Final Resolution (2006)
The 2006 Final Resolution was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion that took place on January 15, 2006 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the second event under the Final Resolution name and first event of the 2006 TNA PPV schedule. Nine professional wrestling matches and two pre-show matches were featured on the event's card, two of which were for championships.
The main event was a tag team match pitting the team of Christian Cage and Sting against the team of Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown. The team of Cage and Sting won the encounter. The TNA X Division Championship was defended by Samoa Joe against Christopher Daniels at the event, which Joe won to retain the title. America's Most Wanted defeated Team 3D to retain the NWA World Tag Team Championship at the show. On the undercard, Sean Waltman fought Raven in a No Disqualification match with the stipulation that if Raven lost, he would be fired from TNA. Waltman won the encounter, causing Raven to be fired from TNA in the storyline.
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.
In October 2017, with the launch of the Global Wrestling Network, the event became available to stream on demand.
Production
Background
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling announced in early October 2005 that their January PPV would once again be called Final Resolution, until they pulled this release from their website. TNA later reinstated this piece of information with the official date of the show being January 15, 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 Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe. A thirty-minute pre-show was scheduled to take place prior to the telecast featuring two wrestling matches.Storylines
Final Resolution featured nine 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.File:Daniels 02 tna 2010.JPG|thumb|left|240px|Christopher Daniels returned from injury to challenge Samoa Joe for the TNA X Division Championship at Final Resolution.|alt=Christopher Daniels posing in a wrestling ring
The main event at Final Resolution was a Tag Team match pitting the team of Christian Cage and Sting against the team of Jeff Jarrett and Monty Brown. 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. TNA advertised a major announcement to take place at their previous PPV event Turning Point on December 11, 2005. The announcement was the acquisition of Sting as a newly signed wrestler to the TNA roster. Cage then went on to defeat Brown at Turning Point to become number-one contender to the title. This match was announced on the December 31, 2005 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!.
The TNA X Division Championship was defended at Final Resolution by then-champion Samoa Joe against the challenger Christopher Daniels. This rivalry started at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event on August 14 when Joe won the 2005 TNA Super X Cup Tournament to become number-one contender to the TNA X Division Championship held by Daniels. Joe went on to compete against A.J. 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. 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. At this time Daniels returned from injury to save Styles from the attack. TNA promoted this match for Final Resolution on the January 7, 2006 episode of Impact!.
The NWA World Tag Team Championship was defended by then-champions America's Most Wanted against Team 3D at the event. The storyline behind this match began on the October 8, 2005 episode of Impact! where AMW and Jeff Jarrett assaulted Team 3D to the point they were left covered in blood. Afterwards, Team 3D were not seen due to a scripted injury, with Jarrett, AMW, and Team Canada hosting a segment where they buried Team 3D's careers on the October 15, 2005 episode of Impact!. Team 3D made their return from injury at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event on October 23, 2005 attacking Jarrett and AMW. At Genesis, Team 3D teamed with Rhino to defeat AMW and Jarrett in a Six Man Tag Team match. At Turning Point, Team 3D defeated AMW in a Tag Team Elimination Tables match. TNA advertised Team 3D versus AMW for the tag team championship to take place at the event.
Raven and NWA Championship Committee member Larry Zbyszko were involved in a rivalry heading into Final Resolution. At Bound for Glory, Raven requested an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match but was denied by Zbyszko. This led to Raven assaulting him before being ejected from the arena by security in the storyline. At Genesis, Zybysko offered Raven the chance to be released from his contract, as this was what Zbyszko wanted in the storyline. Raven declined the offer and tried to attack Zbyszko once again. Instead, Zbyszko forced Raven to face P.J. Polaco in a match, which Raven won. This led to Turning Point where Raven once again declined an offer to be released. Zbyszko then revealed Chris K as Raven's opponent for the night; Raven was victorious in the encounter. On the December 17, 2005 episode of Impact!, Zbyszko announced that at Final Resolution Raven would have another opponent and if he won the bout then he gained a future NWA World Heavyweight Championship match.
Event
Pre-Show
Prior to the airing of Final Resolution, TNA held a thirty-minute pre-show. During the broadcast, Team Canada faced the team of Jay Lethal, Kenny King, and Lance Hoyt in a Six Man Tag Team match that lasted 5 minutes and 54 seconds. Williams pinned Lethal after forcing Lethal head-first into the mat with his signature Canadian Destroyer maneuver. Another contest was held, with The Latin American Exchange defeating The Naturals in 3 minutes and 50 seconds. Homicide pinned Stevens after Konnan hit Stevens with a slapjack.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 was the ring announcer 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.Preliminary matches
The opening bout was a X Division Six Man Tag Team match pitting the team of Alex Shelley, Austin Aries, and Roderick Strong against the team of Chris Sabin, Matt Bentley, and Sonjay Dutt. Traci accompanied Bentley to the ring. Shelley won the match for his team by using a small package pin on Bentley at 10 minutes and 32 seconds.The James Gang fought The Diamonds in the Rough next. Simon Diamond accompanied The Diamonds in the Rough to the ring. The duration of this contest was 7 minutes and 47 seconds. Kip pinned Skipper after a Missouri Boat Ride.
The third encounter was between A.J. Styles and Hiroshi Tanahashi, which lasted 11 minutes and 3 seconds. During the bout, Shannon Moore interfered trying to hit Styles with Styles' Mr. TNA plaque. Styles dodged the assault, causing Tanahashi to take the blow. Styles followed up by slamming Tanahashi face-first into the mat with his signature Styles Clash maneuver and pinned him to win the bout.
Following the third match, Larry Zbyszko revealed that Raven's opponent for the night was Sean Waltman. The two then fought in a No Disqualification match with the stipulation that if Raven won he gained a future NWA World Heavyweight Championship match, but if he lost he would be fired from TNA. During the bout, the referee was knocked out with Zbyszko taking over his duties. Waltman won the contest after forcing Raven face-first off of a ladder through a table with his signature X-Factor maneuver. Zbyszko counted the pin despite Raven's foot on the bottom rope at 10 minutes. As a result of his loss, Raven was fired from TNA in the storyline.
The following contest pitted Bobby Roode, who was accompanied by Coach D'Amore, against Ron Killings. The duration of the match was 9 minutes and 53 seconds. Konnan interfered in the bout distracting Killings, which allowed Roode to sneak up behind Killings and hit him in the back of the head with Roode's signature Northern Lariat maneuver.
The sixth encounter was between Abyss and Rhino, which lasted 9 minutes and 18 seconds. James Mitchell accompanied Abyss to the ring. Mitchell interfered in the contest by distracting the referee, allowing Abyss to bash Rhino with a steel chain. Abyss was the victor in the bout after slamming Rhino back-first onto a steel chair with his signature Black Hole Slam maneuver.