By Jared Silberkleit -The first pro wrestling PPV of 2010, TNA’s Genesis, was overall a solid show. While not up to par with TNA’s last two PPVs, Genesis was nonetheless a solid show that featured the debuts of some new talent as well a revamping of the Impact Zone. TNA has returned to a traditional 4-sided ring and has installed a brand new entrance ramp which is just as tall as the ring. Yay.

===In-ring segment===

The PPV kicked off with a promo from Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, announcing the new changes to the Impact Zone, ring, and ringside area. Hogan came off looking like a heel when he referred to the 6 sided ring as a playpen. I am definitely against PPVs starting off with promos, as promos don’t really have a place on PPVs to begin with, but at least this one was kept very short and sort of made sense.

1.    TNA X Division Championship: Amazing Red(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

Amazing Red was announced to be defending his title against a mystery opponent, which turned out to be the debuting Brian Kendrick. Kendrick is definitely a guy who can work well with a lot of the X Division talent so I am happy that he is in TNA. This was a very exciting X Division title match to open the show. Kendrick takes down Red with a couple arm bars early on before working over his leg with some kicks and a leg bar. He continues this until Red hits a spinning kick, sending Kendrick to the floor before Red hits a front flip senton to the outside. Kendrick is able to put on a single leg Boston crab a couple times before using a modified STF. Red gets a hurricanrana for a near fall before Kendrick hits him several more kicks. Red gets the win out of nowhere soon after with a sunset flip powerbomb. A pretty good match to open up the show. Match Time: 8:59     Match Rating: 6/10

2.    Sean Morley vs. Daniels

The fans are all over Morley, aka WWE’s Val Venis, throughout the match and pop for Daniels despite his heel status. This was an okay match, but Daniels pretty much carried the whole thing. Morley attacks Daniels’ ribs early on with a lot of strikes before Daniels takes control with a modified triangle choke. He hits a big kick to Morley’s head before hitting a botched springboard moonsault for a near fall. Morley starts to fight back with more strikes, which is met with silence from the fans. Daniels hits an STO and an enzuigiri for another near fall. He connects with a uranage, but when he goes for the BME Morley moves out of the way. Daniels tries for a top rope hurricanrana, but Morley knocks him off before hitting the Money Shot for the victory. I am completely stunned that Christopher Daniels, who main evented TNA’s last PPV, just jobbed to Sean Morley. The match was decent but nothing special. Match Time: 9:17     Match Rating: 5/10

3.    2 Out of 3 Falls match for the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship: ODB(c) vs. Tara

This match actually surprised me a little and ended up being the best match these two have had in their feud. Both girls traded punches and kicks in the beginning before Tara hit a standing moonsault and a slingshot leg drop for near falls. ODB counters a cross body attempt with a fall away slam, but Tara surprises ODB with a small package to win the first fall. The second fall then begins with ODB slamming Tara into the turnbuckle and choking Tara with her boot in the corner. The two fight on the ring apron before ODB leaves the ring to briefly jaw with Brooke Hogan, who was at ringside. ODB works over Tara with a body scissors for a while, with Tara continuously attempting to counter it by rolling over, but to no avail. ODB hits a running powerslam, but Tara hits a Widow’s Peak out of nowhere to win the second fall, the match, and the championship. An okay Knockouts match but definitely better than Tara and ODB’s previous matches. Match Time: 9:21     Match Rating: 5.5/10

4.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: The British Invasion(c) vs. Matt Morgan and Hernandez

Although I had my doubts going in about how well these two teams would work together, this match actually surprised me and ended up being a pretty entertaining, yet somewhat short, tag team match. Morgan hits a big shoulder block early on but Magnus fights out of an attempted chokeslam. The British Invasion tries to double team Morgan but Hernandez gets tagged in and starts going at it with Williams. Williams hits some uppercuts and a high knee, but Hernandez fights back with a back body drop and a Stinger splash. Magnus breaks up an attempted powerbomb from Hernandez and the Invasion is able to hit a double superplex to Hernandez. Hernandez fights out of a sleeper hold and hits a suplex before Magnus and Hernandez tag in their partners. Morgan hits several rapid fire elbows to Williams before all four men start brawling in the ring. Morgan with a chokeslam for a near fall but the British Invasion hit a big boot into a German suplex for a near fall of their own. Hernandez slams Magnus before Morgan connects with the Carbon Footprint and we have new tag team champions. If TNA wanted to do a title switch, why not give it the Motor City Machineguns last month, especially considering that the Young Bucks recently debuted for the company! Still, this was an enjoyable tag team match. Match Time: 8:55     Match Rating: 6/10

5.    Desmond Wolfe vs. D’Angelo Dinero

This match, while not quite as good as I was expecting, was still fairly enjoyable and ended up being the second best match of the night, even though I wish it was given a bit more time. Pope hits a big shoulder block in the opening minutes before Wolfe rebounds with a handstand mule kick in the corner. Dinero rebounds with a modified Boston crab through the ropes before Wolfe comes back with a strike to the throat. Dinero locks in a single leg Boston crab before Wolfe starts to work him over with various leg submissions for a few minutes. Wolfe utilizes a modified STF before Dinero begins to fight back with some slaps. Wolfe hits a forearm before attempting the Tower of London, but Dinero counters with an STO and a suplex DDT. Wolfe wraps Pope’s leg in the ropes, but is forced to break the hold and falls victim to a spinebuster. Dinero counters a single leg Boston crab with a small package for a near fall before hitting a rope assisted neckbreaker later on. Wolfe tries for another handstand mule kick, but Dinero counters with a sitout Alabama Slam for another near fall. Dinero tries for the running double knees, but Wolfe hits a huge lariat out of nowhere and gets the win. This was a very good match between these two and I was glad that Wolfe earned his first TNA PPV win. Match Time: 13:33     Match Rating: 7/10

6.    The Band (Kevin Nash and Syxx Pac) vs. Beer Money Inc.

The stable consisting of Nash, Sean Waltman/Syxx Pac, and Scott Hall is called “The Band”. As a result of losing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors backstage, Scott Hall was replaced by Syxx Pac in this tag team match. Boy was it for the better. Storm starts thinks off by hitting Syxx Pac with an arm drag, hip toss, and a neckbreaker before making the tag to Roode. Syxx gets double teamed before tagging in Nash, who chokes Roode against the ropes. Roode hits a flying shoulder block before making the tag to Storm, who gets clotheslined by Nash after a Syxx Pac distraction. Syxx hits a spin kick before Nash hits a corner clothesline followed up by a Syxx Pac bronco buster. Storm falls victim to a Nash sidewalk slam, but is able to get the tag to roode after avoiding another Syxx Pac bronco buster. Roode hits a spinebuster to Syxx Pac but Nash breaks up the pin attempt. Scott Hall then comes down to ringside, distracting Beer Money and allowing Nash to hit a double clothesline followed by a chokeslam on Roode for a near fall. Hall attacks a fan at ringside, and Syxx Pac apparently joins in. Nash is distracted and Storm hits a superkick followed by a roll up from Roode and Beer Money earn the victory. Another match that was alright but nothing that good. Match Time: 9:46     Match Rating: 5/10

7.    Abyss vs. Mr. Anderson

Abyss was originally scheduled to face Bobby Lashley, but after Abyss took Lashley out backstage, Hogan announced that he would have a new opponent. His new opponent turned out to be the debuting Mr. Anderson (aka WWE’s Mr. Kennedy), who got over big as a face before the match. What didn’t make sense was that Anderson wrestled the whole match as a heel. Both men trade slaps before Anderson works over Abyss’s arm, including wrenching it around the ring post. Abyss kicks a chair away from Anderson and hits some punches but Anderson sends him into the turnbuckle. Anderson works over the arm with an arm bar and a single arm DDT for a near fall. Both men trade big boots before Anderson counters the Shock Treatment with a botched hangman’s neckbreaker. Abyss hits a chokeslam and a Shock Treatment but can’t get a 3 count. Abyss grabs a chair, but while the ref is taking it away Anderson clocks Abyss with brass knuckles to get the win. A very slow-paced dull match, easily the worst match on the card. Match Time: 10:38     Match Rating: 4/10

8.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles(c) vs. Kurt Angle

Looking at the clock, it seemed obvious that this main event was going to get a lot of time, and it did, clocking in at nearly half an hour. While this was definitely not the best match ever between these two, it was still a very good main event and about on par with their match from Impact 2 weeks ago. Lots of chain wrestling early on with both men trading several holds. Angle and Styles lock up before Styles fights out and hits a dropkick. AJ hits a forearm and a backbreaker before Angle hits a dropkick outside the ring. Back in the ring, Angle hits a snap suplex before locking on a seated bear hug. He hits a backbreaker and a slam before putting on a body scissors. AJ fights out and hits a couple clotheslines but Angle hits a big German suplex. Both men are down after going for simultaneous cross body blocks, and Ric Flair comes down to ringside as the men get to their feet. AJ sends Angle to the floor with a forearm and then hits a somersault leg drop to Angle outside the ring. Styles hits a springboard forearm back in the ring, but Angle counters the Styles Clash and hits 3 Germans in a row, and Styles counters an Angle Slam attempt. Angle hits two big lariats before AJ comes back with some strikes in the corner. Styles hits a hurricanrana but misses a springboard 450 splash, and Angle hits an Angle slam for a near fall. Styles avoids a moonsault a tries for a Styles Clash, but Angle reverses it into the Ankle Lock. Styles kicks Angle several times, causing him to break the hold, before he later tries for a top rope Styles Clash. Angle fights out and hits AJ with a Styles Clash of his own for a near fall. Styles reverses an Angle Slam with a DDT before hitting an Angle Slam of his own for a near fall. Angle hits a top rope Angle Slam but Styles kicks out yet again. Angle puts on an Ankle Lock, and as AJ struggles in the hold, Flair pulls the ref out of the ring. AJ taps out but the ref is out cold. Angle chases Flair but falls victim to a clothesline from Styles. Flair then slides the belt to AJ, who hits Angle over the head with it after contemplating what to do. Flair rolls the ref back into the ring and AJ retains his title. It appears as if AJ will be turning heel, as if TNA does not have enough major heels at this point. The match was very good, although not up to part with the matches they had against each other in 2008. Match Time: 28:49     Match Rating: 8/10

Overall PPV Rating: 7.25/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit. I am from Orange, CT and am a huge fan of pro wrestling. I mostly follow WWE and TNA but I also watch the smaller promotions such as ROH and DGUSA. I have been a lifelong WWE fan and have become a TNA fan over the past few years. Aside from wrestling, I also really love baseball and football and follow many other sports such as hockey and MMA. I have written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for over a year now.

Tagged with: Arm Bars, Boston Crab, Brian Kendrick, Couple Times, Entrance Ramp, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, Hurricanrana, Impact Zone, Playpen, Ppvs, Prett, Revamping, Ring Segment, Ringside, Sean Morley, Senton, Stf, Val Venis, Wwe

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