Sacrifice featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. On April 3, Magnus successfully defended his TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Samoa Joe, Eric Young and Abyss. On the April 8 episode of TNA Impact, Director of Wrestling Operations MVP announced a 10-man gauntlet match that took place on the April 10 episode of Impact Wrestling where the winner receives a future TNA World Heavyweight title shot at Sacrifice (2014). The match would later be won by Eric Young who requested to have his shot at the same night where he went on to defeat the champion Magnus. Magnus would invoke his rematch clause at Sacrifice, and face Young for the title. At Lockdown, Bully Ray was introduced by Dixie Carter to be the special guest referee for the eight-man Lethal Lockdown match. During the match, he slammed Team Dixie's captain, Bobby Roode allowing Team MVP to be victorious. After the match, he powerbombed Roode through the table that he introduced during the match. On the March 13 episode of Impact Wrestling, Bully Ray explained he didn't want to wind up working for Roode, who would have become part owner of TNA had his team won at Lockdown. On March 20, Carter was supposed to have a meeting with Bully Ray but Roode attacked him from behind and beat him down. On March 27, both men engaged in a brawl where they both tried to put each other through a table. On April 3, Bobby and Ethan Carter III were victorious against Willow and Bully after putting Ray through a table. After the match, Bobby and EC3 put Ray through another two tables. On April 10, after both men failed in winning a 10-man gauntlet match for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, Dixie made her return and slapped Bully in retaliation for screwing her team over. Bully and Roode fought in a tables match at the PPV. On March 6, Kurt Angle was attacked by Ethan Carter III and severely damaged his knees, thus losing his chance to fight him at Lockdown 2014. On March 13, Jeff Hardy's alter ego Willow, seeking revenge against Rockstar Spud and Ethan after costing him the world title shot at Final Resolution (2013), made his debut squashing Spud, beating him with an umbrella and trapping his leg to a chair and stomping on it. On March 20, Bobby Lashley and EC3 had a rematch that ended in a no contest after interference from Willow who attacked Carter and did the same to him. On March 27, EC3 and Spud were looking for Willow in the woods only for Willow to ambush them. On April 10, Spud cost Willow the 10 man gauntlet match and EC3 eliminated him. Willow challenged them to a handicap match on April 17 which he won, after the match Angle made his return, vowing revenge. On April 24, after Kurt defeated Rockstar Spud in a match, EC3 attacked Angle but Willow made the save.
