AJ Styles vs Abyss (TNA, 4-24-2005)

TNA Lockdown, Orlando, FL

This is a request via Ko-fi. Since it’s a Lockdown show, it’s a cage match, and it’s the main event. The winner gets a title shot at HARD JUSTICE.

The match starts fast with Styles diving onto Abyss through the cage opening to the floor during Abyss’ entrance, explaining why Abyss came out second. Styles is FIRED UP. Styles with a series of right hands, tries to whip Abyss into the guardrail, Abyss blocks and turns it around. Styles slides under the guardrail to avoid the steel, and then hits a springboard rana from the railing. Don West has an orgasm.

Styles rams Abyss into the commentary desk. Throws another right hand. More right hands from Styles as he batters Abyss around the ringside area. Kneelift from Abyss stops Styles from coming forward. Big clubbing rights from Abyss. Styles whipped to the steps, but he springs off of them, to the railing, then up over a few rows of fans onto a table or whatever, and comes off of that with a forearm. Abyss has nowhere to bump so he has to sort of back into the cage and flail his arms and hair about.

Styles jumps at Abyss again, this time Abyss moves and AJ lands on the floor out in the crowd. Fight goes up the stairs, further into the audience, with Abyss landing a shot here and there. Styles fighting back and lands a series of kicks to the chest. Abyss with the GOOZLE, and he just tosses Styles up into the top of the stairs, into some fencing.

Elbow to the back of the head from Abyss as they come back down the stairs. Styles stumbling down the steps. Another right hand from Abyss. AJ dumped over to the ringside area again. Abyss with more clubbing right hands.

AJ’s head bounced off the apron, what little is available with the cage on the ring. Styles’ back bruised up. He comes back with a chop and four right hands. Another right hand. Abyss shoved into the railing, doesn’t really take it with any velocity at all. Styles considering going into the ring, but takes another couple shots at Abyss.

Abyss gets an opening to use the big door that Styles dove through earlier, and first slams it into Styles’ shoulder, then OHGOD. OHMYGOD. RIGHTINHISFACE.

Abyss finds a chair. He puts it down and slams the door into Styles’ face again. Tenay goes into hushed tones. Styles busted open, Abyss hammers away at the wound. Abyss under the ring, and he finds the black sack o’ tacks.

Both men are finally in the ring. Styles bleeding like hell, Abyss wedges the chair he found earlier into the turnbuckles. Abyss’ chain also in the ring, on the mat, and the sack o’ tacks is in there, of course. Abyss with a big right, now he gets the chain and chokes Styles with it. Abyss tries to drag Styles over with the chain, but AJ fights him off and removes the chain, only to turn around into a massive big boot.

Styles trying to fight back with shots to the gut, but Abyss absorbs and hits a knee into the stomach again. Styles blocks a ram into the chain on the top turnbuckle. Abyss elbows him in the head, Styles charges him, and Abyss backdrops him over, Styles smashing his head on the chain.

Great shot of Styles, bloody, on the canvas, and Don West is concerned about sensitive viewers. He was years ahead of his time. Styles tossed head-first into the cage. And again. Abyss with a cover, two. Abyss with a neck vise, Styles screaming out in agony. AJ up and elbows his way out. Running kick to Abyss’ chest. Off the ropes again, this time AJ is caught and flapjacked onto the mat, a big trip up and a hard crash landing.

Styles off the ropes, caught in a gorilla press, but he counters with a DDT that slams Abyss’ head down onto the chain. Right hand from AJ, enzuigiri lands. Abyss stays up. Off the ropes, AJ ducks a clothesline and hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Abyss right back up, Styles charges in the corner, then moonsaults for the inverted DDT, but misses a bit and bounces off Abyss’ shoulder. Styles into the corner, Abyss charges, AJ moves and Abyss crashes through that chair he set up earlier.

German suplex from Styles! What a power move. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, can’t get him up, and Abyss GOOZLES him for the chokeslam. Styles counters with a roll-up, gets two! AJ charges the corner with a clothesline. He runs again, but into the Black Hole Slam from Abyss! Abyss rolls him over, covers, and ONLY GETS TWO.

Now Abyss goes for the tacks. A young woman at ringside is not enthused. The tacks are spilled. AJ off the ropes, Abyss goes for the Black Hole Slam, this time it’s countered. AJ with a series of shots to Abyss, trying to knock him back into the tacks, but Abyss catches him with a boot to the gut. Styles up in a power bomb, but he’s fighting him off. AJ slides down — STYLES CLASH INTO THE TACKS!!! Cover, two, NO!

Styles with a couple more right hands. Crowd going nuts at this point, and rightfully so. Styles climbing up to the top of the cage now. Abyss up to his feet, and he GOOZLES the referee, and throws him into the cage, knocking Styles off the top. Styles hanging on, on the outside of the cage, using the support pole for footing. Abyss runs into the cage, trying to drop Styles to the floor.

Abyss has the chain and now he’s going up top with it. Styles trying to block him, but Abyss gets the chain wrapped around his neck. Styles being hanged for a moment. Abyss lets the chain go and throws it back down into the ring. GOOZLE, but Styles bites his way out! Styles tumbles back into the ring, and power bombs Abyss on the way down!! Cover — 1, 2, 3!!

Rating: 4.5/5. It had been a couple of years since I last watched this match, and I loved it now as much as I did then. It’s a great match, a tremendous showing from Styles and a reminder that Abyss, with the right dance partner, could do some great stuff with his power and size and willingness to take stupid moves onto tacks and what have you. Styles was a perfect opponent for him, a smaller, fiery babyface with great offense who could sell his ass off, and does so in this match. Is it among Styles’ elite tier matches? Probably not quite, but it’s not far off, either. It’s a fantastic brawl that plays with the conventions of the cage match, and felt fresh after an entire card filled with nothing BUT cage matches. That takes a lot, and they delivered it.