#67: AJ Styles vs. Abyss vs. Monty Brown vs. Raven vs. Sean Waltman, TNA Slammiversary (6/19/2005).
This is a King of the Mountain Ladder Match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, held by Styles.
If you haven't heard of this type of Ladder Match, get ready for some bullshit. The object of this match is to hang the championship above the ring. In order to be eligible to do that, you must pin or submit one of your opponents, and then that person must spend 2 minutes inside of a penalty box. It's a reverse Ladder Match. How Vince Russo of it all.
Sean Waltman is the Wildcard entrant here, but the real wild card is Raven, who wasn't even booked for this event until the pre-show. On it, Jeff Jarrett attacked a fan at ringside, and was arrested. His spot was then given to Raven.
Waltman dives off the penalty box onto Raven to start things out. Styles hits a hurricanrana to Abyss on the outside off of a ladder. Brown takes Waltman out, then hits the Pounce on Raven to qualify for the match!
Brown grabs a ladder next, Waltman kicks it right into his face. Abyss goes on the offensive against Waltman, and Styles hits a senton out of the Ring onto Abyss. Waltman tries to pin Brown, but gets a nearfall. Brown with hard rib shots to Waltman in the Ring. Abyss knocks Styles out on the outside.
Abyss splashes Brown in the corner, and Waltman with a spin kick to Abyss. Brown tosses Waltman across the Ring. Raven is back in, and walks into a Slam by Brown. Brown counters a splash by Waltman and powerbombs him for a pin.
Raven sets up a table on the outside. Styles climbs to the top of the penalty box and he dives off onto Brown with a Shotgun dropkick. Diving clothesline to Abyss, then to Brown. Brown is back up and hits the Pounce to Styles. Raven pulls Styles to the outside and pins him to qualify.
Abyss lifts Brown up into a Torture Rack. Raven tosses a trash can at Abyss to break it up. Several punches to Abyss, and a clothesline to Brown. Big boot by Abyss to Raven. Fall away Slam by Brown to Raven next. Waltman is out, and he grabs a trash can.
He drills Brown and Abyss with it, but Abyss kicks it back into his face. Abyss catches Brown in the Black Hole Slam, and he's eligible now. Styles is back out, and Raven hits him with a PK. Boot to the face of the champion, and Styles is able to hit the Styles Clash on Raven. Abyss breaks up the pin to prevent Styles from qualifying.
Styles kicks Abyss to the back of the head, sending him to the outside. Styles and Waltman both hit Abyss with chairs. Abyss is laid across the table, and Styles hits the Spiral Tap from the turnbuckle, sending Abyss through the table. Styles makes the pin, and he's now eligible.
Waltman brings a ladder into the Ring, while Brown brings another table into the Ring, and places it against the corner. Outside the Ring, Raven sends Brown into the barricade. In the Ring, Styles grabs the title and climbs the ladder. Waltman is up there to help...but he kicks low, and hits the X Factor to Style off the ladder! Waltman makes the pin, and he's eligible!
Raven has a staple gun. He staples Waltman's head!! Abyss is back out, as Waltman takes the gun and staples Raven in the nuts! Now he does the same to Abyss! Not the little Monsters! Raven keeps Brown at bay, as Waltman sets the ladder back up.
Styles is back in, and he climbs the ladder with Waltman. They fight at the top, and Abyss pushes the ladder over and sends them both to the outside, with Styles crashing through a table. Abyss has the title and he makes the climb. Brown is in, and he Pounces Abyss off the ladder through a table!
Raven hits the Evenflow DDT to Brown, and now he climbs the ladder. Abyss tries to cut him off, but Raven kicks him down. Raven hangs the title, and he has won! Larry Zbysko does not look thrilled with this result.
Despite how silly this gimmick has always been, this match was a lot of fun. Raven busted his ass here, as he finally achieved his destiny of becoming NWA Worlds Champion. Sean Waltman was his usual slick self. Abyss came off like a monster. Oddly enough, AJ Styles was almost forgettable in this match, despite being the champion.
The real MVP was Monty Brown. That man will always be a great case of missed opportunities in wrestling. Real life tragedy placed him in retirement after joining WWE, so he never really got a chance to shine there, but he was with TNA for so long, and it boggles my mind how they didn't give him at least one run with the World Title. LolTNA, probably.
The mix of high flying, brawling, hardcore spots, etc. helped make this the best match in the stipulation's history.