's path. The dull thud that accompanies the collision, and the sudden, silent stillness of Styles, after so much energy in his assault is unnerving to everyone save for Christian Cage, who looks to have got Christmas a little earlier this month. Styles is left down and out, bleeding from the head following the brutal dive. Cage cockily rolls into the ring, and tells Andrew Thomas to start the count. Thomas is far more concerned with the permanent well being of AJ Styles, however, as the impact from him spiking into the guardrail has left a dent in the rail, and who knows what effect it must have had on the young man. A hushed silence falls over the crowd as the medical team moves out to rush Styles backstage for treatment. As the first one reaches Styles, however, he pushes the away angrily, before slowly reaching his feet, clutching at his head. Another man grabs him by the arm to lead him away, and is shoved roughly to the floor. Styles rolls back into the ring, with the crowd applauding his bravery. Cage's reaction is similarly pleased. A sick smile twisting at the corner of his mouth displays that one thing is as abundantly clear to him as it must be for the fans: his opponent is in no state to continue.
 
Cage toys with Styles from here, clearly dominant, and whenever Styles is able to mount a comeback, it's cut off with a blow to the head. Perhaps tiring of dismantling Styles now that he can barely stand, Cage finally ends the encounter with an Unprettier, and the resulting three count is a surprise to no-one, which doesn't stop it being treated with venom by the loyalists, or Cage from going over the top in his celebration of victory, the two opposite reactions driving the other to be more pronounced.
 
An unusual sense of furious intensity surrounds Sting, who doesn't wait for his opponent to reach the ring, attacking Abyss on the ramp, with his bat instead. James Mitchell attempts to intervene, but is quickly taken down with a shot across the back. The melee works it's way towards the ring itself, and Abyss is able to catch a reprieve when he reverses a Sting irish whip, sending the man in black hurtling into the guardrail. The monstrous champion, more used to being on the other end of such a violent attack, paces away, running a hand distractedly through his hair while releasing a vile scream. The Stinger rushes back towards him, but collapses after a collision with the prize he fights so hard for. Handing the championship belt to an eager and recovered Mitchell, Abyss tosses Sting into the ring, where he works over him with stomps and clubbing forearms.
 
Abyss dominates the pace of the match, tossing the veteran challenger around the ring, evoking the sympathy of the Orlando crowd. After a vicious big boot gets Abyss a two count, he hoists Sting up by the throat, only for the sharp ring instincts of the seasoned pro to kick in, as Sting floats over into a Scorpion Death Drop. Impressive though this unexpected high impact counter is, it is not enough to put the champion away, as Abyss kicks at the two mark. It succeeds in giving Sting the time needed to regain his feet, and a series of chops, followed by a clothesline manages to down the monster almost as soon as he regains his. From here, Abyss is thrown into the turnbuckle for a Stinger Splash. Sting feeds on the energy of the crowd, and his hunger to regain the title he fought so hard only to fleetingly hold, and a new life seems to enter him, as he lays a flurry of blows upon the corner bound champion.
 
The champion is not undeserving of the moniker of  "Monster", a fact he demonstrates when he roughly shoves Sting over in the midst of his assault. Sting, undeterred by this show of overwhelming force, charges back towards his enemy, and the two forsake all the usual rules of the match to engage in a rough brawl. Earl Hebner, not wanting to call another title match by DQ, leaves the two to fight, but looks unhappy about it. The younger, larger and stronger man unsurprisingly gets the better of his opponent in the brawl, and as Sting lays prone, Mitchell slides the title belt slyly into the ring, and jumps onto the apron, distracting Hebner. With the referee's back turned, Abyss picks up the NWA World Heavyweight Title, and measures Sting for a shot. Sting ducks the shot however, and is able to grab the belt and down Abyss with it. Sting drops the belt, moving the evidence from his assault to outside the ring, but then his attention suddenly becomes focused on the entrance ramp, as Samoa Joe, chair in one hand, walks towards the ring.
 
Mitchell also notices Joe, and foolishly runs at him with the cane, only to be shoved casually aside. Joe walks confidently to ringside, and props the chair up, sitting himself down on it. Sting leans over the ropes, and shouts to Joe "What the hell are you doing here?", to which Joe replies that he's "getting a close look at his next victim." While Sting and Joe argue, Abyss returns to his feet, and picks Sting up from behind to deliver a shock treatment, and this time, Sting stays down for the three count. Abyss celebrates in the ring with his title, and then drops down to the outside, where he and Joe have a tense staredown. Mitchell recovers his feet, and pulls Abyss away, knowing that fighting the Samoan Submission Machine after a match like that is too much, even for his monster.
 
With Joe already in the ring, his opponents for the night make their way to the ring. Joe cockily holds the ropes open for Puder, and the two stare at each other, assessing the threat the other poses. Angle is the next to make his way to the ring, and he stands on the apron, next to where Joe and Puder are trying to take the measure of each other. Both men's attentions are diverted, Joe and Angle staring each other down, the question of who the better man is yet unanswered, before Angle's gaze falls on, and is met by, Daniel Puder, a man trying to make a name for himself at Angle's expense. The three men begin trading shots in a triangle, as Hebner rings the bell to start the main event of the evening. The three way punch fest tires all three men, and Angle tries to quickly end it with a headbutt that downs Puder. Joe catches him with a high kick to the head, which knocks him off the apron. Joe grabs Puder by the head, tossing him roughly over the top rope, where he lands on Angle, who was regaining his feet. As both men stumble back to their feet, Joe hits the opposite rope and comes back with a suicide dive between the middle ropes, spearing himself onto the two amateur wrestlers, eliciting a "T-N-A" chant from the live crowd.
 
Joe takes charge from here, hurling Puder into the guardrail, and irish whipping Angle into the ringpost. Puder is tossed roughly back into the ring, obviously Joe's favourite target for ending this match quickly, as he sits Puder up, chopping him across the back, planting a soccer kick into the chest, and hitting the ropes for a knee drop, as the fans chant his name. Angle rolls into the ring behind Joe as he stands up, and surprises the Samoan with a german suplex over the top rope, leaving Angle with Puder. The fans cheering for Angle shows Puder to be clearly the one with the least fan support, as the fans seem split between wanting Joe or wanting Angle to win. Angle rolls Puder onto his face, and then stands over him, paintbrushing the back of his head with slaps. Puder grabs his leg, and shows his amateur skills by surprising the Olympian by turning him over into a heel hook. Angle limps to the ropes, where Earl Hebner starts the five count, Puder stopping at one. There should be no question of foul play when he beats Angle, so far as he's concerned. Angle and Puder circle each other cautiously, before engaging in an impressive chain wrestling exchange, with both men returning simultaneously to their feet, to the pop of the crowd, in a scene reminiscent of the Malenko/Guerrero clashes from ECW. Joe re-enters the ring, and charges towards both opponents, and clapping them each with one foot with a dropkick. Joe lets his opponents regain their feet, before rushing them with a double clothesline, which is caught by Puder and Angle into a double hiptoss. The teamwork is brief, as the two rivals start to throw punches at each other again, as Joe rolls to the outside.
 
Angle and Puder have an even handed match to start, but Angle shows his veteran wiles, scoring an Angle Slam out of seemingly nowhere on Puder. Joe meets Angle with a rush of knees and forearms, before sending him into the corner, and smashing him with a series of boots across the face, followed by the final charging kick to end the combination. Joe's attention turns to Puder, whom he attacks with a lariat, only for Puder to throw Hebner into harm's way, the senior official taking yet another harsh fall tonight. This doesn't bother the Samoan Submission Machine, who uses a series of strikes to beat Puder into submission, before hoisting him onto the turnbuckle for a musclebuster. As Joe stands, the only man on his feet in the ring, the lights go out. When they come back on, Sting is in the ring, and furiously attacks Joe, seeking revenge for earlier in the night. As the brawl between the two spills outside the ring, Angle, Puder and Hebner are all back to their feet, and Angle, having not just suffered a musclebuster, is able to outmanoeuvre the dazed Puder, pulling him to the ground and applying the anglelock. With Joe busy fighting Sting outside the ring,  and the ropes too far away to reach, Puder struggles, his pride hating the idea of tapping to Angle. Eventually though, it's obvious that he will have to, and he taps the mat furiously in submission, making Kurt Angle the number one contender to Abyss's world title. Turning Point draws to a close as security struggles to separate Joe and Sting, to chants of "Let Them Fight!" from the TNA faithful.

To be continued....