TNA Gauntlet for the Gold

The Gauntlet match as defined by Total Nonstop Action, is a battle royal-style match. When it involves title implications, such as a title on the line or contendership for a title, it is called a Gauntlet for the Gold. This is different from the other type of Gauntlet match by WCW and WWF in the 1990s. The final portion of the match consists of the last two competitors squaring off in a regular singles match in which victory must be attained by pinfall or submission.

Match format

Different from the other Gauntlet match in which one competitor faces several others, the Gauntlet for the Gold match is very similar to WWE's Royal Rumble match. It consists of two competitors entering the ring and fighting for a set amount of time (usually 3 minutes, but varies), following which competitors enter the ring at 90-second (sometimes 60 second) intervals.

Elimination is in the standard battle royal format in which a competitor must go over the top rope and hit the floor in order to be eliminated (it has never been expressly stated exactly how much of a wrestler's body must make contact with the floor for the elimination to count, unlike with the Royal Rumble, where both feet must touch the floor, meaning one foot does not count; however, it is unlikely that simply brushing one's fingers against the floor will eliminate them, so the line between "counting" and "not counting" is very blurry). This can occur both by a competitor being thrown by an opponent out of the ring or by a competitor voluntarily eliminating himself. If a wrestler falls to the floor without going over the top rope or is thrown over the top but does not fall to the floor, the competitor may re-enter the ring and continue the match.

The final portion of the match consists of the last two competitors squaring off in a regular singles match in which victory must be attained by pinfall or submission. No official ruling has been declared on interference or disqualification, but due to the booking of such matches and the brevity of the actual final portion of the match, neither potential outcome has ever been an issue.

Modifications

The Gauntlet for the Gold can be held in many formats and for many purposes. The most basic format involves an undetermined number of competitors (usually between 10 and 25) competing for either a title or title shot.

There is also a tag team variation of the Gauntlet for the Gold. A single wrestler enters one at a time at predetermined intervals. When all but two competitors are eliminated, the partners of the two survivors return and the match becomes a standard tag team match (it is unknown what would happen should the last two remaining competitors be each other's partners; just like disqualification in the final round, this has never been an issue).

On October 23, 2005, at Bound for Glory 2005, the Gauntlet for the Gold Match was fought as completely elimination-only, since the winner had to immediately face the NWA World Heavyweight Champion for the title.

There was also an Ultimate X Gauntlet at Victory Road (2007) with over-the-top-rope rules and after all 10 participants entered the match, it became a standard Ultimate X match, with the remaining entrants in the match competing in it.

On January 3, 2008, TNA featured four Gauntlet for the Gold #1 contender matches on TNA IMPACT! for the World Heavyweight, X Division, Tag Team and Knockouts Championships.[1]

On September 28, 2015, a Gauntlet for the Gold match, titled "Bound for Gold", was announced on ImpactWrestling.com, where the winner would receive a future match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[2]

Match history

# Match Stipulations Event Date (aired) and Location
1 Ken Shamrock defeated Malice Gauntlet Final For the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #1 June 19, 2002
Huntsville, AL[3]
2 America's Most Wanted defeated Brian Lee and Ron Harris Gauntlet Final For the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #12 September 18, 2002
Nashville, TN[4]
3 Petey Williams defeated Amazing Red Gauntlet Final For the vacant TNA X Division Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #110 August 11, 2004
Nashville, TN[5]
4 Abyss defeated Ron Killings Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Hard Justice (2005) May 15, 2005
Orlando, FL[6]
5 Rhino defeated Jeff Jarrett Gauntlet Final For the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Bound for Glory (2005) October 23, 2005
Orlando, FL[7]
6 Samoa Joe defeated Tomko Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship TNA iMPACT! February 15, 2007
Orlando, FL[8]
7 A.J. Styles and Tomko defeated Motor City Machine Guns Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship No Surrender (2007) September 9, 2007
Orlando, FL[9]
8 Gail Kim defeated Roxxi Laveaux Gauntlet Final For the TNA Women's Knockout Championship Bound for Glory (2007) October 14, 2007
Duluth, GA[10]
9 Motor City Machine Guns defeated Team 3D Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship TNA iMPACT! January 3, 2008
Orlando, FL[11]
ODB defeated Roxxi Laveaux Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship TNA iMPACT! January 3, 2008
Orlando, FL[12]
Petey Williams defeated Senshi Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA X Division Championship TNA iMPACT! January 3, 2008
Orlando, FL[13]
Christian Cage defeated Samoa Joe Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship TNA iMPACT! January 3, 2008
Orlando, FL[14]
13 Sojournor Bolt defeated Madison Rayne Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship TNA iMPACT! February 12, 2009
Orlando, FL[15]
14 Tyrus defeated Mr. Anderson Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Bound for Glory (2015) October 4, 2015
Concord, NC[16]
15 Awesome Kong defeated Madison Rayne Gauntlet Final #1 Contenders Match for the TNA Knockouts Championship TNA One Night Only: Live January 8, 2016
Bethlehem, PA

List of Gauntlet for the Gold winners

Wrestler Date Event
Ken Shamrock June 19, 2002 NWA-TNA Weekly Pay-per-view #1
America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) September 18, 2002 NWA-TNA Weekly pay-per-view #12
Petey Williams August 11, 2004 NWA-TNA Weekly pay-per-view #110
Abyss May 15, 2005 Hard Justice (2005)
Rhino October 23, 2005 Bound for Glory (2005)
Samoa Joe February 15, 2007 TNA iMPACT!
Christian's Coalition (A.J. Styles and Tomko) September 9, 2007 No Surrender (2007)
Gail Kim October 14, 2007 Bound for Glory (2007)
Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) January 3, 2008 TNA iMPACT!
ODB January 3, 2008 TNA iMPACT!
Petey Williams January 3, 2008 TNA iMPACT!
Christian Cage January 3, 2008 TNA iMPACT!
Sojournor Bolt February 12, 2009 TNA iMPACT!
Tyrus October 4, 2015 Bound for Glory (2015)
Awesome Kong January 8, 2016 TNA One Night Only: Live
Jeff Hardy March 22, 2016 Impact Wrestling

References

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