Gauntlet for the Gold

A Gauntlet for the Gold match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - though from 2017-2024 it was known as Impact Wrestling).

Match format

Different from the other gauntlet matches, in which one competitor faces several others in turn, the Gauntlet for the Gold match is very similar to the fellow professional wrestling promotion WWE's Royal Rumble match. It consists of two competitors beginning the match in the ring, followed by competitors entering the ring at timed 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. 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.

The Gauntlet for the Gold usually involves a double digit number of wrestlers, and the prize is usually either a championship or a championship match opportunity.

Variations

There is 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.

On October 23, 2005, at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view, 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 in 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.

Call Your Shot

In 2019, a modified version of the match - called the Call Your Shot Gauntlet - was introduced. While continuing to use the same rules and format as before, the Call Your Shot version is open to both men and women. The Call Your Shot winner receives a trophy, and earns a future championship match (for the title, and at the time, of their choosing) with the stipulation of having one year to invoke their championship match privilege (which is done by handing in the trophy to an official - similar to WWE's Money in the Bank briefcase).

Since then, the Call Your Shot Gauntlet has become an annual tradition at Bound for Glory, which is TNA's biggest show of the year.[1][2]

Match history

Gauntlet for the Gold / Bound for Gold

# Winner Runner up Stipulations Event Air date Location Ref
1 Ken Shamrock Malice For the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #1 June 19, 2002 Huntsville, AL [3]
2 America's Most Wanted Brian Lee and Ron Harris For the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #13 September 18, 2002 Nashville, TN [4]
3 Raven Shane Douglas #1 Contender's match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #59 August 20, 2003 Nashville, TN [5]
4 3Live Kru America's Most Wanted #1 Contender's Match for the NWA World Tag Team Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #70 November 12, 2003 Nashville, TN [6][7]
5 Jeff Jarrett Ron Killings For the NWA World Heavyweight Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #102 July 7, 2004 Nashville, TN [8]
6 Petey Williams Amazing Red For the TNA X Division Championship NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #107 August 11, 2004 Nashville, TN [9]
7 Abyss Ron Killings #1 Contender's match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Hard Justice May 15, 2005 Orlando, FL [10]
8 Rhino Jeff Jarrett For the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Bound for Glory October 23, 2005 Orlando, FL [11]
9 Samoa Joe Tomko #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Impact! February 15, 2007 Orlando, FL [12]
10 A.J. Styles and Tomko The Motor City Machine Guns #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship No Surrender September 9, 2007 Orlando, FL [13]
11 Gail Kim Roxxi Laveaux For the TNA Women's Knockout Championship Bound for Glory October 14, 2007 Duluth, GA [14]
12 The Motor City Machine Guns Team 3D #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship Impact! January 3, 2008 Orlando, FL [15]
13 ODB Roxxi Laveaux #1 Contender's match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship Impact! January 3, 2008 Orlando, FL [16]
14 Petey Williams Senshi #1 Contender's match for the TNA X Division Championship Impact! January 3, 2008 Orlando, FL [17]
15 Christian Cage Samoa Joe #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Impact! January 3, 2008 Orlando, FL [18]
16 Sojournor Bolt Madison Rayne #1 Contender's match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship Impact! February 12, 2009 Orlando, FL [19]
17 Tyrus Mr. Anderson #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Bound for Glory October 4, 2015 Concord, NC [20]
18 Awesome Kong Madison Rayne #1 Contender's match for the TNA Knockouts Championship TNA One Night Only: Live January 8, 2016 Bethlehem, PA [21]
19 Gail Kim Sienna #1 Contender's match for the TNA Knockouts Championship Impact! September 15, 2016 Orlando, FL [22]
20 Eli Drake Tyrus #1 Contender's match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship Bound for Glory October 2, 2016 Orlando, FL [23]
21 ODB Madison Rayne #1 Contender's match for the TNA Knockouts Championship Impact Wrestling April 6, 2017 Orlando, FL [24]
22 Eli Drake Eddie Edwards For the Impact Global Championship Impact! August 24, 2017 Orlando, FL [25]
23 Kylie Rae Taya Valkyrie #1 Contender's match for the Impact Knockouts Championship Slammiversary July 18, 2020 Nashville, TN [26]
24 Eric Young Chris Sabin #1 Contender's match for the Impact World Championship Impact! May 12, 2022 Newport, KY [27]

Call Your Shot Gauntlet

# Winner Runner up Stipulations Event Air date Location Ref
1 Eddie Edwards Mahabali Shera #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 20, 2019 Villa Park, IL [28]
2 Rhino Sami Callihan #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 24, 2020 Nashville, TN [29]
3 Moose Matt Cardona #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 23, 2021 Sunrise Manor, NV [30]
4 Bully Ray Steve Maclin #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 7, 2022 Albany, NY [31]
5 Jordynne Grace Bully Ray #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 21, 2023 Cicero, Illinois
6 Frankie Kazarian Rhino #1 Contender's match for any championship of the winner's choosing Bound for Glory October 26, 2024 Detroit, Michigan

Records

Most Gauntlet for the Gold victories

Wrestler Wins
Petey Williams 2
Gail Kim
ODB
Eli Drake
Rhino

Most times being a Gauntlet for the Gold runner-up

Wrestler Times
Madison Rayne 3
Ron Killings 2
Roxxi Laveaux

References

  1. ^ "Call Your Shot Gauntlet Returns At Impact's "Bound For Glory" Pay-Per-View".
  2. ^ "Rhino Wins Call Your Shot Gauntlet, James Storm Among The Surprises At IMPACT Bound For Glory".
  3. ^ "NWA-TNA 6/19/2002 results".
  4. ^ "NWA-TNA - 9/18/02 Results".
  5. ^ "NWA-TNA Weekly PPV 58 results".
  6. ^ "NWA-TNA - 11/12/03 Results".
  7. ^ "NWA-TNA Weekly PPV 70 Results".
  8. ^ "NWA-TNA - 7/7/04 results".
  9. ^ "NWA-TNA - 8/11/04 results".
  10. ^ "Hard Justice 2005 results".
  11. ^ "Bound For Glory 2005 results".
  12. ^ "TNA Impact 2/15/07 - Results".
  13. ^ "TNA No surrender 2007 9/9/07 - Results".
  14. ^ "CALDWELL'S TNA BOUND FOR GLORY REPORT 10/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV".
  15. ^ "TNA Impact - 1/3/08 Results".
  16. ^ "TNA Impact - 1/3/08 Results".
  17. ^ "TNA Impact - 1/3/08 Results".
  18. ^ "TNA Impact - 1/3/08 Results".
  19. ^ "TNA Impact - 2/12/09 Results". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  20. ^ "TNA Bound For Glory Results (10/4) – New #1 Contender 'Bound For Gold', EY vs Angle, New World Champion!".
  21. ^ "Csonka's TNA One Night Only: Live Review 1.08.16". 411MANIA. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  22. ^ Staff, PWMania com. "TNA Impact Wrestling Results - September 15, 2016". PWMania. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  23. ^ McMahon, Mike. "10/2 TNA Bound for Glory PPV: McMahon's ongoing coverage – EC3 vs. Lashley, Decay vs. Broken Matt Hardy & Nero". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  24. ^ "IMPACT Wrestling Results: April 6, 2017 - Full Episode". Impact Wrestling. April 6, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  25. ^ "Csonka's GFW Impact Review 8.24.17". 411MANIA. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  26. ^ Moore, John (July 18, 2020). "7/18 Impact Wrestling Slammiversary results: Moore's live review of Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Trey Miguel vs. a mystery person for the vacant Impact World Championship, Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts Championship, The North vs. Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan for the Impact Tag Titles, Willie Mack vs. Chris Bey for the X Division Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  27. ^ IMPACT Wrestling Staff (May 12, 2022). "IMPACT! on AXS TV Results: May 12, 2022". Impact Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  28. ^ "Csonka's Impact Bound for Glory 2019 Review". 411MANIA. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  29. ^ Moore, John (October 24, 2020). "10/24 Moore's Impact Wrestling Bound For Glory live review: Eric Young vs. Rich Swann for the Impact World Championship, Deonna Purrazzo vs. Kylie Rae for the Knockouts Title, Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Good Brothers vs. The North vs. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton for the Impact Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  30. ^ "Moose Wins Call Your Shot Gauntlet At IMPACT Bound For Glory 2021".
  31. ^ "Bully Ray Returns To Impact Wrestling By Winning Big Match At Bound For Glory".