Bound for Glory IV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion that took place on October 12, 2008 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the fourth event under the Bound for Glory name and the tenth event in the 2008 TNA PPV schedule. This was also the final TNA PPV to be broadcast in 4:3 (480p standard definition) format, as following the October 23, 2008 edition of Impact!, all TNA programming began broadcasting in the 1080i high definition format.
The show was promoted as TNA's premier PPV event and their equivalent to the rival World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) WrestleMania. Eight professional wrestling matches and one untelevised match were featured on the event's card, four of which were for championships.
In the main event, Sting defeated Samoa Joe to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. In other prominent matches, Jeff Jarrett defeated Kurt Angle, Booker T defeated AJ Styles and Christian Cage in a Three Way War, Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Bobby Roode) defeated The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide), Abyss and Matt Morgan, and Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray) to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship, and in the opening contest, Jay Lethal defeated Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Curry Man, Jimmy Rave, Johnny Devine, Petey Williams, Shark Boy, Sonjay Dutt and Super Eric in a Steel Asylum to determine the #1 contender to the Impact X Division Championship.
In October 2017, with the launch of the Global Wrestling Network, the event became available to stream on demand.
Production
Background
The fourth installment under the Bound for Glory name was announced in January 2008 with an October 12 date attached. TNA issued a mobile alert in March 2008 that the top three candidate cities to host the event were New York City, Toronto, and Chicago. TNA President Dixie Carter was quoted as saying that Chicago had been chosen as the location. The main event was planned to be Samoa Joe versus Kevin Nash before TNA management chose to go in a different direction. TNA issued a press release on June 9 regarding Bound for Glory, announcing it would be held at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was also revealed that the event was officially stylized as "Bound for Glory IV", tickets went on sale August 1, and TNA had scheduled a "Total Nonstop InterAction" event on October 11. Early returns for ticket sales revealed that the first two tiers had been sold out. In previous installments, the purchasing price of the event was $29.99, but with Bound for Glory IV TNA increased the price to $34.99. TNA advertised recently signed wrestler Mick Foley for their Total Nonstop InterAction event held at the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont, Illinois, with it selling out shortly afterwards. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that TNA had received the largest crowd for a Total Nonstop InterAction event up to that point. TNA originally planned to use former professional football player and professional wrestler Steve McMichael as a Special Ringside Enforcer before management changed their minds and decided to use Mick Foley in the role instead. TNA later issued a press release announcing that McMichael would take part in the Bound for Glory IV festivities as a Special Guest Referee due to his fame and connection to the Chicago Bears and Chicago in general.
Bound for Glory is considered by TNA to be their equivalent to the National Football League's Super Bowl or rival World Wrestling Entertainment's WrestleMania event. As such, TNA used an extensive marketing campaign that involved several wrestlers dressing up as gangsters from the 1920s and 1930s era of Chicago to promote the show since it is the biggest event the company holds annually. Samoa Joe and The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide) participated in some of these promotional video shoots. This was the first Bound for Glory event to use roman numerals in the title. TNA created a section on their company website to promote Bound for Glory IV. TNA released a poster to promote the show featuring Karen Angle, Joe, Booker T, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, and Gail Kim. The official theme for the show was Tarantula by The Smashing Pumpkins. A contest was held to win upgraded ringside seats, free merchandise, and meet several TNA performers at Bound for Glory IV by wearing a Halloween costume to the event, with a drawing being held prior to the start of the telecast.
Storylines Bound for Glory IV featured eight professional wrestling matches and one untelevised match that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Heading into Bound for Glory IV, TNA created a company-wide narrative that led to an on-screen rivalry between professional wrestling veterans, who played the villains, and the younger talent of the company, who played the heroic characters. Several matches and storylines that led to the event were connected to this narrative, such as the storyline surrounding the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the bout pitting Kurt Angle against Jeff Jarrett. This narrative started at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 13, where Samoa Joe defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Booker T. During the match, Joe relentlessly assaulted Booker T to the point that referees nor security could stop him. This led to Sting interfering in the contest trying to calm Joe down. Joe refused to listen and continued his assault, causing Sting to hit Joe in the stomach with a baseball in order for Joe to stop, resulting in a no contest. Sting did not state a reason as to why he hit Joe in the weeks after the event. At TNA's Hard Justice PPV event on August 10, A.J. Styles fought Angle in a Last Man Standing match, which he won after injuring Angle's neck in the contest. After the bout, Styles attacked Angle's injured neck, making the injury more severe in the storyline until Sting attacked Styles to prevent the assault from continuing. On the August 14 episode of TNA's television program TNA Impact!, Sting explained that both Joe and Styles had been disrespectful and violent in their current rivalries and matches. He stated that his actions were to end that type of behavior between the younger wrestlers and the veteran wrestlers.
At TNA's previous No Surrender PPV event on September 14, Sting announced that TNA management had decided that he would challenge the TNA World Heavyweight Champion for the title at Bound for Glory. Later in the show, Joe defeated Christian Cage and Angle in a Three Ways to Glory match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship after Jarrett interfered in the bout by bashing a guitar over Angle's head. Following No Surrender on the September 18 episode of Impact!, Sting discussed his actions further, stating that when he was younger he learned from the veterans in the industry and that Joe and Styles had been disrespectful in their rivalries with Booker T and Angle. Jarrett responded to Sting's comments later in the show, stating that the issue was not about disrespect, it was about the veterans in the company not wanting to retire and let the younger wrestlers be stars. Angle argued that he made TNA a success, not the efforts of Jarrett, Sting, Joe, or Styles. Angle then challenged Jarrett to a match at Bound for Glory IV, which Jarrett declined. On the September 25 episode of Impact!, Angle challenged Jarrett to a match again, this time threatening and mocking him along with his daughters. Jarrett accepted Angle's challenge afterwards. Sting also expressed his reasons for having a desire to face Joe for the title on the same telecast, stating that he was taught respect by veterans in his youth so he was going to defeat Joe for the championship at Bound for Glory to teach Joe respect. Mick Foley was announced as the Special Ringside Enforcer for the Jarrett versus Angle bout on the October 2 Impact! episode. Sting and Joe signed the contract for their encounter on the October 9 episode of Impact!, with the stipulation added that there would be no rematch between the two after the event regardless of the outcome.
TNA held a Three Way War between A.J. Styles, Booker T, and Christian Cage at the show. Leading into the event, Styles represented the younger wrestlers in the company, while Booker T represented the veterans. Cage was neutral in the storyline, due to not having revealed which side he had aligned with. This upset Styles in the storyline, who wanted Cage to join the younger wrestlers. On the September 25 episode of Impact!, Styles fought Booker T in a standard match. Booker T won the bout after bashing Styles in the head with a steel briefcase. Styles blamed the loss on Cage, who had interfered in the bout and accidentally cost Styles the win due to a miscommunication. On the October 2 episode of Impact!, the team of Cage, Styles, and Jay Lethal teamed to face the team of Booker T and Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray) in a Six Man Tag Team match. Another miscommunication between Styles and Cage occurred in the contest, allowing Booker T to pin Cage to win the bout. This led to the October 9 episode of Impact!, when Management Director Jim Cornette announced that Booker T versus Styles with Cage as Special Guest Referee would be the main event of that telecast to settle the issue. Styles defeated Booker T during the show, with Cage assaulting both wrestlers after the contest. Cornette then promoted a Three Way War at Bound for Glory in order to end the overall conflict.
The TNA World Tag Team Championship was defended in a Four Way Tag Team Monster's Ball match by Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode) against the team of Abyss and Matt Morgan, The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide; LAX), and Team 3D. On the September 18 episode of Impact!, Matt Morgan announced that TNA were holding a Tag Team Invitational Tournament at Bound for Glory and that he had signed up himself and his partner Abyss for the contest. Team 3D interrupted Morgan and revealed that they were also involved in the tournament. Meanwhile, on the same telecast, Beer Money, Inc. and their manager Jacqueline assaulted LAX's manager Héctor Guerrero. On the September 25 episode of Impact!, Team 3D announced that the match between them and the team of Morgan and Abyss was made a Monster's Ball match. On the same telecast, Beer Money, Inc. defeated LAX in a bout with the stipulation that the losing team lost their manager. This meant that Guerrero could no longer manage LAX in the storyline. On the October 2 episode of Impact!, Management Director Jim Cornette announced that the originally scheduled tournament was cancelled. Instead, TNA was holding a Four Way Tag Team Monster's Ball match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship between the above teams at Bound for Glory IV. TNA issued a press release announcing that Steve McMichael would be the Special Guest Referee for this match after it was promoted for the event.