Turning Point was yet another dismal PPV offering from TNA. Almost all of their PPVs this year have been horrendous. These shows are rife with terrible booking and less-than-stellar wrestling save for a match here and there. Many of the matches on this show were ridiculously overbooked and the crowd hardly reacted to it. A solid main event kept the show from reaching “worst PPV of the year” status but it certainly doesn’t make the show worth going out of your way to see.

• TNA Television Championship match: Eric Young(c) vs. Robbie E

Why Robbie E got another TV title match is beyond me. He was accompanied to the ring by Rob Terry, who is apparently now going by the name of “Robbie T”. Young initially goes to lock up with the referee before he runs out of the ring and gets decked by Robbie T before landing a shot on Robbie E. Young hits a forearm in the corner in the ring, does a handstand in the corner, and hits a headscissors. Young then tries to lock up with SoCal Val on the outside. Young plays mind games with Robbie by going in and out of the ring. Robbie T lands a cheap shot and Robbie E covers in the ring for 2. Robbie E hits some stomps but Young comes back with some shots and a roll up. Robbie hits a fist drop off the second rope for 2, whips Young into the ropes, and hits a back elbow for 2. Robbie applies a lengthy chin lock, and Young is eventually able to fight out with a jawbreaker. Robbie hits some shots to the back before Young drops his shorts to reveal that he is wearing Robbie’s trunks underneath. Young hits a flying forearm, a dropkick, a belly to belly slam, and a diving elbow drop off the top. Robbie T pulls Robbie E out of the ring to break up the pin, but Young hits a high cross body off the top to Robbie T on the floor. Young rolls E in the ring, but T hits him with a cheap shot and E covers for the win. Nobody bought that as the finish. Flat way to end a very average opener, but this was about as good as it was going to get with these guys. Match Time: 7:50     Star Rating: **

• TNA World Tag Team Championship match: Mexican America(c) vs. Ink. Inc.

This was a six person intergender match, with Sarita and Toxxin involved for their respective teams. Anarquia and Shannon Moore lock up briefly before Anarquia drives his shoulder into Moore in the corner. Moore comes back with some arm drags, an atomic drop, and a spin kick. Jesse Neal and Hernandez get tags, with Hernandez shoving off Neal. Neal twists the arm, but Hernandez hits a clothesline and they yell at each other. Neal goes for a couple shoulder blocks but Hernandez is unfazed. Neal hits a back elbow and a botched kick before tagging in Moore. Moore leaps off the top and is caught, but is able to counter into a sunset flip. Moore twists Anarquia’s arm and hits a corner-assisted arm drag. Moore hits a hurricanrana for 2 and hip tosses Neal onto Anarquia. Hernandez hits a slingshot shoulder block and shoves Toxxin. Anarquia kicks Neal to the floor and tags in Hernandez, who hits a corner splash. Neal avoids Anarquia in the corner and spears Hernandez for 2 before the women get tags. Toxxin hits a back elbow, an enzuigiri, and a gutwrench suplex. Hernandez gets clotheslined to the floor and Moore hits an asai moonsault. Neal hits a front slam to Anarquia and slams Toxxin on him, then decides to pull down Anarquia’s pants. Lovely. The ref is distracted with a bunch of chaos on the outside and Sarita hits Toxxin with one of the title belts for the win. Typical TNA cluster mess tag match with overbooking and a lot of nonsense. No wonder the titles are worthless. Match was going along okay and fell apart at the finish. Match Time: 8:36     Star Rating: *1/4

• 3-Way Dance for the TNA X Division Championship: Austin Aries(c) vs. Jesse Sorensen vs. Kid Kash

The story here was really good but the wrestling was fairly basic for a nearly 15 minute match. Most of it was just Kash and Aries ganging up on Sorensen. Sorensen and Kash go nose to nose early on and Aries cheap shots Sorensen. Kash rains down with cross-face punches, but Sorensen fights back with a couple arm drags to Aries and sends him to the floor. Sorensen hits a nice tope dive over the ropes to both heels on the floor. Sorensen heads up top but Kash shoves him off and Aries hits a neckbreaker. Kash hits a release suplex and holds up Sorensen for Aries to chop him. Kash hits a low blow and stands on Sorensen’s head before hitting a big backbreaker. Aries breaks up the pin and gives Kash a pep talk. Sorensen dropkicks Aries into Kash and hits a flying knee, a dropkick, and a cross body off the top. Kash breaks up the pin attempt and applies a modified surfboard submission. Aries kicks Sorensen in the chest and Kash hits a knee drop. Aries hits a chop and Kash stomps Sorensen in the corner.

Sorensen hits a back body drop to Aries but Kash pulls him outside and whips him into the guardrail, then sets him up for a suicide dive from Aries. Kash breaks up a pin attempt in the ring and argues a little with Aries, allowing Sorensen to land some shots on both men. Aries hits a kitchen sink to Sorensen and Kash hits a body slam. Both heels head up top in opposite corners, but Sorensen blocks a frog splash from Aries and avoids a moonsault from Kash. Sorensen hits an atomic drop to Aries and a neckbreaker, but Kash breaks up the pin. Aries drives Sorensen into the corner, but Sorensen kicks a charging Aries and hits a spinning facebuster, only for Kash to break up the pin. Kash hits some chops in the corner and clotheslines a diving Sorensen in mid air. Kash hits a superplex off the top and a double underhook piledriver, but Aries puts Sorensen’s foot on the ropes during Kash’s pin attempt. Kash argues with the ref and Aries sneaks in and rolls Kash up for the pin. Kind of a sudden finish but everyone played their roles really well here, even if this wasn’t exactly an “X Division” style match. Sorensen isn’t ready for this kind of a push just yet so it was smart to have Aries go over. Match Time: 13:00     Star Rating: **3/4

• No Disqualification match: Christopher Daniels vs. Rob Van Dam

Before the match, Daniels gets on the mic and asks RVD for just a straight up wrestling match, since the match was advertised as No DQ. RVD shakes on it, but Daniels pulls him into a headlock as the match begins. RVD sweeps the leg and goes for a cross arm-breaker before rolling up Daniels with his legs. Daniels goes outside momentarily and they do some grappling once he returns to the ring. RVD goes for a roll up before hitting a monkey flip and a big kick for 2. Daniels hits some shoulder thrusts in the corner and a snapmare before applying a chin lock. RVD blocks a hip toss and hits a kick for 2 followed by Rolling Thunder. RVD hits a spin kick and a slingshot leg drop on the apron before heading up top. He tries for a sunset flip but Daniels blocks it and stomps him. Daniels slams RVD’s head in the corner, hits some shoulder thrusts and presses his boot against RVD’s chin. Daniels hits a dropkick for 2 and applies a chin lock. RVD fights out with some elbows but Daniels takes him down and twsits his neck. RVD fights up but Daniels hits a Death Valley Driver for 2. Daniels hits a flying forearm in the corner and whips RVD to another corner, but RVD gets a boot up and they trade punches. RVD hits a springboard thrust kick, crotches Daniels on the top rope, and hits a second thrust kick off the top that sends Daniels to the floor. Daniels bails up the ramp but RVD catches him, hits a hip toss on the ramp, and hangs him over the guardrail. RVD then hits a running leg drop off the ramp to Daniels on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Daniels throws the ref into RVD, hits an STO, and grabs a chair (since it’s still technically No DQ). Daniels hits RVD in the gut with the chair and hits a uranage on it for 2. Daniels gets the screwdriver but RVD kicks the chair in his face and hits the Five Star Frog Splash for the win. Good match but it definitely seemed like these guys had a few more minutes in them. Solid effort while it lasted though. Match Time: 11:17     Star Rating: ***

• Matt Morgan vs. Crimson

This was awful. The crowd still doesn’t care about Crimson and this just dragged and dragged. Crimson goes for shoulder blocks early but they have no effect on Morgan and they go to a test of strength. Crimson hits a knee to the gut, and some knees to the face while holding Morgan in a cravat. Morgan hits a discuss clothesline, but Crimson avoids the Carbon Footprint. Morgan hits some shoulders in the corner and clotheslines Crimson to the floor. Crimson slams Morgan’s head on the ring apron and the guardrail before dragging out the steel steps, only for Morgan to kick the steps into Crimson’s knee. Morgan hits a side slam in the ring for 2. Crimson hits some shots but Morgan hits an uppercut, punches, and the rapid-fire corner elbows. Crimson comes back with some clotheslines and an exploder suplex for 2. Morgan hits more shoulders in the corner but Crimson hits a Russian leg sweep and goes for a submission, only for Morgan to counter with a roll up. Morgan hits a chokeslam for 2 but misses the bicycle kick. Crimson hits a spear for 2 and Morgan hits the Carbon Footprint, but Crimson falls to the floor. Morgan rolls him in and covers for 2. Crimson hits a sloppy Red Sky for 2 and they trash talk each other before going back and forth with punches. The ref eventually tries to break it up and both guys shove him down, causing a double disqualification. They did the usual pull apart brawl with security after the match. Another match that fell apart at the finish. Before the end it was just really really dull. Crimson is such a bad wrestler at this point that there’s not many guys who can work with him. Bad match all around. Match Time: 12:00     Star Rating: *

• Scott Steiner and Bully Ray vs. Mr. Anderson and Abyss

Given the talent involved, this was about as good as it was going to get. Anderson and Ray lock up at the start, and Anderson hits an arm drag. They lock up again before Ray misses a charge in the corner. Anderson hits an arm drag and an arm bar, but Ray fights up and Anderson fails to knock down Ray with clotheslines. Anderson hits a spin kick and applies a headlock, but Ray breaks it with a back suplex. Steiner comes in and hits some weak kicks in the corner and chops Anderson. Anderson comes back with a clothesline off the second rope, but Ray crotches him against the ring post. Ray comes in and elbow drops Anderson’s leg before applying a leg bar. Ray hits a clothesline but Anderson avoids a second and hits a neckbreaker. Anderson tags in Abyss but the ref doesn’t see it and the heels double team Anderson. Steiner hits Anderson with an Angle Slam off the second rope, but Anderson comes back with a sunset flip and an inside cradle for near falls.

Steiner hits a belly-to-belly suplex before tagging in Ray, and Anderson scores with DDT. Both guys make tags and Abyss cleans house on the heels with clotheslines and splashes them both in the corner. Abyss slams Steiner and hits a frog splash off the top followed by a chokeslam. Ray breaks up the pin and hits some shots to the back. Abyss teases a double chokeslam on the heels but ends up double clotheslining them. Ray clotheslines Abyss to the outside, and both guys clothesline each other on the floor. Anderson hits a top rope cross body off the top for 2, and Steiner hits a downward spiral for a near fall. Steiner hits a Frankensteiner off the top, but the ref won’t count the pin and says Anderson isn’t legal. Steiner then turns around into a Black Hole Slam from Abyss for the pin. After the match the heels double chokeslam Abyss through a table, but Abyss pops right back up, causing Ray to freak out. This was just an excuse to get these guys on the show in a match that won’t mean anything by the Impact tapings tomorrow night. Pretty average stuff for the most part, but the fans popped for Steiner. Match Time: 11:48     Star Rating: **1/4

• TNA Women’s Knockout Championship match: Velvet Sky(c) vs. Gail Kim

This was your typical Knockouts match, with the overbooking and interference completely overshadowing the wrestling. Sky hits a ton of punches at the start and sloppy baseball slide that knocks Kim to the floor. Sky hits some more shots and a cross body in the ring for 2. Sky hits a corner splash and some mounted punches, but Gail comes back with a running body block in the corner, a snapmare, and a kick to the chest. Sky hits some slaps but Kim hits a gutbuster and applies an abdominal stretch. Sky scores a near fall off a jackknife cover and a roll up. Kim leaps out of the corner but Sky kicks her in mid air before hitting some more kicks and a bulldog. Sky blocks the Eat Defeat and hits the sitout Pedigree, but Karen Jarrett runs down to distract the referee. Madison Rayne attacks Sky and botches a move. Kim covers for 2 and heads up top, where she misses a diving senton. Sky covers, but Kim rolls her up for 2. Rayne then pulls Sky’s foot as Karen distracts the referee. Gail hits the Eat Defeat for the win. Total cluster mess of a Knockouts match, and Velvet is still a terrible worker. Short and way too overbooked. How can anyone say that TNA’s women’s division is any different from the WWE’s anymore? Match Time: 5:54     Star Rating: *

• Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy

This one takes the cake for dumbest booking of the night. The bell rings and Hardy immediately hits the Twist of Fate for the win. Then Jarrett complains to the referee and the match is restarted. WHY? I have no clue. Hardy hits a spinning heel kick but Jarrett hits a body guillotine and a pair of diving fist drops off the second rope. Hardy kicks a leaping Jarrett and hits a front suplex, but Jarrett trips him up when he heads up top. Jarrett stomps Hardy and whips him into the corner. Hardy hits some shots but Jarrett catches him in a sleeper. Hardy fights out with elbows and hits a back suplex. They trade punches before Hardy hits a clothesline and gets a 2 count off a jackknife cover. Hardy counters the Stroke, Jarrett counters the Twist of Fate, and Hardy counters the Figure 4 leg lock with a small package for the win (again). It gets better. Hardy leaves up the ramp and Jarrett hits him in the head with a chair. Jarrett then brings him back into the ring, hits the Stroke, and tells the ref to count the pin. Hardy then rolls up Jarrett and the ref counts the pin and calls for the bell. THE MATCH WAS ALREADY OVER. TWICE. Horrible booking. Unbelievable. TNA must think that their fans are either mentally challenged or using the same type of drugs that Jeff Hardy uses. Stupid on so many levels. Match Time: 5:52     Star Rating: *1/2

• TNA World Heavyweight Championship match: Robert Roode(c) vs. AJ Styles

God bless these two men but there was no saving this show at this point. They definitely tried really hard though, and this was easily the match of the night. They lock up and break a couple times to open things up before AJ hits a punch and Roode bails to the outside. Roode and AJ both land some shots before Roode applies a headlock. AJ pushes him off and hits a leapfrog followed by a dropkick. AJ hits a suplex before slamming Roode’s head into all 4 of the top turnbuckles. AJ hits an elboew to the head followed by a scoop slam and a knee drop for 2. Roode comes back with a kick, a clothesline, and some shots in the corner. AJ sends Roode to the outside, where he hits a diving forearm off the apron and drops Roode face first on the guardrail. Roode hits a baseball slide from inside the ring and chokes AJ. AJ fights back with some shots but when he leaps off the second rope, Roode catches him and catapults him into the corner. Roode applies a rear waistlock on the mat before AJ fights out and they head up top. Roode knocks AJ to the mat, but AJ pops right back up and hits a superplex. AJ hits some punches followed by a back body drop, some clotheslines, and a neckbreaker over his knee.

AJ goes for a slingshot move but appear to botch it as he just shoves Roode. Crowd dies at this point. Roode rolls through a cross body attempt and covers for 2. Roode hits a spinebuster for 2 but AJ counters a fisherman’s suplex and hits a back suplex. AJ misses a springboard 450, but does a sunset flip and goes for the Styles Clash. Roode counters the Clash and puts AJ in the crossface. AJ struggles but eventually counters with a roll up before picking up Roode and dropping him. AJ hits a springboard forearm from the apron for 2 before Roode low blows AJ and the ref at the same time. Roode covers for a near fall, AJ gets 2 with a roll up, and AJ hits an enzuigiri before both guys trade punches. Roode begs off but AJ tackles him and unloads with punches before chopping him in the ropes. AJ crotches Roode on the top rope, causing him to fall to the floor. AJ goes for a suicide dive but Roode sidesteps him. Roode hits a fisherman’s suplex in the ring for a near fall and AJ hits a Pele. AJ goes for the Styles Clash but Roode counters with a roll up and hooks the tights for the win. Styles felt very much like a main event placeholder here without much of a chance of winning. Match was very good but the crowd died about midway through and it just never seemed to reach its full potential despite the long length. Best thing on the show but nothing great or worth going out of your way to check out. Match Time: 19:35    Star Rating: ***1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 4.75/10

This will be the last TNA PPV Review you will see from me on this website. I would like to apologize to everyone who regularly reads my monthly TNA PPV recaps, but for the life of me I just can’t do it anymore. These shows are so agonizingly dull and painful to sit through that they’ve become a chore to watch rather than a joy. TNA has become unwatchable. I’ve been a professional wrestling fan for about five years now and I’ve honestly never seen a company as horrendous as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. This company can’t seem to do anything right and they’ve expressed a complete unwillingness to change. Despite the fact that they’ve been blessed with having so many talented and popular wrestlers on their roster, TNA time and time again proves that bad booking and writing can ruin shows and prevent fans from investing in the wrestlers and the storylines. Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Dixie Carter, have fun running this company into the ground just like WCW, because I don’t want to be apart of it any longer. I quit.

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 three years.

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1.    Mexican America vs. Ink Inc.

This wasn’t a great choice as an opener. It was pretty much the usual from these teams, nothing special. Shannon Moore and Anarquia start with some quick back and forth action, with both men going for arm twists and wrist locks. Moore fights out of a wrist lock, but Rosita distracts the referee and Hernandez is able to tag in. Moore avoids a charging Hernandez in the corner and tags in Jesse Neal, who comes in with some elbow strikes and a belly to belly slam. Hernandez tags in Anarquia, but Neal counters a scoop slam attempt and tags in Moore. Moore hits a diving cross body off the top for a near fall before Anarquia ends up stuck in the apron, allowing Moore to pound away at him on the outside. Moore then hits a springboard asai moonsault to Hernandez on the floor. Sarita scores a cheap shot on Moore while the ref isn’t looking, and Anarquia stomps him in the ring. Hernandez tags in and gives Moore a Sammartino backbreaker. Hernandez hits a shoulder block before tagging his partner, who scores a near fall. Anarquia and Moore are both up top, and Moore is able to send Anarquia to the mat before hitting a very sloppy diving twisting moonsault to a standing Anarquia. Hernandez and Neal both get tags, and Neal comes in as a house of fire. Neal hits a leaping double sledge and a dropkick before scoring a near fall with a cross body on Hernandez. Neal escapes the Border Toss, but Hernandez is able to hit a Dominator for the win after some more interference from Rosita. Just an okay opener that felt a lot like a TV match. Moore and Hernandez can be very sloppy at times and Anarquia’s offense is really one dimensional and boring. Match Time: 9:39     Star Rating: **1/4

Jeff Jarrett then came out with Karen for a promo. He tried to explain that Karen had a terrible leg injury suffered by slipping on one of her kids’ action figures at home. He talked about x-ray footage for proof and said the mixed tag match tonight was off. Mick Foley then came out and said that the x-ray was of a guy’s foot and basically said the match was still on. Of course he piped in the “wrestling matters” slogan, which anyone who regularly watches TNA knows is total BS.

2.    Robbie E vs. Brian Kendrick

Kendrick worked most of the match in his robe. He sits in the ring meditating at the start, but quickly goes to work with a sliding kick and a dive to the floor. He meditates again as Robbie comes back into the ring, but then drop toeholds him into the corner before hitting a dropkick. Kendrick hits a second rope diving lariat before having a confrontation with Cookie on the outside. Kendrick tosses Robbie back into the ring, but Robbie knocks him off the top rope, sending him to the floor. Kendrick comes back inside and Robbie goes to work, choking him with his boot and wrenching his neck. Kendrick looks to be bleeding from the mouth. Robbie applies an arm bar and clotheslines Kendrick to the outside before hitting a suplex on the floor. Cookie chokes Kendrick with his boot while Robbie distracts the ref. Kendrick sends Robbie into the apron and throws the robe in his face in the ring. Robbie launches Kendrick into the corner but Kendrick hits a dropkick for the win out of nowhere. This came off as nothing but filler and was hard to take seriously with both men’s goofy gimmicks. The robe also impaired Kendrick’s ability to work throughout the match. Match Time: 6:42     Star Rating: *3/4

3.    TNA Women’s Knockout Championship match: Mickie James(c) vs. Madison Rayne

An additional stipulation was that if Mickie won, Tara was free from her contract with Madison and she was free to work by herself in TNA. Tara’s music hits before they even touch, and Madison gets out of the ring to yell at her. Mickie hits a baseball slide, but Madison is able to toss her into the steel steps. Mickie reverses an irish whip in the ring, but Madison hits a hanging neckbreaker with Mickie’s feet on the ropes. Madison yells at Tara again, and Mickie hits some punches. Madison hits a hangman’s neckbreaker and both girls are down. Madison gets the loaded glove from beneath the ring, but Tara rips it off of her. Madison rolls up Mickie and hooks the shorts, but Mickie kicks out. Mickie makes a comeback with some clotheslines, but she misses Madison with a diving Thesz press and takes out the ref. Mickie counters Madison’s finisher before Tara enters the ring with the loaded glove on. They teased that she didn’t know who to hit, but eventually knocked out Madison with a punch with the glove. Mickie covers and the ref wakes up to count 3 to end it. Not much in the way of wrestling here and the finish was telegraphed a mile away. The only good thing about this is that the endless Mickie/Madison feud looks to be over. Match Time: 6:49     Star Rating: *

4.    TNA X Division Championship match: Kazarian(c) vs. Max Buck

After about an hour, we finally got our first good match of the evening. Max and Kaz lock up at the start and trade wrist holds before Max hits a shoulder block followed by a leap frog and a kip up by Kaz. They then begin a nice mat wrestling exchange before they get to their feet and Kaz backflips out of a back suplex attempt. Kaz applies a headlock and Max escapes, only for Kaz to come back with a sitout neckbreaker out of the corner. Kaz ends up on the outside and Max hits him with a leaping kick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Max hits a boot to the head and a jawbreaker. He chokes Kaz against the ropes before both guys trade punches. Max takes Kaz down and keeps him grounded with a chin lock. Kaz is able to get up and drive Max into the corner, where he hits a huge gutwrench superplex off the top. Kaz hits some clotheslines and a spin kick, but Max sends Kaz into the corner and charges. Kaz catches a leaping Max and slams him before hitting a springboard twisting leg drop for a near fall. Max counters the Fade to Black to start a nice sequence of counters, during which Kaz hits a kick to the head. Max counters the Fade to Black a second time and hits a buckle bomb before scoring a near fall. Max hits a spike DDT with Kaz’s feet on the top rope and hits a 450 splash for a near fall. Max slaps Kaz and tries for a suplex, but Kaz hits a front suplex on the ropes and kicks Max in the head, leaving Max hung up on the apron. Kaz then hits a crazy running sunset flip powerbomb over the ropes and off the apron to the floor. Max scores a near fall with a cradle back in the ring and counters the Fade to Black, but Kaz hits a shining wizard for the win. Nice story with Max countering the FTB numerous times, forcing Kaz to improvise. Easily match of the night, though it could have used another few minutes. Match Time: 11:19     Star Rating: ***1/4

5.    Abyss vs. Crimson

This was a pretty bad match, about as bad as it looked on paper. Abyss hits a knee to the gut at the start and whips Crimson into the corner, but Crimson is able to hit a dropkick and a clothesline to the floor. Abyss pulls Crimson out by his feet, but Crimson is able to rebound with some elbow strikes and sends Abyss into the guardrail. Abyss avoids as charging Crimson, who connects with the post. Abyss hits some punches and throws Crimson. They return to the ring, where Abyss runs into Crimson in the corner and wrenches at his head for a long time. They do a double clothesline spot and both are down. Crimson hits a punch and a leaping clothesline before hitting some knees to the head and scoring a near fall. Crimson charges in the corner, but Abyss avoids him and hits a chokeslam for a near fall. Abyss grabs Janice and the ref gets scared and runs out of the ring. Abyss swings and misses, and Crimson hits a spear for 2. That should have been the finish. Abyss kicks a charging Crimson, but Crimson counters the Shock Treatment and hits a double arm DDT. Abyss hits a weak Vader Bomb for a near fall, but when he charges Crimson in the corner, Crimson avoids him and hits a sitout chokebomb for the win. It’s good that Crimson got the win here, but the match was terrible. It went a little bit longer than it needed to and was very clunky and boring for the most part. Abyss sucks and Crimson needs experience. Match Time: 10:42     Star Rating: *1/4

6.    TNA World Tag Team Championship match: Beer Money(c) vs. Matt Hardy and Chris Harris

This was a little bit disappointing, but on this show that equals the second best match on the card. They tease that Harris will start the match with James Storm, but Harris instantly tags to Hardy. Hardy beats on Storm in the corner for a bit, but Storm comes back with a neckbreaker and a knee drop before tagging in Robert Roode, who hits a knee drop of his own. Harris gets a tag and punches Roode, but Roode comes back with a punch, a chop, and a leaping shoulder block. Hardy is in, but takes some clotheslines and a slam from Roode. Storm tags in and hits Hardy with some punches, but Hardy is able to knock Roode to the floor and take advantage after Harris spits beer in Storm’s face. The heels go to work, with both men whipping Storm into the corner before Harris hits a bulldog. Hardy gets a near fall and stays in control for a bit, but Storm comes back with a kick and a codebreaker. Roode hits a clothesline to Harris and dives off the second rope with a blockbuster. Roode hits a fisherman’s suplex, but Harris hits a full nelson slam for 2. Hardy hits a diving elbow drop to Roode’s back and applies a bear hug. Roode gets up, but both men are down after a collision. Both men tag their partners, and Storm slaps Harris before hitting some punches, clotheslines, and a Thesz press followed by more punches. Storm skins the cat and hits a spike DDT. Hardy ends up on the floor, and when he comes back in, Storm hits a spinning reverse DDT out of the corner. Hardy hits a side effect, but Storm comes back with a lungblower. Storm counters the Catatonic from Harris but takes a spinebuster. Roode hits a spinebuster to Harris and Beer Money hit a double suplex to Hardy. They set Harris up for the DWI, but change their mind and finish him off with the Death Sentence, America’s Most Wanted’s old finisher. It was a decent tag match with a good story to it, but the fact that Harris returned on the GO HOME SHOW meant this match had almost no buildup and perhaps that is why the audience wasn’t reacting too much to this. Harris and Hardy are both very sluggish and not in the shape that they once were, but Beer Money’s offense held it together. When I heard Harris was coming back to TNA I was hoping for the Wildcat, but it looks like we’ve got Braden Walker instead. Match Time: 13:52     Star Rating: **1/2

7.    No Disqualification match: Tommy Dreamer vs. AJ Styles

Why is this No DQ you may ask? Beats me. This was every TNA street fight match you’ve ever seen. AJ targets Dreamer’s arm early and wrenches at it, but Dreamer eventually fights back with a knee to the gut and stomps AJ in the corner. A little bit of back and forth before AJ hits a kick that sends Dreamer to the floor, which AJ follows with a slingshot plancha to the outside. They fight around the ringside area and Dreamer ends up crotched on the guardrail. They then do the lengthy crowd brawl that TNA always does in this type of match. Dreamer is in control when they finally get back to ringside, and he grabs a kendo stick and trash can as AJ gets a table. AJ hits Dreamer with the table while falling backwards before he tosses Dreamer shoulder first into the ring post. AJ sets up the table halfway so he can run up and jump off with a forearm smash. Dreamer hits a DDT and tries to stab AJ with a fork, but AJ blocks and hits an enzuigiri followed by a trash can shot to the head. AJ sets the table half-up again and hits a Pele kick. Bully Ray then interferes and hits AJ with something, possibly a chain, before Christopher Daniels comes down to chase him away. Dreamer then hits a sloppy piledriver through the table to get the win. This was just there to build to a match between AJ and Ray, which honestly won’t be worth the lengthy build. Total garbage match here and one of AJ’s most forgettable PPV matches. Match Time: 13:02     Star Rating: **1/4

8.    Jeff and Karen Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle and Chyna

The crowd was into this more than any other match on the show. Angle starts with Jeff at the start, taking control with some headlocks before hitting a suplex. Angle tags in Chyna, Jeff bails, and the ref tells Karen she has to enter. She doesn’t want to, and Jeff comes back in to attack Angle, so Chyna has to go back on the apron (Huh?). Angle hits an elbow strike and a powerbomb before applying the Ankle Lock, but a Karen distraction allows Jeff to hit a chop block. Jeff slaps Angle in the face from the outside and comes back in to hit a top rope cross body. Angle comes back with some clotheslines, a belly to belly suplex, and the trio of Germans. Jeff counters the Angle Slam with an arm drag and hits an enzuigiri, but Angle counters the Stroke with the Ankle Lock. Jeff counters out of that, but takes an Angle Slam for 2. Chyna then comes in and falls down hitting a powerslam and hits a mistimed suplex to Jeff. Lovely. She runs into Karen in the corner and hits her with a Pedigree. She gets Karen in the Ankle Lock as Angle does the same to Jeff. Both the Jarretts tap out to end it. I guess this was somewhat entertaining but it was a bit too one sided for it to really be that good of a match. Angle and Jeff did fine but Chyna, to put it mildly, showed her ring rust. Not sure whether or not this will end the feud but I am sick of it and I have a feeling I’m not the only one. Match Time: 10:16     Star Rating: **

9.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship match: Sting(c) vs. Rob Van Dam

Mr. Anderson is on commentary, since he will face the winner at Slammiversary for the title. This was yet another lackluster PPV world title match in Sting’s championship reign. It was almost identical to their match from Slammiversary last year minus the Jarrett interference. Sting applies a headlock and gets a sudden cover for a 2 count before both guys stall for a few minutes. Once that’s done, RVD rolls up Sting for a near fall and hits several kicks in the corner. RVD tries for a running kick but Sting sends him over the ropes to the floor. Sting charges and crashes into the guardrail, and RVD attempts a twisting leg drop but catches his leg on the guardrail. Sting targets the leg and they have a LONG crowd brawl. Both guys whip each other into a wall and fight through the crowd. Sting winds up at the bottom of a staircase and RVD jumps onto him. Once they get back to the ringside area the ref decides to start counting them out. RVD clips Sting’s leg and gets in the ring, hitting a single leg dropkick off the top. He attempts Rolling Thunder but Sting misses and he hits his leg on the ropes. Sting hits some clotheslines, but RVD kicks a charging Sting and tries for the Five Star Frog Splash. Sting avoids it and gets a near fall with a roll up before hitting a botched Scorpion Death Drop for the win. A complete nothing main event but I’ll give them a little bit of credit for RVD selling the leg. This will lead to Sting vs. Mr. Anderson at Slammiversary which is almost certain to be worse than this match. Match Time: 12:47     Star Rating: **

Overall PPV Rating: 4.5/10

My name is Jared Silberkleit and I am from Orange, CT. I am a huge pro wrestling fan and follow all kinds of promotions such as WWE, TNA, ROH, PWG, CHIKARA, Dragon Gate USA, and anything else I might come across. I am a huge supporter of independent wrestling and I feel that it provides a true alternative to the mainstream promotions and also showcases a lot of innovation and hard work. Aside from wrestling I am also a really big fan of football, baseball, hockey, and MMA. I have also written for www.sportsgrumblings.com for over two years.

1.    Kazarian vs. Kurt Angle

This was by far the match of the night, albeit an interesting choice as the opener (It must have been years since Kurt Angle wrestled the curtain-jerker). Angle gets the advantage early on by taking down Kaz with a shoulder block and a pair of arm drags before slamming him into the corner. Kaz comes back with a flying dropkick but Angle hits 2 consecutive German suplexes. Kaz hits a mule kick to counter the third and goes to work on Angle in the corner. Kaz hits a leg drop but Angle fights back and hits a backbreaker. Kaz regains the advantage by choking Angle and applying a front face lock. Angle gets out of the hold with a nasty release German suplex and both men are down. They get up slow and trade punches before Angle hits some clotheslines and a back body drop. Angle sends Kaz into the corner and hits a super belly to belly suplex off the top for a near fall. Angle tries for the Angle Slam but Kaz counters with a spinning neckbreaker. Angle hits a powerbomb and applies the Ankle Lock but Kaz fights out and hits a dropkick. Kaz goes up top but Angle puts him back down and puts on another Ankle Lock. Kaz fights out again and goes to the apron, where he jumps over with his slingshot DDT for a 2 count. Angle comes back with 4 consecutive Germans and yet another Ankle Lock, but Kaz again escapes it and hits the belly to back piledriver for a near fall. Angle blocks a springboard move and hits the Angle Slam but also gets a 2 count. Both guys fight on the top turnbuckle but Kaz gets off and powerbombs Angle. Kaz tries for the piledriver again but Angle does a sunset flip and puts on the Ankle Lock. Angle gets Kaz in the center and grapevines the leg, and Kaz taps out. Very good opener, these guys clearly have a ton of chemistry together. Match Time: 14:23     Match Rating: 7.5/10

2.    TNA X Division Championship: Doug Williams(c) vs. Brian Kendrick

This was a pretty good, solid X Division title match, but it did leave you wanting a bit more. Williams is all over Kendrick with very hard hitting offense and dominates the early portion of the match, taking Kendrick down to the mat and applying a front face lock. Kendrick gets out and comes back with some quick offense until Williams hits a big kick to the face. Kendrick is sent outside where Williams sends him into the barricade and hits a back suplex onto the floor. They go back inside where Williams puts on a chin lock. Kendrick fights back with some punches but Williams hits a fall away slam for a near fall. Williams hits a backbreaker but Kendrick comes back with a quick pin attempt. Williams puts on a front facelock before hanging up Kendrick in the ropes. Kendrick comes back with a dive and then a flying dropkick. Kendrick hits a corner splash, a shining wizard, and a flying knee strike for a near fall before rolling up Williams for two. Kendrick tries for a sunset flip but Williams drops down for a near fall. Williams hits a few suplexes but Kendrick kicks out at two. Williams tries for the Chaos Theory but Kendrick bites his wrist. The two fight in the corner where Williams hits a huge Tornado DDT for the win. One of the better matches of the night but nothing too special, it’s a shame these matches aren’t going to get 15-20 minutes anymore like they did 5 years ago. Match Time: 9:36     Match Rating: 6/10

3.    Title vs. Career match for the TNA Women’s Knockout Championship: Madison Rayne(c) vs. Roxxi

This is where the show just really went downhill. Before the match began, Rayne got on the mic and said she was putting it all on the line and Roxxi wasn’t putting up anything. She challenges Roxxi to put her career on the line, and I’m thinking why would Roxxi accept seeing as she already has this title match no matter what? Anyway, Roxxi accepts just as Rayne bashes her in the head with the mic, busts her open, and the match begins. Rayne quickly sends Roxxi to the floor, and Roxxi is bleeding badly. Roxxi came back and rammed Rayne into the turnbuckles, but when she goes up top, Rayne pulls her down for a near fall. Roxxi fights out of an armbar and hits an enzuigiri. This is disgusting to watch with the blood. Roxxi hits some quick offense and a fall away slam before sort of botching her finisher. Rayne no sold it by quickly kicking out and attempting her own finisher. Roxxi hit the Voodoo Drop again but the impact sends Rayne out of the ring to the floor, repeating the same spot from her match with Tara last month. Roxxi tossed Rayne back in, but as she came back in herself, Rayne kicked her and hit her finisher, which she botched. Rayne wins and Roxxi is gone from TNA. This is legitimate from what I have heard, as Roxxi was merely used as a stopgap before Angelina Love could get healthy. The dumb booking, blood, and poor wrestling combined to make this a terrible match. Match Time: 4:20     Match Rating: DUD (0/10)

4.    Brother Ray vs. Jesse Neal

Devon and Shannon Moore come out and Ray gets on the mic to apologize to everyone for how he has been acting. After a 10 minute promo, Team 3D leaves with Neal, but Ray jumps Neal from behind and throws him in the ring to start the match. The point of that promo was what? Ray unloads on Neal with a ton of punches and kicks. Ray rips off Neal’s shirt and chops him before hanging him in the tree of woe and slapping him. Ray pulls him off the ropes with a neckbreaker, rips off Neal’s dog tags, and slaps him. Neal makes a comeback with some shots before hitting a flying body press and a belly to belly suplex. Ray ducks a punch and hits the Bubba Bomb before chopping Neal in the back. All of a sudden, Tommy Dreamer appears in the crowd and does his pose, distracting Ray. Dreamer was TNA’s “big surprise” they promised tonight? Ray kicks a charging Neal in the corner and tries for a diving senton, but Neal avoids it and hits a spear for the win. Terrible, pointless match. Match Time: 5:57     Match Rating: 1/10

5.    Matt Morgan vs. Hernandez

Yet another pre-match promo! Morgan comes out in a neck brace and street clothes, handing the ref a doctor’s note saying he can’t wrestle during his lengthy promo. He starts to leave when Hernandez jumps him from behind and throws him in the ring. The ref rings the bell despite just accepting a doctor’s note saying Morgan can’t wrestle. Hernandez chokes Morgan with his shirt as the ref yells at him. Hernandez drives his shoulder into Morgan and chokes him with his boot. Morgan sends Hernandez to the outside and sends him into the ring post, before returning to the ring where the ref starts to count Hernandez out. Hernandez is back in and Morgan hits the back elbows in the corner and gets a near fall. Hernandez comes back by tossing Morgan across the ring, ripping off Morgan’s shirt, and choking him with it. The ref tries to break it up but Hernandez shoves the ref backwards, and gets disqualified. Hernandez beats up Morgan post match and tries to kick him in the head but somehow kicks the ref, who was in the way. Horrendous booking and a horrendous match, just awful. Match Time: 5:02     Match Rating: 0/10

6.    Monster’s Ball: Desmond Wolfe vs. Abyss

This was probably the worst Monster’s Ball ever, due to the idiotic spots and, going along with the theme of the night, awful booking. Wolfe attacks Abyss with a kendo stick but Abyss hits a big boot and grabs a chair. Wolfe kicks it out of his hands and wedges it in the corner. Abyss sends Wolfe head first into the chair and goes out onto the ramp to his can full of weapons but as he comes back in, Wolfe kicks the ropes to “low blow” him (this just came off looking weird). Wolfe bashes Abyss in the head with a trash can before going into the can of weapons to pull out a TEDDY BEAR wrapped in barbed wire. Wolfe holds the bear and Abyss splashes him in the corner, and Wolfe sells the TEDDY BEAR shot in the stomach. Abyss hands the bear to a confused looking Chelsea before grabbing a black bag from under the ring and dumping out broken glass into the ring. Wolfe flees and Abyss follows, but Wolfe is on him with a kendo stick. They fight near the announce table where Abyss chokeslams Wolfe through the floor in front of the table. Abyss drags Wolfe into the ring and gets a 2 count. Abyss gets a barbed wire board but Wolfe knocks him off the top rope and sends him into it. Wolfe wails on him with the kendo stick but Abyss hits Shock Treatment for a near fall. Wolfe counters a chokeslam and hits Abyss with the kendo stick again, resulting in him falling face first into the glass. Wolfe asks Chelsea for the purse, but the brass knuckles aren’t in there. Chelsea then shows that she has them and tosses them to Abyss. Abyss punches Wolfe in the head with them and hits the Black Hole Slam for the win. Really? That is the payoff to this angle? A dumb heel turn swerve like that? The match was nothing special anyway, just a typical TNA garbage brawl with really dumb spots. Wolfe continues to get buried. Match Time: 11:51     Match Rating: 3/10

7.    AJ Styles vs. Jay Lethal

The string of awful matches was finally broken with this match, however it was pretty disappointing given the hype. After a couple minutes these guys lock up and AJ backs Lethal into the corner where he hits a chop. AJ takes a hard slap and rolls out of the ring. AJ comes back in and does a side headlock, taking Lethal down to the mat. Some reversals and Lethal puts AJ in a headscissors. Both men are up and another side headlock from AJ. Styles hits some chops and a monkey flip but Lethal comes back with some strikes and hits a back suplex. They trade punches before Lethal hits a backbreaker followed up by a headscissors that sends Styles to the outside. As AJ comes back in, Lethal goes out and pulls AJ’s feet out from under him. Ric Flair helps Styles up and Styles gets back in the ring, choking Lethal before Lethal hits a chop. AJ sends Lethal off the top turnbuckle to the mat for a near fall but Lethal comes back with shoulder blocks in the corner and a big kick to the face. Styles hits a back suplex and some punches before tossing Lethal out of the ring, where Flair chokes him with his jacket. AJ tries for a pin but gets a 2 count and puts on a front face lock. Lethal fights out and springs off the ropes with a back elbow. Lethal hits a punch, then a face lock, then another punch, and another face lock. Lethal continues the assault, booting AJ in the corner and hitting a chop before connecting with the Lethal Combination for two. AJ takes Lethal down but Lethal hits a back suplex into a cutter for a close near fall. Styles rakes the eyes and puts on a Figure Four, but Lethal gets to the ropes. Styles hits a brainbuster for two and goes for the Styles Clash, but Lethal fights out and hits a dragon suplex. Flair pulls AJ to the ropes to break the pin attempt. Lethal does a Figure Four but AJ gets to the ropes. Lethal hits a backbreaker but Styles hits a terribly botched Pele. Styles goes to the corner but falls down face first onto the turnbuckle, selling the knee. Lethal hits a botched Northern Lights suplex and gets the win with a jackknife roll-up. Just an okay match that plodded along and had nice spots, but the botches and slow pacing hurt it. Match Time: 17:18     Match Rating: 5/10

8.    Beer Money Inc. vs. Mr. Anderson and Jeff Hardy

This was a decent tag match but was just slightly above TV quality in my opinion. Anderson starts the match by circling and grappling with botch members of Beer Money separately before making the tag to Jeff Hardy. Hardy and Roode lock up with Roode hitting a side headlock and a shoulder block before double teaming Hardy with Storm. Jeff gets to the corner where he goes over a game plan with Anderson. Storm and Anderson are the legal men and the faces double team Storm and Roode. Storm fights Anderson in the corner before Anderson runs to the ropes and is sent to the outside when Roode pulls the ropes down. Beer Money just continues with a bunch of double team moves on Anderson for a bit. Hardy gets the tag and hits a slam but Storm breaks up the pinfall. Anderson pulls out Storm and Jeff hits a Swanton on Roode, but Storm pulls the ref out. Beer Money regains the advantage by double teaming Jeff as the ref screams at Anderson. Storm hits a spike DDT and goes for a couple pins, but Anderson breaks it up. Beer Money just continues to double team Jeff and Roode distracts the ref as Hardy scores a near fall. Roode puts on a front facelock after tagging in but Jeff fights out and goes up top before crashing and burning on a dive attempt. The heels act all cocky but Jeff hits a somewhat botched Twist of Fate on Roode. Both guys tag in their partners and it all breaks down. Storm gets sent out and Hardy leaps off of Anderson’s back onto him on the outside. Roode hits a spinebuster to Anderson, but Jeff breaks up the pin attempt before Storm hits him with the Eye of the Storm. Anderson gets the win with the Mic Check on Roode. This was a very average, plain tag match that had pacing issues and was pretty much barely above TV quality. But on this show, that equals a near highlight. Match Time: 14:05     Match Rating: 6/10

9.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Rob Van Dam(c) vs. Sting

Hyped all night long and pushed heavily by the announcers, the main event world title match between RVD and Sting wasn’t very good at all, even though I don’t think anyone expected much. They lock up, with Sting backing RVD into the corner where he beats on him before sending him out of the ring. Sting sends him over the barricade, but RVD starts to fight back, slamming Sting into the barricade a few times. The ref has been down this whole time for no apparent reason. RVD hangs up Sting on the barricade and hits a leg drop to Sting’s back. Sting sends RVD across the barricade yet again and they brawl in the crowd, with Sting throwing RVD into the wall. Sting continues to attack Van Dam as they fight back toward the ring and go inside. Sting hits a couple Stinger splashes in the corner and gets a near fall. Van Dam fights out of a chinlock and hits a couple clotheslines followed up by a superkick. RVD hits a thrust kick and a split-legged moonsault for a 2 count. They fight in the corner with RVD springing off the ropes with a cross body, and connecting with the referee. Sting grabs the bat and beats down RVD with it before Jeff Jarrett comes out and gets the bat (Instead of a King of the Mountain match, we got THE King of the Mountain. Great.). He hits Sting in the gut and cracks him in the jaw with the bat. RVD hits rolling thunder as the ref comes to and gets a close near fall. RVD charges Sting in the corner but Sting moves and RVD gets hung up. Sting misses a corner splash and RVD hits a big kick. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash afterwards for the win. Very underwhelming main event, RVD’s lackluster run with the belt continues. Match Time: 11:04     Match Rating: 4.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 5/10

1.    ECW Championship: Christian(c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson

The show definitely started off well with the ECW Championship match, which overdelivered and ended up being way better than most people were expecting. Jackson hits a belly to belly slam early on before Christian is able to dropkick him off the ring apron and hit a diving lariat off the top rope to the outside. Back in the ring, Jackson regains control with a slam and sends Christian into the corner, but Christian counters a gorilla press slam attempt and stands on Jackson’s back, choking him against the ropes. Jackson sends Christian to the outside, and at this point the ref ejects William Regal from ringside for attempting to go near Christian. Jackson throws Christian in the steps and rolls him into the ring but a pin attempt fails. He then works over Christian’s back for a while by hitting a vertical suplex and a chokeslam. Jackson blocks a sunset flip attempt and hits a two handed chokeslam. Christian fights out of a camel clutch but Jackson hits a clothesline to the back of the head for a near fall. Christian fights out of a superplex attempt and hits a flying shoulder block before connecting with a missile dropkick. Jackson fights out of a Killswitch attempt, but Christian hits a big reverse DDT before missing a splash. Jackson counters the Killswitch with a backbreaker and Christian hits a big tornado DDT, but both moves are only good for near falls. Jackson has Christian in a powerslam position and slams him into the corners twice, but Christian hits a Killswitch out of nowhere for the victory. Very solid opener that was well-paced. Match Time: 12:01     Match Rating: 6/10

2.    United States Championship: The Miz(c) vs. MVP

A backstage segment with The Miz and Teddy Long set this match up. This was an entertaining yet short title match. MVP hits a lariat followed up with a suplex, but when he charges at Miz in the corner he eats a big boot. MVP hits a belly to back suplex before the action heads to the ringside area where Miz is slammed into the ring barricade. Miz knocks MVP into the announce table before stomping him and hitting a leg drop back in the ring. Miz hits a top rope double sledge for a near fall before taking MVP down with a chin lock. MVP fights out and hits the Ballin’ elbow, but Miz counters a Playmaker attempt. MVP hits a Yakuza kick and later a pounce but can’t keep Miz down. MVP counters the Skull-Crushing Finale before the men continuously go for roll-ups. Miz eventually gets a small package out of nowhere to retain his title. MVP beats up Miz post-match. Overall an enjoyable, albeit brief, title match. Match Time: 7:31     Match Rating: 5.5/10

3.    WWE Championship: Sheamus(c) vs. Randy Orton

This match basically ended up being what many internet smarks feared it would be: a dull, slow-paced, and boring match. This was a very lackluster and disappointing effort from these two. After a long stare down, Orton hits an early dropkick and uppercut before Sheamus begins to work over the arm. He slams Orton’s arm into the ring barricade outside the ring before continuing to work it over inside the ring. Orton hits a chop block and goes to work on Sheamus’s leg. Orton wrenches at the leg before Sheamus drives his shoulder into Orton in the corner. Orton kicks Sheamus in the leg and goes back to work, slamming the leg into the apron and ring post. Back in the ring, Sheamus fights back into it with a single arm DDT and a modified armbar, burying his knee into Orton’s left ear. The men trade punches before Sheamus hits a urange backbreaker for a near fall. Orton counters a powerbomb attempt and hits a spike DDT, but Sheamus dodges a punt attempt by rolling to the outside. A chase ensues, but Cody Rhodes jumps the guardrail and attacks Sheamus. Orton hits the RKO on Sheamus in the ring, but the ref calls for the bell and awards the win to Sheamus via DQ due to the interference. After the match Orton beats up Cody and also Ted DiBiase, who comes down to try and pull Orton off Rhodes. Sheamus connects with a bicycle kick and leaves before Legacy leaves Orton lying in the ring as well. Overall a very bland and plodding title match. Match Time: 12:26     Match Rating: 4/10

4.    Women’s Championship: Michelle McCool(c) vs. Mickie James

Michelle mocks Mickie for a bit and Layla comes out in the Piggy James suit, but Mickie comes out and lays out Layla. The bell rings and Michelle goes for a big boot, but misses and hits Layla on the apron. Mickie instantly connects with her jumping DDT and pins McCool to win the title. After the match the face Divas celebrated with Mickie and shoved a cake into Michelle and Layla’s faces. Not much of a match. Match Time: 0:22     Match Rating: N/A

5.    World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker(c) vs. Rey Mysterio

This was easily the best singles match of the night, although it left you wanting more. Mysterio tries to use his quickness but Undertaker hurls him over the top rope. Taker beats down Rey for a bit but Rey counters the guillotine leg drop. Taker just knocks him down and hits the leg drop with Rey hung on the bottom rope. Rey counters a chokeslam with a hurricanrana, but Taker blocks the 619 and tries for a Tombstone. Rey fights out with several kicks but Taker hits a big boot as Rey went for a springboard cross body. The two fight outside the ring for a bit before Taker goes for a Last Ride, but Rey fights out and hits a springboard moonsault to the outside, causing Taker to bleed from the nose and mouth (the good news: no one came out to clean him up!). Taker slams Rey into the barricade before working his arm back in the ring. Taker hits a side slam for a near fall before Rey makes a comeback and hits a springboard leg drop. Rey fights out of another Last Ride attempt and hits a 619, a springboard dropkick, and another 619, but when he goes for a springboard seated senton, Undertaker catches him with a towering Last Ride followed up by a pinfall. A fun title match but I wish it was given more time. Match Time: 11:09     Match Rating: 6.5/10

6.    30-Man Royal Rumble match

The Rumble kicked off with Evan Bourne and Dolph Ziggler, who each were able to hit their finishers before Punk entered next and quickly disposed of both of them. Punk cuts a brief promo before quickly eliminating JTG, who entered 4^th. Punk gets back on the mic before The Great Khali enters the match next. Khali hits a chop and puts on the Vise Grip before Beth Phoenix, in a surprise, enters the match. Beth kisses Khali on the apron and drags him over the top rope, eliminating him. She then goes after Punk but is hit with the Go to Sleep. Punk eliminates Beth before Zack Ryder enters 7^th. Punk tells Ryder he has potential before tossing him out. Punk gets back to jawing on the mic before Triple H enters the match next. Triple H pounds on Punk in the corner and hits a spinebuster before Drew McIntyre enters. Triple H hits a high knee to McIntyre and tries for a Pedigree on Punk, but Punk fights out. Triple H blocks a Go to Sleep attempt and tosses Punk out of the ring, which I was upset about. Ted DiBiase is the next entrant and double teams Triple H with McIntyre. John Morrison enters 11^th and hits a DDT and a botched Starship Pain to McIntyre. Kane is the next man out and cleans house, side slamming DiBiase and hitting a double chokeslam to McIntyre and Morrison. He then chokeslams Triple H before Cody Rhodes enters the match.  Rhodes and DiBiase instantly go to work on Kane before Rhodes avoids being ousted by Triple H. MVP is the next man out but is jumped during his entrance by The Miz. Morrison hits a springboard kick to McIntyre and Legacy tries to eliminate Triple H, but Kane makes the save. Carlito is out next and hits back stabbers to Triple H, McIntyre, and DiBiase. The Miz then enters and hits Carlito with the Skull-Crushing Finale, but MVP hits the ring and tackles Miz over the top rope, sending both men to the floor. The two brawl before being separated by referees. Triple H goes after Carlito before Matt Hardy enters 17^th. Hardy gets some momentum but is quickly ousted by Kane. Triple H eliminates Kane and hits a couple spinebusters but fails to get the Pedigree on McIntyre. Shawn Michaels is next to enter the match and cleans house, quickly eliminating Rhodes, DiBiase, Carlito, and Morrison. Triple H and HBK double clothesline McIntyre over the top rope before John Cena enters the match. Cena hits a double shoulder block and Five Knuckle Shuffle to DX but eats a Pedigree from Triple H. Michaels then surprisingly hits Sweet Chin Music to send Triple H over the top rope for an elimination. Shelton Benjamin is out next and hits Paydirt on Michaels before Cena tosses him out. Yoshi Tatsu suffers a similar fate, getting quick momentum before being eliminated. Cena pounds on HBK in the corner before Big Show enters the match and starts to dominate both men. Mark Henry enters 23^rd and goes after Big Show. Henry hits a scoop slam on Big Show before Cena fails to hit the Attitude Adjustment on Henry. Chris Masters enters 24^th to a new theme but is launched over the top rope by Big Show. Henry and Show fight near the ropes before R-Truth enters and is able to eliminate both of them. R-Truth kicks Michaels a few times before Jack Swagger enters. Swagger powerslams R-Truth and goes at it with Michaels before Kofi Kingston enters 27^th. Kofi hits a body scisscors to Swagger over the top rope before tossing out R-Truth. Chris Jericho is out next and takes an AA from Cena. Kofi hits HBK with a Trouble in Paradise but is eliminated by Cena. Jericho hits a Codebreaker to Cena before the 29^th entrant hits the ring…..the returning Edge! Edge spears Michaels, Jericho, and Cena before throwing Jericho out. Batista is the last man out and starts dominating but eats a spear from Edge. Michaels fights with Edge on the ring apron, but knocks Edge back into the ring before Batista eliminates him. Cena dodges a Batista clothesline and sends him over the top rope, and we are down to Cena and Edge. Edge readies for a spear, Cena avoids it and tries to toss Edge out, but Edge counters and throws out Cena to win the Royal Rumble! A great moment with Edge returning, and the Rumble match was very fun and entertaining, although a bit short for a Rumble. Match Time: 49:23     Match Rating: 7.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 6.75/10

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 roughly over a year now.