• Triple Threat Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan(c) vs. Mark Henry vs. The Big Show

This was fairly short for a World Heavyweight Championship match, due to Mark Henry being injured on the go-home edition of Smackdown, but this was a really fun way to start the show. The story of this match was that Show and Henry (individually) kept destroying Bryan with power moves, and Bryan, being the much smaller heel, kept trying to escape the cage as quickly as possible. They utilized the cage heavily, with Show repeatedly tossing Bryan into the walls. Show splashed Henry against the side of the cage twice early on. Bryan tried to escape by walking out the door but Henry pulled him back in and sling-shotted him against the cage with the ropes. Bryan hit a tornado DDT on Show out of the corner and used the LeBell Lock but Henry broke it up. Henry went for the World’s Strongest Slam on Bryan by Show hit the WMD punch on Henry for a near fall. The end of the match was Bryan climbing over the top of the cage and Show following in pursuit. Bryan got over the top and Show tried to pull him back in by Bryan’s arms with one hand, but eventually lost his grip and Bryan dropped to the floor for the win. Good, fast-paced opener with heavy use of the cage. Bryan didn’t get a tremendous amount of offense in but this was a good heel victory as his slow burn turn continues. Match Time: 9:07     Star Rating: ***

• Natalya, Beth Phoenix, and The Bella Twins vs. Kelly Kelly, Eve, Tamina, and Alicia Fox

This was unadvertised, but with only 4 matches being announced in advance, a filler Divas match was expected. Eve hit her usual spots and Beth got her knees up to block a senton. One of the Bellas put Alicia in a terrible-looking arm bar. Kelly hit a facebuster and a sloppy head scissors. All of the girls then started brawling on the outside and Kelly hit a plancha off the top onto the pile. Beth then hit the Glam Slam on Kelly in the ring for the pin. Typical crappy Divas match. All of the offense from everyone here except for Beth looked awful. They booked the right finish, at least. Match Time: 5:28     Star Rating: *

• John Cena vs. Kane

Things were looking bad before the bell even rang for this one given how horrible this storyline has been for the past month on Raw. Both guys unload with punches at the start before Kane takes the advantage. Kane works over Cena with a chin lock and hits a sidewalk slam followed by the clothesline off the top. Crowd wasn’t into either guy really, but they liked seeing Cena being on the receiving end of moves. Cena goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Kane grabs him by the throat. Kane big boots Cena for 2 before they head up top. Cena knocks Kane to the mat and hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle off the top. Kane escapes the Attitude Adjustment and they brawl on the floor and up the entranceway. The referee counts out both guys, so the match ends in a double count-out. Wow, boring match with a crap finish like that? I know what you’re thinking, but it gets even better. Cena and Kane brawl to the backstage area. Kane eventually takes out Cena by hitting him repeatedly with a chair. He then barges into Zack Ryder’s dressing room. Ryder is in a wheelchair to sell the chokeslam through the stage on Raw. Kane then WHEELS Ryder from the backstage area to the ring. Kane throws Ryder into the ring. Eve then comes out begging Kane not to hurt Ryder. Fans couldn’t care less. Kane hits the Tombstone on Ryder. Cena, totally no selling the beating backstage, runs to the ring and gets chokeslammed by Kane. They did the stretcher job for Ryder. THIS STORYLINE SUCKS AND IT MUST CONTINUE. The match itself was pretty much what was expected from these guys until the double countout, with a few nice moments but mostly dull, plodding action. Terrible stuff overall. Match Time: 10:56     Star Rating: *1/4

• Drew McIntyre vs. Brodus Clay

Like the Divas match, this was also an unadvertised match to fill time. Brodus came out dancing with the girls. Drew is all over Brodus at the start with punches, but Brodus comes back with the exploder, corner splash, and flying cross body for the quick victory. He then does the whole dance routine afterwards. Fine squash match here, basically the exact same match Brodus has been having since he debuted the new gimmick. Match Time: 1:05     Star Rating: N/A

• WWE Championship match with John Laurinaitis as Special Guest Referee: CM Punk(c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Before the match, Laurinaitis introduced a second referee to officiate the match while he stood on the outside. Thank God for this match after the show had been dragging so much after the opener. Both guys tease their finishers in the opening minutes before Punk hits a suicide dive. Punk is yanked off the top rope and takes a scary bump almost on his head. Ziggler hits the repeated elbow drops and goes for the sleeper hold. Punk tries for the Anaconda Vise, but Ziggler reverses into the sleeper. Ziggler goes for the famouser but Punk counters with an awesome Liger bomb. Ziggler counters the Go to Sleep and rolls through a cross body attempt for 2. Punk hits a roundhouse kick and the Savage elbow off the top for a pair of near falls. The ref is then bumped and Punk puts Ziggler in the Anaconda Vise. Ziggler taps but Laurinaitis is busy tending to the other referee. Punk then counters a roll-up with one of his own but there’s still no ref. Laurinaitis and the other ref get in the ring, and Punk lifts up Ziggler for the GTS, swings him into Laurinaitis, and hits the move. The other ref, however, is still down. Punk goes for another GTS but Ziggler counters with a famouser. The ref comes to this time, but Punk kicks out. Punk catapults Ziggler into the corner and hits another GTS for the win, with Laurinaitis counting the pin along with the other referee. Good storytelling with Laurinaitis and Punk, and also some really unique spots. Ziggler and Punk have great chemistry with each other and the Laurinaitis stuff didn’t intruded on the match too much. The last few minutes did make Ziggler look a little weak due to how much offense he took from Punk, but the match was very good and showed that Ziggler belongs in this type of high-profile PPV match. Match Time: 14:32     Star Rating: ***1/2

• 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

This was far from one of the best Rumbles, but it was fairly entertaining for the most part. Lack of star power was a glaring problem throughout. Basically until the very end the match was mostly played for comedy. Santino Marella and Mick Foley had a standoff with the whole Socko vs. Cobra thing. Cody Rhodes and The Miz lasted deep into the match until Big Show, who was the final entrant, eliminated both of them. They teased Alberto Del Rio making his return, but when his music hit it turned out to be Ricardo Rodriguez, who then did a comedy sequence with Santino. A highlight was Kofi Kingston almost being eliminated, but catching himself on the floor with his hands and doing a handstand back towards the apron to get back into the ring. Surprise entrants included Jerry Lawler, Booker T, The Great Khali, Michael Cole, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, The Road Dogg, and the returning Kharma. The comedy was entertaining for the first 20 minutes but once it became clear that comedy was the direction of the entire match, the concept wore out and the match lost a lot of its intrigue because most of the participants were guys with no credibility who were rarely seen on television, or they were surprise entrants who were just there for no reason. The main problem was that until the very end, there were almost no wrestlers in the ring who had any chance of being victorious. The final four was Big Show, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Sheamus. Orton eliminated Show after an RKO but Jericho immediately sent Orton over the top. Jericho and Sheamus then had a great sequence to close the match with a ton of back and forth action and near-elimination spots. Jericho ended up hanging on the ropes and Sheamus knocked him to the floor with a Brogue Kick to win the match. I think Jericho definitely should have gone over here, as Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan doesn’t sound like a great choice right now as a Wrestlemania title match. But there’s still 2 months to go so we’ll see what the match ends up being. Overall this Rumble had a great conclusion but everything else about it made it feel like a battle royal on WWE Superstars. Match Time: 54:56     Star Rating: ***1/2

Overall PPV Rating: 6.25/10

1.    #1 Contender’s Xscape match: Chris Sabin vs. Robbie E vs. Jeremy Buck vs. Max Buck vs. Amazing Red vs. Jay Lethal vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Suicide

Good choice for an opener. The rules are pinfall-or-submission elimination style until it gets to the final two, where the only way to win is to escape the cage. Suicide and Robbie start as everyone else waits on the outside, so tag rules are in play here as well (even though it’s in a CAGE). Suicide takes it to Robbie in the corner and hits a dropkick, and then hip tosses Max (who tagged himself in) before driving him into the corner. Max hits a dropkick to Suicide, but Jeremy tags himself in and gets in his brother’s face. Max backs into the corner and Lethal tags himself in. Jeremy hits a springboard arm drag and a head scissors, but Lethal is able to hit the Lethal Combination. Suicide and Max get tags, but Robbie blind tags himself in and eliminates Suicide after a Sole Food. Sabin comes in and sends Robbie into the cage with the help of Lethal. Sabin and Lethal have a nice back and forth sequence before Red tags in and hits a missile dropkick to Sabin. He goes for a spin kick and Lethal hits a chop, but Red blocks a handspring and hits the Code Red to eliminate Lethal. Red tries for a springboard move, but Sabin counters it and both guys try for suplexes. Sabin flips Red over into the Cradle Shock and hits a huge running lariat to eliminate him.

Max beats on Sabin, but Sabin hangs him up in the tree of woe and hits a dropkick. Sabin with a roll-up attempt for 2, but Max hits a top rope neckbreaker to eliminate him. Kendrick comes in with a roll-up attempt but Robbie takes him down. Max tries for a moonsault but Kendrick gets the knees up. Max and Jeremy go at it, with Max trying to climb the cage and Jeremy pulling him down. Jeremy sends Max into the cage twice and hits an enzuigiri before beating on him with fists. Max pins Jeremy out of nowhere with a small package. Robbie chokes Kendrick in the corner with his boot, but Kendrick is able to toss both him and Max into the cage. Kendrick takes it to both guys, hitting an enzuigiri to Robbie and a superkick to Max. Kendrick eliminates Robbie with a thrust kick, so it’s escape-the-cage rules now. Max beats on Kendrick before powerbombing him into the corner and sending him into the cage. Max climbs but Kendrick pulls his feet. Kendrick sends Max to the mat, but Max uses the ref to knock Kendrick down from the top before climbing out over the top for the win. Some decent wrestling here but it felt really flat due to the lack of crowd heat. Match didn’t have a lot of flow and felt very rushed. Some good sequences early on made it average, but not much beyond that. Match Time: 13:34     Star Rating: **

Eric Bischoff then comes out for a brief promo where he runs down himself and his own accomplishments before lauding Hulk Hogan and talking about how Immortal would take out Fortune later tonight. Felt like a time-killer.

2.    Four Way match: Ink Inc. vs. The British Invasion vs. Eric Young and Orlando Jordan vs. Crimson and Scott Steiner

Two straight clustered matches with too many wrestlers involved? Yep. Young tries to climb, but you can’t win that way so everyone stares at him. Him and Jesse Neal before Shannon Moore tags in to work over Young. Douglas Williams tags in and squares off with Jordan. British Invasion double team Jordan, but Jordan rubs himself up against Magnus and clotheslines Williams. Jordan tags Neal, but Magnus hits a lariat to Neal. British Invasion hit a double necktie takedown to Neal. Williams hits a snapmare and Magnus hits an elbow drop for 2. Neal fights back and tags in Crimson. Crimson hits some knees to the face and a neckbreaker to Magnus, but both men are down after a double clothesline. Steiner gets in and hits an elbow drop to Magnus. Steiner then starts hitting belly-to-belly slams and suplexes to everyone. Moore taunts Steiner and beats on Williams in the corner. Young hits some shots on Moore but eats a diving uppercut from Williams. Moore flips out of the corner with a sloppy moonsault on Williams, and Neal hits a spear to Jordan. Crimson hits a modified Lethal Combination to Neal. Steiner hits a T-Bone suplex to Magnus but takes a missile dropkick from Young. Young then climbs out of the cage, and Moore flips out of the corner with a really sloppy neckbreaker on Williams for the win. Jordan and Young weren’t funny and were extremely distracting throughout, which severely hurt the match, as did some really clunky spots. You had enough talent in here for this to be pretty solid but the decision to spotlight the comedy jobbers killed any chances of that. Match Time: 8:51     Star Rating: *3/4

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

Mickie throws Rayne into the cage several times and instantly hits the jumping DDT for the win. Unexpected squash but best-case scenario considering Mickie had a separated shoulder. In hindsight this buries the Knockouts division because the girl who beat everyone for a whole year lost in less than a minute to an injured person. This is only going to serve as more ammo for people who say women have no purpose on mainstream PPVs. Match Time: 0:38     Star Rating: N/A

4.    D’Angelo Dinero vs. Samoa Joe

After a bad first hour, we got our first solid match on the show. Pope tries to escape at first, but Joe pulls him down, only for Pope to hit some cheap shots and a body slam. Joe is back up and hits a clothesline and hits some shots in the corner. Joe hits an enzuigiri in the corner and some chops. Pope begs off, only to send Joe into the corner. Pope hits some shots in the corner before they fight up top, with Pope being crotched on the top rope. Joe hits a kick that knocks Pope to the mat and does a face wash in the corner. Pope takes advantage after a ref distraction, hitting some punches and kicks. Joe comes back with some of his own before Pope drops him with an uppercut. Pope applies a rear chin lock and Joe fights out, only for Pope to send him into the ropes and hit an STO. Pope charges but Joe hits a snap powerslam. They both trade slaps before Joe hits a kick and a running senton. Joe hits a second rope diving leg lariat and a Muscle Buster, but Pope gets his foot on the ropes (why would this break a pin in a CAGE match?). Pope tries to climb the cage but Joe grabs his trunks, exposing Pope’s ass. Pope sends Joe to the mat and dives off the top with an elbow drop. Pope tries for the DDE, but Joe catches him, sends him into the cage, and hits a Muscle Buster. Joe then locks in the Coquina Clutch and Pope taps out. Pretty good match between these guys, but I wish the feud hadn’t been built up so horribly beforehand. Could have been better with more time but this was enjoyable. Match Time: 10:27     Star Rating: **3/4

5.    Hernandez vs. Matt Morgan

The Mexican America stable accompanies Hernandez to the ring. Morgan takes it to Hernandez at the start, hitting the rapid fire elbows in the corner and a side slam for a near fall. Anarquia pulls Morgan’s foot via a hole in the cage and Hernandez hits a shoulder block. Hernandez uses the ropes for leverage as he rakes Morgan’s face against the cage after he slips at first. Hernandez applies a nerve hold, but Morgan fights out and hits a cross body. Hernandez retakes the advantage and tosses Morgan into the cage. Morgan hits some punches but runs into a shoulder block from Hernandez. Hernandez chokes Morgan with his towel, and then with his boot in the corner. Hernandez stalls with taunts as Morgan lies on the mat. Morgan hits a discuss clothesline and both guys are down. Morgan hits a head butt, some punches, and some clotheslines before tossing Hernandez into the cage several times. Morgan hits a backdrop but Hernandez hits a Pounce-type move that the announcers can’t identify. Anarquia climbs the side of the cage but Morgan knocks him down as Hernandez heads up top. Hernandez leaps but Morgan hits a mid-air Carbon Footprint for the win. Slow, sluggish match with a cool finish. I’m sick of seeing this feud because these guys always have horrible matches against each other. Just stop already. Match Time: 8:13     Star Rating: *1/4

Sarita comes into the cage with Rosita afterwards and cuts a promo about how Mexican America is superior to everyone and they keep getting screwed over. Velvet Sky then comes out and beats up both girls by herself. Welcome to Jobberville, Sarita and Rosita.

6.    Ultra Male Rules match: Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle

The rules are similar to the Three Degrees of Pain match that Angle had with Desmond Wolfe at Final Resolution 2009. It’s a 2 out of 3 falls match where the first fall can only be won via submission, the second by pinfall, and the third by escaping the cage. They lock up and do a bit of mat wrestling at the start before Jarrett applies a Figure Four leg lock. Angle turns over and Jarrett goes to the ropes to break it. Angle hits a T-Bone suplex and applies the Ankle Lock, but Jarrett escapes before applying a sleeper, which he transitions into a rear-naked choke as he takes Angle down to the mat. Angle escapes and applies the Ankle Lock, but Jarrett again gets out and sends Angle’s arm into the ring post. Jarrett then puts Angle in a cross-arm breaker. Angle is able counter into the Ankle Lock and Jarrett taps out, so Angle wins the first fall. Angle stalks Jarrett, who is selling the leg, but Jarrett sends Angle into the cage and hits the Stroke for a near fall. Jarrett hits a top rope cross body, but Angle sloppily rolls through for a near fall. Jarrett chokes Angle against the ropes but both guys are down after a double clothesline. They get up and trade punches before Angle hits some clotheslines and a belly to belly suplex. Jarrett hits a knee strike and sends Angle into the cage. Angle hits two consecutive German suplexes, but Jarrett hits a back kick low blow on the third attempt. Jarrett goes for the Stroke, but Angle sends him into the cage and hits the Angle Slam for a near fall. They fight up top and Jarrett knocks Angle down, but Angle runs back up (stumbling at first) and hits a super Northern Lights suplex for 2. Angle hits a clothesline and stalks Jarrett before hitting an RKO for a near fall. Angle tries for the Angle Slam but Jarrett counters with a roll-up and hooks the tights to win the second fall.

We’re tied at one fall apiece heading into the final fall. Jarrett throws Angle into the cage multiple times before catapulting him into it. Jarrett gets the door open and tries to leave, but Angle runs him into the cage wall and hits 5 consecutive Germans. Angle goes to walk out through the door, but comes back inside and locks the door. Angle throws Jarrett head first into the cage twice, busting him open. Angle then rakes Jarrett’s face against the cage before they fight up top. Jarrett hits a superbomb that results in a terrifying landing, with Angle seemingly landing right on his head.  Somehow, Angle is able to pop back up and hit Jarrett with a super Angle Slam off the top. Angle tries to climb over the top but Gunner runs down, threatening Angle with a steel chair. Angle is at the top of the cage and hits an insane moonsault, but completely misses Jarrett. Scott Steiner then runs down to chase off Gunner. Angle gets the key and unlocks the cage door, but Karen Jarrett runs down to spray some stuff in Angle’s eyes. Angle, blinded, accidentally clotheslines the referee. Jeff tries to crawl out the door, but Angle brings him back inside with the Ankle Lock. Karen slips Jeff a guitar, and Jeff smashes Angle over the head with it. Karen tries to help Jeff escape, but Angle grabs Jeff’s leg. Karen then slams the door into Angle’s face and Jeff falls to the ground, so he gets the win. This was a really good match but it was hampered by the interference, which has become routine for Jeff Jarrett matches over the years. Jarrett winning was also ridiculous, and the finish felt very flat. Still, the crowd helped this match feel like a big deal and it created much more excitement and emotion than anything else on the show so far. Match Time: 22:37     Star Rating: ***3/4

7.    Three Way match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Sting(c) vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson

Interesting to see this not going on last. Sting and Van Dam take turns beating on Anderson at the start, with Van Dam slamming Anderson’s head in the corner and Sting hitting a corner splash. Sting tries for the Scorpion Deathlock but Van Dam hits Sting with a spin kick. Van Dam punches Sting in the corner, sends him into the opposite one, and hits a running bulldog followed by a standing moonsault for a near fall. Van Dam goes to spring off the ropes but Anderson pulls the top rope and Van Dam hits his head on the cage. Sting counters the Mic Check and tries for the Scorpion, but he lets Anderson go as Van Dam approaches, only to put both men in a double Scorpion Deathlock. Both guys get to the ropes, which apparently causes a break in a THREE WAY CAGE MATCH. Anderson gets a near fall on Sting and hits some clotheslines and elbows on both men, and gets a near fall after a neckbreaker on Van Dam. Anderson hits a double Mic Check but only gets 2 on both men. Anderson charges in the corner but RVD gets a boot up and springs off the ropes with a kick. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash but Sting breaks up the cover. Sting has RVD set up for the Scorpion Death Drop and hits the move just as he takes a running clothesline from Anderson. Hulk Hogan’s music suddenly hits and he comes down to ringside with a steel pipe. He gives the pipe to RVD, but RVD throws it away, only for Anderson to take it and hit RVD in the back with it. Sting then hits the Scorpion Death Drop on Anderson for the win. So the match with the most build up on Impact was about 8 minutes long and had a screwy finish. Wonderful. Hogan’s interference didn’t help either. This really just devalued the world title and did no one any favors. The fact that afterwards they alluded to a future Sting vs. Hogan match was sickening. Match Time: 7:55     Star Rating: *1/2

8.    Lethal Lockdown match: Immortal (Bully Ray, Matt Hardy, Abyss, and Ric Flair) vs. Fortune (Beer Money and Kazarian) and Christopher Daniels

The rules here were that 2 guys would start the match, and everyone else would enter at separate intervals. The first interval was 3 minutes and the rest were 2. Once the last guy was in, a roof with weapons would lower over the cage and the one-fall match begins. All members of both teams come out to ringside, much like at the least Lethal Lockdown at Bound for Glory. Kaz starts the match with Abyss. Kaz charges at Abyss and they go back and forth, with Kaz countering a chokeslam but falling victim to a big boot. Abyss chokes Kaz with his boot in the corner, but Kaz avoids a charging Abyss and hits a diving hurricanrana off the top. Kaz drives Abyss into the cage and hits a running kick to the back. The clock runs down and Hardy enters, but Kaz is able to hit a slam and a springboard twisting leg drop. Hardy counters the Fade to Black and Kaz runs into a right hand from Abyss, followed by Hardy applying his double underhook submission. Hardy hits a side effect and holds up Kaz so Abyss can lay into him with punches. Daniels is in next, and tosses Hardy into Abyss before hitting the Best Moonsault Ever to Abyss. Daniels holds Hardy’s hands and jumps off the top with a boot to the chest. Daniels and Kaz hit a back suplex/clothesline combination on Hardy and Daniels hits a sliding lariat to Abyss. Daniels hits a downward spiral on Hardy and applies the Koji Clutch just as Flair enters. Flair chops Daniels in the corner before doing the same to Kaz as Abyss hits some punches. Immortal lays the beat down on both men as the clock expires and James Storm enters.

Storm hits a lungblower to Abyss and a back stabber to Hardy. Storm flips off Flair and smashes a beer bottle over his head. Flair is busted open and Kaz throws him into the cage. Storm beats on Flair in one corner as Hardy and Abyss are stacked up in another corner. Daniels and Storm both hit splashes to Hardy and Abyss. Flair tries to climb out but Kaz pulls down his pants and spanks him. Ray enters and Immortal starts beating down the faces. Flair chops Storm in one corner and Abyss chokes Daniels in another. Immortal is in control as the clock runs down and Roode is the last man to enter the match. Roode takes it to Abyss and hits a diving Blockbuster. Flair chops Roode in the corner, but Roode hits some chops of his own and a back drop. Beer Money hit a double suplex to Ray and the weapons-filled roof lowers. The faces quickly grab the weapons and beat down Immortal. Daniels cracks Abyss with a trash can lid on the floor and chases Matt Hardy onto the roof of the cage. Daniels hits some shots and tries for the Angel’s Wings, but Hardy counters and flips Daniels over, resulting in Daniels nearly falling off the roof. Hardy hits a Twist of Hate on the roof as Fortune beats down Immortal in the cage with cookie sheets and trash cans. Ray gets a near fall, but Storm plants him with a twisting neckbreaker. Roode hits a spinebuster to Flair, and suddenly Daniels hits an insane cross body off the roof of the cage to Abyss and Hardy on the floor. Rodde puts Flair in the Figure Four, but Ray hits Roode with a trash can. Ray hits everyone with a kendo stick repeatedly, and Flair hits Kaz with one as well. Daniels is bleeding and Ray rubs his blood over himself. Ray is about to hit Daniels with the kendo stick when AJ Styles makes his return and charges into the cage to beat down Ray. Roode throws Flair into the cage, Storm hits a superkick, and Roode applies a Fujiwara armbar that forces Flair to tap out. Great way to close the show as the main event itself delivered and AJ’s return made it feel even more special. This was the best Lethal Lockdown match since 2007. Lots of blood, weapons, and chaos to send everyone home happy. Match Time: 22:55     Star Rating: ***3/4

Overall PPV Rating: 6.25/10

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.    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.

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

The night kicked off with Homicide challenging Amazing Red for the X Division Championship. This was a great way to kick off the PPV as the match was very back and forth and had a ton of high spots.  Red connected with a hurricanrana and a crossbody early on in the match but Homicide soon took control with a belly to back spulex and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Homicide then worked over Red for a bit before Red gets back into it with a dropkick and a DDT for a near fall. Red counters the Gringo Killer and an ace crusher and hits a standing shooting star press for another near fall. Homicide hits a cutter for a near fall afterward. Eventually this match comes to an end when Homicide goes for a top rope hurricanrana, but Red held on and hit the Code Red for the win. Good X Division match to open up the show and pop the crowd. Match Rating: 6/10

2.    6 Woman Tag Team match for all the Knockouts Championships: TNA Women’s Knockout Champion ODB and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions Sarita and Taylor Wilde vs. The Beautiful People

I generally don’t like tag team matches where champions can lose their titles without eating a pin, and this match did little to change my opinion. The fans voiced their dislike for Lacey Von Erich with “You can’t wrestle” chants and a Lacey Von Botch sign. The faces all work over Madison Rayne for a bit before she gets the hot tag to Velvet Sky, who hits a snapmare and a running knee before tagging in Von Erich. After Wilde gets beaten down by The Beautiful People for a while, ODB gets the hot tag and cleans house. Just when it seems that the heels have gotten her under control, ODB connects with a few elbow smashes to fight them off. She then hits a reverse-FU to win the match and the faces retain their titles. This match was fairly sloppy and was not enjoyable. Can we please end the Sarita/Wilde vs. The Beautiful People feud now? Match Rating: 3/10

3.    TNA World Tag Team Championship: The British Invasion(c) vs. Beer Money Inc. vs. The Motor City Machineguns

After a weak Knockouts match, this 3 way for the Tag Titles got the PPV back on track. However, the one gripe I had about this match was that much of the later portion of it was built around Beer Money vs. The British Invasion, and the match had been promoted for weeks as the Guns vs. British Invasion (Beer Money was merely added to the match on the Impact before the PPV). Anyway, this match was good, even though it was a bit shorter than I would have liked it to be.  Roode gets worked over by Sabin and Shelley in the early going, and takes a slingshot senton from Sabin. The Guns then worked over the British Invasion for a bit with double team moves but Sabin falls victim to a double team neckbreaker from the Invasion and the heels are in control. Sabin eventually fights back with an enzuigiri and is tagged by Storm. Storm hits Magnus with a uranage and hits a double suplex with Roode onto Williams. Beer Money and the Guns hit a bunch of double team moves on the Brits but Sabin misses a slingshot move over the top rope and crashes to the floor. Storm hits an enzuigiri to Williams, but Eric Young appears outside the ring with the Global title and attacks Storm. Storm then goes after Young up the entrance ramp, where Kevin Nash appears and takes the Global belt before surprisingly hitting Storm with it. The Brits then capitalize on this and hit a double team move on Roode to retain their titles. Good tag title match but it could have been a bit better. Match Rating: 6/10

4.    Six Sides of Steel: Tara vs. Awesome Kong

Who would have thought that a women’s match clocking in at less than 8 minutes would have been the match of the night thus far when it ended? Kong hits a couple big moves early on including an electric chair drop and a stunning missile dropkick. Kong then splashes Tara against the cage and chokes her against the steel. She also hit a very nice looking front suplex against the side of the cage. Tara fights back into the match with a DDT and slams Kong into several sides of the cage before hitting a standing moonsault for a near fall. The two women fight on the top rope which ends with Tara hitting a nice powerbomb onto Kong for a near fall. Tara then scales the cage and hits an incredible crossbody off the top for the win. This was the best women’s match of the year, no doubt. Match Rating: 6.5/10

5.    Rhino and Team 3D vs. Matt Morgan, Hernandez, and D’Angelo Dinero

This match had been advertised as a street fight, but was fought under standard 6 man tag rules. There is tension early on between Dinero and Matt Morgan, allowing the heels to take control. Dinero soon goes after Ray with a double leg take down and some punches but Ray fights back into it with some elbow strikes and a Bubba Bomb before tagging in Rhino. Rhino fights with Morgan, who hits a big clothesline before everyone enters the ring, leading to Dinero suffering a reverse 3D. Devon later puts on a chin lock and hits a lariat on Dinero before making the tag to Rhino. The heels work over Dinero for a bit before Morgan is tagged back into the match. Morgan hits a ton of punches, a side slam, and a splash for a near fall. Hernandez later does an impressive dive outside the ring to the entire opposing team. The match eventually comes to an end when Hernandez gets hit with a chair by Devon while the ref’s back was turned and Rhino hits a Gore for the win. Why didn’t the young guys go over here? Match Rating: 5.5/10

6.    No Disqualification, Falls Count Anywhere: Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley

Just before the start of the match, it was announced that it would be No DQ and Falls Count Anywhere. I thought that the gimmick would help the match out greatly and make it more entertaining, but instead it just opened the door for horrible camera work and a ton of botches. I seriously think every major spot was botched somewhat. The match starts off with the two brawling in the stands and Lashley goes after Steiner with steel chairs. The two then went back to the ring where they hit various suplexes on each other but overall the match pace slowed down. Steiner hits a Frankensteiner that Lashley almost completely botched and barely made contact with the mat. The two then brawl to the backstage area and the cameras struggle to keep up. We have to wait a bit before getting a camera going backstage. The two start hitting (I use that term lightly) each other with various weapons and Lashley hits a very weak-looking suplex to Steiner through a table. Lashley connects with a super-light shot with a 2×4 before crashing through some plywood while going after Steiner. Steiner chokes out Lashley with a cord before the two go back into the Impact Zone. They fight near a metal scaffolding, which Steiner takes apart. Steiner takes a lead pipe and hits Lashley in the head with it (so lightly that there is barely any impact at all) and Lashley falls down. Steiner pins him for the win. Just a complete mess of a match. Match Rating: 2.5/10

7.    Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe

Thankfully this next match rejuvenated my interest in the PPV. This was definitely the technical match of the year as far as mainstream wrestling goes. This match really had it all and was great from start to finish. It was a bit slow in the beginning with the two simply doing a bunch of submission holds such as hammerlocks, but it quickly got better. Wolfe repeatedly works over the arm of Angle with stomps and a great submission hold.  Angle fights back into it with a flying forearm before hitting six German suplexes in a row. He then goes for the Angle Slam but Wolfe counters with a great arm drag. Wolfe connects with a big lariat but Angle kicks out. He then hits Angle with the Tower of London for another near fall before Angle hits a big lariat of his own. Angle misses a moonsault and Wolfe puts on the London Dungeon. Wolfe goes for a second Tower of London, but Angle counters and Wofle tries for a superplex instead. Angle fights him off and hits a frog splash for a near fall. Both men try for the Tombstone but Angle eventually counters into the Ankle Lock. Wolfe fights out of that hold, but Angle locks in a side triangle choke to force the submission and win the match. Even though Wolfe (aka ROH’s Nigel Mcguinness) didn’t win, Angle put him over big time and the crowd really got into him. This was TNA’s match of the year at its conclusion, but unfortunately it did not hold that title for long. Match Rating: 8.5/10

8.    TNA World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles(c) vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe

This was a rematch of what many consider to be TNA’s best match of all time back at Unbreakable 2005. While this match wasn’t quite as good as that bout, it came pretty darn close to topping it. This topped Angle/Wolfe as the match of the night and TNA’s match of the year for 2009. Styles opens the match with an assault on both men, but Joe fights back with an enzuigiri and a splash on Styles. Styles and Daniels do some great chain wrestling before Joe reenters the match to go after Styles. Joe hits a high knee to Daniels and puts on a leg hold that is broken up by Styles. Styles hits a suplex to Joe and locks in an inverted Indian death lock which is broken up by Daniels. Daniels hit a ton of moves to Styles before slamming him onto Joe. Daniels puts on a combination Boston Crab/Camel Clutch on both men before Joe fights out of the clutch and hits a urange. More action in the ring ends when Daniels dives outside the ring onto Styles and Joe. Back in the ring, Joe has Daniels in a rear naked choke when Styles does a twisting body press onto both men. Joe powerbombs Styles before working him over with a couple submission holds. Joe gets taken down with an enzuigiri from Daniels and a Pele from Styles. A great spot occurred in the middle when Daniels had Joe in a reverse DDT clutch and Styles came in with a senton on Joe. Styles hits a moonsault into an inverted DDT onto Daniels, but Daniels hits the Last Rites for a near fall that is broken up by Joe. Joe then hits Daniels with a Muscle Buster but Styles breaks up the pin and fights with Joe. Styles and Daniels go for each other’s finishers but are ambushed by Joe. Joe dropkicks Styles to the floor but is caught with an STO and a BME from Daniels. As Daniels goes for the pin, Styles comes out of nowhere with a springboard 450 splash onto both men. Style spins Joe to retain his title in this classic, almost perfect three-way match. Match Rating: 9.5/10

Overall PPV Rating: 8.75/10

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 roughly a year now as well.