What made Sabu vs. Abyss Barbed Wire Massacre so great

The Barbed Wire Massacre match at TNA Turning Point 2005 was considered one of the most violent matches in TNA history between the hardcore legend Sabu and one of TNA's hardcore icons - the Monster, Abyss. I will never forget this brutal, bloody, and barbaric match for the following reasons:

* The brutality - This match is absolutely not for the feint of heart and automatically dispels all talk about pro-wrestling being "fake." I don't think anyone in his or her right mind would agree to participate in a match where the ring ropes are replaced with barbed wire and wrestle in that. Sabu and Abyss are the only ones crazy enough to do such a thing. It's not about championships. It's just about sheer bloodshed and who is the most hardcore of them all.

* It had a backstory - While many hardcore matches are thrown out there for the sake of blood and gore, this one had an actual story behind it. The feud began around TNA's Unbreakable where Sabu and Abyss began a series of matches in an attempt to outdo each other using various weapons including thumbtacks. Finally, Sabu found that despite how destructive Abyss was, he had a weakness - barbed wire. They engaged in brawls in the following tapings with Sabu interrupting his matches by wrapping barbed wire around his arm and a steel chair. When Abyss finally used a steel chair on Sabu during one taping, Abyss finally found the courage to overcome his fear.

* It used story-telling and ring psychology - This match dispels the myth that hardcore wrestling takes no skill. There is a build up to the final act and a progression. When you see both men battered and bloodied, you can't help but wonder "what's going through their minds? How far are they willing to go to win? How much pain can they tolerate? What will they gain after the match?" This is what creates drama and drama is what draws.

* It bridged a gap between old and new school hardcore wrestlers - Sabu will always be a hardcore legend for his contributions to hardcore wrestling so when they held this match, it gave Abyss the chance to make his name known among younger fans. Not to mention it was a blend between two highly athletic wrestlers of two different and compatible styles.

Words cannot describe how brutal this match was. This was TNA's first ever Barbed Wire match and what a way to begin!