Lockdown 2011: Angle-Jarrett and Lethal Lockdown Deliver a Strong Cage Show

Brother Devon defeated Anarquia in the pre-show match, not the opening pay-per-view contest. Contemporary PWTorch coverage identifies their steel-cage bout as part of the 30-minute pre-show ahead of the eight-match main card. Devon brawled with Anarquia at ringside before driving him into the cage, then won in 2:30 following a power move. The post-match attack continued toward the entrance ramp. The brief result works as an introduction to TNA's all-cage concept but contributes little complete-match value.

The 2:30 running time barely allows the cage match to develop once the wrestlers get inside. It serves as an introductory crowd warm-up rather than the first match of the paid event. WrestleFile retains the bout as the first entry in its nine-match archive for historical completeness, while grading its limited wrestling value D (4.5). The eight-match pay-per-view itself starts with Ultimate Xscape.

Max Buck won the eight-wrestler Ultimate Xscape match to claim a future X Division title challenge. TNA had expected Alex Shelley to take part, but a shoulder problem forced the field to change before the bell. Elimination pins narrowed the contest: Robbie E removed Suicide, Amazing Red eliminated Jay Lethal with Code Red, and Chris Sabin pinned Red. Max then dispatched Sabin and caught his own brother Jeremy in a small package. Brian Kendrick kicked Robbie out of contention, leaving Kendrick and Max racing to escape the cage. When Kendrick was nearly out, Max shoved a referee into the cage to knock him down, then climbed to the floor first. The finish gives the 13:33 match a clear stakes-to-payoff arc, though the live report describes a muted crowd response for much of the elimination phase. It is an effective opening showcase and a valuable historical X Division snapshot, not a unanimously acclaimed classic.

Ink Inc.'s Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore survived a crowded four-team steel-cage match against British Invasion, Crimson and Scott Steiner, and Eric Young and Orlando Jordan. The four-corner setup gave Steiner a brief burst of crowd attention, but the story repeatedly wandered into comedy: Young teased an early escape, and his attire became a distraction as the contest unraveled. Moore eventually hit the Mooregasm on a British Invasion opponent for the pin. Its roughly nine-minute allocation makes sense on a busy cage-only card, while the multi-team format prevents either partnership from establishing much rhythm. The result is worth noting for Ink Inc. receiving the win, not because the stipulation unlocked a distinctive rivalry. This is serviceable event connective tissue rather than a match whose full replay is essential.

Mickie James challenged Knockouts champion Madison Rayne with both the title and Mickie's hair at stake. Rayne entered with hair-cutting supplies and delayed the start, but the actual match ended almost immediately: James attacked, hit a swinging DDT and scored the pin in about 35 seconds. The title change carries genuine historical weight and decisively ends the threatened haircut, yet the title-versus-hair concept barely has time to function as a wrestling stipulation. That difference explains the low match grade alongside the importance of the outcome. The televised segment establishes James as champion and gives Rayne an abrupt defeat; anyone researching the storyline should see the finish, while viewers seeking a competitive Knockouts championship match can safely skip the preceding buildup.

Samoa Joe settled his cage-match issue with D'Angelo Dinero by winning with a rear-naked choke. Dinero repeatedly tried to avoid Joe and found brief openings, but Joe drove him against the cage and landed his Muscle Buster. Dinero got a foot on the rope to escape that nearfall, buying time for another attempt to flee. When Dinero went for his corner attack, Joe reversed him into the cage, delivered a second Muscle Buster and immediately secured the submission. The finish provides a direct answer to the feud and makes the cage relevant as a place to cut off the escape routes. It does not turn into an extended spectacular contest, but Joe's escalating offense and decisive tap-out give this midcard match much more purpose than the shorter bouts around it.

Matt Morgan defeated Hernandez in a cage match that also involved interference attempts by Mexican America. Anarquia grabbed Morgan's foot through a cage opening while Hernandez took control, and Hernandez later used the ropes and enclosure to keep the larger opponent grounded. Morgan fought back by driving Hernandez into the cage, then knocked Anarquia away when the allies tried to climb toward the action. The decisive move came when Hernandez launched from above and Morgan caught him with an airborne Carbon Footprint for the pin. Morgan followed the victory by indicating that he wanted another world-title opportunity. The bout's value comes from that clear comeback and spectacular finishing counter, balanced against interference that eats into a short match. The cage adds specific obstacles rather than supplying the whole story.

Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle met under Ultra Male Rules: one submission fall, one pinfall and a possible cage-escape decider. Angle took the opening fall with an ankle lock, but Jarrett equalized with a small package while grabbing the tights. The escape stage then spun into a long sequence of German suplexes, a high-risk moonsault from the cage by Angle and outside interference. Gunner arrived with a chair, Karen Jarrett sprayed Angle's eyes, and she later slammed the cage door into him so Jeff could fall out and take the third fall. The result advances the personal feud while asking Angle to carry the match's physical spectacle. There is substantial drama and audience investment in the late stages, but so many distractions crowd the finish that the athletic excellence and the booking must be judged separately. The 22-plus-minute attraction is important to the event regardless of the messiness.

Sting retained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Van Dam and Mr. Anderson in a steel-cage three-way. Early exchanges saw Sting trap both challengers in Scorpion Deathlocks and Anderson counter with a double Mic Check. The most consequential sequence involved Hulk Hogan appearing with a metal pipe and urging RVD to take advantage. Van Dam refused to use it and threw it aside, but Anderson seized the object and struck RVD. Anderson then turned back into Sting, who delivered the Scorpion Death Drop for the pin. The match spends only about eight minutes on the actual championship contest, so Hogan's attempted influence takes an unusually large share of the narrative. Sting's retention is decisive, and the competing loyalties are useful storyline material, but the three wrestlers have little time to develop a prolonged world-title showdown.

Fortune defeated Immortal in Lethal Lockdown after a staggered-entry cage fight expanded into a weapons brawl. Kazarian began against Abyss, with Matt Hardy, Christopher Daniels, Ric Flair, James Storm, Bully Ray and Robert Roode joining in sequence. The weapons-filled roof lowered later than expected, setting up kendo-stick and trash-can exchanges, Flair bleeding heavily and Daniels taking a dangerous dive from the top of the cage onto opponents below. The crucial story turn was A.J. Styles returning to confront Bully Ray, giving Fortune the extra momentum it needed. Robert Roode finally trapped Flair in an armbar while his teammates held Immortal off, and Flair submitted. The finish pays off the faction rivalry and offers a surprise return, even though the extended weapon spectacle can overshadow the wrestling. Its placement as the pay-per-view closer is justified by the number of stories resolved in one sequence.