Victory Road 2004

Victory Road 2004 was the first Victory Road professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The event took place on November 7, 2004 from the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It was the first-ever monthly three-hour pay-per-view event produced by TNA. Before this event, TNA ran only weekly two-hour shows (also through pay-per-view).

The main event was a ladder match between Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship which Jarrett won after retrieving the belt. The main matches on the undercard were America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) versus Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper) in an Elimination Last Man Standing match and Petey Williams versus A.J. Styles for the TNA X Division Championship.

Background
The main feud heading into Victory Road was between Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The rivalry began on July 21, 2004 PPV when Dusty Rhodes announced that Hardy had signed a contract with TNA which would give him a world title shot. Jarrett and Monty Brown confronted Hardy by Brown hitting Hardy with a Pounce and Jarrett hitting him with a guitar. On July 28 PPV, Hardy became the #1 contender to the title when he defeated Monty Brown in a #1 contender's match. The two continued to feud with each other throughout the month of August. On September 8 PPV, Jarrett made a successful defense of the title against Hardy. In October 2004, Hardy participated in a #1 contender's tournament which Hardy won by defeating Monty Brown and renewed his feud with Jarrett.

The secondary main feud heading into the PPV was between America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) and Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper). Their rivalry began in August 2004 when the two teams defeated each other in 2 matches of the best of three series. AMW and Triple X faced each other in singles matches and tag team matches. In September 2004, Elix Skipper of Triple X teamed up with Chris Harris of AMW to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship before losing the titles to James Storm of AMW and Christopher Daniels of Triple X.

The third major feud heading into the PPV was between Team Canada captain Petey Williams and A.J. Styles over the TNA X Division Championship. Their rivalry began on August 11 PPV when Petey Williams won a 20-man gauntlet to capture the TNA X Division Championship. After Williams won the title, he made successful title defenses of the TNA X Division Championship with help from his manager Coach D'Amore. In October 2004, Styles started a rivalry with Team Canada and its captain Williams over the title. On October 29 edition of Xplosion, Styles mocked Williams by defeating Team Canada member Eric Young with Williams' finisher Canadian Destroyer. Styles was then scheduled to face Williams at Victory Road.

Event
The opening match of Victory Road was a 20-man 2004 Super X Cup Gauntlet match consisting of X Division wrestlers. The final three participants were Frankie Kazarian, Hector Garza and Chris Sabin. Garza dropped Sabin on the top rope and dropkicked him over the top rope which sent Sabin to the floor and was eliminated. Garza and Kazarian were the final two participants and now the two faced each other in a one fall match. Kazarian kicked out of a moonsault and avoided a corkscrew moonsault. Kazarian tried to pin Garza with a rolling cradle but Garza countered it into a roll-up for the victory. After winning the match, Garza received a TNA X Cup.

The second match was an 8-man tag team match consisting of Ron Killings, Erik Watts, Johnny B. Badd and The Empire Saint against The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens), Kid Kash and Dallas. It was a very short and quick match. Killings pinned Stevens after a double-arm DDT to get the victory.

The third match was a lucha libre midget match between Mascarita Sagrada and Piratita Morgan. Sagrada won the match when he pinned Morgan with a small package.

The fourth match was a tag team match between Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young) and 3Live Kru (Konnan and B.G. James) for Team Canada's NWA World Tag Team Championship. B.G. James wrestled a great match in the beginning but he missed a bodyblock and fell to the floor where Coach D'Amore stuck his nose. Roode and Young took advantage and double-teamed B.G. They tried to use a flagpole hockey stick but it backfired on them and B.G. finally tagged in with Konnan. Roode tried to hit him a reverse clothesline but failed to do so and Konnan tried to hit him a pumphandle slam but D'Amore interfered by distracting him with a hockey stick. Before D'Amore could use it, Ron Killings came and chased D'Amore to backstage. Konnan hit Roode a Facejam for the victory and the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

Roddy Piper hosted a "Piper's Pit" segment and talked about his past and then brought out the mystery special guest Jimmy Snuka where he dared Snuka to get revenge (of a 1984 edition of Piper's Pit in the WWF when Piper dropped a coconut on Snuka) by hitting him with a coconut. However, Kid Kash came and insulted both Snuka and Piper. Snuka attacked Kash until Michael Shane and Kazarian started beating up the legend. Sonjay Dutt also got involved in the brawl by saving Snuka and Piper but Kash hit him a coconut.

The fifth match was a knockouts match where Trinity issued an open challenge to any knockout to face her. New York Connection said that no one was able to accept the challenge. They thought that they had won and they celebrated their victory until former WWE Women's Champion Jacqueline Moore accepted Trinity's challenge and made her TNA debut. Jacqueline dominated Trinity until NYC distracted her. This helped Trinity hit Jacqueline a Fall From Grace for the victory.

The sixth match was the first-ever Monster's Ball match between Monty Brown, Abyss and Raven. Raven and Brown started the match. The three competitors had to wrestle in the ring but they wrestled throughout the ring and used many weapons. Brown tried to hit Raven a Pounce but Raven pulled the referee in the way. Brown was going to hit Raven a Pounce but he collided with him and Abyss hit Brown a Black Hole Slam. Abyss got a black bag filled with thumbtacks and dropped the thumbtacks on the mat. He put Brown on the top turnbuckle and tried to hit him a superplex on the thumbtacks but Brown blocked it and Raven powerbombed Abyss into the thumbtacks. Abyss' left elbow was cut off but he kicked out of a pinfall attempt by Raven. Raven brought two tables. He put one table on the floor and other in the ring. Raven threw Abyss on the floor but before he could hit Abyss, Brown immediately hit him a Pounce to get the win.

The seventh match was a X Division match between Petey Williams and A.J. Styles for Williams' TNA X Division Championship. Styles wrestled a quick and great match in the beginning. He hit Williams with a moonsault but Coach D'Amore helped Williams in gaining his control. Williams hit Styles a O Canada Nut Squash but it resulted in a powerbomb by Styles. Styles wrestled with right forearms and a slingshot. Williams hit Styles a Canadian Legsweep followed by a Canadian Destroyer attempt which failed. Styles blocked and countered it into a Styles Clash but it was also blocked. Williams hit Styles with the belt but got a near-fall. Styles took advantage and tried to hit a superplex but it was dodged. Williams hit Styles a Canadian Destroyer for the victory. As a result, he retained the title.

The eighth match was an Elimination Last Man Standing match between America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) and Triple X (Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper). Storm hit Daniels an 8 Second Ride to pin him but Daniels kicked out. Triple X double-teamed Harris before he tagged in with Storm. Storm hit Skipper a Last Call until Daniels kicked on Storm's knee. The two double-teamed Storm but Storm kicked out. Daniels hit a steel chair in Storm's knee and pinned him to eliminate him. Harris split Triple X and then hit Daniels a top rope legdrop. Harris pinned Daniels to eliminate him. Skipper tried to hit Harris a Play of the Day but it was countered into a sitout powerbomb. Harris got a 2 count. Finally, Skipper hit Harris a Play of the Day but didn't get all of it. Skipper got a steel chair but Harris hit a Catatonic onto the chair. He pinned Skipper and then Skipper was eliminated too. As a result, AMW got the victory.

Before the main event, Dusty Rhodes won the TNA Director of Authority election over Vince Russo with 55.6% of the vote. As a result, Rhodes became the TNA Director of Authority.

The main event was a ladder match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship between champion Jeff Jarrett and the challenger Jeff Hardy. In the beginning, Hardy used his skills and experience of ladder matches on Jarrett with several shots on ladder. Jarrett was able to survive the shots and sidestepped when Hardy hit him a running legdrop onto the ladder. Jarrett knocked Hardy with the ladder and climbed it to get the belt. He had the belt in his hands until Hardy hit the ladder a missile dropkick. Jarrett crashed onto Planet Jarrett. Hardy dropped Jarrett on a ladder and hit the Swanton Bomb on the ladder. However, as Hardy climbed the ladder, Scott Hall interrupted and hit Hardy an Outsider's Edge. Hardy recovered and threw a chair on Jarrett and went on to hit a legdrop on the chair. The two climbed the ladder at the same time but Hardy brought Jarrett down with a bulldog headlock. Hall interfered once again and attacked Hardy. Hardy climbed up the ladder but Jarrett tossed him off the ladder down onto Hall. Hardy hit a plancha on both Hall and Jarrett. Hardy brought a 20-feet tall ladder and he had almost climbed on the top of it but Jarrett was also on the same ladder. Their ladder fell straight on Hall. Hardy and Jarrett threw each ladder and climbed their own ladders but fell to the mat. Hall got up but Hardy hit him a Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb. Jarrett hit a chair in the back of Hardy who fell on the mat. As Jarrett climbed the ladder, Kevin Nash came out with two guitars. He seemed to be in Hardy's corner but he handed one corner to Hall and both men laid Hardy with a guitar. Jarrett climbed the ladder and grabbed the title belt retaining the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

After the main event, Nash challenged the TNA locker room to come out. AJ Styles and 3 Live Kru came out but were laid out by Hall, Nash and Jarrett. Suddenly, "Macho Man" Randy Savage appeared and made his return to wrestling thus made his TNA debut. Savage stood alongside A.J. Styles and 3 Live Kru. After Victory Road went off the air, Savage challenged Hall, Nash and Jarrett but they backed down. Savage said that there was a new "sheriff" in TNA standing next to AJ Styles and 3Live Kru.

Aftermath
Many rematches (or matches) took place from storylines created in matches from Victory Road at Turning Point 2004. Team Canada defeated 3Live Kru in a rematch to take back the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Monty Brown and Abyss faced each other at Turning Point in a Serengeti Survival match. Jeff Hardy, A.J. Styles and Randy Savage defeated Kings of Wrestling (Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett) in a 6-man tag team match. America's Most Wanted and Triple X also continued their tag team rivalry. The two tag teams met each other in a Six Sides of Steel match. AMW won the match. As a result of losing, Triple X was forced to disband.