By Jared Silberkleit - No Surrender ended up being a pretty decent PPV from TNA. There was nothing really horrible on this show (which is a BIG plus for a TNA show) and it had some pretty good matches that made this show a bit better than expected. The booking of the Kurt Angle/Jeff Hardy match, however, was unforgivably awful and ruined what was the company’s best match of 2010. This show is worth a look but it’s nothing you need to go out of your way to see.

1.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machineguns(c) vs. Generation Me

Some incident occurred with London Brawling (aka Desmond Wolfe and Magnus, who were originally scheduled to challenge MCMG for the titles) that caused Generation Me to be inserted into this match to challenge for the titles. This was a pretty good opener but I feel like these teams are capable of having better matches. Jeremy starts the match with Alex Shelley and they do some chain wrestling for a bit before Jeremy tags in Max. Solid mat wrestling from Shelley follows before he tags in Chris Sabin. Sabin and Max trade quick offense, including both guys kicking each other’s feet when they go for dropkicks. They go nose to nose before tagging in their partners. Jeremy hits a moonsault and works Shelley’s arm, hitting a double stomp to it. Sabin gets the tag and the Guns double team Jeremy, hitting a chancery/dropkick combo. Shelley then puts on an inverted Boston Crab (Colt Cabana’s Billy Goat’s Curse) with a modified surfboard lift. Max gets a tag and hits a ton of offense. Shelley tags in and hits Max with a single leg dropkick. Shelley hits Max with an enzuigiri but takes a neckbreaker from Jeremy on the apron. Shelley fights out of a suplex attempt but eats a double dropkick from Generation Me. Jeremy gets a near fall before putting on a full nelson. Shelley is able to tag in Sabin, who comes in as a house of fire. Sabin hits a springboard tornado DDT but Jeremy breaks up the pin. Shelley does a suicide dive onto Jeremy while Sabin and Max go at it in the ring. Generation Me hits an assisted sliced bread for a near fall and try for More Bang For Your Buck, but don’t get it. A spot ensues with everyone trying for superkicks, and the Guns end up getting the win after hitting Skull and Bones. After the match, Generation Me attacks the Guns, which I guess means they are turning heel. Good stuff all around but these teams are capable of putting on better matches. Match Time: 12:53     Star Rating: ***1/2

2.    TNA X Division Championship: Douglas Williams(c) vs. Sabu

This match disappointed me, as instead of getting the strangely crisp Sabu we got at Hardcore Justice, we got the usual sloppy Sabu and so this match was chock full of botches. Sabu takes down Williams early on before the two trade holds. Sabu does a headlock takeover and makes it to the ropes to get out of a Williams submission, but Williams puts on an armbar before Sabu gets to the corner to force a break. Sabu hits a clothesline and a slingshot leg drop from the apron before putting on a camel clutch. Sabu sends Williams to the outside and does a somersault dive before beginning to set up a table. Williams sends Sabu into the ring and hits a diving uppercut for a near fall. Both guys fight up top where Sabu horrendously botches a hurricanrana, but Williams sells it anyway. Sabu gets a chair and the ref confronts him about it, but Sabu is still able to beat on Williams before using the chair for a triple jump moonsault. Sabu missed the top rope but was lucky enough to land on the middle rope to avoid another botched spot. Williams sends Sabu into the chair with a drop toehold, hits a clothesline, then works over Sabu’s back. Williams hits an uppercut but Sabu comes back with a springboard DDT. Sabu hits a springboard back elbow for a near fall before jumping off the chair with a leg lariat. Williams hits a gutwrench suplex and tries for a German, but Sabu fights out and Williams goes to the outside. Sabu screws up a springboard spot so he drops back before diving onto Williams on the second attempt. Sabu puts Williams on the table but ends up going through it himself when Williams moves. Williams tries to use the chair but the ref takes it away, so Williams cracks Sabu with the X Division title to win the match. Sloppy match that was boring in parts, but Williams made it not horrible. Sabu should never wrestle, ever, ever again. This guy can’t do anything right. Match Time: 11:18     Star Rating: **

3.    Madison Rayne vs. Velvet Sky

These two girls actually came out TO THE SAME MUSIC. The music never even paused, it just continued for Velvet after Madison came out. Rayne sends Sky into the corner and chokes her with her boot, before putting her down on the mat to punch and choke her. Rayne puts on a camel clutch but Sky fights out and slaps her in the face. Sky gets a quick roll up but Rayne regains control with some near falls of her own. Sky blocks a headscissors attempt and builds steam with some clotheslines and a back elbow. Sky hits a spear and slams Rayne’s head into the mat, then hits a facebuster. When she goes for the pin, Tara pulls her to the outside but Angelina makes the save. In the ring, Sky counters Rayne’s finisher and hits a DDT for the win. Very typical knockouts match, but at least it was short and they didn’t mess anything up. Match Time: 4:46     Star Rating: *1/2

4.    Falls Count Anywhere match: Rhino vs. Abyss

It’s a TNA PPV, which means it’s time for the stupid Abyss gimmick match! Yay! This match actually turned out not quite as bad as what I expected but these guys have had far better matches. Rhino attacks Abyss during his entrance and starts throwing weapons in the ring. Rhino dives out of the ring onto Abyss on the outside, but Abyss is up and they brawl with each other through the crowd and out to the back. They actually go outside the building into Universal Studios and fight near a ROLLER COASTER. The camera is shaking like crazy during this, as if it were strapped to a monkey’s head. Abyss sends Rhino into a fence before they just keep on punching as they head back into the Impact Zone. The come back into the ring where Rhino hits a clothesline, but Abyss sends him into a trash can set up in the corner. They fight outside the ring with both guys slamming each other into the barricade, before Abyss throws Rhino through the side of the stage. They then GO INSIDE THE HOLE and fight underneath the stage, where the cameraman apparently falls down and we can’t see what’s going on. They crash through the other side of the stage before brawling back into the ring. Abyss grabs a barricade and sets it up in the corner. Rhino hits a big clothesline and wails on Abyss with a cookie sheet. Rhino hits a gore and a belly to belly slam and tries for another gore, but Abyss catches him and chokeslams him onto the dented trash can. Abyss grabs Janice and returns to the ring but Rhino hits a gore for a near fall. Abyss hits a black hole slam for another near fall and tries to powerbomb Rhino into the barricade, but Rhino counters. He tries for a gore, but Abyss moves and Rhino hits the barricade. Abyss hits a black hole slam for the win. Match was really bad for the first half, then it got pretty good once they just decided to have a match in the ring. Hmm, imagine that.  Match Time: 12:47     Star Rating: **1/2

5.    Kevin Nash and Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe

Before you ask, yes it is the year 2010. Joe and Sting look to start things off but Nash and Sting do a pre-match attack on the faces. Joe hits a running knee and takes down Sting with a kick. Jarrett gets a tag and pounds away at Sting, before Nash tags in and hits a big knee and a sidewalk slam. More knees from Nash before Sting tags in and wrenches at Jarrett’s arm. Sting hits a Stinger Splash and tries for a Vader Bomb, but Jarrett gets the knees up. Jarrett gets a tag but the ref doesn’t see it. Sting and Jarrett clothesline each other, and Joe eventually gets the tag. Joe takes out Nash with a suicide elbow while Jarrett and Sting go at it. Jarrett gets a hold of the bat and hits Sting in the gut with it. Joe puts Sting in the Coquina Clutch and Sting passes out, so the faces get the win. The match wasn’t good but at least it was short and they put over Joe strong. For that, I didn’t really hate this, though there wasn’t much there. Match Time: 6:05     Star Rating: *3/4

6.    I Quit match: AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer

This match really surprised me and ended up far better than I expected. This has got to be Dreamer’s best match in many years. Styles tries to hit Dreamer with his TV title during Dreamer’s entrance but Dreamer ducks and beats on AJ as they had back toward the ring. Dreamer backdrops AJ to the floor and puts on a rear chin lock around the post. Both guys trade punches and chops before Dreamer puts on a full nelson camel clutch. Styles fights out of it and charges Dreamer in the corner but connects with the ring post. Styles goes to the outside but Dreamer hits a running clothesline off the apron. Dreamer tries to suplex AJ on the ramp but AJ ends up planting him. Styles tries for the Figure Four, but Dreamer bashes Styles with one of the stage lights and wraps the cord around AJ’s mouth. Styles sends Dreamer into the apron, then exposes the concrete floor for a Styles Clash attempt, but Dreamer sends Styles into the post. Dreamer hits a big shoulder breaker and gets a chair from the crowd. In the ring, Dreamer works over AJ with an armbar, wraps a chair around AJ’s arm, and hits a leg drop to it. Styles fights out of a chair assisted arm lock but Dreamer hits a flying arm bar into the chair. Styles bails to the outside but Dreamer wraps his arm around the barricade to continue to work the arm. AJ doesn’t quit and picks up Dreamer, crotching him on the guard rail. They go back into the ring where AJ kicks at Dreamer’s legs and crotches him against the post before putting on a Figure Four around the ring post. Dreamer turns over, but Styles fights out and plants Dreamer on a chair. Dreamer stomps at a chair wrapped around AJ’s leg and pulls out a fork, but Styles hits a Pele. Styles tries to dive onto Dreamer on the outside, but is met with a kendo stick shot to the head. Dreamer hits AJ with a kendo stick assisted pumphandle slam, then does a kendo stick assisted crossface, slowly breaking it against AJ’s face. AJ doesn’t quit and gets the fork, jabbing Dreamer in the face with it. Styles digs the fork into Dreamer’s eye and Dreamer eventually quits. Good match that told a pretty good story and had nice spots. Ending was also really well done. Match Time: 16:30     Star Rating: ***1/4

7.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal match: Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle

The winners of the two semifinal tournament matches advance to the finals in the main event of Bound for Glory. This match here between Angle and Hardy was outstanding from a wrestling standpoint but was marred by horrendous booking. Things are slow at the start with some side headlocks before Hardy hits a shoulder block and another side headlock. They go into the corner and Angle hits some right hands. Hardy hits a front suplex and picks up steam but Angle hits a powerbomb. Angle puts on a rear chin lock, hits a back elbow, then puts on a reverse bear hug. Hardy hits some forearms and clotheslines, messes up a dropkick, but hits it on a second attempt. Angle hits a release belly to belly suplex and wears down Hardy with a rear chin lock. Hardy fights out and they end up on the top turnbuckle where Angle hits a super belly to belly suplex. Angle tries for an Angle Slam but Hardy counters with a sloppy arm drag before hitting a Twist of Fate. Hardy misses the Swanton and Angle connects with the Angle Slam for a near fall. Hardy fights off an Ankle Lock attempt but Angle hits the 3 Germans. He tries for a moonsault but Hardy moves out of the way. Hardy hits the Whisper in the Wind for a near fall before they go to the outside, where Hardy hits a Twist of Fate on the floor. Hardy then hits a crazy Swanton Bomb off the top rope to the floor onto Angle. Both guys trade blows in the ring and Hardy tries for a Twist of Fate, but Angle counters with a German and hits a frog splash for a near fall. Angle tries for a powerbomb but Hardy backdrops him and hits a Twist of Fate. Hardy hits a slingshot leg drop and the Swanton, but Angle kicks out. Hardy hits a second Swanton for another 2 count and tries for a third, but Angle gets the knees up.

Angle hits the Angle Slam for a near fall and tries for the Ankle Lock, but Hardy counters and sends Angle to the outside. Hardy hits a diving clothesline off the apron and puts Angle back in the ring, but gets caught in the Ankle Lock. Hardy makes it to the ropes and kicks Angle away to break the hold, but Angle clotheslines him and puts the hold back on. Angle grapevines the leg and Hardy struggles for some time before the bell rings, even though Hardy didn’t tap. Borash announces that the 20 minute time limit (which was NEVER announced before the match began) has expired. Eric Bischoff comes down to ringside and says that due to the importance of the match, they will give these guys another 5 minutes. Angle goes back to work on the ankle, but Hardy sends him to the outside and hits a dropkick, sending Angle into the guard rail. Hardy sends Angle into the steps, but Angle crotches him on the top rope back in the ring. Angle hits a HUGE Angle Slam off the top but Hardy still kicks out. Hardy dumps Angle over the top rope but Angle comes back in. There’s a double clothesline spot and Angle gets a near fall as the five minute period expires. TWO DRAWS IN A ROW? Bischoff says they get five more minutes and this is just stupid. Angle chokes Hardy with his boot and hits some shoulder blocks, but goes shoulder first into the ring post and falls to the outside. Hardy slams Angle into the steps and Angle is busted open. Hardy applies a Boston Crab in the ring but Angle counters into the Ankle Lock. Hardy struggles but doesn’t tap out as this THIRD TIME INTERVAL EXPIRES. TNA ACTUALLY BOOKED THREE DRAWS IN A ROW. Doctors and trainers come into the ring to check on Angle, wiping the blood off with a towel. Bischoff comes into the ring and says that Angle’s cut is too bad and this has to end in a no contest. Keep in mind that Angle wasn’t even bleeding once he was wiped off. UNBELIEVABLE. This is why I hate TNA. This booking was PREPOSTEROUS. Excellent effort from Angle and Jeff but my god the script just gave these guys no chance at all. Match Time: 30:20 (bell to bell for all 3 time intervals)     Star Rating: ***3/4

8.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semifinal match: Mr. Anderson vs. D’Angelo Dinero

No Surrender comes to a close as Mr. Anderson and The Pope are faced with the impossible task of trying to follow up Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy. Even with the no contest, I still would have had that match as the main event and not this. This match was solid but not main event quality. They do some quick grappling early on, with Pope locking in a front face lock that Anderson reverses into a hammerlock. Both guys trade punches and Anderson stomps at Dinero in the corner. Anderson hits some punches but Dinero hits a single arm DDT. Dinero puts on a hammerlock then drops Anderson with a belly to back suplex. Pope drops a knee before working Anderson’s arm, slamming it into the mat and hitting a hammerlock slam. Anderson fights out of a keylock and hits some clotheslines and a back elbow. Anderson avoids a diving shoulder block and stomps away at Pope. Anderson sends Pope into the corner and gets a near fall, then chokes Pope against the middle rope. Dinero fights back but Anderson hits a big boot for a near fall. Dinero fights out of a keylock but Anderson hits a knee to the midsection. Anderson hits a hammerlock suplex and works Dinero’s arm but Dinero comes back and they do a double clothesline spot. Pope makes a comeback with an inverted atomic drop and a flying shoulder block before hitting the Coronation. Anderson crotches Pope on the top rope and tries for a superplex, but Pope crotches him on the top rope and Anderson falls to the outside. Pope does a dive to the outside and gets a near fall back in the ring. Both guys counter each other’s finishers and Anderson hits the Green Bay Plunge for a near fall. Dinero hits the 4-Up and a lungblower for another 2 count. Anderson hits the Mic Check for a near fall of his own but Dinero comes back with some offense. He tries for the DDE but Anderson avoids it and hits a second Mic Check for the win. It turned into a good match by the end but not that great for a main event match. It was pretty decent but it also was too long and dragged in parts. It will be interesting to see what they book for the Bound for Glory main event. Match Time: 17:26     Star Rating: ***

Overall PPV Rating: 7/10

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 two years.

Tagged with: Alex Shelley, Apron, Billy Goat, Boston Crab, Chancery, Chris Sabin, Colt Cabana, Desmond, Full Nelson, Jared, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, Machineguns, Moonsault, Springboard, Stomp, Surfboard, Tag Team Championship, Tornado Ddt, World Tag Team

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