User:Wrestlinglover/Against All Odds (2006)

Against All Odds (2006) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion that took place on February 12, 2006 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the second event under the Against All Odds name and second event of the 2006 TNA PPV schedule. Eight professional wrestling matches and two pre-show matches were featured on the event's card, three of which were for championships.

The main event was for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, contested between then-champion Jeff Jarrett and the challenger Christian Cage. Cage pinned Jarrett in the encounter to win his first world heavyweight championship. The TNA X Division Championship was defended in a bout by Samoa Joe against Christopher Daniels. Joe retained the title in the match. Also on the card was a tag team match between Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) and Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young). Team 3D won the bout. Rhino defeated Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere match at the event as well.

Final Resolution is remembered for the TNA debut of Sting, which was ranked as the 2nd greatest moment in the company's history due to it marking Sting's return to national television after five years. Bob Kapur of the professional wrestling section of the Canadian Online Explorer rated the show a 6.5 out of 10, lower than the ratings given to the 2005 and 2007 installments.

Background
Against All Odds was referenced in an edition of The Bank Shot with Bill Banks published on the TNA website as happening on February 12, 2006 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. TNA created a section of their website to promote the event. A promotional poster for the show was released prior by TNA featuring Christian Cage and Jeff Jarrett. A thirty-minute pre-show was scheduled to take place prior to the telecast featuring two wrestling matches.

Storylines
Against All Odds featured eight professional wrestling matches and two pre-show matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The main event at Against All Odds was for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with the champion Jeff Jarrett defending the title against the challenger Christian Cage. The background to this match began at TNA's Genesis PPV event on November 13, 2005 where Cage made his debut proclaiming he wanted to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship held by Jarrett. Cage then went on to defeat Brown at TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 11, 2005 to become number-one contender to the title. At TNA's previous PPV event Final Resolution on January 15, Cage teamed with Sting to defeat the team of Jarrett and Monty Brown. On the January 21 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!, NWA Championship Committee member Larry Zybysko revealed an open contract for a future title match at Against All Odds. The broadcast ended with Brown, Cage, Abyss, and Rhino fighting over the contract. The issue of the open contract was settled the following week on the January 28 episode of Impact! when it was announced that Cage would face Jarrett for the title at Against All Odds.

The TNA X Division Championship was also defended at Against All Odds in a Three Way match, in which then-champion Samoa Joe defended against A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels. The events that led to this encounter started at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event on August 14 when Joe won the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament by defeating Styles, with help from Daniels, to become number-one contender to the TNA X Division Championship held by Daniels. Joe went on to compete against Styles and Daniels in a Three Way match at TNA's Unbreakable PPV event on September 11, which Styles won to become the new champion. Styles then successfully defended the title against Daniels at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event on October 23. At Genesis, Joe and Daniels competed in a Four-on-Four Tag Team Elimination X match, which Joe and Daniels' team won. After the bout, Joe attacked and injured Daniels, thus sidelining him in the storyline. Joe then went on to defeat Styles at Turning Point to become the new TNA X Division Champion. After their match, Joe attacked Styles and attempted to injure Styles in a manner similar to the way he injured Daniels, until Daniels returned from injury to save Styles from the attack. Joe and Daniels then fought at Final Resolution for the title, which Joe retained due to Styles throwing in the towel for an unconscious and injured Daniels. On the January 21 episode of Impact!, it was announced that Styles would face Joe for the title at Against All Odds. In the same telecast, Daniels accused Styles of trying to take his spot as the contender for the championship due to Styles having thrown in the towel for Daniels. Styles argued that he was instead looking out for Daniels' health in the storyline. The following week on the January 28 episode of Impact!, Zybysko announced that the three would compete in a Three Way match for the title at the event.

At Final Resolution, Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) fought America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. During the bout, the referee was blinded after having powder blown into his eyes. At this time, Brother Ray had covered for a pinfall on Harris which the referee counted, thus winning the World Tag Team Championship. Team Canada (A-1, Bobby Roode, Eric Young, and Petey Williams) then interfered in the contest by attacking Team 3D and leaving the ring after laying an unconscious Harris over an unconscious Ray before the referee gained his sight. With his sight regained, the referee declared America's Most Wanted the victors of the contest. Due to these actions, Team 3D wanted revenge and demanded a match against America's Most Wanted and Team Canada from Zybysko on the January 21 episode of Impact!. Zybysko granted the request but only against one of the teams, leaving it up to Team 3D to decide which one. Brother Ray announced on the January 28 episode of Impact! that they were leaving the decision up to the TNA fans to decide who they faced at Against All Odds. TNA created an online poll shortly afterwards for fans to vote for Team 3D's opponents. On the February 4 episode of Impact!, Team 3D announced that the fans voted for them to face Team Canada.

Another bout that took place at Against All Odds was a Falls Count Anywhere match between Rhino and Abyss. At Final Resolution, Abyss defeated Rhino in a standard match. The two had a rematch on the January 28 episode of Impact! that ended in a no contest. TNA commentator Mike Tenay announced on the February 4 episode of Impact! that Rhino and Abyss would face in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Against All Odds.

Miscellaneous
Final Resolution featured employees other than the wrestlers involved in the matches. Mike Tenay and Don West were the commentators for the telecast. Jeremy Borash and David Penzer were the ring announcers for the event. Andrew Thomas, Rudy Charles, and Mark "Slick" Johnson participated as referees for the encounters. Shane Douglas handled the interview duties during the show. Besides employees who appeared in a wrestling role, Coach D'Amore, Gail Kim, Simon Diamond, Traci, Shannon Moore, Larry Zybysko, and James Mitchell all appeared on camera, either in backstage or in ringside segments.

Reception
A total of 900 people attended Against All Odds. Canadian Online Explorer writer Bob Kapur rated the entire event a 6.5 out of 10, which was lower than the rating given to the 2005 installment. It was also lower than the 7.5 out of ten the 2007 event was given by Chris Sokol. The Final Resolution ranking was lower than Turning Point's rating, which received a 7 out of 10 from Kapur. TNA's next PPV event, Against All Odds, was also ranked higher than Final Resolution; it received a rating of 7 out of 10 from Jason Clevett. Compared to rival World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) Royal Rumble PPV event, Final Resolution was ranked lower as Royal Rumble was given a 7 out of 10 by Dale Plummer and Nick Tylwalk.

The highest rating given by Kapur went to the TNA X Division Championship bout, with a 8.5 out of 10. The opening Six Man Tag Team match, the No Disqualification match, Bobby Roode versus Ron Killings, the NWA World Tag Team Championship match, and the main event all received a 7 out of 10 by Kapur in his review. Regarding the main event, Kapur said that "Sting looked good, but it remains to be seen if his return will be a turning point for the company in the long run." Kapur commented on the X Division Champion match stating it was a "good match" that "reinforced Joe's dominance, and left the door open for another match with either Daniels or Styles." He thought the World Tag Team Championship bout had a "stupid ending marred what was otherwise a good tag match."

James Caldwell of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter reviewed the show and stated that the debut of Sting "answered a few questions" but that Sting "wasn't involved in the match long enough to see how he'll hold up over twelve months. However, he surpassed initial expectations with a strong effort and good energy. It was an encouraging return to TNA." He also commented on the match that the "effectiveness of the finish was hurt by the usual interference and shortcuts." Caldwell discussed the X Division Championship bout by praising it as the "best story told in the ring tonight" but that it was "too short of a match for the featured X Division match." As for the No Disqualification match, Caldwell said that it "set up the next chapter of the story" and that the "hardcore aspect had a place on the card."

TNA released a DVD counting down the top 50 moments in their history in 2007, with Cage's NWA Title win at Against All Odds ranking at number 9 on the compilation.