Fight for the Right Tournament

The Fight for the Right Tournament is a professional wrestling tournament in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling designed to determine a new #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. The tournament was held in 2006 and 2007, both starting in the month of October.

Rules

2006

The inaugural Fight for the Right Tournament in 2006 consisted of three stages. The first stage of the tournament was a Reverse Battle Royal, with three parts. The first part had all 18 participants start outside the ring and fend off opponents in an attempt to get into the ring. When seven wrestlers have entered, other competitors are eliminated and it becomes a traditional battle royal with over-the-top-rope eliminations. When all but two are eliminated, it becomes a singles match, the winner of which advances directly to the final (third stage) of the tournament.

Stage two consists of a single-elimination tournament consisting of the six wrestlers eliminated in the second part of stage one. The pairings were determined by their order of elimination in the first stage. The first round featured singles matches and the final was a Triple Threat match. The winner of the tournament is then decided in the tournament final: a singles match between the winner of stages one and two.

2007

In 2007, the tournament was altered to have the first stage consist of 16 competitors to begin and eight to advance to the second part, where the order of elimination will determine the seedings. All eight will advance to the second stage where the winner in the final will be the winner of the tournament, thus removing the third stage.

Results

2006

The entire tournament was held on "TNA Impact!". Stage 1 occurred on October 26, Round 1 of Stage 2 on November 2, and Stage 2 Final and Stage 3 on November 9.
*Stage 1 - Reverse Battle Royal
**Winner: Abyss
**Eliminated in third part: Lance Hoyt
**Eliminated in second part: (in order of elimination) Ron Killings, Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels, Robert Roode, A.J. Styles
**Eliminated in first part: Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, Eric Young, Senshi, Kazarian, Raven, Brother Runt, Brother Devon, Kip James, James Storm, Christian Cage
**This match was named the Worst Worked Match of 2006 by Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

*Stage 2 - Single-elimination tournamentUser:Aaru Bui/6TeamBracket
RD2=Round 2

RD1-team1=Lance Hoyt
RD1-team2=Ron Killings
RD1-score2=Pin
RD1-team3=A.J. Styles
RD1-team4=Chris Sabin
RD1-score3=Pin
RD1-team5=Robert Roode
RD1-team6=Christopher Daniels
RD1-score5=Pin

RD2-team1=Ron Killings
RD2-team2=A.J. Styles
RD2-team3=Robert Roode
RD2-seed1=6
RD2-seed2=2
RD2-seed3=3
RD2-score1=Pin

:*In the match between Sabin and Styles, Sabin's TNA X Division Championship was also on the line.

*Stage 3 - Tournament Final
**Abyss defeated A.J. Styles to win the Fight for the Right Tournament
***Abyss pinned Styles after a Black Hole Slam Following an Enzegeri from an interfering Chris Sabin.
***Abyss received a title shot at Genesis.

2007

The first stage occurred at Bound for Glory on October 14. The Quarterfinals of Stage 2 occurred on "TNA Impact!" on October 18 and October 25. The Semifinals occurred on November 1. The Final occurred at Genesis on November 11.
*Stage 1 - Reverse Battle Royal
**Winner: Eric Young
**Eliminated in third part: Robert Roode
**Eliminated in second part: (in order of elimination) James Storm, Junior Fatu, Chris Sabin, Kaz, Lance Hoyt, Alex Shelley
**Eliminated in first part: B.G. James, Kip James, Jimmy Rave, Chris Harris, Petey Williams, Havok, Shark Boy, Sonjay Dutt

*Stage 2 - Single-elimination tournament8TeamBracket
RD3=Final (ladder match)

RD1-team1=Eric Young
RD1-team2=James Storm
RD1-score2=Pin

RD1-team5=Alex Shelley
RD1-team6=Chris Sabin
RD1-score5=1:26
RD1-score6=NCO

RD1-team3=Lance Hoyt
RD1-team4=Kaz
RD1-score4=Pin
RD1-score3=4:06

RD1-team7=Robert Roode
RD1-team8=Junior Fatu
RD1-score7=Pin
RD1-score8=15:47

RD2-team1=James Storm
RD2-team2=Kaz
RD2-seed1=8
RD2-seed2=5
RD2-score2=Pin

RD2-team3=Christian Cage
RD2-team4=Chris Harris
RD2-score3=Pin

RD3-team1=Kaz
RD3-team2=Christian Cage
RD3-seed1=5
RD3-score1=

**The match between Sabin and Shelley ended in no-contest after Team 3D interfered. Neither qualified, and the opening was filled by Christian Cage by defeating Samoa Joe.
**Chris Harris replaced Junior Fatu in the Semifinals.
**The Final was originally held on November 8, with Cage pinning Kaz. Due to interference in the match, the original decision was thrown out and made into a ladder match at Genesis.
**Kaz received a title shot on the November 15 edition of TNA Impact!.

ee also

*Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
*TNA Impact!