TNA Tournament of Champions 2013: Match Card, PPV Info and Spoiler-Free Preview
While TNA’s One Night Only pay-per-view series hasn’t found the success the company had hoped, the chance at redemption comes in the form of this Friday’s 2013 Tournament of Champions show.
The pre-taped PPV (filmed in March of this year) will feature nine of the biggest stars in the history of the company going head-to-head in a March Madness-style tournament to crown who is the greatest champion of all time.
James Storm, Mr. Anderson, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, Bobby Roode and Sting all took part in this One Night Only show.
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There is no doubt that the storylines will be off and the booking won’t make much sense in retrospect since it was filmed six months ago, but if you love in-ring action this is the kind of show you will enjoy.
Where: Impact Zone, Orlando, Fla.
When: Friday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. ET (Pre-Taped)
Watch: Pay-Per-View for $14.95 (check your local listings)
Live Stream: TNA On Demand
| Round | Matchup | Predicted Winner |
| Play-in Match | James Storm vs. Mr. Anderson | James Storm |
| Quarterfinal 1 | Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Hardy | Jeff Hardy |
| Quarterfinal 2 | Kurt Angle vs. Austin Aries | Austin Aries |
| Quarterfinal 3 | Sting vs. Bobby Roode | Bobby Roode |
| Quarterfinal 4 | Bully Ray vs. Play-in Match Winner | Bully Ray |
| Semifinal 1 | Quarterfinal 4 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 Winner | Bobby Roode |
| Semifinal 2 | Quarterfinal 2 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 1 Winner | Austin Aries |
| Final | Semifinal 2 Winner vs. Semifinal 1 Winner | Bobby Roode |
Full Predictions for All Scheduled Matches
In the opening match of the night, Mr. Anderson will square off with James Storm for the right to enter the tournament. This is the equivalent of the NCAA’s play-in games, and with TNA wanting to kick the night off with a bang expect the face to go over clean.
The toughest match of the night to predict is the battle between Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy. As much as the fans love Joe (one of the men that put this company on the map), TNA loves Hardy even more and will likely put him over in this match, much to my chagrin.
Kurt Angle is a bona fide legend, but he has never been afraid to help another wrestler look like a star. With no long-term repercussions from losing on a One Night Only PPV, there is little doubt that Austin Aries gets the rub in this match.
The Aces & Eights were running wild when this was filmed, and that likely indicates that the company will push Bully Ray heavily at this show. Whether it’s Mr. Anderson or James Storm that wins the play-in match, Bully Ray will walk away victorious.
In the final bout of the quarterfinals, just as Angle has no issue putting over younger talent when the time was right, Sting will understand the circumstances and help build Bobby Roode’s aura by taking the loss.
Main Event Preview and Predictions
After four wild quarterfinals matches, the two predicted semifinals bouts would be Bully Ray vs. Bobby Roode and Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy.
Bully Ray was the leader of the biggest stable in company’s history, but there is no one that held the TNA world title longer than Roode. While officials could have gone either way in this match and had their decision justified, the hope is that one of the faces of the company (Roode) is the eventual winner.
The idea of putting the promising homegrown stars over with the crowd should carry over into the Aries vs. Hardy match as well. While Hardy is still unquestionably one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business, giving Aries a huge win would continue to build toward the future of the company.
Those predictions would result in a Aries vs. Roode main event to crown the ultimate TNA champion. As two of the most important title holders in the company’s history, this is the perfect way to end the show.
As great as Aries has been for TNA's growth, Roode was the longest-reigning champion and deserves the victory at this One Night Only PPV.
Prediction: Bobby Roode Becomes TNA’s Ultimate Champion.
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