Without wishing to infringe on any gimmick... DAMN! Yes, it was that good! On arriving in Liverpool on Friday afternoon and seeing the venue we didn't hold out much hope, what was a rather shabby looking building outside actually turned out to be quite a nice old theatre style inside but smaller than we had anticipated. We were very kindly allowed into the pre-show meet and greet, designed, as I understood, to slightly compensate fans who had had ticket 'issues', and they all seemed prefectly happy with the 'compensation' they got! Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Earl Hebner, LAX's Homicide and Hernandez, Gail Kim and Jay 'Black Machismo' Lethal were led into the room to a rather excited buzz from the fans in attendance who I believe went on to the show very happy! All the TNA talent signing were very friendly and approachable although Kurt, when asked how he was liking Liverpool, had a slightly delayed reaction before saying "Hmm yeah!" then laughed and appologised, but didn't seem to be in a very talkitive mood! Earl Hebner told us a lot of people treat him like 'the bad guy' at these events and that he wasn't and he loved to do the signings telling me "I never ever get tired of doing this I love to meet the fans!" Earl was very accomodating when we took his picture, pulling out the 'pout' especially for us LOL I thouroughly enjoyed this meet and greet, it was quite a small room and maybe 50 fans in there maximum, one of the best experiences I had over the two days of TNA! (Thanks Alex!)

Once we got into the theatre one of the first people we happened to come across was none other than TNA president Dixie Carter signing autographs and posing for pictures with the fans, so of course we joined the line and took the opportunity to meet the lady herself. Dixie was not what I expected, she was very down to earth and very chatty, asking us where we were from and how long it took us to get there etc. She thanked us for going to see TNA, the same as thanked each and every one of the rest of the mile long queue waiting to see her! Because my partner in crime for the day, Sasha, is from Australia, Dixie said they were hoping to get TNA over there very soon! We spotted her during the show in one of the balcony's above us, having a beer and watching the show!

The show its self was off the chart. The opening match was Motor City Machineguns, Alex Shelly & Chris Sabin vs Sonjay Dutt and Petey Williams, the crowd were CRAZY in Liverpool and hot for everyone I dont think it mattered who they were, and there were some, shall we say, 'inventive' chants directed at Sonjay but all in good fun! Motor City Machineguns pick up the win but I really dont think the Liverpool crowd gave a crap who won, they were there to be entertained and they weren't disapointed!
Up next was Awesome Kong vs Gail Kim and now I know why they call her awesome; You have to see this chick in the flesh to appreciate just how awesome she is! Great match that just toally shows up that other lot of so called women wrestlers PAH! Women what? Gail Kim took some sick bumps from Kong all the way through the match but when she got some offence they made it look believable despite the obvious difference in size! Kong got the win and Gail Kim survived to fight another day!
We are then treated to a preview of the new TNA video game that will be released here in the UK on Spetember 2nd and looks very impressive. According to mr Borash it will be available on most major consoles. (my kids are already nagging me to get it for them!!)

Next up was Robert Roode and Cowboy James Storm vs Homicide and Hernandez (LAX) and the crowd were unbelievably LOUD! The match was awesome, Storm ended up with a cut above his left eye resulting in blood all over his face but I missed how that happened if anyone wants to enlighten me? Hernandez is amazingly althletic for a guy his size and having met him earlier in the day and seen the size of his arms close up... trust me he's a BEAR! LAX Picked up the victory (and I bought a shirt! Yeah Im a sheep sue me!)

Next was probably match of the night, a three way bout between England's own Doug Williams, 'Black Machismo' Jay Lethal & AJ Styles... the roof almost came off the place! Everyone loves AJ so I was surprised and very proud at the amount of noise that was made for Doug too! The match was fantastic, I can't say enough good things about it & all three of these guys worked their as$es off! AJ Picked up the win and then he raised Doug's arm in the air too, much to the delight of the audience!

Jeremy Borash then introduced TNA President Dixie Carter, who made her way to the ring and thanked the fans over and over again! JB also hinted that Jeff Jarett was backstage and the crowd were almost in a frenzy, but Jarett didn't come out (not that night anyway! Watch this space!)

After Dixie's speech we got to see Booker T vs the guy I'd been waiting all night to see; The War Machine, Rhino! At first the crowd was pretty split, lots of 'Lets Go Booker!' chants alternating to 'Let's Go Rhino' chants, until Booker teased us with the Spin-a-Rooney, the crowd went crazy and then he stood up and said 'Nah!' It was after that he started to get a little bit of heat. Rhino managed to knock him to the mat and then did his own version, the Rhino-Rooney! Unfortunatly it wasn't enough to keep Booker down and he picked up the win over Rhino! The crowd jeered Booker for a while but were very respectful and even the die hard Rhino fans were applauding Booker on his way out for another great match!

Kurt Angle got a hero's welcome which I understood to a certain degree... but... Anyway he came out to do a speech but mentioned how he'd been to the UK many times and had some great matches... with guys like Chris Benoit! I couldn't really understand why he mentioned Benoit, but he got very little and very mixed reaction. Then he said Eddie and of course the roof blew off with EDDIE chants! He said Dixie Carter was the best boss in the world and talked about how he was watching TNA before he left WWE... guess we have to believe him! He also said TNA was better than the 'cookie cutter bull$hit of the WWE' & that got a thunderous standing ovation! (He was saving the best until he got to Coventry though and we have video evidence of that one!) He left the way he came... with a pop to blow my ear drums. I might sound synical when it comes to Mr Angle but I do blow hot and cold on my opinions of him ALL the time. I was very happy that I met the guy don't get me wrong... but I can't help feeling something doesn't sit right with him and TNA and I can't put my finger on what exactly it is. Am I imagining it? Anyway whatever it may or may not be... I was up there with the rest of them chanting and cheering... (thought I better admit it before the damn clips appear on youtube or DVDs!haha) the atmosphere was amazing!!
Finally it was announced that the main event would have a 60 minute time limit and out came the Monster Abyss to a mixed reaction, but mainly cheers! He was to face Samoa Joe who was popped to the ceiling! The match didn't have that much appeal to me in theory but it ended up being a good solid main event with Joe picking up the victory! Dixie Carter was once again mingling in the crowd throughout this match and even stood with some big drunk dude dribbling all over her and waving his pint around a lot! Bless!

There were TV cameras there all night, Im ashamed to say you will probably see me, in the second row with my cap in hand chanting "TNA! TNA!" yeah... did you ever think you'd see the day..... 0-Mark in 30 seconds!

After the show the first three rows were meant to have an exclusive 'Meet and Greet' session, this is where it all went a bit 'tits up' in my opinion. After a well organised day chaos then ensued as Jeremy Borash announced that no fan was leaving the theater without the autotgraph of a TNA star. Great in theory and a fantastic gesture for a first time tour in the UK, but... (there's always a but!)
I think had we not been to the meet and greet earlier in the day we would have been sorely dissapointed at the way this one was handled. Basically 3 rows of gold, silver and bronze ticket holders just had to clammer to the barriers and shove their programs out and hope someone took it and signed it. There were people literally standing on me to get to the stars as they came out! Kurt came out, Joe, LAX, Jay Lethal... most of the guys we had already met. Then it got slightly interesting for me, they sent out Rhino... who went in the opposite direction and then had to run back to the backstage for another marker when his ran out. He then came back out and came towards me, I shoved my way past two Geordies (thanks lads!!) and managed to get to him and ask for a photo and he says 'No Im only signing!' Insert my deflated and slightly PO'd face right here! So, quick thinking I resorted to begging.... Im not proud! He must have taken pitty on me looking so utterly CRUSHED and agreed... if it was quick! So I got my photo... it was awful but I will get my chance again! (More in part 2!)

My friend the AJ mark stood on people to get to him when he came out and then I was slightly gutted to learn that the guys in the 'cheap seats' got to meet Shelly and Sabin! WHAT!?
Anyway, besides the fact that the post show meet and greet was NOT what I had expected having experienced one earlier in the day, the show basically blew me away. Im as astounded as anyone believe me! We were treated with so much respect by every single person we met that were working for TNA! Sure maybe they are 'buttering us up' so to speak, but shouldn't they? They wanna come back? Well now we WANT them to come back! My only hope is that, as they will obviously become more popular with every tour over here, they do not change the way they come out and entertain us and don't change the way they treat us and they are gonna be a force to be reckoned with and it will not be as far away in the future as everyone thinks!
So... a program full of autographs and a camera full of photos.. and one extra phone number ;-) .... on we go to Coventry....

By the way... anyone seen Stephen Godfrey?.....

PHOTOGRAPHS