| Lockdown (2011) | ||||
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Promotional Poster featuring Mr Anderson |
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| Tagline(s) | It's My Time | |||
| Theme song(s) |
Sticks & Bricks" by A Day to Remember | |||
| Information | ||||
| Promotion | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) | |||
| Date | April 17, 2011 | |||
| Attendance | 4,000[1] | |||
| Venue | U.S. Bank Arena | |||
| City | Cincinnati, Ohio | |||
| Pay-per-view chronology | ||||
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| Lockdown chronology | ||||
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Lockdown (2011) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, that took place on April 17, 2011 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.[2][3][4] It was the seventh event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2011 TNA PPV schedule. In the tradition of Lockdown events, every match was booked to take place inside a steel cage.
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The seventh installment to the Lockdown PPV chronology was first announced in a press release on February 10, 2011, with the event being determined to emanate from the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.[5] A tradition of the series is that all encounters take place inside a steel cage which will be continued.
TNA arranged a weekend of festivities as part of the "TNA Lockdown VIP Weekend" featuring interaction with the TNA Superstars and Staff as well as appearances from wrestling legends Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Sting and Mick Foley. As part of the package, fans got the opportunity to board a RiverBoat Cruise and receive VIP entrance to Lockdown.
Lockdown featured all professional wrestling matches in a cage involving different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that will be played out on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) television programs. Wrestlers will portray villains or heroes as they follow a series of events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The predominant storyline entering Lockdown was between Mr. Anderson, Rob Van Dam and TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Sting. On the March 17 edition of TNA Impact!, Anderson demanded his rematch for contention to the world title after going to a double countout with Van Dam at Victory Road. However, “TNA owner” Hulk Hogan and partner Eric Bischoff announced a four-way number one contender's match involving the two, which led to a double pinfall. The following week, Sting was chosen as Special Enforcer at the request of “The Network”, of the match between Anderson and Van Dam, who were competing to finalize a decisive contender. This led to a feud between Anderson and Sting as Anderson accused Sting, who took over as the official after the referee was rendered incapacitated, for disqualifying, and as a result, rendering Van Dam the contender. On the March 31 edition of TNA Impact!, with Anderson frustrated with referee Earl Hebner, who had apparently called for the bell after he was inadvertently clotheslined by Anderson during the match, Bischoff and Hogan added Anderson to the world title match at Lockdown, making it a three-way match. The next week, on the April 7 edition of TNA Impact!, the issues between Rob Van Dam and Sting led to a non-title match between the two. Throughout the night, Mr. Anderson hunted down Sting throughout the building, brandishing a steel pipe, but instead he was attacked by Rob Van Dam, who was merely dressed as Sting. Mr. Anderson asked Hulk Hogan to be the referee in the RVD vs. Sting match, and was granted that wish by Hogan. Anderson ended up costing Sting the match by attacking him with the Mic Check, but Anderson also hit RVD with the world title belt. Anderson was then greeted by Murphy and Rob Terry of Immortal, who hoisted Anderson up on their shoulders, as Hogan applauded from the stage. It appeared that Anderson had joined Immortal. However, this was a swerve on the part of Anderson, as he suddenly attacked Rob Terry and Murphy with the steel pipe and taunted Hulk Hogan from the ring. On the April 14 edition of TNA Impact!, Hulk Hogan called out Rob Van Dam to the ring, hoping to lure him into joining Immortal. Sting would eventually come out, telling RVD if he joined Hogan and Bischoff, he would make sure that RVD would never become TNA Champion. RVD would then leave the ring looking confused, refusing to choose a side. On the same night, Hulk Hogan forced Mr. Anderson to compete in a Gauntlet match against Immortal. Anderson proceeded to pin Murphy, Rob Terry, and Gunner. Anderson's last opponent was Bully Ray, who eventually would drag Anderson to the top of the stage. Hulk Hogan then came out, and attempted to power bomb Anderson off of the stage and through a table (ala Bully Ray's attack on AJ Styles several weeks ago). Sting then came out with a baseball bat and attacked Bully Ray, scaring off Hogan and saving Anderson in the process. The episode ended with Sting standing over Anderson, holding the baseball bat to Anderson's neck as Anderson laid defenseless on the ground.
In October 2010, Fortune, which formed in June that year, aligned with Immortal, who revealed themselves as the year-long puzzle of “They” after "conning" Dixie Carter into signing over the company to them. Led by Hogan and Bischoff, Immortal was prepared to conquer and rule TNA, but Carter slapped Hogan with a court order in what led to Hogan's several month absence from television. In January 2011, Immortal’s own mystery puzzle resurfaced against them as “They”, threatened to take out Immortal, using Crimson as a way to deliver the message, attacking Abyss with his own 2x4 with nails, which Abyss referred to as "Janice" (which sidelined him within the storyline). On the February 3 edition of TNA Impact!, in a twist, Fortune turned on Immortal without the knowledge of leader, Ric Flair, revealing themselves as “They”, claiming they would no longer take a backseat to Immortal. On the February 17 edition of TNA Impact!, Flair tried to call a truce between both groups, but later that night, betrayed Fortune for Immortal by turning on Styles during a match with Immortal member, Matt Hardy. Two weeks later, during the March 3 edition of TNA Impact!, Hogan boasted about his court battle victory over Carter for complete control of TNA and, along with Bischoff, admitted they used her for control of her company and that she just “supplies the money” now. Fortune stood up for Carter, however, thanking her for giving them jobs and for giving them an opportunity in the company. On the March 17 edition of TNA Impact!, new Immortal member Bully Ray powerbombed Styles off the stage, sidelining him with a storyline injury. On the March 31 edition of TNA Impact!, after Immortal had gained the upper hand on Fortune with the return of Abyss, Christopher Daniels returned, seeking redemption for his best friend Styles, helping Fortune fight off Immortal. On the April 7 edition of TNA Impact!, Daniels asked Hulk Hogan if he could be Fortune's fourth member for the Lethal Lockdown match against Immortal, which Hogan agreed to. On the April 14 edition of TNA Impact!, Fortune and Immortal had a best of 3 series of matches to determine who would get the numbers advantage in Lethal Lockdown. In the first match, Matt Hardy defeated Kazarian. In the second match of the best of 3 series, Abyss defeated James Storm. This meant that Immortal would have the numbers advantage inside Lethal Lockdown.
Another feud heading into Lockdown was the ongoing rivalry between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett. At Against All Odds, Jarrett defeated Angle to earn Angle’s involvement in giving away his ex-wife Karen Jarrett to him at their wedding renewal. On the February 24 edition of TNA Impact!, the Jarretts distracted Angle, costing him his match with Rob Van Dam and Mr. Anderson. The following week, during the renewal of the Jarretts wedding vows, Angle ruined the ceremony by beating down Jeff and driving Karen’s face into her wedding cake. Infuriated with what had just happened, the Jarretts ended up redoing the wedding on the same night. Angle questionably complied with the wedding this time, despite being insulted by Karen, but at its conclusion, scared them off with an axe. On the March 17 edition of TNA Impact!, Angle presented a gift to Jeff, turning out to be a guitar, and conceded that Jeff was the better man as husband and father. Angle, however, clearly not meaning what he said, proceeded to take the guitar from Jeff and smash him with it over the head. Fed up with the Jarretts, Angle challenged him to a match at Lockdown with Jeff accepting. Jeff posed and cut a promo in a steel cage on the April 7 edition of TNA Impact!, after an attempt to get a restraining order on Kurt failed, and taunted Angle. Angle used a zipline to enter the ring, and then proceeded to attack Jarrett as the steel cage was finished being built, but Jeff managed to escape the cage and outrun Angle. On the April 14 edition of TNA Impact!, it was announced that the match at Lockdown would be contested under "Ultra Male" rules. The first fall had to be won by submission, the second by pinfall, and the third fall had to be won by escaping the cage.
Another ongoing rivalry that was featured at Lockdown was the defending TNA Women's Knockout Champion, Madison Rayne against Mickie James. On the March 17 edition of TNA Impact!, following Rayne defeating Alissa Flash, James made the save during a post-match assault. Anxious to confront Rayne again for the Knockouts Title after unsuccessful prior attempts to win, Rayne gave her one last shot and suggested the ultimatum that, if James loses, she gets her hair shaved. James agrees to the terms for Lockdown. Madison Rayne's bodyguard Tara opposed Madison on the April 7 edition of TNA Impact!, but Madison made Tara run Mickie over with a motorcycle in the parking lot of the iMPACT! Zone. On the April 14 edition of TNA Impact!, Madison claimed she should have backed up and ran Mickie over again. Tara then got very upset with Madison, saying that she is taking this too far. Mickie would then come out, saying she is going to cause more pain to Madison at Lockdown than Madison has done to her in the past six months.
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